“Lucy’s opening up and Theo said he’d get a couple of the lads to help her out until we get back,” she answers. “It’s mid-week so I’m sure they’ll manage just fine.”
“Eddie messaged me earlier asking how long we’d be. So I’m pretty sure he’s one of the guys Theo is sending.” His phone makes a noise and he pulls it out and laughs as he reads the screen. “Looks like Paddy drew the other short straw. Good, they need some time to sort their shit out. Let’s grab dinner on the way home. All this shopping has made me hungry.”
His comment about Paddy and Eddie catches my attention. “They’re best mates. What shit have they got to sort out?” I haven’t seen them having issues. Eddie was off with me for a while, but he explained all that when he let me fall apart on him the other day. I hope he isn’t being pissy at Paddy for treating me like that. I don’t want to be the cause of their problems.
Bel chooses that moment to come out of the fitting room and throw an arm over my shoulders. “Boy stuff. Where do you want to eat, Rubes?” She dismisses my question. Fine. I’ll drop the issue for now, but if I sense any tension between them, I’ll be putting an end to it.
“The Irish pub across the road looks like it could be good,” I say, with a shrug as we exit the building. I’d been watching people leaving through the window for the last few minutes while Bel got changed, they all looked pretty happy. So the place can’t be that bad. With nods of agreement, we all make our way across the road.
Jared holds open the door as we each enter. “You girls grab a table and some menus, and I’ll get the drinks.”
We choose a quiet booth at the back of the dining area, Bel and Misty slide into one side and I glide into the other. I glance across at the girls and it suddenly dawns on me, I’ve never had a drink with Misty and Bel before.
Jared places four glasses down and sits down next to me. “What does the menu look like?” he asks.
“So good. I can’t decide what to have,” Bel declares, not taking her eyes off the menu in her hands. “It was a good idea grabbing dinner on the way home.”
Misty places hers on the table, sliding it across to Jared. “Have a look. I know what I’m having.”
Taking the menu, Jared places it on the table between us so we can both see it clearly. Spotting the fish and chips, my decision is made and I push the menu so it’s in front of Jared.
“I’m good.”
While Jared and Bel make their decisions, I look over to Misty and ask her something I’ve often wondered. “How come you don’t do food at Misty’s? You’d make a killing with all the hungry werewolves you have in there.”
“I can’t cook,” she says, like it’s an obvious reason.
“What about hiring someone?”
She looks at me flabbergasted. “Do ya know how hard it is to find someone who knows about the supernatural creatures and can cook a decent meal? It’s nigh-on impossible.”
“I could do it. I’d need a bracelet to get in, but you made one for Benji easy enough,” I offer on instinct. I’ve always liked to cook, I’ve never thought about making a career out of it, though. It’s got to be better than cleaning up after my brother. Watching Misty think it over and feeling the butterflies in my stomach, makes me realise how much I really want this chance.
Bel looks at me, concern written in the furrow of her brow and pursing lips. “What about your criminology course?” Geez, it’s like she’s channeling Theo. If he were here that’s exactly what he would say.
“It’s an online course I can do it anytime. I’m not working.” I can’t hold back my defensive tone. “I know you’re only saying what Theo would, but he has to accept that I’m not a little kid anymore. I’m a grown arse woman and I’m allowed to make my own decisions.”
Bel glances down at the table, seemingly hurt. “I wasn’t implying anything by what I said. I just wanted to make sure you’d thought about it.”
I pat her hand over the table. “I’m sorry, Bel. I shouldn’t take my frustration at Theo out on you.”
She smiles, grateful for my apology.
“Well, I think it’s a great idea. Shall we give it a trial run, starting tomorrow?” Misty offers. “I’ll make ya a bracelet when I get home tonight. I can’t believe I haven’t given ya one yet.”
I can’t hide the excitement from my voice. “I’d love that.”
Bel bangs her hand on the table, making me jump. “Hey, we have a movie date tomorrow,” she complains.
Misty waves her hand in at the table. “What did that table do to ya?” She laughs, before making an offer. “Go tonight. I’ll get one of the guys to stick around when I get back, if need be.”
Bel and I look at each other and nod our agreement.
“Thanks, Misty,” Bel says, gratefully.
A pretty blonde waitress steps up to our table with a pen and pad. “Are you ready to order?” she asks, blatantly eyeing up Jared. You can’t take these guys anywhere without them catching someone’s eye.
Jared throws her a wink. “We certainly are, sweetheart.”
I listen to them flirt with each other and can’t help but smile. I suddenly realise I really I’m okay without Paddy, maybe we weren’t meant to be after all. Blondie takes our orders without taking her eyes off Jared. It’s going to be interesting to see what meals we actually receive.
Nineteen
BLACKNESS DESCENDS
RUBY
Bel and I walk out of the movies giggling at how I managed to trip up the stairs and face plant on the floor; while dashing back from a bathroom break. I can never get through a movie without having to go to the bathroom. I blame the coke.
“Ruby. One second…you were there, the next…you were gone,” Bel manages to get out between fits of laughter. “I thought you’d turned vamp or gained a druid’s power of teleporting in and out whenever and wherever they want. Until I heard the grunt as you got up.” The laughter starts again.
“If only that was the case!” I say, hating the embarrassed feeling I have. I can’t help but wish I was a werewolf like Bel. She is so graceful and has such good instincts, she would never have fallen so stupidly. It isn’t the first time I’ve found myself dreaming of being a werewolf. With two werewolf brothers, I have yearned not to be the human of the family. The ugly duckling.
“I better get home before Theo sends someone after me,” I say. “He’s more like a prison guard than a brother,” I add.
“He just worries about his baby sister, so don’t be too hard on him.”
“Fine. I’ll try to be nice,” I offer. “You’re going to do more packing aren’t you?”
Bel nods. “Yes. Tell him, I’ll be home soon. I love that I’ve moved in with him, but I hate this packing business,” Bel says, hugging me goodbye. I watch as she dematerialises before my eyes. That druid blood she recently discovered she has comes in pretty handy at times.
Having parked my car at the other end of the main road means I have a good ten minute walk ahead of me.
I start walking at a fast pace, hearing nothing but the click clack of my heels on the pavement.
Click clack...
Click clack...
Click clack...
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and a shiver runs down my back.
I freeze on the spot and dart my eyes around, having no idea what I expect to see. I don’t have the sense of smell a werewolf has or the hearing of a vampire, but I do have gut instinct of a human and mine is speaking to me right now—telling me to get the hell out of there. I do just that.
I run across the road not even looking for passing traffic. Luckily, it’s clear.
Once my feet touch the pavement, I notice all the feeling of worry has gone. I look around again and could have slapped myself upside the head. I’d been so distracted that I hadn’t noticed during our giggles, we had crossed the road and ended up outside Misty’s—a bar that caters only for Supes.
It’s owned by a witch who puts wards on it that scare the
bejesus out of humans; who also don’t, won’t, can’t enter. It’s impossible. What if a Supe carried them over the threshold kicking and screaming? I hear you ask. A human’s heart would just stop. Dead. Misty has been known to drop it enough that a human could be carried in but only for a few special people.
I start walking again, laughing at my stupidity; letting a silly horror movie distract me enough to not notice Misty’s. I know my car wasn’t far up the road. Another five minutes at the most. I start listening to the click clack of my heels again.
Click clack....
Click clack....
Click click clack clack.
I hear double footsteps in quick succession. Knowing I’m not walking fast enough to warrant that means only one thing—someone is following me.
“You might as well come out. I know you’re there,” I say into the darkness, not bothering to raise my voice knowing which ever wolf my brother has sent would have no trouble hearing me even if I whispered. But I get no response.
I stop and turn to face behind me to where they must be hiding in a shadow or eave of a building because I can’t see anyone, but I speak up anyway.
“I won’t tell Theo you weren’t covert enough.” Werewolves can move without being heard. This one was obviously being sloppy for a human to have heard them following me.
I still get no response so I give up and turn around, starting for my car again, at a much quicker pace. I can see it across the road, when I’m suddenly grabbed from behind. An arm around my waist, the other hand over my mouth mutes my screams. The person holding me drags me into a dark alley between the shops.
I’m pinned against the wall face first. All I can see is red brick on the wall.
The hand over my mouth pulls my head to the side stretching my neck out, as the arm around my waist disappears.
I wriggle to get free but I’m still pinned in place by the body behind me, as hard and strong as the wall in front. I feel the hand that had been around my waist brush my long, blonde curls from my neck. He strokes over my thudding pulse with his rough fingers.
It’s then I realise I’m not just trapped by a psycho; I’m trapped by a vampire.
That recognition hits a second before the fingers disappear and sharp fangs pierce my neck. The pain’s horrendous. I can feel my heartbeat rise with fear.
I bite down hard on the hand over my mouth, trying to distract the vampire at my neck. I try to fight with my body, but I don’t have the room to move. The only thing I’m succeeding in is raising my pulse, therefore, giving the vampire a faster and easier meal.
My mind starts to become sluggish, listening to the vampire moan as he sucks my vein dry makes me push the fog back and try to think of a way out of this. If I don’t do something quick, I won’t survive this.
If I was a werewolf, I’d have the strength to get away, is the last thought that runs through my mind, before blackness descends…
Twenty
GIFT FROM HELL
DOMINICK
I forgo my standard mode of transportation, teleportation, and decide a brisk walk home from Misty’s would do me good. I’ve needed to clear my head for a while. As much as I love my people, they don’t give me much space to do such a thing. Being in no hurry to get home, a walk seems like a good idea.
Home. Home is a large compound where my vampires and me live together. A few handpicked humans live on the premises as well. They offer us blood in return for a home and protection. I often wonder if I should follow some of the other kings and live a more solitary life. I never wonder for long, I know solitary living isn’t for me. I tried that a long time ago and it’s a sure path to insanity. As much as I like some time to myself, I need to be surrounded by people. By family.
The smell of fresh blood pulls me out of my musings. As I take in my surroundings, I’m surprised to be in the alley leading to the compound. Taking uncertain steps into the shadows, I spot a body laid haphazardly across the doorstep.
The scent of werewolf hits me at full force and I can’t help but panic. If this is one of Theo’s werewolves, shit is going to hit the fan. The blonde is face down, so I reach out my hand and pull her over, I need to see her face and when I do I wish I could erase the sight of it. He’s changed his MO. Her forehead has the word ‘with’ etched into it, and her right cheek has the word ‘love.’ It’s the ‘JD x’ etched into her left cheek that throws me for a loop.
All this time I’ve thought he’s just some random vampire bored with the rules. Never did I think it was JD, Jay Dawes. The same JD that was once my human lover. Once I look past the initials and see the face, a face I recognise as Theodore Wilson’s sister, Ruby, I shake my head. Focus dammit.
She may still be alive. I don’t bother trying to listen for her heartbeat, I probably wouldn’t hear it over my own anyway. Instead, I pick up her wrist and pierce her flesh with my fangs, tasting her blood, hoping to feel the warm liquid flow down my throat. It isn’t flowing, but her life force is there, her soul is hanging on. She’s so close to death, there’s no saving her from it completely, but I can save her from permanent death. I can sire her.
Make her one of us, one of mine.
I haven’t sired anyone for centuries. I vouched that I would never sire anyone again. Not after I lost my one love. The thought of leaving her to die, lingers in my mind for a minute, before I tear at my own wrist and place it to her lips. My blood and life force flowing into her mouth.
I bang on the door beside me with my free fist, “Niko!” I shout.
The door opens and Niko is immediately by my side. “We need to get her inside and lying down.”
He picks her up and cradles her in his arm as I tear at my wrist once again and place it back over her mouth before we awkwardly move into the lounge room closest to the entrance.
Ruby clamps her mouth on my wrist as Niko lays her on one of the sofas. That’s a good sign, she’s accepting the change. Her body is anyway. Deep down her soul or spirit is too, but when she wakes up, she’ll have no idea what’s happened.
* * *
Over 2000 years ago
I opened my eyes to such brightness, I could only hiss in pain as I closed them tightly.
“Put out the fire, you idiot!” a female screamed.
I clamped a hand over my ears, it felt like she’d yelled directly into my eardrums, but I could feel that there was no one close enough to do that. I knew where people were in the room, it felt like nothing I’d ever experienced before, almost like ants crawling on my skin. I didn’t understand how it told me where exactly they were positioned, but I just knew it did.
“Dominick? Feed!” The voice demanded and I couldn’t do anything but follow the command. My mouth opened and I felt pain along my jaw but didn’t have time to think about it, because soon the most divine tasting liquid was flowing over my tongue and down my gullet.
Whatever had been clamped in my mouth was suddenly torn away, for a moment I wanted to fight for it. I needed it back. But that voice poured over me once again commanding me to be calm. “That’s enough for now, you’ll get some more soon. I promise.”
I opened my eyes once again and saw the beautiful monster before me. Taking stock of my body and my senses, I knew I wasn’t the person I had once been. Somehow I’d been changed, changed into whatever this creature before me was.
* * *
I tear open my wrist for what feels like the millionth time, but before I can place it back over Ruby’s mouth Niko grabs it and glares at me. “That’s enough! If you give her any more of your blood, you won’t see tomorrow.”
Pulling my hand from his makes the world spin. I realise that he’s right. I’ve almost drained myself dry. Shit.
I’d lost myself in my memories. I’ve lived for so long, I never allow myself to think of the past, there’s too much pain to wallow there.
“Feed,” a female voice commands, as a wrist presses against my lips. My fangs elongate but it’s so close to my memories, I can’t blindly sink my fa
ngs in. Even though I know the voice is Sam, I need to see it’s her. I look across the room to where the voice is coming from and see Sam before I turn my eyes to the person who the hand belongs to. Gerry. I flash back to a couple of nights ago when we shared a night of passion. My fangs ache, at the memory of his blood flowing over my tongue. If I don’t feed soon, bloodlust may take over and that wouldn’t be good.
His small smile of encouragement makes me pause, he’s my lover, he deserves more intimacy than for me to draw from his wrist. I don’t have the energy to take this somewhere else, but I change my position so I’m sitting on the floor with my back against the couch. I beckon for him to lay against my front between my legs, giving me access to his neck. The smile he gives me in return confirms I’m doing the right thing.
As he gets himself comfy and tilts his head giving me access to the vein in his neck, I command the others to leave the room. “Niko, ensure everyone knows not to enter for the rest of the night.”
Everyone but Niko leaves the room without argument.
“Of course. What about the girl?” he asks, nodding his head toward her lifeless body.
“I’ve done all I can for her. We won’t know if it’s worked until she comes around tomorrow night. If she comes around.” I don’t want to think about her not coming around. Or the conversation I need to have with the alpha mutt. I might not like the guy, but I wouldn’t wish this on him.
“Would you like me to move her?” he asks.
“If you could see to organising a room for her, I’ll bring her when I’m done here,” I say, dismissing him as I lean my head forward and lick at Gerry’s neck; to make sure he’s ready for my fangs, before sinking them in and taking my fill, while allowing my hands to roam over his body and feeling how much he’s enjoying this.
Mount Roxby Box Set Page 32