by Dale Mayer
It wasn’t her business, but it was impossible to avoid hearing parts of the conversation. Something about Cody needing Goran. Needed his father. Not this broken man. Goran had lost one son and he didn't need to lose them both to this nightmare.
She gasped. This had been hard on Cody, but she didn't think it was that bad.
I'm not. Your father is using that line to make my father calm down, see sense. I'm fine, he comforted her silently.
Thank God. She squeezed his hand. He had me wondering there for a moment.
No worries. I'm fine. No, I don't like what Tyson did, and I'm scared for my father. Cody pulled her closer into his embrace, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. He didn't deserve this. He's really strong, but inside he's more puppy dog than you might believe.
She spun around to stare at him in shock. No one would ever call Goran a puppy dog. An injured wolf, maybe. But he never gets out of that predator status. He makes the council members cringe, she muttered.
Cody laughed. True. But it stopped you from worrying.
She laughed, loving the lightness in his voice. Maybe he really was okay.
I said I was, didn't I?
She flushed. I wonder if I'm ever going to get used to this.
You and me both.
She cast another glance back at the men still talking, only this time her father had his arm around Goran's shoulders and was leading him back toward them.
"Looks like they are finished."
"And here I thought you were finished."
The shockingly familiar voice sounded behind her, startling her. She spun around to stare dumbfounded at David. And standing beside him was...Jared.
"Oh my God, Jared." She raced over to him and threw herself into his arms. She'd been so worried that he hadn't made it out of the blood farm.
He hugged her tight and laughed. "It's so good to see you. I was so afraid you’d died when that blast went off." He pulled back to stare down at her, a sloppy grin on his face.
She beamed up at him as she stepped back, his arms falling away. "We survived. And you did too, obviously. What are you doing back here. I sent you out with all the techs and Taz to keep you safe." She frowned and looked behind him. "And speaking of Taz, is he here?"
Jared shook his head. "No, he's not. He's supposed to be coming with another medical team to see if anyone can be saved from the warehouse." His face sagged. "I'm afraid they are all dead."
"Oh no," she cried.
"But we don't know that," cautioned David. "So let's not jump to conclusions."
Tessa studied Jared's face. Worry and fatigue had given him a worn haggard appearance. How horrible to have just found his father and now to lose him all over again. Although in truth, his father was barely a step up on the ladder of the life.
And that's something we also don't know. So no panicking yet please.
She snorted. Who's panicking?
At Jared's odd look and the flashes of amusement in David's gaze, she realized what she must look like talking to Cody in her head. She linked arms with him. "Sorry. Have you come with help?"
Jared winced. "I thought I did. But honestly, I'm not sure the term ‘help’ is correct." He started to explain, but David stopped him.
"Hang on. We need to get the elders over here to hear this."
David walked toward the busted window that separated the two rooms and called out. The elders were already on their way, but once they saw Jared they came running.
By the time Jared finished explaining, they were stone faced.
"We saw the group you're talking about." Serus said. "They came into the other room while everyone was passed out. They assumed the group was dead and left."
"But they left wishing they had come upon us earlier so they could kill us," growled Goran, his gaze hard and flat.
It was that look that bothered Tessa the most. He appeared to have crossed some sort of invisible line. She just didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
She desperately wanted to get out of this place but knew they had other people they had to be wary of. And how did that work?
Her stomach growled loudly. Aggressively. Cody glared at her. She sighed and looked away, catching sight of Jared's concerned face. She flushed. "Sorry. I haven't eaten since...well...forever."
"Tessa?" Jared scrounged in his pockets and drew out several granola bars. He held them out. "Do you want these?"
Her eyes lit up and she snatched them out of his hands. "Yes," she said gleefully. "I do." She ripped opened the first one and downed it in a few bites. She opened the second one and ate it more slowly.
"Lucky save," David said jokingly.
She laughed as she realized the others were staring at her. She held out the bar. "Anyone want a bite?"
"Can we leave now?" Cody spoke up for the first time, his voice tired...sad.
She spun around to look at him. "I hope so." She studied his face intently. What's wrong? she asked silently.
He didn't answer and he wouldn't look her in the eyes.
Cody? Now what?
He stiffened and turned slightly away from her.
She studied him, puzzled. She popped the last of the bar into her mouth, feeling so much better with food in her stomach. Just as she was about to ask him what was wrong for a third time, David walked over and caught her attention. He leaned in and murmured, "I know you're new to this relationship stuff, but there's no way Cody is going to like or accept you greeting Jared with that much enthusiasm."
"What?" she whispered, shocked. "Are you kidding me?"
She turned slightly to stare at the stiff back facing her. And got angry. Like really angry. Red filled her mind and heat raced down her body. "He should know better than that!"
"Oh?" asked David, a hint of humor in his voice. "And how does that work? Last week he barely knew you and what he knew does not come close to the you of this week."
He took a deep breath and lowered his voice even more, forcing her to lean in so she could hear him. "Xana did the same thing."
Still pissed, she snapped in low tones, "Did what? Hug an old friend after almost dying? Wow, life's tough."
David sighed. "Look, she was always trying to make him jealous. She would flaunt herself in front of other guys, always touching them and flirting with them. It doesn't matter if that's not what you were doin—"
"It wasn't," she snapped.
He held up one hand in a placating manner. She glared at it, at him.
"But it's going to trigger the same old feelings he had about Xana's behavior. Whether he likes it or not."
She frowned as a fragment of understanding filtered through. She'd spent enough time dealing with her own emotions only to have the ones she thought she'd already dealt with sneak back in and bite her in the butt. She realized it was likely the same for everyone. Damn. She couldn't stay mad at him.
She looked around to find her father grilling Jared on who he'd spoken with and who he'd seen. Goran had slumped against the wall, as if the outburst of violence had left him drained and exhausted. David was watching her, that gaze of his seeing too much.
"Fine," she said, tired to the bone. "I'll fix it."
And she headed in Cody's direction.
*.*.*
If there was such a thing as a reality check, watching Tessa throw herself into Jared's arms was it.
And as reality checks went, that had been a biggie. And yet, was he being unfair.? Tessa was not Xana, but most of his friends would say all female vamps were the same. They were all teases. But was that true in Tessa's case? Or was she just learning about that aspect of herself? Maybe as she was young and inexperienced it was a side of herself she was only just understanding. And how horrible was that? Not to mention tarring the whole vampire line with one stroke.
Serus had often said Rhia was not like the other females. His father had told him that and had often wished he could find a Rhia for himself. Cody
thought Tessa, being her mother's daughter, would potentially be different too. While he stared moodily at the mess around him, he wondered just how different she really was.
Very, she snapped, suddenly standing in front of him, and she upped and smacked him across the face. How could you even begin to think that? How could you think I'd do anything like that?
Cody reared back, startled by the attack. Damn it. Had she read his mind?
I didn't need to, she said. And sniffled.
As he reeled from the shock of her words, he realized her eyes were starting to shine with moisture.
Oh shit. He'd take a smack over tears any day.
Too bad. You get both. But she tried to sniffle them back, wiping her damp eyes on her sleeve.
And he realized just how exhausted she was.
And how scared I was. And how hurt and worried about the others I was, she sobbed gently.
He couldn't help it. He tugged her into his arms and dropped his chin on her head. He wasn't going to apologize, but he was willing to admit that their emotions were all over the place. So much had happened this last week that neither of them were feeling like themselves. Or thinking clearly.
She pulled back and stared up at him determinedly. I was thinking and acting clearly when I hugged Jared.
He stiffened, clenched his jaw, and glared down at her. Damn it. Just when he was getting over his mad, she had to start it up again.
But she wasn't finished. But that's because I was delighted to see him alive and well. We almost died. He almost died. He's a friend and I like him. He's not my boyfriend and I don't feel the same way about him like I do about you.
She pulled her arm free and smacked him on the shoulder. And you should have known that.
Even in his mind, her truculent tone sounded so clear and so...hurt.
The words slipped out on their own. I am sorry. So much for not apologizing.
You should be, she snapped. You'd never accuse Jewel of doing this. Would you?
No. She's different. And stopped.
She narrowed her gaze at him, and dropping her tone menacingly, she added, So am I.
He grinned. She went from being a delightfully weeping woman to a snarling vamp. He loved it. And maybe, just maybe he was starting to fall in love with her. He just barely managed to keep that thought to himself.
He jumped into the silence. I just might need a little time to remember that. To not see your actions as I've seen them in others so many times before.
She snorted. You have time. Five minutes exactly. Then get over it.
With a shout of laughter, Cody picked her up and swung her around in joy.
*.*.*
Jared didn't know what to think. Or where to look. But his gaze kept tracking back to Cody and Tessa. First they appeared to be fighting, then it looked like Tessa was crying, and now she was laughing her head off as Cody swung her around.
Like what was he to make of that?
Inside, he felt hollowed out. His fantasy burst like an air bubble. He didn't think Tessa'd had anything going on with this Cody character. From the looks of it though, he'd been wrong. But she'd gone to the movies with him. Not Cody. And that had only been a week ago. So this, whatever this was, had happened recently. He tried to picture Tessa and Cody together before the movie and he couldn't. It didn't fit. Tessa had been so awkward, so innocent. So fresh. Cody would change her. Make her more worldly.
Take away her innocence.
A ball of fear twisted inside him.
Had he already?
Had he missed his chance with her? Had she become Cody's when Jared was busy looking elsewhere? And then came a sneaking sense that maybe this was right – as in meant to be right. Vampire to vampire.
And he should find a human to be with.
But Tessa was both.
As he watched, Tessa reached up and kissed Cody in a very non-brotherly way.
David spoke from his side. "Get used to it. They are bonded."
Bonded? What the hell did that mean? Was it some kind of vampire ritual or something? He wanted to ask, but David had already turned away. Frustrated, Jared kept an eye on Tessa and Cody and the other on David. But he was no closer to understanding what was going on, except that something had shifted in the relationships going on around him.
And he'd been left out.
*.*.*
Serus walked Goran back toward Ian and Jewel, both still passed out in the same room they'd left them in. Serus went to Jewel's side and checked her over. She was alive in that her chest was rising and falling with each breath, but nothing else moved. Her eyes never shifted under the lids. Her body never twitched, and neither did she make a sound.
"She's really out, isn't she?" Goran asked.
"Yeah." Serus rubbed his chin. "I'm not liking this one bit."
"Too deep and for too long."
"If we can't wake them up and we can't leave them, that means we stay." Serus took a good look around. "We're relatively safe here."
"Going home sounds like a better idea," Goran said. "We can get out the way Jared got in."
Serus straightened. "Except for Seth."
Goran frowned.
"And the trigger-happy soldiers." Serus ran his hand over the back of his head and sighed. "If my boy is here, I can't leave him. I can't leave because those assholes might find him and make a mistake I can't live with."
"Well if you ain't leaving, you know I ain't leaving." Goran snorted and stepped back, shaking his hands in front of him. "No way. I already lost one boy, we're not going to lose yours too."
"But these kids need to get home, and they need to get home in one piece."
Goran shook his head. "I'm not taking them. Send all the rest home. I'm coming with you."
With a hard laugh, Serus said, "Good luck with that. They won't go unless we're all going."
"Exactly right."
Serus turned around at the sound of Cody's voice. Tessa and Jared stood on either side of him. David snuck around everyone and took up his earlier position beside Jewel.
David laid a hand on her cheek. "She doesn't look good."
"But she doesn't look any worse," Tessa said with a small smile. "I might just be a bit jealous. She's getting a good sound sleep and I'm wasted."
Cody laughed. "Good point."
"You can carry them out, right?" Jared said, "Head out the way I came in? Specially with the fliers in the group." He grinned hopefully. "We'd be home in no time."
Tessa smiled.
Then her smile dimmed. Serus nodded. She'd starting thinking, started connecting the dots.
"Seth is here. His friends. My friends Catherine and Jill. What about Motre and his group? Even Bart doesn't deserve to be shot by those guys. We can't leave them unaware." She took a deep breath. "If they are even still alive."
"Whoa." Cody turned and slung an arm around her shoulders, tucking her up close. "Don't think like that. We survived. So did they."
But Goran was shaking his head. "It's not that simple. The mountain is a mess. They could be anywhere. And if they are injured, that's an even bigger problem."
"And all the more reason to find them. Fast."
Serus had always been good at making decisions. At knowing right from wrong. At seeing a path forward. At knowing what to do next. And now for the first time, he was stumped. He didn't want to break up the group.
His shoulders slumped. He didn't know what to do.
Tessa stared down at her two comatose friends. They needed to wake up but she didn't think there was any way to make that happen. She could try to slap them awake but... that might not work so well. "You go. I'll stay here with them."
Immediately, noise filled the air as everyone expressed their opinion.
She shook her head and let them talk. Vampires were good at that part. She nudged Jewel with her boot. She thought she saw some eye movement but wasn't sure. She nudged her again and dropped to her knee
s in excitement. "Did you see that?"
David looked at her then at Jewel. "See what?"
"I saw her eyes move." She leaned over Jewel's shoulders for a closer look. "Jewel? Jewel, can you hear me? Jewel?"
No answer.
But her breathing had changed. Tessa pulled back slightly and David took her place.
"Jewel? Honey, can you hear me?" He tapped her on the cheeks. "Jewel?"
She moaned.
"Yes."
Serus and Goran both bent down and checked her over. She groaned.
"Looks like she's coming around."
"About time. Thought she was done for."
Jewel opened her eyes at that last comment. "Done for?" Confusion, drugs, and sleep clouded her vision, but clarity was slowly creeping in.
"Am I dead?"
Tessa grinned. Okay, so not quite enough clarity.
"Nope," she said cheerfully. "Just drugged. Again."
Jewel stared at her in shock, then in horror. She tried to sit up but could barely raise her head, never mind move her shoulders. David reached behind her and half lifted, half tugged her into his lap. Upright, she gained a little color back into her cheeks. Jewel raised a trembling hand to push her hair back off her face. "I don't feel so good," she admitted.
"You were sleeping very deeply. It's going to take a few minutes to get back to normal." David smirked. "Ian is still out cold."
She snickered. "He's going to be pissed when he wakes up."
"Especially when we're going to have to slap him awake now." Cody laughed. "In fact, I'm looking forward to doing that right now."
While Tessa watched, he smacked Ian several times on the face, hard. Ian finally rewarded him with a groan, understanding kicked in within minutes. He jumped to his feet with fire in his eyes and a punch in his fists. He was striking mad and lashing out at everyone and everything.
Cody, with David's help, managed to calm him enough to sit him back down until he was aware enough to understand what had happened and to whom.
Not that it helped much as Ian wouldn't calm down. His body vibrated with coiled tension. Tessa just didn't know if that was the drugs or anger. Knowing what he'd been through...likely both.