Superstition

by Veronica Blake

  Her head was pounding as his words reached her ears. Now that he mentioned it, she never had seen him in the daytime. But they’d only known one another less than a week, so it hadn’t seemed a big deal. The truth was she really knew nothing outside of the few hours they spent together—mostly making crazy uncontrollable love. Everything else about him was a complete mystery to her.

  The one thing she did know was she loved him in an all-consuming unexplainable way, and she had ever since the very first instant when their gazes met at the crowded pizza place last week.

  “If I was to believe you, and I’m not saying I do, but—” She exhaled a trembling breath before continuing, “If I should entertain the idea of dhamp—”

  “Dhampyres.”

  She swallowed loudly again. It was an intimidating sounding word. “Dhampyres,” she repeated in a quiet voice. She cleared her throat. “Okay, for argument’s sake, let’s just say they do exist and they live in a secret village up on the Superstitions. It’s so secret it has never been found even with all the people who hike around those mountains looking for gold and stuff. But these-these dhampyres can leave this secret place and steal women away from campsites or whatever and make them their love slaves?”

  She shook her head as the absurdity of those words fell from her mouth.

  He remained silent, so she continued. “If you are telling me the truth, and you are one of these so-called dhampyres, and you do live in this secret place with this Blood Clan—” She shook her head again in disbelief. “Then how is it possible you are here with me now, in this real place, doing things like—what did you call me—like real ones?”

  Dawn twisted around in the water and looked at him. His ebony brows were knitted closely together and a deep frown held his lips captive. She could see her own pained reflection in his raven gaze.

  “Or is the real truth that I have lost my mind and the past week and a half since I first went camping on the Superstitions never really happened at all? If this is the case, I should be institutionalized as soon as possible.”

  Mateo pulled her around in the tub until she was facing him. She sat on his thighs and her legs wrapped around his waist. It would feel so natural to make love again right now. But instead of being taken back to a place of sexual fantasy, they had to face the reality of something horrific and unbelievable.

  “It’s real, my love,” he finally said. “It’s all unbelievably real, and I realize how hard it is for you to comprehend. In time, you will know and understand everything. And I promise I will do everything in my power to make it all as painless as possible. I know you are confused.”

  “I know you are confused. Your mind cannot grasp what is happening. It’s only your body responding to me at this time, because there is no way to resist fate. It was probably wrong of me to bring you here tonight since I’m not ready to take you to the mountaintop to become my mate, yet. But I just can’t stay away from you now that I’ve seen you and held you in my arms. I promise you, I will find a way to come to you in your world before we both must fulfill the destiny set in motion since time first began. You must trust me, Udaya.”

  The words the faceless stranger had said to her the night she went to the Superstitions alone in a trance-like state came flooding back. They had not made any sense that night, and as crazy as it was, now they were starting to have some meaning.

  “Wow,” she whispered. Her eyes widened as the rest of his words came back to her in vivid recollection.

  “I’ve been waiting for you my entire life.”

  “My grandmother and my mother told me about you when I was a child nearly a hundred years ago.”

  “I remember it all now.”

  “You are remembering things that happened on the mountain?” he asked in a worried tone.

  She felt as if every ounce of courage drained out of her body. She was helpless to block the horrendous images lurking at the edges of her mind of ancient undead creatures living among the frightening—and nearby—peaks of the Superstitions. But if she allowed these images total access, she might really fall into the black chasm of insanity.

  She wished she was back in Colorado right now, living her once calm boring life; dating losers or visiting the Sluts R Us Club when she got horny, and just being an average twenty-six-year-old.

  But then she never would have met Mateo Two Moons.

  His dangerously handsome face swam before her eyes when she tried to focus her gaze on him. He was just watching her, patiently waiting for her latest psychotic episode to pass. All the insane words he had spoken to her during those times on the Superstitions kept gushing through the barriers of her weakened mind.

  “My destiny?” she asked nervously.

  “Yes,” he answered. “Since the day of my birth over a hundred years ago, and since the day of your birth over twenty-six years ago, we have been destined to meet, destined have dhampyre children together, and destined to spend all eternity together.”

  Mateo’s voice, the voice she thought was so deep and sexy, had just spoken the most irrational words she’d ever heard. Did he honestly expect her to even begin to process any of this madness? It was just all too much.

  Her head began to shake from side to side. “No. Not true. I refuse to believe you,” she yelled as she pushed herself away from him. She jumped up and sprang over the side of the tub, splashing water everywhere on the floor with her sudden action.

  Her feet had barely landed on the tiled floor when the entire room began to spin before her eyes. Everything around her began to go black.

  ****

  Dawn tried to force her eyes open. They stung. Her body hurt. The fierce pounding in her head invoked a fleeting memory from spring break in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during college days she only wanted to forget. She moaned out loud. When she finally pried her eye lids apart, the bright sun shining through the tall windows made her eyes burn. She squeezed her eyes shut again.

  Damn.

  She was still in Mateo’s condo. If she was at her small cozy apartment, safe in her own little bed, she might be able to pretend everything that happened last night had only been another crazy dream, or make that, another crazy nightmare.

  No such luck.

  She placed her hands over her eyes and slowly let her lids separate again, allowing only slivers of daylight to peak between her fingers until she could bear the full force of the blinding glare. When she was finally able to focus on her surroundings, she immediately glanced around for Mateo.

  She was alone—and naked—in the big velvet covered bed, in the middle of the fancy bedroom, in this big luxurious condo. It all seemed surreal. A quick scan of the room revealed the faded jeans and lilac tee she had been wearing last night laying on a plush blue loveseat along the back wall.

  Last night…

  Mateo’s words began to filter back into her reluctant mind much too fast. Vampire. Dham—whatever. Half-human. A hundred years. Children. Blood Clan. Eternal mate...

  She sat up in the bed in an abrupt motion. The room spun before her eyes and the uneasiness in her stomach threatened to make her puke. She closed her eyes again until the spinning in her head stopped and the churning in her stomach calmed down. The throbbing in her bitten neck, however, only increased as she reopened her eyes slowly and firmly repeated this was not really happening.

  A noise from downstairs made her entire body stiffen. Was Mateo down there? Well, that had to be proof she dreamed all this nonsense, except for the abnormal biting, of course. The pulsating pain emitting from her neck proved that part was real. But if he really was down there cooking her breakfast this morning, like an ordinary boyfriend, then he could hardly be sleeping in the caves up on the Superstitions like he told her last night.

  Today she would definitely make an appointment to see a psychiatrist, for both of them. What time was it anyway? Where was her cell? Damn. She left it with her purse downstairs last night. She scanned the room for a clock. Red digital numbers on the corner of the huge flat
screen TV hanging above the rock fireplace along one of the bedroom walls flashed 8:13 a.m.

  Oh no, not again. She was going to get fired from her teaching job, and it was going to be all Mateo Two Moon’s fault.

  Since her head and body were not feeling very sturdy right now, Dawn slid her legs over the side of the bed slowly and stood up cautiously on wobbly legs. She held the edge of the bed for a couple minutes until her head stopped spinning enough for her to walk without feeling as if she would pass out.

  As she made her way over to where her clothes were laid out on the chaise, she was reminded of feeling almost this exact same way the day she thought she had the flu or had been bitten by a poisonous spider or bug after going camping with Chloe. Somehow, this had to be Mateo’s fault.

  “Shoes?” she whispered glancing around at the floor. Now she remembered. The black flip-flops she had been wearing were downstairs by the couch where she kicked them off last night while she and Mateo had been talking about Chloe.

  Chloe.

  The horrific thought of Chloe’s disappearance crowded into her head with all the other outlandish thoughts she didn’t want to think about. Oh please, let Chloe be back home safe and sound this morning. But even as she tried to force that happy ending in among all the other not so happy thoughts spiraling through her mind, Dawn knew it was not going to turn out that way.

  If she allowed herself to believe all the bizarre stuff he told her last night, then she would also know the Superstitions were filled with unspeakable dangers, and they were far worse than the mere rumors of evil specters or ghosts anyone ever mentioned in the history books or ancient legends.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Mateo?” Dawn called out as she cautiously made her way down the curved iron staircase. She stopped to rub her aching eyes, and clutched the railing again before continuing her descent to the lower floor. She seriously felt like one of the living dead right now. Ugh, probably not a good comparison considering the things he told her last night.

  This condo had felt seductive and glamorous when they first arrived yesterday evening, but today it seemed far too bright with all the scorching sunlight flooding through the massive floor to ceiling windows that rimmed the front entry way and living room. This morning, however, everything was different than last night.

  “Ma—” She halted at the bottom of the stairs when a stranger appeared from the kitchen. “What-Who are you?” she gasped. Her already queasy insides did a frantic lurch in her stomach.

  The dark-skinned man smiled nervously at her. His straight shoulder length black hair was combed back behind his ears. He ran his fingertips around his ears as if to make sure the coarse strands were still in place.

  “I am Billy Torres.” He walked with a hesitant gait toward her and extended his hand as he approached. “Mateo has asked me to stay with you until he returns tonight.”

  Dawn shuffled back away from the short stocky man who was way too close for comfort. She clutched the bottom of the stair rail for support. “Where is Mateo?” She glanced toward the front door. There was no way she could get to the door without getting past this man, even if she was feeling strong enough to make a run for it.

  His smile faded slightly and he lowered his hand back down to his side. “He said you knew everything. Well, he told me you knew everything about him, anyway.”

  If Mateo wasn’t here, was he up there? She pushed the image of him lying Dracula-like in a wooden coffin in some sinister cave up on the Superstitions out of her mind. She tried to focus on what the man was saying to her.

  “I am a member of the Clan Society.”

  “Clan Society?”

  He shrugged his rounded shoulders. His blue and red plaid shirt looked a size too small on his hefty frame.

  “It is the greatest honor in the Apache tribe to be chosen to help care for the Blood Clan. We make sure their existence is never threatened and all their needs are met.”

  This sounded way too real now. Their existence? “Am I being held captive here?” she asked in a meek voice.

  His face contorted in surprise. “Oh no. Mateo was just worried about leaving you alone because you were so sick last night. I hope you are feeling better this morning.”

  Dawn stared at him, trying desperately to remember everything that conspired between her and Mateo last night. She wrapped her arms around her midsection and leaned against the stair railing. She couldn’t control the shivering in her body, or stop the notion in her resistant mind that all the horrible crazy things Mateo told her last night might really be true.

  Vampires or half-vampires called damp-something? How did a once ordinary, well-educated school teacher allow herself to accept something so incredibly ridiculous?

  “Miss Malone? I think you should probably sit down. You don’t look so good right now.”

  She looked into the dark eyes of Billy Torres who stood only inches in front of her. He was barely as tall as she so their gazes were also level when they met. She gave her head a weak nod and tentatively took his outstretched hand. His skin was rough and calloused on the palm of his hand. He seemed like just a normal man, but then, so had Mateo Two Moons before last night.

  ****

  Sitting at table in the brightly decorated yellow and blue alcove at the back of the expensive kitchen, Dawn stared out at the lush treed park adjacent to the condo complex. It was an odd green oasis in this land of mostly sand and cactus. A young mother with short spiky red hair was pushing a blonde child of approximately two years old in an infant swing on the wooden set in the play area. The curly haired toddler was squealing with glee and stretching her chubby little legs straight out in front of her as the swing flew through the air.

  Mateo’s words haunted her. She was destined to have his children. His immortal half-vampire children? Half-breed had an entirely new meaning now. The sip of coffee she had just taken turned to acid in her mouth.

  She was reminded of the not-so-insignificant fact they had never used protection from the first time they made love. The possible repercussions of those actions made a sick feeling settle in the pit of her stomach. She choked back the urge to throw up again. Oh God.

  She started doing the calculations in her mind. What if it happened the first time they made love? Her period was due in just a few days. From past conversations with friends, she knew some pregnancy tests claimed to determine if a woman has been impregnated only seventy-two hours after conception. It had been five days since the first time she and Mateo were intimate. She needed to get one of those pregnancy tests soon. She absently touched the flesh-colored band aid Billy Torres had given her to cover the bite on her neck.

  She tore her gaze away from the window. The happy sight of the mother and little girl doing regular-type things was a direct contradiction to everything in her life right now. Dawn glanced around the kitchen, surprised to see her body guard was not close by.

  Until now, he had not left her side all morning, except for when she used the restroom. Billy Torres was not really like some hulking guard, though.

  She glanced at her cell phone. It wasn’t like she couldn’t call someone for help. She could call 911 if she wanted to and tell them what? Help…I’ve been seduced by Dracula. A wry chuckle escaped from her lips.

  Billy told her he called the school before she woke up this morning to tell them she was ill again and would not be in the rest of the week. Apparently, whoever he talked to at the school believed him, and didn’t even question why some random man would call in sick for her, because she checked her phone several times and there were no new voice messages or texts from anyone. She could be lying dead in her apartment right now, or be the mindless sex slave to some blood sucking half-vampire thing, and no one would even be the wiser. Wow.

  Dawn rose from the chair where she had been sitting at the kitchen table and took a couple steps toward the large island in the center of the room. A bowl of shiny apples, pears and bananas sat on the counter, along with a huge glass vase of beautifu
l fresh-cut flowers in assorted sizes and autumn colors of orange, red and golden hues.

  When she snooped in the fancy stainless steel refrigerator earlier this morning, she was surprised to see it stocked full with food. She even noticed a case of her favorite beer sitting on one of the shelves. A poignant memory of the romantic night she watched the moon come up with Mateo at the lake floated through her mind. She felt that swooning sensation again. How could she still yearn so desperately for his touch—for his love—and be so frightened of what he claimed to be at the same time?

  When she had been upstairs earlier, she noticed an assortment of personal hygiene items for women filled the master bathroom cabinets and in the master closet were hangers with several articles of women’s clothes. They were all brand new and still had tags on them, and all appeared to be her size and style. Obviously, this elaborate effort to make this condo feel like a real home was all for her benefit, because Mateo didn’t even live here. If she were to believe him, he lived in some hidden village at the top of the Superstitions and slept in a cave like a bat during the daytime.

  One thing for certain, she wasn’t going to just sit here all day and do nothing now she was feeling decent again. She stepped cautiously toward the edge of the kitchen counter to peek into the living room. The layout of the condo was an open design concept, so there were no walls separating the two areas. Billy Torres was sitting in one of the suede recliners reading the local daily newspaper. Could it have some news about Chloe?

  He glanced up as Dawn walked toward the couch. “You’re looking much better, Miss Malone.”

  She forced a smile. In spite of the reason this man was here, he was not unpleasant to be around. She actually found herself liking him. “Dawn. Please call me Dawn.” As with the previous times she’d felt sick, they were short-lived illnesses, and she was fairly certain now the nausea had something to do with the blood sucking thing. But she was too overwhelmed with everything else right now to dwell on that issue.