Drawing Blood

by Mary Lou George

  “What can you expect? Stephen has a first class scientific brain. He’s brilliant. Surely it doesn’t surprise you that he’s jazzed by what Stryker told us last night.”

  Avery said, “Who knew that Muskoka would be ground zero for the salvation of the planet?”

  “I wonder if we know any of Stryker’s pioneers,” Holly said, then shook her head. “I’m not sure if I want to know. Too much information could be dangerous.”

  Avery said, “I’m not sure Stryker would tell us if we asked, at least not now.”

  “He’s asked to see me this morning. Apparently there’s more he needs to tell me.”

  “You and not us.” Avery narrowed her blue eyes, sipped her coffee and spoke over the rim. “It must have something to do with your reactions to each other, otherwise why wouldn’t Stephen and I be invited?”

  “Oh I know it’s about us. He pretty much said so. He claimed it was best if he waited until this morning to talk to me.” With her elbows propped on the counter, she dropped her chin in her hands. “He was probably wise to insist on it. I’m not sure how I feel right now. I think I’m numb.”

  Avery walked around the kitchen island and hugged her. “I’ll insist on staying with you if you want.”

  Holly sighed with resignation. “Thanks, but I think I need to talk to him alone.”

  “When’s he coming?”

  Holly shrugged. “He said he’d call.” She pointed to the phone. “I’m expecting that thing to ring at any time, heralding his approach.” She jumped when it actually rang.

  Avery looked at her warily and shook her head. She said, “Gadzooks, it’s Count Chocula himself! You know chocolate can replace sex. Damn, that’s just messed up. Give me sec…I’ll work this out…” She frowned and started to mumble to herself.

  It was indeed Stryker calling to tell Holly he was on his way.

  * * * *

  Why did he have to look so edible? Holly wondered. Avery’s chocolate reference didn’t hit far from the mark. Stryker Cain was chocolate for the feminine eye. He wore jeans that fit him like all men wished jeans could fit, comfortable and sexy as hell. He made a red blooded woman want to put a hand in each of his back pockets and pull him hard against her. Being a red blooded woman, Holly shook her head and tried to ignore his pants and listen to what he was saying.

  “…was just here...” He stopped speaking when he saw her shake her head. “Is something wrong?” He looked genuinely concerned and Holly felt guilty.

  “No no no. Everything’s fine. I was just taking a moment.” She laughed lamely and started to walk towards the living room. “What were you saying?”

  He said, “Avery just left.”

  “Yes, but I guess that stands to reason,” she said. “At any given time, if Avery isn’t here, she probably just left or is on her way.”

  “True, but I could smell her too.” He was serious.

  She blushed. “Oh yeah, I forgot…your superior sense of smell. Riding the subway in the summer would be torture for you.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t really find natural scents unpleasant.” He laughed. “I’m like a dog that way.”

  “You said it, I didn’t.”

  He looked toward her computer. “Did Arnie send you his results?”

  Holly nodded. “Yeah but everything on Irene’s phone dumps seems normal except a call she received from an untraceable disposable cell phone. Generally I wouldn’t see that as unusual, but she was murdered and around here disposable cell phones are rare.”

  “Could I see what Arnie found out? I will be able to recognize most of the numbers.”

  Holly said, “Sure. I’ll just e-mail them to you right now.” She sat down in front of her laptop and looked up at him, “What’s your address?”

  “Here, I’ll type it in for you.” He moved to lean over her and type in his address, but uncomfortable with his closeness, Holly slipped under one of his arms and walked away.

  Trying to sound normal, she said, “Can I get you a drink?”

  He declined. Nervous, Holly walked to the couch bent her knees and sat stiffly.

  When he was finished with her computer, she said, “Okay, get started.”

  He smiled at her rigid posture and said, “Relax, Holly. Can we just talk about nothing for a bit? Did you sleep well?”

  Holly said, “I slept fine, thank you.” She looked at him suspiciously and added, “Remind me to ask you about that, okay?”

  He nodded and said warily, “Sure, I can do that.”

  “Did you tell Declan that Avery, Stephen and I know?”

  “I didn’t have to. He knew I intended to discuss our plans with you. My brother knows I am a man of my word. He knows it is done.”

  “He didn’t wonder how we took it?”

  Stryker smiled and said, “He knows I have more to tell you today.”

  “Ah, so Declan knows what you’re about to say to me?” Uncomfortable, Holly lost her patience. “Just tell me, Stryker, I’ve had enough of secrets.”

  “Of course, I’m sorry I was insensitive about that. I had to speak to you alone because this affects you only.”

  She nodded and made a gesture with her hands that indicated he’d better hurry up and spill.

  He said, “Our scientists have linked psychic ability to our species. We have reason to believe that every human being with supernatural abilities has a vampire ancestor.” He nodded at her when she furrowed her brow. “We’ve shared this planet as long as humans have. Vampires and humans have joined with each other since the beginning of time. Humans who have fallen in love with vampires are fiercely loyal to their mates. They’ve kept our secret for thousands of years. Their children always inherit some, if not all of our superior abilities. Our blood is diluted in later generations and our scientists have discovered that explains why some humans exhibit our abilities, but have no idea how.”

  Holly scowled at him. “So somehow you can prove that every psychic is part vampire?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not saying that at all. I can’t be that definite, but we can prove that there are vampire DNA markers in every gifted human we’ve tested so far.”

  Holly’s heart pounded in her chest and she hesitated to speak again. Her voice wasn’t at her command. She let his words sink in. He waited in silence. His eyes never left hers.

  Finally her voice obeyed and she said, “I’ve had supernatural abilities my whole life. If what you say is true then someone in my bloodline hundreds if not thousands of years ago had a half human half vampire child.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly anxious to hear his response, but afraid of it as well.

  He took her hand and stroked her palm with his thumb. At every point of contact with him, her skin tingled. She made note of it and was grateful for it. Her hand felt right in his. For once, the heat of her skin was cooled by his touch. His strength somehow communicated with her and propped her up, giving her the courage to insist.

  “Stryker, tell me the truth. You said it yourself. I need to know.”

  He squeezed her hand and said, “If our doctors examined your blood they would find vampire markers, yes. But more than that, Holly, I believe your blood would be half human and half vampire.”

  Chapter 18

  Shocked, Holly pulled her hands away and scowled at him. “What makes you say such an outrageous thing? How can I be half vampire?”

  “I’m not sure, but I think we’ll find the answer when we learn more about your mother’s life.”

  “I don’t like what you’re suggesting. My mother was not a vampire. Alison and Matthew don’t have any of your so-called vampire abilities. I’m the only one in the family who has them…” Mortified, it dawned on Holly what she was saying and what he was suggesting. “You don’t think I’m the biological child of Alan and Helene Seaton do you?”

  “I think there is evidence that puts your parentage into question.” He admitted quietly.

  Angry at his prevarication, Ho
lly said, “Damn it, Stryker. Quit beating around the bush. You think I was adopted?”

  “Yes, that is one possibility.”

  “That’s impossible. My father told me about the night my mother gave birth to me. He was there!”

  “Perhaps the woman who gave birth to you was not Helene Seaton.”

  Holly rejected that theory with a shake of her head. “That’s not possible. My father has always told me that I’m just like her.”

  “He could still say that and be telling the truth. You could be just like your mother and not be related to Helene Seaton.” He sounded so reasonable Holly wanted to shake him.

  “You think my father had an affair and I’m the result? Or do you think my mother had an affair and I’m the result?” Her voice was sharp and demanding.

  Stryker didn’t pull any punches. “Either one is possible, however, your father doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who could raise the child of a man who’d stolen a much beloved wife.”

  “He couldn’t. He’s far too alpha male for that. My father worshiped Helene Seaton. If she’d cheated on him and had this man’s baby, he’d have deserted us both.” She frowned and looked down at her hands. They were clutched so tightly they ached. Forcibly releasing the tension, Holly opened and closed them stiffly. “My father is not an easy man, but he loves me. Yes, he’s always treated me differently, but that’s because I’m such a disappointment to him.” Her voice trembled. Fathers had such an effect on their daughters’ self esteem. “I can’t believe that I’m different because my mother was not Helene Seaton, but rather a vampire woman my father cannot speak about.”

  Stryker nodded at her. “It fits Holly. I’m sorry. If your mother was of my kind, your father would never be able to forget her. Nothing compares to the love shared between our species.”

  “What are you saying? Explain what you mean.” Her gaze was sharp, ready to identify a half truth.

  “Vampires live far more passionate lives than do humans. Our senses are sharper and often our feelings are extreme. Our love can be incredibly intense. You’ve no doubt heard about people dying for love?”

  She nodded, suspicious. “Heard of it, yes.”

  “Well, dying for love is not uncommon for my kind, when a vampire finds what we call a bloodmate, all else pales in comparison. The couple is linked, forever changed by the powerful shared experience.”

  “Is it always mutual?” She was afraid of his answer, but refused to look away.

  “For bloodmates, yes. They sense their mate’s desires and it fuels their own. Imagine a passion multiplied exponentially.” He pulled Holly from her seat and made room for her on the couch. Mesmerized by his words and the tone of his voice, she didn’t protest. There was no question about it. She was rattled beyond her capacity to think straight, but after a second of close proximity she grabbed what sense she still possessed and decided to put some distance between them or risk losing her will to think independently.

  Holly pushed away from him. “Forget about my mother and father for a moment.” Still bewildered, she looked at him and put her hand against her heart. “You can somehow tell that I have vampire blood?”

  He nodded. “The older ones can always tell. I’m not the oldest of my kind by a long shot, but I have had experience with this kind of thing. It has been my job to find people with our blood no matter how diluted. Declan is convinced that these people should be the first we approach when we begin to initiate contact. Their minds would be more open to the possibility of our existence. Many of them already feel like misfits.”

  “Is that why you told me?”

  “Yes, but that’s not the only reason. Holly, you have far more power than you know. Raw abilities such as yours left untrained would be like a beacon to a bloodstalker. So far, I think perhaps the drugs you were taking temporarily retarded your capacities. When your powers come to you, if you’re not prepared, there’s no telling what could happen. Tragedy could ensue.”

  Holly looked at him warily still keeping her distance. “What kind of tragedy?”

  “The kind that made Margaret Wickham throw you from her house in a panic.” He gave her a sympathetic look.

  Positively incredulous, she stood up and started to pace. “So everything I’ve known up until now has been a lie? Even who gave birth to me? You’re telling me that I’ll discover new abilities that could be dangerous to me and other people?”

  She ran both hands through her hair and pushed the thick strands behind her ears with impatience. She waited for his answer.

  “That’s it in a nutshell sort of.”

  “Now I know why you didn’t tell me this last night.” She tried to smile at him. The whole thing was completely outrageous, but Stryker was so serious, so earnest that Holly couldn’t help but believe him.

  “Think about it. Have you ever had a single sick day in your life? Any cut or scrape healed very quickly, didn’t it?”

  She looked away from him and thought about his questions. He was right, she’d been incredibly healthy her entire life. Except for her ‘spells’, she’d never seen a doctor for any other reason. She did heal fast and viruses that attacked the people surrounding her, always seemed to avoid her.

  She said, “You’ve offered to let Stephen take your blood and test it.” When he nodded she continued, “Well then, I want him to take mine as well and prove to me that what you’re saying is possible.”

  “I think that would be wise. You trust Stephen. I’m sure he’d be happy to do this for us.”

  “Agreed. That’s the first thing I want to do.” She wiped her hands on her shorts, continuing to pace. “Next, I want as much information as possible about my mother. If I’m going to confront my father, I want to know everything.” Holly had had enough of secrets.

  He nodded. “I’ve already got people working on that. If you trust me to take care of this for you, they can continue.”

  She didn’t mince words. “I’m not sure if I trust you or not, but that’s beside the point. I want to see everything you have right away. I’ll ask Arnie to verify anything that doesn’t ring true.”

  He didn’t look offended, merely regretful as he said, “This thing between us…”

  Holly interrupted him with a raised hand and said firmly, “Is on hold until I find out who I am.”

  * * * *

  Avery was just as shocked as Holly had been with Stryker’s claims. They sat around Avery’s dining room table with martini glasses in front of them. Avery had made pomegranate martinis, Oprah’s recipe. Avery’s version of the drink was strong and a little biting, exactly what Holly needed. They’d just managed to put the kids to bed and spoke in hushed tones. The sun was setting and the two women watched as it turned the sky spectacular shades of blue, purple, yellow and pink, beautiful beyond reason. The breathtaking sight made Holly believe that maybe anything was possible after all. Since meeting Stryker, each day brought her something new to wonder about. Today had been a notable example.

  When Holly finished explaining what Stryker had told her, Avery said paradoxically, “I’m speechless.” She took a breath, opened her mouth let out the air she’d taken in and closed her mouth again. Avery was truly left speechless. That as much as anything scared Holly.

  “Help me out here, Avery. This is crazy, right? He’s certifiable and I am too, for listening to him.”

  Avery was absolutely serious when she finally found her voice. “If that’s the case then you’ve taken Stephen with you. He believes everything Stryker has told us so far.” She shrugged and said reluctantly, “I’m afraid I do too.”

  Holly scoffed. “You believe I’m a vampire?”

  Avery laughed and said, “That’s putting it a bit harshly, but when it’s boiled down, yes, I believe it’s a possibility. You are different than most humans. I’ve always known you were special. I can believe that you possess untapped gifts or abilities. Do they come from vampire blood? I don’t know, but Stryker is very convincing and paints a very different pic
ture of vampires for me.” She shrugged. “Let’s wait until Stephen is finished with the blood samples before we head down to Sherman Funeral Homes and pick out your new long, narrow bed with a lid.”

  Off hand, Holly said, “Stryker said that’s a myth. Vampires do not sleep in coffins.”

  “A little artistic license would be appreciated, Vampira.” Avery smiled engagingly and Holly couldn’t help but smile back. Avery said, “Damn it, I meant to rent the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer…research you know. Doesn’t that Angel guy remind you of Stryker?”

  “Very funny.” Holly rolled her eyes.

  “Comedy. It’s my only defense. I would go insane without it,” Avery admitted.

  Holly sighed, “Well these days I’m not sure you’d have to go too far.”

  “I would like to see some of the abilities Stryker claims to have.” She giggled.

  “I already have.”

  “Yeah, and one of them is the ability to give you multiple orgasms in your sleep. Have you asked him about that yet?” Avery teased.

  Holly appreciated her attempt at humor and smiled. “No, of course not. But he can move at a remarkable speed…get your mind out of the gutter Avery. I’m serious. The first time we met, he came from nowhere and stopped me from falling to the ground. He gets out of the car and opens my door before I can get my seat belt off. He’s fast, but it’s weird, I never see him move at super speed. He’s just there.”

  “Well, Holly, he did say that for short distances he can move faster than the human eye can see. Maybe what you’ve seen is proof of that. It sure as hell sounds supernatural.”

  “It’s possible. He smelled you earlier today you know.” Holly could tease as well.

  Avery flushed. “How embarrassing.” She lifted an arm and sniffed.

  Holly laughed. “He didn’t seem to mind.”

  “My pores secrete honey.” Avery smoothed a hand over her hair with mocking supreme confidence. “From what I’ve learned about vampires from Stryker’s example and what I read in his books last night before I went to bed, I think I like vampires better than humans.”