by Emma Mills
‘He knows the truth about my feelings,’ Brooke said quietly. ‘He’s my life. He changed my life…’
‘Just because you saved his life when you were fifteen doesn’t mean you have to stay together forever,’ I said quietly.
‘You don’t get it,’ Brooke sighed. ‘Look, I’m trying to save him again. You think the Council have let me refuse jobs? When I told them I wasn’t going to practice anymore they told me that wasn’t an option.’
‘It’s not like they can force you,’ Brittany interjected.
‘Are you really that naïve?’ Brooke answered quietly. ‘We’ll let you off this one job, they told me. It was when the President of Australia got assassinated. That was my fault because I refused to go and turn back time.’
‘Oh, Hell!’ Brittany whispered.
‘But we suggest you take this time to think about what, and indeed who, is important to you before we call again. All life choices have consequences, they said.’
‘But how do you know they were talking about Leo?’ I asked. ‘It doesn’t make sense. The Council would never hurt one of their own. You saved him for them. A male, human-born angel… they’re precious to the Council.’
‘I told them I wouldn’t be blackmailed. The next week Leo had that accident where his wing was nearly torn off in training. No-one knew how it happened, but he ended up in hospital and it took three painful months to regrow. Leo is the only family I have and he is the only friend close enough for them to use against me. Male angels are only precious because of their ability to reproduce more angels. When they’re eighteen all male angels donate sperm. They say it is to help save their race. They already have what they need from him,’ Brooke whispered.
‘Brooke, I know they are a pain and they are rule-obsessed but they wouldn’t kill any angel, never mind an innocent one. You must be wrong. As you said, no-one knew how the accident happened. It’s probably all coincidence,’ I said.
‘I dunno, I actually think she may be right,’ Brittany said. ‘Caoimhe told us years ago that female angels can only produce their own kind if they mate with another angel, but males can produce an angel even if they go with a human girl. It’s the men that carry the angel genes, the opposite of witches, and if Leo has been made to donate sperm already then think about it, Jess. Brooke is a whole lot more precious to the Council than Leo. She is the only elemental time-jumper that the Council knows about in the world.’
‘One will have been born when Veronica died,’ I said.
‘But that was only a couple of years ago so, even if they found her, she’ll only be a toddler,’ Brittany said.
‘I still can’t believe the Council would blackmail you like that,’ I said. Adaryn and Seth would never…’
‘It was Ariel and Balthazar that met me,’ Brooke said.
‘Oh!’ I whispered, my heart sinking. Ariel was the cold-hearted human-born angel representative and Balthazar was the last remaining fallen angel, the original ancient that had set up the Council. Everyone knew that Balthazar had a few marbles missing and doted on Ariel.
‘So I tried to end things with Leo, but he wouldn’t let me. He knew I was lying when I told him I didn’t love him anymore. He refused to believe that his accident was engineered to make me toe the line. But I’ve been trying to keep my distance from everyone. I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me.’
‘So, instead of coming to us for help, you holed up in a cottage in the middle of nowhere for a year!’ Brittany said.
‘I didn’t want to get anyone hurt. I just hoped Leo would get bored of having to come and see me and would forget about me. I thought it was working. I haven’t seen him as much recently. If only I’d had another six months I think he would have believed me and ended things, but then… New Year. I knew they’d come for me, but it also gave me a chance. I thought there was a chance they might think that Pierre had got to me first…’ Brooke said.
‘So you ran,’ I said. ‘But, why here?’
‘Because I knew they’d find me anywhere else. They have eyes in every country. I need protection somewhere they wouldn’t think of, and I knew from what you’ve said that your Aunt and cousins are sympathetic to… unusual circumstances.’
Silence descended on the room and for fifteen minutes all I could hear was an owl hooting in the tree outside. In believing her story my dream of bringing Sebastian back was shattered.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I slept fitfully for five hours and gave up as dawn began to light the sky. I needed to feed and it was easier to do so before the household was up, my aunt watching me go with baleful eyes. The sky was still dark petrol blue, but the icy branches of the trees shimmered as I darted beneath them, barely feeling the crunch of the frost beneath my feet. I had a regular haunt now, a truck stop a few miles out of town. I could always be sure of a meal, and truckers, although occasionally of the sweaty variety, were generally big guys with plenty of blood to spare.
Tonight was no different. There was a single truck pulled in for the night, no movement in the 24hr café and the nightlight was dimmed inside the cab. I kept to the shadows and crept closer. All was silent as I darted over to the cab and peered in through the window. A low green light illuminated the interior, but the driver’s seat was empty and a curtain was pulled across the sleeping quarters. I held my hands against the glass and muttered a quick sleeping spell under my breath. I pulled on the handle and smiled as the door opened. Truckers never locked their doors when they were inside; only once had I needed to unlock a door.
I pulled the door open just enough for me to climb in and pull it closed behind me. The air was heavy with an earthy scent, not as unpleasant as sweat, but musky and almost seductive, if it didn’t stick in the back of my throat. For a second I wondered about going elsewhere, but the quick heartbeat drew me in so instead I paused my breathing, eliminating the air from my nose. Hearing the steady breathing of the driver asleep behind the curtain I dropped down below the window and gently pulled the curtain back, just enough for me to slip into the cramped bedroom area. The man murmured, disturbed by my entrance yet kept asleep by my spell. I climbed on top of him and he rolled onto his back, half opening his eyes. He was slender for a trucker but well-built and young, possibly only in his early thirties. I bent over him and whispered in his ear, asking for his permission to feed and promising to take no more than I needed. He mumbled as I brushed my lips against his skin, groaned as my fangs sank into his neck, my hands pinning him down as his body bucked slightly beneath me. I frowned. They never woke up, but I soon lost myself in his blood. It was dark and earthy and tasted like nothing I’d ever had before. I sucked hungrily and moaned slightly as it scorched its way down my throat.
‘I think you’ve had enough,’ a voice said, breaking the spell and making me leap back and bash into the side of the cabin. I was still sitting on the man’s legs as there was nowhere else to go. My focus darted from his piercing amber eyes to the curtains and the exit behind him.
‘You w-woke up,’ I stammered, wondering whether to try one of the memory spells I despised.
‘Yes, you might say that,’ he said quietly, his lips quirking upwards into a smile.
‘I’m sorry… I err… did ask…’
‘Of course you did and hey, who said I’m grumbling. Getting awoken by a teenage vampire, still in her pyjamas, straddling me and whispering sweet nothings in my ear is a nice break from monotony.’ His voice was low and gravelly and seemed to resonate around the cab.
‘I’m not a teenager,’ I said.
‘Well you were when you got turned,’ the man said, smirking. ‘And you’re British, even sexier. I guess you’ve fled the troubles and come to greener pastures?’
‘Not quite,’ I said, wondering how he knew so much. ‘I really should go…’
‘Hey, not so fast,’ he said, his hand whipping out and gripping my wrist with surprising strength. ‘My pack is out there. You must have missed them coming in, but they’ll be waking up an
y minute.’
‘Your pack?’ I asked, my voice faltering.
His lips twitched again.
‘You don’t know what I am, do you?’ he asked.
‘I have a good idea,’ I said, as I took in the amber eyes and the carefully groomed beard. I pulled back from his hold, but he tugged me towards him so suddenly that I fell forward, my face lurching towards his as he suddenly twisted and flipped me so that he was now straddling me.
I breathed, calming the sudden fear that raced through my veins. I could still take him; this was just a power play, one I could win if I needed to. I lay still.
‘There you go, good little vampire,’ he said, leaning over me.
‘You said your pack?’ I questioned.
He nodded.
‘Yes, I’m the Alpha. That’s why I get the cab and they have the bikes. If they weren’t around when you arrived they’ll certainly be gathering now,’ he said.
‘You don’t scare me,’ I said.
‘I can see that,’ he said, eyes twinkling. ‘I like it, it turns me on. You interest me. I’ll let you go after you’ve told me how the hell you got in my cab without waking me. I know vamps are quiet, but no-one can better our hearing.’
He didn’t know who I was. He didn’t know I had witch blood and I could thank my aunt’s words of caution for that. I hadn’t bothered to change out of my pyjamas before I came out to feed but I had popped in my contact lenses. If I told him the truth, it would blow my cover, but he knew something was different about me. In a battle vampires and werewolves were evenly matched, so we had a healthy respect and tended to keep our distance. Weres were ungoverned by the Council and because of that vampires flipped between jealousy and contempt.
‘I am Maccon, but you can call me Mac,’ he said.
‘Not until you let me go,’ I said.
He grinned and released me, pulling back so I could scramble out from underneath him.
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘I’m Jess.’
‘Nice to meet you! Now, I think it only fair that you tell me how you managed not to wake me, because you might be cute but I don’t think you’re that old in vampire years. Yet somehow you got your fangs into me before I woke. That disturbs me,’ he said.
‘You don’t need to worry. It’s something only I can do, so you’re not losing your touch,’ I said smiling.
He nodded slowly.
‘I didn’t think I was. Jess, you say?’
I nodded.
‘You wouldn’t happen to be Sebastian’s famous Jessica, would you?’
‘Would it matter if I was?’ I asked quietly.
‘It might.’
‘How did you know Sebastian?’ I asked, feeling the sadness descend on my shoulders once more.
‘Did… hmm… so it is true then?’ Mac asked.
I nodded.
‘Who killed him?’
‘Pierre.’
‘Pierre the vampire?’
‘Yes. It was not as he made out on TV,’ I said.
‘Nothing ever is.’
I shrugged.
‘Jess, Sebastian is the only vampire I have ever respected. He saved me once when I was very young. I was a born Were you see, not a made one. The pack ran into some trouble in England, and my father was wrongly executed by the Council. Sebastian hid me, I do not know why and I guess I never will, but I am sad to hear about his death.’
I nodded.
‘I really must go,’ I said.
‘It was a pleasure… and one which sadly must never be repeated.’
I nodded. Vampires feeding from Weres was seriously taboo!
‘Here,’ he added, pulling out a pack of business cards from a compartment. ‘These are my details. If you ever need some assistance call me.’
I took the card and shoved it in my pocket.
‘I’ll see you to the road,’ he said, tugging a thick hoody over his head and holding the curtain back for me to scramble through.
When I stepped back onto the tarmac I could now see what I hadn’t noticed in the dark. Under the shadow of the trees was a circle of black motorbikes and standing by them a gang of sleepy bikers. Four men were already holding steaming paper cups of what smelled like coffee, a couple were just emerging from the tree-line and another two were-women were exiting the café. All heads swivelled our way as Mac opened the door and held it open for me to climb down.
The women glared at me, their backs visibly straightening, their noses lifting slightly as they tested the air for my scent, wondering who I was to be leaving their master’s cabin so early in the morning.
‘Go,’ he whispered in my ear. ‘I’ll deal with them.’
I nodded and took off down the road.
It was still pretty early when I got back to the house and, expecting everyone to be still sleeping, I let myself in through the back door into the kitchen. Brittany and Noah were sitting at the table and Brittany’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling. Noah looked up and grinned.
‘Hi,’ I said. ‘I thought everyone would still be snoozing.’
Noah shrugged.
‘I heard Brit get up and thought she might like to talk through last night’s events.’
Brittany smiled and nodded.
I looked at them both. Brittany blushed and picked her nails and Noah suddenly seemed to need to collect the dirty dishes.
‘Right… well… I think I’ll just go and get dressed,’ I said, grinning as I darted out of the room and up the stairs.
Brooke too had woken when I reached the attic and was reading a book, curled up on her bed.
‘Wow! Everyone’s up this morning. What’s up with you all?’ I asked.
Brooke shrugged.
‘I’ve not been able to sleep properly ever since Veronica died,’ she said.
‘Sorry,’ I muttered, feeling bad. ‘I’m just going to get a quick shower and get dressed.’ Every time I moved I could smell Mac’s musky scent wafting about me and it was unsettling.
She nodded and went back to her book.
When I came back she had gone and Brittany was standing by the window staring out, a silly smile on her face.
‘It’s weird how he can make me smile without any specific reason, isn’t it?’ she said quietly with her back to me.
I frowned.
‘I thought you liked Devon?’ I asked.
‘He was cute, but I think we totally freaked him out with Sadie’s escapade. He hasn’t contacted me since. I did leave a message, but he never returned it. I don’t blame him,’ she said with a shrug.
‘And you’ve loved Noah ever since you laid eyes on him,’ I said with a smile.
‘I don’t love him,’ Brittany protested, spinning to face me, pink-cheeked.
‘Well it’s been a pretty long crush,’ I quipped.
‘I still looked like a schoolgirl when he met me, so no wonder he wasn’t interested,’ she said.
‘A pretty terrifying schoolgirl, if I remember,’ I laughed.
‘Still, no guy in his twenties would date a sixteen year old, but the age gap doesn’t matter now and I think, thanks to my silky bodysuit, he finally saw me as something other than a teenager last night. He saw the curves,’ she grinned, running her hands down the sides of her body.
I shook my head.
‘I just hope he doesn’t hurt you. He’s not got the best track record,’ I said.
‘Neither have I,’ Brittany said. ‘And anyway, where have you been in your jimjams? You have your contacts in and you look like you’ve just had a five course dinner, but surely you didn’t go into town wearing your pyjamas?’
I smiled.
‘Not quite into town, just to the truck stop… the usual,’ I said. ‘They don’t normally even know I’ve been. I’m nothing more than a dream, so it seemed like too much hassle to change. I didn’t want to wake you… What?’
‘You said normally?’ she questioned.
‘It’s fine. He woke up. It turned out he was a Were… the alpha actually…�
��
‘What?’
I grinned and dug out the business card to show her.
‘It’s fine, honest, and now we have a pack of wolves to help us fight Pierre… once I figure out how.’
Chapter Twenty-Three
‘Jess?’ My aunt’s voice rang up the stairs, sounding anxious and strained. In that moment I knew that everything was about to change.
I leapt from my bed where I had been reading an old family spell book and darted down the stairs.
‘Oh Jess, it’s awful,’ she gasped. I landed just in time to catch her as she slumped into my arms.
Noah and Saffy ran from the kitchen where the TV was blaring, and Brittany shot down the stairs, arriving behind me a couple of seconds later.
‘Aunt?’ I urged, shaking her gently.
Her face was white and tears poured down her cheeks.
‘Bring her into the salon,’ Noah said. ‘It’s the news.’
I lifted her up and carried her through to the sofa, placing her down gently as Noah returned with a mug of steaming chamomile tea.
‘What’s happened?’ I asked, looking up at Saffy’s pale face and Noah’s concerned one.
Noah shook his head.
‘It’s ridiculous, people are so bloody bigoted,’ he mumbled.
‘Saff?’ I prompted.
‘Salem was attacked last night,’ she said quietly. ‘They burned down an entire street with petrol bombs.’
‘What? But it’s all for show… it’s not even real, most of it,’ I said.
Saffy sighed.
‘Apparently now we are going back to the sixteen hundreds and even the tourist shops were hit. Their excuse is that if you dress like a witch and sell witchcraft paraphernalia then either you are a witch or you want to be a witch, and they won’t tolerate either. They say that either way it is the work of the devil.’
‘What have the authorities done? People can’t just go around fire-bombing things!’ I said.