I laugh and we drift into silence, walking companionably at a slow and steady pace.
We’ve been walking for hours. I glance at my watch, worried. The plane went down around eight last night and now it’s close to seven in the morning. Drew has been steadily slowing down for the past hour or so, and I know exactly what that means.
“Drew? Are you okay, man?” I ask, puncturing his almost trance-like state of self-control. “You’ve been awfully quiet lately.”
“Yeah, I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.”
Pat’s labored breathing sounds from my right. “How long have we been walking? How far do you think we’ve come? Oh, wait—more importantly, how far do we still have to go?”
“We’ve been walking for about nine hours at a slow to moderate pace, well, at least for werewolves and vamps. If we’ve covered more than two and half to three miles per hour I’d be surprised.”
“Shit. Considering how far away we are, we’re going to be walking for a really long time. Without much in the way of food or water—plus, we’re caring for a hungry, injured vampire. Dude, this is a recipe for disaster.”
Concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, my reply is terse. “We’ve already covered this. Staying at the crash site wasn’t an option. How would we have explained Drew’s aversion to the sun? Or his fangs when he vamped out from hunger?”
“Yeah, but won’t the searchers expand their rescue attempts further? Seems like we’ll be letting a lot of people waste their time and man hours.”
My normally calm demeanor cracks under the strain to keep moving. “You’re worried about the rescue workers? What the fuck do you care? It’s not like we can change what the rescuers would do. We can’t exactly call them up on the phone.”
Pat’s snarky expression turns sour, and he stumbles a bit. “Who got your panties in a bunch? Geez. I was just wondering.”
Taking a deep breath, I try to calm my whip-lash moods. I’m exhausted and strung out, just like him, but I’ve got to hold it together for all of us. “If we keep going due east, we’re bound to hit Haul Road eventually.”
Pat’s frustration is almost palpable. “And then what? We flag down a passing trucker and hope they’ll stop? This is asinine.”
“Do you have a better suggestion?” I ask, my annoyance getting the better of me again. “I’m all ears, fucktard.”
Before Pat can respond, Drew whispers, “Vivian will come.”
“What was that?” Pat asks, leaning closer to our battered friend.
“He said Vivian would come for us.”
“How can he be so sure? Why wouldn’t she send someone else?”
The ragged vampire pants out, “Because she can sense us with her mind. We are her seethe. She will not abandon us. It is her job as our master.”
“We’ve sworn no loyalty to her, Drew,” Pat responds. “Just to Jon, as our alpha. She’ll have to do her tracking through you, fanger.”
Drew smiles, the expression fierce as we slog through the wooded terrain, sheer determination keeping him upright in the growing heat and oppressive sunlight. “You are wrong, young padawan.”
“What?” Pat asks.
“You drink the water. On the resort. Vivian runs through your veins.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” demands Pat.
He shakes his head, unwilling to waste more strength on explaining something we’ve been too blind to pay attention to. “You’ll see.”
Pat jostles him, perhaps on purpose to get more out of the tired man, but Drew ignores him, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.
“He makes a good point,” I say after a few dozen yards. “When we make it to the road, that will be the logical place for them to look for us. Assuming they know we’re not dead.”
“She’d know we’re not dead if she’s connected to Drew’s mind. So we got that going for us. What did he mean about the water and Vivian?”
I shrug, the movement subtle due to supporting Drew under his arms. “I’m not sure. But if it helps them find us before Drew’s survival instinct takes over, then I’m all for it.”
Pat stumbles, but doesn’t lose his footing, his support on Drew’s right side staying true. “Now why did you have to go ahead and say that? Like I need to think about our friend here deciding we’re just too delectable and he can’t wait any longer?”
Humor bubbles up inside the injured vampire, and he repeats part of a phrase from our meeting in the basement a lifetime ago. “I prefer pussy—especially over dogs.”
After another hour, Drew’s feet begin to drag. No way to avoid it. He needs more blood.
And it’s Pat’s turn to donate.
“I need a break,” I announce. “Do we have any water or food left?”
We stop, leaning Drew against a tree like last time, and Pat slips the backpack off his shoulders, easing it and himself to the ground. “Yeah. Three more bottles of water and a handful of protein and granola bars. Which do you want?”
My gaze sweeps toward Drew, concern marring my forehead. “How’re you doing, old man? Do you need more blood?”
The vampire tries to smile, his cracked, dry lips curving up the barest amount. “Old man? Nice. I think I can manage another couple miles.”
“Manage? Is that what this is?” Pat straightens, steeling his spine as he stands, and offers his wrist. “If you go any slower, we’ll be dragging your skinny ass through these woods. Come on, man. Drink. Get it over with.”
Fear slithers across his face, quickly hidden as Drew’s cool lips touch his skin. The vampire opens his mouth, and one sharp canine pricks the surface. My oldest friend looks like he’s drawing on every ounce of courage he possesses not to pull back and rip his arm away from the weak predator.
Pat closes his eyes, perhaps unwilling to watch the needy undead drink from him. After a moment, his facial expression eases, as if he’s relieved there’s no pain. Without warning, Drew draws back.
“That’s it?” Pat asks. “That wasn’t so bad. It didn’t even hurt,” he says, looking down at his unbroken skin. “You healed the wound already?”
Drew’s eyes glaze over and he falls face first to the ground. A low moan escapes his prone form.
“That can’t be good,” I say while bending down to examine the man. After a moment, I glance up at Pat’s wrist. “You dolt. He didn’t bite you at all. And now I’m not sure if he can.”
“Great. Just great. Are we expected to slice our wrists and literally bleed for the man?”
I reach into my pocket and draw out a folded knife. “Got a better idea?”
Pat takes the offered blade and grimaces. “No. Dammit.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
RAFE
The next morning dawns crisp and clear. Despite it being summer, it’s often cold in the morning. I don’t mind it one bit. Reminds me of springtime in Germany, where I grew up.
Justin sees me pull in to the apartment parking lot and saunters over to the jeep.
“Did you leave the tracking charm for Vivian?” I ask.
“Yup. Gave it to her myself a few minutes ago.”
“Great. Thanks.”
Concern crosses Justin’s face, quickly squashed.
“Don’t worry.” I say as he reaches for the door handle. “He’s tough. He’ll be okay.
He hesitates, leaning in the open window. “How did—never mind. How can you be sure?”
“Faith. My wife has a connection with Drew. She’d know if something major happened to any of them.”
“Is that why you’re not worried?”
I nod as he steps back and opens the door. “Yup. They might be hurt. They will be dirty and tired. But they will be alive. I can feel it.”
He climbs in and we head on our way. After spending all day in his presence, I think I understand more that he likes the quiet spaces Alaska has to offer. He doesn’t seem to feel the need to fill in quiet with conversation, so I leave him be to reflect on my own
thoughts.
I need to learn magic. I need to be able to protect those I love. No longer do I want my wife to be responsible for more than she already is. I drove her to accept more people, I backed her into situations where I knew the result would be greater numbers in our seethe, and I manipulated events to make it happen. How can I sit back and expect her to be the sole protector of all that we hold dear? I won’t.
“Do you have the map?” Justin asks.
“It’s near your feet.”
He reaches for the paper, unfolding it in his lap. “We’ve still got a ways to cover. Are you determined to get the whole thing done today? I want to help with the rescue search.”
“Justin, I appreciate your concern for your brother. But you do understand the urgency of our situation, right?”
“I think I do. Is there more going on than you guys have led me to believe?”
“You mean more than a group of manipulator vampires ready to wipe us out if we don’t join their cause? No. I wouldn’t say we purposely led you to believe one thing over another. It was more about how much, for your own safety, did you need to know.”
Deciding that’s not enough, I try explaining it another way. “Even though Jon, Vivian, and I will be leaving soon, we’re leaving behind everything we hold dear. This perimeter ward is vitally important to the safety of the resort’s inhabitants. Your help in securing the ward around the property will go a long way in easing our minds when we’re gone.”
“Have you thought about the fact that we’re tuning the wards to you and Vivian, and yet you won’t be here if they get triggered?”
“Yes, I know. The same thought has plagued me. Any suggestions on how we should handle notifications when we’re not here? Will you feel the ward being triggered?”
“I will at first, maybe for a few weeks after it’s completed. But without my blood fueling it, my connection will fade in time.” He sits in quiet for a moment, then says, “Hey, I remember seeing cameras on trees, the ones you mentioned were installed this past spring. How hard would it be to install cameras throughout all the property? I mean, if you and Vivian aren’t here for the blood wards to notify you, wouldn’t regular technology be the best way to go? It might be a good alternative option.”
I turn onto a dirt road, leaving the last of the maintained roads of the resort behind us. “Here’s the thing: electricity can be taken out. In the past, our generators have been attacked by enemies. We’ve done our best to resolve the issue with back-up systems, but losing power is still a weakness that will cripple us. If you rely solely on technology, your enemies can easily foil your security measures with well-placed bombs. If we have magic and technology working hand-in-hand, our hope is there’s a higher chance of creating a more secure border.”
Justin laughs and shakes his head. “How funny is it, I was just thinking about the recent election. All that talk about border control?”
“Yeah, the United States has nothing on the security of our inn.”
After a few minutes of traveling slowly on the dirt road, we stop. Today, we’re covering the last forty percent of the perimeter, roughly six miles. I hustle out, new-found strength from the blood exchange pulsing through my veins, pushing me to do more, to move faster, to protect those I love.
Justin exits the cart and grabs his duffle bag. “How comfortable are you with the ritual for the warding spell? Feel like starting today?”
A smile crosses my face and I pat the small vial of my blood I drew this morning. “I’m feeling unstoppable. Let’s finish this bitch.”
“Good! Glad to hear it. Before you begin, let’s practice the fire spell. You were able to get it a couple of times yesterday near the end, so I’d like to run through it again to be sure you can call it forth when needed.”
We spend twenty minutes going through the hand motions and phrasing he taught me, and several times I’m able to call forth a small spark to ignite the tinder set out. It’s still not consistent yet, but hopefully after performing the rituals over and over today for each ward we set, I’ll have it down pat.
We work in silence for the next hour or so, speaking only when Justin feels the need to correct my phrasing or adjust the spell ingredients I’ve assembled. I like the slow and steady pace, it appeals to the methodical part of me that keeps me disciplined on a day to day basis.
Like going to the gym. I may not enjoy it, but once the habit is ingrained, I don’t feel good when I skip a session.
After a few hours, we’re finally done. I expected to experience a tingling of some kind when the wards were all connected, but instead, I feel an angry buzzing against my senses. It’s uncomfortable and triggers a need to scratch a spot between my shoulder blades.
“Uh-oh,” Justin says, his eyes filling with alarm.
“Crap, did we do something wrong?”
“No. On the contrary. We did it exactly right.”
“Then why do you look concerned?”
“Because the sensation your feeling? Like there’s a target on your back covered in itching powder?”
“Yeah?”
“That’s what it feels like when the ward is triggered.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Rafe, it means danger is already here. On the resort.”
“Shit.” I grab my phone to text Dria, only to see that her and Jon left two minutes ago to search for the boys.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
JON
After we’ve been in the air for a while, I notice the bird. It’s flying below us, but definitely going in our direction and flying much faster than a bird that size should be able. As it comes closer, I get a better look at it. Dammit, it’s a bald eagle. I know Candy wants to help, but I’d really hoped Vivian and I could sneak off without her being aware. No such luck.
I steal a glance at Vivian, who insisted on coming, stating she had experience with Justin’s tracking charms and could locate them faster in conjunction with her blood connection with Drew. We’re both sitting in the back of the helicopter looking out the windows and that’s when I notice Vivian has spotted the eagle too.
Her cool voice sounds through my headphones, “There’s something odd about that bird. Almost like it’s following us.”
Guilt, panic, and impulsiveness all vie for attention in my brain at once. I’ve got to come clean. There will never be a perfect time, but what’s more important is that I stop lying to the person I’m loyal to.
“Uh… I’ve got something to tell you, Vivian.” I turn to face her, where she’s buckled into the seat next to me.
Her right eyebrow rises, a curious look on her face. “Do you now? I wondered when you’d finally be ready to talk to me. Go ahead.”
“That eagle down there? That’s my girlfriend. Her name is Candy. I’m sorry didn’t tell you sooner. I wasn’t sure what to say, how to say it, or even if I should. But I knew I would eventually have to.”
Vivian’s gaze sharpens as she looks out the window and then back to me. “Is she a magic user? Is she using a spell to make her an eagle? I wasn’t aware that there were were-eagles.”
My heart thuds in my chest, part of me wants to throw up, I’m so nervous. But this is going better than expected so far—she hasn’t lashed out in rage—things could always be worse. “No, she’s a shifter. She can change shape into just about anything she sees or has a picture of.”
“Really?” Both eyebrows creep up her forehead in fascination. “Now that could be interesting. How did you two meet?”
Is it my imagination or is there a twinkle in her eye when she asks? “She uh… She was a member of Romeo’s pack. They were here during the big game hunt.”
“Hmm…” she says while tapping a finger on her lips. “I don’t recall there being a Candy on the list from Romeo. Was she a last-minute addition?”
And now this is when things are going to get really awkward. “She was on the list all right, but under another name. Spike.”
Vivian’s gaze sharpens again, h
er eyebrows rising once more. “Am I to understand she was here as a he? Surely you must not have known when you first met her as a him, right?”
“You’re right. I didn’t know who he was at the time. But there was something between us. Even when she was a guy. I… I thought I was going crazy for a while there. You know, like I liked guys all of a sudden or something.” I shake my head and look down at my feet.
Vivian reaches a hand over and pats me on the thigh. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Jon. Attraction knows no gender boundaries. Attraction is chemistry, pure and simple. So what do you think—I take it things are going well? After all, that was weeks ago. Have you been together all this time?”
I look at her hand covering mine, and then glance up to see her smiling eyes, almost like they’re laughing at me. “You’ve known, haven’t you? You’ve known all this time. And to think I was afraid to tell you. I’ve been sweating bullets about this for weeks on what to say and how to approach you. And… And you really don’t mind, do you?”
“Oh, Jon, all I’ve ever wanted is for you to find happiness—to be truly happy. For you, that state will never be achieved with Rafe and me. Deep down, what you desire above all else, what you crave with every fiber of your being, is to have your own pack, and that means a packmate. And no matter how close the three of us will be, that is something we can never be for you.”
“Rafe knows, too?”
“Of course. I think he may have seen her the other day. He mentioned something. But I didn’t want to press for details. I knew you would come to us when you were ready, when you felt comfortable enough to say something. What took you so long?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I dunno. I was scared. It’s stupid now that I think about it. Maybe a part deep inside me really just needed to be sure, you know?”
She nods in understanding. “Is she the one? The one who will be your mate?”
Happiness surges inside me at her question. “I hope so. But I knew I couldn’t make that decision until you and Rafe were a part of it.”
Sharpen the Blade (The V V Inn Book 6) Page 16