Fate

by Amanda Hocking

Blushing, I curled up closer to him. Even in the dimly lit room, I could see the way Violet looked at me with pure thirst in her eyes. Jack would never let anything happen to me, and I don’t think she wanted to kill me. But she wanted to taste me, and that was a weird thing to know.

  “Are you gonna go back to one of the rooms?” She nodded toward the dark doorways that led out of the room, and I wondered what kind of rooms they were. “I would kill just to watch. ”

  “We’re good, thanks,” Jack said.

  Violet kept her eyes locked on me and slid closer to Jack, pressing her body against him. He tried to recoil, but I was at the end of the couch and he didn’t want to smash me.

  “You’re just a little treat, aren’t you?” Violet winked at me.

  “Alright, that’s fun. ” Jack stood up, pulling me to my feet with him.

  “We must not have messed around, otherwise you wouldn’t be turning me down,” she laughed at him. “I can do things, for the both of you that you’ve only ever dreamed about. ”

  “Yep. I’m really missing out. ” Jack steered me towards the bar in the corner, and Violet cackled behind us. “I’m sorry. This was a terrible idea. I’ve never brought a human here before, and I didn’t really know what to expect. ”

  “It’s not so bad,” I said.

  At the bar, Jack moved me in front of him, so my stomach was pressed against the wood. He stood behind me with his arms on either side of me. The vampires had freaked him out, and he wanted to surround me.

  Oddly, I didn’t feel the slightest bit anxious, and my emotions tended to mirror his. Something about being in this room, it made me strangely sedate.

  The bartender came over to take our order and gave Jack a bewildered look.

  “I’d like a drink. Just whatever you have handy,” Jack told him, and that only deepened the bartender’s confusion. “Do you have any vodka back here?”

  “All the light drinks are out there. ” The bartender gestured to the dance floor. He looked at me, then up at Jack. “Are you sure you really want a drink?”

  “Yep,” Jack said, and when the bartender continued eyeing me up, Jack added, “She’s just for looks. ”

  “Whatever floats your boat, buddy,” the bartender shook his head and walked away to get a drink.

  “You know what? Cancel the drink. ” He slid his arm around me and stepped back from the bar.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “This was a stupid idea, and we’re getting out of here. ” He looked around uneasily as he led me away. “Everyone is looking at you like… I don’t know. ”

  “What about Milo?” I asked. We were just about out of the room, back to the dance floor where my words would be drowned out, so I stopped.

  “I’ll text him when we get outside,” Jack said.

  “He won’t hear it. It’s too loud. And even if he does, he wouldn’t answer. He’s having fun. ”

  “Then we’ll leave him here, and he can call when he’s ready,” Jack said.

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  “We can’t just leave him here!” I insisted. Milo might be a vampire, but he’s still my little brother, and I wasn’t prepared to leave him alone on his first night out.

  Jack tried to reason with me, so I jerked my hand away from him and crossed my arms over my chest. Behind us, the vampire in black leather with the girl on her lap whistled loudly at my display, so both Jack and I turned to look at her.

  “She’s a firecracker!” the vampire laughed, but it was that lazy, blissed-out laugh people have when they’re really high. “You’ve got your hands full with that one, don’t you?”

  “I make do,” Jack told her, but looked severely at me. “Alice…”

  “I’m not leaving Milo here,” I persisted.

  “Well, I’m not dragging you out there to look for him. ” He pursed his lips when he glanced out at the crowded dance floor. Going across the room wouldn’t be so bad, let alone wading through there for any length of time, with all those people grabbing at me.

  “I can keep an eye on her for you, if you need to me to,” the vampire offered. She patted the girl on her lap. “And I know how hard it is to keep the flies away from the food. ”

  “Just keep an eye on her, nothing else,” Jack warned her.

  “Cross my heart and hope to die. ” She crossed her heart with her long black fingernail.

  “I’ll be right back. ” He hesitated before leaving, and then placed his hands on my cheeks and quickly, he kissed me. Keeping his face close to mine, he whispered, “Don’t let anybody touch you. ”

  “I won’t. ”

  “Good. ” Reluctantly, he turned and disappeared in the writhing bodies on the dance floor.

  “What’s your name?” my vampire baby-sitter asked me.

  “Alice. ” I hugged myself and tried to keep my eyes fixated on her and the girl on her lap, and not on the room full of leering vampires around me.

  “Olivia,” she gestured to herself, and then to the girl on her lap. “This is Hannah. She’s mine. ”

  “Congratulations,” I said lamely, unsure of what else to say.

  “Thanks,” Olivia laughed. “It’s tricky what you have with him. ” She nodded at the door after Jack. “Why hasn’t he turned you?”

  “It’s a complicated situation. ” I rubbed my arms. The girl on Olivia’s lap stirred, and she stroked her hair to quiet her. “Why haven’t you turned Hannah?”

  “I wouldn’t have any reason to keep her if I did,” Olivia said, but she looked at her with some affection. “You’ve heard the saying ‘why buy the cow if you get the milk for free?’ Well, if I bought the cow, I wouldn’t get any milk at all. ”

  She wanted Hannah for her blood, and nothing else.

  “So why do you think he should turn me?” I asked.

  “He loves you,” Olivia sounded surprised when she looked up at me. “You must know that. ” I shifted uneasily but didn’t answer her. “And I’m betting that he’s not getting any milk either. ” She narrowed her bleary eyes at me, genuinely appraising me for the first time. “I bet you’re a virgin in every sense of the word. ”

  “Not entirely,” I raised my chin defiantly, as if I had showed her in some way.

  “He’s never bitten you?”

  “He’s tasted me. ” When I told her that, her eyes widened.

  “And he hasn’t bitten you?” She was stunned and unbelieving. “That boy has some restraint. But it’s only a matter of time before he slips, and with that much pent up, he’d go way too far. ”

  “We have things under control,” I said unconvincingly.

  “Well, hello there,” a deep voice said from behind me,

  I whirled around to see the vampire that had touched me on the dance floor. His black eyes glowed at me. A strand of black hair came loose, so he pushed it back with unpleasantly long nails, at least for a man.

  “That’s Alice!” Violet announced with her shrill, sparkling laugh. She leapt off the couch and skipped over to us, stopping so close to him that they were almost touching. “Isn’t she a treat?”

  “Sweet as pie,” he purred with an exaggerated southern drawl, reminding me of when Hannibal Lector mocked Clarisse Starling in Silence of the Lambs. He breathed in deeply, leaning in closer to me, but I couldn’t think enough to step back. “Breathe, honey. ”

  With that, I gasped and filled my lungs with precious oxygen. Whatever he did to me, it was far worse than even what Peter could do. My mind was less of a fog, but my body lost the ability to do anything, like breathe or blink or move.

  “You are precious!” he smiled hungrily, and Violet giggled next to him.

  “Oh, leave her alone,” Olivia said. Her voice gained some strength and lost its bleary edge as she came to my aide. “She’s just a kid, and her boyfriend’s out there in the other room. ”

  “What’s it to you?” He looked past me at her, and I caught a gl
impse of primal rage flashing in his eyes.

  “He left her in charge,” Violet smirked, leaning in close to him. “He left her alone. ”

  “What do you want?” I asked when I finally found my voice.

  “You’re so scared!” This fact amused him too much, and he sounded a tad aroused. “I’d just like us to be friends. Me, you, and Violet. ” He spread his arms openly, as if he expected me to run into them. “To put you at ease, I’ll introduce myself. My name is Lucian. ”

  “His name’s not really Lucian,” Violet confessed. “It’s actually Hector, but that doesn’t sound nearly as decedent. ” He glared at her, and she recoiled but forced a smile at me. “But trust me, sweetie, he’s all vampire. ”

  “So am I,” Olivia interjected. “Why don’t you two go prey on someone you stand a chance with? This girl isn’t going anywhere with you. ”

  “You must be getting senile in your old age, Olivia,” Lucian snarled at her. “Because I didn’t say anything about going anywhere. We’re just having a friendly little chat. Isn’t that right, Alice?”

  “I’m not much for talking,” I said.

  My heart beat erratically and much too fast. Both Violet and Lucian had that eye-fluttering pleasurable look, and I knew they were tuned into it.

  “My god, that’s beautiful,” Lucian murmured, almost inaudible. “It’s so delicate and frantic. Like a fly caught in a spider web, desperately beating its tiny wings… but it’s not going anywhere. ”

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  “You guys are big into the insect metaphors,” I whispered.

  “Here’s another: ‘Welcome to my parlor,’” Lucian smiled, this time purposely showing me his fangs. Like Violet’s, they were sharper and larger than Jack’s, and all the more frightening.

  “My boyfriend is right out there, and he’ll kill you,” I warned them breathlessly. “He left Olivia in charge, and she takes her responsibility seriously. ”

  “That drugged out old hag?” Lucian laughed and leaned in closer to me. “She’s not going to do anything. If your boyfriend really cared, he wouldn’t have brought you here in the first place. I think he wanted this to happen. ”

  “That’s not true,” I said, and his eyes dropped to my throat as he leaned closer to me.

  “Oh, Alice, I’m afraid you’ve really fallen into a rabbit hole this time,” he whispered, and I closed my eyes.

  “Lucian!” Olivia shouted. “Oh, Hannah, will you move!” A moment later, she appeared next to me. “I told you to back off!”

  “Olivia, Olivia,” Violet said, stepping away from us to take care of Olivia. Lucian leaned back up straighter but didn’t move away from me. “Aren’t you sick of that tired old blood bag you’re always taking around with you?”

  “Violet, not right now. ” Olivia sounded disgusted. “I’m trying to keep this girl out your hands. She’s not yours. There are plenty of other girls here that you can go crazy with. ”

  “I’m here too, Olivia,” Violet batted her eyes at her and rubbed her arm seductively on Olivia’s. “I know you’re always traipsing around with those little dolls of yours. When was the last time you were with a real woman?”

  Olivia was momentarily distracted by Violet, and that was all the time that Lucian needed. His arms were around me, so strong and tight, that I couldn’t breathe or move or even scream.

  He carried me away, quick and nauseating. The wind whipped through my hair, and he had my face pressed into the unyielding muscles of his chest. If he didn’t let me go soon, I would suffocate.

  - 14 -

  He let go of me, and as soon as I could gasp for air, I started to scream.

  In a dim narrow hallway, Lucien dropped me heavily onto the cement. He sprawled out on the floor a few feet from me, and Jack stood between us. On the other side of Lucian, Milo blocked the door back to the club where we’d come from, and behind him, Olivia growled.

  “Get up,” Jack said, his voice trembling with restraint, and Lucian scrambled to his feet. “Get out of here before I rip out your throat. ”

  “You shouldn’t have brought her if you didn’t want to share her!” Lucian shouted, almost plaintively.

  Milo made a move towards him, but Olivia grabbed his arms and held him back. Lucian snuck past them and hurried away.

  Jack glared after him for a second, but before Olivia released Milo, Jack turned and dropped to his knees next to me. He touched my forehead and let out an uneasy breath. With great effort, he pulled his eyes away to look me completely over. His breath came out in shallow rasps, and I felt a hungry panic from him that I didn’t understand.

  “Are you okay?” Jack asked.

  “Yeah,” I nodded. “Are you? What’s the matter?”

  “I’m okay. ” His hand trembled when he pulled it from my forehead, and I noticed something dark staining his fingers. “You’re bleeding. ”

  “Oh no,” I whispered.

  “Alice… do you trust me?” Jack kept his eyes fixed on me. I nodded. “Good. ” He leaned over and gently, he kissed my forehead.

  Milo yelled in protest, but Olivia restrained him. Softly, I felt Jack’s mouth on my wound, and that simple touch sent shivers of pleasure through me. He wanted me so badly I could hardly stand it. I moaned, and Jack sprang back from me, panting hoarsely.

  “What did you do?” Milo shouted.

  “I needed the bleeding to stop!” Jack licked his lips and looked at me hungrily. “My saliva will make it heal quicker. ”

  “Take her out the back way,” Olivia said, sounding far more worried than I felt. “It’ll be easier than going through the club. ”

  I couldn’t feel worried or frightened. Jack overwhelmed me with his thirst, and that left me wantonly reciprocating.

  I sat on the floor with my back against the wall, only vaguely aware of my throbbing headache. Jack crouched across from me, pressing himself tightly against the other wall. His blue eyes stayed locked on mine. He willed himself to stay there, and I wanted his will to break.

  “Jack!” Milo said, and he gripped my arm painfully as he yanked me to my feet. He hadn’t gotten the magnitude of his new strength, and I was lucky he hadn’t snapped my arm in half.

  “Sorry,” Jack mumbled, standing up. Milo managed to break us out of the trance, but we were both pretty dazed.

  “We gotta get out of here,” Milo said, looking back over his shoulder.

  “Yeah, right, okay. ” Jack nodded but made no effort to move. He just stared dumbly at me, and he shook his head to clear it. “I, uh, I don’t know where the back exit is. ”

  “Oh, hell. ” Olivia rolled her eyes. She slid in between us, her long hair brushing like silk across my skin. “Grab the girl. We have to hurry. ” She was already jetting ahead, gliding lightly in her knee-high boots.

  I could never keep up with her, and I was about to say that when Milo tried to put his arms around me. At the same time, Jack made the same play, and they bumped into each other.

  “I got her. ” Jack scooped me up in his arms before Milo could stop him.

  “Just be careful,” Milo warned.

  As soon as Jack had me in his arms, he flew after Olivia. We raced down winding passageways that appeared to be an intricate labyrinth in the basement. At least that’s what I could tell from what I could see, but most of it was completely black.

  Abruptly, we burst through a set of heavy doors. We were outside, with a set of cement stairs leading up to the sidewalk.

  At the top, Jack set me down, and I looked around. I could see the marquee for Barfly glittering brightly, but we were hidden in an alley, next to a stairwell I had never noticed before.

  Olivia waited for us, crossing her arms over her chest in a way that pushed out her ample bosom. A full moon splashed in between the buildings, lighting her face, and she was even more exquisite than I had first believed.

  “Thanks,” Jack told her. He moved a couple feet a
way from me, because he didn’t trust himself right now.

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  “You have to be careful,” Olivia cautioned him. “What were you thinking bringing her here?”

  “I don’t know. ” He scratched his head and looked at the ground. “I’d never brought anyone here, and the girls I’d met here never seemed like they in were any danger. ”

  “That’s because they’re whores. ” Olivia looked at Jack like he was an idiot. In response, he kicked an empty bottle with his foot. “They let people bite them! If you had wanted to share her, you probably wouldn’t have had a problem. ”

  “What the hell happened in there?” Milo asked.

  “I don’t know really. ” I shook my head. “There were these vampires, Violet and Lucian. And they were into me, and Jack went to look for you, so they pounced. ”

  “What were you doing?” Jack lifted his head to look at Milo. “You disappeared in there. ”

  “I was dancing,” Milo said. “I didn’t know we’d have to run out ten minutes later because you didn’t realize it wouldn’t be a good idea to bring a human to a vampire bar!”

  “You guys can sort it out later,” Olivia interrupted. “You should get out of here. ”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Jack said. “Thank you. You’ll never know how much I appreciate what you did tonight. ”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve been there,” Olivia shrugged, but her expression got more severe. “You need to hurry up and turn her, unless you’re ready to bury her. ”

  “It’s complicated,” Jack sounded exasperated, and I knew it touched the same raw nerve it did me.

  “Maybe, but death is simple. ” She pointed to the end of the alley. “Now get out of here. ”

  “Thank you,” Jack repeated.

  “Thanks,” I echoed.

  “Take care of yourself, kid,” Olivia smiled at me before going back down the stairs, into the darkness that led to the hidden vampire club.

  Jack took my hand as we walked towards the car. All the clubs downtown were letting out, so the streets were more crowded than before. Milo and Jack had put me in between them, and Milo scoured the crowd, as if a vampire would attack us on a crowded street.

  Neither of them said anything until we reached the car.

  “Well, that was fun,” Milo sighed as he leaned back in the seat.

  “I am so sorry. ” Jack started the car and wouldn’t look at me. “I should’ve known better. ”

  “It’s okay,” I reassured him. “Everybody’s okay. And it was a really interesting night. I learned a couple things, and that’s something. ”

  “There’s easier ways to learn,” Jack said.

  “I had a blast!” Milo interjected. “I mean, until the whole Alice-almost-getting-slaughtered thing. That wasn’t fun. But the running away kind of was. I felt like Matt Damon. ”

  “What does Matt Damon run away from?” I looked in the backseat at him, but he gave me cockeyed grin.

  “I don’t know. I just felt like him,” Milo shrugged.

  It was such a 180 from how he used to be. Everything I did used to make him nervous and scared, but I had almost been murdered, and he made jokes on the ride home. He was still sweet and geeky, but he’d lost his insecurities and paranoia.

  “At least you wore your pajamas here,” Jack said as we got closer to his house.