by Bree Younger
He cranked the truck again. His head was killing him and he still felt weak, but now wasn’t the time to relax. It wouldn’t take long before the vamps realized they’d lost their quarry, and then they would be doubling back. It wouldn’t be easy, but if the vamps were lucky enough they might find where the SUV had left the road. Every second counted if Ty wanted to get himself and Libby out of this alive.
He’d have to feed again soon, too, and get some more rest. It couldn’t be helped. The blood he’d taken from Libby had aided a lot in his healing but had left him little in reserve. And he would have to check on Libby, too, get some food and water in her. He needed a plan. Running blindly with no idea where they were or where the other vamps might pop up was crazy. Their best option would be to find somewhere safe that they could hole up while they rested and regained their strength. Maybe figure out a way to contact Quinn. Just for a day. And then he would be in better shape to get them home.
He eased the SUV forward down the twisting trails, hoping that he could find a way through the woods and possibly out the other side. He’d ridden down his own share of dirt bike paths and knew that they usually doubled around, with various routes leading to different entrances. Keeping to the left-hand side would hopefully take them away from the road they had just left and onto a different one, one that the vampires that were searching for them would not find.
He cut the headlights and just used the parking lights. His night vision was exceptional, but he didn’t want to take any chances that he might miss a log or a hole and get them stuck.
He drove for what seemed like hours but was probably only thirty minutes or so. His head began to ache even more with the strain of peering through the dark woods, and he knew that he would have to find them someplace soon to hide. He was about at the end of his strength. A movement beside him drew his attention back to Libby. Her head lolled sideways, facing the window. This was the first movement she’d made, and he wondered if she was starting to come around. He dreaded the confrontation he knew was inevitable. He’d rather not be driving when the shit hit the fan. God only knew what she would do.
Libby made no more movements, so he turned his attention back to the trail. It had narrowed considerably, obviously made to accommodate nothing larger than a four-wheeler, and branches scraped against the side of the SUV as it forged its way through. A particularly loud screech as branch met fender had Ty grimacing. He’d definitely have to pay Libby for a new paint job after this jaunt ended.
On he went, sometimes heading down slippery slopes which caused the SUV to lose traction. Other times the engine churned with the effort to climb steep inclines. Finally the terrain leveled off. The underbrush seemed to be thinning somewhat, and he hoped that meant that they were coming to the end of this nightmarish drive. A few minutes later they emerged onto the bank of a swiftly running creek. He put the truck in park and sat for a moment, surveying the area.
The creek was down, and he could see the rocky bottom emerging from the swiftly flowing water in several spots. He should be able to drive across. On the opposite shore he could see a cabin down the creek a bit, rising high on wooden pilings. It was probably a weekend getaway for local hunters in the area. If they were in luck, it would be empty, since it wasn’t hunting season. He scanned the shoreline in both directions but saw no other buildings. That was good. He didn’t need any nosy neighbors poking around.
Crossing his fingers that they wouldn’t get stuck, he put the SUV in gear and started forward. Before long they were pulling up onto the opposite bank. He continued forward until the vehicle was hidden in the shadows of the surrounding trees then he stopped and turned off the engine. He closed his eyes and let out a relieved breath that they had made it this far. After resting for a moment or two he looked over and saw that Libby hadn’t moved.
Good. She was still out. He would leave her here while he checked out the place and made sure no one was home. The pine needles stung his feet, and he wished like hell he had a pair of shoes. He crept stealthily through the woods, moving with the grace and silence of the predator that he was. Out of the gloom, he could see the glow of a security light that illuminated the area around the cabin.
Halting at the tree line, he examined the building before him. It was typical of other hunting and fishing cabins he’d used in the northern part of Harrison County. Could that be where they were? The rough wooden structure rose on wooden pilings to tower about eight feet above the ground to accommodate rising water when the creek was up. When he detected no movement, he sprinted across the yard, conscious of the lack of cover, and noiselessly climbed the stairs leading to the deck. A For Sale sign in the window reassured him that the place was deserted, so he moved forward to peer in the window. It was as he had thought. No one was here.
He tried the door, but it was locked. In one quick movement, he broke out a small pane of glass on the door and reached in to unlock it. After taking a few moments to check through the rooms, Ty decided the place would be perfect. Luckily, the utilities were still on, though they wouldn’t use the lights. He didn’t want to draw any attention to the cabin, just in case. The darkness wouldn’t be a problem for him, but Libby would have to make do with the glow from the outside light. Unfortunately, there was no phone.
Covered by sheets, the furniture consisted of a beat-up sofa and chair in the living area, a couple of wooden stools slid under the bar, and a bare mattress on the floor in one of the bedrooms. The toilet worked and the shower, too, and he saw a few threadbare towels and bath cloths sitting on the shelves above the sink. Some old clothes hung in the small closet, and a few more were in the drawers of a beat-up dresser. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it would do. Yes, it would definitely do.
Nothing was in the refrigerator but some moldy cheese and a shriveled-up apple, but there were a few things in the cabinet—peanut butter, some soup, and a tin of crackers—that looked pretty edible. And some instant grits. He also found an unopened pack of beef jerky. At least he’d be able to get some food in Libby, get her strength back up.
He exited the way he had come and made his way back to the truck. As he rounded the front bumper, he froze. The passenger door was open. Libby was gone.
* * * *
Libby ran through the darkness, her breath coming in gasping pants, her mind a scramble of panicked thoughts. Her tired eyes could barely see two feet in front of her. One wrong move and she could end up with a sprained ankle…or worse. The pounding of her heart was loud in her ears, obliterating any sound of possible pursuit as she stumbled on as fast as she dared.
The ground was covered with downed limbs and slippery straw, and the smell of pine permeated the air. Stray silver moonbeams unsuccessfully attempted to penetrate the thick canopy of leaves above her head. Her heart accelerated with each imagined noise as she tried to ignore the weakening state of her body.
What had he done to her? She was so tired. Her legs trembled with the strain, but she couldn’t stop, couldn’t rest. He would be after her as soon as he discovered her missing. She knew she had to get as far away as she could. Blindly she continued forward, ignoring the painful stitch in her side. She was weak, so weak, but she couldn’t stop.
A tree suddenly appeared before her, barely visible in the darkness, and she swerved to avoid it, catching her shoulder a glancing blow. Knocked off balance, she went down hard. For a moment she lay there, defeated, breathing through the pain, before she found that core of determination deep inside her and struggled to her feet. Glancing around she realized she had no idea where she was or in which direction she had been running. No matter which way she chose, she could be heading straight back to the truck for all she knew. She paused, listening for the sound of pursuit, but there was only the distant sound of frogs croaking and crickets chirping. Damn, she was too tired. But she couldn’t stop, so she randomly chose a direction and moved forward as fast as her aching limbs would carry her.
She didn’t know exactly what Ty was. All she knew was t
hat she had to get away from him. He had hurt her—her mind shied away from the image of exactly what he had done to her—and she didn’t know what he might do to her again if he caught her.
When she had regained consciousness in the truck, she had lain there for a few moments, trying to get her bearings. At first she hadn’t known where she was or who she was with. Then it had all come back in a rush. Ty. His burns. Getting him to the barn. And then…the pain. A whimper of fear had risen in her throat but she had beaten it back when she realized that he was right beside her in the driver’s seat of her SUV. She pretended to still be out, keeping her breathing steady and her eyes closed, but it had been a near thing. When he had reached over and touched her face, she had almost flinched back at the contact. Her muscles tensed until she had deliberately relaxed them, afraid he would notice and realize she was awake. But he hadn’t. His attention had been focused on his driving, and she had managed to keep up the pretense until he had finally stopped the truck and gotten out.
She had slowly turned her head and watched him through slitted eyes as he had moved with a panther-like grace into the woods to the left of the SUV and disappeared from sight. Barely able to believe her luck, she had stealthily slipped from the vehicle, not daring to shut the door in case he heard the noise and came back to check. The surrounding darkness of the woods had offered no sanctuary. She was completely lost and had no idea which direction, if any, led to safety. So she had simply headed out in the opposite direction that he had taken, praying that by the time he came back she would be long gone.
Now here she was. Totally lost in the middle of God only knew where. She stumbled over a limb and paused for a moment, trying to get her bearings, when suddenly out of the woods behind her, a very large form appeared, hurtling toward her at an incredible rate of speed.
She screamed as he grabbed her from behind, his hands closing like iron around her and jerking her against him. She struggled like a wildcat, trying to pull free, kicking and clawing at whatever piece of his anatomy was within reach. His voice growled in her ear, but she ignored it, stomping down as hard as she could on his foot. Her elbow caught him in a rib, and she felt the grip on her loosen fractionally. She threw her head back in a sudden jerk against his face, and he released her with a sharp cry.
Libby wasted no time, scrambling away from him and turning to run. She’d taken only two halting steps before he tackled her, taking her to the ground with ridiculous ease. They went down hard, but he turned at the last moment, his arms wrapping around her, and took the brunt of the fall. They landed in a heap on the ground, with Libby atop Ty.
For a few seconds she was still, held immobile by shock and fear. Then she began to fight and cry out. He rolled over, placing her beneath him. He used the weight of his body to hold her down, his arms grasping her wrists and pushing them to the ground above her head.
Still she struggled, twisting and straining to get away, and he let her, using his body simply to restrain her. Finally, she gave up, realizing the futility of her efforts. She could not get free. He was just too strong. Limply, she lay beneath him, struggling to regain control of her breathing along with the wild panic which threatened to overwhelm her. They lay there for several minutes. Finally, without a word, he stood and scooped her up, tossing her over his shoulder and holding her there with an arm that felt like a band of steel across her hips.
He carried her like that through the woods in complete silence, no sound but the labored breathing from both of them. They passed the SUV, its doors now closed, and proceeded into the trees through which Ty had disappeared earlier. Peering between the strands of hair that fell across her face, she could see that the trees thinned quickly and then they emerged into a clearing. Things got a lot brighter, and she knew there was a lamp or light of some sort nearby. The planks of a wooden staircase appeared in the corner of her eye when he turned slightly, and Libby could feel each jolt as Ty climbed several steps. Then he was pushing open the door to what Libby assumed was some kind of hunting or fishing camp. After shutting the door behind him, he gently set her down on her feet. Immediately, she ran across the room and turned to face him, her back pressed against the opposite wall.
She could feel his eyes studying her and tried to ignore him, her gaze darting around the darkened room for any possible escape route. There wasn’t much to the small cabin, from what she could make out. Sparse furniture and only a short hallway which probably led to the bedroom and bathroom. She was standing in the small kitchen area and as her gaze catalogued the details of the room, she froze when she noticed another door. From where he stood, he couldn’t see it. Libby licked her lips and slanted her eyes back toward Ty to see if he had noticed her reaction, but he had turned away to lock the door they had entered through.
Knowing it was now or never, she moved. She managed to unlock the deadbolt and get it open about two inches before a hard body pressed into her, sending the door closed with a loud thud. She screamed in frustration and fear.
She flattened herself against the door, trying to put some room between herself and Ty, but he wouldn’t allow it, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush against him. His body was hard and warm against her, making her supremely conscious of her own feminine frailty. He frightened her, but she recognized, even through her own fear, the gentleness of his hands.
Confused, worn-out, she succumbed to the emotions which had been held at bay by her utter determination to get away. Her hands began trembling, then her legs, and soon her entire body was shaking like she was in the grip of some fever. Her teeth chattered as she tried to speak. “L–l–let me…g–go. P–p–ple…ase.” Tears streamed down her face.
Ignoring her plea, Ty lifted her up and carried her to the couch, sinking down onto it and pulling her into his lap. Libby lost track of time. It could have been five minutes or five hours that she sat cuddled close to Ty’s body, crying noisily.
Eventually the trembles lessened until she lay against him in a state of numb exhaustion, and she became aware of him speaking to her. At first the words made no sense, just a distant whispering comfort, but gradually their meaning pierced the emotional storm that had held her in its grip.
“Jesus, Libby. I’m not going to hurt you. Do you hear me? I’m not going to hurt you. Damn it, if I had wanted to hurt you, don’t you think I could have done it already? I mean, hell, you were unconscious. Helpless. Honest to God, you’re starting to piss me off. You fucking saved my life. I’m not going to hurt you. Are you listening to me?”
At last she opened her eyes and met his. The blunt honesty she saw had her questioning her own memory. Maybe he hadn’t—could she have imagined…?
He bent his head to her, and she shivered at the feel of his breath warm on her skin. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Libby looked at his mouth and then up to meet his eyes. “Don’t…don’t bite me. Please don’t bite me.”
Chapter Five
Ty grimaced. She definitely remembered, then. Well, hell. He’d figured as much when she’d taken off and fought like such a little wildcat when he’d caught her, but he was hoping he was wrong. No such luck. His arms tightened around her briefly before he eased her back and set her on the sofa beside him.
He was completely out of his element here. He was probably the last person on the planet who should be trying to reassure and console a frightened female. But he had to give it a shot, or they’d never make it out alive. She wouldn’t meet his eyes, so he reached out and bumped up her chin, roughly wiping away the streaks the tears had left on her cheeks. She jerked back from him, but met his gaze, eyes narrowed and her whole body stiff and unyielding, signaling her distrust. He backed up and gave her some room, trying not to overwhelm her despite the fact that he was so much larger and physically intimidating.
“I’m not going to bite you.” He tried to inject his voice with a comforting tone, but it came out like a growl instead.
Her mouth trembled at his words, but she firmed it and h
er chin tilted up. “Again, you mean?”
Despite their situation, he felt a pulse of admiration.
“Again. I won’t bite you again.”
She scooted away from him until she was pressed against the arm of the couch, her skepticism glaringly obvious. Fuck, what else could he say to her that would make her believe him? He needed her to trust him. Their very survival might depend on it.
They sat there contemplating each other. The silence between them stretched. And stretched.
“What are you?” The question came in a soft but resolute voice.
The question he’d been dreading. He stood and took a couple of steps away, dragging his hands through his hair as he tried to think of what he could say to her. He turned, struggling for some possible explanation.
“Don’t lie to me. Please. Don’t lie to me. Tell me the truth. What the hell are you?” Her voice trembled, and he knew the courage it had taken her to ask that question.
“What do you think I am?” He decided to put the ball in her court.
She bit her lip and her hands clenched together in her lap, but she finally whispered, “Vampire. I think you’re a vampire.”
Ty watched her as she sat there waiting for him to confirm or deny her suspicions. Her face was pale, eyes wide and wary, and she didn’t even look like she was breathing as she waited for his reply. What the fuck. “You’re right. I am a vampire.”
He waited for the explosion. The breath she’d been holding came out in a choking gasp. Then she was shaking her head, denying his words, contradicting her earlier statement in an instinctive denial. “You can’t be a vampire. Vampires don’t exist.” Standing up, she began to pace back and forth, listing all the reasons why he couldn’t be a vampire, and Ty knew under other circumstances he would be amused by her list, but her voice sounded more and more frantic with each word. “They’re a myth. A story to scare kids. Vlad the Impaler was really just a man with a really bad attitude. He wasn’t a vampire named Dracula. Vampires are just a stupid story. By Bram Stoker. Just a dumb work of fiction. I read it in high school. It wasn’t even that good. I can’t believe you’re lying about that. You’re just trying to scare me. Why are you trying to scare me?” That last word was almost a screech.