“I understand, Edgar,” Kat said through clenched teeth, her glaring eyes unwavering. “I’ll do better. I promise.” Her shoulders slumped as she took in a deep breath before turning to face him.
“We will discuss this later, my dear,” he said, his hard eyes softening as he looked at her. “It is time to feed. Help your fledgling before she loses herself. I will not have a revenant in my clan.”
I shuddered under his heavy gaze, turning to Benjamin in my confusion.
“It’s a mindless, uncontrollable vampire,” he said. “Revenants must be destroyed before they can go on a rampage, massacring humans.” He bopped me on the nose and grinned. “I like you. I’d rather keep you around than have to put you down.”
“Uh, thanks?” I screwed up my face, bewildered by this strange bunch of vampires. At least some of them are nice to me. Well, three out of five. That’s not too bad, right?
Chapter 7
A dull roar filled my mind as I followed my clanmates back into the room I’d met them in. Chima and Isabel flanked the doorway leading to the basement entrance. Six humans in white velvet robes stood clustered in the center of the small space, all smiling serenely. I could feel a struggle inside me, two forces clashing, one urging me to rush the humans as the other soothed my raging hunger.
“Take my hand,” Kat said, her face tense and her eyes blazing. “It’ll help strengthen our connection and my control within your mind.”
Delicate fingers waited as I slid my hand over her cold palm, our bond flaring with the physical connection. It felt like an electrical current flowing from her hand, up my arm, zipping along the back of my neck and encasing my brain inside my skull. Painful at first, what seemed like a net of buzzing electricity settled into a cozy blanket enveloping that fierce beast, allowing me to breathe easy without lunging at the delicious smelling humans.
My eyes connected with hers, and she gave me a strained look, one that let me know she wouldn’t be able to hold out long. I turned to Danielle, realizing I could also feel an energy coming from her, soothing yet energizing at the same time.
“You’re helping Kat?”
“Yes,” she said with a slow blink. “Neither of you has fed tonight, and Kat was drained when you arrived. She’s tapping into her bond with Edgar to maintain her control of your hunger.”
“No kidding?” I glanced at Edgar with wide eyes, amazed to see him unaffected as he sat in his weathered seat.
“This is no joke, fledgling,” he said, narrowing his eyes at me. “We have no restraints here to keep you from ravaging our generous donors. Kat and I must do all we can to allow you to feed as if you had already gained self-control. Feed. Now.”
A light touch on my free hand pulled my attention to Benjamin, who urged a young woman to kneel at my feet, her pristine robe pooling on the stone floor. I peered down at elegant, brown curls draped over a shoulder, exposing an olive-toned neck, her head tilted to the side in offering.
Tendrils of anxiety tried to work their way into my chest as my clanmates watched, waiting for me to feed, an act I had done once, in privacy, with only Kat to witness. My guts started to quake as my lungs felt constricted, and the room became hot and stuffy. Instinctively, I searched for an escape, wondering how hard it would be to get past Chima and Isabel.
A tug on my arm as a rush of heat flowed up into my head returned my focus to my sire. Kat scowled, jerking her head toward the woman waiting at my feet. I glared at her, old urges of teenage defiance filled my thoughts, but I pushed them away and knelt beside the donor.
One whiff of her jasmine perfume mingled with the sweet scent of blood cleared away all anxiety, all thoughts of rebelling, narrowing my focus to the evenly beating pulse. Teeth lengthened in my mouth as I pressed them into the soft flesh, sharp points breaking the surface with ease. The bouncing thump of her pulse against my tongue became a faint thudding sound. The soothing, rhythmic tune rose into my ears, merging with the beat of my own sluggish pulse, giving it volume and speed.
I waited, anticipating the flood of red into my vision followed by the blacking out I experienced the first time I’d fed. Silky liquid coated my tongue and throat as I swallowed each precious drop, warmth building in my core and spreading out to my limbs. With each heartbeat, Kat’s grip loosened as the warmth of life filled me, infusing my mind, and appeasing the demanding hunger.
Edgar cleared his throat, loudly, and Kat tugged on my hand. My teeth retracted on their own, and I ran my tongue over the punctures before removing my mouth from the woman’s neck. She slumped forward a little with a happy sigh as I rose, glancing around the room.
Danielle grinned at me as Julius stood by her side, and Benjamin smiled wide, flashing long, white fangs. When I turned to Kat as she released my hand, she stumbled, falling back into Edgar’s arms as he rushed to catch her. A gasp flew from my mouth as my eyes followed his super-fast reflexes, which seemed to play out in slow-motion.
“Kat!” I jerked toward her as the room returned to regular speed.
“Bring a donor, Julius!” Edgar bellowed while carrying Kat the few paces to his chair.
He propped her up in his lap, her skin nearly translucent, and directed the donor to crouch down to Kat’s level. Unable to lift her own head, Kat opened her mouth as Edgar braced her by the neck. I watched, my heart pounding, with my hands tucked under my arms while I chewed my bottom lip.
“She’ll be okay,” Benjamin whispered. “Kat’s strong.”
Only then did I notice a difference in the blood bond I shared with my sire. Before, it had been as if she had a physical reach down our connection, always exerting some degree of control. While I didn’t feel like I had gained any control, I did feel a pulling from my core, a slow trickling drain of the essence I’d gained with my feeding.
“I feel her through our bond,” I muttered. “It’s different than…”
Benjamin pulled me to his side, tucking me under his arm, where I huddled as I shivered.
“It’s a defense mechanism,” he said. “If a sire is in need, they can siphon energy from their subordinate blood bonds.”
“Oh, well, that’s… handy,” I said, watching Kat gain a bit of color in her cheeks, lifting her limp arms to embrace the donor. “But, if she’s that drained, will she kill the donor like she killed me?”
“We won’t let that happen,” he said, just as Edgar started to whisper in Kat’s ear. “Edgar will exert his control, coaxing her to release the donor long enough to switch to a new one.”
Edgar’s hand gripped Kat’s hair, pulling her head back as Julius lifted the drooping donor away. A hiss exploded from her mouth, making me jump and gasp. Her eyes had gone completely red, no pupils, irises, or whites, just solid red orbs set in a mask of rage. Chima stepped in to hold down her flailing arms and legs, so Julius could position a second donor.
“Isabel,” Chima said, raising his voice over Kat’s wild hissing, “go tell Bull we need more donors. Now!”
Isabel hurried out, and Danielle rushed to hover behind Edgar. She held her arms out, palms angled at the vampires in front of her, and closed her eyes. With eyelids squeezed tight, Danielle threw her head back as a blast of energy flew from her body. I slumped in Benjamin’s arms as a barrage of hot, dense waves of tranquility rushed through me, my head spinning from her magical energy mixed with the euphoria of my recent feeding.
“Wow,” I mumbled as a heaviness filled my body, “she’s just… wow…” My head dropped forward as I fell into peaceful oblivion.
Chapter 8
A sharp pain flashed in my cheek, jerking my head to the side. Hard, probing fingers poked through my mind, tugging me to consciousness, forcing my eyes to open. I blinked away tears, letting my sensitive pupils adjust to the dim, yet glaring light of the underground room. Kat’s tired face came into focus as my sight adapted, a small smirk twisting her lips.
“Did you hit me?” I glared at her, pushing myself away from Benjamin. He snorted, stuffing his hands in his jeans
pockets.
“Yes.” She leaned back on one leg with her arms crossed under her breasts, her narrowed eyes looking down her nose at me. “You can’t spend the rest of the night sleeping off a magical overdose. We have things to do, Mercy.”
“Don’t act like any of this is my fault, Kat.” I jabbed my finger into her shoulder. “I’m so fucking tired of you treating me like sh—”
“Mercy!” The weight of invisible hands landed on my shoulders as Edgar’s deep voice rang through my skull. I started to open my mouth to protest, but the pressure grew heavier, almost painful. “We have had quite enough trouble for one evening. Sit down, and be quiet.”
Kat pulled an empty chair next to Edgar and plopped down, crossing her arms again, and throwing one leg over the other. She scowled at the ground, her booted foot bouncing up and down sharply.
Julius helped a weary Danielle to a bench, sitting next to her, propping her up against his side. Benjamin grabbed my arm and led me to a chair on the other side of the room from Kat and Edgar. I smiled at him, mumbling my thanks, happy to be as far from her grumpy ass as possible. I could feel her anger pulsing through our bond, and it stung.
“Katherine,” Edgar said, laying a hand on her bouncing leg. “Please, calm down. Your anger is leaking through our connection. If it’s that strong, it must be affecting Mercy. Control yourself, my dear.”
A searing spear of rage sliced through my core, forcing the breath from my lungs. I hugged my arms around my waist, hunching forward with a grunt. “Fucking hell!” The words rasped out as I gulped huge mouthfuls of air.
Kat sneered, then slammed a wall down on our connection. The impact threw me back against the rickety chair, my head reeling from the abrupt disconnect. Benjamin’s hands gripped my arms as I started to slide out of my seat, too dizzy and weak to hold myself up.
“You fucking, childish bitch,” I said, slurring every word. “No wonder the clan hid from you.”
“That’s not—” Kat jumped out of her chair, charging towards me. “They weren’t hiding from me, you ungrateful hermit. Besides, I saved you from a pitiful life of empty misery!”
“Katherine! Enough!”
She stumbled forward as if someone shoved her from behind. Twisting around, Kat glared at Edgar, then jerked back, holding her cheek and panting. Edgar held his arm out, palm aimed at her, and directed it at her chair. Stilted steps and stiff legs walked her over and sat her down hard, the wood creaking in protest.
“You may resent that you lost control, and had to make a fledgling,” he said with a growl, his brows stitched together, “but you will not take out your frustrations on her. I will not tolerate cruelty within my clan, and most definitely will not tolerate it from my mate.”
Edgar turned to me with a stern look, little creases curving around the corners of his mouth. “I apologize for this mistreatment, Mercy. I implore you both to find a way to work together and create a more peaceful, symbiotic relationship, for your sake and for the sake of the clan. We can’t afford to be at odds with each other while we’re dealing with Rowena’s hunters. We’ve already lost Mira—I won’t lose anyone else.”
With a pounding head and unsteady voice, I jumped at the chance for some answers. “Who’s Mira? And, who are the hunters?”
“Mira was a clanmate,” Kat said. “I went to retrieve her, but the hunters got to her first. I arrived shortly after they surrounded the house, and had to watch as they killed her guards, her lovers, and her donors. They were ruthless. Afterward, they set the whole villa aflame.”
“So, they’ve extended their reach to California, then.” Edgar rubbed his chin, a calculating look in his eyes.
“It seems so,” she said. “When I returned to our home in Olympia and found it empty, I followed our blood bond, as I explained before.”
“The clan doesn’t always live together?”
“No,” Julius said, “we don’t. Danielle and I live in a lovely cabin not far from Stevens Pass. We enjoy, that is, we enjoyed the privacy as well as the skiing.”
“I love the snow,” Danielle said softly, sitting up on her own and looking less haggard.
“After Edgar and Benjamin fetched us, we attempted to return to Olympia, but the hunters found us somehow. We had quite the car chase and thought we lost them in Redmond. Unfortunately, they caught up to us as we were in the process of switching out our three vehicles for new ones. We lost all of our valiant guards, except Chima and Isabel.”
“Without a protection detail,” Edgar said, “Chima advised that we seek out Bull for replacements, but we were forced underground before we could locate his club. We were finally able to contact the shifters, but have been unable to reach the queen to inform her of this new danger.”
“Oh, Edgar,” Kat cried, “Xandrie is dead! She was at the club when Michael and his men raided it.”
Danielle gasped, and Julius shook his head, muttering ‘oh, dear’ repeatedly as he wrapped his arms around his mate. I glanced at Benjamin and found him glaring at the floor, his jaw ticking as he ground his teeth.
“That is a travesty,” Edgar said in a hushed voice. “We will need to convene a council to vote in a new ruler for this territory, and inform the community about the hunters.”
“I know you’re all upset,” I said, “but can I ask a silly question?”
“You may.”
“Do you not use cell phones? How do you stay in touch?”
“We do,” Kat said, “but we had to dump them soon after Rowena sent her hunters for us. When we separated to gather our clan, the hunters used them to track us. We’ll have to get a supply of burner phones, in case we get separated again.”
“I agree, my dear—”
“Who is Rowena, and why is she hunting down vampires?” I gave Edgar an apologetic look for interrupting him.
“Until the attack on the club,” he said, “we thought she only knew of our clan. I imagine she now knows about the shifters, and won’t stop until she learns everything there is to know of Otherkin. The woman is a heartless shrew with too much money, and is extremely vain, which is why she—”
A low keening came from Danielle, and we all turned to look at her. Julius held her tight against his chest as she lay limp in his arms, her eyes gone solid white. Benjamin rushed over to hold her hand, kneeling beside her and murmuring soothing words.
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked, my eyes wide as I watched her shiver and moan.
“As a human oracle, Danielle was powerful.” Julius spoke to me but kept his attention on his mate. “Becoming a vampire amplified that power, and sometimes the power affects her physically, as you can see.”
“So, what’s happening to her now?” My fascination wouldn’t allow me to keep my questions to myself.
“She’s getting a vision—”
“Hunters are coming!” Danielle sat bolt upright, the white fading from her eyes as she stared straight ahead. “They’ve discovered our location, and are preparing an attack. They will be here soon!” With that, she slumped back into her seat, breathing heavily.
“Chima!” Edgar rushed to the basement entrance with Kat at his heels, speaking with the werelion in the hallway.
The heavy door clanged shut as Edgar and Kat returned, a cell phone in his hand ringing on speakerphone.
“Hello?” A woman’s voice sounded from the phone.
“Heather, dear, it’s Edgar.”
“Edgar darling, why do you sound so distressed?”
“We’re being hunted,” Kat said, snatching the phone from Edgar. “We need your help.”
“Katherine? Darling, what do you mean?”
“There are humans hunting us,” Edgar said. “Can you help us get out of the city?”
“Of course, darlings. How many cars should I send?”
“At least two. Our clan is together, and Chima is gathering some guards. How soon can they be here?”
“An hour, two at most,” she said, “but you’ll have to wait in the cars for t
he first morning ferry to Bainbridge Island.”
“Thank you, Heather dear,” Edgar said. “We’ll see you soon.”
Chapter 9
“How’d they find us?” Kat clung to Edgar’s arm, all her blustery confidence lost. “I won’t lose you, Edgar!”
“Be calm, my dear,” he whispered to her, touching his forehead to hers. “We will be fine. It’s possible Bull was spotted when he brought the donors.”
“How could he be so careless?” Kat narrowed her eyes, the violet flashing as she started for the basement entrance.
Benjamin blocked the open doorway, putting up a hand. “Whoa there. No need to go all half-cocked on the wolf. We need him and his pack for protection.” He held both his hands up, moving them to prevent Kat from slipping past him as she sneered at his gentle smile.
“Katherine!” Edgar’s voice crackled in my ears, a tiny zap of impatience zinging through the blood bond. My eyebrows jumped at the unwelcome sensations leaking through our connection. Glancing around, I noticed Benjamin and Danielle both wincing as well.
With stiff shoulders, Kat backed away from Benjamin. Glaring at the floor, she wrapped her arms around herself and plopped down in Edgar’s chair. Julius helped Danielle stand on shaky legs as the basement door clanked open. A distinct smell of dog fur wafted in from the hallway as Bull’s face appeared over Benjamin’s shoulder.
“Excuse me,” he muttered as Benjamin sidestepped out of the way with a shallow bow of his head, tossing a wink my way before leaning against the wall and stuffing his hands in his pockets.
Chima followed on Bull’s heels, along with Isabel and two other men, both covered in tattoos and dressed like members of a biker gang. The two new men flanked the doorway while Isabel planted herself in the middle. Benjamin cocked an eyebrow as one of the men bumped shoulders with him, offering a quick apology.
Meet the Clan (Vamp Tales Book 2) Page 3
