by Kate Wendley
And the people here were just as varied, which allowed her to blend in even though she was supposedly the only actual human here.
The old bartender, Chester, gave her a friendly wink and a smile. “Can I get you anything while you wait, missy?”
“Do you have any tea?”
He looked around the bar with a frown. “Aha! Coming right up!”
She people watched while he did whatever he was doing, then squealed in alarm when she was grabbed from behind in an iron grip. The bar mirror in front of her reflected back a greasy looking man with fevered anticipation in his eyes. Her heart raced, and she tried to struggle out of his grasp, but all it did was prompt him to wrap his arm around her torso to trap both her arms by her sides.
Without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed a chunk of her hair and yanked on it with his free hand, forcing her to arch her neck for him.
And then he bit down.
Her body reacted from the ingrained memory of years of being roughly manhandled by men way too strong for her to fight off, and she became paralyzed with fear. Her panic attack overwhelmed her. Her thoughts turned chaotic and it was getting hard to breathe. Seeing her now chalk white reflection in the mirror behind the bar only made her terror at her situation even more horrific.
She couldn’t make out Chester’s frantic words as stabbing pain seared her neck and bloomed in red hot heat down her chest and shoulder. This was nothing like Anthony’s bite. He’d never chewed on her neck like it felt like this man was doing, and she wondered in increasing horror if he’d end up tearing flesh from her body. Was this a man or a beast? If he was vampire then she’d been grossly misinformed about the world she’d been thrown into…
Her lungs and throat burned with the need for more air as her life flashed before her eyes. And then… the pain became tolerable and her thoughts changed from chaotic to foggy. That seemed like a bad thing.
Everything started to feel numb and the sounds around her swept in and out of clarity. Mostly out. And then… she didn’t worry about pain anymore. It was all gone. She didn’t stress about anything because it all felt like a dream.
Beautiful Anthony appeared. He looked fierce as he raced towards her with blazing, bright eyes and fangs extended. He stopped behind her, though, and she couldn’t make out what was happening. She wanted to turn around and see for herself, but for some reason her muscles weren’t doing what she wanted them to.
She lost track of time because now she wasn’t being held by the greasy man anymore. He was instead dangling from Anthony’s grip, screaming and spitting up blood all over himself.
She didn’t understand what was happening, but the room spun and she started to feel pain and didn’t like it.
**
Anthony was horrified. His mind froze in shock at the sight of his lovely Kaia bloodied and weak. He used his power to force Winston to let Kaia go, then stepped towards her to keep her from falling.
Ethan beat him to it. He appeared out of nowhere and reached for Kaia’s slumping body, and a deep rage reared its ugly head. For an instant Anthony contemplated letting go of all of his tight controls over his power and letting the chips fall where they may.
“What are you doing here, Ethan?” He held Winston off the ground by his neck while he glared at the more usual source of his anger.
Ethan’s hands were trembling as he fussed with Kaia. “I thought everyone in the community was allowed at the club. Was I wrong?”
Anthony seethed, “No, everyone’s welcome. It’s just odd that you’re here tonight.” He glared at Ethan, wanting so badly to tear him apart with his bare hands. A surge of energy responded to that thought, tempting him to forget about all the careful work he’d done over the years to keep people safe. Right now all he craved was a fight, right here, with Ethan.
His power roiled inside him, and Winston kicked and screamed in response to whatever Anthony was subconsciously doing to him. He gave the vampire a good shake to get him to shut the hell up and be still.
All the while Kaia kept weaving in her seat, hopelessly trying to keep herself upright. Ethan finally scooped her up and cradled her against himself. Seeing her sink so readily into his arms drove Anthony insane.
Ethan barely seemed to notice Anthony was still here when he stammered out, “I’m taking her home.” He rushed towards the door and called out after himself, “I’ll be back for him.”
Anthony’s head spun. He was out of his depth with these relationship games. Tonight had gone so horribly wrong…
He swung Winston around and fumed as his anger swelled. The vampire finally had the common sense to keep his mouth shut and his hands to himself as Anthony hissed and seethed at the greasy loner. When he started to feel even more energized, he realized he was sucking the man’s life force out of him, something that happened automatically when his temper was at its worst. He forced himself to stop because he knew it was a horrifying experience for his victim.
Thinking of Kaia all wrapped up in Ethan’s arms wasn’t helping his mood, so he stormed over to an empty room, the one they kept only a chair in and not much else. He roared in fury as he threw Winston against the far wall as hard as he could. He slid to the floor, a bloody smear trailing him all the way down. He was vampire so he’d live, even with the back of his head cracked open.
**
Zach eventually skidded into the room with Sebastian on his heels while Anthony continued to glare at Winston’s disheveled body, slumped on the floor. He was so furious with the nights events, he’d let some of his carefully controlled bonds on his power loosen and now it filled the air, making his hair fly all around him. He’d love to let loose and tear into Winston as an outlet for his anger.
Zach and Sebastian asked almost in unison, “What happened?”
Anthony clenched his jaw, unable to take his eyes off the man with Kaia’s blood all over him. He eventually pulled his attention away, though. He needed to in order to quit thinking about murdering him, and he wasn’t sure if he meant that figuratively or not. His power pulsing inside him begged for a release, and the last time he’d killed someone felt… too good.
He spat out, “Winston attacked Kaia. And Ethan was ready and waiting to take her home.” His blood boiled. “I might’ve caught them together earlier tonight. I don’t know for sure, but they were hugging and I think Ethan was kissing her when I showed up at her place.”
He clenched his jaw tight and turned a murderous gaze back on Winston. Even for as bloodied and battered as the vampire was, he was still alert because Anthony could feel his fear spike at the mention of Ethan’s name. Winston was new to their community and perhaps hadn’t done his homework to find out who he should be careful around. That was the trouble with many loners. Or perhaps it was a blessing. They very quickly either ended up dead, or joined a family for the protections they provided. Winston seemed like the kind that would end up dead.
Either way, according to their community rules, Winston’s life was now at Ethan’s mercy since he hurt one of Ethan’s family. Kaia. But since Winston was also a loner, Anthony could maim him all he wished before Ethan came back to collect him.
He hated to think of Kaia as belonging to, or worse, answering to Ethan. But maybe that’s what’d been going on all along…
With that thought, he seriously considered hurting Winston again, just to channel some of this rage.
Sebastian distracted him though. “He was kissing her? On the mouth?”
Anthony turned an angry eye on his friend, but Sebastian didn’t flinch, which he found odd. He was terrified Anthony might someday drain all his blood from his body while he fed, but standing up to him when Anthony was upset at someone else didn’t seem to bother him.
“I don’t know where exactly. His back was to me.” His eyes went wide as a terrible thought occurred to him, his angry energy kicking up a wind in the room. “But he’s no doubt taking very good care of her right now.”
Zach carefully said, “Anthony, let’s take
one thing at a time. Forget about Ethan for a minute. How bad was Kaia hurt?”
He sucked in a breath and gestured to Winston. “That’s her blood on him. She couldn’t even hold herself up by the time he was done with her.”
Zach blew out a breath and sounded uncharacteristically somber. “Jesus Winston. What the hell were you thinking? If you just would’ve listened to me and been nicer to the shifter volunteers. Fuck man.”
No one said a word after that because they all knew what was coming. Anthony might solve some of his problems by killing them off, but it usually took him a while to decide on something that permanent. Ethan was better known for his snap judgments, and especially with loners. Anthony would be surprised if Winston was even alive by tomorrow night.
Chapter 28
Kaia opened her eyes and felt queasy as the trees alongside the road flashed by too fast.
“Kaia, how are you doing?”
She groaned and closed her eyes, Ethan’s hand on her helping to keep her calm.
The next thing she knew, it felt like someone was licking and suckling her neck. When she opened her eyes, Ethan was just sitting back in the driver’s seat, his eyes brightly glowing while he licked his lips. “The wound should be closed now. You’re going to be fine, you hear me? You’re going to be fine.”
She tried to keep herself upright as he left the car. Why was she by herself? Her door opened and she felt like Ethan was being too rough when he grabbed her up into his arms, but maybe it was because she ached all over.
He held her close and moved faster than her eyes could keep up with, so she closed them and focused on breathing instead.
She jerked when Ethan shouted, “Cory! Come here! Help me!”
“Oh my God! What happened?” She risked opening her eyes again and felt safe now that she was finally back home in her own place. Ethan laid her down in her bed as Cory repeated, “What happened to her?”
“Winston grabbed her. You know who Winston is?”
“Yeah, a loner vampire. Thinks he’s tough. Doesn’t need anybody.”
She couldn’t look at anyone as they moved her around and took her shoes off for her. She felt like she’d gotten into a drunken fight or something, not that she’d know what that felt like. She knew what being beat up felt like, though. This was only mildly better because she was almost too foggy headed to feel much pain.
Ethan’s voice was soothing, but his words didn’t register right in her brain. “Anthony must have left her alone for a minute and Winston attacked her. Anthony took care of him, but it was only after he’d gotten too much of her blood.”
“Is she going to be ok?”
More movement. Please just stop. She was too tired for this…
“I think so. I stopped her bleeding, but she’s weak.” Someone touched her face, the feeling of irritating, tickling hairs now gone.
She felt a blanket or something settle on top of her.
“I’ll be back in a while. Watch over her.”
**
Anthony curled his lip when he felt Ethan in the building again. Rage curdled inside him.
Ethan materialized outside the private room he stood watch over. He glared dully at Ethan as he inclined his head and peered in to see Winston bloody and half-conscious on the floor.
“I see you kept Winston entertained for me. I’ll be taking him off your hands now, if that’s all right.”
They both knew Ethan didn’t need permission to do what he wanted with Winston, at least not according to Anthony’s own territory rules. But Anthony was Master here, not Ethan. He could make whatever rules he wanted.
Ethan wisely didn’t challenge him as he glared at the dirty vampire on the floor and waited for Anthony to acknowledge him. In the end Anthony knew he wasn’t going to deny him, but it satisfied a small part of his ego to make him wait.
He could feel Ethan’s impatience and Anthony had finally had enough of babysitting Winston, so he mutely inclined his head.
Ethan didn’t even have to look at him to know he’d finally given his consent to take this doomed loner from him. He held his hand out and Winston’s glazed over eyes went wide as his body was forced upwards as if by puppet strings.
He took awkward steps forward, and with each second that passed, his fear grew. He was most likely going to die tonight, and Anthony would do nothing to stop it.
Ethan snarled, “Winston and I will be leaving now.” He grabbed him by the neck as soon as he was close enough and dragged him out of the room, the dirty vampire unable to keep his feet under him.
Ethan stopped in the club and scanned the room. Everyone was silent as he snapped and pointed at one of the shifters. “Dave. Come with me.”
Dave paled, but quickly jogged over to them.
Ethan tossed him his keys, then gruffed as he stormed across the club with Winston in tow, “Drive us home.”
**
Anthony’s thoughts were a red, angry blur as he stormed down the vampire hall and let his power fill him. He stopped at the steel safety door that could be closed to keep the vampires safe in case of emergency and punched it as hard as he could. Pain exploded through his hand, but it quickly healed so he hit the door again, imagining it was Ethan’s face this time. His hand exploded in pain again, but it healed just as quickly, so he punched the door again.
There were three satisfyingly fist sized indents in the door before he heard someone loudly say, “Master?”
He spun around and screamed, “What?”
Alistair was on one knee in the middle of the small foyer in a neatly tailored suit. He quietly grunted and put a shaky hand on the ground to steady himself as blood bubbled out of the corner of his mouth. A female shifter in a sensible dinner dress hid behind one of the guards that stood watch over the stairs that led to the vampire sub-basement. Anthony took in all their frightened faces while he fumed and quickly reigned in his power.
Alistair asked in his usual regal manner, though his tone was cautious, “Master, what has happened? How can I help?”
He tried to keep the contempt from his voice. “It’s not something that can be helped, but thank you for your offer.” They looked at each other for a few moments before Anthony finally ran his hand through his hair and more calmly said, “Forgive my outburst. I’m not myself this evening.”
Alistair inclined his head, then cautiously pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and blotted at the blood on his chin.
Anthony turned back to the door he’d just vandalized and stared at it for a time as he heard Alistair stand up and gather the woman to him. They slowly walked towards him and Anthony was surprised to feel him put his hand on his shoulder.
“Old friend, time will help ease the sting.”
Anthony held his tongue. He wasn’t in the mood for sage advice.
Alistair made the motion as if he were tipping an imaginary hat and Anthony couldn’t help cynically saying, “What happened to not holding on to the old ways, Mr. Dodd?”
A smile almost came to Alistair’s eyes, but his fear won out. “Manners never go out of style, Mr. Foster.” Anthony’s eyes went to the woman’s hand wrapped delicately around Alistair’s forearm and he felt sick to his stomach because it reminded him of Kaia.
As the couple walked cautiously away, he finally noticed Sebastian and Zach at the end of the hall, worriedly watching him. He sighed and numbly turned back to the door, focusing his power to fix the dents he put in it.
Zach jogged towards him. “Hey, wait a minute. Before you fix it up, let me try that. I thought this door was supposed to be indestructible.”
Anthony arched a brow at him, but backed up and motioned for him to take a swing. Zach positioned himself in a fighter’s stance, focused his strength, then punched the door. He immediately yelped and cradled his now broken hand to himself, the door perfectly smooth where he’d punched it.
Sebastian snickered under his breath and they both turned to look at him.
Zach goaded him on. “You come down
here then, you pansy. You do what he did.”
Sebastian’s smile faded, a determination filling him as he stepped towards the door and took a hearty swing at it. He swore up and down under his breath at his now broken hand.
The door was untouched by either of their attempts. Anthony rolled his eyes and used his power to put it back to rights, which actually took quite a lot of energy. He shouldn’t have been surprised by that, though. This door was meant to withstand a lot of abuse in case of emergency.
Once the steel panel looked normal again, Anthony disappeared into mist and made his way up to the roof. He needed some time alone.
Chapter 29
Kaia’s head pounded and she wished she could go back to sleep, but the sound of a deep voice talking woke her up, at least somewhat. She faded in and out of wondering if she was actually just dreaming, but then the voice would bring her back.
“Are you calling on orders, sir?” The voice sounded like Cory. What was he doing in her apartment?
“He got her good. There’s blood everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Ethan thinks she’ll be ok, though. She’s sleeping now and I’m keeping an eye on her.”
It was quiet then, and she started drifting back to sleep, only to be startled awake again.
“That might be a good idea to send the doctor over. I’d ask Ethan if that’s all right, but he’s not here right now. Shit, I don’t know. I mean, he’d kill me if something happened to her, but she’s already hurt.”
Kaia eventually drifted back to sleep to ugly, twisted images in her mind. Teeth, blood, her uncle and cousins laughing just a little too hard as she limped away in pain…
She felt sick, even in her dreams, but didn’t want to get up and go drink some water or do whatever else might make her feel better. Sleep was better.
**
Kaia dreamed of people all around her, and a particularly anxious old man shouting orders.
“Good heavens! Look at that bite!”
Her bed sank next to her as if someone sat there, but the dream didn’t make a lot of sense yet. “Get me more light in here!”
