Ophelia headed to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. Her first love was cooking, even though her attempts were hit and miss. She pulled a pan from the cabinet just as her doorbell rang. Wishing she’d grabbed the pistol from under her pillow, peeked around the corner to see who was on the other side of the glass-paneled door.
Carissa stood on the porch twisting her fingers together and biting her lip. Ophelia straightened up and invited her friend inside. Carissa looked horrible, like she hadn’t slept in a week, which, with her sister still missing, was appropriate.
Ophelia reached out and wrapped one arm around her friend’s shoulders, leading her into the kitchen. “I was about to make something to eat. Are you hungry?”
Carissa nodded. “Yeah, I should probably eat something.” She patted her slightly rounded stomach. “If I don’t, I’ll never hear the end of it from Aden.”
Ophelia forced a smile, directing her friend to a chair. “I’ll make a couple of omelets, and we’ll talk. I’m guessing Daniel told you to stop by?”
Carissa nodded again, her eyes downcast. “He told Aden y’all had a little trouble last night, but you also found some stuff out. He didn’t want to tell him over the phone. Daniel said it wasn’t right.”
Her respect for the vampire growing, Ophelia agreed. “He was correct.” She whisked eggs and milk together, set bacon in the pan on the stove, and chopped up a couple of peppers.
She turned to Carissa while she waited for the meat to cook. Her voice shook, and she had to hold her hands still when she spoke. “Daniel and I did manage to spy on three Vampire Council members last night, but I’m afraid the news isn’t good. All we know right now is that your sister is alive, and for the moment, they have no immediate plans to kill her.”
Ophelia turned back to the stove, letting the sentence’s implication hang in the air. She didn’t want to continue, didn’t want to be the one to say the words. The last thing she wanted was to tear her friend’s family apart.
She looked back when everything was in the pan, the finishing sizzles fragrant in the air. Carissa’s eyes were wide and glistened with unshed tears. “Rafe was caught, wasn’t he?” She whispered, her voice near breaking.
Ophelia slid the omelets onto plates, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. She brought the breakfast to the table, but neither woman touched their food. The tears in Carissa’s eyes spilled over in silence.
Ophelia reached over and took her friend’s hand in hers. “They said he won’t make it. There’s still hope, but I’m afraid not much. We don’t know where they’re keeping them.”
Carissa sniffed, and wiped her eyes with her other hand. She smiled through the tears. “I didn’t even like him that much, Phia, but my sister loves him, and I’m heartbroken for her.” Sniffling again, Carissa took a bite of her food. She looked up, laughing weakly. “This is really good.”
Ophelia smiled, still holding her hand. “I’m glad you like it.”
Carissa took a deep breath, and wiped her eyes. “Okay, what else happened?”
Ophelia took a bite of her omelet, chewed and swallowed before talking. Between bites, she told Carissa about the fight and the cop, but she didn’t mention her dream. She wasn’t ready to share that yet.
Carissa finished the last bite of her food and leaned back, releasing Ophelia’s hand. “So, one of them got away. Do you think you’ll be able to follow his trail?”
Ophelia reclined in her seat and tapped a finger against her leg. “I think that’s possible. Between my power, and Daniel’s resourcefulness, we’ve got a decent chance. We didn’t talk about it, but I think we’re going to try and locate Rafe tonight. I think we have more of a chance finding him, even dead, than we do of finding Gwen right now.”
Carissa frowned. “Yeah, Daniel mentioned y’all investigating something else, but he also mentioned that he was expecting help from at least one of his contacts that are supposed to be joining our forces. I want to help, but my father wants to gather the pack together to look for Gwen, and he’s forbidden me from participating. Those of us that can shift at will are on the front lines, and I guess, in my condition, it’s best that I don’t get involved, but it’s so hard.”
“I know, but I’m sure we can handle it. Besides, if Daniel is bringing in reinforcements, that’s more power on our side. I’ll even have extra help here.”
“What do you mean?”
Leaning forward, Ophelia frowned. It was time for more truth. “I’ve kind of been playing both sides. Now, before you get mad at me, hear me out–” she said as Carissa stood up, her eyes flashing in anger– “Jeremiah has my mother.”
Carissa’s mouth dropped open. “But I thought your mother disappeared when you were a toddler?”
“She did, but I guess he found her.”
“Or she’s one of them.”
Ophelia nodded, grateful she wasn’t the only one to have realized that possibility. “Exactly. Either way, I’ve been pretending to be Jeremiah’s inside link to everything we do, and I’ve been slowly, but steadily feeding him false information.”
Carissa looked impressed. “Okay, I’m not mad at you anymore, but what does that have to do with us having more help?”
“Because Jeremiah is setting me up with a nighttime guard.”
“What? That’s not helpful!”
Ophelia smiled. “Actually, it is. I was telling Daniel about it earlier this morning, and as it turns out, Craven works for Daniel’s brother, not Jeremiah, and is, in fact, Daniel’s friend.”
Carissa tilted her head to the side. “Wow. When you get in deep, you go past your head on the first dunk, don’t you?”
With a laugh, Ophelia nodded. “I guess you could say that.”
Carissa leaned her elbows on the table. “So how did Daniel take it when you told him you were working for the enemy?”
“Better than your initial reaction, actually. But something tells me he already knew. He’s been friends with Craven for years.”
“You haven’t asked him?”
“I’ve been a little distracted by…stuff.” Ophelia’s mind immediately honed in on their last kiss, and her heart sped up.
Carissa’s eyes widened. “Are you alright, Phia?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just a—hey, do you want a Dr Pepper? I want a Dr Pepper.”
Ophelia hopped up from her chair and walked quickly to the refrigerator. She leaned down and grabbed a soda, cursing her racing heart. Just the thought of his kiss had her emotions in overdrive.
Ophelia tried to ignore the blush creeping up her face as she sat a Dr Pepper in front of Carissa. Taking a seat, she popped the top on her own, and Carissa laughed. Ophelia took a swig. “What? Have I got egg on my face?”
Carissa crossed her arms and sat back in her seat with a smirk on her face. “You could say that.”
Ophelia picked up a napkin and wiped around her mouth, but Carissa continued to grin. Ophelia tossed the napkin at Carissa. “Either explain yourself, or get lost. I have things I need to do today.” Despite her words, Ophelia couldn’t hide the mirth in her voice.
Carissa laughed. “It’s really nothing, Phia. I’m sure all of your distractions cause your heart to race and put a sappy look on your face.”
“Daniel’s just a coworker of sorts, a friend, even. Nothing more.”
Laughing harder, Carissa shook her head, tossing the napkin back at Ophelia. “Is that why you’re blushing? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were falling for a vampire.”
“You have got to be kidding me!” Ophelia rolled her eyes. “You think I’ve got some kind of crush on him? What are we, in high school?” But her mind drifted back to him cornering her in the hallway, a light stubble on his face, and his eyes twinkling as a smile tugged at his sexy lips. And then that first kiss. Kiss me, Daniel, she’d told him, and he had.
Ophelia couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped. She shook her head, forcing the image away. Frustrated, she grabbed the plates from the table and t
ook them to the sink. “Oh, hell, no, Rissa. He’s a vampire, and even if he were human, he’s not my type.”
Carissa stood up and crossed the room to Ophelia. She took her hands. “Phia, you’re lying. I’m a werewolf, remember? I can hear how your heart speeds up when I mention him. Your eyes darken when you think about him, and you were definitely flushed when I mentioned you falling for him. You can lie to a lot of people, but you can’t lie to me.”
Ophelia opened her mouth to argue, but Carissa shook her head. “Don’t try to deny it, Phia. I know you better than almost anyone. Here’s a thought: Why don’t you try thinking about him as a man, not a vampire. He may drink blood, but he’s still got feelings.” She smiled. “Now, I’ve got to get going. Just think about what I said, okay? They really aren’t as bad as you think.”
As Ophelia watched her leave, she shook her head again. Carissa misunderstood. Ophelia did see Daniel as a man, and that wasn’t the problem. The problem was that he might see her as more, and whatever that “more” was could be enough to put the brakes on anything.
Hours later, Ophelia stood in front of her kitchen counter, cursing a blue streak. “Shit, fuck, son of a bitch! This fucking hurts like hell!”
Her front door slammed open, and suddenly she was in Daniel’s arms, sitting in his lap in the nearest chair, his hands running up and down her arms in jerking, frantic movements. “Phia! Are you okay? Who hurt you? What’s wrong?”
Ophelia laughed weakly, but didn’t unwrap her right hand from her left. Instead, she took a chance and held both hands up—showing him the blood seeping out from between her fingers. Daniel gritted his teeth, but he made no move to attack, and Ophelia’s respect for him raised another notch. He pulled out a handkerchief from the pocket of his shirt and gently pried her hands apart, clucking his tongue over the two-inch-long cut that was still oozing blood.
“How in the world did you accomplish this, Phia?” he asked, his ministrations tender as he blotted the wound.
“I cut myself trying to cook,” Ophelia mumbled, “obviously not my most graceful moment.”
Daniel chuckled. “At least you didn’t sever a digit, so it’s not that bad.”
Ophelia sniffed, tears brimming. “Yeah, but it freaking hurts! It might even be deep enough for stitches, and I really don’t like needles.”
Daniel pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I may have a solution, if you’d trust me.”
“Does it involve your fangs?”
He shook his head. “No–” his eyes gleamed mischievously– “but it does mean I’d get to taste you.”
Ophelia wiggled in her seat, and Daniel groaned. “On second thought,” he said with a wicked grin, “keep moving like that, and I’ll have a different way to distract you.”
Eyes wide, Ophelia jerked to a stop, but not before the damage had been done, and the physical proof of his desire poked the side of her leg. She flushed. “Uh...” She licked her lips. “the pain. What about...the pain?”
Daniel laughed and pressed a kiss just below her ear. He took the handkerchief away from her wound. She hissed in pain as it stuck. “I’m sorry,” he murmured as he pulled it free. “I really can help, but you might rather put a bandage on it and let me drive you to the clinic.”
Ophelia bit her lip. He looked so uncomfortable, and even though his remedy had to do with him being a vampire, she wasn’t nearly as put off by the notion as she would have been a few days prior. She looked into his eyes and shook her head.
“What do you need to do?”
He sighed with relief. “Vampire saliva can either stop bleeding, or make a person bleed more, depending on whether we’re drinking or ending the feeding. Unfortunately for you, to stop the bleeding and trigger the numbing agent that will help with your pain, the fangs must be triggered, which means a drink has to be taken. However, that doesn’t mean I need to bite you–” he paused and winked– “unless you want me to, of course.”
Ophelia swatted his shoulder with her good hand. “I thought your saliva is what makes a person a vampire?”
“It is, but it’s…complicated. Mortal blood is designed to fight the infection, so to speak. I would have to consciously force it into your bloodstream for a minute or more for there to be any chance of it taking hold. For this, and for any pleasure feeding–” he gave her a wicked grin that made her laugh– “my saliva merely interacts with the skin around the wound, preventing it from trying to close until I’m ready to stop. Are you okay with this?”
Ophelia bit her bottom lip. “You won’t bite me?”
He shook his head. “I won’t. My fangs will descend, but I won’t bite, I promise. I’ll only drink for a moment, and then close it.”
Taking a deep breath, Ophelia nodded, emitting a startled squeak when his eyes suddenly glowed bright blue and his fangs shot out. With his golden hair, and lightly stubbled jaw, he was sexy beyond belief, and the look on his face had her nearly giving in to the urge to tilt her head to the side and offer him everything. Taken aback by the direction her thoughts were headed, Ophelia blinked rapidly, and raised her hand.
He took her wrist in one of his, and her fingers in the other, turning her hand until the cut along the side was near his mouth. “Last chance to change your mind,” he whispered.
Ophelia gulped, her body tingling beneath his heated gaze. “Do it, Daniel, please.” The last word came out on a whisper as she subconsciously flipped her long hair behind her back, exposing the smooth column of her neck. Daniel’s eyes darkened, and keeping his eyes on hers, he pressed his hot mouth to her skin, sucking gently at the wound.
The tingling in her body intensified as he laved his tongue over the cut, raising his head a few seconds later. Ophelia’s breath came in short pants as moisture pooled between her legs. She’d never felt like this, and she wondered if it was part of the saliva interacting with her skin. Ever logical, she cleared her throat.
“Am I—uh—is this because of…?”
Daniel smiled, fangs flashing. “No, Phia. I would never use power on you like that.”
Ophelia sucked in a breath. It was because of him. For heaven’s sake, take for once. Take without question. Love. Her eyes widened at her own thoughts, and she made a split-second decision—he was her vampire, after all. Adjusting her position, she straddled him, the proof of his desire a hard spear aimed straight at her core. Cupping his face in her hands, she kissed him, relishing when his breath caught in shock. His hands gripped her hips, rocking her against him as she deepened the kiss, her tongue exploring his mouth, uncaring of the fangs he possessed.
With a moan, she nipped his bottom lip. “Do you want to bite me, Daniel?”
“Yes,” he groaned.
Ophelia pressed a hand to the back of his neck, pulling him forward until his mouth rested above the pulse at her throat. “Then do it.”
His lips grazed her heated skin, his fangs scraping lightly. “Are you sure?”
She moaned, the pleasure building as she continued to move against him. “Yes!” Without another word, he plunged his fangs deep, and she shattered, realizing the absolute truth:
She was in love with a vampire.
Chapter Fifteen
Gwen tossed and turned in her sleep, her heart hammering in her ears as her dream-self ran from the rest of her father’s pack. Howls followed her as she tripped over roots and dips in the dirt path. She tried to shift, willing her wolf free, but the sorcerer’s spells wouldn’t allow it. And she had ravenous wolves on her tail. Her baby kicked frantically in her womb, and she could see her husband on the ground feet in front of her, but she couldn’t reach him. The harder she tried, the farther away he seemed to be. There was no way out, and the wolves were gaining.
A bright white light flashed before her eyes, bringing her to a tumbling halt. She landed sideways on the path, breath heaving, lungs burning, and she couldn’t make her legs work. Her mind wouldn’t process, and the wolves were drawing ever closer. Panic clawed at her throat, and she called to the
birds in the trees. Please help me, she screamed, and for once, heard them answer. Help is coming, they seemed to tweet, and she took comfort in that, if nothing else. The howls faded, and wolves suddenly disappeared into nothing, she was alone in the dark of the trees, moonlight glinting down on her, and her wolf stretched, sighing in anticipation of freedom. With a triumphant howl, her bones cracked, lengthening where needed, and everything but her womb shifted. She became her wolf, and for the first time in weeks felt the freedom of her night.
Then the other howls began again. Her breath was stolen as the wolves slammed into her from all sides, teeth gnashing, blood spurting, and pain enveloping every inch of her battered body. She howled her terror to the heavens, but the wolves didn’t stop. They ripped and they tore, shredding her body into nothing.
Gwen woke up screaming.
One of the guards rushed in, alarmed by her horrified shrieks. “What is it?”
Gwen shook her head, gasping for breath. “A nightmare. Only that.”
The guard didn’t look convinced, but he nodded, and left her alone. Exhausted emotionally and physically—she felt as if she’d done all that running—Gwen rose gingerly to her feet, and walked to the bathroom to get a cup of water. Swallowing the tepid liquid, she stared through the window of the bathroom. The night was clear, no clouds at all, and though glass stood in the way she could feel the balmy air of summer in the darkness. She stretched her senses as she did every time she neared a window, but still nothing.
Gwen sighed as she set the cup on the edge of the sink. It was no use. She was alone, Rafe was probably dead, and she was going to die one way or another. She pressed a hand to her rounded belly, but even that was no comfort. She didn’t know exactly what Garrett meant when he said the youth of her child, but it didn’t sound like something her baby would live through. She returned to her room, eyeing the window behind the desk. On either side of the largest pane were two smaller ones – both without screens. She opened the one closest to where she stood, and leaned her head through the opening.
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