Then, reluctantly, he pulled out his cell phone and called Mac.
Hands gripping the wheel, Bethany drove, not caring where she headed as long as it was away from the restaurant, away from Dirk, and away from vampires. Right now, all she felt was numb, but she knew that fear and confusion lurked just beneath the surface. She wanted to scream and the temptation to head out of town and keep on driving, leave all of it—Dirk, Miles, the research project, and the vampires—behind was great.
“Get hold of yourself, Bethany.” Her voice sounded unusually loud in the too quiet vehicle and she reached over to flip on the radio. A rock tune came on and its familiar melody soothed her, chasing away the numbness and fear, letting the cogwheels of her brain turn once again.
It occurred to her that while she had tried to adjust to the reality of vampires, there had been a part of her still in denial. Seeing the three tonight had shattered that tiny illusion. She’d never seen anything like them. Their strength and speed so far exceeded human capabilities that she wondered how anyone could possibly defeat them.
It was little wonder that Mr. Yarbro had failed, despite being strong and, presumably, well trained in the art of hand-to-hand combat. The image of Frank, the security guard, rose in her mind. Even Frank hadn’t stood a chance against them. No human could.
Bethany stopped at a traffic light, and staring into its red glow, she once again saw Dirk’s eyes staring at her—worried and uncertain—but not with malice. Never with malice—because Dirk would never hurt her. She knew that with an unshakable certainty. Since the moment she’d first met him, he had done nothing but protect her.
She thought back to the way he’d fought the vampires—his strength and speed equal to theirs. It made sense, didn’t it? It would take someone not quite human to defeat them. Not quite human—or maybe half human and half something else?
By the time the light changed, Bethany had made up her mind. She pulled off on the side of the road and turned around. As she neared the restaurant, her pulse began to pound. She hoped she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life. If so, she’d find out soon enough.
At first, she didn’t see Dirk and the beginnings of panic set in. Had he already left? Or maybe gone inside? She considered parking the SUV, but the memory of vampires springing out of thin air was too fresh. Instead, she slowly drove around the lot, finally going behind the restaurant. There she spotted him standing near the line of trees.
She pulled even with him and put the SUV in park, letting the engine idle. He was on the phone.
As she stepped out to face him, he lowered the phone from his ear, but didn’t disconnect the call. He gave her a curious look, equal parts of confusion, concern, and, she thought, hope.
“I don’t understand everything that’s going on,” she told him. “That scares me—a lot. I’ve seen things that I would have said were impossible, and that scares me, too. The only time I’ve felt safe lately was when I was with you—but tonight, for the first time, I was afraid of you.”
“Beth, I—”
She held up her hand to silence him. “I did some thinking while I drove around. You could have killed me any number of times over the last couple of days, but you didn’t. So, I’m back.” She walked around to the other side of the SUV and opened the passenger door. She looked at him from behind the V formed by the door and the windshield. “Like I said before, I don’t understand all of it, but I think I’m safer with you than without you.” She glanced at the trees behind him. “Do you need help with the bodies?”
“No.”
She nodded but couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she silently climbed into the SUV and closed the door.
Dirk stared at her, both amazed and more than a little relieved. Remembering the phone, he lifted it to his ear. “Forget the ride. I’m good. I’ll be there shortly.”
He glanced back at Bethany, half afraid he’d imagined her return, but she continued to sit in the SUV, waiting for him to join her. He hoped she wouldn’t change her mind when he started hauling out the bodies and dumping them in the back.
Working quickly, he carried each one from where he’d placed it just behind the line of trees. To her credit, Bethany didn’t bolt. She sat there, a stoic look on her face, eyes forward, never once turning her head until he finally finished and climbed in beside her.
Their eyes met briefly and it pained him to see the flicker of fear that passed through hers. He wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure what, so he merely put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.
They’d driven for about five minutes in silence when she finally broke it. “Are those things dead? I mean, I know they’re dead or rather undead, isn’t that how they refer to it in the movies? But back at the restaurant, you said you didn’t know if they were really dead, so . . .” As if she realized she was rambling, she stopped and took a breath. “Is there any chance they’ll climb over the backseat and come after us?”
“They’re as dead as I can make them—for now.” Which he hoped was dead enough—at least until he could get to his sword and cut off their heads. As far as he knew, that was the only guarantee.
Bethany rubbed her forehead, but Dirk knew from experience that no amount of massaging would make the pain go away. The most he could do to help was wait until she was ready and then answer her questions when they started. He didn’t have to wait long.
“You said you’re half vampire. Were you born that way? Is one of your parents . . .”
“A vampire?” he finished for her when she seemed to hesitate. “No. I was born human, but back when all this started, I was attacked by the adult chupacabra.”
He heard her gasp. “How horrible.”
“Yeah, it was.” He thought back to that night so long ago. “Mac got there before the creature could finish me off, but by then it had injected so much venom into my bloodstream that my body reacted. It changed me.” He hesitated for the length of a heartbeat and then went on. “That’s what they call those that are like me—changelings.”
“There are more of you?”
“Just one, that I know of. Mac.”
“Did the same thing happen to him, too? He was attacked by the chupacabra?”
“Yeah. In fact, Lanie’s the one who saved him.”
“Is she . . . ?”
“No. She’s still human.”
She nodded slowly like she was processing the information. “What’s the admiral’s involvement in all of this?”
“From what I understand, his ancestors used to find the changelings, help them adapt, and make sure they had the training and equipment to hunt the vampires.”
“By equipment, you mean that sword you showed me?”
He nodded.
“But you didn’t have the sword tonight?” She cast a nervous glance into the back of the SUV. “Are you sure they’re dead?”
“I think we’ll be okay. Using the sword to cut off their heads is the best way to make sure the vampires stay dead, but it’s not the only way.”
She glanced to the back of the SUV again, but Dirk could tell she didn’t look as nervous as she had before. “So if the admiral’s family has been doing this for centuries, how come there aren’t more changelings? Or fewer vampires?”
“Supposedly, all the vampires had been killed—at least over here in the states. Thanks to Burton bringing the chupacabra from the Amazon to D.C., all that changed.”
She fell silent again, so that the only noise heard inside the car was the steady hum of the tires on the road. Finally, she glanced at him, the expression in her eyes nervous. “Do you drink blood?”
He wanted to smile, but was afraid she might misinterpret his expression.
“No. A changeling doesn’t normally crave blood and we don’t need it to survive. There are certain circumstances, however, when blood can heal us or give us unusual strength and vitality.” She looked confused, so he hurried to explain. “You see, blood that is freely given is like the sweetest nect
ar. It’s the gift of life and fills us with so much energy and strength, it’s like being supercharged or something—at least, that’s what Mac tells me. He’s taken Lanie’s blood a number of times.”
“What kind of circumstances?” Anyone else and he would have thought the person was asking so they could specifically avoid finding themselves in such a circumstance, but Beth just sounded curious. Beneath it all, she was a scientist.
“Well, for instance, there was the time that Mac had been captured by Burton. He was severely beaten, virtually dead. Lanie let him drink her blood so he could get his strength back and rescue them.”
She looked frightened again. “That happens often?”
“As far as I know, he’s only taken her blood once out of necessity.” He couldn’t resist giving her a lascivious smile. “The other times were when they made love. Apparently, it’s quite the aphrodisiac.”
The shock in her eyes made his daring remark worth it. She quickly recovered. “That doesn’t turn her into a vampire? Or a . . . a changeling?”
“No. A changeling’s bite doesn’t seem to affect humans. And vampires only turn humans into vampires if they kill them.”
Dirk cast another glance at her and saw that instead of looking scared, she merely looked dazed. He guessed that was an improvement.
“What else is different about you?” she asked.
“Well”—he pretended to think—“I do cast a reflection in a mirror, garlic won’t kill me, although I find the odor offensive. I don’t burst into flames when I go out into the sun, but I do need sunglasses because bright light hurts my eyes. I also have great night vision.”
She remained quiet, as if waiting to see if there was more, so he went on. “I don’t ‘die’ during the day, but the daylight makes me unusually tired, so much so that I have a hard time functioning while the sun is up. Otherwise, I’m much stronger than I was as a human and I can run ungodly fast. I can’t fly or leap tall buildings in a single bound and I can’t change into a bat or any other creature.”
They had finally reached the mansion and Dirk pulled into the driveway. He drove them to the front door and stopped, but didn’t shut off the engine. Instead, he honked the horn three times. “Go inside, Beth. Mac and I know what we’re doing. You’ll be safe here at the mansion. You have my word.”
She reached for the door handle, but then paused. “Aren’t you coming inside?”
He shook his head. “Not just yet.”
At that moment, the front door opened and Mac strolled out, sword clutched in his hand. Seeing it, Bethany nodded and climbed out of the vehicle.
“Lanie’s inside, waiting for you,” Mac told her as he took her place.
Bethany turned and headed for the front door, very much aware of two sets of male eyes watching her. As soon as she was inside, she heard the SUV drive off.
Ahead of her, the great room looked warm and friendly.
“Bethany!” Lanie rounded the corner and came toward her. “Are you all right?” She didn’t give Bethany a chance to answer but pulled her into the living room where they sat on the couch together. “Dirk phoned and told us all about the attack.” She gave Bethany a sympathetic look. “And he told us that you found out about him, as well.”
Bethany shook her head. “I don’t know why I never saw it before, unless—are the fangs retractable?”
“No,” Lanie said with a chuckle. “You should have seen Mac and Dirk when their fangs first grew in. They had a hard time just opening their mouths without the fangs being obvious, much less trying to talk. Even now, they don’t smile a lot.”
Bethany nodded because she had noticed that. “What about the eyes?”
“You mean, the way they glow red? I haven’t figured out what causes that, but it usually happens when they feel extreme emotions.”
Bethany remembered the strange appearance of Dirk’s eyes at the dinner table earlier that evening and it made her wonder. She shut off the thought before she jumped to any wrong conclusions. Instead, she turned back to Lanie. “I’m sorry about your father.”
Lanie gave a sad smile. “Thanks.”
“Is he still . . .” She stopped, afraid her curiosity was making her insensitive.
Lanie didn’t seem to mind, though. “He’s still alive—or rather still undead, as far as I know. There’s an old legend about a village inhabited by vampires somewhere in the Amazon. He decided to go look for it.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Back when all this first started.”
“And you’ve not heard from him since?”
Lanie smiled. “No, but he’s been pulsing money from his bank account. I left it open for him. Still, I miss him.”
Bethany’s heart went out to her. She knew the other woman must miss her father a great deal and it made her realize how lucky she was that her folks were both still alive. Just then, a flicker of movement off to the side caught her attention and she turned to see something gray huddled by the desk. “I didn’t know you had a dog,” she commented, wondering why she hadn’t seen it around the house before.
“We don’t.” Lanie stood up and walked over to the desk where she picked up the small animal and brought it back to the sofa.
Bethany stared in amazement. She’d never seen anything like it. It was gray-skinned with a round head and a slightly elongated muzzle. It stood on two larger hind legs and stared at her through enormous red glowing eyes. It could almost be considered cute, except for its two fangs, sharp talonlike claws, and the row of fins running down its back.
“This is Gem,” Lanie said. “She’s a chupacabra.”
Bethany stared at the creature thinking that despite its strange appearance, she’d seen it before. Then she remembered. “She looks like that statue I saw Julia with earlier today.”
Lanie stroked the creature’s back. “Actually, she is the statue.”
“I beg your pardon.”
Lanie’s smile grew broader. “During the day, chupacabras turn to stone.”
Bethany stared at her, aghast. “This is the stone gargoyle that’s always on Julia’s desk?”
Lanie looked troubled. “Yes. No matter how many times I chase Gem away from that desk, she keeps going back. There’s something about Julia that she likes. I try to lock her in my room before the sun comes up, but she has a tendency to escape when Mac comes home from hunting because I get sidetracked and forget about her.” She blushed, reminding Bethany that she and Mac were still newlyweds. She’d seen them together enough to know they were very much in love and a part of her envied them that. She couldn’t see her and Miles ever being like that.
At that very moment, she heard the sounds of Mac and Dirk talking and knew they’d finished the task they’d driven off to do.
“I knew something was going on,” Mac was saying. “It had to be the link.”
“Maybe so. I’m just not sure what it means.”
“Yes, you do.”
When the men appeared, they wore equally grave expressions on their faces. Dirk’s eyes immediately sought out Bethany and she offered him a tentative smile to let him know she wasn’t going to bolt. Seeing it, Dirk’s face relaxed and though his lips didn’t part, he smiled back.
Lanie got up off the sofa and went to Mac. “What are you two talking about?”
“Tonight, Dirk and I felt the link,” Mac said.
“You did?” Lanie looked surprised and quickly explained to Bethany. “One of the side effects of the chupacabra’s venom is that everyone attacked by the same creature shares some type of psychic connection that allows them to feel one another’s emotions and thoughts. When the adult was dying, the link grew so weak that it became more or less nonexistent. We assumed that meant the adult chupa had died.”
Lanie glanced at both men and as each nodded Bethany saw the stunned look on her face grow. “But if you were able to feel one another’s emotions and thoughts, if the link is still active . . .” She moved closer to Mac and he wrapped
his arm around her. “Then she’s still alive.”
“Who’s still alive?” Bethany ventured to ask. Mac and Lanie seemed preoccupied, so Bethany turned to Dirk, who answered the question for her.
“The adult chupacabra. The one we thought was dead.”
“The one that attacked you?”
“Yeah.”
Bethany studied Gem prowling around the room. It was hard for her to be frightened of the small creature when the others weren’t. Yet, when she tried to imagine a creature that looked like Gem, but bigger, she felt the blood rush from her head.
“Do you know where it is?” She didn’t like to think of a creature like that wandering loose and killing people.
“We think so,” Dirk said.
“Where?”
“Right here in Washington, D.C.”
Chapter 9
Late the next morning, Bethany woke feeling drained and exhausted. She hadn’t slept much, despite the hot soothing bath she’d taken. Her thoughts had whirled around in her head like a maelstrom until she’d wanted to scream. Nothing seemed normal to her anymore and she desperately longed to have her previous uneventful life back.
Going downstairs to the kitchen, she found Julia at the coffeepot, pouring herself a cup.
“Good morning,” Bethany said, walking in.
Julia’s face lit up when she saw her, making Bethany feel welcome. “Good morning. Would you like some coffee?”
“Sounds wonderful.” Bethany sat at the table and waited for Julia to pour her a cup.
“I’m surprised to see you up so early.”
“I had trouble sleeping,” she admitted, taking the cup Julia offered her. She took a sip, praying the caffeine kicked in quickly. “Thank you. I need this.”
Julia’s expression turned sympathetic. “I spoke to Charles when I first came in this morning. He mentioned there had been some sort of attack on you last night. It sounded absolutely frightening.”
“It was,” she admitted. “But Dirk was with me.” Bethany heard the reverent tone in her voice and prayed that Julia wouldn’t notice. Unfortunately, she did and for several seconds she studied Bethany’s face.
Seduced by the Night Page 10
