“Not yet,” he finally said.
He pulled up on the main road next to a block of apartments. She lost track of where they were, but judging from the neighborhood, she assumed they were in Jersey. She glanced at the apartments. She was officially moving in with her boyfriend, yet that momentous occasion wouldn’t be celebrated.
“The Council know of this car. The Awakening is serious and they’ll do all they can to find us.”
She smiled wryly and attempted to lighten the mood. “Like hunting us down with helicopters?”
“They’ll be subtle, but we shouldn’t make the mistake of underestimating them.”
She stepped out of the car and went to him. She noticed the sun easing out behind them, the bright sunlight only a few feet away. God, they’d completely underestimated the time, yet Liam seemed unnerved.
“Liam, we have to go!” she cried, pulling at his arm. He stood there, completely calm, watching the sunrise. “What’re you doing? The sun’s coming up!”
“Here’s the surprise I have for you, babe.”
She gaped at him. “What’re you talking about?”
“This is what I want to show you.”
He gently pulled on her hand to lure her closer to the break of sunlight rising quickly, bathing the city in a golden glow. She wrenched free and ran behind the car. It would provide shade from the sun, but not enough. Already they were drawing unwanted attention.
“Please, Liam, don’t do this. I love you, and I can’t lose you, not like this!”
In one last attempt, she turned to face him, not caring if the sunlight hit her face. She threw herself forward and reached for his arm as the sunlight spread across his skin. She tried to pull him away but released him in shock.
The sun had emerged, shining brightly. Liam was standing in the brilliance of the sun, his body illuminated in the orange glow.
“This…can’t be real,” she murmured. She could feel the warmth of the sun and lowered her gaze to stare at the beautiful glow on her skin. She slowly stumbled back, feeling as though she were emerging from a dream.
“The Awakening…”
Liam turned to face her, his eyes glimmering. Then he shook his head and approached her, embracing her tightly. The heat of the sun was heavenly and she closed her eyes, enjoying the moment and Liam’s touch. All that mattered was that he was safe.
“How could you scare me like that? Seeing you stand there…I was terrified. I wanted my heart to beat, any sign to show I was feeling an emotion, because I felt like dying right there if you were going to leave me like that.”
“Shit, I didn’t want you to worry. I knew we’d be safe. You okay?” Liam took hold of her hand, and his touch was deliciously warm. His green eyes shone with such emotion, she couldn’t hold back tears.
“I didn’t try to commit suicide by sunlight, you jerk.”
Liam laughed deeply. She clung to him, burying against his chest. Silent tears fell as she let go of her past, her fears, and embraced the future that awaited with the man she loved.
“I heard what you said. You love me.”
She tilted her head to look at him. “I do. I can’t pretend this feeling’s anything else. I wanted to protect myself because falling in love means opening my heart again, but I should’ve said it earlier. I froze up. I was too afraid. Not anymore.”
“I know how hard it was for you, but like I said, I’d wait because you are my forever love.”
He pulled her into a kiss that felt so real, intense, his admission bathing her in comfort. The warmth of his lips met hers. This was everything she’d longed for, the culmination of their relationship, but it came with a price - the Awakening had happened.
“How’s this possible?”
“It’s not the Awakening. Every month on the day after the first full moon, vampires become resistant to sunlight for that day only. The moon has a paranormal effect on us, as it does on werewolves. I don’t know why. Don’t count on rational explanations when you deal with the supernatural.”
Tension drained from her. “Okay. So there’s werewolves. As long as they aren’t our enemies, I’m okay with it.”
“I can assure you they aren’t.”
He took hold of her hand and they walked down the sidewalk together, oblivious to all else but each other. They weaved through the streets and he pointed out several high end stores, telling her she could buy whatever she liked and he’d get it sent to his place. It was the stuff of dreams. He was willing to pay thousands on a Gucci handbag. That wasn’t her style, but she had to relent when she fell in love with a pair of dark red heels. No harm in retail therapy.
But it didn’t last. Liam slowed to a stop, his brow creasing.
“Vampires,” he warned. “Stay here, I’ll try to converse with them.”
He disappeared into the crowd, moving with fluid agility. She didn’t know how he could sense them nearby, but figured it was an ability learned over time. It wasn’t mentioned in the Guidelines and he was close to being an Old himself.
Liam returned. “The Council reported you as a liability, and though they’re reluctant to kill me, they know I’ll protect you.”
“They won’t try anything in public,” she declared uncertainly.
“We should go.”
He took hold of her hand. They ran down the street, attracting glances from those they had to push out of the way and when she shot a look behind them, she saw a group of four vampires. They strode through the crowd, clad in casual office suits that contradicted the cold expressions on their faces.
Liam led her around a corner, away from the crowds. “They have stake guns. Stay close. Trying to aim with one isn’t easy.”
“That’s not very reassuring.”
They were heading toward a car yard. Liam hit the chain link fence and motioned for her to start climbing. She didn’t hesitate, knowing that the Council vampires were close. She linked her hands around the metal and climbed, finding it surprisingly easy to lift her weight. She scaled the top and flung over the side.
As she hit the ground, she pivoted to find Liam. He was still climbing as if he’d stayed below to ensure she was safe. The Council vampires appeared behind him, three women and a man with guns in their hands, small weapons that held a single stake.
“Hurry, Liam!”
A gun was leveled directly at his chest.
He reached the top, his hands around the metal. She heard the gun fire just as he climbed over, and the last thing she saw was him falling with a stake buried in his chest.
“No!”
Oh god, this would kill him faster than the sun. He grunted in pain as she clung to him, wondering when he would turn into dust. She was faintly aware she was begging and pleading for him to be okay. This wasn’t how she wanted it to end. It happened so fast, she didn’t have time to react.
“Told you the aiming sucked,” he muttered.
He took hold of the stake and wrenched it free. She stared in shock, realizing that it barely missed his heart. The open wound left blood on his shirt and as she gently reached out to touch him, she noticed it heal up. Blood started to flow but stopped as if cut off. Nothing but a scar remained.
“You almost died!”
Liam looked into her eyes; his own filled with pain and unease. “I’m not leaving you.”
She faced the vampires who seemed to have hesitated. With no emotion on their faces, they calmly walked away.
“They left.”
“They’ll find another way in. Don’t count on them giving up.”
Liam stood, his legs shaking.
He led her through rows of cars and stopped in front of a blue sedan. He pried the door open and started hot wiring it. When the engine roared to life, he motioned for her to get inside. She acted quickly. The thought of the vampires hunting them made her uneasy, especially after Liam’s injury. Even though he’d dismissed it, he’d narrowly avoided death. She was terrified for the both of them, fueling her determination to stay alive.
<
br /> Liam backed out, spinning the steering wheel to face the locked entrance. The vampires tore the lock from the fence and wrenched it open. They stood there, staring - and raised their guns.
The tires squealed in protest as they sped toward them. Liam passed her the stake he’d been wounded with, the tip coated with his blood. She took it without hesitation. It was a matter of timing and distance to pierce one of them with it.
The vampires spread out, two on either side, waiting for them to pass between them so they could shoot.
“Now!” Liam shouted. They sped through and Madison wildly flung the stake at the nearest vampire. It pierced his side as the others began firing, stakes hammering into the car. She crouched low as one shot through the windshield and barely missed her shoulder.
They turned out into the street and she glanced in the rearview mirror to see them standing in the distance. She didn’t take her eyes off them until Liam merged into the traffic. The Council wanted them dead, but the vampires had barely aimed. It seemed like a messy, halfhearted attempt.
“We need to lie low. I have a place a few blocks away, off the record. The Council won’t find us.”
The traffic slowed to a stop, ensuring them as a perfect target. Madison looked back to see if they were being followed. She waited for the lights to change, feeling exposed and extremely vulnerable. The vampires knew what their car looked like and would see it from a mile away. She wanted to keep moving, if they continued to slow down, they would catch up easily.
The lights went green and they immediately took off. Madison expected they’d keep following the line of traffic but Liam drove into a quiet side street.
“Where are we going?” Being alone felt like an ideal opportunity to be attacked.
“Here,” Liam responded. He pulled up alongside a row of abandoned apartments. She hesitated as he moved to get out of the car.
“We’re going to hide? But it’s close to the car yard. They’ll find us.”
“Don’t worry.”
She trusted Liam with everything she had, but doubted his decision. No car had driven past since they entered the street and she couldn’t help but feel nervous. Following him, they headed for an alleyway.
“The owner of this place was old, had a fatal disease.”
“And you killed him.”
“Sorry. I know how you feel about taking a life.”
Killing Sandra was an act of revenge, as was the need to kill the Council vampires. That was her way of justifying murder. How soon would it last before she had no need to rationalize it?
“We can let humans live.”
Liam glanced at her, his eyes gleaming. “Sometimes it’s easier to let them die. Even the Council acknowledges that.”
“Why?”
“So they don’t remember. Humans can be more ruthless and desperate than any vampire. They have limitations: money and time, and it will fuel them to hunt and kill. They’re prone to mistakes, to be overwhelmed by feelings and that risks exposing us.”
She heard the faint screech of tires and immediately glanced at Liam.
“This way,” he urged.
He started to run. Within seconds, they moved behind one of the old apartments. She looked behind her, expecting a car to pull up at any moment.
There was a sudden tearing sound, and then a huge explosion rippled through their car with a resounding boom. Pieces of metal scattered across the road as a rush of fire and heat billowed up into the sky. People started screaming immediately, and cars screeched to a stop.
Madison fixated on the car being consumed by a roaring fire. In shock, she stared, knowing that if they’d lingered any longer, they’d be dead.
She managed to pull herself together. “What was that?”
“They fired a time delayed explosive. They were expecting us to travel a long distance to escape. If we went any further…”
“I know,” she interrupted, not wanting to hear him finish. “Do you think they believe we’re dead?”
“Only time will tell. Shit. They were prototypes. I assumed they wouldn’t risk using them. Looks like it worked perfectly fine.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I have access to a secondary bank account the Council can’t close down. We’ll manage for several years, but we need to be careful. Jersey is the last place they’ll expect us to live.”
Liam slid his arm behind her waist and guided her past the apartments, down a side alley blocked by a chain link fence. He climbed over and waited on the other side. She followed him out of the alleyway onto a busier street. Liam led her across to stop before a simple colonial style house. It had a steep, pitched brown roof with end gables and the central front door was surrounded by two multi-paned windows on each side. It looked homely, almost innocuous.
“The Council won’t think of looking for us here. We’ll be safe.”
Madison nodded and turned to look at him as the afternoon sun became consumed with clouds. Soon their sunlit day together would be over, and the sun would be hidden for another month.
The Awakening was happening, and the Council wouldn’t stop hunting them. Liam had been there through many dark times, and if not for him, her life as a human would never have permitted the experiences she had as a vampire. Or given this feeling of completeness that she’d found her other half and together, they were whole. He had saved her more than once.
Liam kissed her. “I love you, Madison. You’ve given me a new life away from the Council. And when the Awakening happens, we’ll deal with it.”
Chapter Eleven
One month later
Madison awoke with a start, her mind flooded with images of flames and dust. She threw the blankets aside and climbed out of bed. Please, not again.
It always started the same. She stepped out of the car and went to the house she shared with Liam but when she turned back, he hadn’t followed. Instead, he sat in the car, smiling before it exploded in a rush of heat, fire consuming his body. When she pulled her arms away from her face in a defensive reaction, he was gone. Nothing but dust.
It was only a dream, but one which brought back memories of that day when they almost died last month. She never discussed it with Liam, didn’t want him to know how much it affected her.
She sensed movement behind her and strong hands closed over her shoulders. Liam’s touch made her feel instantly safe and she welcomed it by leaning into his arms. He pulled her robe back to begin massaging her shoulders. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his rough hands.
“Nightmares?” he murmured, and gently kissed her earlobe. His gesture made her smile, but the memory did nothing to ease her frown.
“If only vampires didn’t dream.”
He laughed softly. “It’s one human ability we’ve kept.”
She wanted to be able to enjoy her life with him, not be haunted by the Council and remain vigilant for an attack. Ever since the explosion, the Council had apparently stopped their search, but it didn’t lessen her caution. They were still looking for them. It was a matter of time.
She disrobed and slid under the sheets, cuddling him. For the first half of the night they’d fed. They found the point where they could feed off a human without killing them and she was pleased they weren’t resorting to murder. However, Liam felt uneasy about it. He pointed out that humans ended up in hospital and because of their ordeal, some ended up in psychiatric care. To her, it was the lesser of two evils.
An eerie howl in the distance startled her. To a human it resembled a dog, but the hollow echo in unison had another connotation. She sat up, surprised to finally hear a werewolf.
“It sounds close.”
“It’s miles away,” Liam murmured.
“What would it be doing in the city?”
He was silent and she didn’t need to look at him to know he was asleep. She felt wide awake but he always slept for hours after feeding. She climbed out of bed and changed into a beige sweater and black jeans. The werewolf sounded close, and she was confident she
could find it. They weren’t enemies and its arrival piqued her interest.
Madison stepped into the hallway and cast an appreciative look around. The carpet throughout the house was blue, the walls a clear white and the high ceiling gave a vast impression.
She entered the living room. Liam had attempted to give the place a modern touch with a large dark brown leather couch and flat screen television. A chandelier above completed the classic yet impressive décor. She moved through the unused kitchen and stepped outside, quietly closing the door. Sunrise was a few hours away.
Vampire hearing was precise, and she assumed the werewolf wasn’t far. After walking several blocks, she noticed a dark figure standing before an alleyway. She concluded it was the werewolf; after all, no human would hang around there late at night. She began walking toward it and it slipped into the shadows.
As she entered the alley, she scanned the darkness in an attempt to find it. She stepped forward, becoming blatantly aware she was about to confront a werewolf alone. No point in turning back now, and when she glanced at a dumpster, there was a sudden movement.
“A vampire? Out here?”
As a man walked out of the shadows, Madison stared in disbelief. He was completely human and clad in a suit as if he’d stepped straight out of a penthouse office.
She spoke without thinking, “I thought you were a werewolf.”
He ran a hand through his messy blond hair and laughed. “Want to play games, huh?”
She frowned and took a step back. He was watching her with a gleam in his eyes, a look of primal excitement.
“I assumed werewolves stayed as a wolf for the night.”
He stared incredulously, and then tilted his head. “You must be a Newborn. In fact, we can control how we change, but only after we’ve fed. We’ve been able to harness our primal transformation.”
He was obviously confident and self-assured but there was something in his voice that pulled at her.
“You feed on humans?”
Awakened by the Vampire Page 11
