Love Nip

by Mary Whitten

  “Hey.” Axle’s voice pierced into my heart for an instant. It was short lived when I realized it was his voice mail. “It’s Axle, leave a message.” Beep.

  I tried to form words, but they didn’t come easily. “Axle,” I croaked and cleared my throat. After taking a deep breath to pull myself together, I continued, “Hey, I just wanted to see how you were and I … wanted to tell you I’m doing okay. It’s boring here, but Rocko and Buster are pretty great guys. They are being really nice to us. Oh, Maggie is here and doing okay, too. So I guess I’ll talk to you later.” I wanted desperately to say more, but I felt my strength giving in. I disconnected the call and placed a hand on the wall next to me. I sat down on the floor and cried.

  “Good going,” I heard Rocko mutter to Buster.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know he wasn’t going to answer,” he replied.

  I dried my eyes and stood. Sighing, I walked back in. “Thank you guys, I’m okay.”

  “Emily, you want to call someone else?” Buster asked sadly.

  I shrugged. I could call my Mom or Kimmy but I really only wanted to hear from Axle. Ezra popped into my thoughts, but I had to push the idea away. “I could call my dad,” I stated.

  Buster handed me the phone back and smiled gently. I walked back into the other room and dialed Robert’s cell.

  “Emily,” Robert answered on the first ring.

  “How did you know it was me?” I asked, shocked.

  He didn’t answer. “Emily are you all right?”

  “Yeah, Robert, I’m fine. I tried to call Axle, but he didn’t answer,” I tried to reassure him. The last thing I wanted to do was to worry Robert.

  “He hasn’t stopped searching for you since you left,” he explained.

  “Robert, I don’t have much time to talk I just wanted to check in and make sure everyone was okay. I needed to see if Hessley was keeping his end of our deal.”

  “Emily, I can’t believe you did what you did. We would have figured something out, I was on my way,” he started.

  “Robert, seriously is everyone okay?” I asked.

  He sighed. “Yes, everyone is safe.”

  “My mom and Kimmy?”

  “Yes, Emily, they are all fine.” He stopped for a moment and I caught a sniffle. “I’ve been so worried about you.”

  “Robert, are you crying?” I teased.

  “No, Emily, I have a cold,” he lied.

  “Um hmm.”

  “Look, I have to go. Please take care of my mom and tell her I love her. And tell Axle …” I couldn’t think of anything that I wanted Robert to pass on to Axle. “Just tell him I’m sorry.”

  “Wait—” he began, but I had already started to hang up. It took a moment to regain my composure. Once I knew I wasn’t going to pass out or cry, I went back into the dining room. Everyone sat in silence.

  “Thank you guys, that really meant a lot to me,” I said, handing Buster his phone.

  He smiled in reply and slid the phone to Maggie. She looked at the phone as if it would bite her then she shook her head and slid it back to him.

  “Thanks, I appreciate the thought but I have no one to call,” she replied sadly.

  Buster looked confused. “Don’t you want to check on Charlotte?”

  “She’s dead,” Maggie replied at once.

  Both vampires had a look of surprise on their face. They didn’t have a chance to comment, the front door opened and Hessley stormed in. He walked directly to the dining room, grabbed the table, and chucked it across the room. The unexpected encounter caused us all to jump up in unison. Cards rained down around us onto the floor. The table burst against the wall and splintered off into a few dozen pieces.

  “How dare you,” he screamed at Buster, grabbing him by the neck and pinning him to the nearest wall. My heart jumped in fear, I stumbled over to Maggie and held her arm in my own. We had to protect each other in case Hessley went homicidal.

  “What?” Buster forced out and seemed sincerely confused. I guess he didn’t expect Hessley to find out about the call so quickly.

  “Emily works for the FBI, you don’t think they can track her phone call?”

  “How did you know?” Rocko asked bewildered.

  “I trust neither of you, so I had a tap on your phone. Once the call was made I knew who made it. My rules were simple; watch over the girls, don’t let them talk to anyone, and in return your loved ones would be under my protection,” Hessley barked. He glared at Buster and then dropped him on the floor.

  It heated me to see Buster and Rocko treated this way. I couldn’t take any more. “Don’t talk to them like that. You don’t own them,” I yelled. Everyone’s eyes met my own. I let go of Maggie’s arm and took a step forward just in case Hessley snapped and tried to hurt me.

  “This is none of your business,” Hessley said as he took a step toward me.

  I held my breath. “You can’t treat people like that,” I replied, lower this time.

  Hessley breathed heavily in anger. “Don’t you tell me how I may treat my men. I take care of them, they owe me.”

  “Like how you took care of Charlotte?” I dared him to deny it.

  Everyone silently looked to Hessley and waited for him to answer. I could feel Maggie tense up behind me. I felt sorry that I had brought it up, but I couldn’t watch Hessley push people around when he had no right.

  “We had a deal,” Maggie mumbled.

  Hessley laughed like a crazed maniac. “I don’t answer to you or anyone. I can do as I please.”

  “I’m leaving.” Maggie stepped forward until she stood next to me. “I don’t owe you a thing, there is no reason for me to stay.”

  Hessley’s laughed ended abruptly. “You walk out of that door and I’ll kill everyone you know, and I’ll start with Emily.”

  “No, you won’t.” I bravely called his bluff. This wasn’t how I saw the evening going.

  “Why is that?” Hessley stepped closer until he was two feet away.

  I took a step to fill in the space. “Because if you even dare, I’ll rip you apart.”

  He began to laugh again. “Go to your room before I kill you right now,” he spoke through clenched teeth.

  “Go ahead, kill me,” I challenged, and then heard Buster gasp.

  “Emily—” Rocko began, but was cut off by Hessley.

  “Your wish is my command,” he said. Before I could process his comment he yanked my body to his. His sharp teeth suddenly pieced into my neck and I could feel the blood rush into his mouth. I shut my eyes and smiled.

  Chapter Eleven

  My body fought against nature. I felt my body as it pulled toward death yet I could sense an evil force within me snap. I felt free. I stared at Maggie as he continued to drain me dry. Fear and shock overtook her face, she moved in to help but I stopped her. I wasn’t sure how I did it, but I sent her a single thought.

  Plan B.

  Rocko and Buster jumped on top of Hessley, and we fell to the ground. Hessley’s mouth was disconnected from my neck. I looked at the two vampires, who suddenly were thrown across the room. They hit the wall with a loud thud. I grabbed Hessley and bit down into his neck. I didn’t draw any blood; I couldn’t stand the thought of his blood inside of my body. I tossed him aside as if he was a rag doll, and stood slowly, cracking my neck. I couldn’t figure out what to do next. I wanted to rip the house apart with my bare hands. I touched my face, a tingle was sent down to my feet. I sensed an enormous amount of power flowing though my body.

  “Emily?” Maggie whispered softly.

  The sound of her voice was muffled. A constant sound of air whooshing filled my ears. I breathed deeply and squeezed my eyes shut. It will pass, Emily. Just don’t do anything stupid.

  I recognized a power surge. It didn’t come from me, and it grew within seconds. My body was at the front door before I had a chance to move. I opened the door and waited. I could feel a distant control as it approached.

  My vision grew dim as I waited. I could
see the figure walking up to rescue me, I wanted to shout for joy or cry. My body crumbled to the floor, I could no longer feel pain. My limbs were paralyzed. The smell of mud, sweat, and the outdoors filled my nose. I began to drift off as someone lifted from the floor with ease.

  ****

  “This is your fault.” My eyes felt glued together, but I could make out Ezra’s voice. He sounded upset. I tried to move, but was unsuccessful.

  “Ezra, that’s enough,” Robert scolded.

  “Well maybe if you would have turned back into a vampire when Emily asked you to she wouldn’t have had to give herself up for you,” Axle’s voice boomed.

  “Well maybe you should have fought for her life. You say you love her, you don’t even know what love is. I loved her and I would have never let him take her,” Ezra snapped back even louder.

  “Because, unlike you, I’m not going to control every detail of her life,” Axle snapped.

  “She doesn’t know what’s good for her,” Ezra argued back.

  “She’s not a child,” Axle growled.

  “Guys, shut up! This isn’t helping,” Kimmy fussed.

  My body still refused to move, but my eyes began to flutter open. My head felt like it was going to split into two. Once my vision returned, I noticed the different sets of eyes that stared down at me.

  “Hi,” I croaked with a gentle smile.

  Axle stepped forward, but Robert pulled his arm to stop him. I sat up quickly and the room spun out of control. I placed my hand on my head.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, confused because normally I would be wrapped in hugs. Now it seemed as though no one wanted to touch me.

  “I just need to ensure that you won’t hurt anyone,” Robert tried to explain.

  “Robert, are you crazy? Why would I hurt you guys?” I could feel heat rising. I had never felt this mad before in my life. How dare he think that I would hurt the people I loved the most.

  “Emily, you have a power pouring off of you that is unlike any I’ve ever felt before,” Robert tried.

  “I’m not going to hurt anyone, Robert. I’m fine.” I hoped that I spoke the truth.

  “That’s good enough for me.” Axle pushed through Robert and pulled me into his big arms.

  I breathed in his smell. My hands raced around his skin as if remembering what it felt like to touch him. He pulled my face into his hands and searched my eyes for insight. I could feel the questions as they rolled across through his mind.

  “Did they hurt you?” he asked. His face showed every inch of stress he had endured.

  I chuckled. “No, actually it wasn’t too bad. Mag’s was—” I stopped suddenly and gasped. Robert seemed to jump at my reaction. “Maggie, is she okay? Where is she?”

  Axle shook his head. “She’s fine, babe. She is a few rooms down, resting.”

  I sighed, thankful for the entire thing to be over. I wanted to go home, take a shower, and sleep in my own bed. My entire body felt tired and achy.

  “Um, maybe we should let Emily rest,” Robert stated as he kissed my forehead.

  I attempted to smile my appreciation for his concern. My eyes felt heavy, blinking until it became too difficult to keep them open.

  I awoke, unsure of where I was. The room seemed oddly familiar. It was as if I had been here before. I had a splitting headache and my sight was still a little blurred. I was engulfed in a thick, dark red comforter and felt like I was lying in a bed of feathers. The room was dimly lit with multiple candles. The giant fireplace was roaring with life and I could hear each piece of wood burning and crackling. The warmth hit my face and I closed my eyes, letting the heat surround me. I laid back into the bed and looked around. I couldn’t place it, but I knew I had been here before. I saw the black mesh draped over the canopy bed and suddenly realized I had been here before. I was in Ezra’s house. This was the room I met Axle in. The memory sent a smile to my face.

  I heard a soft knock and the door creaked open. Axle popped his head in and walked over to me, carrying a tray in one hand. He laid the tray onto the nightstand as he sat down beside me.

  “How do you feel?” he asked with concern in his eyes.

  “I feel …” I searched for words to finish the statement but couldn’t come up with anything. “I don’t even know how I feel.”

  “You’ve been through a lot, sweetheart, give yourself a break.” He ran his hands down my arms and the sensation sent waves of pleasure throughout my body.

  “This isn’t natural, Axle, and I’m honestly scared,” I admitted.

  “Honey bear, none of us are natural. I know more than anyone about being unnatural.” He stroked my hair and placed his lips on my forehead. “But you don’t have to be scared. I will never let anything ever happen to you. I can’t lose you again.”

  I felt the emotion pour from his words. I could almost taste the salted tears that formed in his eyes. I didn’t realize at the time that what I was doing would have consequences. I was now a bigger freak.

  I fell asleep while Axle played with my hair. I woke up sometime later in his arms and smiled up at his face. He looked peaceful as he slept. His chest rose with each breath and I could hear his fast paced heartbeat, each thud getting louder and louder until I had to sit up to get away. I didn’t know what was going on and the unknown was extremely frightening.

  I slowly crept away from Axle and slid out of the bed. I quietly left the room and realized we weren’t in Ezra’s house. The red room was the same but the rest of the house wasn’t. I found the kitchen with ease. The house was big, but not as confusing as Ezra’s. After making myself a cup of coffee I went into the living room to relax.

  “Emily?” I recognized Robert’s voice instantly.

  He startled me, causing me to drop my coffee. It levitated a few inches above the carpet. The liquid splashed around the edge of the cup. He jogged over to where I was planted, unable to move. He reached for my cup and lifted it back up. We sat down together on the couch, and he handed me my coffee.

  “Thanks,” I replied softly.

  “You’re up early, did you sleep well?” he asked with a slight smile on his face. I was thankful he chose to ignore the incident.

  “Yeah, actually I did. Were you here all night?” I asked.

  “Yes, I slept in Axle’s guest room.”

  I shook my head and tried to come up with more to say. The silence was ripping at my eardrums. The more time I had to think, the more I regretted my decision. I no longer wanted to be this way. I wanted my old life back.

  “Emily, I know you’re scared right now, but I promise we will get through this,” he tried to reassure me.

  I took a sip from the cup. The warm liquid felt amazing as it slid down my throat. “I wish I could be so sure, Robert. This is just so different. A few months ago I had a normal life and now …” I couldn’t think of what to say.

  “I know, sweetheart. But it is going to be okay.”

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  He gulped and sat up straight. “I might have someone who may be able to help get you through this. It’s a long shot, but there was once a man who had something similar happened to him and I’m hoping he can coach you while you transition.”

  “Transition?” I wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but the thought of speaking to someone who had dealt with this gave me a sliver of hope.

  “Emily, you took powers from three different vampires. I’m afraid you’re becoming less and less human each time,” he offered, a certain sadness overtaking his face.

  “What, you think I’m going to have a change in my diet soon?” I joked.

  He chuckled softly. “I’m not sure if it will be that drastic.”

  “So tell me about this guy that’s done this before.” I placed my cup on a nearby table and gave Robert my full attention.

  Robert scratched his head and seemed to be deep in thought. “This man was a very powerful warlock. Like you, he had a difficult time getting control of his powers, so he did
a spell that would grant him even more power. Similar to what you did with Damon. The spell backfired and gave him access to black magic. That wasn’t his goal to begin with, but the more he used the black magic, the more he became addicted to it. He’s almost three hundred years old right now and he doesn’t look a day over thirty.”

  “You think that I’m using black magic?” I asked curiously.

  “No, no, no, I just think that you are unable to stop yourself from using magic now and that can be very dangerous. You have to get your skills under control or you could end up killing someone. And I know you wouldn’t want that to happen,” Robert explained. I saw tears of worry in his eyes. I felt the truth in his words.

  “Okay, so who is this dude? When can I meet him?”

  “He’s my father. I have to come up with a way to get you into his coven.” Robert eyes darted away from my own.

  “I thought you didn’t know your father?” I asked.

  “Once my father became consumed in black magic, I kicked him out of my life for good. I can’t help you, Emily. If I could teach you how to control this I would, but this is bigger than I’ve ever seen. Your grandfather can teach you everything he knows, and then you can come back to me.” A tear slid down his cheek. I couldn’t imagine how hard this had to be on him.

  “Thank you, Robert.” I pulled him into an embrace and held him tightly. We had our differences, but I realized at that moment that Robert did love me and I loved him back. We didn’t have memories like most families, but we still had time to make some. I heard shuffling down the hall and knew Axle was awake. He strolled in wearing a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. He yawned and stretched his arms above his head; his shirt rose with his arms and I caught a glimpse of skin. I bit my lip and had to remind myself that my father was in the room. Axle sent me a wink and I blushed.

  “Robert, you have any plans with Emily today?” Axle asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee.