by Alicia White
Sarah ran the tubing to her jugular vein. Taking a deep breath, Mikael watched his blood leave his body and travel to her. I need to find out her name. I have to know who she is and what her story is.
“When women don’t carry purses, they use their bras,” Sarah finally finished.
“I’m not checking her bra,” Mikael said.
He didn’t want to stick his hand down her bra, but Sarah was right. It would be the quickest way to learn her name. As discreetly as he could, Mikael reached down the front of her dress, not finding anything but her small, firm breast. He removed his hand, saying a silent apology in his mind to his Eternal Love before turning to Elijah.
“Elijah, I want you to go to the cemetery and try to locate her purse. We need to find out who she is and what hotel she’s staying at. Sarah, we need a death certificate.”
Since vampires are immortal, they would need to have a death certificate drawn up. The woman was incredibly ill and close to death. Nobody would believe that she’d made a full recovery in a matter of days. Mikhail knew that it would be best to have her disconnect fully from the human world now without arousing suspicion.
“What about her friends and family?” Elijah asked.
“She’s not going to be human. How will she explain to her friends and family that she’s magically healed? The woman has lost too much weight, her hair is falling out, and her face is coated in makeup. It’s obvious she’s been sick a long time. The scent of her blood tells me that she wasn’t going to live much longer anyway. She probably already said her good-byes.”
“Shouldn’t we give her the option before making her death official with a certificate?” Elijah asked.
“She’ll need time to adjust to the change. The best thing we can do for her is minimize the stress and anxiety. We don’t want her getting hungry around friends and family and sinking her teeth into them. Find the purse, find the hotel, and we’ll finally know who she is.”
* * * *
“Okay,” Elijah said, even though he didn’t necessarily agree with Mikael’s decision.
He stared at the tube of blood leading from his arm to hers. He didn’t know her name, didn’t know one thing about her, but he was still committing to a lifetime. He’d given his blood once before, but this time she wasn’t his. How was he going to share a woman with Mikael? He didn’t know if he would be able to, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist the strong pull to her.
He’d been living for his family and coven since the loss of his own Eternal Love, Megan. She’s been gone almost thirty years. His heart died the day he laid her to rest.
Giving his blood to Mikael’s Eternal Love made his throat swell with emotion. His mind was on Megan, wondering if she would consider this a betrayal to their relationship and the love they’d shared. Giving this new woman a part of himself was harder than he thought it would be. It made him feel again, and he didn’t want to. He liked being numb from emotion.
“I’m going to remove the needle now, Elijah. Make sure you feed before you leave.” Sarah pulled the needle out of his arm.
Elijah didn’t spare a look at the woman lying on the bed or his brother. He grabbed two blood bags from his brother’s private stash and left the room. He needed some space and time to think. Puncturing the first plastic bag of blood on a quiet pop, he gulped it down.
Elijah strode down the hallway. Large antique paintings hung on the walls in one long, straight row. The thick, red carpet beneath his feet muffled each step as he hurriedly moved toward the stairs. Finishing one bag, he brought the second one up to his lips and pressed the plastic against his fangs, easily sinking them in and drinking the thick, coppery liquid down. Elijah jogged down the stairs, the overwhelming need to escape chomping at his heels.
“Elijah?” Daniel, one of the members of the coven, called out as he reached the front door.
Normally, Elijah would stop and talk. He’d been the middle man between his brother and the rest of the coven for years, but today he wasn’t in the mood. Jerking the front door open, he stepped out into the cool early morning air and left. Elijah took a few deep breaths, his head clearing with each step he took away from the mansion his family owned in the Garden District.
He wanted to walk all the way to the cemetery, but didn’t want to leave Mikael waiting. There were too many unanswered questions, and his brother needed answers.
Sliding into the driver’s seat of his luxurious BMW, Elijah drove toward the cemetery. Staring out the windshield, he looked around the beautiful city. He’d always loved this place, watching it grow and blossom into one of the busiest ports in America. His family had helped develop the town back in the early 1800s.
Since settling down, more and more paranormals had arrived into the city.
Instead of Mikael embracing them, he’d gone to war, wanting to drive them out. The tactic didn’t work, and Elijah was beginning to wonder if it ever would. Magic-users, shifters, and demons were a few of the paranormals that had come to live in and near the city.
Pulling up to the curb outside of the cemetery, Elijah climbed out of his vehicle and strode toward the gate. He used his exceptional senses to scan the area, looking for the woman’s purse. He was surprised that it didn’t take much effort. He’d been planning on walking for hours, but a woman’s handbag was propped against the wall near the metal gate.
This is a little too easy. Elijah grinned as he reached down and picked it up. Opening the purse, Elijah fished out the small wallet and found the woman’s ID. Erin Holmes. January tenth. Thirty-four years old. Elijah stared at her picture. Erin’s smile was bright, her face vibrant and full of life. She looked different, happier. Searching her purse for more clues, Elijah found a room key with the name French Market Inn.
Pocketing the key, Elijah went back to his car. He tossed Erin’s purse on the passenger seat and did a quick U-turn, heading to the hotel. In the early morning hours there were still a lot of human partiers out. Making his way through the busy streets, he was relieved that it didn’t take long. Elijah pulled his car into the lot across from the quaint hotel on Decatur Street and parked. Climbing out of his vehicle, Elijah jogged across the street and walked in the front door.
Elijah walked straight to the front desk. He stared into the human’s eyes, easily manipulating her mind. “Tell me what room Erin Holmes is in.” She automatically started typing on her computer without asking a single question.
“She’s in room two twenty-one.”
“Thank you.”
He strode down the hallway to the elevators and made his way to Erin’s small single room. Sliding the key into the slot, the little light turned green before clicking to the unlock position. Elijah opened the door, gently closing it behind him. He didn’t bother with the lights. Instead, he quickly spotted Erin’s rolling bag and started packing all of her belongings.
Elijah tossed everything inside before zipping the bag closed. He did a quick inspection, making sure he had everything before dropping the key on the dresser and leaving the room. On his way down the hall, Elijah caught the scent of magic and stopped suddenly. He looked around and spotted one of the twin Magi coming out of a room. He wasn’t sure if it was Maddoc or Gavin. The two men were identical, and the scent of their magic smelled the same.
“Vampire.” The man raised a brow once he spotted Elijah.
“Witch,” Elijah said back using the same tone, and the Magi rolled his eyes heavenward.
The men hated being referred to as witches since technically they were druids, but Elijah didn’t know what the difference was between the two.
Glancing down at the man’s bag, Elijah smirked. “Bright green pom-poms on your luggage? Are you afraid someone might steal your girly bag?” He teased and the man chuckled lightly, flashing him a smile.
“You know how it is.” He shrugged. “You can never be too safe. Shouldn’t you be skulking around the alleyways hunting down dinner?”
It was Elijah’s turn to roll his eyes. It seem
ed odd that the
man was at the same hotel where Erin was staying. The magic-users like the rest of the paranormal factions rarely ever left the safety of their territories. So, what was he doing here?
“You need to crawl out of your cauldron and embrace the twentieth century, McDryw. Things are changing, and those who are stuck in their ways aren’t going to make it.” Elijah passed by him. “If you’ll excuse me, I have more important matters to deal with.”
Not wanting to waste any more time, Elijah brushed off his concern and headed home with Erin’s belongings in tow.
Chapter 8
Pain wasn’t new to her. Erin had endured years of it, but this was different. The amount of agony was nothing she’d experienced before. It felt like her insides were on fire—liquid lava running through her veins, scorching everything in its path. Flames licked at her flesh from head to toe, burning her skin away. Her muscles flexed on their own as her entire body convulsed. It was pure agony.
She could feel it all, but had no control. She screamed in desperation, trying to escape, but there was no way out. The pain grew. The fire raging on.
What’s happening to me? What’s happening to my body?
In order to escape, even temporarily, Erin pictured the angel’s image inside her mind. She focused on him and on the kiss the two of them had shared.
Where are you?
Erin stumbled around the darkness, hoping to find him, but it was impossible. She couldn’t see anything, her senses blocked off entirely. No sight, sound, or smell. None of it made any sense.
Is this hell? Did I die and go to hell?
In all the stories about hell, fire played a significant role. Her body was on fire, so maybe she was in hell. Had her angel brought her here to this place? She couldn’t breathe, her throat burned, as she yelled out for help, but nobody came—nobody rescued her.
Erin felt herself slipping, falling down into a deep abyss, a black hole of nothingness. She flailed her arms, trying to find something to grab onto, but it was pointless. She couldn’t do a damn thing.
* * * *
Mikael watched her closely as she fought the change taking over her body. It was a pointless fight. His blood would change her, but it told him how strong she really was. She would heal. She would be okay.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he carefully wiped the sweat from her brow. He could see subtle changes taking over as she moved on the bed, trying to fight the fever that was racking her system. Her skin was bright red as the transformation worked its way through her system, reshaping her. She would turn from ordinary human into a powerful vampire.
He knew that beneath her too-pale skin her muscles were shifting and stretching, cells multiplying, and internal system changing to be able to digest blood as food. When she woke up, his beautiful Eternal Love would be perfection. She would be stronger and faster than any human. She would be his match in every way.
His only concern was the hunger.
Mikael needed to remember that she would be desperate to feed when her eyes finally opened. His lover would be an infant in the vampire world. Mikael was looking forward to teaching her everything she needed to know. Right now though, she was probably only aware of pain. If he could take this away from the transition, he would, but unfortunately the only thing Mikael could do was remain by her side and wipe her brow.
* * * *
Erin’s eyes flew open.
One minute she was in pain, and the next, she was wide awake and conscious. She stared at the ceiling, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. From her position on her back, Erin stared up at twin crystal chandeliers. The crystals sparkled, reflecting a rainbow of colors at her. Studying her surroundings, Erin realized she wasn’t at home, nor was she in her hotel room. Nothing was familiar.
Slowly sitting up, Erin brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins. Her forehead creased in confusion as she tried to figure out where she was and what had happened.
Everything seemed different. Her vision was clearer, all the colors sharper and more defined—the fire was dancing in the fireplace across the room in vibrant reds, oranges, and blues. She could make out every subtle flicker. Inhaling, Erin took in different scents and was able to categorize each one. The leather-bound books sitting on the shelf across the room, traces of blood, and the various ingredients in someone’s masculine cologne—vanilla and cinnamon. It made her mouth water.
What’s wrong with me?
She didn’t feel like herself. It was almost as if she were having some weird out-of-body experience. The aches and pains that normally affected her body were absent. Stretching out her legs, she waited, but nothing happened. Moving to the edge of the large king-sized bed, Erin slid off the silk sheets. Her feet hit the floor, and she curled her toes in the soft, thick carpet. After about a minute, Erin stood up and started investigating her surroundings.
The room was luxurious, decorated in gold, red, and black. Heavy, crimson curtains blocked the windows along one full wall, drowning out most of the natural light, except for a sliver.
Where am I?
A delicate breeze hit her face and Erin inhaled fresh jasmine as she walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. She pulled the curtain back, finding a set of French doors open. Peeking outside, the bright sun burned her eyes and she jumped back.
“Your eyes will be sensitive for a little while, love,” a voice purred, and Erin frantically looked around until she spotted her angel sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs by the fire.
He slowly stood up, and Erin studied him, trying to figure out how she’d missed him sitting there. Tilting her head to the side, she watched as he glided toward her. He looked exactly the same as she remembered, except better somehow, which was impossible because she already thought he was too perfect to be real.
His skin was smooth, like porcelain with no pores. The blue of his eyes were brilliant, as if it was a new shade all together. His hair seemed to move as he made his way around the furniture. He was inhumanly beautiful—emphasis on inhuman.
He’s not real.
“Am I dead?” That was the first question that tumbled out of her mouth.
He chuckled darkly. “No, my dear. We are very much alive.”
“Who are you? How did I end up here? Where am I?” she asked rapidly, staring at him.
“I’m Mikael Moreau, my love.”
She wanted to look around the room, but she was afraid to take her eyes off him. There was something about the man that made her feel uneasy. He was dangerous—a wild animal hunting his prey.
“We met in the cemetery, remember? You begged for a kiss?”
“Begged?” She let out a snort, rolling her eyes.
“I remember it quite well.” He came in close and cupped her face with his right hand, moving his thumb along her cheekbone.
Taking a deep breath, she froze. Her gums began to ache, and Erin ran her tongue over her teeth. The canines lengthened and sharpened on their own. Jerking back, she moved away from him as panic started to set in. Something was wrong with her. She kept her mouth shut, walking to the other side of the room. The sharp tips of her teeth cut her lips and the taste of blood filled her mouth.
“It’s normal, my dear. You’re hungry. You need your Eternal Love.” He held out his hand, beckoning her, and Erin started shaking her head.
“Eternal Love?” She covered her mouth with her hand as she spoke, afraid of what was happening to her.
She remembered Mikael saying those same words in the cemetery, but now, she was wondering what he meant. Did he do this to her? Did Mikael change her in some way? Did he turn her into an animal?
“Let’s take a seat.” He gestured to the sitting area by the fireplace. “I’ll tell you everything that happened and fill in all those blanks you’re experiencing.”
Skirting around the bedroom suite, she made her way to the couch without coming into contact with Mikael. She was so focused on keeping distance between them tha
t she almost didn’t see someone in her peripheral. Stopping suddenly, she turned, ready for battle, and her mouth dropped open in shock. It was a mirror. Erin stared at her reflection in total awe. She almost tripped over her feet as she rushed to the mirror and placed her hands on the glass, making sure that it was real.
“Oh my god,” she whispered. “It’s me.”
“A much better version of you,” he said, as if the change she’d gone through was no big deal.
Erin stared at herself. She looked like him—inhumanly perfect, flawless. Gone were the black rings around her eyes from lack of sleep, the thinning hair, and the boney body. The woman staring back at Erin was perfect—blonde, shiny hair, sparkling eyes, luminous skin, and her figure filled out, covering all the bones that had stuck out from sickness. It felt as if she were looking at a stranger.
“What happened? What did I miss? How?”
Looking down at her body, she touched her arms and inspected her figure, unable to believe what she was seeing in the mirror. She’d been so close to death, and now, she appeared to be healthy. She wasn’t in any pain.
“My blood and the blood of my brother, Elijah, healed you completely.”
“Healed me?” Abandoning her place at the mirror, Erin barely made it to the couch before dropping.
All the information was almost too much to process. She was healed. She wasn’t going to die. She wouldn’t have to tell her friends anything. Her friends! Jumping up, she started pacing. God, how could she forget her friends? They’d been separated in the cemetery. She needed to get back to the hotel and check on them.
“I need to check in with my friends.” Looking around the room, she searched for her shoes and purse. Spotting the pumps, she quickly slid them on her feet and headed toward the door.
Mikael was fast. He slid in front of the door, blocking her one and only exit and shook his head. “I’m sorry, darling. I can’t let you leave.”