Everlasting Embrace

by Amanda Ashley

  “Would you be human again, if you could?”

  “Honestly? I don’t know. All I do know is that you should think it over carefully before you decide. It doesn’t always turn out well.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Some people can’t handle it and it makes them crazy. Some destroy themselves. Others go on killing sprees and have to be stopped.”

  “Like Magdalena?”

  “Exactly. If Rhys finds her, he’ll destroy her. All those killings have brought hunters to town. It makes it dangerous for the rest of us. Vampires tend to keep a low profile whenever possible for obvious reasons.”

  “You’re right,” she said, slowly. “There is a lot to think about.”

  “You haven’t had dinner, have you?” he asked, when her stomach made a very unladylike sound.

  “No.”

  “Do you feel like going out?”

  “I guess so. If you think it’s safe.”

  Rylee decided on a hamburger for dinner, and because she wanted to be surrounded by a lot of people, they went to the mall. Since it was Friday night, the place was more crowded than usual, which suited her just fine. Safety in numbers, she thought, as they made their way toward the escalator.

  For the first time in days, she felt normal, at ease, just another cog in the wheel of life. It was good to hear laughter and see teenagers wandering around, most intent on their phones.

  When they reached the food court, Alex wrinkled his nose as myriad smells assaulted him—Chinese and Mexican cuisine, onions, meat and condiments from the hamburger stand, popcorn and soda and hot dogs—all mingled with the scent of sweat and perfume and over all, the beating of a hundred hearts, the tantalizing scent of hot, fresh blood.

  “Should we go somewhere else?” Rylee asked, seeing the look of revulsion on his face as they passed a pizza place.

  “No,” he said. “I’m fine. Just eat fast.”

  She ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a strawberry shake.

  Alex followed her to a table. He scanned the crowd while she ate, his thoughts troubled. Magdalena knew where Rylee lived. There was always a chance she had sent someone to follow them, though he hadn’t detected the presence of any strangers when they left the house. But there were ways to disguise one’s scent. Hunters used Scent-B-Gone. Perhaps vampires had something similar.

  But he saw nothing suspicious.

  To his relief, Rylee finished her meal in record time.

  Alex had transported them to the Mall parking garage. Now, taking Rylee’s hand, he looked for a quiet place where no one would notice their sudden departure.

  The revenant appeared out of nowhere. Moving quicker than Alex would have thought possible, the creature flung a vial of holy water in his face, momentarily blinding him before lunging forward, stake in hand.

  But Rylee was moving, too. Grabbing a nearby trash can, she threw it in front of the revenant, causing him to stumble and fall.

  Grasping Alex’s arm, she started running, heedless of the people who stopped to stare. What must they think? But she had no time to wonder.

  She let out a shriek when she was suddenly airborne as Alex transported them back to the safety of her house.

  Inside, she collapsed on the sofa, one hand pressed to her rapidly-beating heart. She gasped when Alex dropped down on the floor.

  The left side of his face was blistered from his hairline to his jaw and halfway down the side of his neck.

  “Alex. Oh, Alex, what can I do?”

  “Nothing.” He grimaced as he pressed a hand to his cheek.

  “Will a cold cloth help?”

  “I doubt it.”

  Needing something to do, Rylee went into the bathroom and wet a wash rag. This was all her fault, she thought as she hurried back to the living room and handed him the damp cloth.

  Eyes closed, he pressed it to his cheek.

  Not knowing what else to do, Rylee sat beside him. “Does it help?”

  “Not much.”

  “It’ll heal, won’t it?”

  Alex nodded, figuring if Costain’s blood had healed Magdalena’s bite and increased his own power, it should be strong enough to restore a little blistered skin.

  He hoped.

  CHAPTER 32

  Magdalena laughed as she buried her fangs in the throat of a handsome young man. She might not have destroyed O’Donnell, but her revenant had hurt him, sure as hell, and that was almost as satisfying.

  Thanks to Sylvi, she knew where O’Donnell’s woman lived. She had no love for the Elf—the traitor—but the girl had possessed amazing talents and connections, only a few of which she’d been willing to share. Damn her hide.

  But it didn’t matter, Magdalena thought. All she had to do was find a way to flush the woman out and the hunter would follow. Of that, she had no doubt.

  She tossed the lifeless body into a ditch, licked the last bit of blood from her lips, then sniffed the air in search of other prey.

  CHAPTER 33

  Rhys swore as news of four more bodies appeared in his news feed. Dammit! This had to stop. The city was crawling with hunters. Morris had barely escaped being staked a few nights ago. Nicholas had had his own close encounter two nights before that, and Julius had killed one. Ordinarily, Rhys wasn’t opposed to ridding the world of hunters, but at times like this, it only added fuel to the fire.

  They had to find Magdalena and they had to do it now. Never before had he had so much trouble tracking down one of his own kind. She was as elusive as smoke in the wind.

  He tried to think of a way to draw her out, but nothing came to mind. He had to give her credit—she had out-guessed and out-flanked him at every turn.

  Muttering an oath, he poured himself a glass of wine heavily laced with blood donated by Jean Marie. If only Sylvi hadn’t been so close-mouthed. In a way, he couldn’t blame her. She was in fear for her life, and with good reason. Still, the Elf obviously didn’t approve of Magdalena’s incessant killing. If Sylvi would only help him, they might put an end to Magdalena’s carnage once and for all.

  Rylee had just finished an early dinner when Alex padded barefoot into the kitchen. “You look much better,” she said, smiling.

  He nodded as he lifted his hand to the side of his face. The pain and the blisters had disappeared while he was at rest. Thank you, Rhys.

  “It’s amazing.” Rylee wiped her hands on a dishtowel, then ran her fingertips over his cheek. “Does it work on people, too?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe vampires should bottle their blood and sell it to hospitals.”

  “I don’t think so. There are already enough people out there either trying to take our heads or stealing our blood and selling it on the Internet. Not for healing, though. A few ounces gives mortals a high unlike any other.”

  Frowning thoughtfully, Rylee said, “You’d think that someone who had an injury or a wound of some kind might have taken enough to get high and then noticed their injury was healed.”

  “I doubt if they’d put two and two together while they’re high, and it’s unlikely they’d make the connection when they came down. Although I imagine, sooner or later, someone will figure it out. And then we’ll really be in trouble. Enough about vampires,” he murmured.

  Pulling Rylee into his arms, he rained kisses on her brow, her cheeks, the tip of her nose before settling on her lips.

  Rylee clung to him, everything else forgotten as his mouth moved over hers, his tongue teasing hers in a mating dance as old as time.

  Without releasing her, be backed into the living room and fell back on the sofa, carrying Rylee with him.

  Feeling as contented as a cat, Rylee sighed as his hands caressed her. Soon, she thought, soon she would be his wife and they wouldn’t have to stop at kisses.

  She was lost in a sensual haze when Alex sat up, carrying her with him. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I smell smoke!”

  “What?” She blinked up at him, and then she smelled it
, too.

  “Stay here.” Alex hurried toward the back of house. The downstairs bedroom window was broken. Flames licked at the curtains, crawled along the carpet, snaked under the closet door.

  When he returned to the living room, Rylee was calling the Fire Department. “Come on,” he said, “we’re getting out of here!”

  “Wait! I need to find…”

  “You don’t need anything,” he said. “Magdalena or one of her minions set the fire.”

  Eyes wide, Rylee stared at him, then dashed into the kitchen. She grabbed her purse, her cell phone, and her maternal grandmother’s antique cookbook before running back into the living room. She shut her eyes tightly as Alex wrapped her in his arms and whisked her away.

  When Rylee opened her eyes, they were once again in Costain’s penthouse. She stood there a moment, stunned, and then burst into tears as she realized she had likely just lost everything she owned—her clothes and the old family photographs that had been taken before she had a cell phone, her cameras, the china from her favorite aunt, all of her books, mementos from her childhood—like a CD signed by Tim McGraw. Her car was probably gone, as well. And Costain’s Jag, which was worth more than the contents of her house and her Mazda combined.

  Alex swore under his breath. Once again, Rylee had suffered because of him. If he had stayed out of her life, she wouldn’t have been kidnapped and terrorized. Her house wouldn’t be in flames. She wouldn’t be forced to stay in Costain’s penthouse again. He had brought her nothing but trouble since the night they met. And who knew what the future held? Nothing good, judging from past events.

  Unable to think of anything to say to comfort her, Alex sat beside her and drew her gently into his arms. Now that Magdalena had tasted his blood again, she would have no trouble finding him. She had proved that tonight. The vampire must have known he was there. Had Magdalena hoped to incinerate him? Or grab him when he ran out of the house?

  It was time to send Rylee away. As long as he kept his distance, Magdalena wouldn’t be able to find her through him.

  But Rylee was here now. He would hold her and love her and tomorrow night, he would send her away.

  Rylee woke slowly. It took her a moment to realize where she was, and then it all came rushing back—the fire, their hasty return to the penthouse.

  Alex had held her all night long. His kisses had been filled with love and tenderness, nothing more. He had rested at her side, whispering words of comfort when she woke from a nightmare, promising her that things would get better.

  She was somewhat surprised to find him still lying beside her. In spite of all the bad things that had happened, there was no one she would rather be with.

  Slipping out of bed, she wrapped one of Costain’s robes around her and tiptoed into the living room, wondering if there was any need to be quiet when Alex was at rest. Were vampires aware of what was happening around them when lost in the dark sleep, or was it really like being dead?

  Thrusting that morbid thought from her mind, Rylee called her next-door neighbor to find out if her car had been destroyed in the fire. She had been prepared for a ‘yes’ so she was happily surprised when Mr. Hawkins informed her that the fire department had saved the garage and both cars. Unfortunately, the rest of the house was a total loss. Mr. Hawkins also advised her that the cause of the fire was under investigation and she wouldn’t be allowed to return for several days. Sighing, she thanked him and ended the call.

  Feeling numb, Rylee wept for the loss of her home. Her maiden aunt had lived in the house for seventy years and bequeathed it to her only niece. It was just a small place on a quiet street in an L.A. suburb. Like the house itself, most of the things in it couldn’t be replaced—the few childhood toys she hadn’t been about to part with, the quilt her mother had made for her on her eighteenth birthday, a china teapot her father had brought her from Japan—things that had no real value, yet held memories she cherished.

  After drying her eyes, she spent the next hour on the phone talking to insurance people. Luckily, her cameras and most of her personal belongings were covered and her policy included a replacement clause, so she could rebuild.

  After a breakfast of tea and toast, she pulled a thumb drive from her purse, then sat at the small desk and inserted the drive into one of the USB ports. She scrolled through the files until she found the one that listed the contents of her house, as well as photos of her belongings, and emailed both to her insurance agent. Thankfully, the drive also held all of her business contacts, copies of invoices and other business-related information.

  Feeling depressed all over again, she sat there for several minutes, just staring into space, trying to absorb everything that had happened. “Stop it,” she muttered. “It’s not the end of the world, even though it seems like it now. You’re still alive. You’re healthy. And Alex loves you.”

  Determined not to dwell on what she’d lost, she went to YouTube and scrolled though a couple of cat videos, hoping to take her mind off her troubles.

  She had just shut down the computer when Alex padded into the office.

  “What are you doing?” he asked, peering over her shoulder.

  “Nothing really. I called my neighbor a little while ago,” she said, trying not to cry. “The house is a total loss,”

  The sight of the tears welling in her eyes tore at his heart. “I’m sorry, love. I feel like it’s all my fault.”

  “It isn’t. It’s Magdalena’s fault. How I hate that horrible woman!”

  “That makes two of us.” Alex took a deep breath. The timing for what he was about to say couldn’t be worse, but Rylee’s life was in danger. The fire last night had scared the hell out of him. He didn’t want to think about what might have happened if he hadn’t been there. He knew all too well what Magdalena was capable of. He still had nightmares of coming home and finding Paula murdered by her hand.

  Resting one hip against the edge of the desk, he said, “We need to talk.”

  Feeling as though an acid pit was churning in her stomach, Rylee looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”

  Everything, he thought. “I can’t keep you safe anymore. When Magdalena bit me, she swallowed some of my blood. She’ll be able to track me wherever I go. And as long as you’re with me…” He shrugged. “You’re in danger. I can’t keep you locked up here indefinitely. And while I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t try to breach Costain’s lair, I’m not willing to take that chance.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I had a long talk with Rhys last night. I want you to go stay at his other lair. I’ve never been there and Magdalena can’t track him. You should be safe there until she’s dead.”

  Or I am. His unspoken words hung in the air between them.

  “But…”

  “I’m not any happier about this than you are. But we’re talking about your life, Rylee, and that’s more important to me than anything else.” He clenched his hands to keep from reaching for her. “I never should have entangled you in my life in the first place. I’ve brought you nothing but trouble.”

  “You brought me love,” she said, her voice so quiet, only a vampire could have heard it. “That’s worth everything else.”

  Almost, he changed his mind. But then he thought about Paula and the baby. He hadn’t been able to save them, but he thanked the Good Lord that he’d been there to save Rylee. Had he not been at her house to spirit her away, she might have run out of the burning building and straight into Magdalena’s clutches. And he couldn’t let that happen. He had no doubt that Magdalena would kill Rylee without a qualm, or use her as bait to trap him. He had lost one woman to Magdalena’s vengeance. He couldn’t risk causing the death of another. Dammit! He hated feeling helpless. As a hunter, he’d had a good chance of destroying her, but he’d lost that edge when Rhys turned him. Though he had the blood of two ancient vampires in his veins, he wasn’t sure he could defeat Magdalena on his own, and it wasn’t a chance he was willing to take, not with Rylee’s life han
ging in the balance.

  “I could go stay with my parents,” she suggested.

  “No. It’s too easy to locate people these days. I can’t take a chance on Magdalena finding your parents or hiring some detective to track you down. No one will find you at Costain’s lair in Granite Hills.”

  She wanted to argue, but everything he’d said made sense. As long as they were together, her life was in jeopardy. “All right,” she said, with a sigh of resignation.

  Pulling her into his arms, he murmured, “I’m sorry for turning your life upside down yet again, love. And for the loss of your house.”

  Rylee clung to him, her heart breaking. How long? she wondered. How long until she could call her life her own again? Feeling the sting of tears in her eyes, she said, “I think I’ll go lay down for a while.”

  “Okay.” He hugged her close, reluctant to let her go. He’d said he was sorry, but it wouldn’t bring back her home or the things she had lost, and yet he found himself saying it again.

  Unable to speak past her tears, Rylee turned and hurried into the bedroom. After closing the door, she fell face down on the bed and cried until she was empty inside.

  CHAPTER 34

  Rylee had nothing to pack, didn’t own anything but the clothes on her back. She stayed in the bedroom until Alex rapped on the door and told her it was time to go. Head high, she marched out of the bedroom, then came to an abrupt halt when she saw Rhys standing in front of the living room window.

  “Where’s Alex?”

  “He asked me to take you. Magdalena can’t track me.”

  “He couldn’t even stay and tell me goodbye,” she said, her voice bitter.

  “Rylee, don’t be too hard on him. He loves you. He’s only thinking of your safety.”

  “Is he? He didn’t say a word about… It doesn’t matter.”

  “Give him some time. Alex has been through a hell of a lot lately. I’m surprised he’s handling it as well as he is. He’s afraid he can’t protect you. And he might be right. As long as you’re with him, you’re in danger. And so is he.”