The moon lit the backyard, revealing bare trees and an endless sea of white. The howling wind blew snow across the yard. She stared for a moment longer but couldn't see anything worth worrying about. She turned and crept to the door.
Creeping down the shadowed hallway, she felt her way to where the stairs began. Her hand found the banister, and she used it to guide her toward the kitchen. Two candles still burned within the room, but their flames were sputtering in the small nubs of wax left. She crossed the linoleum to where Kathleen left some candles on the counter and used the flames to light four more.
Taking one of the candles with her, she moved to the back door and opened it. There was nothing in the dark yard, but the hair on the back of her neck began to stand up. She froze for a second and then spun quickly. Nothing was behind her, but she was sure something or someone was watching her. She turned back to the night and stepped back. The wind howled across her, blowing snow into the room, and knocking out her flame.
Terror suddenly ripped through her as she took another step back. The force of the sudden impact sent her flying to the floor. The scream in her throat was cut off as the air was knocked out of her lungs. Something was on her, clawing at her, and ripping into her shirt and chest. She couldn't breathe, she could hardly even move. Then, the eyes were there, brilliant red eyes staring hatefully at her.
The air rushed back into her lungs as she opened her mouth to scream. A hand shot over her mouth, stifling her. She gasped as Beth's face appeared above her. It was twisted and evil as she leered down at her. "I told you I would get you!" she hissed.
Sera bucked wildly in a desperate attempt to get away, but although Beth was smaller than her, she was amazingly strong—almost as strong as Liam, who could kill her with a flick of his wrist. The sudden knowledge Beth could do the same sent her heart beating so powerfully she feared it would rip out of her ribcage.
Beth's eyes gleamed maliciously as an evil smile curled her mouth. Her lips pulled back to reveal her deadly teeth. Sera screamed against her hand, but only muffled cries of fright escaped. Beth surged forward, her mouth ajar, and her fangs gleaming as she lunged at Sera's throat with deadly intent.
Air rushed back into her lungs as Beth was ripped off her. Sera's lungs were finally able to expand again as she drew in a ragged breath. Rolling to the side, she watched in astonishment as Liam appeared within the candlelight and flung Beth across the kitchen. Beth slammed into the back wall with so much force the cabinet doors popped open. Pots, pans, and cans fell to the floor with loud rattling crashes and dull thumps. Beth instantly sprang back to her feet as a hiss escaped her.
The hair on Sera's neck rose as she scrambled backward. The answering hiss from Liam was nearly as frightening as Beth's. She could almost smell the bloodlust emanating from the two of them. Sera's mind and body screamed at her to run, but she couldn't get her shaking muscles to obey the command.
Liam spun around and caught Beth as she launched herself at him. She spat and fought in his grasp as she dug her long nails into his forearms. Liam bellowed with wrath and flung her away. She skidded across the floor and crashed into the fridge.
"What the hell?"
Sera turned as David, Jack, Doug, and Mike came skidding into the kitchen. Their eyes widened as they took in the spectacle before them. "What's going on?" Kathleen cried. Mike spun back around to block the doorway. "Get out of my way!"
Mike refused to budge from the doorway as he turned his head to see what was going on. Beth stood; her eyes were vivid and hateful as she lifted her chin. She spun and bolted out the door, seeming to blur and disappear as she moved. Liam took a step after her, and froze; his body was tense and shaking.
His ruby gaze darted back to Sera. Sera's mouth gaped open, and her heart leapt into her throat as he came at her. A scream tore from her as he seized hold of her arms and ripped her off the floor. "What were you doing?" he roared.
Fresh terror spurted through her in the face of his rage. A rage now focused solely on her. All his control was gone.
"What were you doing?"
He punctuated each word with a small shake. "Liam!" David shouted. "Liam, stop!"
David's words did nothing to dim the fury blazing through him. The hands on his arms ripped a shout from him as they tried to pull him away from Sera. He released Sera and spun toward them as he instinctively shielded her from whoever was behind him. David and Doug took a hasty step back, their hands raised in surrender.
He turned instantly back to her. Tremors racked her body as she stared at him with a petrified look in her eyes. Her shirt was ripped from her collar to mid-chest. Blood marred her porcelain skin. The sight of the blood further unraveled him.
He took a step forward. She whimpered as she scuttled back a few feet. At any other time, the sign of her distress would stop him. It didn't now. The fact she was almost killed shattered all his control. He would not lose her. He would not take the chance of losing her.
Sera had seen what was inside of him before, but not like this, never like this. Before, she had always glimpsed something of Liam inside. There was nothing there now. There was no flicker of green in his bloodshot eyes, no hint of softening in his contorted features. He had lost complete control, and he showed no signs of regaining it.
She wanted him to change her. She wanted to be with him. But not like this. He looked as if he was going to kill her.
She scrambled back, but he was on her in an instant. Sera screamed as her hands flailed wildly. He grabbed them and pinned them down. Pain blazed through her wrists, but it was nothing compared to the terror constricting her chest and throat. "Sera!" Kathleen screamed.
Hands grasped his shoulders and tried to rip him away. "Liam, don't!" Doug yelled. "Don't do this!"
He spun and lashed out with his fist. Doug was flung into the kitchen cabinets as if he weighed no more than a twig. His own eyes flashed red before he took a deep breath and steadied himself. Liam looked at the others, but they made no move to come near him.
His eyes focused on her again. The smell of her blood was thick in the air; the riotous fluttering of her heart was hammering in his head. He pushed her hair back and pulled her forward. She cried out as she fought against him. Her thrashing only made him more determined. He was going to make her his for good. He was going to make sure no one ever hurt her again.
"Liam, please," she whimpered as his teeth skimmed her neck. She choked out a strangled cry. "Please not like this. Not like Jacob."
He was pulled back, ready to strike, when her words slammed into him with the force of a sledgehammer. They rocked his body and soul as they knocked the demon out of him. He released her wrists as he pulled away from her. Her eyes were tumultuous and terrified, her hair a tangled mess about her beautiful face. Blood marred her delicate cheek and chest, the smell of it was heady and enticing, but he did not go after her again.
"Get away from me, Sera!" he grated. "Get away now!"
She needed no further encouragement as she scrambled to her feet and stumbled around the island. Jack reached out to steady her, thought better of it, and dropped his hands back to his sides. She had taken a risk with mentioning Jacob's name. She knew it would either drive him into a further rage or help him come to his senses. She was incredibly grateful it went her way.
"Get her out of here!" Liam spat. "Get her out now!"
"Sera!" Kathleen yelled. "Sera, are you okay?"
"She's fine," Mike answered when it became obvious Sera couldn’t do so.
"Get out of my way! I want to see her! Now!" Danielle and Kathleen were both screaming and shoving at Mike.
"Get her out of here!" Liam bellowed. "And take care of them!"
Mike pushed Kathleen and Danielle back as they fought to get away from him. "Everything is fine," he said slowly. "Jack, help me."
"Let us go!" Kathleen screeched. "He's hurt her! I know he has!"
Mike took hold of Kathleen's chin and forced her to look at him. She was fairly spitting as she
beat ineffectively at his chest. "Everything is all right," he said. "Sera just had a nightmare, but she's fine now." Her eyes began to glaze as his power wrapped into her mind. Beside him, he could hear Jack whispering the same words to Danielle. "You saw for yourself she was all right. Now, go back to sleep."
Kathleen looked dazed as she turned to leave. Danielle followed behind her. Mike sagged against the wall.
"We can't keep doing this," Jack muttered.
Mike nodded his agreement as he turned back to the kitchen. David and Doug were before Sera, blocking her from Liam. Liam was standing by the sink; his hands clasped on the counter so forcefully he was shaking. With his head bowed, hunger radiated from him like a heat wave.
"They're gone," Jack said.
David and Doug glanced back at them. "Would you please get her out of here!" Liam grated.
David and Doug backed up, pushing Sera with them without touching her. Sera's gaze was focused on Liam's trembling back as she shuffled away. She wanted to go to him, to soothe him, but she knew he would lose it again, and this time he wouldn’t come back.
A sob rose in her throat, but she suppressed it as she tore her gaze from him. She was lucky to get away before; she couldn't risk not being able to get away again. Her breath froze in her lungs as her legs instantly planted themselves. David and Doug bumped into her and immediately jumped away when Liam lifted his head.
"What is that?" Sera cried.
Four sets of red eyes hovered just outside the window. "Shit!" Jack exclaimed.
"Get her out of here!" Liam yelled.
He turned and raced out the door in a blur of motion.
"Liam!" Sera screamed and lurched forward. "No!"
Doug grasped her shoulders and pushed her back. "Stay with her!"
Jack grasped her shoulders and released her as if she’d burned him. The minute she was free, she bolted forward. David blocked her off as Mike and Jack ran out the door.
"If you go out there, you'll only distract him and get him killed,” David said. “If you go out there, he will bring you back in here, and he will finish what he started. There will be no stopping it this time."
Sera glanced at David before looking longingly at the door. She knew what those eyes were, knew what they represented, and Liam was out there with them now. She needed to help him.
"There's nothing you can do to help him. Come on, let's get you cleaned up," David said.
She didn't move for a second, and then her shoulders slumped in defeat. She turned and woodenly walked out of the room.
Chapter Eighteen
Sera numbly accepted the peroxide, cotton balls, and bandages David handed her before he walked over to sit on the other couch. She fumbled with the peroxide, spilling some on her dirty jeans before finally managing to get it on a cotton ball. She winced as she gingerly cleaned the jagged tears in her chest. Her hands trembled as she ripped the plastic wrapping around the large bandage, and taped it to her chest.
She closed her eyes as she took a deep, steadying breath, and tugged anxiously at her torn shirt. "He's all right," David said kindly.
Sera nodded. "I know."
"Can you sense him?"
She frowned. "Sense him?"
"Yes, can you sense him, feel him?"
"No. I just know he's all right, for now."
"He'll be okay. He's strong."
"Who were they?" she whispered.
"Probably some of Beth's friends. I'm sure she's created a few others along the way, and some of them stayed with her. Or, she's gathered some here to help. We're not all the same, Sera. Some of us are brutal killers. They relish in their power, thrill in it. The more you drink, and the more you kill, the stronger you are. They may be here just because Beth promised them a bloodbath."
Sera's hands trembled as she anxiously pulled at her shirt. "Liam, Jack, Mike, and Doug aren't killers. They won't be as strong as them."
"No they're not, but they will be all right. Liam's fury alone will be enough to overpower them. They just want the pleasure of the blood. He’s trying to keep you safe, that is a far stronger motivator."
"Oh God," she moaned. "He needs to come back."
"He will. They'll drive them away, but he won't follow them. He won't go far from you, not now."
She felt numb as tears slid down her face. She had to believe David was right. If Liam didn't come back, if he got hurt, if he was killed....
Her heart shattered at the thought as she began to tremble. Please God, she prayed silently. Please let him come back to me. "I can't live without him," she whispered.
David clasped his hands together and leaned forward. "No, you probably can't."
Sera choked on a sob as she bowed her head and fiddled with her shirt. "Can they come in here?"
"No, they weren't invited. Only Beth can come in here. Sera—"
"You okay?" Sera jerked around as Mike appeared in the doorway.
She leapt instantly to her feet. "Where is he?" she demanded.
"In the kitchen, but..." Mike blocked her before she could go through the doorway. She glared at him as she tilted her chin defiantly. "You need to stay here."
"I—"
"No, Sera, not now." His stance was so rigid she knew arguing with him was useless.
"Is he all right?"
"He's fine; he's just a little, ah... he's a little crazed right now. Jack and Doug are with him."
"Are you sure?" she asked anxiously.
"Yes, why don't you sit down and relax."
"What about you guys, are you all right?"
She scanned him, but he seemed fine. "Yeah, we're all fine. They took off when we went outside. I think they wanted to let us know they're here. That they're watching us."
Sera's gaze flickered toward the kitchen. She wanted to go to him; she needed to go to him. "I can calm him down," she whispered.
"Not now you can't," David said. "Now, you will only push him over the edge."
"But he needs me!" she cried as she whirled to face him.
"Yes, he does, but not like you are. Not with what is going on. He will finish what he started earlier, Sera; don't doubt that for an instant."
For a second, she didn't care, but it was only for a second as she recalled the way he’d been earlier. He would never listen to reason now. He would only attack her again. He wouldn't even give her the chance to offer herself to him. As much as she wanted to be with him, she knew she couldn't let it happen like that. He would harm her, no matter how unintentional, he would. And he would hate himself for it.
She bowed her head as she turned and walked back to the couch. Her heart was breaking as tears rolled down her face. She slid limply onto the couch and hung her head in her hands.
"Do you understand now that what I told you all yesterday was true?" David asked.
She lifted her head to look at him through blurry eyes. "I understood earlier."
David frowned as he glanced over at Mike. "You want to be changed?"
"I won't lose him. I can't. It... it hurts to even think about it, to say it. You can't imagine how much it hurts."
"No, we can't."
"Why hasn't he done it already?" Mike asked his voice filled with confusion.
She turned her eyes to him. "He said I would need blood, and Kathleen and Danielle... I can't. I just can't."
"Crap," Mike muttered. "I never realized... I forgot."
David dropped his head into his hands. "We need to get out of here."
"Maybe the roads will be open tomorrow," Mike said hopefully.
"I doubt it. We're miles from the highway, on a bunch of back roads. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get here for another week."
"He doesn't have a week, and neither does she."
"I know that!" David retorted.
"What happens if I don't have blood?" she inquired.
They both turned wary, troubled eyes on her. "If you don't get it within the first day, the transformation won't be complete. You'll die."
"Or turn into a creature stuck between the worlds. Something completely twisted—an utter monstrosity. You would have to be destroyed."
"You could have left it at I'd die," she said dryly.
"We'll figure out something," David said.
"What?" she muttered.
"I don't know, but we're going to have to do it soon. Very soon."
* * *
The feathery touch on her cheek woke her the next morning. She smiled as she nuzzled into Liam's hand. Then, the events of the night crashed back over her, and her eyes flew open. He was kneeling before her, his eyes clouded and his face impassive.
She sat up slowly. Her neck and back were stiff from sleeping on the couch, what little sleep she had managed to get. She waited for him to come to her all night, but he hadn't, and eventually, exhaustion won out. She glanced around the living room, but they were alone.
She returned her attention to him. She had changed her shirt last night, but his gaze settled on where the bandage was. "Are you okay?" he asked hoarsely.
"Yes."
"I hurt you."
"No—"
"Yes, I did!"
Sera winced at the anger radiating from his voice. "Liam—"
He gripped her arms and pulled them forward. Sera tried to jerk them back, but he was already shoving the sleeves up. Bruises marred her upper arms and the delicate bones of her wrist. His breath rushed out of him as he gazed upon the ugly, dark marks. Marks he inflicted. He dropped his head as self-loathing gripped him.
"You didn't mean to," she whispered as she brushed back his raven hair. "It wasn't you."
"It was me!" he spat. "It is me!"
Her lower lip began to tremble as tears filled her eyes. He thought he had himself under control enough to see her, to come near her. He'd been wrong. His composure was rapidly unraveling as he thought about what could have happened to her, what Beth could have done to her, what he could have done to her.
He dropped her arms and stood swiftly. "Liam, please don't shut me out."
He couldn't shut her out if he tried. He couldn't get her out of his mind, out of his body, out of his soul. She was a part of him, and he needed her more than the blood keeping him alive.
The Vampire Awakenings Bundle: Books 1-5 Page 24