Awakening (Willow Creek Vampires Series Book 3)

by Stephanie Summers

  “Did you truly love him?” Cocking his head slightly to the side, he studied her and the anger that coursed through her body.

  She brought her hand to her chest and inhaled deeply. His words tore through her like a knife. “How can you…? Why would you ask me that? Of course, I did… I still do. I still love you.” Turning away from him, her lip quivered as a tear slid down her reddened cheek. “It’s why my blood is so fucking enticing to you or did you forget that, too?” she asked, voice cracking on the last word.

  “How easily you throw around childish names for the one you claim to love. I am not a monster, or whatever it was you called me earlier—an asshat, I believe. Your time with me doesn’t have to be as miserable as you seem to think it will be. I can show you the world and all its wonders and treasures.”

  The time they’d spent in Europe for the better part of a year flashed through her mind. That trip had meant everything, not only to her, but to him as well. His choice of words confused her. He’d already shown her more of the world and its wonders than she ever thought she’d see.

  “Would a monster plan to reward your shifter friend for all the help she provided us? I have to admit, I never would have believed a shifter would be so helpful to our kind, but Damen was adamant that she wasn’t a threat and had always been our friend. He seemed a little smitten with her. To each their own, I suppose.”

  “How do you not remember that she helped us to begin with? You were always in on the plan. You fed from her numerous times to rebuild your strength. And you’ve already shown me part of the world. Don’t you remember any of our time together?”

  “The time line of events have become fuzzy for me, though some of the memories are becoming clearer… I haven’t quite figured out what I will do, but I will reward her somehow. I don’t think that is the action of a monster.”

  He still isn’t acknowledging our trip… “Buy her a home and release her mother from being an offering. She has no home and no family.”

  “Hm. I’ll keep that in mind. Maybe I should make you my queen and have you as a consultant as well as a warm body to fuck whenever we feel like it.”

  She breathed deeply and sighed. “No,” she said, shaking her head.

  “No? Are you not still my wife according to vampire law? Technically, you are my queen, and as much as you want to try right now and act like you loathe what I’ve become, I can hear your heart skip a beat when I say that I still want to fuck you.”

  “I want no part of it. Maybe if you were still you, but you aren’t you. I don’t appreciate you speaking to me like that either.”

  “Fine. I’ll leave you be for now, though I should warn you, I can feel the thirst growing again. You know how wonderful that will feel for you, so you’d better prepare yourself. I indulged on a few more humans than I should have before you came back, which is the only reason I haven’t had a taste of you already. Unfortunately, none of them tasted as good as I expect you to taste, but I am thoroughly stuffed, so it’ll have to wait.”

  She walked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Staring straight ahead at nothing, she leaned against the wall and slid to the floor.

  My blood… It’s always been so sweet to him, the best he’s ever had because of the feelings I have for him, so why now does he talk about it like he’s never tasted it before? What the actual fuck is wrong with him, and how the hell am I going to fix him?

  CHAPTER 2

  A light tap came from the other side of the bathroom door.

  “Sabine?”

  “It’s not locked.”

  The door slowly creaked open as Sam entered. She sat down beside Sabine and draped her arm over her shoulders.

  “You okay?”

  Her head shook ever so slightly. “So much has changed, and I can’t wrap my brain around any of it. He’s gone, yet he’s here… taunting me.”

  “I wish I could make it better.”

  “Me too, but Sam, I’m starting to think you should get out of here while you still can. He claims he means you no harm and that he’s grateful for your help, but I can’t really trust that he won’t hurt you.”

  “I’m not leaving you. You’re my friend, one of the only real ones I’ve ever had. I’m not leaving you behind.” The two girls hugged one another.

  “I know you want to help, but if you and your mother get a chance to get out of her, take it.”

  Sam nodded and forced a half-smile. “Maybe Mary could do something to help you forget or get over him faster. Or Damen…”

  “I don’t want to forget him or what we had. It was too important to just give it up, and it deserves to be mourned if this is how things have to be.”

  “So, will you try to get through to him?”

  “I just know I can’t give up on him completely. There still has to be a part of him deep down that remembers what we had and feels it.”

  “You amaze me, woman.”

  Sabine chuckled and looked at Sam. “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah. Most people would just say ‘screw him’ and move on… but not you.”

  “It might be a little easier to do that if I weren’t basically a prisoner.”

  “I’m so sorry. Try to have faith that it’ll all work itself out. I know how awful that sounds right now, but you have to just believe that he will come back to you.”

  “You are a downright awesome person, you know that? I wish we’d met sooner.”

  “Well, we aren’t old or anything, you know.” Sam took her arm away from Sabine and playfully jabbed her in the ribs with her elbow. “We have our whole lives ahead of us… Hopefully, they’ll be really long lives.” Sam giggled.

  “Oh, Sam!” I can’t believe I almost forgot! Might as well have something good happen today to make up for all the bad shit. Grabbing Sam’s hand, she stood and dragged her along behind her through the door. “Let’s go!”

  “Where?”

  “You’ll see!”

  A few moments later, Sabine poked her head into the entertainment room, smiling brightly at the woman sitting in the chair.

  “Hi! I’m so glad you’re still awake. I was afraid you’d gone to bed already since it’s pretty late. I have someone I want you to meet.”

  Samantha put down her book and sat up. “Too much going on to sleep. After all the shenanigans happening earlier, I’d love to meet someone sane.” She laughed.

  Pulling Sam through the door, Sabine presented her to the woman she believed to be Sam’s mother.

  Samantha smiled as she looked at Sam. Eyes glistening, she hesitated before speaking. “Have we met before? You seem so… familiar.”

  “Samantha, this is Sam.” Sabine said, pushing her forward a little.

  Samantha stood and stepped closer to Sam. “My Sammy? My baby?” She gasped, tears flowing down her face. Her body jerked as she tried to hold the sobs back. Reaching out, she grabbed the back of the chair to steady herself.

  “Mom?” Blinking rapidly, Sam peered at Sabine before studying the woman’s face.

  Nodding, Sabine said, “Yes, she’s your mother.”

  Sam launched herself into her mother’s arms, breathing her in. She hadn’t been there since she was a baby, but it felt so natural. Like it was where she was meant to be. Sabine quietly left the room and gave them some time alone together.

  “How?” Samantha asked, wiping tears away from Sam’s cheeks. “How are you here?”

  “Sabine… I told her I had a mother who was an offering, and she figured out it was you. I thought you were dead.” Sam buried her face against her mother’s chest, relishing the feel of her embrace. Her whole life she had longed to be in her mother’s arms just once and now, it was finally happening. “Granny and Pap told me you died. They never even told me your name.”

  “I’m right here, sweetheart. I never thought I’d see you again.”

  *

  Sabine listened in the hallway for a minute before heading back to her room. Sam knew where to find her, and Sabine thought they n
eeded the time together without her gawking at them.

  Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten at all that day. She made her way to the kitchen where a feeding frenzy was taking place. Apparently, humans who used to be vampires really managed to work up an appetite. Where the kitchen staff would get enough food to actually feed everyone in such a short period of time was a detail she didn’t feel like pondering for more than a couple seconds. She had too many other things running through her mind, and she had no desire to mingle with former vampires.

  Moving on toward the front of the house, she noticed people milling about and setting up makeshift beds for themselves on floors, couches, and any flat, empty spots they could find.

  Um, ok. Why the hell aren’t these people leaving? They can’t all just move in here. Most of them would have left after the ceremony anyway, so why are they still here?

  If she couldn’t eat in peace, at least she could get a moment of solitude under the moonlight. She longed to be back under her favorite willow tree in her parent’s yard. Its swaying branches always calmed her, allowing her to work out some of the toughest issues she’d faced. Just being outside would have to do.

  The night air of summer filled her lungs. She inhaled deeply, hoping to relax by herself in the fresh air for a moment. Unfortunately, a slew of people gathered out there as well.

  Huffing, she turned and headed for her room. It was late, and she hadn’t slept at all. Might as well just go to bed. I can eat when I wake up and there shouldn’t be anyone trying to sleep in my room. She also hadn’t even managed to change out of her “wedding” dress. Thankfully, though ornately designed, it was only a white halter dress that was similar to the sundress she wore frequently.

  As she turned a corner on her way back, she ran smack dab into Remy.

  “I was just looking for you, Sabine.” Taking her hand in his, he said, “Come with me.”

  She quickly jerked her hand away. “I’d rather not.” When she tried to step around him, he blocked her way.

  “I don’t believe I gave you an option.”

  Turning, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was following him. They walked down the hall and into the room they’d shared. He closed the door behind them.

  “You should know Bastian is imprisoned below this room. Fitting, don’t you think?”

  “I’d say losing his immortality is probably punishment enough, though I’m not the one to judge him. If you’re planning to keep him alive, don’t forget he can’t survive down there without food and water.”

  “Oh, so now you’re concerned for his well-being? After he locked me down there and tried to steal what was mine? Maybe you didn’t mind being with him so much after all.”

  Sighing, she sat herself down. “What does any of that matter now? You don’t love me anymore. You said so yourself, or was that a lie?”

  “I have no reason to lie.”

  “Ok, then you have no reason to be upset.”

  “You are mine. He had no right.” When he thought about her being with Bastian, a feeling of rage churned deep in his gut, fighting to break through. He pushed it away as soon as he felt it.

  “I’m a person, not a goddamn possession. I’m so sick of hearing I ‘belong’…”

  Cutting her off with a change of subject, he said, “I’m sure you’ve noticed how crowded our home has become. That’s why I will be staying here with you. I had thought about taking Bastian’s quarters, but all my things are still here, and we need his rooms to help house all of these people.”

  Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes, turning to pick up some dirty clothes lying about. She normally didn’t care so much about tidiness, but she had to do something to keep from looking at him.

  “Morons…” she muttered under her breath. Throwing the clothes into a hamper, she said to him, “I’d get the hell out of here as fast as I could, you know, if I were actually free to go.”

  “Some of them have left already. Most of them want to be vampire again. They need either Damen or me for that. Until we can get everyone sorted out, they’ll be here.”

  “Are you really the only two vampires in the world now?”

  “As far as I know, but if there were any other vampires who had severed their sire bond, there could be others. It’s likely there are.”

  “So, that’s why you and Damen didn’t change.”

  “Well, yes, but my body was also temporarily dead, so I suspect I would have been unaffected either way. I owe Nicas everything. His essence revived me and forced me back from death.”

  “And Nicas is why you’ve forgotten about me?”

  “I haven’t forgotten about you. I just don’t feel anything for you other than a thirst for your blood. I told you this already.”

  “Good to know I’m just a blood bag to you… Just like I always knew I would be back when I was chosen.” She moved for her secret library. “I’m tired, so just leave me alone.”

  Cocking an eyebrow, he said, “You aren’t sleeping in here?”

  Stopping, she turned her head to speak over her shoulder. “I’d rather not. I can’t stop you from sharing the room, but I don’t have to sleep beside you, even though it’s what I want to do more than anything in the world right now.”

  “Then sleep with me.”

  His words caused Sabine to turn and face him. “Sleep with you or sleep beside you?”

  “Either…” He shrugged. “Both.”

  For a moment, she thought about it. She needed the comfort only her Remy could give her, but he’d said himself that he was gone. Could she look past what he’d become and pretend that he was still the man she fell for? After all, he still looked the same. Maybe if he kept quiet, she could fool herself into believing it was him and nothing had changed. Yeah, right. This is still Remy at his core. He isn’t going to keep his mouth shut. I just wish what he had to say was something I wanted to hear.

  Not bothering to answer, she let herself into her library, the same one he’d had built just for her, after quickly changing into a nightgown in the closet. She slunk down into the reading chair he’d picked out for her, falling asleep listening to her stomach growl.

  CHAPTER 3

  Late the next afternoon, Sabine woke up. In those few split seconds before her brain really became in tune with reality, everything that had happened the day before was gone. For those few moments, she was blissfully unaware of what awaited her in the next room. The memories came crashing back within seconds, and if she hadn’t been awkwardly lying in her chair, the force would have knocked her on her ass.

  She dreaded coming face to face with him again, though he was the only person she desperately wanted to be with. Her arms wrapped around herself as best she could as warmth began to moisten her eyes again.

  Standing up suddenly, determination took over. No more crying. She was done. What did it really help anyway? She spent the next few minutes psyching herself up, telling herself that she was strong, and that she would get through this. She worked herself up so much she almost wanted to fight. Not physically, of course, but she felt like really giving him a piece of her mind. And speaking of her mind, she suddenly realized she’d left her bracelet sitting on the bathroom counter after she’d cleaned herself up the evening before when she’d spent so much time sulking in the bathroom. Her feet had been in need of first aid, and she’d slipped off the bracelet to keep it from getting wet while she tended to them.

  A moment of panic reared its ugly head. What if he took it? Could he even hear her thoughts? What exactly could he do with this newfound power?

  Flinging the closet door open, she stopped dead in her tracks. There he was, sleeping peacefully in their bed—a painful reminder of the man she’d grown to love. Her heart sank clear to her feet.

  He certainly looked like her Remy, and slept like her Remy, but he wasn’t her Remy. Not by a long shot… What a cruel twist of fate destiny had played on her. She’d dreaded coming to Willow Creek Manor even before she was
officially selected. It wasn’t until she’d fallen in love with him that her future didn’t seem so bleak. Now she found herself exactly where she’d always feared she’d end up; a prisoner of the vampire lord.

  She couldn’t help but think about how he’d whisked her away on a European trek just to show her a portion of the world before she came to the Manor to live. Her dream of visiting every country in Europe had come true, and she had him to thank for that. She thought of their time together nearly every day when she would absentmindedly toy with the Eiffel Tower necklace he’d given her on her twenty-first birthday. She’d taken it off and tossed it in her purse the night she was supposed to marry Bastian. It was too much to carry when it became unbearably heavy with memories she wanted so desperately to relive.

  It was during their time together traveling that they’d both realized their love for one another, though neither would admit it until after they returned to Willow Creek. A few weeks of pure bliss was all they were allowed until Remy was taken from her. The last she’d seen of her Remy, he was dead on the floor of the ballroom where she’d left him when she fled.

  This Remy that replaced him was entirely different from the man he’d proven he was. This version of him was cold and aloof, much like he’d been during her first encounters with him back when he terrified her. He changed then; maybe he’ll change now.

  Her fingers ached to touch him. Maybe if she touched him while his guard was down, he’d feel the spark they had the way she always felt it when he touched her. Maybe he’d remember how he felt about her. Maybe he’d remember how awesome it was when they came together physically and emotionally. Crawling into the bed beside him, she lay on her side facing him. She studied him while he slept, her lips desperately needing to be against his.

  Her fingers reached out and touched a soft strand of his dark hair before moving on to his cheek. His skin cooled her hand as it moved over him. She pulled away, fearing she’d wake him, and he’d make some snide remark about her being in bed with him.