by Kate Wendley
“I’m sorry my sweet. I can’t do anything for you. We need to be sure you make it through your turning. Even putting you in a trance would be dangerous right now.”
She shook in pain as tears streamed down her cheeks and Vince cringed.
Zach turned the music up, changing from the classical stuff that was playing earlier to a mixture of old jazz and blues. The songs were still slow and melodic, helping to keep Kaia as calm as possible while she quietly writhed in misery.
Vince wished he had Penny here with him. Seeing Kaia go through all this for the man she loved made him seriously wish things could be different in his own love life. Kaia and Anthony would have a life together now. They’d make plans, know that they had each other to rely on and trust in each other for the rest of their foreseeable futures.
And what did Vince have? Nothing. A deformed body that wasn’t entirely shifter, but not entirely human, and a woman who was mad at him for not telling her about it.
As if she’d stick around if he had…
After Kaia went in and out of conscious for a while, then halfway woke only to start shaking her head back and forth as if she had a terrible headache, her fangs finally came in. Anthony was ecstatic. He nearly laughed he was so excited, which again, was the oddest thing Vince had ever seen.
He left after that, suspicious eyes following his retreat, just as they had everyone else’s. He felt like he’d been there for both Anthony and Kaia as long as he could, though. Everyone was certain she was far enough along to say that she’d made it through her transition, so the lovey dovey stuff was all that was left to watch, and Vince had had enough.
He went home feeling more alone than ever. Things had been so good with Penny. Hadn’t they? Maybe it was all for the better that she found out about him, though. She could remember the good times they’d had and not have to be disgusted by what he was actually like now that he couldn’t hide it anymore. She didn’t have to deal with him being weak and unhealthy after full moon, or be around to deal with his dad and his horrible reputation. She could go back to her life of hanging out with other healthy shifters and find someone else to settle down and have her babies with.
A lump settled in his chest at that thought. He’d die inside to see her with anyone else. Not his spunky, funny, sexy Penny.
He let himself into the apartment, his mom already asleep, and tried to be quiet as he shut himself in his room.
When he laid down on his bed, an image of Penny popped into his head. She was walking sassily away from him, leading him into her room as she strutted forward in just a tight t-shirt and a pair of panties that barely covered her nice ass.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to get some sleep.
**
Penny was literally falling asleep watching Kaia lie on the bed, crying. Kaia eventually passed out again, then woke up only to cry some more. To be fair, it looked like she was in a lot of pain, but still. This wasn’t thrilling drama, not like earlier when she let Zach know about the group of assholes starting a fight in front of the wedding room. It turned out to be a distraction so a vampire could attempt to kill Anthony, Kaia, or both of them.
She supposed she shouldn’t wish for violence, but her eyes were getting droopy. It wasn’t until Vince got up and left that she felt more alert. Where was he going? Was he going home? She checked her phone to see if he’d text or call her, but there was nothing. He disappeared from all the cameras they’d set up and her brief excitement was over.
She jerked when Tristan elbowed her arm. “Wha? Wha? I’m awake, I’m awake.”
Tristan was actually a good guy. He was pretty easy going, even though he was totally focused on the video feeds, not a droopy eyelid in sight. At four in the morning she’d expect at least a little nodding off.
He mumbled, “Can you make some more coffee?”
“What, because I’m a woman I have to make the coffee?”
He turned and gave her a look, and she crumbled under the intensity of his gaze. He at least took this seriously. She was just fumbling around, trying her best, and not really sure if it was doing any good.
She got up and stretched, filled up the coffee pot with more water and set it to brew, then pulled her curtains open and took a look outside.
A car came in the driveway and her eyes followed it to the parking garage because, why not? Another car came in behind it, its headlights out for some weird reason, and then another one, also with its headlights out.
“Tristan…”
“What?”
“There might be something going on outside.”
He was next to her in an instant and she told him what she saw as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He sent a text, then said, “Good work Penny.”
Such a simple compliment, but she finally felt like she’d done something right.
**
Anthony didn’t like that there were so many shifters, and even vampires that wanted to destroy this family, but he wasn’t entirely surprised. The family had grown so large over the years, and they hadn’t had a true uprising in a long time. He supposed it was bound to happen sooner or later, but he’d be damned if they’d take Kaia out in their bitter fight against his rule.
So he’d stay up all day to make sure she was safe. A daunting task, but he’d done it before and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to save the love of his life. And the family, of course.
Chapter 32
Vince woke to the sounds of his mom in the kitchen doing something with pots and pans, the dusky sky outside looking like the sun was just setting for the night.
He lay in bed thinking of Kaia writhing in pain after her turning and wondered if he looked like that at full moon. He never wanted anyone to see him like that. He was horrified by the thought of it, actually, yet she lie there in a room full of people for all the world to see her pain.
And they all wanted to help her through it.
He rolled his eyes. He was sick of people wanting to help him, and Kaia’s situation was different, anyway. Besides the fact that she was a woman, where getting help from others wasn’t such a big deal to them, last night had also been a one-time thing for her. And Anthony being weak after giving all his blood to her would probably never happen again, either. Vince had to deal with his problems every freaking month, and if he was sick of it, there was no way it wouldn’t get old for someone else, and fast. It even wore on his mom, though she tried not to show it.
No, he needed to handle his problems himself. He couldn’t rely on others all the time. He needed to be a man and just keep dealing with these painful non-shifts on his own since it was obvious nothing was ever going to change for him.
**
Anthony had forced himself to stay awake all day, and now that night was falling, his magic that had felt so repressed all day was finally free again. Leaden weights lifted from his limbs and the air felt lighter all around him as the minutes passed and the sun finally set.
And beautiful Kaia lie asleep in his bed, her energy that of a vampire now. Pride welled inside him that he’d actually turned her instead of accidentally killing her.
But he’d never been as scared as he had today, hoping and praying he could keep his secretive, vindictive family members from tearing her away from him.
The day’s events were as expected. A group of shifters, mostly wolves, were scheming upstairs outside the steel safety door he’d closed at the end of the vampire hall. Luckily the sight of him walking around while the sun shone bright outside shook their faith in their ability to destroy him anytime they wanted, but it didn’t make him feel any better about what was going on in the family now. He hadn’t expected his vampire Nicoleta to be in league with the shifters, and was still puzzled by her attempt on his life. He supposed he couldn’t take anyone’s loyalty for granted, even those he felt were his closest allies, but he didn’t want to live in constant paranoia. Regardless, he’d have to have a true and thorough house cleaning now, which would take a lot of time and was di
sheartening to think about how many would inevitably be banished. It was what it was, though.
Kaia stirred and Zach was ready to let her feed from him. Anthony sat by her side to be the first thing she saw when she woke, and just as he’d been after he’d been turned, she woke disoriented. The soft light of a bedside lamp hurt her oversensitive eyes, and by her wild expression, he imagined her intense hunger was all she was thinking about.
He wanted to say so much to her when she first woke, to calm her and reassure her, but he was still tired from fighting the dulling effects of being awake all day. So when Zach stepped closer and she immediately attached herself to him, he just sat back and watched.
“Whoa, hey there. All right, take it easy. I’m not going anywhere, Kaia.”
Anthony tiredly stepped closer, then cupped the back of her neck. “Kaia, don’t chew on him. Just suck on the bite.”
The grimace on Zach’s face went away, so he assumed she was getting the hang of feeding. At least she wasn’t disgusted by it.
**
Kaia fed from another two shifters after Zach, and as soon as Anthony prodded her into the bathroom and closed the door so they could shower and get ready for the night, her bright, excited eyes and heaving chest gave him other ideas.
He felt tired and wired, but here was Kaia, his vampire bride, excited and feeling what it was like to be a supernatural creature for the first time in her life.
They were in each other’s arms in an instant, and Kaia shivered and whimpered at him running his hands over her. She nuzzled into his neck, smelled him, then quickly started kissing him.
He pressed her closer and said, “Bite me, Kaia. Taste my blood. You’re mine now and will be as I am for the rest of your life.”
She hesitated but didn’t speak, and he imagined if she was feeling anything like he had the first night he woke as a vampire, then she wasn’t completely herself yet and might not be for days, or even weeks. But right here, right now, he knew she was feeling things like she’d never felt before, and he wanted her to experience pleasure in her new form. He wanted her to be glad she’d let him turn her.
He pulled back and looked into her bright, anxious eyes. “Kaia, I love you and I’d give you the world if I could. Tonight what I can give you is the freedom to experience sensations like you never have before. And I’ll be here to make sure you’re safe while you do.”
He opened his mouth and tipped his head back slightly so she could see his fangs come in. She watched in unsure fascination, then sucked in an anxious breath as he pulled her closer and leaned into her neck.
He stilled when she whispered, “I love you too, Anthony,” but the feel of her hands wrapping around him and pressing him closer made him lose all control.
She quietly whimpered at his bite, then finally bit into him as well.
With her sensual lips suckling at his throat at the same time he suckled hers, he was instantly hard for her. He’d never tasted another vampire like this, or even a shifter for that matter, not while they were feeding from him. Now he was glad he never had because he would’ve become addicted to it.
Every pull of her lips, every suckle of his blood felt like it was being seduced out of him in a long, delicious line through his body, leaving a tingling shiver of need in its wake. And she was being so gentle, so caring, but relentless. She was the addict tonight, and he never wanted her to stop.
He backed her up to the marble sink and lifted her up onto it, then pressed himself firmly against her core. She moaned but kept her arms latched tightly around him and her mouth solidly locked to his neck.
He smiled at her greed for him, but it died on his lips as he manically pulled her lovely dress up her thighs. He’d been too tired to change her into bed clothes last night, and now he was glad for his laziness.
She hooked her legs around him and pulled him closer, her hips rocking against him while she moaned her need.
He felt out of control as he quickly tugged at the elastic waist of his pajama pants and slid them down to free himself, then blindly felt for Kaia’s underpants. She shifted her hips, urging him to pull them off. It took less than an instant for them to be gone and for him to be sliding into her anxious, willing body.
He mindlessly pulled back from biting her and cried out loud at the unbridled strength and frenzy in his new bride. Kaia was now truly his equal in every way possible, just the feel of her pulling him in again and again and again with the fervor and power she’d never had before made him quickly lose all thought and come inside her.
The blood trailing down her neck from his unsealed bite only made him come even harder because there was no need to be careful with her anymore… no need to worry about not licking her bite after he tasted her. Now that she was vampire, she’d heal whether he did not.
She pulled back at his grunts of satisfaction, then arched her back, resting on her hands behind her as she cried out her own orgasm.
Blood dripped from her still extended fangs, a drop landing on her pale chest, and he swore it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
**
Anthony would rather have more alone time with Kaia, but last night his father had the idea that she’d likely feel some comradery and comfort by having more women vampires around her on this first night after her turning. At the time it’d sounded like a good idea, and he still knew it was, but now he wished he could just whisk her away somewhere private and have his way with her.
By the faraway look in her eyes, though, it was clear she was still struggling with everything her body was going through, so maybe being around others right now really was for the best.
They finished dressing, then met a small group in the living room. Kaia was being quiet, seeming like she was in her own head and not really paying attention to much, but as soon as Zoe arrived, her expression changed. She frowned and looked suspiciously at her, then at Anthony.
“What’s wrong my sweet?”
She opened her mouth to speak, then tapped her forehead.
He asked her in his mind this time, ‘What’s wrong?’
‘She has feelings for you.’
He felt himself blanch, and her eyes narrowed.
‘Nothing has ever happened between us, my sweet. If there are feelings, they have never been discussed and never will be. You are the one I love.’
She looked hurt. ‘You have feelings for her.’
He sucked in a heavy breath. ‘My sweet, now that you’re vampire you’re going to be feeling a lot of emotions much more strongly than ever before. And for this, all I can say is… I’m a man and I find some women beautiful. That doesn’t mean I have feelings for them. It simply means… I’m a man.’
She sighed and frowned, looking like she was back in her own thoughts again. She wasn’t talking much this evening, but she was also doing fairly well for dealing with new, extra sensitive senses. When he’d been turned, he’d gone nearly out of his mind when the enormity of it finally hit him. Maybe the Spider Mother’s gift to him had transferred to Kaia and she’d absorbed some benefit from him. He only hoped.
When Vince arrived, he was glad for the distraction. They were friends and perhaps he could help calm her tension this evening. His own mind was wandering as it was, the tension of his day without rest feeling more and more wearisome as the night wore on. So when Kaia was suddenly straddling Vince and forcing him to drink Zoe’s blood, he was at first confused about what was going on and was slow to react.
He finally jumped up and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Kaia! Stop!”
She’d already entranced Vince to drink, though, and he was swallowing Zoe’s blood with gusto.
Zach jumped into the fray at the same time, and Anthony was able to pull Kaia away.
Zach shouted, “Get a garbage can! He’s going to throw up!”
Anthony watched the scene in confusion as Kaia stood stock still in his arms, calmly staring at Vince. She almost looked like Echo when she went into a trance, except Kaia’s eyes didn’t c
loud over like Echo’s always did.
She softly said, “He won’t throw up.”
Zach angrily snapped, “Want to bet on that?” A garbage can was quickly set down and Zach helped Vince to lean over it. His eyes were wide and looked like he would be sick, but he also seemed weary and worn out.
Kaia repeated, “He won’t throw up.”
Zach flicked an irritated glance at her, then Anthony, then back to Vince. “How are you doing, bud?”
Vince grunted in irritation, then shot an equally irritated look at Kaia before fumbling to his feet. “I’m going home.”
Zach followed him out, trying to help him stay steady, though it didn’t look like he wanted the help.
And then they were left with a room full of angry women. What had Anthony gotten himself into?
“Kaia, my sweet. You can’t force others to give blood, or to take blood. Do you understand?”
When she looked up into his eyes, he knew for sure this time that she was in a trance. Her eyes still weren’t clouded over, but her tone and mannerisms weren’t Kaia. And after a short time, she blinked and looked confused.
“What’s wrong?”
“Do you know why you did what you just did?”
“What I just did?” She looked around the room in confusion. Zoe didn’t look too happy, but she also didn’t seem mad.
“You don’t remember making Vince drink blood?”
Her eyes went wide in surprise. “What? When?” She looked around again and he realized he had his work cut out for him with his new bride. He laughed out loud he was so tired, then apologized profusely to Zoe.
Chapter 33
Zach helped him back upstairs even though Vince told him he didn’t need him to.
“You feel ok?”
He curled his lip. “That was gross and I have a stomach ache.”
“You think you’ll still get sick? Last time you threw up almost as soon as you swallowed the blood.”
He blew out a breath in irritation. His bullet wounds were throbbing from all the wrestling around, and if he was going to throw up, he wanted to do it by himself. Alone. “I don’t know. Whatever man. What difference does it make?”
