First Blade (Awakening Book 1)

by Jane Hinchey

  "You know, I can't remember the last time I saw you with your hair down." She touched the silken strands that curled over Georgia's shoulders and dropped almost to her waist.

  "Necessity at the moment," Georgia admitted, "I keep breaking the hair ties and Zak is crap at braiding it."

  "I'm so jealous," Skye admitted.

  "Of my hair?" Georgia was stunned.

  "No, silly," Skye giggled, "that you've beaten your blood lust in mere days. It took me weeks."

  "What about the other?" Georgia lowered her voice.

  "The other?"

  "Sex. Physical lust. I'm having a lot of trouble with controlling that."

  "Oh! Well, um, it hasn't been too bad for me. An odd twinge. Plus Zak has strictly forbidden them to touch me, so even if I wanted to, none of them would go against Zak."

  "I don't understand," Georgia muttered.

  "Maybe it's because you and Zak were already, you know, doing it?" Skye offered. Georgia's mind drifted, remember her and Zak...doing it...her pulse quickened, her eyes darkened.

  "Georgia!" Skye shook her. "Focus. Let me show you where the blood's kept." Skye grabbed her hand and led her to the kitchen. The fridge was stacked with blood bags.

  "I like mine warm," Skye told her. Grabbing a coffee cup and a bag of blood she pierced the bag, draining the contents into the mug and placing it in the microwave. "Try it."

  Georgia took the mug and sipped. Not too bad. Nothing like the sweetness of Zak's blood, but bearable.

  "Have you tried fresh blood?" Georgia asked her sister.

  "Yeah. It's divine. Dainton showed me, just in case I was somewhere and the thirst hit me and I couldn't get to our supply. He said it was important I learn to drink from the vein without harming the humans. And how to trance them into forgetting."

  The humans. Only a few short days ago Georgia was human. And not long before that so was Skye. And here they were, standing in Zak's kitchen drinking blood out of coffee cups. She never saw that coming.

  While they chatted, Georgia examined the newly renovated kitchen. It had a country-industrial vibe, white cupboards, tiles, and stainless steel appliances. The kitchen table seated eight comfortably and had a French provincial feel to it. Small pots with herbs sat upon the windowsill, adding to the charm.

  "We need to decide what to do about the shop."

  "God, the shop! The fire seemed soooo long ago. Do we know how the clean-up and repairs are going?"

  "I haven't been able to get down there and check."

  "Okay, okay. Let me think. Obviously, we can't run it as a nine-to-five store anymore, neither of us would be able to show up during the day. What about after hours? Do you know the zoning laws?"

  "I did look into it, but to be honest, I think we should just sell," Skye admitted.

  "Really? But you love that place," Georgia protested.

  "I know, but all that has changed. And I've had longer to get my head around this being a vampire thing and having the shop isn't viable. I can't go back to living above the shop, and I don't want to. I like it here. I've got my own room, the guys are great. This is my life now."

  Georgia absorbed Skye's words, stunned. An invisible weight lifted from her shoulders. Skye was happy and content in her new vampire life. And Georgia knew she would be too.

  "And the farm?" Skye asked.

  "Not sure. Guess I'll have to sell as well. I still have a mortgage and if we're not bringing in income from the shop I won't be able to afford it. I'm probably already behind in payments, with everything that's gone on for the last four weeks."

  Georgia stood and stretched. "I want to go back and get some more of my stuff. Are you all moved in here or do you still have clothes there?"

  "I've only got what the guys shoved into a bag for me," Skye admitted. That was all Georgia had as well. That decided, she stuck her head into the conference room.

  "Sorry to interrupt, fellas. Zak, Skye and I are dropping into the farm to pick up some gear."

  "No."

  "Too bad. We're going." She shut the door, but he'd teleported next to her within a second.

  "It's not safe."

  "Zak, nothing has happened since I've been back and it's been days. A couple of hours at the farm getting some of my stuff won't hurt. You can't dump us here with a handful of clothes and expect us to call it 'home'. Us girls need our things, and I, for one, need more hair ties!"

  "I don't like it."

  "You don't have to, but you know I don't cope well with being smothered. And perhaps just a little bit of distance will help me get this...ache...under control." Now that he was next to her, touching her, her body was on fire again, want and need thrumming through her.

  His eyes darkened and dropped to her mouth. He rubbed his thumb along her full lower lip and her tongue darted out to taste him.

  "Go," he growled, his own control slipping. "But take this." He pressed a cell phone into her hand. "Two hours. You'd both better be back safe and sound." He slipped back into the conference room, the door clicking closed in the silence that followed.

  "Wow!" Skye was impressed. "You've got him wrapped around your little finger."

  "I'm not sure who's got who," Georgia admitted, struggling to come down from the high just being close to him brought.

  Her front door was sealed with 'Police. Do not cross' ribbon. She could see the residue from fingerprinting dust and she suddenly remembered.

  "Rhys!" Shit. Rhys. Her best friend. Her best friend who she hadn't given a thought to in how long? Three weeks? Four? Okay, she had a pretty good reason, being held captive by Marius for three of those weeks, but he'd never crossed her mind since her return. Damn it.

  "Shit," she muttered, feeling bad. Ignoring the tape, she pushed inside. Everything was exactly how they left it the night Skye was taken. Furniture overturned, blood stains on walls and floors. Skye's bedroom window was broken, the fly screen torn. The girls righted the furniture then quickly packed what they could. While Skye was loading the truck, Georgia pulled out the phone Zak had given her and dialed a familiar number.

  "Yeah?" A familiar gruff, growl.

  "Rhys? It's Georgia." She heard feet hit the floor, could almost see him sitting up straight.

  "Georgia! Fuck. Where are you? Are you okay? Shit, I've been looking for you for a month!" he rushed.

  "I'm home. I'm fine," she assured him. "I'm sorry I worried you."

  "Stay put!" He hung up.

  "Was that wise?" Skye asked from the doorway. Georgia shrugged. Maybe not, but if Rhys found out she was back and Zak wouldn't let him see her? It wasn't fair. Rhys loved and cared about both of them and he deserved answers. And the truth.

  He must've broken every speed limit in the city, tires spinning as he skidded to a halt in the driveway. Rushing inside he came to an abrupt halt when he saw them, standing side by side, red eyes glowing.

  "Fucking. Hell." he ground out, running a trembling hand through his thick hair, the strands sticking up on end. "You've gone vamp," he spat, anger pulsing across the room. Georgia felt it like a physical thing, pushing at her. She growled, fangs popping from her gums.

  "Hey, hey, hey," Skye soothed, one hand against Georgia's chest, the other held toward Rhys, palm out. "Let's just calm down. Rhys, c'mon, not like you to jump to conclusions," she chided him. His breath left him in a whoosh and he collapsed into an armchair, rubbing a weary hand across his eyes.

  "Thought you two were fucking dead," he muttered, his voice torn, the pain evident.

  "We're sorry," Skye murmured softly, easing her hand away from Georgia's chest but keeping a close eye on her sister. She'd only been risen a few days; it wasn't smart to put Rhys's juicy arteries in the same room with her.

  Georgia remained frozen in place while Skye filled Rhys in on what went down and how they now both appeared before him as vampires. She didn't know if vampires drank werewolf blood, but Rhys smelt pretty good to her right now. She backed up, not leaving the room but putting herself as far away
as she could but still keeping him in sight. Over the burn of her hunger was raw emotion. She'd missed him, but with her change, their relationship had changed. Irrevocably. They wouldn't be hanging out anymore, and she mourned the loss.

  Rhys eyed her, his gaze full of pain and disappointment.

  "Stop looking at me like that," she growled, his pain feeding her own. All her emotions were heightened, his pain scraping raw like salt in a wound. He looked away, then his head snapped to the left, sniffing the air.

  "Company." He jumped to his feet. "Vamps." Back to the wall, he inched toward the window and peered out. "Not your guys."

  "Fucking typical," Georgia swore, "now Marius decides to make his move."

  "Do you think he knew we left the homestead?" Skye murmured.

  "Possibly. Makes sense. We need to get back to Zak." Georgia's heart was beating too fast, panic starting to blanket her vision in red. Memories of the pain she'd suffered at the hands of Marius had her trembling and shaking, losing control. They had to get out. Get away. Now, now, now. The sounds, sights, scents, it was all too much. She felt like she was going to explode out of her skin.

  Something wet coated her face and mouth. Licking it she craved more.

  "Easy now, pet," a voice soothed from far away. More wetness filled her mouth and slid down her throat, soothing the burn. Her shaking stopped and her eyes blinked open. Everything was filtered through a haze of red. "What?" her voice was hoarse.

  "Georgia." Zak's voice. She was with Zak. She was safe. The haze started to clear, senses returning. She was on the floor in Zak's kitchen, empty blood bags strewn around her.

  "How'd I get here?"

  "It was amazing!" Skye declared, kneeling by her side and helping her to sit up. Warriors stood around them, and Rhys sat uneasily at the kitchen table, uncomfortable in a vampire's lair. How did they get out of the farm with Marius approaching?

  "You teleported! Not just yourself, you swooped us up into a giant bear hug and teleported us here," Skye told her, voice laced with excitement.

  "Bullshit." Georgia pulled herself to her feet, wiping her forearm across her face, blood smearing.

  "It's true," Zak confirmed. "The three of you suddenly appeared right here. Of course, the effort totally drained you, sending you into an immediate blood lust." That explained the carnage on the kitchen floor. She looked over at Rhys who was pale beneath his tan. "Did I hurt you?"

  "No."

  Thank God. She'd never forgive herself if she hurt him. She looked back to Zak.

  "Blood bags? Not you?"

  "If it was Marius at your farm, then he is on his way here. I need to keep my strength." He brushed a thumb across her cheekbone. Without conscious thought she was in his arms, pressed into him from knee to chest, arms wrapped around his neck and mouth planted on his. She propelled them across the room, crashing him back against the wall, plaster falling around them. His hand cupped the back of her head and he tilted his head, changing the angle of their kiss, spinning them so it was she who was pushed up against the wall. Capturing her wrists he pinned them above her head, and she groaned into his mouth. More. His hand came up to cup her breast when the sound of a male clearing his throat penetrated the fog. They both froze, then Zak slowly and gently disengaged. He waited for her to calm, to catch her breath, not touching her but shielding her body from view while she struggled to get her lust under control.

  "I'm good." She straightened her clothes and squared her shoulders. There was no time to feel embarrassed; the house began to vibrate.

  "Do you feel that?" Aston muttered. They did. Everyone scattered to the front of the house in time to see the front door explode, ripped off the hinges by an invisible force. The door crashed onto the floor with a thud that seemed to reverberate throughout the entire house.

  Marius strode in, power rolling from him in great waves. Behind him came Erik, Veronica, and a dozen others. Silence filled the large foyer, the Warriors still and silent, weapons drawn.

  Marius's eyes landed on her, cold and assessing.

  "Lost your humanity so soon?" he sneered.

  "Don't speak to me, parasite," she hissed, the red haze dancing at the edges of her vision.

  "No matter. Now that you've turned you're more likely to survive me bedding you. Raping you as a human would have been a delight, but now in your new body...I can't wait."

  Zak let an enraged roar and while everything happened at once, at the same time it was as if time had frozen. Around her, the sounds of battle reached her ears. Flesh tearing heads rolling, blood spraying. She felt isolated from it. In the middle of it, yet not.

  "Bitch!" She was knocked back into awareness by a body on her back, clawing at her face. Veronica. Grabbing the woman by the arm she swung hard, flipping her over her shoulder and onto the floor in front of her. The tiles cracked at the impact. Georgia leaped on her and they rolled, Veronica managing to plunge a blade into Georgia's side. Georgia tried to reach her dagger, tucked inside her boot, but couldn't get to it. She'd have to do this the hard way. Pulling her arm back she plunged her hand into Veronica's abdomen, pushing up under her ribcage and squeezing her heart in her fist.

  Veronica gurgled, blood sputtering from her mouth as she tried to slide away on her back. Georgia straddled her, arm still buried in her chest, still squeezing. Veronica's eyes were shocked.

  "You know, I wonder if your heart really is black?" she asked conversationally. With a tug she pulled the organ free, holding it up in her clenched fist, gore and blood running down her arm.

  "Well look at that. Red like the rest of us." She glanced down at the other woman, eyes now frozen in death.

  As soon as Marius threatened Georgia, Zak's control snapped. Simply vanished. Pure rage washed through him as he launched himself at the other vampire, plowing into him and sending them both flying across the room, their air-bound flight coming to a sudden halt when they hit the wall, dust and rubble falling around them.

  Zak was quickly on his feet, launching another attack, determined to rip Marius's head off and end this threat once and for all. Georgia's dagger could kill him for good, but so could removing his head. And Marius knew it. Deftly he avoided Zak's attack, managing to stay out of reach.

  Zak could feel his magic stirring, pushing at his control. He couldn't let it out, not here; he'd end up killing them all. He knew the moment his eyes glowed green - Marius's breath hitched in his throat and for a second he froze, stunned by the change. He could probably feel Zak's power rolling over him as well.

  "What are you?"

  "More than you." His voice was deeper, the magic seeping through him taking over, changing him, making him stronger, more powerful. "More than you'll ever be. You think because you've awoken that you can do what you want? Take what you want?"

  "You were careless with her," Marius sneered, "leading her straight into danger. You don't deserve her."

  "Maybe not, but she is mine nonetheless. Mine." The pain of losing Georgia, of knowing the torture Marius forced on her, was too much. Emotion rolled through him, gathering momentum he was powerless to control. With a roar, a wave of power shot from his hand; he would make this vampire pay. With his life. Nothing less would do.

  Marius tried to dodge but it was futile. He flew across the room again, smashing into another wall, the powerful wave not easing up as it forced him through wall after wall until he was at the far end of the house. Shakily he rose to his feet, watching as Zak stalked through the holes in the walls towards him, eyes glowing green and promising death.

  Still straddling Veronica's lifeless body, Georgia looked around her. The battle raged, Zak and Marius trading blows across the room from her. Suddenly a hand tangled in her hair and jerked her backward off Veronica's body. Georgia wriggled and tried to twist away but her hair was wrapped around and around someone's wrist, dragging her back across the blood-splattered floor until they were out of sight. Then she was thrown across the floor. Sliding to a stop she pushed her hair out of her eyes to face h
er attacker. Erik. Should've known.

  "You and I have some unfinished business." He stalked toward her, eyes gleaming, fangs extended. Georgia sprang into a crouch, ready for him.

  "You were promised to me," Erik told her conversationally as they circled around each other, waiting for the other to pounce. "Once Marius had finished with you, he was giving you to me. I'm here to take what's mine."

  "I'm not yours, and I'm not Marius's either, dickwad."

  Erik lunged, but she was ready for him, ducking and rolling out of the way. He growled in frustration but kept up the pursuit.

  "You're going to taste so fucking good."

  "You're never going to know."

  Rather than wait for his next attack, Georgia pounced, springing at him only to duck low at the last minute, cannonballing into his lower body, knocking him off his feet. They skidded across the floor, knocking furniture over with their momentum. She managed to latch onto his back, forearm across his throat and legs wrapped in a punishing grip around his middle. She pulled tighter and tighter, trying to break his neck, but she had the wrong angle. Strangling him wouldn't achieve anything; he didn't need air to breathe. He struggled to his knees with her on his back, then slammed himself backward, crushing her against a wall. It was enough to loosen her grip and he flipped, pinning her to the wall. He grinned, baring fangs as he started to lower his mouth to her neck. He wasn't expecting the head butt that had him seeing stars. Nor the following sharp, burning pain of her dagger piercing his chest and sinking into his heart.

  "I said no," Georgia gritted, twisting the dagger and shredding his heart, "and when a girl says no, she damn well means it, asshole." His eyes met hers, surprise and confusion flashing across his face as he died, sliding sideways to the floor.

  She was pushing him away from her, struggling to get out from beneath his deadweight where he'd pinned her against the wall, when she saw Marius blast through the wall, backward. Only he didn't stop but flew across the room and through the next wall. A second later Zak followed, stalking across the room and stepping through the hole Marius made.