The Art of Loving a Vampire

by Jaye Wells

  Oh God, he had changed into a bat. She ran over to the window and closed the curtains. She figured if he tried to get in that way as a bat, then he might at least get tangled in the fabric on his way in.

  But wait. Could bats talk?

  “Logan? Are you by any chance flying right now?”

  “What?”

  “You know. Flying. Wouldn’t banging your head on the door mess up your sonar?”

  “Woman, what the hell are you talking about?”

  “Don’t yell at me, Logan Murdoch. I just wanted to know if you changed into a bat yet.”

  Syd narrowed her eyes when no response came. She crept to the door and placed her ear near the crack. Then she heard it. At first muffled and low and then growing in volume.

  “Don’t you laugh at me! It’s a valid question!” she yelled.

  Damn him. She was the injured party here. He had lied to her, used her body, and then sprung the whole “I am the undead” crap on her. She knew she should be scared right now, but she was too angry with him to care.

  The chuckles on the other side of the door abruptly stopped.

  “I’m sorry for laughing. But if you’ll just let me come in and explain. The stories you have heard are just myths.”

  “I think I’ll err on the side of caution on this one,” she replied. “Besides, I am really pissed at you right now.”

  “You have every right to be angry. But can you try to see it from my point of view? When exactly was I supposed to tell you about this?”

  “Gee, Logan, I don’t know—maybe before we slept together.”

  She heard him heave a sigh. “I promise I didn’t intend to deceive you. And as for last night, you know as well as I do neither of us planned for it to happen.”

  If she wanted to be honest, she would admit he had a point. But she couldn’t get over the idea she had been so blind to him. That she had let her emotions and libido override her logic, and look where it had gotten her. So, no, she didn’t feel like being honest. She felt like hurting him as much as he’d hurt her.

  “You’re right. I know I certainly didn’t plan it. In fact, I should be thanking you for this. ’Cause now I don’t have to have the awkward post-one-night-stand conversation with you.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to keep her tone light. “Oh, you know, the ‘Thanks for the orgasms, but I’m not interested in anything more,’ talk.”

  Chapter Ten

  Logan clenched his teeth as her words cut through him. Syd had been planning on dumping him anyway.

  It was Brenna all over again.

  Then he recalled Sydney’s passionate responses the night before. No one could fake the intensity they’d shared—both physically and emotionally. His mother’s words came back to him. Sydney wasn’t Brenna. She was scared and on the offensive to shield herself from her fear.

  “Bullshit,” he growled. “You know we have something here. How can you lie like that?”

  “The real question is how can you lie like that? Even if I had been interested in more, which I wasn’t, the fact you drink blood is a major deal breaker. Not to mention you took me to bed under false pretenses.”

  “What false pretenses?”

  “That you were human!”

  Logan took a deep breath. Arguing with her would accomplish nothing. He had to get her to see reason.

  “I am human. I just have different nutritional needs.”

  He heard her snort through the door. “And you can’t go into the sun.”

  “Yes, I can. I just have an allergy that requires medication,” he said, trying to sound reasonable.

  “But you’re the walking undead!”

  He took a deep breath for patience, reminding himself she had been raised on horror stories and myths about his kind.

  “I promise you I am very much alive. Last night should have convinced you of that. I just have certain . . . skills that people don’t have.”

  “So you’re mortal?”

  He hesitated.

  “Well?”

  “No,” he said quietly. Obviously not quietly enough though.

  “Jesus,” she said.

  He shook his head, knowing this conversation was not helping to calm her fears. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. This situation qualified as worst-case scenario on his list of reasons he should never get involved with mortals. Feeling out of his depth, he decided it was time to call in reinforcements. Surely his mother could help Sydney see reason.

  “I need to make a phone call. Don’t go anywhere.” He turned to walk back into his bedroom.

  “Logan? What do you mean? Logan?” Her voice echoed down the hall behind him.

  He had quickly thrown on a pair of jeans when Syd ran out, but went to his closet to retrieve a shirt. Then he went to the phone by his bed and dialed.

  “Yes, I know what time it is, but we have a problem,” he said after his mother answered.

  “No, nothing with Raven. It’s Sydney. She found out I am a vampire.”

  He listened for a moment.

  “No, I didn’t tell her. She walked in on me . . . It doesn’t matter why she was here. What matters is she’s freaking out.” He briefly described the situation. Then he sighed. “Of course I tried to explain everything. But she refuses to come out . . . Yes, I think that’s best. See you in a little bit.”

  He hung up the phone with a sigh. Bringing his mother into an already tense situation worried him, but he had no choice. His mother could influence Sydney’s mind. He hated to resort to mind control, but, honestly, if he had the power himself, he would have already tried it. He knew she’d have to calm down before she would listen to reason.

  He went back into the hall to check on Syd. When he pressed his ear to the door, the sound of quiet sobs reached him.

  “Syd? Honey, are you okay?”

  “Don’t call me ‘honey’! Where did you go? To find a victim for your next meal?”

  He sighed. “No, I called my mother to see if she’d come over.”

  “What? Logan, how could you?” The sobs rose in volume.

  “I thought you liked my mother. I thought she could help you calm down.”

  “That’s the problem, you oaf. I do like your mother. But now she’ll know I am a slut.”

  Logan’s jaw dropped. Lord save him from women and their crazy logic.

  “Honey, you’re not a slut.”

  “Then please tell me how I am supposed to explain why I am sitting here in nothing but a small throw blanket at six in the morning in your house. Logan, she’s going to know we slept together.”

  Logan wasn’t too thrilled about his mother knowing, either, but it couldn’t be helped. Besides, she would figure out the score the minute she walked in the house. Her mind reading abilities mixed with her heightened sense of smell made it impossible to hide. But despite that, he felt guilty for Sydney. The fact he was to blame for her tears tore at him. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain.

  He put his hand on the door, wishing he was touching her instead. He wasn’t used to feeling helpless, but when it came to Sydney he found himself more and more at sea. He wanted to erase her pain or absorb it into his own body. He didn’t know where to find the right words, so he focused on solving the one problem he could handle.

  “Go into the closet. You should find some old clothes of mine. They’re too big, of course, but better than a blanket.”

  He heard her shuffling around. Nothing but the sound of hangars and sniffles reached him for a few moments.

  “Syd? Did you find something?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” she said. “Logan? I just thought of something. Does this mean your mother knows you’re a vampire?”

  He paused. She wasn’t going to like his answer, but he knew he couldn’t lie to her anymore.

  “Uh, yes, she knows. You see, she’s one too. Oh, Callum and Alaric as well.”

  “Argh!”<
br />
  Grimacing, he spoke quickly, “I swear to God, none of us would ever hurt you.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. A vampire swearing to God. Give me a break, Logan.”

  “So I guess you don’t want to come out now.” He put his ear to the door again when she didn’t immediately respond. He held his breath, hoping she had calmed enough to emerge.

  “Hell, no!”

  He released his breath. She needed time.

  “I understand. Can I get you anything else?”

  “Some garlic and crucifix would be nice,” she muttered.

  Geraldine’s head hit the tree trunk. She jerked up when the bark dug into her cheek.

  “Damned surveillance is wreaking havoc on my skin,” she muttered as she sat up and rubbed her face.

  Without the promise of eternal life, she never would have sacrificed her beauty rest to camp out in the woods. She shifted on the blanket and put her back to the tree. She would have to go get a massage this afternoon. But her discomfort was worth it. The scene she witnessed in Logan’s driveway guaranteed Raven’s favor.

  When she had called Raven and told her about Logan’s comment implying he couldn’t read Sydney’s mind, her mistress had been elated.

  “Ah, perhaps we have found the missing piece,” Raven had said excitedly. Geraldine knew how important finding Logan’s soul mate was to her mistress and was elated she was the one to figure out Sydney was the one all along. But when Geraldine had asked her mistress if she had finally earned the right to be turned, Raven had simply commanded her to stay put and report any new developments.

  Geraldine tamped down the guilt she felt about spying on Sydney. She didn’t like the idea that the girl could be hurt. She shook her head. It couldn’t be helped. Sometimes a lady had to crack a few eggs to make a soufflé.

  The sound of a car coming up the drive made her sit straighter. She grabbed the binoculars from the blanket and focused on the car.

  Hmmm. Momma Murdoch is making an early house call.

  Kira got out of the car and rushed up the steps. She entered the front door without knocking. Geraldine wished she could be a fly on the wall when Kira discovered her son in flagrante delecto.

  Before she could work up a good mental image of a naked Logan, a red Ferrari zoomed up the driveway. Geraldine watched Callum Murdoch exit the car and rush into the house as well.

  She grabbed her phone. But then put it back down when she remembered that Raven would be sleeping right now. She chewed on her lip for a moment. What to do? Should she risk trying to peek in a window? No, with the vampires’ excellent hearing and mind powers, they’d surely discover her.

  She decided there was no way she could find out what was happening in the house—for now. Besides, the sun was rising, and she loathed exposing her delicate skin to its harmful rays.

  After all, if she was going to be immortal, she needed to keep herself looking her best. She packed up her gear and crept back through the forest. Her first stop would be the spa. After, she’d take a much-deserved nap. Then once the sun went down, she’d report to her mistress. Maybe tonight Raven would be so grateful for all of her hard work that she’d finally change her. She picked up her pace. Obviously, she needed to get the works at the spa. It wasn’t every day a woman became immortal.

  Logan heaved a sigh of relief when he heard his mother running up the steps. The cavalry had arrived.

  Kira rushed up to the door. “How is she?” she whispered.

  “She’s made a request for garlic and a crucifix. Does that give you an idea?”

  Kira laughed. “I like this girl.”

  Logan didn’t respond. He liked her too—maybe too much. He just hoped he hadn’t scared her off for good.

  He looked up to see his brother coming up the stairs.

  “What are you doing here?” Logan asked.

  “I called him. I figured with my mother’s instincts and Callum’s good humor we could undo any damage you did.”

  Fan-freaking-tastic.

  It was bad enough his mother was involved. But his brother would now have material to tease him with for the next few hundred years.

  Callum walked up and put his hand on Logan’s shoulder. Logan tensed, waiting for the first zinger.

  “Don’t worry, brother. We’ll fix this.”

  Logan blinked, suddenly feeling guilty that he’d underestimated Callum.

  “Thanks, I appreciate your help,” he said sincerely.

  Kira knocked softly on the door.

  “Sydney, dear, it’s Kira. Will you open the door for me?”

  Logan heard Syd moving around behind the door.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t,” came the muffled response.

  Kira pulled Logan further from the door.

  “Darling, I think I am going to need to influence her. Don’t worry. I just want to calm her down enough to open the door and listen,” she said.

  Logan thought about it for a moment. He worried about trying to manipulate Sydney into compliance. On the other hand, maybe it would help her to relax a little. All this stress couldn’t be good for her.

  He nodded. “Okay, but just calm her down. Don’t try to convince her to blindly accept the situation. I want her mind clear so she can understand when we explain everything.”

  His mother nodded and went back to the door. To Logan’s surprise, his brother said nothing. He merely sent Logan an encouraging smile.

  Kira focused on the door as if she could see through it.

  “Sydney, dear, open the door. You’re safe here. No one wants to hurt you,” Kira said, her voice calm but commanding.

  They all listened as something bumped against the door. Logan held his breath.

  “I can’t,” came Sydney’s monotone reply.

  Kira glanced at Logan, confusion clear in her eyes.

  “Why not, dear?”

  “Dresser.”

  “Could you repeat that?” Kira asked, shooting another confused look at Logan, who merely shrugged.

  “Dresser in the way.”

  Kira nodded and said, “Step away for a moment, dear.”

  Kira lifted her hand, and suddenly the sound of the dresser scraping against the door could be heard. The brothers shared a look. They each had impressive skills, but their mother’s age gave her a much larger bag of tricks.

  “Sydney, the dresser is gone now. Please open the door.”

  Silence. Logan started for the door, impatient to get to Syd. Kira’s hand grabbed his arm.

  “She’s very strongwilled, Logan. Forcing her will only serve to complicate things. Give her a moment.”

  Just then, the lock clicked, and the door swung open. Syd stood calmly just beyond the threshold. Logan drank in the sight of her. Her hair, still mussed from their encounter earlier, tumbled down around her face. The halo of fiery red and gold stood in sharp contrast to the dark blue terrycloth robe that engulfed her. He longed to drag her back to bed, but shook the improper thoughts from his head.

  Syd gazed at Kira for a moment, and then she looked in his direction. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she started to slam the door. Luckily, she was no match for his mother’s preternatural speed, and Kira stopped the door before it moved more than a few inches. Syd blinked and shook her head.

  “What the—? I don’t know what kind of vampire mumbo jumbo you just used on me, but I refuse to talk to him,” she said, pointing an accusing finger in Logan’s direction.

  “Looks like she needs a little more convincing,” his mother said wryly. “You two go downstairs. We’ll be down in a few moments.”

  “Mother, I—” his words were cut off when Callum put an arm around his shoulder.

  “Come on, big brother. Looks like they need to have some girl talk.”

  Logan looked from the patient gaze of his mother to the defiant one of Sydney.

  “All right, I’m going. But you remember what I said about not influencing her reactions,” he said to his mother. Kira nodded. He cast one last glanc
e at Sydney, who looked everywhere but at him. Heaving a weary sigh, he turned to go. Hopefully, his mother would just calm Syd down and not try to interfere. Yeah, right.

  Syd suddenly realized she was in the hallway with Kira. “How in the hell did I end up out here? Last thing I remember I refused to come out.”

  “Sorry, dear. I’m sorry afraid I had to use a tad bit of hypnosis on you. We all need to have a serious talk, and trying to converse through a door is just silly.”

  Syd stared at her for a moment while she took stock of her physical and mental state. She felt oddly relaxed given the situation—being along in a house full of vampires didn’t normally give one a sense of peace.

  “So you’re saying you can control my thoughts?”

  “If I wanted to, yes. I can also read them.”

  “Oh, that makes me feel better.”

  Kira chuckled softly. “Sydney, I know you have been through a lot tonight. I just wanted you to calm down enough to be able to listen to what we have to say with an open mind. I know you’re confused and anxious, but really this is all a silly misunderstanding.”

  “Silly? I am food to you! Call me crazy, but I don’t find that silly at all.”

  Kira sighed. “You have every right to be angry, but you have to believe we would never hurt you. After spending time with Logan for the last week, can you honestly say he’s done anything to make you feel threatened?”

  The woman had a point, Syd admitted to herself. She actually felt very safe around Logan. The fact he had gotten into a fight protecting her proved he cared about her well-being. No, Logan didn’t threaten her safety—just her heart. She winced inwardly, thinking about the night they had just shared. Best not to think about that now.

  “Sydney, darling, you know I am right. And as for the events earlier tonight, I think you and Logan should talk about that after he has had a chance to explain about being a vampire.”

  Syd’s eyes widened when she remembered Kira could read her thoughts. She abruptly cleared her head, hoping the woman didn’t get too clear a picture of her and Logan doing the deed.

  “Dear, please don’t worry. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”