by SF Benson
“Over me?”
“Yeah. Colby let me know he was into me. Like a fool, I thought he knew what he was getting himself into.”
I could have filled in the blanks for both of them.
“Question for you, Tabitha. Why did you get intimate with St. John?”
“Have you seen the vampire?” I rolled my eyes. “To have someone that damned handsome into me… How could I not?”
“Loneliness makes people do desperate shit.”
“Are you lonely?” Once again, dumb question.
He shrugged.
Since I was insistent upon mentioning inane topics, I went for the epic one. “Explain to me how Mr. Kragen is your father but you’re not a vampire.”
Clint dropped his head back and lowered his bottle. “First, Kragen is his first name. Our last name is Bonaparte.”
“Like Napoleon?”
“Distant family member. Kragen said the man was a cousin so many times removed.”
Fuck.
“Second, I’m what’s called a dhampir. It means I have a human mother.”
I scratched my head. “You mean Kragen knocked up a human? How is that possible?”
“I’m assuming your question is about vampire physiology. Normally, when a person becomes undead, eventually all bodily functions cease. You no longer need to use the bathroom. Females won’t have periods because your supply of eggs dry up. With males, no more sperm or semen is made either.”
That sort of explained why my blowjob on Alexander wasn’t very fruitful. Frowning, I said, “If that’s true, how were you conceived?”
“Interesting thing. Sometimes, not all of a vampire’s sperm dies. I’m not a doctor, but I was told that with the right environment the sperm resurrects or some shit.”
I tried hard to stifle my laugh, but eventually it burst free and I fell over. Clutching my sides, I rolled around on the floor.
“What’s so damn funny?”
The words zombie sperm slipped from my lips.
Clint choked back a snort, and then he laughed out loud. “Oh, you’ve got jokes. Let me get you a towel.” He rose to his feet.
I sat up. “Why do I need a towel?”
He dropped down beside me and wiped my face. “You’re a crier when you laugh hard. Before you were turned, you would have had clear tears. Now, those tears are bloodied.”
“Ugh…” I pushed away from Clint. “That’s gross.”
“That’s the truth. I’m sorry it bothers you.”
Taking the cloth from him, I finished wiping my face. The smeared blood turned my stomach. I balled up the towel, tossed it to the side, and sat back. “Tell me more about being a dhampir. Does that mean you’re not human?”
“I’m a hybrid. I get the advantages, so to speak, of being a vampire without the drawbacks.”
“Like?”
“I can go out in the sun without burning up, for example.”
I sighed remembering my incident with daylight. Thanks to Alexander’s ring, I wouldn’t have a repeat performance. “Getting burnt sucks. It sounds like being this dhampir thing is a lot better.”
“Not necessarily. Vampires do have a few benefits. You have the ability to invade a person’s thoughts. Of course, there’s the whole immortality thing.” Clint sounded envious. “What else do you want to know?”
“Bloodlust. Why do I have it?”
Clint nodded. “An ugly situation. Usually a vamp who intends to turn someone won’t drain their victim. The newly turned is gradually introduced to feeding. Without anyone controlling those first feeds, you go on a feeding frenzy. That frenzy is what we call bloodlust. It’s like being an addict.”
“Where all you can think about is drinking blood.”
“Right. When victims are completely drained, they die. Technically, you should be dead not undead.”
Undead.
I didn’t like the sound of it, but it was my new reality. I was nothing more than a soulless being preying on the living. My eyes stung; yet I refused to shed another bloody tear.
“Why?”
“My best guess? Alexander took you to the edge of death and then gave you his blood.” Clint seemed to study me for a long minute. “It creates an unbreakable bond between the two of you.”
I didn’t want anything with the jackass.
Time to change the subject…
“Your dad mentioned the BlackGuard and the Council. What was that about?”
“The Council is a form of government for supernaturals. They make laws and regulations for all of us. The BlackGuard is more like the Unwelcome Committee for rogue beings in town. Its only job is to hunt down troublemakers and punish them.”
I didn’t like the sound of that either. “Which one am I in trouble with?”
“Neither. For now. Council will keep an eye on the situation. It’s why my father was notified. He’s the head of the BlackGuard. He sends out the agents when they’re needed.”
“So they’re after me?”
“No one’s after you, Tabitha. We’re looking for St. John. If he does anything else, we have to hold him accountable.”
“We?”
“I’m an agent with the BGS.”
“Is that why you call your father by his first name?”
Clint took a long pull of beer before speaking. “We have a bad history. It’s nothing you have to worry about.”
I shrugged. We all had our secrets.
We continued our discussion through the night. Not once did Clint mention anything else about his father, and I didn’t press.
As the sky began to lighten, Clint said, “Tabitha, sun’s coming up soon. You can sleep in my room. I have darkening curtains.” When I hesitated, he added, “I changed the sheets.”
“Oh.” That hadn’t been why I was reluctant, but I was glad to hear the bed was fresh. “Where will you sleep?”
“The sofa. I kind of hang out during the day. I sleep when I need it.”
“You sure?”
“Don’t worry about it. Besides, you have a lot to learn. Might as well rest while you can.”
Just what I needed. A vampiric education.
Rest, unfortunately, didn’t come easy for me. Every time I closed my eyes, Alexander’s face appeared. He kept sending me mental messages too. It was like receiving repetitive texts, but I couldn’t turn off the phone.
Clint knocked on the door. “Tabitha, everything okay?”
“No. I can’t rest.”
When he let himself into the room, I pulled the blanket up to my chin. It was kind of a dumb move. There was no way he could see me in the dark.
The bed dipped as he sat beside me. “What’s wrong?”
“Alexander keeps trying to contact me. I can’t turn off his voice.”
“Try not concentrating so hard,” Clint suggested. “Relax a little.”
“That’s never been easy for me,” I admitted.
He tilted his head to one side. “When you’re dancing, what do you think about?”
“The music.”
“Try thinking about your favorite song or even a performance you enjoyed.” He stared at me. “Try it now.”
“Okay.” I closed my eyes and thought about one of my playlists. As a stripper, I used to practice my acts during the day—trying new poses, selecting new music, and picking out new outfits. In my mind, I turned up some Cardi B and went through my routine on one of those days.
Alexander’s voice, which had been blaring in my head, began to mute. Even his face faded from view. When I opened my eyes, Clint was smiling at me.
“Better?”
“Much. Is this how I block thoughts?”
“Yes.” His eyebrows knitted together. “Let me guess. St. John didn’t teach you?”
“No. I asked him why he could hear my thoughts but I couldn’t hear his. He told me some shit about never letting his guard down.”
“A vampire’s greatest asset is the ability to shield their thoughts. There are a few other supes
who can do it but not all. With practice, you’ll be able to prevent mind reading without trying.”
I focused a little more on Clint, and his thoughts came pouring through.
Her lips…I wonder what they taste like…
It was tempting to give in and ask Golden Boy if he wanted to find out, but I didn’t. I’d had enough of bedding strangers for a while.
Clint, however, was drinking me in. I saw the lust in his gaze. He wasn’t the nefarious vampire. He was the total opposite. The dhampir was caring and someone I should get to know better, especially with the toilet my life was in. Clint was a tall cup of reality—a little normal to smooth out the edges.
“Tabitha.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re staring,” he said with a grin.
If vampires blushed, my face was probably bright red.
“Did you get any rest?”
“No. I didn’t even sleep.”
Clint’s lips lifted in a crooked grin. “I hate to break it to you, but your sleeping days are coming to an end.”
“Why?”
“I don’t really have the answer. It’s more of a speculation. Maybe it has something to do with no longer being alive. Your body doesn’t need rest or sleep. You won’t dream anymore either. Being able to lie quietly, however, might be the only peace your soul will ever have.”
“Aren’t you a bucket of inspiration?”
“Sorry. Look, I can keep you company for the day. I’ve closed up the living room.” He waggled his eyebrows. “There’s a bottle of blood with your name on it.”
“Mind if I shower?”
“You do realize you don’t sweat?”
“I know, but I like feeling clean.”
“Understood.” He rose from the bed. “I’ll get you a towel.”
* * *
Clint and I spent the entire day talking. He gave me a little family history and background info on the different BlackGuard agents. Around noon, he crashed on the sofa. Rather than sitting around staring at the man, I returned to the bedroom and stretched out on the bed.
I hadn’t done much in my life. I didn’t have a bucket list or anything I desperately wanted to do. Ever since I lost my parents, I’d been a live-in-the-moment type of girl. Thanks to that asshole St. John, I’d become a female with far too many minutes to fill.
There had to be a way to return the favor. Instead of giving the vampire my time, I wanted to erase him from my memory. He was a vain male who enjoyed his immortality. How would he feel if he didn’t have eternity? What if I could steal what he coveted the most?
I reached for my phone and turned on the Spotify app. Despite what Clint said about sleeping, I would continue to try. It was a human thing, and I wasn’t ready to lose my humanity.
* * *
By nightfall, I’d downed a couple of bottles of blood. I felt invigorated and ready to have a little fun.
“You look well rested,” Clint said as I entered the living room.
“I didn’t sleep. Just sort of laid there. I also polished off two more bottles.”
He chuckled. “Not a problem. I’ll pick up some more from Kragen.”
“Tell me something,” I started and plopped down beside Clint. “I want to help the BGS catch St. John.”
“You don’t have—”
“I want to. He needs to face whatever punishment there is for what he did to me. You said something about beheading.”
“That’s drastic, Tabitha. Frankly, we can’t do anything to St. John unless it’s justified.”
Leaning in, I asked, “What if he attacked someone? What if he tried to turn another? Would that justify ending his existence?”
“Maybe.”
I grasped Clint’s hand in both of mine. “Forget about maybe. We set a trap. Nobody else has to know. You said you work with the BGS. Get one of their female agents. She should be very pretty. St. John has a thing for pretty girls.”
Clint pulled away and stood. He paced the floor in front of the sofa. “I’ve never killed anyone.”
“You don’t have to.” Glancing up at him, I said, “I’m more than willing to do it. Just train me. Prepare me for what has to be done.”
“Let me think about it.”
I walked over to Clint and pressed my body against his. He stiffened—everywhere. “Help me do this, and I’ll help you.”
“With what?”
I let my fingers trail down his body. The descent slowed until my hand was over his crotch. A delicious shudder shot through the man. “You hate being a dhampir.”
He eyed with an insatiable hunger. “I-I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. I sense it.” His pulsing neck drove me crazy with need. “Clint, you’ve told me what it takes to turn someone. Help me stop Alexander St. John, and I’ll give you what you deeply desire.”
Clint swallowed hard. “You’d turn me?”
“Yes. If we can destroy my bond with Alexander, I’ll link us for eternity. You’ll no longer be envious of your father or any other vampire. You’ll be mine. All mine.”
The man cupped my cheeks. “I’ll need to meet with Kragen and the other agents. If we’re going to do something like this, I want to make sure there are no repercussions. Understood?”
“Yeah.” I licked my lips.
As long as I got my vengeance, I could care less about consequences.
13
Doubts Erased
Morgan
* * *
Turned out finding Tabitha, the latest vampiress to grace the Quarter, wasn’t a major problem, but she brought one with her when she landed on our doorstep.
“Morgan, ya won’t believe this,” Ace said after he opened the door.
“What—” When I saw Clint standing beside the former dancer, my blood boiled. “Hell, no! He’s not welcome here.”
Tabitha put both hands on her hips. “If you want to hear what I have to say, he comes with me.”
Ace spoke directly to my mind. “Dawlin’, she may have news about St. John. We need to hear her out.”
“I don’t want Clint in my house.”
Before we continued our private conversation, the vamp said, “Look, I can hear you. Clint can too. Let’s just get past the childish shit and deal with the here and now.”
A spark of energy coursed down my arm. I pivoted on my heel and stalked away. Ace played host and let Tabitha and Clint enter. Instead of joining the conversation, I stood near the window.
My son’s former crush sat with his eyes glued to the floor. “I’m sorry about Colby. It wasn’t my intention to hurt him.”
Ace sat in his favorite recliner. “Whether or not ya intended it, it happened. Ya knew how my son felt, and ya took advantage of him.”
Clint’s head whipped up. “No. I got caught up in the moment. Did something I shouldn’t have. But I never took advantage of Colby.”
Tabitha exhaled loudly. “Look, we’re not here to rehash history. Clint said he’s sorry. If you ask me, your son was asking for it. He followed Clint around like a newborn pup.”
I tightened my fists. “It’s Tabitha, right?”
“Yeah,” she said, lifting her chin.
“If you want to continue existing, I suggest you shut your damn mouth. You’re sitting in a room with two people who can end you in a blink of an eye.”
She opened her mouth, but Clint nudged her.
Changing the subject, Ace said, “Why did ya come here?”
The vamp’s eyes narrowed, and she flashed her fangs.
I held out my hand and produced the ancient Katzbalger. When my pinkie made contact with the pommel, bright-blue sparks flickered from my fingertip and forked along the sword’s surface like lightning. I swung the sword overhead as if I was about to strike. Tabitha’s eyes widened.
“Here’s the thing, Tabitha. My wife is skilled with that weapon. She’s not bad with a gun either.” Ace sat forward. “The bolts arcing off the blade, however, are pure magic. Ya don’t want to mes
s with that. One cut, placed just right, and ya head and body are divorced.”
Absently, the vamp touched her neck.
“Now that we understand one another…” I sent my weapon back to its hiding place and stepped toward Ace’s chair. Propping my ass on the arm, I said, “If your visit has to do with Alexander St. John, tell us or get the fuck out.”
The female swallowed hard and then said, “I’m willing to help you trap him.”
“Why?” I asked. “For all we know, you could be setting a trap for us.”
Clint interrupted, “She’s telling the truth.”
My lips parted, but Ace touched my knee.
“For ya own safety, I’d stay quiet if I were ya. I’m none too happy with how ya treated Colby.”
“Thanks, baby.”
“Anytime, dawlin’.”
“Back to my question,” I said. “Why would you want to trap your sire?”
“Because of how he’s treated me,” she admitted. “When I first discovered what I am, I had every intention of killing that lowlife. Then I found out it wouldn’t be easy.” Her hands shook, and she shoved her hands into her jacket pocket.
“Tabitha, have you fed tonight?”
“Yeah, but I can’t seem to get enough.”
Ace rose from his seat. “I’ll get a bottle.”
The vampiress would be of no use to us until we solved her bloodlust. “When you were first turned, how did you feed?”
She stared ahead as if she saw something we couldn’t. “I thought I was just hungry, so I grabbed a raw steak from the fridge. When that didn’t work—”
“You had your first kill.”
Tabitha’s chin quivered. “Yeah. I didn’t mean to take an innocent life. I thought it was the fool who turned me.”
Ace returned with a bottle of Crimson Ridge and a glass. He gave them to Tabitha.
Immediately, Clint took over and poured the blood for her. “Remember what I said about sipping it.”
She lifted the glass and gulped down a mouthful.
“Tabitha,” he warned.
She lowered the tumbler and drew in a deep breath. “After the first night, I only got satisfied taking lives. A lot of them.” She stared down at the bottle. “I didn’t have anything like this until St. John found me.”