Warrior Unraveled

by Tina Folsom

  Wesley’s kind smile didn’t falter. “Would you say the same if it had been a witch who killed my mother, or a human? Or a Stealth Guardian who killed another Stealth Guardian? You can’t condemn an entire race for the actions of one individual. It’s not fair to blame others for what he did. He alone was responsible, not his friends, not his family, and not other members of his species.” He sighed. “The vampire who killed her did it to protect his own race. He thought it was for the good of his people. I can’t fault him for that. He’s a good man. He did what he thought was necessary.”

  “You know who he is?”

  Wes nodded.

  Stunned, she asked, “Didn’t you want to take revenge? To do to him what he did to your mother?”

  “An eye for an eye? Yes, I wanted that. When I was young and foolish. Both Haven and I wanted to avenge her. Haven became a vampire slayer. He killed many. I would have too, but I wasn’t very good at it. Haven constantly had to help me out of one jam or another. But no matter what he or I did, it didn’t give me the peace I sought. This was before I understood the reason why my mother had to die. Only then was I able to make peace with myself.”

  There was a sadness in Wesley’s eyes that she wished she could wipe away. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Things happen for a reason. My mother was possessed with lust for power. She robbed me and my siblings of our powers, hoping to harness the Power of Three for herself. Hamish and I never knew that we were witches. And Katie…” A pained looked crossed his face. “The vampire kidnapped her to make sure the Power of Three could never be resurrected. For a long time we thought Katie was dead.” He suddenly smiled. “But we found her. And Scanguards helped us. My mother’s attempt to steal our power was foolish. Had the vampire who killed her not taken action, she would have destroyed the world as we know it. And I would have never become the man I am today. Nor would my siblings be as happy as they are now: bonded to their vampire mates.”

  “You truly bear no ill will toward the vampires?”

  “They’re my family now. They would die for me. And I for them.”

  Virginia swallowed away the lump in her throat. Such honor. Such pride. How could she have ever mistrusted this man? Every bone in his body spoke of truth. Of peace. And of love.

  “Wes,” she murmured.

  “Hmm?”

  “What you said in the garage when we arrived…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Did you mean it?”

  His baby-blue eyes sparkled even brighter than before, or maybe it was just the way the light from the ceiling reflected in his irises.

  “Why don’t we talk about that later when we’re at my house?” He made a motion with his head. “I’d rather not be overheard by my colleagues.”

  She cast a look at the vampires who’d started filling the room, and saw indeed a few who were now turning their heads.

  “I get it.”

  “Besides,” Wesley added and leaned closer, “there’s something I wanted to ask you about that golden shimmer.”

  Her breath hitched. She’d known that he would eventually ask. But was she ready for it? Was she ready to give that much of herself to a man she barely knew? Even if that man was turning out to be everything she’d never dared to hope for. Could she take that risk?

  “Don’t look so scared, babe,” Wes whispered. “It’s just a question, not the Spanish inquisition.”

  Easy for him to say. In fact, everything seemed so easy for Wesley: the way he’d introduced her as his girlfriend to Blake and John, the way he possessively held her hand, not caring if anybody saw it, the way he seemed to accept this fledgling relationship between them. As if it were entirely natural and normal. When she knew that it was anything but. They were from different worlds. There was so much they didn’t know about each other. So much baggage in both their lives. Yet it appeared that Wesley had managed to throw off the shackles of his past and find a way to live freely. Could she achieve the same thing with his help? To free herself of her guilt and finally accept that everybody made mistakes?

  Wes squeezed her arm, and Virginia nodded. “Okay, we’ll talk later.”

  From the corner of her eye, she noticed Blake approaching them. She turned halfway, and he stopped in front of her and Wesley.

  “Hey,” Blake said. “We’ll get started in a minute. I called Katie earlier.”

  “Where is she?” Wesley asked.

  “She and Luther are on their way back from Grass Valley. They should be here in a few hours. Traffic is bad because of the rain. Couple of roads are washed out.”

  “Hope they drive carefully.” Then Wes addressed her, “My brother-in-law Luther splits his time between Scanguards and the vampire prison in the Sierras. He’s a consultant on security there.”

  Surprise flooded her. “Vampire prison?”

  “Yeah, the vampire council runs it. And there’s never a shortage of inmates. It’s a way for us to keep humankind safe from the worst and most violent offenders among the vampire population,” Wes answered.

  “It sounds so… normal,” she admitted. “Almost human.”

  Blake smiled. “We try to fit in as much as we can. Having a bunch of rogue vampires out there is bad for all of us. It could expose us, and nobody wants that. So we take care of those problems before they turn into disasters.”

  “Is Scanguards involved in running the prison? I thought you were private security guards and bodyguards.”

  “We are,” Blake said. “And we have a contract with the city to patrol the streets at night. The only connection to the vampire prison is Luther. And only because he was an inmate there for over twenty years.”

  Virginia’s eyes widened as she stared at Wesley. “Your brother-in-law is an ex-con? A violent vampire? How can you trust him not to hurt your sister?”

  Wes and Blake exchanged a chuckle.

  “Even vampires get second chances. Luther has paid for his crimes. As for Katie: she’s got him wrapped so tightly around her little finger that I’m surprised he’s not suffocating.”

  Blake jabbed Wesley in the side. “You’d better not let him hear that. Luther thinks he wears the pants in that relationship.”

  “Then we’d better not destroy his illusion.”

  In disbelief, Virginia shook her head. “You’re an odd bunch. I never thought I’d say this, but you’re not that different from us.”

  Blake laughed. “In character maybe, but I hear that your kind has some pretty cool skills that some of us here would kill for.” When she stiffened, he quickly added, “Figuratively speaking of course.”

  She nodded.

  “Now, let’s get this show started. Excuse me.” Blake walked to the front of the room, where he joined Samson, Amaury, and another vampire with his hair in a ponytail and a large scar across his cheek.

  “That’s Gabriel; he’s second in command at Scanguards,” Wesley explained.

  The meeting took a good two hours during which Samson and Amaury relayed some of the information that Wes and Virginia had provided them with. They focused mainly on the demons, their motivation, their fighting skills, their tactics, how they moved from place to place via their vortexes, and first and foremost, how to recognize them by their green eyes.

  “As vampires,” Samson now said, “we have an advantage, because we’ll be able to recognize the demons by their smell, even if they’re disguising their eyes by wearing sunglasses or colored lenses. That’s why the Stealth Guardians have asked us for help.” He motioned to Virginia now. “Virginia has agreed to give us a quick demonstration of the powers of her race, so that we’re prepared for it. Virginia, would you?”

  Everybody’s head turned to her. She stood at the back of the room. “I’m able to make myself invisible.” She did just that, and gasps went through the assembled. “But making myself invisible doesn’t mean you can’t hear me,” she continued, still invisible. “Plus you can still smell me.”

  A few of the vampires sniffed, then nodde
d.

  “In the past the demons have used dogs to ferret us out when we’re invisible, because the dogs can smell us. This tells us that the demons themselves don’t have that sense of smell. That’s your advantage.”

  She made herself visible again, then grasped Wesley’s arm. “We can also make others invisible.” Wes disappeared in front of everybody’s eyes.

  “Whoa!” several of the vampires choked out.

  “Either through our touch, or through our minds, which takes more energy.”

  She made Wesley visible and he bowed in front of his colleagues as if he’d been the one performing the trick.

  “Showoff!” Blake yelled out to Wes.

  Virginia smiled, then continued, “In order to get out of tricky situations, we can walk through walls, doors, anything solid.” She left out that a Stealth Guardian couldn’t walk through anything lined with lead. It was best not to give away their one weakness. “Let me demonstrate.”

  She walked to the nearest wall, and reached her hand through it, then followed with her body. In the room next to the conference room, she materialized.

  A female vampire shrieked and shot up from her desk.

  “Sorry,” Virginia said quickly, then marched back through the wall into the conference room and materialized again. She jerked her thumb toward the wall behind her. “I think I just scared somebody.”

  A few vampires chuckled.

  “Any questions?”

  Everybody’s hands shot up.

  30

  “You made quite an impression on my colleagues,” Wesley said, sliding his hand onto Virginia’s thigh.

  He was driving toward his home in the Corona Heights neighborhood of San Francisco with Virginia in the passenger seat.

  Virginia put her hand on his. “Tonight’s been a revelation for all of us, I think. I never thought vampires like your colleagues existed. They seem to abide by a code of honor. I never expected that from a creature who’s defined by its lust for blood.”

  “Defined?” Wes cast her a sideways look.

  “Well, they are, aren’t they? I’m assuming they still drink human blood.”

  “They do. The vampires who’re bonded to humans drink from their human partner.” He winked at her. “And it’s quite a high, for both partners. But many of the others drink bottled blood. You know, donated blood. Scanguards buys blood via a medical supply company and then sells it to its employees at cost.”

  “At cost? That’s generous.”

  “Samson is extremely wealthy, as are many of Scanguards’ directors. He’s not in it for the money. He wants peace. And a future for his children.”

  “About the biting…”

  “Yes?”

  “Have you ever been bitten?”

  Wesley sighed. He should have expected the question. “Well…”

  “If you don’t want to answer the question—”

  He squeezed her thigh. “No, I do. I don’t have any secrets from you.” He shrugged. “I’ve been bitten. By male and female vampires.”

  He felt her surprised gaze on him.

  “I volunteered.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There was a newly turned vampire, he was in dire need of human blood to survive. Samson asked me if I would let him drink from me. So I agreed—in exchange for being allowed into the bodyguard training program at Scanguards.” He looked at her. “And before you ask, no, it didn’t feel sexual, though I have to admit that I can see how it can turn sexual if you open your mind to it. But I’m not wired that way. It was a deal I made.”

  “And the women?”

  Wesley cleared his throat. Those incidents he couldn’t explain away as business. “Virginia, I want you to know that whatever is in my past will remain there.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “I do. I dated a few vampire women, and I let them bite me, because I wanted to experience what everybody was talking about. When you live with vampires, that’s your world. Those are the people you hang out with, the company you keep.” He caressed her thigh. “But no matter how exciting it was, it pales in comparison to how I feel when I’m with you.”

  “Wes, you…”

  “Wait until we’re in bed. I’ll say it again, and then you’ll believe me, won’t you?”

  He pulled into the driveway of his home and pressed the garage door opener. While the gate lifted, he looked at Virginia.

  “I believe you,” she said softly and lifted her hand to his cheek. “Even when we’re not in bed.”

  He slid his hand higher up her thigh. “I think we should still go to bed. We need our rest.”

  Virginia brushed her lips against his. “Why do I get the feeling that we won’t get much rest in bed?”

  “It’s not my fault. Well, not entirely anyway.” He kissed her. “You can’t look like you do, and then expect a guy to keep his hands to himself.”

  “So you’re blaming me now?”

  “Yep. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”

  Amidst Virginia’s soft laughter, Wes drove into the garage, lowered the gate behind them, and switched off the engine. Before the gate had even fully closed, his mouth was already on Virginia’s lips, silencing her. She molded to him immediately, and he loved the feel of it. Reluctantly, he released her.

  “Let’s go upstairs, before I forget all my manners.”

  He exited the car and then helped Virginia out of it. Then he led her up a flight of stairs and pushed the door to the foyer open. To his surprise the light in the hallway was burning. Had he left it on two weeks earlier?

  “Wesley! Oh my God, you’re finally here!” Katie came running from the living room and threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.

  “Hey, little sis!” He hugged her tightly and kissed her on the cheek. “See, I told you I’d come back in one piece.”

  Katie rolled her eyes. “You promise a lot of things. I was worried.”

  Luther appeared in the arch that led into the living room. “Worried is an understatement.”

  “Hey, Luther, good to see you.” Wes released Katie and reached for Virginia’s hand. “Katie, Luther, this is Virginia.” And then, just because he wanted to, he added, “My girlfriend.”

  Luther and Katie exchanged a knowing look. Apparently that explanation wasn’t needed. Somebody had already told them. Nothing remained a secret for long at Scanguards, just like in any family.

  Katie stretched her hand out to Virginia, who shook it. “Blake already filled us in. I’m really happy to meet you.”

  “Thank you, Katie, that’s very kind,” Virginia replied.

  “Pleasure,” Luther said and reached for Virginia’s hand.

  There was the tiniest of hesitations, before she shook it. “Nice to meet you, too, Luther.”

  “So you’re a Stealth Guardian,” Luther said. “Invisible and all, huh?”

  Virginia nodded. “You missed the demonstration I gave at Scanguards’ offices.”

  “I’m afraid so, but there were a few washed out roads in the foothills. We’ve had a lot of rain recently. Traffic was murder,” Luther explained.

  “I’m glad you all made it. Wesley has told me lots about his family.”

  Luther cast a sideways look at Wesley. “I’m sure he has.”

  Wes tilted his head a little. “Just the bad stuff, you know.”

  “Figures,” his brother-in-law grunted.

  “Now, now, you two,” Katie said in a soft tone. “Let’s not give Virginia the wrong impression.” She gave Virginia a sweet smile. “Not hearing from Wes for so long really put us on edge.”

  “Well, now I’m back,” Wes said. “And everything turned out fine as you can see.”

  Luther smirked. “Looks like it.”

  Wesley suddenly yawned in an exaggerated manner. “Virginia and I have had a long day and need to rest.”

  Luther put his arm around Katie and dipped his head to her. “I think we’re being asked to leave.�
�

  Katie sighed. “So much for rushing back from Grass Valley to see my brother.”

  Wesley rolled his eyes. “We’ll have plenty of time to catch up in the next few days. I promise you. I’m not planning on going anywhere soon.” Then he motioned to Luther. “Besides, it’s your husband who can’t wait to leave so he can have you to himself.”

  Luther growled.

  “Oh please, Luther.” Wes clicked his tongue. “I’m doing you a favor here.”

  Luther slanted a look at Virginia, then back at Wes. “Just as I’m doing you one. Guess we’re even.”

  As soon as Wesley shut the door behind Katie and Luther, he heard Virginia let out a breath. He turned to her.

  “What?”

  “You have an interesting relationship with your family.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, we love each other, and we’d fight to the death to protect each other, but there are moments when I’d rather see the back of them.” He put his arm around Virginia’s waist and pulled her to him. “And now is one of those moments. Because I think you and I have something important to discuss.”

  He noticed how she swallowed and recognized it as a sign of nervousness. “Um…”

  “Logan told me why Leila was shimmering golden.”

  “I figured he did.”

  “But he didn’t tell me everything. He only said that a female Stealth Guardian could do the same to a man. To someone like me.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” She bit her lip.

  “But he said it works differently for a man. So are you gonna tell me what Logan didn’t wanna tell me?”

  She avoided his gaze and instead focused her eyes on his chest. “Wesley, I’m sure… I don’t… It’s—”

  The doorbell interrupted her. She sighed with visible relief.

  “You’re not off the hook,” he said, and released her.

  He opened the front door, and was almost mowed over by his twenty-one-year-old niece Lydia.

  “Uncle Wesley! You’re back! I’m so relieved.” She hugged him tightly.

  Sixteen-year old Cooper was right behind her, patting him on the shoulder. “Hey Uncle Wes. Cool that you’re back. You’ve gotta tell me about the demons. Dad just called and said you were in the Underworld. Wow, that’s just awesome!”