Hunger Awakened

by Dee Carney

  “Why is it too late?” She thought she knew the answer. Back when she’d been to a neurologist regularly, he’d laid odds on the causes of her seizures, which ones could be corrected and which ones couldn’t.

  “Inoperable,” he replied hoarsely.

  Something inside her collapsed, the truth of her situation taking away any possible future. Until now, she could hope that she wouldn’t get sicker. That maybe the seizures would just miraculously stop on their own. Perhaps unrealistic, but a hope nonetheless. Now she knew better. Now she had to face reality.

  Alice took a moment to digest the news, realizing that perhaps she’d been prepared for this eventuality all this time. While it hurt and saddened her, she’d done the denial and anger thing. She’d been depressed, and no amount of praying had fixed any of her problems. There wasn’t much left to do.

  She waited for the unshed tears to dry up and searched the room, letting the enormity of her diagnosis settle. At last her gaze landed on the vampire standing over her.

  Sebastian didn’t belong here. The designer shirt and flawless jeans might have seemed casual, but his hundred-dollar haircut upheld the image that his clothing alone could pay the groceries for a family of four for a week. The white blanket beneath him had small holes in some places, loops of threads unraveling in others. Beyond him on the wall were dots of patch jobs, a white that didn’t match the dingy white paint. His world was so different from hers and now, as she tried to explain being mortal, it couldn’t have been more apparent.

  “I’ve only just found you,” he said quietly. “I never got the chance to tell you that I...I wanted to turn you, if you would have me.”

  Alice sat up straighter, grateful when her head didn’t swim. “What did you just say?”

  He turned his face toward her. “I was going to ask if you would consider staying with me. As a vampire.”

  Not that he loved her. Not that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Not marriage.

  No. He wanted her to stay with him. As his lover, maybe. Nurse. Historian. But not his love.

  And that realization hurt like hell.

  A week ago, she would have jumped at the chance—jumped!—to be healed. Now...it didn’t feel quite the same. Not to have experienced what she had over the past few days without a guarantee of more. She didn’t know anymore if she could handle going back to her old life. To a life without a man like Sebastian. Without Sebastian.

  “I don’t need your pity.” It took everything within her to keep her voice even. “Once upon a time, I could have used your money. But it’s too late for that now.”

  “It’s not too late. I’ve amassed millions of dollars in my lifetime, and you cannot tell me that it can’t buy your health back.”

  “That’s exactly what I am telling you.”

  “And it’s not my pity.” He barreled forward. “I owe you my life. Without you...I don’t know what would have happened to me if someone else had found me at the club. I don’t know if anyone else would have stayed with me as I grew into my dragon self.”

  But it still wasn’t love he found with her. Damn him. Was it fair to want it from him so soon after they’d met? Probably not. She couldn’t help her feelings though.

  “I’m not giving up, Alice, and don’t you fucking dare consider giving up. I won’t...not without you.”

  She blew out a shaky breath, letting silence referee. He was hurt, and she understood that. Arguing about it would help neither of them. Maybe one day—after she was gone—maybe he’d understand why she’d not told him. Right now, shock made him want to fight for her because that’s what men like him did. They warred against the things that wronged them, not stopping until they emerged victorious.

  What a sucker punch. Bast would turn her because his honor dictated it, but she’d almost be right back to where she was before she’d met him. Alone and without a future, other than the one she begged or stole for herself. If he wasn’t going to be a part of her life after she became a vampire, would it even be worth it?

  Of course, the other option meant certain death.

  “Wait a minute,” she said, brow furrowed. “What time is it? Have you met with the Council yet?”

  “Drew went to make my excuses for last night.”

  “Last night?” Her gaze moved to the clock on the wall. A little after two. “Is it after two in the morning?”

  “Yes.”

  “You shouldn’t have missed it. You should have gone and left me here.” Why would he jeopardize himself like that? From what she’d gathered, the vampires of the Council would not be happy that he’d ignored a summons.

  “They don’t matter to me. You’re more important to me than they are. I won’t leave you like this.”

  “Don’t be...foolish.”

  “Foolish? Why aren’t you taking this seriously? You’re a sick woman, Alice.”

  She pursed her lips. “I’ve been sick a long time. Long before I met you.”

  “I really don’t think you understand yet.” Sebastian rose. He looked tired as he leaned forward and placed his lips against her forehead. The kiss was chaste and sweet. With a finger, he touched the skin of her cheek. The concern and warmness in his eyes was almost strong enough to make her stomach churn. “Your doctor says you have just one more in you, princess.”

  “One more what?”

  “They’re afraid that if you have one more grand mal seizure, that it might not stop. And it’ll probably be enough to kill you.”

  * * *

  Bast left a pale, visibly shaken Alice in the hospital room to step outside while a nurse tended to her. He’d almost gotten violent at the woman’s insistence that he leave. Were it not for Alice’s pleading look, his insistence upon staying might have turned physical. Didn’t give a fuck where they were. He’d take her to see his own physicians if necessary. He still would be, in fact. For now, for her, he’d behave.

  He scanned the hallway of the hospital, pissed beyond all hell he even stood there. At this time of night, hardly anyone stirred. Just some janitor mopping the floors, placing yellow hazard signs wherever a wet spot remained. He figured in the daytime, nurses in cutesy scrubs strolled the halls, some carrying charts. A few with syringes or medicine cups in their hands. Doctors probably walked from room to room with a stethoscope hanging about their necks, lab jackets starched into perfect submission.

  Right now though, the caustic scent of death and illness surrounded him, and his stomach rolled. Even if he’d been desperate enough to seek food here, most likely it would be tainted with medicines designed to keep the weak living just another day longer.

  Alice. His Alice was one of them.

  Seeing her fragile body wracked with uncontrollable rigid movements had almost broken him. The sheer helplessness of having to watch while Drew called for medical assistance left him practically rooted to the spot. He hadn’t known what else to do. How to help her. How to stop it. And once here, her body finally at ease, he thought the worst over. Then the doctor had taken one look at her medical records and told him that she’d been suffering the seizures for more than a year now, and his anger had grown to immeasurable.

  Why hadn’t she trusted him to know? With everything they’d been through, he hadn’t thought he’d needed to say the words out loud. He thought his actions spoke well enough on his behalf. He loved her. Didn’t she realize it? Until this disaster, he’d thought she might have felt the same.

  The phone in his hand chirruped and
without looking at the display, he hit a button and barked into the receiver. “Drew, tell them—”

  There was a pause on the other end. “Sebastian Kent?”

  A voice he didn’t recognize. He frowned. “Yeah.”

  “This is Corin Gerulaitis. My wife would like to speak with your woman.”

  It took him a second to place the clipped manner of speech with the name. He wasn’t surprised the vampire executioner had managed to get ahold of his number, because that’s what that type did. They hunted vampires down by all necessary means. What did bother him was the phone call intended for Alice. No way was he letting her speak with a lethal member of the community without knowing a good reason why. “She’s unavailable.”

  “Your loss.” The phone clicked.

  He scanned the display and couldn’t fucking believe it. Corin had disconnected.

  About to tuck it away, the phone chirruped once again. The same number was calling. He hit a button. “Change your mind?”

  “Sebastian?” A pretty feminine voice. “This is Jasmine...please forgive my husband. He can be a little cautious at times. How is Alice doing? May I please talk to her?”

  Something in him softened upon hearing her speak. He remembered the pretty woman well into pregnancy. That alone said something about her. A lot of vampire females chose never to become pregnant. The ones who did usually yearned for motherhood beyond blood. It spoke volumes of their characters.

  He remembered Alice saying something about making a new friend in Jasmine. He turned toward the hospital room, willing to allow them a chance to reconnect. “Alice is very sick right now and could probably stand to hear from you.” There was a sharp intake of breath, a sign that she hadn’t yet lost the habit of breathing. “For that reason, I’ll ask that you keep the call brief.”

  “I’m so sorry... Of course.”

  There were dark circles beneath Alice’s eyes when he entered, her skin pale and gaunt. She watched him with wariness, as if unsure why he’d returned. He held out the phone. “Jasmine Gerulaitis.”

  Aw Christ, his heart thumped at the way her face brightened as she took it from him. “Hi, Jasmine...”

  There was a lengthy amount of reassurance from Alice, letting her friend know that yes, she was sick, but no, it wasn’t anything major and yes, Bast was taking good care of her. Satisfied it indeed was the true conversation of friends, Bast crossed to the other side of the room and sat in a cold, plastic chair. His eyes burned with fatigue, but there were so many things he needed to do. He needed to research whether Alice could be cured solely by being turned, which he thought she could. One never knew though. If she needed to have the tumor removed first, there were doctors to be researched. Hospitals to contact.

  He fucking had more money than God, and damn it, all of it would work for him when he needed it the most. Nothing less would be acceptable.

  “How do you know this?” Alice’s question came out shaky. Too much distress in it.

  He looked up sharply, every protective cell in his body poised for action. Bast stood, ready to put a halt to the phone call. When she held out a hand, his hackles lowered a fraction. He remained standing though, another four or five minutes, as she listened—not speaking much—before disconnecting.

  “What was that about?” Not the conversation. The reason she looked distraught.

  When she looked at him now though, there was surprise and joy there. “She knows of another like you, and he says you’re going through the equivalent of puberty.” Alice laughed. “This is normal for dragons.”

  Bast didn’t know what to tackle first. His mind whirled with questions, while his knees threatened to buckle. Dropping into the plastic seat, ignoring its loud protest, he stared, dumbfounded. “How...how can she know? Who does she know?”

  “She wouldn’t tell me other than to say it’s a friend of theirs. Another dragon.”

  “But...” He. A male. Could they be related? His father, maybe?

  “I’m supposed to tell you that he’ll come to you when the time’s right, but for now, he is watching. Be patient. He knows about you. And baby, you’re not alone!” Alice laughed, a tear streaking down one cheek. She cupped a hand over her mouth, but her grin pushed her cheeks high.

  It was quite possible his head might explode from overload. A dragon going through puberty. What kind of universe did he live in that it would be so sadistic as to make dragons go through puberty? “Oh, my God. I don’t even know what to ask first.”

  She held out her hands in mock surrender. “Don’t ask me. Honestly, she didn’t say much other than to provide some reassurance. There are a couple of websites she wants me to give to you for reference. She’s going to text them to you. Get me your laptop, and I can work from here looking them up. This is so exciting!”

  For a brief moment, he’d almost forgotten where they were and why they were here. “You,” he said somberly, “will do no such thing. That info can go to Drew, who will look it up.” Bast went to her, hating the disappointment he saw now. The bed creaked as he sat down. “Your only job is to get well. To let me help you do that. I need you to spend a little time considering my offer to become one of us. If it’s not something you can do...” He’d spend the rest of her life trying to convince her to change her mind. “Then at least we need to prepare for whatever medical procedures can reverse your condition. Agreed?”

  The glare she beamed him with should have made his balls detach and run for cover. “Why are you doing this?”

  Frustrated, hopeful, worried, Bast leaned forward until his forehead touched hers. He inhaled her scent, pulling it deep into his lungs. He closed his eyes and tried to think of the best way to make her understand. Voice low, he said, “I need you. Not because I’m sick. Not because I’m a dragon. I need you because you see me. You’ve never feared me. You’ve never looked down on me. You accept me with all of my flaws and even then, you don’t want anything from me. And I know that you don’t need me very much, but Alice—”

  “What?” she interrupted. He opened his eyes. Saw into her startled ones. “Is that what you think?”

  He pulled back slightly. Just a little, afraid that any distance between them now would somehow become permanent. “How could you possibly need me for anything? I have nothing to offer you.”

  She kissed him quickly. “You silly, arrogant man. Of course you do. Do you remember the woman you met not long ago? The one who was running scared with no purpose and no direction? The one who’d just as soon steal from you as smile at you? She’s gone now. You did that, Sebastian. But I won’t become a vampire, not because of that.” She grabbed his arm when he tried to pull away, halting him. “Not even because I’m scared as hell. I need a better reason than that to commit myself to your kind of life.”

  Throat tight, he tried to come up with something to give her. His money meant nothing to her. The sex, as phenomenal as it had been, certainly wasn’t reason enough. Friendship might get her to at least think about it. Maybe... God, he really didn’t have much to offer, did he? With a sigh, he said, “I guess the only reason I have is my love.”

  This time, she added more distance. “You love me?” she whispered.

  Something about her caution made his heavy heart begin to pound. “I do. I love you very much. Enough to want to spend the rest of my life with you. To want you as my mate.” Here came the hard part. The moment before the rejection he always seemed to face. From his mother. His friends. The community. “Do you think maybe
you could love me one day?”

  “I think I can.” She pressed her lips to his. Held them there for three heart-stopping beats before pulling away again. She added in another whisper, “I think I already do.”

  “Thank you, God...” His mouth crashed down on hers again and he kissed her. Kissed her with every bit of his love. With all of the admiration and feeling he had for her.

  They could do this together. They would get through it.

  “Sebastian Kent.”

  Startled, Bast whirled, free hand reaching for a gun that wasn’t there. He’d left it with Drew upon entering the hospital and passing through its metal detectors. Hope Haven would not allow gang members to finish the jobs they’d started.

  The man standing in the doorway had hard eyes. Dark and close together, beneath a brooding brow. They flicked from him to Alice. Back to him. To the window. To him. The studious attention of someone aware of his surroundings at all time. His nose was just small enough to not be considered bulbous, yet was large enough to detract from the rest of his face. Especially with those thin lips and nonexistent chin.

  He was probably a little shorter than Bast, but the way the black shirt stretched across his shoulders suggested some time monitoring his physique. A gray blazer and black slacks rounded out his ensemble. He stood deceptively relaxed, but Bast recognized the tensed muscles of someone ready to move. Most of all, it was the bulge beneath the blazer that caught and held Bast’s attention as he stood, blocking the man’s sight from Alice.

  “What do you want with me, executioner?” Bast asked quietly.

  The man couldn’t be anyone else. The scent of vampire was all over him, overpowered by the stinging assault of ash wood. The only type of wood that could mortally wound a vampire. The tool of the executioner’s trade.

  “You’ve been summoned before the Council. Will you please come with me?”