by Tish Thawer
Silence hung in the air for no more than two heartbeats, then screams turned to howls and in the next second I was being rushed by the entire crowd.
* * * * *
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Fierce
(Christian)
Once everyone recovered from the shock of the scene in front of them, we all made our way back into the club.
"So, you're saying that Rose is cured from the hybrid's version of drifting dark?" Dominique's question was layered with skepticism.
"Yes, Dom. That's what I'm saying. The spark of love that I was able to ignite within Rose is what brought her back to us. Just like what happened to Terrance because of Loraine."
Rose remained quiet as everyone stared at her. I hated that she was so uncomfortable, but with everything that had transpired, her altered appearance was a lot for everyone to take in. She was beautiful yet fierce, and the lust I felt for her in this moment was beyond compare. I could no longer sit here and answer questions from the clan, I had to be with my consort...to be with my wife, before one more second passed.
"I'm sorry, but if you'll all excuse us, we'd like to be alone. Rose needs some time to adjust and process everything that's happened as well."
Rose must have been thinking the same thing because she smiled and reached for my hand, allowing me to lead her to the spiral staircase under the stage that descended into the pit.
"Thank you." Her voice was tentative.
"You're welcome." I squeezed her hand and hoped the look on my face portrayed the immeasurable amount love I felt for her.
Once we reached our room, I only turned on the light in the corner. The moons and stars that still hung from the ceiling started to sparkle and shine. "Is this going to be okay?"
I wasn't sure if it was too fresh a reminder of her mother or if it would act as a comforting gesture like I hoped.
She didn't answer, but instead guided me to our bed and pulled me down beside her. We laid in silence and watched the crystals twinkle and spin. Minutes passed before she spoke.
"Christian, I did some really bad things while we were apart."
"It's okay, Rose. I forgive you. I forgive you for everything. For keeping secrets, for lying to me, for leaving me the moment you awoke as a vampire. I completely forgive you. While your mother was here she was able to fill me in on everything. I know you were only trying to protect me."
I felt her release a breath and prayed my words brought her some measure of comfort. I hated the idea that she felt guilty for her actions, when I was the one who'd not been there for her as her Sire like I should have been.
I was just about to express my own apology when suddenly she crushed her lips to mine.
* * * * *
(Rose)
I wound my hands through Christian's hair as I climbed on top of him. The feel of his strong arms around me as his hands explored my curves had me writhing against him. We kissed and fondled each other with an intensity that rivaled the great love stories throughout history, and while I knew the timing was probably wrong, I simply couldn't wait.
Lifting his shirt above his head, I took a moment to revel in the sight of his chiseled chest. His thick muscles and smooth skin created the perfect canvas for my mouth. Christian's breath grew heavy as I licked and nipped my way across his pecs.
In a rush of speed, Christian ripped my blouse open, taking care to not snag my wings. His tongue went straight to work. With my legs wrapped around him and his mouth at my breast, I closed my eyes and let myself fall into his expert hands.
We made love with a passion that transcended time as our minds and hearts truly connected. Our consort bond flared to life and set the room alight. Maybe we glowed because I was the hybrid. But to be honest, I liked to think it was because our love burned hotter than anything either of us had ever encountered before.
* * * * *
(Meredith)
It took some doing, but I'd finally fought off most of the idiot demons who decided to challenge me. My numbers had dwindled because of this little hiccup, but I still had plenty of demons who were now truly scared of me and wouldn't even think of going against me again. With that settled, we'd be able to move forward with my plans to attack the vampires...tonight.
"We simply need to fill these syringes with Max's blood and whoever gets close enough to Evangeline just has to inject her. Once that's done, I'll be able to use my mind bond to control her since the blood is so fresh."
They all nodded their heads. After filling twenty shots, we all loaded into Raúl's SUV and took off for Seela. I was so pumped to put an end to these pests tonight that I hadn't even bothered to wash off the blood that saturated my clothes and skin.
We exited the freeway a couple of miles before the turnoff to the club, using the back roads to get close, then ditched the SUV.
"It's imperative that they don't hear or see us until I give the signal to attack," I explained.
My demons once again nodded their understanding.
We quickly made our way through the forest to the club. I watched from the shadows as two vampires exited a blue SUV and made their way towards the front door. The same SUV I'd seen outside my old house just last week.
I burst from the bushes and flew to within inches of the couple. They spun around and assumed a fighting stance, then called to their Sire––exactly as I wanted them to do. Their eyes grew wide as my army joined me on parking lot of The Rising Pit.
In seconds Evangeline and the rest of her clan emerged from the club and faced off with us.
"How dare you come here!" Evangeline bellowed.
I laughed at her stupidity. "Did you think I wouldn't come for you after you tracked me down and threatened my life with Jeremy?"
"We didn't threaten anything. You are the one who started this war when you infected Terrance and killed Rose's mother."
"Speaking of Rose...where is my precious, soon-to-be step-demon?"
A vicious roar pierced the air, causing my entire army to cover their ears. I looked up to a see a winged creature with sharp fangs hovering directly above us. A few of my demons started to make a run for it and the rest of us watched as it snatched them up and ripped them from limb to limb in one swift move. There was no escaping whatever this was...
"Oh my god...Jeremy?"
* * * * *
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Protect My Own
(William)
I waited inside the apartment I'd secured on the eighteenth floor for my vampire strike team to return with the prize I'd sent them to claim. They walked through the door with Jeremy in tow just after three a.m. All I had to do now was change him into a hybrid, just as Christian had done to Rose, and then I too would be able to protect my clan in this upcoming battle against Meredith and her demons.
I'd been so grateful when Evangeline had informed me of the situation and explained her plans for securing a place in Masen to gather intel from. It was then and there I decided I'd do the exact same thing, only for a different reason. I'd sent Bryce and Nicholas with a picture of Jeremy, one that I'd gathered from Jillian's scrapbook of her times spent with Rose and her family.
I'd been thrilled to receive the report they had actually run across him on their second night as they rode the elevator to the apartment. I'd instructed them to make contact while I handled the situation with Justin and Jillian's return, but instead of Jeremy walking into their initial trap, it had been Meredith who'd found them in her apartment instead. After that mishap, they made the wise decision to only encounter Jeremy at his work, so as to avoid another confrontation with the demon bitch herself.
Finally, tonight, they had tracked the two back to their apartment and after watching Meredith slink away, they had been able to get to him without any interference. He was now standing in my room with wide eyes, a gagged mouth, and his hands tied behind his back. I hated securing him like this, but since we couldn't bite him and use our sedative to keep him calm, we were left with no other choice.
"Jeremy. Please don't be afraid. We're not going to hurt you. We're only here to help reunite you with your daughter, and in the process, save our family."
I nodded to Bryce to remove the gag.
Jeremy stood calmly as he looked between us. "What the fuck are you talking about? I don't have a daughter yet. My fiancé is only a few weeks pregnant."
I immediately realized that trying to explain our situation wasn't going to help. I only hoped that during his transition process, his memories would fully return. So, without further delay, I launched myself at him and buried my fangs into his neck. The sedative of eternal life flowed into his veins as his body went slack in my arms. As soon as he took his last breath, I placed him on the couch and entered the bedroom we had prepared.
I immediately lay down on the operating table and let Nicholas hook up the transfusion equipment. From Evangeline's explanation I knew Jeremy's demon blood would cause me to drift dark. Therefore, my plan was to remove it from my system as fast as I could by performing a quick blood wash. Hopefully it would work and I could avoid losing myself and ultimately end up facing the true death at her hands.
Just before my mind started to blur, I instructed the boys, "If this doesn't work, take Jeremy to The Rising Pit and tell Evangeline everything. Let her know where I am and that I accept what she has to do." Their clipped nods indicated they understood.
I closed my eyes and tried to blank my thoughts while the medical equipment did its job. I didn't want any undue stress to impede the process because the faster we knew if this was going to work, the faster we could move forward with helping Jeremy adjust to his new life as our hybrid.
I felt groggy...hazy, but tried to remain still as the second round of machines kicked in. I could feel the blood moving in and out of my veins in a rhythmic push and pull. Suddenly I was lulled to sleep like a baby listening to a lullaby.
Upon waking, the first thing I thought of was how Evangeline was going to be upset by my decision. I hoped I could make her understand that she wasn't the only Sire who had a clan to protect. I looked around and found Bryce and Nicolas starting at me from the other side of the room. I assumed the fact that I remembered their names and what we were doing here was a good indication that the process had worked.
Bryce walked over and flipped off the equipment's switch as Nicholas asked, "How are you feeling?"
I sat up to gain my bearings. "I feel great actually. How long have I been out?"
"You dozed off briefly and drifted dark and back again a few times throughout the process, but overall, it's only been about an hour."
"Wow. That's great. That give us plenty of time get to The Rising Pit. I need to speak with Evangeline right away. Let's get Jeremy loaded into the truck and out of here while he completes his transition. I don't want him waking up in a building full of people, or with his demon fiancé directly overhead and hell-bent on finding him."
All three of us rushed around in a frenzy, packing up the medical equipment and wiping the place clean. Unlike Evangeline, I didn't plan to keep this apartment for further use. We loaded the truck, securing Jeremy in the back seat, and headed directly to The Rising Pit.
* * * * *
(Jeremy)
After returning home from the movie I was ready to join my beautiful fiancé in bed when suddenly I was overwhelmed with exhaustion. The minute my head hit the pillow I was out like a light. Which was now one of the many reasons I was completely confused by my current predicament.
I was bound and gagged and standing in a different apartment with Bryce and Nicholas, my new clients, looking at another man I had not yet met. He was speaking to me about my daughter and how I could "save his family." Good lord, I must be dreaming.
Bryce removed the gag from my mouth and I told them I didn't have a daughter. They all looked at me with a sense of confusion.
Suddenly, the strange man launched himself across the room and bit the side of my neck. I didn't even have a chance to move before he was on me. I felt the warm trickle of some sort of serum filter into my veins. It immediately caused me to relax and forget any thoughts of fighting back. My mind became a haze of images as I felt myself bleed out.
I assumed I'd wake back in my bed with Meredith tucked in beside me, but what I found when my eyes opened was a man shoving his arm into my mouth as the vehicle I was in jostled down the highway. I had no control over what I was doing and no idea where I was, but as the warm liquid flowed down my throat and the salty taste of his blood hit my tongue everything snapped into place.
I wasn't dreaming. William was my Sire, and I was now a vampire. No...that's not right. A hybrid. I was a demon and so was my daughter, Rose. My wife, Loraine, had been human and we'd been perfectly happy until Meredith ruined all our lives.
I raised my head from William's arm and screamed into the air. I could see everything clearly now, as if my transformation wiped out all the lies that previously layered my brain. I remembered the conversation with my daughter in which she'd explained everything to me. Meredith had killed the love of my life, then later set up Rose, causing her to go on the run. We were all demons and Meredith had obviously succeeded in controlling me, since she'd successfully erased my own daughter from my mind.
Another howl burst from my mouth as a darkness settled within my chest. I would hunt and kill this woman, this bitch, who'd ruined my entire life. A bitch whose blood I could currently smell riding the air currents around me.
I snapped my head up and took in my surroundings. I was in an SUV that sat parked on the edge of The Rising Pit's parking lot. It only took a moment for me to pinpoint Meredith. She was standing right in front of the club, surrounded by vampires and demons.
With a animalistic roar I burst through the roof of the truck and found that not only had the transformation changed my thoughts, it had changed my body as well. I had massive white wings that carried me into the air and sharp fangs that came to smooth points just below my lips.
I hovered over the scene for a split second before the demons started to run. I knew they were part of Meredith's army just from the smell they all carried. I swooped down and ripped the first two apart before landing only yards away from the woman who'd destroyed my life.
* * * * *
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Right as Rain
(Christian)
I glanced at the clock to see if Rose and I had enough time to make love again before the sun rose. Yes! It was only 5:30 a.m. and the sun wouldn't be lighting the sky for another two hours.
I stared at Rose's naked body as she returned from the bathroom. Her wings shifted softly as she walked, and her pure white hair held a silver shimmer that reminded me of Loraine. She was so beautiful and I knew I'd never be happier than I was in this moment.
"I love you, Rose, and I'm going to tell you every single day."
"Wow. Every day for...forever? That's a lot!" She giggled, as her eyes brighten.
Talk about a new twist in our drifting. It now seemed that whenever our emotions flared, we both took on the golden hue from our consort bond. I was wondering what the others would think about it when a massive roar sounded above us.
Rose's head snapped up as she sniffed the air, looking very much like the hybrid she was. "Demons!" she exclaimed. Her wings flared and eyes went wide and in the next second we both flew into our clothes and raced out of the room.
As we stepped through the front door, we were met with a raging battle.
My clan was standing near the front of the club, watching as a winged creature dove through the crowd, ripping multiple demons to shreds. Meredith was in the middle of the chaos, trying to hide behind anyone close enough to offer her the slightest level of protection. It didn't take long before the ground was littered with body parts and she was the only demon left standing. We all watched as she made her plea.
"Please, Jeremy. Don't kill me...remember, I'm going to have your baby."
Holy shit!! This was Rose's father. I stood in
shocked silence and wondered how Jeremy had become a hybrid. I was about to pose this very question when I looked at Rose and knew it didn't matter.
She was smiling from ear to ear with tears in her eyes.
* * * * *
(Rose)
Seeing my dad as a good hybrid, like me, made my chest burst with pride. I'd missed him so much, and after almost walking away and losing myself, and him, to this disgusting woman in front of me, I could hardly contain myself.
