Midnight Falls (Sky Brooks Series Book 3)

by McKenzie Hunter

  “Will he survive?” she asked, the compassion in her voice something I wasn’t prepared for. Did she really care for him? Was she capable of such feelings?

  “I don’t know, but you can’t keep punishing him like this. He has to be allowed to feed as he did before.”

  It was doubtful that we had many things in common, but we both wanted him alive, or whatever vampires were. “I will consider it,” she said. “His dependence on you is a problem and I do not like it at all.”

  Why don’t you give me a list of the things you actually like, I am sure it is shorter.

  “I really would appreciate it if you did,” I said gently. And I was able to keep the malicious thoughts and names that went through my head off my lips.

  She stepped closer to me, regarding me with her deep onyx eyes. The demure smile was her most deceptive attribute. “Appreciate? It seems as though you are asking a favor of me, am I correct?”

  “No. In fact, I came here at the request of Demetrius, who approached me on your behalf. I came here, although I despise you. And let me be clear: I do despise you. But I didn’t request that it be considered a favor, although I had every right to do so.”

  She listened, but the same obstinacy and arrogance that dictated her personality left a little smile on her face that was too alluring for someone so cruel. “I will not forbid him to use you.” If the smile had stayed for any longer I wouldn’t have had the willpower not to wipe if off. “You can thank me if you would like,” she said.

  Thank her? I was too preoccupied with thoughts about hurting her.

  Her lips pressed into a tight moue. “You’re not going to thank me?” She smirked and kissed me lightly on the cheek. I relaxed the clenched fists at my side and made a poor attempt to calm myself. “Let’s just call it even, shall we?” And then she vanished.

  Each time I dealt with her, the idea of a war between the were-animals and vampires didn’t seem like such a bad trade-off for killing her. She was unnecessarily cruel and it bothered me that she received exemption from consequences because she was the Mistress.

  After she left, I went back to Quell’s home. The door was still slightly open, but I knocked anyway. He was still in the same place I had left him, but he looked better. He barely acknowledged me; he was so pulled into thoughts that held his attention more than I could. He looked at me with an intense curiosity.

  “I don’t want to leave,” I admitted. “Can I stay?”

  He simply moved further down the couch to give me room to sit, which I did in silence for just a few moments before he lifted his gaze from his hands. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

  He had food? “What do you have to eat?” I asked.

  When he went to the kitchen, he pulled out a family-size bag of M&M’s and a bag of microwave popcorn. “I have these. You seem to have them both at your house a lot,” he said.

  I nodded at both the M&M’s and popcorn. He popped the corn, then brought them and a glass of water back. When I dumped the M&M’s into the popcorn, he made a face.

  “Don’t knock it until you try it.”

  He grabbed a few and ate them.

  “You can eat.”

  He nodded. “It doesn’t satisfy anything, but I can taste it. And honestly, I don’t see the appeal,” he said with a slight smile as I shoved handfuls of sweet-and-salty mix into my mouth.

  We eventually settled into an odd but comfortable silence. There wasn’t even small talk, just silence. “Was your transition easy?” he finally asked.

  “Hell no,” I scoffed with a smile. “For a while I knew I was different, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. The enhanced hearing and smell made me feel like a freak and I always felt uncomfortable in my skin—like I didn’t belong. Because I was adopted, I didn’t know much about my family and had absolutely no idea I was a were-animal. Then at fifteen, I changed.” The memories came back harder than I expected. The doubts, sorrow, feelings of confusion and desolation washed over me briefly and I quickly shrugged them off. I wasn’t a fifteen-year-old girl anymore and I had seen too many things and been through so much that it was rather insignificant now. “When I finally changed to a wolf, I did this five days later.” I extended my arm: the scars from trying to slash my wrist were faint, and if I hadn’t done it so often in hopes of preventing my body from healing, I might have been scar-free.

  He looked at the scars for a long moment. He said nothing as his thumb ran slowly over my arm. “Now?” he asked

  “I like being a were-animal,” I said, taking extreme creative license with the word “like.” Accepted it or tolerated it would have been a better choice, but I sensed that Quell needed more. I needed to love what I was. “Once I met the others, I didn’t feel like such a freak anymore.”

  “What did you think before you met them? What were you like?”

  I grinned. “A complete and utter weirdo.”

  “Well, that can’t be true.”

  “I don’t think I have said anything more truthful. I bounced between being on the un-dateable and weirdo lists constantly,” I said, and it was the first time I could bring myself to laugh. “I wish being on the weirdo and un-dateable list were the biggest of my problems.” I popped a couple of chocolates into my mouth. “And I cemented my position on it when I broke up—or rather my first and only boyfriend Robert broke up with me. We’d dated for nearly a year, he didn’t know I was a were-animal and I am glad I didn’t tell him—he was a huge gossip. But after dating for so long it was time to…”

  Although I thought the implication was apparent, he seemed to want me to finish my statement. The expectant look remained as his head tilted slightly.

  “Have sex. He was supposed to be my first and we had planned it for weeks. We were about to do it when I growled. Not moaned, but growled, like an animal. I darted out of the house with my clothes in hand and drove home.”

  “Why did you leave? I assure you growling wasn’t a problem for him.”

  “It wasn’t out of pleasure, I was about to change. The same odd feeling I get whenever I changed happened. I had to get out of there. A couple of times before my mother started sedating me, I changed and somehow ended in the woods with a half-eaten carcass next to me. I didn’t want him to be a carcass next to me.”

  “So you weren’t deflowered, because you were afraid of eating your lover. How noble,” he said, grinning, then he put another handful of popcorn and candy in his mouth and frowned.

  “Nobility had nothing to do with it. A half-eaten boyfriend may have been quite hard to deal with. I spent most of my teen years and young adult years waiting for the torch-wielding locals to find out about me. Then my life became such a train wreck that eating a potential lover became the least of my worries.”

  He looked me over with a hint of amusement and appreciation. “Hmm, so no lovers? A woman of virtue. That is very hard to find these days,” he said.

  I took a long drink from my glass of water. “Don’t give me too much credit. The only thing that stopped me then was the fear of eating my boyfriend for dinner. ‘Virtue’ had nothing to do with it.”

  “So if it weren’t for the possibility of eating your lover and your—‘train wreck’ I believe is the word you used to describe your life—then what? You would be the city’s harlot?”

  Harlot? Did people even use that word anymore? “Probably if we were living in the fifteenth century. I just don’t want you to place any undeserved flattery on me. I am not a woman of virtue, just one of horrible circumstance.”

  The smile and his mood change were welcome. He had shed whatever thoughts weighted him into his somber state. “Well, you are indeed one of the best harlots I have encountered.” He ate another handful of my concoction and grimaced. “You like the way this tastes?”

  “Of course, salty and sweet.” I shoved another handful in my mouth. “So now you know my little secret, and it is one, so,” I pressed my fingers to my lips, “shhh…I have a reputation to uphold.”

&n
bsp; “Of course, ” he said, his smile broadening.

  The elated fun mood was just what I needed—what we both needed. The weight of the curse and whatever had darkened his mood seemed so far away. But my curiosity about the odd vampire that I cared too much for was still there.

  “Were you married?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Did Clara ever marry?”

  He nodded. “I am glad she did. She deserved better than the person I had become,” he admitted. As if he had remembered that brooding was his thing, the smile vanished, replaced by a sullen disposition.

  Sorrow darkened his eyes and his features held the same pronounced sadness. I inched closer, and when I touched his hands, he linked his fingers with mine. His thumb ran rhythmically along the side of my hand.

  He was quiet for a long time and just when he started to continue, there was a knock on the door. I cursed whoever was there, and when Steven peeked his head in, I glared at him.

  “What?” I snapped.

  “I’m sorry to come by unannounced. Sky, you aren’t answering your phone.” I had forgotten about the freaking phone that was tucked away in my purse on the floor. I had heard it vibrate, but ignored it. I retrieved it to find that I had three missed calls and five text messages.

  “I had it on vibrate.”

  The gold rolled across his eyes and he tried hard to douse the anger, but what he had to say was displayed prolifically on his face: How dare you silence your phone while you are here with this monster? But Steven quickly put on his guise of diplomacy and gave me a small smile, just big enough to expose dimples. “Yeah, that’s a habit you really should break.”

  Then he directed his attention to Quell. “I guess she didn’t want her visit with you to be interrupted. But she has to catch an early flight tomorrow,” he explained to Quell.

  That was the first I had heard of this. But when I looked at my messages there was one from Ethan, Josh and Steven informing me of it. A flight to New York tomorrow at 3:17 p.m., which wasn’t an emergency. There was plenty of time. But that was the excuse Steven used to get me out of there. The three hours had gone by too quickly and I still didn’t want it to end.

  “Okay, I will be home later,” I said.

  Steven didn’t move; instead he leaned against the door, the pleasant smile still on his lips. His eyes wandered over the room. I suspect he was just as surprised by the home as I was the first time I came here. The Tuscan décor that inspired the feeling of an Italian countryside. The muted oranges and variations of brown and tan complemented the ceramic tiles, the subtle variations of colors on the walls added a warmth to the home that I’m sure Steven didn’t expect.

  The room received a quick glance, then the bowl of half-eaten popcorn and M&M mixture, but it was Quell who garnered a great deal of consideration. Steven’s smile looked genuine, but he was quite skilled at it even when it wasn’t sincere.

  “Quell, do you wonder if Skylar’s the only one that can stop a vampire’s reversion?” he asked.

  It was the first time anyone had ever discussed it. The incident had been ignored as though it were a dirty little secret. He was just “my vampire” and I was left to fix the situation. It was a situation I had under control, but I suspected that everyone was tired of finding out more quirks about me. The ability to hold and manipulate magic was one thing, then there was the fact that silver didn’t affect me like other were-animals, and the occasional terait, usually seen in vampires during bloodlust. As a result of a vampire trying to turn me in vitro, I had the honor of having that particular trait.

  “I hadn’t given it any further consideration,” he responded, and the mood we had shared was now gone, the bond broken by Steven’s interruption. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep my irritation from showing.

  “Do you mind if I explore my curiosity?” he asked.

  The understanding of what he was asking came to us immediately and almost at the same time. “I don’t think it is necessary,” I said.

  “And that is why I am asking Quell.” When he spoke his voice was persuasive and gentle. “Quell, you have every right to decline to satisfy my curiosity, but I hope you will consider it. I extend the same trust that Sky has in you. You must understand how vital this information is. I need to know if things have changed and the vampires are now able to feed from our kind and survive.”

  Quell didn’t appear to possess the same curiosity and I was torn between finding the answer and putting Quell through reversion to do so. My face remained blank as Quell studied Steven, trying to make his decision. Quell would do a great deal for me. By default, Quell’s obligatory feelings for me were easily transferred to Steven, because of the closeness I had with him. I was conflicted. Curious enough not to stop Quell if he were willing, but not so curious that I’d ask him myself.

  “Yes,” he said.

  Steven had the stake in hand and had plunged it into Quell’s chest before he could have a chance to rethink his decision. Steven said, “I am sorry, I assure you the anticipation of it would have been worse than the act. This is the best way.”

  Quell fell back onto the couch, his face twisted into a pained grimace as the legs stiffened the same way it had when he went through reversion a couple of months ago. Steven waited a little too long for my liking. I said, “What are you waiting on? Feed him.”

  With a deep, ragged breath, Steven hesitated for a moment before he gave Quell his arm. It was disgust rather than pain that shaded his appearance as Quell fed from him. But the reversion continued. I pushed Steven away, the fangs slipped across his forearm, and he hissed as blood spurted from the entry point. The reversion didn’t occur as fast as it had the first time, and I was sure that since he now used my blood instead of a plant’s, he was more resilient.

  He latched onto my arm immediately, and for several minutes took long painful draws until the reversion stopped. After a few more, we waited as he became whole again. He rested his head back, eyes closed as he took a moment to assuage the pain from having a stake plunged into his chest.

  “Is there anything you need?” Steven asked. His voice held concern, although I knew it was insincere. Not because he was cold, but because I knew how he felt about vampires and I doubted my friendship with Quell would change that.

  “No,” Quell said. “I will recover.”

  “Then we will leave you to do just that.”

  But Quell was on his feet the moment Steven suggested we leave. With a voice like gravel, he called my name. “When will you return?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, but I will make every effort to be back in three days.”

  “Okay.” He leaned forward and kissed me lightly on my forward.

  “Then I will anticipate your visit.”

  Quell escorted us out the door. His demeanor had changed, and his gait was encumbered and pained. I wondered if he had fed enough to sufficiently heal or had restricted himself for fear of nearly killing me as he had the first time.

  Steven quickly started towards his car. “You hesitated,” I said. “Did you consider just letting him die?”

  “He’s already—”

  “Don’t do that.”

  He simply looked past me to the odd cornfields behind Quell’s home. “I didn’t think it would be so hard to lower myself—” he stopped abruptly. “I didn’t think it would be so difficult for me to feed a vampire. I thought the information we gathered would be enough for me to overcome my aversion. I was wrong.”

  “You can’t stop a vampire’s reversion.”

  “Were-animals can’t and it’s a good thing. We heal faster, and although I don’t think a vampire would be stupid enough to do it to someone that is part of our pack, there are smaller packs and lone were-animals that would be abused just for that purpose. I don’t care about the ones that have their kinks and quirks about feeding from were-animals; it’s purely psychological. They wouldn’t feel joy from doing it to a were-animal that they perceived as weak, but it’s a pervers
e pleasure I would rather not try to understand. The Sable and Gavin thing is disgusting and so is what you two have.” He paused. “He likes you.”

  “Of course he likes me. He would like you too if not for the things he is forced to deal with regularly.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “No, that is not it. He likes you. What is your endgame here, Sky? What do you plan to do with him? If you get married, does he move into the basement so you can keep him from becoming the inevitable—a murderer? Will you continue to coddle him because you don’t want him to have another three-day killing spree where all his victims coincidentally look like you?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. That was just an isolated incident. He behaved as any newbie would, and now he is fine.”

  “Is he? Then we will see if you need to be in New York more than a few days. Perhaps you will need to be there for weeks. What do you think will happen then?”

  I didn’t answer because I didn’t have an answer that would please him. Steven inched closer to me, his gaze soft and sympathetic. “It is best that you distance yourself from him. When he needs to be dealt with, it will make things easier.”

  “What? Do you plan on murdering him?”

  “When he has a heartbeat I will call it murder.”

  “How about assassination, is that better?”

  Sagging into himself, his hands washed over his face several times. “Do you realize Michaela will be just as diligent in protecting him for extreme misdeeds as you are at trying to save him from himself? It is only a matter of time before we intervene.”

  “Then promise you’ll help him. You’ll let me handle things. I will fix it. I swear.”

  He frowned, turning his back to me as he opened the car door, and said, “I will show compassion. I promise to do it while he rests, so he will not know what is happening. I don’t have any desire to do this, especially if it will hurt you. But I have dealt with vampires longer than you have. Take my advice and distance yourself from him.” He hopped into his car and drove away.