by L. M. Justus
Why was he such an inept fool around this woman? He felt exhilarated by her body pressed against him. He was like a smitten schoolboy with his reaction to her physical closeness clouding his thoughts. What was the matter with him, thinking about her in such a way when she was so clearly distraught? He needed to stop this madness and focus on comforting Trudy.
A few minutes passed and she stepped back, regaining her composure. She wiped her eyes again with her sleeve and replaced her glasses. “That was the vampire that killed Brian,” she said quietly. “Remember? I told you about it; how he killed my fiancé at the restaurant five years ago. That was the reason I became a hunter.”
“I do remember, but where was it you said this occurred?”
“I don’t know if I said, but it was back home, in Boston.”
“Boston?” Nathaniel rubbed the bridge of his nose, thinking. “Why would he be in Montreal? Is it not possible you are mistaken? It seems a cruel and unlikely coincidence.”
She pursed her lips and looked away. “Unless he has an identical twin, I’m sure.”
“Trudy.” He gently turned her to face him. “I will speak with the King and confirm your story. If what you say is true, I promise you shall have your revenge. His crime will not go unpunished.”
She searched his eyes and reached up to smooth her fingers along the edge of his jaw, down to his chin, in a soft caress. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Allow me to escort you to your room. You should get some rest.”
Trudy gave him a weak smile and trudged up the stairs, her head hanging and shoulders slumped. They passed a closed door and then another. The sound of running water emanated from within the second room. The next door down the hallway opened into an unoccupied bedroom, which they chose for Trudy’s quarters.
She peeled back the blanket and sheets and slid into the bed with a sigh. Nathaniel sat next to her on the edge of the bed, drawing the covers up to her chin and patting them smooth.
“Please, stay,” she said.
He reached over and gently plucked off her glasses, placing them on the bedside table. “I must find sustenance soon, and return to the lower levels of the house before the sun rises.”
Trudy’s expression darkened. “Oh.”
“But I can stay here for a while, if you wish,” he quickly amended.
“I’ve had to be independent and strong for the last few years,” Trudy said, “but for once it would be nice to have someone nearby. Someone to watch over me and make me feel safe.”
“Rest now,” he said, capturing her gaze and adding a touch of his mind control.
She rolled onto her side and her eyes drifted closed. Nathaniel remained silent as he watched Trudy breathe. It took longer than he expected, but eventually the rise and fall of her chest slowed into the calm pattern of deep sleep.
He crept out of the room and closed the door with a faint click. Pausing in the hallway for a moment, he inhaled deeply. The subtle salt smell of tears and the vinegar-like sourness of melancholy wafted across his nose. Nathaniel realized the bathroom next door–where the shower was still running–was the source. He felt certain the hot water would have run out at least a half hour earlier.
What if Sophie was in trouble? Should he wake Trudy and seek her assistance or perhaps find the female vampire, Katrina?
Against his better judgment, he decided to take care of things himself, and knocked softly on the bathroom door. When there was no answer, he rapped again, a little louder.
Nothing.
Gingerly, he turned the knob and discovered the door was unlocked. Pushing it open a couple of inches, he said, “Sophie?”
No answer.
“Sophie? Are you all right? It is Nathaniel. I . . . I am coming in.” He pushed the door open wider and stepped into the room. The air was not steamy despite the shower having been on for such an extended length of time.
With a shy glance at the glass shower stall, he discovered Sophie, curled into a ball on the tiled floor.
“Oh, dear,” he muttered. When would Sarah return from her walk with Reed?
He snagged a fluffy white towel from the rack, slid open the shower stall door, and shut off the water. Nathaniel wrapped the towel around Sophie, who was shivering from the frigid shower. She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy and her lower lip trembling.
“Oh, dear,” he said again.
The last few drops of water dripping from the showerhead splashed onto his face and he shook them off.
“Can you . . . stand up?” he asked.
She stared at him.
“No?” His voice came out an octave higher than he would have liked. He cleared his throat. “I believe you need to warm up, so . . . I shall assist you.”
Nathaniel scooped Sophie into his arms, trying not to touch her naked flesh and only half succeeding. “My apologies,” he mumbled, his face heating.
He carried her down the hall to the room at the top of the stairs and fumbled the door open. The bed was made and he was unable to draw the covers back while holding Sophie. He put her down on top of the duvet and pulled the blankets up, wrapping them around her as best he could. He stepped back.
Although her mental state was fragile at the moment, her body was in good health and the vein at her neck pulsed strongly. Nathaniel needed to feed. He was struck with the thought that if he required sustenance, perhaps she was in need of nourishment as well.
“Can I offer you something to eat or drink?” he said. “Assuming I can find anything fit for human consumption in this house, that is.”
Sophie shook her head. At least she had acknowledged his question this time. Caring for exhausted and sad human females was not something he was remotely familiar with, but here he was, trying to do just that for the second time in one night.
She sniffled. “You don’t know,” she whispered.
“I am sorry?”
“You don’t know what happened to me when I was little,” she said.
“No. No, I am afraid I do not.”
She snorted. “And despite what happened, I keep doing stupid things and guys end up trying to take advantage of me. I’m such a loser.”
“My dear child, whatever ill treatment has befallen you, you were a victim. You were not at fault. Those experiences do not define you; they are merely a part of the story that constitutes your life.”
“You sound like a wise old lady.”
Nathaniel’s eyes widened. “Lady?”
“Sure. Old men aren’t wise, they’re creepy.”
He blinked. “Where do you come up with such bizarre notions?”
“I don’t know,” she said.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked.
“I wish Sarah were here,” she whispered.
“I am sure they will return any moment.”
As though in answer to their prayers, the sound of the front door banging shut echoed from downstairs.
“Dear Lord, please let that be your sister,” Nathaniel said.
“Thank you for taking care of me; you’re a good man, Nathaniel. Vampire. Whatever,” Sophie said. “Anyway . . . I appreciate it. I’m sorry for being such a burden.”
He bowed his head. “Think nothing of it,” he said. “If Sarah has arrived, I will send her up to see you at once.”
He left quickly to discover who had entered the house.
Sarah
Nathaniel sped down the stairs and skidded to a stop in front of Sarah and Reed.
“I am so glad you have returned,” he said.
Sarah turned to Reed with one eyebrow raised. Nathaniel couldn’t possibly know about the kidnapping ordeal they’d been through, yet he almost seemed more relieved about them being back than they were.
“Is everything okay?” Sarah asked.
“Yes. Absolutely, although . . .” he began, leaning in as if he were confessing a secret. “It would appear that your sister is a tad more upset about the incident at the club than we had originall
y surmised.”
“Oh, no.” Sarah groaned. “Damn it, I should have known. What was I thinking, leaving her like that?”
“Hey,” Reed said. He put a hand on her shoulder and placed a kiss on top of her head. “You’re here now. Go on upstairs and have some sister time with Sophie. I want to check out the exercise room Marcel mentioned earlier. This is my chance to start beefing up the muscles on my left side.”
Sarah had already gotten used to his left arm and leg being skinnier than his right. It was a miracle that vampires could regenerate whole limbs at all, but the muscle mass of Reed’s new arm and leg didn’t compare to his other side. Adding some bulk to even things out was an important part of his rehabilitation.
“All right then, I’ll see you guys later,” she said.
The men left for the lower level of the house while she went upstairs. She wasn’t sure where to find Sophie, but a peek in the first door at the top of the stairs solved that problem.
“Sarah!” her sister squealed. Sophie was in bed, bundled up in a pile of blankets with her blond hair hanging in damp strands fresh from a shower.
“I’m here, Soph,” Sarah said. She closed the bedroom door and walked over to give Sophie a hug. “I’m sorry I left you. You’re getting to be too good of an actress; I really thought you were okay.”
“I guess I even fooled myself.” Sophie let out a shuddering sigh. “I felt like I was good to go, but then after we got back, I fell apart.”
Sarah put her arms around her sister and squeezed her tight. “Everything’s going to be fine. But the next time we hang out at a dance club, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Sophie laughed. “Deal.”
“You should try to get some sleep.”
“Yeah, I should. Say, how was your walk with Reed?”
“Oh, that,” Sarah said, wondering if she should hide the truth; the last thing she wanted to do was to stress Sophie out even more. It felt wrong even to consider keeping it from her because they were always open with each other. “You probably won’t believe me, but . . . we were actually, um . . . kidnapped.”
“What?” Sophie sat bolt upright. “You’re joking!”
Sarah shook her head.
“You were kidnapped? By who? How did you get away? Why didn’t you say anything?” Sophie practically shouted.
“I didn’t want you to worry. Besides, we’re fine. There’s no need to get worked up over it.”
“Sarah!” Sophie flopped back on the bed and pulled at her hair. “I’m so sick of this vampire crap. Jesus, they kidnapped me, they kidnapped you . . . twice! This is insane–we have to get out of here. I’m calling Mom and telling her where we are. I want to go home.”
“Technically, it was humans who abducted me this time, not vampires, but that’s beside the point. Listen, I know you want to go home, but you can’t. We can’t. The Queen of San Jose could be waiting for us there.”
“The Queen could be anywhere,” Sophie argued.
“Exactly. The only place we’re safe is with other vampires who can protect us. As frustrating as it is, we don’t have the strength to stand against her. We’ll figure this out, but right now we don’t have a choice.”
“Okay, fine. Going back to the kidnapping thing, who abducted you?”
“Two guys who called themselves vampire hunters. They don’t know much about vampires yet though, and they haven’t even come close to killing any. Supposedly, a vampire murdered someone they cared about and they’re looking for revenge. They saw Reed at the club and could tell he wasn’t human, so I guess they were hoping Reed was the ticket to finding their perpetrator.”
“And that’s it? You had a little chat and then they let you go?”
“Pretty much, yeah. We managed to convince them we’re the good guys. After we explained that most vampires aren’t murdering lunatics, we promised to help them find the vampire they’re looking for. None of us want another vampire out there on a killing rampage, right?”
“You know your life would be a lot simpler if you were dating a human,” Sophie said.
Sarah shook her head. “Breaking up with Reed wouldn’t change anything–the Queen is after you and me and Trudy. Besides, I care about Reed. I can’t imagine my life without him now.”
“And he’s so young. He didn’t even finish high school.”
Sarah’s brow crinkled. “You’re really hung up on his age, aren’t you? He’s changed so much, even during the relatively short time I’ve known him. I feel like I’ve known him forever. When we’re together, we’re stronger; we make a good team. He’s always boosting my confidence and he makes me feel good about myself. Plus there’s no denying we have chemistry. Can’t you tell it’s true love?”
“You love him?”
“More and more every day,” Sarah said, her heart swelling.
“Huh,” Sophie said, falling back against the pillows. “As long as you’re happy, Sis.”
Sarah got up and drew the curtains closed over the two windows in the room. It was still dark out, but soon the sun would rise for the day. “You know, I am happy. Even with all the drama going on around here. I have a feeling things are going to work out.”
“Uh huh,” Sophie replied vaguely. Her eyes drifted shut and she snuggled deeper under the covers.
Exhaustion had clearly caught up to her, so Sarah decided to let her get some rest, wet hair and all. “Sleep well, Soph.”
She left the room and shut the door softly. In a while, she would hunt down a place to curl up and get some sleep herself, but first she wanted some alone time with Reed. Being around him made her feel happy and energized, as if he were recharging her battery. The fluttery sensation in her chest grew when she imagined herself in his embrace.
Sarah practically galloped down the stairs to the basement, but didn’t know where to find Reed after she reached the bottom step. She hesitated, opening her mind to see if she could discern his thoughts, but it was the sound of clanging metal that drew her attention.
Turning to her left, she found the exercise room around the corner at the end of the hall. Reed lay on a bench press facing away from the door, a bar loaded with an unbelievable amount of weight held up in his left arm. He lowered the bar into the rests with another metallic clang and turned to look at her.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi,” he said back. His eyes tracked her movement as she crossed the room and straddled him on the bench.
She licked her lips. “I like this look.”
“The sweaty look?” he asked, his intense blue eyes searching hers.
“The shirtless look.”
“Ahh,” he said, cheeks pinking. He looked her up and down and gave her a suggestive grin. “I think I might like the same look on you.”
“Would you now?” Sarah said, splaying her hands across his chest. She slid her palms up to his shoulders and caressed a path down his arms. It was impossible not to notice the paleness of his left arm and the lack of muscle compared to his right.
“Uh oh. What’s that serious look?” he asked.
“I was thinking . . . about how thankful I am that you’re in one piece. And how much I would still love you even if you weren’t.” She hadn’t meant to get emotional, but tears filled her eyes.
“You’re amazing, you know that? How did I ever get so lucky to find you?” He reached up and drew her down for a kiss.
She responded eagerly and their lips met. Sarah relaxed into him, reveling in the feel of his warm body pressed against her. His hands moved up her back, fingers twining through her hair as they lost themselves in the moment. She couldn’t get enough of him: his taste, his touch, his smell. Being with him like this was exactly what she’d needed.
When she pulled away for a quick breath of air, the sight of his fully extended fangs made her dizzy with desire.
“We need to lock the door,” she breathed.
He twisted around to look at the doorway. “There’s isn’t any door.”
&nb
sp; She glanced up and swore.
Reed gave her a wolfish grin. “Don’t worry, we’ll find a room with a door. That locks. Hang on.”
He scooped her up and leapt off the bench. A giggle escaped her mouth as he raced with her to the second floor of the house and stopped in the upper hallway.
“Not that one,” she said, as he reached to open the first door at the top of the stairs. “Sophie’s in there.”
They passed a bathroom and then another closed door before discovering an empty bedroom. He set her down on her feet before closing and locking the door. She pulled him by the waist of his jeans until their bodies melded tightly together.
Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned down and kissed her. Lips parting, their kiss deepened as they stumbled toward the bed. Reed threw the covers back and covered Sarah’s body with his own as they fell onto the mattress.
Yes, Sarah was definitely happy, despite all the drama currently complicating her life. Tomorrow they could deal with their ever-growing list of problems: the Queen’s psychotic “game,” the newbie vampire hunters, and the latest killer vampire on the loose.
Reed
I opened my eyes. Sarah’s face was inches from mine, her eyes closed and a hint of a smile on her lips. She looked so peaceful with her honey-brown hair spread out across the pillow and a slightly rosy glow to her cheeks.
I’d obviously bitten her again last night, or I wouldn’t have lost consciousness. If we were going to continue like this, I’d have to watch out before I made her anemic from blood loss.
I sat up and raked my hands through my hair. Sunlight streamed into the room and a row of icicles dripped from the roof’s edge outside the window. As stealthily as I could, I slipped out of the bed so I wouldn’t wake Sarah. I put on my clothes and padded out of the room into the hallway.
Sarah and I had promised the two guys who’d kidnapped us that we would help them find their rogue vampire. This seemed as good a time as any to find the King and ask him a few questions.
