by Heather Karn
"Thank you," Edgar murmured as one of his people took the vials away for distribution to those in the most desperate need.
"I wish we could do more," Raven responded, taking a deep breath. "If we can give more without depleting our blood supplies, we will. It's the least we can do for your willingness to help and trust us."
Kayla rested a hand on my shoulder as I tried to hide a yawn with my hand. She snickered at my weak attempt and shook her head. "We have a vacant family unit available for you all to use. There are three bedrooms. One with a queen bed and the others have twins. I hope this will be enough."
"It'll be just fine," Raven responded as I yawned yet again.
“Good. We’ve asked for a guide to show you the way.”
As she spoke, the door opened and a woman Raven’s age stepped inside the office and gave us a sheepish smile until her eyes rested on Raven and he noticed her. They stared at one another for several seconds, giving me time to take in her long, thick hair and swollen belly. When she spoke, her voice was breathless with the shock written all over her pale face.
“Raven.”
He swallowed hard. “Hailey.”
Chapter 8
Awkwardness stole over the room before Avery cleared his throat and set a hand on my shoulder, drawing Raven's attention from the young woman. When Raven’s gaze broke from the woman's face, his eyes locked on her baby bump. He swallowed again and masked his emotions from his face.
"It's good to see you, Hailey. You're looking well."
She gave him a polite smile and nodded. "You as well." Her eyes drifted over our group, landing on me as my gaze hopped between the two. "Come with me and I'll show you to your rooms."
After bidding farewell to Raven's parents, we followed the female vamlure through the halls. She was silent as we walked, until she opened a door and stepped aside to let us enter. The room wasn't large, and three bedrooms branched off from the main room.
"These are the three bedrooms. One has a queen bed and the others have two twin beds." Hailey motioned toward a fourth room branching off from behind her. "And this is the bathroom."
I'd have to ask Raven how they managed indoor plumbing, and one bathroom for this many people.
"Do you require any other assistance?" Hailey asked, her gaze sweeping over us as if to be polite, but even I could tell all she wanted to do was run.
Avery shrugged, grinning wide. "Well, Shannon, Luella, and Jackson obviously get a room to themselves, and I'm taking Lee with me. I guess that leaves Koda and Raven to share the big bed." He winked at me. "And since you'll be leaving to call that guy sometime early, it'll make it so you don't have to wake anyone else up to leave to do it."
Hailey's nose flared and Raven's lips pressed into a thin line. Obviously these two had a past, and Avery knew about it and was digging his claws into it, making it worse. Or trying to make it better for his friend.
"If that's all, I'll be leaving." Hailey announced, snatching the edge of the door to close it behind her. "There's some food in the cupboards if you're hungry." Then she was gone, the wooden door closing hard behind her.
"Well, who was that?" Luella turned on Raven, a smug grin lifting the corners of her lips.
"An old friend," Raven growled, glaring at Avery. "Really?"
His best friend shrugged and dropped his duffle bag to the floor. "I'm sorry if I have a sour taste in my mouth for the woman who dumped you because you came to the surface. And obviously she missed you so much. I mean, she's pregnant and all."
"It's been ten years," Raven murmured. "You can't expect her not to move on."
"Did you?" I popped in before I could stop the words from escaping, and immediately slapped a hand over my mouth. Wide-eyed, I stared up at my trainer. "I'm so sorry. That was rude and so not any of my business."
Stepping back, Raven leaned against the island that separated the small kitchen from the living room we'd congregated in. He stared at the floor for a long while, trying to come up with the right words to say. The rest of the room held its breath, waiting. He didn't have to respond, but even I could tell that something was off. The Raven we knew, the cold exterior and mysterious interior, was opening.
Folding his arms, Raven closed his eyes before speaking, likely so he couldn't see us as he spoke so he wouldn't have a visible audience. "Hailey and I grew up together. She was my first and very best friend. Then we decided to date. Six months later, the president announced that supernaturals existed and the Elite program was brought forward and a notice went out asking for recruits. I so badly wanted to join. In my view, it was the perfect way to show others that we could be trusted, that we weren't blood thirsty animals. Hailey didn't agree. Few did. Even my parents forbid it.
"I promised Hailey I wouldn't leave, but I did. Long story short: I broke her heart, went to the surface, and effectively ended any future that we had, and any future that I could ever have with a female. No vamlure female would want to be with me."
"Why?" My voice was breathless, waiting for his response. He'd always told me that he never hoped for a mate, and I had an inkling marching its way up my spine that this was why he felt that way.
Raven shrugged. "The surface isn't exactly safe, although it's safer for us than it was ten years ago. I also have no House. If danger did find us, I couldn't offer any protection for my wife and children. No other House would take me, and my father will not take me back. Besides my work giving me a place to live and food, I have nothing to draw in a female and protect her."
My eyes narrowed as my heart swelled and broke for him. "You are one of the smartest people that I know, but right now you're being completely dumb."
His head whipped up to me as I moved to stand in front of him, matching his cross armed stance. Everyone in the room waited, except Luella gave a tiny giggle before becoming serious once again. When I took a moment to collect myself, Raven tipped his head, waiting to hear what I'd say.
"Do you know what you have that these people don't have? Name one thing. There are several, but just name one."
Blowing out a stream of air between his lips, Raven rolled his shoulders. "A job."
"Yes. What does that job give you?"
"Like I said, a place to live and food to eat."
"What else do you eat besides food?"
Avery snorted and landed on a plush couch that hadn't seen much use even though the styles were from decades ago. "I think I see where she's going with this."
"Good for you," Raven grumbled. "Blood. I drink blood."
"And you have access to fresh, nutrient filled blood," I pointed out. "You have so many people willing to donate it to you while everyone down here is dying a slow death. And many are actually dying. Women are dying because they’re too drained of nutrition. Children are dying because they’re too weak from the lack of nutrients from their mothers. Any woman you marry will have fresh blood and be strong. Also, she'll be sheltered and have this horde of hooligans to protect her as well, not just you. Have I made my point?"
Raven wasn't a crier. I knew that much about him. Or he wasn't since I'd known him, but when his eyes softened as he thought about my words, I couldn't help myself. Moving from standing eye to eye with him, I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his shoulders in a solid hug. It took several seconds for his body to relax and his arms wrapped around my waist. When he rested his face into the crook of my neck, warm heat tingled along my skin.
"She made her point all right," Luella snickered behind us, but when I thought Raven might back away and reprimand her, he didn't. He didn't even move. It made me wish we'd had this conversation in private, but I wasn't sure anywhere would be private with the crew we had with us.
Strong arms wrapped around both of us and a forehead rested against the back of my head. "Yeah, what she said," Lee murmured, squeezing us before snickering when Avery wrapped his arms around the group from the other side.
"If you find a girl who can stand being around the rest of us, we'll protect her wi
th our lives," Avery told his best friend, his voice lacking its usual humor. "We may not be vamlure, Raven, but we're family. We protect our own, and my dad loves you, so you're pack as well."
More sets of arms joined the group, and so did pressure as Raven and I were pressed closer together on all sides. His arms tightened around me, and though we were held by so many others, his were the only ones I could feel. Blood roved under his skin, making his scent sweeter than its usual metallic flavor.
"Awe, this is so sweet. We need to have touchy feely moments like this more often," Luella crooned, making Shannon laugh before Jackson spoke up.
"Count me in."
An image I didn't want springing to mind of a furless Jackson sprang up anyway. "Jacks, you'd better be in more than just skin or I swear I'll bite you again and you won't enjoy it."
His laughter lightened the somber, emotional mood as a sinister edge tinged his voice. "I didn't enjoy it the first time, blood drinker. Try it again and we'll see whose teeth are sharper."
"Mine," Raven growled, sounding more like himself, and everyone took the cue to back up and give him space. His eyes zeroed in on a furless Jackson seconds before the man became a canine once again and howled his laughter. Before I could step away and put more space between us, Raven squeezed my hand. "Thank you."
"If you get soft on me, so help me I'll slap you," I warned him, one side of my mouth tipped up into a wicked grin, which he returned with a half-smile.
"Point taken." Staring around the room at the others, Raven's features darkened to his usual grumpy, serious self. "Okay, I'm not sure the room arrangements Avery suggested are appropriate for the situation."
"Ditto," I responded. "I'm thinking I'll take one of the twin beds and Lee will take the other. The rest of you can figure out where you'll sleep."
Luella slung her arm around Lee's shoulders and winked at me. "Actually, I was thinking I'd take the queen bed with our little human. I'm sure he's a nice bed warmer."
Closing my eyes, I dismissed any images that might bring to mind. That was something I did not want to think about. Ever. And there was no way I was allowing my brother near that naiad, not that I had a right to shove my way into his life like that, but Lee was my brother and sometimes he needed me to intervene. He'd do the same for me if my hormones replaced my brain cells for sensible thought. Or I hoped he would.
"Okay, that's enough," Shannon barked, her usually soft voice tense and stern, ending the playful mood again. "We need to sleep now. There's too much at stake for us to lose any time we could use to rest." Jackson whined, pushing his nose against Shannon's hand to gain her attention, his large yellow eyes watching her with intent interest. "Yes, I'm fine, Jacks. Tired and nervous. And I...I don't like being underground."
"You okay?" Luella asked, concerned enough to release Lee. "Claustrophobic?"
"No. More like fear of being crushed if the roof caves in."
More than one person winced.
"Where's a block of wood to knock on?" Avery grumbled, staring warily at the stone roof overhead.
"There's always the door," Lee muttered, eyeing the same spot as his trainer.
The only person not affected by the idea of being crushed was Raven. He rolled his eyes and pointed to Lee and Avery.
"You two are together in a twin bedroom. Shannon, Jackson, and Koda are in the large bed. Luella, you and I are in another small room."
The naiad pouted when Raven finished listing off the room arrangements, grabbing her bag and heading toward the first room. Closing the door a bit harder than was necessary, she finished telling him what she thought of his choices. I doubted she'd take advantage of Lee since he was on the team and Raven had his rules for no inner-team romance, but she'd certainly hoped for someone a bit less rigid than Raven to spend the night with. Did it matter? We were only going to be sleeping.
"Anyone else have a problem with the arrangement?" Raven grumbled, peering around the room at the rest of us, who either shrugged or shook our heads. "Good. And Jackson, keep your paws to yourself. Shannon is your first concern. Keep her calm. If you become inappropriate with Koda, I'll cut your tail off. Understood?"
The wolf snorted and trotted away, dragging his duffle bag behind him to disappear into the room on the left. Its large bed could be seen from our position, and Jackson made sure we were watching as he circled in the middle of it and plopped down, his large body taking up most of the bed. With a deep sigh, Raven turned to Lee and Avery.
"What do I need to do to tick off someone from your bedroom?"
Patting Raven's shoulder on the way to his room, Avery called over his shoulder, "Volunteer to cook breakfast. That would do it." Lee shook his head, gave me a quick hug and followed Avery to their room and closed the door.
"You going to be okay?" Raven asked Shannon, who appeared a bit pale and green sitting on the couch. She nodded. "Good. Trust me, Shannon, this place is stable. Never in my life have any of the homes or halls caved in. Most are magicked to stay in place."
Her eyes narrowed on him. "For magic users and vamlure not trusting and disliking one another, you sure have a lot of magic down here."
He nodded. "At one time we were peaceful and our kinds were prosperous allies. I don't know what happened to change that, but it had to be serious for our kind to be killed with the vampires and for the vamlure to turn on the magic users."
"Hopefully our people will trust one another again," Shannon spoke, standing from the couch. "And in case there's ever any doubt, I trust you, Raven. You and Koda both."
"Thank you."
Raven placed his hand on Shannon's shoulder, their size difference obvious from how close they stood. He moved closer and placed his lips against her forehead in a move unlike one I'd suspect from him. There were plenty of those tonight.
A low growl echoed from the middle of the large bed, and if I was human, I'd probably miss it, but Raven didn't. He laughed as he stepped back and threw Jackson a wicked grin.
"Just remember to keep your paws to yourself, fur or no fur."
The wolf huffed, but didn't relax until after Raven told us goodnight and slipped into his bedroom with Luella. Shannon eyed me, but I ignored her, choosing instead to grab my bag and trapping myself in the bathroom to change. The others may be comfortable changing in front of one another, well, Shannon with Jackson, and I was sure Raven and Luella didn't care, but I wasn't them. I wanted my privacy, and after a long day, I had to pee. Again.
After taking my time to prep for bed, I took a deep breath and strode to my room, grabbing my sword along the way. Shannon was already under the covers, facing one wall with Jackson laying behind her, still in the middle. He'd moved so he was lying straight instead of curled and taking up too much room. I hoped he'd listen to Raven's warning and keep to himself. After the longest few days of my life, I wasn't in the mood to deal with his antics, no matter how innocent or joking he meant them to be.
"You might want to close the door," Shannon breathed, already sounding like she'd been asleep and was barely waking up.
"What? Don't want your dog to wander the place and end up in bed with Raven in the middle of the night?" I grinned when Jackson chuffed a laugh, obviously enjoying my suggestion. He'd be taking his life into his own hands by doing that, but it'd be entertaining for the rest of us.
Shannon chuckled too. "No, I want to say something I don't want the others to hear."
"Okay." I drew the word out as I closed the door. When it was shut, I folded my arms and waited for her to tell me what it was she had to say.
"Lay down, Koda." Shannon yawned and snuggled closer to Jackson. He scooted closer to her, placing his head on her hip. Yeah, he was smitten with her. No matter how he teased, and as cliché as it was to say, he only had eyes for her.
The bed was softer than I expected, especially since it was probably as old as the couch, but also lightly used. Surprisingly it wasn't dusty, so someone must have changed the bedding to allow us to stay. Even the pillow was fluf
fy, and I curled into it, trying to give Jackson room as I curled my legs close to my body, mimicking the fetal position. It was the only way to sleep. For me, anyway.
I'd forgotten that Shannon wanted to talk to me until she spoke, her voice quite soft. "I think Raven's trying to lay claim on you without being too obvious about it."
My heart stuttered and my breath hitched. "You know his rules about dating on the team."
"Yeah, that rule didn't exist until Luella showed up. If it's male, she'll flirt her way through the ranks. Raven doesn't actually have a problem with people on the same team dating, as long as both of them are serious about it and not one foot in with another on to the next person in a long line."
I hesitated, allowing myself to wonder about his feelings for the first time. I'd always put them off, but after his honesty in the kitchen, I wondered if he'd only held off feeling anything for me because he didn't feel worthy. With me clearing that up, was there a chance he could have feelings for me now?
Nope. That would be insane.
"Shannon, why would he ever like me? Because I'm a rogue female vamlure who he hopes will set an example for our people?"
"Because you're beautiful, stubborn, and independent. Because you challenge him. Because you're bringing out a softer side in him that hasn't seen the light of day in almost a decade."
"Oh."
"Trust me, the man is smitten with you. He's never warned Jackson or Avery off a woman before, even if he knew it was innocent. Already he's laying claim and marking his territory. This whole love festival should be interesting if any other males try to come near you. You might find yourself with a shadow until we find the surface again."
Jackson grunted in agreement, nudging me with a paw.
"What do I do, Shannon?"
She groaned and turned over to face me. "What the heck does that mean? Do you like the man?"
I stared back at her, too afraid to venture into that part of my heart. The truth was, I knew what I'd find there, and if I sorted through all of my emotions, there was no going back. As long as I didn't search them out, I could hide in my ignorance. But the truth could only be avoided for so long.
