Sucked In

by Charissa Dufour

Chapter Twenty

  “What are you doing?” my cat asked from his post on the foot of my bed. I ignored him while reaching back to unzip the dress. I paused in my actions, reevaluating the idea of undressing in front of my sentient, male cat. Muffler's whiskers twitched as he waited for me to continue. “It's not like I haven't seen you undress before,” he added in a husky voice that made my skin crawl.

  I scooped up the first outfit my fingers found and went to the bathroom. Muffler scurried after me and slammed his face into the door as I shut it. While I changed, I tried not to think about my disturbing pet. Oh well, if I had my way, I wouldn't have long to remember my cat's tendencies. When I returned, dressed in jeans and a long sleeve T-shirt, I spotted Muffler on my bed, looking thoroughly perturbed. He watched me scramble to put shoes and a sweatshirt on at the same time. I was in a hurry to get out of my apartment. No doubt this would be the first place Nik would come looking for me.

  “You called the vampire who turned you?” Muffler asked. I tried to ignore him as I wrestled with the sleeves of my sweatshirt. Why wouldn’t my arm just go in? “And you did this… why?”

  “Leave this to me.”

  Before charging back out of the apartment, I dumped a fresh scoop of food into his bowl. I hoped Josh would adopt him when this was all over. Just as I was exiting the apartment, Isaac's silver car screeched to a halt at the curb. Isaac jumped out and met me at the side of the car. He flung his arms around me in an unwanted hug. I opened my mouth to ask the all-important question when Nik came skidding to a halt a few feet away. Before I could say anything, Isaac shoved me into the passenger side door and slid over the hood of his car in a Duke's of Hazard style. He jumped in and slammed his foot down on the gas. While we screeched away, leaving the smell of burning rubber in the air, I glanced out the window and caught a glimpse of Nik trying to run after us. How futile, I thought.

  Isaac drove quickly into Lacey.

  “I'm glad you called,” Isaac said as he drove at breakneck speeds. I just nodded, my hands holding tight to the door handle. I wasn't feeling completely calm about it. Isaac came to a stop in front of a large warehouse that claimed to be a flooring company. I couldn't figure out how to ask for the help I wanted.

  He took my arm and guided me through the front entrance. To my surprise, it really was a flooring store. We moved to the back, went through a nondescript, metal door, and down a staircase into a concrete basement that gave me déjà vu. At the end of the corridor was a set of double doors. Isaac dragged me to them and pushed them open.

  Was he in a hurry for some reason?

  The room was large but very different from Mikhail's main hall. All the furniture was from the Victorian era: long chaises were mixed in with fainting couches. The walls were lined with hutches and enormous paintings—mostly of landscapes from all over the world. Next to the many couches sat delicate tables decorated with silver candlesticks and doilies.

  “This is her?” A short man with a wide belly rose from one of the couches near the fire and stared at me.

  Was he a vampire? If so, he was the ugliest vamp I'd ever seen. I thought they were always pretty hot. Nik was. Isaac definitely was. Josh was decent looking. But this dude? Eek!

  “Yes sir,” Isaac answered.

  “Ashley Hawn. So you just turned yourself over to me?” the short man asked, his voice sounding almost accusatory. “Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased that you have. It saves me a lot of hassle in finding you.”

  “I'm glad I could help,” I said, my sarcasm increasing with the number of butterflies flitting around my stomach. It was better to be waspish than scared. “What I really came here for… ”

  He waved his hand, cutting me off. “For now I will leave you in Isaac's capable hands… until I need you,” he added cryptically.

  “But… ”

  Isaac took me by the elbow and guided me out of the large room, not letting me begin again. We walked down the hallway and into another room. I took the time to regain my confidence. Like the larger room, this one was done up in antiques. It felt a little as if an old woman dressed in a black mourning gown ought to be sitting in the rocking chair, knitting. Against one wall stood a Queen Anne side table. He moved to it and began pouring drinks—the human kind, like scotch or something else that's brown. I don't drink much of the highbrow liquor. Can't afford it.

  He handed me the crystal glass, and I sniffed at the liquid. It tickled my nose. With my stomach in knots, I wasn’t sure this was the best choice; I drank it anyway. Yuck. Isaac chuckled before taking a sip of his own drink. He stepped forward and took mine from me, setting both glasses down on the nearest table. Isaac grabbed me by the shoulders with a speed that spoke of his predatory nature. Then, with no warning, he kissed me.

  The kiss was hard, ferocious, and desperate all at the same time. It distracted me from my mission. I forced an image of the black-haired woman into my mind. She would never kiss anyone ever again. The thought hardened my resolve. I would get what I came for—it wasn't this. I pushed at his chest and took a few steps away; he released me reluctantly, confusion wrinkling his very attractive forehead as he stared at me.

  “I need you to kill me. For real this time. I know vampires don't die easily. But I'm sure you could manage it.”

  Isaac smiled condescendingly at me his head shaking back and forth slowly. “I can't. I needed you as a vampire.”

  “Needed me? For what?”

  “You'll find out in due time.” Isaac stepped forward, reaching out for me. “Until then… ” he added in a voice that reminded me of characters in my book.

  I moved away, placing a fragile looking chair between us. I never had the heroine in my books avoid the hero; then again, Isaac wasn't the hero in this story.

  “Please, just kill me now,” I begged piteously.

  “Are you thirsty,” he asked, seemingly out of the blue.

  I shook my head, trying not to think of the woman I had recently killed.

  “I think you are. You're emotional; it probably means you need to drink.”

  “I'm emotional because my life was turned upside down. And you did it! Now I need you to fix the mess you made,” I pleaded, trying to sound calm and logical; I felt neither.

  His face shifted from a condescending smile into a sickened glare. His brows contracted and his mouth turned down. I felt a shiver run down my spine, though I wasn’t sure why I should be afraid of him. He’d technically already killed me.

  “No,” he snapped. I had never seen Isaac angry before. It was quite the sight. His white skin flushed red with heated wrath, making his dirty blond hair stand out. I took an involuntary step away from him and bumped into the large, elegant bed. “Look, Ashley, I need you to be a vampire. A living vampire. I never meant to leave you in the hands of someone like Nikolai. Something far more terrifying showed up and I had to flee. They chased me, leaving you safe. I'm so sorry for abandoning you.”

  By this time, Isaac had slowly made his way to my side. I didn't know if I should believe him. But I'd already placed myself in his care. It was a little late to change my mind.

  “It’s going to get better. I promise. Besides,” he added in a soothing tone, “this way we have a long time to be together. Hundreds of years, rather than the measly eighty belonging to a human.”

  “But I didn't want this. You should have talked to me about it,” I cried out. I wanted to believe him, to believe this was all due to love. But my mind screamed at me to run, or better yet, drive a stake through his heart. He had never appeared to love me when I was human. Why would he start now?

  This was not turning out as I had planned.

  “I didn't have a choice,” he sighed. “Richard insisted. He had to have you.”

  Now the truth comes out! I was right not to trust him. If only I had realized it before calling him on the phone. Stupid Ashley.

  “So what? I'm his now?”

  “In a technical way, but in truth, you're mine,” he whispered b
efore trying to wrap his arms around me. I scooted away, his fingers grazing my arms, but I was running out of places to go.

  “Maybe I'm thirsty after all,” I said. There seemed a slim chance he would take me outside, where I might be able to escape... or be rescued.

  But escape wasn't what I wanted. To convince him to stake me, that was my mission, I reminded myself.

  The very thought of blood made the terror and desire envelope me. It is confusing to experience two completely conflicting emotions: to want something so badly and yet be afraid you might get it. As expected, my gums ached, my throat felt raw, and my breath entered my lungs at a painful rate.

  All scheming left my mind.

  He took me by the hand, led me out of the room and up through the flooring company. Where was he taking me? I couldn't imagine they kept their blood bags in a cooler on the sidewalk. This was the exact opposite of what I'd hoped for. Maybe escape was a better plan. I couldn't kill someone, not again.

  Once out in the cold, damp night air, I was better able to think. I took a few deep breaths, seeking the clarity of mind I would need to make my sudden escape.

  I let Isaac lead me away from the flooring company, sure that it would take him some time to find a victim at this time of night, and during that time I could find a chance to make a clean get away from him and his peer pressure.

  What a mess I'd made of this whole situation

  To my astonishment, there was a person standing on the sidewalk, smoking a cigarette. I had counted on it taking longer to find a human daft enough to be out in this frigid weather.

  Isaac dropped my arm and rushed the man. He moved like the Concorde airplane, except without all that crashing. It reminded me of the way Nik and Josh moved. I idly wondered if I'd ever be able to copy them. Isaac grabbed the man by the neck while rounding his body. The man's face contorted into dismay as he tried to struggle against Isaac's inhuman strength. I could relate to how he felt, though that was the last thing I was thinking about. Isaac smiled at me, lowered his lips to the man's neck and sunk his pointed teeth into the flesh. He lifted his head, blood dripping enticingly from his teeth.

  The desire I had been battling for the past couple days, or nights, welled up inside me. All the symptoms I'd been trying to ignore became almost unbearable. The pressure in my gums was intense but sudden. I licked my lips and felt my lengthened teeth slice my tongue. My chest tightened and my stomach gave a little flip as I inhaled through my nose. The smell of the warm liquid cleared any real thought from my mind. It was all instincts from there.

  There was no plan of escape left in my brain.

  I stepped forward, noticing the terror in the man's eyes. The fear increased my excitement; it made his blood smell sweeter. I took hold of his shoulders and bent my head to enjoy the trickling blood. Just as my lips touched the warm liquid another pair of hands grabbed my head and yanked me backward, flinging me into the air and across the empty road. I landed on my neck and shoulders, a sickening crack and a jolt of pain cutting through the haze of hunger.

  I wanted to get up, but I couldn't feel my feet. Would this heal? Panic!

  As anyone might expect, Nik stood between me and Isaac. Isaac dropped the shaken man and rushed at Nik. At the same time, I spotted Josh jogging to the man's side and leading him away. Nik easily repelled Isaac's initial attack, shoving him to the side.

  Isaac stumbled away, a very human sounding growl emanating from his throat. He regained his footing and prepared to come at Nik from his side. But Nik was too fast. He skipped away, just as Isaac rushed him again. This time, Nikolai grappled his opponent by the back of the neck as he raced by, and shoved him to the ground. Isaac struggled against Nik, nearly freeing himself. Nik clutched Isaac by the hair and slammed his forehead into the pavement. Isaac went limp and I screamed.

  Evidently, some tiny vestige of my feelings for him remained. Stupid girl! He's an ass, I reminded myself.

  Nikolai turned to look at me, his eyes black in the night, no trace of life or sanity left. I felt a shiver run down my spine as he rushed me. In one fluid motion, Nik picked me up and flung me over his shoulder as he continued away from Isaac's body. The world bobbed as he ran, his shoulder jabbing into my gut. But at least I could feel my feet again.

  I watched the receding shape of Isaac lying in the middle of the road. Was he dead? I couldn't recall Nik saying vamps died via blunt force trauma to the head.

  “No,” I shrieked, finally catching my breath. “I gotta go back!” Not really sure why I said that or felt that way, but I did.

  “He's fine,” Nik mumbled through his clenched teeth, his gait remaining steady. After another block, Nik stopped, opened a car door, and dumped me into the driver’s seat. He pushed me toward the other side and climbed in after me, clearly not trusting me to stay put while he walked around the car to the opposite door.

  Before he had the door closed, he had turned the key and slammed his foot onto the gas pedal. We screeched away, him driving like a Formula One racer and me holding on to the seat belt. After a few minutes with only the sound of the car's angry roar, Nik spoke.

  Okay, it was more like a yell.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Wrong with me?” I screamed back “What's wrong with you? I went there on my own.”

  “And that's supposed to make it okay? We've been trying to keep you away from Richard and you just gift wrap yourself?”

  “Well, maybe that's a mistake! Maybe if you'd just handed me over to him at the beginning none of this would have happened.”

  I realized this wasn't the true reason I had gone to Isaac, but I didn't want to tell Nik the truth.

  Nik growled as he slammed the car to a stop in front of what looked like a very nice condo. He dragged me out of the car, across the lawn and through the front door. My guess was this was Nik's apartment. Compared to his mansion, it was a shock, but compared to my shack it was quite the mansion. He pushed me onto a black leather couch before careening into the kitchen and back. Nik tossed me a blood bag.

  “Now listen to me,” he demanded as he plopped down on the couch next to me. “Richard is a cynical, cheating basta—jerk,” he said, stumbling to edit himself. “His motives are never simple. Nor are they pure. He didn't have Isaac turn you because he liked the way you looked. There is always more going on beneath the surface. We have to know what that is before you go traipsing off to him.”

  “You ever think that maybe we'd all be better off if I did just go to him?”

  “Absolutely not! Knowing Richard, he's probably trying to conjure himself a genie to take over the world. Why would you go to him? Are you stupid?”

  “I went to him hoping Isaac would stake me!” I snapped back, the truth spilling out of its own accord.

  Nik turned in his seat on the couch, took hold of my shoulders, and gave me a rough shake. “That is not an option.”

  “But I'm a monster,” I shrieked in his face as I jerked my shoulders free from his strong fingers.

  “You don't get to give up. Giving up is just giving into that darker side. You have to fight for it! Fight to be a good person.”

  “I can't!”

  “Then you're even worse than you realize. We all have a darker side, even before being turned. But we fight, each day, to be better. Giving up makes you pathetic…”

  Nik wasn't able to finish. Josh burst through the door. “What the hell was that?”

  “Not you too,” I snapped back and stormed out of the room before tears could leak from my burning eyes. I didn’t want to think about what Nik had just said. Not knowing where I was going, I ended up in a bedroom. I didn't know if it was Nik's, but I didn't care either. The bed squeaked as I flopped onto it. I stared up at the very tall ceiling, trying not to hear what the others were saying and failing miserably.

  “I don't think yelling at her is going to be very helpful,” Nik said, his voice slowly cooling after our fight.

  I heard
an almost comical growl come from Josh. Evidently, he wanted to yell a little more.

  “Besides,” continued Nik. “I've already done the yelling.”

  “Why did she run off?”

  “To get Isaac to stake her.”

  I flinched at his words, feeling like a complete coward. Maybe, just maybe, Nik was right. But I knew it was necessary. I was a threat to all humanity or at least the portion that lived in the greater Olympia area. I held my breath, determined not to scream at them. There was a strange silence, followed by the sound of light footsteps heading my way. Josh entered, his blood-stained shirt removed. He didn't have the rippling muscles of Nik or Isaac; instead, he had that not-an-ounce-of-fat look. It made me think of Richard. Neither of them looked like the typical male runway model. In my books, vamps had always been super attractive—like Isaac and Nik. But Richard had proved to be a rather normal looking guy… okay, more of a butt-ugly guy.

  I really hated these reminders that my writing was shit. You know those points in your life where you realize you've failed at something you really set your heart on? You see it in the Olympics when athletes hurt themselves or they lose the chance at a medal. They're broken, downtrodden. That's how I felt. I'd worked so hard at being a writer. And despite two published books, I suddenly realized I wasn't an artist. I wasn't highly creative. I was just the last man standing, so to speak.

  Josh strolled to the fireplace and flipped a switch. For some reason, it seemed odd for a really old vampire to have a gas fireplace. Too modern. Josh leaned against it, the contented look on his face out of place considering all the recent shouting.

  “How long have you known Isaac?” he asked. The question startled me.

  “Um… we'd been dating for a couple months before all this.” I waved my hand in the general direction of the living room, where I assumed Nik remained.

  “There are some things you need to know about Isaac.” Josh sauntered over to the bed and lay down next to me. At first, he simply stared at the ceiling, showing no inclination for actually telling me the story. Eventually, he sighed and began. “There were originally three seethes here in Olympia. It made things… complicated. A lot of hungry vamps in a comparatively small area. Richard decided he wanted more territory, and so he attacked the Tumwater seethe—my seethe. I was out of town that day. When I got back they were all dead. All but Isaac that is.”

  “Isaac was part of your seethe?”

  Josh nodded. “This was nine or ten years back. Isaac helped Richard in through a back door in exchange for his life. Richard slaughtered the whole seethe. When I got back and discovered the massive pile of ashes, I went to Mikhail. He accepted me but has always mistrusted me. It's natural I suppose—the new guy and all.”

  “He killed them all?” I asked. Strangely it made me more confused. Why hadn't Isaac been willing to kill me then? He clearly had no moral compass.

  I realize this is stupid, considering that I'd asked to be killed, but I felt a little relieved that he hadn’t done what I’d asked. I guess the desire to live is just too strong.

  “Yes. Just to make his feeding grounds larger.”

  I cringed away from the thought. “And Isaac helped him?”

  “Isaac liked the idea. He quickly rose through the ranks, somehow managing to kill all the vampires older than him other than Richard. I doubt the duels were exactly on the up and up. He's now Richard's right-hand man.”

  I had to paint a new picture in my head of the man I'd dated. He wasn't the Isaac I had known. Not by a long shot. I suddenly felt very alone, even with Josh lying next to me. I could hardly go to Chloe or Jordan about this. And Nik wasn't that helpful. He'd just tell me what an idiot I'd been.

  “I went to Isaac and asked him to kill me,” I said before I could edit my words. Josh already knew this, but I needed to say it. “He wouldn't do it. Said he needed me as a vampire.”

  “That could be a clue.”

  I nodded. “All right. Let's find out what the bastard wants and make sure he never gets it.” Maybe it was the experience of nearly getting what I wanted, or thinking I nearly got what I wanted, but I suddenly had a new vigor for life. I would wipe the floor with Isaac’s ass and make him pay out like a Las Vegas slot machine. It was easier to transform my fear and depression into anger.

  “Sure, believe him,” mumbled Nik from the other room. I heard his footsteps as he entered, but kept my eyes on the ceiling. I really didn't want to deal with him right now. “Isn't that what I'd been saying all this time?”

  “But with far less detail,” smirked Josh as he rolled off the bed. I glanced up at them in time to see Nik nod his head toward the exit. Ugh. What now? Josh quietly left before Nik closed the door. He leaned against it, keeping his distance.

  “So, have you come to your senses?”

  “Always the charmer,” I sighed.

  “No. I just don't sugar coat it and spill my heart out like Josh.”

  “Assuming you had a heart.” Okay, that was low, even for me. “Sorry.”

  “No you're not!” he snapped. I sat up to look at him. “That's how you honestly view me?”

  “Yes… no… I don't know. Haven't you noticed sometimes I say things before I really think about them?”

  “Yes.”

  I glared at him.

  “You asked,” he pointed out.

  “Doesn't mean I want an honest answer,” I said, a good pout forming on my lips. Even after all his years of existence, he didn’t know a thing about women. I stifled the pout before I seemed any more pathetic. “Just remember, you're the one who's tried to get Mikhail to kill me… multiple times.” Though I had thought about what I was saying, for a change, I couldn't keep it from slipping out.

  Nik stared at me for a long moment, his expression cold and fierce. I was about to suggest a new topic when Nik sauntered over to the bed and sat next to me. “Listen to me carefully,” he began, nudging my shoulder until I looked at him. “If Mikhail orders me to kill you, I will do it without hesitation. But that doesn't mean I will do it with joy. In fact, I think I might actually be a little upset.”

  “Wow! That's comforting to know you'll be a 'little upset',” I said. Sarcasm is better than bed-wetting-terror.

  “But I won't do it unless he orders me. Life is worth living. And if you give up and get someone to kill you, you miss out on all the opportunities for doing good.”

  “You mean like killing innocent women in the streets?”

  “No, like running a homeless shelter like Josh does.”

  That surprised me. Not that I didn't think Josh was great. I just had trouble seeing him as a soup-pouring kind of guy.

  “You're making me blush,” said Josh from the other room.

  “Our long lives give us the opportunity to do a lot of good in this world if we choose to take that advantage.”

  “But that doesn't make up for what I've already done.”

  “No,” agreed Nik. “But wouldn't it be worse to just give up and not try to do any good?”

  “You know… you can be kinda annoying sometimes.”

  “Me? What about you? A pipsqueak, dropped in my lap, demanding my undivided attention, who got my people ki… ” Nik stopped suddenly, but I knew what he was getting at. “I didn't mean that. I don't actually… I mean… You know I… ”

  “Just shut up, Nik!” I snapped before storming out of the room. Just as I reached the living room, a loud banging on the door resounded through the apartment. Nik was beside me in an instant, his business face already on. His own blood bag forgotten, Josh rose from the couch and got into position; both men were in front of me. I couldn't decide if it was chauvinistic or gentlemanly—can it be both?

  Nik stepped forward and opened the door. I would have expected him to open it just a crack, but no, he acted as though he was letting in a friend. He probably knew the door wasn't much defense against the things that go bump in the night. Richard himself stood in the doorway, Isaac on one side, his face al
ready healed, and a vamp I didn't know on the other side.

  Oh crap. Now I've done it.

  “Mr. Krasniy,” Richard said with a sickening smile while folding his small, pudgy hands over his round stomach. Isaac, on the other hand, glared at Nik as he leaned forward, ready to attack. The third man looked unsure while his nervous eyes flittered between speakers. “You have one of my children, whom I'd like back.”

  “Oh? Your child? I didn't realize she had gone through the Joining with you. Ash, why didn't you tell me?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder and winking at me. He appeared relaxed, none of the anxiety I knew he should be feeling apparent in his stance. His hand still rested on the door as he turned back to our guests.

  I suspected Josh looked more like I felt—sheer panic coloring what I could see of his pale face. His fists were clenched at his sides and his stance was forward, ready to defend me, no doubt.

  I may be new to the whole vampire life, but I knew Richard was older than Nik, and, therefore stronger, despite his appearance. And if Nik was taken out, Josh and I didn't stand a chance. Isaac was older than both of us combined and I had no idea how strong the third man was. What were we going to do?

  “We have not had that pleasure. But Isaac turned her, she belongs to my seethe.”

  “As I recall, Isaac did not originally belong to you. He chose. Will you, therefore, give her the same choice?” Nik asked, his voice still sounding like he was having a conversation with a friend over tea—very deceptive.

  Richard turned his eyes on me, waiting. “Uh—thank you, Richard, for your hospitality, but at this time I'd like to stay with Nikolai,” I said. I hoped that statement wouldn't go to his head, but I felt the need to be diplomatic.

  Richard's eyes lightened as he smiled at me, sending a shiver down my spine. I realized there was no hope of him leaving peacefully. One glance at Isaac confirmed my suspicions.

  “I'm afraid I cannot accept that answer,” the fat man said.

  In a blink of an eye, he slammed into Nik, sending him crashing into the dining room table, and pinning him to the ground. Isaac rushed Josh, but the younger vampire was prepared for it. He ducked, flipping Isaac over like a hockey player might do on the ice. The third mystery man rushed me. Rather than try to fight him with no weapons at hand, I turned and sprinted into the sitting area. The room blurred as I rushed. So that was what it was like to run vampire fast?

  I jumped over Nik's black coffee table and picked up one of his matching side tables. It broke into pieces when I spun around and slammed it into my attacker's shoulder. I held onto one of the legs, realizing I had a stake. Cool. I felt a bit like a blonde girl from Sunnydale.

  Trying to keep up the feeling, I swung at him with my empty fist while at the same time smashing my stake into his chest. The move worked… except for my aim. I stabbed him in the gut. He grunted and bent around the stake. I jumped back and picked up another leg to the table while he yanked the stake out of his stomach.

  Damn, now he also had a deadly weapon.

  To my astonishment, he dropped it and came at me with open hands. Must have an order to take me alive, I realized as I skipped away from him.

  It's just like dancing, I told myself in an attempt to stay calm; a dance where you want your partner to die. He followed me and managed to slam his fist into my chest, sending me flying into the wall. I heard a crunch as I made an Ashley size hole in the drywall. The man grabbed me by the arms and pulled me out of the wall. He slammed me into the floor, pinning me with his knee. But I fight dirty!

  I bent forward and sank my teeth into his thigh, tearing away a small piece of flesh. To my disgust, it didn’t taste bad, just watered down. He jerked away with a loud bellow. I took that opportunity and rolled toward the TV. Strangely, a small piece of my mind thought about how much I didn't want to destroy the enormous, flat screen television; at least, not until I'd gotten to watch something on it.

  From the other side of the room, I heard other crashes and shrieks as my companions fought for their lives. At least they were still alive, I thought, as I rolled further, trying to keep out of my opponent's reach. He fell toward me, trying to slam both his fists into my stomach. I dodged his blow, for the most part, his knuckles barely grazing my side. It still hurt.

  I assaulted his head with my knee—which hurt, by the way—and drove my stake into his shoulder. It might not kill him, but I knew firsthand that pain would slow him down. While he battled the wood sticking out of his shoulder socket, I jumped onto the enormous, sturdy looking coffee table. The man seemed to feel it more important to pin me, rather than get the stick out of his body. Perfect, I thought as I flinched away from his first swing. I kicked him in the chest, dodged, and finally reached for the black table leg protruding from his shoulder. I yanked it out just far enough to slam it back into his chest. Finally, I hit the mark. His eyes bulged for a brief second just before he crumpled into dust.

  Before I could put too much thought into what I'd just done, I leaped off the table and sprinted over to Josh. Isaac had him pinned against the back wall, smashing Josh's head into the drywall over and over again, right where a stud was half concealed. Blood was dripping from Josh's neck, nose and the back of his head. As I reached Isaac, he bent Josh's neck to the side as if to bite him again. I grabbed Isaac by the hair and pulled with all my might. To my wonder, Isaac flipped backward and skidded across the gleaming hardwood floor. I positioned myself in front of Josh, giving him a chance to collect himself.

  After spitting out the wad of flesh he’d torn from Josh’s neck, Isaac forced his face into a scowl. He glanced at Richard, who had not managed to corner Nik. Both of the older vamps were bloodied and slowing.

  “Richard!” Isaac called before bolting out the door. Evidently, he didn't like anything near a fair fight. Richard gave the room a glance, his quick eyes taking in the pile of ash and Isaac’s sudden disappearance, before following Isaac out into the early morning glow. I ran toward the door, slamming it shut and flipping the deadbolt. Normally it would be a futile effort, but the morning was coming. We would be safe until the sun set again; at least, that's what I told myself.

  Nik stared at me for a moment before toppling to the ground, slightly propped up by the kitchen cabinets. Josh had also taken refuge on the floor. I didn't know who to help first. Before I could decide, my feet led me into the kitchen. I jerked the fridge door open, finding a neat display of blood bags hanging from a homemade rack. I grabbed two bags, tossed one in the general direct of Josh and knelt beside Nik.

  I could barely see his face through the blood pouring out of a long gash across his forehead. Blood was also soaking his tan shirt. Though I could feel my thirst rising up in my throat, it wasn't like when I smelled human blood. The red liquid pouring from Nik's body smelled diluted. I breathed through my mouth and focused on my work.

  I found a hole in his shirt and gave it a good yank, effectively tearing the shirt in half. Nik's abdomen had a strange gouge in it, as though Richard had managed to shove his fist into the soft part of Nik's belly. I could see some of his smaller ribs were broken near the tip. Along the edge of the wound, the flesh looked bruised. I tried not to think of it as blood and guts. The thing was it didn't disgust me. Seeing his wounds made me hungry. I dragged my eyes away from his stomach. Nik's left shoulder looked dislocated and his right foot was pointing in the wrong direction. I didn't even know where to begin or what to do.

  I punctured the blood bag with my own teeth, careful not to taste the blood myself. I realized I couldn't remember the last time Nik had eaten—not since meeting me over thirty-six hours ago. Nik appeared to be unconscious, so I tipped his head back and dribbled the cold liquid onto his lips, hoping it would revive him. I tried to ignore my own desire, which was making it hard to concentrate on the task at hand. This blood did not smell watered down not at all. His lips moved mechanically and clamped down onto the plastic. Once he had drained the bag, he opened his eyes. They were a very faded sh
ade of green. He blinked a few times and tried to position his head against the cabinet.

  I slipped out of my sweatshirt and tore the hood off. This whole vampire strength thing could sure come in handy. I placed the hood on his forehead and positioned his good hand on the makeshift bandage. He left it there, applying a little pressure. I used the rest of the sweatshirt to plug the hole in his stomach. To my surprise, it already appeared slightly smaller. In fact, the broken ribs appeared to be mended. Careful not to bump him, I leaned around the island to see Josh. He had devoured the blood and was now curled up on the floor. Overall he still seemed to be in better shape than Nik.

  “Nik,” I whispered. His eyes fluttered open. “I don't know what to do. Your shoulder is dislocated and I think your ankle is broken.”

  He swallowed before speaking. “Where's Josh?”

  “Over there. He doesn't seem to be conscious. He drank some blood.”

  Nik nodded once, very slowly. “Carefully manipulate the shoulder back into place,” he instructed.

  Now it was my turn to swallow. I didn't know how to do this, but there wasn't anyone to run to. Normally, I realized, I would have run to Nik, but now he was the one hurt and bleeding. I swallowed again before taking his arm and extending it away from his body. I did exactly as he told me to, finally hearing the pop as it relocated. Nik sighed with relief.

  “What about your ankle?”

  “You need to re-break it before it heals any further.”

  I could feel my eyes grow larger.

  “You can do it,” he encouraged in a rather feeble voice. “Just be quick.”

  I shifted my position and took hold of his foot. This wasn't going to be fun. Before I could think about the pain I was causing, I twisted the foot back into the proper position. To my astonishment, Nik didn't scream. He didn't even jerk. Still, his face told me that it had hurt him far more than the initial break.

  I felt hot tears start to roll down my cheek. This wasn't the time to get emotional, I told myself sternly. He was still very hurt. I went back to his side and carefully pried the soaked sweatshirt away from his stomach. The massive crater had shrunk to the size of a golf ball. In fact, it didn't seem to be bleeding anymore. I reached out and pulled the hood away from his forehead. The cut was nothing more than a fresh scab. Wow, he healed fast! Age really did have its benefits.

  “Go check on Josh.”

  I obeyed, for once. Josh stayed asleep while I checked on his wounds. As I expected, the back of his head had been cut open and the skull cracked, but it appeared to be nearly healed, though his red hair was matted with dried blood. I wasn't too worried about his nose, which had also stopped bleeding. The gash on his neck seemed to be taking a position of last priority. It still oozed blood. Josh woke up as I neared the end of my inspection.

  “Anything broken?” I asked, having not seen any misshapen bits.

  He shook his head carefully but drifted back to sleep before I could ask any more questions. I glanced over at Nik who was watching me from his slumped position in the kitchen.

  “Get him to the guest bed, if you can,” he said in a soft, gravelly voice.

  I eyed Josh's body. He was about the same height as me, but I knew he weighed more than me. At least, my girlish pride hoped he did. Could I lift him?

  Of course, a small part of my mind announced. I'm a vampire after all. I managed to get an arm under his shoulders and the other under his knees. I lifted with my legs as my father taught me. To my astonishment, it felt like I was carrying a small child.

  But which was the guest bedroom?

  Nik motioned toward the room I hadn’t seen yet. It was smaller than the other, simply decorated, with clean, basic furniture. I gently placed Josh on the bed, not worrying about the blood stains forming on the cream bedspread, and covered him with the throw blanket from the foot of the bed.

  In the kitchen, I found Nik right where I'd left him. “Go get some sleep. You can use my room.”

  “What about you?” I asked.

  “I shouldn't put weight on my ankle for a few more hours. I'll go to the couch when I can.”

  I rolled my eyes at his manly stupidity. “Don't be ridiculous.” I moved to his side and reached for his good shoulder in an effort to pick him up.

  “No,” he ordered. “I'll not have you carrying me.”

  “I wouldn’t dare,” I sighed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. It failed to hide just how shaken I really was. Sarcasm, I have found, is typically my greatest mask.

  I hadn't intended on carrying him, never really imagining I could manage it. This was Nik, after all. It had nothing to do with pounds or muscles, even supernatural muscles. I just couldn't fathom myself capable of lifting the most powerful person I knew. “You can at least lean against me and hop to the bed. There is no reason for you to stay here.”

  Nik hesitated a moment before nodding slowly. I bent down and lifted him by his good shoulder, my other arm slipping around his waist as he grabbed onto the counter and helped me. He placed his good arm over my shoulders and we hobbled toward his bedroom.

  It wasn't graceful, but we got there in the end.

  I lowered him to the bed and tucked the covers around him, again not worried about the stains. He was asleep before I had finished with his blankets. I didn't wait to search through his drawers for a clean shirt. Rather, I collapsed beside the bed and fell fast asleep.