by Wendi Wilson
Just as Coco said, my mouth began to flood with saliva, and my fangs elongated. A powerful urge overtook my senses, much like it had when I’d gone to True’s room. I didn’t want this cow’s blood, I needed it. I would do anything to have it.
Coco’s voice drew me back to my senses. “Remember. Count to eight.”
Nodding, I fitted my mouth against the cow’s neck and satisfied my need.
The blood tasted good. Not as good as human blood from the bags I’d been drinking, but not revolting, either. I could feel the hot stream satiating my body, making me stronger, quenching the deep need that thrummed inside me.
“Eight, Piper. Eight!” Coco’s hands found my shoulders, and suddenly I was on my feet. She’d lifted me off as if I weighed nothing.
“Sorry,” I said wiping the blood from my mouth onto my sleeve. The bloody shirt was ruined, but I’d planned ahead, wearing something I knew I wouldn’t mind throwing away. “I lost my head there.”
“It’s okay,” Coco said. “I had to have Rose and Amelia with me for a while when I first started feeding. It’s hard to stop.” She smiled tenderly at me.
I glanced at her, not realizing that Rose and Amelia had been such a help when she’d first become a vampire. I’d always known Amelia was nice, but maybe I’d misunderstood Rose. Either way, it was nice to have their help.
When I turned to them, they gave me a nod. Amelia gestured to Ruby who still sat peacefully on the ground while Coco kept a hand on the bite to stop the blood. “Nice job. The cow seems fine. We’ll put some ointment and a bandage on her, and she’ll be good to go.” Amelia walked to a dusty cabinet and started to rummage around for supplies.
“Are we through? I’m outta here,” Rose said, turning to go.
I glanced at Coco. “You can go, too. You’ve been an amazing help, but I’m sure there are places you’d rather be than this smelly barn.”
“Are you sure? One of the mountain vamps did offer to take me hunting with him and show me the ropes. Will you be okay here?” She tossed a quick glance at Ruby.
“I’m good.” I patted my belly. “I’ll help Amelia doctor up the cow so I know how to do it next time. This is my life now, right?”
“Right!” she said, turning to go. “See you in the morning, Pipes. You did great!”
I waved at her, wondering in passing who this mountain vamp was, then turned back to Amelia who stood holding the bandage and ointment out to me. “I’ll show you how it’s done, then you can get back to that dreamboat of a man, though I hear he’s in some meeting with Daddy.”
“Is he? I didn’t know.” I’d realized I’d been so preoccupied with my transformation, I had no idea what was happening with the plan to take down Warren. Now that I was in control, I had to get back in the loop. “Do you know what they’re talking about?”
Amelia shook her head. “Not in their inner circle, but that’s okay. I’m not going to flip my lid. I guess they’ll just tell us more when they decide what to do.”
“That doesn’t seem very fair,” I said, taking the ointment from her to smooth it onto the cow’s warm neck. The bite marks had already stopped oozing. “They aren’t keeping you guys in on the plans?”
“I’m not related to the head of the planning committee,” Amelia said with a wry smile. “Or the main star.” She gestured to me.
“I’m not the star,” I said, deflecting the compliment. “I’m probably the main troublemaker.”
“You made some trouble with that ancient vamp,” Amelia said, leaning in close. “How did you subdue her? They wouldn’t tell us.”
“Astrid? The vampire baby who killed me?”
Amelia nodded. “It must’ve taken some major power to take out a vampire that old.”
“True and I joined forces. Our power combined was enough to freeze her with a spell. We had to keep a physical connection, but it worked.”
“Amazing,” Amelia said, her eyes lighting up. “I didn’t know witches could do that.”
“Neither did I,” I said, wrapping the bandage around the cow’s neck.
Amelia gave me a smile, her red lips curling up. “Now that you’re a vampire, Piper, you’ll find there’s very little you can’t do.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Have you seen all you’ve accomplished? Compelling ancients? Casting spells? Drinking from cows?”
I giggled. “It’s very badass drinking from cows.”
“Totally. The badass-iest” Amelia said, hip checking me, before throwing an arm over my shoulder.
We walked to the stall wall and jumped over. Then, we left the barn to stand under the stars. The fresh air smelled great. I only wished I could suck a huge mouthful into my lungs, but that wasn’t how my body worked anymore.
“I still feel so weird,” I said, gazing at my arms and hands. “Is this still my body? It functions in strange ways now.”
She gazed at me with contemplative, dark brown eyes. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Have you gotten used to it? Has Rose?”
“Don’t mind Rose,” Amelia said with a toss of her hand. “She’s just mad that leadership is keeping us in the dark so much.” Amelia sighed. “If you find anything out and let us know, I’m sure she’d really appreciate it. Sometimes she says she feels like cannon fodder.”
That had to be hard. I knew I was itching to talk to Dad right now and go over every aspect of the plan. I couldn’t imagine being told not to worry about it and to simply obey orders. “Oh man, that sucks. If I find anything out, I’ll let you guys know.”
“Thanks, Piper,” she said, giving my shoulder a touch before stepping back. “We’re happy to have you in our ranks.”
I gave her a wave and watched her walk off into the moonlight, happy to have people who understood. Maybe I’d figure this vampire thing out after all.
But for now, I needed to get in on the plan to take Warren down. His era of being the puppet master was over. And I was going to be the one to end it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Piper. It’s good to see you up and about, bug.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I replied, joining the circle of vampires in the dean’s office.
Levi twined his fingers with mine as I stopped next to him. Mom smiled at me from her place next to Dad, and my eyes burned with unshed tears a little at the sight of them. Side-by-side, just like they always should’ve been. Dean Purty, Sasha, Zelda, Desmond, and Dr. Whitley rounded out the group, and I stared at each of them with pride and conviction.
Together, nothing could stop us. Together, we would put an end to Warren Thornberry and this war he’d initiated.
“What did I miss?” I asked after clearing the emotion from my throat.
“We were just discussing strategy,” Dad said. “We keep chasing Warren, meeting him in his own territory, and it’s not working. We need to bring him to us.”
I didn’t disagree, but getting Warren and his Society vampires to come to us wouldn’t be easy. “How will we get him here?”
“We send him an invitation,” Zelda responded in her lyrical Irish accent. “One he canna refuse.”
Her gaze burned into mine, like I should somehow know exactly what she meant. Like, maybe, I was the invitation. Levi’s next words confirmed my suspicion.
“No, Zelda. I already told you, it’s too dangerous.”
“What’s too dangerous?” I asked.
“Nothing,” Levi said quickly.
“You can call Warren,” Zelda said at the same time. Ignoring a dark look from Levi, she continued, “and inform him of yer new status as a vampire, and appeal to his ego. Tell him you can finally see his side of things—vampires are all-powerful and meant to be drinking human blood, not reducing themselves to feeding from animals. Tell him you want to join The Society, to stand by his side and bring our kind back to the top o’ the food chain.”
My brows had lowered deeper and deeper as she spoke. “Do you really think he’d be stupid enough to fall for t
hat?”
“Exactly,” Levi interrupted before she could respond. “He’ll never believe it. He’d set a trap, just like before.”
“That’s why we do this on our turf,” she argued. “We’ll have the trap set before he even gets the message.” She turned her navy gaze on my dad. “It will work, Scott. I fear this may be our only option.”
I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes. “Did you see it? In a vision?”
“Aye,” she said, looking back at me.
“And did we win?”
She shook her head. “My vision didna get that far. I saw us here, at the camp. You were standing on the roof with me and True, while the rest of ‘em were hidden in the shadows. Warren came to ya, a smile on his hateful face, telling ya that he knew you’d come around eventually.”
“Anything else?” I asked when her words trailed off.
“I saw meself standing over the body of me sister… Imogen. She was dead, and I was cryin’. That’s it.”
That part matched the vision I’d had, and I only gave myself a couple of seconds to feel bad for Zelda. Her voice was laced with grief, but if she could push past her familial ties and the memory of who her sister used to be to do what’s right and end this thing, then I could be brave enough to set it in motion.
“I think Zelda is right. This might be the only way to defeat him.”
“Piper, no,” Levi said, tightening his grip on my hand. “Scott, tell her. Tell her it’s too dangerous.”
My father looked at him with a sorrowful expression, then turned his gaze to me when he spoke. “We haven’t been able to come up with any alternative. Zelda is right. Piper is old enough to make her own decisions, and she’s a vampire now. She’s always been tough, even when she was a human. And she might be our only shot to win this.”
My mom whimpered at his words, but didn’t argue. I could feel the anger and fear vibrating off of Levi, as everyone else in the circle nodded solemnly—they might not have liked the plan, but they realized it was really our only choice and accepted it as such.
Levi tensed even further, preparing to throw out more arguments, but I cut him off by squeezing his hand and pulling him toward the exit.
“I need to think. We’ll be back,” I said over my shoulder.
“You don’t have to pull so hard,” he grumbled once we were outside. “I’m coming with you.”
I immediately slowed my pace and slackened my grip. It was so easy to forget that I wasn’t frail in comparison to him anymore. I could hurt him just as easily as he could hurt me, which wasn’t nearly as simple as it was a few days ago.
My steps stuttered as another thought hit me—Levi could touch me without fear. He could lose control, and I wouldn’t be hurt. We could…
My thoughts scattered as I found myself in front of the bunker. I hadn’t even realized that was where I was dragging him, but it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly. All thoughts of wars and battles evaporated as my body suddenly filled with icy fire. Maybe it was the vampire in me that allowed me to switch from battle mode to seductress mode so easily. Who knew? Either way, some force was driving me, and I was happy to let it.
I pushed Levi through the door before swinging it closed, engaging the lock, and leaning back against it. Levi spun around to face me, his expression slightly confused as I stalked toward him like the predator I finally was.
“What are you doing?” he asked, taking a small step back.
His nervous reaction spurred my confidence even further. I was a vampire. Just as powerful as him. Just as strong. Able to take what I wanted, when I wanted.
The thought gave me pause, but I brushed it aside. What I wanted was some real physical affection from the man I loved, not to take over the world and kill people. I didn’t need to feel guilty for reveling in that power.
“You don’t have to treat me like a piece of glass anymore,” I said, moving even closer.
Hello, Hussy Piper. Come on in, and make yourself at home.
“What do you—”
His words cut off abruptly, and he stopped retreating as a myriad of emotions crossed his face. Confused wariness turned to sudden realization, which quickly morphed into something that lit my body on fire. Excitement. Longing. Desire.
We rushed toward each other, our hard, invincible bodies crashing together in a flurry of motion. Hands roamed as mouths melded without fear or recrimination. Buttons pinged against the concrete floor as I lost patience with Levi’s shirt, ripping it open so I could lay my hands on his bare chest.
In a blink, I found myself flipped around, my back against his chest as his mouth moved over my neck. I tilted my head to give him better access, shivering at the feel of Levi’s teeth scraping against my skin. His hands slid under my shirt, pulling the garment up as his palms glided over my stomach. His fingers brushed against the lace edging of my bra, but went no further.
“Without being able to hear your heartbeat, I can’t tell how you’re feeling. I don’t know if this is too much,” he whispered before nibbling lightly on my ear. “Tell me when to stop, Piper.”
I pulled out of his arms and turned to face him. Arousal warred with disappointed acceptance in his expression. But if he thought I was putting on the brakes, he had another thing coming. I felt like I’d been waiting forever for this moment. I whipped my shirt over my head and dropped it to the floor.
Levi’s eyes widened, roaming over my bare skin as his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.
“Never,” I said, my voice firm and sure as I reached for the button and zipper on my jeans. “I never want you to stop.”
I COULDN’T STOP SMILING as we headed back to camp. The last hour had been filled with nothing but joy and pleasure. No fear. No guilt. No regrets. Levi and I were truly mates now. I was his Inamorata, and he was mine. Forever.
Unless one of us dies in this war.
The unwanted thought killed my good mood. I dug in my heels and pulled Levi to a stop at the edge of the woods. We never had our talk about Zelda’s plan.
“I know what you’re going to say,” he muttered before I could speak. He cupped my face between his hands, his thumbs smoothing over my cheeks. “I couldn’t survive it if something happened to you, Piper.”
“He’s never going to stop unless we stop him,” I replied. “It’s me he wants. Nothing else is going to draw him out.”
“There has to be another way—”
“There’s not,” I said, cutting him off. I dipped my head, looking up at him through my lashes. “I’m stronger than you give me credit for, Levi.”
“You are the strongest person I’ve ever met, Piper Williams. Even as a human. Your strength and perseverance was never in question. It’s just… I can’t…”
“I know,” I said as he searched for the right words. I fisted my hands in his shirt. “I love you, too. I trust you, and I need you to trust me in this. We will win. And when we do, we’ll be free to live our afterlives however we want. No shadows lurking in the corners. No fear of what might happen next.”
“If he touches you, I’ll kill him on the spot,” he said, giving me the tacit agreement I was searching for.
I smiled. “Not if I kill him first.”
We headed back to camp, making a quick stop by Levi’s cabin so he could grab a new shirt. I wasn’t the least bit embarrassed or ashamed of what we just did, but my mom and dad might have a few things to say about it, and I had no desire to discuss it with them. Besides, it’s not like I could catch a venereal disease or get pregnant—
“What is it?” Levi asked when he trotted out of his cabin and saw my face.
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head.
“Piper.”
Heaving a fake vampire sigh, I pulled him back inside his cabin and closed the door. I listened for any movement in the immediate area and, finding none, met Levi’s gaze.
“I just realized I can never have children.”
Anguish pulled his face down into a frown as he reac
hed forward and took both of my hands in his. “I’m sorry, Piper. Did you want to have kids?”
I shrugged. “I never really thought about it. I mean, I assumed I would have a couple one day, but then Dad died and everything got so messed up, I stopped thinking about the future altogether.”
“And now?”
“I have my family. I have my friends. I have you. I don’t need anything else.”
As the words passed my lips, I knew them to be true. I didn’t need kids to make my life complete. It already was… or would be, once we ended this mess with Warren and The Society.
“Same for me,” Levi said with a small smile. “All I need is you. I love you, Piper.”
“I’ll love you until the end of time,” I whispered back as he wrapped me in a tight hug.
“As long as I walk this Earth,” he replied, his own voice a broken whisper, “I am yours.”
“My mate,” I said, squeezing him tightly.
“Forever,” he agreed.
The snap of a twig outside the cabin broke us apart, both of us dropping into a defensive crouch as we used our heightened senses to find the source of the noise. I heard nothing for a moment, but the silence was quickly broken by footsteps slapping against the dirt, panting breaths, and a pounding heart.
Levi and I looked at each other and smiled, saying, “True,” at the same time.
She stomped up to the door and swung it open. Spotting us, she heaved a sigh of relief.
“There you guys are. I’ve been looking all over—wait. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” She wiggled her eyebrows with a snicker, and I shook my head with a smile.
“No,” I said. “What’s up?”
She arched a brow at me, her expression telling me knew something was different and she’d be forcing me to spill every detail in the very near future. She shook her head as her expression dropped into a frown.