Bizarre Life of Sydney Sedrick

by Mandi Casey

  Blake put his hands up and said, “I’m trying to talk over every possible situation you might find yourself in so you’ll be prepared, and you can avoid them. They’re not like humans. They live by a separate code of ethics. What that code is, is anyone’s guess. Don’t get comfortable with them. Don’t trust any of them, and never, ever, put your back to them.”

  I appreciated Blake wanting to protect me from the vampires, but I’m plenty capable of taking care of myself. “Thanks. I’m sorry. There’s no reason to be snippy with you. It’s just I’m not used to any of this, and it’s put me a bit on the defense. So please, don’t take it personally.”

  He put his hand on my knee and gave it a squeeze. For a second, I didn’t hear what he said. All I could focus on was the heat radiating from his hand through my jeans. The thought of him leaning over and kissing me warmed me even more.

  “I’ll forgive you if you go out with me on Sunday, for lunch.” Blake grinned that sexy grin that made me melt inside, all the way down to my toes. I’d have to work on how strongly my body reacted to him. Blake was a weakness that may possibly get me in big trouble someday, and probably soon.

  Morning Sun wasn’t open every other Sunday in the morning, and he knew it. So, there was no trying to lie about being busy at the store. “Okay, just lunch. We’ll be two friends going out for lunch, and not a man and a woman going out on a date.”

  “If that’s what you have to keep telling yourself, so be it. We’ll be friends going out to lunch to enjoy a nice meal together. Nothing more, until you change your mind.”

  Suddenly Blake stood up. The couch moved from the force his legs when he pushed against the frame. The couch scooted a few inches from where it had been positioned on the carpet. He strode over to the counter and stood there for a second with his broad back toward me. He put his nose up in the air and inhaled deeply. His eyes snapped open, and his head whipped toward me with a fiery anger he’d never shown before.

  I sank back in the cushions, heart pounding. Blake’s eyes had turned that gold-bronzed color when he smelled something that set him off.

  “Sydney!” He stalked over to me, grabbed both of my hands in his, and lifted me up off the couch to a standing position. He wrenched me against him so forcefully, the entire front of my body felt every inch of his hard, taught, muscular frame pressing against me. Sticking his nose next to my neck, into my hair, he took a big whiff.

  “Why is there vampire blood here? It’s the middle of the day. It’s like the vampire is right here in the room with us.” Blake put his nose back into the air, trying to pinpoint the location of what he smelled. Aggression, concern, and confusion laced his voice as he searched around the store like a hound, keeping me positioned behind him as he turned this way and that, sniffing.

  I didn’t want to tell him a vampire had sent his blood in the mail in a convenient glass vile, and that I had kept it from him on purpose. Hopefully, honesty would be the best way to get myself out the jam Kieran had inadvertently put me in with Blake. It was inadvertently, right?

  I threw my hands up, totally at a loss for what to say. “The package you found by the door, well, it ended up being a vial of vampire blood.”

  Repulsion contorted his face. “What the hell would anyone send you vampire blood for, and why didn’t you tell me about it?”

  He was mad, but it wasn’t my fault! There was nothing that said Blake had to know every little detail of every encounter between the vampires and me. If we were in a relationship, or something, that might be a little different. Blake getting mad would be somewhat understandable. But we weren’t. Maybe I was right, and it would be best if we didn’t travel down that complicated road that would probably only lead to pain and heartache, most likely my pain, and my heartache. My responsibilities as the Selected and Blake’s loyalty to his pack would surely get in the way if we started dating.

  “The vampires sent me the blood, in case I get in trouble. They said to drink it and somehow it would help. That’s all, so don’t make a big deal about it.”

  Blake scoffed at that. “Clearly, your ignorance in the ways of vampires is like a black-hole. Do you realize what will happen if you drink that? You should not drink vampire blood, no matter what the circumstances are. Besides, you can always call me if you’re in trouble.”

  “Well, no, they didn’t specify how it would affect me. I assumed it would give me temporary strength, better vision at night, and maybe help me heal wounds a little quicker.”

  “Sydney, you’re right.” He sighed in exasperation, and ran his hands through his gorgeous rich dark hair. “The blood of a vampire will help a human heal a near mortal wound. The blood will also enhance your senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and even taste. But what you don’t know is, once you consume the blood of a vampire, there’s no going back.”

  That piqued my interest. “What do you mean, there’s no going back? Going back from what?”

  He loosened his grip, but kept my body pressed against him. He ran his hands up and down my arms. The friction from the motion was leaving searing trails of heat wherever he touched me.

  He pinned me with his gaze. “When a human consumes the blood of a vampire, they become connected to that specific vampire. You wouldn’t be addicted to it like the addicts that crave to have their blood taken. You will experience an initial burst of adrenaline while your body tries to figure out what to do with the vampire blood, how to process it, and how to most efficiently use it.”

  We sat back on the couch next to the fireplace once his temper receded. He told me about the connection between a vampire and a human who drank their blood. That vampire would be able to communicate with the human at will. He would also be able to find them with some sort of internal compass that pointed the vampire to their own blood.

  I fought back a shudder. It was sort of creepy knowing Kieran could find me, at any time, since his blood was stuffed in my purse.

  At least for now, he wasn’t able to do that communicating thing between our brains. That would be beyond freaky. The thought of one day being out to dinner with Blake, or even a more intimate position, and a vampire starts speaking to me? Talk about awkward, not to mention that Blake would flip.

  “So, does that mean the vampire could control my mind, too?” If that was the case, then I would never drink vampire blood, no matter what. Not that I currently planned on it. I’m just saying. I’d flush the blood right down the toilet, and he could chase after it while it traveled through the city sewer system.

  “No, a vampire cannot control the mind of the Selected, no matter how much blood the Selected has consumed of the vampire. That’s a benefit of being the Selected.” He smiled that grin that melted me yet again, and went on to tell me what a bad idea it would be for me to drink a vampire’s blood. He didn’t ask who the donor of the blood in the tube was. Blake’s jealousy may not be kept so well in check if he found out the leader of the coven had personally sent me his blood.

  After I promised to call him before ever consuming the vampire blood if I ended up in a life-threatening situation, Blake left.

  A few hours later, another non-purchasing visitor arrived at the store shortly after sundown. Liam, the younger appearing vampire that watched over Brianna and me while we danced our hearts out at the club. He carried a full-length, black garment bag with a silver zipper running along the front of it.

  Liam smiled as he approached the table that I was currently using as a stepstool. The table gave me the height needed to catalogue the out-of-date magazines Aunt Judith kept around for reference.

  I sighed. It was looking more and more like there was no alternative to attending. I had questions for the master of the local vampire coven. One was, why didn’t he feel obligated to tell me, on the little note he’d sent with the vial of his blood, that if I consumed it, we’d be mental buddies for all time? That was a pretty important detail he decided to leave out. It would have to be made perfectly clear no one was going to force their will on
me, and they had better not even try to trick me into doing something so ridiculous as mind-melding with one of them.

  A chill ran through my body when Liam’s hand touched mine as he handed over the bag. The temperature of the store had dropped a few degrees the moment he walked in. The change wasn’t as drastic, like when Aaron came in. Why would there be such a difference? Did the varying temperature changes have anything to do with the age of the vampire, or their intent toward me? I’d have to ask Kieran, if there was an opportunity.

  “Hi, gorgeous.” Liam flashed his brilliantly white teeth. “This is for you to wear to the party.” His fangs were still tucked neatly into wherever they hid when he was trying to pass for a human. He wore dark sunglasses to hide his blood-red eyes. There was just no hiding those if he didn’t have the glasses on. The customers would go running out of my store if they saw them, so I was grateful he had them on. Word of mouth traveled fast in a small town like Kenosha, and keeping every customer was crucial to the success of the store.

  I went into the storeroom to hang the bag on a hook set above the mirror. Liam stood in the doorway, looking around. The tiny hairs on my arms began to rise in alert. His nearness made me slightly uncomfortable. It was a small, closed-in area with no potential route for escape, except through the door the vampire currently blocked. It wasn’t okay for the vampires to infiltrate my store whenever they felt like it, and that’s exactly what they seemed to believe. I took a step toward him, and Liam stepped backward, letting me pass through the door. He followed me out into the store proper at a respectable distance. Could vampires smell fear?

  “What a nice surprise to see you, Liam.”

  He laughed.

  The vampire caught on quick that his presence made me edgy, suspicious even.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I had other stuff to take care of in the area. It was logical for me to be the one to deliver your dress, instead of having Aaron do it. Plus, it gave me the chance to see your store.”

  I relaxed a little. Liam was just that sort of guy a girl felt comfortable around. Even though he was a vampire and worked for Kieran. He was definitely easier to be around than his colleague, Aaron.

  Liam’s sincerity and easygoing nature made it almost simple to forget he relied on human blood to survive. He was also a prime example why vampires were important beings, too, and that’s exactly why I couldn’t officially date Blake. Vampires thinking the Selected was betraying them to the werewolves would result with war and death. I couldn’t accept that kind of blood on my hands.

  Chapter 14

  The next morning, after dealing with the delivery of the new orders, I opened Grandma’s journal.

  After the investigation, the relationship between Kieran and Cian remained strained, at best. It is difficult to understand vampire affiliations. They don’t express their emotions on their faces, in their posture, or in their voices. It’s difficult to know how they feel about each other, unless they choose to make a conscious effort to convey themselves. It is different from that of humans, or even werewolves. Determining whom Kieran trusts during vampire gatherings will be close to impossible. You won’t be able to act on his non-verbal cues because there won’t be any.

  Vampires protect the blood of all vampires. The Elders put across to the coven leaders, who, in turn, teach the lesser vampires, to cherish every drop of blood, of every vampire, of every coven. The devotion to protecting their blood is so strong, wars have been waged, lives have been lost. All vampires feel a bond, not unlike that of a child to their parent, with the Elders, the original source of their precious immortality.

  I don’t fully understand why, or how, they make decisions in regards to who is turned into a vampire, who is executed for breaking their laws, and how it is decided that a vampire is chosen to be master of the covens. One thing that is certain, the decrees of the Elders are law. To go against them is the equivalent to committing vampire suicide.

  It is mystifying to try and understand why Kieran allows Cian to walk the streets of his city. Yet, that is exactly what happens. Cian is one of many vampires that feel the Selected should not be allowed to walk freely of her own accord, able to socialize with the werewolves, if that is what she chooses.

  Cian is evil. Take warning, and stay away from him. He is dangerous, manipulative, and may one day attempt to imprison the Selected. He openly voices his opinions to that effect at every given opportunity.

  Kieran’s brother watches me with menace in his eyes. Cian is a predator. He sees the Selected as a possession, not as a person with rights of her own. The only thing holding him back from doing so is the Elders’ order that Kieran is the vampire chosen to be caretaker to the Selected, and Cian is to not interfere. The Elders have deemed it Kieran’s decision regarding all matters related to the Selected. Should the Elders disagree with his decisions, they will intervene as they see fit. If that were to happen, the Knights would step in and supersede Kieran’s wishes.

  I stuffed the journal back under the cabinet when the door chimes sounded. For the next few hours, a steady stream of customers came and went. Some of the people knew exactly what they wanted to buy, and some browsed for a while before they found what they were looking for. Helping the locals figure out what best recipe mixes to use for this ailment, or that life’s trouble was a pleasant distraction to keep me from thinking of the vampire party later on that evening.

  The steady stream slowed to a trickle, then finally the store was empty. The heart stones needed to be restocked. Those always went fast off the shelves. Heart stones were used to mend broken hearts from breakups or losing a loved one. It soothed the wearer and lightened the grief. When I went back into the storeroom, I saw the garment bag hung above the mirror. Kieran had practically read my mind. I no longer had to worry about picking something out from my barren closet to wear.

  I unzipped the bag and took the dress completely out to hold it at arm’s length in front of me. It was a floor-length, black cocktail dress. The neckline was cut a little low for my tastes, but I liked the slit that would go up my right thigh, almost to the bend of my leg.

  I’d definitely have to wear heels. Mentally going over the contents of my closet, the vision of black, strappy, high-heeled shoes flashed across my eyes. They would go perfect with the length and style of the dress. The neckline went up and around in one solid strap. The back of the dress was completely open from the neck strap all the way down to the waist. How was anyone supposed to wear a bra with this?

  Tension in my muscles loosened. I hadn’t realized I was so stressed about the party. The dress Kieran had chosen would definitely do, and it wasn’t something that would make me too embarrassed to be seen in general public wearing. I carefully hung the dress on the hook and smoothed out the wrinkles in the bag. I didn’t want to be the silly human looking disheveled. There was probably nothing on this planet that would help me not stick out like a sore thumb, but at least I’d look good while doing it.

  Brianna and Michael were at Aunt Judith’s house when I pulled up. There wasn’t much time before Kieran’s party, so I ran up the stairs without going into the kitchen to say hello to them first.

  My anxiety level was seriously ramping up. With my eyes closed, I tried to focus on slowing my heart rate. Besides the obvious things about vampires that would make a person nervous being surrounded by them, the fact Kieran would let his brother hang out in his territory after Cian was caught mistreating humans made me question if any vampire was truly trustworthy. Wasn’t that a conflict of morals? If Kieran allowed Cian to continue his horrendous treatment of humans in his own territory, what would Cian be allowed to do to the Selected, or to a werewolf if one was caught? Kieran was chosen by the Elders to protect the Selected, according to my grandma, but how far would he go to do that if his brother were to get in the way, and make Kieran choose between us?

  Aunt Judith was dishing up lasagna soup in the kitchen when I walked in. The smell of melted cheese, tomato sauce, garlic, and pasta t
antalized my taste buds, and made my stomach protest loudly at the fact it was too busy at the store today to eat lunch that afternoon. She dished up a bowl of the delicious meal, and set it on the table where my sister was sitting with her boyfriend. They were both finishing up their servings of the steaming soup.

  “Wow, look at you, big sister! Where are you going looking so hot?” Brianna smiled at me. Apparently my dress looked okay.

  I shoved another forkful of food into my mouth, thinking fast, using chewing as a stall tactic. I had to come up with an excuse as to where I had to go dressed like this.

  “I have a meeting to go to, nothing big. It’s for work, just a bunch of stuffy buyers getting together to talk about what products are up-and-coming, what’s selling and what’s not. Don’t worry, you’re not missing much. Actually, I wouldn’t go, either, if it was optional.”

  There was probably too much bitterness to that last statement, but that’s the way I felt. The vampires hadn’t given me a choice in the matter, and that didn’t make me too happy.

  Michael gave me a knowing look. Blake must have told him about the vampire party. He was lucky he didn’t open his big mouth to contradict my lie. It was bad enough my only sister didn’t know about all the bloodcurdling things that were out roaming in the night, and that it was in her best interest to stop coming to Kenosha all together. Michael would instantly make an enemy out of me if he decided to play around and make Brianna suspicious of my true destination. The truth made me feel guilty enough as it was.

  “Blake’s going to be so jealous when he hears about that dress, and he isn’t the one who gets to admire it on you. Surely he’s going to hear about it from someone.” Michael laughed. He seemed to gain too much enjoyment from having the opportunity to taunt his cousin, using his feelings for me as ammo.

  The mention of Blake’s name made me blush. I felt awkward talking about him since Michael and Brianna knew he was actively pursuing me. I silently admitted to myself that it would have been great for him to see me all dressed up and looking my best. Michael wasn’t the only one not above enjoying the thought of Blake seeing me, and being a little jealous knowing that vampires would be spending time with me in the dress for the evening, and not him.