Rachel bounced in her seat. “Nikki’s home. I’m so excited for the two of you to meet.”
After the morning I’d had, I wasn’t really in the mood to meet new people, but I didn’t think I really had a choice.
Maciah grabbed my hand as Rachel exited the car. “Can we talk?” he asked.
Rachel peered through the front window and continued on when neither of us moved.
“Sure,” I replied. Hopefully chatting with Maciah was better than meeting another Rachel. I liked the vampire, but I wasn’t sure I could handle two of her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
He sighed. “No, you’re not, and that’s okay. Your personal space was invaded. Somewhere you thought was safe is no longer. That’s a big deal.”
Maciah was right, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.
“It’s really not. I move around a lot. I’m used to finding new places to stay. Though, I never expected a vampire nest would be one,” I joked, trying to keep the conversation light.
He squeezed my hand tighter. “You might not think I do, but I know enough about you, Amersyn. Not the little things that matter, but enough for me to tell you’re not okay. Up until now, the fight has stayed outside of your personal space. Now, it’s invading every aspect. That’s a lot to take in.”
I turned away from him, staring at the garage wall. Seeing my condo ruined and the gym burned? That was a lot. Accepting the fact that I was better off living with vampires than I was on my own? That was even more.
I wasn’t going to fight the changes, but that didn’t mean I was okay with them. Somehow, Maciah saw that, and I didn’t know how that made me feel.
Confused. Grateful. Annoyed. Intrigued. All of the above.
When I didn’t respond, he continued, “You’re safe here. I won’t let anyone get to you. Not even Silas or Viktor.”
“Why? I wanted to kill you.” I knew there was some magic juju that bound him into feeling responsible for me, but there was something more there. I wanted to know if he felt it, too.
His other hand cupped my cheek, turning my head until I met his stare again. “Because you’re special, Amersyn. Not just because you’re an heir, but because of who you are and what you’re fighting for. What you do means something. It’s not just about the vengeance that you deserve. There is a whole world of humans you’re fighting for. Maybe you don’t realize that yet, but I do, and I want to be part of that. With you.”
I leaned into his hand still on my cheek. Where I expected coolness, all I felt was warmth. Everything about him was different. His smell. His touch. The feelings he evoked within me.
“Why is your scent different from the others?” I asked, not ready to address the deeper things with him.
“Heirs are usually still mortal when they meet their bonded. I don’t know for sure, but I assume it’s so you feel comfortable around me.”
Yeah, that made sense. It would be a bit harder to accept his closeness if he smelled like death all the time.
“What about your eyes? All of the vampires here have more brown than red ones,” I said, noticing that his were even darker than normal with only slight tinges of red in them.
“Vampires that drink from blood bags don’t get the same effects the others do. We’re still just as strong after we eat, but for some reason, we don’t get all of the negative side effects,” Maciah answered.
I didn’t recall ever killing a vampire without red eyes, which made me feel better. I hadn’t murdered someone trying to live a better life.
His thumb stroked under my eye. “Yours have a red tint to them.”
He wasn’t wrong, but I’d always preferred to call the color mahogany and never really thought much of it until I learned I was going to be a vampire after I died. It was good to know that if things changed and I decided to stay a monster, I wouldn’t have blood-red eyes.
“I know you’re not ready to talk, but I’m a patient man. We’re going to figure out who is doing what and how to stop them. Neither Viktor nor Silas will get their hands on you, Amersyn.”
Maciah’s words were a promise. One that had my heart opening to him. I didn’t think that was good, but I needed to learn to trust him if we were going to work together.
As he held my stare, I considered my options. I could continue fighting him and frustrating myself at the same time. Or I could stop resisting the growing feelings within me and see what happened. The latter hit me in the chest, and I knew I had my answer. I wasn’t in the business of denying myself pleasure.
One day soon, I’d get more than the taste I’d already had of Maciah West. I felt that deep in my soul.
He leaned in closer, pressing his forehead to mine. We said nothing as we sat together in the car for several more moments.
“We should probably go inside before Rachel comes searching for me,” I said softly.
He grinned. “She really likes you.”
“She’s not so bad, but don’t tell her I said that.”
“Your secrets are always safe with me.”
Just when I’d thought we’d moved on from the heavy, Maciah’s words seared my soul. I was in so much trouble when it came to him.
We got out of the car, and he sped ahead, holding the door to the house open for me. “Show off,” I muttered.
“Most girls would call that chivalrous,” he joked.
“I’m not most girls.” I didn’t need doors held for me or flowers or anything of the sort.
He leaned in closer as I entered the house, whispering into my ear, “I know, Amersyn.”
I sucked in a breath and paused as his voice did things to me that I never expected. My stomach tightened, and I badly wanted to turn around to press myself against him, getting another taste of the kisses we’d already shared.
His hand pressed against my back. “Rachel and Nikki are waiting for us.”
My head shook. Yeah, they sure were.
I moved ahead and, thankfully, Maciah gave me some space. Something told me the sexy vampire was enjoying every moment he made me question my entire existence.
Following the sounds of laughter, I found Rachel in the living room that I hadn’t spent any time in yet. Zeke was also there, lounging on a couch, and a woman I assumed to be Nikki was standing next to Rachel.
The new arrival had long white-blonde hair with dark roots, the same eyes as the rest of the vampires here, and tanned skin. She wore skinny jeans with short tan boots and a loose yellow tank top that showed off a cleavage line I was slightly jealous of.
Nikki smiled at me. “You must be Amersyn.”
I nodded. “And you must be Nikki.”
She brushed her hair back. “That’s right.”
Well, this was awkward.
Rachel came to my side. “Amersyn is going to help us kill Silas. Isn’t that great?”
“It sure is. If he doesn’t kill all of us first,” Nikki replied.
Zeke yawned from the couch. “He doesn’t stand a chance against us.”
“If he gets his hands on that one’s blood, then he does.” Nikki gestured to me, and I didn’t like the implication.
“We’re not going to let that happen,” Maciah said, moving closer to me.
“Well, he’s getting closer. That’s why I came back early,” Nikki replied.
“How do you know?” Maciah demanded. I wasn’t sure if that was how he spoke to his vampires in general or if it was just the particular conversation making him moodier.
She eyed me. “Maybe we should take this in your office.”
Rachel gasped, and Maciah snarled. They weren’t okay with the obvious insult toward me, but I understood. Nikki didn’t know me, and she was smart to be leery. I was a hunter in their nest. Me being heir meant nothing, given my history. I appreciated her hesitancy.
“Amersyn is living here now. She is on our side, and there isn’t anything we need to keep from her,” Maciah said.
Nikki nodded, lowering her
head slightly. At least she had respect for her nest leader. “Marcella took me to a club down there. Don’t worry, I didn’t drink from the tap, but I did hear a few things. Silas has moved his operation from Sacramento to Salem. Not all of it, but a decent portion.”
“Did you hear anything about Viktor Cross?” Maciah asked.
She shook her head. “I thought he was dead. Or MIA, at least?”
I scoffed. “Yeah, so did I.”
“So, what does that mean for us?” Rachel asked.
“Silas is making his moves sooner than we hoped. He knows that if he can get to Amersyn before she becomes a vampire, he’ll stand a better chance at getting what he wants: her blood. We’ll need to make sure those living here are aware of the risks while Amersyn is in the house,” Nikki said.
Guilt filled me as Nikki made it sound like people would be dying on my behalf. I shouldn’t have felt bad at all. That was ridiculous. These were vampires. The me from a week ago wouldn’t have cared if they were slaughtered, but after spending nearly a week around them, realizing they were more like humans than most supernaturals I’d met, it was hard to ignore the guilt.
“Amersyn isn’t going anywhere if that’s what you’re getting at. The vampires living here are not prisoners. They’ll be notified and will have a choice to stay or leave. We’ve been wanting to end Silas for years now. This is our chance, and we won’t ignore it. Amersyn can kill him, unlike the rest of us,” Maciah said.
“Why haven’t you sent anyone outside of your nest after him before?” I asked.
Rachel sighed. “We have. Shifters, witches, and vampires. They were either killed or paid a higher price to come back after us or just disappeared. We haven’t found anyone with a strong enough reason to follow through until you.”
Yeah, I had no problems finishing the task. I could see why my hate of vampires appealed to Maciah so much, even though he was one.
“I have some calls to make. Are you good here?” Maciah asked me.
“Of course.”
“I am bound to protect her. Remember that.” He looked at Nikki, then turned away.
Zeke followed him out of the room and the silence became painful quickly.
“Well, I’m going to go to my room,” I said to Rachel.
She frowned, clearly disappointed this introduction hadn’t gone the way she hoped.
I headed for the hallway that would take me to the stairs, but Nikki called out, “Wait.”
“Yeah?” I asked.
She sighed. “Come sit with us.”
I raised a brow without moving. She didn’t get to demand my presence.
“Please,” she added, and I glanced at Rachel whose lower lip jutted out.
“Fine.” I went back to the living room and took over where Zeke had been laying. My day had been shit. My condo was ruined to the point that I was probably going to let the insurance company cover repairing the damages just so I could sell the place. I couldn’t chance going back there and being vulnerable. On top of that, I still worried about Pete. I needed to reach out to him as soon as I got back to my room. All of that meant I didn’t have the patience for someone who wasn’t happy with me being in their home. And not just someone, but a vampire.
Rachel sat in the chair next to me while Nikki still leaned against the wall. When nobody said anything, I closed my eyes, trying to pretend I was on a beach somewhere.
“So, Amersyn has this awesome crossbow you should check out,” Rachel said.
“Yeah, maybe. What else has been happening while I’ve been gone the last few weeks?” Nikki asked.
Interesting. I’d have expected her to respond with something bitchy.
“Amersyn stabbed Zeke. It was great. We also have two new recruits. Eddie and Jazz have been taking care of them. Then, besides the stuff with Silas and Viktor, not much,” Rachel added.
I opened my eyes to see how she took the comment about me stabbing Zeke. I hadn’t known who he was then, but I also didn’t feel too bad about it. He should have known better than to get close to a hunter.
“How did Zeke take that?” Nikki asked me.
I shrugged. “He seemed more shocked than anything. In my defense, I’d never met him before that moment.”
“Yeah, don’t feel bad about it,” she replied.
I chuckled. “I don’t.”
Nikki smiled for the first time. “Sorry about earlier. I know you didn’t ask for any of this. None of us did. All I want is to live this life as peacefully as I can.”
“And me being here messes that up,” I stated.
“Or maybe it will be exactly what we need to have true peace.”
Rachel grinned back and forth between us. “We’re going to have so much fun together!”
“Does she ever turn off?” I joked.
“Not that I’ve ever seen,” Nikki replied.
Rachel threw couch pillows at both of us. “Don’t be rude.”
“Aw, Rach. You know I love your positivity. This house wouldn’t survive without it,” Nikki said.
“Damn right, it wouldn’t. So, what now?”
I glanced at both of them, hoping nothing else. I was tired and wanted some time alone. I hadn’t had much of that lately.
“I need to unpack and get my stuff sorted after being gone. Can we meet up for dinner?” Nikki asked.
“Sounds good to me,” I replied, getting up.
Rachel held her hands up. “Wait a second. I just got both of you together and you don’t even want to hang out?”
Nikki went to her, giving her a hug. “I missed you, Rach, but I need a minute. We’ll have dinner and maybe we can go to Club Nyx later.”
“Okay, fine. Am, you want to do anything?” Rachel asked me.
I grimaced. “I’m going up to my room.”
Man, how my life had changed. I’d gone from killing vampires to feeling bad about ditching one.
She nodded, thankfully understanding it had been a long morning for me, too.
As I went up the stairs, I tried not to think too hard about this Silas guy wanting my blood and more about all the ways I could kill him.
I needed to up my hunting game.
16
After I’d gone upstairs, I took my time going through the things I had at the mansion. If I was going to be staying there longer than I’d previously thought, then I was going to get a little more settled.
My hunting bag had made its way into my room. Maciah must have brought it by the night before or after he’d gone off to make his calls. Maybe we were both trusting each other a little more. An odd concept to believe, but it was happening.
I hung up clothes, found spots for various stakes, and put my bathroom stuff where I wanted it. At least if I was going to be stuck here, I had my own en suite. The rest of the room was plain. Nothing other than a bed and a dresser and cream-colored walls. Apparently, vampires didn’t decorate guest rooms.
Once I felt a little more settled, I checked my phone. There was still no word from Dave, and I hoped that was a good thing. Then, I wondered if Simon would be horrible enough to turn on his own kind. What if Viktor had asked him to hunt me? Would Simon still take the job? We weren’t friends. Not really even acquaintances. More like people who did the same thing and occasionally ran into each other.
I’d find out eventually.
I sent a text to Pete, needing confirmation he was still okay.
Me: Sorry I took off. Something came up. I heard about the gym. Are you good?
Minutes passed, and my unease grew as I stared at the screen. Finally, the grey bubble popped up.
Pete: Yep. I wasn’t there when it happened. You have somewhere to stay?
Me: Yeah. Thanks.
Pete didn’t reply and I sent nothing else. Maybe I could find him another gym. He might not know the fire was because of me, but I did and that didn’t sit right with me.
“Amersyn?” Rachel’s voice called from the other side.
“Come on in,” I replied, putting my
phone on the comforter before sitting up.
She smiled brightly, brushing her long strands to the side as she looked around. “You unpacked.”
“Yeah, well, I thought it was a good idea. I’d rather not have wrinkled clothes whenever I leave the house.”
She laughed. “Right. Those wrinkled clothes. So, it’s almost dinner time. I was wondering if you wanted to come cook with Nikki and I.”
My eyes widened. When they mentioned dinner earlier, I didn’t actually think that we’d be eating together. I hadn’t seen Rachel eat yet, and my food had been brought to my room when I’d been healing. Half of it had been takeout.
“We try to eat normal food a few times a week. It helps us remember our lives before,” Rachel added when I didn’t respond.
“Right. Sure. We can do that. What did you have in mind?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t raw meat or anything like that.
“We were thinking spaghetti. Simple, but filling. Unless you’d rather something else.”
My mind pictured blood sauce and noodles. I couldn’t help myself. She must have read the horror on my face when she gave me the option of picking something else.
“No, spaghetti is great. I normally heat up something from the freezer or make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so most anything is better than that. As long as it doesn’t have onions in it.”
“Onions were created by the devil. You won’t find them in our food,” she replied with a gag.
I got up and joined her. “What about garlic?”
She laughed harder than I expected. “Garlic is a staple for these vampires.”
As I closed the door behind me, I realized I didn’t have a single stake or dagger on me. I hesitated and considered going back, but then continued on. These vampires hadn’t tried anything on me, and I didn’t want to give them a reason to by continuing to arm myself when we were only inside the house.
Rachel took us in a different direction down the hallway. “There are twelve bedrooms and two offices. A dining room we converted into a game area and a media room which gets used the most. Then, the living room and sitting area you’ve already seen. This is the way to the media room. We have every show and movie ever made available to watch if you can’t sleep.”
Vampire Heir (Scorned by Blood Book 1) Page 11
