Her hair was as unruly as ever, but her brush was in her suitcase and she wasn’t about to dig around trying to find it. Usually she packed with more care, but yesterday at the hotel she’d simply thrown everything into her suitcase and had no idea where to find her brush. She finger-combed her hair until it was as good as she could get it and then pulled on her underwear, socks, jeans and a brown turtleneck sweater.
Sighing, she stared at her reflection. It wasn’t the best she’d ever looked, but she consoled herself with the fact that it wasn’t the worst either. And what did it matter what she looked like? She was alive and healthy and that was all that mattered. Carefully, she turned the handle of the door and opened it, giving a sigh of relief when Damek didn’t move.
Silently, she moved through the room and down the hallway to the kitchen. She needed coffee and maybe some toast or a bagel. A grocery bag sat on the granite countertop and Sonia dug right in. After all, the food was for her. Vampires didn’t eat. At least she didn’t think they did. They needed blood, but she was fuzzy on the whole food thing.
There was a loaf of wholegrain bread, a package of cinnamon and raisin bagels, two cans of soup, a couple of bananas, a half dozen oranges and a bunch of grapes. Not a bad start.
She opened the refrigerator and surveyed the shelves. “Jackpot.” A dozen eggs, some cheddar cheese, a container of milk and a tub of butter sat on one shelf. She could have used some onions, garlic, tomatoes and maybe some feta cheese, but she’d make due. “Toast and eggs it is.”
It didn’t take her long to assemble all the ingredients on the counter. She had a bad moment when she didn’t see any coffee, but since there was a coffeemaker on the countertop she kept looking. After some searching, she discovered some beans in the freezer and quickly started a pot brewing.
As the aroma of coffee filled the air, Sonia broke eggs into a bowl, whisking in a dollop of milk to make them fluffy. She heated a skillet and poured in her egg mixture and then popped several slices of bread into the toaster. She hummed under her breath, wishing she had a radio to turn on. Damek’s home was lovely, but it was large and rather cold. Impersonal, was more like it. There wasn’t much of him here, at least not in the kitchen.
When everything was ready, she plated her meal, grabbed her coffee and wandered into the living room. She wasn’t about to sit at the large dining table by herself. A large flat-screen television was mounted on the wall across from the sofa, but there was no remote lying around.
“Figures.” She plopped down on the sofa and set her mug on the coffee table. “Like most men, he probably has the thing glued to his body somewhere.” Although, she knew firsthand that Damek wasn’t hiding anything on him. He was in that big four-poster bed naked as the day he was born.
“Don’t think about it. Eat.” She shoveled a mound of fluffy eggs into her mouth and followed it with toast, thinking as she chewed. What would happen today? She had to contact her family, no matter what Damek thought about it.
That might not be easy because she hadn’t seen another phone except for the one sitting on the bedside table. Maybe she could take that one without him waking up, but she wouldn’t bet on it.
She shrugged off that worry. She could always leave and find a payphone somewhere. Surely such a thing still existed in the city. If not, she’d check into a hotel and use the phone in the room.
The silence in the apartment was oppressive. There wasn’t even the tick of a clock to break the quiet, only the light hum of the refrigerator in the distance. And this room was dark as well, with only dim recessed lighting. “This is ridiculous.” She set her almost empty plate down on the table and marched to the nearest window.
There was no curtain, only a thick metal shutter. She looked for a handle but couldn’t find one. Resting her hands on the metal, she tried to shove it up. That didn’t work, and she was at a loss as to how to raise it.
Maybe it didn’t open. Maybe it was permanently shuttered to protect him. That saddened Sonia and made her chest ache. This place was so big and lonely and dark. It was hard to imagine Damek here alone day after day, week after week.
A sound broke the quiet and she tilted her head to one side, trying to figure out what it was. It sounded metallic. She hurried down the hallway and peeked into the bedroom. Nope, wasn’t Damek. He was still asleep.
She went back to the living room and turned in a slow circle. There it was again. It was coming from the front door. Was someone trying to get in? Maybe it was one of Damek’s employees. Sonia had no idea what his usual routine was. For all she knew he had a housekeeper or butler or something.
The fine hair on the back of her neck tingled. Something wasn’t right. If whoever was out there was supposed to be here, they’d have a key. Her instincts were screaming that she was in danger. She didn’t question them and started looking for a weapon.
Sonia glanced around the room, searching for something she could use to defend herself. Other than the furniture, there was a smattering of books and artwork on the shelves. Nothing she could use.
She skirted behind the bar in the corner and looked beneath the counter. Nothing. The kitchen. She scurried off, keeping one eye on the front door. The only knife she could find was a small paring knife, which was basically useless. But there was a heavy cast-iron skillet in the cupboard by the stove. She grabbed it and was satisfied with the weight. She could crack a man’s skull with this.
The key to success was to be in the right position when whoever was trying to break in finally succeeded. On silent, stockinged feet, she hurried to the closet just inside the front door. She opened it and stepped in, pulling the door closed so it was open only a crack. Whoever broke in would have to pass by her. Damek was asleep and defenseless. It was up to her to save him.
Luther Kostas drew the large wooden stake from the holder at his back as Aaron finished setting up the last charge on the locks. They couldn’t pick these, as they’d run out of time, so they were going to blow them. They’d have to move fast, make the kill and clear out. No telling what kind of alarms the bastard had on his lair. He might even have a minion or two guarding his resting place. That happened sometimes, and those creatures that protected vampires had to die too.
“Almost ready.” Aaron worked on the last lock while he and Barnes looked on.
Luther knew Barnes was more than ready to kill the vampire for tampering with his mind. Poor bastard would never be the same again. He had seen it before. Once a vampire had messed with a hunter’s mind, the hunter never had the same confidence again. Killing the vampire would help.
“We’re a go.” Aaron moved back to where Luther and Barnes were standing. Barnes held a heavy wooden stake in his hand while Aaron drew a wickedly long knife. They’d behead the vampire after they shoved a stake through his heart. Then they’d burn the body. Luther had learned a long time ago to do a thorough job. Those fucking bastards were tough and could come back if you didn’t do the job right.
Luther nodded. “Go.”
There were several small bangs and they rushed the door, hitting it hard. It popped open into an opulent living room. Most vampires he’d hunted over the years didn’t live this well, which meant this one had to be old and dangerous.
Luther pointed to the kitchen. Better to be safe. Vampires didn’t always sleep where you expected to find them, usually hiding their resting place.
A brush of air behind him had him spinning. A woman yelled and swung at him with a weapon of some kind. He ducked at the very last second and struck out with the stake, driving it deep into her belly. She froze, her mouth wide open. The weapon, a cast-iron frying pan, fell to the floor with a heavy thunk. Her hands went to her stomach as Luther withdrew the stake and pushed her away. She fell to the floor, her eyes wide open and her lips parted on a silent moan.
“That’s the bitch you had me watching.” John moved alongside him, keeping his eyes moving around the room.
“If she’s still alive when we’re finished, we’ll have a little
chat with her.” Luther turned away and focused on the task at hand. “First, we have to kill us a vampire.”
Sonia was losing blood at a fast rate. Her stomach burned and the pain was almost overwhelming. Somehow the man had known she was behind him and had attacked before she’d been able to use the frying pan to bash his head. She recognized one of the men as the one who’d assaulted her in her hotel room.
But none of that mattered. She knew she was probably going to die. The wound was too deep and had to have hit something vital. Damek was alone in the bedroom. Helpless. In her mind, she sent a cry out to him. Damek!
Damek’s eyes shot open and he flew out of bed, eyes burning and fangs flashing. Sonia was in trouble. Faster than the human eye could see, he sped down the hall into the living area of his home. Three men were there, all armed with stakes and knives. It was so medieval he almost laughed. The vampire hunters did like their traditions.
They would expect him to be helplessly lying in his resting place, waiting for them to stake him in the heart. It would never occur to them that while he might be relatively weak, he was far from helpless.
Then he saw Sonia lying on the floor in a pool of blood, her eyes wide and unfocused. Her heartbeat was faint and getting weaker.
With a roar, he threw out his hand and all three men went flying into the wall, stuck there like flies in a web. Plaster cracked. Glasses at the bar all shook and several toppled over, crashing to the floor, sending shards flying everywhere. He ignored the hunters’ struggles and slurs as he hurried to Sonia’s side.
“What have you done?” He eased her head into his lap while he examined the wound in her stomach.
“You can’t save her, bloodsucker.”
Damek raised his head and stared at the man pinned to his wall. He ruthlessly drove into his brain, searching for answers, but didn’t stay long. Holding them all captive at the height of the day was draining him and he needed all his remaining strength to save Sonia. “You had better pray she lives, Luther, or you’ll be begging for death before I’m through with you.”
“How can he be awake?” Barnes muttered as he struggled to move one of his arms. “This isn’t right. The fucker is supposed to be in a sleep coma.”
Damek ignored them and dragged another breath into his lungs. His hands were shaking as he ripped her sweater from her body and used it to try to staunch the wound in her belly. “You’re going to be all right. I’m going to call an ambulance.”
She shook her head. “Too late. Don’t risk yourself.”
“No.” He shook his head in denial. This couldn’t be happening. He’d brought her here to protect her, to keep her safe from the hunters. “You can’t die. I’m too close to the edge, too close to bloodlust. Only you can save me.” The scent of the blood was getting to him. His body craved it, needed it.
Sonia raised her hand to touch his face and he kissed her bloody palm. The taste of her went through him like a blast of power. “I can’t lose you.”
She coughed and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. “There’s nothing you can do.” Her breath was laboring and she was struggling to speak. Every time her heart beat, her blood was pumping from her body at an alarming rate.
“Don’t talk. Save your strength. Is there anything your family can do for you? They’re close. You said they were on their way to Chicago.”
She shook her head. “Lo—” She coughed and tried again. “Love you.”
Damek threw back his head and roared. The sound of glass shattering filled the apartment as every glass surface exploded. A dangerous thought flitted through his brain, but he could not ignore it.
“I can try to convert you, make you a vampire like me.” He stroked her hair and ignored the tears rolling down his cheeks. “It is extremely dangerous but there is a slight chance. Sonia?” He had to do something. He couldn’t just let her die.
She stared at him, her eyes unfocused, her body still, and for a brief second he thought he was too late and she was gone. But no, he could hear her faint heartbeat, laboring with each beat. Time was running out.
“Sonia,” he yelled her name, shaking her slightly.
She gave the briefest nod and her eyes slowly closed. Damek didn’t hesitate. He lowered his head and sank his fangs into her neck.
“Let her go, you fucking bastard.” Luther shouted while he continued to struggle against the invisible force holding him. “She’s human. She deserves to die and stay that way.”
Damek blocked out everything but Sonia. Nothing else mattered. The sun was high in the sky, weakening him, but he put every ounce of power he had into saving the woman he loved. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hold the hunters for much longer. His strength was ebbing fast and he was conserving as much as possible for Sonia’s conversion. He prayed it would be enough.
As her blood flowed into his mouth and down his throat, he caught glimpses of her memories, working from the present and going back in time. He saw her leaping out of the closet to face three armed men with nothing more than a cast-iron skillet, her only thought to protect him.
Her thoughts and memories flew by so fast he could only grasp bits and pieces. Her love for her family came through loud and clear and he knew now that she hadn’t betrayed him, not intentionally. She’d only wanted to reassure her parents that she was safe.
Her breathing became labored until she was gasping for air. Her heart gave one final stutter and stopped. Damek withdrew his fangs and used them to tear open his wrist. He placed it against her lips. “Drink. Drink, Sonia. For me. For us.”
He threw every ounce of strength he had behind the compulsion to the exclusion of all else. Blood dripped onto her lips, but she didn’t drink. “Please. You must live.” He forced her mouth open and let his blood flow down her throat.
Damek caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He’d put so much of his waning strength into saving Sonia that the vampire hunters had been able to free themselves from his mental hold and were now hurrying toward them.
He gathered what remained of his power, knowing he was dangerously weak. It might kill him to use it, but nothing mattered more than saving Sonia’s life.
The hunters stalked closer, stakes and knives in hand. Luther smiled, more confident now. “Don’t worry, vampire. We’ll make sure she gets a decent burial.” He reached behind his back and drew a compact crossbow with a silver tipped bolt. Luther aimed the weapon and fired.
Damek reached out and snatched the arrow from midair, turning it and flinging it back at Luther. It hit home and the hunter fell back, clutching his chest, an expression of absolute surprise etched on his face.
The other two swore and hurried toward them, weapons held high and ready to strike. Damek was torn with indecision, something he’d never experienced before. If he didn’t kill them, they would kill Sonia. If he didn’t give her everything he had, she would die.
An eerie howl echoed through the room just as Sonia gasped, her eyes flying open. Damek ducked, throwing his larger body over hers as a large, black wolf launched itself over them and attacked the hunters, fangs and claws flashing. The wolf ripped at Luther’s throat, sending blood spraying everywhere.
The room was suddenly filled with people he didn’t know. A tall male with a bushy beard let out a primal yell and took down the other hunter, his huge arms wrapping around his opponent’s neck. Damek heard the snap and watched the hunter slump to the ground. Two younger men stood to one side, both armed with guns they looked like they knew how to use. One of them was wearing blue jeans, the other a suit. Both of them resembled the rather large male who’d snapped the hunter’s neck.
Within seconds, silence reigned and the hunters were dead. Blood was sprayed all over the room and permeated the air. Damek licked his lips as he eyed the newcomers, keeping what little remained of his power reserves ready to protect Sonia. These creatures seemed to be on their side but he wasn’t taking any chances.
A woman cried out and he heard the brush of feet
against the floor. He turned to watch a woman with long black hair rush toward them. She fell to her knees beside him, her face pale, her eyes wide with horror.
Damek pulled Sonia closer, cradling her in his arms, while willing her to keep drinking. His eyes blazed as he growled. “Mine.”
“She was mine first, vampire,” the woman said, and it was then he took a good look at her. Her black hair was longer, but it was just like Sonia’s. And while the woman’s features were more delicate, there was no denying the similarities. She confirmed his suspicions. “I’m her mother.”
“They hurt her. She was trying to protect me and they hurt her.”
“You are strong, vampire.” An older woman with streaks of gray through her hair walked toward him. Now that he’d had some time to study the people around him, he recognized her from Sonia’s memories. This was her grandmother. “To be awake during the day, to have such power as I feel filling this room. You are very, very old.” Her black gaze drilled into him. “Save her.”
Damek nodded and turned all his attention back to Sonia. She was drinking, but he wasn’t certain it was enough. He’d never attempted to convert anyone before as it was dangerous and he’d never wanted to put someone he cared about through such a thing. Then there was the chance that the creature he created would be unstable, be filled with bloodlust and have to be destroyed. He couldn’t have borne having to kill someone he cared for. Because of that, he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. It was all instinct.
He pulled his wrist away and licked the gash with his tongue to close the wound. “Sonia.” He clasped her face between her hands and willed her to open her eyes. Damek could sense the rest of her family gathering around them—her father and grandfather, her brothers. His strength was waning and he felt as weak and puny as a human. He wasn’t sure he had enough in him to bring her back.
“Here.” A thick wrist was shoved in front of his face and Damek glanced up to find a large naked man kneeling beside him. This was the half-breed werewolf. Damek could smell him this close and sense his power. “You need to replenish yourself. I still don’t know how you are even awake, but you are and my Sonia’s life depends on your strength. Drink.”
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