by D McEntire
Vane walked up behind the woman and put his arms around her in a possessive gesture before proceeding with the introduction.
“This is my mate, Rosa. She’s a singer at the Black Panther Lounge on Fourth Street. Rosa, mi dulce, this is Kern. He’ll be staying with us for awhile, and, since I know Robyn is a fast talker, I’m sure she has filled you in on everything before you came upstairs.”
Robyn blushed, and Rosa smiled at her, which told Kern that Vane had pegged Trigg’s mate to a T.
“Nice to meet you, Kern. I’m sure you know if you or…”
“Marie. Marie DeVeux,” Kern interjected. Robyn must not have talked fast enough, he mused.
“…Marie need anything, anything at all, we are all here for both of you.” She smiled warmly, then allowed Vane to pull her away.
Kern said a polite thank you to Rosa. He watched as Vane led her from the bed and was amazed. Remembering his previous encounters with Vane, finding his mate had definitely changed the Watcher. Vane had always been the smooth one who made all the right moves and had women pooling at his feet to show for it. Now, he seemed to have eyes for only one woman and was totally into her—heart and soul.
“The rest is where you all come in. During the time I left the building to find help for Marie, Dr. Pearson must have returned to the tunnel thinking Marie and I were still in the lab. He set the bomb to explode when the door was opened from inside of the lab. Guess he wanted to get rid of everything in one shot.”
Rosa and Robyn gasped and turned wide-eyes on the Watchers and Dr. Olivia. This was obviously the first time the women had heard about the bomb, which did not bode well for their mates ears after they left the room, Kern thought with an inward smile.
“Dr. Olivia, what do you plan to do about the building?” Tank asked.
Dr. Olivia let out a long breath. “Good question. I believe it belongs to Evan Batowsky, the man who had brought Dr. Pearson to Louisville in the first place. But I have ways of acquiring the property. I’ll send in a sweeper team to check for any more explosives and another team to clean out the debris in the old lab. The underground lab will be firmly secured. It may come in handy for us one day.”
Kern frowned slightly. “Shouldn’t it be leveled? I mean, it’s been used twice now against our kind—”
Dr. Olivia gently interrupted. “True, but it was not the building itself which has done those things, so why should it be condemned because of their actions? Besides, it’s a landmark, an icon of an old era. The Military Hospital was built in 1845. No, it’ll be put to good use from now on. I can promise you that.” Dr. Olivia’s statement was followed by a shake of his index finger to emphasize his point.
Kern understood and agreed to what Dr. Olivia had said about the old hospital. Wanting to have the building razed was his anger talking.
Marie moaned. Kern turned his attention to her, watching her eyelids flutter. “Looks like she’s coming around.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Marie slowly opened her eyes. When they focused, she looked around, suddenly confused. She was no longer in the lab and people stood in the room, staring at her as if waiting for her to say something.
Her gaze shifted to the side of the bed, where she saw Kern. He smiled warmly, but uncertainty showed in his eyes.
“Marie, how are you feeling?” he asked softly, placing her hand in his.
The gesture made her heart skip a beat. His dark, cold eyes were gone, replaced by a beautiful blue she always wanted to see there. Giving him her blood had worked. He was alive.
Marie looked around the room again, still trying to discern where she was and who these people were. Kern must have sensed her concern because he spoke quickly.
“Marie, there’s something I need to explain, but first I want you to know you are safe. Don’t be alarmed. These people took us into their home for safekeeping.”
He seemed to be trying to judge her reaction. She felt the tension in his hand as he held hers.
A petite woman with short blonde hair stepped forward. “Marie, my name is Robyn, and this is my mate, Trigg. This is my best friend, Rosa, and her mate, Vane. This is Tank, and this is Dr. Olivia.”
As each was introduced, she smiled politely and said a quiet hello. Afterwards, the people filed out of the room, leaving only herself and Kern.
“Who were those people? Your friends?”
“Yes, they are. The men are Watchers, like me. No one here is going to hurt you, sweetheart. These are good people, honorable people who would give their lives to protect you. As you have done for me.”
When tears pooled in her eyes at the memory of Kern writhing on the floor with a gunshot wound to his chest, he gently kissed each lid. The act touched her heart.
“I’ll tell you about us—the Watchers.”
Marie nodded, anxious to hear more about him and his people. She waited while Kern scooted up on the bed until he rested against the headboard.
“The older gentleman is Dr. Stephanus Olivia. He’s the founder of the Watchers. We are a society of warriors who hunt Rogues, which, as I explained at the lab, are vampires with a lust for blood. Their want is so strong it has driven them mad. They have no morals, no soul, which is why they have to be eliminated. It’s our job to do it.”
“How long have you been a Watcher?”
“I’m what’s called a Trueborn, which means I was born a vampire. I am forty-nine years old. I’ve been a Watcher since the day I turned eighteen.”
Everything Kern said she found fascinating. She had known all along he was someone important—a person who was needed in this world.
Vampires working in the public, walking the streets and driving in cars, sitting in restaurants and enjoying extremely raw steaks and not harming a soul, not what she had seen on television.
The idea of rogue vampires gave her a sudden chill. She pictured monsters she had seen on vampire horror movies. With the thought of vampires and hunting, the image of the man in the lab coat came to her.
“Is that man dead?” she asked hopefully, but frowned when Kern shook his head.
“No, he got away, but there’s more I have to tell you, and I don’t know how to start, or maybe I’m afraid to.”
Marie placed her hand on his cheek. He seemed anxious, as if he did not want to have to tell her the news her pet dog had died. She braced herself and told him just to spit it out.
“You saved me, but you did so at a great cost to yourself. You had given me almost all of your blood, and you were dying.”
Marie’s mind was trying to jump ahead and figure out where this was leading. Then she wondered how she was saved from dying if she had been that low on blood.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “What happened? How did I survive?”
“I gave you my blood.”
As he stared at her, attempting to judge her reaction, Marie thought over what he said, confused as to why giving her a blood transfusion would be a problem.
“What does that mean, exactly? Am I going to grow a second head or something?”
When Kern did not smile at her joke, Marie began to get worried.
“Your body now has about ninety percent vampire blood, which has spread throughout your system and rearranged your cellular makeup and vital organs to accommodate the new blood. It means you’re no longer human. You’re a vampire. I’m sorry I did this to you without your consent.”
Marie listened to what he said, but also to what he didn’t say. He said nothing of his reason for saving her. Was it because she had done the same for him? Or did he feel something for her? Was it out of guilt for holding her in the lab then finding out he had been wrong all along to do so?
Another thought entered Marie’s mind. She’d had no idea what she planned to do after she had found him. Somehow, she was going to have to put her life back together, but now it was going to be more difficult than ever.
She had been alone before leaving Georgia. There was nothing left in her life. Now, she was going to l
ive twice that lifetime, if the vampire myth was true. Was this another step for whatever her grandmother had planned for her? How many more people was the woman expecting her to save?
What the hell am I to do now, Grandma?
Kern watched Marie stare straight ahead. She did not speak for several moments. He could not read her reaction.
“Marie, please tell me what you’re thinking. I know it must be scary for you right now, not knowing what to expect, but I’ll do everything I can to help you. Those people downstairs will help you too. Are you scared? Angry? Upset? What can I do?”
“Kern. I’m not angry or upset, but I am a little scared. I don’t know what to do. My life had been going down the toilet before I ended up in the hospital. I didn’t even have a thought about what was going to happen after I had found you or didn’t find you. Now, I am as confused as ever, and I have a feeling my grandmother isn’t going to be forthcoming about what is in store for me next.” Marie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Kern’s chest squeezed tightly at the quiver he heard in her voice and its sorrow-filled tone. He wanted to bring her into his arms and hold her, to make all her troubles disappear, but he kept himself still. Was her grandmother going to tell her she had to leave? If the older woman’s plans were to take Marie away from him, he prayed her grandmother never returned.
“Kern, I‘m feeling really tired. Would you mind leaving me alone for a little while so I can sleep?”
With a nod at her request, Kern slid off the bed, then looked at her again. She had already turned her head and closed her eyes. He had known the news would be difficult, not to mention she was probably trying to deal with all she had been through. She had stumbled upon a madman chained to a wall in an underground lab, was viciously attacked by him, backhanded and slammed into a wall by him, seduced by him, then turned into a vampire—by him.
But wasn’t this what her grandmother had alluded to? She had said Marie’s life was in his hands. What had she meant?
Kern’s thoughts churned as he descended the stairs to join the others. When he stepped into the kitchen, Dr. Olivia was pacing the floor, talking on his cell phone. A few moments after seeing Kern standing there, his boss snapped the phone closed.
“Kern, I’ve contacted Headquarters and Mac since you had been under his command at the time of your disappearance. I know you have not been fully assigned to a Cell in quite some time because you’re one of our best field operators. I want you to stay here for a while. Take as much time as you need. I don’t want you rushing to return to the streets, and as for Dr. Pearson, I have people working on the issue as we speak.”
Tank spoke up, agreeing with Dr. Olivia. “Yes, Kern. We’re actually short a Watcher here. Rayne has transferred to Indiana to be with his mate, Suma.”
Kern was touched by their concern and generosity. He did need to get himself together. Intense emotions competed inside his head. He needed time to get his anger under control. Eight months of torture had left some large holes in his psyche desperately needing repair. He hoped Marie would stay as well.
Thinking of Marie and her conversion, Kern turned to Trigg. “What happens next? Is the conversion over?”
Trigg shook his head telling Kern there was much more to come.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As the people talked downstairs, Marie listened. Her hearing was extraordinarily sharp, thanks to the change.
Taking inventory of her body, she noted a few oddities. For one thing, her heightened sense of smell was a little unnerving. Scents she never knew existed wafted over her. She would have to learn to block out a lot of things or she would probably go crazy, sensory overload to the max.
Marie thought about her family, wondering if she was now further away from them. Would her new life make it impossible for them to make amends? That is, if she really wanted to. It would take a lot of soul searching to come up with the answer. She knew they would never accept the fact she still talked to Grandma.
What about Kern? Where did he fit into all of this? Where did she fit in his life? Did he even want her in his life? He had seemed genuinely concerned about her, and had even called her sweetheart. Was it because he felt responsible for her since he had been the one to put her through the change?
Marie didn’t want to be a burden to anyone, and she didn’t need a babysitter. As long as she received a few pointers on how to live as a vampire, she would be okay. Besides, she had lived on her own for quite a while, and she could continue to do so. But, there was a major problem. She now had restrictions placed upon her if the myths were true about vampires not being able to tolerate the sun. She would only be able to work night jobs and would have to be home before sunrise. This also meant if she were to make amends with her family, she would have to come up with all sorts of excuses to remain at home during the day.
Marie groaned. If she had ever thought her life complicated before, it had been nothing compared to now.
Suddenly, an odd sensation overcame her. Throbbing began in her mouth and slowly intensified. Marie flung the covers aside and stumbled to the bathroom, stood in front of the mirror and lifted her upper lip.
“Oh my God,” she cried, her voice quivering in panic.
Marie stood wide-eyed facing the mirror, staring at the long, white fangs slowly protruding on each side of her top gums. Withdrawing from the mirror and bringing her hands to her mouth, she let out a cry of alarm.
Kern felt Marie’s distress before he heard her cry. He bounded up the stairs. Marie was in the bathroom, staring into the mirror.
“Marie.” Kern spoke softly as he walked up behind her and eased her hand from her mouth. “Marie, look at me.” When she did, he gave her a comforting smile. “It’s alright. Come to bed and I’ll explain what Trigg told me. Robyn has gone through the change as well.”
Kern led her to the bed then sat beside her. “You’re feeling the hunger. Your body has used the blood I had given you for the transformation and now needs more to replenish the supply.”
Marie’s eyes grew wide in alarm, and he knew why. Humans did not drink blood. To them it was appalling, and she was most likely remembering how he had forced her to drink blood in the lab, which had made her ill.
Her fear made him feel guilty for converting her. If he could take it back—no, he would have done it again a million times over not to lose her. Kern knew it was selfish, but he didn’t care. He loved her and could not let her go.
“I’ll help you, Marie. You’re going to be fine. It’s not as bad as you think. Remember what I told you in the lab? We don’t feed on humans. Only Rogues do, and they take it to the extreme, giving us all a bad rap.” The thought of her taking blood from another male, human or vampire, almost made him growl.
“Until the change is complete your body needs quite a bit of blood, but from then on you can get what your body requires from steaks, hamburger, whatever. But, right now that’s not enough. I’ll give you what you need, if you’ll let me.” This was the part of what Trigg had told him that had made his pulse race with anticipation. The thought of her feeding from him had made him hard and he wanted to take her again as he had in the lab.
“Thank goodness I’m not a vegetarian,” she mumbled and Kern held the urge to laugh. She was attempting to make a joke, which made him love her even more. He had never met such a strong female.
Marie stared into Kern’s eyes. The brilliant blue was filled with emotion. She could see the guilt he was battling inside. It made her chest ache to see him in such turmoil over her, over this. She nodded in understanding and in acceptance of his offer, trusting him fully.
“What do I need to do?” she whispered.
She didn’t move as he got up and closed the bedroom door, giving them some privacy. He returned to the bed and pulled her onto his lap.
“There are a couple of ways we can do this. However you feel comfortable. You can take from my neck, right here.” Kern pointed to the pulse point on his neck. “Or, you can take fr
om my wrist. Or, you can take from my chest, right here.” He then pointed to a spot above his heart. “It’s totally up to you, sweetheart.”
Marie was surprised and even warmed by his endearment. He keeps calling me sweetheart. She smiled at him, but then her smile faded a little as she considered what to do. She was already sitting comfortably in his lap. It actually felt good to be held like this. Slowly, she leaned in to his neck, breathing in his scent. She could hear the pulsing of his blood below his jawline.
“Will I hurt you?”
Kern chuckled. “No, sweetheart. You won’t hurt me.”
Marie had a sudden impulse to run her tongue over the pulsing spot on his neck. She touched his skin with her tongue, tasting him as she swirled it around the sweet spot. Instinct took over, and without a second thought, she opened her mouth wide and sank her teeth into his flesh.
Immediately, warm, sweet blood flowed into her mouth, sending a shockwave through her body. His blood was the most exquisite thing she had ever tasted. It was erotic. She could feel herself becoming more and more aroused with each swallow.
Kern held her tight, cradling her in his arms with his hand resting on the nape of her neck. He moaned loudly, the sound and the vibration urging her on. She couldn’t get enough of him. She wanted him, badly.
Marie released Kern’s neck and ran her tongue over the wound, another thing she didn’t have to think about. When she pulled back, she could see the hunger in his eyes and the strain on his face as he tried to hold his control. She gave him a wry smile, then found his mouth with a crushing, passion-filled kiss. She was on fire. His blood buzzed through her veins, but she wanted more of him inside of her.
Hurriedly she began undressing him, the sound of fabric tearing, buttons popping and clothing flying through the air and scattering on the floor filled the air.
His hard body covered hers. Warm flesh touching, each nerve ending tingling at the connection. He kissed her deeply, and she welcomed him into her mouth, scraping her new fangs across his lower lip, drawing blood which she quickly sucked away, making him growl deep in his throat.