by Jade White
Luke finally slowed and then stopped, looking from Kim to Daisy in anguish. “Baby, I have to catch her! She’s going to steal the Fiat. She’s going to get away!”
Kim shook her head firmly. “Luke, stop. Put me down.”
He obliged, then looked back at Daisy. “You want me to go after her alone?”
Kim frowned, that felt wrong too. She had the feeling that he was supposed to stay here. They both were. Just like her body had steered toward him all those times, it was telling her to stay there now. She shook her head, once.
The anguish on Luke’s face transformed into an anger she’d never seen before.
“You’re chickening out. You’re backing out, because she’s family, just like I said.”
Kim stared at him in confusion, trying to form words; her brain was simply too mixed up to function, however, so all she could say was “Wait.”
“You told me that!” Luke fumed, tears in his eyes again. “I shouldn’t have brought you. I’m always right about this stuff, and this time is no different.” He turned away and started to move toward the Fiat again, limping as he gained speed.
Kim’s body was flooded with anger. She still couldn’t form words, she could hardly see, and every one of her bones was aching, but it chased away her confusion in time for her body and brain to make a joint decision.
She ignored the pins and needles stabbing her feet as she stood up, and she felt her hip joints scream in agony as she propelled her body forward. Kim focused on the back of Luke’s head, driving herself through space with one purpose: to get him to stop. Like that day she’d pushed him into the wall, she wasn’t aware of how fast or forceful she was being – she was just trying to solve the problem in the way that most made sense. In seconds, she was on Luke’s heels; beyond him, fire was inching toward the Fiat, which was refusing to move forward, even though the engine was humming pleasantly and Daisy was pumping the gas.
“WAIT!” Kim screamed as she leapt toward Luke, who looked back just in time to see Kim descending on him, face set in a mask of determination.
They both crashed into the ground for the third time that day, and Kim did her best to keep her body clamped over Luke’s. He was shouting incoherently, his angry aura an earthquake, but Kim just locked her arms around his neck and lifted his chin, pointing his eyes toward the tableau playing out a few hundred feet in front of them.
Daisy was now banging on the gear shift and pumping the gas wildly as the fire finally reached the car. Her green eyes widened in a soundless scream, and she lunged over to the passenger side to try to open the door – but her seatbelt, the first thing she always saw to, had locked around her. Luke stopped struggling, growing quiet as Daisy grew more panicked and her skin started to flush and bead up with sweat. Finally, as the flames started to creep up the hood of the car, She twisted around and made eye contact with Kim and screamed one long, ear-splitting word.
“Help!”
Luke managed to stand with Kim on his back, but he retreated away from the Fiat, horrified gaze never leaving Daisy. Kim watched her green eyes swell as the heat inside the car rose, and a moment later, they popped, leaving two browned chasms at the top of her skull. Her mouth was still open, but her face was starting to char and smoke. Kim could tell she was still screaming.
“Is she going to burn to death?” Luke asked.
Kim shook her head. “No. Just wait.” She was sure of what was about to happen now.
As soon as she spoke, the flames reached Daisy’s torso, where she’d strapped all of her beloved husband’s combustibles. She seemed to realize what was happening just as it happened, because she turned around and stopped screaming the instant before Kim’s faithful little green Fiat exploded in a mushroom cloud of hellish fire.
The Final Chapter
It took Luke an hour to get them most of the way to town, and then they saw a legion of fire trucks barreling down the road, heading for the inferno on Mark Moody’s land. Luke dropped into a ditch as they passed, knowing that there was no way they could ever explain everything that happened to the authorities. Sonia’s body was gone, and Daisy’s probably was too. She felt bad they couldn’t retrieve Sonia, but she knew Luke likely felt worse.
Luke was silent for most of the journey, and Kim didn’t mind. She was enjoying being carried on his back, and his strength had returned quickly enough that he stopped breathing heavily after the first few miles. Her head felt much better, and she could form coherent sentences now, but so much had happened that she felt like she’d just lived an entire lifetime. What was more, much of it were things she had no intentions of going over – not now, maybe not ever. She wouldn’t forget seeing her sister-in-law melt and explode any time soon, nor would she forget the thump Sonia’s body made as it hurtled away from the explosion, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything had been her fault. Everything had changed, all because of her sister-in-law; now that she was dead, it felt fitting to blame herself.
Luke’s trot slowed, and put his hands over hers where they clashed around his chest. “Hey.”
Kim felt a little better just hearing his voice, and she was overjoyed that their bond hadn’t changed, at least. “Hey.”
“How do you feel?”
Kim thought for a moment. “Better. I’m healing, thanks to you.”
Luke smiled faintly. “And I’m healing, thanks to you.”
Kim blushed, wanting desperately to change the subject. “Will Vampire Fight Club still meet?”
“Not as a training measure anymore,” Luke said. “We don’t have an enemy any longer. We’ll still meet for social reasons, like before...but we’ll be a little smaller,” he said sadly.
Kim felt a throb of pain in the pit of her stomach. “I’m sorry, Luke.”
He squeezed her hands and didn’t respond for a while.
“You think Suzanna’s getting worried?” he asked finally.
Kim shrugged. “Maybe, but she knows how in control of everything I am. She has more faith in me than I have in myself.”
Luke laughed lightly. “No faith in me, though.”
“Hey!” Kim said as he stepped over a log. “That’s not true anymore. Especially after everything you’ve done for me.”
Luke chuckled. “I hope so. If she’s really family, I’d like her to feel like I’m family, too.”
“She will,” Kim said firmly. There was pain creeping up her ribs she hadn’t noticed before, and Luke was limping a little, despite his speed.
“How do you feel?” she asked anxiously.
Luke seemed thrown by the question. “Oh, I’ve been worse. A lot worse.”
Kim closed her eyes. “Was there any chance Sonia got away?”
Luke sighed. “No, babe. She was dead. I couldn’t feel her aura...it’s why I left her behind. And vampires burn fully in flame. There’s nothing left behind.” There was an edge of steel underneath his remorse, and Kim recognized it as the tone of a leader putting a matter to bed. Her father had the same tone when he explained why they couldn’t have new bikes that year, or why they had to put the dog down. It was always a decision with painful reasoning behind it, but it was necessary all the same. Luke wouldn’t want to talk about it anymore, she knew. She didn’t blame him.
“Anyway,” Luke continued. “What’s Mark going to say? Especially with his house burned down?”
Kim groaned. She was dreading the conversation, and dreading the questions he would have even more. The plan was to report Daisy missing, claiming she’d gone to her vacation home to check on something. Daisy normally took cabs everywhere, and she hadn’t driven a stick shift in years, so her tragically being stuck in an unmoving car while a fire closed in on her was somewhat believable. She wasn’t exactly nervous about the police buying it – it was her brother she really worried about.
“He really loved Daisy,” Kim said finally. “That was clear. He stuck by her through all her neuroses, the failed attempts at pregnancy….the strife she created between all of us.�
� A knot formed in her throat. “He’s going to be in pain, for sure.”
“Do you think,” Luke said slowly, “you’ll ever tell him the truth?”
Kim was surprised at the question. “You think I should?”
Luke thought for a moment. “The truth is important. Everyone deserves the peace it brings. And even though it won’t bring him peace at first, he’s going to know something is wrong with this initial story. It’ll torture him for years. Until he gets the truth...one way or another.”
Kim realized he was right. Dammit. This is going to suck.
They walked in silence for a bit longer, watching the first hints of sunrise bleed into the silken purple sky. The moon was still high above them, and it was bright enough to see by, but the deep red streaks pushing into the dark space made Kim feel a little more alive. That fire had been their only light for a while, and it was a fire that meant death and destruction – not exactly something to warm the soul.
“So…” Luke said after a moment. “We did it. We stopped the big bad murderer.”
Kim laughed weakly. “Yeah, I guess we did.” She looked at the ground as he carried her, picking through her thoughts to see which were worth voicing. “God, I don’t have a car, now. How will I get to work?”
“Are you sure you want to go back to work?” Luke asked gently. “This was...a huge mess, and a very big stressor. I think you’ve lost years off your life because of me.”
Kim balked. “Because of you? Luke, this was my fault. It was my sister-in-law traveling the country killing vampires and planning to abduct their children when the smoke cleared.”
Luke twisted his head so he could see her out of the corner of his eye. “How the hell is that your fault? Daisy acted alone. It’s not even your brother Mark’s fault. It’s not your parent’s fault. It’s just Daisy’s.” He sighed. “And you saved my life again. You keep doing that.”
He stopped and lowered her gently to the ground, turning around and meeting her eyes before he spoke again. “I’m sorry,” he began. “I think I should finally tell you why I was so afraid of you leaving me.”
Kim had forgotten all about their conversation a few weeks ago; it seemed so far away and unimportant now, but it also seemed like Luke really needed to tell her.
He dropped his chin, and a sheath of black hair covered his eyes momentarily. When he raised his gaze again, it was drenched in sorrow. “My father fell bonded with a human, and he moved her away from her family and eventually married her. They had me, and we were happy for a few years...and then her family caught up with her and found out she hadn’t married some stockbroker. She’d married a disgusting freak.”
Kim winced at his phrasing, because it sounded so much like Daisy’s.
“We all stayed together a few more years, but they started fighting...first about little things, then about big things. Things they couldn’t get around. Dad started to say maybe their bond wasn’t what he thought it was, if she could change tact so quickly. And she agreed,” Luke said softly. “She told him it had just been a lust bond, but that she’d stayed because of the baby.”
He paused, closing his eyes for a moment. “Because of me. She said it only lasted a few months, but by then she was pregnant.” He buried his face in his hands briefly, voice strained. “Six years, she lied to my father. She came to love him, but it wasn’t the right kind of love. And he wouldn’t have been so torn, but then she admitted that she didn’t feel the right kind of love for me, either. That now I wasn’t enough to keep her around, period, because the bond between them was gone. And I was a freak, too.” He dropped his eyes. “Her family drilled it into her until she believed it, and it only took a few months. I knew she was leaving my father...he had made peace with it, too. But we never thought she’d abandoned me.”
Kim’s heart shattered in her chest. He was looking at the ground, carefully avoiding eye contact for some reason. Why was he so afraid?
She looked at his fragile expression, and the answer came rushing toward her all at once. He wasn’t just afraid she would leave him – he was afraid she would break apart their new family, too.
Kim cradled his face in her hands, eyes shimmering with tears. “Luke, listen to me. You’re the love of my life. Evan is my world. I promise you, I am not like your mother. I don’t run when things get tough, and I don’t let people get into my head.” She smiled. “Well, except you, sometimes, but I don’t think we can help that.”
Luke smiled through tears and drew her closer. “Kim, you proved all of that to me tonight, and more. I’m sorry I doubted you. I need to know you forgive me.”
Kim stood on her toes and kissed him passionately in answer, reveling in the warmth that whirled between their bodies as their lips locked and their bodies meshed together. For her, there was no forgiveness, because there was nothing to forgive – Luke made a mistake, but she had made more than her share of those. Luke’s body responded eagerly to her touch, his hands running gently over every inch of her skin he could reach, leaving a fantastic tingling feeling in the wake of his fingers and palms. He shivered against her kiss, evidently feeling the buzz of their bond just as strong as she had.
She felt her bones heat up to the marrow and then cool again, and the sore spots on her neck and back faded as his hands plunged into her hair and their tongues entwined. For a moment, nothing existed but the two of them, the place where their lips joined, and the little patch of desert road they inhabited; their love was all the sun they needed, and their bond was the air they breathed. Kim felt something inside her uncurl and stretch toward Luke, and she was astonished to find that it was met by another answering wave of energy reaching out of him. She locked her arms around his neck and sighed into his kiss, the surge of power slowly fading away, leaving their bodies strong and vibrant and pain-free.
Kim pulled back, gasping a little. “Holy shit,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “What was that?”
Luke’s grin was incredulous and filled with wonder. “Our bond changed,” he said softly. “I don’t know – it felt like it...deepened. But that’s not supposed to happen. Not without--”
Kim interrupted him with a peal of laughter. “You know what? This whole ‘wondering about the bond’ thing is getting old. I’ve decided I don’t care.” She was delighted to find that she really didn’t – all the worrying had done was get in the way of their happiness. The secret to this relationship seemed to be in not questioning their bond, and Kim would happily do that until the day she died. Luke’s joyful smile told her he felt exactly the same way.
“Okay. From now on, no more questioning,” Luke said.
“Got it,” Kim chirped. She took his hand in hers and turned toward the road, swinging her arm giddily as they started to walk.
Luke laughed, astonished. “Seriously? Ms. Control is finally done trying to fill in all the blanks?”
Kim nodded, a spring in her step as they approached the city limit.
“Yeah. I’m done wondering for a while. I’ve got all the answers I need.”
THE END
Message From The Author:
Hiii
I hope you enjoyed the main book.
As promised and as part of this special package there is a bonus book included that has never previously been released anywhere before and you can start reading this now on the next page!
BONUS BOOK
THE VAMPIRE'S UNWANTED WIFE
PAULA MORGAN
About This Book:
“He didn't want her but now he has to protect her”
Rita's past as a vampire hunter made her the type of woman that handsome vampire Asher would never go for despite how much he was attracted to her.
However, when his shapeshifter enemies make the mistake of thinking that Rita is his wife, they go after her. And they want her dead.
Now Asher feels he has no choice but to save his apparently unwanted “wife” and the two of them soon find themselves fighting much more than their feelings for each other in th
e process...
THE VAMPIRE'S UNWANTED WIFE
Chapter One
The sight of her mother in full tactical gear, which consisted of an all-black outfit and her mini bow, elicited a sigh from Rita Jones. "I should have slept in the office."
She had just pulled into the driveway of the bright blue ranch style home she shared with her sister and her parents. At twenty-three years old, she really needed to find her own place, she thought. This was especially true after seeing what they were doing through the front window. Her father was strapping her sister into what looked like harnesses that would go under her jacket.
Groaning she had to force herself to climb from her pride and joy, a ten-year-old black jeep. Her parents and Greta were getting ready for the hunt. They would do the same thing they always did and try to guilt her to go with them. Rita hadn't gone after vampires in over a year and was perfectly content with her boring, yet well-paying, paralegal job. It had been an okay day, the back to back meetings made it fly by and they bought lunch for them, so there wasn’t much that could top that.
Slowly moving up to the front door, she put her ear against it, knowing her parents hadn’t heard her pull in. They could hear a vamp in the bushes miles away, but a jeep in the driveway, didn’t alert them.
“She’s going to say no,” Greta was saying. “I don’t know why you insist on trying to get her to go every time.”
Greta Jones was the perfect daughter for her parents. At just one year older than Rita, she’d excelled at hunting, trapping, and marking. It helped that she was perfect with blonde hair down to her ass and a cute as hell freckled baby face. Men fell all over themselves for her. She looked just like their mom. Rita had gotten her dad’s dark black locks, brown eyes, and fair skin. It was a strange combination of features, and while she wasn’t ugly, she always felt strange.