One Love (Vampire Love Story #5)

by Night, H. T.

  “Actually, you did a lot better than I thought you would,” Lena said.

  “You really did, Josiah,” Tommy agreed. “The doctor told us he doubted you’d be able to walk for months.”

  “Well, the doctor has no idea who the hell I am,” I said proudly.

  “That’s for sure,” Tommy said, smiling at me.

  I laid back and told Tommy and Lena that I needed rest.

  Day one was on the books, as far as recovery was concerned. From here on out, my focus would be on Krull. That would be my motivation. I needed to keep things in perspective, but he would pay for this.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  The next five weeks were hell. In my heart, I knew I could probably just go to Amsterdam and be healed by my son, Jason. I don’t know why, but I didn’t want to take the easy way out. Physical attributes had come so easily to me over the past two years. It had been a very unfair playing field in comparison to everyone else and me. I wanted to recover on my own terms. My scars would be a constant reminder of what I needed to go through to come out on the other side.

  Each day, my condition improved. Each day, I was able to do more. When all else failed, I was able to sweep my legs from under me and fly. I even resisted doing that.

  My men needed to see my transformation. Seeing me so jacked up definitely hurt the morale of my troops. I wanted to recover for them. I wanted them to see that, no matter what Krull did to us, we could overcome. My army had grown close to 700 men. Some of Atticai’s guys had made their way over to and joined the cause. As well, we had been getting random Mani showing up. Each man from here on out went through my test where I asked them the three questions. So far, no one else failed my loyalty test. I couldn’t be too careful, however.

  One of the training regimens that I tried to do each day was wind sprints. It was a fantastic way to gauge my progress. I had designated with traffic cones, a fifty-yard sprint for the exercise. Five weeks ago, I had been barely able to walk the fifty-yards. Now, I was able to run it at 85 percent of my former maximum speed.

  Tommy had been phenomenal as my trainer. He had gotten me back in amazing shape. We worked out with weights in the morning inside the bunker gym, and we practiced combat at night with the troops.

  What had happened to me that night would haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life. Somehow, I had survived it. Somehow, I had come out ahead on the other side. Lena had been amazing through my recovery. She was a bit aggravating at first. Who could blame her? Her man was delivered to his home looking like road kill.

  Lena and I Skyped with Linda, every day, so we could see our kids on our computer. I decided to stop doing that, as I was afraid if ‘good’ was able to see my life played out, then the likelihood was that evil could see it, too. And that evil was Krull. I didn’t want to give away the whereabouts about the location of my children.

  No matter how much I’d come out on the other side of this tragedy that had happened, one thing was very clear to me. Atticai had saved my life. Just saying that out loud was an amazing series of words: Atticai saved Josiah Reign’s life.

  I wasn’t sure how he knew where I was when Helen and Tommy couldn’t hear me. That didn’t concern me, however. What concerned me was why he did it. If he knew I was captured by Krull, and the likelihood was that Krull was going to kill me, then Atticai would be the next in line to lead the Mani people. But, he saved me anyway. Why?

  I needed to know why. It was time to visit Atticai one more time before we went to battle against Krull. I promised Lena that I wouldn’t leave her, so I planned to bring her with me.

  I was given word that Atticai was spending more time at his hot spot of the Flatlands lately, with Donya.

  It was time for me to go there and say thank you to him.

  I was getting ready to go. I put on a black shirt. With my black jeans, I slipped on my black leather jacket with my black Doc Marten boots. It was my go-to vampire outfit.

  Lena came into the bathroom where I was getting ready.

  “Oh no. Not again, Josiah! Where are you off to?”

  “Flatlands.”

  “You’re not going alone, are you?” Lena looked at me in the way a concerned girlfriend would after her boyfriend got his ass handed to him.

  “No, I’m not going alone. You’re going with me.”

  “I am?”

  “Yep, so put on some warm clothes because it’s time for me to get my swagger back. I can’t live in anonymity forever.”

  “Josiah, let’s take Tommy with us.” Lena looked at me, very concerned. I didn’t like that she didn’t think I could handle things myself.

  “Tommy would slow us down,” I said. “Plus, I am more than capable of protecting us.”

  “I’m just worried because of what happened last time.”

  “Look Lena, Krull is about vengeance, but mainly, he is about recruitment. He thinks he fucked me up for a very long time. He thinks it will take years for me to bounce back. He’s not worried about me at the present moment. One thing The Deity explained to me is that I’m just an obstacle. I’m not the end result. He came to me that night because he wanted me to fight alongside him. He jacked me up pretty good and I doubt I’m on his radar, for the time being.”

  “Look, if you think Tommy will slow us down because he is grounded as a non-flyer, then let’s take Hector or even Yari.”

  “Lena, did you just hear what I said? We’ll be fine.” I was getting perturbed with the lack of confidence that my fiancée had in me.

  Lena stared at me and shook her head. “Why do you want to go there anyway?”

  “You know why.”

  Lena continued to shake her head. “He won’t come. I know him, Josiah. He did you a solid payback because you saved Donya. In his mind, you’re even.”

  “Maybe so, but I still need to thank him.”

  “I think you’re setting yourself up for disappointment if you think you want a friendship with Atticai.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re a romantic to the core. You have some illusion that you’re going to go to Atticai and he’s going to embrace you and two of you are going to be besties. You know that’s not his way. He’ll flip it and make you feel stupid for even coming to him.”

  “That might be what he’ll do, but I’m still going to thank him. You don’t have to give me your approval or blessing to go. Hell, you don’t even have to come. I can stick you in Tommy’s room, so the big bad wolf can protect you.”

  “I’m going to go with you. You think you are a one-man army, and maybe you are to some extent. I just—”

  “I love you, Lena,” I said cutting her off. “I know you’re worried about me, but I need press forward. I need to be proactive. Atticai can only help the cause. I need to at least try.”

  Lena hugged me around my waist. “You are so stubborn.”

  “I know I am. Trust me. I don’t have illusions of Atticai grandeur. I know his M.O. I do, however, need closure. I need to say thank you to him. He risked his life to save mine. Then I can make my next move.”

  “What is your next move?”

  “For now, Lena. I’m keeping it to myself. I’m going to reveal it to our troops very soon what we’re going to do. I need to tie up couple of loose ends first.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Lena and I had transitioned as we both leaped out of the trap door in my original room. It took about ten minutes to get to Flatlands, flying at a respectable speed. We flew over the top of Flatlands gravel parking lot. We circled, looking down for Atticai. There was multiple bonfires with vampires drinking and partying. It was a typical night at this place. These Mani didn’t have a worry in the world. It must be nice. These were Atticai’s people, and I was always mildly welcome here. I was okay with that.

  Lena and I dropped our flight elevation and landed on the rocks. This location of the world has had a lot of history for me, and I knew that tonight would be no different.

  Atticai was sitting with Dony
a around the main fire that was in the middle of Flatlands.

  I stepped forward, holding Lena’s hand and some Mani noticed that we were here. We got a couple of approving nods, but mainly we were just getting stares because no one was sure why we were here. Personally, I didn’t need their acceptance. By this point, I didn’t need anyone’s approval. For Lena’s sake, I wanted her to feel comfortable. She used to come here with Atticai. She was Atticai’s girl for years, and now she was my fiancée. I knew she felt a little bit odd about that. But, we were here for a reason. I needed to speak to their leader.

  Atticai looked up and saw me and grinned. “No limp. I’m impressed,” he said, as I walked up to him, still holding Lena’s hand. Atticai took Lena in and then smiled. “You look as lovely as ever.”

  “Thank you,” Lena said as shyly as I have seen her in a while. I guess, even still, Atticai has that effect on her.

  Donya got up and walked over to us and gave each of us a hug. She had dyed her hair, so that it was jet black, getting rid of any gray, and it made her look twenty years younger. It was still painfully obvious she was the oldest person here, as far as physical age, but she looked good. “You look well, Josiah. Atticai told me what happened. I was so worried about you.” Donya reaching out to me was very genuine and warm. It gave me comfort that she cared so deeply for my welfare.

  “What brings you two to these parts?” Atticai asked. Atticai seemed very normal. Donya obviously was doing wonders for the guy’s personality.

  “I came to see you,” I said. “I wanted to thank you.”

  “No need for that,” Atticai replied.

  “Yeah, there is,” I continued. “You didn’t have to do it. You risked your life and I am eternally grateful.”

  Atticai stared deeply at my face. I still had bad scars. All of my bruises hadn’t healed. Just for a moment, I saw a touch of empathy in his eyes. For the most part, however, his face was expressionless. He had 101 things going on in his head. I could tell that he wasn’t fully on board with me showing up on his turf. He was accommodating me, and we owed each other that courtesy, after all we been through. “Is that all?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I guess it is,” I said.

  “You’re not going to make any more plays for me to join your cause?”

  “You already have,” I said, smiling at him. “By saving me, you threw yourself right smack in the middle of it. You waged war on Krull, the second you entered his lair and helped me.”

  Atticai smiled. “I know that. I think we had this conversation once before: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’”

  I smiled back, pleased that he had remembered. “Why did you do it, Atticai?”

  “Because Krull and I have a history that is much bigger than any of this.”

  “So, what are you saying?” I asked.

  “I’m saying, I’m doing this on my terms. I want Krull dead. Plain and simple. You can have all the other accolades: the title, the people, the life free of the pain and the God-forsaken harmony. I don’t want any of that. Krull needs to pay for what he did to me many years ago.”

  “What did he do exactly?” I asked.

  “I don’t need to relive the horrific memory by discussing it. My life will come full circle, the second that I see that mother fucker breathe his last breath of air.”

  Holy crap! Atticai is on board. “So, what are you proposing, Atticai?”

  “I want Krull dead, and I want to be the one who does it. But I don’t want to be part of your army. Think of me as a hired assassin. When everything goes down, I’ll be there. The only fight I have is with him. You do whatever you need to do to defeat his army, but you leave Krull for me.”

  I looked at Atticai and just slowly nodded my head. I thought about what he was asking. I wanted Krull dead probably more than he did, after what Krull did to me. But, I also wanted Atticai on my side. So, if this was the only way he’d commit to fighting alongside me, then I’d let him have Krull.

  “Done,” I said.

  Atticai nodded. “You let me know when you’re ready to do that plan of yours.”

  I looked at Atticai, puzzled. How did he know I had a plan? “Atticai,” I asked. “I have one more question for you. How did you know where Krull was keeping me?”

  “Krull’s lair has been at that location for years. It’s right by the Grapevine near Ojai. I knew you were in distress. I could feel it. Trust me, I didn’t want to go at first. But I looked at Donya, and I knew I owed you. I couldn’t let die that way.”

  “Well, thank you,” I said.

  “Yes, thank you, Atticai,” Lena added.

  Atticai looked at Lena, amused with her thanks. He somehow could get into my head, the way he could when he was Goshi. I needed to be on top of that, because if Atticai could get in my head, God knows Krull could, too. “I’ll keep you informed.”

  I gave Donya a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then I did something I had never done. I shook Atticai’s bony hand. When we touched there was electricity that went through both of us and we both felt it.

  “Imagine how powerful we’d be if we ever worked together,” I said.

  Atticai nodded his head, and then he smiled at Lena. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We both have a mission. Let’s remember that.” Atticai kissed Lena goodbye on the cheek. Donya gave each of us a hug and then we were off, back to Victorville.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  As I flew back, I had to admit I was a tad gun-shy. I scoped out my surroundings pretty well. I would never allow myself to be ambushed like that again. When the numbers were that against me, there was no shame in getting the hell out of there.

  When we got in, Lena laid down on our bed, completely exhausted from the flight and from seeing Atticai, and I didn’t want to bother her for lovemaking or even for talking. I knew she missed our sons. They were so young. I missed them, but this was no place to raise a family. I would have that luxury soon, but for now, there were things to be done.

  I stepped into the bathroom and slipped off my clothes. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror completely naked. Although, my body looked a lot better than it did a month and a half ago, it still looked like I was dragged through the city by a 4x4 truck and hit every rock on the road.

  I had grown out my bangs so my hair would flow along my forehead. I pulled back my hair and looked at the marks that were left by Krull’s crown of spikes that he had driven into my head. Anger began to burn my soul as I looked at my scarred hands and feet. Krull’s barbaric act assured that I would show no mercy when it came to dealing with him and any person who chose to follow him.

  Over the past weeks, I had been putting together my plan in my head. It was a plan that was obviously at the forefront of my thinking because Atticai recognized it quickly and was able to distinguish what it was, from just moments in my presence.

  There was a full moon tomorrow night, and it was time for me to get Tommy on board with my plan. Yomaida, he and I were going to be very busy the next three nights. I think it was time to let them in on what I was thinking.

  I jumped in the shower and took a quick one. I got out and dried off. I put on my original clothes, minus the leather jacket, and went downstairs to ask Yomaida and Tommy to meet me in the study.

  A few minutes later, the three of us sat around the large conference table. I was quiet at first. I looked at them both knowing that it was now or never.

  “All right, captain, to what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting?” Tommy asked.

  I was on one side of the conference table and Tommy and Yomaida were on the other side. “My plan is to do a shark attack on Krull in the next two weeks.”

  “Are you serious?” Tommy asked.

  “He’ll never expect it. He doesn’t think we’re capable of being the aggressor. As far as I see it. After what he did to me, all bets are off in regard to a fair fight.”

  “Do you think we’re ready?” Tommy asked.

  “We will be outnumbered. But if we attack
them during the day we can defeat a big chunk of his army.”

  “You are aware that almost ninety percent of your army cannot fight during the day?”

  “Can’t they?” I asked.

  Yomaida looked at me, puzzled, and said, “So you want to have a bird-on-bird war?”

  “No... I want to have a Carni vs. sleeping Mani war. Sion knows that they sleep in the wine cellars at the east end of the property. The wine cellar is rather large, but it’s extremely narrow. It’s made up of several corridors that can only fit about twenty of them per room. The wine cellar is so narrow, that they won’t be able to push forward. Their only choice will be to exit out of the back.”

  Tommy smiled and said, “That’s all well and good and the Carni that we have out there are the toughest werewolves I know. That’s the problem. They won’t be werewolves. They will only be men,” Tommy said.

  I stared at Tommy and said, “We’re going to have many advantages. All they are going to have is numbers. They won’t be able to transition if we do this during the sunlight.”

  “Still,” Tommy insisted. “Seven ravens on one Carni in his human form is still an unfair fight. That is what we will be dealing with.”

  “Can I finish?” I stated simply to Tommy. “Quit jumping in.”

  “Sorry.”

  “The rest of us will be there. We will be in our bird forms. But we’re going to have a giant advantage. We are going to have thirty free-thinking, cognitive werewolves fighting against them.”

  Tommy and Yomaida’s faces both lit up. “Are you serious, Josiah?” Tommy asked. “We’re going to train our Carni to be like Yomaida and I?”

  “Yes. We’re going to be very busy the next three days. Each of us will have ten Carni under our watch. If we have at least 80 percent success rate that will give us 24 werewolves that will be so dangerous, that it will only be a matter of time until we eliminate most of Krull’s army. This is going to work.”