by Mary Abshire
Conner's brows tightened above his eyes. "How did you get there if you didn't drive?"
"I ran. I was…distraught at the time."
"You ran through the snow, in the cold, to the gas station?" Conner asked, skepticism clear in his tone.
"Yes."
Conner rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. He took a step back, then started pacing. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"I told you, I was distraught."
"Over what?" Ben asked.
"I thought my boyfriend was dead. I saw a news report about a plane crash and thought he was on that flight."
Ben tapped the pen on the notebook.
Conner stopped near me. "You're telling me you thought your boyfriend died in a plane crash, so you ran from your house to the gas station."
"Yes."
He shook his head. "Jessie, that doesn't sound like something a normal person would do."
Yeah, well, I wasn't one hundred percent human either.
Ben smirked. "You don't sound distraught now."
I glared at the werewolf. I wanted to punch the fucker.
"What is your boyfriend's name? We can check the flight records," Conner said.
My heart thumped fast and the beeps kept in rhythm. Their questions were starting to annoy me. Did they think Drake had reported my stabbing? Did they speculate he was involved somehow? The pain in my head grew while I quickly formulated a response. "I'm not upset now because he called me a short time ago, before you arrived. He's not dead, so you don't need to check on him."
Ben tightened his jaw, flexing the muscle over his temple.
"Jessie, but your story sounds…unusual," Conner said.
"I have nothing to hide, Conner. I want you to find the murderer."
"Is your boyfriend at home right now?" Ben asked.
Drake stood up. His pupils dilated and his lips were pressed together. He held a stern look on his face as he moved closer to Ben, nearly bumping him. Ben turned to face him. They were inches apart, staring at each other. Although Drake was a few inches taller, the werewolf was bulkier.
"Something wrong, Ben?" Conner asked. He tilted his head, scanning the room.
"Look, I'm getting tired. Can I give you a call when I feel ready to talk again?" I asked.
Conner offered a slight smile. "Sure, Jessie." He withdrew a card from his pocket, then set it on the table nearby. "Call me when you're ready."
Ben ended the stare-down, then met my gaze. "If we don't hear from you in the next couple of days, expect another visit."
"Or a phone call." Conner patted Ben on the back. "No need to rush to judgment. She hasn't done anything wrong."
The two men strolled toward the door. Drake stood nearby, watching their every movement. Alan walked to the end of the bed while he kept his attention on Ben.
"Take care, Jessie. Glad to see you're still with the living," Conner said, steps away from the door.
The comment made me think about my commitment to Drake. At some point, we needed to talk about the how and when I would become a vampire, if it was even possible.
After the two left, Alan shut the door. Drake came over to my side and placed his hand on my arm.
"I guess I should've been more prepared for their questions, but I really wanted to avoid seeing Ben again," I said.
Alan stood near the foot of the bed. "That werewolf could start trouble."
Drake faced Alan. "Maybe, but he can't manipulate the human mind. If the werewolf creates a problem, I will work with the humans and make sure they don't bother Jessie."
"I sensed they didn't believe me and thought you were involved," I said, gazing at Drake.
"They will go through their recordings and try to find the voice that called. They can subpoena phone records…" He shifted his gaze to Alan.
"I used the employee's phone and distorted my voice. When I left out the back, I gave the cell to one of my men to destroy," Alan said.
Drake turned to me. "Then we don't have a problem."
"What about video surveillance?" I asked.
Alan stepped closer. "I found their equipment in the stock room and destroyed their recorders. Unless there is a separate feed to a server somewhere else, they don't have any evidence. And even if they did have another server, my technicians can find it and have the memory cleaned."
"You destroyed their security recordings?" I asked, my tone elevated. "But it might have showed the murderer."
"I'm sorry, Jessie. I couldn't risk someone discovering footage of me changing."
Damn, it would've been nice to have the chance to review the security recording before destroying it. Yet, I understood Alan's concern.
The ache in my head throbbed fiercer. I lifted my arm and quickly noticed the tube connected to my vein, feeding blood to me. I lowered my arm and used my other hand to gently rub my temple.
"Are you feeling all right?" Drake asked.
"My head hurts. I think I need to rest a bit more."
Drake found the device for the bed. He pressed the button and, with a small buzz, the mattress slowly lowered.
"Will you lie with me?" I asked softly.
Drake smiled. "Certainly." He faced Alan. "You can stay or leave. It's your choice."
"I'll stay." The Alpha sat in the chair, then stretched out his legs.
After the bed flattened, Drake strode around to the other side. I lifted the blanket for him to snuggle next to me.
"No." He pressed the cover back over me. "You need to stay warm until you are well enough. I'll lie on top." He crept into the bed and placed his body gently along mine.
I turned my head sideways. The pounding in my skull continued to worsen. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. His rosemary cedar wood scent drifted into my nose and I loved it. I loved him.
Drake placed his palm on my face. His cool energy penetrated my skin, giving me a slight chill. "I may need to leave later. I think you're going to need another transfusion."
Another offering of his blood meant he would have to feed again. "I'm sorry, Drake. I never—"
"Shh, just rest. When you are well, we can go home and talk." He pressed his forehead to mine and lightly touched my lips with his. "Sleep, my love."
And I did.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Snowflakes fell gracefully from the sky. The moment they hit the windshield of Drake's vehicle, they melted. As I leaned back against the seat, watching the snow dissolve, my thoughts focused on the subject of death. Similar to the flakes, we all wandered the vastness of space and time on Earth, then in one single event, we disappeared. At least, that was the case for our bodies. I'd had several close encounters with death and, quite frankly, I didn't want to knock on his door anymore.
A shiver ran through me as I thought about my own mortality. I wrapped my arms around my ribs.
Drake glanced at me while he navigated the car. "Cold? I can turn the heat up."
"That would be good," I said.
He reached forward and turned the knob. More warm air blew out from the vents.
"I'm not used to feeling cold." I couldn't recall a single time in my life I had felt cold. My demon blood always kept my temperature over a hundred degrees.
"It's probably an effect from the transfusion. I'm sure you will be back to normal in a few days." His gloved hands gripped the steering wheel.
Drake had provided three bags of his blood to clear my infection and heal me. Though I'd taken blood from him before, the dosage had always been minimal. Three full bags of vampire blood was a lot to ingest. I wondered if other side effects were yet to appear. My vision seemed normal. Hearing checked out okay. I felt stronger and healthier, for the most part. But the headache from earlier continued to chisel away in my skull. I considered the slight pain might have been my brain's way of telling me it didn't agree with Drake's blood.
Massaging my temples, I hoped to ease some of the tension.
"Head still bothering you?" Drake asked.
"Yeah. Could've been the stress of everything, or just the hospital." I avoided mentioning that it could be a side effect of the multiple transfusions. If I told him my real thoughts, he might think his blood had a negative impact on me. No need to cause him any more worry. "Thanks for getting me out of that place."
Drake had managed to manipulate the doctor’s and nurses' minds so they would release me. He did it effortlessly, which made me envious of his gift. I hoped, when I became a vampire, I would have the same ability.
"You will be safer at the house. And I'm sure you could use a good meal." A warm smile touched his lips.
Under normal circumstances, my stomach would roar, wanting Drake's home-cooked food. But with his blood in me, I had zero appetite. Could the transfusion cause any more trouble?
"Drake, when you became a vampire, did it hurt?"
"Did it hurt to become a vampire?" he asked.
"Yeah. Did it?"
He took a glimpse at me before slowing the car to make a turn. "Well, I was already in a great deal of pain when Thomas created me. I was dying. After he drained me and shared his blood, the pain disappeared."
"So that's how it works? You have to suck me dry and feed me your blood?" I wrinkled my nose slightly. The idea of ingesting more blood didn't settle well with me. Whether it came in through my mouth or vein, I'd seen enough of the dark fluid over the last few days.
"Yes, and your heart must stop."
The draining of blood didn't sound painful. The drinking of blood I could handle too, but at a later time, when I felt well enough. My heart stopping? The thought worried me. I hoped to avoid a visit to Hell again.
"Has anyone ever stayed dead once their heart stopped?"
"No, not that I have heard of." He veered his eyes from the road to me. "Is something wrong? You're asking odd questions."
I took a deep breath. "The whole becoming a vampire thing doesn't frighten me. I want to be with you, forever. But after meeting the devil, I'm a little nervous about dying."
Drake reached over and touched my cheek with his gloved fingers. "I'm bringing you back. I won't lose you to the devil or anyone. I give you my word."
His vow was as solid as his love for me. Still, I feared another death meeting. Maybe with time, my fear would dissipate. I hoped.
"I want to delay my rebirth for a while," I said. "Just a little while."
Drake slowed the car as he turned onto the driveway. He reached up to the device clipped to the visor. After a click from the remote, the garage door lifted. Once he steered the car inside, he cut the engine.
"Jessie," he said as he removed the key from the ignition. "I don't want you to think I'm forcing you to become a vampire."
"No, not all. I don't think that. I want to," I said with a shake of my head.
"You're young. I understand if you want to wait. It matters not to me when you want to join me. I will be ready when you are ready."
Though the warm air stopped blowing through the vents the minute he turned off the engine, I felt a wave of heat flow through me. Drake loved me, through and through. He would wait for me, even if I held off until I was fifty. And he was right. I was still young at a mere twenty-five. He'd died when he was twenty-seven. Waiting a year or two wouldn't change my feelings.
"What did I do to meet such an understanding man?"
Drake leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. The soft kiss made me hunger for more.
He gently rubbed the tip of his nose on mine. "Since I met you, I have never been happier. You are my angel and I refuse to walk the Earth without you."
I pressed my palms to the sides of his face and kissed him. I loved the way his cool skin felt, the way he kissed me with all the love in his heart and soul, the way he wanted me. My heart wanted to leap from my chest with all the emotion swirling inside of me. My lover. Always and forever. Even beyond death.
Lights drawing near stole our attention. We separated our lips from each other, then turned to the back window.
"I told Alan he can stay the night here," Drake said. "We need to talk more about his meeting with Gabe's pack leader."
"I don't mind the company. We have plenty of room, and food."
Drake planted a quick kiss on my lips. "Company or not, you need to rest more."
As we exited the car, Alan strolled into the garage with Tom at his side. The four of us met near the door leading into the house, removed our shoes, then set them aside. I glanced at the two werewolves and noticed their red eyes. They probably needed rest more than I did.
Ryan opened the door, then moved aside, holding the knob. A large white bandage covered one side of his head, near his eye. I cringed at seeing the wound I'd created.
"How's your head?" I stopped a few feet from the werewolf.
He gave a lazy blink of his eyelids. "Sore, but I'll live."
"I'm so sorry for knocking you out. I hope you can forgive me."
A smile slowly formed on his face. "I can forget about it, as long as you don't tell your friends you knocked out a werewolf. I'd hate for it to harm my reputation."
I chuckled, threw my arms around his neck, and hugged him. "Don't worry, I won't say a word."
"Jessie?" Dani said from a distance.
I released Ryan and spun around. Facing the living room, I watched Drake place his long coat over the back of one of the chairs. Alan and Tom stood a few feet from Drake, removing their jackets. I didn't see a trace of Dani.
"I'm in the kitchen," I said as I walked around the center island.
Dani came around the corner fast, inches from bumping into me. She gasped and wrapped her arms around me. "Oh my God, Jessie." She held me in a tight embrace. "You're all right." Her voice quivered.
A rush of sadness and elation overwhelmed me as I hugged my best friend. Sorrow pricked me for what she had been through, losing her job, and not knowing the truth about what happened to me. Joy filled me now that I had her back in my life. Our friendship was strong. We would make amends and go on.
"I'm sorry I couldn't reach you sooner. I couldn't risk endangering your life," I said.
She released me from her tight hold and gripped my arms. Her wet cheeks and bloodshot eyes faced me. "You had me so worried. You should've sent me a note. Anything would've been nice." Her voice had a touch of anger.
I shook my head. "I couldn't take the risk. Someone from the VETOV could've gotten into your head and found out that I had sent a note to you." Drake and I already believed someone had, based on the information Mark gave me.
Dani rubbed her fingers under her eyes. "A man visited me and asked questions about you. I told him I hadn't heard a word and didn't know if you were even alive. He seemed nice and polite. I didn't feel him pry into my head."
"You wouldn't feel anything." Drake came to stand next to us. "It only takes a second to slip inside a human mind."
Her eyes enlarged. "That's it?"
I took her hand in mine and gently squeezed it, hoping to calm her. "Did he tell you his name?"
"No. He said he wanted to find you and he asked me personal questions about you."
"Do you recall what he looked like?" Drake asked.
Dani sniffled. "Every time I try to remember his face, I don't see it. But I remember the questions he asked and his voice. It sounded very sexy." Her lips stretched into a smile.
Leave it to Dani to find something appealing about a stranger who could've killed her.
"From talking with your friend, Mark, I'm confident the person who visited you was a member of the VETOV," Drake said.
"A vampire?" Dani asked.
I squeezed her hand again. "Afraid so."
Her eyes turned to Drake and she examined him. "He looked normal, but then I guess there isn't much of a difference between vampires and us."
Dani sure lacked knowledge on supernatural creatures. If I guessed right, she obtained most of her information from movies. Perhaps I was partly to blame. After I told the truth about me, I'd spent the next two weeks traini
ng with Jeremy and then left for Europe. I never had the chance to bring her up to speed on the details of vampires, or any supernatural creatures.
"For the most part, we appear as human as you. But we have our differences." Drake shifted his gaze to me. "Why don't you take Dani upstairs so you can talk. Alan and I need to discuss a few things."
"Oh. Right," I said, and noticed the three werewolves standing a few feet away.
Dani veered her attention to the large men nearby. "More friends?" A smile crept across her face.
Alan stepped forward with his hand extended. "I'm Alan Vandett."
Dani let go of my hand. "I'm Dani Rossler," she said, accepting Alan's greeting. "Vandett…where have I heard that name before?"
"He owns the trucking company," I said.
"Oh!" Her eyes lit up. "A pleasure to meet you."
I chuckled in my head at how quickly her attitude changed. The bright, cheerful, and energetic Dani I knew had returned.
Alan gave her a warm smile. He released Dani's hand, then pointed to the werewolves standing near him. "This is Tom, and I think you may have already met Ryan."
"Yes, but we haven't actually spoken much."
"They work for me," Alan said.
While Dani and the werewolves took turns with introductions, Drake pressed his lips to the side of my head.
"Would you like me to fix something for you?" he asked softly.
"No. I'm fine," I replied in an equally soft voice.
Dani turned to me after she finished introducing herself.
"Let's go upstairs so the boys can talk," I said.
As Dani walked by Alan, she said, "It was nice to meet you."
"The pleasure was mine," Alan said, smiling.
She kept her bright gaze on the Alpha as she headed for the staircase. I didn't need to be a genius to see she had a strong interest in Alan. I wondered if she would change her mind if she knew the truth about him.
"Come on," I said, and gently nudged her elbow.
She finally turned her attention to the stairs. Her long blonde hair swayed behind her as I followed her up the steps, then around the corner to the living room. The large television showed a news anchor interviewing a man. At the bottom, words ran across the screen within a black box. Dani picked up the remote from the sofa, then pressed the power button. In an instant, the picture disappeared.