“Isn’t it obvious?” Constance asked and grinned.
“It will never work out anyway,” Harrison said and walked out of the room.
“He’s wrong,” Constance said. “It will work because both of them want it to.”
****
“Fuck!” Nevaeh almost screamed as she walked along the docks. She needed to clear her head, and the cool ocean air was helping ground her.
“You just need to woman up and do something with these feelings, Nevaeh,” she lectured herself as the darkness surrounded her. The only sound in the still night was the ocean. She could hear the water slapping against the pier and the rhythmic beating of it was calming.
“He’s just like any other man you’ve ever dealt with; conceited, egotistical, and moronic. He’s like Aaren, only not as charming,” shaking her head, she stopped walking and leaned against the rail at the end of the pier.
“But he is so much different than Aaren, too. His age has a lot to do with his personality,” she added, trying to wrap her head around the feelings he stirred inside her. She’d always believed she and Aaren had been soulmates, but what she felt when around Harrison was more. It was so much stronger, and so much more complex than anything she’d ever felt for Aaren.
“You are not a hormonal teenager any longer. You are a strong, confident woman, who is well trained and capable of killing vampire, for christssakes. Pull it together,” she was busy berating herself, and didn’t hear the footsteps approaching until they were already too close. Turning quickly, she evaluated her situation and knew she was screwed.
“Hello boys,” she greeted the six vampire with a smile. “What brings you out on this beautiful night?”
“We were sent to find you, actually,” the largest one answered.
“Oh, by who?”
“The who doesn’t matter, it’s the why we want to share before we kill you,” he told her and flashed his fangs.
“Killing me is easier said than done,” she told them and grinned. “But please tell me why.”
“You’ve been sticking your nose in places it doesn’t belong,” he answered and shrugged. “Our boss wants you gone.”
“So, Crompton sent you after Analia left me alive?” She asked, as she slowly reached into her back pocket and, hopefully, sent a call out to someone.
“Crompton didn’t send us,” he replied.
“Oh? Then I have no idea who I pissed off enough to kill me. Most I offend don’t live long enough for revenge.”
“That won’t be the case this time around. You’re going to be the one to die,” he told her and lunged.
“Fuck!” She yelled and dodged him. As he went past her, she pulled both of her scimitars from the straps on her thighs and grinned. “If I’m going to die, I’m taking at least a couple of you with me.”
Chapter Ten
“Fuck,” Harrison said for the tenth time since Nevaeh walked out of the room earlier. “Where could she be?”
Before he could try to think of where else to look, his phone let out a shrill shriek into the quiet night. Pulling it from his pocket, he glanced at it and smiled.
“Hello, Nevaeh,” he answered and frowned. It sounded like her phone was in her pocket, but he could hear her just as clearly as if she was talking directly into it.
After listening for a moment, he froze. He could hear her and someone else talking, then what sounded like a fight, His body went cold when he realized she was fighting several vampire alone.
“Fuck,” he whispered then focused on the background noises. Water, he could hear water. She was at the docks.
Without hesitation, he took off at full speed toward the woman who confused and ignited him without even trying.
Keeping the line open as he ran, he listened to her battling for her life, and almost screamed when she let out a howl of pain. They were going to kill her, and he was too far away to stop them.
Pushing himself even faster, he rounded the corner to the docks and heard her screech of agony. Without thought, he followed her screams, and leaped into the foray, pulling two vampire off of her, and snapping their necks without pausing. After ripping the head off another, he saw her laying in a pool of blood, as the last one bared his fangs.
“No way in hell,” he said and grabbed the vampire by his hair.
“Fuck off, she’s mine,” the vampire told him.
“She’s not yours,” he replied and sank his fangs into the vampire’s neck, biting a chunk out and spitting it into the water.
The vampire screamed as Harrison slammed him into the pier, splintering the wood.
“She will be the last one you ever harm,” Harrison told him through clenched teeth.
“Go to hell,” the vampire spat.
“You first,” Harrison answered as he grabbed one of Nevaeh’s fallen scimitar and stabbed the other vampire through the heart.
Hearing the other two moaning, he glanced at them before deciding they weren’t a threat and darted to where Nevaeh was laying.
Her body was broken, but he could hear her shallow breathing and slow heartbeat. She was still alive but wouldn’t be for too much longer if he didn’t do something to help her.
Pulling his phone from his pocket, he called Karma.
“Harrison, did you find her?” She asked as she answered.
“Yes, but she’s hurt. Very badly hurt. Bring the Senate and meet me at my room. I will be there as soon as possible,” he said then ended the call.
Scooping Nevaeh into his arms, he brushed a kiss across her forehead before taking off as fast as he could without injuring her further.
He knew there was only one way to save her, but he also knew she would hate him forever if he went down that road.
He could live with her hatred as long as she was alive to hate him.
****
“Karma, what’s wrong?” Dylan asked at the horrid expression on her face.
“It’s Nevaeh, she’s hurt very bad,” she answered and moved to the door. “Harrison is on his way with her and asked me to get everyone into his room.”
“I’ll get everyone, you get into his room and wait for them. If she’s that bad, you need to be there when they get there.”
“Thanks, Dylan,” she told him, then kissed him hard and darted out the door.
Following her out, Dylan sent a group text to the Senate members, then knocked on Fuller’s door. When he didn’t get an answer, he went to Gina’s door and knocked.
“Hey,” she answered with a smile.
“You’re needed in Harrison’s room. There’s been an emergency,” he told her and grabbed her hand. “I’ll lock up, you go.”
Nodding, she walked as quickly as she could to the elevator and pressed the button. Once she was gone, he locked her door then went back to Fuller’s. Checking to make sure the hall was empty, he bent and quickly picked the lock.
All he had to do was step inside to know Fuller hadn’t been here since the meeting earlier, and a quick glance around showed his room was all but empty. Doing a quick search, he sighed when he didn’t find anything, and left, locking the door behind him.
Heading down the stairs, he walked to Harrison’s room and entered just in time to see Harrison lay Nevaeh on the bed. Her body looked battered and broken, and the smell of her blood assaulted him immediately.
“What the fuck happened?” Karma asked as she sat on the bed beside Nevaeh.
“She was attacked by at least six vampire. She called me, either accidently or randomly, and I heard her talking to the one I pulled off her. I didn’t hear much, but from what I can gather, they were sent to kill her. I don’t know by who, or why, but they almost succeeded. If I had been thirty seconds later, she’d be dead. As it is, she may not live.”
“She has to,” Gina said so softly it would have been inaudible to the human ear.
“I agree with Gina. She has to,” Karma said as Dylan sat beside her and wrapped her into his arms.
“Is there anything we can do t
o help her?” Dylan asked, looking at the Senate.
“I can change her,” Harrison answered, and all eyes snapped to him. “She will hate me for all of eternity, but she will be alive.”
“One of us could do it,” Ramsey volunteered, knowing how much Harrison cared for Nevaeh.
“No. I will do it. It’s the only way I can save her, and I would rather have her hate me then allow her to die,” Harrison said and brushed his hand down her hair.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Gina asked, looking at Harrison.
“If you’re asking if I’ve ever changed anyone before, the answer is yes. I have a few loyal creations scattered around the world,” he answered and listened to Nevaeh struggle to breath.
“If you’re going to do it, you need to do it now,” Constance told him, and he nodded.
“I know,” he responded and crawled onto the bed with Nevaeh. “Can I have some privacy?”
Karma nodded, and shuffled everyone out of the room, before looking back at Harrison and Nevaeh, then shutting the door.
“How painful is the change?” She asked, looking at the Senate.
“It can be very painful for a normal human, but for Nevaeh, I have no idea,” Eduardo answered honestly. “I was only twenty-four when I was changed, and it was the most painful experience of my life.”
“It was for me too, but I’ve heard stories from others that they barely remember it at all,” Constance said and looked at Ramsey. “Want to tell them your story?”
“I think it is time,” he responded and sighed. “I was changed when I was twenty-nine, but before that I lived in a castle with my wife and children. I was head physician to the King and his court, and had certain abilities that were out of the norm. I used those abilities to heal most injuries. On the night I was turned, I was traveling with the King and Queen and our caravan was attacked. The vampire who attacked us killed the knights then the King, but instead of killing us, they took the Queen and I back to their hovel and turned us. I remember hearing her screams as the venom spread through her body, but I never felt any pain. I don’t know if it was my abilities that kept me from feeling anything, or of it was her screams that masked my own pain.”
“Wait, are you saying you had magical abilities?” Dylan asked.
“I did when I was mortal. I lost those with the transformation,” Ramsey answered. “The point is, we don’t know how Nevaeh will react because of her Amazonian blood. It could be like me, and not feel a thing, or it could feel like she’s burning in the pits of hell. We should know in just a little while, though.”
“What the fuck is going on here?” Fuller asked as he walked toward them.
“We’ve had an incident,” Dylan answered and wrapped his arms around Karma.
“What kind of incident?” He asked, his voice growing slightly panicked.
“Nevaeh was injured at the docks earlier tonight,” Karma answered, and Dylan tightened his arms around her.
“What’s the big deal? We’ve all been injured,” he responded with a shrug, but his eyes said something different than his words.
“She was attacked by six vampire. Four were killed, but two more got away. When we find them, we will let Karma play with them until they reveal who hired them. I’m not sure you know this, but Karma has fantastic torture skills,” Dristen said and grinned when Fuller swallowed.
Taking a second to regain his composure, Fuller shrugged and said, “I hope you find them, and I hope she’s okay.”
“She’s going to be fine,” Harrison said from behind them. “The change has started.”
Chapter Eleven
“We have a problem,” Crompton heard as soon as he answered the phone.
“Then handle it,” Crompton told him.
“I sent six of my strongest to eliminate Nevaeh and they failed. The vampire, Harrison, showed up and saved her, but she was badly injured.”
“How bad?”
“Bad enough that the Senate agreed to let Harrison change her to save her.”
“That cannot happen!” Crompton yelled.
“The change has already begun.”
“Then kill her before she wakes up, or suffer the consequences. She cannot be allowed to complete the change!”
After ending the call, Crompton threw his phone against the wall, shattering it. If the change was completed, he would need to go into hiding for a while. The Huntress could not be allowed to find Analia. Not until the time was right.
****
Karma sat on the side of the bed and listened to Nevaeh’s even breathing. According to the Senate, she should be waking up any time now, if things react within her like they do a human.
“You have to be okay,” she whispered softly and stroked Nevaeh’s arm gently. “I may seem strong, but I can’t lose anyone else I love.”
“She’s going to be okay, baby,” Dylan told her as he walked into the room.
“She’s been asleep for three days already. The Senate said a human transformation usually only takes three. What if she just never wakes up?”
“She will wake up. We have no basis for reference when it comes to changing an Amazon to a vampire. As far as the Senate can find, it’s never been done,” Harrison told them as he walked in. “We also have zero idea how she’s going to react once she wakes up. Most new vampire have an almost incontrollable thirst, but she’s a hunter and may not need to feed immediately. We have blood on hand, just in case though.”
“Humans or donated?” Karma asked and grinned. “She’s going to seriously hate the idea of drinking blood.”
“She’s probably going to seriously hate me, but I can live with that as long as she survives,” Harrison said and looked down at her. “After your Mother was killed, I never thought I would love again. I always thought she was the one, you know?”
“She’d want you to be happy, Harrison,” Dylan said and smiled. “I don’t think Nevaeh will hate you. I think she will turn the anger at being changed to the vampire who sent those six after her.”
“Some of mine are out searching for them, and may have found one of them,” Harrison said and grinned. “Karma, I may need your help finding out who sent them, though. Your torture skills are scary good, and I want them to suffer as much as possible before they’re killed.”
“I will do whatever it takes to bring down the bastard who set them after Nevaeh,” Karma assured him, and he nodded.
“Good,” he responded and looked at Nevaeh. “As much as I want to be the one to kill whoever it was, she deserves that chance.”
“She’s going to hate drinking blood, but she will love the speed and sense enhancements,” Karma said and smiled. “She always hated that I was faster than her.”
“You probably still will be, but not as much as before,” Harrison told her. “You’re faster than the Senate members, and any vampire I’ve met, but she has Amazon blood too, so who knows.”
They sat quietly for the next few minutes, watching her breath. She was so still, and, if it wasn’t for her breathing, she would look dead.
“Her eyes fluttered,” Dylan said after another few minutes passed.
“I didn’t see anything,” Harrison told him.
“Watch her eyes,” Dylan told them and grinned when her eye lids fluttered again. “I think she’s waking up.”
A knock sounded on the door, and pulled their attention from Nevaeh.
“Fuller,” Karma mouthed silently and frowned.
“Come in,” Harrison said just loud enough for him to hear.
“The Senate needs you three in the conference room. Apparently, Crompton has been spotted and they want to send a group out to check the area he was supposedly spotted in,” Fuller said, letting the lie roll off his tongue.
“Why are you lying?” Karma asked, looking at him curiously.
“How dare you accuse me of lying,” he snapped out.
“Only calling it like I see it,” she countered, and he snarled.
“How dare you,” h
e growled.
Karma slowly rose to her feet and stepped away from the bed. “Why do you want us away from Nevaeh?”
“I don’t, but we have a fucking job to do, and sitting here with her for three damn days isn’t it!” He snarled and took a step toward Karma. “I’m calling Isaac.”
“Isaac already knows what’s going on. I called him three days ago,” Karma countered as she took a step toward Fuller. “Now, want to tell me why you lied?”
“Fuck off, bitch!” Fuller spat.
“Awfully defensive for someone who’s supposed to be on the same side as we are, don’t you think?” Harrison asked and looked at Fuller. “We are on the same side, aren’t we?”
“Of course, we are,” Fuller answered in a much calmer voice. “I’m just frustrated because we are losing precious time here when we should be finding Crompton.”
“We will find him, you can count on that, and when we do, you can have the pleasure of killing him,” Karma told him and grinned, flashing her fangs. “Now leave us to watch over Nevaeh. We will be ready to hunt as soon as she’s back with us.”
“Fine, whatever,” he responded and walked to the door. After one last look at Nevaeh, he walked out, slamming the door behind him.
“He’s up to something,” Karma said, not caring if he could hear her or not. “And I am going to make it my mission to find out what.”
“And I will be there with you when you do,” Harrison answered and looked back at Nevaeh. “He was right about one thing, though. We do need to find Crompton, and I think Nevaeh may be the key to tracking him down.”
“Karma,” Nevaeh’s voice said almost silently.
“I’m right here,” Karma answered, her smile lighting up the room.
“What the fuck happened to me?” She asked as she shifted in the bed. “Last thing I remember is six vampire cornering me on the pier.”
“Those vampire were sent to kill you, and, if not for Harrison, they would have,” Karma answered and smiled at Harrison. “You called him, and he tracked you to the pier. You’d killed two of the vampire, but the others over powered you.”
“How am I alive?” She asked, still not registering the new feelings inside her. “I don’t feel any pain or anything.”
Nevaeh's Secret (Vampire Huntress Saga Book 2) Page 5