Theo and Ben were dumbstruck but only briefly as they watched Vlad move to his desk.
"Physically she looks changed, if you will join me here, I will show you",
as they went to stand with Vlad in front of the laptop they watched the video of Imogen. When he saw Imogen curled on the floor his heart hurt, it physically hurt, he felt a pang of jealousy as he watched the male walk in and touch her.
It was stupid really, there was nothing sexual in it, just concern but his eyes widened as he watched the force of her retaliation. Hell it was ferocious and animalistic. The impact when the vampire hit the wall caused some serious damage; even he would not have been able to do that.
"Play it again", wow it was amazing, her eyes widened, her nose and facial feature did become more wolf like, but there were elements of vampire in there, the red tinged eyes, fangs.
Even now Theo understood that in this state Imogen would be an asset to Vlad and also a risk, he might want to claim her as part of his species, he might also be intimidated by her and need to eliminate the threat.
"I am going to take her home Vlad, whether she’s a vampire or not" he knew that Vlad was duty bound to control the vampires of New York City, he had also seen Vlad and his team of Elites do this through sheer dominance and where needed, immense bloodshed.
"If you can control and contain her I have no problem with you taking her, she was pack before she was vampire and I trust you both to keep her safe and those around her safe. I have every intention of dealing with the one’s that did this to her, you have my word on that." He led them through the corridor, he stopped at a locked door, Vlad didn’t need to look at him to know he didn’t like it.
"It is locked to protect Imogen and others, my men don’t like to be overcome by anyone, let alone a new vampire. Before you go in, whilst I have been watching her I have noticed some physical changes occurring, it amazing really" as Vlad unlocked the door, Theo stopped him,
"What does that mean? Forget it I will see myself, you both wait here" his eyes narrowed in determination.
Ben was scowling "Theo you saw what she did."
"It doesn’t matter, you wait here and lock the door again" he watched Vlad’s eyes widen, while Ben frowned followed by a sigh "only if you keep the telepathic link open" Theo nodded, he could do that long enough to reassure Ben.
As he entered the room, he saw that Imogen’s energy signature had changed, all around her were swirls of dark blue with equal parts of silver through it, he didn’t want to startle her, she was still curled up on the floor, he could hear her groaning, a small child like sound, she looked so small almost like she had tried to make herself invisible, small enough to not be seen.
Her black trousers were ripped at the knees, her hands were over her head and he could see the dirt smeared on them, but the most startling change was her hair, this morning it was long dark and curly, now it was streaked with white and was completely straight.
"Imogen, honey it’s me, Theo" he was speaking loud enough for her to hear but not too loud to scare her, he took a step forward, she hadn’t moved but the groaning had stopped telling him she knew he was there.
"Imogen baby I am going to step closer" when he was within touching distance he stopped "I am going to sit down now Imogen, baby", as he went to sit she flew up, startling him, even though he was ready for it.
Shit, her eyes, her eyes were black with a red tinge around them, her hands flung out, her nails turned to claws, she pushed her arms out and he saw the video replayed in his mind as he felt himself slammed against the wall. Well that should make Leon happier.
Without doubt she was strong, really strong was his thought as he slid down the wall; he didn’t take his eyes from her and saw the split second of realisation before she slid back to the floor, she didn’t lay down this time but pulled her knees up and tucked her head down, her hair cascading down around her.
"Theo, what’s happening, I’m coming in."
"Don’t Ben, you might want to tell Vlad the locks are useless, she’s too strong. I’m fine but I am not leaving her."
She was rocking, humming. His first thought where how badly hurt was she? He suspected it was emotional pain rather than physical.
"Imogen I am going to come closer" damn his head hurt, he crawled over to her but slower this time, he was watching her for any sort of movement, she stopped rocking, he heard her whisper.
"Leave me Theo" although it was a whisper surely that must be better than the groaning.
"You know me better than that, the only way I leave this room is if I take you with me" she made no sound so he came a little closer.
The room had little furniture in it, and although it was large it contained only a bed, smaller than a double bed but bigger than a single, he assumed there was a bathroom through the door on his left.
"Imogen I am moving closer to you, if you want to throw me again, that’s okay although can we aim for the bed this time, the landing will be softer" she slowly lifted her head, her eyes were still tinged with the same redness, but this time he could see the pain and confusion in them.
"I feel strange, different, I don’t like it" her voice was cracking, almost crocking,
"I know baby but it will be okay, I will help you."
He had slid closer, until he was sat next to her, she had tucked her head back into her knees, the white in her hair seemed to be increasing before his eyes, he heard a strange sound from her, then realised she was crying, he couldn’t help it, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. Although she stayed in the same position, she didn’t fight him, so he coiled his body around her as she cried and cried.
Every sound tore at him; slowly she had moved until her face was tucked into his chest, the sobs racked at her body, he didn’t know how long they had sat there when the sobs slowly subsided. She was quiet and still as he lifted her into his lap, when she didn’t protest he slowly stood up with her in his arms.
"I am going to take you to the bed" he felt her fingers tighten on his t-shirt "don’t worry I am not going anywhere else",
he didn’t put her down, but instead sat on the bed with her still in his lap, as he laid back against the dark wooden headboard his emotions were in turmoil. If he had insisted he go with her this wouldn’t have happened, but he also knew she wouldn’t have let him anyway, she was so adamant about her independence. Even though guilt tore into him, he also knew that everyone made choices and feeling guilty wouldn’t change anything.
What was going on in her body? As he stroked her hair he wondered what Imogen would think to her new look, somehow he didn’t think she would like it although as he ran his fingers through the soft white strands he quite liked it.
"Ben, we are fine, can you ask Vlad to leave us here but turn off the camera’s, go home, I will let you know when we are returning to Silver’s."
"How is she Theo?"
"Sleeping, she’s changed Ben, it’s going to take some time for her to get used to it. I don’t know what’s happening to her but I am not leaving her. Can you take care of Celia until I, no we return?"
"Of course, Theo, how are you?" He could hear the worry in Ben’s voice, they had been friends for hundreds of years, they had fought side by side and protected each other, trusted each other completely.
"I don’t know. I feel like I haven’t protected her Ben. I don’t think I have ever been this scared" that was the truth, he had never really been concerned about his own life until he met Imogen and Celia, then he had to stay alive to protect them and now he was scared for all of them.
"You aren’t alone Theo, we will get through this. Get me through the Vlad if you need me, otherwise I will come back later but do not try to push Vlad, don’t make things worse."
He knew she was asleep when he felt her body relax, she lost that tension, and he slid down the bed to lay with her, never releasing her.
Chapter 7
At some point she had fallen asleep, when she woke she knew it was Theo’s a
rms around her, she look up to see him watching her intently with just a little worry framed on that strong, luscious face.
"Hey beautiful."
She remembered the morning and the night before, their passion for each other, she started to smile, and then other memories jumped in, the consultancy job, the alley, the vampires, being locked away, feeling like everything was out of control, that everything had changed. She knew Theo was waiting for some sort of reaction especially when she remembered throwing him against the wall. Did she really do that?
Theo knew what was going through Imogen’s mind from the look on her face, he watched patiently and didn’t move when she scooted across the bed, standing Imogen retreated from him, when her back hit the wall she looked so helpless.
"Why? Why me again? What did I do wrong?" He saw the tears well up again as realisation hit.
"You didn’t do anything wrong Imogen, you were in the wrong place at the wrong time" he hoped he sounded reassuring.
Her hands were on either side of her head, "what’s happening to me, I hurt that vampire, the one that came in here, I hurt you, oh my god, I hurt you." Her face was one of shock and pure surprise mixed with fear.
"Imogen, look at me, I am not hurt, not now anyway" her eyes were darting round the room; they landed on the cracks running up and down the walls.
"I did that, how?" she had stopped talking and was now whispering.
Her eyes were wide, he didn’t want to point out that although they were still black the red tinge had become more pronounced, and at some point throughout their sleep her hair had turned completely white, bar one thick black streak running down the front. Although completely different, the hair made her look, well dangerous and god damn sexy. In fact in spite of how delicate this situation was he actually had to alter his body in an attempt to hide the obvious erection he was now sporting.
Even though his movement was slight, she heard it and turned to him, she quickly saw his predicament and when her eyes reached his, Theo wasn’t sure what to say so shrugged "sorry babe, I think we have established that you turn me on, I can’t seem to help it."
"I’m hungry Theo, not only am I hungry I am thirsty, I…I think oh gods I’m a vampire. I can smell your blood, I can hear it coursing through your body and I want to taste it, taste you."
She must have seen the shock on his face because she moved into the bath room, he followed her and watched as she knelt over the toilet balking, there was nothing there, but when she stood, and bent over the sink to rinse her face, she lifted her head, saw her own reflection and gasped, in fact she went down right pale.
"What the hell, my hair" she turned to him, "my hair, how, what… and you knew this and even then you still, you know."
She was nodding her head down and he knew she was talking about his erection which made him laugh.
"What I feel for you has nothing to do with your hair, although I have to say I kinda think you look hot, well other than the eyes cos they kind of scare me."
She was looking at her reflection again, "look Imogen we are not really sure what is happening to you, you clearly had some sort of blood exchange with the vampire’s that attacked you, but that wouldn’t normally make you turn. But we think that my blood was also in you and we aren’t really sure what that means."
Imogen turned and leaned against the sink, her head was hurting, she looked like a freak, she was thirsty for blood, all of this really shit stuff was going on and yes it was a sort of big issue so why was she thinking about Theo’s erection "who’s we and why don’t you think I am a vampire?"
"We is Ben and Vlad."
"Vlad, who… crap, isn’t he the head of the vampires, how does he know about me?"
As Theo headed out of the room, he sat on the bed and waited for her to follow him but instead of sitting down she stood against the wall near the window.
"It was one of Vlad’s Elite that found you and Vlad brought you here, you’re in Vlad’s house" Imogen started pacing.
"I need to find out what’s happening with my body, I don’t like this" he loved the fact the she didn’t dwell on things, she just worked through them. As he watched her walk to the door and try to turn the handle, it didn’t open, she hit the door, with her hand in a fist she had obviously forgotten her strength, he watched her jump back in alarm when she punched a hole through the door.
"Oh yeah, you sort of have superhuman strength, it's amazing but you are strong even for a wolf or vampire."
He heard the door unlock, watched as Shaun gingerly opened the door, Theo could see he was in fight stance. At 6’4 Shaun presented an immense challenge for anyone who was stupid enough to piss him off. As an Irish man, Theo had no doubt Shaun had been a force to be reckoned with when he was human, but as a vampire he was incredible. He looked like a typical Irish man, with his dark hair, green eyes and an accent that hadn’t faded in all of the years he had been in America, he was actually one of the nicest men Theo had ever met, he was funny and laid back, little fazed him, but this also made people relax around him which was often their downfall.
He watched Imogen look him up and down and saw the calculation in her eyes, the last thing he wanted was for some incident to kick off.
"Hey Shaun, what time is it?’ Shaun focussed on Theo but tried not to avert his eyes from Imogen.
"Nine in the evening. Vlad’s waiting for you both in his office" he was still wary of Imogen but he had seen her body relax a little.
As they followed Shaun, Imogen felt more than anxious, she had been held prisoner before, it had taken her years to heal from that, there was no way she was going to go through it again. She didn’t care whether Vlad headed the vampires, he was not her leader, if she was going to take orders from anyone it would be Ben, he had earned that right. She just had to find a way to get out of here without Theo making enemies or getting her or both of them killed.
The house was huge and very richly decorated; the hall had a high ceiling and royal blue walls, with a red patterned carpet. As they descended down the staircase which almost coiled round on itself, she could imagine this setting the entrance for an amazing ball, in her mind she could see the hostess gliding down these stairs.
As they were led into a room where she saw Vlad waiting in some sort of lounge room, she was surprised to see Ben also there, he came to hug her, and although she saw the shock on his face, as always, he recovered quickly laughing at her discomfort.
"I like the new hair, it’s very distinctive" as she laughed and looked at him she saw the genuine affection reflected, she not only liked Ben she admired and respected him.
"I am not sure distinctive was the look I was going for."
Vlad waved them towards the large white leather sofa, he was immaculately dressed, she didn’t know him well but had met him before and he had looked immaculate then. He generally wore black and looked like a millionaire vampire, with his blonde hair, chiselled face, designer suits and the most frighteningly mesmerising eyes. Sitting down Imogen was nervous, clearly Ben and Vlad had been speaking and although they were friends she wasn’t sure what would happen now.
"Did you even go home Ben?" Theo was watching his friend who looked a little drunk, in fact although he looked composed Vlad also looked half cut.
"I haven't, I decided to stay put just in case, and while I was waiting me and Vlad knocked back a couple of beers."
Vlad laughed "we needed to entertain ourselves while you two slept. It was even funnier when Lucky called."
"Piss off Vlad, your just jealous."
The Kiss of a Vampire, the Heart of a Wolf (The Silver Series) Page 5
