Her blue eyes sparkled with expectancy as she looked up at me. I wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to start my birthday all over again.
“What do you wish to know?” I asked.
“Tell me who you used to be, how you were turned, and about your sire,” she said. “Tell me what it’s like to become a vampire.”
There was something in the way she said that. Not only did she want to know everything about me, she was interested in the change. Did she feel the certainty that I did? Did she know that she was my amor aeternus?
I kissed her forehead, closed my eyes, and shared the tale I’d never told another soul.
March 24, 1832
Edingshire England
Heavy rain pelted thick panes of clouded glass. If there had been sunlight left to illuminate my workspace, surely it was now gone for the evening. I lit the half-burned candle on my desk and attempted to complete my report.
It was the latest case of what appeared to be an evolved strain of typhus. Fever, rash, and headache were the telltale symptoms. No other doctor was willing to touch one of the infected, let alone perform an autopsy. It was my duty to study the victims, and search for a cure.
The man on the table was my most recent and hopeful attempt. I had tried bleeding, broth, and hot baths. I’d prescribed opium for pain, willow bark for fever. None had offered more than a temporary reprieve for the patients before, and none did for him either.
A rapping on the door echoed through the silent room, and rattled through my aching head.
I passed the body of my most recent failure, and made my way across the room.
“Just a minute,” I called.
The room spun as it had for two nights past, ever since the fever started. Soon it would be me on that table, with no physician by my side.
I opened the door and leaned against the frame, expecting another delivery of the infected. That was all who came. Delivery and disposal.
The man standing below his umbrella in the pouring rain was tall, lean, and well-dressed—too well to belong in a place such as this. His green eyes were soft, and kind. His hair was gray, that which I could see below his hat. The color of his hair and the wrinkles on his face aged him, yet he possessed a quality of youth that made his years difficult to determine.
“Doctor Chapman, I presume,” the man said. He removed his cap and bowed his head. His accent was unfamiliar, something from beyond the British Isles.
“Yes,” I replied. “How may I—” A coughing fit cut short my words, stung and tightened my chest.
“Your reputation precedes you,” he said. “May I come in?”
I gestured for him to enter, still unable to speak. I cleared my throat.
The man walked past me and stopped by the edge of the table. The presence of the body didn’t seem to bother him, and neither did my affliction.
“Unfortunate business,” the man said. “Let me introduce myself. I’m known as Tyr.”
It was an uncommon name, yet more likely his designation than surname.
“Do you have a last name, sir?” I asked.
“Of sorts,” he replied. “I am known as Ulfhednar, though I’m sure the term is beyond your years.”
There was something about this man, something dangerous that put me off balance. Though if he wished me harm, there was little time left to be concerned with.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“I’m glad you asked, Doctor Chapman,” he said. “I’m here to offer you a gift, one that will end your suffering, cure your ills, and grant you eternal life.”
It sounded too good to be true. And it was.
“So if not for Tyr Ulfhednar, you would have died?” Violet asked.
“Yes.”
“Then I’m thankful for him,” she said. “For saving you.”
She was sweet, and even more gorgeous when she smiled like that. I was reminded of my dream, of the way she had looked at me on the beach, in the sun. It was the same way she looked at me now, with love.
“I’ve done terrible things,” I said. “I didn’t have a family to turn on, but many do. A new vampire’s first victims are often those he or she loves.” I had to tell her all of it. She couldn’t choose a life with me if she didn’t know. “Eternal life is both a gift and a curse. I’m haunted by the lives I’ve taken, driven by a desire that would have once sickened me, and as those around me wither and die, I’m left to mourn.”
“Are you afraid to watch me grow old?” she asked.
“More afraid that you won’t,” I admitted. “This thing we do, this mess that we must deal with—there will be bloodshed.”
“Are you going to try to leave me behind again?” she asked.
“No.”
“Good,” she said. “You know I’d just follow you anyway, right?”
“I know,” I said. “But Violet, I must know before we embark on this path…”
“Yes?”
“If something happens, a mortal wound…” My chest grew tight before I spoke the words. It needed to be said. I had to ask. “Do you wish to be turned?
“I—”
“Don’t answer right away,” I said. “For me, there have been times I’d wished I’d said no. Others, such as the time since I met you, I couldn’t fathom changing the past, because it led me here.”
Her lips brushed mine, soft, tender, and sweet. I kissed her back and pulled her close, feeling the supple swell of her ample breasts against my chest, the heat that radiated off of her.
“What if I don’t want to grow old,” she whispered. “What if I already know what I want—to stay just like this with you, forever.”
It was everything I wanted. She was everything I wanted. And her words filled me with hope and joy beyond what I could have dreamed. Still, I knew how much it was that she would be giving up. I knew that no words could describe how much her life would change.
“Nothing would please me more, Violet,” I said. “But I cannot chance you suffering pain and regret. Take the day. Enjoy the sun. At nightfall I will return for your answer, amor aeternus.”
She drew in a deep breath, and I stole one final kiss. I knew if she changed her mind, it could be our last. And before the sun could rise, I returned to my flat, to my bed beneath the floorboards, and dreamed of her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Violet
Amor aeternus. The first thing I did after Walter left wasn’t just stand there dumbstruck, staring to the place where he had been. No, this time I pulled out my phone and Googled the heck out of his words.
Eternal love. This time I stared dumbstruck at my phone. Those two words made this all so real. After hunting down and exterminating vampires for years, I was both in love with one and considering spending eternity as one of the very beings I’d hunted. Sometimes fate has a sense of humor.
It still surprised me that I’d admitted it to him, that I’d said out loud what I was feeling. I’d never wanted to become a vampire, never wanted to be bitten by one, never even considered associating with one—before him.
What would it be like to give up life as I knew it? He’d mentioned family. Would my first instinct be to hunt down and eat my parents? I shuddered at the thought. Walter wouldn’t let that happen, even if I couldn’t help it. But would I still be me? How long would it take to be myself again if what woke up after the change was a bloodthirsty monster?
I decided to do exactly what Walter had suggested, and spend time in the sun, instead of inside, instead of sleeping. It very well could be my last sunrise.
In the fight that was coming, someone was likely to end up dead. As the one mortal, that made me the red shirt.
I walked out onto the balcony and looked over the city. Street lamps dulled as the black sky mixed with navy. It was the moment before daybreak where all things nocturnal were warned of a new day to come. Bright light peeked over dark high-rises, allowing all the little details to come into focus. Cars were more than headlights, trees were leaves and branches inste
ad of big, dark lollipops. The change was beautiful, but I’d always liked sunset more. And there was nothing wrong with big, dark lollipops.
When I was content that I’d experienced all there was to see, and the sky was bright with sun and the occasional cloud, I showered, dressed in a set of clean clothes, and set out on my day’s adventure.
I visited the arboretum, and took a ride on a ferry. I walked through an art museum, and sat outside a little cafe that overlooked the harbor. I ate chocolate and sipped a hot cup of tea as I watched boats pass by. Of all of it, I knew chocolate was what I would miss the most. If I went through with this change.
I pictured Walter’s face, the way his features contorted when he’d tasted his birthday cake. Missing out on chocolate was probably better than ending up dead. But what happened if I survived? Did he watch me grow old while he remained the same? How long could we make that work?
I popped my fourth chocolate truffle into my mouth and dialed a number I hadn’t called in over a year.
The phone rang, and rang, before the answering machine came on. It was my mother’s voice.
“You’ve reached the Fields residence. All investment opportunities and legal matters must be addressed through our attorney, Lyle Hamburg, 555-5550.”
It beeped, and I realized I didn’t know what to say.
“Hi, Mom and Dad,” I said. “It’s me. I want you to know that I’m safe. And I’m happy. And I love you.”
I hung up. It was all there really was to say. They wanted me to be someone I wasn’t, and I needed to be me. There wasn’t anything for me that I would miss more than I would regret saying no to Walter. It was like I once dreamed it could be—there really were good vampires, and I’d found one. I was ready for this, as ready as I could be. I was ready to say yes.
I savored the rest of my box of candy, the finest dark chocolate made in Scarlet Harbor, then I returned to my hotel to rest before the night to come. Whether I was injured or not in the fight, I’d made up my mind. I didn’t love the idea of becoming what I hunted. I still didn’t like vampires as a general rule. But because of him, I knew we could make it work. We could be the exception to everything that vampires represented. I would say yes to Walter, and everything that came along with him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Walter
I’d chosen the docks because Violet and I were the only ones who knew exactly where to look for the crates of guns, and where we had seen Evans before. It made more sense than sending Charles or Bennet there to search. But before chasing leads, my first stop after waking was Violet’s hotel room.
Nervousness swirled in my gut, an unfamiliar feeling. What would I do if she said no? Just as terrifying, what happened if she said yes? I’d gone to bed with this feeling and woken to it.
Before I could knock, Violet opened the door. She wore her hair up, pulled back from her face. A navy t-shirt hugged her chest beneath her dark jacket. Tight pants clung to her legs. Around her thigh was a band of weapons, and more weapons were sure to be hidden within her coat. She was a vision of confidence, determinism, strength, and beauty.
“Hey,” she said.
“Good evening,” I replied.
“I’m all set to go,” she said.
“I see.”
“Are you waiting for my answer before you whisk me off?” she asked, her smile glowing brighter than any summer day.
“Yes,” I replied. “Did you enjoy your day in the sun?”
“I did,” she said. “But I prefer our nights beneath the moon. My answer is yes.”
I let the word sink in. She’d chosen to turn. It was only a precaution, if harm fell upon her, but still, she said yes.
“Very good,” I said. I hoped it wouldn’t come to that. I’d do everything in my power to keep her alive, well, and unharmed. Still, she said yes.
I lifted her into my arms, and she leaned in close. The city was a blur of light as we traveled. It was one of my favorite parts of our nights together, just holding her. And as always, it ended all too soon.
I set Violet down by the edge of the fence, the same section of chain link she’d cut before.
“Tell me about your day,” I whispered.
She climbed through the hole in the wire, and held open the flap for me to follow.
“I saw all the sights,” she said, “ate all the chocolate, and still, this was what I thought about, and what I looked forward to—seeing you.”
My heart was full. How had I become so lucky? It was too good to be true.
Violet moved through the shadows, sticking close to the metal shipping containers. She’d already mastered stealth better than my progeny. As a vampire, she would be a natural.
We closed in on the place where the wooden crate had been, by the water where we had seen Evans before. A metal shipping container was missing from the area, and there was no sign of him or anyone else.
I hoped Bennet was having better luck.
BANG.
A flash of light flew by, an inch from my face. I blinked and turned in time to see fluorescent blue and purple splatter around a circular hole in rippled metal.
BANG.
I put myself between Violet and the direction the projectile had come. It was instinct. Protect her at all costs. I held her out by her shoulders, looked her over for injury. Panic rose in my chest, knotted my stomach. I couldn’t lose her, not Violet.
“I’m okay,” she said.
She pulled me down behind a forklift, out of the path of destruction, at least for the moment.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” I replied. My gums tingled as my fangs grew long. I clenched my fists, and I ran toward the blasts.
Short, black hair, tall, brawny—it was Petzly. His button nose didn't belong on a man so large, a quality amplified by the ring that adorned it. The thought crossed my mind every time I saw him. It was no surprise to see that it was him firing at us. I only hoped Evans was with him.
Petzly stood still like an idiot, eyes darting back and forth as he scanned the scene for us. I lunged forward and snapped his forearm in half, before slamming his back against the side of a shipping container. The hand dangled as he cried out in pain. And more importantly, his pistol clattered to the ground.
“Where’s Evans?” I asked, barely restraining the rage within. I wanted to tear him to pieces for daring to shoot in Violet’s direction.
“Hey, look, man,” he whimpered, “I was just… following orders.”
Pain shone all over the strain on his face.
“Where?”
“I can’t—”
A small, soft hand touched my shoulder. Violet.
“Let me,” she said, and picked up the gun.
“I’m guessing these bullets are ultraviolet,” she said.
Petzly shook his head. “I, uh—”
“You don’t have to answer. I’ve seen them before,” she said.
I’d forgotten to ask her. I should have done so sooner. Not that it mattered now.
She pointed the barrel at his head.
“Does it have to be the heart, or if I blow your brains out, will that suffice?”
“Look, wait,” he stammered.
“Answers,” Violet said. “I don’t like waiting.”
She aimed at his boot and fired.
BANG.
His shrill screams carried through the dark night. If there were late shift workers on duty, I hoped they remained glamoured.
Petzly’s leg shook, and his body convulsed. He would have collapsed if I hadn’t held his shoulders still.
“I bet that foot’s turning all black and gross and bubbly like a hotdog left too long on a campfire. Kind of smells like it,” Violet said.
I was tempted to check the damage, see exactly what we were up against, though I had seen what one of those did when it struck the heart. The charred body from the estate was proof of that.
“You’re working with a group from New York,” Violet said. “Yes
or no?”
Petzly nodded his head emphatically. “Yes.”
“What did you and your buddy promise them to bring them all the way down here?” she asked.
“Equal share,” he said.
“Of?” Violet asked.
“The territory,” he said. “Evans takes the seat, but just the city. They get everything else if they help take down that bitch on the throne.”
Violet nodded. “And when do they strike?”
My phone rang. I looked at the number. Charles.
“Now,” Petzly said. “They strike now.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Violet
There was no hesitation, no talk of what to do with the bloodsucker, only action. I ended Petzly with a bullet to the chest. His words echoed in my head, even after he was gone—they strike now. I couldn’t imagine what Walter was feeling, with an attack on not just his territory, but his progeny, and his sire’s legacy. With Petzly out of the picture, there was no time to waste. Walter lifted me into his arms, and whisked me away to protect his family.
The lawn was littered with corpses, blackened from the bullets that had originated in New York. Any one of the bodies could have belonged to Bennet or Charlie. It was impossible to tell.
Walter stopped on the doorstep and pulled a long knife from his coat. It was both beautiful and ornate, a surprise since he was a no-frills kind of guy. For him to carry something like that, it had to mean something special to him.
“Are you sure you wish to enter?” he asked.
Sounds came from within the open doorway, those of seething anger and anguish.
“You may remain—” he began.
“I’m coming.”
“Do not leave my side,” he said.
I nodded.
He kissed my forehead. “Know that I love you with all that I am, amor aeternus.”
“I love you, too.”
It was the first time we’d said that out loud, and there wasn’t a moment to let it sink in. Not now.
Hunted: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Vampires of Scarlet Harbor Book 2) Page 11