by Siren Allen
Raynor’s hands on her knees had stilled as he listened to her.
“He arrived just in time. He and his guards killed them all. And I survived, battered but not broken. But, because of me, my best friend lost her innocence. Because of me, my best friend was broken. Because of my stupidity, my best friend ended up pregnant by one of those perverts. Because of me, my best friend chose to kill herself rather than live with the repercussions of that night. Because of me, her parents later killed themselves.”
“Lark…”
“I’m not finished. And Caro’s brother, turns out, he’s hated me ever since that night. I ruined his whole family and he spent his life plotting his revenge.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he tried to rape me. He tried to punish me for what I did to his sister. Aron was Caro’s brother. And now, he too is dead, because of me.” Stopping the sob from escaping was impossible. Seconds later she found herself wrapped in Raynor’s arms.
“You will never shed another tear for that bastard,” he growled into her ear.
“But it was my fault…”
“It was not your fault. Those males were sick, disgusting creatures who did not deserve to live. And it’s not your fault that Aron chose to be just like them. I am sorry for what happened to Caro and her parents, but you cannot punish yourself for eternity. You have to let it go, Lark. Or it will destroy you.” He pulled back, sitting her away from him.
“I’ve seen it happen,” he told her. “My cousin, Keefe, blames himself for the death of his mate. Her death was not of his doing. But no matter what I or any of our brethren tell him, he will not listen. And now, he is only a shell of the warrior he used to be. That guilt, that hatred of himself is eating him alive. I fear he will die before I get a chance to see him again.”
Lark wiped her face. That was exactly what she felt was happening to her. The pain was eating her alive. “I don’t know how to let it go. I want to move on. I can get over some of my fears, having you here is helping with that.”
Already she desired him in ways she’d never desired another. “But the guilt weighs heavier on me than the fear. I feel I don’t deserve to be happy. Why should I get to have a happy life when I’ve ruined the lives of others? And look at what I did to you. I shot you, three times.”
“And I forgive you,” he brushed her hair away from her face. “I will always forgive you.”
“But…”
“No buts. I forgive you. However, I can’t force you to forgive yourself. Trust me, if I could, I would. Just let it go, mate. You’ve suffered enough. Let it go.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“It won’t be easy. But I’ll be here, every step of the way.”
Stars, he was doing it again, taking care of her. She loved it. And she wanted to hold on to it, forever. She wanted to hold on to him forever.
“You know that I will be here for you always, don’t you sweet Lark?”
Lark nodded just as a knock on the craft door drew their attention away from their conversation.
“The medic is here.” Raynor told her. “Are you ready?”
She wiped her face. “I probably look a mess now, after bawling like a baby.”
“You’re beautiful and if anyone says otherwise I will destroy them.”
Stars, he knew how to romance her. Her cheeks heated at his compliment. “Open the door silly.” She could feel her eyes heating also.
“First, stop doing that with your eyes. The fire in your eyes is for me only.” His expression was serious. She couldn’t make her eyes stop, especially not when he was looking at her like that. “Lark,” he growled.
“Give me a minute.” She closed her eyes and tried to think of things that didn’t arouse her. Don’t think of Raynor. Don’t think of Raynor. Damn it, she was thinking of Raynor. When she opened her eyes, he growled again.
“They are redder, Lark.”
She threw her arms out in defeat. “Well, I’m sorry. I can’t make it stop.”
Raynor turned to the door. “Send the medic away. I will tend to my mate myself,” he called out.
“Raynor, it was your idea to have the medic come here,” Lark reminded him.
“Now it is my idea to send her or him away.”
“I’m a her.” Lark recognized Isabella’s voice. “And I can’t leave until I see the patient.”
“Raynor let her in. She’s a friend.”
“She will see your eyes.”
“So what?”
Was her big bad vampire pouting? “The fire is for me only.”
“The fire is in my eyes for you. Allowing her inside won’t change that. Plus, she’s mated already, she won’t care. She’ll probably think they’re spooky.”
“They are not spooky,” his deep voice roared. “They are perfect.”
Again with the romantic words. “Raynor, the quicker you open the door, the quicker we can get this done and get back to sweeping the grounds to make sure we’re safe.”
That seemed to get through to him, a little.
“Look, I’ll keep my eyes closed the whole time she’s here.” Lark closed her eyes and waited for him to answer.
“Do not open them,” he told her. Her response was a closed eyed salute.
She heard the door panel open.
“Well, I’m glad she isn’t dying,” Isabella said. “You took forever opening the door.”
“Do you think I would be standing idly if my mate was dying?”
“Raynor,” Lark chided. “Be nice. Isabella is my friend.”
“That’s right Raynor,” Isabella said. Lark could hear the smile in her friend’s voice. “Plus, you’re a hero here, for now. If you’re mean to me, you’ll be demoted to anti-hero status like that.” Lark heard a snapping noise. Isabella loved snapping her fingers.
“What the hell is that? Why did you do your fingers like that?” Raynor asked.
“It isn’t important,” Lark chimed in. She didn’t feel like explaining finger snapping to her vampire. “Isabella, just check me so I can get back out there and help my people.”
“Alright, alright, but you know I have good hearing, right?” Isabella asked.
“All Fae have good hearing,” Raynor growled.
“Oh, so you know what I am, vampire?”
“Your pointy ears were a clue.”
Eyes still closed, Lark smiled. “I wish I had pointy ears,” she stated.
“Your ears are perfect,” Raynor growled.
If he wanted her eyes to return to normal he was really going to have to be quiet and stop saying such sexy stuff.
“You’re not helping the eye situation, Raynor.”
“What is wrong with your eyes?” She felt Isabella’s hand on her closed lid.
“Do not touch her.”
Well damn. “Raynor!”
“How am I supposed to check her if I don’t touch her?” Isabella asked, clearly not bothered by Raynor.
“Scanners,” he told the medic. “Scan her to see if she has any broken bones or ruptures. I have given her my blood. But I cannot see inside her.”
“Hmm,” Isabella hummed. “You’ve given her your blood. Then why am I here? You’ve done my job for me. Hey, do you think you could give my other patients some of your blood? It would make my day a whole lot easier.”
“My blood cannot heal bones. Scan her for broken bones.”
“Oh alright. Lie back against the chair Lark and unzip your attire.”
“Why does she have to unzip her suit? There will be no removal of clothing, none.”
This would never get done with him here. “Perhaps you should step out for a moment, Raynor,” Lark told him.
“I second that motion,” Isabella added.
“I don’t care what you second,” Raynor countered. “I will not leave, and you, sweet Lark, will not unzip your suit.”
Lark was about to speak, but Isabella beat her to it.
“Then please tell me vampire, how am I s
upposed to scan her if I cannot reach her skin?”
“Scan through her clothing.”
“That’s impossible.”
“This planet has all types of technology. Surely you can scan through a suit.”
“Not these suits, they are protective gear. They protect.”
“Then leave and I will do the scan.”
“Have you been trained on this machine?”
“I will figure it out.”
“Do you know how much currency this machine cost us?”
“I don’t give a damn about currency.”
“Oh, so are you so rich that you can pay for this if you destroyed it?”
“Female, do you not value your life? Because I will end it if you do not cease this chatter.”
“No you won’t. You’re a vampire. You beasts value females too much.”
Raynor growled. “You try my patience, medic.”
Okay, she’d heard enough. “Raynor out, please. I’m sure my people are confused and dazed, they will need your help and guidance.”
“I will not…”
“Please,” Lark said again. “Find Manuel and help him, you’re the only one I trust besides him.”
“Hey,” Isabella said.
“No offense, Isabella. Raynor, are you listening?”
“I do not want to leave your side.”
“I’m safe, thanks to you. Now let Isabella do her job. When she is done she will find you and return you to me. I promise not to leave this craft until you return.”
Lark wanted to open her eyes, to see if he was being swayed. But opening her eyes could open a can of worms.
“Okay, mate. I will seek out Manuel and help in any way I can. But the moment she’s done, she better find me.”
“I pinky swear,” Isabella answered.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means she will, Raynor, we promise.”
He sighed heavily and the sound of his footsteps approaching her made her smile. He pressed his lips against her forehead. “I will return.”
“You better,” she grinned as she listened to him leave the ship. Once the door closed behind him she opened her eyes. “Are my eyes glowing?” She asked Isabella.
“Uh no, should they be?”
“No, no, they shouldn’t. How are things looking out there? Have you heard any news from Area 51.”
“Things are looking well, given the circumstances. No news yet from Area 51. However, I do have news of your ex lover.”
“Ana? Please tell me she has been captured.”
“No, unfortunately. During the chaos the bitch made it back to her room and used her pod to escape.”
“Damn it,” Lark slammed her hand against the couch.
“Whoa now, don’t hurt yourself. I don’t want your big bad vampire storming in here and blaming me for your pain.”
“I want our Patrol Flyers to go after her.”
“No need, Galaxy Patrol has been watching the skies. One of the Flyers saw it when she took off.”
“Please tell me he shot her down.”
“Kind of. It took them a while to get the launchers back up and running. When they did, she was almost out of range. They managed to clip the tail end of the pod and send her spiraling. She will crash, we don’t know where though. The males have assured me that there’s no way she can survive the crash.”
“Good.”
“Look at you being all vicious. Being mated to a vampire suits you. Lucky you.” Her best friend smiled, revealing the dimples in her dark brown cheeks. Her large brown eyes were lit up with humor. “You now get to live forever, I’m jealous. So when are you going to turn?”
“Oh, I’m not turning.”
“But you have to.”
“Uh, no I don’t.”
“Uh, yes you do.”
“No, I don’t. I read my father’s books. Vampires don’t mate with their own kind. So, I can’t be like Raynor.”
“You’ll be a Turned One, not a true vampire. You’ll have baby fangs and be able to drink blood and still eat food. I have a friend who lives in the Kuiper Belt. She’s a Turned One. Her body temperature only decreased a little when she was turned. But yeah, you’ll have to turn.”
“The books didn’t say that.” She could feel a panic attack coming on. She loved Raynor and no longer cared that he was a vampire. But that didn’t mean she wanted to be one. “Seriously, Isabella, the books never mentioned me having to be turned.”
“Well they should, that’s how vampire mating works. Raynor didn’t tell you this?”
Hell no.
Chapter Twenty Three
Lark’s people really did view him as a hero.
Every person he helped had a smile or a kind word to say to him. He wasn’t accustomed to such things. He was accustomed to people fearing him, despising him. This was sort of pleasant. He wasn’t a medic, but years on the battlefield had taught him how to reset a bone.
He went from one person to the next, assessing their damage and helping in any way he could. Once he was sure they were able to travel, he loaded them onto rolling carts for the soldiers to take them to the other side of the compound where the clinic was located.
Between patients his eyes strayed to his brethrens’ craft, where Lark was. If she was in any sort of pain, or danger he would feel it. She wasn’t. Yet, that didn’t stop him from yearning to go to her, to be near her. Stars, how the hell had he survived this long without her?
“That was nice of you,” Manuel told him.
With his eyes on his brethrens’ craft, he asked, “What was?”
“You telling that wounded female that you would remain here and help protect our planet from future invaders.”
“Oh that.” Raynor assisted an elderly male onto a cart then pushed the cart to an awaiting soldier.
“Were you serious?” Manuel asked when Raynor returned to load another cart.
“A vampire’s vow is sacred,” Raynor told him, eyes returning to the craft Lark was on. What was taking so long?
“Go to her,” Manuel patted Raynor on his shoulder. “We’re almost done here and you’re in the process of rendering that cart unusable.”
Raynor stared down at the cart he was supposed to be pushing. The handrail portion was now bent.
“Sorry.”
“No problem, go to her. I think we got it from here.”
Raynor nodded. He was ready to hold his mate again.
***
The feel of the cold scanner on her belly was not enough of a distraction to keep her from thinking about becoming a Turned One.
“Lark, be still, or the image won’t show up.” Isabella was looking at the small hand held monitor that allowed her to see past Lark’s skin and right to her insides. It was kind of disgusting if you really thought about it.
“There has to be a way around becoming a vampire,” Lark told her friend.
“No way around it. Once you accept your vampire as your mate, you become bonded. You start hearing each others’ thoughts and then comes the claiming.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s where the vamp, wait, I thought you read all of this?”
“It seems the books left a lot out. What’s the claiming?”
“It’s the most amazing part. It’s when the vamp claims you, you know, the sex part. During sex he will bite you, leaving his mark behind. All will know that you belong to him. Have you and Raynor had sex yet?”
Of course not.
“You haven’t had you? My friend said it was amazing. Did you know they have a spur?”
Uh, yes she did.
“When they claim you, they bite you and mark you so all other vamps know you’re taken.”
That part didn’t sound too bad. “Okay so get back to this Turned One part.”
“Well, vamps live forever. You don’t. In order to increase your life span you have to be turned. Since only true vampires can be born, you have to become a Turned One. Oh and it’s a
ninety percent chance your child will be a vamp. There are some cases where the child born was not a vamp. But that’s rare. Vamps have strong genes.”
“And how do you know all of this?”
“I visit the Kuiper Belt every now and then to check on my bestie. She’s pregnant. She’s hoping for a little vamp. But since sunlight is detrimental to vamps, I can’t do an ultra sound on her, we’re afraid it can be detrimental also. We don’t want to harm the little one.”
Lark took a deep breath. This was too much to take in at one time. In order to be with Raynor she would have to be turned. Why the hell hadn’t he told her that?
“Oh,” Isabella said, moving the scanner around on Lark’s belly. “You do know that vampires are cursed right?”
Yeah, she knew that part. Lark nodded.
“Good, so you’re okay with bearing the curse also?”
What the fuck. “I have to become cursed too?”
Isabella stared down at her. “Your vampire seems to be keeping a lot from you.”
Hell yeah he was. “Why do I have to be cursed?”
Isabella shrugged. “Just how it works. My bestie, well, her name is Lauren. She says it’s not too bad. You just help him balance the darkness inside of him by taking on some of it yourself. The exchange happens during the claiming. You’ll take a portion of his darkness into yourself.”
“So I’ll have that shit in me?”
“There’s the potty mouth Lark, we all hate to love. I thought your vamp had turned you soft.”
“Isabella?”
“Yes, okay, you have to have that shit in you. But Lauren says…”
“Screw Lauren. My head is already a mess. I can’t handle letting his darkness inside of me.”
“But Lauren says…”
“Fuck Lauren. I can’t do it. I can’t be his mate.”
“You will remain my mate,” a deep voice filled the room. “But don’t worry. I won’t turn you. You’re not worth it.”
Lark glanced towards the craft door in time to see Raynor leaving the ship. “Shit.” When had he boarded? She hadn’t heard the door open. “Move,” Lark shoved the scanner away from her.
“Lark, if you don’t want to be turned, you should just let him go.”
