by Lucinda Dark
I frowned. “What?”
“When a vampire experiences high levels of emotions, they often begin to show more vampiric elements of their personality—the red eyes, talons etcetera,” he explained. “It’s not your bloodthirst that really worries me, though it is a concern, it’s the fact that you can get a bit…” He looked away, towards Maverick. I followed his gaze and scowled when Maverick’s lips twisted down into a grimace. “Hot-tempered,” Torin finished.
Hot-tempered? I thought. Hot fucking tempered? I’d show him hot-tempered with my foot up his ass.
I do believe this is exactly what he means, Satrina said with a huff. I stopped and closed my eyes, letting my arms drop to clench my fists at my sides. I sucked in a breath and released it. “It’ll be fine,” I stated. “I can’t stay in this fucking house another night. I’m going home, one way or another. If it means I have to act like a goddamn emotionless duck, I’ll do it.”
I turned and just before I slammed the door behind me, I heard Maverick snort and Torin mutter, “Emotionless duck?”
Chapter 7
Maverick
“Are you seriously okay with this?” I asked.
“If it’s what she wants, then we have to trust her,” he said.
I sighed as he paced in front of the fireplace, his long legs eating up the distance one way before turning and repeating the motion in the opposite direction. Regardless of his words, it was obvious he didn’t want her to go. “You just don’t want her to hate you,” I said. The look he shot me was filled with so much vitriol, it could have singed my eyebrows off. I shrugged. “Hey, don’t be pissed at me. I’m just telling it like it is. It’s the truth.”
“She already hates me,” he pointed out.
“So?” I arched a brow and leaned to the side as I propped my foot against the coffee table. “As you and I both fucking know, Barbie has unlimited potential for the darker emotions. She could always hate you more.”
Torin stopped mid-stride, his foot coming down quietly as he turned towards the fireplace, staring deep into its unheated depths. His back faced me, the muscles bunching under the surface of his shirt. He reached out, his hands settling on the mantel above it. His fingers curled around the edges and his knuckles turned white from the pressure of his grip. His shoulders lifted, chest expanding as he sucked in a breath. Torin turned his head, and it took me a moment to realize he was listening for something—Barbie most likely. When he seemed to determine whatever it was he was listening for, he turned around and faced me.
Hazel green eyes met mine. “What I’m about to tell you does not leave this room,” he stated.
His tone was sharp, succinct. I sat up straighter, letting my leg fall back to the floor. “What is it?”
He strode closer, casting his gaze to the open doorway of the living room for a brief moment. “Barbie can’t seem to drink any blood but mine,” he whispered, just low enough that I had to strain to hear it. Which was saying something considering that ever since I put on the medallion my senses had been growing keen and heightened. It came in and out at different intervals, but right now, I could hear Barbie rummaging around in her room right now—packing. But Torin spoke with such a quietness that I had to lean forward and force myself to listen for his words.
As soon as they registered in my head, my eyes widened. “What the fu—”
Torin’s hand clamped over my mouth, stopping the question. Mere inches from my face, his eyes flashed back to the doorway and then to me again. “Do not tell her I told you,” he hissed. “She made me promise, but it’s too dangerous to let her go without you knowing. I’m giving her enough blood for a week, though I’ll see you both before it’s over.”
His grip loosened. I reached up and pulled his hand away. “Are you fucking serious?” I hissed in a low tone. “This is incredibly dangerous. How is it fucking possible?”
He shook his head, dropping down to sit at my side. “I have no clue. I’ve never heard of anything like this happening in a transitional phase. But she threw up the bagged blood and—”
“She was in that tomb for two weeks, I thought you said that when a human was changed that their bodies went through a change that would allow them to accept blood as sustenance?” I felt the beast move within me, slithering beneath my skin as my emotions heightened. Clenching my fist at my side, I shoved the beast down. I would deal with it later.
“That’s usually what happens, I didn’t fucking think about—Barbie wasn’t completely human when I turned her,” Torin said.
That was when it fucking hit me. “She was demon-possessed.” I breathed the words, but I needn’t have. That was the answer. Whatever had happened with the turn, it had to have been affected by her demon.
Torin nodded. “And I’m not exactly a normal vampire. I’m the only dhampire in existence that we know of and there’s never been a record of a dhampire turning someone, or if there has, I’ve never seen it. Maybe it’s different.”
“Shit.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“She didn’t want to tell you,” he confided after a moment of silence.
“Why the fuck not?” I demanded. “This is something I should fucking know.”
“Keep your voice down,” Torin growled, his hand moving to my shoulder. His fingers clamped down, a weighty reminder. I narrowed my gaze at the implied threat. “I agree,” he continued. “Which is why I’m telling you, but she didn’t want you to know because she didn’t want you to think any differently of her. She doesn’t know about your beast, remember?” He released me, turning away. “But I don’t think you’ll care. I don’t think it’ll matter to you, and I need you to keep an eye on her while I’m away.”
“Away? Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“As much as I want Barbie to stay with me—as much as she needs to be around me during the transitional phase of her life—she couldn’t stay here indefinitely, we both knew that, Mav,” Torin replied. “I don’t know when Katalin will be coming back, but she will be coming back. Arrius has to know I killed Eloise. Right now, he thinks it’s because she killed Barbie. He thinks he’s been successful. I have to start working on a plan to pin him down and to do that, some trips are in order. I’ve got to keep searching for Esperanza. I’ll track down some other supernaturals. If I can’t go tonight, then I’ll have to go tomorrow. Either way, we’re looking at multiple trips. I need to know you can take care of her while I’m gone.”
I didn’t fucking like it, but he was right. I sat back and scrubbed a hand down my face. “Fuck, this is all so fucking complicated,” I said.
“I know.” Torin got up from the couch and took another step towards the fireplace. A moment later, he was back to pacing. I huffed out a breath and leaned my head back as I stared up at the ceiling.
“I’ll watch her,” I finally said after several beats and the sound of nothing but his booted feet moving over the floorboards. I sat up and looked at him where he’d paused at my words. “And I’ll keep you updated.”
He nodded once. “Good. I’ll still see you at school, of course, I’m not going to disappear for more than a few days at a time—perhaps not even that long. I already made some vials of blood to sustain her while I’m away. But if you could find anything about Esperanza as well, that would be helpful in my searches.”
“I’ve already been looking up any contacts Barbie’s parents might’ve had,” I replied. In the distance, a bedroom door closed. “I’ve got a list of potential hunters. A few more thorough background checks should turn up some results.”
“Good, I want that list as soon as you get it done.”
“I’ll send it to your phone,” I said as Barbie appeared in the doorway, a backpack slung over one shoulder and a separate, small suitcase on wheels at her feet. “Ready?” I asked, standing.
She nodded. “So fucking ready.”
“Give me a moment,” Torin said before she could head for the door. He disappeared into the kitchen, coming out a few moments la
ter with a handful of small bottles. I didn’t say a word and surprisingly, neither did Barbie, as he took her bag and opened it—putting them inside and giving her a meaningful look.
She rolled her eyes, taking my hand when I reached for her. I took the bag from Torin as he snatched his keys from the coffee table and strode for the front door. We filed out one by one and when Torin went for his motorcycle, we went for my truck. As much as I wanted Barbie to myself, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor bastard. It was a strange feeling. It shouldn’t feel right at all to allow him any time with her since I saw her as mine, but knowing how he felt about her, and knowing how I’d feel if she were treating me as coldly, I couldn’t help it.
I tossed Barbie’s suitcase into the backseat and opened the door for her. She reached up, grabbed ahold of the “oh shit” handle and scrambled into the front seat with a few curses. Fighting a grin, I closed the door behind her and turned to Torin.
“See ya there,” I called with a wave as he revved the engine and took off down the path. I got into the truck and followed shortly after. Barbie was quiet as we made our way through the town’s streets, heading back home, but I could feel her tension ratchet up even higher. It was only when the house came into view that it seemed to dissipate completely. Torin, of course, was already there on the front porch.
Barbie unbuckled her seatbelt, snatched up her backpack from the floorboards, and dashed out of the truck the second it was parked. The front door opened and my mom blinked, smiling at Torin. I clenched my teeth as her eyes grew hazy and her body lax for a split second as Torin said something to her. In the next instant, however, the vagueness from her features cleared and she glanced over his shoulder as Barbie approached.
With a squeal, Mom raced past Torin and nearly bulldozed Barbie as she threw her arms around her. I grinned, slamming the truck door behind me after grabbing Barbie’s suitcase. When I headed for the porch, my dad was already there, talking to Torin. That same fuzzy expression took over his features, there for only a moment before it disappeared and he noticed my mom attacking Barbie.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Mom said, wiping tears from her eyes as she hugged Barbie to her chest. “We were so worried.” She sniffled and I smirked as I reached between the two of them, grabbing Barbie’s backpack from her grip and slinging it over my own shoulder.
I approached the porch, my steps slow and deliberate. My dad stood on the uppermost step with Torin at his back. Torin looked at me before nodding and descending the stair; his hand came up and touched my shoulder as he passed. “I’m heading out,” he said. “I want to give her time with them, but keep me updated like you promised.”
“Will do,” I said without looking back. It was the least I could fucking do. He’d been the one to keep her here—alive in at least some capacity. Now, it was my turn to guard her.
Chapter 8
Barbie
Coming back to my bedroom at the McKnight mansion after so much had happened was surreal. I didn’t even mind how fucking pink everything was, it was just nice to be somewhere familiar. I felt like a completely different person than who I’d been three weeks before. Technically, in a physical sense, I was. Mentally and emotionally, however, I still had the same resolve. The same motivation. Seeing Beth when she’d practically tripped as she’d raced towards me brought fresh tears to my eyes and it hurt to force them back as I had when she’d screamed and thrown her arms around me. I’d forgotten what it felt like—the love of a mother. I didn’t even mind her touching me. In fact, since I started living with the McKnights, I’d noticed that my aversion to touch—the one I’d developed after Travis and Kent had held me down as they’d murdered my family—had slowly edged away.
A knock on my door had me groaning as I got up from the bed to answer it. Maverick stood there, his shoulder propped against the frame as he dangled my backpack in his grip. My suitcase sat at his feet. I grimaced, reaching for the suitcase to wheel it inside. It probably wouldn’t do for Beth or Jon to open it and find my swords inside. “Thanks,” I said, reaching for the backpack. He pulled it away just as my hand was about to close on it and my eyes narrowed. “What?” I asked.
He shook his head, handing over the backpack, which only made me more suspicious. “Nothing,” he said. “Just bringing your stuff to you.”
“Then what was with th—”
Maverick swooped down and sealed his mouth to mine, startling me. The creature I’d felt when I’d first awoken opened her eyes and shot forward as my hands sank into his hair without any conscious decision on my part. I parted my lips and kissed him back, yanking him against me as I dropped the backpack to the side of the door. He stumbled under my urging. Though I hadn’t meant to use so much force, he bowed over me, caving to my body’s demands. I sucked on his tongue, tugged on his lips, sank into his mouth.
Fire raced up my spine. The door closed behind him and I pushed him against it, the wood creaking at his back. I pulled back, gasping. “What…was that for?” I whispered against his mouth.
“We haven’t been together in weeks, Princess,” he replied. “Maybe I just wanted you to know I hadn’t forgotten. Maybe I wanted to know you hadn’t.”
“I haven’t,” I said quietly. My heart thumped in my breast, my breaths came in ragged gasps as I lowered myself and stared at the column of his throat. His pulse thrummed heavily beneath the skin there, his blood singing—calling to me. I leaned forward, inhaling his musk. The scent of Maverick was warm, boiling, and volcanic. It was woodsy and heady. My mouth watered, saliva coating the insides of my cheeks. He groaned as I ran the tip of my tongue up his jugular. It took me a moment to realize what I was doing. I pulled back abruptly, slapping a hand over my mouth. My eyes flashed to my backpack, where the bottles of Torin’s blood were, set inside heat resistant bags.
“Barbie?” Maverick looked down at me, confusion clouding up his autumn gaze. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just tired.” I took a step back and let my hand drop to my side, even though I felt pressure against my gums where my fangs threatened to protrude. “I’m going back to school tomorrow,” I said. “I think I should turn in early. It’ll be a lot to handle after being away for so long.”
“Torin said he worked all that out,” Maverick said. “So, you should be…” He trailed off, watching me curiously. I turned around and faced the bed, snatching up my backpack and setting it on the end of the mattress. I could still feel the burn of his gaze across my upper back. “Okay,” he said, “you’re right. I—um—I’m sorry if I did anything to—”
“No!” I turned back to him, my shoulders lifting as I clenched my fists at my sides. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Mav,” I assured him. “I’m just…” I took a breath and released my fists. “Tired,” I finished lamely.
He nodded, though if the pucker of his brow was anything to go by, he didn’t necessarily believe me. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” he answered. I nodded, unable to reply. Except he didn’t leave right away. He stopped, hovering in the doorway with his hand on the knob—the door halfway open. Then he turned back to me and took two steps towards me, his hand spanning against my waist before he pulled me forward. With how fast his movements were—especially for a human—I expected another intense kiss, but that’s not what I got. Maverick pressed soft lips against the top of my forehead, a chaste press there that he held for a moment before he pulled away and looked down. He nodded again, as if to himself, before turning and leaving the room. Leaving me more confused than ever as I reached up and brushed the tips of my fingers against the spot he’d kissed.
There was a dull roar as several dozen people tried to talk over one another at the same time. It echoed up the hallways of St. Marion Academy as students headed to their designated homerooms with friends and classmates alike. Maverick walked alongside me as we pushed through the throngs of people. A certain familiar redhead appeared over the top of the crowd. I pulled myself away from Mav and headed
straight for her.
“Barbie!” Olivia’s excited face greeted mine as she pushed through people at full Olivia speed. She slammed into me, nearly knocking me down, as she squeezed what would’ve been several years off my life if it weren’t for my new inhuman lifespan.
I laughed. “Hey,” I said.
“Oh my God, you bitch! I didn’t know you were coming back to school today. Why didn’t you tell me when we talked on the phone?”
“I—” I cut myself off, stiffening when a new figure appeared out of the crowd at her back. I relaxed a moment later when I realized who it was. “Hey, Ben.”
He lifted a hand in greeting, a boyish grin appearing on his face. “Hey, Barbie.”
I turned my attention back to the redhead clinging to my body. Slipping an arm down between her chest and mine, I pried her off and lifted a brow. “Jesus,” I said. “Stop. Someone might get the wrong idea and think you’re attracted to me or something.”
“So?” Olivia clung even harder. “Maybe I am. Maybe I’m super-lesbian for you. I’ve got a lady boner so hard for you, Barbie. Tell me we’re meant to be?”
I snorted and finished peeling her away from me. No matter how hard she tried, I was still stronger. “Nope, sorry, I like dick.”
“Good to hear.” I stiffened when Torin’s voice sounded right in my ear. I jerked and pulled away, turning towards him with a scowl.
“Hey, Torin!” Olivia waved as Ben came up to her side and slid an arm around her shoulders. I noticed the movement and hid my amusement at the protective, somewhat territorial behavior. Olivia didn’t seem to notice or mind. She settled into his side with ease as if she’d been doing it all her life, and suddenly, I could picture it. Olivia with a belly as big and round as a basketball, snuggled up to Ben with her hair cut short above her shoulders and a beautiful smile on her face as she absently reached for a smaller version of herself and hefted them into her arms. A mother. A wife. Normal.