When the door clicked shut, I let my shoulders drop. That clean hotel scent felt like home, and sleep.
I walked over to the bed and collapsed onto the squishy mattress. My eyes closed before I hit the fluffy white comforter, and I let my aching muscles rest. Before I knew it, I saw him once again, the vampire from the night before, in my dreams.
Chapter Thirteen
Walter
Two nights had passed since the incident at the university, and no further deaths had been reported at the hands of our kind. Still, thoughts of that night invaded my mind. Thoughts of Violet. Thoughts of her knowledge, her skill, her fierce eyes and fiery hair, her sweet scent, and the feel of the soft skin on her fragile neck. Then there were Noah’s words—I’m not alone.
Birmingham Street housed the majority of the city’s most affluent residents. Built of stone or brick, every house stood three stories tall. Every yard was meticulously manicured by hired help. Every garden was filled with flowers, every garage with expensive cars. Evans’s home was no exception.
Other than the simple fact that the resident of this home was inhuman, what was different was the plethora of vehicles along the curb of his corner lot. Those cars did not belong in this neighborhood, not the motorbikes, not the raised trucks with oversized wheels. The purple one I recognized. That monstrosity had been present at the estate for the queen’s announcement. The others I couldn’t recall with certainty.
Evans was up to something. Nothing good. Turned not long after me, Arthur Evans had spent his one hundred eighty years of existence collecting power. He was a scavenger, a hyena of the vampire world. He and his kind chose human prey based on wealth, and hunted the newly turned to acquire strength. He was an opportunist, weak, and deplorable. Nothing he owned had been earned, only stolen.
If there were truly those conspiring against Ashley, working in shadow to undermine her authority, Evans was involved. The thought of him on the throne was worse than that of both Yeke and Ashley.
“I know he was a prick at the announcement,” Charles said, “but do you really think this guy would tell some other dude to kill chicks just for sharing some qualities with the queen?”
“Yes.”
Charles leaned against a tire of the purple truck. My progeny was only taller than the rubber circle by a matter of inches.
Bodies moved behind sheer curtains, the mingling of Evans’s guests.
“Why would they listen to him?” he asked.
I recalled our first encounter, Evans and me. It was so long ago, yet still so vivid in my mind, a memory I would never forget.
January 13, 1840
Edingshire England
The dark, damp alley was quiet, a pleasant reprieve. Heavy rain clouds hid the moon, and blurred my path with a steady stream of falling droplets. Like anyone who’d lived their entire life in Edingshire, I’d grown accustomed to drenched coats and soaked socks from a young age. I preferred getting caught in the rain to taking carriage rides on busy streets.
It was exactly why I traveled this path, to avoid interaction. Eight years had passed since I was turned, yet the hunger still devoured my soul and ruled my actions. ’Twas better to encounter no one at all.
“Help, please,” a gentle, female voice called. There was urgency in her tone, desperation. “We need a doctor. Someone please.”
Against better sense, I found my feet moving, running toward the woman in need. It was concern that drew me, an instinct to help. But as I rounded the corner, it was the metallic scent of freshly-spilled blood that both told me to turn back, and drew me in.
My fangs descended, my eyes blazed red, and I stepped closer to the maiden who laid on the street, hidden beneath layers of puffed skirts.
Straight away, I knew something wasn’t right. There should have been two women, one injured while the other called for help, but only the one was there. Her heartbeat was faint, her breath shallow. It was like a Christmas gift left under the tree—too good to be true.
I knelt beside her, breathed in the scent of her wounds—sweetness from the deep punctures to the abdomen. The world faded as I listened to the gentle thrum of her pulse.
Blackness. I blinked, confused. Blackness still. Voices, faint whispers.
I blinked again, and the fog lifted. My cheek was against the cold stone of the street. My head ached, throbbing as if I had a pulse.
I reached back to the top of my head, to the stabbing center of the pain. My hair was wet from the rain, matted to my scalp. I brought my hand up to my face. My fingertips were covered in blood. My blood.
My vision deceived me, a shaky version of what was truly there. Double-vision or not, there were feet. I looked up, tried to sit.
Those shoes kicked, as their owners laughed.
With every assault to my ribs, my anger grew and my resolve with it. There were four vampires—one woman, the rest men. I would kill every last one of them for this.
“There are those who belong to me,” a deep voice said, “and those who soon will.”
A noise escaped me, something more animal than the human voice to which I was accustomed.
“It’s a simple choice,” the man said. “You work for me, or I eat your heart and you become a part of me.”
The woman laughed. Hers was the voice that had called for help.
I grabbed her leg and pulled, knocking her to the ground. I used her as a shield, my arm around her neck, and rose to my feet. The others didn’t stop their assault. They didn’t care that it was her they hurt instead of me.
They belonged to him. All that mattered to them was his will.
Why would anyone listen to Arthur Evans? Betray their queen and kill for him? I turned to my progeny, and offered what explanation I could.
“Because he knows just what to say.”
I left my place by Charles’s side, and headed straight for the door. It was time. There was nothing further to gain solely from surveillance. Charles followed. I expected twenty questions, every action requiring explanation, but he said nothing and instead offered the backup that I required.
It was difficult to say how many able-bodied vampires Evans had won over, how much opposition awaited us inside. With any luck, it wouldn’t come to a fight.
Just before my fist hit the door, I felt her. It was as if I was being watched, eyes on the back of my head, offering a tingle of familiarity and excitement. I listened, and heard her pulse—Violet.
I continued my course, and knocked.
Voices carried from inside the building. At least three.
The door cracked open, and inside stood Arthur Evans. He wasn’t a large man, but it wasn’t physical prowess that made him dangerous. His sharp eyes belonged on a weasel, his tongue on a snake. His wide smile faded to a smug grin when he looked at me, and his easy stance stiffened.
“Why isn’t it my old friend Walter Chapman,” Evans said. “I didn’t know you strayed so far from your master.”
If that was meant to sting, it didn’t.
“What kind of gathering are you hosting?” I asked.
“None,” he replied. Laughter echoed through the house. “Just me in here.”
“How well did you know Noah Henson?” I asked.
“Who?”
This act did nothing to ease my suspicions. He didn’t flinch, though we both knew better. I tried to recall if I had seen the two together, possibly during the announcement at the estate. I couldn’t be certain, but the association was more likely than not. Had the two not conspired, Evans knew Noah at the very least. Everyone knew Noah.
“Well,” Evans said, “if that’s it, I’ll say farewell.”
The door slammed in my face.
Charles turned to me.
“Why isn’t that guy afraid of you?” he asked. “That was some cold, lying-to-your-face shit. I mean, he didn’t even try to pretend those guys weren’t here. I could hear them. You could hear them. He knew we could hear them.”
I recalled the night I’d met Arthur Ev
ans, our second encounter, our third. Whenever I’d thought I’d held the advantage, he’d looked me in the eye with unwavering conviction. Every time, he’d had a way out. Every time, he was two steps ahead.
I looked to Charles and replied, “Arthur Evans fears no one.”
Chapter Fourteen
Violet
It had taken bus rides and walks around the city, checking the walled mansion, and returning to the university, before I’d found that beat-up car again. Charles, with his loud music and even louder singing, and his never-locking trunk, was my ticket to finding him again. I should have checked the university sooner, because it turned out the blond vamp was parking there every day while he slept, and at night when he didn’t. He must have been staying somewhere on campus while he hid from daylight, because he certainly wasn’t sleeping in the car.
The two-day search had given me too much time to think. I found myself going over that night again and again. It was the feel of him that lingered—the rough stubble on his cheek, the cool skin on my wrists. It was the grace of his movement as we fought, smooth and deliberate. He was unlike any vamp I’d ever encountered. He was more than a bloodthirsty monster.
The waiting paid off eventually, after I found the car. It had been more difficult making myself climb into the trunk this time, after having watched Charles cram that twice-dead vamp inside. I felt the need to check for company after that. Nothing said cozy like snuggling up with a bloody corpse. Fortunately, it was just me.
After the car had stopped, I waited for quiet before I made my escape.
Across the street, on a neighboring property, I found a hedge that offered decent cover. It was a wall of dark, pokey leaves that concealed me from view. Unfortunately, that meant it was difficult for me to see as well. Impossible to see through, so I had to stand in the grass and peek over.
It was the closest I could get after I’d slipped out of the trunk—about fifty feet away from the car, and the vamps.
The street was silent, except for crickets chirping. The only cars were parked in driveways and along the curbs. Everyone was in for the night, except for the vampires, and for me.
Charles and Dracula stood on the front steps of the house across the street, and spoke softly to the man in the doorway. I couldn’t hear what was said, but I couldn’t risk moving closer. I’d gotten lucky the last time, that was all. He’d bested me in a fight, and let me live. Their kind didn’t do that. I’d told myself so over and over again since that night at the dorms. I couldn’t make sense of it. But nothing about the vampire with the dark cloak made sense. Neither did the feelings he’d sparked in me.
The door shut, and the two returned to the sidewalk. Words were exchanged, too quietly for me to hear. I wished that I could have found a better place to hide, somewhere closer to the house.
Charles climbed into his car, and the sounds of the puttering engine filled the quiet street. Somehow the thing hadn’t fallen apart, yet. I was amazed that was the case.
The tan junker drove off, and I turned back to see what Dracula’s next move would be. I froze when I found his dark gaze set in my direction. The temptation was there, the urge to look around for something else, anything else, he could be staring at. But I couldn’t look away. I was trapped. Heat rose in my cheeks, and I tried to steady my breathing. I should have reached for my knives. I didn’t.
I held my eyes open as long as I could, watching as he stood there. He was tall and lean, athletic. His brown hair whipped with the wind, just like the tails of his long, dark coat. I knew I could only see him because he allowed me to. He was too fast to be caught without his permission. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, touch his square jaw. It was crazy. I was going crazy.
When I blinked, he was gone. I felt both a sense of sadness, and nervousness. Where did he go?
“Violet.” His voice was soft, a velvet caress.
I turned.
He was so close, though I hadn’t sensed him. His irises swirled a deep shade of red wine.
“Hi,” I said, though my voice was but a whisper.
“Why do you follow me?” he asked, taking a step closer.
I imagined the feel of his cool skin, the points of his fangs tickling my neck.
“Didn’t we already do this dance?” I asked. It was just like last time, him wondering why I was there, me wanting to know his role in all of this. But this time, I didn’t want to fight.
“That’s not an answer,” he replied.
“I’m here because I want to know what’s happening,” I said. “I’m a hunter. This place is full of vampires—more full than other cities. I want to know why.” It was a half-truth. The only half I was willing to admit.
“And what will you do with that information?” he asked.
My shoulders dropped. I wasn’t used to being on this end of an interrogation. I didn’t mind telling him, though I should have. I should have wanted to stake him. I didn’t. Instead, I wanted an exchange. I wanted to know him, to learn what he knew, and to learn who he was. I wanted to touch him, though I wouldn’t. And I couldn’t say why, but I felt this draw to him that compelled me to treat this situation differently. To treat him differently.
“I don’t know,” I replied. It was an honest answer, the best I had. “I don’t have some master plan here. I’m taking it day by day.” That wasn’t quite right, not given the circumstances. “Night by night.”
He stared at me, as if weighing my words, or judging my expression. Whatever he was judging, he just stared.
“Very well,” he finally said.
“Very well what?” I asked.
“I accept your explanation.”
This time, it was my turn to stare. Accept what? And if he hadn’t? Starting a fight was the opposite of what I wanted. Then we’d have gotten nowhere. Instead, I accepted his acceptance, and moved forward.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He blinked, and I wasn’t sure if he’d answer.
“You know mine,” I said. “It’s only fair.”
The corner of his lips lifted just a hint. It was as hot as the fire in his eyes. Finally he spoke.
“Walter,” he said.
“That’s an old man name, Walter,” I replied. “How old are you?”
His smirk grew. “How old are you, Violet?”
“I asked first.”
“So you did,” he replied.
“We can help each other,” I said. “If you can play well with others.” After the words escaped my lips, I regretted them. How were we going to help each other? How could I even consider it? Why was I doing this?
“And what do you have to offer?” he asked.
“I can—” I stopped. Why was I doing this? “Are you compelling me? Can you glamour through glamour-proof contacts?” It was the only thing that made sense.
That brought out a full-blown smile.
“That technology exists?” he asked.
“Yes, it exists,” I said. “I wouldn’t have asked if it didn’t.”
“Walk with me,” he said.
“What?”
He reached for my hand, pulling my palm gently from my hip. I hadn’t even realized I was doing that. I was flustered. I never got flustered. I did what I needed to, did what I wanted, and didn’t get mad. It was him. If it wasn’t glamour, it was still something.
His palm was soft, big, and cool compared to mine. His touch left me off-balance, sent a wave of excitement through every nerve.
“Violet,” he said. “Walk with me.”
I followed him down to the sidewalk before pulling away.
“Why?” I asked. “Why should I go anywhere with you?”
“You can go a different direction than me,” he said. “But to remain here any longer would be foolish.”
I listened, and walked by his side, unsure of exactly what it was that I wanted. The world was just a little duller without his touch, a good reason to insist on a little distance.
“The vampire that re
sides across the way,” he said, “the one you watched me visit…”
“Yeah?”
“He’s watching us right this very moment.”
“Who is he?” I asked.
“Trouble.”
With that, the world moved at blinding speed. I didn’t realize what had happened until it stopped. It was like a roller coaster that hit me while I was standing still.
When everything became right, I was nowhere near the neighborhood I’d been standing in. Instead, I was in a damp, dark, narrow alley. Hands held me up beneath my knees, behind my back. Walter held me in his arms. His chest was firm, and strong. It felt right being held so close, as disarming as the speed in which he’d grabbed me. I looked up, still stunned by what had happened. I found my arms wrapped around his neck, clinging for safety. And I found him looking down at me, with lust in his red eyes. Whether that lust was for me or for my blood, I wasn’t sure. But somehow, I wasn’t afraid. Instead, my cheeks felt warm, and the rush remained.
Walter lowered my feet to the ground, and I let go of him.
Slimy brick walls closed us in a path too narrow for more than one person to walk at a time. There was no one nearby, only the two of us. This seemed like the type of place a vampire brought his meal to feed and dump. But I knew I was safe. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Though I still didn’t know why.
“Where—”
“Your hotel is just around the corner,” he said.
That left me with more questions than answers. How had he traveled that fast to cross the entire city in a matter of moments? And how did he know where I was staying?
“How—”
“Since you’re following me anyway,” Walter said, “how about I pick you up tomorrow and save you the trouble?”
I just stared.
“Sunset,” he said. “I’ll be there.”
Before my brain started back up, before I could ask where ‘there’ was, Walter was gone.
Hunted: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Vampires of Scarlet Harbor Book 2) Page 6
