by J. L. Myers
Finally Mom spoke and my breath released. “I never did that. It all happened when…when the rogue vampire attacked. His blood and venom mixed into mine to make you vampires, even before you were born.”
Caius’s compulsion is still holding strong, Kendrick said wordlessly. The alchemist mark on her shoulder must still be working.
I leaned forward and whispered in my brother’s ear. He nodded and lifted Mom’s hand over her blouse to the hidden scar across her now flat stomach. “Then why did you make Caius cut us from your body?”
Mom frowned, moving her hand back and forth over the long scar. She frowned, creating lines in her youthful complexion. “You were going to be born vampires. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want you to be forced into their world. I made Caius do it to keep you from them. To make you appear human. To keep you safe.”
Dorian questioned our mom over and over. Still no matter how hard he forced his compulsion, the responses were the same. In the end we let it go, and after wiping the encounter and putting Mom to bed, Dorian met us back in the foyer.
In the time he’d been gone, my brain had been spinning on overdrive. Her turn of events just couldn’t be true, because she was still human when Caius had torn us from her body. If the rogue vampire—who was actually Caius—had attacked earlier, she would already have been a vampire. There was only one believable explanation.
“Caius compelled her to think we were already turned, and the one way to keep us human was to poison us.”
~
As Dorian directed his Cabriolet around the sharp bend of a cliff, the rising sun spread a rippling orange hue over small ocean swells. The anticipation on his face was unmissable. Today we were training at the beach. But not just any beach. Rye on the Rocks was secluded, and in these chilly weather conditions would remain abandoned.
After passing a few miles on Route 1-A, we arrived at our destination. Bone-chilling wind howled, whipping sand past us. Dorian replaced his car’s hood as Kendrick and I got out.
Ty was already waiting, and pushed off the log-framed barrier to wrap me in his arms. “Morning, beautiful.” His lips met mine for too short a moment, breaking away as Kendrick and Dorian sidled up.
Slight distaste swelled from Kendrick, but he kept a lid on his emotions. His hatred for Ty was slowly decreasing.
Ty’s body straightened to maximum height and his gentle voice hardened. “Okay, let’s get started.”
Ty led the way down the rocky incline to the small sand and rock-filled beach. Then he nodded to Dorian and Kendrick. “Amelia and I will grapple. You two watch.”
“I have to fight you?” I said as Ty pulled me into the sandy clearing. Although I’d known what we were coming here to do, I hadn’t considered the possibility of forcefully trying to hurt him.
Ty smiled. “Experiencing your strengths and weaknesses first hand will give me the best idea on how to train you.” He glanced over to the others. “After Amelia, I’ll take each of you on.”
Dorian and Kendrick took spots on a large, pitted rock in the shade, watching us.
I gulped when Ty turned back to me, not just because of what we were about to do, but also in morbid anticipation of Ty and Kendrick duking it out. “O-okay,” I said. “What do I do?”
Ty leaned forward, lips brushing my cheek. “Try to hit me.”
My eyes widened. “Hit you?”
“If you can.”
Ty smiled in the way that always got my pulse racing. It raced now, but not for the same reason. Adrenaline flooded my veins as I let his arrogance grate on me. I pushed aside the fact that the guy I loved stood before me, and clenched my hands. Then I struck out, aiming for his stomach.
Ty reacted, catching my fist to shove me back. “You’re eyes betrayed your action.”
I stumbled at the force, the heel of my glittery silver Vans hitting a rock before I regained my footing. My knees bent and I lunged. Ty blocked my attack, bringing my feet back to the ground. I struck out, aiming for his face. His forearm came up in a flash, blocking my hit. I struck out again and again, but each and every hit was met with anticipation. Breathing hard, I stepped back. “I suck at this!”
“Not if I have anything to do with it.” Ty clapped his hands together. “Go again.”
Using all the strength I could conjure, the hits began to fly. Each time I would meet Ty’s fist, or arm. Even more embarrassing was when I hit nothing but air, stumbling forward as he spun fluidly out of my reach.
Ty’s expression remained focused, and he made no attempt to fight back. “You’ve got legs too,” he said. As if I didn’t already know that. “Use them!”
With a frustrated cry, I continued my attack, bringing my legs and knees into the action and aiming for any and every part of him. Even with the wind chill, sweat slicked my face and body. My hair stuck to my neck and arms, and my clothes latched onto my skin. This fight had been going on for ages. The cloud-cloaked sun was higher in the sky, a gentle glow of mid morning. When my stamina began to ebb and frustration at my lacking skill enraged me, I kicked for Ty’s groin. He didn’t even blink, catching my foot and throwing it away. I spun at the power of his thrusting arm, my back suddenly to Ty.
And then it was all over.
Ty had one arm around my waist. The other was clamped around my neck. “Never turn your back on your enemy,” he said, vampire fangs grazing my neck. “Or you’re likely to become their lunch.”
Ty spun me out of his hold and I tripped on a rock. Challenge radiated from his eyes while his expression darkened. “Try harder!”
The harsh demand in his tone caught me off guard. His hard alpha stare made me pause. To me Ty had always been gentle. I’d never had this other side of him directed at me. The demand. The anger. The formidable hostility. I got to my feet, brushing the sand from my tank top and wondering if this was what he’d received growing up. Was this how real fighters were made?
“Take it easy,” Kendrick called, rising from beside Dorian off the rock.
“Saving your skin isn’t easy,” Ty said, glaring at him. “I’m doing this to save her life. All your lives.”
Kendrick stalked forward and I held a hand up. Regardless of my fatigue and initial surprise at Ty’s harsh treatment, this is what we’d come here to do “No. It’s fine.”
Kendrick kept walking. “This is not fine. He’s treating you like you’re one of his pack. Like you’re his to boss around.” He pushed my arm away and fronted on Ty, shoving him in the chest. “Back off, tick magnet.”
Ty smiled and the look had the lethal malice of a bloody dagger. “Don’t hold back, vampire. I know you’ve been waiting for this.”
“Guys, please,” I pleaded.
Kendrick swung before I could stop him. The strike was quick as a catapult and connected with Ty’s ribs. He barely flinched, making me wonder if he’d expected the landing. Then he struck out at Kendrick’s face. The whipping breeze became glacial as they continued to lash out at each other. And I didn’t step in. For one, they’d brought this on themselves. And two, with the whole bond threesome thing they both needed to blow off some steam.
Dorian met my side and nudged me with his elbow. “Want me to break it up?”
I caught my flailing hair and used the elastic around my wrist to tie it into a ponytail. “Not yet.”
Kendrick had somehow gotten Ty in a headlock and was punching into his side over and over.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Ty laughed then threw Kendrick over onto his back. He landed on his chest and clocked him in the face. An instant bruise flared across Kendrick’s cheek and around his eye.
My best friend screamed out as I yanked Dorian forward. “Okay. Now it’s time.”
Before we could reach them, a swirling gust of wind kicked up clouds of sand and knocked both guys onto their backs. It kept up a battering force, the thick windblown sand separating both guys and holding us back.
Then just as suddenly the wind was gone.
Ty sat up, swiping blo
od from his split lip with the back of his hand. At the same time, Kendrick rolled onto his knees and clutched his ribs. Purple and black bruises scored their bare arms and faces, turning mustard in color as they both began to heal.
“What’s with the crazy wind?” Ty asked.
I shrugged, wrapping my arms around my body. “Don’t know, but usually crazy lightning follows.” I scanned above. Clouds slid like billowing smoke beneath a now slate-black mass. “Can we take off before that happens? Or are you two not done yet?”
Ty jumped up and Dorian hauled Kendrick to his feet. “Sounds good,” Kendrick said, the puffiness from his eye receding.
Ty took my hand and began walking. He glanced over his shoulder. “Not bad, Kendrick. For a beginner…”
Kendrick ignored him with a grunt and jogged past us. Dorian took after him.
Ty squeezed my hand, full lips thinning into a straight line. “Sorry. I let that get out of hand.” I began to tell him it was okay, that I understood, but he kept talking. “I know this wasn’t easy for you. Seeing me like this. I wish I didn’t have to be so tough on you. But I do.” He released my hand and curled his arm around me, hugging me against his side. “You can handle it. I know you can. You’re strong, Amelia.” At my look that said, yeah right, he smiled. “Think about it. When the damned attacked us on the boat, you didn’t run or hide. You risked your life to save me. You’re a fighter, Amelia. And with practice I know you can be as menacing as any opponent. It just takes time.”
I put an arm around him and squeezed. “So I’m not a lost cause?”
Ty laughed, tightening his hold around me. “Far from it.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I drove my Ducati up the long driveway to Ty’s house on Friday. Mr. Malau was out of town, thank God, and after five days of beach and bush training, my alpha boyfriend had a new location in mind. The personal training arena below his house.
I stood before the formidable front doors, trying to force my racing heart to slow. Kendrick had had enough this week, but Dorian’s car was already parked. If Mr. Malau were here there’d be no way my brother would hang around. I saw a note on the door and snatched it.
‘Around back. Door’s unlocked.’
Past the tall rendered walls and reflective windows that watched me like eyes, I found the door. I kicked snow from my Vans, which had begun to soak through, and went in. It was pitch black inside, my vampire sight leading me along the blank sterile corridor. At the end was an open trap door that led down a wooden ladder. I dropped down through the trapdoor, found the door handle, and pushed.
White light shot through the opening, taking my vision away as calloused hands found my waist. “Heard you coming. We’ll need to work on that. But not today.” Ty’s hot lips brushed over mine. “Welcome to my training room.”
My sight adjusted to the glow pouring off the multiple domed lights strung from ceiling beams. The room was big, square, and underground. Divots marked the wooden floors and there were darker stained patches.
Across the room my brother sat against the wall with a silly smile on his face. Beside him was Vanessa, dressed in black leather pants and a tight vest. They weren’t quite touching, but Dorian glanced sideways at her slowly and obviously before standing up. “Great, you’re here.” He raised a brow at Ty, looking impatient. “Now can we get started?”
“Hey, Amelia,” Vanessa called before smiling at my brother. “Don’t see why not.”
“Get started on what?” I asked, feeling nervous.
Ty cupped my shoulders and spun me to the back wall. My jaw fell open while tingles rippled down my back. The wall was strung with weapons. So many that you could barely see the white of the wall behind them. There were axes, picks, mallets, machetes, and a bunch of other items I didn’t know the names to. Every weapon was silver, or at least tipped with the metal. Their surfaces glinted against the light, promising pain. A sparkling assortment in deadly sharp proportions. I’d known I was going to see his training room, but I hadn’t expected this. This was the room Ty had been taught to fight in. The room where he’d learned to deflect the attacks of these very weapons at the hands of his father. It was also where he’d perfected wielding them himself.
Without thought my hand traveled up the many rough scars across Ty’s arm. I cringed. The same scars covered his entire body. After seeing Ty transform in the forest, I’d guessed some of them had come from his bones splitting through his flesh. But the others? They had to be the result of constant years of war-like training. In many ways it was barbaric. Still, I wanted to hear it from Ty.
I traced one of the larger scars across his forearm. “Your scars…they were inflicted by these weapons? By your own father?”
Ty shrugged. His expression was flat. “The training has to be brutal. It has to be real. Fighting for fun with fake weapons will only get you killed in the field.”
Imagining Ty as a boy, fending off weapons and battle strikes from his solid-built father seemed like abuse. Still, I could understand why it was done, and why it was necessary. If not for Ty’s combat ability, the attacker on the cruise may have killed us both.
I exchanged a look with Dorian who seemed to be waiting for something in between watching Vanessa. They both came up beside us and Ty nudged me closer to the wall.
“Oh, shit,” I said. “Don’t tell me—”
“That we’re training with weapons!” The excitement in Dorian’s voice peaked. “Which one’s mine?”
Vanessa clinked forward in black stiletto boots and unhinged a bow from the wall. “It’s one of my favorites.” She directed him to the other side of the room, and slid a target with a painted bull’s-eye out from between a gap in the wall. “Target practice first.”
“What do you like?” Ty breathed against my neck, his chest grazing my back.
I shivered and imagined his hot, broad hands touching places on my body that were hidden by clothes. An emotional spike struck my chest and I abandoned the fantasy. Kendrick wasn’t here, but he was still in my head. I pulled up my blocks the best I could, and glanced back at the wall of weaponry. Dorian and I were here to train, not fool around.
I studied each weapon. All the knives, machetes, and axes looked so deadly…and messy. I couldn’t imagine having to use them on any living, or non-living thing. It was too gruesome and violent. The spiked mallets and other pulverizing weapons made my stomach drop. But then I saw—
“What about this?” I ran my fingers along the links of an iron chain.
“Thought that might be your style.” Ty went to the wall, but didn’t grab the chain. Instead he removed a shiny silver ring that was as big as my skull. I almost wondered if Ty was secretly into magic tricks until he uncoiled the thing. “This packs a bigger punch than any chain.”
Entirely made of silver, it unraveled into a long, flexible whip. This was a serious and lethal weapon. I gulped when Ty cracked it out in the air. The ripple forced countless, inch-long, silver spikes to jut out.
“I—I don’t think—” I stopped speaking as Ty curled my shaking hand around the silver handle. The whip was heavy, but not too heavy, and the way it sat in my grasp just felt…right. It was like this weapon had been forged personally for me. “Wow,” I breathed, any other words lost to me.
Ty smiled, looking a little unsure. “I know I’ve been tough on you, and I know Kendrick thinks I get off on it. But I don’t. I needed to push you to see your strengths. So when I saw how quick you were with your hands…I got the whip made. Its length, width, links, and weight are customized to fit you.”
Warmth coated my heart and dyed my cheeks. “Ty, I—I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you’ll use it.”
I curled the whip back up, amazed at how the spikes fell flat before coming in contact with my hand. “How do I start?”
Ty pulled a bunch of target dummies out from a chest against the wall, and got to work stringing the human-shaped sacks from the ceiling beams. I peeked over at Dorian and Van
essa, wondering how his weapon of choice was working out. Right now Vanessa was standing next to him, her arm around his back and positioning his hold on the bow. There was a look on his face that I’d seen many times before. The one that meant he wanted to strip off her leather pants and have some fun.
I was almost about to warn Vanessa when Ty stepped in front of me. “All ready.”
Wanting to test out my new arm-extension, I decided to leave the warning for later.
Ty was with me the whole way, barking pointers and tips to get the whip to do what I wanted. Time and time again the whip struck its targets, curling around limbs, torsos, and necks. A good hour later my targets were shredded. Sawdust piles—their stuffing—littered the floor and coated my sweaty tank and leggings.
Propped against the wall, Ty smiled. “Good job.”
I smiled back. “Got any more dummies?”
Ty’s smile changed, holding a hint of mischief as he shook his head. “Let’s move on to the next step.”
Before I could question what the next step was, Dorian and Vanessa strode over.
Dorian kicked at a heap of sawdust. “I’m gonna bounce. Got stuff to do, people to see.”
“Yeah, I’ve gotta go too,” Vanessa said, gaze not meeting ours but shifting to the exit door. “Experiments and study to catch up on, you know.”
I shot a hard look at Dorian that said, don’t even try it, as he backed up to the door after Vanessa.
“Later Sis, Malau.”
As the door closed I asked Ty, “The next step?”
Ty moved to an area that wasn’t covered with sawdust and removed his shirt. “Moving target practice.”
Eyes transfixed on his sculpted chest, I stared. With Kendrick locked out of my mind, we were finally alone. If I could just touch—then his words registered. “Hold on. You want me to attack you?” I lifted the coiled whip. “With this? Ty, no. What if I hurt you?”
“Then I’ll have trained you well enough to be able to stay alive and defeat an opponent.” He came forward, arms pulling me close and lips pressing against my forehead. “Then I won’t have to be as terrified every minute I’m not there to protect you.”