by Melody Raven
Alyssa sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
“I warned her. Everyone warned her.”
“I can’t imagine.” She was quiet for a moment and he wondered whether he’d made a mistake. He thought if they got to know each other, it would make the announcement that they’d begun the bonding process easier.
He glanced over to see her looking straight ahead. She really was beautiful. So different from the tall, elegant beauties that he was used to. With her odd hair and her little upturned nose, she looked more like a pixie than a Vopura. But she’d shown so much courage and bravery in the short time he’d known her. If he ever got her to accept the bond between them, he’d be proud to call her his. Prouder than he was of Amira.
At the time, Amira had been the perfect status symbol. A sign of his power and riches that he’d managed to secure one of the few females for his own. Her personality was not involved in his decision to claim her. She’d been spoiled and selfish and at times cruel. Now that he thought about it, maybe they were the perfect match. Those words also described him.
Maybe Alyssa was too good for him. She didn’t know all the crimes he’d committed against her species during the Siege of Seattle. She didn’t know just how violent the Vopura could be.
“My parents didn’t really want me,” said Alyssa suddenly.
“I doubt that.”
“I guess I said that wrong. They wanted a daughter. They did. But they didn’t want me. They wanted a little girl with pigtails in her hair to help out with chores and date the high school quarterback. And they got a nerd who wanted to rebel against every expectation. I didn’t want to join dance class—I was too busy running in the woods with boys. I didn’t want to cheerlead—I was too busy in science club. They didn’t know what to do with a nerdy tomboy.”
He frowned. Tomboy. He’d heard that term before. A girl who acted like a boy. Alyssa seemed fully woman to him. “You don’t seem like a tomboy.”
“Oh, I’m not. But when I was young, all I knew was that I wanted to be different. So I cut my hair short and wore boy clothes. But now I’ve found other ways to make myself unique. I’ve just never wanted to be basic. Normal has always seemed so boring to me.”
Well then, maybe their bond wasn’t a terrible thing. He sure as hell wasn’t normal. “Why did you tell me that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You shared with me. It seemed fair that I share something about myself. But that doesn’t mean I’m done with you. Tell me about the rules.”
“The rules?”
“You know. Vampire rules. Sun is bad. Blood is good. You can eat normal food. Do you need to eat normal food? Or is it just like a supplement for the blood?”
“These might be questions better suited for the actual vampires.”
“Yeah and about that. How different are you from the vampires? Are you full-on a different species? Are you like first cousins? Where’s the line?”
“You know as much as I do.”
She scoffed. “Well, that’s bullshit. I know almost nothing.”
“Okay. What I know about the vampires is limited. They have a monarchy like we do. Their leader is a vampire named Aleksander who has been in power since overthrowing the previous king a few centuries ago. We both have the ability to convert humans to vampires.”
“Wait. Convert?”
“Turn. Sire. Create. I’ve heard it many ways.”
“As in you could make me one of you? Super strong, super fast, craving for iron?”
“Iron?”
“It’s in blood. Don’t worry about it. But you could change me to one of you?”
“From what I hear, it’s very hard to survive. I wouldn’t get your hopes up.” But it wasn’t out of the question. She was his mate now. Could he really let something like time get in the way of that?
But if her death was on the table, converting wasn’t an option. Her safety was more important than anything.
“But it’s been done before? It’s not just some rumor you’ve heard about?”
“It’s been done before. I’ve actually done it.”
She slammed her hand down on the car door and turned in her seat to face him. “For real? You have to be kidding.”
“It wasn’t a pleasant situation. A human woman was set to be executed and her mate was a... friend of mine.” Not the truth but close enough. “I couldn’t stop the execution, but I wanted to give her at least a chance.” He also wasn’t going to tell Alyssa that he was the executioner. Or that Tela’s mate was a former slave.
Dante knew enough about human history, United States history specifically, to know how touchy of a subject slavery was. In hindsight, he couldn’t really defend the practice. It was what he was born with. What he was used to. He’d never had slaves personally, always preferring to take care of work himself. But he also hadn’t been in a profession that demanded slaves. “Back on Vora, I was a soldier, as you’d call it. Comparable to a general. I maintained border security.”
“Border security? Were there a lot of countries?”
“No. Vora is not hospitable. There are so few resources. There’s only one land that’s capable of life, and wars over that land have been raging for millennia.”
“So where you’re from, Vora, there aren’t just you—there are other things too? Like, yeah, now that I think of it, it makes total sense that there would be other plants and animals. But you’re saying an intelligent species that you were at war with?”
“They’re called the Tore. But they haven’t been an issue for a few decades. We’ve kept them beaten into submission long enough. Maybe the elements are finally killing them off.”
“I see you have a lot of sympathy.”
“Don’t talk about what you don’t know about,” he snapped. He hadn’t meant to sound that harsh, but Alyssa didn’t know. She hadn’t seen the Tore killing raids. The joy they took in the bloodshed. The Vopura were practically tame compared to their vicious lifestyle. Because the Tore enjoyed pain. They enjoyed receiving it. Inflicting it. Watching it spread.
“Okay. Fine. I’ll be quiet.”
Maybe they should both be quiet. This stupid idea to share information had backfired. “Get some sleep,” he told her. “You’ve been through far too much in the past few days.”
“I don’t want to sleep. I had a....” She paused as she tried to think of the right words. “I had a bad dream last night.”
And Dante couldn’t stop his wicked grin from spreading across his face.
When she opened her eyes, her first thought was of Dante. First came the realization that she hadn’t jumped him the first chance she got. And then came the slight pang of sadness at that realization.
She pushed herself up and glanced around. She couldn’t believe she’d fallen asleep. She was in the car with someone who’d never driven before and she still somehow lost consciousness.
She really needed to up her game. But she had to admit, she was still alive and breathing. She glanced around and saw more freeway but couldn’t determine where they actually were.
“You’re awake,” said Dante.
She wondered whether he was judging her for her foolishness. Whatever. She already clearly showed how much her judgment was impaired when it came to him. At this point, there wasn’t much pride left to cling to.
“Where are we? Why didn’t you wake me up? You needed me to navigate.”
“I figured you deserved a break. Besides, the voice in your phone was telling me where to go.”
On cue, the GPS system chimed in with a “bear right in half a mile” in its methodical, robotic feminine voice.
“You still should’ve woke me up. GPS isn’t perfect. What if there had been traffic? Or an accident? Or construction?”
“Well then, I would’ve woken you up.”
He said it so easily. She didn’t know what frustrated her more: the fact that he didn’t know how big of a deal driving was, or the fact that he seemed to be so good at it. His first time! He
hadn’t even known what cruise control was!
She took out her phone and studied the map. She really had been out for a while. She must’ve needed the rest.
According to the directions, they were set to get off the freeway about half a mile from their safe house, so they were almost at their destination.
“And you just drove in silence the whole time?” Alyssa didn’t think she could ever drive without a good playlist on. Something to cut through the boredom.
“I didn’t want to miss any of the directions.”
So he had driven in complete and utter silence and boredom just so she could sleep? Of course, he was so new here. Chances were he didn’t have a favorite genre of music to listen to anyway.
“Next time we drive together, I’m going to have to find you a good station to listen to.”
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “You think there’s going to be a next time?”
“No. Maybe. I don’t know. The point is, I’m going to hook you up with some good music.”
“I like the kind with all the words. Rap music.”
She slowly craned her head around to stare at him. “Your favorite type of music is rap?”
“I admit I don’t enjoy all of it. But I like the raw power of it. The intensity. It makes me want to fight.”
“Just what I want a predatory species to feel. The urge to fight.”
“Well, sometimes it gives me the urge to fuck. Is that better?”
Her mouth went totally dry. Nope. Definitely not better.
She stayed quiet as they got off the freeway, with the exception of giving Dante more instructions. The safe house they were going to wasn’t exactly a house. It was a three-story brownstone that seemed to have somewhere around six living units in it. But from what Alyssa could tell as she looked up at the building, it was currently unoccupied.
“You think the agents Joshua said were going to meet us here have arrived yet?” she asked.
“I can’t tell.” Dante squinted as he looked at the building. He seemed to be concentrating all of his senses on it.
She wondered how much more he was aware of than her. How much more high-definition was his life than hers?
She didn’t want to be jealous. Sure, he was superhuman and everything, but being human had its benefits. Still, she was still a little bitter over failing her first driver’s test.
“Oh shit,” said Alyssa suddenly. “How are you supposed to get inside? Doesn’t someone have to invite you in?”
Dante didn’t seem worried about it. “Hopefully not. If there’s no one currently living in the unit, then there is no ownership barrier I have to get through.”
“I couldn’t bring Cora into the Seattle safe house until I invited her. I hadn’t even been there a day. How did whatever magic stuff that affects this ownership barrier know I was the owner?”
Dante glanced at her, one corner of his mouth ticking up. “I don’t know. I guess that’s just how the ‘magic stuff’ works.”
“Just you wait. In a few years, some scientist is going to give logical explanations for all of this.”
“You’re probably right. But until then, it’s still magic stuff. I’m going to go in and scope out the situation. You should stay in the car.”
“Stay in the car? Are you kidding me? Do you not remember that they have poison anti-vampire bullets?”
“Oh, I haven’t forgotten. And when I get shot by those bullets, they hurt like a bitch, but I’m still here. If the roles were reversed, you’d be dead. I can’t allow that to happen. Stay in the car and don’t be stupid.”
“Some would say I’m stupid for being in the car with a vampire in the first place.”
Dante glared at her, clearly not amused. “Don’t test me,” he said simply before he stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him.
She pointedly looked at him as she pressed her finger down on the lock button. He gave her a nod of appreciation as he disappeared. He walked at normal speed, and she had to hold back her annoyance. If she was going to be stuck in the car, couldn’t he at least hurry up? Her curiosity was killing her.
She knew she was stupid to be here with him. But damn it, she was invested. She wanted to help Cora get back home safe and sound. She wanted to know more about his past. More about this Siege of Seattle. She wanted to know how relations between his kind and the vampires and the government and humanity were going to play out. She wasn’t just being stupid for stupid’s sake. She was being stupid because she cared.
A few minutes later, she saw Dante emerge and approach the car. She held still until he motioned with a hand for her to get out. Finally. Alyssa collected her laptop and her phone before climbing out.
“You stayed in the car,” he said, not hiding his surprise.
“Don’t worry, Dante. I’ll be getting out of your way soon enough.”
He frowned. “I’ve never heard you say my name before.”
Her eyes widened. “Shit. Is that, like, a special thing? Was I supposed to ask permission? I’m sorry.”
“It’s not a special thing,” he said quickly. “I just like it.”
Before she could ask what the hell he meant by that, he turned and walked into the building.
She could try to analyze that further, but she really didn’t need the distraction. Her earlier suspicion that the building was empty was confirmed once she and Dante went inside. Joshua had instructed them to go to unit one, and once inside, she flipped on the lights. The unit was just bare-bones. There was a wide-open space that consisted of the living room with one couch, the kitchen and dining room. There was a table with four chairs around it; that was the only furniture she saw. No photos or any knickknacks to signal occupancy. Just blank white walls.
She checked her phone for the time. Just past midnight. Dante would have to find somewhere to sleep before morning, and this obviously wouldn’t be acceptable.
“There’s something for you in the kitchen,” said Dante.
Alyssa raised a brow. “For me?”
He motioned his head toward the counter, and she glanced around him to see a duffel bag in the shadowy back corner.
She crossed the room and looked skeptically at the bag. She was going to ask Dante how he knew it was for her, but then she saw the note: “For Alyssa. Park instructed us to drop this off for you.”
She slowly unzipped it to peek inside and let out a sigh of relief. Joshua had delivered her a laptop charger, her clothes from the Seattle house, and tucked away in one corner was a stack of money. Probably not the whole amount she was paid before, but enough for her troubles. More than she would’ve expected from the government that tried to have her killed. They must really want Dante’s help and they must really think she had sway over him.
Did she? Obviously Dante wasn’t opposed to listening to her opinion. She couldn’t deny that ever since he fed off her he’d been... clingy? No, clingy seemed like too nice a word. He’d been possessive.
She wanted to assume she’d been imagining it, but she knew she wasn’t. He said they were bonded, and as much as she tried to ignore it, even the military was taking note. Maybe it was time she had a talk with Dante about boundaries.
She looked up and saw Dante staring intently at her. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s just some of my stuff.”
“I know.”
Oh. So he’d just been staring at her. An odd combination of heat and unease spread through her. Maybe that talk would have to come sooner rather than later. “Dante, I.... Is there something going on here?” she asked hesitantly. “I mean... I’m trying to wrap my head around this ‘bond’ thing. And you know I’m here to help and I hesitate to say that we’re friends, but I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding about what this is. This bond, whatever it is, I don’t feel it. I’m sorry.”
She hoped he would quickly assure her that there was nothing going on. That the bond wasn’t a big deal.
But instead, he took one step closer, his eyes locked
on hers. “I believe when we first met I told you what my intentions were.”
“Yes, but....” He had, but so much had changed since then. “I think I made it clear I wasn’t interested.”
“You still feel the same now?”
“It would be ridiculous for us to be anything more than acquaintances right now. There are bigger things in play.”
“Do you think that I’ve forgotten? Do you think I’m not keenly aware of everything at stake right now?” He took another step forward.
“No. I think you’re a very eye on the ball kinda guy. I just want to make sure it stays that way. There isn’t anything between us. There won’t be anything between us,” she clarified.
“But there can be. Alyssa, I can make your dreams come true.”
She felt the blood drain from her face. “My... my dreams? No.” He took another step toward her, which was his mistake, because now he was close enough to hit. She balled her hand into a fist and shoved at his shoulder. “Tell me you did not invade me like that.”
She went to hit him again, but this time he caught her wrist, pulling her close. She took a nervous gulp as her chest collided with his. No, no, no, no, no. He had his hands on her. She couldn’t get away even if she tried. Hell, with his strength, he didn’t even have to be touching her for her to be trapped. She’d been trapped from the moment she stepped into this building with him. From the moment she got into the car with him. From the moment she’d first rescued Cora.
Calm. Just because she was helpless didn’t mean she had to act like it. “I don’t know how things work where you come from, but you can’t just go invading people’s dreams.”
“I didn’t invade your dream, little one. You invaded mine.”
She let out a snort. “No, I clearly remember you....” She drifted off. Could it have been his dream? How could she tell the difference? It seemed so damn real. “Well, I don’t want to share your dreams.”
“Was it really that bad?” He bent in closer as he asked, his face inching nearer and nearer to hers.
“No. It wasn’t bad. But it was a dream. For all I know, in your dream you didn’t want it to be bad and therefore it wasn’t.”
