Consumed: The Vampire Awakenings, Book 8

by Davies, Brenda K.

  “We can’t,” Mike said.

  His callous attitude irritated her, and she scowled at him. “We’re all getting to safety.”

  Mike stopped himself from scowling back at her. When it came to making sure she stayed alive, he didn’t care what happened to Holden, but she didn’t want to hear that, and he had no time to argue with her.

  He was about to turn back for Holden when his attention was drawn to the nearly full moon rising over the sea. The white light shimmering across the gentle waves created a pathway toward the shore. The same thing probably happened every night, but tonight he could see the moon rising, whereas the other nights the height of the cliffs blocked his view of the ocean.

  That’s when he realized the cliffs were almost gone. Mike kept hold of Mollie as he veered to the right and stopped at the edge of the cliffs; it was only a ten-foot jump now. The humans could climb down without a problem, but what if they got down there and there was nowhere to hide? They would be visible to anyone who looked over the cliffs.

  Another howl sounded, but this one was practically breathing down their necks. “We have to climb down,” he said.

  Mollie leaned over the edge to peer at the sand below. A few rocks jutted up here and there along the beach, but the space beneath her was smooth from years of the ocean rolling over it.

  She pulled her arm away from Mike and, bending her knees, jumped off the edge. Air rushed around her as she fell; for a second, she felt like she had as a kid when she would jump off the swings to fly through the air.

  Then she was hitting the ground. Her knees bent to take the brunt of the impact, and the sand gave way beneath her feet, making the landing easier than she’d anticipated. The man in the moon looked close enough to touch. She’d never seen the phenomenon so clearly before, and it caused hope to fill her as the breeze speckled her cheeks with sea spray. They would find Aida, and they would get out of this somehow.

  Then Holden landed beside her and Mike fell on the other side of her.

  “What now?” Holden asked.

  “Now we stay to the wall and hope we find shelter,” Mike replied.

  * * *

  Mollie crept toward the back of the cave Mike had discovered. Her shoes slipped in the sand beneath her feet, and she kept her hands in front of her, so she didn’t walk into a wall. She only made it twenty feet before her palms smacked against a stone wall at the end of the cave.

  “You okay?” Mike whispered from behind her.

  “Yes,” she replied as she turned away from the wall.

  The moon’s rays dimly illuminated the front of the cave, but Mollie couldn’t see anything in the oppressive dark surrounding her. She tried not to think about the spiders and other critters watching her from the shadows as she slid down the wall to sit against it. Beneath her ass, the sand was dry, but the crash of the waves outside chilled her. Unfolding the quilt, she draped it around her shoulders. The rocks may be cold, but the thick walls helped mute the howls and screams piercing the air with increasing frequency.

  Holden released a breath, slumped against a wall, and slid to the ground. It had taken them almost two miles of traversing the beach before discovering this cave, and by then Holden was barely standing. His head bent forward, and less than a minute later, his rhythmic breathing filled the air.

  “The water comes in here sometimes,” she murmured.

  “Probably only during storms,” Mike assured her. “And the ocean will help mask our scent.”

  Settling onto the sand beside her, he took the piece of quilt she offered him, draped his arm around her shoulders, and drew her against his side. The warmth of her pliant body against his helped ease some of his remaining tension. He wouldn’t mind a cigarette, but he buried the craving.

  “I have to find Aida,” she murmured before yawning.

  “We will.”

  “Tomorrow, we should head toward the chimney you saw from the lighthouse. Maybe Aida’s in that building.”

  “We’ll decide tomorrow.” He didn’t want to take Mollie where the Savages might be centered, but her sister probably was somewhere near there. Jack and Doug might also still be in that area. “You have to rest.”

  Before she knew what he intended, Mike lifted her and settled her in his lap. Shock caused her to stiffen, but when he wrapped his powerful arms around her, she relaxed against him. Nestling closer, she lowered her head to his chest. The beat of his heart beneath her ear and the warmth of his body lulled her to sleep.

  Mike buried his face in her hair as he cradled her against him, savoring the feel of her in his arms. When she drifted off to sleep, his heart slowed until the two of them fell into rhythm with each other.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  When Mollie woke the next morning, she discovered Mike kneeling at the front of the cave with Holden at his side. Pink lit the morning sky and glittered across the water as the waves crashed against the shore. The ocean rolled in closer to the cave than it had the night before, but at least five feet of beach remained between the cave and the sea.

  Mike’s head turned toward her, but no smile curved his lips when their eyes met.

  “What’s wrong?” Mollie asked as she tossed the quilt aside and rose to approach them.

  “I’m going out to find you both water and something to eat,” he said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

  Red shimmered in his eyes when his gaze flicked to Holden. That was when Mollie understood the idea of going back out there wasn’t what bothered him; he was reluctant to leave her here with Holden.

  “We’ll be fine,” she assured him.

  “Hmm,” he grunted, but his shoulders remained tensed, and his nostrils flared.

  Holden eased away from Mike and back toward her, which wasn’t the best idea as Mike’s hostility ratcheted up until it practically vibrated the walls of the cave. A vein throbbed to life in the center of his forehead as he pinned Holden with a stare that would make the angriest poltergeist flee.

  With the way he was acting, Mollie almost suspected Mike was jealous, but though they’d shared some intimacies, she didn’t think they’d gotten close enough for that emotion.

  Then she recalled how safe she’d felt in his arms as the beat of his heart lulled her to sleep. Maybe they had grown close enough for jealousy to become an issue. The idea of anyone else touching him made her fingers curl until her nails bit into her palm. Rational or not, short amount of time knowing each other or not, she would hit anyone who tried anything with him.

  Rising, Mike strolled over and clasped Mollie’s arm; he led her toward the back of the cave. When they reached the back wall, he glanced toward Holden to make sure the human couldn’t hear what he had to say to her.

  He grasped both her arms before speaking. “You keep that rifle at the ready and don’t hesitate to use it, against anyone, if it becomes necessary. I’ll hear the shot and get back here as soon as I can,” he told her.

  “We’ll be fine,” she said again, but his hands only tightened on her. “There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Don’t trust him because he’s human, Mollie. Humans can be as vicious as any vampire.”

  She wanted to deny his words, but she’d seen enough awful stories on the news to know it was true. “I understand.”

  Mike released her arm to clasp her chin. “Be ready for anything.”

  “I will.”

  He remained unmoving, torn between leaving and knowing the only way to keep her alive was to make sure she had water and food. Lifting her chin, he bent to kiss her. She gasped in a breath before melting against him and grasping his forearms.

  Mike only meant it to be a goodbye kiss, but the second their tongues entwined, he found himself seeking to brand himself onto her as the kiss deepened. When he started growing aroused, he broke the kiss before it became impossible to walk out of this cave. Mollie’s eyes were dazed as she blinked at him before a smile curved her mouth.

  “Shoot to kill if it becomes necessary,” Mike
said.

  Her smile vanished, and her eyes darted to Holden. “It won’t be necessary, but I’ll protect myself.”

  Mike hoped Holden deserved her optimism. He reluctantly released her, kissed her forehead, and stalked to the front of the cave. Mike stopped beside Holden, who was leaning against the wall, staring with far too much intensity at the ocean. Mike suspected Holden had seen their kiss, and he’d intended for the human to see it so Holden would know who she belonged to.

  “If something happens to her, or if you try anything, I’ll kill you,” Mike vowed.

  Holden’s head shot toward him, and his mouth dropped. “I… I’d nev-never do anything inappropriate,” Holden sputtered.

  Mike scowled at him before turning and leaving the cave.

  * * *

  Mollie sat against the wall five feet inside the cave and across from Holden. The man had barely spoken to her since Mike left, probably because Mike petrified him. Not that she blamed him, after the way Mike was with him, and after everything Holden had endured at the hands of vampires.

  The loud rumble of his stomach caught her attention, and she glanced at her watch. Mike left an hour ago. He could be back any minute now, or it could be at least another hour.

  “Hopefully he’ll be back soon with something to eat,” she said to Holden.

  He grunted in response. Mollie rolled her eyes and turned back to the waves. The tide had retreated again to expose more beach. Unfortunately, the waves didn’t bring any mollusks or seaweed that could be boiled and eaten. There might be crabs in the sand, but she didn’t dare expose herself by leaving the cave to search for them.

  “Do you really trust him?” Holden asked.

  “Hmm?” Mollie had been so absorbed in the sea his question didn’t quite register.

  “The vampire, do you really trust him?”

  “Yes. Mike saved my life, and he’s helped keep me alive. I trust him completely.”

  Something like disgust flickered over Holden’s face before he covered it up and looked away.

  “You can trust him too,” she said.

  “I think he’s far more likely to kill me than you if he gets hungry.”

  Mollie detected bitterness in his tone. “Mike’s not going to use either of us for food. He’s been feeding on animals.”

  “And what if he grows bored with them? I mean, I’m no expert, but I’m guessing human blood probably tastes better than animal to them.”

  He was probably right, but Mollie wasn’t in the mood to debate which blood was better than which. “You can trust him,” she said again.

  He gave her a look that made her realize he didn’t particularly trust her either. Fine, be an ass.

  Mollie focused on the sea again as a shadow fell across the front of the cave. The unexpected lurch of excitement jarring her heart made her realize how much she’d missed Mike. Rising, she held the rifle loosely in front of her as someone entered the cave.

  She couldn’t see the face, but she knew the slender build wasn’t Mike’s. Holden scrambled to his feet and staggered back as another man stepped inside. Mollie heard something like sniffing, but with the sun at the backs of the men, she couldn’t make out much about the details of their faces.

  She edged back as the first man sauntered further into the cave before stopping a few feet away from her. When he moved into the shadows, she got a better view of his lean face, brown hair, and red eyes. He didn’t seem as insane as the vamps who attacked Holden, but he wasn’t as in control as Mike either.

  When the other man stepped next to him, Mollie saw the second vampire had blond hair and red eyes. Their hunger beating against her made her stomach turn.

  “Stay back!” she commanded, lifting the rifle to her shoulder. Holden scrambled behind her as she crept further back into the cave. “This rifle has wooden bullets, and I will kill you.”

  “Easy,” the first vamp said, holding up his hands. “We’re not here to hurt you.”

  “Then why are you here?” she demanded.

  The vamps exchanged a glance before focusing on her again. The blond’s eyes traveled to her neck, and she caught the faint gleam of a fang when his lips pulled back.

  “Stay away!” Mollie pointed the barrel at the first vamp’s heart.

  “We’re only asking for a little taste,” the brunet said.

  Mollie steadied her hand when it shook on the gun. She cursed the increasing sweatiness of her palms as her heart jackhammered. She’d told Mike she would shoot to kill if it was necessary, but the sound of a gunshot might only bring more of them, and it would be deafening in this confined space.

  If she could get them to go away without shooting them, she was going to try. These men had been out in the sun; they couldn’t be as Savage as the vamps who’d held them captive. Maybe they did only want a little taste, but she would not be the blood supply for some vampire.

  Unless it’s Mike. Mollie buried her surprise over the sudden thought and focused on the menace before her.

  “Get out of here,” Mollie ordered.

  “Only a little taste,” the blond purred in a tone that made Mollie’s blood run cold.

  Maybe they weren’t as out of control as the other vamps, but one taste would not be enough for them. These creatures wouldn’t be able to stop themselves once they started feasting. Behind her, Holden released a strangled cry as he seemed to reach the same conclusion as her. He sounded half on the verge of tears and half on the edge of screaming.

  Keep it together, she silently commanded him as she took another step back.

  “Get. Out.” Mollie bit the words out from between her clenched teeth.

  She’d just finished speaking when the blond shoved the brunet at her. Thrown off by the unexpected move, Mollie’s hand jerked and she fired the rifle, but the shot was off the mark. Instead of striking his chest, the brown-haired vamp took a bullet to the gut. Mollie’s ears rang as the shot boomed throughout the cave.

  The blond was nearly on top of her by the time she readjusted her aim, and the brunet was already recovering, though he looked far more pissed. If he got his hands on her, he would have no problem dining on every ounce of her blood. She was about to shoot again when Holden placed his palms on her shoulder blades and shoved her forward.

  “Take her!” Holden shouted.

  Mollie didn’t have time to register her disbelief over his betrayal before the vamps clasped her arms and dragged her forward.

  “No!” she screamed when the rifle was wrenched from her hands, and a malicious face filled her vision.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Mollie kicked out and twisted her head to the side when a hot breath expelled against her cheek. Fingers dug into her flesh until she was sure they were going to shred her skin from her bones.

  I’m going to die. She despised the thought the second it crossed her mind, but every thud of her heart was filled with the certainty these were the last seconds of her life.

  Then a roar rose to replace the ringing in her ears, and someone squealed. The vampire holding her suddenly jerked forward, as if he’d been struck by a blow. A gurgled, wet sound resonated out of his throat and blood trickled from his mouth.

  When Mollie’s eyes flew open, her gaze locked on Mike standing behind the vampire. Mike’s eyes blazed such a vibrant shade of red that, for a second, she didn’t recognize him and believed he was another monster who’d come to drain her dry.

  But he wasn’t another monster. He was Mike, and he looked exactly like one of those Savages.

  Fear that Mike had become one of those things and she would die at his hands filled her. “No,” she moaned.

  The vamp grunted as his body jerked backward a couple of inches. Then Mike grasped his shoulder and snatched the vamp away from her. He tossed the vamp into the wall on her right. Bones crunched sickeningly, but the already dead vampire didn’t feel any pain.

  Mollie’s gaze fell on the heart in Mike’s fist. Blood coated him up to his wrist and plopped onto the
floor of the cave as his malevolent eyes focused on her. His shoulders heaved with each of his harsh breaths as his eyes burned into her.

  Behind Mike, the body of the blond vampire lay on the ground, though she couldn’t tell he was blond anymore as she had no idea where his head was.

  A hysterical laugh bubbled up inside her. The headless guy didn’t bother her; no, it was the knowledge that Mike, the one man she’d come to trust, was about to make her as headless as the blond. After he drained her dry, of course.

  The compulsion to laugh abruptly passed and tears burned her eyes. She would not cry. She would not leave this world a blubbering mess.

  Straightening her shoulders, she held Mike’s gaze until it flashed behind her. She’d forgotten about Holden until she heard him whimper. She listened as his fingers scoured rock while he scrambled into the back of the cave, but she didn’t tear her attention away from Mike to look at the asshole who’d been more than happy to sacrifice her.

  “I saw what you did,” Mike hissed.

  The hair on Mollie’s arms rose. She barely recognized his voice as the fangs he revealed when he spoke distorted it. He stalked toward her before passing her and snatching up Holden.

  Mollie blinked when she realized it wasn’t her he was so enraged with—it was Holden. Panic flooded her when his words from earlier blazed back across her mind. “Each death pushes them more toward becoming a Savage while it strengthens and weakens them.”

  “Mike, no!” she cried when he grabbed Holden’s throat. As much as she’d like to pummel the piece of shit herself, she couldn’t let Mike take this step that would only lead toward his darker side. “Please don’t!”

  Mike’s hands froze on Holden’s head and throat. He’d been about to break the man’s neck when Mollie’s pleas and the frantic tone of her voice cut through the haze of fury enshrouding him. Never in his life had he wanted to destroy someone as badly as he did Holden, but he found himself hesitating for her.