She smoothed down the T-shirt self-consciously. "I'm not used to modeling. This seems weird."
"Weirder than growing fangs and a few inches overnight?" She grinned.
Sloane chuckled. "No, I suppose not." She sighed. "You'd think I could have grown in the boob compartment, too while I was at it." Her hands cupped the sides of her breasts and sighed with disappointment.
"Correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think Derek has had any complaints."
Sloane's cheeks felt hot and she knew she blushed. Why couldn't that annoying trait be wiped out along with some of the other more human attributes she'd like to get rid of? "Uh…well…I…" Yep, like not being able to string full sentences together when embarrassed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Cassandra may have apologized but her grin didn't leave her face. Then for a second their easy banter lulled into awkward silence. "Derek's a good guy," Cassandra said.
Sloane knew this. He had sacrificed a lot to make sure she was safe, and she knew the cost was high. He went against his core beliefs, pissed off his brother, and lied to the other one.
Cassandra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Derek doesn't often open up to…outsiders."
"You mean vampires?"
Cassandra shook her head. "No, I mean he doesn't date. It's not easy to have a relationship, when your job requires unexplained late nights. Trust me, I've been there, done that."
She was with Tremayne now. How did that work exactly? A hunter and a vampire?
"I've never seen Derek take an interest in a woman as he has with you." Cassandra's gaze swept over her, not in a rude way, but with curiosity.
"I knew him…you know before…all this."
Cassandra's brows furrowed. "You did? Do tell."
Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that, but it was too late now. "In high school. We were sort of an item."
Cassandra laughed and slapped her leg. "Derek thought he was all cool and in control of his destiny, strolling home from school with his back pack slung over his shoulder, but I knew the dweeb was hiding something. I just didn't know it was a girl. Go figure. So you and Derek were an item. Like in you and he were sleeping together back then?"
"No! God, no. We only kissed."
Cassandra remained silent, but an eyebrow rose.
"Okay, a little fondling, but that's it," she admitted. "He's a damn good kisser." Her breath caught on a surge of yearning as she thought of his lips and the way he took her under each and every time.
"Hot damn! You have it bad." Cassandra shook her head. "I don't want to see him hurt." Her green catlike eyes latched onto her with meaning.
Sloane's heart sank. She had hoped to have an ally with Cassandra, and selfishly, a link to Derek once all this was finished. She was under Tremayne's care and guidance, and most likely wouldn't be able to see Derek…for a long time. She'd hoped one day when she mastered control, she could look him up and if he wasn't involved with someone else… "I get it. I do. You want me to stay away from him."
Cassandra's ruddy brows drew together. "Hell no, that's not what I'm saying at all. I want you to listen to everything Tremayne tells you. I want you to control the bloodlust so you and my brother have a chance to be together. I think you're both good for each other."
She wasn't so sure Cassandra was right, but she would do her best to prove she could be. "I really care about him."
Cassandra sighed. "I'm happy you do. My brothers—Axel and Wade—may pose a problem, but we don't have to invite them to the same parties."
"Derek told me Axel is worse than Wade when it comes to vampires."
"Oh, much worse."
Cassandra meant well, but her comments didn't exactly encourage her to befriend the family and try to have a relationship with Derek. Having to constantly look over her shoulder would grow old fast.
"Go put on the workout gear I bought for you. It gives you room to move and it looks fashionable. I think you're going to like it. It has lots of pockets for weapons, too."
What thrilled Cassandra didn't exactly put her at ease. She loathed weapons and violence, but she knew her world had changed, and she better get with the program.
"Then we'll go find Derek," Cassandra continued without a breath.
Now this she liked. "What for?"
"He's the best with the bow and arrow. He taught me, and he's going to give you a crash course."
She hoped she didn't seem too anxious when it took her less than thirty seconds to change into the tight black outfit, Cassandra deemed appropriate for fighting Otherworldly beings. She'd never worn anything so… revealing. The leggings hugged her hips and thighs, and the spandex tank made it look like her boobs did grow a cup size.
"Hmm…" Cassandra tapped her chin. "Derek's going to flip out." She chuckled. She rather thought Cassandra wanted Derek to squirm. "Let's go find my brother."
They found him in the backyard with Wade and Tremayne. They had setup a target range, a complex one at that. It was like one large shooting range with moving targets ready to pop up and roll by on a pulley as she tried to get off a shot. Had they set this up while she was busy trying on clothes? Jeez, talk about handy with the tools.
Derek pounded a hammer, securing the last target to the side of the shed. He turned around and caught her eye. Her keen hearing picked up his heartbeat and how it sped up as his gaze slid over her from head to toe and back up again. She wondered if it was because he was glad to see her, or if it was the way she looked in the painted on outfit she sported.
Tremayne glanced at Cassandra and shook his head. He obviously didn't approve of her new attire. Wade met her eyes briefly then he looked way, clearing his throat.
She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a bit naked. "I'm going back inside to change." She took a step, but Cassandra gripped her arm and held her steady.
"Oh, no you don't. You look fine. They're big boys. If you have to maintain control, by God so do they." She gave her a nudge to move her forward.
Derek didn't suffer any ill effects from her love bite and for that she was grateful, but it was torture not to be able to be with him—alone that is. He was ever present; it was his house. He was near, but not close enough to touch, and she wanted to do more than touch, but she promised Tremayne to keep her distance. She had a hunch Derek had been forced to make a similar promise since he didn't seek her out, but she caught his hesitant glances when he thought she wasn't looking.
However tonight, Derek was hers. "I'm here for my lesson." Her voice had taken a life of its own, sounding sensual and husky as if she were trying out for the lead part of a sex-phone operator.
Derek's brow glistened with beads of sweat and his heart thudded loud in her ears. Was he nervous? Excited? Heck, she was both.
Derek reached for a quiver and handed it to her. This one wasn't so high-tech as the crossbow he favored. She supposed she needed to start small before moving up to the big guns, or rather handheld crossbows with built in scopes like the one Derek possessed.
"I'll teach you a surefire technique to aim and shoot with precision," he told her. "With your vampire senses, you'll pick that up quickly, but I'll help you fine tune your skill. It's one thing to shoot at a target that stands still, but quite another to shoot one that is coming at you with the intent to maim or kill. Your aim has to be spot on or you're a goner."
"What if they're too close for me to shoot off arrows?"
"You might have hand to hand battles where you'll require a dagger, and we'll get to that, too. One weapon at a time. And an arrow is quite handy to jab into the neck for close up and personal."
"Jesus." She already had the ability to be a killer, but they were training her to be what exactly?"
"Why the frown?" Derek stared at her with concern.
Her gaze took in the dark stubbles on his chin and jaw line. He hadn't shaved. His five o'clock shadow was more pronounced. She never dated a guy who could grow a full out beard, but she would bet Derek could if he
put his mind to it.
She shook her head and forced herself to concentrate. "Why are you going to so much trouble to teach me to use this weapon? I know you want me to be ready if Tim calls, but I have a difficult time believing bows and arrows are going to be what I need when I face him."
"No, you're right, but this training will teach you patience and accuracy to overpower an opponent no matter what you hold in your hand."
She realized he didn't say Tim, but they both knew it was what he had meant by overpowering her opponent. If she were to survive, she would have to be willing to take down the guy she'd known more than half her life. She swallowed hard. "What do I need to do?"
Over an hour she worked on shooting arrows at a target that resembled a scarecrow dressed in a flannel shirt and stuffed with hay.
"She's not doing too bad," Wade said, then added, "What the hell, is that my shirt on the scarecrow?" Wade took a step toward the target. By the time she was finished riddling it with arrows, the target looked more like a life-size voodoo doll.
She glanced at Derek who winked at her.
"Do you really think you should piss him off?" she asked and chuckled behind a closed fist.
"He'll get over it."
"That was my favorite shirt, dammit." Wade stared at the scarecrow on the hook. "Now look at it." He turned and glared at Derek.
"You didn't expect me to use my own shirt, did you?"
"Why you—"
Cassandra stepped in and took Wade by the arm, leading him toward the house.
"He did that on purpose," Wade complained to her.
"Of course he did, dimwad." Cassandra smacked him on the back of the head. "Duh."
"Do they always fight like that?" Sloane asked Derek pointing a thumb in their direction.
"Trust me that's nothing. Let's see what you can do with a target charging you." Derek jogged over to the pulley hooked to the roof of the garage. The other end was attached to a pole that looked like it once had been used as a clothesline. Her nana still had one in her backyard and refused to use the dryer her parents had bought her.
"Are you ready?" Derek shouted to her.
"Ready as I'll ever be. She held the quiver like Derek had taught her to hold it and readied the arrow.
Eeek, eek, eek eeeeeek, the squeaking sound came faster and faster until a large monstrosity came barreling down from the roof. For a split second, she forgot she needed to aim and stumbled back. Her arrow went wide and a second later a bellow and a stream of curses filled the night air. Tremayne came stalking around the corner of the garage. He yanked the offensive arrow out of his thigh with a resounding hiss. Cassandra jogged over to him from the back step, but he waved her off that he was okay.
"Good shot," Wade yelled from the step with a chuckle, which won him dagger-like stares from both Tremayne and Cassandra.
Derek stood on the wall with his hands on his hips. "Let's try that again, but aim for the scarecrow this time."
Yeah, easier said than done. After an hour of wild shots and not hitting the damn scarecrow, she was fed up. When Derek released the scarecrow again, she threw down the bow and ran toward it. She leapt in the air and slammed the arrow into its hay-packed neck. She stabbed it over and over again.
"Well that works, too," Wade called to her, his humor irritating her further. "I think you killed it dead for sure," he added with a chortle.
She glared at him, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath from her stabbing spree.
Derek jumped down from the roof and strode over to her. He glanced at the scarecrow's tattered flannel shirt and the straw scattered all over the yard. He met her eyes. "Maybe we should work on something else for a while." He carefully took the arrow from her clutches.
Derek and Wade showed her some defensive moves. She'd been knocked on her backside so many times, she was glad her vampy powers—for lack of a better word—allowed her to heal fast.
Cassandra also joined in on the fun. She had brought weapons with her from home, making Sloane wonder how she managed to sneak past security with so much metal. She showed her some nifty tricks of palming a dagger and how Chinese hairpins were not only great for keeping buns in place, but they were great in a pinch if you needed a weapon and none were available.
Tremayne showed her a few vampire tricks that would help her if Tim got the jump on her. She was still becoming accustomed to the way her body moved with such ease. She was stronger and more agile, but her moves were also awkward as if she just put on her first six-inch heels and decided to jog.
"Again," Tremayne demanded. "Leap over me."
She made the jump, but Tremayne brought her down before she could make her landing. She hit hard, knocking the wind out of her. She thought as a vampire she wouldn't have to worry about such things as drawing air into her lungs. Guess Bram Stoker wasn't privy to the information when he wrote his well-known novel about vampires. Vampire, yes. Un-dead, not really. She was…different, but still alive.
Derek appeared antsy like he wanted to step in and put a stop to Tremayne's training, but Wade's hand snaked out and held him back. For once she was in agreement with Wade. Derek needed to stand down.
She jumped to her feet. "Let's do that again."
Tremayne's lips curved. He taunted her with a come hither wave.
She ran forward, but at the last moment she swerved to the right, jumped then jabbed with a left kick as Tremayne sailed through the air to intercept her. He received a boot in his face for his effort.
She landed in a crouched position and glanced over her shoulder. Tremayne wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand. She was about to apologize for hurting him, but his face broke into a grin.
"That, my lass, was perfect."
Her gaze found Derek's who was smiling, too. Even Wade appeared impressed. Cassandra smirked and gave her two thumbs up.
Vampires and Hunters—who would have figured she would be mixed up with such a group? For one moment in time, they all were in sync and not wary of each other.
She rose to her full height. "Who's next?"
Her cell phone vibrated in the leg pocket of her workout clothes and her smile slipped.
"Are you okay?" Tremayne asked.
In the next second, Derek had moved closer.
Her phone vibrated again and her senses reeled. This is what they'd been waiting for. She glanced at Derek. "It's Tim." She was sure of it. "My phone." She leaned down and fished it out. She stared at the number in disbelief. Her heart that slowed considerably since her change started beating rapidly as if she'd somehow managed to become human again.
"Sloane?" Derek's voiced hinted of his concern, but she couldn't worry about what he'd think, or what anyone thought for that matter. She had to take this call.
Her thumb smoothed over the icon. "Mom?" She whirled away, ignoring Tremayne's advancement toward her. Bless Derek's kind heart. He headed Tremayne off, allowing her the time with her family.
"Hey honey," her mom said, her voice cheery and warm. "Just checking in with you. We hadn't heard from you in a few days."
"Yeah, you know work…keeps me busy." Tears sprang to her eyes. This would be the last time she'd be able to talk to her mother like this. "Is everyone having a good time?" she asked her mother.
"The weather's been great." Last time they vacationed in Florida it had been in the middle of August. The humidity was the worse part of it and her mother didn't like sunbathing. She was self-conscious of her Irish complexion. It freckled with very little exposure, but bless her father, he would just kiss the tip of her nose and claim he loved sun-kissed skin.
She heard her father's voice in the background as he raised his voice to be heard. "We wish you were here, Jellybean," he said.
She laughed and sobbed at the same time. "Me, too."
"Here, I'll let you say hi to your father since he's hovering over my shoulder and shouting in my ear."
"Mom," she said with desperation.
"What is it, Sloane?" Her mo
m's jovial banter turned to worry as if her motherly instincts picked up on her distress.
"Nothing. I'll see you when you get home."
"Wait until you get a load of what your brother's picked out for you."
"She's going to love it," she heard Seth shout.
She smiled. Her brother had a sense of humor. She could only imagine what he picked out for her, but she knew she would have loved it no matter what it was.
"Hey, Jellybean." Her father had the phone now.
She told her dad over and over again she was too old to be called by the nickname Jellybean. She had picked up the name one Easter day. She had stuffed a whole jar of jellybeans in her pockets. She was only four at the time but the darn nickname stuck. She knew in the years to come, she would long to hear her father call her by that name. "Hey, Dad."
"How's the car running?" he asked.
Her car had overheated the day before they left on vacation. Thank goodness it hadn't been anything expensive. Her father had opened the hood and found the problem immediately. One of the radiator hoses had cracked. Her father didn't just fix the car for her. No, he instructed her on how it could be fixed. He wanted her to be self-sufficient. "I won't always be there," he told her. "I want to know your safe and can take care of yourself."
"No problems with the car, Dad."
She glanced over her shoulder at Tremayne. He stood still, his features unreadable, but she had a hunch he would talk to her later about taking this call.
"Fantastic. I'm glad the problem was solved," her father said. They talked for a few moments longer. He told her about the food. Her father wasn't overweight, maybe just a little pouch around the middle. He loved to eat and he loved to cook, too. He had his specialties. The smoker in the backyard was his baby. "Well, Jellybean. We'll let you go."
"Dad, wait." She squeezed the phone tighter. She didn't want him to end the call. Ending the call meant her last link to her human existence would be severed. "I love you and mom. Seth, too."
He paused, and for a moment she wondered if he picked up on her sorrow, her need to feel connected with her normal life. His voice lowered an octave. "We love you too, Jellybean. We'll see you on Sunday."
Flowers and Fangs (Stake and Dust series, Book II) Page 13