Not that it mattered now, he thought ruefully. What mattered was that Browning had erected wards of his own, effectively shutting Ethan out.
Ethan?
I’m here. Just sit tight.
It was time to call in the cavalry.
* * *
Saintcrow paced the floor, saying little as Ethan spoke to his mind. Why was it that every time he left Morgan Creek, something drew him back? He was tempted to tell Parrish to handle the problem himself, but in this case, a master vampire was the only one who could help.
Sit tight, he told Ethan, his voice curt. I’m on my way.
“You’re doing the right thing,” Kadie remarked when Rylan’s mental conversation with Ethan ended. “He doesn’t have the experience to deal with Browning alone.”
“Yeah. I should have known Browning would show up sooner or later. I’m just surprised it wasn’t sooner.”
“You don’t think he’ll hurt Sofia, do you?”
“I sure as hell hope not. I’ve got to go.”
“Be careful.”
“Right.” He kissed her as if he had all the time in the world, and then he was gone.
* * *
He found Ethan pacing back and forth on the bridge.
“I’m sorry about this,” Ethan said.
Saintcrow waved his apology aside. “I thought I told you to put the wards up before sundown.”
“I did.”
Saintcrow looked thoughtful a moment, then muttered, “Gotta be witchcraft.”
“So how do we dismantle Browning’s wards and get across the bridge?”
“This town is mine. I own every square foot of it. My blood is here. Browning might think he can just waltz in and claim the place as his, but it doesn’t work like that. The only way to take over a master vampire’s territory is to kill him. Come on.”
Saintcrow strolled across the bridge, chanting softly as he went.
Ethan followed close behind. A ripple of magical power filled the air as they stepped onto the paved road that led into town. It moved over Ethan’s skin like thousands of tiny sparks as they breached Browning’s wards.
Pausing, Saintcrow turned to face the bridge. Ethan felt his sire’s power coalesce as he set new wards in place.
“Browning is mine,” Ethan said as they made their way to the residential area.
Saintcrow nodded. “You kill him and I’ll take his head.”
* * *
Sofia’s heart skipped a beat when the door opened. She scrambled off the bed and retreated into a far corner when a dark shape filled the entrance. Her blood ran cold as she recognized Browning’s hulking form.
“Dinnertime,” he crooned, shutting the door behind him.
“You’d better leave me alone.” She glanced at Browning and then the door, wondering what the odds were of darting past him.
He laughed. “Why would I do that?”
“Because Ethan’s here.”
“Nice try, but I put up new wards.” He backed her toward the bed. “The town is mine now. And so is this house. He can’t come in.”
She recoiled when his hand slid around her neck, let out a cry of dismay when his fangs pierced her skin. Even knowing it was useless to fight him, she kicked and scratched for all she was worth, felt herself growing weaker as he continued to drink. And drink.
Ethan. Lights danced behind her eyes as darkness swallowed her whole.
* * *
Ethan kicked in the bedroom door, his fury growing when he caught the scent of fresh blood. Sofia’s blood.
Browning whirled around as Ethan lunged toward him. Then, seeing Saintcrow in the doorway, he vanished from the room.
Uttering a wordless cry of frustration, Ethan slid to a stop. Dammit!
The rage inside him turned to concern when he saw Sofia crumpled on the floor, her face as pale as death, her neck and chest splattered with blood. Kneeling beside her, he drew her into his arms. “Sofie? Sofie, can you hear me?”
Her eyelids fluttered open. “Ethan?”
“I’m here.”
“Am I dying?”
“I don’t think so.” He looked over her head at Saintcrow for confirmation.
The master vampire shook his head.
“I’m going to give you some of my blood,” Ethan said.
Recalling how it had saved her father’s life, she nodded, then closed her eyes.
Ethan bit into his wrist, held the bleeding wound to her lips.
She had forgotten how wonderful it was to drink from him, forgotten how his blood sizzled through her, making her feel as if her veins were filled with sparkling champagne. Clasping his arm in her hands, she drank greedily.
“You should just turn her,” Saintcrow said. “You’re gonna do it sooner or later. Might as well be now. She’s halfway there already.”
Ethan shook his head. “We talked it over. She wants to wait a little while, until she’s older.”
“That’s Micah talking. As long as she’s human, she’s helpless against our kind.”
“Wasn’t it Kadie, your vampire wife, we rescued not long ago? She seemed pretty helpless then.”
“Witchcraft is something else entirely,” his sire remarked with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Sofia pushed Ethan’s arm away. “Saintcrow’s right. We should just do it now.”
“Are you sure?” Ethan asked. “You told me you wanted to wait.”
“I know, but I was wrong. I let Micah talk me out of it because I wasn’t really sure it was what I wanted, but I’m sure now.”
“What about having to sleep during the day?”
“I guess I’ll get used to it. After a while.”
Saintcrow cleared his throat. “I might be able to help with that. Last time I was with Kadie, I did a blood exchange with her, like I did with Ethan. She’s been able to be awake during the day for the last week or so. It might work for Sofia, too, once she’s turned, although there’s no guarantee, since I won’t be her sire.”
“Are you sure this is what you want, Sofie?” Ethan asked. “I don’t want you to regret it, or hate me for turning you somewhere down the road.”
“Are you sure it won’t hurt?”
“As sure as I can be.”
“All right. Just do it,” she murmured, and closed her eyes, eager to taste him again.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“He’s done it!” Micah exclaimed, his eyes burning red with anger. “He’s turned her!”
Holly stared at him, eyes wide. “Are you sure?”
“Damn right I am. I can feel it happening.” Rising, he paced the floor, his hands clenched. “I’ll kill him for this.”
“Micah, calm down.”
“I am calm!”
“Sure you are. If you were any calmer, you’d be breathing fire and farting smoke.”
He might have laughed if he hadn’t been so outraged. “I’m going to Morgan Creek.”
“I’m going with you.”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“I know. That’s why I’m going.”
* * *
When it was done, Ethan transported Sofia into their room at Blair House and lowered her onto their bed. She didn’t move, was barely breathing. He removed her shoes and clothing, pulled a nightgown over her head, then tucked her under the covers. She would sleep the sleep of the Undead until sundown tomorrow.
He stood beside the bed, thinking how much he loved her, how beautiful she was, wondering if she would still love him when she woke tomorrow night.
Leaning down, he brushed a kiss across her lips.
“We’ve got company,” Saintcrow announced from the doorway. “You’ll never guess who it is.”
Ethan blew out a sigh. “Micah,” Ethan said. “And Holly.”
“Right the first time.”
“This isn’t a conversation I’m looking forward to,” Ethan remarked. Closing the bedroom door, he followed Saintcrow up the stairs into the living room, stood by the fireplace while
his sire opened the door.
Micah stormed into the room, his face dark with anger. Holly trailed behind him. She looked at Ethan with an expression that clearly said I tried to stop him.
Ethan shrugged, then spun away as Micah lunged at him, fangs bared, hands reaching for his throat.
“Micah, stop it!” Saintcrow’s voice cut through the room like a scythe.
Micah came to an abrupt halt, his expression mutinous as he glared at the master vampire.
Holly curled up in the chair by the fireplace, her gaze moving from one man to the other.
“He turned my sister.” Micah fired his words like bullets. “My baby sister.”
“She asked him to do it,” Saintcrow said, his voice mild. “As you well know, it was inevitable.”
“She’s too young, too inexperienced to make that decision and you know it. What if she breaks up with Ethan?”
“That’s not likely to happen,” Ethan said quietly. “We’re married.”
“You’re what?” Micah roared.
Holly stared at Ethan, wide-eyed. “When did that happen?”
“Recently. Sofie knew her mother would want a big wedding, but we didn’t want to wait. We planned to tell her family in a few weeks and then get married again.”
“You’ve ruined her life,” Micah said, his voice thick with loathing. “I’ll never forgive you for this.” He turned toward Saintcrow. “Or you either.” Taking Holly’s hand, he sent a last, fulminating glare at Ethan, and vanished from their sight.
Ethan blew out a sigh, then, sinking down on the edge of the sofa, he cradled his head in his hands.
“He’ll get over it,” Saintcrow remarked.
Ethan shook his head. “I don’t think so. What if he’s right? What if Sofia hates being a vampire and hates me for turning her? I really will have ruined her life. I should have waited until we knew each other better, until she was older.”
“What’s done is done,” Saintcrow said, clapping him on the shoulder. “There’s no going back. She’ll be hungry when she wakes tomorrow night. You can give her a little of your blood to ease the pain, but she’ll need to feed. Hey, are you listening to me?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s got my blood in her and so do you, so she’ll be strong. Make sure she doesn’t kill her prey. She’ll want to take it all the first few times. Don’t let her.”
Ethan nodded.
“Other than learning how to hunt, I don’t think she’s got much more to discover about being a vampire.”
Ethan grunted. That was true enough. Maybe it would make her transition easier.
* * *
Sofia woke feeling stranger—and better—than she ever had in her life. For a moment, she lay there wondering why she felt as if someone had just given her a super dose of adrenaline.
She jackknifed into a sitting position, her hand searching the bed beside her. There was no one there. Frowning, she wondered where Ethan had gone. Since their marriage, she had quickly grown accustomed to waking up beside him.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she stood up. Why did the rug feel so different? Wiggling her toes, she glanced at the carpet, thinking she could feel each individual strand of fiber. But, of course, that was ridiculous.
Gradually, she realized she was seeing everything around her in sharp focus, even though there was no light at all in the room.
She doubled over as a sudden cramp knifed through her, cried out as the pain drove her to her knees. What was happening to her?
She looked up at the sound of footsteps, scrambled to her feet as the door to the lair swung open.
“Ethan!” She groaned as her stomach clenched. “Ethan, something’s wrong.”
Hurrying toward her, he lifted her into his arms, then sat on the edge of the bed, cradling her to his chest. “There’s nothing wrong, love.”
“There is. The pain . . .”
“It’s normal.”
She drew back a little so she could see his face. And frowned. He looked the same and yet . . . different somehow. She took a shaky breath, and his scent flooded her nostrils.
“Sofia. Listen to me.”
“Hmm.” She traced his lower lip with her fingers, then, leaning forward, she bit him lightly, gasped with surprise when her bite drew blood. The sight of it, the smell of it, went through her like chain lightning. Cupping his face in her palms, she licked the dark red drops, then stared at him, her eyes widening with comprehension.
“I . . . I’m . . .” She blinked at him. “A vampire.”
He nodded, his expression wary.
“You turned me last night.” Vampire. I’m a vampire. She searched her feelings, but she felt numb, empty, as if she was living inside someone else’s body, seeing the world through a stranger’s eyes. Colors were brighter, sounds more pronounced, her sense of touch more sensitive. She nodded slowly. “I remember now.” She recalled the taste of his blood, the sense of euphoria, and then falling, tumbling helplessly into an endless black void. A low groan rose in her throat. “You said it wouldn’t hurt.”
“You need to feed.”
Her breath caught in her throat. Feed. Prey. People. “No.” She shook her head. “I can’t do that. Why can’t I just drink from you?”
“Because vampires don’t feed on each other.”
“You fed on Saintcrow.”
“I wasn’t feeding. It was like an exchange of energy, of power. I couldn’t survive on his blood. And you can’t survive on mine.” He stroked her hair. “You knew this was part of it.”
“Yes, but knowing and doing . . .” She shook her head again. “Can’t I just visit the local blood bank or something?”
“You could. You can feed on animals, too. But not indefinitely. Like it or not, eventually you have to feed on the living. Otherwise, you’ll weaken. I’m told the longer you wait, the more painful it gets.”
“Did Saintcrow tell you that?”
“Yeah.”
“Was it hard for you, the first time?”
“Not really. Saintcrow took me to some little town in Southern Wyoming. The first lesson he taught me was that it’s never a good idea to feed where you live.” Ethan shook his head. “At the time, I remember thinking that feeding used to mean meat and potatoes, but from then on, it would mean blood.”
He remembered it all as if it had been yesterday. “He picked a woman for me. Without even knowing how I was doing it, I imposed my will on hers. I thought I’d be disgusted by the whole thing, but it was all so easy. ‘Take what you want, but gently’ was Saintcrow’s advice. ‘You’re a lot stronger now than you were before.’ He showed me where to bite her. ‘Not too deep,’ he’d warned. ‘You don’t want to kill her.’
“I’d expected to feel revulsion for what I was about to do, but it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to sink my fangs into her throat.” He laughed softly. “I remember wondering where those fangs came from. There’s no way to describe it, Sofie. Saintcrow had to practically drag me away from her. That’s when he told me his other rules.”
“There are rules?”
“There are according to Saintcrow. You already know rule number one—don’t feed where you live. Number two, you don’t kill your prey. Number three, you don’t wait until the pain is excruciating before you feed.”
“Is that the last one?”
“No. His final directive was that if I killed anyone, he would destroy me.”
“Even if it was an accident?”
“There were no exceptions.”
Sofia shivered.
“Well, that’s not entirely true. He said my sense of self-preservation would kick in if I was in desperate need of blood to survive or badly wounded. I had the feeling the rules didn’t apply then.”
She didn’t look reassured.
“Nothing like that’s going to happen to you,” Ethan said. “I’ll be with you until you get the hang of things.”
She smiled faintly.
“You can dr
ink a little from me, if you want. Saintcrow said it would ease the pain.” He turned his head to the side. “Just take a little.”
She stared at his throat. Always before, he had bitten his wrist and offered it to her. But the pulse beating in the hollow of his throat called to her. He groaned softly when she bit him, just below his ear. At first, she thought she’d hurt him; then she realized it wasn’t pain but pleasure. His blood was hotter than she remembered, and quickly dulled her pain.
Lifting her head, she licked her lips.
“Better?” he asked.
“Much.”
“So, are you ready to embrace the new you?”
“I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she said, sliding off his lap. “Let’s go hunting.”
“Okay by me,” he said. “But you might want to change out of your nightgown first.”
* * *
For all her apparent eagerness to embrace her new lifestyle, Sofia dug her heels in when it came time to actually bite the young man Ethan had chosen. It was one thing to drink from the man she loved and quite another to bite a complete stranger. She tried to picture it in her mind—pulling him to her, biting him, drinking his blood. What if he tasted bad? What if he had some horrible illness?
“You’re immune to disease,” Ethan said. “Nothing can hurt you.”
She nodded, remembering how Mateo had added ground oleander to Ethan’s wine to no effect.
“There’s nothing to it,” Ethan said. “Stop thinking like Sofia, the woman, and let your vampire nature take over. Like this.” He folded his hands over the young man’s shoulders and lowered his head to his neck.
The scent of warm, hot, fresh blood filled Sofia’s nostrils. And with it, the undeniable urge to feed. When her fangs descended, she pushed Ethan aside and took her first taste of human prey.
It was like nothing she had ever known. Better than the finest wine, more satisfying than a glass of ice water on a blistering summer day.
She growled—actually growled—at Ethan when he laid his hand on her shoulder. “Enough, Sofia.”
She knew she should stop, but she couldn’t.
“If you kill him,” Ethan warned, “you’ll bring Saintcrow’s wrath down on us.”
That threat alone was enough to make Sofia back off, albeit reluctantly. She licked the blood from her lips, watched with regret as Ethan erased the memory of what had happened from the young man’s mind and sent him on his way.
Twilight Desires Page 24
