Ruby giggled, her body relaxing in relief. She ran her fingers down the length of my arm, raking goose bumps across my flesh. I took her chin between my thumb and forefinger, tilting her head up toward mine. “But you must promise the same, to never mention me or Wilson to the others. It would not only endanger Wilson, but you would be in danger as well. They must never know.”
She nodded. “I promise. I will keep our secret to my death.” I let my fingers drop from her face, satisfied by her pledge. But was I really satisfied? Was I content with the way our journey was playing out? I wasn’t so sure.
“But, Guy,” she whispered, bringing my attention back to her. “What do I tell them? I’m sure they’ll ask about my past and how I came to be there.”
I clenched my jaw in response. I’d already spent restless nights mulling over the same question and the best solution I’d come up with was to lie. It was the only way.
“At first, you tell them the truth, how you died in the crash and awoke in the front of the old warehouse during the battle. You were alone and confused. But instead of the part where I found you, you tell them you escaped. You crawled into a ditch and hid yourself beneath the brush and, when you deemed it safe, you found the old mission where you transformed. You’d been living off the blood of rabbits and mice. And when you felt strong enough, you traveled in search of others like you. Tell them you wanted to go home but were afraid of what your family might think, and that’s when you found the coven.”
I never liked being dishonest, but when it came to life or death, you had to bite the bullet. And being what I was, the Captain in a top-secret sect of the government, I’d grown accustomed to lies and cover-ups. It was the only way I knew. And now it would be what Ruby knew— lying for the greater good.
Ruby gently bit her bottom lip, letting what I’d said sink in. She nodded in agreement and found my hand with hers. She twined her fingers with mine, gazing out into the darkness, and I got a sense she could see a whole other world out there that I couldn’t. We spent the duration of the night sitting in silence, soaking in the passing moments, savoring them as though it were the last night we’d be on this Earth. It was the happiest and saddest time of my life. A bittersweet ending.
THIRTY-ONE: RUBY
Guy and I sat on the back porch for hours, listening to the breeze blow and watching the stars twinkle. It was our last night together before he took me to my new home. There were so many things I wanted to say to him like how I was a hybrid, a half-breed human and vampire, a freak.
But what good would that do? I didn’t even know what it meant myself. And if I did tell him, would he change his mind and let me go with him instead of parting ways? Probably not. I was still half-vampire and it would never work between us. There was no point in telling him, except to maybe make things harder.
I also wanted to tell him how I felt for him, how I didn’t know if I could go on without him. But the words stuck, dry in my throat. Again, it would do no good to say anything, only causing him more pain than I’d already caused him. I didn’t want to do that. He’d already been through enough in saving me and I didn’t want to hurt him any more than I already had. So after much struggle, I let the night go on in silence, enjoying what little time we had left together.
After sitting upon the back porch for what seemed forever, we regretfully retired inside. Guy meandered out front to make sure the truck was in good working order for our trip the next night. He’d told me not to wait up for him, saying I needed to rest. Though I wanted to ignore his request and stay up for him, wanting to relish every last moment I could with him, my body and mind were exhausted. Not only had I been blasted with the whole I’m-a-freaky-vampire-mutation information, but I’d also been training relentlessly for days and couldn’t fight the tired ache anymore.
I showered and wove my hair into a long braid before venturing back out into the hall. I heard soft murmuring in the living room but stopped short when Wilson’s voice sharply spoke.
“You can’t hide it from me, Stone. I know what you’ve done.” I froze, my hands pressing into the wall.
“And what have I done?” Guy retorted, his voice low and harsh. I felt the tension between them, thick and palpable.
“You’ve bonded to the Newborn. You will forever be connected with Ruby in a way you cannot be with anyone else.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. Oh my God, bonded. Guy had bonded himself to me. But how?
And then I remembered the only time it could’ve happened and I resisted the urge to do a face-palm. It’d been the night at the mission, the night that horrible vampire attacked him and I fed Guy my blood. But Wilson had said bonding was more than just the exchange of blood. He’d said it held a deep emotional connection. I wondered if Guy had cared about me this entire time, his feelings for me allowing him to bond to me in such a way. Though the notion was unbelievable I could see no other logical explanation.
Guy sighed, frustrated. “Did I have any other choice, Wilson?”
Guilt flooded me. It hadn’t been Guy’s choice, because I’d been the one to decide to heal him. I’d been the one to force my blood into his mouth and it was my fault he was now bonded to me. But I’d had no other option. He’d been dying…
I leaned closer against the doorjamb.
“I suppose you’re right. You didn’t have a choice in it.” Wilson’s voice then took on an accusatory tone. “But you made a choice to take her in the first place. To save her from FUSE.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have,” Guy said, and his words sliced through me painfully, but I kept still and silent. “But I did. I can’t go back now.”
“I agree,” the old vampire replied. “You can’t go back now. But I can sense your uncertainty and your hesitation. Don’t regret your choices now, boy, not when I was just starting to like you again.”
Guy laughed wryly. “It’s not that. It’s… I don’t know, Wilson. I feel like I can’t leave her now. Like I must stay with her and protect her.”
My heart sang at Guy’s words. Yes! I wanted to scream out. Stay with me! The thought of separating from the one man who made me feel safe was terrifying. But I kept quiet, waiting to hear what he would say next.
“Do you love her?” Wilson asked. Heat rushed to my middle, my breath catching in my chest. But Guy didn’t reply.
“Listen,” Wilson continued. “What you’ve done is an act of nobility. I don’t like to admit it, but I respect your decision. But now you must let her go. Do not force on her what I forced upon Nora many years ago.”
Nora. I remembered the story Wilson told me about his human. The human he’d loved long ago and bonded to. Was it similar to our situation now?
“I decided her fate and her death all in one night,” Wilson dredged on. “Don’t do the same to Ruby, she deserves more than that. She deserves a good life with her own kind. If she bonded to you in turn, she would be chained to a life on the run and forever be a target. She would live a life of fear and sadness. Just promise me you will let her go.”
The silence fell heavy and I could hear my own painful heartbeat in my ears.
“You don’t have to worry, Wilson.” Guy replied to my dismay. “I will let her go. I could never do anything to harm her.”
Wilson cleared his throat. “I do understand though, there’s something about Ruby. I feel it too. There’s something that makes me want to take her under my wing and protect her. But it is best for us all to go our own ways and wipe our memories clean of all this. We mustn’t dwell on the past, only look to the future.”
I hated to admit it, but Wilson was right. We had to go on and forget all about our past, but that still didn’t change the fact that I didn’t want my time here to end. A soft, sorrowful breath passed my trembling lips and the two men paused as if hearing my pain, but to my relief Guy spoke up.
“I promise. Everything will go as planned. I will not let her out of my sight until she enters the gates of Tombstone.”
“Good. You have all
of my instructions?”
“Yes.”
“Once you get there, you must take the greatest care not to be seen,” Wilson warned.
“Of course.” Guy’s voice held a grim darkness, barely audible.
I heard Wilson shift in his seat. “And I can trust you never to disclose the location of the hub? Am I right to assume you will forever keep it to yourself?”
“On my honor,” Guy rumbled.
“Good. Because in the case you ever did let something slip, not only would our precious Ruby be in grave danger, but there would be a war so great, the bloodshed would be immeasurable. A war the likes of which this world has never seen before. And it would be all on your shoulders.”
My throat clenched at the severity of Wilson’s words. Until now, I’d never realized just how much a threat my mere presence posed.
“Tombstone is like a hornet’s nest,” he went on. “And you do not want to be the grizzly responsible for shaking it up.”
Guy grunted and stood, the familiar sound of his boots grating across the crumbling Spanish tiles. “I understand. You can trust me.”
I quietly backed away and retreated into the room Guy and I shared. I sat on the bed and placed my face in my hands, my nerves a jumbled mess. I’d barely just discovered my vampiric gifts and how different I was, and now I was expected to join a coven that was more than likely centuries old? Fear tugged at my heart as I wondered if I would be accepted.
I stooped over and reached beneath the bed to pull out my most prized possession, the picture of my parents. I looked down at the happy faces, wondering how my life would’ve turned out had I not died. I wondered what would’ve happened had John never broken up with me and I’d never gone driving in the storm. I wondered especially what I’d be doing on this exact night. I sure as heck wouldn’t be in a vampire’s secret home training for integration into a society of werewolves and witches, that’s for sure.
I closed my eyes and imagined I was in my parent’s home, waiting on the front porch swing with my dad while my mom cooked her famous meatloaf. I imagined my father’s arm around my shoulder and the aroma of dinner baking in the oven, my legs swinging as the cool night breeze swept in, a welcomed respite to the blaring Arizona sunshine I’d become so accustomed to.
Sunshine.
I could almost feel the sunshine on my skin warming me, and my heart sank, knowing I would never have that sensation again. Never again would I watch the sunrise or the sunset. Never again would I eat my mother’s meatloaf. Never again would I sit on the front porch, swinging with my father. A sob clenched my throat, but I was unable to let it out before a tap sounded at the door.
“Ruby?” Wilson asked, his voice deep and kind. “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” I sat up straight, reeling back my emotions as Wilson opened the door.
“Guy is readying your vehicle for the trip. He asked you not to wait up for him.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at Guy’s insistence, but I nodded instead. Wilson came in and took a seat next to me on the bed. He looked down at the picture I held in my lap as I caressed the paper around my family’s warm faces. We both sat in silence, gazing at the photograph, the sadness of the moment thick and melancholy. I flipped it over and slid it beneath the pillow, turning to Wilson.
“Wilson, will you always stay here by yourself?” Hope squeezed my chest that I would someday see him again. Wilson chuckled, rubbing his chin in thought.
“They’d have to drag my dead body from this house. I’ll never leave. The only way I’ll go down is with a fight.” I smiled at his stubbornness and my heart swelled inside my chest.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.” I played with the hem of my shirt, my fingers shaking.
“You’ll do fine, Ruby.” Wilson patted me on the back. “You’re a strong vampire and you will go far in whatever you choose to pursue.”
“But what if they don’t accept me? Where would I go?”
Wilson shifted toward me on the bed. “Don’t worry. You’ll be accepted. Like I said, keep your head down and ask for Pandora, an old friend of mine. She will guide you in your new life and answer any questions you may have. But you will need to be careful in letting her know about me. I’m not very well liked in the city of Tombstone. You need some sort of code word only she would understand…” Wilson rubbed his temples and after a moment said, “Nora.”
I spiked a brow in question at his former lover’s name.
“Yes.” He nodded as if confirming his own thoughts. “That will do. Tell her Nora and she will understand.”
Wilson’s kind words seeped out of him and into me, his comfort and acceptance thick and certain. I nodded and looked up into the old vampires eyes and saw my reflection there.
My heart was breaking at the thought of it being our last night together, my journey so far flashing through my mind like the pages of a picture book. I thought of how far I’d come in just a few short days, the ups and downs, my training, and most of all, Guy. My heart threatened to explode at the onslaught of emotions and memories.
“I’m gonna miss you, Wilson.” I glanced up at my mentor, holding back the burn that threatened to cause tears. I would not cry.
“I’m going to miss you too, Ruby. I wish I could’ve done more for you, had more time.” Wilson smiled warmly and placed his hand over mine. “But there’s one piece of advice I can give: never dwell on the past, only look to the future. You will have many decisions to make and obstacles to conquer, but I can tell you this in all honesty, Ruby Carter, you will be great.”
My heart fluttered warmly. “Thanks Wilson. I couldn’t have done any of this without you. Or Guy. I owe you everything.”
“Don’t thank me.” Wilson pointed at me, whispering. “It is you I should be thanking.”
I turned my focus on him, wondering whatever I could have done to earn his gratitude. As if knowing what I was thinking, Wilson answered.
“I’ve been alone for a long time.” His expression was dreamy, far away. “I’d almost forgotten what life was all about. Living here in fear, letting my doubts get the better of me. I’d almost forgotten what happiness was.” He turned to me. “And you’ve made me remember. Like a ray of sunshine, you made me remember what it was like to laugh again, to enjoy myself. I will miss our time together.”
Happiness settled within me like the glowing candles on a birthday cake and my lips curled into a smile. I grabbed Wilson’s hand and squeezed it, hoping that when the time came and I was accepted into Tombstone there were others there like Wilson. People I could call my family. People I would come to care about and trust. But I knew I’d never meet another quite like the old vampire.
“All right, young one.” Wilson pushed up from the bed. “Tomorrow night is a big night and you need your rest.”
I nodded, laying down and covering myself up. Wilson flicked off the light and stood in the doorway for a few moments. “Remember, Ruby. Don’t dwell on the past, only look to the future.”
I nodded. “I will, Wilson. Goodnight.” He closed the door and I snuggled into the blankets, my mind a flurry of thoughts about the days to come. As if I hadn’t realized it before— which I had many times, over and over— one thought kept breaking through my mind.
I would never be a human again.
THIRTY-TWO: RUBY
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I was startled by something dripping on my forehead. I blinked the cold liquid away from my eyes, lifting my lashes to reveal a rain-drenched world of wrecked metal and flashing lights.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Water seeped through the broken windshield, trickling down my face.
The smell of gasoline pinged my nose. I coughed and sputtered, spitting water from my mouth and, like a thousand razor blades slicing my skin, pain tore through my body, my chest tight and breathless.
I tried to sit up, to move, but was pinned. I tried to call out for help but it was as if my mind and body weren’t connected.
All I could do was lay there, weak with agony.
Time became irrelevant as I faded in and out of consciousness, the pain too much to endure. But through the blackness consuming my mind, I vaguely remember the sound of grating metal, moaning with release. I remember the steel which encased me, shifting, wrenching pain through me as though tearing me limb from limb. I cried out as cold hands slid beneath me, lifting me from my metal tomb. I floated as if on air from the wreck out into the open, moonlight shining through branches of a tree. Headlights marred my vision, flashing yellow and black against the trunk of a tree.
Cold arms wrapped around me, holding me tight. But, strangely, those arms morphed into the warmth of cotton sheets and blankets. A pillow and— No, wait!
Awareness hit like a brick wall. I was dreaming. My eyes shifted beneath my lids, threatening to open. I felt myself in bed.
No. No. No! I squeezed my eyes tight, fighting wakefulness. Fighting to stay in the dream, wanting to see my maker. I tried what Wilson taught me and relaxed my mind, letting myself sink back into the memory, sink into the darkness and haze of the crash site.
Cold arms wrapped around me, holding me tight. Strong, strong arms.
Yes, that’s it! The moment I’ve been straining to remember!
But my weakened eyes would not open to reveal who held me, my lids so heavy. My body, numb and cold.
I was dying, the life draining quickly from my body, my spirit fading away. But I knew there was something I needed to do, something I needed to find out.
Unfortunately, I was unable to focus my mind, the thought fleeing as soon as it came. Darkness called to me, tempting and inviting. I struggled against it, struggled to breathe, to live. But the fingers of mortality wrapped around my heart like a metal cinch, squeezing, compressing. Before I succumbed to death’s dark summon, I lifted my lashes one last time, startled by a pair of eyes, soft brown eyes looking down at me. They were familiar, kind eyes. Before I knew what to think, my gaze hooded and the scene before me faded to blackness. Numbness. Nothing.
Unfortunate Souls (Book 1): Unfortunate Souls Series (The Unfortunate Souls Series) Page 19