by Dale Mayer
"Jesus, watch what you're doing, Tessa."
Tessa was too worried about finding a firm hold on the tree branches to worry about him. Once she caught her balance and her breath, she gasped, "Sorry. Didn't mean to hit you."
"If you'd opened your damn eyes, you'd have seen me."
Thank goodness for the dark of night that hid the heat washing over her face. Tessa groaned silently because of course, he was right. For some reason, she'd switched back to her human vision, which explained why she hadn't seen him in the sky. She was an idiot. Still, she'd found him and she'd made it to the right spot – accidentally or not.
"What did you find out?"
"That you're not a little kid anymore. You pack a hell of a punch and almost knocked me out of the tree."
Exasperated, she scolded him. "Quit your whining. Geez, you're acting like a big baby."
He snorted and hunkered back down on his heels. She envied his natural grace. His sense of humor was pretty good too. Not to mention he was in really good shape. She was still huffing, and damn if she didn't have a stitch in her side.
"They drove into that yard."
"Did they move the humans inside?" She felt his sideways look and sighed. "Humans. That's the correct term. Just because I count several of them as friends doesn't mean I don't understand the problem between the races."
"Oh. I figured you just didn't like vampires."
"I am a vampire, remember?"
"How could I forget, especially with you in that outfit? Even if these last couple of years it seemed like you'd turned your back on us."
Horrified, she could only stare at him in shock. "I have not."
"You have, you know. Everything you did was with humans. Your vampire friends were shoved off to the side."
"No, they weren't," she answered quietly. "They shoved me off to the side – because I'm not like them. That's when I cultivated human friends. Figured if I couldn't get along with one species, maybe I could fit in with the other."
Silence drifted through the night air, broken only by the occasional whisper of tree branches bending in the wind. His heavy sigh hung between them for a moment. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. Did you explain that to your parents?"
She raised one eyebrow. "No. Why would I? They couldn't do anything about it, and besides, I figured it was common knowledge."
"Your family cares about you, Tessa."
"I know." A comfortable silence narrowed the gap between them. "Thanks for that."
"Anytime."
Tessa studied the building. "We have to get in there. If they move Jared again, we may never find him."
Cody considered her words for a moment. "Just the two of us? That is a seriously bad idea."
"I know." Tessa pondered their next move. "Thanks for sticking around to help me."
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you before," he admitted slowly. The energy around them shifted, warmed with his quick grin. "So are you going to sit up here and wait, or are you coming with me?"
Tessa snorted and jumped, only to find Cody already at ground level. "I hate that you can do that."
"What, fly?"
"No, make me look like an idiot."
He laughed. "Let's go."
They raced around to the back of the house and stopped outside the circle of bright lights.
"What's wrong with this picture?" Tessa stood with her hands on her hips, studying the area.
"It looks like they're expecting company."
"That's not good. Anyone connected to this kidnapping is bad news."
Cody's face thinned with distaste. "True. Let's go. As much as it would help to know who's coming, I don't think it's safe to stick around."
A growl erupted behind them. "Too bad, as you're both going to be our guests for a while."
Tessa spun around, ready to bolt.
Pain exploded on the back of her head, and for the second time that night she collapsed on the cold ground, unconscious. The last sound she heard was the beating of heavy wings.
Cody knew the power of his wings, even if he had yet to test them in battle. And that was a little hard to do since there hadn't been a battle during his lifetime. Energy rushed through him.
From the corner of his eye he could see Tessa crumpled on the floor, blood seeping from her temple. Anger slammed into him.
Rage drove him forward in a mad rush. Both vampires fought back. Suddenly Cody found himself fighting for his life – and Tessa's. Rearing back to recoup, he rushed them again, raining blows on the two men from above, trying to chase them from Tessa. Teeth bared as long claws slashed. He fought with brutal precision, knowing that to lose was to lose Tessa. He could not lose Tessa.
"Hell. What is he?"
"He's a fucking vampire, you idiot." The older of the two rushed towards him, slashing Cody deeply across the chest.
"So what? I am, too, but I don't fucking fly. Why can he?" The two men circled Cody, trying to stay out of reach of his wings and claws. "What the hell do we do with him?"
"We take him down."
The younger vampire gazed at Cody in astonishment. "And how do you expect to do that? He's like us. Killing him isn't going to be easy until there's sunlight. He's not likely to run away and hide."
Cody grinned. A deep fanged smirk that made the other men back up. "Even then, I won't be going and hiding anywhere." He swooped down and caught the younger one up in a chokehold. "I'm not like you. I'm better." Squeezing tightly, he backed up, struggling with the man's weight. What the hell had this one been eating? Vampires were rarely fat; they couldn't consume enough blood to get that way. This one, though, had some serious poundage on him already. Cody tucked that tidbit away in the back of his mind as he squeezed tighter and moved back another couple steps.
And stumbled on uneven ground.
Cody's arm lock barely loosened, yet it was enough that the vampire broke free and bent forward, gasping for air. "Shit! Get him, Benj."
"Shut up, you fool."
The young pudgy vampire coughed a couple of times before turning back to face Cody. "He's just a fucking kid. We can take him."
"Like you just did?"
Cody came to a graceful landing, one foot on either side of Tessa. "This isn't a game. You attacked this girl."
"Huh. This is my house, and you are trespassing." The older vampire grinned maliciously. "Go ahead and try to explain that one."
Cody tucked back one wing and knelt slowly, one eye on the men. He checked Tessa's pulse. "I won't have to. Did you really think no one saw you snatch the humans?"
Relief poured through him at Tessa’s strong, steady pulse. Though she was a genetic anomaly, nobody wanted to test the theory that she'd live forever. Who could say for sure? What if they were wrong?
He also didn't want these assholes to know who she was. She'd be worth a lot in ransom. Then again, they wouldn't live to enjoy it. There were problems between Tessa and her dad, but no one doubted that he adored her. Old vampires like him also didn't take lightly to young upstarts like these two assholes.
Cody's eyes narrowed. He wasn't exactly sure who or what these guys were, but he had his suspicions. They were ignorant in ways that didn't make sense, like not knowing about flying vampires.
From the kidnapping of humans – a crime considered by some as abuse against animals – to attacking one of the elder's daughters. Yeah, that meant a jump right to a death sentence. She'd been hurt once tonight already. He cast a worried glance down at her crumpled form. Was that wound bleeding faster?
"So what are we going to do about this situation? There are two of us and only one of you. We can take you out. You can't kill both of us." The older vampire grinned at Cody, his yellowed teeth evidence of a long unhealthy life.
"You're not going to walk away from this unharmed. You crossed the line when you attacked her."
"Why? What's she to you? Just another dumb human." The two men looked at each other and grinned bef
ore turning back to face him. "You're into humans." They chortled aloud. "Christ, why don't you just do your dog or something else that's much less trouble?"
Icy rage filled his veins. They were going to die. That's all there was to it. That they could look at Tessa and see just an animal was beyond acceptable. It also gave him a small insight into what Tessa went through on a regular basis. Did she have to deal with this kind of talk from her own people? Is that why she'd turned her back on them?
Female vampires weren't known for being homebody 'Martha Stewart' types. They were cold, bitchy toward their own sex, and could strip a male bare with their cutting words – if one crossed them.
Tessa's mother fell into a category all on her own, having borne three children. Most vampires had none – or if they had any, they stopped at one. That added to the conjecture about Tessa. He'd heard others speak about her as if she was retarded. Not like them. Tessa was better than they were any day. She cared. About her friends, her family, even the human race. She hated the mess the world was in, and she never backed down from a fight.
He straightened his shoulders and slowly fanned out his wings. He was from a damn long-lived line of vampires and he could take these assholes. It would take a lot to kill him.
The two men eyed him warily. They backed up at the new look in his eyes. "Now look here. We can't just let you disappear. Who knows what kind of trouble you're likely to pull down on us." They shook their heads. "It ain't happening."
Cody extended his wings, letting his fangs slide down fully. Their eyes widened. They might be vampires. He couldn't be sure. They definitely weren't like him. His lineage went back to the beginning, to one of the ancient ones, the oldest and strongest of the vampire clans. He had inherited skills – some the others could only dream of. That he was young, undeveloped, and untested wasn't an issue. They would pay for what they'd done this night. For what they intended to do…
"Shit. I didn't sign up for this." The chubbier of the two backed up and looked at his partner, who was still trying to hold his ground. Then he glanced behind him at the vehicle beside him. "I ain't going to get into a fight I can't win." He bolted for the driver's door of the black SUV.
"Coward," Cody growled. He never took his eyes off the remaining asshole.
"Whatever. Keep your pet then. But watch your back. You've walked into something bigger than you can imagine. These vampires aren't going to let you get away with interfering in our business. This isn't the end of it." Calmly, he turned and walked over to the other vehicle where he climbed into the driver's side.
Cody waited a few minutes until the two vehicles drove down the driveway, then he knelt at Tessa's side. He had to get her out of here before anyone else arrived.
"Tessa? Come on, wake up." He studied the gray cast to her skin and frowned. Vampires had pure white skin. Tessa's changed daily from pinkish to peach to soft white. He kinda liked that about her. Not this color though. "Please. I really don't want to have to explain this to your dad. He's going to kill me for not protecting you. Tessa, please. Wake up."
Tessa moaned softly. Her head rolled as if she were trying to control an unwieldy ball from the inside.
"Cody," she whispered.
Relief poured through him. 'Thank God. Hang on, kiddo. I'm taking you home."
"Home?"
"Home," he whispered against her hair as he slid his arms underneath her slight frame, scooping her up into his arms. "Hang tight. We'll be there in a couple of minutes."
"Hurts," she moaned.
Shit. He probably shouldn't have moved her. What choice did he have though? He couldn't exactly leave her alone and injured. His instincts screamed to get her the hell away.
He carried her out into the night.
"Cody?"
"Yes, I'm here."
"Thank you."
The moonlight half slipped out from behind the clouds to shine down on her ashen face. She looked more vampire now than she ever had. "You're very welcome." He smiled. Then he bent and dropped a kiss on her lips.
He felt her surprise. He'd surprised himself. A kiss on her cheek, her temple, even her hair – all that would be normal and quite acceptable coming from her brother's best friend. A soft loving kiss on those plump lips – not quite the same.
And if he couldn't explain it to himself, he certainly wouldn't be able to explain it to her father or her brother. He snuck a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. Concerned relief coursed through him when he realized she'd fallen unconscious again.
With any luck, she wouldn't remember the kiss anyway.
*.*.*
Tessa opened her eyes briefly. And she shut them again as wind rushed past her cheeks. Lying warm with a steady beat under her ear, she realized she was being carried. She frowned. Comfort and safety enveloped her.
The one who held her did so carefully, almost lovingly. Peeking beneath her lashes, she studied the all black clothing in front of her face. Great. All vampires wore black. She cast her mind back, trying to remember what could have brought her to this point. Her head throbbed on the left side. Was she hurt? That couldn't be good. If her injury didn't do it, her mother would kill her…then it all came rushing back to her. Jared. She struggled upright, only to have bands of steel tighten around her.
"Don't move. It's hard enough to carry you while I'm flying, but landing with you struggling…not good."
Cody. Her eyes widened. He was the one holding her so carefully? Like a delicate package that could break with the slightest mishandling. No, not possible. She couldn't help tucking this memory away for closer examination later.
Cody had always been the too-familiar extra brother and the not-quite-familiar-enough dashing ancient, the most respected lines of vampires. An allure of mystery surrounded his entire family. Even though their fathers were best friends, Tessa had always felt slightly awed around Goran, Cody's father. There was an older son too, only he was almost a century older.
Tessa had met him only once and he seemed as unapproachable as his father. Cody, on the other hand, had always treated her like an annoying younger sister, even going so far as calling her various nicknames, like Tizzy, on occasion.
Now Cody flew like an archangel, strong and sure, confident in his abilities. She relaxed into his arms and enjoyed the novelty of being carried through the night.
"What happened?" she murmured softly. She didn't know if he could hear her with the wind whistling around them. The wind's chill cut through her clothing and attacked her skin. A shiver slid down her spine. A mallet beat on the inside of her skull, increasing its tempo every time she moved. She dared not make a sudden move and send them both crashing to the ground.
"We were attacked back at the house. You were hit on the side of the head – again."
"Don't remember."
She felt his concerned gaze on her. Interesting. Then again, her family was liable to roast him alive when they found out what they'd been doing. She dimly remembered the earlier part of the evening, but the head smacking part didn't ring any bells. Maybe that was just as well. She shivered again, loving the male warmth that wrapped around her as he snuggled her closer in his arms.
"We're almost there. Hang on."
She couldn't actually hang onto anything. Her arms were caught up against her chest and she was tucked up against Cody's heart. All kinds of weird feelings churned around in her stomach, making her wonder if she was going to be sick. She'd never felt this type of connection and warmth before.
Cody had always been there – in the background. Part of the family, but not family. She'd never considered him as anything other than David's irritating best friend. Now all kinds of feelings were washing through her, and heat was just one of them. Was this, as she suspected, all due to her head injury?
Cody descended so quickly, the wind rushed past her face, lifting and tossing her long hair. The moon shone behind him, raising his features in relief. How had she never noticed the clean, chi
seled lines of his jaw and high cheekbones? Or the way the breeze picked up those jet-black curls to play in the wind? Good thing her hands were tucked out of the way, or they'd be reaching up to see if those strands were as silky as they looked. Waves of warm delight washed over her, making her tingle. She frowned with confusion.
What was going on here? She'd never considered Cody in this light. She'd been too busy drooling over Jared.
The landing, despite all his efforts at gentleness, jarred her.
"Ohh." She moaned in pain as her head bounced against his shoulder.
"Sorry." He straightened and stared down at her, worry etched into his features. "I tried to be careful."
"It's okay." It wasn't really, because now the hammer inside her head had been replaced by a sledgehammer. As she gasped for breath, she tried to hold back the tears. "It's not your fault."
"I don't think anyone else is going to believe that," he muttered.
She almost didn't catch his tone. And couldn't come up with one good reason why people wouldn't believe him. Cody was one of the good guys. Everyone knew that.
"Oh my God."
Tessa stirred at the voice. "Where are we?"
Cody never broke stride as he walked down the pathway. If anything, his back stiffened as he entered the house to the concerned cries of everyone present.
"We're home."
"Oh no." She so wasn't ready for this. She hid her face against his chest.
He cuddled her closer. "Sorry. Your mom needs to see to that injury. This is the second one tonight. Any more of this and it could be the end of you."
"I'm tougher than I look," she muttered so only he could hear. She refused to open her eyes and face the glaring accusations she knew would surround her.
"What the hell happened?" Her father's roar filled the room, followed by startled silence. "Is that Tessa? Now what did she do to her hair?"
Tessa moaned as her dad's voice turned the sledgehammer in her head into a jackhammer.
"She's been hurt – again. It's her head. She's in a lot of pain. Can I lay her down somewhere?" Cody stood in the middle of the living room, turning around, looking for a place to put her down.