“Listen,” I said, fumbling for the right words to say. “I know this whole thing is insane, and I’m asking a lot of you guys right now, but you have to believe that I’m still me ... despite all this.”
Chase sat back down next to Jonas on the couch, but O’Shea still wasn’t budging from his spot in the kitchen.
“That might be easier to believe if I knew you weren’t thirsty,” Chase said.
“Have you not heard a word I’ve said tonight?” O’Shea responded. “He took care of that backstage.” O’Shea folded his arms in front of his chest and studied me for a long moment. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight,” he stated. He cocked his head to look at Aurora. “You’ve been a vampire the entire time we’ve known you.” She nodded and waited for him to continue. This time he turned his gaze on me. “You had no idea, but then other vampires started coming after you, and eventually she told you the truth.”
“I did everything I could to protect Trey from my world,” Aurora said. “But I’d already let him in too deep. Revealing myself to him was the only way I could keep him safe.”
“And you just decided to become a vampire, too?” O’Shea asked me.
“Other vampires were after me,” I said. “I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“They killed Wes,” O’Shea said slowly, the sting of truth sounding clearly in the weakness of his voice.
I nodded. “They mistook him for me. I thought once I became a vampire I could run interference and protect you guys from all of this.”
It took the guys a minute to recover from the news about Wes. There was nothing I could say to make them feel better about the facts.
“Somehow things were simpler when I just thought you were on drugs,” O’Shea added.
“I’m sorry,” I said before I let my eyes return to normal and my fangs recede. “I don’t think there’s a rehab for this. I’ve hated lying to you guys. I just didn’t know how else to protect you. I’m still me,” I said, looking at each of them in turn. “I’ve been me the entire time. I hope you can believe that.”
They all exchanged slow glances then, but it was Chase that took the load off my shoulders when he gave me a huge grin and said, “Do that thing with your eyes again.”
Chapter 50
Trey
“SO, WHEN DID YOU make it official?” O’Shea eventually asked. “When did you become ... “ His voice trailed off, and he waved a hand at me in explanation.
“Aurora changed me the night after we went shark diving,” I answered.
“Tytus is a vampire, too,” Chase said. “That explains why I couldn’t get him to share any workout secrets with me. He probably doesn’t even have to hit the gym,” he muttered.
Aurora went to the fridge, and I thought she was going to blow all of their minds by pulling out a bottle of blood-laced wine. Instead, she grabbed some cans of Root Beer and handed each of us one. I popped the top on mine and took a swig, wishing it was something stronger, and feeling three attentive pairs of eyes on me as I did so.
“After what I saw tonight, do we need to worry about having a shortage of fans in the future?” O’Shea said, and I was impressed that he managed to only sound half as concerned as he really was.
“About that,” I said slowly. “I needed to feed, and I couldn’t get away long enough to do it somewhere else. I promise I didn’t hurt that girl. Right now she’s telling all her friends about how she ran into me backstage, and how I was a perfect gentleman.”
“She doesn’t remember that you were sucking her dry?” O’Shea asked.
It took a lot of effort not to roll my eyes at his comment. “No,” I said. “I healed her, and I only took a little.”
“Well, at least that explains why you’ve been sneaking off with random girls the whole tour,” Jonas said matter-of-factly. “We were trying to decide if we should tell Aurora what you were up to.”
This made Aurora smile. “Good looking out,” she said to him with a wink. Jonas shrugged.
“So, obviously you can still drink and eat food?” Chase asked me, nodding toward the can of Root Beer I was holding.
“Sure. It’s just not ... the same.” I glanced down at my Root Beer longingly. “As long as we get fresh blood every so often, we manage.”
“Are you planning on making us ... like you?” Jonas asked, still unable to bring himself to use the word vampire.
I shook my head. “No way.” Jonas looked a little relieved. “I’ve done everything I can to shield you guys from all of this. I’m sorry I wasn’t better at it. I never meant-”
“I’m not sorry,” O’Shea said suddenly. “I’d rather know.” He looked at Chase and Jonas. “Wouldn’t you guys? We don’t have to wonder what’s going on anymore. Everything is starting to make sense now.” He leaned against countertop, and suddenly he was talking to me like he always did. “The women, the secrecy, the fact that you don’t seem to like food all of a sudden....”
The guys nodded in agreement, but I could tell they were still processing how this new information completely re-shaped everything they knew about the last few months.
“How did you do that mind-movie earlier?” Jonas asked.
“That was Aurora,” I said, smiling at her. “Just one of the many bonuses that come with the vamp gig.”
“While we’re at it, I owe all of you an apology,” Aurora said, breaking her silence. “It’s my fault Trey got dragged into this mess to begin with.” She met my eyes, and I saw a hint of the regret that used to scare me so much, except that now I understood exactly where it came from. Regardless of how well my brothers were taking the news, I’d always regret having to bring them in on this. And we were just getting started.
“From what I understand, you’ve saved Trey’s life over and over,” O’Shea said to Aurora. “If anything, we should be thanking you.”
“I appreciate that,” Aurora said. “But you might not feel that way after Trey fills you in on the latest.”
“What do you mean?” he pressed.
“I guess it all started when I went to Stanislav Vidic for help when Aurora was hurt,” I began. “Mark tried to warn me about asking a powerful vampire like that for help, but I didn’t have a choice.” Aurora reached over and squeezed my hand, and I realized she was probably seeing flashes of those memories in my mind, as clear and vivid now as they were back then. “Aurora was dying, and I didn’t care about the price.” O’Shea met my eyes then, and I saw a picture of Kacie in his mind. He understood exactly where I was coming from. “Then when we had our release party I got this cryptic note from Stanislav,” I continued.
“What did it say?” O’Shea asked.
“Let’s just say it was pretty clear that he expected me to return the favor someday.”
“This is getting good,” Chase added.
Jonas nodded in agreement. “It’s not too late to pop some popcorn.”
O’Shea’s eye roll let me know that he, at least, understood how potentially serious this whole Stanislav business was. “Go on,” he prompted.
“Well, vampires just started randomly popping up at our shows, or sometimes even our hotel. It took us a while to figure out that it was all connected.”
“What does he want you to do?” O’Shea asked.
“He claims he wants to bring vampires out into the open. He doesn’t like having to hide what we are, and he wants to use Aurora and I to come out. He thinks we have enough pull with humans to make the transition easier for both sides.”
“He’s completely lost his mind,” Aurora added.
“You’re not going to do it,” O’Shea said. It was a statement, not a question.
“No. Of course not.”
“Can’t you use some of your new vampire skills to derail his plane?” Chase asked.
“It’s not that simple,” I said. “He’s old, which means he’s really powerful. Besides, my moon-given talent hasn’t exactly come in handy so far.”
“Moon-given what?” he asked, rais
ing an eyebrow.
“Talent,” Aurora repeated for me. “Every vampire has a specific skill they are naturally gifted with. Trey has a way of projecting his emotions onto the people around him.”
“It’s particularly strong when I’m performing,” I added. “I’m still not sure why that is. I’m working on it, though. My control is getting better.”
“Wait a minute,” O’Shea was grinning now, like a man who had it all worked out. “Is that why our fans have had some really strange reactions to this new album?”
“I’d say passionate is a better word for it,” I added.
O’Shea grinned and shook his head. “You used your vampire juju on us tonight, didn’t you?” he asked, but his tone wasn’t accusatory.
“Juju?” I grinned at him. “I plead the 5th.”
O’Shea moved forward and slugged me on the shoulder. I can’t explain how good it felt to have him playing around like I hadn’t just shook his entire world upside down. For the first time, I had hope that we might actually get through this together. All of us.
“So, what’s your moon-given talent?” Chase asked Aurora.
“I can block my thoughts from the prying minds of other vampires,” she answered casually.
“Vampires can read minds?” Jonas asked with childlike excitement.
“There’s an assortment of abilities,” Aurora said. “Mind-reading is one of them.”
“So is running like Speedy Gonzales,” O’Shea declared. “I learned that one the hard way.”
“You’re just slow,” I said, earning a sarcastic sneer in response.
The bus door opened and Tytus climbed the first few steps, sticking his head in. “Can’t stall any longer, Boss,” he said. “People are getting antsy. Neon is asking questions.”
“It’s all right, Ty,” I answered. “We’re good to head out now.” He nodded and disappeared again.
Jonas looked at me with wide eyes as the bus door closed. “That guy was scary before I knew he was a vampire.”
I grinned. “Just be glad he’s on our side.”
Chapter 51
Aurora
IF I THOUGHT THE Rolling Stone article had spread like wildfire, it was nothing in comparison to the smear campaign we faced the next day. As if we hadn’t had a long enough night, we woke up to find pictures of Nikki kissing Trey on the cheek plastered all over magazines and being featured on entertainment news shows. Neon had called to warn us so we wouldn’t be caught completely off guard. We’d gotten online to see exactly how bad it was, which I regretted once I saw the headlines that were being carelessly thrown around, such as, “Is the honeymoon over? Newlywed Trey Decker caught getting close with ex-girlfriend Nikki Lane,” and “Bliss or Quits? Nikki cozying up to Trey before a Catalyst show could be a sign that the frontman’s marriage is on the rocks.”
“Stanislav is behind this whole Nikki thing,” I told Trey as we rode the elevator up to our hotel that night after the show. “Now we know exactly why he involved Nikki. He’s not happy that we said no, and this is how he’s showing his displeasure. He set us up.”
Trey took my hand, considering me while we walked the long hallway to our room. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll sort this out,” he said as he opened the lock with his key.
“How?” I asked, surprised by how calm he seemed.
“I’ll get on Twitter. The fans will believe me. They’ll listen. They’re really the only ones I care about anyway. Everyone else can believe what they want.”
“You think that will work?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“You’re taking this all surprisingly well,” I added.
“Not really,” he said as he sat his wallet and phone down on the nightstand by the bed. “I just don’t want to spend another minute thinking about Nikki when I’ve got you right here.”
I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my face at those words. Trey held a hand out to me and I stepped forward, putting my hand in his. He pulled me toward him, and his hands went to my hips while his mouth covered mine. All thoughts of Nikki and Stanislav were gone the instant I tasted him. Then I felt his fingers in my hair, gently cradling the back of my head. I recognized the hunger in Trey’s kiss. He needed blood, and he knew it.
“I fed today,” I assured him when he pulled back. “Take what you need.”
He was kissing me again, and I gave myself permission to enjoy the rush. When his lips finally left mine, it was only to move down toward my neck as his fingers gathered my hair, sweeping it out of the way. He slowly sank his fangs into my throat and drank. I felt Tytus approaching just then, but assumed he’d continue down the hall to his own room. I was surprised when a knock rang out on our door a moment later.
“It’s just Tytus,” I whispered to Trey. “He can wait while you finish.” Trey swallowed twice more, but pulled back after that, healing the small puncture wounds in my skin. “Did you get enough?” I asked.
He nodded and leaned his forehead on mine briefly, a satisfied smile playing on his full lips. “Thank you.... I’ll get it,” he said, turning to answer the door. “You have impeccable timing,” he said sarcastically as he let Tytus inside.
“Whatever you two were busy doing, it can wait,” Tytus said. “You’re going to want to hear this.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked, getting to my feet.
“Malena’s in town.”
“How do you know?” I asked.
“I just spoke with her.”
“What? Why?” Trey blurted out. “What does she want?”
Tytus got comfortable in the oversized chair nearby, sighing. I sat back down on the bed and patted the spot next to me. Trey sat reluctantly.
“She was in a car outside the hotel,” Tytus began. “She pulled up and told me to get in.... I figured it was the best way to get information.”
“What does she want from us?”
“Us? Nothing,” Tytus said. “She wanted me to help her track someone, though. She’s desperate, and she’s not having any luck. I mean, she’s got to be desperate to come to me begging for help. Right?”
“Who is she tracking?” I asked.
Tytus furrowed his brow. “Someone named Angelica. Why?”
I shook my head, unsure. “Does that name mean anything to either of you?”
Tytus frowned and shook his head. “No.”
Trey looked at me and said, “Not in the slightest.”
“Hmm....” I bit my lip.
“So what did you tell her?” Trey asked.
“The truth,” Tytus said. “That she betrayed my trust the last time we saw each other, and that working with you two was the best decision I ever made. I’m not interested in running off to help her. End of story.”
“And she just left?” I asked. “Just like that?”
“I got out of the car a block down and walked back. I doubt she’s going to hang around after I refused to join her, though.”
I chewed my lip in thought. “Weird.”
“Definitely weird,” Tytus agreed. “Anyway,” he said, getting to his feet again. “I just thought you should know.”
“Thanks, big guy,” Trey told him, and Tytus nodded and saw himself out.
“Angelica,” I repeated. “I seriously don’t know anyone by that name.”
“Neither do I,” Trey said. Then he pulled his T-shirt off and jeans and collapsed on the bed next to me. “At least Malena has something to keep her occupied.”
“That’s true,” I agreed as I changed into a tank and a pair of shorts and climbed into the sheets next to him. I nestled up next to him, resting my head on his chest.
“You’re not going to obsess about this all night, are you?” Trey said, and I could hear the smile in his tone.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, laughing softly. “I’m just going to fall asleep to my favorite song.”
He kissed the top of my head and rubbed my shoulder. “When does Mark�
��s flight land?” he asked after a moment.
“He should be to the venue just in time for soundcheck,” I answered. “It’ll be good to see him.”
“Yeah,” Trey admitted. “I kinda miss the guy.”
I grinned and said, “I warned him that a few days with us won’t be much of a vacation, but he’s still coming.”
“At least we won’t have to watch what we all say in front of Jonas, Chase and O’Shea. In that sense it’s kind of nice that they know everything.”
“You’re forgetting that Kacie will be here tomorrow, too. I think they’re actually on the same flight, funny enough.”
“That’s right,” Trey said slowly. “So much for easy conversation.”
“It’s best she doesn’t know,” I added.
“I’m sure O’Shea feels the same way.”
“Did you think to warn the guys that we’re bringing another vampire on the tour?” I said, laughing at the thought.
“Maybe we’ll just change the name of the band,” Trey joked. “Something like Fang + 3 would be more fitting.”
“That’s not half bad,” I said with a grin.
Chapter 52
Trey
THE GUYS AND I had the day off. No radio appearances, no conference calls, no obligations. Aurora, Mark, Tytus and I took advantage it and spent the day wandering around the city. We’d done a little shopping, enjoyed the sites, and even hit an art museum Aurora had been dropping hints about for three days. It was a good day, and the down time was good for my soul. I was almost convinced by the end of the day that Tytus was even growing on Mark, despite the reservations he’d had about us hiring the giant vampire in the beginning. Despite the crazy press involving Nikki, the fans were being nothing but supportive. My simple tweet denying it seemed to be all they needed to hear. They’d gotten behind Aurora and I completely, and the few times I checked online during the day, they were setting the record straight for us on blogs and social media. I was more than a little relieved to have the army of support behind us.
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