She walked up to the door, glancing at Liam. He was dressed conservatively in a casual grey shirt and black pants. He looked immaculate, as if attending a business meeting or a photo shoot. Damn, he’s…
No, this was lust, not love, but it still felt special.
“Be careful,” he said. “You can’t tell the truth.”
She glanced away. “Yeah, that’s obvious.”
The door opened. Her mom smiled, fine lines creasing her face. Dressed in a dark suit, she looked somber but bright blue eye shadow accentuated her green eyes - eyes that looked troubled as she squinted at Liam.
“Good to see you, honey. And this must be your new boyfriend.”
“Liam Dalton, ma’am,” he said, offering a hand to her.
She took it and shook pleasantly. “Oh, you feel cold. Come in.”
Madison entered the house, perplexed by her behavior. When was the last time she used endearments? She ushered them to the dining area.
“You have a nice place, Ms. Stevens,” Liam said.
“Thanks, but it’s not ours for much longer. Once it sells, we’re moving downtown.”
They took a seat at the bare dining table. It looked like her mom had started packing already. She plated the food and brought it to the table. With gravy drizzled over the roast beef and vegetables, it smelled good - a delicious yet painful reminder of normalcy.
“Mind revealing how you met?” Her mom asked, fixing her with a warning look. A protectiveness she once derided, but now missed.
“It happened quickly,” she managed to say, trying to keep her thoughts away from Liam tasting her. That easily got her wet.
He stood. “Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Sure, just down the hall, third door on the left.”
Madison stared after him, aware that he didn’t need to go but his consideration touched her. He wanted her to reconnect with her mom…before the end.
Now with just the two of them, she could relax. “It’s complicated,” she began.
“Oh dear. Hope you know what you’re doing. I didn’t expect anything to go wrong with you and Trevor.”
“He cheated.”
A flicker of pain creased her face, and Madison knew it’d sparked memories. “Seems so common these days. Liam looks older than you.”
She hesitated, wondering how old he really was.
“Mom, I’m trying to get my life sorted. I really am.” She paused, not knowing what to say. As soon as dinner was over, she’d leave for the final time. She’d thought of many excuses—deciding to live with Liam, taking a job in another state but all she could think of as the easiest way to end it was to let it be. Again, Liam had been right.
“I’ll take up waitressing after we move,” she lied, her voice thick. “It won’t be much help to you, I don’t get many tips.”
Her mom brightened. “We’ll make it work. Your father promises to contact you occasionally. He’s not cutting you completely out of his life.”
“Not yet, anyway.”
“We do love you.”
God. It hurt to hear those words, knowing she never would again. “I love you, too.”
Liam returned. He started shoveling food into his mouth and she glanced at him, wondering how he could keep it down.
“So, what do you do, Liam?”
A smile curved his lips. “My job takes me around the city. I’m part of a business that deals with specific clients.”
Her mom’s eyes widened. “Interesting.”
“Can be. I live in the Catskills.”
“It’s a really nice place,” Madison filled in. “Has a view of the forest.”
A familiar spark returned in her eyes - greed. Her parents entertained the belief that money correlated with status. The less you had, the less you were worthy of associating with. It made it hard to make friends when she was younger as people were intimidated by her parents’ displays of wealth and her mom’s reputation as a ruthless lawyer.
“This seems very sudden,” her mom admitted.
“He’s not a complete stranger. He’s the, uh, one I told you about.”
That earned an amused glance from Liam. After a few glasses of wine one night, she’d revealed her attraction to a man who paid more attention to her than Trevor. A moment of shame, for she felt like betraying him. How ironic that Trevor had already been betraying her.
Her mom gave a knowing smile. “Well, I’m glad you’re happy, dear.”
Madison glanced at the plate, and attempted to eat. Chewing felt awkward as though her body was resisting. She shared a look with Liam who seemed composed. Pain wrenched through her. The ruse felt forced and awkward, for she desperately wanted it to be true - to have the ideal boyfriend without worrying about her future, but even as a vampire she couldn’t have it all. She couldn’t grasp a respite of peaceful happiness.
Madison stood. “I’ll be right back.”
She made her way to the hall, lost amidst her thoughts. It was a mistake to see her mom and try to integrate into her old life. She had to accept the reality of her demise, and acknowledge that she’d lost herself.
Liam had changed her. She hated him for it, yet felt more alive because of him.
The door to her bedroom was ajar. She stepped inside and looked at the carpeted white floor and pale grey walls, devoid of furniture. A window showed a view of the city, one she loved to look at every night after moving in. A room of memories, reminders that she could no longer live like this.
She closed her eyes and wearily leaned against the wall, slumping to the floor. “Why can’t I cry?”
“Madison?”
She opened her eyes and stared at Liam. “Do vampires cry?”
“Rarely, when an emotion manages to overwhelm us.”
“I can’t. None of this really hurts.”
“Perhaps because this isn’t a loss. You know they’re fine without you, you can look out for them. And I’ll be here for you.”
She swallowed, feeling a pulse of desire between her legs from having him close. “I can’t deny this. I know what I am. I have to take the risk and feed from someone.”
“It’s okay,” Liam soothed, reaching out to touch her arms.
She bristled at the sensation of his fingers against her skin. “Don’t. You did this to me. You abducted me, turned me. All of this is because of you.”
He was silent for several moments. “Would you desire we’d never met?”
She bit her lip. “No! I feel so much for you…I don’t know how to cope.”
“I don’t expect you to deal with this within days, Madison. You’re being much stronger than I ever was. You accepted the existence of our kind smoothly.”
She barked out a laugh. “I don’t know how. If I go any further in denial, I’ll be in Egypt.”
“Well, perhaps it’s fate.”
She wondered what he implied, and caught a sheen of vulnerability in his eyes. Oh! He felt guilty – guilty for resorting to turning her and he didn’t want to lose her for it.
“It almost seems that way,” she assured him.
His cool breath touched her skin and she instinctively leaned forward, wanting to feel his kiss. Liam’s breathing was heavy, his eyes narrowed. His grip on her tightened, and for a moment it seemed as though he were struggling.
His lips moved closer, his kiss inevitable.
“Not now,” he breathed and released his hold. “If we continue, I’ll fuck you right here.”
She smiled and looked into his eyes, accepting he’d always be by her side. Even though she detested him for drawing her into this surreal world, he was the man who’d always be hers. In some way, losing her humanity felt worth it to gain him.
When it came time to part ways, Madison gave her mom a hug but it didn’t settle her unease. Something about Liam bothered her, as if he knew something but wouldn’t divulge it. Maybe he never had a chance to say goodbye to his own family.
“Did the façade go how you planned?” Liam ask
ed.
“I didn’t know how to end it. You were right, it would’ve been easier to leave it behind. Was your turning difficult?”
He hesitated. “I was seduced and relented to be with a vampire. That’s normally how it goes. The concept of endless pleasure calls to that primal part of you, the one that yearns to be released. And I had no life to go back to.”
“No family?”
He fell silent, and she knew he’d say nothing more. He started the car and they pulled out and merged onto the freeway.
“There’s another interpretation of the Awakening. It’ll begin a great war between humans and vampires, and only once it’s over will there be peace.”
Madison winced. Too many theories and assumptions. “No one knows what’ll happen?”
“No. I read through the original records. There isn’t much to say.”
She hesitated, the words on the edge of her lips. The Awakening concerned him, the tension was obvious in his hands as he gripped the steering wheel. She knew what had to be said, even though it pained her to consider it.
“What if we stay apart? Then there’s no temptation, no risk of your prophecy coming true.”
Liam glanced at her, his green eyes glimmering. He seemed surprised and hurt by the suggestion. “As your sire, I’m the only one who can guide you.”
“Can’t you do a transfer? If the Awakening is dangerous, we shouldn’t tempt ourselves.”
She was pushing her luck by saying it, but it was a test of Liam’s loyalty. She knew the bond, the connection between them, ran deeper than anything she’d felt. She couldn’t be apart from him but the consequences of their connection proved severe - she had to ensure he’d never leave her, that it wouldn’t be enough to cause him to abandon her. Like my father did.
“No transfers. You really want me gone?”
“I just want you.”
“Hell, you tempt me when you say that. You have no idea how much I have to restrain myself.” He held her gaze for a few achingly long seconds before turning back to the road. “But I have a meeting in a few hours, and I deal with Council business alone. You can relax at home.”
Chapter Seven
It didn’t help that Liam had no internet in his house, so Madison resorted to watching cable to delay boredom while waiting for him to return. She flicked through channels and hesitated when the late night news came on.
“An unidentified body has been discovered in Newark, New Jersey. The man, estimated to be in his early twenties, was found in the basement of a house with two gunshot wounds to the head. Police are gathering information from witnesses who reported gunshots in the area, believed to be by local gangs. The victim will be identified by tomorrow.”
Fuck.
She froze, rigid from shock. Trevor was dead. Shot execution style. Liam told me they’d keep him alive. Her jaw tensed. So he’d lied in some misguided sense of protection. What else was he hiding? Why would the hunters murder an innocent human?
She had to see him. This couldn’t wait.
She went to the door, but hesitated upon remembering there was no way to get there safely. The Guidelines revealed that hunger caused fangs to emerge and if she was around a human, she couldn’t predict her reaction. Liam had the car. She grabbed a bag on the kitchen counter and found a wallet with three credit cards. Remembering her cell phone, she withdrew it from the pants of her jeans, searching the contacts. Empty. The Council didn’t leave contact numbers.
She ran a hand through her hair. Calling Rachel was an option but she couldn’t turn to those from her former life. Now that Trevor’s body had been found, there’d be too many questions.
She recalled the Guidelines and skimmed over the brief rules. There were mentions of restraining from killing unless it’s a consequence of feeding and not siring multiple humans unless you were a Council member. Not helpful.
Madison cursed. Taking a cab was her only option.
A three-hour cab drive went well into the hundreds. She paid the fare with one of Liam’s cards and tipped extra. She started ascending the steps to the Brooklyn Council when she felt a familiar presence. Hesitating, she slowly raised her head to see Liam leaning next to the door.
He smiled thinly. “I sensed you were coming.”
“I want answers. Trevor’s dead! Did you know the hunters would kill him?”
His smile faded. “They kill any who associate with our kind, but this time they’re pulling out all the stops. A certain group of them know about the Awakening and it’s made them paranoid. But we can’t talk now. I have a meeting to attend.”
He left the door open, allowing her to follow. She did so, glaring at him. “How could you? You said Trevor would be safe! You lied to me, damn it, and I’d slap you right now if we were alone!”
“Madison, I lied to spare you the pain. Eventually, they would’ve killed him to get to you.”
Unbelievable. His arrogance was infuriating. “Yet I learned the truth anyway. Is this the type of justification you’ll use to lie again?”
Liam abruptly turned to face her. He looked more pale than normal. “Wait for me. I’ll tell you everything soon and I will not lie to you again. I promise you that.”
“Okay,” she agreed, satisfied that he’d talk. She watched him stride over to the door which led into the Council’s room, his well-built frame causing a flutter of warmth in her gut. He closed it behind him, leaving her alone.
“I’d be careful of Liam if I were you.”
Or perhaps she wasn’t alone.
Madison faced the striking woman behind her, who fingered one of the black curls in her hair and gave an amused smile. Wearing a skimpy black dress with a slash of rosy pink lipstick, she looked embarrassingly formal.
“Excuse me?”
“I have something to show you,” she said.
“I’m not interested.”
“You should be. You have a right to know what he’s hiding.”
She bit her lip, curiously tempted. There was nothing about this vampire that posed a threat since she was amidst the Council, of all places.
“Okay then. Show me.”
The woman sauntered to a door opposite where Liam had gone. She opened it and began walking up a few stairs. Madison followed her up the narrow stairway, cleared the stairs and looked around.
“Is this a security room?” There were several monitors against the back wall on a wide glass desk.
“How observant. I’m head of security, hence my access to this restricted area.”
“Why bring me here?”
“Privacy. Did you know why Liam was at your diner? He went there after killing a woman, she’d just turned eighteen. He wanted to turn her but drank too much. He traced her sister to that diner and found you.”
“What?” Madison whispered, her voice barely audible. She wanted to believe she was lying, but it sounded analogous to a vampire’s nature. Why had he been searching for the dead woman’s sister - out of guilt or the desire for another victim? This conflicted with Liam’s admittance he’d approached her after witnessing the murder of a homeless man. More lies.
“He became obsessed with you, thinking you’d cause the Awakening. He entrusted me with these reports. I can take them to the Council and make them believe you’re the beginning of our end.”
Anger coiled within her like fire. “Don’t even attempt to threaten me.”
She shrugged. “I see he still keeps you around. All other women are dismissed once he turns them. Have you fucked?”
Madison hesitated, shocked by her question. As much as she wanted to leave, there was something which compelled her to answer – defensiveness for Liam.
“No, but I have a crystal ball that predicts it’ll happen in the future.”
Her face hardened. “I’m the only one he’s ever been close to, and always will be.”
She studied her intent expression and recognized it as jealousy. She was either lying or they had a history together. Her intentions were clear: she want
ed Madison out of the way. She’d achieve nothing but to hear Liam had possibly been involved with someone like her was disturbing, and it hurt to recall she hadn’t experienced that intimacy with him.
She needed to steer clear of this topic. “The Guidelines mention a Newborn trial occurring after the first kill and that my sire will be my guide. Care to elaborate?”
Her green eyes glimmered. “Why not? Since the Council has connections, the police never seek vampires. For the trial, however, they send the police after you. Under the Council’s orders, you’re killed. You’re buried for all relatives to see, only to rise and walk off into the night, never to be heard of again.”
She felt numb. “Buried alive so everyone will believe I’m dead?”
“Exactly. It’s the Council’s way of ensuring the vampire cannot return to old connections of the previous life. A true rebirth. It’s the first and only trial all Newborns must go through. Those who are weak succumb to their fear and are left to die. Your sire’s responsibility is to tell you this. Some don’t. But it must be done, and always has been as tradition requires.”
“The Council don’t care about killing their own?”
“They did decades ago. But over time, the amount of Newborns increased. They went from dealing with tens of new vampires a week to hundreds. Even with all the Councils around the country and the modern technology we possess, it’s not sufficient. So the rules were adjusted. We can afford to lose a certain percentage.”
The Council’s obvious disregard for the lives of their own was repulsive but she was grateful for her honesty. “Anything else you can tell me?”
“You know more than you should. Besides, the trial isn’t what you should be worried about.”
She crossed her arms, wondering what she had to say next. “Hmm. What would that be?”
“You haven’t fed. I see the effects on you. And I’ve dealt with enough stubborn Newborns like yourself to know you won’t take a human just yet. So I offer you myself.”
Awakened by the Vampire Page 6