Exposure: Bloodlust Series Book 1

by L. L. Ash

  Adonis nodded a little, seemingly proud to be called brother to the alpha.

  “They’re my most trusted and closest companions. If you need something and I’m not around, ask one of them. They’re under strict orders to protect you and take care of you, in any facet you desire.”

  Adonis’s eyes sparkled at that, mischief residing there, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. His smile turned to his brother and Eddie scowled at him, though he didn’t correct or mention the unspoken invitation left to me by Adonis.

  “Jo mentioned to me that she’d like to take you shopping today, if you feel up to it. It might help to get in the real world a little, to kind of ground you a little.”

  “That’d be nice,” I agreed.

  “Sure,” he nodded, looking first at Adonis, then to Raymond. “Will you go with them?”

  “Of course,” Raymond nodded.

  “What about me?” Adonis asked, put out that he hadn’t received the position.

  “Last thing those two women need while they’re already at each other’s throats is a pup coming up to smell their ass. Later, Adonis. I’m sure you’ll get acquainted with the new queen soon enough.”

  “I look forward to it,” Adonis grinned and took off.

  “I wasn’t done!” Eddie called after him then sighed and rolled his eyes.

  “What do you mean, get acquainted?” I asked Eddie, pulling on his shirt sleeve. “That didn’t mean what it sounded like. Right?”

  Eddie met eyes with Raymond, who nodded quickly and took off, gaining control of the room within moments to get the men focused on other things.

  “It was meant just as it sounded,” Eddie said in a low voice. “You’re not a prisoner, nor are you mated to me and only me.”

  His voice sounded impatient and annoyed, though I didn’t get the impression that he was either with me.

  “Women love Adonis, I know that. He’s more handsome and I guess charming, though I haven’t ever seen that myself. I’m not under any delusions that though you’re my queen, that you’re my lover.”

  “I think that ship has already sailed,” I told him, fussing with the hem of my borrowed shirt.

  He gave me a little smile.

  “Besides, you’re the more handsome brother, in my opinion, anyway.”

  His smile grew.

  “And if I’m having sex with anyone here, it’ll be you. Believe me. The others are a little too much beast for me.”

  With that he laughed out loud.

  “Oh my God, Addie, I think I might actually fall in love with you.”

  With that he took off, doing kingly things, I supposed. Meanwhile I was left to stare around the room.

  I felt a little tug on my shirt tail and looked down to see a little boy, probably 5 at the most with a little pull-up diaper around his hips.

  “Are you my mommy?” he whispered, looking up at me with vivid green eyes.

  My heart melted straight out of my chest.

  “Oh, Sweety,” I sighed, dropping to my knees beside the boy. “I’m sorry, but I’m not your mommy.”

  He stuck his bottom lip out and dropped his hand from my shirt.

  “Yuri,” an older man approached, looking just like the boy’s father. “I’m sorry, my queen. He’s still mourning the loss of his mother.”

  My eyes dampened against my will.

  “What happened to his mom?” I asked in a whisper, taking the boy into my arms and hauling him up onto my hip.

  “We were in an accident,” he said in a low voice. “Yuri, my wife and I. We dove off a cliff in a storm. The wheels just hydroplaned around the corner and I lost control. Jessie, one of Eddie’s men happened to be driving behind us and saw the whole thing. He pulled over and followed us down the ravine and bit me and Yuri so we’d survive. For obvious reasons, my wife Annabelle didn't make it.”

  My heart went from melty to throbbing.

  “I’m so sorry...”

  “I just try to focus on how lucky we are to be alive, and that I have Yuri with me.”

  I looked into his young-ish face, though older than me by quite a few years.

  “I’m sorry for your loss...”

  He nodded simply and extended his hands to take his son back.

  “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Yuri too, Senior.”

  He rolled his eyes at that and I laughed.

  “It was my wife’s idea. And a man just wants his wife to be happy.”

  “Yeah. A good man does, at least.”

  He smiled and nodded his head again before heading to the other side of the room with Yuri Junior.

  “Met the Yuris, huh?” Eddie asked, sidling up to me.

  “That’s freaking tragic...”

  “But at least they’re alive,” he agreed, but turned and faced me. “Jessie shouldn’t have bit them, but I’m kinda glad he did. The idea of a 4 year old dying when he could be saved just makes me sick. And obviously a baby needs his parents, or at least as many as can be saved.”

  “Why does it kill a woman to bite her?”

  He shrugged.

  “I’m sure the vamps would have a better answer for you. They’re the ones who are always testing things, sciencing everything out. Your friend Mason, for example.”

  “Oh God. Don’t ever refer to Mason as my friend, please.”

  He laughed quietly.

  “Yeah, the guy doesn’t have many fans, with fangs OR claws.”

  “Then how did I survive?”

  He shrugged.

  “My best guess is it’s got something to do with the fact that you can’t be charmed. Maybe it’s the same thing that’s got Mason so hot over you for the cure.”

  I looked around then took his hand and dragged him back to the bedroom off to the side of the warehouse.

  “So eager?” Eddie teased as he followed.

  “I need to tell you something,” I said over my shoulder. “But I don’t want anyone overhearing us.”

  He followed silently until the door was closed behind us.

  “Mason found something in my blood,” I said quickly, stopping to see Eddie’s reaction.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, taking a seat on the bed, lounging back.

  “I mean, he took some samples of my blood and studied it after he found out I couldn’t be charmed. What he found was a tiny splice of vampire DNA in mine. Basically what he said was because I have a trace amount of what he thinks is the vampire virus, I’m immune to the charm, just like vampires are.”

  That had Eddie sitting stock upright.

  “You’re part vampire?”

  “No, not really. I’ve never had a taste for human blood or super strength or even fast healing abilities, which really sucks.”

  “How’s that possible?”

  I shrugged.

  “I don’t know. Mason was still studying it when I left to Tucson and my mom died. Then Clarence and I broke up and I haven’t heard anything about it since. Honestly I never thought it would matter.”

  He chewed on his lip for a minute before asking, “You call him yet?”

  “No...not yet.”

  “Please, Addie. Call him. Fuck, I’LL call him if you give me his number.”

  “Give me a couple minutes and I’ll call,” I told him, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

  “The guy’s going to be pissed beyond reason, and I don’t blame him. But you’ll be safe here with me and the boys. A night walker couldn’t even get in here without my permission.”

  I nodded and he stood, putting his arms around me for a minute before leaving me to myself in the room.

  Scrolling slowly down my contact list I quickly got to C and saw Clarence’s name on the top of the list. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the call button.

  “Hello?” His voice sounded frantic after picking up the phone immediately.

  “Hey,” was all I said before he was bombarding me with questions.

  “Addie! Are you ok? Where are you? Where did you
go? Did someone take you? Do you need help?”

  “Shh, shh, slow down,” I told him in as calm a voice as I could manage. “Nobody took me, not really. I had an accident and a friend helped me. I’m not entirely sure where I am, but he’s taking care of me.”

  “Who is?” his voice dropped and jealousy oozed from him.

  “Eddie. He helped me and I’m ok now. But I need to talk to you about a few things. Will you come?”

  “Of course I’ll come. You should be with me, Addie. Not whoever this Eddie is.”

  “You may change your mind...” I whispered and his voice got stern again.

  “Where are you?”

  “He said to tell you the wolf lair. Said you’d know where it is.”

  Clarence cursed and shut off the phone. He was likely already on his way.

  “Addie!” I heard my name being called by a familiar voice near the front doors of the warehouse.

  The older men herded the young boys toward the back, away from the commotion while the men in their prime threw themselves between. I saw Eddie strolling toward the front, taking his time as he assessed the situation. I ran toward the door.

  “Which one of you is Eddie?” Clarence called now, sounding like he wanted to tear someone’s head off.

  “That’s me, old boy,” Eddie grinned at him, shorts still around his waist but his shirt had been long shed by that point.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you? Bringing a human to a rat’s nest!”

  Eddie looked at him hard. His face impassive but his eyes hard as green ice.

  “Why don’t you ask her yourself, blood sucker.”

  Clarence looked away from him to scan the crowd of about thirty werewolves. He seemed to spot me and was instantly in front of me, hands on my cheeks and staring into my eyes.

  Shock and pain passed through his eyes, his jaw clenching shut before he let out a roar like I’d never heard before.

  Wheeling around, Clarence lunged at Eddie, tackling him to the ground. The two men scuffled before three men managed to capture Clarence, one on each arm and another with his arm wrapped around Clarence’s neck.

  More roaring came out of his mouth as Eddie got to his feet, spitting blood at Clarence before saying, “I didn’t bite her, you moron. I just took her in.”

  Clarence looked my way, searching for the truth in my now green eyes.

  “It’s true,” I told him. “I was going home from work when a werewolf attacked me. Eddie fought him off, but the other one managed to bite me.”

  Anger and pain radiated from him, but he seemed to calm down.

  “Let me go,” he demanded and Eddie nodded at the men to do as he asked.

  Clarence took a couple of unsteady steps toward me and pressed his hands against my cheeks.

  “Addie...” he whispered, glowing ice eyes dimming to his natural blue as he calmed. “My darling… Are you ok?”

  “Yeah, I’m ok,” I told him, shrugging. “Eddie’s been taking care of me, teaching me how to be...you know.”

  He licked his lips, dipping his head before looking back at me.

  “What can I do, Addie?”

  “There’s nothing you can do, Clee. What’s done is done. There’s no going back from this. I was just worried you’d hate me.”

  “I could never hate you,” he breathed. “I should have been there to protect you. This would have never happened if I’d have been there instead of this animal.”

  Clarence looked back at Eddie with contempt.

  “We’ve got some things to talk about,” Eddie told him and Clarence’s grip on my jaw tightened.

  “I’ll take you away from here,” he told me. “You may be one of them, but you don’t have to live like an animal. It’ll take some convincing with Mason, but you will stay with me. I’ll take care of you, Addie. I love you. I’ll always love you. Werewolf or not.”

  My heart swelled, then bled.

  “I have to stay here...” I told him, choking on the words. “With...with my own kind.”

  He flinched like I’d hit him before dropping his hands.

  “You’ve taken all that is precious to me in this world,” Clarence told Eddie quietly, though it was overheard by the immediate circle. “What else could you possibly want from me.”

  “Information.”

  “What makes you think I’d ever...”

  “Because Addie’s life hangs in the balance,” Eddie told him impatiently, crossing his arms over his big chest.

  Clarence’s face softened before he nodded, looking down at the ground.

  “Is the conference room prepared?” Eddie asked Adonis across the circle.

  Adonis nodded in confirmation before Eddie started walking.

  “Don’t worry about the vamp, boys. I think all the fights been taken out of him.”

  Clarence flinched again, but he lifted his eyes and stood a little straighter, following Eddie, and holding out his hand for me to follow him.

  I took Clarence’s hand and jogged to keep their pace. Once inside another room almost identical to the bedroom across the warehouse, I took a seat in one of the chairs placed around the table.

  “Now, let’s get this out there,” Eddie said, motioning for Clarence to sit as he leaned over the table, palms flat on the table top. “I didn’t turn your girlfriend, and I tried to keep this from happening. I stayed with her through the whole transition and she’s fit as spit now. You’re fucking welcome. Meanwhile, I’ve been finding out that some bastards in some very high up places are not only putting watch dogs on our lovely girl, but now they’re hiring assassins. I was one of them, the watch dogs. They pay fucking well and I couldn’t say no. When I got orders to kill her, I had to swoop in and move her. Little did I know they’d hired more than one wolf to take her out. That’s what happened that night, I’m sorry Addie.”

  He was looking at me now, sadness in his face.

  “The wolf likely thinks you’re dead after biting you, so we’re at an advantage at the moment. But Addie just told me that your brother has been doing some research on her. Specifically her DNA. As it is, Addie should be dead. Women do not survive a werewolf’s bite except one in a generation, and we already have our queen. She’s a miracle and a little bit of a mystery. I need you to tell me what the fuck you have been doing with her blood and exactly what it is you’ve found.”

  Clarence blew out a breath.

  “This is what I’ve been trying to warn you about all these months,” he said quietly, meeting my eyes. “I found out shortly after your mother’s death that one of the clans have found out about you and about Mason’s experiments. We’ve been calling in favors and connecting with old friends, getting as much information as we could.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means that when we got driven off the road, it was on purpose, and it was with specific intent to kill you. They’ve been gathering data on you and evidently they somehow know about your DNA. There’s a leak somewhere in someone’s ranks and they know. You’re too dangerous to let live and they’re taking every precaution to kill you.”

  “But why?” I cried, finding tears flowing out of my eyes. “What’s so special about me that they’d want to kill me?”

  “It’s rather simple, actually,” Clarence said softly, pressing his cool hand on top of mine. “You are the key to the cure, as Mason always assumed. He’s been working on it all this time, and with some better equipment he’s studied what little blood he has left of yours. The way he describes it to me, what you have is kind of like an antibody. Like when you got a vaccination to prevent getting a disease. You have the antibody to repel the vampire virus. Your DNA makes it impossible to be charmed, but after taking my blood, you’ve developed an immunity to the virus.”

  “How could you possibly know that?” I asked, feeling a little weird about that since he hadn’t taken my blood since before we’d left to Tucson.

  “My...brother made a visit to you, a couple of months ago. He took a couple via
ls of blood. I didn’t know until he’d returned, but he said you’d slept through it and didn’t even know he was there.”

  My jaw dropped.

  “That son of a...”

  “So you’re saying that they want her dead so they can eliminate her immunity to the virus?”

  “Right. I guess how they see it is not as a cure for those that don’t wish to be vampires, but as a vaccine that threatens our entire race. If humans find a way to protect themselves against the virus, we’d no longer be able to turn or charm the population. We’d essentially starve to death or get caught and killed.”

  “Why can’t everyone just live off animal blood like you do?” I asked Clarence and Eddie started laughing uproariously.

  “Honey, vamps can’t sustain on animal blood alone. It’s a quick fix but they need human blood.”

  Eddie looked at Clarence with a crooked smile.

  “That’s what you told her, isn’t it? That you live off animal blood.”

  “It’s true,” Clarence said quietly. “For the most part.”

  His words hit me like a truck.

  “You’ve been lying to me?”

  “No, not really. We’d get the odd shipment of blood from LA, but it was rare. We really did sustain ourselves from the animals we caught in the woods.”

  I bit my tongue and sat back, crossing my arms over my chest.

  A couple minutes of silence passed before Clarence looked back at Eddie.

  “So they think her dead?”

  “I’ve sent out a couple guys, discreetly spreading the word that she was killed. And I’ve every intention of going to them and demanding my prize for killing her. If that doesn't convince them I don’t know what will.”

  “Will she be safe here?” was Clarence’s next question. “I’ve a strong distaste for your kind, Eddie, but I need to know Addie is in the safest place she can be. Whether that is with me, or with you and your kind.”

  “She’ll be safe here,” Eddie said seriously. “My men are loyal to the bone and would never betray me. I couldn’t say the same of your friends. Vamps are lying, backstabbing creatures, out to save their own ass. No offence. My boys will take care of her here. She’ll have dozens of protectors, not just one.”