Ground Zero

by Melony Paradise

  Kat noticed my confusion. “We have limited donors, Mercy. Take only what you need, so the donor won’t need as much time to recover the blood loss. I’ll help you if you lose control.”

  I frowned at her, but bit back a retort. I haven’t lost control in over two weeks. I’ve got this.

  Kat just rolled her eyes and turned to her proffered wrist, sinking her delicate teeth into the soft skin. I did the same, mimicking her to prove how well behaved I was. When I’d drank enough to sate my hunger, I carefully licked the bite wounds and smiled gratefully at the donor. Another beautiful person putting their lives in the hands of monsters for just a couple minutes of euphoric high.

  I wondered, not for the first time, at how these donors always took on angelic characteristics, with wispy hair, pale, nearly translucent skin, and a faint glow about their body, instead of looking like the junkies they really were.

  Stop looking the gift-horse in the mouth, Mercy. I couldn’t tell if that had been my own thought or Kat’s voice breezing through my mind, and realized I didn’t care. Instead, I leaned back in my chair and enjoyed the wave of ecstasy rolling through me as the donor’s life force filled my body, albeit, not as much as it usually would with a full feeding. Sigh.

  Chapter 9

  I sat watching an episode of Buffy from Mandy’s DVD collection. Nick had his arm slung over my shoulder as I snuggled against him. Danielle and Julius were in a similar position on my other side. When she offered again to ease my anxiety after she noticed my pacing, I decided to take it.

  Benjamin and Mandy were still locked up in her room. Kat explained that they would be in there until the next evening at the very least. Apparently, when done the correct way, the turning is a slow process, unlike the rush job she’d done with me. I couldn’t help worrying about Mandy, but I was eternally grateful that Benjamin was with her, taking his time and easing her into this new life.

  A tug on our barely-there, yet ever-growing bond made me look up at Nick. His pale blue eyes watched me with concern that warmed my heart. Danielle’s radiating calm helped soothe my rattled nerves, letting me enjoy this rare intimate moment with him.

  “How you doin’, darlin’?”

  I gave him a watery smile. “I’m okay. I’m glad Chima let you have the night off.”

  Nick glanced behind us where Elena stood sentinel against the wall. I followed his gaze and my eyes connected with hers. Opposite of Nick’s warm gaze, which only hardened when facing a threat, Elena’s dark brown, almost black eyes were unyielding, only softening when she noticed me watching her.

  As she gave us a reassuring nod, promising without words to protect us with her life, I searched the depths of my soul for a connection to this woman, this beautiful werewolf woman that seemed almost as attracted to me as Nick. A sigh of disappointment escaped my lips when I didn’t find anything.

  “She’ll be okay, darlin’. Mandy has a spirit as strong as any shifter I’ve known. She’ll make it through this.”

  I sighed again, feeling the weight of the world settle on my bones. “It’s not that. I was just thinking about us.”

  “Yeah?” He perked up and smiled wide.

  “The three of us…”

  “Uh huh…” His shoulders sunk a fraction of an inch, but he held his smile.

  “Why don’t I feel her like I do you? There’s obviously something between us.”

  “Mm hmm.” He nodded slowly. “That’s what’s got you all tied up in knots?”

  “Well, not just that.” I leaned my head on his shoulder. “I know Benjamin will take care of Mandy. I trust him, so I’m trying to not think about that. But, that leaves me to think about other things, like…” I flopped my hand in a little circle to indicate the three of us.

  “I see. Do you want to talk about this with her?”

  My heart skipped a beat as my nerves tried to steal my tongue. “Uh, no, I don’t want to take her away from her duty.” I ignored the quiet, sarcastic snort behind us. “No need to upset Chima.” A chiding scoff, this time. I can’t ignore her forever. “I know she can hear us, and I’m not trying to upset her. I’m just curious why you and I are linked, but her and I aren’t.”

  “I can’t speak for her, but for me, our link is because my wolf spirit and my human spirit are in agreement in our attraction to you. We chose you to be our mate.”

  “You have two spirits?”

  “Yes, and we are both connected to you through one bond. It doesn’t happen often that a werewolf, or shifter of any species, will bond with a different species, and usually when it does happen, it’s with a human because we have a human spirit within us. Apparently, you are the exception for me and the wolf. It’s possible Elena’s spirits don’t see eye to eye in this matter.”

  A small canine whine from behind informed us we were on the right track. I remembered how beautiful Elena’s chocolate brown fur was, and how I’d wanted to bury my fingers in the softness of it. There was no denying I felt… something for her, but I wouldn’t understand it until I could talk to her.

  “If it’s meant to be,” Danielle murmured beside me, “it will happen in its own time. No need to force a relationship when you have centuries to find your soulmate, or mates in your case, it seems.”

  I turned to see Danielle peering at me with sleepy grass green eyes, and Julius’s head resting on the top of hers. His dark hair with silver strands peppered in randomly, the same silver of the long, luxurious fur of his Maine Coon cat form, mingled with Danielle’s golden-brown pixie cut. “Is that unusual? Having more than one soulmate?”

  “Not in our long lifespans. Like any other Kin, we usually stay within our species, or find human mates, but being the longest living of the Kin, we can outlive our partners. Some vampires remain alone, loyal to the one they lost, others find love where they can. It is up to you.”

  She sent another calming wave at me before turning her head into Julius and cuddling closer to his body. Those two had a love that most people only dreamed of. Everlasting love. Dreamy sigh.

  Chapter 10

  With Mandy holed up with Benjamin, and Kat and Edgar off with Chima and Isabel getting the witches settled in the biggest barn on the ranch, I spent the rest of the night snuggling with Nick on the reclining sofa, Danielle and Julius beside me, and Tabi sitting stiffly on the loveseat with Killian standing beside it, watching over her as was his duty. Everyone could sense her attraction and unease at being so close to him and unable to work up the courage to make her wishes known, but we all, including Killian, kept our mouths politely shut on the matter.

  The next night, Edgar held a meeting in the next to largest barn that had an indoor paddock where the horses used to practice for shows and competitions. When Mandy still hadn’t risen, Edgar personally reassured me that nothing bad had happened to her, and she likely needed another night and day for the process. “Benjamin’s blood is taking the time it needs to heal her poor, illness-ravaged body.”

  Beside myself, and without Nick to comfort me, I quickly fed from the same pretty donor, and with Edgar’s understanding, skipped the meeting and hid in the den. I used Mandy’s old computer, the newer one being in her bedroom locked away with her, and caught up on all the social media that I’d been disconnected from since Kat barreled into my life.

  Despite everything going on around me, hiding in the den and perusing the interwebs gave me a sense of normalcy that I’d been missing. Being a shy introvert, I didn’t have close friends online, and spent most of my time lurking social media, watching the tweets and posts of my favorite celebrities, and giggling at cat videos. I allowed myself to sink into the habit of years living alone and shut out the world around me.

  I’d gone to bed sulking with Nick and Elena hovering over me, concerned and watchful, and I woke up the next evening in a bad mood. When I hung my legs over the side of the bed, two fluffy wolves raised their heads and panted noisily at me from the corners of the room. I grumbled at them and shuffled to the bathroom.

&n
bsp; Sounds of movement from Mandy’s room down the hall stopped me in my tracks, my hand on the bathroom doorknob. I spun around and dashed with vampire speed to her door, barely stopping myself from barging inside. I listened intently and heard two soft voices.

  The door swung open before me. Benjamin’s large, wiry form blocked the way, preventing me from seeing inside.

  “Can I help you?” He smirked as I bounced impatiently.

  “Oh my fuck, would you let me in please?” I growled at him and shoved my way under the arm he held against the doorframe.

  “Be gentle,” he called as he sauntered away, laughing.

  Two steps in, I halted, staring with my eyes so wide they ached.

  “Hey, girl,” Mandy whispered. She was too weak to do much more than breathe.

  Still lying in bed, my best friend in the entire world looked like death warmed over. Her dull brown eyes were sunken in with dark purple circles around them, and her curly hair spread over the pillow like limp noodles coated in sweat. I gasped at the sight of her bones visible under paper-thin skin.

  Sinking down beside her, I carefully reached for and held her hand, regretting everything. “I did this to you,” I cried. “This is my fault. I’m so sorry. Please don’t die, Mandy.”

  “I’m not dying,” she croaked. “Benjamin said I look better tonight than I did last night. He said I will continue to get better with time. Blood will speed up the healing.”

  “Oh hell! I should have brought you some. I didn’t even think—”

  “Mercy,” Benjamin said, startling me. “I have some here. No worries. You should go feed. I’ve got her.”

  “Right. Okay.” I nodded, slowly rising, reluctantly letting go of Mandy’s hand. “I’ll be back real soon.”

  Chapter 11

  I spent the rest of the night and the next night at Mandy’s bedside. She slept most of the time while I read a pile of books. My ability to speedread shocked and delighted me. Benjamin came and went, usually bringing Mandy blood in glasses since she was still too weak to bite into a donor. He’d also been lounging in bed beside her, his presence aiding her healing along.

  On the fourth night, Mandy awoke refreshed and looking healthier than she had in years. As a precaution, Benjamin brought a donor to her bedside, but she sat up straight and strong, cradling the young man like a lover. As she licked her lips and stretched her less fragile body, I thanked my lucky stars that my best friend had survived the turning.

  “So, what did I miss?” Mandy asked after freshening up.

  I stood in the kitchen sipping my half-filled mason jar of blood. “Not a lot. Edgar’s called a meeting, but after I thought we could go outside and see what you can do.”

  “Oh, that sounds fun!” She bounced in place, energy wafting off her. I considered whether she would be able to sit still during the meeting.

  Benjamin walked up behind her, placing a hand on the small of her back, and effectively stilling her fidgeting. “If you can’t make it through the entire meeting, Edgar will understand if you slip away. Just try not to draw attention to yourselves. Everyone’s on edge.”

  “What? Why?” I gulped the viscous fluid down and rinsed out the jar, placing it in the dishwasher.

  “Cassandra’s been sending people out to test our wards.” He leaned casually against the wall beside Mandy, his pose possessive of his new fledgling. “Thankfully, Anaria and Arnon’s coven is powerful.”

  “Should we be worried?” Mandy turned a bit towards him, edging close enough for her arm to barely touch his.

  “I don’t believe so.” His hand snaked out to capture hers. “Two more clans have arrived in the last few days, and Chima has called in more of his sub-packs. We’re well protected, and Kat is hunting down more allies. You might have to go with her, Mercy, if she continues to have trouble contacting them over the phone.”

  “Ugh.” I rolled my eyes. “I don’t want to leave Mandy.”

  “I’ll be all right as long as Benjamin is with me.” A shy smile graced her now fuller lips.

  I snorted and giggled. “Obviously. You two have to stay together because of the bond. How far can you two separate? Will we be able to go out to the pasture to test her new skills?”

  Benjamin looked at her thoughtfully. “Not likely. I’ll join you. I should be there anyway, to help her learn. She is mine, after all.” That “mine” had a barely audible possessive growl to it that made me blink and bite back a smirk.

  With a nod and a throat clearing, I interrupted their intense eye-lock and waved them toward the front door. I knew from my own awkward attraction to Kat that the blood bond between sire and fledgling was intense and overwhelming. The fact that Benjamin was male, attractive, mysterious, and had the bad boy vibe going for him, meant he was right up Mandy’s alley. I didn’t know if Benjamin, being centuries old and rather progressive, had a sexual preference, but his eyes seemed to be all for his new fledgling. I couldn’t help feeling giddy about how well it all worked out.

  A mixture of Kin filled half of the barn paddock, chatting quietly as we waited for Edgar and David who stood on the other side with their heads bent together. Both had their hands clasped behind their backs. David appeared, with his dusky brown hair, copper eyes, and sharp angles, to be younger than my sire who sported a dark mustache peppered with grey to match the hair on his head and brow. While Edgar let his collar and jacket lay open and loose, David’s was buttoned up under a freshly pressed suit.

  Chima, Isabel, Sigrid (a werebear), and Lucien (a werejackal) lined the fence behind Edgar while Efram (a wereleopard), Rosie, Killian (also a wereleopard), and Larkin (I didn’t know his species) lined the fence behind David. Off to the side, Kat and Julius conversed with Yvette (David’s vampire mate) and Tobias (David’s second). Julius had stepped up, taking Benjamin’s role as second to Edgar since he had a new demanding responsibility that took precedence over his duties to the clan.

  When Edgar and David stepped forward, the crowd hushed.

  “Thank you all for coming,” Edgar said in a deep, booming, pleasant voice, sending a shiver down my body. “We want to welcome the Jackson and Beltana clans and give our sincerest gratitude to Miss Amanda Williams for allowing us to occupy her land and home. Without her granting us sanctuary, we might be scattered in the wind or in the hands of our enemies by now.”

  Everyone turned to look at our host who blushed lightly and sunk into Benjamin’s protective embrace. I smiled at her and petted her arm encouragingly.

  “While we have been securing this land,” David said, his low voice carrying over the audience with the strength of his power, “there have been numerous attempts to breech our shield. The Bellingham Coven is powerful and has successfully kept us safe from intruders. With our many guards patrolling inside and outside the shield, I feel confident in our security. Unfortunately, these attempts to infiltrate our base only shows us that Cassandra isn’t letting go of her scheme to rule our region.”

  Edgar nodded sagely and took over. “Each day has brought increasingly more wolves to our walls, trying to break through. We believe these attempts will only lead to Cassandra and Bull bringing the might of their force to our doorstep. While we are certain we can defend ourselves sufficiently, it would be best to be proactive. Our numbers have swelled these last few days, and we are making every effort to bring in more of our allies to protect them and build up our own forces. We now must decide our next course of action. Do we wait for the battle to come to us? Or, do we take the battle to them?”

  The crowd erupted, hollering “Them!” over and over until I thought the barn roof might fall in. I clapped my hands over my sensitive ears and glanced over to see Mandy cringing with her hands pressed hard against hers, eyes squeezed shut.

  Edgar raised his hands and the noise died down. “It is as we thought. We will spend the next few days planning our strategy, and hopefully, gathering our allies. Another thing we must consider… While none of us believe Cassandra would be the right person to a
ssume the role of leader for our region, we do need to consider our options, as we cannot go ungoverned indefinitely.”

  “We are a long-lived people,” David said. “We have lived in peace and in strife by our traditions. For as long as I can remember, vampires have assumed the roles of leadership, even when Nightkin and Otherkin have not seen eye to eye. Cassandra had put forth a demand to open up the vote to all Kin.”

  Concerned muttering filled the air around us.

  “What say you?”

  The crowd suddenly went silent. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard.

  A tall, swarthy vampire with long, blond hair stepped forward. “I have welcomed Otherkin into my clan, not just as guards, but as friends, companions… family. We are not opposed to an open vote.”

  A second, sterner looking vampire, short and bird-like with caramel hair pulled up into a severe bun, pushed her way through the crowd. “Our traditions are sacred. I will not be ruled by one who cannot rule their own internal beasts. Vampires may be cold, and vicious at times, but our age and experience gives us the advantage of knowledge the Otherkin lack, particularly when the moon rides them.”

  A low rumble of growling and hissing responded to her. The vampire’s shoulders stiffened but she refused to acknowledge the emotions she stirred among our shifter friends.

  “Karina,” Edgar said in a low, angry tone, shaking his head. “We have come a long way from the old days. We should all be like Malcolm, welcoming our Kin brethren into our hearts. We cannot survive this new, modern world alone.”

  “Edgar is correct, Karina.” David approached her, placing his hands around her upper arms. “It is time for us to accept the changes that many Nightkin have so staunchly ignored.” He stepped back and addressed the audience again. “Humanity seeks to uncover our secrets. We have had to hide from those that wish to destroy us since the dawn of our species, but we face a new threat, and not just from a crazed witch wishing to control us.