A Walk on the Dark Side

by Kendra Ashe

  But still, it was just too weird.

  And I had sisters!

  That seemed a little bizarre too. Long ago, I’d accepted that I was now an only child.

  I was my mother’s only child, but apparently not my father’s.

  If Nicolas was to be believed, I wasn’t the only one of my siblings to grow up without a father. He’d never even contacted my sisters.

  I wasn’t sure what that said about his character, but he did have an excuse.

  According to my father, he’d felt that the less he knew about his children, the safer they would be.

  Although in the beginning, he’d kept an eye on all three of us, over time, he’d lost track of my sisters.

  How was I going to find two sisters that I knew nothing about?

  My father had offered his home to us for the night, or however long we wished to stay. I felt a little awkward pushing him out of his own house, but he insisted that he had other places in the city he could stay.

  Although I was tired, part of the reason I couldn’t sleep was that I couldn’t forget the fact that I was in an underground city full of vampires.

  If I fell asleep, there was no telling what would happen. I did find it comforting to know that Mason was just in the other room. If he sensed an intruder, he would wake up.

  I’d thought about asking Mason to sleep in the room with me, but I wasn’t sure how my father would react to the idea. Although he hadn’t been around while I was growing up, he did seem to harbor a protective instinct for his children.

  As long as I could remain alert, I didn’t mind being in Dead Haven too much. At the very least, it was an experience I’d never forget.

  Bathing after a long trip was a must, and I’d told Nicolas as much, hoping he would let me go up top and rent a motel.

  But he had a remedy for my problem. My father had his help bring in water to fill a tub, which was how the citizens of the underground took care of their bathing necessities. Although the city had electricity, it lacked running water. Water was brought in via a valve in the subway.

  For dinner, Nicolas ordered someone to bring me takeout from a fast food place above ground. The whole ordeal still had a dreamlike quality to it. I half expected to wake up at home and find that the past week had been no more than a strange dream.

  Closing my eyes, I tried to relax. If I could just let go of some of the tension, sleep would come.

  Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. It was the same feeling I got when I knew someone had entered a room, but I couldn’t yet see them.

  Someone was in my room.

  My eyes flew open. That’s when I saw him standing next to my bed, staring down at me. The hunger flashing in those blue eyes made me wonder if he was planning to eat me.

  He wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing.

  Even in the dark, I could see the scrumptious outline of his body. As my eyes traveled over the hard contours of his body, my own hunger began gnawing at me.

  Pulling the blankets back, he slid into bed beside me.

  “I can’t rest knowing you are so close,” he whispered.

  “I can’t sleep either,” I said, snuggling close to him. The sensation of his hard body against mine was intoxicating.

  “Then we better make love so we can both get some rest.” He was already kissing my neck and his hands were exploring the most intimate parts of my body.

  “Yes, that’s a good idea,” I breathed.

  Stopping, he pulled back. His eyes seemed to be searching mine. “Promise me that if I hurt you at all, you’ll stop me. Don’t let me get out of control.”

  “But what if I like it when you lose control?”

  Groaning, his mouth found mine. His tongue hungrily ravaged my mouth.

  The dangers of being with a vampire or being infected meant nothing to me. I was running on pure instinct and the need to put out the fire burning inside me.

  His lovemaking was wild but much slower than last time.

  When it was over, my entire body went into relax mode as I savored the feel of Mason running his fingers through my hair.

  “Do you think we were tame enough?” I asked as I was trying to catch my breath.

  “Hmm, I was tamer, anyway.”

  Lifting my head, I kissed his lips. In that instant, I wanted so bad to tell him that I was in love with him, but I was afraid he’d withdraw like he’d done the last time the love word was mentioned. Instead, I let him wrap his arm around my waist.

  Mason’s gentle kiss was the last thing I was aware of before falling into a deep, restful sleep.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The glare of the overhead light seared right through my eyes and into my brain.

  When I finally forced my eyes open, I saw my father in the bedroom doorway, glowering.

  Thankfully, it was my habit to sleep with a blanket pulled up to my neck.

  “I see that you have not taken my warning to heart,” he said, a hard edge to his voice.

  Mason sat up but didn’t say anything.

  That left it up to me to respond and I didn’t have a clue what to say. Judging by what I’d heard, me having sex with a vampire was extremely risky, but I didn’t care.

  How could I explain this to my father without sounding foolish and naïve?

  I couldn’t. It had been a dumb move.

  So what if it was foolish? I’d rather take the risk than be away from Mason.

  That was another problem. How could I tell my father that I was in love with a vampire?

  “We’ll be out in a minute,” I stated, instead of offering an explanation.

  With a slight bow of his head, Nicolas left, shutting the door behind him.

  With my father being so medieval, would he even understand?

  “Well, he took that better than I thought he would,” Mason commented.

  “Really?” I raised one brow. “I thought he seemed a little upset.”

  “Like I said, better than I thought he would. I’m surprised he didn’t tear me to pieces,” he chuckled.

  I didn’t find the situation all that amusing. “He’s probably saving it all for me.”

  “Nope,” Mason shook his head. “You’re his daughter. If anyone’s going to get burned by his wrath, it will be me.”

  Frowning, I said, “I’ll have a talk with him.”

  The thought of my father tearing into the man I was totally in love with, wasn’t too pleasant.

  “Do you think that will work?” Mason asked, giving me a lopsided grin.

  “I have no idea.”

  It didn’t matter. I had no intention of letting anyone get in the way of my relationship with Mason. Not even my father.

  It took several minutes before we were both dressed. Taking my time was a way of postponing the confrontation.

  Once I was dressed, Mason took my hand in his. “We should get out there before he comes back.”

  I nodded.

  Mason was right. All I was doing was putting off the inevitable.

  The first thing I noticed when we entered the room was Ax sitting in one of the chairs. Ax lifted his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

  My father stood in the middle of the room, daggers flying from his cold dark eyes.

  Nicolas turned to me. “Claire, do you mind waiting in the other room while Mason and I talk?”

  Taking on a defiant stance, I lifted my chin and put my hands on my hips. “Now wait a minute! I am not twelve years old. You can’t just send me to my room to get rid of me. If you have a problem with me, I have every right to be here.”

  “This is between Mason and me,” he said, his eyes taking on that strange sheen of the vampire.

  I opened my mouth to protest further but he cut me off.

  “Only for a moment, Claire, and then you are welcome to return and plead your case for your vampire lover.”

  When I glanced over at Mason, he nodded.

  Furious words were on the tip of my tongue but disrespecting my parents, let alone
an elder wasn’t the way I’d been raised.

  Spinning on my heels, I stormed out of the room.

  I couldn’t understand why my father was so angry. After all, I was old enough to take a lover if I wanted one, even a vampire lover.

  Although I closed the bedroom door, I stuck my ear to it to see if I could hear anything but the door was too heavy and thick. All I could make out were murmurs. Giving up, I collapsed onto the bed.

  If I had to be grounded to my room, I might as well relax.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Mason

  If Nicolas’s black eyes had been lasers, they’d have burned a hole right through me. Although I’d never feared anyone, vampire or human, Nicolas’s fury did put me on edge.

  But I couldn’t blame him. I could understand what he was feeling better than most.

  Even after so many centuries, I was still haunted by the terror I saw in my daughter’s blue eyes when a Scot’s sword severed her soul from her mortal body.

  I knew exactly what it was like to want to protect a child and the rage that could take over your soul when you failed.

  When Nicolas spoke, his voice was cool and calm, but there was a furious storm in his eyes. “Do you realize whose daughter you’ve just taken as a lover? I thought I detected something like this when I first saw her look at you, but I’d hoped I was wrong.”

  “We were lovers before tonight,” I confessed.

  “But yet you haven’t turned her and you haven’t made her your feeder?” There was more than a little skepticism in the ancient vampire’s eyes.

  “Never, My Lord,” I said, shaking my head. “I could never do that to her.”

  “Why!” Nicolas stormed. “Because you care about her, and not the pleasure she can give you? Or is it the yearning you have to feed on her that keeps you coming back for more? You are a killer, Mason! Make no mistake about it!”

  “I would never harm Claire. I love her.”

  Nicolas’s eyes seemed to soften slightly. “If you truly love my daughter, I think you know what you must do.”

  “Yes.” I nodded. “But it won’t be easy, on either of us.”

  “I am sure,” he said with a slight nod of his head, “but her destiny does not include you. It is something much larger than any of us.”

  Again I nodded.

  I would have let Claire go, regardless of Nicolas’s rage. Claire had such a beautiful soul that she deserved so much more than what I could ever give her.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I wasn’t too surprised when my father decided to return to New Orleans with us. He wanted to watch over me. That much was clear. What wasn’t clear was if he was doing it out of fatherly love or for the good of his species.

  When Nicolas finally summoned me from the room, I’d tried to speak with him about Mason, but he’d waved away my argument. As far as he was concerned, the matter was settled.

  This made me nervous, especially since he wouldn’t give me any details on how exactly the matter had been settled.

  My fears were compounded by how distant Mason had been since we’d left New York.

  My father’s presence in the city was to be kept secret, at least for now. He promised to visit my mother when the problem with Kieran was settled, but for now, I couldn’t even tell my mother he was here. Keeping something like this from her didn’t make me feel too good.

  I was dying to tell Mom that Nicolas was back, but I did understand the need for secrecy. If Kieran found out my father was involved, it could get dangerous.

  Closing my eyes, I let go of all my thoughts. If only for a little while, I wanted to forget the darkness. I wanted to enjoy the feeling of sunshine. I’d been in the dark way too much lately.

  Although it was late afternoon, it was still hot. As the temperature cooled, the scent of flowers grew stronger. Mason’s courtyard was even more beautiful than the front of the house. Flowers and palms surrounded a sparkling blue pool, filling the air with the aroma of jasmine.

  My father and Mason were sleeping in a room that had been specially modified to keep sunlight out. It was the first thing Nicolas did when he arrived, but because there was still a possibility of someone opening the door, they slept in coffins. Ax was also staying with Mason.

  Wren was stubborn. He’d decided he was just fine going about his business as he had before.

  When I’d suggested that he stay with Mason until the trouble had blown over, he’d simply shook his head and smiled. “Crime doesn’t take a vacation so neither can I.”

  My boss was way too dedicated to his job. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be the end of him.

  The other three vampires in my life had decided that until their business was done, it was best if everyone stuck together. I found it kind of amusing how vampires seemed so much like regular people most of the time. Of course, they didn’t seem so normal when they fed or slept.

  The thought of sleeping in a coffin gave me the creeps. I could understand why some vampires chose to go underground. At least when they were underground they could sleep in real beds.

  No matter how many times I went over the events of the past couple of weeks, I still had difficulty accepting that any of it could be real.

  But it was.

  Connecting with Johnny had been heartbreaking, but uplifting at the same time. Deep down, I knew he was at peace. That knowledge didn’t help me hurt any less, but it did calm some of the turmoil in my heart.

  But then there were the moments when I had my doubts.

  Could I have imagined the whole thing?

  Was my father’s mind powerful enough to create the illusion of talking with the dead?

  The only way I would ever know for sure was if I went to Shadow Valley myself.

  And then there were my sisters. The thought of having sisters was kind of exciting, but then I would remember that they had also been sired by a vampire.

  What would they be like?

  Although the temperature was cooling, the pool still looked awfully inviting. Just as I was considering another swim, I got a text message alert.

  It was from Mom.

  “I’m on Canal Street and my car won’t start. Do you think you can give me a ride home?”

  Biting my bottom lip, I glanced at the sky. It wouldn’t be too long before the sun went down. It was possible I could make it there and back before dark, but what if I didn’t?

  Both Mason and my father had been adamant that I shouldn’t leave the house after dark.

  But I didn’t see where I had a lot of choice. It wasn’t as if I could just leave my mother stranded.

  Sighing, I got up and started for the house. At the very least, I would have to change out of my swimsuit.

  Before getting dressed, I sent a text back telling my mother that I would get there as soon as I could.

  I decided to just throw a sundress over my swimsuit instead of getting dressed. It would save a lot of time. Next, I searched the kitchen for a piece of paper and a pen so that I could leave Mason a note, but there wasn’t a pen anywhere to be found.

  The kitchen looked as if it had never been used. It probably hadn’t. At least it wasn’t likely that Mason had used it. Male vampires were like most men; cooking just wasn’t their thing, especially if there was any fast food nearby.

  Maybe I didn’t even have to leave a note. After all, Mason seemed to be pretty good at finding me whenever he wanted.

  But, what if something went wrong?

  Not leaving a note to tell them where I was going was probably a really bad idea. Besides, I didn’t want him wasting time looking for me when they had better things to do, like stopping my crazy uncle from killing and turning me.

  Finally, I decided to dig through my purse. Sure enough, I found a pen, but I was stuck using the back of an envelope to write the note. After sticking the note on the fridge, I ran out to my car.

  The sunlight was fading fast. Hopefully, I’d find Mom with no problem and be back here before my father realized I was gon
e.

  I’d never been so nervous battling the downtown rush as I was then. With so many cars on the road, getting to Canal Street took three times as long as it should have, which meant it was dusk by the time I reached my destination. To top that off, Mom hadn’t been too specific about where on Canal Street she was.

  I drove up and down the street a couple times but Mom’s car was nowhere in sight. Finally, I pulled over and sent her a text to ask her where she was.

  While I waited, the sun completely disappeared from the sky.

  When I didn’t get an answer to my text, I dialed her number. It rang several times before her voice mail picked up.

  “Mom, where are you? I’m here but I don’t see your car.”

  I didn’t really believe my mother would get the message. This was too odd. My mother had never had car problems. Her car was almost new.

  The vampires had her!

  The thought came out of nowhere but somehow I knew it was true. It was the only thing that made sense.

  Ice-cold fear gripped my heart. I’d already lost my brother. I couldn’t fathom losing my mother too.

  Something crashed against the car and a scream tore from my throat. I hit the lock button for the doors so that whatever was outside wouldn’t get in.

  It had been a trap!

  They’d used my mother’s phone to lure me away from the others. Like an idiot, I’d walked right into it. Now I was alone and defenseless.

  Suddenly, the back window shattered and one of the creatures was crawling through it. The vampire’s eyes were red, which was odd. Also, his face appeared twisted and deformed.

  Without taking my eyes off the vampire, I reached around and unlocked the door. It was only when I had the door open that I dared look away.

  Scrambling from the car, I turned to run but a woman stepped in front of me. She had long black hair and the light of the vampire in her eyes.

  Why was it that only some of the vampires looked horrible?

  Before I could react, something was placed over my face. There was only time enough for my brain to register the smell of harsh chemicals before everything went black.

  Chapter Twenty