by Wendi Wilson
“Paris?” I squeaked.
His smile broadened. “Eating crepes out of a Parisian bed with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance is the least you deserve after all you’ve been through.”
I stepped up to him, throwing my arms around his neck and gazing into his emerald and silver eyes. “Are you going to be in that Parisian bed with me and the crepes?”
“I’ll be feeding them to you.” His eyes lidded as he stooped down to kiss me. When his lips pressed to mine, everything else seemed to melt away.
I thought kissing Levi might lose its excitement over time. Like how, after hearing your favorite song one hundred times, the thrill fades until the tingles disappear. But when his mouth fitted over mine, and he drew me close, it was just as good as the first time, if not better. He was an expert, making me needy and quivering with his lips and tongue. He kissed me until I was undone and shaking with desire.
When he pulled away and left me gasping, I grasped his shirt and dragged him back. “You aren’t going to bolt to the other side of the room, are you?”
He shook his head, running a hand down my cheek. “I’ve been working on my urges.” When I raised an eyebrow, he continued. “While you were busy with the council and witch training, Desmond has been teaching me some tricks to allow me to control myself better.”
“Desmond?”
He nodded. “It seems your friend True has been testing his resolve. He finds her very tempting.”
“True would love to hear that.”
“I’m glad they like each other, but it’s hard being attracted to someone who isn’t a vampire. Luckily, Desmond studied under a Buddhist vampire legend and learned how to control his urges.”
“Buddhist vampire legend?” I couldn’t help but scoff.
But Levi was serious. “The techniques are working. Watch.” He kissed me until I could barely stand, and he didn’t jump away.
When I came up for air, I asked, “Does this mean—”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Piper. I still have a lot to learn.”
But he was learning, and Hussy Piper was getting all kinds of ideas.
Unfortunately, those ideas were interrupted when Levi’s head shot up. “Someone’s outside the door.”
I whirled as he stalked around me and walked to the door, going still as he listened. Carefully, he pulled back the lock. I leaned around him, only to spy True and Desmond on the other side.
“Were your ears tingling?” I asked. “Because we were just talking about you.”
True put a hand on the door frame. “You can tell me all about your weird fantasies later. Right now, we gotta head back. That counselor lady says she knows where Warren is. And she thinks she knows how we can take him down.”
Chapter Thirteen
If the circumstances were any different, I’d have been rushing back to camp as fast as my feet could take me. I would have come in like a banshee, demanding to know where Warren was hiding and steamrolling anyone who got in my way. I was so ready to get this show on the road and start kicking some vampire ass.
But my hurt and anger had me dragging my feet, delaying the inevitable. As much as my brief interlude with Levi helped, I wasn’t ready to face Dr. Whitley again. I wasn’t ready to deal with the betrayal of my trust.
That was it—I’d trusted her.
All of those sessions, every week for a year, I’d tried to convince her that I believed my father had been killed by a bear. I knew that made me a liar, too, but that was beside the point. She knew I was right. She knew there was no bear, yet let me flounder in confusion as the police, the coroner, and the medical examiner who performed the autopsy tried to convince me there was.
She knew a vampire had attacked him, even if she didn’t know he’d been turned and was living in the Siskiyou Mountains. She knew I wasn’t crazy.
“You should have told me the truth.”
The words flowed from my mouth as we approached Dr. Whitley, who still stood outside the office with the dean and my dad. Only… someone else had joined them.
“Mom,” I breathed. “You’re… outside.”
I didn’t know whether to be relieved or frightened. Mom had been awake for a few days, but I’d yet to even have a conversation with her. I’d intentionally stayed away to give her some space so she could come to terms with her new reality without the temptation of my blood sidetracking her. This was the first time I’d seen her outside, looking almost like her normal self.
“Piper. Come here, baby,” she cried, opening her arms wide.
I rushed forward and slammed against her, grunting when her embrace nearly crushed my internal organs. She huffed a quick apology and loosened her grip, but didn’t let me go. I knew, in that moment, I had my mom back.
And nothing would take her from me again. I’d make sure of it.
When we finally split apart, Dad stepped in to throw an arm over Mom’s shoulder. They shared a smile, and suddenly, I felt like all was right with the world.
“Piper.”
And just like that, the feeling of euphoria evaporated. Dr. Whitley was waiting for me to acknowledge her, so I took a deep breath, swallowed against the lump in my throat, and turned to face her.
She gave me that counselor’s half smile. “I know you’re angry with me, but I really need you to see reason so we can move past this and face the real threat, together.”
“You lied to me. You let me think I was crazy while supposedly treating me, made me believe you were convinced it was a bear when you knew it wasn’t.”
“I know I did. And I’m sorry, but it had to be that way. Think about it, Piper. What happens to vampires when they tell humans about our kind? And what happens to those humans?”
“The council kills them,” I mumbled.
“Exactly,” she said. “When Levi admitted the truth to you, you’d already figured it out. And even then, the only reason you’re not dead is because you’re a witch.”
“You could have told me,” I argued. “I would have believed you and kept your secret.”
She shook her head slowly. “I know you would have believed me. You were so desperate to prove you weren’t crazy when you insisted it couldn’t have been a bear, you would’ve ran straight to your mom. Straight to the authorities. Straight to anyone who would listen. And what would have happened?”
She was doing that therapist thing, asking open-ended questions to make me figure it out on my own. Damn her, it was working.
“They would’ve locked me away in a psychiatric hospital for being paranoid and delusional.”
She nodded. “Or if they did believe you?”
“We’d all be dead. Or we’d have our memories wiped clean with no knowledge of any of this.”
“Piper, I had no idea your father had turned. If I did… I would’ve done things differently. But I thought he was dead, and I thought I was helping you move on. I only recommended you come here after your mom mentioned Scott had worked here as a teen. It was too much to be pure coincidence. I sent you here knowing that you were bright and observant enough to discover the truth. And I knew that once you did, the dean would protect you.”
“You wanted me to know?” I asked, feeling a little lightheaded with this new information.
“In a controlled and safe environment,” she said, then her eyes darted to my mom. “This whole situation has gone completely haywire, and for that, I am sorry. I never dreamed things would go down the way they have.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Mom said. “I’m not. I have my husband back. My daughter is safe, and I’m now strong enough to keep her that way. Things are as they should be.”
The tightness in my chest eased as Mom spoke. Dr. Whitley had been looking out for us. I had my dad back, and he and Mom would be together, forever. Literally.
“I’m so sorry, Piper,” Dr. Whitley said. “I really thought I was doing what was best for you.”
“I know,” I replied, and I meant it.
She smiled at me,
and I returned it. We had a terrible ordeal ahead of us, and we could use all the help we could get. I was glad she was here.
“Tell her what you told us,” the dean said, breaking the silence that had fallen.
“Warren Thornberry sent Jackson Carter to see me.”
I gasped, my eyes darting first to my mom, then Coco. The evil vampire had seduced first my best friend, then my mother, and then killed them both. He turned Coco purposefully—on Warren’s orders—and left Mom for dead.
“What did he want?” I asked.
“He wanted me to get you a message. Warren wants you to come to him, alone. If you surrender, he’ll let the rest of us live. If you refuse, we all die.”
My heart turned to stone, her words hitting me like a sledgehammer. Did Warren really think I’d give myself to him? Why wouldn’t I? If surrendering meant keeping everyone I loved safe, I would do it in a heartbeat.
“It’s not happening, Piper,” Levi said as if he’d read my mind. “Warren can’t be trusted.”
“I know that,” I shot back. “I wasn’t even considering it.” Lie.
Levi arched a brow at me, and I kicked at the dirt with the toe of my shoe. He knew I was lying, and the rest of them probably knew, too. Damn vampire hearing. My heart had pounded back to life, skipping a beat as I said the words.
“Warren and his army are waiting for your reply… at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains,” Dr. Whitley said.
“What?” I barked, surprise washing over me.
The last time we’d seen them, they’d been far north, near the Canadian border. Now, they were south? Did they skirt right by us with no one knowing?
“They had to have made a wide circle,” Dean Purty said as if reading my mind. “We have scouts keeping watch on all sides, and no trace of them has been found.”
I nodded, but my mind was already spinning with what this might mean. What was Warren thinking, heading for the mountain vampires’ territory? He had to know that would give us an advantage. Dad’s people knew that whole area like the backs of their hands.
Levi knew it, too, since going there to search for my Dad’s supposed killer.
“Wait. Sorry, I know this is off topic, but I just realized… if Warren’s vampire goon murdered Dad, who did Levi kill in the mountains?”
I looked to Dad, knowing that if any of his people had been killed, he’d know who they were.
“My men,” he said, a shadow darkening his face. “Warren had taken their last living relatives hostage and used that against them. He made them starve themselves to appear as if all mountain vampires were emaciated and wild with hunger. He forced them to sacrifice themselves, and, after their deaths, killed their families anyway.”
“That’s terrible,” I said, my gaze flicking to Levi.
He looked sad, but he quickly wiped away the emotion and replaced it with determination. Warren had tricked him, used him for his own benefit, just like he did everyone. Levi wouldn’t let him get away with it this time.
And neither would I.
I crossed my arms over my chest and stiffened my spine. “Okay, what’s the plan?”
GOD, I hope this plan works.
The thought cycled over and over through my mind as I rode on Levi’s back toward the mountains looming in the distance. If it didn’t work, I was screwed. We were all screwed.
And I didn’t know if I could handle losing anyone else.
Dr. Whitley had made it sound so simple. I’d go in with Levi while everyone else fanned out and circled the group of Society vampires. Warren wasn’t stupid. Even as he demanded I come alone, he knew Levi would never allow it. So the two of us, showing up hand-in-hand, had to be what he was expecting.
I had to try to get him to relax, thinking he had us overpowered. Apparently, someone had filled Dr. Whitley in on my little vampire-compulsion trick, because she’d said that was the key. Once Warren realized he had us, I could compel him to make his army stand down, and this whole thing would be over.
Like a snap.
I still had my doubts. Sure, I’d figured out how to channel my magic and use it—with semi-catastrophic results—the compulsion part was still a bit shaky. I tried to compel Warren already and failed. I’d successfully compelled Levi to bite me, but it was unintentional, and I’d been all keyed up with sexual tension and strong emotion at the time.
No way would I feel like that with Warren standing in front of me.
I’d have to use my fear, my anger, my disgust, and my need for vengeance. I’d have to roll all that emotion into a tight ball and use it to trigger my power, all while trying not to get myself and everyone I loved killed in the process.
Suddenly, Levi’s pace slowed down, and we skidded to a stop, my cast banging against this hard shoulder, with the others beside us. Coco, my parents, Dean Purty, Dr. Whitley, and Zelda formed a circle around us. A second later, Desmond skidded to a halt, pulling True off his back and setting her on her feet.
The rest of the camp and mountain vampires crowded in around the circle, waiting for instructions. This was it. If everything went well, this whole mess would be over. We could live our lives and be happy. But if it didn’t…
Some of the people around me could die. For good, this time.
The pressure was nearly unbearable. Levi’s hand slipped around my good one, squeezing it tightly. He always seemed to know when I needed bolstering. His touch gave me strength. His smile gave me courage.
I could do this. I had too.
With a few final instructions, Dad took charge and sent everyone else out to their positions. All that remained were Levi, my parents, and me. I pulled my hand from Levi’s grip and dashed forward, reveling in their combined arms. It felt so good to have them back in my life, together. I had my family back.
And now it was time to make sure Warren Thornberry didn’t try to take it away from me again.
Mom and Dad melted into the trees behind us, and I linked my fingers with Levi’s again as we headed forward. We walked slowly, almost casually, to give everyone time to get to their positions before Warren realized we were nearby.
We headed into the trees, Levi steering us in the right direction as if he had some sixth sense guiding him. Maybe he did.
“How do you know we’re going the right way?’ I whispered.
“They’re not being quiet,” he murmured back. “I can hear them laughing and celebrating. They know we’re coming.”
I pulled him to a stop and mouthed, “The others?”
He shook his head, mouthing, “They don’t seem to realize.”
I huffed out a relieved breath. Warren knew we were here, but didn’t seem to know we weren’t alone. Everything was going according to plan, but I still felt twitchy. Levi turned to start walking again, but I jerked him back and plastered my lips against his.
I needed one last kiss, just in case things went sideways.
He kissed me back for a moment, then pulled back to look into my eyes. “Everything is going to work out,” he whispered, then pulled me along a trail between the trees.
Chapter Fourteen
“There they are,” I whispered, clutching Levi’s hand.
We peered through the trees at Warren’s camp. Deep in the mountain woods, the vampires had found a clearing and set up tents in neat rows with vampires lingering around. Some were sitting by a fire and talking, just as Levi had said. They weren’t one bit concerned, knowing we were coming. I counted at least twenty, letting me know that there were likely as many Society vamps here as there were vamps on our side. If it came to an all-out fight, we might lose.
But it wouldn’t come to that, I reminded myself. I could compel Warren. Then, it would all be over. No one I loved would get hurt. But it was up to me.
The weight of that thought only compounded the dread I felt in my stomach at the sight of our enemies. Could I do it? The thought had echoed in my head like some sort of sadistic refrain, nearly driving me mad with uncertainty. But, when Warren stepped out
of one of the tents and stared right at us, I knew the time to worry was over.
Now it was time to pay the piper.
“Nice of you to show up.” Warren said, his eyes piercing through the piney branches as he zeroed in on us.
The other vampires’ heads turned in our direction. They adopted battle ready stances as they took their positions behind their leader.
Warren was dressed impeccably, as always. Somehow he’d found a fashionable, yet functional outdoorsy outfit with olive green pants, dark boots, and a black shirt with a gray vest over it. His hair was perfectly coifed, and his five o’clock shadow was the exact same length as I’d seen it last.
Steeling my nerves, I stepped around the tree and walked forward, Levi at my side. Every vampire’s gaze locked on us. The tension was palpable.
“Couldn’t leave the man candy at home, huh?” Warren asked, arching a self-important eyebrow. “It’s so nice that she lets you tag along, pup. Otherwise, what would you do? Shop for more hair gel?”
“You’re one to talk, Warren,” Levi shot back. “Did your stylist come up the mountain with you?”
“Oh, I’ve got lots of friends up here with me.” At these words, more vampires came spilling out of the tents. I counted to forty before stopping as my throat clenched. How many vampires did he have?! We were so screwed.
It doesn’t matter. You cut off the head, you kill the snake. Stop Warren, and everything else will take care of itself.
But, was I sure? And, did I even think I could stop Warren when I’d failed before?
“So, Piper, you heard my request, and you threw it back in my face,” Warren’s snide smile faded into a look cold enough to freeze hearts. “That’s not putting me in a forgiving mood.”
As he said it, the vamps grew tenser, if that was possible. It was as if they were awaiting the word from Warren to tear us apart.
I needed to focus. I had to stop Warren before he gave them the order. The problem was, he was talking to me and wanted a response. This wasn’t the time to go quiet and contemplative so I could find his aura and attempt my magic.