As much as Carrie wanted to revel in her small victory over the woman, it still felt like a defeat. It would have been better if Molly hadn't shown that she cared about Shane. Winning him over would be a much easier battle if the love of his life wanted nothing to do with him. Still, she could work with this. Maybe if she poked at Molly enough, Carrie could coax out the devil in her. That could be fun, Carrie had always wished for a rival like the ones she'd seen in movies. Molly wasn't her tormentor, but she was a threat to her happiness with Shane.
Who knew that so much of what she had seen in movies could be applied to actual life? Carrie hurried back to her place. She needed to finalize a few more details of her plan before she put it into action. On her way she noticed a group of teenage girls laughing and chatting together.
"Excuse me, but I'm new in town. Is there a mall nearby? I need a killer date outfit," She gushed imitating the postures and tone of voice she'd seen a million times.
The girls looked at each other before bursting out laughing and moving away. Carrie sighed, defeated. Maybe she had been a little too exaggerated with the arm movements. Thankfully an older woman was sitting nearby and waved her over.
"The mall is about a 30-minute drive from here, my dear. If you need something sooner, there's a small boutique about a block from here. It's pricey, but they have good pieces," The woman said.
Carrie smiled and thanked the woman before following her directions to the boutique. She'd sold her car to make her escape without using her father's card. Another trick Carrie picked up from modern cinema. Technology could be scary, so many ways her father could find her once he found out she was missing. She wondered how long that would take. For all she knew, he could have found out already. He certainly had the connections and resources.
The boutique turned out to be perfect except for the prices. Carrie had gasped in shock upon seeing the numbers printed on paper slips attached to each garment. Being under her father's thumb meant all of her shopping was done for her. All she did was circle photos in a catalog or fill a cart online, and servants took care of the rest. She was suddenly regretting the cute little condo she'd rented. She was barely able to afford a simple black dress from the shop. To make matters worse, she found herself focusing on the sales person's neck, her breathing speeding up to match the rhythm of her pulse. Carrie was forced to pretend she was mute to finish the transaction and not reveal her descended canines.
Carrie needed to find blood fast, and she had no idea where. For a moment she thought about calling Shane, but that would give away her lies. As far as he knew, Carrie was a turned vampire who'd battled her way to independence. How could she have done that without knowing how to source her own blood? She'd also told him that she'd never had blood from the source. That was a lie. They had blood servants that volunteered their services in return for a life of luxury amongst the pureblood population. She'd never tasted bagged blood until she moved to the facility. The stale swill had almost been enough to send Carrie back home.
In the movies she'd watched about vampires, they had lured their pray with promises of sex. That wasn't something Carrie felt comfortable with. She hadn't shared her body with anyone before, and there was only one person she had ever felt the urge to share it with. Maybe Carrie could seduce Shane instead. A sip from him and she could last so much longer than on the diluted blood of any human. Carrie let her imagination run as she made her way home. Images of her naked limbs wrapped around Shane's great muscular body. His sacred parts penetrating hers in more ways than one. It should have helped, but instead, it made her hungrier.
"You look like you could use some help," A voice said from behind her.
Carrie nearly jumped out of her jeans as she whirled around on the man she hadn't realized was following her. She must have been too far into her own head to notice the other vampire, and that wasn't good. Females were rare enough, an unattached one even scarcer. She refocused her masking efforts to make sure he couldn't sense her pureblood status. That would be disastrous.
"I'm fine, thank you," She said hoping her voice hadn't sounded as weak and afraid to him as it did to her.
The man chuckled and shook his head.
"I could hear your stomach growling from three blocks away. A pretty thing like you I'm surprised your sire isn't taking better care of you," He said.
"My sire is dead. I've come here for a fresh start and haven't figured out the rules of this city," She stated, unsure if she should have divulged that she was alone.
He was an unknown vampire. Carrie had no reason to believe his intent in making contact with her was anything but seedy. Most turned vampires kept to themselves. They didn't hold the same family structure as purebloods. They didn't have the same rules of decency. Still, it was apparent she wasn't with anyone. No way would she be walking the streets alone and so desperately hungry if she were traveling with another.
"Well allow me to be your guide," the man reached for Carrie, but she took a step back.
The man smirked and shook his head.
"I mean you no harm, little one. This city isn't like others. We are a small population, and a starving rogue is bad for all of us. I just plan to feed you so you can be on your way," He said.
There was a hint of kindness in his eyes, but it was mixed with wariness. Carrie should have declined his offer. Gone back to her place, but her empty stomach twisted in knots at the thought of just the tiniest drop of blood. She nodded slightly and followed the man in the opposite direction of her new home. At the very least she would learn more about the vampires in this region and how they operated. Carrie wasn't entirely helpless. Her father had been paranoid about her safety enough to have her trained in self-defense. While Carrie had never been good at it, she knew enough to be able to escape one turned vamp at least.
"How far are we going," She asked after they walked several blocks further into the downtown area.
"Not too much farther. Just to that building up ahead. If you plan to stay here, you should get acquainted with it. You will have to register yourself to receive your blood rations. They are distributed from here once a week. Of course, you could always remain rogue. In which case, you'd want to avoid this building at all costs," The vampire said eyeing her suspiciously.
Carrie didn't need to ask why she would need to avoid the building if she were to stay rogue. She'd overheard her father cursing the rogue elements of vampire society for as long as she could remember. Being rogue wasn't something Carrie would wish on even her worst enemy. Still, she could hardly register herself with what was bound to be a Council magistrate. They would know immediately who Carrie was. Even using the false identity that she'd used with the facility would notify her father that she was no longer under their care. The male in front of her noticed her hesitation.
"You said your sire is dead. How did that come to pass,” He asked.
"I was turned against my will. As soon as I was strong enough I freed myself," She said, and the man nodded.
"Was there no one to exact revenge on his behalf?"
It wasn't an odd question. There were rules in place to settle differences between vampires. A challenge or a duel was formally issued to the Council before any violent actions could take place. Of course, there were certain protections if violence occurred as self-defense. None of which applied in my made-up version of events. Turned vampires didn't have families, but their existence relied on a series of alliances. If my fictitious sire had been part of the vampire community, there would be allies of his that would be hunting me at this very moment.
"He was rogue. There was no one," I stated, and the man nodded.
"Well, it is still probably best if you state you knew nothing of your sire. It's uncommon but not unheard of for there to be women turned by accident. Let's get you fed before the human population floods the night streets. I wouldn't want there to be any more accidents around here," He muttered.
"Accidents?"
Carrie couldn't help but notice the shift in
the man's mood when he uttered the word. The man didn't answer just led her to the building and pointed at the short line in front of a wall of windows. There were several vampires, all men waiting and or talking to other men behind the windows. Carrie almost lost control of herself when one of the men walked away from the window carrying a small pouch that smelled of delicious blood. Even knowing that it was bagged didn't make a difference to her now. The man urged her into the line. After ten excruciating minutes, she had successfully registered as an unauthorized turn, and she had her own bag of goodies.
"Now that you are set, I must take my leave," The man said and walked away before Carrie could even thank him.
It was only then that Carrie realized she knew nothing about the man who had helped her. Not even his name. Her phone began to buzz in her pocket, and she frowned before answering it.
"I am running a little late for our appointment this evening. Something came up, but I will be there shortly. I hope you don't mind the delay," Shane's voice said, and she sighed with relief.
"It is perfectly fine. I had an errand that took longer than expected. This gives me more time to adequately prepare," Carrie replied.
"Great! I shall see you shortly," Shane said and hung up.
Carrie smiled to herself and rushed off in the direction of her house. The man who'd helped her wholly forgotten as she thought of her date with Shane. Carrie knew she still had a lot left to learn about the world, but hopefully, she wouldn't be alone in that journey much longer.
Rodney slunk into the shadows as best he could to remain undetected. Two vampires were just a few feet away from his hiding place. Their conversation was proving to be well worth the risk of being caught. As one of Maura's welps, Rod was persona non grata amongst other vampires. Her blood in his veins marked him for death. A death he would welcome at some point, just not right now. Not before he could free his brother from the cruel grip of their mistress.
On top of spying on the traitors, Rodney started monitoring the gossip of other vampires as well. Being with Maura hadn't taught him a thing about vampire society, and so it was eavesdropping on conversations like these that gave Rodney the information he needed to help plan his escape. Rod learned about the vampire Council and pureblood vampires. He'd also caught snippets of their sentiment and lore about Maura. To them, she was like Jack the Ripper, and Freddie Cougar rolled into one. Maura was the monster lurking in the shadows to destroy them at any moment. Rodney couldn't help but agree with their summation.
Maura was, in fact, a monster. She was lurking in the shadows waiting for the most opportune time to strike. These men, however, weren't her target. These men were nothing to her. Lowly turned vampires good for nothing but the gossip they spread. Turned vampires, Rodney had learned, were solitary in nature but with the return of Maura even they had begun to close their ranks. Gearing up for when the boogeyman made her appearance.
"I'm telling you, this girl was pureblood. She tried to hide it, but in her hunger she let her walls slip," One of the men said.
"You sure they didn't slip something in your drink at the bar," the other man chuckled.
"If she sticks around you'll see for yourself," the man said.
"Look ain't no pureblood female running around unattended. You sure you didn't just run into one of the tainted women? Maybe she fell to one of Maura's Men like them others and then changed her mind once she saw the evil in him," The man said.
"I know a pureblood when I see one. The girl wasn't tainted like the others," the first man said.
"I'm older than you, so I'll be the judge of that," The second man said before stalking off down the street.
Rodney let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. It was unlikely that either man had ever come across a pureblood. Still, if this new woman was as different as they said, it stood to reason she was connected to the traitors in some way. Rodney kept his distance as he followed the men around town.
"There she is! I told you," The first man said stopping across the street from the town theater.
A small blond woman stood at the entrance, a tiny black dress doing its best to make her slight body look enticing. She was too slim for Rodney's tastes. He preferred a woman with more bounty in their bosom and backside. Not that any woman really gave him a second look. He wasn't a handsome man, and his father's right hook had left his nose deformed in such a way that his voice had never matured to a manly depth as his brother’s had.
Rod should have let Axel take some of the beatings from that bastard. Then maybe Rod's growth wouldn't have been so stunted from countless injuries left untended. It was a miracle Rod was able to walk given how many times the old man had broken his legs.
"And I was right, too. Look who she's meeting. Next time don't waste your time. She's just as tainted as them others. If you're really that hard up, maybe you could petition for a turning permit. You're of age now," The other man said breaking Rod out of his self-pity party.
He turned his gaze back to where the woman stood in time to see the Grim reaper embrace the tiny woman. He shook his head. The man wasn't a walking corpse any longer. His was still tall and slim but his chest was broader and his arms bulged with muscle against the shirt he wore. This wasn't good. If the man had regained his health, he would be harder to dispatch when the time came. Maura was not going to like this development. As far as the girl, he would keep that bit of news to himself for now. At least until he was able to learn more about her.
Molly pulled her coat tighter around her body as the chilly night breeze swept the crowded streets. Despite the chill in the air people were still out and about enjoying the last few nights suitable enough for outdoor activities.
“Just like old times. You and me out for a girl’s night,” Cat said with a mischievous smile.
“Sure but why tonight? Why not give me a heads up so maybe I could have gotten a replacement for Gretchen,” Molly asked.
“Gretchen doesn’t mind. She isn’t big on psychological thrillers,” Cat replied.
Molly snorted and rolled her eyes.
“Neither am I. I much prefer romances, and you know that,” She said.
“True but I didn’t want to go alone. With Xander on Maura patrol, it’s rare that he finds time to indulge my old human habits,” Cat said.
“Shane loves psychological thrillers, why not ask him? I know he isn’t exactly on patrol lately. This would be the perfect outing to take his mind off the fact that the others still aren’t convinced he’s ready to fight,” Molly said.
Cat glared at Molly.
“Can’t we just hang out? I’m trying to have fun here and not think about Maura or the fact that we’re constantly on watch,” Cat snapped.
Molly stopped and pulled her friend into a hug.
“I’m sorry, Cat. I know this has been rough on you too. I at least have my club to keep me preoccupied,” Molly said.
Cat relaxed into her embrace. Molly was just about to let go when she heard Cat’s muffled sniffling.
“Are you crying?”
“No,” Cat muttered, but her voice was thick.
“Okay. I’ll give you three minutes to not cry on my shoulder but any longer and we are going to be late for the movie,” Molly said.
Cat chuckled a little and clung tighter to her. Molly rubbed Cat’s back, comforting her best friend as best she could in the middle of the crowded sidewalk. With everything that had been going on in her life, Molly should have known that this spur of the moment outing wasn’t just about sisterly bonding. Cat was dealing with just as much, only she didn’t have anything to distract her. Sure she had her consulting business, but that was mostly a solitary thing. The Shadow wasn’t a friendly visitor as far as Molly was concerned. Gretchen was either with Claude or working at the club. Xander had been patrolling more frequently. Shane had only just returned from rehab but apparently that Carrie girl was occupying his time.
As if thoughts could conjure, Molly glanced across the street and saw Shane and
Carrie sharing gelato at the Italian café. It had been one of the places Molly had marked for a future date with Shane, at least before the accident. Obviously, they’d never made it, and now here he was with that girl. They looked cute together. Carrie’s light to Shane’s dark, her cheerleader to his suave professor. It was enough to turn Molly’s stomach.
“Ouch!”
Cat pulled out of Molly’s grasp and glared at her.
“Sorry, I got lost in my head. I didn’t realize,” Molly rambled but never took her eyes off Carrie and Shane.
Cat shook her head.
“It’s fine, just let me know next time you feel your powers getting out of hand,” She said.
“Yeah, sorry. Why don’t you go ahead to the theater and get seats? I need a moment to get myself together,” Molly said.
“No problem. Just don’t take too long and make sure you get popcorn,” Cat said.
“Of course, extra buttery,” Molly smiled and forced her gaze to her best friend and away from Shane and Carrie.
Cat smiled back and patted Molly’s arm gently before walking down the street. Molly waited until she knew Cat wasn’t going to turn back before she took a deep breath and headed straight for Shane and Carrie. It was a bad idea, especially with her powers apparently out of control again. Still, Molly made her way over and pasted a big smile on her face. She wanted to make her presence known, but that didn’t mean she wanted either of them to know how upset she was.
Carrie saw Molly first and slid her hand into Shane’s which had been resting casually on the table. A blatant possessive move. Shane glanced briefly at her hand in his before closing his around it. At least until he followed Carrie’s gaze and saw Molly standing there.
“Molly,” Shane said sliding his hand to his lap and away from Carrie.
His face flushed red as if embarrassed to be seen with Carrie. That bolstered Molly’s courage at the same time that it crushed her heart. Sure he was being considerate by not flaunting his new relationship, but it apparently was a relationship. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so guilty.
Shane's Redemption (Maura's Men Book 3) Page 10