Wanted Box Set

by Karpov Kinrade

  At last, the car started, and I peeled out of there, speeding through the neighborhood streets until I was out of town and zooming down the highway.

  I had to tell Vlad. He’d know what to do.

  My father was enough of a nightmare before this extra dose of evil infected him.

  The day was nearly spent, the sun sinking beneath the line of trees as I drove.

  Technically, it wasn’t night yet. Would Vlad be awake, or was he the kind of vampire that only woke as that last splash of sunlight faded in the sky?

  There was still so much I didn't know, didn't understand, about this new world I'd stumbled into. When this shit with my dad was over, I would be peppering Vlad with a shit ton of questions.

  I was nearly at the mansion when my car sputtered, and I realized it was on empty. Shit, shit, double shit.

  I willed my car on, as if my thoughts could power it in lieu of gas.

  The car gods smiled upon me, and I made it to the driveway before my car ground to a halt with no more fumes left to power it.

  I nearly tripped running into the house, my breath coming in spurts, my lungs burning as I flew up the stairs and crashed through Vlad's bedroom door.

  He lay on the bed just as I’d left him.

  “Vlad,” I gasped, diving onto the sheets beside him.

  He didn’t move. He lay there, still as a corpse.

  I shook him, hard.

  Nothing.

  In desperation, I pummeled his chest. “Wake up!”

  Still nothing.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  How was I going to deal with my demon dad if he showed up before Vlad woke?

  Abandoning him, I ran to Jeremy’s room, shoving open the door.

  The room was empty.

  "Jeremy!" I screamed, leaving his room and running downstairs.

  Where would a growing boy be if not in his room? The kitchen.

  I found him there, kneeling before the black chest Leonard brought home.

  The lid was open and whatever black smoke had been there before seemed to have escaped.

  That was probably a bad thing. "Jeremy, what are you doing?"

  He looked up at me, his eyes shadowed. "What's wrong?"

  "You shouldn't be messing with that trunk," I said, worry and anxiety warring within me. I had no idea what the trunk contained, but I didn't have time to deal with it now.

  He looked down sheepishly. "Sorry."

  "It's okay, buddy. But I need you to stay close to me." I headed for the block of knives and selected the largest one. I had to defend us. At least until sunset.

  “What happened?”

  “It’s Dad,” I said. “He’s not normal anymore.”

  “Was he…ever?” Jeremy asked nervously.

  “Well, he’s worse now,” I said grimly. “Like he’s on some kind of drugs.” Bog troll blood could be considered a drug. Didn’t account for the glowing eyes, though. “We just have to wait a few minutes. The sun will set soon. Then, Vlad will be here.”

  “Vlad?”

  “The Count,” I sighed. Now was as good a time as any to introduce Jeremy to his new reality. He had to know. Now. Especially if Dad showed up at the door with fangs and glowing like he’d been dipped in radiation.

  I explained it all, as fast and gently as I could.

  Jeremy took the news well. Maybe too well. “Dracula?” he repeated, his face splitting into a wide grin. “The Dracula?”

  I nodded; not sure he was taking this the right way. “It’s—”

  “Freaking awesome.”

  I scowled. “I was going to say dangerous."

  “What is this?” Leonard stood at the kitchen door looking at his wooden chest, his narrow face angry, his clipped voice harsher than I've ever heard him. “Who opened this? How?”

  I didn’t have time for this. “We’re sort of dealing with an emergency—”

  “This is important,” Leonard cut me short.

  The fact that he’d interrupted me clamped my mouth shut. Leonard was always the gentleman, so polite.

  “I did,” Jeremy surprised me by saying. “I heard them whimpering. They wanted to play.”

  “Them?” I asked, on edge and still clutching my knife in my sweaty palm.

  Leonard’s brows rose to his hairline.

  “What has happened?” The Count’s cool baritone sliced through the tension in the room.

  “Vlad!” I exhaled in relief, the death grip on my knife loosening as I rushed to him.

  He pulled me into an embrace, his arms encircling me. I breathed in his scent—an intoxicating blend of old parchment, sandalwood and smoke—and it calmed my racing heart.

  "The boy has released the Shadows," Leonard said.

  "How is that possible?" Vlad asked, his chest rumbling as he spoke.

  "There is only one explanation," Leonard replied, his voice filling with wonder.

  Vlad inhaled and lifted a curious brow in Jeremy’s direction. “Fascinating. The Shadows choose so few.”

  I reluctantly pulled away from Vlad's embrace. "What are the Shadows?" I asked. "And could they help defeat someone who was high on troll blood?"

  Vlad stiffened, his gaze landing on me. "Why do you ask?"

  "Remember that bog troll I told you about?” I asked in turn. “The one Don was keeping prisoner?"

  Vlad nodded, waiting patiently for me to continue.

  "Well, I went to his house to find the blackmail videos he took, and the troll was gone. Then I went home—"

  "That was not wise," Vlad interrupted, his jaw muscles tensing. “I cannot protect you during the day. Not in this world."

  Whoa. Okay, there was a lot to unpack in that casually thrown out sentence. Not in this world? What other worlds were there? Another question to add to growing list once we made it out of this mess.

  “I couldn't just sit around doing nothing. I needed to collect dirt on my dad so I can get proper custody of Jeremy," I explained.

  Vlad's eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond, so I continued.

  "While I was there, my dad showed up. With the bog troll in tow. I'm assuming he got him from Don's house. Anyway, the troll was chained up and made a deal with my dad for his freedom."

  The Count snorted. “They’re disgusting creatures. And their magic is weak, short-lived. Con artists, the lot…for the most part.”

  My dad’s glowing eyes begged to differ. “He offered a vial of his blood for his freedom.”

  The Count tensed beside me, and I glanced at Jeremy to see how he was handling this. He wasn’t paying attention and seemed distracted by something on the floor. When I glanced at his feet, I noticed black shadows curled around his ankles, like puppies.

  “What?” I gasped.

  Leonard followed my gaze and his jaw dropped.

  "Did your father drink the blood?" Vlad asked, breaking my focus on Jeremy's new friends.

  I nodded. “It changed him. He grew stronger, faster, more deadly."

  “And where is the troll now?" Vlad asked, his voice unnaturally calm.

  Leonard began whispering something to Jeremy, and it was hard to concentrate on the Count’s questions with the way the Shadows were splitting up, dividing themselves between my brother and Leonard. What the hell was going on?

  "Kassandra?" Vlad prompted, an edge of steel entering his tone.

  "Um, the troll? My dad chased him down and shot him, he—”

  “Did the troll die?” Leonard asked suddenly, his attention momentarily diverted from the shadows swirling around his feet.

  "Yes," I said. "And then… " I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Then my dad fed on him, like a vampire."

  I studied Vlad's face for any reaction, but he carried all of his emotions in a clenched jaw.

  "Not a vampire," he objected softly. "A chimera."

  "Chimeras are real, too?" Jeremy asked, his voice way too excited.

  "I thought they were Greek myths," I said, trying to remember what little I'd heard about the creat
ures.

  "You also thought I was myth until recently," Vlad whispered in my ear, slipping an arm around my waist.

  My pulse sped up in response to his proximity and I leaned into him, my body acting of its own accord. How did he manage to arouse me even at the most inappropriate time?

  He smirked as if he could tell what I was thinking.

  Brain, focus.

  "Tell me about chimeras," I said, deliberately shifting away from the Count's sexy-ass body.

  His gaze roved over me a few seconds before he replied, “Chimeras are powerful, demonic creatures made when someone without magic feeds on the lifeforce of one with dark magic, such as a bog troll. All magical beings are created from one of the six elements. Earth, air, fire, water, light and darkness. If a human consumes the dark soul of a magical being, they become a demon. They become a chimera.”

  My dad had basically been a demon before the bog troll. I shuddered to think what he’d turned into, now.

  "Can you stop him?" I asked, uneasy.

  "Yes." Vlad’s nod was firm, confident. "But it won't be easy. Especially this soon after his transformation. He’ll be at his most powerful. And likely he is already feeding, increasing his strength. We need to find him and stop him."

  “No,” I said. My eyes fell on Jeremy and I added grimly, “We don't need to find him. He'll find us."

  Vlad clenched his fist and when Leonard met his glance, they nodded in a shared understanding. "Then we’ll be ready." Vlad turned to leave.

  I stepped forward and grabbed his hand, intertwining my fingers with his. "Where are you going?"

  "To the forge," he said, giving my fingers a squeeze.

  I’d pretty much forgotten about the fact the mansion had a forge. “Then I’m coming with you." I glanced over my shoulder to where my brother sat at the kitchen island. "Stay inside with Leonard, okay?"

  I hated leaving him, but I needed to talk to Vlad alone, and this might be my only chance.

  Jeremy nodded as I left the kitchen hand in hand with the Count. "What did you wish to speak to me about?" Vlad asked as we left the mansion through a back entrance and headed through the gardens to the forge.

  The night was cool with a fresh breeze carrying the scent of roses and a dark sky full of stars, lit by a full moon.

  "How did you know I wanted to talk about something?" I asked, tucking myself closer to him.

  "You get a certain look," he said.

  On any other night, this would feel romantic. A stroll through the rose garden under a full moon. But tonight, it felt too threatening, too sinister to relax into, but still, every moment with Vlad felt magical.

  I paused and led him to a bench where we both sat.

  "I do have something to say," I said as he stiffened, watching me with suddenly suspicious eyes.

  I sucked in a breath, trying to find the right way to approach this. I was so nervous I had to wrench the words out of my throat with force. "I want you to turn me," I said, finally.

  His eyes widened and then he laughed.

  Like straight up laughed.

  Like full belly laugh.

  I pulled back, tears stinging my eyes. I didn't know what I’d expected, but him mocking me certainly hadn’t been it.

  I rose to my feet, hiding my face. I didn’t want him to see how much hurt his laughing had caused. So, I was a joke to him. Not a forever love, but rather a momentary lay. Clearly, his declarations of love were just a seduction ploy. He probably said them to all the women he took to bed.

  But I took no more than two steps before he grabbed my hand and pulled me unto his lap.

  I stiffened, no longer content to play the convenient lover role. "Let me go," I growled, fighting the tears.

  "Why are you angry?" he asked, sounding confused.

  "I'm just a joke to you. A toy."

  "Is that what you think?" He shook his head.

  "Isn't that why you find the idea of turning me into a vampire so hilarious?"

  He cupped my face, his gaze penetrating mine. "I thought you were about to tell me you'd had enough, that this life was too dangerous for you and you wanted out. And you would be right. If I was less selfish I would push you away. Out of this world of danger and magic.” He paused and then smiled, a tender smile. “But I can't let you go. I laughed out of relief. I never imagined you would want to become a monster, to be with, and love, a monster like me."

  The breath I didn’t realize I'd been holding left me in a rush, to be replaced by a bone-deep relief. "So…” I hesitated and the asked, “You don't want to get rid of me?"

  He chuckled softly.

  "Woman, did you not hear any of the words I spoke to you last night? I want you forever. You are mine."

  I slipped my arms around his neck, and he pulled me into a deep kiss that crashed through my body, sending waves of pleasure that left me breathless, intoxicated, and in desperate need of more.

  As he trailed kisses down my chin, onto my neck, I melted into him.

  "You want to become a vampire?" he whispered against my skin.

  "Yes. I want to be with you forever," I said. "And I want to be stronger. Faster. More powerful."

  "You would be giving up a lot," he warned, his hands sliding down my back to cup my ass.

  "I would be gaining so much more," I countered, moaning a little as his teeth grazed my skin, teasing at the pulsing vein.

  "You won't be able to have children. Or enjoy the sun." His voice softened at this, making me realize he considered those his greatest losses.

  "We have Jeremy. He can be our child," I whispered back. "And you are my sun."

  His breath hitched at that, and I felt his arousal beneath me as he pressed closer still.

  "It will hurt," he said finally, his teeth pressing against my flesh.

  "Trust me, I can handle pain."

  Then he pierced me and began to suck.

  I didn't know what to expect beyond what I'd seen and read in pop culture.

  I prepared for pain, but a euphoric pleasure pulsed through me as I became lightheaded from blood loss. I don’t know how long that lasted, but when he finally supported me in his arms and slit his own wrist open with his teeth, I hovered on the brink of consciousness.

  "Drink," he said, holding the dripping blood over my mouth.

  I felt parched, desperate for what he offered, and I drank deeply, my eyes closed, my body limp in his embrace. But with each mouthful, I began to change. He filled me with his lifeforce. I could feel the magic working, transforming me. Making me stronger.

  Then, the pain hit.

  Everything turned black as I screamed into the night, my body writhing, my mind splitting into pieces as time stretched before me into eternity. All I knew was pain. There was no other reality, and in that never-ending moment, I prayed for death.

  19

  Gradually, the pain faded. I felt so drained, I couldn’t even lift my eyelids. Time passed.

  Finally, I became aware of the Count’s arms, locked around me, cradling me close to his chest.

  I just stayed there, unmoving, keeping my eyes closed.

  I noticed a heightened sense of smell, first. A warmth on the wind. Something I could only describe as ‘life.’ Instinctively I knew what it was. Jeremy’s warm blood, coming from inside the house. I could smell Leonard, too, whatever he was.

  Startled, I lifted my eyelashes.

  The world around me looked so different. Beautiful. Alive. The darkness lending a different dimension of color I never knew existed. I could see life in shades of neon. The energy coursing through the trees, traces of blue and green running through the veins of the leaves.

  Above, the moon glistened bright, as if it were its own kind of sun. And the darkness of the sky seemed to almost shine its own black version of light.

  I stirred in Vlad’s arms, wrapped so tight about my waist, so gently. The empathy in his eyes nearly undid my soul.

  “The pain will not come again,” he whispered, pressing his c
heek against mine. “As long as you stay out of the sun.”

  I studied his face easily in the dark, seeing every line of concern on his brow. Clearly, he feared I’d regretted my choice. I smiled and traced the line of his jaw with a fingertip. “What need have I for that sun when I have you?”

  He peered back at me from hooded eyes. “When you are stronger and have fed, I will show you the true beauty of the night.”

  I sighed, wishing he could show me now, but I knew better. We had to defend ourselves from whatever demon now inhabited my father’s body.

  It was strange. I guess now that meant he was dead. The thought brought nothing but relief. I couldn’t even force a tear, not with the pain and torture he’d caused, yet, I did feel an odd sense of sorrow. I guess for the loss of what he could have been.

  “Come.” Vlad held out his hand.

  I followed him to the forge, a stone outbuilding complete with an anvil, fireplace, and bellows.

  “What are you doing?” I asked as Vlad began selecting tools from the various hooks on the wall: tongs, clamps, and a hammer.

  “Fashioning a weapon that can dispatch a chimera,” he replied as if such a thing were an everyday occurrence. But then, in this new world, maybe it was.

  “And what weapon might that be?” I asked.

  He answered by moving to a cupboard and opening the doors wide. Inside, a variety of weapons hung on display. With a sort of reverence, Vlad removed a gold inlaid crossbow and held it up.

  “This,” he answered. “With silver bolts.”

  He set about his task quickly, moving at a vampiric speed that would have been nothing but a blur to me before. But now, I could follow his every move. I watched with interest, absently running my tongue over my newly formed fangs. It was such an odd sensation, a little like a set of fake Halloween teeth.

  “Can I help?” I asked after a bit, tired of staying on the sidelines like a wallflower.

  Vlad captured my hand and gave it a kiss before handing me an iron bucket, filled to the brim with coal. “Here. Hold this while I light the fire.”

  The contents must have weighed a good eighty pounds, but now, to me, felt as light as a feather. I flexed my arm, impressed with my newfound strength.