He smiled and carefully followed the car ahead of him onto the island. There was only one other car getting off here. The others lined up would get off at the next island. This island was owned by his female friend Amelia.
He followed behind the other much older car up the two lane road to Amelia’s house. She had luckily inherited it through her parents. She had been attacked as a child and managed to maintain her life unlike some others.
Damon had his own personal parking space in the garage and pulled into it now. Shade was still gripping his arm but looking around now that they were on land again.
“Remember what I said. I am your Master not Sire. You can be yourself here otherwise. You are not a Daywalker okay?” He said shutting the car off and turning to her.
Shade shook her head in the shadowed dimness. Damon patted her hand and then unlocked the doors and grabbed their bags all except Shade’s backpack which she carried.
Shade stood next to the car and looked at the other ten or so vehicles. The basement was large but she could see all four walls. The cars were parked in two rows so that one row was blocked in. A staircase was at the opposite end along with metal storage cabinets and lockers and a small mechanic area with tools.
She followed closely to Damon closely and tried to remember everything he said.
He opened the door without knocking and entered a small hallway that had two doors and a staircase leading up two floors. He dropped the bags by the stairs and took her by the hand after she left her backpack.
He entered one of the doors that led to a reading room. A very attractive woman sat in a high back chair facing them. She spoke to a staff member, a butler, who nodded and left the room through another door.
The room was made not of walls but bookshelves that reached ceiling to floor except for the two bay windows and the glass doors that led to a patio. A wooden desk was in front of one window and held a few books, laptop, and a lamp. The other window had a small bar with about twenty bottles. The cabinet below more than likely held more alcohol. Three love seats and two chairs were in a circle facing one another in the middle of the room. Two end tables sat by both the arm chairs each with their own lamp.
The table next to the lady held a glass of wine while the other table held two glasses filled with blood. She indicated they should sit. Damon let Shade’s hand fall as he took the two glasses with blood and sat on the loveseat and handed one glass to Shade. The woman’s face showed that she disapproved. She had assumed one of them would sit in the other chair.
“You should introduce us, dear, before we continue,” Amelia spoke, voice dripping sweet like honey. Shade already knew that Amelia and she would not become best of friends.
“Amelia this is my new ward Shade. Shade this is a fellow tracker and friend of mine, Amelia.”
Shade smiled as Amelia nodded.
“I see she is a small thing Damon, where did you find her?”
“While I was out on the last hunt, she was all alone and still unconscious. There were no other vampires in the area. I think they were unaware of what they were doing, more than likely a newborn themselves. I informed Gideon of course.”
“Of course you did.”
At that moment his cell rang. Damon pulled it from his pocket and checked the number. Gideon.
“I have to take this, Amelia play nice,” Damon told her with a look of which she knew only too well.
“I will not scare the poor thing. She has been through enough. We will just get to know one another won’t we Shade?”
Shade smiled again but looked up at Damon nervously.
He smiled down at her and started to say something but the phone rang again. Damon went to the glass doors and let himself out.
Shade thought he was really familiar with the house, too familiar.
Amelia was grinning like a wicked cat waiting for Damon to close the door behind him.
“Tell me about yourself Shade, I want to know what it is that has Damon in such a panic. He usually takes newborns like you straight to his Master. There must be something special about you,” Amelia said taking a sip of what looked like wine. Shade could see two tiny fanglike teeth. Not fangs just more pronounced eye teeth.
Shade hesitated, looking back at the doors.
“Drink first dear. I can wait.”
Shade lifted her glass and smelled it before putting her mouth on it. Her fangs dropped down and got in the way.
“I see you are still on bags. Using a glass is always hard at first but you manage,” Amelia said laughing. She said it like Shade was still a toddler learning to drink from a toddler’s cup.
Shade shifted the glass until it worked for her and gulped her blood down. It was chilled and had a slightly different taste than the bagged blood.
Once Shade finished it off she set the glass down on the end table and then returned to her seat. Grateful Damon had chosen to sit with her.
“I really do not have a story. My brother is… gone and I’m alone. I only remember a blur and then a burning pain in my neck. When I woke up I was with… my Master and confused.”
“He is not your Master yet. He has to report to his and then Gideon reports it to the Royals. Then Damon is officially a Master and no longer a Tracker, if that is what he chooses. He can still give you over to Gideon or another vampire for your training. Damon is Elite. One of the best really and for him to give that all up for… well you is really beyond me.”
“You would have to ask him that. All I know is he is kind and has assured me his protection.”
Amelia sneered but caught herself.
“Are you two, you know, sleeping together?”
Shade was appalled at the woman’s lack of morals.
Before Shade could answer Amelia continued.
“Don’t be embarrassed, he is really good in bed. I would know. Perhaps the best I’ve had. A touch too tame really but with time I could certainly fix that,” Amelia said laughing like they were best friends sharing girl talk.
“I’m not embarrassed. I just think Damon’s and my sex life is our business,” Shade replied smiling.
Amelia turned red and growled. She seemed shifty for a moment before closing her eyes.
Damon chose that moment to return. He sat as close to Shade as he could, sharing part of her cushion, and held his hand close to her so that she could take it if she chose.
Shade instantly reached for his hand and smiled up at Amelia politely who only glared. Her intent was clear, Damon was hers and Shade was touching private property apparently.
“What did our Gideon have to say dear?” Amelia asked politely taking another sip.
“Just finalizing my status so I am officially a Master now and Shade here is my ward. Gideon said he only needed to talk to me and clarify some sticky points or any questions I might have.”
Amelia nearly had a fit, Shade noticed but as Damon looked down at her when he noticed her silence, she smiled to assure him things were fine.
“Congratulations are in order I see. I will have the staff prepare something for us.”
“That is really nice Amelia but we really need to rest, maybe tomorrow. Has Miles taken our things to our room yet?” Damon asked oblivious to Amelia’s look of pure hatred at Shade when he said room not rooms.
“I will ask now,” she replied.
She took her cell from her lap and called her servant. Something I thought was pure laziness. I would have escorted my guests to their room and personally seen to it.
She asked Miles if the room was prepared yet and after a brief moment she clicked off the cell.
“Miles just added fresh towels to the bathroom. It is the violet room two doors down from my room, you know where right dear?” Amelia asked standing.
Damon finished the blood off and stood as well pulling Shade along with him. He set the glass beside her own empty one and followed Amelia through the same door they had entered not twenty minutes ago.
Damon caressed the back of her hand with his
thumb, absentmindedly, as he towed her back to the staircase.
Amelia sauntered casually up the stairs without looking back.
“You know where everything is, nothing has changed lately except maybe the color of the paint. Make yourself at home love and I will see you both at dusk, unless you plan to join me until Shade awakes. I will more than likely be by the pool enjoying tomorrow’s sunshine. No rain for the next three days it seems,” she called back to them.
Shade bristled at Amelia’s remark but continued following silently.
Amelia passed four doors on the left, all closed, until she reached the violet room where Miles was just about done with the bed. Apparently he had changed the sheets. The bed was a queen sized one. Two dressers and a large screen television were the only other things in the room. Amelia had money it seemed. She was not rich like royalty but well off.
Amelia leaned against the door casually as Shade and Damon entered, leaving little room to get by. Amelia caressed Damon’s shoulders and gave Shade a haughty look.
“Damon when you get a chance we need to talk, alone.”
Amelia turned and went to her room leaving them alone, Miles returned back downstairs. Damon shut their door and went to the closet. Their bags were on the floor. He could not tell if Miles had gone through them or not. He would check later.
“Would you like to shower first or me?”
“Um, I don’t care but are we sharing a bed? I thought we shouldn’t act like we are together,” Shade asked looking sideways at the bed.
“I asked for a single room so I could be close to you. I do not trust her a hundred percent. That and she will more than likely try to get me in her bed. If I had my own room she would come in and attempt something I am sure. Once we leave here then we need to keep it casual. Gideon is putting in the paperwork as we speak. He is on paper your legal Master. I am AWOL at the moment but Gideon has covered that for now. Go shower I will wait okay.”
Shade nodded and took her backpack from Damien as he handed it to her.
The bathroom was nice, clean but simple.
Twenty-five minutes later Shade emerged with wet hair wearing her long tee shirt and shorts. Damon was standing at the window still dressed except for his boots which were by the door.
“Stay awake while I am in the shower and do not leave the room. I am not trusting anyone until this is settled. Besides if we were followed by another demon I need you close for your own protection okay? The door is locked, not that it will stop anyone.”
Shade nodded and put her bag on the dresser. She crawled in the bed on the side closest to the bathroom and pulled the clean blanket up to her chin. She snuggled down and got comfy as she could. The temperature in the house was cool to her but not uncomfortable. She had noticed that the temperature did not really affect her anymore. Things were simply cool or warm. She herself was not cold or hot to the touch, like Damon. When he held her hand he was just a little cooler than her.
Shade heard the shower kick on again and could not stop herself from imagining what Damon looked like in there. Water running down the chiseled planes… What was she thinking?
On one hand she knew she could join him in there. He would not object she was sure. But she was not ready for that at all. She was beginning to think she was the one losing though. He would be gentle and not scary at all, something that bothered her most.
Shade groaned and rolled over to her stomach as thoughts of Damon in the shower turning to vivid images. She could just imagine the water running over his shoulders, down his chest and back to his firm butt. His wet hair would be caressing his back.
Whoa! Shade sat up. Her thoughts were going X rated and that was bad. This was not the time to imagine him so tasty and delicious. She more than likely was suffering from hero worship. He had done his best to save her life and was treating her better than almost all the guys she had ever met.
Not but a few hours ago she was rubbing his kiss off her mouth. What had changed?
Shade noticed a warm feeling low in her stomach and cringed. She had read enough books to know what was going on. For the first time in her life she was attracted to a guy and turned on.
The shower clicked off and she heard him move the shower curtain back.
“Are you alright in there?”
Shade jumped and fell backwards off the bed. She was sprawled on her back with her legs in the air against the bed as Damon’s head poked through the door. He looked around and then on the floor at his feet.
Shade looked up, red as the towel on his hips. The towel covered very little and she could just make out one curve of his butt.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
Shade tried to sit up but the bed was in the way. She could roll toward him or roll the other way.
Damon reached down and lifted her from under her arms. His fingers inadvertently stroked her sides and she flushed again. He set her back on the bed.
“Thanks. I was too close to the edge and must have drifted off,” she told him, distracted.
“I am sorry I startled you, give me a moment to dress,” he said noticing the direction her eyes were. He barely got in the bathroom before he reacted to her stare.
He pulled his boxers and jeans on and used his fingers to brush his hair away from his eyes. Droplets hit his bare back and made their way down to his jeans.
He could not stop seeing Shade’s face in his mind.
Damon clasped his cuffs on his wrist again hurriedly and then grabbed his shirt and joined Shade in the bedroom.
She was covered once more with only her nose and eyes showing.
Damon shook his head at her and set his shirt on the dresser with her backpack. He pulled on his socks, so if something happened all he had to do was pull his boots on.
He sat down on the side of the bed closest to the hall. He considered turning the TV on but needed to hear.
Damon laid back on the edge of the bed, on his back. He avoided Shade. It was not the first time he had lain with her, and been this close. Shade scooted a little closer to him and looked up at him. She saw he was on the edge of the bed. She wanted to lie on his shoulder, close to him, knowing she would feel safer that way.
Damon realized what she wanted and put his arm around her.
He waited until she was completely asleep before gently wrapping himself around her. He rolled more her way so she was cocooned within the frame of his body. Her knees pulled up into his stomach.
He put his other free arm over her and his head against hers. He was not sure she was ready for this when she was awake. He moved so carefully that it was several minutes later that he finally relaxed and allowed himself to be comfortable.
Shade smiled and wrapped her arm around his chest, still asleep. She was safe and content, the look on her face said as much. Damon did not let vile thoughts enter his mind. He concentrated only on what he would do next.
Mikhail and his mate should call tomorrow and he would once again be on the road, with Shade. They could not fly so he would have to drive part of the way to where Shayla lived. They could drive to the isthmus and catch a boat from there. From here he could hit one fifty or one eighty most of the way and reach the area in a day. They had not explained to him any further how to get to where Shayla lived. He was also sure Mikhail did not particularly want to move to South America so far from Shade so her coming with him was a plus.
Damon considered more why the Royals were after him. It had to be because he was approaching his millennia point and would be nearly untouchable. Daywalkers were feared and that was why none survived. He was the last one living that he knew of. No, Shade was now and he would protect her if it meant dying. He should have released her and walked away. If she had reported her brother’s death and tried to explain werewolves they would have laughed at her and locked her up. Either way Shade was losing.
She mumbled something incoherently and rolled more on her back and scooted closer to him. She was now wrapped around him. He did not mind in t
he least. Once she began to wake she would roll onto her other side and wiggle trying to get comfortable again. The wiggling would wake her.
Sleeping like this with Shade was heaven, and hell. He wanted to be himself with her and yet keep her innocent too. Their world would never allow that. They were doomed to lose, doomed to just pick up the pieces and struggle on.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dawn came and went and Damon struggled to stay awake. At about ten in the morning he slipped out of bed careful and went to the kitchen for a glass of blood. He figured Amelia would be sleeping by now and would not cause him any problems.
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