by Mandi Casey
Blake’s face scrunched in anger. “What exactly do you mean the same goes for Kieran? Has he been here?” he demanded. His jaw tightened in jealous fury. He really had to get over the possessive kick he had going on. Although, I had to admit it was hard not to melt when he went all possessive and protective. He wasn’t the only one needing to get a grip!
“No,” I said, slightly fearful of Blake’s reaction. “He hasn’t been here, but he called my aunt and made the suggestion for me to stay with them for a while until their issues are resolved and the rogue wolves are found.”
“You mean wolf.”
“Wolves, as in plural. The rogue that was in here spoke as if he was part of a group. It didn’t sound like he was acting alone.”
Blake nodded, and said, “So, it’s worse than we originally thought. My father needs to hear about this. He needs to know about your visitor and the rest of what you’ve told me. If you won’t go with me, will you at least close the store for the night and go home? Your house is closer to us than the store, and if anything should happen, we would be able to respond more quickly.”
“I suppose. It’s almost closing time anyways. My vomit breath is making me feel pretty gross. There’s a toothbrush in the medicine cabinet calling my name.” A cold layer of sweat separated my skin and clothes. A hot shower, warm meal, and comfy bed with my favorite purple and black comforter were also calling to me.
Before leaving, Blake clasped my hand in his, rubbing his thumb up and down my palm. “Sydney, you’re being stubborn, and that may put you in more danger than you’re capable of handling. Please, promise me you will be very careful wherever you go, especially if someone from my pack isn’t able to be with you.”
I put my hands up and said, “Blake, no one needs to babysit me. Yes, there’s danger out there, and I’m a target. You don’t have to worry about not being with me every second of the day.”
Reaching inside his jacket, Blake pulled out a cell phone and handed it to me. “I completely forgot about this. Seeing you on the floor freaked me out. Your not being able to reach me if you need help isn’t acceptable. My cell phone number is in the contacts list already. It’s yours to use for as long as you need it.”
“I can’t take this from you! It’s a really nice gesture, but...”
He shoved the phone into my hand, then put both of his palms on my face. Pulling me forward, he planted a gentle kiss to my lips, and said, “Just take it. Think of it as something that will give me piece of mind when I’m not around.” His breath tickled my lips and made me smile.
“Blake, you have to stop doing that.” Unfortunately, he was well aware that my request was only half-hearted.
He smiled back and went over to the front door. When he opened it, an inconspicuous brown box fell into the store from where it had been leaning against the door.
Blake picked it up and frowned. “That’s weird. What would you have delivered in a refrigerated box?”
“I didn’t order anything that would need to be delivered cold.”
Chapter 13
Blake placed the box in my hands. He was right. The box did seem a little cool, more so than from just sitting outside in the cold.
I shook the box before putting it on the counter. The pounding in my head wouldn’t stop, and I needed to go lie down in my comfy bed. Nothing urgent needed my immediate attention.
I patted the box, then faced Blake again. “I need to get home.”
“I’ll take you.”
“Go.” I gave him a playful shove. “I can take care of myself.”
He gave a pointed look to the spot where he’d cleaned up my vomit. “I can see that.”
I felt heat rush to my face. What’s a girl to do when a rogue vampire ambushes her? “Blake, I’ve had about as much as I can take of people pushing me around. I just want to go home.”
He stepped closer, and my heartbeat kicked up. Was he going to kiss me into submission? Instead, he fingered the necklace. “As long as you promise not to remove this, and allow me to escort you to your car.”
That seemed a fair compromise, so I nodded.
At the last minute, I decided to grab the package and Grandma’s journal, then stuffed them into my bag, and closed the store for the night.
The short walk to the Jetta and my ride home was as uneventful as I’d hoped it would be. Although, I got the distinct impression Blake was following me.
Aunt Judith was in the kitchen stirring a batch of her homemade chicken noodle soup when I came in. Somehow, she made just the right thing for every occasion, even though she had no idea what had happened at the store today. It was like she had magical healing powers through her cooking, and she always made just what would make me feel better.
Aunt Judith sat watching me while I finished off two bowls of soup. I filled her in on the events of the day. After her initial shock, she stated she didn’t want to leave our home, either, and she wasn’t worried about the rogue or his buddies being able to breach the house. The wards she’d placed within the house were strong. Even the pack leader, Morris, would only be able to enter if he was given an open invitation by a member of the family. Aunt Judith wasn’t sure if they would work the same at the store, but she was willing to try.
We said goodnight, and I went upstairs. When I read from Grandma’s journal, the warmth of the leather cover felt comforting in my hands.
I’ve met someone tonight, at Kieran’s monthly dinner party. He was a vampire. It was confusing who his loyalties belonged to because of the way Kieran regarded him. Kieran is businesslike with his people. He tends to remain somewhat at a distance from them. He wanted to make sure their dealings were entirely on a professional level.
Kieran regarded this man with more of a familiarity than he ever had with anyone else. Later it was explained that the man, the vampire, was Kieran’s brother, Cian. After meeting Cian, and sensing his vampire essence, there was a small, but worrisome, difference in the way Kieran’s presence affected me and the way Cian’s did.
Cian gave off the usual cool bristle along my skin. Along with the coolness, there was also an unpleasant feeling. The sensation felt like a toxic dust cloud floated overhead, and the residue covered every square inch of my body. The effects seemed to last well after he left for the night, seeking shelter from the sun.
I asked Kieran about it. He disregarded my warnings. Kieran claimed that his brother was the coven leader of a nest far south of Kenosha, and assumed that’s what caused the difference I felt, nothing more. Kieran should have listened to me. A few years after meeting Cian, and a few more encounters with him, Kieran finally heeded my words of caution. I suspected he looked into his brother’s dealings only to humor my growing fear. Cian made many advances toward me. He wanted me to move my household and live with him and his coven. That told me a lot. Cian was not a follower of the Scrolls of Cuil. He also did not believe Kieran to be the destined one to watch over and drink the blood of the Selected, as the prophecy foretold.
Kieran sent a group of his men down to Cian’s nest, and led a quiet investigation of Cian and his people. What Kieran found, how his brother was treating humans, was abominable. They didn’t give humans the option to donate, like Kieran and his coven. Cian drained his humans like we do cows for their milk. He does this while they are alive, hooked up to tubes draining them of their life’s essence. They experience excruciating pain, cramping, and delusions before they are finally given the mercy of death.
What Kieran discovered about his brother forced Kieran to go to the Elders. He asked for guidance on how to properly address the issues at hand. The Elders did not support Kieran going against him. They felt Cian’s actions weren’t outside of vampire law. There was nothing to be done. Kieran was devastated by the Elder’s lack of support, and that his own brother would slaughter humans.
I snuggled deeper into the covers and propped Grandma’s journal up on a pillow. The last thought to cross my mind before exhaustion took over was about all the humans who
’d suffered brutally because of vampires refusing to respect humanity.
The next morning, I almost fell on my face tripping over my shoes on the stairs. Aunt Judith stood waiting at the bottom, my favorite chocolate chip breakfast bar in hand. I grabbed it, kissed her on the cheek for being the best aunt in the world, then raced out the door.
While at work, an odd void bloomed in my chest. That void had a name. Blake. Trying to keep busy with stocking and cleaning while waiting for customers were acceptable actions of a store employee. The truth of the matter was, I was waiting for Blake’s daily visit.
I started to consider myself pitiful. The furry guy was growing on me. I didn’t want to admit that to anyone, not even myself. It seemed my efforts to avoid any further close encounters with him, and to stop my feelings from deepening, would have to be intensified. The thought of his hot body pressed against mine was constantly darting in and out of my thoughts. That was a problem.
I was arranging the new flower and vase display from the local dollar store when the phone rang. I picked it up and heard
Brianna sigh on the other end, then giggle at something someone next to her said. The someone had to be Michael. I was a bit envious of my sister’s devil-may-care attitude. I knew she worked hard in school, but she was one of those people that everything went her way. She told me they planned on coming up to Kenosha tonight, and she was going to stay at Aunt Judith’s. She insisted, despite my efforts at talking her out of it. My baby sister didn’t need to get involved with anymore of what was going on than she already was, even if she didn’t know it.
I thought about what Grandma said in her journal about having to associate with both the vampires and the werewolves. Someday, Kieran was going to force a meeting between us. Grandma’s journal made me more nervous with every page, especially when she wrote about him. The vampires in general didn’t seem to be a very warm and fuzzy group. The wolves, at least, seemed to be making an effort to extend their hospitality, and to show me they weren’t a bunch of animals that killed random people on the streets.
After hanging up the phone, my knee hit something underneath the countertop. The package that arrived yesterday sat sticking out of my bag, teetering at such an angle that it was about to fall onto the floor.
I almost lost the tip of my finger while carefully using the box cutter from the counter drawer to slice open the clear tape on top of the box. There was a note inside the box, written on thick, white cardstock, folded in half.
Dearest Sydney, this is for you. It is my own. Drink it when you are in dire danger. Your attendance is expected at my home this weekend. The address is written below. If you do not attend my gathering, it will be taken as the insult it will be, forcing me to come to you in a less civilized manner, at the time and place of my choosing. You may find it in your best interest to do as requested. My coven eagerly awaits your arrival.
Who the hell did he think he was?
I wanted to scream at someone, preferably one of Kieran’s vampires. I set the offending note down on the counter. Clearly there wasn’t any way to say no, sorry, I’ve already made plans. From my understanding, vampires weren’t really a people that a girl wanted to piss off. The thought of having the leader of the vampire coven hunt me down because I ditched his party didn’t sit well with my self-preservation instincts. I was learning.
A thought struck me. Blake wasn’t going to take my hanging out with the vampires lightly. It wasn’t his choice, or mine, for that matter. What did one wear to a vampire bash, anyway? I’d definitely have to come up with something elegant and classy. All the vampire movies showed women in nothing but sleazy high fashion.
Pulling out the gift from Kieran, I held it up to the sunlight coming through the front window of the store. There was a red liquid inside. Blood. I tapped my fingernail on the container. The vial was still cool to the touch and made out of clear glass with a black rubber stopper on the end.
My chest tightened. The red liquid must be Kieran’s blood. As far as unusual gifts went that I’ve ever received, blood easily took first place. I’d bring it with me to Kieran’s house, and ask the vampire exactly how it was supposed to help me. And why did it come in a refrigerated box? I mean, he couldn’t possibly expect me to keep it cold all the time, could he?
I went into the storeroom, cut out a piece of bubble wrap, and rolled the vial into it. When the vampire blood was secured with a thick piece of packaging tape, I stuffed it back in my purse. I didn’t know what would happen if the vial broke and blood leaked all over my purse. It could get into a cut on my hand or seep into my lipstick case.
My stomach churned at the vision of applying blood-smeared lipstick on my lips. Knowing my bad luck, I’d use it without looking. I didn’t know how someone was turned into a vampire, and until that was clarified, there was no taking chances. It may only take a drop. Could vampires or werewolves turn the Selected? Grandma hadn’t mentioned anything about that in her journal, yet.
The door chimes jingled in the front of the store. Blake had finally come in for his visit. Against my better judgment, and all my self-control, I smiled from ear-to-ear. It was difficult from keeping my feelings from seeping out onto my face. The store temperature instantly rose a good ten degrees, bathing me in his warmth.
“Hey, beautiful.” Blake came in with two large cups of coffee. He’d gone to my favorite coffee shop. I could tell by the logo on the cups with little coffee beans skiing down a mountain. The smell of freshly brewed coffee with melted caramel swirls drizzled on top made me realize I desperately needed a pick-me-up. The fact the coffee was delivered by a really hot guy made me feel even better.
“Hey, yourself.” I tried to pretend to wait patiently for him to hand over that great coffee. I failed.
He laughed and gave it to me, careful not to let any of the hot liquid seep through the hole in the lid and land on my hand, or the floor. Taking a big swig, relishing in the hot, bitter taste of the dark roasted coffee with the sweet hint of caramel with every sip, was like holding heaven in a cup. Whatever Mountain Bean did to their coffee beans, they did it right.
Blake sat on the couch and put his right ankle on his left knee. His posture seemed relaxed. When Blake was tense, he tended to want to talk about us, and the possible future we were going to have together, or so he kept insisting. It was beyond flattering, more like frustrating as heck, that this extremely sexy, naturally sensuous man wanted to have anything to do with me. But the timing was way off. Story of my life.
My entire existence had been tipped on its edge, and there was no way of knowing which way it was going to go. I couldn’t handle getting involved with a man, only to have my heart broken. Eventually, his loyalties to the werewolf pack would be called into question. Seriously, relationships were hard enough to make work. Adding people who turned into werewolves and ran in the woods when the moon was full, and you may just have a disaster on your hands. My new, developing instincts told me to avoid disasters at all cost.
I took another swig of coffee and sat next to Blake on the couch. I didn’t want to ruin the good mood he was in, but that was inevitable. It was only fair to let him know about my having to meet the vampires at the coven house. I didn’t tell him about the vial of blood. That was my business. Technically, the Selected didn’t owe the wolves anything, but intentionally doing something to make them mad at me wasn’t my style. It was important to be as open and honest as politically possible, without causing myself or either the vampires or werewolves any more issues than they already had. That’s how I planned on handling Selected business. I just made my first executive decision as the Selected. Huh.
“Yeah, it was going to happen sooner or later. It goes with the nature of the job as the Selected, having to deal with them and all.”
It was an utter shock that Blake didn’t have another outburst of jealousy. He was being all calm and collected. Why didn’t he get mad? Was it the eye of the storm, and the worst was yet to come? He asked about the details of the
evening, and then it hit me.
Kieran hadn’t mentioned in the note if he would send an escort to take me to the party. He also didn’t mention what vampires did when they got together. Did they sit around drinking blood from humans addicted to the high from their bite?
I didn’t look forward to seeing humans cock their necks to the side, and beg to be bitten like a junky begged for their next fix. Knowing humans were out there that would give their own children up to the vampires, to be sucked dry of their own blood, was sick enough. There was no reason for me to actually see it.
“Would it be too much to ask you to take the cell phone with you, in case you find yourself in trouble?” he asked with one eyebrow up. He clearly expected an argument.
Since he was playing calm guy, I’d give him the same courtesy. “Of course. Just try not to call unless you need to. If an emergency comes up or something, of course go ahead and call. But if you just want to say hello, I’d rather you wait on that.”
He smiled again. “It’s okay to be nervous about meeting them. For the most part you’re human, and they drink human blood. Being surrounded by those parasites would make me nervous, too. Just stick close to Kieran, and keep your guard up. The Selected can’t be manipulated like other humans can, but vampires are devious by nature, and you don’t want to get talked into a scenario you don’t know how to get yourself out of.”
I got a little defensive at that. “Listen, Blake. I’m not a little girl, so you don’t need to go all ‘Dad’ on me, and give me a speech like it’s my first dance with a boy. Don’t let anyone talk me into giving them my blood, otherwise the world will end, or whatever. Don’t worry. The whole idea of someone biting me and sucking my blood pretty much grosses me out, and that isn’t going to happen.”
