He knew.
I forced a smile. “Yes.”
He grinned coldly. “Good. Don’t come back.”
“That’s uncalled for,” said Lucian, frowning.
Aiden’s hand snaked out, grabbing Lucian by the throat. He slammed him against the side of the limo. “What was that?!”
“Aiden, no!” I gasped, trying to pull his hand away from Lucian’s neck.
Aiden shoved me backward with such force that I tumbled to the ground. “You’re lucky that I don’t kill you,” he growled down at me, now half-human and half-wolf. His eyes glowed like cinders above a snout and a set of long, jagged teeth. His hands were covered in fur and I watched in horror as Aiden pressed one of his black claws against Lucian’s Adam’s apple. “In fact, I should rip both of your throats out. You damn well deserve it.”
Lucian, whose face was red, bared his fangs and tried biting him.
“Stupid ass,” laughed Aiden harshly. He pulled his fist back and smashed his knuckles into Lucian’s face several times.
“Please don’t!” I cried, as blood gushed out of his nose. I got back to my feet, but was too terrified to interfere. I was no match for Aiden.
As the limo rocked from the force of Aiden’s punches, Dr. Shephard stared out of the window in horror. He tried getting out, but the driver initiated the locks.
“Listen to me,” snarled Aiden, staring into Lucian’s eyes. If you ever step foot in Dublin again, this will look like child’s play compared to what I’ll do to you, Lucian Tepes.”
Lucian glared at him and hissed.
“If that’s all you go, then you should just kill yourself now and save someone else the hassle,” sneered Aiden. “You pansy.”
His words angered Lucian, who tried struggling again, but didn’t get anywhere.
Aiden grunted and let him go. “You’re an embarrassment to vampires everywhere. Get the hell off of my property,” he said, knocking on the window. He motioned for the driver to leave and then turned back around to look at us. “And do it by air. I don’t want you touching anything that belongs to me.”
“You’re all the same, you Lycan,” snapped Lucian, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. “Violence is all you know.”
“And deceit, lies, and treachery is all you know. Now, save your pathetic guilt trip for someone you haven’t crossed and get lost.”
“This isn’t over,” said Lucian, his eyes burning venomously.
“Is that right? Then bring it on,” said Aiden waving his hands.
Gritting his teeth, Lucian looked at me. “Let’s go.”
“Just what I thought!” hollered Aiden, turning around to walk away. “No back-bone!”
Lucian swooped back down and slammed into him from behind, knocking him to the ground. Then he shot back into the sky and gave me a scathing look.
“What is it?” I asked, following him away from the castle.
“Do you really need to ask?” he snapped.
I stared at him in disbelief. “Surely, you’re not blaming me for what happened back there?”
“I blame you for not doing anything.”
“What did you expect me to do?”
“More than what you did! You’re a vampire, for Christ’s sake. Act like one!”
“I tried-”
“There were two of us!” he interrupted. “We should have been wiping his face into the ground!”
“I’m sorry. I froze up. You know that I don’t like violence. I’ve told you that several times.”
“You don’t like violence,” he mimicked, looking disgusted. “What about death? Violence leads to it, you know. He could have killed me!”
“He wouldn’t have killed you,” I replied.
“And how in the hell did you know that?”
“I know Aiden pretty well. He wanted to prove a point. He wasn’t looking to kill anyone.”
Lucian flew over to me and grabbed my arm. “Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that you know any of those mongrels. In human form they can easily deceive anyone into believing that they give a shit. But they don’t. They’re all savages. Every last one of them,” he said, digging his fingernails into my arm.
“I’m sorry,” I gasped, my eyes filling with tears. He was the one acting like a savage and he didn’t even see it.
Noticing, he sighed and released my arm. “This is only going to get uglier, which means that you’re going to need to step-it-up. You realize that, don’t you?”
“Yes, Lucian.”
“I hope so. Don’t make me look like a fool, again, Talia. The next time something like that happens, I want to see you fighting tooth-and-nail. You got that?”
“Yes. Lucian?”
“What?”
“Call me Vanessa.”
He frowned. “Why now after all these years?”
“Because I’m tired of lying about who I really am. Besides, taking my sister’s identity was your idea to begin with. Not mine.”
“It saved your life and kept you out of prison.”
My life had ended the moment Talia had turned me into a vampire, I thought. Making the rest of my life feel like a prison.
A LOUD RAPPING on my chamber door woke me from a deep nap.
“Chelsey!” called Melody.
“Come in,” I said, opening my eyes.
She opened the door and walked in.
“You look pretty,” I said, yawning.
She was wearing one of her new outfits – a V-neck pink chiffon dress that had a short floaty skirt- and her hair was twisted into a braided bun.
“And you look like you could use some caffeine,” she replied.
“I’m just exhausted, which is weird. I got enough sleep last night. What time is it?”
“Almost six-thirty.” She smiled. “Guess what? We’re going on a double date.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Well, it’s not really a date but we are going out to dinner. Apparently, now that the other guests have left, he wants to take us to one of his favorite restaurants. Just you, me, Liam and Aiden.”
“The other guests. You mean like Lucian?”
“Yes and Talia. Some other older guy left, too. I’m not sure who he was.”
“I thought Lucian was staying until tomorrow. That’s too bad,” I said, feeling disappointed.
“You’re upset that Lucian left?” she asked, surprised.
“I’m not upset… he was just really nice. I’m going to miss him.”
“What is it with you and vampires now?” mused Melody. “I mean, you were the one who didn’t want to have anything to do with Slade. Now you’re talking about missing Lucian?”
“Lucian was just nice and genuine. The fact that he was a vampire had nothing to do with who he was as a person.”
“You only met Lucian once. How could you possibly tell that he was genuine?”
I shrugged. “Sometimes you just know.”
“And sometimes you think that you do, but you’re way off course. Look at Slade.”
“Okay. Point taken.”
“Wear one of your new outfits. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Okay. Do you have any idea where we’re going?” I asked, wondering if I needed to wear something formal.
“He said it was some steak joint and to dress casual.”
“You’re not dressed casual,” I replied, nodding toward her dress.
“I know but I couldn’t wait to wear this. Do you think Liam will like it?”
I smirked. Everything was about Liam. She really had it bad for him. “Yes, I’m sure he’ll like it. Even if he does, though, it won’t get you anywhere.”
“We’ll see about that,” she said, a gleam in her eyes. “I’m slowly breaking him down.”
“When you put your mind to something, you just won’t let up,” I replied, amused.
“I like challenges. You know that.”
At least she hadn’t lost her grit after all of the hell we’d been through, I
thought.
When she left, I changed into a simple cap-sleeved black jumpsuit and a pair of ankle-strap pumps. Then I twisted my hair up into a loose, messy bun and applied some mascara to my lashes. When I was finished, I grabbed a short, black leather jacket and went in search of Melody. I found her on the ground floor, in the Assembly Room, looking at some of the paintings.
“These must be Liam and Aiden’s ancestors,” I said, stopping next to her. There were portraits of men, women, and children, all dressed in the styles of long ago. They all looked regal and very proud. It made me sad, knowing that we’d left everything behind, including all of the pictures of our parents, even the ones taken of them as children. I wondered if I’d ever get to see any of them again.
She nodded. “Their lineage goes back quite a ways, apparently.”
“Yes. Look at that photograph,” I pointed to a picture that was black and white on the fireplace mantle. “Oh my God, that’s got to be Liam, and Aiden when they were teenagers!”
“It appears that way.”
“So, that’s probably their younger sister and their other brother, Torin,” I said, lowering my hand. “That’s just crazy. Goodness, I wonder how old they actually are.”
She smiled. “I don’t know but they certainly age well.”
“It’s our Lycan blood,” said Aiden, walking up behind us. “That picture was taken during World War II.”
I glanced back at him. “Really? That’s amazing. How old do you Lycan usually live to be?”
“Potentially, we could live to be hundreds of years old. Unfortunately, nobody in my family is over two hundred.”
“How old are you?” asked Melody.
“Under two centuries. That’s all you’re getting from me,” he replied, a twinkle in his eyes. “As far as you’re concerned, I’m thirty-two.”
“So, how long have you been thirty-two?” I asked.
“Longer than you’ve been alive,” he replied.
“Could we become Lycan?” asked Melody. She looked at me. “Can you imagine being young forever?”
“It would be pretty cool,” I admitted, although the idea of being able to turn into a wolf was scary.
“It can be ‘cool’, but it’s also very dangerous,” he replied. “Most of us can control ourselves but there are some who have are violent and have no regard for mortals. Some even use them for sport.”
My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“They enjoying hunting and killing people.”
“Oh my God,” said Melody. “Why? I thought Lycan didn’t eat humans?”
“It’s usually not for food, although I’ve heard stories. They hunt because of the thrill of chasing down their prey and capturing them.”
“Do they kill them?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Don’t worry, though. Most of us aren’t like that.”
“Do any of the violent ones live nearby?” asked Melody.
“No. Not in Dublin, at least. We’ve scared them off,” he replied.
“That’s good,” she replied, looking relieved.
“Can a mortal become a Lycan?” I asked him.
He nodded. “If bitten, yes.”
“Have you seen it happen?” asked Melody.
“No,” he replied. “I’ve never seen it, but I’ve met people who have been bitten.”
Melody’s eyes widened. “What’s it like for them?”
“Frightening at first. Eventually, they learn to live with it,” he said quietly.
“I’m sure it’s different when you’re forced into a situation like that,” said Melody.
He nodded.
“Is everyone ready?” asked Liam, sticking his head into the doorway. “Dobs said that the limo is waiting out front.”
Aiden glanced down at our clothing. “It appears that we are. You both look lovely, by the way.”
“Thanks,” I answered.
“You’re looking pretty hot yourself,” replied Melody. “I love that color on you.”
He was dressed in dark slacks and a seafoam-colored dress-shirt that brought out his hazel eyes.
“Yes, you look so GQ-ish,” said Liam, dryly.
“He does,” said Melody, sliding her arm through Aiden’s. “Admit it - you’re just jealous.”
Liam gave us a cocky grin. “When a guy looks this good, he doesn’t need fancy wrapping.”
I had to admit, Liam did look hot himself, in his ripped blue jeans and a white, short-sleeved button-down shirt that showed off his powerful forearms.
“Right,” said Aiden, staring down at his brother’s jeans. “I suppose I’d better bring my wallet. Yours is going to slip through one of those holes, if you’re not careful.”
“I’m leaving it home, since you’re buying anyway,” said Liam, grinning. “Speaking of dinner, why did Lucian and Dr. Shephard leave?”
“They claimed that Shephard wasn’t feeling well, which I don’t deny, but I’m pretty sure they knew we were onto them,” said Aiden.
“Did you say anything?” he asked, opening the front door.
“Oh yeah,” he answered. “I confronted them. It got pretty ugly.”
“Damn, I wish I’d been there,” said Liam.
“It was actually pretty comical,” he said, smiling. “Lucian is weak and Talia didn’t know what to do. I think we’ve seen the last of them.”
“You scared them away?” I asked, surprised.
“It didn’t take much,” he replied. “They’re lucky I didn’t do more than that.”
“What do you mean that you were onto them?” asked Melody.
Aiden explained to us that Talia and Lucian had been plotting to try and get him to invest in a project that was dangerous. He wouldn’t get into specifics, but said that Talia had been deceiving him from the very beginning. “Everything about her past was concocted,” he said. “Her education, her work history. The only reason she didn’t change her identity was because of Slade, I’m sure. She’s lucky that I let her off with a warning. She deserves much more.”
“I’d say,” replied Melody.
“I just can’t believe that Lucian was involved,” I said, shocked. “He was such a nice guy. Are you sure they were conspiring against you like that?”
Liam grunted. “What do you mean a nice guy? You barely knew him.”
“That’s what I told her,” said Melody as we walked over to the limo. “But she keeps insisting that he’s her new best friend.”
“No, I don’t,” I said stiffly. “But, he’s sweet and I just can’t believe that he’d be in on something like that. Are you sure this entire thing wasn’t Talia’s idea?”
Aiden barked out a laugh. “Oh boy, does he have you hoodwinked.”
“Maybe he’s charmed her?” said Liam as the limo driver opened the door and we all got in.
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” said Aiden.
“Come on, I think I would know if he’d hypnotized me,” I argued, frustrated that they were picking on Lucian.
“No you wouldn’t,” answered Aiden. The driver, who was now in the front seat of the limo, turned around and handed him a plastic bag. “Great. Thanks Jeremy.”
“He didn’t charm me,” I insisted.
Jeremy, an older guy in his fifties, looked at me. “Mr. Rylan is right, Miss. You’re lucky that Lucian left the castle, because if he did charm you, then he was surely planning on something… despicable.”
The way he said it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. “Like what?”
“Think about it,” murmured Melody. “He’s a blood-sucking vampire. What do you think he’d be trying to do?”
“Yeah, but, wouldn’t I feel him doing it?” I asked, turning to look at Aiden who was digging into the plastic bag.
He pulled out a small box and handed it to me. “I doubt it. But, I can’t imagine any other reason as to why you’d be sticking up for that swine.”
“And normally, you’re wary of everyone,” added Melody.
I
couldn’t argue that. “What is this?” I asked, staring at the box.
Aiden handed Melody one, too. “Cell phones. I figured you two could use your own phones.”
“Oh my God, thank you!” squealed Melody, tearing it open. “I’ve missed my phone so much!”
“This is so nice of you,” I said, opening my box, too. “You’ve been so generous, I don’t even know how we’ll ever be able repay you.”
“You don’t have to,” said Aiden. “So don’t worry about it. Here,” he said, pulling out two more items. “I purchased you cases, too. A pink one and a white one. You two can fight over the colors.”
“I call pink,” said Melody, reaching for it.
“That’s fine. I was going to ask for the white one anyway. Thank you, Aiden.” I took the case from him.
“You’re welcome.”
“Who can we call with these? Can I call my friends back home?” asked Melody.
“Wait on that,” he said. “If Faye is still hunting for you and someone leaks information they shouldn’t, it would be bad.”
“God, I hate that bitch,” sighed Melody.
“When will we know it’s safe?” I asked.
“After a few weeks, I’m going to send a couple of my contacts out there to sniff around. Then we’ll know for sure.”
“Will you also ask them to verify that our family is really dead?” I asked.
“Definitely.”
“You’re still not convinced that they’re dead?” asked Liam.
I looked at him. “No. Would you be unless you had proof?”
“I watched the Roamers dispose of their bodies and Sheriff Caleb said they were dead, too,” replied Liam.
“No, he said that he’d heard that they were dead. It’s not the same thing,” I said stubbornly.
Liam didn’t say anything but from the look in his eyes, he thought I was reaching for straws. Maybe I was, but I’d hate if someone had given up on my. My parents wouldn’t have.
Melody cleared her throat. “She’s right. There’s always a chance that they were other victims of hers or the Roamers.”
“Who are these Roamers?” asked Aiden.
“That’s what the vampires call themselves out there,” said Liam, smiling. “I guess they’re too cool to be called vampires.”
Toxic (Venom Series) Book Three Page 9
