“You’ll hear no argument from me. Hopefully once Zane gets here, he’ll agree with my assessment and we can move on to phase two.”
That reminded me. “Is he here, yet? Did you take the blood to her?” The last thing I wanted was for the vampire king to see her all vamped out and hungry. We needed him to view her as rational and adjusted. Now was not the time for any mistakes or slip-ups.
“He’ll be here shortly. He asked that I hold off on feeding her until after he’d left.”
“You’re kidding, right?” My comment came out louder than intended.
“Relax. Zane knows what he’s doing. I’m sure it’s part of the test he has prepared.”
I hated that Darcy even needed evaluating. “Still, it’s hardly the best way to prove she’s ready.”
Devlin shrugged as he shifted a little in his seat. “Maybe it is the best way.” I went to interrupt but he held up his hand to stop me. “No, wait, hear me out. How will he know her strength unless he sees her face a challenge and overcome it? It’s easy to deem a new vampire sane when their blood lust is satisfied. I trust he has her welfare in mind. You should, too.”
It was almost as hard to swallow that difficult pill of common sense as my discarded sandwich. “Okay. I just worry.”
“Me, too. Actually, that’s why I came to find you. I figured you’d want some company and we could maybe come up with some kind of game plan.”
Nodding, I was grateful for the way he acknowledged my concern and turned my attention back to business all in one sentence. “Yeah, I have plenty of questions, too. My primary focus was on getting Darcy through the conversion and surviving. Now that she has, I know she’s going to be asking questions as well, and I want answers for her.”
“Fire away, then.” Devlin smiled, leaning forward on his forearms. “I’ll help the best I can.”
“Well, what exactly is she now? I know she’s part werewolf, part vampire, but which parts? Will this new nature be like her wolf where it shares with her human side and she displays traits? Is she immortal now? What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? Will the vampire within overrule the wolf?” The more I talked, the faster each question came.
“Honestly, I can only guess about a lot of it. I wasn’t lying when I said most people die from what Darcy went through. Or become insane to where an Enforcer is sent to ease their misery and . . .”
“I know, I know, put them down. Kill them. I get that,” I interjected impatiently.
“So, you need to realize that we don’t have a lot of success stories to compare her with. Much of what we uncover will be through trial and error and most of it we’ll need to assume true until proven different.”
Suddenly I was glad there was nothing in my stomach to throw up. “Damn, I hope we didn’t rush into this, Devlin; because this is starting to sound like the ‘what if’ game. Basically, we need to assume she’s immortal now and the same things that can kill you will kill her.” I made a mental note to keep sharp stakes away from her and make sure she was never near fire. Granted, a small stove burner or the campfires we loved building wouldn’t do much damage, unless she purposely sat in them. But I wasn’t taking any risks.
I’d Darcy-proof the entire property if I had to.
“Exactly. Also, until we can test her ourselves, we can continue thinking that within her is a trifecta of natures—her humanity, the vampire, and wolf. I don’t know whether one trumps the other, but something tells me Darcy will be able to manage whatever happens. In fact, it may be like before . . . where her human side controls everything unless she releases one of the predator natures or there’s a direct threat to her. She’s not a full anything, so it makes me believe she’ll hold vampiric traits. Vampires don’t turn forms or shift like werewolves do. Sure, our fangs descend and we constantly need to ensure our thirst is satiated, but it isn’t the same as changing actual body shape.”
“I wish we could know for sure,” I muttered. I hated the uncertainty.
“I’ve read the brief journal of one man who thought becoming dual natured would be interesting to study and he claimed that he was still able to shift. He recorded the presence of extra strength, heightened senses, compulsion, and increased speed—all attributed to him becoming a vampire.”
“You said brief. What do you mean by ‘brief’?”
“Well, although he was a scientist of sorts and left behind a detailed account of his preparation, his notes from afterward were short and concise. The longer time lapsed after he awoke, the more each page reflected his madness. There wasn’t much to glean from his ramblings other than what I just told you. Shortly after his last entry, he was killed.”
“You don’t think it would’ve been important to keep him alive?” I asked, somewhat bewildered. “I know he sounded insane, but there’s got to be ways of keeping someone like him safe.”
“What would you have had us do, Mason? Ignore the fact that he was nothing more than pure savagery? Or that by the time we found him, he’d massacred his own family, his entire neighborhood, and was getting ready to enter a school filled with children?”
I took a deep breath contemplating the bigger picture. “Sorry, I don’t mean to sound callous or heartless. I feel like I’m blind here. I need to protect Darcy and keep her safe, but it’s like we’re bumping around in the damn dark.”
“I know this isn’t a consolation, but I’ve seen people who didn’t make it through the conversion. I’ve had to hunt them down and look them in the eye before ending their misery. I don’t see that in Darcy. I wouldn’t lie to you, Mason. Don’t ask me how she managed the one-in-who-knows-how-many shots at pulling through this, but she did.” Pushing the apple toward me, he shook his head and let out his own breath. “I say don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
There was no arguing with that point. Taking a small bite, juice filling my mouth, I chewed on the apple before carefully swallowing. When my throat didn’t close up, I took it as a good sign that I could eat. “So, that’s the plan. We’ll take each day as it comes.”
“Each hour, if we need to. I’ll work with her to see how she reacts as a vampire, and you’ll do the same regarding her wolf. I know I’m curious to see how this affects her ability to change. We’ll also have Vivien come and see how magic can help her. For right now, I’d say that is a pretty good course of action.” He raised his eyebrows and waited.
“I agree.” Hitting the table top with my open palm, I took one last large bite before standing. “Okay, time to get back to Darcy.”
Joining me, Devlin raised his hand again, signaling for me to wait. “You might want to hold off for a moment.” He closed his eyes and smiled. “Zane’s arrived.”
“He’ll need someone to take him to her.” Tossing the half eaten apple where I’d thrown the bread earlier, I wiped my hands down the side of my jeans.
“There’s no need. He knows where she is.” When I gave him a curious look, Devlin added. “He can sense her. I say take your time and wait outside. Zane will let you know when you can come see her.”
“No offense, but I’ll be damned if I wait in the hallway. She’s my wife and I should be in there for support.”
Devlin grabbed my forearm, the slight pressure of his grip stopping me. “This is where I ask you to trust me, again. It would be better if you allowed them some privacy.”
“You ask a lot sometimes, you know that?” I retorted, my jaw tightening with frustration.
“If it helps, I’ll be joining you as you pace back and forth. The two of us can wear a path in the carpet.” He dropped his arm and grinned.
“Will I be a distraction if I ignore your request?”
“I believe so. Darcy won’t be able to concentrate with either of us in there.”
“Then let’s go. It was time to replace the carpeting, anyway.”
Making our way back through the house, stopping only to let Lynn know what was happening, everything we’d discussed tumbled around inside my head. I didn’t like that we
had to guess at so much of this. I felt that I could be flexible and bend with whatever life threw my way, but there was no doubt that when it came to Darcy, I needed control.
If she thought I was overly protective before, she was going to hate me now.
Chapter Eight
Darcy
Zane entered the room quietly. I’d closed my eyes for the briefest of moments and even though my senses were heightened, he was still pretty stealthy. Maybe it was out of habit, but I still jumped when I saw him inside the cage, the door shut behind him.
“Did I startle you?” he asked, his soft gentle tone soothing my edginess. That was the thing I liked most about Zane. There was no pomp or loudness about his manner. He didn’t need to announce himself with the zeal that was common with some leaders. He was unassuming in his presence and, unfortunately for his enemies, they judged him too quickly—much to their own downfall.
I started to tell him yes, but paused. “I kind of felt you arrive, but it was hard to zero in on what I was feeling. I’ve been so used to being uber sensitive to everything. So yeah, you surprised me.”
He chuckled, sitting down beside me on the cot. “You’ll quickly learn that it’s possible to keep yourself hidden until you want to be discovered. Call it a vampire perk, if you will.”
“Something tells me it’ll take some of the fun out of hunting, though. Where’s the fun in catching a deer or rabbit, if the thrill of the chase is gone?”
“True, true. I suppose that will be one of the many challenges for which you’ll need to find balance.”
I wanted to laugh at how casually he stated that, like we were discussing the simplicity of creating a menu for a week of meals. I didn’t know whether it came from his age or the things he’d seen as king, but it helped quell the slight panicky fluttering in my chest that had been there since he got here.
I’d met with Zane many times—in both formal and informal situations, but this was by far the most significant of them all. What he uncovered now would determine the course of my future. More importantly, whether I had one.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m sure Devlin’s shared with you my progress.” My throat felt dry and there was a slight tremor in my hands. I resisted the urge to sit on them and chose to clasp them tightly in my lap. The corner of Zane’s mouth lifted ever so slightly, telling me he was fully aware of what I was doing.
“He has. He’s given me extensive reports, sparing no details. That’s not what I’m interested in, however. So, I ask you again, how are you feeling?”
“Nervous,” I blurted out with a loud gust of breath.
Placing his hand lightly over my knee, a tingle was the only warning I had before a wave of calmness flowed through me. It lasted just a few seconds, but it was enough to take the edge off.
“Better?”
I was stunned. “Yes, how did you do that? I thought the only way vampires could affect others was through compulsion. You didn’t even look into my eyes.”
“You’ll learn there are many ways we can influence our surroundings. Whether it is mentally, physically, or otherwise—we are a gifted race. As king, I’ve been graced with the ability to help others through touch.”
“Or to harm,” I interjected rashly. The moment I said it, I worried that I’d offended him. The last thing I wanted to do was be on the wrong side of someone I respected.
“Or to harm. Whether you are human, werewolf, or vampire . . . regardless of your nature, we each walk a fine line between compassion and brutality. It rests solely on how we choose to act and react, and it defines us. For example, I choose to use my powers wisely to protect those I govern over. I’ve, unfortunately, known others who weren’t so gracious.” His voice held a faraway quality. Zane seemed lost in some kind of memory; but as suddenly as it had overcome him, he shook it off. “That’s good food for thought for you, young Darcy, especially as you embark on this new stage of your life. You are unique amongst us—the one who holds two predatory natures within one vessel. Many have lusted after the supernatural power you now possess, and all the potential it provides. They’ve sought to obtain it in order to dominate those they deem submissive and lesser than themselves. They seek it to boost their own arrogant pride and to control. Why did you seek it?”
His question confused me. Zane knew exactly why I’d asked Devlin to convert me. He’d been there to give his approval. “For the sole reason that I could live.”
“Do any of these things appeal to you now that you have the capability for greatness? Should I find you safe from insanity, you could do anything. You could challenge anyone and gather yourself an army.” His steady gaze caused the hairs on my arm to stand on end. Gone was the person I considered a friend. Zane scrutinized me almost as an adversary and seemed to be attempting to strip my soul from my bones to study it—to find my truest of intentions.
“I want nothing more than to grow old with Mason and to live happily with my Pack. I honestly want nothing to do with power trips and egos. I never have. I thought you knew that. I thought you knew me.” I tried not to sound offended.
The smile that crossed his face was genuine. “Please understand why I felt the need to ask, Darcy. I do know your heart and its purity. Unfortunately, even the innocent and those of greatest intentions can be corrupted. I needed to hear it from your lips, now that you’ve passed through the conversion.”
“I get it.” I nodded, and I did. Chances are, if I were in his position, I’d have asked the same question. Too many times I’d trusted someone, only to be horribly betrayed afterward.
“So, with that out of the way, let’s get down to the reason I’m here. I understand you’d like to leave your temporary prison and get back to your everyday life?”
“So bad, Zane, you don’t even know.”
“Then let us proceed. From what I can see, you are coherent and have a handle on your hunger. I purposely asked Devlin to prolong the time between feeds to see whether you could last. You’ve done so successfully and I haven’t sensed any kind of disturbance. I must say that pleases me greatly.”
“How come?” I crinkled my brow.
“Because, I expected to find you agitated and somewhat aggressive. I’ve witnessed many conversions in my life and yours has been quite impressive. The fact you’re sitting here maintaining a dialogue with me, like any other time we’ve spoken, gives me great hope.”
“Are you saying that I’m abnormal? Well, compared to other newborn vampires?”
“I wouldn’t use the term ‘abnormal’. More like remarkable. I’ve given it some thought while perusing through Devlin’s reports. I think a lot of it rests on the person you are—the qualities and traits you innately possess, and also the nature of your wolf. I can only assume she’s been a great strength to you while going through this ordeal.”
He continued to surprise me with how candid he was. “Honestly, I don’t know how much help my wolf has been. She’s been extremely quiet and when I reach for her, I can feel how confused she is. She’s unsettled and, for want of a better word, raw. She experienced everything alongside me, but without the ability to protect me from it. I know she understood the reasoning behind the necessity, but I also know she’s very angry.”
“Given time to heal, she’ll recover from this and the connection between you will strengthen. Don’t ever doubt, though, that she left you during this. Even without physically forcing you to shift, she was helping you balance. Werewolves hold their one brand of magic, and I don’t doubt that this is why you are in better shape than others.” Zane hadn’t stopped studying me the entire time he talked. Every so often, he nodded as though he’d found something he approved of. He never told me what it was, but I held onto every word he uttered. Devlin and Mason had told me the same things, earlier.
“I just miss her. I know this is an adjustment, so the sooner I can move on to whatever happens next, the quicker our bond can return to what it was. I don’t like her being so quiet.”
“I can imagine you don’t. So, give me your hands so I can complete my evaluation. If we don’t finish this soon, I’m sure your mate will proceed to wear a path in the hallway through to the foundation.”
“I know. I’m pretty sure the spot over by the wall will forever be marked by where he sat.” I laughed nervously while obeying. “Oh, does this also mean you’re my king?” It was something I’d been meaning to ask. With me now a vampire, it made things more confusing—Mason was my Alpha and Zane was my king. Whose authority trumped the other? The idea made my head throb painfully.
“Let’s take care of this, first. There’ll be plenty of time to hash out the details, later.” Zane was back to being my comforting friend, a smile on his face as his thumbs brushed over the center of my palms. I was about to ask him what was next when the nail on his thumbs suddenly grew and he pierced my skin, digging in deep.
I gasped with the sudden pain and tried jerking my hands back, but he held me tightly. There was nothing I could do but take in a deep breath and wait for the burning sensation to subside. “What are you doing?”
“To determine whether your conversion is complete, and your two natures can successfully reside inside you, I need to know through blood. Blood is everything to us. It houses our power and it nourishes us. Blood never lies and it will reveal the truth to me.”
I began panting as a molten wave of fire began coursing through my veins, increasing in its intensity. I locked gazes with Zane as he looked through me, into me, searching for the answers he needed. All the while, I could feel the sharpness of his nails. Just when I thought I could withstand it, he increased the pressure, causing me to whimper softly.
Muttering something beneath his breath, he didn’t once falter. I felt like I was going to explode as unbearable agitation began building inside me. I lost all focus of Zane and what he was doing. There was no way I could watch him and battle to keep myself intact.
Rationally, I knew he was the cause for the madness stirring within me. My fangs punched out through my gums and my mouth began watering as my hunger came screaming to the forefront. Suddenly, the thought of ripping his throat out and bathing in his blood seemed appealing. Images flashed rapidly in my mind of all the glorious ways I could drain him and get my fill of the power that would infuse me from mere drops of his blood.
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