by Terry Spear
Her brothers bolted down the stairs. Crystal headed for the rooms looking for Nicolai. She still planned to convince him to stop pursuing her.
Her thoughts reverted to her apartment. Damn.
Nicolai could return there anytime he wanted. She’d have to stay somewhere else tonight. Great.
She opened one of the bedroom doors. A woman cowered behind the bed. A human host.
Crystal hurried to the next room. Two vampire corpses, mummified in appearance. Her brothers had been busy.
Hurrying back into the hallway, she planned to leave the house and return home to pack.
Suddenly, Kostya blocked her path, his dark eyes as black as the sea, and just as deadly as a swift undertow, bore into her as if he tried to control her thoughts.
She readied her knife, her mind warring with her heart over what she had to do next.
4
When the human hosts flocked from Dimitri’s house, Robert Parker knew the vampires had found his handy work...two dead bloodsuckers in one of the bedrooms. He’d had every intention of leaving the scene after that, but the woman who’d arrived in the Cougar intrigued him. Was she a human host? Or a vampire?
She seemed different somehow. Or was it just that she was way too attractive? Her blue eyes had sparkled, but they shouldn’t have. Not if she was one of them. Her pink frosted lips had surprised him, too. Lip smacking gorgeous, full and nearly pouting, totally kissable. Not blackened with dark lipsticks, Goth style, like most of the female hosts colored theirs.
A human host wouldn’t have been interested in speaking with him either, and yet she seemed to have wanted to make the effort. Her lips had parted, luscious, for the taking. He’d nearly been drawn into her charms, before he reigned in the unfamiliar longings for the woman, raging through his blood. Her hair was long and blond, not dyed dark like the human hosts’ hair. Was she a vampire then?
Considering the way she walked in through the front entrance, he knew she was one of them, either already turned, or a host. Maybe, he could use her to find the bloodsucker that had killed his sister. Or was there some other reason he couldn’t get his mind off the woman? A kind of devil’s magic that made him feel something sexual for a woman he’d never met before? The way her black denims hugged her narrow hips and her tight derriere. The way the turtleneck caressed her breasts, like he had wanted to. A traitorous tightening of his boxers followed. Hell, he felt like a hunter in puberty.
He glared at the house through the darkened windows of his car. Where the hell was the woman? If she was a vampire, she could vanish and reappear anywhere she’d been before. Anywhere. But if she was a host, she’d run out the door like the rest of them, with fear in her eyes.
He folded his arms. He’d wait a bit longer. She’d return for her vehicle in any case, wouldn’t she? Then he’d follow her and find out where she lived.
Somehow, he hoped to get the information out of her. Where was Yorovitch hiding? That’s what he wanted to know more than anything else in the world. Then he’d end the vampire’s life as soon as he could get his sword into Yorovitch’s wicked heart.
Crystal readied her special blade to strike at Kostya’s heart, hoping instead, he’d let her leave Dimitri’s house without a fight. To her surprise, he didn’t advance on her like most would do.
He smiled a simpering little smile. “Nicolai is making a mistake with you.”
“He’s right about one thing. I don’t want to kill vampires. But he’s given me no choice. I won’t be his.”
Kostya's posture was relaxed, not tense like one might expect of a vampire facing his own extermination. “We’re at an impasse. He doesn’t want you harmed, but I won’t let you kill me either. Now, even his brother is interested in you. What am I to do?”
She maintained her defensive posture, her knife readied if he wouldn’t oblige. But her palms grew sweaty and a bead of perspiration snaked its way between her breasts. “Step out of my way, and I’ll let you live for the night.”
“I can’t let you go.”
Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm the uneasiness swamping her. “Then I’ll have to kill you.”
He quirked a brow, seemingly sensing her reluctance to make short work of him. “Have you ever killed a vampire born of the womb before?”
She hesitated to answer. She hadn’t even known they existed before tonight. Would he die in the same manner as the others?
“I didn’t think you’d killed one of my kind before.” Kostya took a step forward. Instinctively, for self-preservation, she thrust her knife at him. He dodged back, then vanished.
“Coward,” she grumbled under her breath. In her heart, she knew he wasn’t afraid of her. Rather, he didn’t want to fight Dimitri or Nicolai if he disobeyed them concerning harming her.
She ran down the stairs. The velvet couch, tables, and lamps had been overturned. No vampires or their human hosts remained behind. The party…was over.
She dashed outside and looked to the right…no cars or people, just well-maintained yards and an empty street. Looking left, she felt her blood chill. The white convertible still sat parked at the curb up the street. Except for her Cougar, it was the only other vehicle still here. Her skin tingled at the nape of her neck as she tried to make out whether the driver was sitting in the car or not.
The darkness of the windows prevented her from seeing inside. But then the ignition switched on, and a slice of concern unsettled her. The dark-haired driver undoubtedly studied her, then drove off. What in the hell was he all about? Had he wanted her to follow him to another one of Dimitri’s bashes? Or was he Nicolai’s host and would report back to him about her being with Dimitri?
None of it mattered now, but getting some much needed sleep. After cleaning off her knife, she snapped it back into its concealment. Then she pressed the keypad and unlocked her car door. Climbing in, she realized her heart beat way out of bounds. She took several deep breaths trying to calm the adrenaline still coursing through her body.
Now if she could only return to her apartment and pack some of her uniforms for the rest of the week without finding Nicolai there again, she might make it through the night yet.
Driving home, Crystal noticed the moon and stars had disappeared. The wind blew her car around on the road like a leaf tossed to and fro. She imagined she looked like a drunken driver swerving into the other lane in the gusty wind.
A thunderstorm threatened to let loose some time that evening. She sensed the pressure change. The air grew heavy with moisture. A flash of light brightened the massive thunderheads briefly. Would it knock out her electricity as thunderstorms often did? She gritted her teeth. If only the storm held off a little bit longer…just until she moved.
As soon as she drove into her complex, she noticed lights illuminated her living room. She hadn’t left any on. She took a deep breath trying to settle her discomfort. Had Nicolai returned?
At twenty-six, she was getting too old for this.
After parking, she dashed up the stairs to her second-floor apartment. With knife at the ready, she unlocked her door, then slammed it open.
It banged against the wall. Her brothers, Boniface and Victor, jumped from the couch, their swords readied. Both stood six-foot-two, and their impressive size gave them a decisive advantage. With her petite stature of five-foot-four, they towered above her. Relieved she wasn’t their target tonight, she took a deep breath to calm her frazzled nerves.
Boniface wrinkled his brow at her. His blue eyes appeared as stormy and deadly as they’d been when he cut the head from the vampire tonight. “You have no business fighting vampires.”
She secured her knife. “What business is it of yours what I do?”
Victor snorted. “Family business.”
“I’ve been kicked out of the family, or haven’t you heard?”
She collapsed on a blue velvet loveseat.
Boniface sat on the matching blue floral sofa with Victor. “You put all of us at risk when we have to save
your butt.”
“I didn’t see you rescuing me.”
“You must have noticed Boniface’s car parked outside the house. Why did you come in?”
“I had my own demons to fight, Victor. Again, it’s truly none of your affair.”
Boniface rubbed his whiskered chin. “The word has spread amongst our cousins, Nicolai claims you for his own. The vampires are stronger than us. That’s why we hunt together. You’ll never be able to fight them all on your own. The weaker ones, sure, but not the stronger of their brethren.”
Victor nodded. “If Nicolai turns you, we’ll have no recourse but to kill you ourselves.”
Crystal leaned back on her couch as she stared at Victor. “They cannot turn me. They could never turn one of our people. You know that. They’d have to bite me, and my blood would kill them, as theirs would most likely poison mine.”
The brothers exchanged glances. A secret communiqué was delivered between them.
She narrowed her eyes. “What are you not telling me?”
Victor cleared his throat. “You’re no longer one of us.”
“I’m no longer a member of the family. But I’m still a huntress, genetically. Because of this, they cannot turn me.”
Boniface shook his head. “They have already openly invited you to their parties. Have they not? None of our kind has open invitations to their affairs.”
“Yeah,” Victor added, his deep voice just as harsh, “and Nicolai’s been here. We saw the note.”
“You dug through my trash?” Her jaw tightened with irritation. The vampire had violated her by gaining entrance to her apartment through his persuasive powers. Now her own brothers had searched her place without her permission? Her blood boiled in anger as her face heated.
Boniface leaned forward. “We saw the broken light bulb and the rose on the pillow. And yes, when we investigated further, we found the note. We figured he’d gotten to you.”
5
“He has not gotten to me. You’re wrong, both of you.” Pure malice coated Crystal’s words. She loved her brothers, but they were going too far to say she was no better than a vampire’s plaything.
As mad as she was at her brothers’ accusations, an inkling of warmth curled in the pit of her stomach to see them again. She wished they’d stay, if for nothing more, than to watch her back while she packed.
Boniface folded his arms over his broad chest. “You can’t stay here any longer if he’s able to get in.”
Deep down inside, they did worry about her, warming her through and through. “My apartment manager must have let him in. I need to pack some of my things and stay at a motel or somewhere for a few days until I can find another place to live.”
Boniface glanced at Victor. She knew he wanted to offer her his place to stay but sought another family member’s approval first.
Victor stiffened his spine. “Just don’t allow anyone to let him in next time. Now you’ll have to move from here.”
Always the more sensible of the two, he’d dashed her hopes. She wouldn’t find any help from her family, as she suspected. No way would she beg either of them though. If Boniface had allowed her a safe place to stay the night, he could be banished from the family, too, if others found out.
She sighed deeply. “It’s so good to see you again. But I’ve got to pack and get some sleep tonight. I have staff duty again tomorrow night.”
Boniface grunted. “That inconsequential job of yours.” He took a deep breath. “We’ll wait.”
She smiled. “Thank you.” She rose from her seat. “Did you want something to drink?”
Boniface’s face darkened. “We never came here, Crystal. None of our family must ever know of our breaking protocol.”
She knew that. He didn’t have to remind of her of that. She stiffened, resolute to be sociable despite her family’s attitude…no matter how disagreeable they felt toward her. After all, she didn’t have to sink to their level. “Of course. Did you want something to drink?” she offered again.
Victor frowned. “A beer, if you have one.”
She looked at Boniface.
“Same.”
“All right.” She hurried into the kitchen, retrieved the beers, then returned to the living room. She handed the ice cold bottles to her brothers. “It won’t take me long.”
After packing uniforms, civilian clothes, and personal items, she rolled her bag out of the room. Her brothers stood.
Victor grabbed her bag. “We wish you well. We always have, Crystal, although we’re not to say this to you. However, don’t get in our way again, should you arrive at a party we’ve crashed. They’ve gotten to you, whether you want to admit it to yourself or not. A split second hesitation on any of our parts, can spell our deaths.”
“I know the drill, Victor.” She pulled her door closed behind them.
“Yet you barged in on the party we attended,” Boniface interjected.
Were her brothers right after all? Had the vampire brothers gotten under her skin?
She’d have to be twice as diligent in the future.
Victor loaded her bag into her car. “Where are you going?”
“Haven’t a clue. For your own peace of mind, the situation is probably best left that way.”
Neither of her brothers argued with her, making her heart ache. She knew it had to be that way. She’d been cut off from the family, and it would remain so until she died.
“He’ll be watching you. Even now as we speak. He’ll know where you go better than we will.”
She nodded. “I’ll just have to hope he doesn’t convince anyone else to open my new place up to him.”
Her brothers exchanged glances as she waited for their response. Boniface stepped forward and hugged her. Victor followed suit with a warm embrace. She doubted she’d ever have any further kindness from her family. For the moment, her whole body warmed with their tenderness. She sighed deeply. “Take care.”
“And you,” they said in unison.
She climbed into her car, started it, and drove out of the parking lot. Her brothers watched her until she was out of sight, she noted through her rearview mirror.
A couple of tears rolled down her cheek. She’d made the decision to go against the family’s wishes four years ago and knew the consequences. No sense in reopening the hurt now. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself. She clenched her teeth, trying to quash the pain.
More tears graced her cheeks as she attempted to get her mind off her family. How could she help that she was so different? Feelings had to be controlled in the business. Unchecked emotions could mean death. Despite having the skills and special abilities to fight vampires, she hadn’t the heart to kill them, or anyone else for that matter.
She didn’t feel any remorse once she’d killed the bloodsuckers that threatened her own life…not once she saw how hideous they were when the life was sucked from them. But killing a living being, or at least one who appeared full of life, had always proved difficult. Her hesitation to kill one outright without provocation had put her family at risk several times.
Why couldn’t they understand, they were better off with her working in some other field of expertise? But no, despite her inadequacies, they preferred her doing the kind of work they did. They said she’d harden up with time. She couldn’t.
Fifteen minutes later, she drove into a well-lighted, two-story hotel. She glanced in her rearview mirror. A white convertible followed her. Her heartbeat quickened. How long had he been there, and was it the same one she saw at Dimitri’s house? She couldn’t be certain. So wrapped up in family issues, she hadn’t been as alert as she should have been.
She pulled into the front to register at the hotel lobby. The convertible continued on past, to her relief.
After parking, she hurried into the hotel. Already, the time approached midnight. Determined to get to bed and quickly, she tapped on the bell at the counter to get someone’s attention.
A gray-haired man with eyes the same
smoky gray, dressed in a similarly colored suit, strolled out.
“Do you have a nonsmoking room for three nights?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He pulled out a room key as she offered her credit card.
She cleared her throat to get his attention as he rang up the account. “I must have complete privacy. I’m an Army officer and have all-night duty tomorrow night, so under no circumstances do I want to be bothered.”
“No room service?”
“I’ll pick up fresh towels after work, but no. I don’t want anyone coming into my room. Not housekeeping, not anyone posing as a husband or friend or long lost brother. No one.”
“Understood.” He eyed her suspiciously, then nodded. “Problems with an ex? My daughter has a court order against hers. The bastard.” He gave her a sympathetic look. “I understand.”
“Thanks.” But what she needed was a hunter-run hotel. The vampires couldn’t control any hunter’s thoughts, and she knew it was the only way to really be safe. But of course, that would mean a hunter would have given up the hunt to run a business. And it rarely happened.
The only other alternative was buying a place of her own. When she had enough saved, she would.
Crystal grabbed the key and headed back to the car.
Maybe, just maybe, Nicolai wouldn’t get to her this time. She drove her car to a parking lot as close to the stairs as possible. After parking, she hurried to retrieve her bag.
Again, she glimpsed the white convertible parked across the street, this time at a fast food hamburger joint. Damn. Either the driver was a human host that Nicolai or Dimitri sent to follow her, or maybe the stalker was a vampire himself. Anger bubbled in her veins. She didn’t have time for this nonsense now. Once she was well-rested, stalker beware.
She carried her bag up the stairs with little effort. Her superhuman strength had made it difficult when she’d trained in hand-to-hand combat in the Army, trying to ensure she didn’t injure any of her fellow officers…especially the more aggressive males who expected her to crumble easily under their brute strength.
