As much as I hated her even before I turned, the idea of being cast away from my own family was unnerving.
I was banished to a separate bedroom.
For months, with no use of a mattress and aching needy loins combined with an unquenchable thirst, I spent my nights fucking prostitutes in dark alleys while I drank their blood. It was the only way to satisfy both needs. Many of my kind survived that way and those ladies of the night were quite trustworthy to keep our secret. For a fee.
One night I was particularly insatiable and stayed out till nearly dawn. I turned the corner to return to my townhouse, but the entire row was up in scorching flames. Fearing for the lives of my sons, I tore past stunned onlookers. To my horror, my eldest son, Nicholas, and his governess had jumped out the third story window, killing her and him.
I rushed in through the flames looking for my younger son, Edward.
Katherine’s screaming led me to her bedchamber which was up in flames thanks to the damn heavy tapestries she insisted on having made for a small fortune. My fortune.
A guttural cry guided me and I found Edward, coughing and vomiting. With him clutched to my chest, I ran through the house, ignoring the searing heat, and the fierce flames licking my skin.
I stayed at my son’s side in the hospital for two days until he was finally claimed from the severe burns and smoke inhalation. No pain had been greater. My entire family, my bloodline was wiped out in one night. If I were human, I could have fixed that.
Edward’s fingers grew cold in my hand while I waited for a nurse to come take his lifeless body. Then everything in the hospital went still and quiet. A watery sheet of blur settled around me.
“Alexander, I told you it was not wise to return to your family.” Loren walked in, dressed very much like the rich turn of the century man he was at the time.
I had as much money as him, but I was in charred grimy rags. “Why couldn’t I save him?”
“Humanity will progress on its own path with or without us, Alexander,” Loren explained calmly and rested a cold hand on my shoulder.
I flinched at the contact since there’d been nothing but sterile brushes from Katherine and paid grasps from prostitutes. Loren’s caress was so welcoming, I turned away from my son and left the hospital with my maker. There was nothing I could do.
One hundred years later, I’m as lost as ever. With a beautiful woman staring at me for a response.
“I don’t know, Elizabeth. Time has a different meaning when you don’t sleep. I don’t often feel this way. Missing my humanity. Clearly, it’s dangerous for me to do so. Because I land right where we are now.” I stand up and pull my jacket closed.
“The problem wouldn’t become obvious until years down the road I guess,” she says, locking her arms behind her. Before I respond she waves them in front of her face. “And I just realized to worry about years from now is silly. This is what it is. For now.”
Relationships in the twenty first century are vastly different from when I was human. There was only limited courting and usually you were betrothed to someone and that was that. Only under the direst of circumstances were there any divorces. A majority of the time it was death that separated lovers.
I need to give Elizabeth reassurance. Holding her waist, I lower my head to kiss her. “This is what we make of it.”
She lets me kiss her then leads me upstairs to her bed, where I make her come again and again.
Chapter 14
I love the silence in the dead of night when I’m alone in my cottage.
To stay all night with Elizabeth and listen to the sound of human breathing and blood rushing through warm veins and the sweet white noise of it all is fucking blissful.
It soothes me while I pace the house in the middle of the night, Sunday going into Monday.
Elizabeth’s changing heart rate alerts me to her waking. It’s still dark and her bedroom is nearly pitch black.
“I’m here,” I say and hold her, detecting stress.
“I thought you left,” she whispers, curling against me.
“I was letting you sleep.” My lips rest on her forehead, as I prepare to ease her back into a slumber, except her tiny hand grabs my groin. “Haven’t you had enough for one night?” I inhale her sweet skin.
“No.” Her mouth lifts to mine and she pulls me into a kiss laced with carnal need.
By the time the sky brightens with a tinge of pink on the horizon, my tongue has brought her to yet another climax. I sit up, lower my pants and thrust into her in one swift move. We rock back and forth, clawing and clutching, her legs tight around my waist.
When will this woman get enough of me? I don’t want to find out. I kiss her through another orgasm and mine crashes over me. I’m depleted yet extremely satisfied.
Her back arches with an attempt to stretch but her head twists sharply toward her nightstand. “Oh, damn.”
“What is it, my darling?” I ask as I ease out of her.
She slides a hand over her face. “Annie’s bus will be here in a few minutes.”
Spending the night here was an enticing temptation. However, I didn’t consider the morning routine. “I’m sorry. I’ll be out of here—”
“No!” Elizabeth sits up. “That’s not where I was going with that. It’s fine. I’ll drive her. But I do need to get up.”
“I understand.” I kiss her forehead. “I have to begin my day as well.”
Her legs swing to the floor and she stands, a little wobbly. After smoothing her hair and yanking it into a bun piled on her head, she cloaks herself in the fluffiest robe I ever saw. Her hands slide along my stomach and she tugs at my waist while I put my jacket back on.
Cautiously, she says, “Text me later?”
As if I wouldn’t. “Absolutely.” I’ll be back here tonight if she asks.
She kisses me deeply, but more moving than that, her head rests against my chest as she clutches me. Elizabeth cares about me.
Her blue eyes stare up at me and her face curves into a smile. “Good.”
I hold her chin and place a soft kiss on her lips. “Have a good day.”
Those words resonate in my head while I walk down the stairs. Have a good day. How stupid and boring. I end up smiling though. It’s what humans say.
Outside the weather is brisk enough to make me notice. A waft of diesel smoke turns my head toward the long yellow bus that lumbers to a stop in front of the house. Shit!
Just what Elizabeth needs, a man slipping out of her home. I consider ignoring the school bus in favor of moving quicker to my car. I’m just unaware of the protocol if Annie doesn’t come out of the house. Does the driver go to the door?
To prevent that from happening, my legs move in that direction before my brain has a chance to comprehend what the hell I’m doing.
“Good morning,” I greet the driver when the door opens. “Elizabeth and Annie are running late. We’ll get her to school today.” I’m quickly stunned at my words.
I didn’t intend to say ‘we’. It just slipped out, but it makes me feel warm.
The driver huffs and tries to close the door, but my hand gets wedged in-between the panels. A human hand would be crushed.
The driver opens the door immediately and peers at me. “Jesus man, don’t do that. I have a schedule to keep.”
I spring back, but when he tries to close the door again, I put my body in the way. “I said good morning. A response would have been polite.”
“Who are you anyway? Where’s Mrs. Kastner?”
I’m grateful this moron doesn’t know that much about Elizabeth, starting with the fact that’s not her name. So, I don’t correct him, but say, “I’m a friend of hers and that’s all you need to know,” as I let the door snap shut.
I get in my car and driv
e home to change my clothes in preparation for a long day at the hospital. The hours pass by quickly and I’m surprised to see it’s already four-thirty when I get a call from Elizabeth.
“She didn’t get off the bus!” she says, frantic and afraid.
“What? Who? Annie?”
“Yes, the bus just drove by here. He didn’t stop.”
“Was she still on it?” I stand and move toward the locker room to collect my coat.
“I don’t know. I called the school’s office but no one’s answering.”
“Did she have anything to do today after school?”
“No.”
“And your dad didn’t pick her up?”
“No.” Her teeth grind so loud I can hear it.
I sound like I’m accusing her of not knowing what’s going on with her daughter.
“Call the police. I’m on my way there.” When she doesn’t respond, I say, “Elizabeth, darling, did you hear me?”
“Okay.” She stifles a sob that sends a jolt of venom straight into my system.
I have to stop what I’m doing or else something could set me off. If I want Elizabeth to be strong, I have to be too.
I peek my head into the Administrator’s office. Her eyes light up when she sees me. “Marjorie, I have an emergency I need to deal with. I’m sorry I have to leave.”
She jumps to her feet, smoothing her skirt and her hair. “Of course, Dr. Manning. I’ll let Dr. Fischer and the others know. I hope everything is all right?”
“I hope so too,” I mumble and push the door open with too much force.
No matter how many times I call Elizabeth, the phone goes to voicemail which both enrages and terrifies me. It takes all my will not to crush the device in my palm. Instead, I pound the center console and it easily cracks under my fist.
At her house, the police car in the driveway stills me. I was so caught up with this relationship, slipping into a human routine that I forgot I’m a doctor with a false identity.
Inside, Elizabeth hugs herself and rocks back and forth. I rush toward her and step over the cocktail table.
The policeman whirls around, stunned. “Whoa, buddy.”
Elizabeth cries out, “It’s okay. He’s my . . . boyfriend.”
“Any news?” I ask with a clenched jaw.
Elizabeth flutters her eyelids and clears her throat. “No.”
“The bus has a tracking device and we have a car looking for it now,” the cop responds, tapping into his phone.
I want to wrap Elizabeth in my arms, but I’ll only make her colder. While I should be here to keep her calm and comforted, I’m more driven by the need to act. The police have their tracking devices, but I have my own. They’ll find the bus and the driver, but I can find the child. Annie.
I bury my head into Elizabeth’s shoulder and sift through the multiple scents, deep in the fibers until I come across the faint powdery smell of a child. That’s Annie and it’s all I need. “I’ll be back.”
Elizabeth clutches me at first, her eyes wild with fear that I would leave. I nod to her and use my rusty powers to communicate into her brain.
I will find her.
Her eyes twitch and she releases a shriek, holding her head while she receives the unexpected silent message. After, she swallows and softly nods.
I spring to my feet and head for the door, but the cop holds me back. “Whoa, we’ll handle this and find the little girl.”
“I need to be out there too,” I say, trying to be polite.
The radio on his shoulder crackles and while he responds, I slip away.
Standing on the curb, I summon the gifts I have to find someone. I sift through my brain for the memory of Annie calling out to her mother that first night to home in on the sound.
A faint echo of the voice turns my body left and I walk that way. Also fueled by the powdery scent, multiple sources swirl around my head and pull me to the next block.
I come up on a house similar to Elizabeth’s with a ‘For Sale’ sign on its lawn. A scan of the interior confirms no one is inside. I take a step to keep walking, but a sob catches my senses. From behind the house. My brain tears it apart to trace the sound in my memory. A sharp pain stings my chest when the wavelengths line up. It’s Annie.
I bolt to a gate that leads to the backyard, but I’m fearful of what I may find. Humans may be frightened by the idea of vampires, but it’s other humans, disturbed and misguided beings who are the real threat to humanity.
At first sight, the yard appears empty. In the center, however is a tall bulky tree. Inserted into the vast array of branches is a treehouse.
The scents and the sounds deep in my mind become sharper. As I get to the base of the tree, I touch it and jolt. Annie placed her hand against it to climb to the first branch.
In a strained voice, I say, “Annie? Annie Kastner?”
A tiny head pops out of a glassless window and the relief that drains from me is enough to knock me off my feet. She’s unharmed, but I sense she was crying. “How did you find me?” the sweet voice asks.
I can’t give her a clear answer. In my pocket, I reach for my phone aching to text Elizabeth that I found her daughter. I must earn Annie’s trust, first. “Your mother is worried about you.”
“Not according to Mr. Farley.”
Who the fuck is Mr. Farley? screams in my head and I’m grateful this child can’t read my thoughts. “Who, who is Mr. Farley?”
“My bus driver.” Her fingers curl around the edge of the window impatiently like she might slip back inside any moment.
That fucking prick from this morning! This may very well be my fault. Damn it!
Still, I need Annie’s permission before I start to climb. Surely Elizabeth taught her daughter to keep the fuck away from strangers. “Annie, I know you don’t know me. But I’m a friend of your—”
“I know who you are.”
Crap! I guess the fact she recognizes me is a good thing, though. “Okay. Can I come up there with you?”
Her head disappears back through the window. For a moment I contemplate leaping, but a rope ladder drops in front of me and I pull myself up to the top. Inside, Annie sits on the floor with her legs folded in front of her. It’s a cramped space, but I get inside and sit as well.
“Your pants will get dirty,” Annie warns me.
I smile. “That’s okay. Getting a little dirty never hurt anyone.” I finally get a good glimpse of her and I’m stilled by the shocking resemblance to her mother. Even the texture of her golden hair. “So, Annie, how do you know who I am?”
“I saw you leave my house this morning.”
I’m relieved that’s all she saw, but I shake those thoughts away. “Can I text your mother that you’re okay? She’s worried sick about you.”
The little girl’s lips crumble into a sulk. “Mr. Farley said because Mommy has a boyfriend now she’s not going to want me anymore. That I should go live with my daddy.”
The rage that wells up inside me can light this treehouse on fire. Unsure of how to answer, I take out my phone and send the text anyway. I can’t speak for Elizabeth and her intentions toward me, but I’m certain she has no plans whatsoever to send Annie to live with her father in DC. For me.
“Annie, I just met your mother recently. Yes, I was in your house this morning. But you are the most important to thing to her.” I shift and stir uncomfortably, fearing I will somehow make this worse. “If it makes you uncomfortable for me and your mother to be together, I will respect how you feel and stay away.”
She shakes her head at me. “Mommy hasn’t had a boyfriend since she and my daddy got a divorce.”
“Your mother and I met by chance. She didn’t plan this.” I meet her eyes. “And neither did I.” When Annie doesn’t respon
d, but nods like she’s following along, I say, “But you will always come first.”
I’m an all-consuming monster who wants to possess Elizabeth, hide her from the world and keep her to myself. It’s who I am, but I’m figuring out, I have to be flexible if I want to keep Elizabeth in my life. I want her in my life. So, this little girl will come first.
“Do you love her?” Annie asks, her hands folded under her chin.
“Yes, Annie, I do.” I’m startled at my quick response, but it’s the strongest truth I felt about anything in a very long time.
I stare at my own hands. What power they have. At the moment, I’m powerless, but I’m okay with that.
“Can you talk her into buying me a puppy?” She’s smart like her mother, and goes right into the negotiation phase. “I even have a name picked out.”
I pull my knee into my chest to get comfortable. “You do, huh? What’s that?”
Her tiny hands come up and I can tell she has a whole adorable explanation. I’m anxious to hear it, but a burst of emotion-driven scents flood around me. Elizabeth is in the yard.
“Annie?” she yells.
“Am I in trouble?” she whispers, and I smell a faint dose of fear.
“Of course not,” I whisper back and wink. “We’re up here.” I call out to Elizabeth, whose heart beats wildly and the scent associated with her anguish distracts me to madness.
Annie stands and peeks out the window. “I’m sorry, Mommy.”
“Oh Annie!” Elizabeth’s voice squeaks and she will soon start to sob.
Something tells me she wouldn’t want Annie to see her like that, so I stand as well and take Annie’s place in the window. “Hi.” When Elizabeth holds her face and begins to weep, I say, “We’ll be down in a moment.”
I open the tiny door I wedged my body inside earlier and reach out to Annie. “Can I give you a lift down?”
Drawing Bloodlines (The Princeton Allegiant Series Book 1) Page 12
