But he had no idea what I had planned. I may not have had the strength, but I had one thing they didn’t. The desire to do whatever it takes to save those I loved.
Clenching the dagger in my hand, I thrust it into his leg planted firmly on the decking beside me.
The vampire didn’t flinch. Instead, he threw his head back and laughed, giving me the opportunity I needed to gain the upper hand.
Ripping the blade out, I plunged the dagger into my thigh, letting out a strangled scream as pain shot through my leg.
I sucked in a sharp breath, my eyes glazing over as his blood mixed with mine, sending me into the euphoric state I remembered so well. With it came the power I needed to get myself out of this mess.
Energy buzzed within me, along with a ravenous thirst for their blood. The ache in my thigh began to subside, and the pressure of the vampire’s foot on my head became inconsequential.
Lifting the blade, I slashed it across his achilles tendon, almost severing his foot in the process.
Blood spurted all over me, further lighting my insatiable desire for more.
The vampire looked down at me in shock but didn’t show an ounce of pain.
A grin spread across my face as I watched his expression quickly turn from shock to recognition to fear.
He knew who I was. “It’s her. She’s the one.”
Rolling to the side, I swept my leg under his good foot and twisted up into a sitting position. As he landed beside me, I drove the blade into his heart.
Black smoke spilled from his wound, turning the air frigid, evil, as it swirled around me, a high-pitched screech echoing through the air. A second later, it disappeared.
My gaze darted around me, and I tried to decipher if my inbuilt vampire detection ability was working or not. Sure enough, I was alone, sitting on the back porch with what appeared to be a dead guy by my side. The only things that separated a dead vampire from a human were the teeth and the DNA structure.
Blood pooled around the vampire’s wounds, begging me to devour him.
I couldn’t do it. I needed to be smart.
Climbing to my feet, I headed inside and came to an abrupt halt. The house was a mess, ransacked by the monsters. Everything was destroyed, ripping a hole in my heart as I feared the only material possession I cared about was gone.
Racing up the stairs, I hoped the laptop my mother had bought me the week before she died hadn’t been smashed. My hopes shattered the moment I burst into my room and saw that it was, along with every other item. Walls were punched in, the plaster ripped and thrown onto the floor, exposing the beams. My drawers were pulled out, overturned, and the contents strewn across the room. The mattress was sliced from the top to the bottom and discarded amongst the rest of the mess.
It was as if a bomb had exploded—or they’d been searching for something.
I shook my head in disbelief as a tear slipped from my eyes, a mixture of loss, hurt, and anger swirling inside of me, each fighting for the dominant place.
Those bastards were going to pay.
Unable to look at the remnants of my life any longer, I spun around and was about to head into the hallway when I caught a glimpse of something shimmering under the rubble. Doing a double take, my eyes widened and my heart soared with hope when I spotted the stupid little unicorn bracelet my mother had given me when I was three.
I’d sworn I would never take it off. Then I grew up.
But no matter how childish it was, I could never bring myself to throw it away.
My mother’s words drifted into my thoughts. “This unicorn will protect you always and forever.”
At the time, I was terrified of things that went bump in the night and naïvely believed her. Now, I was the worst monster of them all. Or savior. It depended who was asking.
I picked up the bracelet, brushed off the plaster dust, and clutched it in my hand as I left the room in search of my father.
Doing a sweep of the upstairs rooms, I came up empty, and I had to remind myself that it didn’t mean the vampires had him. He was notorious for his drunken sleeping habits, and I needed to keep my cool and not break into full-on panic mode. Those bastards had already taken two out of the four left in my family, and I wasn’t sure I could’ve kept my shit together from ripping every single vampire and demon apart as I searched for him.
I headed downstairs and stepped outside, taking a deep breath, trying to pick up any hint of vampires around me. All I could smell were the ones lying dead on the ground, their blood still calling to my primal needs.
As hard as it was to ignore my cravings, I pushed on, ready to retrace my father’s steps when I halted as an idea came to me.
Maybe it was the monster inside of me, or maybe it was my survival instincts kicking in, but either way, I knew what I needed to do.
Ducking back inside, I raided the kitchen for a large bowl, grabbed an empty bourbon bottle from the floor, and headed back onto the porch. I set the items down, kneeled beside the head vampire, and stripped his belt from his waist.
I tied it around his ankle then lifted his dead weight as if I were handling a small sack of potatoes. I threw the end of the belt over an exposed beam and hung him.
Once he was secure, I positioned the bowl under him, grabbed his wrists, and lowered my mouth to his skin.
Energy buzzed through me as the smell of his blood consumed me. I hadn’t even taken a bite, and I was already lost to the blood.
I needed to remain in control.
Steadying my breathing, I ripped into his flesh, his blood spilling into my mouth, sending me into a frenzy for more.
I tore myself away from the blood, knowing I needed to be smart.
The blood flowed down to his hand and dripped off his fingers into the bowl, the dark, crimson liquid with swirls of thick, black substance tantalizing the monster inside of me.
Reminding myself why I was there, I rolled back onto my feet, stood tall, and took a few steps back, until I was halfway down the backyard and could pull myself together. There was something very different about that vampire. The scent of his blood calling to me was stronger than any other vampire I’d encounter before.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he was one of the one’s that Lana had told me about. The vampires who could control themselves, allowing their bodies to be possessed by the demons as they infiltrated our world in their quest for dominance and power. But more importantly, the search for the one.
Scanning the neighbor’s yards, I tried to listen for any clues as to where my father was. He would often mistake another house for our own, or more likely, was too lazy to make it all the way back after his trip to the liquor store.
Thankfully our neighbors knew our situation and would generally let him sleep it off wherever he’d dropped, so as to not put any further stress on us kids, but now was really the time I needed someone to call me to get his ass out of there.
Two minutes later, I was standing at the end of my street, without my drunk-ass father.
I breathed out harshly, trying to figure out where he could’ve been. The guy was a major disappointment. But he was my disappointment, and my insistent need to save my family wouldn’t allow me to walk away.
Even with all my super sensors in play, I couldn’t sniff him out, which was probably a good thing, because it meant he was still human. My honing abilities only applied to the vampires and demons. Still, I could’ve used some help right about now.
Mason was out there on his own, and as much as I was sure that he would be safe hanging out with his crowd of friends, I still couldn’t help ignoring the niggling feeling in the pit of my stomach that there was something sinister at play.
But that was it. A feeling. Nothing more.
Right now, I needed to focus all my attention on finding my father then allow myself to delve into the unknown.
Heading in the direction of the liquor store, I tried my best to stay focused, but the niggling feeling in my stomach was slowly building into a storm
of doubt and uncertainty.
Something was wrong, and no matter how much I tried to figure out what exactly had my nerves on edge, I couldn’t.
As a precaution, I drew my blades out of the holsters and gripped them tightly, sticking to the shadows so as to not draw any unwanted attention to myself. It was after curfew, but that didn’t mean there weren’t those who disobeyed. Hell, I was one of them, not truly understanding the danger of those who lurked in the night and thinking I was untouchable, that it wouldn’t happen to me.
I almost snorted a laugh at that thought. How time changed one’s opinion.
That and actually coming face-to-face with the monsters.
The park was empty, void of any drunken bodies slouched against a tree, or unconscious, splayed out on the ground, lying in a pool of their own vomit.
The liquor store was closed, as their license demanded, and the staff had already gone home.
There was only one last place to look before I went into a full-blown panic attack. But I had to go back home to collect my blood supply before I headed to the other side of town.
With fear in my heart, I raced home and searched through the kitchen for another bottle that was a little more inconspicuous than the bottle of bourbon I’d picked up earlier. Something large enough to contain what I’d collected so far. What I really needed was an on-hand blood supply. One that kept producing.
However, I doubted the Society would agree with me.
Realizing what I needed, I scrounged through the back of the plastics cupboard and pulled out Mason’s hiking bladder-pouchy thing with a removable strap that went over the shoulder. Of course, he didn’t use it for that. He hadn’t hiked a day in his life.
I rummaged through the cupboard until I found a funnel and headed back outside.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I froze at the figure standing before me.
9
Max stood between me and my hanging blood supply, his arms crossed and daggers in each hand, ready to tear me apart or protect me—I couldn’t tell. I opted for the latter.
“What are you doing here?” Max asked.
“What does it look like?” I strode around him, not letting him see the fear in my eyes, which was stupid considering I was now hyped up on vampire blood and could take him down without breaking a sweat.
He turned around to face me. “You were under strict instructions not to leave the facility.” When I didn’t answer, he said, “But, of course, you don’t care. You’ll just do whatever you want and forget about everyone else.”
I snapped my head up, locking my gaze with his. “Do you think I want to be out here rescuing my drunk-ass father instead of…?” I shook my head. It was pointless pretending he had a heart. Max was all about the job.
“You know the rules. You know what’s at stake.”
I unscrewed the lid on the pouch then shoved the funnel into the drinking hole. “Yeah, everyone expects me to save their asses, yet no one is willing to do something for me.” I picked up the bowl of blood and poured it into the funnel. “I would’ve been happy for someone else to bring in my dad but no. No one thinks he is worth saving, let alone my best friend who’s been more like a sister to me.”
He raised his brow. “Did you ask me?”
“Ask you what?”
“To collect your father?”
I snorted. “Yeah, that’s something you would’ve agreed to. You’re all about the rules.”
He slowly shook his head in what appeared to be bewilderment. “Do you see anyone else here with me?”
Furrowing my brow, I realized he was alone. There was no cascade of cars filled with hunters, ready to drag my ass back to the compound. It was just him. And he wasn’t forcing me to do anything. “Why?”
“Because I believe in you.”
My heart skipped a beat as I stared up at the scary hunk of a man before me, wondering if his feelings replicated mine. Then I chastised myself for letting my mind go there. I only had a few weeks left before I had to give up control of my body to the divine spirit I was destined to be. I needed to find a way to stay me. Relationships could wait.
The corner of Max’s lips tipped up into a grin; something I had very rarely seen. “I think you might need another bottle.” He gestured to the pouchy thing in my hand.
Looking down, blood rushed to my cheeks when I saw the bowl was empty and my hand was covered in vampire blood. To make matters worse, I could barely control the urge to lick every sweet bit of it off my hand. The black marbling through the red was driving me insane. I tried to ignore the ravenous monster inside of me, begging to be fed. It was all-consuming and—Max was staring at me as if I were a freak.
Way to ruin a moment between us—if that was what it was.
I screwed the cap on the filled pouch and slung the strap over my shoulder.
“You know they’re not going to let you keep that.”
Biting down on my anger, I resorted to my snarky side. “Who said I was going back?” I strode past him.
Max curled his hand over my shoulder and pulled me back, spinning me around to face him. “You have to come home.”
I snorted. I had no home. The demons and vampires had made sure of that. And the Society? I thought they could become my family, but they didn’t really want me. They wanted who I was going to become.
Sure, Lana and Kade cared for me—that was obvious—but to the others I was nothing more than a sacrifice. A vessel for their demon goddess to possess. But staring up into his blue eyes, I could’ve sworn he saw me, not the demon hunter, just me. “Relax,” I said with a flirtatious smile. “I’m just going to find my father. Then you can drag me back to the compound.”
Worry lines creased the corners of his eyes. “They’re not going to let him in.”
“I’m pretty sure they want me to stay alive for the next few weeks, so I think we can come to some sort of agreement. If we can’t, I’m not going back there.”
I absently lifted my hand to my lips, slid my tongue across the back of it, and popped one of my fingers into my mouth.
Realizing what I was doing, I tried to stop, but the pull was too strong. The blood was intoxicating; the more I had, the more I wanted.
Not being able to see the look of horror in his eyes any longer, I headed into the kitchen where I licked every last drop off me then washed my hands and face to get rid of the scent. Next, I washed the outside of the pouch, pulled off my shirt, and slipped the strap over my body. I fetched a clean shirt out of the laundry and put it on, satisfied that no one would be able to notice the pouch hiding under my top, thanks to its unique design.
Heading back outside, I paused and looked up at the guy who was so wrong for me. I licked my lips. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the blood or because of the way he was looking at me. Either way, I didn’t have time to analyze every detail of this moment. “Are you coming?”
His gaze pierced my soul as he stared at me, showing no signs of disgust or anger, only understanding and acceptance. I honestly thought he would’ve feared me after everything he’d been through, but maybe he, too, saw me as the savior, the one who was going to make sure no one ever had to go through what he went through again.
In that moment, I got it.
Sacrifice one to save everyone. I’d been willing to die to save Mason, so why didn’t I still feel the same way? It didn’t make sense considering I was pretty sure I would take a bullet for not only my family but Max and my other friends as well.
He gave me a nod as a grin swept across his face. “If they ask, you forced me.”
I smiled, remembering how I had said that to Max when I was trying to get him to take me to help rescue Mason. “That’s the spirit.”
We headed around the front where I found one of the Society vans parked down the street. “Is that you?” I gestured to the black van.
“Yeah. I figured we might need room for any extra strays you may try to bring in.”
I rolled my eyes toward him, catching the s
mirk on his face.
When I went to hop in the driver’s seat, Max said, “I don’t think so.”
I scowled at him. “I know where we’re going. You don’t.”
He gave me a tight-lipped smile. “Not happening.” When I went to object he quickly added, “If we run into any trouble, I’m sure you don’t want to have to worry about parking the car before going on the attack. After all, you’re the stronger one of us now.”
I bit down on my smile as I shamelessly let him appeal to the badass image I’d fought so hard to obtain. Sure, I had an extra helping hand with actually being significantly more gifted than they were, but I didn’t care. I was owning it. Plus, the guy had serious control issues, and who was I to get in his way? There was the fact that I could barely contain myself from sprinting the whole distance. I would’ve probably taken a corner too fast and lost our safest and easiest way home.
Hopping into the passenger seat, I buckled in even though I probably didn’t need to do that anymore. Or maybe I did. I really had no idea just how far my healing ability worked.
“We’ll find him,” Max said. “Relax.”
I knew he was referring to my foot tapping against the floor. My patience was growing thin, and it took everything in me not to rip the door off the hinges and take to the street by foot. “You drive like a girl.”
Max chuckled. “You’re a girl, so I’m not sure the insult had the impact you intended.”
I glared at him. “Just drive faster.”
Humoring me, he sped up enough to keep my ass in the seat. Two minutes later, we were pulling up to the first place I called home. Getting out of the van, I stared up at the small, two-story, single garage home. It had neatly trimmed lawns and the same garden my mother and I had planted when I was three. That was the last time I’d touched a garden.
My heart ached as memories flooded my mind. It wasn’t fair that her life was cut so short. But I wasn’t here for memories. My father needed me—even if he didn’t know it yet.
The home owners weren’t strangers to our father or our semi-regular visits. They knew our story, and I was grateful they didn’t call the police on him when he had shown up. Normally they’d call or text either Mason or me to come over and collect him. I didn’t have my phone on me because I was pretty sure that sirens would’ve blasted the second I was outside of the walls surrounding the compound.
Shadow Realms- The Complete Series Page 22