Blood Curse (Blood Immortal Book 3)

by Ava Benton

  Claudia. She looked as though she’d been living in the woods for weeks, because she had. At least I’d kept up with brushing my hair and washing what I could, when I could.

  “Why don’t the two of you wait here while I see what’s beyond that line of trees?” I asked, keeping my voice light.

  There was no telling who or what was out there. I had seen some fairly easygoing-yet-sheltered people in my travels, residents of small mountain towns who barely batted an eye at anything except strangers.

  Claudia had spent years in the area, but she’d probably bathed and changed her clothes a bit more regularly when she lived among humans.

  I hung back once I broke through the tree line, thanking my lucky stars. A truck stop, complete with a diner. My stomach growled audibly and my mouth watered at the thought of actual food I didn’t have to cook over a fire.

  Still, what was I supposed to do with her? I could give her my hat to cover some of that hair, and I had a jacket in my pack which would cover most of her soiled tank top. It would have to do. I was sure she could use a real meal, too, and an excuse to sit and recover her energy.

  I went back with a huge smile on my face, already pulling off my hat and shaking my blonde curls free.

  “What is it?” Alexander asked, pensive.

  “A restaurant where truck drivers stop to eat while they’re on the road.” I pulled out the windbreaker and handed it to her. “Here. Put this on.”

  She didn’t seem insulted—if anything, she was as hungry and eager as me.

  “We’ll be able to stop there, even though we’re not driving a truck?”

  I exchanged a glance with Claudia before replying. “Yes. It’s not a requirement. Just… try to stay quiet. Don’t say too much. And do not stare, whatever you do.”

  “I’m not a child,” he growled.

  We would see.

  The two of them followed me to the parking lot, then across the worn blacktop.

  I slowed down, falling into step beside Alexander while Claudia flanked him on the other side.

  When had we taken on the responsibility of keeping an eye on him? It was supposed to be the other way around.

  It was the embodiment of a greasy spoon, complete with a Formica counter which ran the length of the room and held platters of cheeseburgers and fries, creamed chipped beef, pancakes and plenty of bacon.

  I could barely speak for the saliva filling my mouth, so I held up three fingers to the gum-popping waitress who approached.

  She sat us at a booth, and Alexander sat across from Claudia and me with observant eyes traveling over everything.

  “Remember. No staring,” I muttered as I raised the menu in front of my face.

  “It’s been too long since I ate at a restaurant,” Claudia smiled. “I might have one of everything.”

  “At these prices, you could.” To think, I was worried about having enough money. I could’ve bought lunch for the entire dining room.

  Alexander had no use for a menu, of course. “Water, please,” he ordered.

  “And a coffee, of course, right?” I smiled brightly.

  He nodded without questioning me, which was a relief. Anything to help us fit in a little.

  I ordered blueberry pancakes with bacon, while Claudia wanted chocolate chip pancakes, a cinnamon roll, a blueberry muffin, two scrambled eggs and a side of home fries.

  Alexander snorted quietly when she finished, and we exchanged a secret smile.

  “How far to the closest motel?” I asked the waitress before she hurried away.

  “Maybe fifteen minutes south.” Which meant we had a lot of walking ahead of us, assuming she was referring to the drive time.

  At least we were going in the right direction.

  “You’re sure you don’t want something, handsome?” The waitress winked, then nudged Alexander with her elbow.

  I held my breath, wincing as I waited to see what he would do.

  “I’m just fine, thanks.” When he winked back, I nearly fell over. He shot me a withering look. “What? I remember what it means to flirt,” he said.

  “I would never have expected to see you do it, is all.”

  “I’m sure there are plenty of things I do that would surprise you.”

  “Oh, I would bet good money on it.” I found myself smiling again and regretted it.

  Lucky for me, it didn’t take long for the food to arrive. The kitchen was a well-oiled machine.

  “I’m in the habit of hoarding food,” Claudia murmured, blushing, when faced with her feast.

  It was a good thing Alexander didn’t order, since there wouldn’t have been room on the table

  Claudia grabbed her fork. “I don’t plan on eating it all now.”

  “I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” I said, patting her arm.

  There was something so fragile about her, I would probably feel protective even if it wasn’t my mission to protect her.

  Alexander raised his eyebrows, but said nothing, and I turned my attention to my food before I made a fool of myself and smiled along with him.

  Suddenly, I wasn’t so hungry. I contented myself with watching Claudia demolish her pancakes.

  She looked happy. At least one of the three of us could be.

  “When is your sister going to get in touch with you?” she asked, licking chocolate off the corner of her mouth.

  Was she reading my mind? Reading minds was my game.

  I shrugged, taking a half-hearted bite of bacon. “I’m not sure. Whenever she has something to share. I’ll let her know once we settle somewhere, too.”

  “I finally have hope, for the first time in a long time,” she smiled.

  “I’m so glad.” I felt Alexander’s disapproving gaze and ignored it.

  There was nothing wrong with encouraging her. The better her mood, the better for all of us.

  “I forgot how much I dislike coffee,” he murmured, putting the cup down with a clatter.

  “Something else you don’t like. How novel.” I turned to Claudia. “Excuse me. I want to visit the restroom. I’ll send the waitress to wrap whatever you want to take with us.”

  And I did, as we crossed paths on my way to the rear of the dining room.

  She looked thrilled for the chance to flirt with him again. What would she think if she knew what he was? I needed to splash cold water on my face and get myself together.

  “What’s wrong with you?” I whispered to my reflection, leaning against the cracked, stained sink. I almost wished he hadn’t saved me from that bear. I wished he wasn’t so kind earlier, as we were leaving the cabin and I burst into tears like an idiot. I wished I didn’t feel like smiling when we looked at each other. Why did that happen? How could I stop it? No matter how I did it, it had to be done.

  My head was down as I left the restroom, my thoughts whirling in all directions. I didn’t notice the burly trucker until I ran into him. It wasn’t difficult, since he’d obviously put himself in my way.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmured as I tried to step around him.

  “What’s your hurry? I don’t let a lady run into me like that without at least getting her name.” He was tall, with arms and legs like tree trunks and a nasty sneer on his face.

  I wondered if that line ever worked on his poor victims.

  “I’m sure you can make an exception,” I said, avoiding eye contact.

  He had no idea who he was dealing with, and I wanted to keep it that way, but if he pushed me…

  “I don’t make exceptions.” He stepped in front of me again, blocking my way.

  “I don’t want trouble,” I warned, my palms tingling.

  I couldn’t stun him in front of dozens of people. Could I?

  “Neither do I,” he almost purred.

  “I do.”

  Just like that, the trucker spun in place and instantly went down, hitting the floor like a ton of bricks when the force of Alexander’s punch hit him in the jaw.

  I watched, too shocked to move, a
s he pressed one knee into the man’s chest, leaning over him.

  “You need to learn some manners,” he growled in a voice that didn’t sound quite human.

  My stomach turned when I caught sight of the claws gripping the man’s shirt.

  “Stop this,” I hissed in his ear, pulling his arm. “Look what you’re doing!”

  Meanwhile, the trucker sputtered and blubbered through the blood trickling down his chin. “I… I was just…”

  The blood.

  Alexander’s breathing changed, became labored.

  I pulled as hard as I could. “Come. On. We have to go, now!”

  If he decided he wanted a drink…

  “What’s going on here?” A cook came out, spatula still in hand. “I don’t want no trouble in my restaurant.”

  “We were just leaving, I promise. My, uh, my boyfriend got a little jealous, is all.” I tried to smile while yanking the vampire’s arm at the same time.

  “Remember this,” he spat at the trucker before getting up.

  From the way he gasped once Alexander’s knee was gone, I guessed he couldn’t breathe, either. He’d probably have a nasty bruise later.

  “I want you out of here!” The cook pointed to the door.

  I nodded like my head was on a hinge as I hurried us through the diner.

  “Take him outside,” I hissed to Claudia as I groped for money in my backpack.

  I couldn’t look anybody in the eye. It was too humiliating. But better that than horrifying, which we had come very close to. I practically ran out the door after dropping much more than we owed on the table.

  “You should’ve let me kill that bastard!” Alexander bellowed when I made it outside.

  “What are you, nuts? What do you think would’ve happened? He harassed me. Big deal. It happens all the time.”

  His eyes went dangerously close to red. “I’ll wait out here for him.”

  “You will do no such thing. We have to get away from here, now. As fast as we can.” I looked at Claudia, who carried her leftovers in a bag.

  “You should speed us out,” she decided, touching Alexander’s arm. “Quickly. We need to disappear before anyone comes out with questions. Or worse.”

  He wanted blood. Vengeance.

  My heart raced at the thought—but it wasn’t fear or dread that did it, not entirely. It was the toe-curling, pulse-pounding arousal he stirred in me.

  He wanted to hurt that man because of the way he’d treated me. It was all for me.

  “Come on. Please.” My hand found his. “Get us out of here. All we need is for that guy to get in his truck and decide to find us on the road.”

  He was still breathing heavily when he looked down at me.

  I held his gaze and reached out to him with my thoughts.

  His head was a snarl of conflicting urges and lusts.

  I couldn’t separate one thought from another.

  Finally, he nodded. “Hold onto me.”

  We both took an arm and held on tight.

  I couldn’t help but look up at his stormy, frustrated, handsome face before he raced off into the woods, heading south.

  12

  Alexander

  “Do you have two adjoining rooms available?”

  I looked down at Daniela in surprise.

  She didn’t acknowledge me.

  “Are you sure we need two rooms?” I asked. How was I supposed to keep them both safe when there were two rooms?

  “Absolutely,” she replied, still looking at the woman behind the desk who smiled knowingly, like she thought she was witnessing a lover’s quarrel.

  “I do have two rooms on the upper level,” the old woman offered.

  “Perfect.” Daniela handed over a stack of bills and signed a receipt before taking two keys.

  I followed her out without another word—no sense starting an argument in front of a stranger. When we were outside, however, where Claudia waited for us...

  “What do you mean, two rooms? What were you thinking?”

  She handed one of the keys to Claudia before turning to me. I had expected her to fly into a rage, but she was surprisingly calm. “I think you should remind yourself what your role is in all of this. You are here to protect your charge and get her past the protection spells to where Ralf is hidden. You are not here to protect me, as I do not need protection.”

  “You did last night,” I reminded her as we jogged up a set of concrete stairs.

  “And if the bear killed me, it was meant to be that way. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life groveling at your feet, thanking you for saving me. I can defend myself.” She looked down at her key, then up at the door in front of her. “This is me. Enjoy your showers.”

  “Daniela!”

  She slammed the door in my face.

  I could’ve easily kicked it down and wanted to. I wanted to throw her to the floor and…

  And what?

  “Come on.” Claudia’s voice was gentle as she took my arm and led me to the next room. I immediately noticed what had to be a television on the dresser, and the two beds in front of it. Her groan was a happy one. “It’s been so long since I spent the night in an actual bed. I don’t even care if it’s a comfortable one.”

  I sat down—it was soft enough—and went over her behavior in my head.

  When we looked at each other in the parking lot of that terrible diner, I was sure we had shared something. I had sensed her in my thoughts.

  She must’ve seen something so ugly there, she couldn’t stand to be near me. That was the only explanation that made sense.

  “Will you be all right out here while I shower?” she asked.

  I nodded, silent, still brooding. I wondered if it was the scene in the restaurant, and if so, she would have to deal with it because I would never have let that slob get away with what he was doing.

  I could hear from a distance, even when there were voices all around me.

  He wouldn’t have let her go unless things escalated, and men like him only understood violence.

  She forgot I was much older than her, and some things never changed.

  The longer I sat there, the hotter my blood ran.

  Who did she think she was, treating me like I was less than the dirt on her boots when I had saved her twice? I didn’t have to do that. I didn’t owe her a damn thing, just as she’d reminded me before slamming that door. I was there for Claudia, not her. I could’ve let that bear do what it wanted with her. I should have.

  “You need to remember who’s in charge of this team!” Daniela’s voice.

  I tuned into the conversation in the next room.

  I could only hear her, but that was enough.

  “Because I said so… No… I said no, Gwyneth. I’ll bring her, and only her…”

  I stood and went to the wall, leaning in closer. I had to be imagining things. It sounded like she wanted to cut me loose. Was she only putting on a show for my benefit? There was no telling.

  I thought I heard a second voice, very faint but raised in argument. It sounded downright violent. But so did Daniela.

  “You’ll do as I say, damn it. I’m tired of you thinking you can tell me what I’m going to do. You’re not here. You’re not the one… You have no idea what you’re talking about! Do you know who you sound like right now? Yes, you do, and that’s not a compliment! You sound just like her, and you won’t listen to reason, just like her!”

  “Could you keep it down in there?” I pounded on the wall with the side of my fist.

  She went silent.

  “What was that?” Claudia called out.

  I went to the door.

  “Nothing. I’m going to go next door—I think Daniela’s speaking with her sister.”

  Speaking with. More like screaming at.

  I hoped none of the people in the rooms around us took it in their heads to complain about her.

  When I knocked at her door, she flung it open. From the flush in her cheeks, it was clear her t
emper was up.

  And from the towel wrapped around her chest and the water dripping from her wet hair, it was clear she had just bathed.

  “What’s all the shouting about?” I asked.

  “Nothing you need to worry about.” Her voice trembled. She was barely in control of herself.

  “I could hear your side of the conversation clear as if I was in the room with you, so I think it’s something for me to worry about. Not to mention anyone on the other side of you. Or the room beneath yours.”

  “All right, all right. I get your point. You don’t need to overstate it.”

  “So? What’s the problem?”

  I let my eyes linger at her waist, then move up over the swells of her breasts to where the towel was firmly tucked. I couldn’t escape the water running in rivulets down her chest that way. I didn’t want to, either. I needed to feast my eyes on her until I couldn’t see more.

  “My eyes are up here,” she whispered, and I looked up to see her pointing at them.

  She didn’t look angry—wryly amused, maybe.

  “What’s the problem?” I asked again, deliberately holding her gaze.

  She sighed and seemed to collapse a little against the metal-framed doorway.

  “Here,” she mumbled, opening the door wider. “You might as well come in. I don’t feel like giving everybody in the parking lot a show.”

  I glanced over my shoulder and remembered with a start that we were outside, and the railing at my back overlooked the cars below. I stepped into the room identical to the one next door, and she locked us in.

  “Have a seat,” she offered, waving to the beds.

  I sat on one, looking up at her, keenly aware of our proximity and location and the scent of sweet soap on her skin. Or was it her hair? Wherever the scent came from, it was almost as intoxicating as blood.

  My fingers dug into the flowered bedspread.

  “I think we have a problem. Or, rather, I do.” She sat on the bed across from the one I chose with her hands folded in her lap. She looked down at them.

  “You said something about wanting to turn me loose. I heard you. I think the entire facility heard you.”

  She shrugged. “I supposed you might as well hear it. I meant what I was saying.”