“So?” Elizabeth says in a strong voice. “Which one of these monsters is going to hit me first?”
“Me.” Christiana slaps her again across the face. This time with the back of her hand and her multi-carat ruby ring slices her cheek.
I close my eyes and climb into her brain. Elizabeth shrieks as her head thrashes from side to side. Elizabeth, the pain is from me. Not Christiana.
Elizabeth wails louder and I bite into my lip as Christiana lifts her hand to repeat the slapping a few more times. It’s excruciating to watch but I need those strikes to mask the pain my unpracticed intrusions cause.
Elizabeth cries out, but I reach out to her again. My darling, relax. I feel your face is turning numb. I will heal you. I will make it better. Please do or say something to let me know you hear me.
Her lip is split open and trickles of blood drip from her nose. Christiana sharply jabs Elizabeth’s stomach and digs an elbow into her pelvis.
“That’s enough!” I roar. “Hit me. Punch me, you coward.”
“That is enough for me.” She steps away, fixing her hair.
Elizabeth, my darling. Please, can you hear me? Shout out my name. Now. Right now.
“Alex!” she screams. “Make it stop. It hurts!”
I gasp.
“Oh, my guards are going to hurt you, my dear,” Christiana answers.
Elizabeth, listen to me. You know what I can do. But no one else does. Not even Loren. Gaston was the vampire behind your house and I was forced to reveal myself. Christiana is baiting me to show her. If I do, my God, my darling, I don’t know what will happen. I may be destroyed right here, right now. And you as well. You have to trust me to get us out of this. I will make it up to you any way I can. Only to prevent your death, will I show what I really am. Please understand and forgive me.
Christiana speaks privately to Gaston, perhaps to recall what he saw.
“Get on with it already!” Elizabeth responds, but I can tell it’s to me not her.
Christiana returns to the table, her mouth curved into a cruel smile and she traces one of her boney fingers over Elizabeth’s trembling lips.
“You have something my guards desperately need.” She gestures to the semi-circle of feral-looking vampires. “I’m going to let them feed off you. You seem so eager to share your blood.”
I gasp, even though I figured as much. As elite guards, I suspect they would take no pleasure in beating a defenseless beautiful female and while Christiana may be ruthless, she’s not stupid enough to let her guards have their way with Elizabeth. That’s a crime and there are too many witnesses. Vampires interested in politics continually scheme and stab each other in the backs to win favor with New York.
All that’s left for them to take from Elizabeth is the one thing Christiana would not be punished for. Her blood. Christiana would say it’s her right to mete out this kind of punishment and after all, I wasn’t supposed to touch Elizabeth in the first place.
I am sick, as I watch them hunger for Elizabeth, with no panties, vulnerable on that table. They gnaw and gnash their teeth, like they’re starved for her blood. But Christ, she’s not replenished enough yet. They may very well kill her.
A grunt from the corner turns my attention to the hefty vampire at Christiana’s side.
“I want Zander to feed from her first,” I yell.
Christiana, who would and should otherwise be completely confidant, twitches in response. She’s no vampire, but Elizabeth is stunningly beautiful. Christiana’s tone earlier, threading her fingers through my darling’s glorious hair was pure venomous jealousy from that fucked-up tongue bath Zander laid on her.
Christiana could give a shit if her guards wrap their teeth around Elizabeth’s neck, but the shocked grimace on the commander’s face suggests she doesn’t want Zander anywhere near Elizabeth again. By right, her personal guard should be the most well fed. To blatantly deny him would let slip her little secret. A commander of such a prestigious allegiant should not be sexually involved with her guards.
Christiana is still for a moment glaring at Zander and then me. “Gaston shall have her first.” Her guards exchange glances, confused that he would gain such a sweet bounty. “A reward for his loyalty.”
Holy Mary mother of God, how will I get out of this one? Mary. Maryland. Loren is in Maryland. When I get out of here, I will find him to help me wipe the minds clean of everyone in this room, because it’s clear, I’m going to have to reveal my powers.
Gaston steps forward. It figures, he cleaned himself up to stand there and be Christiana’s toady. In the wilderness, he looked ragged and homeless. Now, this vampire could walk down a runway. He leaps up and lands on Elizabeth. That alone will propel me to send him through a wall.
Close your eyes, my darling. I loosen the fists I made when she squeezes them shut and nods.
Gaston’s eyes move to mine, taunting me as he flashes his teeth. His face gets closer to hers and his tongue slides along her neck. He growls when his fingers press into the bite marks I made earlier.
“This isn’t a date.” Christiana crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. “Bite her already.”
My plan is to crush him mid-feed. I just hope he doesn’t rip Elizabeth’s veins out of her neck in the process.
He jams a finger at her face, touches the blood, and brings it to his lips. His nostrils flare, but his eyelids flutter like crazy as he snarls at her. “No!” He crushes his face against her chest.
Elizabeth’s eyes pop open at the unexpected pressure.
“Gaston, what is your problem?” Christiana yells.
“Loren!” Gaston flies off the table and cowers in the corner of the room. “She’s got Loren’s blood in her.”
I jolt up and break away from the vampires who restrain me because they are too shocked to keep their hold on me. Zander grabs me before I can reach Elizabeth.
“You asshole.” Christiana stomps toward the table. “It’s not Loren you smell. It’s Alex. Loren made Alex. What you smell is . . .” She roughly rubs her hand on Elizabeth’s face to wipe up what’s left of her blood. Christiana brings it to her mouth, takes a taste on her tongue, and backs away.
Her eyes turn red and she hurls herself at me. She slices a sharp fingernail down my cheek, drawing blood. “Why does she have Loren’s blood in her?”
I can’t offer an explanation, because I don’t have one.
“Once you drag Alexander across the state line, I’ll belong to Loren. When I tell him what you did to me . . .” Elizabeth giggles maniacally.
Christiana staggers back. “And you didn’t think to mention that you were under his protection, you little whore?” Her trembling hands hover over Elizabeth’s face. “Someone, anyone, heal her!”
“Christiana!” I say sharply. “You know there is only one person who can make Loren forgive you.”
“Let him go and get her off that damn table. Now!” Christiana bends down to grab her coat.
Pollack takes out a knife to cut all the ties. Gaston still cowers in the corner and the other vampires now shake as well. They sneer at Christiana with murderous stares for putting them in the path of the planet’s deadliest vampire.
Chapter 27
Alex rushes to me and pushes Pollack out of the way.
When the vampire doesn’t retaliate, only snarls and springs away, Alex snaps the bindings that hold my wrists and legs like they were soft threads.
When my arms are free, I can’t get them around Alex fast enough. I should be angry. The mental messages he sent me earlier hurt more than the worst migraine I ever had.
He holds me only for a moment then runs a hand across my skin to make sure I really am okay. After he releases me, he stands in front of me. Guarding me. Blubbering over me will make him appear weak. He needs to go to Philadelphia
and command these vampires who just kicked the shit out of the both of us.
“Gaston,” Christiana barks. “Take her home and—”
“No! I’m not going anywhere near her.”
“You’ll do as I command.”
“Make Zander do it!” His voice quivers.
“Zander is my personal guard, he does what I say.”
“I’m taking her home.” Alex’s voice is razor sharp and Christiana doesn’t dare protest.
The scary vampire who man-handled me pulls her aside and speaks low with a gravelly edge to his voice. While they’re both considerably dangerous, there’s a smoldering heat between them. “Let’s get this shit cleaned up so my men can get back to Philadelphia where they belong.”
“Fine,” she grits out through her teeth, licking her lips discreetly at him. Zander is her weakness. “I’ll wait here for Alex.”
His grip on me tightens as he turns to her. “That’s not necessary. I’ll join you there as soon as I can.”
“Tonight, Alexander.”
“One week.” His voice is strangled trying to stay calm.
“You said, you’d come with me tonight if I let her go.” Her eyes blaze at him and then at me. “I’m letting her go.”
Alex whirls across the room and slams her up against the wall. “My bargain was to let her go unharmed.”
“There’s the Alexander I remember.” Christiana grabs his ass.
Oh, dear God.
He lurches away. “I’ll be in Philadelphia in seven days.”
“Tonight!”
“Three days,” he hollers. “Look at this mess you made. It will take me days to clean this up.”
Alex and I are supposed to drive Annie to DC tomorrow.
That’s not happening now.
Christiana’s nostrils flare at me. “If you go near her again, there will be a price to pay. And I’ll know.” She drops her gaze at Pollack. “Gaston may be afraid of her. But he’s not.”
Alex balls his hands into tight fists and through gritted teeth, snarls, “Yes, Commander.”
Christiana hisses at her entourage to leave. She doesn’t even glance back at me. I mean nothing. Alex was right. I’m just a pawn she used to bait him to show his powers. I suspect a commander wouldn’t be prosecuted for that crime. Collateral damage, something like that. That’s what I was reduced to.
When I try to move, I discover just how hurt I really am. The last thing I want is for Alex to see me in pain, except I can’t help but groan.
He holds me still as his head moves across my body much like he did when I had the flu. He stops at my face and his lips wrinkle. “Stay here. I’ll draw some blood for you.”
“No!” I wrestle away from him and find my coat. “Just because I’ll look great, won’t mean I’m not dying inside.”
“Do you think this isn’t killing me?” He runs a hand through his hair and doesn’t flinch. The blow he took should cause a massive lump, but not him. He’s healed. “Is there anything I could have done here that would make a difference? Do you see what I’m up against?”
“Have you been with her. Sexually?” My voice squeaks, but I back away when he reaches for me. “I know it shouldn’t matter, but it does.”
“It was a long time ago. I was recently turned. I didn’t have full control over myself and she took advantage of me.”
“That’s your argument?”
“Yes. And yes, I slept with her and my body responded, but only because it had to. I hated every fraction of every second of it.”
While I wrap my head around what he said, he steps to the window and peers out to his driveway. Roughly he closes his drapes. “I won’t dig through your mind right now, Elizabeth, you’ve been hurt enough. But I have to ask you a few questions.”
“Alexander, I’m in no mood to be interrogated any further.” I yank my phone out of my bag. “Annie will be home soon. We have to go now.”
“Please. Please let me give you blood.”
“No.”
“You’ll take Loren’s blood though.” The edge in his voice is not very flattering. “And are you really planning on being his when I’m gone?”
I cross my arms. “You say that like you don’t think it’s possible.”
He waves a finger at me. “He’d make you his in a heartbeat.”
“Well then it’s good you’re both dead and don’t have beating hearts. Mine on the other hand is. And it’s breaking, Alex.”
“My darling . . .” He rushes to me again, but I back away.
“Not that it matters, but Loren sort of tricked me into it.” I was skeptical of the result it would have, but it did scare everyone off. “And no. I’m not going to be his. He’s trying to find Julianna.” I open my mouth to say more when a blinding pain shoots through my brain. I almost collapse, but Alex is there.
“I’m sorry. It’s not a time for etiquette.” His hold on me is fierce but I manage to break free. “You need my blood even if I have to immobilize you, tear open my wrist and force feed you.”
“Fine.” I sit down and hold out my arm. “And while you’re at it, go into my mind and take it all away. Not just today. Take away every minute of us, Alex.”
~ ~ ~
Even if I wanted to or could, I wouldn’t remove myself from Elizabeth’s memory.
As much as I don’t want her to be sad, selfishly I don’t want to be alone in my misery. Missing her is all I may have left. I don’t want to give her a modicum of false hope, but I can’t see that this is the end for us.
Except, today it will end. In some form or another. I am part of an allegiant and must obey the commands made of me. To refuse and go rogue would have disastrous consequences. I stomp through my house to get my equipment only to be horrified that I’m out of the needles needed to give her blood. My legs are weak when I return to the living room where she sits sad and broken.
“My darling, I—”
“Stop calling me that. Please.” Her rejection kicks me in the gut.
“I’m out of needles.” I walk toward her, my teeth grazing against my wrist.
She backs away. “No. That’s too drastic. You’ll never heal in time to drive me home.”
Desperation grips me so, I pierce my lower lip and when the last bit of coppery blood spills over, I pull Elizabeth toward me to kiss her while it flows into her mouth. My tongue sweeps across her lip and I dab it a few times until I hear the sizzle of the cut healing.
Her kisses are urgent like she’s eager to take whatever essence can flow from me in this brief moment with her. As much as I don’t want to be away from her mouth, I move my lips to her cheek and skim across the bruised skin. My blood needs to flow from within her to make the swelling and discoloration go away, but the scrapes will heal by the time Annie gets home.
I repeat the other side and even though my lip healed, I continue to kiss her running my hands down her back, touching and searching to make sure every bone is completely intact.
Part of me wishes she would go off to be with Loren. He’d protect her. Worship her. Love her. It’s even possible that if I were released from this nightmare obligation that he would give her back to me.
Elizabeth’s hold on my arms is strong. My blood has already done some good. It aches, but I must let her go. Reluctantly, I grab my keys because we are dangerously close to missing Annie’s bus.
When we drove here earlier, her body leaned into mine and our hands were never far away from each other. Nothing could be more different now. She’s practically pressed against the door and her hands are tight in her own lap.
Selfishly, I drop into her head. Elizabeth, I love you.
“Ouch!” She grabs her head and leans forward as far as the seat belt will allow. “Stop. We’re alone. You don’t have
to do this.”
Yes, I do. You have to get used to it. Because regardless of where I am, I will need to connect with you. Even if this is the only way.
I reach out and snag her hand which she allows and I bring it to my lips. It’s hard to imagine that just a few hours ago I was inside her, my teeth deep in her neck drinking her blood and now I’m reduced to grazing over the surface of her skin like an addict scraping the carpet for fallen sprinkles of cocaine.
We get to her house and according to the clock I have four minutes. Four goddamn minutes with a woman I want to spend one thousand years with.
~ ~ ~
Four minutes until Alex drives away and leaves me forever.
To put my heartache into perspective, and belittle myself for feeling so empty and hurt, I remind myself it’s only been two months. Considering how long he’s been alive and how much longer he’ll live, I can’t and won’t be more than a blip on his love radar.
If I know this, though, how come he doesn’t? He looks as sad and dejected as I do.
I shake my head. Enough of this. I have to get myself together and be strong and present for my daughter. I knew I had to tell her eventually he’s leaving, but I hoped after the time with her dad it would sting less. I planned to tell her when she came home from DC that Alex and I decided to go our separate ways.
It is stupid of me to think I’ll be any less emotional then.
Alex breaks the silence. “Please text me tomorrow while you’re driving and let me know how you’re doing.”
“I think I’m going to head down there tonight.”
He flinches and growls, “What? No. Not after what you went through. Regardless, I still took a considerable amount of blood from you.”
“I’ll be fine.” I have to be.
I can’t sleep in this house tonight. The idea of that vampire watching me makes my skin crawl. Someone will be in my woods until Alex leaves and I can’t live like that.
Drawing Bloodlines (The Princeton Allegiant Series Book 1) Page 23