by Alice Brown
Something caught Kevin’s peripheral vision, and as he glanced up towards the house, Erica was able to get a good look at his face. His eyes were white, and his fangs were showing as he turned and roared at Shawn. Erica felt her whole body start trembling, as her knees gave out from under her. Everything suddenly made sense. Kevin knew what he was up against with Shawn, because Kevin himself was a vampire. So, if Kevin was a vampire….oh no, this simply wasn’t possible. Had she truly left one vampire house simply to move to another? As if dealing with one vampire hadn’t been bad enough, now she was surrounded by a family of them!
Her head started spinning, and her heart started to race uncontrollably, as she tried to wrap her head around this latest information. She braced herself up against a wall for support, finding herself too weak to hold herself upright. She began trembling violently, and she wondered how in the world she had managed to walk out of one vampire house and straight into another? Did she have a neon sign on her forehead that read, open to abuse from vampires, apply here?
Something had made Kevin glance upward, and over to the house. His eyes immediately found Erica standing in front of the large bay window, and he knew in that instant that his secret was out. The reflection of him coming off the glass was proof enough. Damn Jennifer, why didn’t she take Erica back to his suite, where she wouldn’t see any of this? Shawn used Kevin’s momentary distraction to his benefit. He kicked Charles backwards into a nearby tree, taking advantage of the second that it would take Charles to shake off the effects, to make his exit. Kevin, still stunned by the realization that his secret was out, allowed a second of distraction to throw him off. That second of distraction was the downfall of the fight. In the second that he realized Erica had seen him for what he truly was, it felt like the breath had been yanked out of him.
Rosetta came across Erica slumped against the wall, arms wrapped around her middle, crying hysterically. A quick glance out the window confirmed her suspicions. She walked up to Erica slowly, clearly wanting to comfort her, and looking very distressed at the same time. “I am sorry, Erica. He should have told you sooner. He was trying to hold off until you were strong enough to handle it.”
“Why?” Erica started to ask of Rosetta, but didn’t get any further. She stopped there, incapable of articulating anything else at this point. She really wasn’t expecting an answer out of Rosetta. It was just as well, considering Rosetta currently looked speechless. Why hadn’t anyone told her, and more importantly, what exactly did they plan to do with her?
Rosetta started to put a comforting hand on Erica’s shoulder, but she was much too upset to let anyone near. She took off running for her bedroom. Okay, the vampire guest bedroom. Erica knew that since Shawn was outside, her only halfway safe choice, for the moment, was to lock herself in the bedroom. She needed time to think. She had left one vampire house that was positively horrid and gone to what? Sure, everyone in this house had certainly been nice and kind, but how long was that going to last? Would she become their next meal when they became hungry? And now where was she supposed to go? Who could she trust?
Erica ran into her bedroom and immediately locked the door, then put a chair up against the handle for good measure. Not that a chair would stop a vampire, but it made her feel a bit better.
By the time Charles and Kevin regrouped, Shawn was long gone. However, both men knew there would be a next time. Kevin glanced back over to the window that had stolen his breath away earlier. “Damn, Erica knows about us,” he stated heavily to Charles. He knew he had a mess of explaining to do to one pretty little lady inside right now, but that didn’t change the fact that he was going to make sure she stayed safe.
“I thought I caught a glimpse of her in the window,” Charles replied with a sigh, as he took a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wiped at a long scratch going across his cheek. “Whatever you do son, don’t let her leave. Shawn is probably out there waiting for that very thing.”
“She isn’t going anywhere if I can help it,” Kevin replied. “I’ve got a mess of explaining to do, though.”
“How much are you going to tell her?” Charles inquired as the two started toward the house.
Kevin glanced over to the man he had considered his father for over forty years. “Everything. She’s my mate, Charles. I’m not holding anything back. Besides, after everything she has been through, she deserves the complete truth.”
Charles smiled proudly as he placed his hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “Congratulations, son. If there is anything I can help with, let me know.”
Kevin used Jennifer’s suite to clean up and get some blood in his system. He wanted to be certain that he was back to himself before confronting the situation he knew lay ahead of him. He was sure Erica was frightened by her discovery, and hoped that in giving her space, it would help to serve in calming her. It was close to an hour later when he lightly tapped on her bedroom door.
Erica was sobbing in her pillow when she heard a soft knock at the door. She knew who it was. She was in the middle of having a panic attack, and trying to figure out how to leave this place. And then once she did leave, where would she go? How in the world had she become so comfortable in this house of vampires in a matter of just a few days? Why in the world could she not live a normal life, for crying out loud?
There was another knock at the door. “Erica, please open this door, so we can talk,” Kevin begged softly. What did he want to do? Finish off what Shawn started? As soon as that thought hit, Erica pushed it aside. Kevin and his family had been completely loving and kind since she first arrived. She needed to start trusting somewhere. Even so, she wasn’t quite ready to face Kevin or his family at the given moment. She didn’t think they would harm her, and wanted to give them the benefit of trust, but she needed a little time.
Kevin continued in a calm voice, “I could easily kick down this door, but I mean you no harm, and I know that would only scare you more.”
“And to think I was just starting to trust you. Perfect thing to say to a woman having a panic attack on the other side of the door!” she grumbled softly into her pillow.
“I heard that,” he responded with a bit of a chuckle.
“Go away, and leave me alone!” she cried out in frustration.
“I’m sorry, sweetness, but I just can’t do that,” Kevin answered softly, with more than a tinge of sadness in his voice. Erica waited for what seemed like forever, holding her breath until she heard his footsteps leave the doorway, and then collapsed back down on her pillow as her tears and despair overtook her once again.
Kevin should have known that she would refuse to open the door. He could hear her crying, and that caused his chest to tighten up painfully. This was entirely his fault, and he knew it. He was the cause of these tears. She was just beginning to trust him, and now it looked like he was back at the starting line. Kevin ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Had Shawn come at any normal human being, he would have killed them instantly and then gone after her. The fact that he had no idea Erica was hiding out in a house full of vampires had given Kevin and Charles the surprise advantage. Not that it mattered in the end. Shawn had still managed to escape them. And now that Erica knew that this entire family was all vampires, Kevin was sure she considered them every bit of the monster Shawn was. Evil, demented, killers.
He went back to his room to think, cool off, and recuperate. If vampires were out in the sunlight very long, it drained them of their strength rather quickly. One could help the situation by wearing long sleeves, ball caps or hats, etc., to cover the skin, therefore slowing down the sun’s effects. But, facts were facts, and if vampires spent any time out in the sun, they needed to rejuvenate. This was usually done by a fresh blood supply, and cooling the body temperature down considerably. Kevin knew his dad was probably making himself comfortable down in the deep freezer right now, and Jennifer would have already called second place for being out in the sun taking Erica to the mall. He settled for turning on both air conditioner units
in his room and collapsing across his bed. Besides, he didn’t want to be far from Erica right now. He could always catch a nap in the deep freezer later tonight.
Now all he had to do was figure out how to convince the love of his life that he wasn’t a monster.
Chapter Five
As Erica lay across her bed, attempting to stop the flow of tears, she tried reasoning with herself. Maybe Kevin and his family were not like Shawn. They had certainly seemed nice enough, but who knew? Was she up to finding out? “I wonder just how long he planned to keep me in the dark?” she mused to herself. And now that she knew, what was she supposed to do? The more she thought about her situation, the more her head was spinning in circles. Was there a place on earth that was safe for her? Why hadn’t Kevin told her in the first place? He evidently had known for some time that Shawn was a vampire. And he should have known his little secret was not something you could hide from someone for very long. Especially when you were living under the same roof, for crying out loud!
Kevin listened to Erica sob her heart out in the next room for a good half hour. He needed to figure out a way to get to Erica without breaking the door down. That would just add fuel to the fire in her mind that he truly was a monster. How could he reach her, to give himself a chance to explain things, without scaring her more? Then, an idea hit him. Okay, admittedly, it wasn’t the most perfect plan he’d ever come up with, but it would work. At least it would get him into her room, and nothing should be destroyed in the process.
A noise caught Erica’s attention, and she turned just in time to see a beautiful white bird fly in through the open bedroom window. It flew directly at her, and she held out her hand. Much to her surprise, the bird landed on her hand. It sat peering up at her, cocking his head from side to side.
“Hello, little fellow. Are you just as lost in this world as I am?” she whispered to the little bird. She was amazed that it seemed so comfortable around her. She wondered if it was someone’s pet that had become lost. It continued sitting on her hand, cocking its head slightly from one side to the other. “You might not want to hang around me. I seem to have a knack for finding trouble. Besides, I can’t even find a safe place to keep myself, let alone a small little thing like you.”
The bird made a small chirping sound as she continued her despair. “I thought I was safe here, but I’m not so sure anymore. See, I thought Kevin was my friend, and that I could find refuge here with this family to be protected and safe. Now, I have nowhere to go and no one to turn to!” she sobbed out, as tears poured down her cheeks once again.
As Erica sobbed her heart out, Kevin’s wrenched. He knew he was going to have to come clean soon. It seemed like the perfect opportunity when she stated, “I thought Kevin was my friend.”
The bird took two hops off of Erica’s hand and flew up towards the ceiling. As it started descending back down, it began to change into Kevin’s human form about halfway. He landed silently on his feet, immediately looked over to Erica and stated, “I am your friend, and you are safe with me, if you will only trust me.”
Erica sat on the bed, horrified, and frozen still. “How in the h…?” She gasped, only to be stopped by the black dots dancing in front of her. Her chest was beating erratically, and it felt like she had a pair of vise grips around it. She tried sucking in a deep breath of air, but found that to be an impossible task. Her airways seemed to close. Everything was spinning out of control, and she vaguely heard a short strangled scream, then realized it had come from herself. The black dots continued dancing in front of her, as the entire room started spinning, and then nothing but total blackness.
Kevin hadn’t planned on Erica being quite so shocked, and he became concerned when he realized she was having trouble breathing. When she fainted, he was right there to catch her. He eased her back onto the bed, and checked for a pulse. As he cradled her in his arms with her head tilted back, he blew in a few puffs of air to make sure her airway was open. Sitting back against the headboard, cradling her in his arms, he waited restlessly for her to come back around. Knowing he had a lot to explain, he pleaded to the heavens above for the time to do it.
Slowly, the blackness started to recede, allowing Erica to come up out of the fog her head was currently swimming in. It took a minute for her brain to clear, and to be able to think straight, even if it was a bit groggy. As the fog started to lift, she realized she was cradled in Kevin’s embrace. He watched her closely as her green eyes displayed every emotion currently running through her: fear, confusion, and anger. Anger eventually came to the forefront, and out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a closed fist at her side. He briefly wondered if she would use it to strike him. Not that he could blame her, nor could she have hurt him. It would more likely end with her having a broken hand, something Kevin was sure he would shoulder the blame for also. She seemed to study his eyes, as if trying to read something in them. He only hoped she could see the pain her suffering was causing him, and the misery he was currently in. He finally saw her hand relax, and decided it was safe to speak.
The gentleness in his tone, along with the pain radiating from his eyes tore her breath out of her lungs. “I am so sorry I scared you, those were not my intentions. I would never let anything happen to you.” He had leaned down so their noses were almost touching, and he came forward just a little in order to brush her lips with a soft kiss.
The touch of his lips on hers had quite the opposite affect than what he had hoped for. She was definitely not in the mood to be coddled. She pushed against his chest with both hands, hard enough to send an ordinary man flying backwards, Kevin was sure. As it was, her attempts were fruitless. He didn’t budge an inch. Annoyed and angry, she briefly entertained the idea of slapping the mess out of this man, but a quick second glance at the pain in his eyes brought her up short. Besides, it made very little sense provoking a vampire who was a hundred times stronger than you! Still, he had some questions to answer, and she was determined to get her answers.
As she disentangled herself from his embrace, Erica immediately launched into her questions. “How long were you planning to keep me in the dark that you are a vampire?” She gave him a hard glare as she settled herself across the bed from him. She decided that one way or another, he was going to come clean with her.
“Why didn’t you tell me that Shawn is a vampire?” Kevin responded with a smirk on his face. Oh, he could play this game with her. Although he knew he owed her an explanation far more than she ever owed one to him, he simply couldn’t help himself. For some reason his beast had turned into an imp, rather enjoying seeing their mate irritated. She was just so darn cute when she was angry! Kevin hated himself when she was sad, and his beast was in no better shape. But this side, this side of her, he could live with. He saw the fire in her, and he liked what he saw. He didn’t want a woman that he could manipulate. He wanted a woman who wasn’t afraid to stand up and speak her mind, even if it was to him! His beast seemed to be jumping for joy at seeing the fire coming from her also. Yes, his beast didn’t want someone that could be walked all over. It wanted someone that stood up for what they believed in.
Erica stared at Kevin, her irritation level rising quickly. Really, was he going to answer a question with another question? Did he honestly think she was going to allow him to get away with that? Or was he just stalling? No, another glance confirmed he seemed to be enjoying himself. “I asked you first,” she bit out testily. There was no way he was getting off the hook that easy! It obviously had slipped his mind that she had four years of dealing with a vampire! If he was trying to play head games with her, he’d better try harder!
Kevin sat back and let out a sigh. “I didn’t want to scare you. Most people immediately think of bloodsucking demons when you mention vampires,” he replied with a light shrug of his shoulders.
“Yeah, well, I’ve had my share of that, thank you very much. You’ve obviously known for some time that Shawn was a vampire, so not telling you was no big surprise. But y
ou…”
“I was protecting you!” Kevin snapped in frustration. “Do you have any idea what he would have done to you if he had been able to get to you?”
“Yes,” she replied quietly, and Kevin watched as every bit of fire was snuffed out of her. “I have a pretty good idea.”
Kevin felt horrible. He stretched out his hand and lightly stroked her cheek, bringing her chin up as he did so in order to see her eyes. “Now answer my question,” Kevin demanded softly.
Erica sighed deeply. All game playing was over. It was time to get to the bottom of things. “Because I thought you would think I was crazy. I couldn’t take the chance of telling you and have you throw me in the nearest mental institution! I just had nowhere else to go, Kevin, no one else to trust. I hated putting you and your family at risk. I just didn’t know what else to do.”
Kevin stared at her intently as he thought about her answer. So, she tried hiding the truth from him because she was afraid he would think she was crazy. Looking at things from a mortal’s point of view, he could kind of see her point. After all, vampires were not supposed to exist. As for her being crazy, he could easily run down a list of things to describe her. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty, graceful, sweet, and sexy as hell. But crazy would never have been on his list.
He continued to study her for a moment before he responded. “Do you realize how lucky you are to be surrounded by vampires? Do you realize what would have happened today if this was a human household?” He didn’t want to scare her more, but she needed to realize that if it wasn’t for the fact that he and his family were vampires, chances were everyone would have ended up dead. Rogues rarely gave a second thought about human life, and Shawn had definitely gone rogue.
