Immortal After All (Vampire Hunter Book 3)

by Reynolds, S. C.

  “Why would we want to do that?” I asked in confusion.

  “It might help stop them from controlling your mind. I know Emmett said that David was casting spells – and I don’t doubt that he was – but from my experience, that level of control on a mass scale would take something more – they’re probably manipulating the frequencies to make everyone’s brains more susceptible for the spell.”

  “That’s assuming I have a brain,” I said sourly. Months out of the grave and I still didn’t know how all of my organs worked, or perhaps didn’t work.

  Lucas laughed. “Maybe I don’t get as caught up as you do in the details; I’m so used to dealing with undead creatures. Hell, I’m one of them. Of course, you’re unique, but it’s not that crazy to me to see you walking, talking, but yet not breathing.”

  “Hmm,” I mumbled.

  “I guess I better get going,” I said, standing up. I had been purposefully ignoring the texts on my phone from my mother. There were only so many times that I could put her off about why I missed her call or text before she got pissed and grounded me.

  My mom wasn’t stupid; she’d see through my loosely crafted stories about accidentally turning the ringer off. Which didn’t even make sense to begin with! What teenager in the best months of the summer doesn’t notice her phone ringer’s off? I have to work on coming up with better excuses.

  “You’re not staying?” Was it me, or did Lucas’ face fall when he asked that?

  “I can,” I said immediately, all thoughts of my mother completely gone.

  “It’s nice to have company,” Lucas said. “But I don’t want you to get in trouble with your family,” he added quickly.

  “I won’t,” I said, even though I wasn’t so sure. Sorry, Mom. This will be the last time I ignore you – I promise.

  I sat back down on the couch. “Most of the time, I enjoy my solitude, but since I met you, I’ve found that it’s nice to be around people sometimes,” Lucas continued. “Well, you specifically,” he amended. “Because of the whole blood thing.” Lucas wouldn’t look at me when he mentioned the blood.

  “Anyway,” he continued, “apart from Nicholas, you’re the only friend I have.”

  “Don’t say that!” I exclaimed. “What about your boss? You never told me about him. How many years have you been working there? Surely you consider him a friend, on some level?”

  Lucas looked at me sideways. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re too young to understand. Once you get old like me, you’ll become jaded.”

  I hate when he calls me young.

  “What the fuck does that mean?” I asked, not even trying to hide my anger.

  “Woah, Rory, chill out,” Lucas replied. “It just means that you don’t mix business with pleasure and my work is business.”

  I raised my eyebrows at Lucas. I had been business to him, at first, and he certainly hadn’t minded it then!

  Lucas laughed. “I know what you’re thinking. Believe me, I knew better than to get close to you. I guess I just couldn’t stop myself.”

  “Anyway,” Lucas continued quickly before I could speak, “my boss is a nice guy, for the most part, but we’re not friends. If he got an order to kill me, he’d do it.”

  “You really believe that?” I whispered.

  “Yes, but I don’t do anything to get a hit on my back,” Lucas said lightly. “I think you’re always better off if you recognize the truth, even if it hurts at first. I figured out a long time ago that Nicholas was the only soul in this world that I could trust, unconditionally. And then you came along.”

  “You really trust me?” I blurted the words out before I could stop to think if I really wanted to say them.

  “Why? Are you planning to double cross me?” Lucas asked in that flirty tone of his.

  “No,” I said immediately. “Of course not.” I just can’t understand how you can trust me after a few months’ time.

  “I hope you know that you can trust me, too,” Lucas said solemnly. He was staring at me so intensely that I had to look away.

  “I do trust you, but I’m not exactly sure why.” The words tumbled out of my mouth.

  “Do you believe in fate?” I jolted, looking at Lucas. His question caught me off guard.

  “I’ve always liked to think that I had the free will to choose,” I said slowly. “But since I came back, I feel more and more like maybe this is what I was chosen for, if that makes sense.”

  “It makes sense.” Lucas nodded. “I spent eons trying to understand why Nicholas turned me, why I was a vampire, why I had to live on Earth in this hellish situation, craving something that would hurt innocent people.”

  “That’s a really depressing fate,” I admitted.

  “But it’s not,” Lucas countered. “As much of a monster as I was, I’ve taken out even worse monsters. Maybe it was my fate to get turned, so I could do exactly what I’m doing.”

  “The creatures you hunt?” I questioned.

  “Yes. I hate myself – I will never truly stop hating myself for my past.” Lucas paused and raked his fingers through his hair. “But at least I can see some value I’ve brought to the world, and maybe – just maybe this is my fate. Maybe I was meant to be immortal after all.” Lucas paused and looked at me. “Just like you.”

  “Don’t say you hate yourself.” I knew how I sounded, trying to simplify a past I could never begin to understand, telling Lucas that he had to forgive himself for the bad things he had done. I reached out and grasped Lucas’ hand, not caring what he thought, how he reacted. I wanted him to feel comforted; I couldn’t stop him from hating himself but I could make sure he knew I didn’t feel the same way.

  I intertwined his long fingers with mine, brought them to my face, holding them against my cheek.

  “You’re a good person,” I said, my voice shaking.

  “Rory, I’m not fishing for compliments,” Lucas replied. “And I’m also not a person.” He paused. “I’m telling you the truth about what I am. I’m not asking for pity, or for assurance that all can be forgiven. I know the truth about myself, and that’s what matters. I’ve served a purpose in this world, and I’m okay with that.” He leaned in and kissed my hand, which was still wrapped with his.

  “You say that you trust me, but why the fuck don’t you want me?” I blurted out.

  “You think I don’t want you!” Lucas exclaimed. “God, you really are young.”

  “No I’m not.” I leaned forward, pushing my lips against Lucas’s lips before I could think better of it. He responded immediately, his soft lips moving against mine, his tongue searching my mouth.

  I wrapped my hands around the back of his head, what I had dreamed of doing each time I’d seen him this summer, but I’d been too terrified to actually follow through.

  I moved in closer, pressing my body against his chest. I was acutely aware that the only thing between Lucas and me was the t-shirt he’d lent me just an hour before.

  “Rory.” Lucas pulled back. His arms were still around me.

  “What?” I said, leaning in to kiss him again. My head was swimming. All I could focus on was Lucas’ soft lips and his hard body pressed against me. I didn’t care if I looked needy. I wanted Lucas. That was all I knew.

  Chapter 26

  “Let me just hold you.” He lied down on the couch, pulling me down in front of him. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist.

  Of course, it was nice – okay, more than nice – having Lucas’ arm around me, snuggling me close so that my back was flush against his chest. But because I was facing away from him, I couldn’t look at him, couldn’t try to understand what he was thinking. So many times he would say next to nothing and I’d have to study his face and fill in the gaps.

  His head was buried in my hair. I could feel his chest rising and falling, pushing mine outward, almost giving the sensation that I was breathing too. I didn’t think that Lucas had gone to sleep, but he wasn’t speaking. And I wasn’t sure if he would again.<
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  Surely this insane attraction I had for Lucas wasn’t completely one-sided. I knew he wouldn’t say and do the things he did if he didn’t like me.

  But whenever we started kissing, why did he always cut it off? What was he scared of? Our age difference? His vast experience with women vs. my biggest experience with a boy – the time when Barry Adamson almost got to third base before I practically twisted his hand off?

  I wasn’t stupid. Lucas hadn’t stayed a virgin for a gazillion years, just holding out for the right girl who happened to be. But I wasn’t even trying to sleep with him! I just wanted to kiss him, to have him hold me, maybe at the same time for a change!

  I tried to relax and enjoy the moment. Which unfortunately, really was going to only be a moment. I could feel my phone vibrating in my pocket about every three seconds. I may have already pushed my mom too far the other day; she’d probably ground me the instant I walked through the door.

  But if that was the case…

  Maybe staying with Lucas tonight – or at least for another couple of hours – wouldn’t make the punishment too much worse.

  Lucas readjusted his arm around my waist and nuzzled his head farther into my hair, which had to still be damp from the rain.

  “Do you like the smell of my new shampoo?” I asked jokingly. “It’s called l’essence de rain.”

  “Ha, I hadn’t noticed. I just like being close to you,” he said.

  I squirmed off my side and onto my back so I could look at Lucas. The two of us barely fit on the couch. Actually, now that I’d repositioned myself my left butt cheek was hanging off the couch. Someone so tall really should invest in bigger furniture!

  Lucas propped his head up on his elbow and looked down at me. “Yes, Rory?” he said it in a way that implied he already knew what I was going to ask.

  “How come you don’t like kissing me?” I tried again. We had played this strange romantic game for long enough now. I wanted to know where I stood.

  “Somehow I thought you weren’t going to let that drop,” Lucas said wryly. “Do you really believe that I don’t like kissing you?”

  “No.” I was really nervous now. It was more embarrassing to have this conversation than I’d anticipated.

  “Then what?” Lucas had a half smile on his face. Seeing him staring down at me like that, totally focused on me, I was completely flustered.

  “I don’t know what,” I sputtered. “It, uh, just feels like you always want to stop things.” I looked down at my fingernails, avoiding his gaze.

  “I just think that you deserve better than what I could offer,” Lucas said seriously. “And I don’t want to hurt you. And truthfully, you seem so defensive about being young. There’s nothing wrong with being young, I just know the inexperience that goes with your age.”

  I groaned. “So you won’t kiss me because it might go too far and you know I haven’t, uh, been around the block before?”

  Now Lucas looked uncomfortable.

  “What?” I prompted.

  He sighed. “It’s not just that. When vampires get emotional about something – whether it’s anger, lust, fear, sadness, for example – it’s difficult to control the vampire teeth. And when you can’t stop the teeth from coming out, it’s a slippery slope. You kind of lose control of everything else, including the ability to make rational decisions.”

  “It’s part of why I was such a hothead when I was first turned,” Lucas continued. “I got into these huge fights with other vampires, other creatures, you name it; but at that point, I didn’t care if I was in control. It was more fun not to be, not know what was going to happen next. A thrill.”

  “I learned to hone this, uh, personality flaw,” he explained. “But it’s always there, always something I struggle to control. And I wouldn’t want to hurt you or make you feel pressured about anything.”

  So if Lucas gets too hot and heavy his vampire teeth are going to make an appearance and then what? He’ll push me to have sex with him? Would that really be such a bad thing?

  I could see where Lucas was coming from though; I wasn’t even technically an adult for another year. There were things he couldn’t risk.

  “And, Aurora.” Lucas was still looking at me. He paused, and when he spoke again his voice was almost barely above a whisper. “You really do deserve better. And it’s not just you that I’m worried about hurting – I don’t want to get hurt, either, when you do make your choice.”

  I knew he was talking about Henry but I played dumb, which I’m sure he could see right through. “I’m not going to choose the evil side, so don’t worry that you’ll be compelled to hunt me,” I told him with a forced smile.

  “That’s not what-“ he started, but I jumped off the couch.

  “My mom is going to be worried about me,” I cut in.

  “Yes, give her my apologies for keeping you out so late,” Lucas replied. “I’m driving you home, though, in case the twins are still lurking around.”

  “No,” I tried to protest. “It’s about two miles but I’ll run it. You know how fast I go.”

  “Rory, this is non-negotiable,” Lucas said in a mock stern voice.

  He was grinning at me. Impulsively, I leaned up and kissed him – on the cheek. “Is that too much for you to handle?” I teased.

  “No, and neither is this,” he said huskily. He leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips. It wasn’t the feverish kiss that I had initiated earlier, but it was pretty damn hot. I responded and we stood there kissing for what seemed like ages. Finally, Lucas pulled away. He looked flustered.

  “I didn’t really mean to do that,” he said.

  “I didn’t mind,” I assured him. “We could practice lots.” I grinned. “Maybe you can condition yourself? You know, like when you’re allergic to something and they give you it in small quantities until it doesn’t affect you anymore?”

  Lucas laughed. “That’s a nice thought, Rory, but I’m not quite sure that the more I kiss you the less it will make my vampire tendencies come out.”

  I felt disappointed. I had only been half kidding. It sounded like a fun experiment, though.

  Seeing my face, Lucas smiled. “Stop worrying. This really is the least of our worries. Remember what I was saying about fate? If it’s meant to be, we’ll figure it out.”

  Meaning if I’m meant to be with you, not Henry.

  Chapter 27

  The next week was uneventful. My mom had grounded me from going out for five days because I hadn’t answered her phone calls again. But I had expected that, and really kind of deserved it, so I wasn’t upset. She wasn’t particularly thrilled that I turned up in a man’s t-shirt either, but I just said I’d gotten caught in the downpour and Lucas let me borrow his shirt.

  It was for the better that I couldn’t be tempted to go out. I had to spend most of my days studying like mad if I was going to pass the test.

  I didn’t talk much with Henry, except for a few texts here or there to see how each other was doing. He was using his last days of summer to practice basketball and get in the best shape of his life; soon our days would be filled with teachers, classes and studying.

  As for Lucas, I hadn’t heard from him. This time, though, I wasn’t worried; I knew he hadn’t disappeared, that he wouldn’t do that to me again. I’d told him about the test and he’d said he would only contact me if he had any news.

  No more blackouts, and no word from Emmett, so hopefully that meant there wasn’t an upcoming meeting scheduled with Tobias…for now.

  I had tried to push everything out of my head, and found that for the first time since I became undead I had actually been able to have moments where I forgot about the Henry/Lucas triangle and what I was fated to do. I guess maybe it did help to have something to focus on.

  Saturday morning of the test I was a bundle of nerves, even though I felt decently well prepared. As I slid into a desk at my old school, I had the fleeting thought that after next week, this would be my life again for eight mo
nths. There were only three other kids taking the test. Maybe they all climbed out of a grave, too, I thought wryly.

  Before, when I was living, I used to dread having to take tests at school. Not because I wasn’t smart or had anxiety about failing; no, inevitably, as soon as the teacher passed out the test and the room went quiet, my stomach would start growling. And not those faint gurgles that only the person next to you can hear. I’m talking full out roars. It was so embarrassing.

  Once, this creep Johnny Melvin started snickering when it happened. Henry had shoved a pen in his back and told him to shut up. I smiled at the memory.

  At least I won’t have that to worry about!

  The test was timed – two hours – and it flew by. I thought I might have a few minutes to spare to go back over my answers, but I had just started my review when the teacher told everyone to put down their pencils.

  As a habit, I wiped my palms down the front of my shorts, but of course there was no sweat. Okay, so my life wasn’t enviable, but there were at least a few perks of being a zombie.

  I grabbed my purse and headed out to the parking lot, where my mom was waiting to pick me up. “How did it go, honey?” she asked as soon as I slid into the passenger seat.

  “I think I passed,” I answered honestly. “But I can’t believe I won’t get the results until Wednesday! School starts the following Monday.”

  “Don’t worry; I’m sure you did fine,” my mom assured me. “Is Lucas starting as a senior at your school?”

  Lucas in school! I stifled a laugh. “No,” I said in as serious of a tone as possible. “He lives too far away.”

  “Do you think you’ll be seeing much of him then?” my mom pressed.

  “I don’t know,” I said honestly, looking out the window. Everything would be different once I was back in school. And Lucas had made it clear that he wasn’t rushing into anything with me. But I would be seeing Henry almost all day, five days a week, if I started back as a senior. I perked up at the thought.