“I hate to bring this up now, but I’m hungry.” Kane breathes out abruptly.
“Didn’t you eat before we left?” Dominick asks.
“Yes, but it obviously wasn’t enough.” Kane huffs out.
“We can’t exactly open the cooler now; if we do, the blood won’t last long.” Dominick sighs roughly.
“Can’t he just bite one of us?” I chime in.
“He could, but that would only make us hungry,” Dominick replies.
“I took more than enough from Andrew earlier. As long as Kane doesn’t take too much from me, I should be alright.” I insist.
Dominick sighs as he looks down at me. “That’s your choice to make, but you need to be careful. He could easily overpower you.”
“I will be careful,” I promise.
He sighs once more before I move to sit up. I then look down at Kane as he stares up absently at the roof of the van. After a moment his red eyes turn towards me.
A low rumbling growl bubbles up from his chest, and I glance back at Dominick nervously.
“He’s not going to kill me, is he?” I ask tensely.
“His bite can’t hurt you now. The vampire side of him cancels out the wolf’s bite.” Dominick explains.
I nod and then turn my full attention back towards Kane.
Without warning, he pounces on me. His eyes pierce mine as he presses his body against mine. Beside us, Dominick chuckles lightly before closing his eyes.
He apparently was not going to be of any help.
I remain still as Kane leans down to press his lips against my neck. I shiver slightly and close my eyes when his warm breath fans across my skin.
Bits and pieces of the night we had spent together flood my mind.
As Kane sinks his fangs into my neck, I moan softly.
All of the reasons why I had pushed him away seemed silly now. There was still that deep connection between us, and I couldn’t wait to explore it more with him.
From this moment he was mine, forever.
I wasn’t going to ever let him go.
****
“We’re nearly there,” Tobias announces loudly.
Dominick groans dramatically before he rolls away from me. Instead of moving I remain snuggly cuddled against Kane.
I was not ready to face my hometown yet.
“What time is it?” Dominick questions Tobias.
“The sun is about to set so you shouldn’t have to wait long before you can exit the van,” Tobias answers him.
“Good.” Dom breathes out.
I couldn’t help but feel the same relief that he was. Being cooped up in this van wasn’t easy. The constant feeling of the walls closing in on us was maddening.
I hadn’t slept at all for the entire trip. Every time I had shut my eyes I had seen Loki and his lifeless eyes staring back at me.
My heart hadn’t stopped aching either.
Sighing softly, I roll onto my back and then stare up at the ceiling absently.
“Are you alright, Sweetheart?” Dominick asks as he gazes down at me.
“I’m fine.” I lie.
“That’s a lie, and you know it.” Kane snorts.
I groan out dramatically before placing my arm over my eyes.
“Don’t be like that, Babe.” Dominick laughs lightly. “I get it; you’ve got a lot of emotions hanging over you. I also know that you didn’t sleep at all.”
“I’m just not sure I’m ready to face anyone yet.” I sigh.
“Just rest for a little bit; there’s still time before the sun sets completely,” Dominick replies.
I nod absently and then close my eyes before rolling onto my side. Kane pulls me close to his body, and I relax against his warmth.
Within a few minutes, I begin to drift off.
****
“Guys, I hate to say this, but I’m getting hungry again,” Kane whispers, causing his chest to rumble in my ear.
It was just enough to wake me slightly from my sleep.
“What do you need exactly?” Toby questions from somewhere close by.
“I need meat.” Kane answers.
“Can you hold on a few?” Toby pushes. “As soon as we go inside we’ll be able to order some food. It would be good if we can act as normal as possible.”
“So, we’re going to go inside hiding what we are?” Kane asks.
“Yes.” Dominick chimes in.
“What about Ava? I’m sure these people know about her by now.” Kane stresses.
“They might not know the whole story. If we’re lucky maybe they thought she ran away from home.” Dominick replies.
Kane strokes his hand over my hair before speaking again. “I don’t like the idea of placing her in a dangerous position.”
“Neither do I but she wouldn’t have let us come without her.” Dominick sighs roughly.
“She is stubborn.” Kane snorts softly.
“And she’s awake.” Dominick suddenly laughs.
I sigh and then open my eyes. Sometimes it sucked that he knew exactly what I was doing or thinking. I hated the idea of never having a secret again.
“You’ll figure out how to block me one day.” Dominick chuckles before continuing. “But that’s not going to happen yet. I like having this open connection between us. At least if you’re in any danger, I’ll be able to sense it.”
He had a point.
“Wait, what kind of connection?” Kane chimes in as he looks down at me with confusion.
“When we staked Lux I broke the bond between him and Ava. Since she’s a young vampire, I had to replace that bond. It’s kind of a failsafe. If a vampire dies and leaves behind young untrained vampires, then they’ll die before they can cause any damage.” Dominick explains. “Older vampires feel when their bond is broken, but it won’t kill us.”
“Oh…” Kane breathes out.
After a few moments, he looks up at Dominick. “What happens to me if something like that happens?”
“You’ll survive thanks to your wolf side,” Tobias answers this time.
“And what happens if something happens to you, Dom? What will happen to Ava?” Kane presses.
“I don’t intend to die anytime soon,” Dominick replies before sighing. “But if something does happen then you can take over the bond. Honestly, I’ve been thinking of a way to share the bond if possible; that way if something happened to one of us then she would still be okay.”
“Dom, I don’t think that’s possible,” Toby states gently.
Dominick shrugs. “I’m still going to see if it’s possible. There’s no harm in doing a little research.”
The van grows quiet for a few moments before Tobias breaks the silence. “I guess we should move on to our destination. It’s dark now.”
Dominick grunts in response and then follows Toby to the front of the van.
Meanwhile, I sit up along with Kane.
He wraps his arms around me while I lean back against his chest. I sigh softly and then lean my head against his as he rests his chin on my shoulder.
“This isn’t going to be as bad as you think.” He states suddenly.
I snort. “No, it’s probably going to be worse.”
“At least you’ll have Dominick and me by your side.” He replies.
I nod. “Yes, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I like having you by my side.”
“Good, because I don’t intend to leave it ever again; there’s no way I’ll let you push me away like you did before.” He replies before kissing my cheek sweetly.
“I had my reasons for doing that,” I argue.
“Yeah, but we could have made it work.” He replies.
“I didn’t want to take that risk.” I breathe out.
He sighs. “I know.”
“At least now we don’t have to worry about that.” He then adds.
The roar of the van’s engine ends our conversation. The van lurches forward abruptly causing Kane and I to fall back onto the floor.
Kane laughs out loudly while I roll my eyes.
“Are you two okay back there?” Dominick calls out from the front.
“We’re fine, just make sure Mr. Lead Foot gives us a warning next time,” Kane replies loudly.
He remains laying on his back while I move into a more comfortable position on top of him. I lay my head against his chest and close my eyes.
A soft whimper leaves my lips as he begins to run his fingers through my hair like I had done with Loki so many times before.
“Ava…?” He whispers.
“I’m fine,” I reply softly. “Don’t stop.”
Thankfully he doesn’t stop, nor does he push the issue.
20-The Diner
“Are you sure this is the best place for us to go?” Dominick questions as he glances between Tobias and me.
“Mary should be working, and she likes our kind. The rest will be too scared to even approach us if they have any idea what we are.” I insist confidently.
The guys nod but remain standing just outside the van.
I sigh and then take the lead. I grab Dominick’s hand and then lead us to the front door. Without hesitating, I pull him inside while Kane and Tobias follow closely behind.
The second we enter the empty diner Mary lets out a loud squeal before she rushes to greet me.
She pulls me into a hug. “Ava, oh my god, I never thought I’d see you again.”
After a few moments, she pulls back to search my eyes. “Are you…?”
“Yes,” I answer honestly.
She nods and then glances towards Dominick and Kane before smiling shyly at Tobias.
“Do you think we could order some food?” I ask.
“Of course, what can I get you?” She replies with a bright smile.
“Three or four steaks if you can manage,” Kane replies.
Mary snorts and then nods. “I think the guys in the back can manage that. How would you like them cooked?”
“Medium rare would be fine.” Kane answers.
She nods and then pulls me into another abrupt embrace before pulling away. She then leads us to a table in the back before waving for us to sit.
Without another word, she bounces away.
“That was interesting,” Dominick states as he looks at me with a raised brow.
“Mary was my best friend here,” I reply. “Plus, I think she has a little crush on Tobias. She liked you the second you walked into the diner before I was changed.”
“She’s way too young for me.” Toby scoffs bashfully.
I swear his face turns red as he tries to hide it from us.
We stare at him knowingly. Each of us could hear the beat of his heart, and right now it was speeding up. Actually, it had sped up the second that Mary had smiled at him earlier.
“If you say so, old man…” Kane teases.
“This is why I hate vampires,” Tobias grumbles.
Dominick, Kane and I laugh lightly in response.
“You love us, just admit it.” I push with a light laugh.
He sighs and then looks at me with a smile. “Only you, Ava, only you…and only in a fatherly way; you’re too young for me too.”
“I’ve got you beat by a couple of hundred years, Toby. Ava is the perfect age for me.” Dominick snorts.
“That makes you a dirty old man.” Tobias jokes.
“But she loves me,” Dominick replies with a cocky smile as he looks at me.
“Yes, I do,” I reply before pulling his lips down to mine.
After a few moments, Mary clears her throat.
I break away from Dominick, and she smiles while placing some drinks down in front of us.
“I figured it would be best if you guys blended in. The town has been going a little crazy lately after Ava was attacked.” Mary explains.
“Crazy how…?” I push.
“Jake has about half of the town stirred up and ready to lynch any and all vampires.” She replies.
I bow my head and sigh. “Jake’s dead, Mary.”
“What do you mean?” She whispers.
“He attacked me. He set off some bombs in a town I have been living in. The bombs killed a lot of people that we cared about and loved.” I answer.
She curses softly. “I’m sorry. If I had known or could have contacted you, I would have warned you. I never thought they would go through with an attack like that.”
“Who’s leading this group now?” Dominick questions her.
Mary glances towards me before answering. “Ava’s father was the last I heard.”
This time I curse.
Someone shouts from the back and Mary sighs. “I’ll be right back with your food.”
Without another word, she rushes off.
“Damn it.” Dominick breathes out.
“What are we going to do now?” I ask.
“We’re still going to follow through with our plans. We’re going to see if we can’t confront your father. We need his admission before anything else can be done.” Dominick replies.
I nod and then turn my attention towards the drink that Mary had placed in front of me.
After a moment I glance around the diner.
It was eerily quiet. More quiet than usual, actually.
Kane raises his glass up, but I quickly snatch it from his hands. He looks at me oddly while I place the cup under my nose.
“What the hell?” I whisper.
There was something that smelled off about the drink. I couldn’t place my finger on what it was, but it certainly put me on edge.
“What’s going on, Ava?” Dominick pushes.
“I don’t know, but none of this feels right,” I reply nervously.
Dominick glances around and then grabs his own glass before taking a deep breath. He places the glass down and curses.
“It’s been poisoned with silver.” He announces.
“Seriously…?” I whimper.
“Yes, we need to get out of here, now.” Dominick then stresses.
He stands along with the rest of us.
Mary rushes over. “Where are you guys going? Don’t you want your steaks?”
“What’s really going on here, Mary?” I bite out.
Her heart begins beating wildly in her chest as she glances around the diner.
“Mary…?” I push sternly.
“I’m sorry, Ava. They made me do it. Everyone is scared. No one thought that Jake would go off on a suicide mission. Now everyone is scared that you’ll come back for revenge.” Mary answers quickly.
“What have you done?” I question her.
“I called your father. I promised him that I would if you ever came back to town.” She replies.
“He knew I would come here first.” I sigh.
“Exactly…” Mary breathes out. “I was too scared to say no.”
I curse along with Dominick and Kane as more heartbeats fill our ears. This whole situation was quickly getting out of hand, and we were stuck in the worst possible position.
We had lost any element of surprise that we had.
“Is there any way you can get us out of here, Mary? I don’t want revenge I just wanted answers.” I try.
“I don’t know…” She whispers.
“Please, Mary, I don’t want anyone to get hurt. If they attack us, I won’t be able to promise that. I won’t sit here and allow them to kill me without a fight.” I stress.
She nods and then waves for us to follow her. “Come with me. There should be fewer people out back. I was supposed to lock the door from the outside once I got out.”
We quickly make our way through the building before stopping at the back door.
“As soon as we exit we need to run. We need to forget about the van.” Dominick instructs. “As of right now we can’t trust anything or anyone.”
He then grabs my hand in his before giving it a gentle squeeze. “We’ll get out of this, Babe.”
“I know we will,” I reply with a nervous smile.
A loud boom echoes from the front of the building.
We rush to cover Mary to keep her safe as the building shakes and tiles fall from the ceiling.
“Are they serious?” Kane growls out.
“They obviously don’t care whether or not they hurt their own,” Tobias replies with his own growl.
“Mary, will you come with us?” I press.
She doesn’t hesitate to nod. “Yes, please just get me out of this town.”
“I’ve got her. I’ll get her out of town. Just make sure you guys get out of here before sunrise. I’ll try to find us some sort of transportation along the way.” Tobias states.
Dominick nods. “Be careful, Toby.”
“I will be.” He promises.
Mary hugs Toby close as he whispers into her ear while the rest of us prepare to break down the door so we could escape.
Wordlessly Kane and Dominick move towards the door. Dominick tries the handle, but the door doesn’t budge.
They had locked Mary inside to die.
“Those assholes…” Kane breathes out.
He was saying exactly what the rest of us were thinking. They were terrible even though they believed that we were the monsters. They were ten times worse.
“On three, we’re going to hit this door as hard as we can,” Dominick commands.
Kane and I nod.
Dominick holds up his hand and then counts down with his fingers.
On three the three of us rush forward as one. We hit the door and the lock on the other side breaks before men begin shouting from the other side.
Dominick pushes us all back before kicking the door open with his foot.
Men shout and guns fire outside.
Bullets ping as they hit the metal doorframe.
When the shots stop, we rush outside and run off in different directions. Dominick stays close to me but just far enough away that it gave the men outside more targets to aim at.
Once we get far enough away, Kane and Dominick join me.
We glance around nervously at our surroundings as we take in what had just happened.
“Did Tobias get away with Mary?” Dominick questions absently.
“Yeah, I saw him take her to a car in the parking lot. They got in and drove away without a problem.” Kane answers.
Midnight Moon (Love and Blood Series Book 1) Page 15
