The Immortal Affliction

by M. K. Dawn

  “On the run again,” Darrien croaked. “Good times.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  An hour into the drive and Ethan still didn’t recognize a thing. “Where exactly are we, and how long until we get to my cabin?”

  “In the middle of nowhere about a hundred miles outside of town.” Leo leaned forward to get a better look at the night sky. “It’ll be close, but we should make it before sunrise.”

  Ethan glanced back at the two sleeping vampires. Both were pale and thin—Darrien more so than Samantha. From this distance, it was clear how little he had eaten the past few weeks. Ethan didn’t know how much blood it would take for them to regain their strength, but they’d need to find a way to get them some when they reached the cabin. The bottles may have taken the edge off Darrien’s hunger—he no longer looked rabid—but with Ethan’s mother and sister there, it wouldn’t be long before the temptation of human blood became too much.

  “I’m not going through town.” Leo exited the main highway onto a dirt road that looked more like a forgotten trail. “We need to keep a low profile. No doubt Tito has informed his wolves in town to keep a lookout for us and report back if we’re spotted.”

  Ethan straightened in his seat. “It doesn’t matter. He knows where I live. I used to work for him. Though I’m curious, how do you know?”

  Leo’s hard expression didn’t falter. “I did some research when Tito brought you back. I had a feeling you would fight me for the pack and wanted to know everything I could.”

  It was the one subject the two men hadn’t discussed in the hours they’d been in the car. “About that…”

  Leo waved him off. “No need to explain. Actually, you probably couldn’t put into words why you did what you did.”

  “No, I can’t. It was like something inside me took over and demanded I fight.”

  “That’s how it’s supposed to work. You have pack leader in your blood. It’s ingrained into every fiber of your being.”

  Ethan raised his eyebrows. “Then why did you fight me?”

  “Because I had to be sure you were strong enough. We have women and children in our pack, and if you took over not fit to lead, all the wolves’ lives would be in danger. Even if that meant I would lose and be exiled.”

  He thought on that for a minute. “Breaking into Samantha’s cottage and using her was shady as hell.”

  Leo laughed. “Yeah, well. I’d been watching you train with Nikko. There wasn’t a chance in hell you would beat me. And if I let you win, it wouldn’t have worked. You needed a push. Protecting someone you care about usually does it.”

  “I would say thank you, but you know I’m not big on bullshit. Considering you and your family would have been thrown out of the pack…”

  Leo’s gaze wandered. “What’s done is done. You didn’t allow that to happen. I’m now in debt to you.”

  Through the trees, Ethan’s cabin came into view. “Home sweet home. Got to admit, didn’t think I would ever see this place again.”

  Leo parked the SUV. “It won’t be long before sunrise. I can already see the faint glow off the horizon. What are we going to do with these two? Probably not the best idea for them to be around humans in the state they’re in.”

  Ethan exited the vehicle. “I’ll go wake Evie and my mother. Bring them out. Samantha and Darrien can have the house for the day.”

  The cabin was dark, but Ethan could make out the faint silhouette of Evie asleep in the recliner while his mother had taken the bed.

  Ethan felt bad about waking them, but he didn’t want Darrien and Samantha to burn when the sun came up.

  “Evie.” Ethan nudged her shoulder.

  She swatted his hand away. “Five more minutes.”

  As much as she loved school as a child, she was not a morning person. For some reason, their mother had charged Ethan with making sure she woke up in time. Something about the twin connection and Evie not being as irritable with him. It was a complete cop-out on her end; she didn’t want to deal with Evie’s mood any more than the rest of them.

  He nudged her again. “Evie, it’s Ethan. I need you to get up.”

  “That’s brave of you,” his mother’s voice cut through the dark, “poking at the bear.”

  The bedside lantern flicked on and the room brightened.

  “Sorry.” Ethan sat at the end of the bed. “I hate to wake you.”

  His mother, Gale, rubbed her eyes with a yawn. “It’s fine.”

  “How are you? I mean…” Ethan didn’t want to be disrespectful, “with the whole memory thing.”

  “Oh, you know. Spending so many years living in a haze of false memories takes a toll on a person. At times I struggle to distinguish what’s real and what isn’t. Evie’s helping with that.”

  “How about…” Ethan cleared his throat, “the boys and Dad?”

  “I remember what happened to them, and I also remember how I mourned their deaths and moved on. As well as anyone can move on from such a thing.”

  “Ugh,” Evie groaned, “the sun’s not even out yet.”

  Ethan sprung to his feet. “The sun. Samantha and Darrien are with me and need the cabin. I’m sorry to kick you out.”

  Evie shot up. “What do you mean, with you? What happened?”

  “It’s a long story—one I’ll explain once we’re outside and they’re in here away from the sun.”

  Evie and Gale dressed and hurried outside. Leo had already woken Darrien and Samantha, and they waited on the porch.

  “There’s a bed and recliner,” Ethan said. “Help yourself to both.”

  The corner of Darrien’s mouth twitched as he plodded inside without a word.

  “Thank you,” Samantha whispered as she passed. “All of you.”

  The door closed and Evie turned to Ethan. “Tito let them go?”

  “Not exactly.” Ethan waved them away from the house.

  Gale eyed the wolves who had stepped out of the car and were looking around. “Ethan, please tell me you didn’t.”

  “Didn’t what?” Evie looked between them.

  “Betray the other packs.” Gale’s hushed voice verged on the edge of panic. “Please tell me you didn’t.”

  “They were draining Darrien’s blood.” He ran his hands through his hair. “And Samantha… they were going to kill her—murder her in cold blood. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  “They are vampires, son. The enemy of the werewolf. Betraying your own kind is one thing. Doing it to protect vampires is unforgivable.”

  Ethan didn’t care. “Darrien saved my life and Evie’s.” He faced his sister. “Didn’t you tell her that?”

  Evie shook her head. “Not yet. I was letting her get adjusted.”

  “A vampire saved both your lives?” Gale raised an eyebrow. “How?”

  “The Immortal Council was kidnapping humans and draining their blood, passing it off as synthetic. Evie and I both ended up there. Darrien risked everything to get us out. I wasn’t going to leave him to suffer.”

  Evie wrapped her arms across her chest. “It was awful. The most horrific thing I have ever experienced.”

  Gale pulled Evie into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, my love. I hate that you had to go through that.” Her eyes met Ethan’s. “Both of you.”

  “And Samantha,” Ethan swallowed hard, “she was carrying my child.”

  Gale’s face dropped. “Excuse me?”

  “She was pregnant with your grandchild. When the wolves attacked the Immortal Institute, I knocked her out of the way to protect her from a charging wolf. She fell and lost the baby.” That was the first time Ethan had remembered that part of the attack. It was his fault their baby had died. His heart clenched and his breath quickened as a wave of nausea hit. “She must hate me.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Ethan’s mother grabbed him and pulled his head to her shoulder. “Vampire pregnancies are delicate. It’s not your fault.”

  He wanted to believe her, but combined with not visiting h
er after it happened, why wouldn’t she hate him? “I don’t blame her if she does. I hate myself.”

  Evie rubbed his shoulder. “She is the most kind and caring person I’ve ever known. Talk to her; she’ll forgive you. I promise.”

  Ethan swallowed back the sorrow constricting his lungs. “I hope you’re right.”

  “We have more important matters to worry about at the moment.” Gale was a pro at changing the subject. “Those vampire friends of yours, they will need blood when they wake. I suspect they weren’t given much—or any—while imprisoned by Tito.”

  “Samantha had some. Darrien had two bottles in the car and that’s all he’s had for a few weeks.”

  “That’s not enough.” Gale glanced over at the six men huddled in a circle by the second car. “Send two into town. The stores used to shelve blood for when the vampires came to conduct business. If we’re lucky, there might still be some in stock.”

  “We will go.” Nikko and one of his men climbed in the vehicle and drove off.

  Leo came over, his face tight. “The rest of us will keep watch. We have twenty-four hours, if we’re lucky, before Tito makes a move. He likes to plan, catch his enemy off-guard, which is the only reason we have time. But tonight, when those two wake, we must figure out where we go next.”

  Ethan nodded. “Thanks. We should have asked Nikko to grab some food in town as well. Enough for a couple days.”

  “Nikko’s a survivor. He’ll plan accordingly.” Leo whistled and he and the remaining men headed off into the surrounding woods.

  “You defeated him.” Gale smiled. “Your father would be proud.”

  “But I also betrayed the other packs to rescue two vampires. Don’t think he would have been too pleased about that.”

  A smiled tugged at Gale’s lips. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Samantha woke well before sunset, listening through the thin walls as Ethan and Evie caught up with their mother. Their laughter, tears, and love warmed her heart and broke it at the same time. It was the family she’d never had but always wanted. The family she thought she would have with Ethan once the baby came. That was nothing more than a fantasy that would never come true.

  “Do they have to sit so damn close to the house?” Darrien moaned, lowering the footrest of the recliner. In true Darrien fashion, he’d insisted she take the bed even though he had spent the last few weeks living in hell. “The smell of their blood is torture.”

  “I can ask them to move.”

  The door opened and Ethan strolled in. “I could get used to this superior hearing. How are you both feeling?”

  “Like I haven’t eaten in weeks,” Darrien grumbled.

  “About that…” Ethan leaned against the wall. “Nikko went into town but couldn’t find any blood.”

  “Tell them I offered,” Evie yelled through the crack of the door.

  Samantha chewed on her bottom lip. She had taken Evie’s blood at the Immortal Institute and it was fine, but after being deprived for so long… “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Agreed,” Darrien stood, stretching. “I have a better idea. There’s game in these woods, right? After a rough start to vampire-hood, I spent years surviving on animal blood. It’s not ideal but it will hold off the hunger and make the cravings manageable until we can find some human blood.”

  Samantha’s mouth fell open. “Game? As in wild animals?”

  Darrien pulled back the shabby curtain and stared out the window for a moment. “Like I said, it’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing.”

  Ethan pushed off the wall. “So, how is this going to work? Will you go hunting? You need a gun or a knife or some sort of weapon?”

  Darrien snorted. “Normally, I would need nothing else but my bare hands and teeth. Being in this weakened state, I’m not sure I could take down a turtle.”

  Samantha didn’t know the first thing about hunting. The closest she came to hunting for food was digging through prepackaged meat in search of the perfect cut of steak.

  “I’ll ask the wolves.” Ethan turned for the door. “Any animal taste better than others?”

  Darrien’s forehead wrinkled. “You really think the wolves will hunt for us?”

  Ethan smirked. “Considering I’m now their pack leader, they don’t have a choice.”

  A smiled tugged at Darrien’s lips; one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You the big dog now, huh? A puppy no longer.”

  Ethan patted Darrien on the back. “And don’t you forget it.”

  With Ethan gone, Darrien returned to the recliner. “Was it just me, or was there some awkwardness between the two of you?”

  Samantha averted her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “The last thing I remember was the two of you being all lovey-dovey, smoochy-smoochy with each other.”

  Samantha rolled her eyes. “Yeah well, things change. We were having a baby, we lost a baby, and now he’s transformed into an overgrown wolf who happens to be our race’s mortal enemy.”

  Darrien sucked in a sharp breath. “You lost the baby?”

  A tear slipped down Samantha’s cheek. She held back the rest, not wanting the floodgates to open again. “Yes.”

  He must have seen the pain in her eyes as he quickly changed the subject. Sort of. “The mortal enemies thing… it doesn’t have to be that way. My wife had werewolf blood flowing through her veins, and I loved her still. Even lived with her pack, many who had transformed into wolves.”

  Darrien hadn’t mentioned that before when he spoke of his wife. “A werewolf? I thought you said she was human.”

  He let out a heavy sigh. “Seems the Council altered my memories after their henchmen slaughtered Kasa and her family. Only Nikko survived.”

  “Oh my God. The Council ordered their deaths? After the Great Reveal?”

  “Before. We were married for nearly a hundred years.”

  Samantha scrunched her nose. “The Council has been around that long?”

  “The Immortal Council has ruled since the beginning.”

  “Beginning of what?”

  Darrien rapped his fingers against the arm of the chair. “Since the creation of vampires. The six head Council members were the Primordials. The first vampires. That’s all I know.”

  As intriguing as the origin of vampires was, Samantha wanted to know more about Darrien’s family. “Why would the Council order your wife and her family killed?”

  “It’s forbidden for a vampire to marry a werewolf. We were foolish to think no one would find out.”

  His story broke her heart, but also provided a much-needed distraction from her own miserable situation. When he talked, she could focus on him and not her own jaded memories.

  “I’m so sorry, Darrien. I can’t even imagine your loss.”

  Darrien’s eyes locked with hers. “I doubt that.”

  A lump formed in her throat as hot tears welled in her eyes.

  “How did it happen?”

  “What?” was all she could manage. Samantha knew what he was referring to, but she needed a moment to regain her composure.

  “You don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready.”

  Samantha blinked the tears away. “You shared something deeply personal and heart-wrenching. It’s only fair—”

  “Mine happened more than a hundred years ago. You have only lived with this a few weeks. The pain is raw and probably near unbearable.”

  The door swung open and Ethan came back inside. “Who’s in the mood for venison blood?”

  Samantha’s stomach rumbled.

  “Deer’s perfect.” Darrien stood. “Not too gamy like other animals that probably roam these parts.”

  “Good. It’s outside waiting. I have a question. What will you do with the…?” Ethan cleared his throat. “I mean after…?”

  Samantha understood his apprehension discussing the subject. Having never done this before, she too was c
urious about the logistics.

  “Nice communication skills there, pack master.” It was always a good sign when Darrien cracked jokes. “Maybe you should take a couple of courses. I hear the local community college is a-ma-zing.”

  Ethan’s lips quivered as if he was trying to hold back a smile. “The carcass. Do you leave it intact or tear it up like a bunch of beasts?”

  “Samantha and I will drain the animal of its blood.” Darrien clicked his tongue. “The beast-like behavior, we’ll leave for the wolves.”

  Ethan dropped his head back. “I’d say it was nice to see you’ve kept your sense of humor…”

  Darrien laughed. “Come on, Samantha,” he waved her outside, “the longer the blood sits, the colder it gets and the worse it tastes.”

  Samantha forced a smile. “Yum.”

  They stepped outside and a group of six strapping men stood around talking—among them the two who had attacked her. Though now it wasn’t the wolves Samantha feared, but the humans. Evie and her mother—Gale, if she recalled. Their blood smelled intoxicating; more than anything she had ever smelled before. Her fangs dropped as she passed them, and a small groan escaped her lips.

  Darrien shoved Samantha behind his back and addressed the humans. “You two should go back in the house. We’ll take the carcass out in the woods and feed there. But with Samantha’s inexperience and my hunger, it might not be safe.”

  Gale placed a protective hand on Evie’s back. “Come inside, dear. He’s right. You can never be too careful when it comes to these… things.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Darrien watched as Evie hesitated against her mother’s persistent push, her eyes trained on him. “I’m not afraid of you—either of you.”

  Darrien held her gaze. “And here I thought you were smarter than the rest of us.”

  “Just because you remember what you are doesn’t mean your true nature has changed,” Evie argued. “You’re a good man, Darrien. Both of you are. Nothing will ever change that.”

  “Come on, dear.” Gale wrapped her arm around Evie’s shoulder. “Let’s leave them so they can eat.”