Blood Ties (The Edge of Forever Book 2)

by D. C. Gambel

  I couldn’t help but be a little agitated over his phone call and here he was acting like nothing was wrong. When I didn’t move Grayson looked up. Seeing the annoyed expression on my face he paused in his task.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I rolled my eyes irritated I had to explain it. “Did I hear you correctly? You’re going back to work tomorrow?”

  He had the sense to look guilty, running his hand up the back of his neck nervously. “I was going to talk to you about that.”

  “When Grayson? Tomorrow as you’re walking out the door?” My voice rose and my temper flared.

  “Gaby...” He sighed. “I’ve been gone from the office almost all week.”

  I glared at him. “You were there Tuesday. You’ve only been out two days. I’m sure they can manage without you until Monday and honestly I think that may still be too soon.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, you’re a newly turned vampire. I don’t really think it’s safe for you going back to work just yet. Not until we know you can handle yourself. Think about it. You’re going to be thrown into a building full of happy meals with legs.”

  “Happy meals with legs? Really?” he joked.

  “I’m serious, Grayson. We need to know you can handle yourself. What if you lose control and bite one of your employees?”

  “So what do suggest, Gaby? That I let my company go downhill because I’m too busy dealing with personal shit in my life?” I could hear the animosity rising in his voice.

  “Of course not.” I took a deep breath reining in my outrage. Having both of us on the offense wasn’t the best way to handle this. I might be wrong with what I did next, but I needed him to agree and that meant using whatever tools I had at my disposal. I walked over to him running my hand up his chiseled chest trying to calm him too. “I’m saying give me a week. We’ll go out, I’ll be with you. Just wait ‘til next Monday. I want to know you can handle yourself and you have to trust me. You don’t want to put yourself in that situation if you’re not ready.” I was so close to him that my breath grazed across his lips. I slid my hand down his abs until I came to the waist band of his pants, slowly undoing them to slip my hand inside.

  Wicked amusement filtered across his face at me. He knew exactly what I was doing. “What if I say no?” he responded before trying to claim my lips, but I was slightly faster. I began withdrawing my hand in response to his question. Grayson hastily grabbed my wrist stopping my retreat, pushing my hand lower into his pants until my fingers grazed his hard erection. With a groan, I claimed his mouth. My hand circled around him, pumping him, increasing his arousal.

  “So you’re using sex against me?” Grayson whispered against my neck, walking me backwards until the edge of the desk was pressed into my lower back. He lifted me, setting me on his desk before removing the towel from around me letting it fall around my hips. His fingers slid up my body claiming my nipple, rolling it. I moaned, arching my breast in his hand. “I think you’ll find I’ll win at this game.”

  My eyes fluttered open fixed on him. “I may enjoy that.”

  “And this?” Grayson’s other hand grazed up my thigh pressing his thumb over my clit. “What about this?” he mumbled slipping two fingers into my core. My muscles clenched around him trying to pull him in deeper.

  “I…ah… I…” I stammered.

  “Are enjoying it,” Grayson finished for me.

  I nodded quickly. “But you forget,” I groaned, “I went twenty three years without it. You should remember that when you try to play this game with me.”

  “Don’t worry Gaby. That’s not something I will ever forget.”

  Before I knew it Grayson was buried deep inside of me with his new fangs sunk into my neck as I cried out in ecstasy. When Grayson was human, I never thought our sex life was lacking. But now having him bite me, took things to a whole new crazy level.

  When we finished, we both laid across his desk in a panting heap still connected tangled in each other. “I don’t think my sire bond over you is all it’s supposed to be. Still I would never force you to do anything against your will. I just think waiting for you to go back to work is the best decision.”

  Grayson sighed. “You’re the expert here, Gaby. If you say this is what we should do, who am I to argue.”

  It wasn’t until Saturday morning that I saw Shawn again. Grayson was still lying in bed when I got up for coffee. Soon after, there was a tentative knock at the door. Checking that my robe was closed, I hesitantly made me way to the door. Like when my mother showed up, I wasn’t expecting anyone.

  “Hey baby girl. Wasn’t sure if you’d be up yet. Figured you’d be on the night shift.”

  “Hey, Shawn. Come on in.” I turned heading back to the kitchen. Hearing the door shut, I grabbed an extra mug and handed Shawn the one fresh out of the Keurig.

  “You heading to work today?” he questioned. Shawn seemed nervous. Maybe he felt awkward after the way I snapped at him for making me feel guilty about turning Grayson. We had never let a fight come between us before, but this one was a little different because I knew he was right. Not that any of that mattered anymore.

  “No. Grayson and I decided it would be best to wait until we know for sure he can handle himself.”

  “If you need a babysitter…”

  “That’s not it. I need to work with him so he’s not putting himself in jeopardy when he’s back in the office.”

  “Grayson wants to go back to work?”

  My brow knitted together as I turned to face Shawn. “Of course he does. He doesn’t want this to change his entire life.”

  “Gaby, you can’t be serious. You both think he can just go back to playing human?”

  “It’s what he wants, Shawn. Who am I to deny him that? Wouldn’t it make me a bit of a hypocrite?” I didn’t understand why Shawn was making this into a big deal. I had been “playing human” for years now. Why shouldn’t Grayson be afforded the same courtesy?

  “You’re his sire! Change his mind!”

  I set the coffee cup down on the counter and bowed my head. “I can’t do that.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Both.”

  “I get why you don’t want to, but why can’t you?”

  “Because her sire bond over me tends to be shitty,” Grayson announced as he walked into the room. It was amazing how everything changed for me just by his presence. It was like my world tilted, pushing me into his direction. I stood there entranced as Grayson strolled across the room to me. Wrapping his arm around my waist, he pulled me to him, placing a light kiss on my temple. “Morning baby.”

  I beamed up at him as I watched the sunlight dance across his feature. Morning three and the sun still wasn’t affecting him. I was beyond thrilled. Maybe this would be permanent. I wouldn’t allow myself to get my hopes up though. It was pessimistic, that I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, but with the way my life had been going the last couple of months, I couldn’t help but be guarded. “Mornin’ Grayson.” I turned to Shawn who had turned mute since Grayson’s appearance. He was rooted gaping at us with his mouth hanging open. “Shawn?” I stated, but he didn’t seem to hear me.

  “What. The. Hell?” he muttered.

  My brow furrowed with confusion. I looked at Shawn, whose eyes were wide, boring into Grayson. Then it clicked. “Ohmygod! Shawn, I completely forgot that I hadn’t told you yet.” I looked at Grayson as the sun highlighted his features. “It seems Grayson isn’t affected by the sun either.”

  “How?”

  I spoke without breaking my eyes away from Grayson. “We don’t have the slightest idea.”

  “And we’ve decided not to look into it either,” Grayson chimed. I loved this man. He had so easily accepted my decision, and not only agreed with it, but supported it.

  Shawn was quiet for a moment then he stood and began pacing the room. “Are you two out of your freaking minds? For one, you want Grayson to return to work so soon af
ter the transition. A week, a year, it’s still not safe for the people around him. And two, something happens that has never happened in the history of vampirism and you both want to ignore it?”

  I opened my mouth to speak but Grayson spoke first. “Shawn, there is only one person on this planet who might have even the slightest idea as to why I can walk in the sun. Gaby’s father. Even if we were to seek him out, all that would happen is that we would have some information as to why I can walk in the sun when no other can. And what would we do with that information? Nothing. We would just have our curiosity sated. I won’t put Gaby in that situation when nothing useful will come from it.”

  Wow! I stood there, stunned. Grayson and I hadn’t talked about searching for my father since my mother left Thursday. Even that conversation had been brief, I’d assumed he had supported my decision to appease me, but it seemed he had given it real thought and that realization delighted me.

  Without thinking, I wrapped Grayson in my embrace and pulled him to my lips. I let my tongue plunder his mouth. I still wasn’t used to how he tasted like him, but not. I couldn’t get enough. He groaned, giving himself over to the kiss. His hands strummed up my body, while my fingers tangled in his hair. I had all but forgotten Shawn until I heard him clear his throat. I pulled away looking embarrassed. We were still getting use to our mating bond as well.

  “Sorry Shawn,” I uttered bashfully.

  “It’s cool Gaby. I’m surprised you two waited this long. You both looked ready to jump each other the moment he walked in the room,” Shawn admitted with a shake of his head. “Have you guys done anything else since his transition? Never mind I don’t wanna know.”

  Grayson chuckled. I looked at him with amazement. I was baffled he wasn’t upset with Shawn’s earlier comments. It wasn’t Shawn’s place to dictate our lives. And Grayson wasn’t the type of man to be told what to do.

  “Look guys, I know it’s not my place, I just want what’s best…for the both of you, but not at the risk of anyone else’s safety.”

  “We get it, Shawn, but we got it figured out. So don’t worry so much,” Grayson voiced.

  “I know and I’m sorry.”

  “It’s cool,” I declared walking over to Shawn pulling him into a quick hug. He was my best friend and I knew everything he did was because he cared even if he was going about it the asshole way.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Over the next week, Grayson and I went out into the city as much as possible. I wanted to be positive, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could handle himself, otherwise I would have to talk him into postponing his return to the working community and that would mean delaying my return as well. I hadn’t talked to Ralph since before Grayson’s transition. Shawn had been the one to place the phone call telling Ralph that I was out “sick.”

  With the sire bond on the fritz, it made persuading Grayson a little more difficult. It just meant I’d have to rely on my womanly talents. If that didn’t work, and after the other night I wasn’t sure if it would, I just hoped he’d realize I would be asking it of him for his safety and the safety of everyone around him. Newbies were not known for their rationalism. I just hoped that Grayson’s levelheadedness transferred over when he became a vampire.

  Every morning when he awoke, Grayson would test his tolerance for the sun and every morning I heaved a sigh of relief when his skin remained unscorched by the rays.

  I made him feed before every outing whether it was from me or a blood bag, even though he tended to choose me. I think he just liked the lust it would evoke in us both, since the bag was more hunger satisfying. The feeding of my blood wasn’t a perfect failsafe, but it would help with the hunger. He would still smell and crave blood even if he was full, although, I was stunned by his amazing control. First, we started by just walking the city. I noticed him people watching more than he ever had before, but never once did his eyes change to the vampiric honey green.

  “Just take slow breaths. If it doesn’t help, then stop breathing. You don’t have to do it anymore. It’s no longer necessary,” I told him.

  He shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s just…”

  “What?”

  “It’s different.”

  I didn’t understand how. When my body transitioned, not much changed. I craved blood more than I had and I was able to influence people in a way that I hadn’t before; otherwise I was the same. I was born this way. It was the norm for me, so I asked, “Different how?”

  He shrugged. “It’s like I see more.”

  That wasn’t news to me, even though I hadn’t experienced it. I had heard it described as being blind when they were human and vampirism gave them sight for the first time.

  After a few trips out on the city streets, I started taking him into public places. We went to lunch at one of the restaurants that Grayson owned. Out in the open, walking through the city was an entirely different than being in an enclosed in space where the smell of blood was so much more alluring. Being one of Grayson’s restaurants meant that if something did occur, finding a safe place for him to work through it would be a lot easier than somewhere else.

  I noticed his expression shift as soon as we entered the building. His eyes widened in fear.

  “If it’s too much, we can go and try again another time.”

  Grayson shook his head no. “If I can’t work through this now then how will I be able to handle work? It won’t be safe for me to return.”

  I exhaled a knowing sigh. I had been worried that he hadn’t really thought the whole situation through, that he was in such a rush to return to what had been normal for him, but I had been underestimating his thought process a lot lately. It was something I needed to remedy. With my hand resting on his elbow, I nodded as we continued into the restaurant.

  “Mr. Alexander. Your regular table, I assume?” The hostess asked.

  Grayson didn’t answer, so I chimed in. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.” She looked startled by my voice almost as if she hadn’t even realized I was standing there. I was becoming more and more use to the notion that when I was in Grayson’s presence I would be invisible to everyone else. I was okay with that because in a room full of people, I was the one to grab Grayson’s eye.

  “Of course. Right this way.”

  When we were seated the waiter immediately appeared. “What may I get you to drink?”

  “We’re ready to order,” Grayson interjected, snapping out of his momentary coma.

  “Of course, Mr. Alexander.”

  Grayson looked at me and I could see a hint of remembrance lingering in his eyes. “I want a steak. Blue rare. And I mean rare-rare. No sides. Largest you have.” He ordered never pulling his gaze away.

  “And you, Miss?”

  I let a smile creep on my face. “I’ll take the same and two glasses of the house wine.” I handed him my menu. When the waiter left, I spoke. “It’ll help. I promise.”

  “It just occurred to me why you ordered what you did the night of our second date.” I nodded remembering that night all too well. “I thought it was odd, but now I know. You were thirsty,” he whispered the last word.

  “I was having blood lust,” I corrected. “Even the most experienced of us have it, if only every once in a while. You’re doing great though. The fact that you knew you couldn’t have what you really needed, so you ordered the second best thing.”

  “Well I could have what I really wanted, but that would mean both of us heading towards the back office, which might look a little suspicious to the other patrons,” he divulged with a wicked gleam. I grinned from ear to ear looking like the freaking Cheshire cat at his comment. His smile faltered. “It’s strange. I can hear everything, even though I’m trying to block it out. Every single person’s heartbeat, their breathing. It’s overwhelming.” I wanted to help him. Blood would help, but sneaking off wasn’t the answer here. This was about Grayson gaining control. I just felt powerless and I hated it. I did my best to educate him the way a sire shoul
d.

  I nodded. “It is. You have to focus on something. The ticks of the clock or one person’s heart. Single in on one thing,” I suggested then leaned across the table and grabbed his hand. I placed it on my wrist until his fingers fit over my pulse. “Listen to my heart. Feel it beating? Listen to the sound of blood pumping through me.” I could see some of the tension start to leave him. “Better?” He nodded. “Once you feed, it will ease and you won’t have to try so hard.”

  “Promise?” He seemed nervous.

  “I promise.” And it did. From the first bite of steak, I saw Grayson visibly relax.

  “It’s not enough, but it does help.”

  “I know, Grayson.” I closed my eyes letting the guilt overtake me. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”

  “We’ve been over this baby.” He reached across the table covering my hand with his. “I wanted this.” I kept my eyes down. “Gabriella,” he demanded. It was the authoritative voice that I knew meant business. I looked up at him hesitantly. “I wanted this. Do you understand me? I. Wanted. This.” I nodded. “Now, no more with the apologies, alright?”

  “Okay. I’m sorry.” Grayson raised his eyebrow at me. I giggled and he chuckled in response.

  The rest of the week went similar. Grayson had times he struggled, but nothing compared to what a newbie should be going through. His struggle was similar to my daily one. It was impressive.

  I wished to wait longer before he returned to work, but with no other reason besides just wanting to, Grayson wasn’t hearing it.

  So Monday came as an unwelcome occurrence. Every night since his transition we had lost ourselves in each other. After our brush with death, we both had feared we might lose the other, and we wished to cherish the other as much as possible. Since Grayson was now a vampire, we always concluded our love making with the exchange of blood.

  Drinking from each other wasn’t enough to sustain us indefinitely. It was like water in a puddle; it’d eventually evaporate without having more supplied. Blood was the same. Our bodies would use the blood, absorbing what was there. So a diet rich in human blood was the only thing that could fully sustain us long term. With the help of my mother, the arrangements were made to have the blood bank drop off a weekly supply to our apartment every Sunday as well. It would be nothing nearly as extravagant as what the nest received just a small cooler that was delivered to our door was enough.