by Lila Rose
“No one you need to know about.” I smiled. “What are you doing here?” Please don’t say she’s here.
“It is my night off. I came to see what the talk is all about,” he said, looking at X.
Thank eff she wasn’t there. Oh, crap. Now I wished she were, because that meant she was back at the house with him. Maybe in a position I didn’t even want to think about.
Jensen finally graced me with his gaze. Damn it, why is there pity in his eyes? “They’re coming tonight. I thought you would like to know.”
That’s why. Crap a duck.
My stomach pivoted. “Yeah. Thanks,” I uttered. Only Jensen’s eyes were back on Xavier; however, X was looking down to the floor, his eyes flicking to Jensen every few seconds. What was the go with all the heat between those two?
Unless. No way, I would have noticed. X would have told me, right? Then again, probably not. He really hated talking about himself.
Wow. Xavier wanted him, likewise for Jensen. Still, I knew neither of them would make the first move.
The distraction eased my stomach and calmed my heart a little. “Let’s just have some fun until they turn up to ruin it. Care to dance, Jensen?”
His shocked gaze fell on me. “I… sure, thank you.”
“Come on, Xavier, Ty.” Grabbing their hands, I led them to the dance floor with Jensen following behind. I wove my way through the crowd until we were fully in the middle. Turning, I faced Ty and placed my hands on his waist as he did on mine. Pulling him in close, I swayed with him. It didn’t take long for Xavier to join us. He came up nice and close behind me. It was as if the three of us were joined at the hips. Xavier placed his own hands at my sides. Jensen stood back watching the three of us move.
“You should go and dance with him, Xavier,” Ty whispered. Xavier growled. Was the tension that obvious even a blind guy felt the heat from the two of them?
“I can’t,” Xavier muttered. Despite his reluctance, it didn’t change Jensen’s train of thought. He came over to us and moved in closely behind Xavier. Xavier jumped from the contact, but he didn’t move away. I rested my head down on Ty’s shoulder, trying to give the two at my back as much privacy as I could. We stayed that way for two songs until Jensen swore and I knew it was time to leave.
Eyes were on us. I knew it was him.
Pulling away from the group, I said, “We have to go.”
I turned away as Jensen gave Xavier a quick kiss on the cheek and whispered something in his ear. Xavier’s whole body sagged. He looked up to Jensen and I saw the loss, the pain. Both of them mirrored each other’s feelings.
“Jensen, maybe on your next day off you can come to my house for a while?”
He smiled. “I would love it.” He turned to Xavier. “If that’s okay with you?” Xavier nodded.
Jensen stepped closer to me and whispered out of Ty’s hearing range. “Thank you, Leila. If my mistress had seen or heard about this, about the way I am, then she would kill me.”
My eyes widened, appalled by the thought and with how blunt he was about it. How could she take away the chance for Jensen to be who he was meant to be? To love who he wanted. We were in the twenty-first century, for God’s sake. It was time someone told her that.
I wished I could be the one to do it, but it was impossible. I knew once I started, I wouldn’t be able to hold back.
Jensen disappeared. I went to ask Xavier something, but he shook his head. “Not here.”
“All right,” I said and cleared my throat. “Thank you, guys. You two are the best dance partners so far.”
“You won’t find anyone better.” Ty smiled.
“I guess only time will tell. Now, let’s try and get those other two lovebirds away from here. It’s time to go.”
And hopefully we’ll escape without seeing them.
We moved through the crowded floor back to our booth where Jezanna and Caelen were still seated.
Shit a stick.
The booth was also occupied with him and her.
My head fell back, my eyes to the ceiling. Couldn’t I get a break, just once, please?
Not wanting to make a scene, I stopped where I was with Xavier behind me and Ty at my side, my hand in his. As we stood on the edge of the dance floor, I opened my shields and reached my mind out to Caelen’s.
What I wasn’t prepared for was Isaac’s face to snap straight to me. He must have felt my power. Mary-fungus-Jane kept talking to Jezanna and Caelen, unaware her man’s attention had wavered to someone else.
I couldn’t keep standing there looking at him, seeing the pain in his eyes, as I was sure my own reflected a different pain. Only what did he have to be hurt about? Nothing. It was his choice to rip my heart from my chest, throw it to the ground and stomp on it.
Damn him. Why did he have to look so bloody wonderful in black slacks and a long-sleeved white shirt? His hair was loose and it flowed down around his shoulders. My eyes drifted to his shoulder and then followed his arm down. That was when I saw he had his hand placed gently on her fucking fat thigh. Cringing at the sight, he pulled his hand away quickly. Only that made her look to find out why. She saw me straight away. Her stare turned into a fierce glare.
Ignoring her, I turned to Jezanna and nodded to the side; she knew what I was saying. She rose from the table, as did Caelen, and followed me, all while I dragged the unaware Ty out of Boozers, with Xavier following quietly behind us.
Walking straight to the car, I bent over trying to catch my breath. It seemed I couldn’t get enough air in and it was hurting.
“Leila, what’s wrong? I-is Isaac here? Did you s-see something? Fuck him, Leila. He’s an arse anyway.”
Jezanna came rushing up to my side, rubbing her hand up and down my back. Goddamn, I wanted to cry again.
They look like the perfect couple, nothing like what we were.
Clenching my fists, I gave myself a good shake and stood tall. Jezanna held out my jumper and I threw it on.
“Ty, would—”
He held up his hand. “I’m going to c-catch the taxi home that Xavier has flagged down. I-I know you just want to get home. Don’t worry about it, o-okay? I understand. But, listen, you c-can trust me, you know. About anything at all.”
My arms went around him. I hugged him hard and nodded into his shoulder.
The car was quiet on the drive back home, everyone in their own thoughts. I spent the time trying not to think about someone. I was sure the other three were thinking of the ones who took their breaths away, and I was happy for them.
Even if my own life was so fucking messed up, at least they could bring some normalcy to it. Well, sort of.
I left Jezanna to say goodnight to Caelen alone and went off to my room. Xavier followed behind me. I closed the door and flopped down on my bed, hiding my face with my arm. I felt the bed sink next to me and peeked out to see Xavier watching me.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yeah, I will be. Though, I’d be better if you took my mind off things and answered some questions.”
“I’d be glad to.”
Sitting up, I scooted back to lean against the headboard, patting the spot next to me. Xavier took off his shoes and jacket, unarmed himself and sat next to me. I needed some type of comfort, so I put my arm through his and laid my head on his shoulder.
“Is it easier to touch me now you know I’m gay?”
I thought about it. “Yeah, in a way, I guess it is. At least I know you won’t get the wrong idea from it.”
He smirked down at me. “That’s true. It also gives me the chance to have someone touch me and not be repulsed. I have gone without having someone show me they care for so long. All we need is a little comfort every now and then. No matter who we like.”
Yawning, I said lightly, “I don’t think Jensen was repulsed at all.”
His rumble of laughter ran through the ear I had rested on him.
“Yes, well, I have you to thank for that.”
“N
o way, it was all your godly doing.” I laughed. “Does, you know, does I-Isaac know?”
“Yes, he does. He was the one who saved me from my previous sire. Someone I long to forget, but have the scars that won’t let me. You see, being gay is very much looked down upon with a lot of the older vampires. Though, it’s not only from the vampire society, but also still with the humans. Only, it’s worse with vampires, because”—he shuddered—“we’re beaten, usually to death. I’m guessing something similar has happened to Jensen and that’s why his new mistress knows nothing about him. I was lucky enough Isaac stumbled upon me one night after being beaten. He gave me his blood, which broke the bond of the person who made me a vampire and Isaac became my master. He chose to save me knowing who I was and then faced the wrath of my previous sire.” He stopped and took my hand in his. “I don’t like what he’s doing in your situation. However, he has his reasons and he’s hoping one day, as well as I and many more, you will understand and forgive him. He’s a noble, strong man, but we all have our faults.”
Wiping my tears away after hearing about the hell Xavier had been through, I sighed. “Deep down, I know he’s being noble and all, which is why I still care for him so deeply. However, my anger wouldn’t let me admit it aloud until now. Hell, I couldn’t even admit it in my head. Nothing can erase the hurt swirling inside of me or the slap of betrayal across my face and anguish that still burns me.” I shrugged. “Maybe one day, we can be… friends again. But not if she’s in the picture.” I scoffed. “Something tells me I could never get along with her. Then again, friendship with Isaac would probably only upset me so much more, because I will never get to feel what I had with him again. And having him around, seeing him only makes me remember what I lost.” I sighed again.
“At least you were able to say his name this time.”
A snort. “Yeah, big improvement.” We were silent for a few moments, then I broke it, saying, “Can I ask you something else?” He nodded, so I asked, “Why do you call Isaac master like off those old vampire movies?”
“Like I said, Isaac was the one who broke the bond from my sire—the vampire who turned me. Therefore, I use it for him as a term of respect. When a vampire makes you like them, you call them sire. Then, if for some reason your sire is no longer around or you have won the rights to leave the clan you were reborn as a vampire into, to join another, then the one who rules the new clan, you call them master. Again, it’s out of respect, because they do so much for you.”
I gulped. I knew he had heard it. “Has, ah, Isaac made anyone?”
Darik.
Of course, Darik was the only one around who called Isaac sire instead of master. I wondered how it happened and why Isaac chose Darik. Had they been friends before it happened?
“My master has made only a few. Although, he has saved many, like myself, by giving them his blood. Which in turn, wipes out the connection from their other sire or master’s bond.”
I wanted to ask who the others were that Isaac made, but somehow I knew Xavier wouldn’t tell me.
Chapter Eighteen
The week passed quickly. Each day, I woke with the dream fresh in my mind. I attended school, kept my distance from Isaac and whore-face, all while managing to dodge Darik’s attempts at talking to me. However, he caught me one night while I was out on my nightly run in my other form.
Xavier had magically disappeared when Darik popped up out of nowhere. “Leila, how have you been? Of course I don’t expect an answer.” He chuckled.
I hissed at him and kept my pace.
“Now, now, kitty cat. No need to be testy. Seems you’ve been avoiding my attempts to try to speak with you. So I thought this would be a better idea. The best, in fact, because you can’t talk back.” He laughed again.
A growl escaped as I stopped running and turned to Darik. He grinned down at me. Was he waiting for me to meld my mind to his? It was not going to happen.
“All right, I can see you want me to get this over with. All I want to get across, for now, is that Isaac only wants to protect and take care of everyone in his circle. Including you.”
Snapping my jaw in frustration, I pounced at him, landing at his feet. He didn’t move. I turned and took off, hoping he wouldn’t follow.
They needed to get through their thick heads, I may still be friends with his people, but I wasn’t one of his to protect and take care of. Not any longer.
Later that week, I turned my thoughts to another matter, one that had me worried. I hadn’t seen Sofia around or even Raven, her sister. I asked a few people where she was. They, of course, told me to get out of their faces. I was tempted to go to her house to see if she was okay, but then I’d have to explain to Xavier the whys of it. Xavier had also taken it upon himself to be my shadow. He’d dropped and picked me up from school, took me to the supermarket and then ran with me every night.
Caelen had been around a lot, and by a lot, I meant he was there every afternoon when I got home and didn’t leave until early hours of the morning. It was great to see Jezza and Caelen so happy. Too happy sometimes, to the point I felt like puking from the little lovesick gazes, touches and whispers of sweet nothings in each other’s ear. Still, they deserved to be content, and the thought of that made me stop throwing things at them.
For some reason, I didn’t get a chance to spend much time with Ty through the week, other than in class. I asked him around a couple of times, but he said he was busy at home helping his mum.
By Thursday night, I’d had enough of the sweetness between the happy couple, who were sitting on the couch together, and went to bed early.
I’d just gotten to sleep when I woke with a start from my bedroom door being thrown open. I was on my feet on the bed in seconds, ready for whoever entered.
Jezanna turned on the light. She looked terrible. Tears stained her cheeks and her body shook violently. Something was wrong, very wrong. I jumped off my bed and ran to her side.
“What is it, Jezz?”
Oh, God, please don’t let it be Isaac, please.
“I have to get to the hospital. It’s Father. He’s… Something attacked him. Oh, Leila, it doesn’t look good. Please, will you come with me? I can’t get a hold of Caelen. He left two hours ago. Otherwise, I wouldn’t ask this of you, because my brothers will be there.”
“Of course I’ll come. Let me just get dressed.”
“Xavier’s preparing the car. I’ll meet you in it.” She gave me a quick hug and flew out the door. I grabbed the clothes I’d discarded on the floor and threw them on. It ended up being my running clothes, my black leggings and T-shirt. I shook my head knowing they stunk, but there was no time to change.
Rain poured heavily from the dark sky. I quickly took the long black duffel coat hanging beside the door and hurried out to the car.
The three of us sat in the front, my arm around Jezanna, trying to console her as she cried. Meanwhile, I tried my best to hold my own emotions and thoughts at bay.
My heart constricted. I hadn’t managed to spend enough time with Greg. He’d better be okay. He couldn’t leave us, not now, not ever.
“Why doesn’t someone just change him?” I thought, but I must have said it aloud, because Jezanna sobbed harder.
“He won’t let anyone,” Xavier said.
Oh, shit, really? Although, I understood why, at least he’d get to be with his loving wife, who he missed every day since her passing. But couldn’t he see he was needed here? It may have been selfish of me to think it, but… Crap, no, I couldn’t let my emotions control me. I needed to be strong for Jezanna’s sake. I had to stop thinking.
We pulled into the hospital’s emergency car park. I jumped out, as did Jezanna. Xavier mumbled something about parking the car and he’d be along in a moment. Only Jezanna had already started running for the door, so I followed her.
She reached the information desk, screaming where to find Gregory Grey, before I had the chance to catch her.
“Jezanna,” I whispered int
o her ear. “There’re humans around. You can’t run off like that.” She nodded.
We waited for the administrator to pull up the information on her computer. Before I had left the house, I grabbed some tissues off the kitchen bench, and now handed some to Jezanna. She took them and wiped her tears from her face.
She hiccupped. “I can’t help it, Leila.”
“I know.” I turned to the lady behind the desk. “Geez, woman, how long does it take?”
“Don’t take that tone with me, young lady. You will find him on floor two, south. Room thirty-five. If you go straight around the corner, you’ll find the lifts.”
“Thank you,” Jezanna said.
We sprinted around the corner. The pain-in-the-arse part was waiting for the lift to come back down. We jumped inside and I pushed the button. I then proceeded to tap my foot impatiently while holding Jezanna’s hand.
We didn’t have to walk far to find the room. As soon as the doors opened, we spotted Isaac leaning against the opposite wall to his father’s room. I glanced behind me as I stepped off the lift and saw Adan guarding the area. Darik was pacing the floor in front of his sire. Isaac looked up to see who was coming out of the lift. His eyes were tired and sad. He straightened from the wall as Jezanna ran to him and threw herself into his waiting arms. I didn’t want to seem like I was intruding, so I walked slowly down the hall, Darik meeting me halfway.
“Is Gregory okay?” I asked.
“It doesn’t look good, Leila. They’ve given him until morning.”
“What? How? What happened? Who did this?” I gripped his tee. “It’s too sudden.”
“We don’t know anything yet, but we have people searching for answers. He’s taken a lot of internal damage and lost so much blood. We know it’s one of our kind. He… he had a stroke right after the attack.”
My hand went to my mouth. Tears filled my eyes, but I blinked them away and wiped my face. I had to be strong for Jezanna. She’d need me. Remaining strong was something I was used to. I’d cry later, alone.
“You’ll get answers? You’ll make who did this pay?” I asked.