by Bethany Shaw
"Well, after what happened..."
"We’re not talking about that," she snapped as she marched over to the bed and threw back the covers. She just wanted to fall into bed and forget all about Zak’s lips.
"Why?"
"We’re. Not. Talking. About. That," she growled as she clenched her fists at her sides. She was not about tell him that she’d wanted to taste him—craved his kiss. No they just weren't going to talk about it. Ever. As much as she was starting to like him—develop feelings for him, he was still the guy who was planning on murdering her best friend.
"Doesn't mean it didn't happen." He shrugged as he stared at her.
Something flickered across his face, but she couldn't really tell what since the candlelight did little to light the dreary room.
She scooped up a blanket and a pillow and tossed it at him. He caught it with ease and started to spread it out on the floor. The room was fairly small so they would still be close to each other, but at least he wouldn't be sleeping right next to her.
"Let me guess, you’re worried about what your little boyfriend might think?" he questioned as he glared at her.
"I am not talking about Trent with you," she snapped as she took off her shoes and sat down on the bed. They weren’t going to have this conversation.
"Why not?" he taunted.
She narrowed her eyes at him as she stood up. "Because my relationship is none of your business."
"You know, sweetheart, I seem to recall hearing through the grapevine that you two broke up."
She swallowed hard and ground her teeth together. "Yeah. Whose fault was that? You turned Trent into a monster—made him a vampire,” she accused. She still had no idea why Zak had targeted Trent, but she could guess. He was close to the coven. The son of a witch and a mortal, Trent had no magical powers of his own. “As an Original vampire you have control over other vampires. You made him hurt me.” She shivered as her fingers went to her collarbone where a small puckered scar lingered. Zak’s bite had been kind whereas Trent’s bite had ripped into her flesh and left a horrible scar. Hell, he’d nearly killed her. Probably would have if Zak hadn’t intervened. “He ended our relationship to protect me from himself and you.”
"I’ve seen baby vampires fight the need for blood before. Take Harrison for example, he’s never tasted human blood. He rescued Melanie, a perfect stranger from werewolves. She was broken and bleeding and he never once turned on her. And you’re telling me that your boyfriend, the one who is supposed to love you more than anything, couldn’t stop himself from biting you? Couldn’t stop himself from draining the life right out of you? Love can help you overcome even the most daunting challenges,” he breathed.
"And here I thought you said you didn’t believe in love.” She shook her head and closed her eyes.
“I never said I didn’t believe in love. I said it was a weakness. One a vampire can’t afford. You see, we need blood to survive. I’m simply telling you that your boyfriend could’ve stopped, but he didn’t. He didn’t love you enough to overcome his bloodlust,” he continued enunciating every word as he spoke.
“Don't try to twist your delusional evil around on me. You told him to feed,” she spat.
“I told him to quench his hunger, yes. He chose to feed from you, Cadence. Trent gave in to his urges and tore into your throat. Or have you forgotten how I found the two of you?” Zak said taking a step forward as he glared. His nostrils flared, daring her to continue.
She scoffed and shook her head. “Why were you at my house anyway? To see what you’d created?” she demanded. “I find it ironic that you show up at my doorstep on the very same night Trent loses control and nearly kills me.”
“I saved your life,” he reminded her taking another step.
“He would have stopped,” she whispered. “Inviting you inside was a mistake. He would have stopped,” she told herself again. A voice whispered in her head, liar. Was it her subconscious or Zak’s thoughts? She couldn’t be sure.
“And do you really believe that, Cadence? Do you think he would have stopped?” Zak reached out and grasped her shoulders, shaking her. “If you hadn’t uttered my admittance into your home you’d be dead.”
“You don’t know that,” Cadence growled, wrenching free of his grip.
“I know vampires, sweetheart. He wouldn’t have stopped until he’d sucked every ounce out of you. You know it, too. You’re just too stubborn to admit that your boyfriend didn’t love you enough to stop,” he taunted. “He didn’t care enough—”
“Stop!” she shrieked. “You ruin everything, Zak. You push everyone away before they can even get close to you. You can't have a successful relationship so you destroy everyone else's," she yelled as she fumbled to put her shoes back on. There was no way in hell she was staying in this room with him any longer.
"Don’t patronize me, Cadence. You have no idea who I am,” he growled as he stomped toward her.
“Yes, I do. You’re the man who turned an innocent human into a vampire to do your bidding. You used him to get to me. You’re the man who marched into my town and declared war on the witches without a second thought,” she hollered. “Why are you so interested in me anyway?” she hollered. Why didn’t he just leave her alone? He’d been fixated on her from the moment he’d come to her home and she still had no idea why. Does it matter?
Zak opened his mouth and closed it. He’d hit home when he’d brought up Trent. How could she forget about what Zak did to him? Her stomach heaved.
Oh my God and I let him kiss me, too. I’m a horrible person. Zak hurt Trent, turned him into a monster and I almost made out with him. What is wrong with me?
She narrowed her eyes and took a step toward him as she balled her fists at her side. Her pulse roared in her ears and heat scorched over her cheeks as she let him have it. "You’d rather force people to do your bidding than take a chance and get to know them. You’re so consumed with yourself that you can’t even see for one second about how much you hurt everyone else around you. The only reason people follow you is because they are too scared to stand up to you. How many vampires are in your clan? How many of them are there because they want to be? Or are they like Trent? Humans who you turned against their will who have no where else to go. People who you force to join your ranks or die?” she yelled. Cadence closed her eyes as she tried to control the rage simmering inside her.
I can’t stay in this room.
She marched forward, brushing past him and heading for the door.
"Cadence..."
"Just leave me alone," she hissed as she opened the door. A scream bubbled up her throat as she nearly collided with the man on the opposite side.
Oh my God. How did he get here?
Chapter Eleven
Zak closed his eyes and punched a table that sat in the middle of the room. The wooden object careened across the room, colliding with a wall, and splintered. Pain exploded in his knuckles as the gnarled flesh quickly knitted back together. He had to ruin everything, didn’t he?
Cadence screamed, drawing him from his thoughts. He twirled back to the door, watching as she backed into the room. She wasn’t fast enough. His father swooshed into the room and shoved Cadence with vampire strength. Her feet twisted as she fought to keep her balance before she toppled to the floor. Her head smashed against the floorboards and she lay unmoving a few feet away from him.
Zak raced toward her, but Malcolm beat him there, crouching over her unmoving form. He rolled her to her back and pressed his hands to her chest, resting them over where her heart beat steadily.
"Son," he greeted.
Zak took a menacing step forward.
Malcolm shook his head as he grinned. "I wouldn't unless you want her heart to end up outside of her chest," his father warned as he pressed his hand against her.
He froze, swallowing hard as he stared at Cadence. Blood dribbled from her forehead, streaking through her blonde strands and pooled on the floor. She needed medical help.
&
nbsp; "Let her go, Father," he growled. “She has nothing to do with this.”
Malcolm trailed his free hand over Cadence’s cheek. Zak’s throat vibrated as he forced his feet to stay rooted in place. One wrong move and Malcolm would kill Cadence.
"I must say I'm impressed. She has a sharp tongue. You must really like her, to let her speak to you that way. I wouldn't think you capable of such feelings,” Malcolm chuckled darkly. “I think it’s fair to say she doesn’t feel anything for you.”
"She means nothing to me. She’s just a girl," he lied trying to keep his emotions from betraying him. Cadence meant everything to him, but Malcolm could never know that. He would use it against him.
Zak held his breath, waiting for an opportunity to attack.
"She reeks of you," Malcolm mused, inhaling deeply as he breathed in Cadence’s scent. "Judging by the way she speaks her mind to you, she must not be under any kind of compulsion. She’s not a vampire. I know you’d never let a wolf in your presence. A witch perhaps?” he questioned as he trailed his pointer finger over the wound on her head. Malcolm lifted his blood-covered finger and stuck it in his mouth sucking. “She’s delightful. What is your arrangement with her? She didn’t seem too happy with you, Son. Yet, her heart still remains in her chest after your little spat, so forgive me for not believing she means nothing to you."
He clamped his mouth shut, grinding his teeth so hard he was sure they would shatter. One slip up and Cadence would be dead. His father could kill her so easily. If Cadence died, a piece of Zak would too. I need her; I love her. He swallowed as that reality hit him. She was his weakness, his biggest, and damn it his father knew it.
"I see you don't deny it," Malcolm smirked. "So if I were to..." he trailed off as he withdrew a stake from his pocket with his free hand.
"Stop," he yelled, taking a step forward. If Malcolm pierced her heart with the stake, vampire blood couldn’t save her. She’d be dead. Gone. He couldn’t let that happen.
"Do you think you're faster than me Zak?" Malcolm challenged. "Shall we see?"
"It's me you want not her," Zak replied, watching with bated breath as Malcolm placed the stake over Cadence’s heart.
"You’re right. She’s merely a bonus for me," he said as he pressed the stake against her dress. "Which do you think is worse: watching her die or knowing I'll make her do my bidding once I rid the world of you?"
Zak lunged, darting toward his father in the blink of an eye. He caught Malcolm around the waist and slammed him to the ground.
"You’re never going to touch her again," Zak snarled as he lifted and slammed Malcolm to the floor. He curled his fist and punched Malcolm’s face repeatedly, taking pleasure when blood gushed from his nose. Zak wrapped his hands around the old man’s throat and squeezed, watching as his father’s eyes bulged. It’d be easy to snap his neck and shove a stake through his heart. He could save himself years of running, of constantly looking over his shoulder. Zak slipped his hands up his father’s head and wrung it to the side.
A sickening crack filled the air as the light left his father’s eyes. He wouldn’t be down for long. As a vampire, a broken neck would only keep him unconscious for an hour or so. They had to get out of here.
Zak crawled to Cadence and trailed his fingers over the cut on her forehead. It was deep, blood oozed from the wound, but she would be all right. Carefully, he scooped her into his arms and zipped down the hall. He banged on Harrison’s door with his foot, kicking it repeatedly until his brother answered.
"Zak?" Harrison said from the doorway. "What happened?”
“Father. Get Melanie. Meet me at the docks in ten minutes. We’re leaving on a ship, right now,” he ordered.
"Cadence...is she..." Harrison whispered
"She'll be fine," he promised as he cradled Cadence to him. Her life was the most precious thing in the world. He was going to make sure that nothing like this ever happened again.
***
The world was rocking. Cadence blinked her eyes open and groaned as offensive light assaulted her eyes. She forced her sluggish body to sit and gasped as blackness gnawed at her vision. Where am I? What happened? The last thing she remembered was Malcolm.
"It's okay, you’re safe," a familiar voice spoke as footsteps approached her bed.
Cadence grimaced as she turned and pressed a hand to her head. Everything was spinning and the rocking sensation only made things worse. Melanie sat down on the bed beside her and dabbed a cool, wet cloth to Cadence’s head.
"Where am I?" Cadence asked looking around the tiny bedroom. This was not the same room she had been in at the inn.
"We’re on a boat," Melanie explained. "Are you okay?"
She gave the other girl a weak smile. Well, at least that explained the rocking sensation she was feeling. The dizziness was another story. "Yeah. I think so. How long was I out for?" She asked looking around the cabin of the boat. It had the small bed she sat on, a chair, and a dresser all within a very small compact space.
"A few hours," Melanie supplied.
Cadence nodded and shuffled under the thick blankets. She glanced down at her attire. This wasn’t the dress she’d worn earlier. It was some sort of pajamas or shift of some sort; at least that’s what she thought.
"Zak asked me to tend to you," Melanie explained as if reading her mind. "You had blood in your hair and on your dress. You hit your head when you fell."
She let out the breath she had been holding thankful that Melanie had been the one to tend to her. "Thanks," she said as she pushed some of her blonde waves behind her ear.
"He was very worried about you. He cares for you deeply." Melanie said looking down to the floorboards.
Warmth crept across her face at the reminder. She recalled their almost kiss, the argument, and the sheer look of horror he’d had right before she’d passed out.
"You really think he cares about me?" she asked anyway.
"It's pretty obvious. I see the way he looks at you," Melanie said looking away embarrassed.
Cadence took a shaky breath in. This conversation was getting a little too personal for her. Time to change the subject. "What's going on with you and Harrison? I would have thought the two of you would be together?"
Red blossomed over Melanie’s cheeks as she fisted her hands in her lap. "I care for him deeply, but he does not make a move."
Cadence smiled and shook her head. Melanie and Harrison’s innocence was so sweet. She got it—kind of. They weren’t in the twenty-first century. Things were different for them. Not to mention, they were both young when they died, even if they were now a couple centuries old. "I know that this is not going to make sense to you, but trust me when I say, that one of you needs to make a move. If he won't do it, then you do it. Trust me he likes you just as much as you like him."
"I wouldn't know what to do," she said embarrassment evident.
Cadence laughed. "Trust me nobody knows what they are doing the first time. The first guy that kissed me drooled all over me, but we figured it out eventually. You two love each other it will be great and instinct will take over.”
"Have you kissed many boys?" Melanie wondered.
"Uh, several," she said quietly. "It's a lot different where I come from."
"Will it be like you and Zak? I could see the way you two looked at each other as you were getting ready to kiss," Melanie blushed.
"Oh." Heat flooded her cheeks and her heart flip-flopped in her chest. What would’ve happened if they weren’t interrupted? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer. "You'll get this feeling in the pit of your stomach and tingles in your body. Everything will be perfect because Harrison and you are meant to be together," she said confidently, hoping she could steer the conversation back to them.
"What about what comes after?" Melanie whispered.
Cadence opened her mouth and shut it. It felt odd to be having this conversation with someone who had technically been on this Earth longer than she had. "Just let it happen. It wi
ll be wonderful. I promise. You two are meant to be together."
***
It was well into the next day before Zak made his way down into the cabin he had taken Cadence to last night. He hadn't wanted to leave her after what had happened, but she would’ve never forgiven him if he had of been the one to clean her up. Not to mention, he’d needed some time to think about his feelings. The longer he thought about it, the more aware of it he became. He was in love with her. If only she felt the same for him.
Swallowing, he knocked on the door lightly. Her soft footsteps padded over the wooden floorboards and the door creaked as it opened.
"Hi," she greeted as she struggled to hold the bodice of her dress up.
"This a bad time?" he asked. Her ample breasts were ready to burst free from the dress. That was a sight he wouldn’t mind seeing.
"Will you tie this for me?" she huffed in frustration as she turned around and showed him the loose strings. "Why they made laces in the back is beyond me. I mean seriously, how are you supposed to dress yourself when you have to tie the back of your dress?"
He smiled at her rant. He'd never actually helped a woman get dressed before. Undressed yes, he would very much rather be taking the dress off instead. "I do believe this particular style was designed so that someone would have to help you dress," he said amused. “The bodice is quite popular and remains a fashion trend for several centuries.”
She sighed and brushed her long locks over her shoulder, giving him access to her creamy skin. "Thanks. I’m not sure why this was so popular. It’s uncomfortable as hell," she gasped as he tugged on the strings.
"I hope you don't mind that I made the decision to go over seas without you," he said quietly as he laced the back of the corset.
"Malcolm attacked me...and you. Is he still...alive?" she questioned, peering at him over her shoulder.
He sighed annoyed at himself for allowing Malcolm to live. "Yes. I was going to kill him. But there is no telling how that will effect the future," he told her honestly. The murderous thought had crossed his mind, but Malcolm played a big part in his history. Killing him wasn’t something he could afford to change. His father would meet his demise—eventually. At least this way he had an excuse to train Cadence properly. After this episode he was confident she would not be able to come up with a sound argument against it. She needed to learn to use her magic.