I reached the correct door and paused before entering, taking time to lean against the wall and down the apple. I didn’t want to do this in front of Rolf, but I needed to know what Yvette knew. Maybe I could get her to talk to me someplace private. Gathering my courage, I stuffed the apple core into my pocket and faced the door again.
But as I poked my head inside, I realized getting Yvette to follow me out wasn’t necessary. She was sitting alone beside a wall-to-wall window that opened up to the side yard. The snow-laden trees stood in the distance, their colors muted through the glass panes like a watercolor painting.
Yvette didn’t look up from her book when I entered so I closed the door quietly and walked across the room. The study was stacked with books, both old and new, and a mahogany desk stood in the center, cluttered with papers and a laptop computer. I passed it and went to stand beside a gold-upholstered armchair across from Yvette.
She was the only person I’d ever met without a vibe. It had always intrigued me, but now I had a feeling there was a reason I couldn’t read it.
“You know why I’m here,” I said.
A faint smile tugged on her lips. She placed the book down on her lap and finally looked up at me. Her rounded face was tanned and creased around the eyes and mouth; her wiry black hair was pulled into a loose braid that flowed across her chest. She scrutinized me methodically, taking in every inch of my face.
“I never thought I’d meet another one,” she said. Her voice was like the hum of some great machine—low and steady.
“Another . . . what, exactly?” I asked as my pulse began to race. She knew about my power!
But she faltered. “I don’t really know what you are. But I do know that we are the same. It’s a form of telepathy—connecting minds, thoughts. Or in our case, emotions.” She leaned in, expression fervent. “What is it like for you? What are your abilities?”
“I can read emotions, like you said. Everyone’s, even vampires and werewolves. Actually, theirs are strongest. And I can control any changed werewolf, even on the full moon. But it’s difficult.”
“And the vampires? Can you control them?”
I shook my head. “How did you know about me?” I asked, sitting down across from her. “How did you know I could save Lucas?”
“I have only met someone like you once before. I knew immediately because I could not sense you.”
“Sense me?”
“Sense your emotions.”
Oh, my vibe. “I can’t . . . sense you either.”
“I believe it is because our powers cancel each other out.”
“I guess that makes sense. So wait, you said you know someone else like us?”
She looked down at her lap. “Knew. The vampires took him. He is dead now.”
I cringed. “I’m sorry.”
“They thought he could control them like we control the wolves so they murdered him. But it doesn’t work that way. The vampires are undead; their brain functions do not work like ours. We can sense them, but we cannot control them.”
“Can you control the werewolves too, then?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “Though, not when they are human. Well, except for Rolf.”
“Rolf?” I blurted. He was the last person I’d expect her to be able to control. He’d easily usurped my power over his pack that night at the barn and almost took my connection to Lucas as well.
“Of course,” she said, furrowing her delicate brows. “He is my match.”
“Your match? What is that?”
“It seems that those with the sense—people like us—have an inexplicable connection to the supernatural world. The magic that runs through the blood of the vampires and werewolves—it binds to us as well, enabling us to sense emotions and temporarily control their actions. For each of us, there is a single supernatural creature whose magic is so similar to ours that they are bound to us by an unbreakable bond. They are matched so perfectly that the werewolf can be controlled even when he or she is human.”
Well if that was true, then I supposed Lucas was my match. Cool. I wondered what that meant, exactly.
“So can Rolf feel it when you control him?” I asked.
“Yes. He’s the only one. But I rarely do it. Only to protect myself from harm. In fact, I have not needed to use my abilities in over a decade.”
Huh. Must be nice.
We were silent a moment and, suddenly I heard the shadow of Lucas’s voice in my head: Nobody can ever find out about this.... There’s no way Rolf will let someone with that kind of power live.
A flicker of panic flared up as the gravity of what I’d just done hit me. I’d just told the pack master’s mate that I could control his entire pack.
Real smart. I was so dog chow.
But then again, he’d let Yvette live.
“Why does Rolf let you control him?” I asked. “He’s the pack master; doesn’t that threaten everything he’s about? I mean you could make him do whatever you wanted—human or not.”
“When we first met, Rolf was not the pack master. I stayed with him through many difficult times. He trusts me above anyone else. He would never kill me for what I am because he knows I would never abuse my power over him.”
“But what about me? Did you tell him about me?”
Yvette’s face closed down—a typical werewolf trick she must have picked up from Rolf. It was impossible to read her.
“Yvette, did you tell him?”
“I have not. I wasn’t sure you had the sense, and I didn’t want to endanger your life unnecessarily.”
“And now that you know, will you tell him?”
She scrutinized me for a long while. “My loyalty is to Rolf,” she said and my heart plummeted. “However, you are like me—the only other one I know. We must protect each other.” She fixed her gaze on me, serious and intent. “So I will not tell Rolf what you are. So long as you remain a friend of this pack.”
“What does that entail, exactly?”
“Remain compliant with Rolf’s wishes and I have no reason to tell him what you are.”
“I’m not going to let him kill Derek,” I said. “You’ll have to tell him because I—”
“Shh,” Yvette soothed. “Rolf will not kill Derek.”
“Wh—what? But he . . .”
“I know Rolf,” Yvette said. “He is cautious of change. He doesn’t like what a creature such as Derek might do to the dynamics of the pack. If Derek is stronger, he may usurp his leadership. Or if Derek creates more creatures like himself, his very race may be put in jeopardy.”
“Yeah, okay, but that still doesn’t make it okay to kill someone for something they haven’t even done yet.”
“Agreed. And that is why I will speak to Rolf. He will listen. I am not the only one who thinks this way—Nora and Tony Nocturn will side with me. Many others, too.”
I bit my lip, deliberating. “If Derek is allowed to live, I won’t defy Rolf’s wishes. So you don’t have to tell him about me.” I didn’t really like the deal, but what choice did I have? I couldn’t let Rolf know what I was. He’d kill me, unless ... unless, I managed to control him—stop him from hurting me.
But Yvette seemed to know where my mind was going.
“I’ll block you if you try to control Rolf,” she said. “He’s my match, and I will feel it if you enter his mind.”
Damn it.
“You can do that?” I asked. “Block people?”
“It takes practice, but yes. I learned to do it with Kevin—the last person I met with the sense. There are some humans who can do it as well, subconsciously, of course. And there is the chance that you will meet a vampire who can block you, since they know of our existence.”
“Will you teach me to do it? So I can protect Lucas against . . .”
Yvette’s face split in a rueful grin. “Against me?”
I flushed and shrugged. “Make it an even playing field?”
She flipped the pages of her book with one hand. “Perhaps
one day.”
Lame. “Can Rolf block you out?”
Her lip curled. “Unfortunately.”
I smiled at that. “Hey, you have to let him have his way sometimes.”
The shadow of a smile played around her mouth. “Yes, I suppose so.”
5
THE WAITING GAME
I left with my head spinning in twenty different directions. I was excited that I’d met someone else with the sense, as Yvette had called it. And I was out-of-my-mind eager to tell Lucas about the whole matched thing. I wanted to start experimenting with him ASAP, to test the limits of our connection and my power. What other cool benefits came with our superlink and how could I use them for both my own safety and his? Not to mention for some of the more tantalizing activities.
But I was also still worried about Derek, and if he had even survived the night with the pack after him. As usual, the thought of what he must be going through because of me, brought my high right back down to the floor, and by the time I was back in Lucas’s room, I had returned to biting my nails off in anticipation of Lucas’s call.
Before I’d even had a chance to sit down, I heard a knock at the door. I turned to see Katie pop her head in.
“Hi,” she said. “Can we come in?”
“We?” I asked, pushing myself onto the edge of the bed.
Julian stuck his head in too, and I waved them in. Katie sat down on the desk, and Julian came to lean beside me on the bedpost. I didn’t need to sense their vibes to read their emotions; it was written all over their faces. They were scared.
“Where’s Lucas?” Katie asked tentatively. “Is he . . . okay?”
“He’s fine,” I said.
“Was it bad?” Katie asked, awed.
“Kate,” Julian said sharply. “Come on, she doesn’t want to relive it.”
“No, it’s okay,” I said and leaned back on my elbows. “It was bad ... really bad. But he’s healed now and he went out for a run. I think he needed a release.”
Katie and Julian nodded like they could imagine what I was talking about.
“So, last night . . . ,” I started, not really knowing how I would continue.
“We didn’t see Derek,” Julian said.
I felt my lungs empty with a long breath. “Thank God,” I whispered. “I thought the pack would kill him.”
“I think he has too much vampire in him to make him easily locatable.”
“That’s sort of good, I guess.”
It was good because that meant he was able to lose the pack. It was bad because that meant it was more than likely that he was dead inside. No feelings. No love. No Derek. “Let’s talk about something else,” I said quickly.
Katie, never one to play shy, jumped right in.
“Guess what!” she gushed.
I cracked a smile. “What?” I asked.
“I’m going to CSU this semester!”
“What?” I asked again.
“As a lab assistant.” She smiled at my blank expression. “I’m a chemist, didn’t Lucas tell you?”
“No.”
“Loser. Well, I am. And I finally got a job!” She clapped her hands together. “It’s been ridiculous trying to find someplace to hire me because I look sixteen—and, let’s be honest, who wants to hire a sixteen-year-old chemist—but Rolf made a call to the dean of the chemistry department, and they said they’d take me.”
“That’s great, Katie,” I said, genuinely happy for her. And, yeah, a little relieved that she’d be on campus with me. Over the past few weeks, I’d really come to rely on Katie for support and a little levity in what was swiftly becoming the worst time in my life. She was a good friend, and I’d been dreading leaving her for school.
“We’ll be together more,” Katie went on with a sneaky wink. “I’ll be able to help Lucas keep an eye on you. Oh, and Derek now, too. That is if he’s not all crazy and—”
“Kate!” Julian snapped, cutting her off.
“Oh, sorry,” Katie made an exaggerated grimace.
Julian rubbed his temples. “Ignore her,” he said wearily.
Katie’s outraged expression made me laugh. “It’s fine,” I said. Katie threw a triumphant look at Julian, which made me smile again. I sighed. Just being around these two was like a glass of ice water in the desert. “I’m so glad you guys aren’t like the rest of the werewolves. They’re all such jerks.”
Julian lifted an angular brow. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know. I’m sure everyone talks trash about me when I’m not around.”
“I don’t know about that, but I do know that they are afraid of you.”
“Afraid?” I asked incredulously. “Of me?”
Julian nodded and Katie bobbed her head enthusiastically.
“Why?” I asked, totally confused.
“Lucas is one of the oldest members of the pack,” Julian said. “Second only to Rolf and our father—our real father. Tony. Lucas would be one of the most influential members of the Council if he’d ever agree to be on it.”
“Why doesn’t he?” I asked.
“He doesn’t much enjoy politics. He’s more of a . . . a vigilante, I guess.”
“Yeah, I can see that about him,” I said.
“Anyway,” Julian went on. “You hold a lot of sway with Lucas. He refused to put you in danger to kill Vincent. He even threatened to leave the pack if it came down to it, which was a drastic move.”
“Why?” I asked. “What’s the big deal about leaving the pack?”
“Because once you leave, you can never return. It’s a huge sacrifice. Not one many would make for a human. But he would have. I know Lucas, and when he says something, he means it.” Julian’s gaze held mine as my heart leaped at his words. “That’s why someone like you, who holds that kind of power over a pack member—especially one like Lucas—well, let’s just say it’s dangerous. Our loyalty is to our own kind, and our pack, specifically. Not to a human.” He smiled kindly. “So if you’re not feeling the love from some of the pack, that’s probably why. They don’t like you holding the cards when it comes to him.”
“Wow,” I said. “I never really thought of it that way, but I guess it makes sense.” If they only knew just how much sway I had over Lucas I might not have even been alive.
“Melanie has the same problem,” Julian said, “though not as bad since I’m not as old or important as Lucas.”
Lucas had told me that Julian’s relationship with Melanie had caused a big rift between Julian and his parents since most werewolves were firmly against romantic relationships with humans. They even threatened to appeal for Julian’s exile from the pack if he wouldn’t end it. But Julian refused to let her go. Nora and Tony finally accepted their relationship—however reluctantly—when Julian proposed to Melanie about a year ago. I found the saga sweet and romantic. Lucas thought it was dumb and believed that all relationships were doomed to end—that no love could last eternity. Not that it mattered to me if he wanted to spend the rest of his immortal life festering in a pit of everlasting loneliness.
Okay, so it mattered. A little.
“But everyone seems to like Melanie,” I said, coming back to the conversation. “I’ve never seen anyone be mean to her.”
“That’s because my parents are on the Pack Council.” He threw me a wry smile. “I may not be ancient like Lucas, but I do have influence of my own.”
“But why are they mean to me and not Melanie?” This was so unfair.
“Well, she’s been around longer. So even though she’s human, the pack trusts her. And,”—Julian’s eyes twinkled with mischief—“she didn’t bring a potentially blood-thirsty hybrid into the house either.”
He chuckled at my dirty look. “It also helps that I’ll be infecting her soon,” he said between laughs.
“What!” I exploded.
Katie began giggling behind her hand.
Julian’s smile faded. “What�
�s wrong?”
“You’re in-infecting Melanie?” I managed to sputter.
Julian’s expression resembled someone who’d just been told to eat an anthill. “Yes,” he said. “Of course. I’m marrying her, aren’t I?”
How could Julian want to do that to Melanie? She’d be tormented for years before she could learn to control her triggers. Even then, she still had to succumb to the change every month. She’d be tortured by it forever. What was Julian thinking?
Katie kicked her legs against the desk, obviously amused by my reaction. “She thinks you’re crazy, bro.”
“Lucas and you never discussed this?” Julian asked.
“No,” I said. “Never. Why would we?”
“Don’t you want to be with him forever?”
“I—I don’t know. I mean, it just never seemed like an option. We’ve only been together a few months.”
“Don’t you love him?” Julian asked. The way he said it wasn’t accusatory, or suspicious. It was matter-of-factly. As though this was the most obvious question in the world.
But it had taken me years to be able to answer that question with a yes. Now, I was more certain of it than ever. I loved Lucas. More than my own life. But to let him infect me? I wasn’t so sure.
“Yes,” I mumbled finally. “I love him.”
“Then let him infect you,” he said simply.
My world jolted at his casual tone. As if what he suggested was nothing more than getting a haircut. “But that’ll make me a werewolf,” I said vacantly.
Katie barked a laugh. “Duh! That’s the whole point! Being a werewolf rocks!”
I stared at her. Lucas never made it seem that way. With him it was all torture and angst. Sure, he liked his enhanced strength and senses, but as far as his transformations went, he always seemed tormented by it. I’d seen his art—he was a wreck inside. Why would I ever want to live like that—especially if it was an eternal life?
“Melanie wants to be a werewolf?” I asked.
“She wants to be with me forever. And this is the only way to do that. We’ve spoken about it and she’s willing to endure a few . . . difficult years in exchange for an endless life together.”
Blood Crave Page 4
