by L. E. Wilson
“Like blow all your money at the strip club?” She plopped down next to him before he could respond, just far enough away that they didn’t accidentally touch. “Let’s not fight, C. Fun as it always is, we have other things to worry about right now.”
“Speaking of which…like, seriously, where the hell is Dante?” He reached over and smacked her jean-clad knee affectionately.
Biting back a hiss of pain caused by his casual touch, she only said, “He’s on his way up. Give him a minute.”
Shea leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees. She was tired of having this same conversation with Christian over and over again.
Christian mimicked her position, turning his head to look at her. “What the hell is up with him, Shea? You’re closer to him than all of us. What’s his deal?”
She sighed inwardly. It looked like they were going to have it anyway.
“I really don’t know,” she told him honestly. “He’s been like this since Luukas was taken. Hell, we’ve all been affected one way or another.”
“Well, sure, but you don’t see me living underground like a creature of lore. We don’t have to do that anymore.”
“He feels safe down there…if a bit wet.” Shea smiled and changed the subject. “So, who’s the floozy of the moment for Christian the Lady Killer?” She threw a hand up. “Don’t tell me! Let me guess her name. Candy? Bambi? No? Wait, I know, Porsche!”
“Lay off, Shea.” Christian got up and wandered over to the kitchen counter separating the two rooms. “You know you’re just jealous.”
Shea regarded his broad, muscular back, hunched over the counter as he thumbed through the newspaper she’d left lying there. She wasn’t kidding when she'd called him a manwhore. Did he ever tire of the endless parade of females sashaying in and out of his life?
The bastard was right, though.. She was jealous, though she would never admit it. She hadn’t had a male companion since Luukas disappeared.
Something had happened to her that day. She’d first noticed it when Nik had gathered them all together to let them know their Master had never returned from his meeting with the she-bitch. After he’d filled them in, she’d gone up to him to give him a hug, show some support. But as soon as his arms had gone around her to return it, an excruciating pain had blasted down her spine, shooting out her limbs and hitting every nerve ending along the way. She’d pulled away with a hiss, and the pain had immediately gone away. Assuring Nik she was fine with an apologetic smile, she’d hurried out of the room, and hadn’t purposely touched any male since.
Strange, but it seemed to only be males who affected her, no matter the species. Now, she fed exclusively on females. Sometimes she even fucked them, just to have some skin on skin contact, but she’d never admit it to her comrades. She didn’t need the harassment. She wasn’t gay, just lonely.
And she definitely didn’t want to give the guys she hung out with any fuel for their sex lives. They were like her brothers, and she’d worked hard to build that relationship with all of them. She didn’t want to ruin it by stirring up their girl on girl fantasies, with her as the star.
They all seemed to be dealing with Luukas’ disappearance in their own ways.
The front door was suddenly thrown open, smashing into the wall behind it. Dressed in biker black, Dante’s imposing figure filled the entire frame. Tribal tattoos ran down the side of his face and neck, vanishing under the neckline of the T-shirt stretched tight across his broad chest. His chilling appearance seemed to suck all the light and air in the room into the black void that was his existence.
Lifeless black eyes scanned the room, alighting briefly onto Christian, and finally coming to rest on Shea. A tiny spark of life appeared as he gazed upon her, but was just as quickly gone.
Christian calmly raised an eyebrow. “Is that really necessary, dude?”
Dante’s lips lifted into a scary semblance of a smile as he ran a hand over his clean-shaven head.
Ducking his head, Dante stepped through the doorway and kicked the door shut behind him with a thud. He didn’t come any farther inside, but leaned back against the wall in a deceptively casual stance, crossing his arms over his muscular chest.
He felt too exposed here in this high-rise apartment, with all of its windows and airiness. It made him edgy.
If he thought they’d do it, he’d make Shea and Christian meet him on his own turf in the underground below the city. The parts the tourists weren’t allowed to see.
No one could sneak up on him down there. And no one could hear the screams with the city bustling above.
“Ok. We’re all here.” Shea stood up from the couch and joined Christian at the kitchen counter.
“Have you heard from Aiden?” she asked Dante.
“Yeah. Just got off the phone with him.” His voice was gravelly and harsh from lack of use. Dante only spoke when he had to.
“Well? What did he say?” Christian’s impatience was obvious. “Do they have the witch?”
Dante didn’t acknowledge his impertinence, directing his answer to Shea. “Leeha’s back in town. We’re meeting them tomorrow night. The usual spot.”
Shea nodded. “Ok. Good. So, we’ll meet back here tomorrow at sundown then?”
Christian slapped his hands down on the counter. “Awesome. Good meeting. You two can work out the details. I’m out. See you tomorrow.”
Shea watched him fly out of the apartment, and Dante frowned as her forehead creased with concern.
“Don’t,” Dante told her. “There’s nothing you can do. He is what he is.”
Shea gave her commander a sideways glance and sighed. “I know.”
“I need you to get the vehicle ready for tomorrow. Check the weapons and ammo. We’ll get a plan together when we meet Nik and Aiden.” As an afterthought he added, “And feed, Shea. I need you at full strength tomorrow.”
“I will.” She paused. “I wish you’d let me share some of these duties with Christian, instead of letting him run off all the time.”
He clenched his jaw at her petulant tone. She was questioning him?
She immediately dropped her gaze to her hands, folded on the counter. “I apologize. That was uncalled for. I shouldn’t question you.”
Dante eyed her bowed head. Though normally outspoken, he couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a bad attitude. But lately…yeah…she really hasn’t been herself. Maybe she needed someone to talk to.
But, he was not that person.
He supposed he could give her an explanation if it would get her ass in gear. “I give all these tasks to you, Shea, because I know I can depend on you. Not Christian. Not Aiden. You. Christian is a good Hunter, but these days he’s more interested in where his dick is going to land next. Aiden is a good Hunter, but he doesn’t have your mastery of weapons. It’s good to have them at my back. But you, you are different. I trust you with my life.”
She looked up. “Thank you, Dante. That means a lot to me.”
He watched her a moment, then gave her a single nod. Pushing himself off the wall, he followed Christian out the door before she got all mushy on him or something. He had no time for that shit.
Chapter 9
Other than a brief “who is driving” debate—which Emma won, because, dammit, it was her car—Nik and Emma spent the walk back to her car and the short ride to her house in thoughtful silence.
Nik gave in only because they were burning moonlight. He needed Emma packed and with him and Aiden by dawn, and he still had a lot of convincing to do if he wanted her to come of her own accord. And for some reason he couldn’t explain, he found he didn’t want to force her.
Emma parked along the side of the house and jumped out. Nik followed at a more leisurely pace, locking up her car for her.
They climbed the stairs to her front porch, and Emma paused at the door. “How about we just talk out here?” Without waiting for an answer she left her bag by the door and sat down in one of the old, wooden chairs. She look
ed nervous, probably wondering if it had been a good idea to bring him here.
“Sure, okay.” Not wanting to alarm her more by arguing, Nik took the matching chair, slouching down and stretching his long legs out in front of him.
He leaned back and gazed up at the clear sky, still amazed at how much clearer the stars were to him now. He almost felt sorry for humans. They didn’t have the capability to really appreciate a night like this.
“Are you just going to sit there staring at the sky?” she asked. “Or do you think maybe you could go ahead and tell me whatever the hell it is that’s so damn important, it brought you all the way out here to harass me?”
Nik smirked to himself. Apparently, being nervous made her grumpy. He gave her the same look he would give a kitten who was misbehaving, but was so still so darn cute you couldn’t be angry at them.
That seemed to piss her off even more. “Well?” she gritted out.
“Yes, I will tell you.” He had rethought his approach, again, on the drive over. Maybe if he appealed to her sympathetic side…“I need your help, Emma.”
He picked up his chair by the arms and angled it toward her. “I know you keep trying to avoid the subject, but I really need you to tell me what happened that night.”
He could practically see the wall slam down.
“I’ve already told you. I really don’t remember very much.”
She was lying again. There was more to her story than she was telling him. But why would she lie? “Are you absolutely positive there’s nothing else you remember? Nothing else you haven’t told me?”
She sat silently a moment, and he swore he could hear her brain buzzing as she debated whether or not to trust him. Finally, she mumbled, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“I might believe more than you think, sweetheart.” The endearment rolled off his tongue without thought, and he could’ve bitten it. Just to shut himself up. He waited for her to snap at him again, but she must have been too preoccupied with what was going on in her lovely head to notice the slip.
She shook her head stubbornly, “I don’t remember anything else.”
Nik took a deep breath. He needed to earn her trust before she would open up to him. So, he took a huge chance. “Emma, I’m going to tell you something. And I need you to not freak out. Okay?”
Her forehead wrinkled up adorably. “Okay.”
“I think maybe you’ve seen some things, things other people wouldn’t believe, but I will. And the reason I will, Emma, is because I am something different myself.”
She looked him over. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll show you, but first I need you to believe me when I say I would never hurt you.” He looked at her intently, willing her to believe him.
Emma was starting to look anxious. “You’re scaring me here, Nik. Why don’t you just spit it out?”
“Yeah, all right,” he agreed, and hoped he wasn’t making the biggest mistake of his life.
Using his previously learned reaction to this particular female, he rose from his chair and squatted down in front of her. Leaning in until his senses were filled with nothing but Emma, he inhaled her sweet scent.
Instantly, he felt his gums burning as his fangs shot out. His mouth watered, and his muscles hardened as his blood roared through his veins, including his now painfully swollen erection.
Sitting back down in his own chair, he opened his mouth, drew his lips back, and showed her his fangs.
At first, Emma didn’t understanding why he was just sitting there with his mouth hanging open. Then she looked closer.
Are those…? Noooo, it can’t be. That’s impossible.
Until they lengthened even more as she stared, even as she shook her head in denial.
He slowly lifted his hands up in front of him, palms out. “I’m a vampire, Emma.”
Holy mother of God.
Emma sat frozen to the chair and stared at his mouth. At his fangs. She thought about the eerie glow his eyes had when he walked into the bar, of how he had appeared out of nowhere when she was about to get into her car.
Her heart sped up, and sweat started leaking out her pores as the adrenaline kicked in.
VAMPIRE. The word echoed around and around inside of her.
Terrifying images from the past suddenly crashed into her head, the sight of Nik’s fangs releasing them from where they’d been firmly locked away.
Images of putrid grey skin with rotting patches hanging off, exposing raw muscle underneath. Bulging red eyes glaring at her heinously, and razor-sharp fangs…fangs dripping blood.
Her blood.
In her mind, she heard herself screaming in terror. Heard the monster hissing and grunting on top of her as pain ripped through her body, the others screeching as they watched and waited their turn.
Emma wanted to jump up and run, but she couldn’t seem to get enough air. She blinked as her vision started wavering. “Oh, God.” She couldn’t even scream.
“Emma? Sweetheart?” His husky voice was filled with concern. “Are you all right?”
Emma felt lightheaded and gripped the arms of her chair with both hands until her knuckles turned white. She started seeing spots in front of her eyes, and her stomach felt nauseous. Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out.
She was going to pass out.
Just as her vision went dark, he grabbed her by the back of the neck, bending her over and shoving her head between her legs. “Breathe, Emma. Just breathe. It’s all right. Nothing is going to hurt you.”
As the blood rushed to her head, her breathing calmed and her vision gradually cleared. She took a moment to enjoy drawing air into her lungs, before knocking his arm away and cautiously sitting up to study him.
He gave her a full-fang smile.
Her entire body started to shake uncontrollably, and she scooted a little farther away from him. Tears came out of nowhere to unexpectedly fill her eyes until he was nothing but a blurry shape in front of her. She frantically wondered if there was any chance at all of her outrunning him.
Her eyes darted over to her car, judging the distance. She might make it if she ran faster than she ever had in her life. She could swipe up her bag on the way. She didn’t even need to find her key. Her car started with a power button.
Would she be able to get a head start on him if she took him by surprise?
But what if he was faster than humans? She thought back to the event in the parking lot again, of how she'd slammed into his wall of a body. Was he really that fast?
She glanced over at him nervously.
“I’m not going to hurt you Emma. See? All gone.” His smile returned, showing his pearly whites, and not a fang in sight. “I’m sorry to shock you like that. I didn’t know how else to tell you without sounding like a crazy person, so I thought I’d just show you. I don’t even drink from humans,” he reassured her. “See? Harmless.”
That got her attention.
“You d-don’t d-drink blood? But, you said…you said…you’re a…vampire…” she stammered.
Her focus drifted as she tried to reconcile the resurrected memories that were banging around in her skull to what she was seeing right in front of her. But they didn’t add up. Nikulas was nothing like the monsters from her nightmares.
“Emma. Emma. Look at me.”
Clenching her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering, she slowly raised her eyes to his.
“Sweetheart, it’s okay. I swear,” he told her gently.
After several minutes, and several more furtive glances at him, she managed to get out, “W-What exactly do you drink if not blood?”
“Oh, I do drink blood,” he clarified. “Just out of a bag, not a body.”
“A b-bag?” She was genuinely confused.
“Yeah. A blood bag. I have a friend who works at a blood bank. I get my nutritional requirements from people who donate it willingly.” He gave her a big, fang-free, smile.
“Are there more like you? So…so…human-like?�
� She was almost afraid to hear the answer.
His forehead wrinkled up briefly as he confessed, “Yes. There are a lot of us, Emma. All over the place.” Then he added, “You can ask me anything you’d like. I’ll answer anything you’d like to know, and I won’t lie to you.”
“Do you all drink from blood bags?” It was a silly question. But, stupidly, she dared to hope. It was dashed with his honest answer.
“No. Actually, I think I may be the only one.”
“Why do you do it?” she asked.
“I have my reasons.” Judging by his tone, he was not going to elaborate.
“The others? Do they kill people?”
“Some of them,” he said softly. “But I’m not one of those.” He opened his mouth like he was about to say more, but then changed his mind.
After a moment of silence, he told her reverently, “I swear to you, you have nothing to fear from me.”
Could she believe him? Now that the shock was wearing off and her nerves were calming down, she found she could think somewhat rationally again.
She was sitting on her porch, in the middle of the woods, with a…vampire. There. See? She could say it without passing out. “I guess if you were going to kill me, you would’ve done it by now.”
A look of amusement passed over his face. “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”
She thought it over. “Can you go out in the sunlight?”
“No.”
Morbid curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, “What would happen if you did?”
Grimacing slightly, Nik told her, “I would catch on fire and burn until I was nothing but a pile of ashes.”
“Can you change form?”
“Like into a bat?” He laughed. “No.”
“Is it true about the garlic and crosses? And holy water?”
“No, although I’d rather not eat garlic and I’m not big on religious decor. The only thing that can harm me besides the sun is a debilitating injury to the heart or being beheaded. That part of the lore is true.”
Another question popped into her head, and she opened her mouth to ask, but caught herself just in time and snapped it shut.
