by Mary Abshire
"No, not yet. I wanted to talk to you."
He gave me a curious look with his piercing eyes. "What would you like to talk about?"
I moved closer to him, but kept a small gap between us. "Let's take a walk."
"Jessie?" Jeremy called out.
I started walking and glanced over my shoulder. "Stay there, we'll be back soon." I didn't need supernatural hearing to hear his protest.
We walked several rows away from Jeremy, Ryan, and Kuri. Drake strolled along at my side. His cool energy soothed my warm skin and reminded me of our intimate times together. They were several of the happiest and most pleasurable moments in my life. I didn't want to give him up, but my life was in jeopardy. He had eternity. I had a human lifespan, and I didn't want to spend the rest of my days living in fear that a vampire would come for me. Plus, there was a chance they could kill me on the spot at this meeting. I wasn't ready for my soul to go to Hell.
"Did you speak with Jeremy about leaving?" he asked.
"Yeah, I did. And I found it interesting that you didn't tell him that your little group thought I was a danger to them or emphasize that my life was hanging in their grasp."
"Because I knew that if I did, he would get angry."
"He's angrier because you didn't," I said, my voice a bit elevated.
"What do you want me to do? Apologize?"
Temper rising, I stopped and faced him. "What do I want you to do? I want you to tell your group to leave me alone so I can live peacefully."
Drake thrust his fingers through his hair as he turned away from me. "I have done all I can. I have said all I can say. If I don't bring you back, they will come for you, Jessie. At least we have a good chance if you willingly return with me and talk to them."
I took a step back. A "good chance" didn't instill great confidence in me. "And if they order my death, are you going to stop them?"
"They will not order your death." He reached out to touch me, and I swatted his hand away. "Jessie—"
"How can you be certain?" I hated it when he avoided answering my questions.
"I have most of them convinced you are an ally. I am more than confident the others will agree once you talk to them."
Frustrated, I shook my head and looked away. "How can I be sure that you'll protect me against your own kind if they order my death?"
"I give you my word. I will protect you, even if it means my destruction. I won't let any of them harm you."
His words brought me more grief. I wanted to believe him.
He stepped closer and placed his hand on the side of my face. Gazing into his loving eyes, I held his hand on my cheek. He promised to protect me. He had saved me before. But he hadn't battled against his own kind. That was the difference. And was he really willing to give up eternity for me? I knew he loved me, but eternity was….well, eternity.
My heart drummed against my chest. I wanted to believe. I was torn and didn't know what to believe. Had I rushed to judgment out of anger? Was my best defense against vampires a vampire? A pain in my head began to throb. Even if I believed Drake wholeheartedly, I needed to be more defensive. I needed to learn how to fight. I had no guarantee Drake would always be around to protect me, or that our relationship would last. My heart didn't want to let go of Drake, but my mind told me to look out for my best interests.
I slid Drake's hand away from my face and held it at my side. "I can't go there alone," I said in a soft voice.
"You won't be alone. I'll be with you."
"No, that's not what I mean. Jeremy is coming with me, with us. I'm not stepping into a room full of bloodthirsty vampires who think I'm a danger to them without some kind of additional support."
Drake's eyes turned cold. "If you bring a demon with you, they may see you as more of a threat, not less."
"I'm sure they can appreciate the situation I'm in and understand my reasoning. Would you walk into a room full of demons?"
Drake took a step back and shook his head. "This is a bad idea."
"He comes, and I want two weeks to prepare before we leave. I have a job and a life. I just can't disappear from it without some notice."
"I can take care of your job situation."
Meaning, he'd have to manipulate a few minds. I knew he'd have to do that so I could keep my job.
"I'm counting on you for that, but it's more my friends that I'm worried about. They'll become suspicious. I don't want you messing around in their heads. Give me time to come up with a story and talk to them. And I have to notify Sean. He's not going to take this well."
Drake eyed me suspiciously. "They're expecting us back within a few days."
"Can't you stall them for me? I'm not running away. I'm not making plans to go into hiding. I give my word I will go with you, but I need time."
I decided against telling Drake about training with Jeremy. If I told him, he'd talk me out of it. And with Kuri near, he might hear and pass the word on to the VETOV.
"I'll call them and let them know we will arrive in two weeks. They won't be pleased, but because Kuri is with me, they'll have to agree."
"Thank you." I sighed with relief.
Drake drew near and slid his hands around my neck. His cool energy crawled down my spine. As he leaned in for a kiss, his dark eyes swelled. In a flash, he backed away.
"You kissed him. I smell him on you." He snarled. Tension tightened his face.
I opened my mouth to explain, but he cut me short.
"Why, Jessie? Tell me why." Tight, dark eyes revealed his intense fury. He stepped in front of me and hovered an inch from my face. His sharp canines hung down behind his lip.
My emotions were so wound up I was ready to jump out of my skin. It didn't matter what I would say. It wouldn't ease his anger. I started to explain until someone ran by me and shoved him away from me. The fast motion surprised me. I took a step back, twisted my ankle, then fell like a klutz. I hit my knees and braced my hands on the pavement.
Ryan stood with his arms outstretched in front of Drake, keeping him at a distance. "I have to protect her for Alan."
Drake's upper lip curled, showing off his impressive fangs. "I would never harm her."
"Your anger is strong. I can smell it," Ryan said.
Jeremy's hot hand wrapped around my arm. I instinctively jerked away from him.
He squatted next to me. "Are you all right?"
"Get away from her," Drake growled in a voice I almost didn't recognize.
Jeremy let go of me and stood. "Or what?"
Smoke and the stench of something burning seeped into my nose. I turned my head and saw orange flames not far from us in the middle of the lot.
"Where's Kuri?" I asked.
Drake ran past Jeremy and vanished in the darkness.
"Yeah, go save your bloodsucking friend." Jeremy snickered.
Ryan helped me stand. "I smell blood on you."
My knees had scraped the pavement when I fell. A single line of blood rolled from my right kneecap. "Crap."
"I've got some wipes in the car and hand sanitizer," Ryan said.
Jeremy met my eyes. "What happened?"
I brushed the dirt from my legs. "He knew we had kissed, so he's mad. But he wouldn't have hurt me." Deep down in my heart, I knew he wouldn't. Sure, I knew the kiss had been a bad idea, but it meant nothing and it had sealed the deal.
Jeremy snorted and gripped my hand. "Right, and I'm a saint."
I took slow steps forward. The smoke had thickened and the air reeked. I covered my nose and mouth with my hand. "What did you do to Kuri?"
Jeremy shrugged. "We had a barbeque, and he was the main course."
"Damn it to hell, Jeremy!" Leaning on Ryan, I took off my shoes. Anger and dread coursed through me. Jeremy had created a major problem that would fall back on both of us.
Barefoot and holding my shoes, I walked briskly toward the orange light in the lot. Small pieces of gravel bit into my feet with each step, but the little pinches of pain didn't slow me down.
The light vanished fast as I was rounding a vehicle, but the smoke trickled upward. I suspected Drake had extinguished the fire. If Kuri survived, he was not going to be a happy vampire to deal with.
The air stunk worse as I neared the origin of existence. I was two car lengths away when I saw Drake. His bare, pallid chest glowed under the little bit of lighting on the lot. Ryan and Jeremy grabbed my arms and brought me to a halt. Smoke drifted from the object on the ground near Drake's feet.
"We don't need to go over there," Jeremy said.
"Jeremy, let me go," I said, wiggling and jerking my arms. After they released me, I stormed off toward Drake.
Drake held his hair away from his face. I expected him to be furious, but instead, he held a look of fear and disappointment. On the ground below, Kuri's charred body didn't move. Drake's black shirt covered Kuri's face.
"Is he…dead?" I asked, staring at the smoke coming from the head.
"No, not at all," Drake said, lowering his hands to his sides. "In a few minutes, he's going to get up and will want to feed."
Jeremy came to stand at my side. "Then I suggest we get the hell out of here."
Ryan removed a set of keys from his pocket. He tossed them to Drake. "Take my car. He can't feed from anyone here. I can get another vehicle to get us to the site of the challenge."
Drake caught the keys, then turned his grim eyes toward me.
"I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say. I knew this was bad, so very, very bad. Not only did Kuri now know about Jeremy's gift, he would not allow Jeremy to come with us to Europe. Even worse, he might seek revenge on Jeremy.
Drake lowered his gaze. "Go. I have to move him."
Jeremy gripped my elbow and tugged me back. "Come on."
Jeremy held onto my arm while he led me up the path toward the resort. Ryan stayed near my other side and scanned the area. I glanced over my shoulder, back at Drake. As I watched him carrying Kuri, I had a sinking feeling we were going to have a long talk after the challenge, and it wasn't going to be pleasant.
Chapter Twenty-Four
A bump in the road jolted my weary eyes open. With a deep breath, I straightened from leaning against the side of the door. Ryan sat in the front, driving the vehicle, and Jeremy sat in the front passenger seat. As if he sensed me looking at him, he turned to face me.
"How are your knees?" He looked at my legs.
Two Band-Aids hid most of the scrapes on each knee. The bandages weren't the pretty cartoon kind that I liked, but I was still grateful for them. The bleeding had stopped after I cleaned them and had applied enough pressure.
"They're fine," I said.
The rock music from the stereo did little to ease the anger gnawing at me from Jeremy's impulsive act to burn Kuri to a crisp. Good intentions or not, his spark of genius managed to turn our workable solution to save my ass into a nonexistent one.
"Why did you have to set Kuri on fire?" I asked.
"I wanted to see what was happening with you. He tried to stop me, so I took care of him."
"He knows your strength now. Do you think he's going to let you show up in front of the VETOV with me?"
He shrugged. "Drake can work it out. Didn't you talk to him?"
His casual attitude annoyed me and made my temperature rise. I bit my tongue to prevent any hateful words from slipping out. Drake had enough to figure out. He didn't need more trouble. Damn Jeremy.
"I did talk to him, but not long enough."
I returned my attention to the window. It was a waste of my breath arguing with him. He didn't have the same concerns I did. Why would he, since he could burn people with a simple touch of his hand?
My thoughts returned to Drake. We had much to discuss. First, I needed to explain why I'd kissed Jeremy. After Drake had vowed to protect me, the least I could do was tell him the full details about my arrangement with Jeremy. The short kiss sealed my deal and meant nothing more. I had to make it clear to him about that. Second, I wanted to share with Drake what I’d learned about Jeremy. He might hate the demon, but if he knew Jeremy as well as I did, maybe he'd be more accepting of him. Okay, I wasn't going to hold my breath on that one. Third, I needed to apologize to Drake. Out of anger, I’d rushed to believe he wouldn't protect me. I questioned our relationship, his loyalty, and his love. Once again, my trust issue had caused a problem. I owed him a huge apology.
Then there was the issue of having to break up with him. Given our relationship was currently in the crapper, it was possible the problem really wasn’t one anymore. I hated to think I had destroyed our chances of happiness. But I wasn't solely to blame. No, Drake had played a huge part in the downward spiral of our relationship, starting with not telling me about what was going on with the VETOV. It still ticked me off that he'd waited so long to inform me that they thought I was a threat. So we both were responsible. One wrong decision had led to others. Even if we couldn't work things out, I hoped he would forgive me and still protect me, if only for this meeting. Otherwise, I was as good as dead.
Sighing, I stared into the black night. We were on a one-lane road somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The road curved and stretched for endless miles with no lights or stop signs in sight. For all I knew, we were going to a place in the middle of the desert. I didn't bother to ask since Ryan was driving. I knew I was safe with him.
Feeling a bit warm, I leaned sideways toward the middle of the backseat to catch the cool breeze from the air conditioner. The vehicle we were in didn't have extra air vents in the back. Jeremy offered to let me sit in front, but with the massive ache throbbing in my head, I opted for the back.
"The wolf Alan is fighting…" I left my sentence unfinished on purpose.
"Matthew," Ryan said.
"How good of a fighter is Matthew?"
Ryan eyed me from the rearview mirror. "I don't think he has ever run with the local pack."
"So you don't know," I said.
Jeremy and Ryan exchanged glances.
"Alan is a very good fighter," Ryan said with confidence. "This isn't his first challenge."
"What kind of crowd will be there?" I asked, thinking of the one back at the resort. I really didn't want a thousand plus werewolves watching me gulp down an evil spirit.
"No more than two hundred," Ryan replied.
Anxiety rose within me. I bit my lip. After tonight, word would spread about me. Was I ever going to be able to live in peace again? Call me paranoid, but I had enough problems with vampires. Did I really need to add werewolves to the list?
"How safe will I be? If two hundred werewolves are going to spread the news about me to their packs, how can we be sure one won't come sniffing me out?"
Jeremy twisted around to face me. "Alan won't allow it. If someone did, that person and every member of their family would be shot and stuffed for the mantel."
My stomach twisted from the visual imagery. On the positive side, at least my death would be avenged. Thank you, Alan.
Although I'd only known the Alpha a short time, the werewolf had been nothing but kind, generous, fun to be with, fun to talk to… Maybe I should consider a relationship with him, since my one with Drake wasn't working out.
"Are you nervous?" Ryan asked.
I glanced in his rearview mirror. "No. I'll be fine."
"Will we be able to see his soul?"
"Yes," Jeremy and I said in unison.
"You'll be able to see it when I touch it and suck it in."
"It's a little disturbing to watch," Jeremy said.
"Really?" Ryan asked.
"The soul stretches as she calls it into her. It looks almost like a normal person, but not quite," Jeremy said.
"No blood or guts hanging out?" Ryan asked.
"No. The one I saw looked normal."
"Does it…hurt when you call the soul to you?" Ryan asked, staring at me from his mirror.
"Sometimes. They can poke and nudge me inside. After a few minutes, they usually stop. Alexander, the vampire I sent
to Hell, tried to come back. Drake had to choke me to stop me from puking. Had I spewed, Alexander's soul would've been freed."
Jeremy twisted around. "Has that ever happened before, one trying to come back?"
"Nope. He was the first, and I hope the last."
Ryan slowed the car as we approached a curve. "Do they know they're going to Hell?"
"Oh yeah, they know. Even if I don't tell them, they somehow know."
"That's frightening," Ryan said. "I can't imagine what it would feel like to realize you're about to spend eternity in Hell. It takes death to a whole new level."
"Be a good guy, Ryan, and I won't come after you."
He looked in the mirror and I grinned.
Jeremy snickered. "Imagine what it must feel like to know you've been to Hell and back multiple times." He turned his head and stared at Ryan. "Care to join me?"
"No thanks, brother," Ryan replied. "I'd prefer to spend my doggie days here on earth or in the skies above."
Jeremy chuckled while I shook my head. Destination Hell was not on my list of places to visit, ever. Yet, as a half-demon, was it not my final resting place? I wasn't a bad person. I didn't kill people. I made mistakes like everybody else and repented. Why did I have to go to Hell just because I had the devil's blood in me? Wasn't I doing good in the world by sending souls to dear old daddy? I had to believe I was, or else, why bother?
Ryan slowed, then turned onto a gravel road. He clicked on his high beams and the pathway illuminated. The outside looked empty and as void as space. We passed a few cactus and shrubs as best I could see. After a few miles, abandoned cars appeared on the side of the road. Ryan parked near one of the vehicles, then turned the key in the ignition, silencing the engine. The lights dimmed, but we weren't completely in the dark. In the distance, a huge bonfire burned.
Jeremy looked at me from over his shoulder. "Showtime."
Chapter Twenty-Five
"Please tell me there aren't any snakes out here," I said as I stepped over the dry, rocky terrain in my heels, careful not to twist an ankle again. Dirt and rocks crunched under my shoes. The Band-Aids over my scrapes tugged at my skin, annoying me with a need to scratch. Dressed in my fancy red cocktail dress, I figured my bandaged legs would make quite the impression on a couple hundred werewolves.
