Impossible. “That could be decades from now.”
“Exactly.”
She was letting him scare her, she realized. “Give me the ward.” She’d already decided: she would rather die herself, painfully, torturously, than cause anyone else to die because she was hungry. He wasn’t going to change her mind.
“I’ve already put the equipment up.”
“Yes, and it’s so hard to dig it back out.”
“No.”
“I don’t want to be a danger to you anymore.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You’re not.”
“Oh, and what’s changed?” she asked as casually as she was able. Finally she would know what was driving him to act this way.
He ran his tongue over his teeth, his eyes glittering with a familiar green fire. Not of desire, but of fury. Something he’d never truly flashed her way. “I can’t shift anymore.”
He couldn’t—wait, wait, wait. “What?”
“I can’t shift. I’ve tried. Multiple times since leaving the hospital. I just…can’t.”
“Because I…because I fed from you?”
“You didn’t want to—you even resisted—but I pushed and pushed and force-fed you.” The fury shattered, hopelessness taking its place. “Doesn’t matter, though. The result was the same.”
Doesn’t matter? It mattered more than anything! He might have pushed, but she was the one to take. She’d taken his animal from him. His inner self. His true self. Gone. Forever. Because of her. No wonder he was acting like he hated her. He did.
“Riley, I’m so sorry. So so sorry. I didn’t mean…I never would have…” There were no words to convey the depths of her remorse. Nothing that would make this okay.
Of everything she’d done, this was the worst. And those dried-up tear ducts? They suddenly remembered how to work, burning her eyes and tracking moisture down her cheeks.
“We knew it was a possibility,” he said.
“Are you…human?”
A bitter laugh. “Pretty much.”
Worse and worse. That had to be torture for him. He’d been a shifter all his life.
His very long life. A life that might now be cut short. Because. Of. Her. His friends were shifters. His family. And now, he was the very thing he hated more than anything: vulnerable.
Riley pushed to his feet and turned away from her. “I’m going to take a shower. Try to get some rest.” He didn’t wait for her reply but marched into the bathroom and shut the door.
Shut her out.
Now and forever, if she had to guess.
Mary Ann curled into herself and sobbed.
ADEN CURSED UNDER his breath. “Did you hear that?”
“The gutter your mouth just traveled through?” Victoria asked. “Yes. You basically shouted the profanities in my ear.”
“Not that. What Riley just told Mary Ann.”
“Oh. No. Did you?”
“Yeah.” She lay against him, snuggled into his side, and he sifted his fingers through her hair, loving the softness of it. Their room was dark, but his gaze cut through that darkness as if he wore night-vision goggles.
“How?” she asked.
“Thin walls?”
“Then I would have heard. How?”
“Another vampire ability manifesting itself?”
“Now that makes sense.”
He expected the souls to comment, to voice their thoughts. They didn’t. Caleb was still in mourning about the witches, Elijah hadn’t given up his vow of silence, and since hearing about Tonya Smart, Julian had been too busy trying to figure out who he’d been and what his last wish was.
Currently the only being giving him fits was Junior. Aden was hungry, again, and his beast wasn’t gonna let him forget it. In fact, his roars were getting louder with every hour that passed.
All of Elijah’s birth terminology had really hit the mark. Aden kinda felt like a brand-new dad whose kid had soiled his diaper and was demanding a change.
“Aden,” Victoria prompted. “What did Riley say?”
Oh, yeah. He and Victoria were in the middle of a conversation. “Riley can’t shift anymore.”
She jolted upright and peered down at him, eyes wide with dismay. “What?”
“Don’t kill the messenger.” Aden tugged her back into his embrace, loving the way she curled herself around him. “He just told Mary Ann. Apparently she fed off him before they landed in the hospital.”
“How…how did he sound?”
“Surprisingly fine.”
“Oh, no. That’s when he’s the most upset.” She banged her fist against Aden’s chest. “I will kill her!”
She tried the sitting up thing again, but he tightened his hold, keeping her against him. “He’s taking a shower, and I don’t think she meant to damage him.”
“I don’t care. That’s exactly why the races have always slain drainers when they are first identified. Accidents like that don’t have to happen.”
“Maybe he’ll heal. Maybe—”
“Mary Ann stole his ability. There is no healing from that.”
“Just like there’s no turning a human into a vampire?” She’d once told him that was impossible, too.
“I…I…oh! I still want to put her in a sleeper hold. Forever! I know how. Riley taught me.”
O-kay. Time to abandon that subject before she worked herself into a rage, and Chompers came out to play. Which would cause Junior to come out to play. Besides, Aden had a feeling he hadn’t seen the last of Riley’s wolf. Maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part, but honestly? He trusted his feelings.
He’d known he would meet Victoria before he’d ever laid eyes on her. Because of Elijah’s visions, yeah, but as Aden was learning, the souls shared their abilities with him. And when they left, those abilities remained. Elijah wasn’t the only psychic in this body. Aden was, too.
The reminder gave him pause. Could Aden peek into the future?
“Let me go, Aden. Now.” The chill of her breath stroked his chest.
“Not yet. I want to talk to you about something.”
“What?” she asked, reluctantly.
“I know you don’t want me to feed off you, and I respect that.” Even though he still wanted her blood more than anything. At this point, he doubted that was ever going to change. “Are you afraid I’ll revert to the mindless being I was inside the cave?”
“No. If that were a possibility, it would have happened after you drank my blood from the goblet.”
He believed the same. “Are you afraid I’ll see the world through your eyes?”
“No. I mean, you haven’t yet. You still could, of course, but the thought doesn’t bother me. You have before, and really, you already know everything there is to know about me.”
“Then tell me what’s going on in that head of yours. Please.”
She traced a pattern on his chest, the tip of her finger tickling him, sensitizing him. “You won’t like it.”
“Tell me anyway.”
Her lips pressed against the most sensitive spot, his heartbeat rushing up to meet her. “You know how you’re becoming a vampire?”
“Yes,” he said, and in that moment he knew where she was going with this. He knew, and he didn’t like it. An insidious cold invaded his bloodstream.
“Well, I’m becoming…human. Completely human.”
Bingo.
“My skin, it’s like yours was. Easily cut. I can’t teleport anymore. I can’t use my persuasive voice. And I’m eating human food. I had a hamburger before I returned with Mary Ann’s lunch. A hamburger! And I enjoyed it.”
So many changes. Too many changes. “Do you still need blood?”
“Not me, not anymore, but Chompers does. His roar…at first it was stronger, because he was so hungry, but now it’s weakening. He’s so quiet, I’m almost afraid he’s…he’s…you know.”
Yeah. Dying.
Aden pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to align his thoughts. He should
have realized the truth himself. After all, this made perfect sense and explained so much. Her chilled skin, her reluctance to do the things she used to do. When he thought about all the chances she’d taken lately, all the chances he’d asked her to take, he wanted to knock a few holes in the wall.
Barring that, there was only one other thing he wanted to do.
“Okay. Here’s our new plan. You’re going to feed off me, and I’m going to feed off you. Another blood exchange, just like in the cave.”
Her cheek rubbed against him as she shook her head. “We don’t know how we’ll react. How they’ll react.” The beasts.
“Exactly, and it’s time we found out. We’re being proactive now, remember? We’re not simply reacting, we’re causing.”
A breath shuddered from her, gusting this time. “All right. You’re right. I know you’re right.”
Good, because his mouth was already watering, desperate for a taste. And maybe he was pushing for this because he craved it so badly, not because he thought it would save them, but just then, he didn’t care. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
He rolled on top of her, and she softened against him, turning her head to the side to offer her hammering pulse. His gums started aching, throbbing really, and he ran his tongue over—fangs, he realized, shocked to his soul. For the first time, his teeth were as sharp as razors. Not as long as Victoria’s, but noticeably longer than they’d been.
“You first,” he rasped, wanting her as strong as possible for his bite.
A tremor moved through her, but then she was licking his neck, sucking, warming his blood, biting, drinking, and unlike before, her bite hurt, no chemical shooting through his vein, numbing him, but he didn’t care about that either, he liked that she was taking what she needed from him; it was what he’d begged her for since the moment he’d met her. And when she finished, he was doing the same to her, licking, sucking, warming, biting, drinking.
She moaned, the sound echoing through the room. Her fingers scraped through his hair. “That feels good,” she rasped.
Then he was the one moaning. So sweet, so delicious, filling him, flowing through him, strengthening him, quieting Junior, consuming them both. He was rubbing against Victoria before he registered that he was moving at all, but she didn’t seem to mind, seemed to like it, meeting his every motion with one of her own.
But soon that wasn’t enough for either of them. Aden pulled his teeth from her neck, surely the most difficult thing he’d ever done, but he didn’t want to take too much, had to protect her, even from himself, and she groaned in disappointment. He couldn’t move away from her.
“Aden,” she said on a husky catch of breath.
“Yes.”
“More.”
“Biting?”
A soft, glowing smile. “More everything.”
As if he needed further prompting. He kissed her until he was forced to come up for air, and then he kissed her again.
Sometime during that second kiss, their clothes disappeared and their hands began exploring. He hurt, but he’d never felt so good. He needed more as she’d said, but couldn’t take much more. His thoughts were short-circuiting. This was everything he’d thought it would be, only better. So much better.
“Too fast?” he rasped. “Should I stop?”
“Too slow. Don’t stop.”
“C-condom,” he said. He didn’t have a condom. And he couldn’t be with her without one. He wouldn’t risk pregnancy. There were STDs out there, he knew that, too, and even though he knew she didn’t have one, that vampires were immune to human diseases, he wasn’t going to be stupid about that, either.
“I…brought one. After our conversation in the forest, I’ve been carrying one. All the time.”
The crinkling wrapper at last made sense. If only he’d known at the time.
She wiggled out from under him to get it, and he mourned the loss of her. She was back a few seconds later, and they picked up where they’d left off.
Not once did the souls comment. Not once did Junior roar. Or maybe Aden was simply too consumed with what he was doing to notice them. There was only Victoria, only here and now. Their first time. His first time.
His…everything.
TWENTY-FIVE
DO YOU TRULY WISH to challenge me, boy?
Vlad’s words echoed in Tucker’s mind, menacing, as sharp as a blade. The very blade he held in his hands as he paced the floor of his motel room. He’d rented this crap hole in the same dump where the others were—or rather, had been—staying, and on the same floor. Not that they’d known it. He’d wanted to be close to Mary Ann, to feel at peace again, but it hadn’t worked. He could still feel Vlad pulling at him.
The bastard wanted his own daughter eliminated. Wanted all the players responsible for his downfall eliminated. And he was close to getting what he wanted. Those players were finally together and on the same board. Aden, the power. Riley, the security. Victoria, the eye candy. Fine, she was the intermediary. And Mary Ann, the brain.
Tucker should have offed them already.
At least Vlad had no idea Tucker had made a deal with them. A deal they had better honor.
After Aden had finished boning his vamp, the two-some had talked, all lovey-dovey and crap. Tucker was still shuddering. On the other hand, Mary Ann and Riley had sniped at each other, nearly drawing blood. He kinda preferred the cooing. Thankfully all that ended when the foursome had gathered together and left the comfort of the motel for the wide-open battleground of the outside world. They were still vulnerable to attack, and that’s exactly what Vlad wanted him to do. Attack.
Are you listening to me, boy? I don’t like being ignored. Bad things happen to those who irritate me.
Like Tucker didn’t know that already. Look what Vlad had already forced him to do to Aden. What Vlad had forced Ryder to do to Shannon.
The pace of his steps increased, his boots digging into the carpet. How was he going to get out of this mess? Without casualties? If he killed Aden, Aden couldn’t save his brother.
Tucker scraped a hand through his hair, the one holding the blade, the metal hilt leaving grooves in his scalp.
You’re going to do what I told you to do. There’s no fighting me.
There had to be a way.
I will kill your brother if you fail me. Have you forgotten?
“No, I haven’t. But if you kill him, you’ll have no way to control me,” he snapped.
Vlad might be getting stronger, but his hold on Tucker was not. Every hour, it weakened a little more. Tucker figured he was building up an immunity. Not quick enough, though. Not nearly quick enough. Vlad could still force him to walk up to anyone, hurt them—physically or mentally—and Tucker could only grin and bear it.
But Vlad had to know his grip was loosening, and that’s why he was threatening Tucker’s little brother. An insurance policy in the form of his innocent, sweet little brother, a six-year-old kid whose only friends were invisible and whose own father treated him like dog crap on the bottom of his shoes. Ethan deserved happiness, but everyone was always dumping on him.
Tucker loved him, yet he had been the worst offender, and now he wanted, needed, to make amends. To save that kid once and for all.
There’s always a way to control a puny human, Vlad said, laughing smugly. I always find a way.
Very, very true. But Tucker wasn’t exactly human, was he? “I don’t want to hurt anyone else.” Didn’t want to slay his…friends. Or frenemies, they’d probably say. They, however, would kill him in a heartbeat. With good reason. But they’d promised to help him save his brother, and Tucker had to believe they would try.
Would they succeed? Maybe. The way Aden had tamed those vampire beasts…maybe he could tame Vlad’s and use it against him. Yeah, maybe. All Tucker knew for sure was that he couldn’t defeat the former king on his own. He needed help. Aden was that help. So, kill him? No.
I don’t care what you do or do not want. Do it. Do what I told you.
Destroy them. Now.
Tucker’s feet were moving toward the door before he could stop himself, the dagger at the ready once more. No. No, no, no. He ground his heels into the carpet, slowing his momentum. A few days ago, he would have been outside and doing as ordered immediately. He hadn’t lied to Victoria. The more evil he committed, the stronger he became. Hadn’t taken him long to figure that out.
A few days from now, and maybe Vlad would no longer be able to lead him around like this. But did he have a few days? Did his brother?
Probably not.
Tucker massaged the back of his neck. Right now, there was only one sure way to get what he wanted. He’d ignored the possibility before, but here, now, he couldn’t. And didn’t really want to anymore.
“Lead me to wherever they’ve gone,” he said, his tone devoid of all emotion.
Vlad’s glee practically slithered from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. That’s my good boy.
TRY AGAIN, Julian said.
Aden knocked on Tonya Smart’s door for the sixth time. She was home, no matter how much she might be wishing otherwise right now, and he wasn’t leaving until she answered. Or called the police and they escorted him off the premises.
Riley and Mary Ann were a few miles away, checking out the Stones’ place, making sure they were, in fact, his parents. Aden had declined to go, claiming it’d be easier and faster if they split up. In reality, he just wasn’t ready to face the two people who’d betrayed and forgotten him.
Because what if they were good, decent people? What if they knew nothing about his abilities? What if those abilities had nothing to do with the reason they’d given him up? What if they simply hadn’t wanted him?
Even the thought left him bleeding inside.
Victoria stood beside him, holding his hand. Now that he knew she was human, he wasn’t letting her out of his sight for any reason. Someone had to protect her, and he wanted to be that someone. Now, always. Not just because her blood tasted heavenly, and he still craved it, would probably always crave it, but also because she trusted him, looked out for him, wanted the best for him and still loved him, after everything he’d done, everything he’d taken from her.
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