Zephyr smirked. “I thought you weren’t a dog?”
Lance shrugged. “I’m not.”
“Then why…never mind.” Zephyr let out an aggravated breath, shaking his head at the shifter. Why bother arguing with him? Jared was the important thing here, not the issue of the wolf becoming a snack. “Apparently you weren’t his trigger. If you had been, I’m sure he would have killed you a long time ago. I know I would have.”
Lance rolled his eyes. “Really feeling the love over here, Z. And, for the record, you aren’t being helpful. We have got to get him out of here.”
“I agree.” Zephyr slapped Jared on the cheek lightly. One of his eyes opened. Zephyr smirked and brought his wrist to Jared’s mouth. “Come on, Copil. You need this if you’re going to get back home.”
Jared shoved his hand away weakly. A violent shiver wracked his body. “Keep it. I’m not going back.” Jared unfolded from the fetal position, wrapping an arm around his middle. He leaned against the wall. “I can’t.” Uncontrolled spasms pounded his body. His teeth chattered, breaking the silence.
“This is why you have to listen to me. Jared, I promised your mother I’d get you back safe, and I’ll be damned if you don’t make it there in one piece. You’ve lost too much blood. You have to feed, now. Do I have to force-feed you like an infant? I will, you know.”
Jared narrowed his eyes at Zephyr. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Lance chuckled. “Oh yeah he would, Jared. He’s in a piss-ass mood, even threatened me earlier when I told him that I’d piss on his leg.” They shot Lance a glance of irritation. “Wow, you two just creeped me the hell out giving me the same damn look.” He gave a mock shiver.
“Anyway…” Zephyr focused his attention back to Jared and held out his wrist again. “It’s me or him. Personally, I’d like to see you take him and rid the world of his smart mouth, but my vein holds something a little stronger. You’ll need it to heal.”
Jared grimaced and held Zephyr’s arm in his hands. “You know this isn’t going to make me your newest groupie. You’re not my type, Z.”
Zephyr chuckled. “Ditto, Copil. Just drink so I can get your worthless ass back home to Sam. But I’m warning you, the next few hours are not going to be easy.” He gently pushed his wrist closer to Jared.
“Great, just what I needed to hear.” He grimaced at Lance over Zephyr’s arm. “I hope you have your camera ready for a YouTube worthy performance.” Jared opened his mouth, baring his new fangs and closed his lips around Zephyr’s wrist. The tips of his fangs came into contact with Z’s skin and Jared hesitated. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t bite down.
Zephyr felt Jared’s hesitation and took matters into his own hands. He shoved the back of Jared’s head down, forcing his fangs to break the skin. The moment Zephyr’s blood filled his mouth, Jared gagged and tried to pull back.
Z kept a tight hold on him. “Drink, damn it.”
Jared gave in and took a long pull from Zephyr’s vein. A groan vibrated in his throat. He drank deeply from his friend. He was lost to rational thought, operating on the basic need to feed. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there, his teeth buried in Zephyr’s flesh; -could it have been minutes, hours? He had no clue.
It wasn’t long until his hunger began to subside. Z pinched the pressure point at the base of his skull, thus causing him to release his wrist. Jared growled and made a grab to regain the blood source. He wanted more.
Zephyr pushed him back and licked the bite mark closed. “Enough, Copil. We should get you home before the transition hits.”
Jared leaned back against the wall, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. “Before the transition hits? I thought I already went through it. You know, the vampy attack mode and shit? Been there, done that.”
“Sorry, Jared, but you’ve watched way too many B-movies.” Zephyr pulled down the sleeve of his black turtleneck. “What you’re about to feel is going to make you wish you had dropped dead. I’ve seen it happen to half-breeds before. We just have to hope you live through it.”
“Wait a second; we have to hope I live through it? Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“It isn’t like you have a choice right now. You have a life-threatening wound which needs to heal properly, feeding will accelerate it. Now if we’re done debating this…”
Zephyr never had a chance to finish what he was saying. Jared’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. “No time like the present, then. Guess we’re going to have to do this here.”
Jared doubled over, his arms wrapping around his midsection. A wave of pain tore through him. He had no control, falling forward and crashing to the floor, writhing. An unearthly cry came from deep within, foreign to his own ears. It felt like someone had gutted him with a serrated blade and sifted through his insides with a jackhammer.
His skin crawled, -invisible ants burrowed beneath it and tunneled through him. Breathing was painful. He could only take shallow breaths. He tried to focus, but a second wave of agony hit his gut and he was completely lost. He rolled back and forth, writhing in pain. His skin over heated and a skull splitting headache took hold. He clawed at his scalp, tearing at his hair trying to get rid of the pain.
Lance and Zephyr took hold of his arms, prying his hands from his hair to stop him from harming himself. Jared snapped his jaws at them in warning, his fangs gleaming in the pale moonlight. The two of them finally overpowered him and pinned him to the floor. Jared let out another feral scream. He pulled his arms out from under them and wrapped them around his stomach. He rolled away and laid shivering, sweat coating his whole body.
Jared went through the surge and ebb of pain for the next two hours. It was getting close to dawn when he found his voice at last. “Anyone get the number of that bus?” He eased open one eye and gave them a tired glare. “What time is it?”
“Almost dawn.” Lance yawned while stretching.
“Damn.”
Zephyr rolled his head and shoulders before pinning Jared with his dark eyes. “I’m going to ask you this once. Do you think you’re ready to go home? And ‘No’ better not be your answer.”
Jared uncurled his body and sat up, rubbing his forehead. “How am I going to get home feeling like this?” He stretched out his legs. They felt like rubber bands. Not good.
Zephyr placed a hand on his shoulder. “You leave it to me, okay?”
Lance frowned. “Hey, what about me? How am I getting back? Z poofed me to the house. I don’t have a car.”
Jared reached into his pocket awkwardly and tossed Lance a set of keys. “Now you do. My Durango is in the driveway. Before you head north, pack up my crap in the house too, okay?”
Lance grimaced. “Since when did I become your personal moving company?”
“The second you started bitching about not having a ride.” Jared chuckled and regretted it. He felt like he went ten rounds with a Pit-bull.
“Glad to see you’re feeling better, Jared. Welcome back to the real world.”
Zephyr let out a shrill whistle. “Ladies, there’s a little matter of a burning orb coming up in, oh about five minutes. Can we continue this later? Jared and I have to be back before it crests the horizon.”
Lance smirked. “Figures. You win this time, Jared, but you owe me big time. Now get the hell out of here. Oh, just a second.” Lance went over to the milk crate and retrieved the dagger, handing it to Zephyr hilt first. “You may want to take care of this. As it is, if anyone comes out here they’re going to have enough questions.”
Zephyr saluted him. “Thanks. You better get your ass packing. Last I saw, he still had a room full of stuff here.” Z gave Lance one last evil grin before both he and Jared disappeared.
Twenty-Two
HE WAS IN HIS OWN ROOM, AND BED, BUT JARED just couldn’t get comfortable. His skin crawled with the remnants of his transition. He had to get some sleep to recharge, but between the constant whirr of a drill and his tossing, he’d be lucky if he got fifteen minutes of qualit
y sleep.
This is ridiculous.
Jared reached for the prescription bottle by the bed and emptied out a couple Xanax in his palm. Grabbing a bottle of water, he was about to down them when he realized the medication would be useless. Human drugs wouldn’t work on him anymore, nothing would. He replaced the pills and tossed the bottle in the garbage. No sense in keeping something worthless to him.
He fell back on the pillows and stared at the ceiling. The past fifteen years were nothing but reflexes for him. He had an anxiety attack; his reflex was to medicate it. Someone tried to get close; his reflex was to push them away. Someone attacked; his reflex was to kill.
Last night he accomplished one of the three.
Bits and pieces of the previous evening played out in his mind. There was no question about it, he hurt Alex and Sam. If he were them, would he forgive him? He didn’t know. The one thing he did know, he would have to eat an awful amount of crow the next time he saw either one of them.
A soft knock on the door startled him.
“Come in.”
Sam poked her head in, hesitant. “I thought you’d be sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Jared sat up straighter against the headboard. “It’s alright. I couldn’t sleep. The workers are making too much noise.” He yawned. “Are they almost done?”
She moved closer to the large mahogany bed. “Soon. They just have to test the shields and make sure they work properly. Maybe then you can get some sleep.”
Jared sighed. “Not likely.”
“Something else is bothering you. What is it?” Sam sat on the edge of the bed, her hand resting on his. “You’ve always been able to talk to me. Please don’t shut me out.”
He ground his teeth thinking of everything he wanted to say. Foremost on his mind was Alex. Was she okay? Had she called? But it wasn’t want he wanted to ask Sam. “Why? Why did you give me away?”
Sam’s gaze fell on their joined hands. “It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. You are my one and only child, Jared. I love you more than life itself. Please know this is true.”
Jared watched her in silence.
“I had to protect you from Xavier. He could never know of your existence. It’s why I bound you to being human. With my spell, no one except Zephyr, Anna, Julian and I knew who you were. Vampires couldn’t sense you. You were protected.”
His jaw ticked. “But why did I need the protection?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you. Just know the King was your greatest danger.”
“Sam, I need a better explanation.”
“I know.” Tears filled her eyes. “I know it doesn’t make up for all the years we were denied. I want to be a part of your life, Jared.” She reached out and brushed the hair from his brow. “I want us to start over.”
Jared took both her hands in his and gazed deep into the stormy grey depths of her eyes. “I wish you had told all of this to me sooner before my mother… Anna died. What happened wasn’t fair to any of us.” He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I will tell you this, I need time. This is a lot for me right now.”
Sam nodded. “I know, and I’m sorry everything crashed at once. None of this was my intention.” A tear slid down her cheek.
“I get it, Sam.” His thumb stroked the back of her hand. “We’ll take it one day at a time. It’s all I can offer right now.”
“Thank you, Jared.” She removed a hand from his to wipe the tear away. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you.”
“Let’s not find out. I don’t want to lose you either.”
Sam rose from the bed, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. “Now, lay back and get some rest. I’ll go kick the workers out untill tomorrow. The damn drill is giving me a headache.” She headed for the door.
“Wait.” Jared called to her just as she opened the door. She paused, facing him. “I love you, Mom.”
Sam blinked back her tears. “I love you too, Jared.” She stepped out into the hall and quietly closed the door.
HER FATHER WAS ALIVE.
It had been the only thing keeping Alex sane over the last few weeks. The endless days and nights having her blood drained was starting to take its toll. No matter how many times they sealed her vein, they were able to get a fresh port to start a new line. The last time, it was becoming more difficult. Her veins and arteries were thinning out. It was only a matter of time before one of them ruptured. Hopefully she would stroke out and end this torture. It was the only way out for her.
Fortunately, Absinthe had finally taken off the band around her head. The rest of her was still strapped to the table during the bleeding and her replenishment; but when it was completed, they moved her to another chamber in the dungeon of horrors. Honestly, it wasn’t bad as far as prisons went. She had a bed with a separate bathroom attached. Absinthe preferred her to be clean when they took her blood. Alex couldn’t agree more. She didn’t need an infection on top of everything else, especially if she was going to find a way out of there.
Tonight was a rarity, she had been granted the night off. Absinthe sent word she would be occupied elsewhere and Alex should rest. Yeah, rest in a rat-infested basement, not happening. Alex found it damn near impossible to sleep more than a few hours at a time. Every time she drifted off, she saw his face. Alex reached out and begged him to find her. Just as he extended his hand, Jared staggered back, clutching his blood covered chest, gasping. She ran to him, calling his name, but the shackles on her ankles pulled her back, and she fell face-first in a pool of his blood. He’d fall to the floor, his last breath leaving his body. His eyes locked in her direction, a death stare. She bolted upright in her bed, screaming his name, sweat and tears mingling on her face. She buried it in her hands, sobbing.
No, she couldn’t go through the nightmare again, not tonight. She was too restless, anyway. She’d worn a path in the stone floor from her endless pacing. Every so often, she would wind up at the door, trying to peek through the boards which had separated. Once or twice, she heard someone on the other side. Alex called out to them.
For the most part, she was ignored, but tonight a woman came close enough to say, “If you keep yelling, you’ll get her attention. Trust me; it’s not something you want. She’ll surely kill you. Truthfully you might be better off if she did. I wish she would’ve let me die all those years ago.”
“Please, can you help me? Can you get a message to someone, anyone for me?”
The woman had hesitated as if debating her answer. “I can’t. I have to go.”
Alex leaned her head on the door. “No, please don’t go. Don’t leave me here.”
“I’m sorry. I just can’t.” The woman moved away from the door. “I’ll come back later, when she leaves. I promise you.”
The candle light on the other side of her door faded. The woman was gone. She was alone again. Alex slid down the door, her legs folded under her. Her fingers toyed absently with the hem of her loose-knit top. Her mind drifted to thoughts of the drawing she had seen in the book at Jared’s house. Zephyr. From everything she had been able to piece together from Absinthe, this vampire was her father. Unfortunately, he was also Absinthe’s mystery lover. She didn’t need anyone to admit it directly. She saw it in Absinthe’s face when she spoke about him. The crazy bitch actually had feelings for him. It made her wonder about her father’s IQ. Couldn’t he see how evil she was?
Then again, Zephyr had no clue Alex existed and was being held captive by his lover. Or did he?
Alex shook her head. No, Jared said he was like family to him. If he knew she was here, his daughter, he wouldn’t let her suffer this way. The portrait painted him as a seductively powerful being, yet she saw the sadness lurking in his eyes. She read the pain he kept hidden from the world, the loneliness of his station, all from a brief glance. Imagine what she could pick up had she been able to study the portrait.
She let out a tired breath. Her eyes drifted closed. Her strength was fading, and
she could barely remain upright. Alex’s gums began to throb, and she had developed an insatiable thirst, one not sated by the water they’d forced her to drink. If she didn’t know better, she would think they were slowly poisoning her. But apparently, she was too valuable to die.
Someone needed to find her soon. Maybe the mystery woman, whoever she was, could find a way for them to escape. It was the only thing she had to bank on, but if someone didn’t come soon, she may not make it another day.
She pictured the image of her father’s face behind her closed eyelids. “If you are my father, I need you. I’m dying. Please help me.”
JARED FELT LIKE A CAGED ANIMAL. He hadn’t been able to leave his house at any time of the day. Sam and Zephyr wanted to keep the fact that he lived from as many people as possible. They even had blood delivered after he refused to drink from either of them. Zephyr protested at first. He insisted the stuff stored at the blood bank wasn’t pure enough. He needed vampire blood to sustain him. Jared disagreed. He had a surge of power when he needed it while sparring with Z. He felt it increase when Sam tried to school him on his new powers. There was one thing missing.
He tried to call Alex repeatedly after he recovered. Jared sent Lance to her apartment with a peace offering, only to have him discover Alex hadn’t been there in weeks. The landlord was on the verge of evicting her. If not for Jared sending him her rent for the next few months, her belongings would have been on the street by week’s end. The fact she hadn’t been seen at all worried him. He shouldn’t have let her leave the hospital without him. He should have made sure she got home in one piece.
Now he sat staring at the screen of her laptop. He finally found the courage to remove it from the case and plug it in. Once it booted up, it didn’t take him long to figure out her password and find the file she made on him. All it would take was one click of the mouse, and he could see what she had written about him. Funny thing was, he didn’t care. He would give anything for her to walk through the door and call him out on being an asshole in the hospital. But he had to find her first.
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