Bite the Bullet (Bitten Book 5)

by C. C. Wood

  “It’s not inconsiderate,” he argued.

  “Oh, really? Because I know I would probably be a little pissed off if you interrupted my sleep because you wanted a cup of herbal tea. Especially if you were perfectly capable of making it yourself.” I paused. “Unless you were sick. Then I wouldn’t mind. Of course vampires don’t get sick…you know what, never mind. I’m fine.”

  “You don’t sound fine.”

  I filled the kettle on the stove with water. “I said I’m fine,” I reiterated, setting the kettle on the burner with a little crash.

  “Perhaps we should talk about what happened earlier?”

  “You mean, when you bit me?” I asked. God, I’d never met a male who wanted to talk as much as he did. I was beginning to think he had more issues than People magazine.

  Asher nodded.

  “I’d rather not. At least not until I know how I feel about it. Right now, I’m confused and off-balance. I have a hunch I’ll need to be on my toes to have that conversation with you.” I also had a sneaking suspicion that it might be at least six months before I came to terms with the emotions he evoked in me a few hours ago. Maybe a year. Now that I was no longer in the afterglow, all I felt was bewildered.

  “All right, I understand. How about you tell me what’s really bothering you?” he suggested.

  “I told you, I hate being locked in that damn room, but it’s a necessity. I understand it, I just hate it!”

  Asher moved soundlessly across the kitchen, stopping beside me as I lit the burner to boil the water. His hands cupped my shoulders and he turned me to face him.

  “Tell me what’s upsetting you.”

  Frustration swelled within me. He was right, I wasn’t just upset over the padlock on my bedroom door. The problem was that I, myself, couldn’t put into words what was bothering me.

  I felt restless and anxious all the time. It ate at me night and day.

  “Shannon, talk to me,” Asher insisted.

  “I don’t know!” I shouted. “I don’t know what’s bothering me, except I’m sick of this!”

  I backed away from him and began pacing around the kitchen island, my arms crossed over my chest.

  “It’s been months and I’ve barely been outside long enough to see the sun. And no one tells me anything. You and Conner all treat me like I can’t be trusted or I’m useless.” I stopped pacing and faced him. “But I’m not. In case you’ve forgotten, I protected Ricki and myself from several vampires. I have skills and gifts that could be useful and you act as though I’m a child.”

  I stopped talking and took a deep breath. I was ranting like an adolescent throwing a tantrum. I had to get myself under some semblance of control. It was then that I understood that my problem wasn’t with Conner or Asher or anyone else, but with the fact that there was very little I could do in my current situation. I felt ineffectual and I loathed it. I’d spent the last few years being in charge and now all I could do was wait for others to make decisions.

  Suddenly, I was exhausted.

  “Feel better?” Asher asked softly.

  I looked up to find him watching me, his eyes understanding.

  “No, but I’m kind of tired now.”

  He smiled slightly. “When Conner told me what you two talked about privately, I knew it wouldn’t be long before you needed to unload.”

  Of course Conner would have spoken to Asher about turning me. Asher was unmated and Conner’s friend, plus he was a Council member. He would be a smart choice.

  I winced as the kettle emitted an ear-piercing whistle. Asher twisted around and turned off the burner. He poured the hot water into the mug I’d left next to the stove.

  When he was finished, he brought the cup to the island and sat it in front of me. “I think it’s natural for you to feel the way you do. You’re strong and accustomed to your independence. The changes you’ve had to make in your life in the last few months would be grating for anyone, but even more so for you.”

  Considering Asher and I had barely spoken before the last few days, I was surprised at his insight into my character. Especially since I made sure to keep my mental barriers raised any time I was around a vampire.

  “And Conner and I don’t think you’re useless,” he continued. “What you are is valuable, to all of us, including your friends. Because of the prophecy and the fact that Donna, Ivie, Kerry, and Ricki all consider you like family, you are doubly valuable, which means we want to keep you protected.”

  I sipped my tea. “I understand.” And I did. I comprehended everything he was saying, even before he said it, but that didn’t change the frustration I was feeling. Unfortunately, logic didn’t always negate emotions. Understanding didn’t mean acceptance.

  “Shannon, I promise you, you will be free soon. This will be over and you can return to your normal life.”

  His promise did nothing to ease my anxiety because I didn’t know what my normal life was supposed to be anymore.

  Chapter Nine

  The next morning, Asher’s phone woke me. I could hear it chiming through the wall between our bedrooms. I opened my eyes to find that my bed was empty and I couldn’t decide if I was relieved or disappointed.

  Last night, after we finished our talk and I finished my chamomile tea, Asher ushered me to my room.

  “I’ll stay here with you until you fall asleep,” he offered.

  It was as if he knew that I wouldn’t be able to relax once I heard the padlock on the door click into place.

  Since there was nowhere to sit in my room, he stretched out on the bed facing me. There was at least two feet of space between us on the king sized mattress.

  After a few awkward minutes of lying there with my eyes closed, I finally sighed and opened them to find Asher staring at me.

  “I’m never going to be able to sleep if I know you’re sitting there, watching me,” I complained.

  He smiled at my insolent comment. It was the third time he’d smiled at me when I was being sassy. Strange what some males found amusing.

  “What should I do?” he asked.

  “Tell me a story,” I said, settling into my pillow and tucking my hands beneath it. “Something from your childhood.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “My childhood?”

  “Oh, that’s right, you’re over five hundred years old. You probably can’t remember that far back, right?” I teased.

  “I remember,” he answered defensively. “But I’m afraid the childhood of a vampire isn’t quite as entertaining as one of a human.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Vampire children are usually kept sequestered because they can have problems controlling their strength and urges.”

  “Yikes, that doesn’t sound like much a childhood.”

  His lips twitched at my words. “Also, when I was growing up, we had to worry about villagers with pitchforks and torches.”

  I wanted to laugh, but I had a feeling it wasn’t a joke. “Now, you’d just have to worry about Twimoms or True Blood fans chasing you through the streets.”

  “Don’t forget the government trying to perform experiments on us,” he interjected.

  “Wow, you make it sound so glamorous.”

  He chuckled at my sarcasm, but didn’t say anything else.

  “Seriously, Asher, I won’t be able to go to sleep with you staring at me,” I repeated.

  With a sigh, he turned over onto his back and focused his gaze on the ceiling. “Better?” he asked drily.

  “Perfect. Now, tell me a story.”

  “A story?”

  “It’ll help me sleep,” I insisted.

  He sighed and settled deeper into the mattress.

  When he didn’t speak, I prodded him. “Asher?”

  “Hang on, I’m thinking,” he replied. “I am five hundred years old, as you seem so fond of pointing out. It takes a while to sift through all the memories.”

  I snickered and waited quietly as he thought.

  Finally, he stated,
“You know, you remind me of a woman I knew when I was growing up in Paris,” he began.

  I was surprised to learn that he grew up in France since he didn’t have much of an accent. I didn’t want to interrupt the story by pointing it out, so I pulled the blankets up to my chin and asked, “Really? How so?”

  He smiled but didn’t look over at me.

  “She was blonde and petite, like you.” I suppressed a snort because I may have been short, but I was too curvaceous to be considered petite. “She worked in our house when I was a child. She used to slip me treats from the kitchen when my parents weren’t around. She was one of the few people in our home who paid me any attention. I think she knew that and made an extra effort.”

  I studied his profile and my heart ached for the lonely little boy he must have been.

  “What was her name?” I asked.

  “Marie.”

  “How long did she work for your family?

  “Until I was ten.”

  We lay in silence for a few moments.

  When he didn’t continue, I asked, “What happened?”

  “My father told me she died from influenza.”

  It sounded like there was a story there. “Your father told you?”

  Asher rolled to face me again, his blue eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness. “I found out later that he killed her. She was like Donna, she could resist his powers of persuasion. When he tried to bed and drink from her, she resisted.”

  I laid a hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry.”

  Jesus, what kind of fucked up childhood had he had? Parents who ignored him, a father that killed a woman for refusing him. If that was the sort of life he’d led, it didn’t surprise me that he closed himself off when he felt threatened or out of control.

  “It was a long time ago,” he murmured.

  “That doesn’t mean it should be forgotten, that Marie should be forgotten.”

  He laid his free hand over mine, lacing our fingers together.

  We lay in silence for a long time, staring at each other, until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. When I fell asleep, our hands were still twined together.

  Now, with my eyes still half shut, I noticed that I was alone in the bed. The pillow next to mine still bore the imprint of his head, but the blankets were cold. True to his word, Asher waited until I fell asleep before he left the room.

  His cell phone chimed again and I realized that was what woke me. I sat up on the mattress when I heard the murmur of his voice. The walls were thin, but he must have moved away because I couldn’t hear his words clearly.

  Before I could get out of bed, I heard the padlock on my door being opened, then a knock.

  “Come in,” I called.

  Asher opened the door and stepped inside. “I just got off the phone with Frederick.”

  “Who’s Frederick?”

  “He’s Cornelius’ warlock.”

  “Oh, wow.” It seemed that our efforts to get Cornelius’ attention were effective.

  “Cornelius won’t be returning to Dallas for several weeks.”

  At Asher’s words, my heart sank. I’d hoped that we could get things moving along.

  “But Cornelius wants us to come to New Orleans.”

  “New Orleans?” I repeated.

  Asher nodded. “I have a feeling that he wants to get you away from Dallas as quickly as possible. They want us there this evening.”

  My eyes widened. “Today?”

  My nerves began to jangle in an all-too-familiar way. It was the same adrenaline rush I got every time I was about to go out into the field on an assignment. Other than yesterday, I hadn’t felt this sensation for a long while. Too long.

  “I guess I’d better get showered and packed,” I muttered.

  Asher nodded. “We’ll pick up a few more things for you on the way. I’m not sure how long we’ll be staying.” He paused. “Also, don’t be…offended by the clothing I choose.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Perhaps you should explain that.”

  “Since I’ve told Frederick that I’ve broken you, there will be certain expectations. Vampires often dress their pets in a way that makes them, uh, accessible.”

  I had a bad feeling I knew what that meant. “You mean you’re going to dress me up like Slutty Barbie, right?”

  He nodded. “I’m not sure what Slutty Barbie is, but you will be dressed in revealing clothing.”

  “Not the first time,” I sighed. “I’ll survive.”

  He frowned at my words. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, as you can clearly see, I’m female and I have big boobs. If I did go into the field, there were many times I was used as a distraction. Of those many times, I usually wore miniskirts, low cut tops, and fuck-me heels.”

  His scowl deepened.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I think I’m glad you’re no longer working there.”

  I laughed. “It wasn’t my favorite part of the job either. Though it was fun to see the look on their faces when I took their ass down, stilettos and all.” I tossed back the blankets and climbed out of bed. “I’m going to take a shower.”

  Asher’s eyes skimmed over my scantily clad body, lingering on my breasts, and I held my breath. “I’ll go make some coffee.”

  I watched as he left the room, then I headed into the bathroom to get ready.

  As I showered, I decided to call Lex or Conner before we left. Asher had coached me, but it wouldn’t hurt to solicit some alternative suggestions. If I was going to convince Cornelius that I was under Asher’s spell, I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.

  A mistake, no matter how small, could get us both killed.

  Chapter Ten

  As I packed a minimal amount of clothing into the bag Asher had given me, I lifted the burner phone to my ear. I listened as it rang. Neither Conner or Asher had sworn me to secrecy about this, so I assumed that Lex would know what was going on.

  “Hello?”

  “Ivie, it’s Shannon.”

  “Are you okay? You never call unless it’s our scheduled night to talk.”

  “Yeah, I’m okay. Look, I don’t know if Lex told you what’s going on, but I’m helping Conner and Asher with something.”

  There was a long pause. “Um, no, Lex didn’t say a damn word about it to me.”

  I could feel her irritation coming through the phone line and assumed Lex was sitting next to her, likely receiving a nasty glare.

  Sure enough, she hissed, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She must have had the phone covered, because his reply was muffled too much for me to understand.

  “Ivie?” I asked. When she didn’t answer, I called, “Ivie!”

  “Sorry, Shannon. I was listening to some lame excuse about safety and not wanting me to worry.”

  “Okay, so I’ll give you the Cliffs Notes version. Asher is working as a double agent and he’s pretending he kidnapped me, bit me, and has me under his control. We’re doing this to draw Cornelius out and hopefully end this war before it spreads and innocent people die.”

  “What? You can’t do this. It’s dangerous—”

  “I’m sorry you’re upset, but it’s done. Now, I have to act like Asher’s pet and I want to make sure I understand what I need to do.”

  “But, Shannon—”

  “Ivie! I have limited time and I need to know what to do. Can you put Lex on the phone?”

  “I’ll put you on speaker,” she stated. “Because I want to know what in the hell is going on starting now.”

  I wanted to tell her not to be too hard on him, but I didn’t have time.

  “Lex?”

  “I’m here.”

  “I need your advice.”

  “Of course.”

  The man could say a lot with few words. “Asher and I are going to meet Cornelius in New Orleans tonight. I’m pretending to be under his control and because Cornelius wants proof that he actually has one of the Five. I want to make sure I know how to
behave. I can’t risk doing something that will give us away.”

  “You can’t fake being a vampire’s pet, Shannon,” he replied. “It would be obvious immediately.” His deep, lightly accented voice was mild, as if we were discussing a barbeque on Sunday rather than dealing with a centuries old vampire who wanted me dead.

  “Kerry made an amulet that will give any supernatural being the illusion I’m under Asher’s control.”

  He was silent for a long moment. “This is a dangerous game the two of you are playing.”

  I heard Ivie make a sound, but she didn’t speak.

  “I know. That’s why I called.”

  “You will have to follow his every command, without question or argument. You can’t show a physical reaction, even when he asks you to do something distasteful or that makes you uncomfortable. You must appear be a blank slate, no emotion or response other than what is asked of you. Do you think you can manage that?”

  I wanted to tell him I’d been in a similar position before, but kept my mouth shut. Ivie still didn’t know much about what I did for a living and I didn’t want her to start asking questions right now when I didn’t have time to answer. “I can.”

  “Shannon….”

  “Trust me, Lex. I can do it. I know it won’t be easy, but I can.” I also had an idea. “Thank you.”

  “Shannon, I’m worried about you,” Ivie interrupted.

  “I know and I’m sorry to worry you, but I have to do this.”

  “No, you don’t,” she argued.

  “Ivie, I promise you. I know what I’m doing. Now, I probably won’t be able to call you on Wednesday for the next week or two, but I’m sure Lex will let you know I’m okay. Right, Lex?”

  “I will,” he promised.

  “I have to go, but I’ll call you as soon as I can.”

  Without waiting for Ivie to respond, I hung up the phone. There would be hell to pay for that later, but it couldn’t be helped.

  Tossing my cell on the bed, I left the room and found Asher next door, packing clothes into a bag similar to the one he’d given me.