I’d been through enough hell in my life that I knew I was acting emotional. I was hurting from the car accident. My head was a mess from all these revelations, and a good night’s sleep was the smarter choice. I’d said my piece and hoped he heard me. Tomorrow, we’d sort out the rest of the details.
“Fine, you win for today, but this isn’t permanent,” I muttered, crawling back into the bed. Slowly.
The bed dipped, and I cracked an eye open to find Maciah leaning over me. “This isn’t about winning against you, Amersyn. It’s about keeping you safe. I’m not trying to control you. I’m trying to keep you alive.”
I nodded, closing my eyes again. He was probably telling the truth, and I probably needed to accept that, but first, sleep. Later, I’d worry about two psycho vampires and my newly assigned protector and what that all meant for me moving forward.
When I woke up, the sky was dark and there wasn’t a clock to be seen in the room. I took a deep inhale, and the first thing that hit me was Maciah’s citrus scent. Delicious bastard. Okay, so maybe my nap hadn’t made me any less sour about my situation, but I wasn’t going to try to leave, either.
There was a vampire in the room with me, but I wasn’t worried about that. I had a feeling I knew exactly who it was.
“Hello, Rachel,” I said.
She clapped, something she did often. “Oh, good! I thought you’d never wake up.” A lamp clicked on from across the room, and she made her way to the bed. “How are you feeling?”
I sat up, still sore, but the aches were more manageable. “As long as there are no car accidents on the agenda tonight, I’ll be okay.”
“Fang no, there aren’t,” she said, covering her mouth before she burst into hysterics.
I snarled. “He told you?”
Rachel turned sheepish and shook her head. “Did you think I was going to leave you up here alone? I was waiting outside the door and heard you after it cracked open. I almost came in, but you didn’t seem to be in real danger.”
No, I probably hadn’t been, and she might have been in deep shit if she’d come into Maciah’s room uninvited.
“Thanks for trying to look out, but let’s not repeat that word ever again. At least not in that context,” I said.
Rachel grinned, showing off her pointed teeth. “Yeah, that’s not going to be possible. I’ve already used it like three times with the other vampires. ‘Fang you’ is spreading like wildfire, girl. Don’t worry, I gave you full credit for its creation.”
I pulled the pillow over my head. “Not really necessary.”
“Fang yes, it was.” She laughed so hard, the bed shook.
“You can go away now,” I said.
She quieted and pulled the pillow away. “Are you actually staying? I know Maciah can seem overbearing, but he really does mean well. He’s one of the good ones or I wouldn’t be here.”
I already knew she was right. I just didn’t enjoy admitting it. While my nap hadn’t made me any less sour about my situation, the rest had given me time to calm down and think with a clearer head. I might not be thrilled about what I needed to do, but I wasn’t going to be stubborn about it.
“Yeah, I’m staying. For now. So long as he’s not withholding any more secrets from me,” I said.
Rachel let out a low whistle. “Speaking of, you must be the most unlucky hunter and vampire heir ever. Silas and Viktor are no joke. I’ve only been around Silas a handful of times and never met Viktor, but I’ve heard plenty of stories about both.” She shuddered, and I tried not to let her words add to my stress.
“Right. Well, soon they’ll both be dead,” I said, and I truly believed it. I just needed to get healed and… “Where are my things?” I asked her. I needed my crossbow. If that was gone, I didn’t know what I would do. It was the last thing I had of my father’s. The father who raised me anyway. My life had become a soap opera, and I wasn’t thrilled about it.
“Don’t worry. Zeke and I went back to your car and condo. I packed up as much as I could, including your hunting stuff. Though, Maciah said that bag needed to stay in his office. He doesn’t seem to think you won’t kill him given the first chance.”
Ha. At least he was properly afraid of my skills. That made me feel better. I had no intention to kill him anymore, or any of the vampires that lived in this nest, as long as they didn’t give me a reason. I had enough to worry about and knew when to choose my battles. Sometimes, it just took me a hot minute to realize certain things.
I was the daughter of an original vampire.
One day, I would become the very thing I hated most in the world.
There was also a chance I was attracted to a vampire.
None of these things had been part of my plan, but if there was one thing I was good at, it was winging it. I’d roll with these punches and come out stronger than ever, because that’s what I did best, even when I wished I didn’t.
I survived.
14
Three days had passed since the car accident. Three days, I’d been trapped in a vampire nest with people I didn’t want to like, but they were making it hard for me to keep my resolve.
Rachel never left my side after I’d been given my own room. Apparently, she was training to be a nurse in her former life and was enjoying being able to put those skills to use. Though I was healing just fine and didn’t really need assistance, I’d let her stay by my bedside because it was better than the alternative.
Maciah West. Vampire leader. My protector. A whole lot of man sat behind those fangs, and I wasn’t sure what to do about him.
The book said relationships between heirs and protectors weren’t romantic, but that was likely only because there was a breeder waiting out there somewhere for the heir. I wasn’t going to have a breeder. At least, I didn’t think so. Shit, was I expected to pop out original heir vampire babies? That was going to be a hard pass for me.
Images of dark-haired toddlers with mahogany eyes flashed through my mind, and I had to shake my head to clear the thoughts. I needed to get out of this house.
“Hey, Rach?” I called. She was in the bathroom, but back at my side within a second.
“Everything okay? Do you need anything?” she asked with a smile, always so helpful and happy.
It was literally impossible to hate her. I’d tried hard enough to realize that.
“I want to go to my apartment today. I’m completely healed and need some fresh air,” I said.
She frowned. “We’ll have to ask Maciah.”
“He might be your boss or whatever, but he isn’t mine. I didn’t think I was a prisoner here.” I sat up in bed and reached for my phone. Maciah hadn’t been around this morning, and I knew the stalker had already put his number in my contacts.
I called him, but it rang twice then went to voicemail. Some protector he was. I resorted to texting.
Me: I’m going to my apartment. I’ll be back later. Don’t make a big deal about it.
Maciah: I’ll be home in twenty. Don’t leave until then.
Me: Don’t be late or I’m leaving without you.
That was just enough time for me to shower and be dressed. If he was even a second late, I wasn’t waiting around for him. It was already hard enough for me to be on Team Vampire.
“We’re leaving in less than twenty minutes,” I told Rachel on my way to the bathroom.
“Does Maciah know that?” she asked hesitantly.
“He sure does.”
She shook her head. “You’re going to get me in trouble, and I’m going to have to live with you. Just remember that when I go along with your plans.”
I laughed as I closed the door behind me. The idea wasn’t terrible. Rachel was good people, even if she drank blood for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
I showered and dressed quicker than normal. We were waiting in the garage, and there were only two minutes left to Maciah’s deadline. Every second that passed had my foot tapping faster. Rachel had her own vehicle, and we’d be taking that if Ma
ciah wasn’t there soon.
“Let’s wait in the car,” I said to Rachel, nodding toward her white Audi coupe.
“Are you sure?” she asked as she unlocked the car.
“Absolutely.” I slid into the passenger seat just as the garage door next to us opened. “Damn,” I muttered as I got back out of the car, staring over the hood at Maciah’s silver Mercedes.
He rolled down the tinted window. “Get in.”
My stomach rolled at the deep tone in his voice and glower of his dark eyes. I clenched my hands, trying to regain my composure. Maciah would be able to sense my increased heart rate if I didn’t control my hormones.
I’d considered being one of those girls that thought if she just gave in once to her wants that they’d be satisfied and I could get over whatever attraction was stirring between us, but I wasn’t dumb. I’d already had a taste of Maciah. Anything more would ruin me. No matter how much I hated what he’d been forced to become, I knew if I let him in, there would be no letting go.
I wasn’t sure if I could subconsciously ever be okay with that. It wouldn’t be fair to Maciah to let him in and hate him at the same time. Seven years of feeling one way wasn’t going to be easy to break, but I was slowly coming around to the idea that maybe things could be different. Just maybe.
Rachel got into the back seat of the Mercedes before I’d even closed the door to her car. I made my way to the passenger seat and sat as close to the door as I could. I didn’t want the citrus scent coming from Maciah to mess with my head. I needed to be focused.
There were still vampires looking for me, and this was my first time out since they’d found me and totaled my car. Nobody knew how they’d found me, either, which wasn’t good.
I had stakes in my jacket as usual and new daggers, courtesy of Rachel, tucked into my boots. While I didn’t enjoy the snow falling on the ground, being able to wear extra layers and hide my weapons was always a plus in the winter.
“What do you need from your apartment?” Maciah asked, breaking the awkward silence.
“Uh, my condo. Like, the whole thing. It’s my home.”
He scoffed. “That’s not your home. You barely stay there.”
“Yeah, well, it’s my personal space and I’m all healed up now, so I can defend myself. I don’t need to stay locked up like a princess in your castle.” I wasn’t sure why Maciah thought I would willingly stay with him for an extended period of time. Even if I was accepting them, I had been living on my own for a long time. I didn’t plan on changing that.
Maciah said nothing more as we drove to my condo. When we pulled into the garage, I handed him my key and he chuckled at my card before swiping it across the screen.
“What?” I asked.
“Ms. Smith. Super original and doesn’t at all seem suspicious,” he replied, sarcastically.
I snatched my card from him once he was done scanning it and gave him a hard shove. “You’re a prick.”
“So you’ve said,” he deadpanned, driving into the garage.
It was a sad sight to see my empty parking spot, knowing my poor car had been totaled. Insurance was going to pay me out on it, but what they thought it was worth was nothing compared to my value on the car. I’d get another, but it wouldn’t be the same.
Maciah parked nearest to the elevator, and we all got out together. Rachel looped her arm through mine, and we walked ahead of Maciah. “You know, if you wanted to live here and Maciah didn’t want you alone, I could stay here with you as back-up.”
And that was why I liked Rachel. She didn’t say protection, she’d said back-up. Rachel trusted I was capable and saw me as an equal. Not someone to be guarded and protected and kept hidden.
We were all enclosed in the elevator, so I didn’t respond to Rachel, but I offered a smile and nodded in agreement to her idea. Maciah merely glowered at the wall.
The ding sounded before the doors opened. When they did, I wanted to scream. I’d had hopes of coming to my condo, confirming everything was as it should have been, and then convincing Maciah to leave me there. All of that was dashed away when I took in the trashed rooms.
Someone had gotten into my condo again. This time, they hadn’t been there for a friendly visit. My couches were cut apart and tossed on their sides. My windows were cracked from items being thrown at them. My kitchen drawers were lying broken on the floor and the cabinet doors torn from the hinges.
Rachel lay a hand on my shoulder as she followed my silent footsteps toward my bedroom. I pushed open the door and found everything in the main bedroom exactly as I’d left it, except my bed was covered in blood splatter and there was a message written in crimson on the headboard.
You can’t run forever. We will find you.
Maciah appeared at my other side. “The rest of the house is clear. We can’t stay here, Amersyn.” His voice was kind, but I ignored him, moving to my closet. There wasn’t anything in there I couldn’t replace. When Rachel had grabbed my things, she used the only bag I had, which already had the few things from my old life I cared about, but still, I wanted to see.
My clothes were still hanging up, but blood had also been splattered in here. I shuddered, wondering where the blood had come from and trying not to think too hard about it.
“Come on, Am. We need to go,” Rachel said softly.
I turned around and saw Maciah waiting at the door. His jaw was tight and eyes narrowed. I wasn’t sure why he was pissed off. It wasn’t his stuff that had been ruined. I was in a state of shock that whoever was after me had found this place so easily. I’d gone to great lengths to keep this one a secret. Clearly, it hadn’t been enough.
Mindlessly, I walked to the elevator, but by the time we got back to the garage, my temper had risen, and I wanted to stab someone. So badly that my hands shook as I opened the car door.
“We need to go by the gym where I stayed before,” I said to Maciah.
“Why?”
“Because if they found this house, then they probably found the other. Pete is a good guy. If he got hurt because of me…I just need to know.” I wasn’t sure what I would do if vampires attacked the gym. I did what I did to save humans, not put them in further danger.
I gave Maciah the name of the gym, and he headed in the right direction. I stared out the window, watching all of the roads and the cars we passed. Everything was suspicious to me, and I hated that.
Traffic was crap, and it took us nearly thirty minutes to get there. As soon as I saw the gym, or what was left of it, I punched the dashboard.
“Damn it!” I got out of the car, needing to see if anyone was around who could tell me what happened. The place had been torched, but maybe it happened in the middle of the night when nobody was around. Maybe Pete was okay.
I crossed the street, uncaring when I walked out in front of a car whose driver flipped me off as he passed. The windows were boarded up and char marks scorched the siding.
“There’s no police tape,” Rachel said.
“So?” I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.
“If anyone had been killed, the police would have been here, marking the place off with yellow tape,” she added.
Relief filled me, and I nearly cried. I wasn’t sure I could stomach the guilt of Pete being dead because of me. Rachel might not have been right, but what she’d said made sense. I was going with that until I was told otherwise.
“How long did you stay here?” Maciah asked.
“A couple of years. The longest I’d been in one place since I became a hunter. Pete was a good guy. I only left because—” I stopped midsentence. How could I have been so dumb? I’d already known someone knew where I lived. It was why I’d left. But between the attack from the other vampires and then meeting Maciah, I’d allowed myself to forget.
“Because why, Amersyn?” Maciah was standing in front of me, worry filling his voice.
“The night you helped me in the alley. I’d left the gym because someone had been in my place. They’ve been f
ollowing me for a while, and I haven’t even noticed. How could I have missed the signs?”
I’d considered myself a savvy huntress. I was damn good at what I did, but was my focus so singular that I’d left myself vulnerable? I thought I didn’t need the vampires, that I could finish this on my own and take care of myself, but I was beginning to see I was wrong.
“It’s not your fault, Amersyn. These vampires are hundreds of years old. They’ve been at this game a lot longer than you have. I meant it when I said we’d help you get your vengeance. This isn’t over because they found where you lived,” Maciah said with a conviction I needed to hear.
I met his gaze. He wasn’t judging me. He wasn’t blaming me. He wasn’t reminding me that I’d fought accepting his help. No, he was merely confirming to me that I wasn’t alone.
Knowing that and accepting it were two different things, though. When I was first on my own, I had trusted another hunter, one who I thought was my friend and cared about me, but things hadn’t worked out. After that, I never thought I’d let anyone else in.
Living that way was no longer an option. The risk of letting these vampires in was less than staying on my own. I could see that now.
“Thank you.” I nodded at each of them.
Rachel tossed her arm around me, turning back toward the car. “We have your back. That’s what friends are for.”
I tried to smile, but I didn’t have it in me. Instead, I got back into the car and headed to my new temporary home.
A vampire nest.
15
When we arrived back at the mansion, there was a new Audi in the garage I hadn’t noticed before. It was a powder-blue color with chrome trim and wheels, along with a busted front end. Someone had been on an adventure.
Vampire Heir (Scorned by Blood Book 1) Page 10
