I could tell my eyes were as black as Ana’s and my vampire guise was completely up. My vision was sharper, my hearing and sense of smell better. I could feel my fangs, and ran my tongue along them. But I hadn’t moved, I wanted too, I wanted to go feed from them both. I couldn’t really concentrate on anything but the twin beating of their hearts, and the splashing sound as their blood hit their stomachs then the floor. It was almost too much. I hadn’t ever been around this much blood before without feeding. My grip on the chairs arm rest had finally been too much for the thing and it shattered into pieces of sawdust.
“You’re doing extremely well, Juliana. There’s just one more thing Sebastian will throw at you. Remember, try not to react.”
“There’s more? Isn’t this enough! What am I supposed to be doing, while they stand there bleeding all over the place?”
She just turned to the couple and nodded at them, and they in response turned to each other. The man reached over and pulled the woman into an embrace, kissing her hard and deep while intertwining his fingers in her hair. She reached up and ran her hands along the sinewy muscles of his arms and started to moan as he reached down and grabbed her ass.
They were covered in blood and had fallen onto the bed and began to writhe around each other. The man was massaging the woman’s exposed breasts as she was attempting to remove his jeans.
All the while my hunger was growing stronger and stronger. I couldn’t look away. I also couldn’t move from the chair, I was so mesmerized by what I was seeing.
“Tell them to stop Ana,” my breathing heavy.
“No.”
“Make them stop. I passed your stupid test, I didn’t attack anyone.”
I still couldn’t look away, but I also couldn’t guarantee I wasn’t going to attack someone soon. Ana knew exactly what to do to incite my hunger. I would have thought their bleeding would have slowed by now, but no, with all of their moving around, and increased heart rates; they were bleeding even more. It was all I could see, their blood, it was everywhere, and it smelled so good. I needed it, wanted it. My fangs were longer and I felt myself starting to rise from the chair. When suddenly the basement door burst open on its hinges.
“What the hell is going on in here?”
“Oh, thank God,” I said as William came storming into the room.
Chapter Seven
“I asked, what is going on?” he said again not moving away from the door.
I’m sure he was trying to take everything in, but really he was the last of my concerns as I was still trying to fight my hunger. I could no longer remain seated in the broken chair and I stood with my hands fisted at my sides. My eyes fixed on the couple on the bed; they were still focused solely on each other, having no apparent concern for the three vampires in the room with them, one of whom was very, very hungry.
“Ana, make them stop!” I yelled again. “William, please, let me leave. I don’t want to hurt them; I’ll hurt them right now if I don’t get out of here.”
I couldn’t turn to face him as I spoke, but tears were beginning to fall, and I was making my way closer to the bed. I was trying to fight the urge, I truly was, but she had gone too far this time. William was suddenly in front of me blocking my vision to the couple, but that didn’t stop the scent of blood that had now permeated the room.
“Jules, look at me. Don’t focus on them. You need to concentrate on something else. Think about what I’m going to do to Ana once we get out of here. I’m going to tear her to pieces. Look at me!” I brought my attention to him, I tried to focus on his deep brown eyes, but I couldn’t. It was all too much for me.
“I need to get out of here, please let me leave.” I was pleading with them both.
“We can’t let you leave like this. If we do you’ll attack the first person you see, you must learn to calm yourself down, to calm your blood lust down,” Ana replied.
“Is that what this is about? I thought we discussed this, and decided it was a bad idea for the obvious reasons! What the hell were you thinking Ana?”
“I was thinking that I am her Sire, not you. I consulted you, I didn’t go to you to make the decision for me,” she had snapped back at him.
Their arguing was making things worse; it was like adding fuel to the fire. The couple wouldn’t stop fondling each other on the bed, and there was blood everywhere. William was within kissing distance, but last I had talked to him he didn’t want that from me anymore. I felt like a first year medical resident all over again – like I was about to kill someone. That’s when the light when on, I very easily could kill someone right now, or I could do what I did back then.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Okay that might have been a mistake with the scent of blood and all. I closed my eyes again, and stopped my breathing altogether. I tuned out Ana and William arguing, the same way I would my children, and suddenly they just became annoying background noise. I kept my eyes closed for a minute longer and felt myself becoming more and more under control. Soon I couldn’t smell the scent of blood at all, and William and Ana really did stop arguing. I slowly opened my eyes; the couple was still making out on the bed, but it didn’t trigger my hunger as much because I was expecting it.
I looked over at Ana with control and ease, and in a calm, collected and as terrifying voice as I could manage, I asked her, “Ana, you conniving, manipulative, bitch. If you are done trying to incite my blood lust, anger, and all around contempt, would it be alright with you if I left now or would you prefer to see me rip the heads off one of these two humans?”
“I did this for your own good.”
“Oh, it’s always for my own good when it comes to you.”
With that she went over to the bed and grabbed the bloody hand of the young woman and pulled her out of the room. I heard footsteps going up the stairs, then her bedroom door slamming. I could only imagine what was going to happen after what I had just seen. I turned to William to see him looking at me like I was a different person.
“What?” I said sharply.
“I can’t believe you were able to control yourself so quickly.” He seemed a little bit in awe and it only seemed to annoy me.
“Quickly? William where were you? That was hardly quick, you weren’t here from the beginning, you didn’t see what she did to those two.”
“Well, you still did great. If anything does happen in New York you should be fine. We’ll just have to make sure you’ve fed right before we go to see Sebastian. That’s all.”
“That’s all . . . ? Oh, I could strangle you two for the secrets you’re still keeping from me. And speaking of feeding, I need to right now. Will you go with me . . . you know, like before? I’m a little shaky still, and I really don’t want to hurt anyone. Please, William I know you said you didn’t really want anything to do with me, but I need your help.”
William and I used to go out feeding together, after I had killed the first person I had ever fed on. He would make sure I didn’t make the same mistakes I had that first time. Then we had started developing a relationship together so it just seemed natural that we would spend time together going out, and he would help keep me safe, keep me from hurting anyone at the same time. This was a stark reminder of how much I had damaged that relationship; I never would have had to ask him to help before.
“No, we aren’t going anywhere.”
“Oh, um okay. I just thought . . . sorry I asked.”
I turned to leave the room, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. I couldn’t believe he told me ‘no’ so quickly. I thought for sure he would help me. Well, at least I knew I was under control now. I could do this, I could find someone to feed from, and not hurt them. I had done it lots of times in the past, this was no different. I was about to run out of there as fast as I could. I had just made it to the doors threshold when William was instantly standing before me.
“I’m leaving okay! Just let me go!”
By now I couldn’t fight the tears any longer, and they
came rushing down my cheeks in full force. Dammit, I was always crying around him. I tried to push my way past him when he grabbed my arm to stop me from leaving.
“William, I need to feed whether you go with me or not, now let me go.”
I wasn’t sure why he was trying to stop me, but my hurt and anger was making my control slip, and I could feel my blood lust rising to the surface again. I could also feel the tingling of my compulsion at the tip of my psyche, I had never used it to force William to do anything, but I would tonight to get him to leave me alone.
“Jules,” that one word made my heart ache all over again, “I meant we don’t need to leave in order for you to feed. He’s a feeder, that’s his job,” he said in a low voice, nodding in the direction of the man who was sitting on the bed watching us.
“What are you talking about?” I could still barely stand to look at William, instead stared at the ground before me.
“His job is a feeder, he works for the Council,” he said letting go of my arm. “You can feed on him and you won’t have to go out to find someone else. It will be quicker and safer for you this way.”
“Yeah, I get it. He’s a slave of the Council, which actually makes sense why he wasn’t afraid. It will also save you from having to be alone with me. Forget it Will, he’s all yours. I’ll be fine. Don’t wait up.”
I walked out the door and ran up the stairs Ana just had a few minutes before, but instead of heading up to my room I went out the back door and walked outside. I started making my way for the garage. I didn’t really care if I had permission or not, I was taking the first car I found the keys for.
“Is this your answer for everything? To run and hide!” William was yelling behind me.
I stopped making my way to the garage and turned to face him, “Excuse me?”
“You, you do this with everything. You run and hide from everything!” He was walking toward me with a heavy stride that spoke volumes about how angry he was. His posture was stiff, his stride long, his arms moved stiffly along his sides, but what really gave his emotion away was his eyes. His eyes were almost all black, the deep dark brown was almost entirely consumed by the stormy blackness that always declared either his desire or anger.
“Bullshit!” I yelled back at him. “I was the one that didn’t give up or run when Ana turned me. I didn’t run when I killed that old man, I certainly didn’t run from Nathaniel. How dare you say I’m a runner? I fight William; I fight every damn day for what I love.”
I wasn’t about to stay here and listen to this, even if he did think it would prove his point. I grabbed the door to the garage and pulled it open seeing the Audi, the Range Rover, and the two BMW motorcycle’s all lined up nice and neat. I just had to find the keys for one on them, and then I was out of there.
“Exactly, for what you love,” he was saying from behind me, “the rest of us don’t get the time of night if you don’t feel like it. You just run if something isn’t going as you want it. If you don’t get the answer right away --”
“You are the one who left me, William. I have been fighting for you. I have been trying to talk to you every night. I have apologized over and over. You are the one that wants nothing to do with me, so get off your high-horse before you hurt yourself. You’re the one that can’t stand to be in the room with me, you are the one running away, not me. You have probably held grudges against people for the past 100 years haven’t you! Well, I won’t put up with it. I’ve said I’m sorry for walking out and not giving you a chance to explain when I should have, but I won’t grovel at your feet whether I love you or not.” My hands flew over my mouth as if I could shove the words back in like I’d never said them. We just sort of stared at each other a little wide eyed for half a second before William finally broke the silence.
“Do you mean that?”
I still couldn’t speak. I guess it was time I jumped in and just told him the truth finally or at least nodded it, because that’s what I did. I just nodded yes, I did mean it.
“Yeah,” I was able to croak out. “I do love you, but I won’t grovel after you trying to prove it. I meant it before, I trust you with my life. It’s time you either forgive me and you act like it or you don’t and I’ll leave.”
We each gave the other a measuring look, and he caught me off guard as he crashed himself into me slamming me against the back of the Range Rover.
“You’re lucky I’m not breakable,” I muttered between kisses.
He then turned gentle and held my face in his hands as he looked me in the eyes, “I love you too, Jules, and I do forgive you. I’m sorry for acting like such an ass these past few days.”
I wrapped my arms around him crushing him in a kiss of my own, “Ok Will, I really, really need to feed. You don’t know what Ana put me through.” I pulled away from him.
“The feeder is still in the basement. I told him to wait, and he isn’t a slave; not every human that works for the Council is a slave. It’s a long story, not an exciting one. His mother was a slave to a vampire family that took great care of her in return; he chose to work for them as an employee. He isn’t enslaved, but he is here, and for now it’s safer. Go use him, please.”
I finally relented, mostly because I wanted to begin my reunion with William on a good note, and not fight over something that seemed as inconsequential as my feeding.
We headed downstairs to find the man completely naked and sprawled on the bed, with his hands clasped behind his head. He had a self-satisfied smile as if he knew exactly where my returning was going to lead. He had fine scars scattered all over his body that told me he was most definitely a feeder. He was muscular and tan, with short brown hair, and he had an erection that was standing at full attention.
“Put that thing away, and go clean yourself up. I don’t know what your feedings usually entail, but this is most definitely not going to be requiring that. Nor will it be worthy of a smile that big when I’m done. Sorry.” I pointed him in the direction of the bathroom and turned to William who was stifling a laugh.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Nothing, I think it’s just, his feedings probably usually do go that way, and I have had you bite me before, so I am pretty sure he will have a smile that big when you’re done with him.”
I just narrowed my eyes at William and didn’t respond.
The man came back into the bedroom with pants on, no blood in sight, and started walking back to bed.
“No, sit over there,” I told him pointing to the broken chair.
He didn’t even argue, he just went and sat down. Though, he did look a tad disappointed we wouldn’t be doing this on the bed. I walked over to him and he turned his head baring his neck for me, but keeping eye contact with me. I leaned over, nice and slowly. Then picked up his wrist and brought it to my mouth.
I bit into him and felt his blood hit my tongue with a saltiness I was used to. I didn’t need a lot of blood; I mostly needed to feed in order to quench my rising blood lust. The fact that it had been two days since my last feeding is what had made it worse. I was about to pull away when I caught an image of a Latino man, he was tall and thin with eyes so dark they were almost black. He was surrounded by what felt like a cloud of power and fear. I could see him whispering something to another person, but because these images and memories weren’t my own, I didn’t know who he was talking to or what was being said.
“Jules,” I felt William put his hand on my shoulder, “that’s enough. He’s already lost enough blood tonight.”
I pulled away from the man’s wrist and licked it to stop the bleeding. I gave him a calculating gaze then pulled the full force of my compulsion to my psyche. He wouldn’t be able to sense what I was doing, though I knew William would.
“I never did catch your name, it seems a little rude to ask after the fact.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” he said starting to get up.
“What is your name?” I said more firmly putting some compulsion behind it.
; “Mark, Ma’am. Mark Hamilton,” he replied with a Southern drawl. He had stopped his retreat to the door. William was watching the exchange taking place, but he knew enough not to interrupt.
“How did you find us here Mark Hamilton? Who sent you?”
“No one Ma’am. Ms. Chase said she needed some feeders, and Lucy and I was in the area so we said we could come on by. That’s all.”
I had no way of knowing who I saw in the vision, or when the vision was, but I felt it was related to his being here. I couldn’t let him know that. Especially if he was spying on us for the Council.
“Mark,” I stepped closer looking him directly in the eye, “I want you to forget everything that happened here tonight expect for you feeding me. All that happened tonight, was you came here and introduced yourself, sat in a chair and I drank from your wrist. Nothing else. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“I release you Mark.” He shook his head a little, but otherwise gave no indication he realized anything had just happened.
“Goodnight, Ma’am.”
“Goodnight, Mark. Thank you.” He looked a little taken aback that I had thanked him, but then he left as ordered.
As soon as he was out of the room William looked at me, “What was that about?”
“I think he’s a spy.”
“What? For who?”
“I don’t know yet?”
Chapter Eight
“I’m going to go check on my family, do either of you want to come with?”
William and Ana were sitting at the kitchen table looking at the screen on one of their touch pads. When I came into the room William tapped the corner of the screen closing whatever it was they were looking at. I could make out that it was a list and map, but that was it. Really, I didn’t care what they were doing. I didn’t want to know anything about vampire business that could get me into any more trouble than I had already gotten myself into. The only thing I did know, from over-hearing snippets of conversations, is that they were looking for someone. Ana had been mentioning an increase of vampire attacks coming in to the ER that she had diagnosed as animal attacks, but that was all I knew.
Rising Son (The Juliana Lucio Series) Page 6