Is he right? She pondered as her hands curled around his forearms. From the beginning, he’d been protective and caring, and she’d felt a connection to him. She’d trusted him when she had little to base that trust on. And now he was telling her he might become something completely different than the man she was falling for; the possibility terrified her.
“Why couldn’t you change me until we’re off this island?” she asked as she pulled away.
“Because a newly turned vampire has to feed soon after their change.”
Mollie couldn’t stop herself from grimacing at his words. She didn’t mind his blood, but she did not want to be hunting people or animals to feed on.
Mike smiled as he ran his hand over her hair. “I could be the only one you fed on if you turn, but when you first transition, I have to feed well and on humans to supply you with the nourishment you’ll require to get through the change.”
“I see,” Mollie murmured. “But I can’t become a vampire; I have Aida to care for, a job, school, my dreams. I can’t abandon all those things.”
“I’d never ask you to abandon any of them.”
“Aida—”
“Will be cared for, as will you. Listen to me; I’m not asking you for a decision now. This is bigger than a lifetime commitment, and if you choose to be my mate, your life will forever be linked to mine. If I die, you would either die or go insane, and vice versa. It’s scary to think about, but I promise I will do everything in my power to make our life together amazing, and I will make all your dreams come true.”
Mollie couldn’t breathe as he whispered those words and kissed her knuckles. What would it be like to live forever, with Mike, who was everything she could have imagined in a partner and more? And who was also warning her that he might become an extremely cranky vampire soon? She’d already seen how vicious he could be, and the idea of it getting worse unnerved her.
“What if we get off this island and I decide I don’t want to change, what becomes of you if we don’t complete the bond?” she asked. Mike shrugged, but she noted the tensing of his muscles and a glimmer of red in his eyes.
“Then I will respect your decision.”
“But what will happen to you? Tell me the truth.”
“A vampire who loses their mate eventually goes insane, and we’ve had enough interaction that it would most likely happen to me.”
“Could you be saved?”
Mike’s lips clamped together. She would only accept the truth, but if he gave it to her, she might feel as if he were pushing her into a corner or trying to guilt her into joining him, and he didn’t want that for her. She had to make this decision on her own, and she had to stay with him because she wanted to be with him as badly as he did her.
“Mike?”
“Probably not.” He believed it was more of a no than a probably, but he wasn’t entirely sure. No one knew the future for sure, and there was always a chance he could continue without her.
“I see,” she whispered as she studied his deep blue eyes.
This man was so powerful and confident, yet he was telling her that his life was in her hands. For years, she’d considered herself nothing special, and many times during those years, she’d despised everything about herself.
It had taken time, but she’d learned to stop hating herself for things that weren’t true. She wasn’t fat and ugly; she never had been, no matter how skewed her vision of herself was for far too long. Maybe she didn’t brim with self-confidence like Aida, but she knew who she was, accepted it, and most importantly, she’d grown to love herself.
But now Mike was telling her that she was uniquely special… to him. Resting her hand on his cheek, she ran it across the blond stubble forming a scruffier beard on his square jaw. In the brief time they’d spent together, Mollie had come to care for him more than she ever thought she could care for a man, but was she willing to bind her life to his for eternity?
And not to mention, their relationship hadn’t gotten the most normal start. What if outside this life-and-death existence they found each other boring? She didn’t think Mike could ever be boring, but it could happen.
Mike gripped her fingers and kissed the back of her knuckles before drawing her toward him. “You have plenty of time to decide, Mollie,” he murmured against her mouth before rolling onto his back and dragging her across his chest.
“Mate or not, I’m still going with you tomorrow.”
Mike groaned as her eyes held his. This was a battle he couldn’t win without causing irreparable damage to their relationship. “You have to stay with me.”
“I will,” she promised as she bit her bottom lip.
Unwilling to give either of them more time to think and worry, he slid his lengthening cock between her thighs and smiled when she trembled against him.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The sun was creeping over the horizon when Doug returned and stayed with her while Mike went out to hunt for them. Mollie was acutely aware of his scrutiny, and she felt like a leper as the vampire with the warm smile went out of his way to avoid her.
“Mike told me what he thinks I am to him,” she said.
“He doesn’t think it,” Doug replied. “He knows what you are to him.”
“Is that why you avoid me, or do you not like me?”
He gave her a sad smile. “From what I know of you, you seem like a very likable and resourceful person; you’re a little stubborn, but I like stubborn. However, I’ve been around enough mated vamps to know to steer clear of their mates when the bond isn’t complete. Mike’s been my best friend for over forty years, and he’d kill me for you.”
Mollie gawked at him. “No, he wouldn’t! He said he’d be more volatile, but he’d never hurt you.”
“Normally he wouldn’t; the way things are between you now, he would. And since I enjoy my life, I’d prefer not to take any chances with him or you.”
“I see,” she murmured.
She contemplated his words until Mike returned and she devoured the food he brought. Afterward, they went out in search of Jack and more weapons. When afternoon arrived, they returned to the spruces with nothing to show for their efforts.
The sun was starting to descend when they reemerged from the trees and made their way through the woods toward the barn. Nearing the barn, Doug stopped in front of her, and Mike settled his hand on her shoulder.
To avoid the hill, they’d approached the barn from a different direction than the one they’d fled it from. Coming up around the side of the hill put them in a position to face the large front doors. The entire barn was red with white trim, but the two sliding doors were white and had two crossed beams on the front of them that formed an X. That X was painted bright red.
X marks the spot, she thought, and for some reason, a shiver of foreboding raced down her spine.
Mike edged closer to her as, behind the closed doors, a clattering bang sounded. He glanced at Doug when he realized the sound was one of the cages being thrown open.
“What the fuck?” Mike whispered.
“I don’t know,” Doug replied.
Mike’s eyes swung back to the barn when one of the large doors rumbled open. No one emerged from the space the open door provided before a shot rang out. Mollie jumped and instinctively leaned toward him.
Thirty seconds later, a man staggered out of the doorway. Throwing his hand up, the man blinked against the sun while he stumbled around the cleared land. Another cage clanged open, and then a woman fled out the doorway. She recoiled when the sun hit her but lurched forward with her hands in front of her to keep from running into anything.
The man’s frame had hollowed out until he was a scarecrow on two legs, but the woman had a healthy build, and Mike suspected she’d spent far less time in the cage than the man. She fled past the man and across the clearing until she came to the fence Mike leapt the night they escaped. Unaware it was there, the woman collided with the fence and stumbled back before falling forward. Gripping the u
pper rail, she pulled herself over and vanished.
Another cage clattered open, and a man bolted out the doorway. The first man was still reeling around the field when the man ran by him.
“Are they letting them out?” Doug inquired in disbelief.
“It seems that way,” Mike murmured when another woman exited. “Or at least they’re letting the humans out.”
“Why?”
“Maybe they’re going to let the vamps out next in the hopes the vampires will catch and kill them.”
“But there’s no guarantee that will happen. If they’re trying to turn the vamps into Savages, wouldn’t they do it in a more controlled environment where they could be certain the vamps killed the humans?” Mollie asked.
“You would think so,” Doug muttered. “But none of this has made any sense to me.”
The next woman who raced out the doorway didn’t run toward the hill but went straight across the field toward them. Mike’s hand tightened on her shoulder until the woman vanished into the woods a hundred feet to their left. She crashed through the trees like a deer fleeing a coyote.
“Let’s go,” Mike said.
“No, wait.” Mollie rested her hand on his arm. “There’s a chance they might have brought Aida back to the barn after we left, or even Jack.”
Mike opened his mouth to argue with her before closing it. She wouldn’t leave here if there was the slightest chance her sister might come out those doors. And it would make their lives so much easier if Aida did emerge from the barn. However, he doubted Jack was in there.
Settling back in to wait, Mike watched over thirty humans fleeing the barn. Some came close to them, while others ran for the hill, and others fled in the direction of the mansion. Then the humans stopped coming.
Glancing at her watch, Mollie counted the seconds and then the minutes until ten of them passed. She was about to give up when she heard the distant clank of metal and realized another cage had opened.
Mike’s fangs pricked as he waited to see what would emerge from the barn next. After a couple of gunshots, a vampire appeared. Blood trickled from a wound in the vamp’s shoulder as he staggered away from the barn.
A shadow hovered at the edge of the doorway before the muzzle of a gun poked out. A flash exploded, and the ground behind the vamp kicked up. The vampire raced faster across the field, lunged over the fence, and plunged down the hill.
“We have to go,” Mike said.
“But—”
“He was a vampire, Mollie,” he interjected as another vampire sprinted out of the barn. “They’re turning the vamps loose now. We can’t be here.”
“What if Jack’s in there?” she asked.
“He’s not,” Doug said. “And if he is, then they’re setting them all free, so we’ll find him.”
“We have to go,” Mike insisted.
“Yes,” Doug agreed. Rising, he started through the woods once more.
Mollie followed him with Mike close on her heels. Her mind spun as she tried to figure out what they’d seen and what the Savages were doing with their captives. “They gave the humans a ten-minute head start,” she murmured.
“If those vampires are starving, that was nowhere near enough time for those people to get away,” Doug said.
“And some of them were definitely starved,” Mike stated. “A few of the vamps we left behind hadn’t been caged long, but we didn’t have time to free them. We left the others because they were bordering on starvation and couldn’t be trusted around humans. Because of that, we freed more humans from their cages than vamps.”
“Which means, if they’re letting everyone out, then there’s soon to be a much larger vampire population roaming this island,” Doug said.
“Oh shit,” Mollie breathed. She glanced nervously over her shoulder when more gunshots sounded. “How many vampires were left in the barn after we escaped?”
“I don’t know. At least twenty-five,” Mike said.
Mollie swallowed the lump working its way up her throat as she realized things on this island were going to get a lot more lethal.
“And don’t forget they were recapturing some of the escapees,” Doug said. “Plus, I’d bet they’ve brought in more prisoners since we escaped.”
“Which means we have no idea how many vampires and humans could soon be roaming this island,” Mike growled.
Adrenaline flooded Mike’s body as his blood rushed through his ears and pounded in his temples. Dealing with the knowledge of Savages, other freed vamps, and humans running around this island was bad enough, but now they had to deal with an unknown number of more threats.
His gaze fell on Mollie’s back as she ran behind Doug through the woods. His fangs had extended when they left the shelter of the spruces—he’d given up on getting them to retract—but now they throbbed with his need to tear the throat out of anything that came near her.
He’d level this island if necessary. For the first time, he was glad he hadn’t convinced Mollie to stay behind. It was better to have her where he could see her. Knowing she was safe would help keep him calm.
When a branch cracked on their left, Mike grabbed Mollie’s waist, and lifting her, he planted her firmly behind him.
Mollie swayed, uncertain what happened. One second, she was following Doug, the next she was staring at Mike’s back, and she’d never given her feet the command to move. A blur of movement caught her attention before Doug flew backward and crashed into a tree. Doug’s head cracked off the trunk with an audible thud, and he slid to the ground.
Mollie blinked at the man now standing where Doug had been. His shoulders heaved as strange, guttural noises issued from his throat. His collarbone stood out starkly, and his cheekbones dug into his gaunt, ashen skin. When his eyes latched on to her, the saliva dripping from the tips of his fangs plopped onto his chin and slid to the ground.
Mike released a sound that made Mollie’s bladder clench. The starving vamp didn’t have a chance to react before Mike raced forward, seized the vamp by his throat, and smashed him into the dirt.
The small squeal the vamp released abruptly cut off when Mike crushed his windpipe. The vamp’s hands and feet kicked at the air, but he made no sound when Mike twisted his head to the side.
Mollie looked away when she realized Mike was going to tear the man’s head from his shoulders. She almost threw her hands over her ears to block the crunching of bone and sinew as they gave way, but it was over before she could.
Mike stalked back toward her, and though she didn’t want to see, she got a glimpse of the vamp’s unmoving feet before Mike clasped her arm. His eyes were a vivid shade of red when she met them, and his body exuded aggression, but his touch was gentle on her.
“One down,” Doug murmured, and Mollie turned to find him rising to his feet. He swayed as he rubbed the back of his head.
“You okay?” Mollie asked him.
“Few brain cells scrambled, my skull’s a little dented, and I have one hell of a headache, but I’ll be okay.” He winced when he rotated his head on his shoulders. “Let’s go.”
Mollie stared at Doug’s retreating back as he made his way through the woods. Mike nudged her forward, and she fell in behind Doug again. He couldn’t hide his pain as he held his head stiffly and kept his shoulders hunched up protectively, but his step didn’t falter. Mike stayed close by her side as they navigated the trees and underbrush.
Chapter Thirty-Three
They settled behind some dense foliage on the side of the mansion. Mike made sure Mollie was hidden from view before turning his attention to the building. From here, he could only see the tops of the chimneys. He’d have to get closer to see anything more of it.
And it would have to be him as Doug was still moving like a robot. “How do you feel?” he asked Doug.
“Better. Give me another hour, and I’ll be good as new.”
And that was about all the time they had left before the sun set. Doug wasn’t up for a trek through the woods without b
eing detected, but was he capable of protecting Mollie?
“I’ll protect her with my life,” Doug said, as if he’d read Mike’s mind.
He meant it, but Mike still loathed leaving her. However, he was the only one capable of getting closer without being detected.
“I can go,” Doug offered.
Even if Doug could make the trek unnoticed, he needed time to recover before they attempted to enter the mansion. The chances of someone discovering the two of them were slim, and if they were found, they had weapons, and he could return to them in less than a minute.
“No, you can’t go,” Mike said.
“I won’t touch her,” Doug vowed.
Mike squeezed his eyes closed as the idea of another man touching her amped up his already elevated bloodlust. Ever since killing that vamp, he’d been walking a fine line between remaining in control and snapping completely, but he stayed composed, for Mollie.
“I know you won’t,” Mike murmured. “I have to go.”
“You’re leaving?” Mollie asked.
The apprehension in her voice caused him to kneel before her and cup her cheek. “Only for a little bit, but I’m not going far, and I’ll be back here in seconds if you need me. I have to get closer, to see what happens at the mansion after sunset, and to make sure enough of them leave so we can try to enter.”
“We’ll come with you.”
“No,” Mike said, stroking his thumb over her silken skin. “One of us will be less noticeable, and this is different than the last time we were here. Then, we left before they exited the mansion and it was still daytime. Now, we’re going to be here after they come out.”
“But—”
“I’ll be fine, and Doug will keep you safe.”
Mollie bit back any further protests. They were here because of her, and Doug couldn’t be the one to go as he could barely open his eyes beyond slits.
Consumed: The Vampire Awakenings, Book 8 Page 19