by Rayne Reilly
Xander didn't move from where he stood. He stared back at his father, daring to ask one more question.
"So I did have a mother? But she died? What did she look like?" he asked inquisitively.
Dimitri looked at Xander with disgust.
"You have only to look in a mirror. You came out looking like she did, and I have been reminded every day since your birth that you are not of Pure Blood. Now get out of my sight!"
Xander's eyes filled with tears and he ran out of his father's office.
Xander's thoughts returned to the present. He looked away wistfully. "My mother died giving birth to me."
"I'm sorry, Xander. That must have been hard for you, growing up without her," Julie said.
Xander tried to hide the emotion rising in him as he spoke.
"Not really. As a half-blooded Pure One, I matured more quickly than human children. I had vampires that cared for me and saw that my needs were met. I spent most of my time with adults. My childhood was short, and I was glad it was over when it was."
It was quiet inside the car. Both of them turned to look out the front windshield. Xander felt a pang of sadness at never having known his mother. Julie reached for his hand and pulled it to her. He let her hold it, giving a gentle squeeze. He was comforted by her compassion.
After a couple of minutes, she spoke, breaking the silence.
"I just had a thought. Trey, the S.A.C. investigator, mentioned the traffic cameras the other night. We might be able to figure out where the kidnapper's van went by watching the footage. Let's head back to the office and see what we can find out."
She did up her seatbelt as she spoke, while Xander reached for his before replying."That sounds like a great plan," he said, starting the car.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Back inside Megalos Pharmaceuticals Top floor office, Dimitri paced angrily.
"How dare he bring that thing into my office?" he spat indignantly. "I didn't work this hard to have them stop me now."
A memory from the past popped into his mind and he dismissed it.
I won't let him end up with her either.
He approached his desk, grabbed his phone and dialed his contact at the F.B.I.
"It's me. I want the address for the blond shifter that works with Xander."
Seconds later he buzzed his assistant.
A skinny bottled blond male entered the office."Yes, Sir?"
"Make sure you take care of that shifter bitch." He passed a piece of paper to his assistant.
"But Sir, isn't she with the F.B.I?" the assistant hesitantly took the note.
Dimitri glared at the man. "We're past caring about the damn F.B.I. Just find her and take care of it."
The man nodded at Dimitri and left the office with the address in hand.
"She'll make an excellent specimen for Green," Dimitri said aloud with a sinister grin as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Back at the office, Julie and Xander went to their respective desks. The CCTV cameras were limited in the help that they offered. Julie was able to determine the direction of the van to a certain point but lost sight of where it ended up. At first, it looked as though it had gone toward the docks, but then it showed up again on a camera in Northwest Portland. After many hours pouring over the footage, her eyes were tired, and she needed food.
She peered over at Xander's desk. He had decided to research properties that were owned by his father.
She called out to him. In the pool of desks that sat in the middle of the office, he was several seats away from her.
"Any luck over there?" she smiled.
Xander shook his head. "Found a few properties we can look at but I'm not convinced I've found it yet."
Julie turned off her computer monitor and grabbed her phone, shoving it in her pocket. She walked over to Xander and stopped next to him. "Want to go get some lunch and then go check out what you found?"
Xander closed down what he was working on and pushed his chair away from his desk. "Sure." He smiled widely at her revealing his perfect smile.
Together, they headed out of the office.
***
After a late lunch, the pair checked out the list of addresses Xander had found that were owned by his father. Each property was either doing a legitimate business or was unoccupied. So far, they could not find a secret laboratory for shifter experimentation. Feeling tired and flustered, they decided to head back to the office so Julie could pick up her car to drive home.
Xander turned back to the office parking lot rather reluctantly. He didn't want to see her go back right now. He enjoyed just being around her, in spite of the incident with Dimitri. He felt normal when he was around her. His attraction to her was getting stronger every day, and he wanted them to be even closer. He needed them to be closer.
Her compassion toward him made him feel less like a vampire and more like a human. He hoped to never let her see the side of him that resembled his father. It had taken many years to learn to portray himself a full-blooded human and not let out his vampire side. He thought he had managed it very well.
He was blessed to look more human than Pure One and was glad he didn't need to resort to the trickery his father did. His father wore contact lenses and colored his hair. He even wore makeup to darken his pale skin. It didn't help much; he still looked inhuman. Xander wondered what Julie would think if she could see a Pure One. Would they scare her?
He glanced in his periphery at her. She was staring straight ahead with a small smile on her lips.
"I can always tell when you're staring at me, ya know," she announced.
"Ditto! I've caught you a few times, too," he teased. They pulled into the underground parking lot of their work building, and Xander drove up to Julie's car. He came to a stop and turned to her. Julie smoothed her hair as she looked back at him. The heat between them was almost too much to bear. He reached out and touched her arm.
"Before you go..." he started to say. He noticed she had already put her hand on the door handle. He watched as she let go and placed her hand on her knee. She looked at him expectantly.
"I wanted to say thanks again for being so kind about everything that's happened," he said sincerely.
She smiled. His heart melted when he saw the vulnerability in her eyes. She trusted him.
Her strength was also something he admired and he knew at that moment that she was feeling the same thing that he was. He reached up with one hand to touch her cheek. Her eyes opened a little wider and she inhaled as her lips parted.
"Please tell me it's okay to kiss you?" he asked softly.
She nodded and licked her lips.
They leaned toward one another and he pressed his lips to hers. Julie put a hand to his head, her fingers in his hair. He felt himself getting aroused at her passionate touch and the taste of her soft full lips. It was a gentle kiss, filled with the promise of something more when they were both ready for it.
Xander pulled back, bit his bottom lip and grinned. Julie gave a sweet smile back. She reached for the door handle and opened the door.
"Thanks for the ride back to my car," she murmured.
Xander's lip curled in another grin. "See you tomorrow," he winked.
Julie smiled and closed the door. He put the car in gear and drove away. He couldn't wait to see her again the next day.
***
Julie put a hand to her lips as she watched Xander drive away from her. The taste of him was still fresh on her lips. Sighing, she felt tingles shoot through her body. She drove home in a slight daze. They had finally acted on their feelings with a toe curling kiss. She couldn't wait to see him tomorrow at work and maybe tomorrow night at her home. Who knew what might happen between them, now that they had both shown that they felt the same way for one another.
About ten minutes later, Julie pulled up in front of her apartment building and parked the car. She got out and locked the door when her phone pinged, telling her she had a text to
read. She pulled the phone from her pocket and stood outside the drivers side of her car to read it.
"Thanks for the kiss."
She beamed when she read it and hit reply to text him back. She didn't notice a black van pulling up next to her and barely had time to react when she was grabbed from behind.
"What the hell-" she yelled as she was pulled inside the van and was quickly restrained.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Julie listened to the rumbling of tires on pavement and felt the occasional bump jar her body. She was flat on her back on the hard surface of the interior of the van. Slowly, her eyes were able to focus on her surroundings. Her abductors had worked quickly, giving her no time to fight back. The restraints they were using on her would not allow her to shift without causing excruciating pain. She remained in her human form wondering what she was going to do when the van stopped. The inside of the vehicle was dim, and the windows looked as though they had intentionally been blacked out. She was glad that she could see very well in the dark. Her catlike vision quickly revealed that she was trapped with no way out.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart rate so that she could think clearly.
After a few moments of going over everything in her mind, she remembered that she had dropped her cell phone when they grabbed her. It was probably lying on the street next to her car right now. She cursed herself for being distracted in the first place.
Damn it.
Julie used her body weight to gain momentum and rolled to one side and then the other. She tried to find something she could use as a weapon or means to disable her captors. It was no use; there was nothing in the back of the van.
Nothing, and no one. She was all alone.
Where the hell are you taking me?
She could smell the faint hint of vampire and knew that it was likely the same guys who had taken the other abduction victims. Dimitri.
She felt anger rise in her and knew he had arranged this. It could only be him.
He would pay for this. Kidnapping a federal agent was a capital offense.
A thought struck her amid the anger.
"They will probably take me to the lab," she said out loud. Now I just need to find a way to-
The van came to a slow stop, and the engine was turned off. There were a few moments where the only sound she heard were footsteps approaching the van. She hesitated to make a sound, unsure of what was about to happen. Her body tensed in preparation to fight.
She listened intently to a deep male voice outside the van. He seemed to be giving instructions to the driver.
"There's been a change of plans," she heard him say.
She held her breath and waited. Her ears perked up at the faint sound of a grunt and a snap like a twig breaking underfoot, followed by something slamming hard on the ground.
Next, she heard the passenger door of the van open and close. Then someone ran around the van in the direction of the driver's side. A male voice cried out before something hit the ground again.
She let out her breath and braced herself for what might happen next. She positioned her feet toward the door of the van. The doors opened slowly. Her eyes took a moment to adjust as the street lights outside came into view. Someone was standing in front of her, blocking her path. A very tall someone with long white hair. He stared back at her in surprise. She curled back her lip.
"What the hell are you?" Julie asked.
***
She kicked her feet out. He reached in and grabbed the restraints that bound her ankles firmly together. Ignoring her, he used one arm to push her legs down while his other hand ripped the restraints off. She continued to kick at him viciously. "Get your hands off me!" she yelled.
Julie tried to pull herself further inside the van on her elbows but wasn't fast enough. He reached forward and pulled her toward him as if she were as light as a feather. In one swift move, he plopped her upright in front of him outside of the van.
"Be calm, Child. I am here to help." His voice was reassuring. He towered over her.
Julie scowled. "I doubt that. Just let me go! I'm a federal agent-"
The man held a couple of fingers to her lips to quiet her. They smelled faintly of sulfur and flowers. The familiar scent threw her into a panic all over again.
"You're like he is! You aren't here to help me! You're lying."
His hands were holding her arms; she tried to break free. The stranger looked at her, his face showing only a slight hint of concern. "I do not know how long we have. Please refrain from raising your voice."
Julie gasped when she noticed his eyes. They were the color of polished steel and just as cold. His hair was pure white and hung down over his shoulders. His features were handsome and he reminded her a little of Xander in the way he stood. He reached for her wrist restraints and began to remove them and stopped. His pale skin was slightly cold to the touch.
"You must not panic when I remove these." He stated firmly holding her gaze.
Julie continued to study this creature that looked human and yet so obviously was not. He did not feel like a threat, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing there. As if he read her mind, he spoke carefully.
"Your captors have been incapacitated." He walked her to the edge of the van and pointed around to the driver's side of it. She peered in the direction in which he was pointing. On the ground lay two dead men or what looked like men. Julie knew they were turned-vampires.
"You did this?" she asked looking at the man in disbelief.
"Yes." He finally removed the restraints. Julie rubbed her wrists and looked at her rescuer.
"My name is Oroc Bestile," he said as he took a couple of steps back.
"Oroc? I'm Julie...Williams. How did you know I was in the van?" she nodded toward the back of the van with her head.
"I have been watching this place. This van has made several deliveries here. It appears to bring supplies. I was surprised to see you inside but happy to be of assistance."
"Is this Dimitri's lab?"
"You know of Dimitri? But how?" Oroc's eyes widened a little.
"He is Xander's father...my partner at the F.B.I. We believe Dimitri is experimenting on shifters and trying to create a drug to harm them...I think Xander mentioned you to me."
"Then we have a common purpose it would seem," he concluded. "I am on the Vampire High Council. Dimitri sits on the council with me. He has tried for many years to get me to agree with his plans. I do not. I began to investigate on my own...and am glad I did," he smiled, and Julie saw vampire fangs for the second time that day.
Gasping, she took a step back. He had only smiled at her but seeing the fangs took her by surprise. Xander seemed to be able to control the release of them.
"It is because he is part human that he can do that," Oroc stated as though she had spoken her thoughts out loud.
"How...how do you do that? How did you know what I was thinking?" Julie put her hands on her hips and winced a little at the pain in her wrists. Those damn restraints were tight. She massaged her wrists again.
"I can hear thoughts," he explained.
"Can Xander? Does he hear thoughts too?" she asked inquisitively.
Oroc shook his head. "No."
Julie exhaled. Relieved that he hadn't been able to hear the lust-ridden thoughts she had around him.
Oroc cleared his throat. Julie's cheeks went bright red, and she tilted her head as she spoke.
"I like him, okay?" she said defensively.
Oroc put up his hands. "I said nothing."
"Fine. Okay. So there it is." Julie said and looked at the building next to them. There were large bay doors that were closed, and the area was quiet. "Is this Dimitri's lab?" she asked again.
"Yes. I believe it is."
Oroc glanced at it and then back at Julie.
She felt her pocket for her phone and then grimaced. "Damn. No phone." She put a hand toward Oroc. "You wouldn't happen to have a cell phone, would you?"
&nb
sp; Oroc nodded and dug into his pocket, pulling out a top of the line iPhone.
Julie's eyes widened. "Okay..." she said surprised. "Can I use it to make a call to my supervisor, please?"
"Wouldn't you like to call Xander first? He will be worried about you won't he?"
Julie felt her face flush again. How do you know that? she thought to herself.
Oroc smiled.
"Right," she said as she took the phone and dialed Xander's number.
The phone rang a couple of times before he answered.
"Oroc, any news?" he said in a friendly tone.
"Hi Xander...it's me," Julie said.
"Julie? What's wrong? Why do you have Oroc's phone? Are you okay?" Xander's voice sounded frantic.
"I'm fine...I was abducted outside my apartment. Oroc saved me. He's here if you want to ask him yourself?" She held the phone out toward Oroc. He took it and placed it to his ear.
"Yes?" He said into the phone.
"Oroc. What's going on? Is she okay? Did they hurt her?"
"They haven't harmed her. She is fine."
"Thank God. Thank you, Oroc. I'm glad you were there! Where are you, anyway?"
"Outside a building at Sever Road off Lombard."
"Let me speak to Julie again, please" Xander said quickly.
Oroc held the phone out to her.
"Hi," she said meekly.
"I'm on my way to get you right now. Stay there with Oroc until I arrive."
"Sure. But Xander? I'm at the lab. We should raid it now while we have the chance. Call Jake and tell him to meet you here," she said.
Xander sighed. "I'll call Jake, but Oroc shouldn't be there when we arrive. I don't want Jake to think he is involved in all this."
Julie agreed. When she hung up, she passed the phone back to Oroc.
"You should leave before they get here," she said. "We wouldn't want you caught up in all of this."
Oroc bowed his head slightly. "Until we meet again." He quickly slipped away, leaving Julie to wait for a team to come and help shut down the lab.