Gareth shook his head.
“Holler out if ya need me,” she said rather suggestively before walking off. Bloody hell, had women always flirted with him like this, or was he only noticing it more because he was in a relationship? But his mind was still on one woman.
“Morgana likes her steak bloody,” he moaned, placing his head in his hands.
“Will ye just go talk to her.”
“I tried, but she says she needs more time to come to terms with sharing secrets. So I got angry, and then she was angry at me for getting angry. And that’s where we left it.”
“Why is she angry at ye?”
Gareth shrugged. “I don’t know how the female mind works.”
“Women.”
Rose’s voice drifted over to them. Usually, in a crowded place, they could block out all the extra voices, but for some reason, Gareth’s ears picked up on what the waitress was saying to the cook.
“Another order in for super bloody steaks.”
“That’s the second table this evening,” came the reply.
Gareth sat up straight, his heart leaped into his throat. Was it Morgana?
He looked around the busy restaurant until he spotted them. Only it wasn’t Morgana.
It was her.
She was sitting with Oscar at a table to the left of them. The booth walls blocked their view of him and Alastor, but he could see them through the small decorative railing running along the top.
Shit.
He ducked his head before they glanced his way. He remembered now Oscar had been making plans to meet up with Mariza earlier at the house.
“What’s up with ye?”
Gareth bit his lips, making a zipping sound, and mimed vampire teeth with his fingers while pointing to his ear.
“Ragnorok?” Alastor whispered, looking around.
Gareth shook his head. He took the salt shaker and dumped the contents out, spreading them across the table. He drew an M with his finger.
Alastor furrowed his brow. “Morgana?”
Gareth shook his head again, making the fangs with his fingers again and scowling, trying to make his best bitch face.
“Mariza?” Alastor mouthed.
He nodded. “With Oscar,” he mouthed back.
Alastor shook his head. “Jaysus.” He leaned forward, muttering so only Gareth could hear, “How come we can’t sense them?”
Gareth spread the salt over the table and drew a W and a B for wolfsbane.
Alastor nodded. Then he drew a circle around the letters and a diagonal slash through the middle. He pointed at himself and Gareth.
Shit, they weren’t wearing wolfsbane to cover their presence. They couldn’t. It was lethal to human-turned vampires, which means they could sense them. The last thing either of them needed was to run into Mariza.
“Hello, boys,” Oscar’s voice greeted them, making them both jump. If Gareth could pass bowel movements, he would have shit his pants.
“Mr. V.” Gareth feigned a bright smile to the Council Elder. “Fancy meeting you here.” His tone was a little forced.
“Yes, well…” Oscar cleared his throat. “I’m here with Mariza and wanted to come over to say hello and hope this isn’t awkward for you, Gareth.”
“Awkward? Why would it be awkward?”
“Too much, mate,” Alastor muttered.
“I hope you understand Mariza is still my daughter, and as such, I have every right to want to spend time with her.”
Gareth’s fake smile waned. “No, it’s fine,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Well, good.” Oscar straightened his tie. “Enjoy your evening, boys.”
“You, too, Mr. V.”
As soon as Oscar was seated, they burst into laughter.
“Talk about awkward.” Gareth shook his head.
“Aye, we seem to be gettin’ quite a few of them today.”
***
Standing in the foyer, about to leave, they encountered Oscar and Mariza again.
“Did you boys have a nice meal?” Oscar asked, breaking the silent tension.
“Yes, thanks,” Gareth replied.
At the same time, Alastor said, “Aye.”
“Good, good. I’ll go get the car, dear.” Oscar kissed Mariza on the top of her head.
“Of course, Daddy,” Mariza replied adoringly.
Gareth wanted to hurl up his freshly eaten steak.
As soon as Oscar left the restaurant, her eyes turned to ice.
“Great, you both ruined my chances to talk to Daddy about getting my trust account topped up.”
Gareth frowned. “What did we do?”
“He fucking adores the two of you. As soon as he sensed you, he had to go over to talk to you both. Once he returned, he was all Gareth this and Alastor that, bragging about how well you were both doing as new agents,” Mariza ranted. “I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”
Gareth exchanged looks with Alastor, whose eyes were wide. Neither of them realized Oscar felt this way. They knew he liked them and saw their potential, which is why they were recruited, but he had been bragging about them? Huh. They had both parents’ approval. Now Gareth needed to get their daughter to come around.
“And now I have to spend another day in this wretched town to get another opportunity to speak to him about it. Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know. And a girl like me has needs.”
Gareth’s jaw dropped open. This bitch is seriously delusional, or she has multiple personalities. He was banking on it being the latter. Why he ever saw anything in her all those years ago was beyond him.
“Look, if ye don’t like it here, go back to yer whore mongering ways and leave us the fuck alone.” Alastor stepped forward, getting in her face, his voice a low menacing growl.
Mariza’s eyes flashed before she narrowed them. “Don’t you dare speak to me like that,” she hissed. “I’m sick of being treated like the dirt beneath someone’s fingernails. I have feelings, you know.” She feigned a sob.
“Yeah, bitchy ones,” Gareth muttered. Why were they standing here taking this crap anyway? He made a move to walk past her.
“Heed my warning, little creationling. You and your friend better watch your tongues.”
“Are ye threatening us?” Alastor’s voice started to rise.
Mariza smiled at them when they saw Oscar pull up to the curb outside. “Of course, I am. You may have had some training, but you’re both pathetic and weak.”
Alastor stepped forward, his hands curled into fists. “I suggest ye back the fuck off.”
Gareth grabbed his arm. “Not here,” he muttered to his friend, tipping his head toward the restaurant patrons. He narrowed his eyes at Mariza. “Don’t do anything you might regret by hurting your father’s favorite employees.” He smirked.
She stepped forward, her top lip curling. “The only thing I regret is not making sure you were really dead in the first place.”
His smug smile dropped, and Alastor growled. People were starting to look their way.
She gave them both a menacing smile before flouncing out to the waiting car. Oscar gave them a cheery wave before driving away.
“I’m goin’ to feckin’ kill that bitch,” Alastor hissed.
Gareth nodded in agreement. “The temptation is powerful, my friend.” Gareth clapped him on the back. “But don’t forget she’s the daughter of our boss, who you know was only speaking so highly of us before. We don’t want to taint his opinion now, do we?”
Alastor’s lips thinned, but he shook his head. “Nay.”
“Let’s go home. You were right, going out was a bad idea.”
Chapter Fifteen
Feck. Alastor scrubbed his face pacing back and forth in front of the mantelpiece. So much for their fun, drama-free night. A fierce possessiveness for his best friend had taken over him when Mariza had confronted by them. But he hadn’t been able to do anything. So now, he drank blood and paced. Empty blood bags littered their living room floor. Every time he’d
drunk one, he’d toss the plastic bag aside. Gareth grunted at him to pick them up, but Alastor was ignoring him.
“Am I interrupting something? Should I come back later?”
Ever aware of her, Alastor knew it was Ava before he could turn his head. He turned to face her, mirth lighting her hazel eyes as she spotted all the blood bags.
“He’s been like this since we got home, ranting and raving,” Gareth told her.
“It’s not my feckin’ fault yer creator is a bitch,” he grunted and stopped pacing. “What are ye doin’ here, love?”
“Gareth texted me.” She held up her phone. “He said you guys ran into Mariza again.”
“Aye.” The fire raging was like the anger burning inside him. “She feckin’ shows no remorse for what she’s done.”
“Alastor…” Ava’s soft voice tried breaking through to him, “… talk to me.”
“You don’t know what it was like finding him.” Alastor stared into the empty fireplace. “The look on yer face still haunts me, the way a body looks when it begins to rot away. Starving for sustenance ain’t a pretty sight on a human, but on a vampire, it’s feckin’ horrific. It brought back memories of me younger sister wasting away in my arms, rocking her as she died.” There was a sour taste in his mouth as he began to tell his tale—the memory of that night as vivid now as it was back then.
One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago…
High from the drink of his last victim, he had stumbled in the dark until he felt the presence of another vampire. Only it was strange like the presence was trapped and needed to be freed. He followed the strange presence until he saw him. The body Alastor had found looked like a skeletal frame covered with thin, translucent skin. Hallowed eyes stared blankly into nothing. Maggots were already emerging from still-living flesh. The essence of the vampire he felt was still evident but entrapped in a decaying prison.
If Alastor could have been sick, he would have emptied the contents of his stomach. He crouched down next to the dying vampire, his blue eyes flickering toward him, begging and pleading for help.
Alastor had no reason to help Gareth. He could have wiped his hands clean and walked away. But as his creator had done, he took pity on the poor lad in front of him. Besides, having seen someone starve to death, he wouldn’t wish it on anyone else. He always regretted turning down his creator’s offer to turn him and his sister when they’d first encountered him, dismissing him as a spawn of the Devil. But here was a chance to save someone else from the same type of horrific death.
The way the lad’s eyes had pleaded also compelled him—silent but forceful. The vampire’s nose twitching as the scent of Alastor’s victim lingered around him. His fangs had emerged, but he still couldn’t move.
“Look, mate, I’m going to get ye some blood.”
The eyes widened with hunger.
“I’ll be right back.” He patted the vampire before turning to hunt another victim.
He returned a short time later to find the vampire almost withered completely away, the deterioration occurring quite rapidly. Alastor held the unconscious young girl with brunette curls over the vampire’s body. The vampire’s eyes looked blankly at him.
“Well, bite her,” Alastor encouraged.
The vampire’s fangs were protruded but made no move.
“Have ye ever bitten anyone before?”
The eyes widened in surprise.
“Christ, have ye only been turned?”
The eyes widened even further. It explained the sense of the vampireness being barely present.
“All ye need to do is sink your fangs into her neck, pull them out, and start swallowing the blood that comes out,” Alastor explained. “There be an artery on her neck which makes it easier to drink the blood, but any part of the body would do ye, I reckon.”
The vampire seemed to want to make a move, but the decaying body wouldn’t allow him to do so. Alastor nodded in understanding and sunk his teeth into the girl’s neck. The taste of her blood was enjoyable, but he’d already had his fill, and he was helping the dying vampire. He withdrew his mouth, placing the seeping wound near the vampire’s mouth. The blood oozed into his gaping jaw, and color returned to the newly-turned vampire’s face. His muscles renewed, growing into themselves before Alastor’s eyes.
Soon, the vampire was strong enough to move his arms to hold the young girl’s body closer to his mouth as he drank hungrily.
When the new vampire had drained the woman of her blood, he sat up and tossed the woman aside. Once the transition had been completed, Alastor could sense the vampire properly now.
The newly-turned vampire wiped his mouth and held out his hand. “I’m Gareth.”
Back to the Present…
Alastor opened his eyes. He hadn’t realized he’d closed them.
“Shit, man, how come you never told me?”
“I’ve spent the last hundred and fifty years trying to forget.” He looked up at Gareth. “Much like Morgana was probably trying to forget.”
Gareth grimaced. He stood, scrubbing at his face. “I should probably go and set things straight with her. But right now, I’m going to bed. It’s been a long fucking day.”
“Goodnight.” Ava smiled at him.
He nodded his head at her and started to walk away. He stopped and turned back to Alastor. “I don’t think I ever properly thanked you for saving me back then. So, thank you.”
Alastor smiled. “Yer welcome.” He turned serious. “Ye know I’d kill for ye.”
Gareth grinned. “Yes, I do.” He bid them goodnight and walked up to his room.
Ava climbed onto Alastor’s lap, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. “Poor Gareth. No wonder he hates her so much.”
Alastor nodded, pulling her in closer, wanting to find comfort in her touch.
“Aye, and now he has gone and fallen in love with her sister.”
Ava rested her head on his shoulder. “Who knew the Van Wildens would bring so much drama into our lives?”
Alastor chuckled.
Ava lifted her head and pulled back, scrutinizing him. “What’s so funny?”
“Gareth said the same thing earlier.”
Chapter Sixteen
The next morning, Alastor walked down the all too familiar steps into the Van Wilden’s brightly lit basement. He’d sensed Vivienne was there before he saw her. As he entered the room, Vivienne’s arms were a flurry of movement, each punch landing with a thud on the blue faux-leather boxing bag. Her blonde hair was in a French braid, and she wore a dark gray tank top and sweatpants.
“Hello, Alastor,” she greeted, still punching away.
“Is everything okay, Mrs. V? The poor punching bag looks like it’s about to combust.”
Vivienne looked up, breathing heavily. “It’s this whole Mariza situation. It has me on edge.”
“Aye, it has us all rattled.”
“You know Gareth and Morgana aren’t here, dear.” She turned back to her boxing. “Gareth will likely be at the office, and Morgana isn’t back from another scouting mission.”
“I know, Mrs. V. I was actually here to see ye.” He leaned against the railing, observing her technique.
“Me, why?” She finally stopped to look at him, steadying the punching bag.
“Aye, I want ye to train me to kill a Primus Vampyr.”
Vivienne stilled. She turned to him and crossed her slender arms across her chest, studying him closely. “You know I can’t do that. It goes against everything The Council stands for. You can’t kill a vampire without cause or reason.”
Alastor stepped off the stairs toward Vivienne, his eyes darkening, “I have every reason to kill her, Vivienne. We all do.”
“Well, you must be serious if you called me Vivienne. There will be ramifications involved if Oscar finds out what we’re discussing.”
“Then we don’t tell them why we’re takin’ on extra training. We only tell them I want to become a better fighter and a better agent. Oscar bragge
d to Mariza the other night about how well Gareth and I are doing. He’ll believe that.”
“I want her gone and out of our lives as much as you do, but it’ll tear Oscar apart to see his daughter dead, even if she’s an evil succubus spawn.”
Alastor laughed. “Still, I need to know,” he added somberly.
She narrowed her light blue eyes, gazing at him. “Fine. I’ll teach you how one could get up close enough to a Primus, in theory, for you to be able to kill one.” She held up her finger at him when he chortled. “In case you come across another rogue Primus like Randalf.”
“Aye, so what do I do?”
“What I’m about to teach is already within you.” Vivienne tapped his chest. “The ability to be stealthy. How else do you think vampires sneak up on the humans they are hunting? It’s the same motions, only we’re doing it on a vampire.”
“Aye, should be easy enough, then.”
Vivienne shook her head. “No, they will sense you coming.”
“Then stealth doesn’t seem like a good idea?”
“Being stealthy is a terrific way to approach another vampire if you’ve masked yourself with wolfsbane.” Vivienne looked at Alastor grimly. “But being human-turned, you won’t be able to handle that. Also, when you’re with a group of other vampires, stealth is a great way to attack another vampire. I trained with an elite group of vampires who used stealth. The way they can sneak up on a vampire even when their scent isn’t covered is quite impressive. See, the vampire will be able to sense you within the other vampires, but once they have sensed you for the first time, they don’t bother keeping tabs on where you move. They know you’re around them but will not pinpoint where, so you can use stealth and speed to sneak up on them, even a Primus.”
“What do ye suggest?”
“For you, I say we practice using speed to your advantage. Let’s run some agility drills.”
Alastor grinned. “This is gonna hurt, isn’t it?”
Vivienne smiled at him in the same way she had done when they first found out they were going to be agents. She chuckled. “No, what I’m about to teach you is nothing like combat training.” Straightening up, her face grew serious, and Vivienne turned into the drill sergeant Alastor had come to love as a mother.
The Van Wilden Chronicles Box Set Books 1-3 Page 29
