by Tish Thawer
"Damien, back the fuck off!" I shoved him off of me and straightened my shirt. I was stronger than him and wasn't worried about stopping his advance. "I'm flattered, but there's no way in hell I'm sleeping with you, and if you pull that shit again, I'll have your balls on a platter before you can blink. I need someone I can count on as my second, not someone whose emotions and feelings are going be an issue. Can I count on you or should I start looking for someone else?"
"I'm sorry. I think I'm just overwhelmed by the blood in my system. Please accept my apology. Of course you can count on me." He lowered his head as we made our way out of the dark alley and back to the car.
"Good. I have to get home, but let's meet tomorrow night so we can gather some more 'donors' to prepare for the next meeting."
The look on Damien's face confirmed he was on board with my plan. The anticipation of killing and drinking another human's blood as soon as tomorrow had his eyes glowing red, and a gluttonous smile was plastered on his face. "That sounds perfect!"
* * * * *
(Jeremy)
I wasn't sure, but I thought I was being followed as I headed back towards Masen. The blue SUV had been on me since I'd left The Rising Pit.
Evangeline and the rest of her crew–minus the guy who disappeared back inside–hadn't come back before I left, but as I pulled onto the freeway and pointed my car towards home, this truck had been behind me. Damn, I'm getting paranoid again.
During the two hour drive from Seela to Masen, I tested my theory. I changed lanes, sped up and slowed down, and finally began to relax when I no longer saw the truck behind me. I pulled out my cell to give Meredith a heads up that I was almost home. "Hi, honey, I'm almost to the edge of town. Did you eat already or do I need to pick something up for us?"
"I would love some pizza if you're up for it. I can call Giovanni's and have it ready for pickup if you'd like."
Hearing her voice settled my nerves. After striking out on my stakeout, the idea of a romantic evening with Meredith was just what I needed. "Pizza and wine. That sounds perfect, babe. I'll be there in thirty minutes."
* * * * *
CHAPTER NINE
Trigger
(Evie)
Once Renard and Loni were on their way to Masen to gather intel on Jeremy and Meredith, Dax and the others opened the club as I settled in my office and prepared to call my Sire once again.
I asked Christian to join me so he could relay the details of exactly what happened with Terrance if necessary.
Balam answered on the second ring, obviously recognizing my number from the caller id. "Evangeline. What's wrong? I didn't expect to hear from you again so soon."
"I'm sorry to bother you again, Sire, but our situation is far from over and there have been some developments that are causing even more confusion."
"What developments, jovencita?" It was hard for him not to speak in his native tongue, but he knew that I'd stopped speaking Spanish a very long time ago. But he still couldn't resist calling me by the nickname he'd labeled me with so long ago..."young one."
A small burst of laughter escaped me at the oddity of being called "young one." Me, a twelve-hundred year old vampire. But it did solidified just how ancient Balam truly was. I hoped being one of the original Mayan people would lend itself to him possessing some valuable information once again.
"The demon is still alive and my vampire son, Terrance, has shown signs of drifting back to normal. I was hoping you might have an idea as to how that's even possible. I know the rule is to deliver the true death to any vampire who's drifted permanently dark, but if he's drifting back, I think we need to make an exception to the rule." The speed of my explanation was apparently enough of a trigger for Balam to understand how panicked I truly was.
"Evangeline, calm down. After we last spoke I contacted the other elders and we've discussed your situation at length. I think you're right; ending Terrance would be a mistake. He's the first vampire to ever go through something like this and come out of it alive. Our lack of information in the past has led to some unfortunate deaths, but now that we know demons are responsible for the few cases in which vampires drifted permanently dark, this is the perfect opportunity to study Terrance and his reactions and maybe find a solution to the problem through his experience."
Relieved, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I sunk into my leather chair. I was so happy Terrance would be allowed to live. Christian remained seated on the opposite side of my desk, watching me intently as he listened with his heightened hearing as Balam continued.
"I think one of the reasons Terrance has started drifting back is due to the lack of demon blood being introduced into his system. He hasn't fed from the demon in months, so it would make sense that her blood would work its way out of his system. Our rule of delivering the true death was something that Yum Camil established before my time and has always prompted us to end our affected brethren before they ever had a chance to recover."
I hoped Balam was right, as this would mean that Terrance would soon drift back to normal and fully become part of our clan once more. My hopes were quickly dashed as Balam spoke again.
"You are not going to be able to let Terrance free because even though the demon blood no longer poisons his system, we are not sure how the mind bond that was forged will be affected. Just because he's not feeding from her doesn't mean she couldn't still have the ability to control him."
Damn! That was really bad news. Christian's eyes and hair were almost black as he shook his head. I knew how upset he was and exactly what he was thinking. Killing her and every other demon we could find was going to be our only choice.
"Balam, do you and the elders have any ideas on how we actually kill a demon?"
"Let me contact the elders once more and I will call you in a couple of days. The stories of our origins and the ancient demon culture are scarce, but I'm sure through our combined knowledge we'll be able to pinpoint the details you'll need to put an end to this nightmare."
I thanked my Sire and hung up the phone. This was going to be a long couple of days.
"Do you think they have a chance of uncovering the information we need to destroy her?" The skepticism in Christian's voice proved he didn't think so.
"I'm not sure. We're facing something new for the first time in all of vampire history, and that means there are a lot of unknowns. Even Balam has never been through something like this. But I trust him to do everything he can to help us find the answer." With that, I pushed out of my chair and headed to find Dax. I knew my consort would want to know everything I'd just learned. Christian's hand on my shoulder stopped me just as I reached the door.
"Rose and I had a fight. She's mad at me for not telling her about her dad moving when we first found out. And now, with Meredith being alive, I think she's even more determined to contact her dad to find out what's going on. She's lost faith that we'll be able to control the situation and I think she's losing faith in our relationship too. I don't know what to do."
The crestfallen look on his face had my heart breaking. This was Christian's first serious relationship in six-hundred years. "I'm so sorry, Christian, but try to understand. Rose has lost her entire family, and is now being forced to live with a bunch of vampires who can only interact with her at night. She must be feeling pretty alone, and then to find out we've been keeping things from her...you must see how that could be very upsetting."
"I do. And I'm sorry I didn't tell her sooner. You said that you wanted to gain more information first, and at the time I agreed with you, but I think we made a mistake. We're going to have to trust Rose more. Especially since once I become the new Sire, she'll be my consort forever. I don't want any animosity between us right from the start."
"You're right. We do need to trust her more, but keep in mind, Christian, she's still human. Their emotions can make them do irrational things."
"Like run straight into the waiting arms of a demon because she misses her dad?" Christian asked.
"Exactly. And honestly, you do realize we have no way of stopping her from leaving during the day, don't you? Unless you plan to bite and use your sedative on a human, there's no other way to keep tabs on her while we sleep."
"I thought about that, and even though it will push her further away if she ever finds out, I feel like she's leaving me no choice. I'm so terrified of what Meredith will do to her if she gets the chance. And Rose's fear for her father's safety is likely to push her straight into Meredith's grasp."
"Take tonight and think things over. If you want to use a human to guard her during the day, I know the perfect one. Just let me know what you decide."
* * * * *
(Christian)
I left Evie's office and took a trip around the club, for once doing my job instead of focusing on Rose. Well, almost. I needed time to think on how best to approach Rose with my apology...and my demands.
There was no way I could risk her running to her father, only to fall prey to Meredith's scheme, whatever it was. I knew before I even reached the upper level of the club that I was going to take Evie up on her offer. I had to have someone who'd be able to watch over Rose while I was comatose. I would bite this human, and program my sedative to turn him into her bodyguard. He would keep tabs on her, and if necessary, do anything and everything to protect her. I didn't think it was something Rose would be upset about–people get body guards all the time...right?
* * * * *
CHAPTER TEN
It was Over
(Rose)
I slammed the door to our room so hard I thought it would fly off its hinges. I couldn't believe my dad had just been here and they had all kept me from going to him. What harm could it have done if he was alone? I hadn't killed Meredith, so it wasn't like I needed to worry about being chased by the cops any more, and talking to my dad might have given us a better idea about what was happening with her. Then again, maybe Christian was right. Maybe she was controlling my dad like she controlled Terrance. Who knew? And even if she wasn't controlling him, I'm sure she was probably keeping tabs on him as a way to find and probably kill me.
I threw myself onto the bed and buried my face in the pink covered feather pillow. The familiar scent and texture had my eyes filling with tears. It was the pillow I'd had in my old bedroom. The pillow my mom and I picked out together when we redid my bedroom after our painting project all those months ago. Months? It felt like years.
Shortly after Christian and I had gone into hiding, I was so sad about having to leave my home that I longed for something to remind me of my old life. So, Christian, without Evie's knowledge, snuck back into my house and grabbed some of my clothes and a few small things that wouldn't be missed from my room, including my pillow. He hadn't run into my dad or anyone else, and I was so grateful to have some of my things that I never even considered the risk.
Yes, we'd thought Meredith was dead at the time, but he could have run into her and if he'd bitten her, he would have drifted dark and been under her control, just like Terrance. Which was the same thing that would happen if he bit me. What a nightmare this had become.
I sat up, resolute in my decision. I would put an end to this here and now. I grabbed the box of my things that was stashed under the bed and found my special stationary and pen. I would write Christian a letter telling him it was over. I had to get out of this situation while I had a good reason, and right now, with how mad I was and all the "fighting" we'd been doing, it was the perfect time.
I'd just finished my letter when I heard footsteps outside the door. I watched as the knob slowly turned and Christian called out, "Rose, are you in there?"
I quickly crumpled the paper, threw it into the box, and pushed the whole thing back under the bed. I simply wasn't ready to give it to him just yet. I needed to know what he and Evie found out from Balam, and I figured I could always rewrite it and give it to him later. Or possibly leave it on the bed during the day while he slept, taking the coward's way out.
"I'm here."
His head was hanging low as he made his way to join me on the bed. "I'm sorry" was all he said.
I sat in silence, considering the best way to handle this. I couldn't forgive him like I wanted to, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him until we ended up having make-up sex. No, I had to keep my shields in place. He had to believe that I was still mad, or else he'd dig for the real reason I was leaving. A reason I could never reveal.
"I hate fighting with you, Rose. Can we please talk this through? I already explained I didn't tell you about your dad moving because Evie wanted to gather more information first, but I admit that was a mistake. And about what just happened upstairs, I honestly just found out about your dad being here right before I told you, I swear."
"I believe you. But Christian, the problem is...I'm starting to feel like a prisoner here. I should've been happy to find out that I'm not a wanted murderer, but instead, I still have to remain here, hidden and scared, because the woman I tried to kill is still alive and wants me dead. I love you and I appreciate Evie taking me in and everyone accepting me, but I miss my friends and my dad. This whole situation has been twisted around, and I'm just not sure if staying here is right for me anymore."
The shocked look on his face was enough to make me want to take everything back. I hated hurting him. But if things went back to the way there were, then he would think I was still planning to become his consort, and that was something that could never happen. At least this way I was protecting him from being truly hurt.
"Rose, I know you're mad, and I certainly don't want you to feel like a prisoner here, but you have to understand that you and I remaining under wraps is for your own safety. I wish I was the new Sire already so I could just change you into a vampire, and then we wouldn't have to worry about this anymore. Meredith couldn't hurt you once you were like me."
I pushed off the bed and spun around to face him. "How can you say that? You guys are in more danger from Meredith than I am. If you bite her, you'll become infected and then she'll be able to control you. Have you forgotten that? At least with me, the human, all she can do is kill me. I'd rather be dead than be controlled."
"Dammit, Rose!" Christian flew across the room and had me by the arms in the next second. "No, I haven't forgotten any of what's happened, but don't you dare say stuff like that. Don't you dare say you'd rather be dead! I can't bear to hear it." He released me and ran his hand through his rapidly drifting hair. "I know vampires can't bite her, but soon we'll have the information we need to kill her. If you were a vampire, you'd be strong enough to stand against her. That's all I meant."
I hated putting him through this. I almost meant what I'd said. I'd rather be dead, if only to avoid causing him pain. "Christian, I'm sorry this is hard to hear, but I'm going to reach out to my dad and find out what's going on very soon. There's really nothing you can do to stop me, and it upsets me you'd even want to try. Don't you want to know what's up with Meredith?"
Christian was breathing heavy and he hadn't stopped drifting, but I didn't expect the menace in his voice when he said, "Evie already sent Renard and Loni to check things out with your dad and the demon. We should know their whereabouts by tomorrow. But Rose...you're wrong if you think there's nothing I can do to stop you."
* * * * *
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Make This Work
(Meredith)
After spending a perfect evening with Jeremy, eating pizza, drinking wine, and making love, I took the next day off from work, faking a cold. I had too much to do to prepare for the next demon meeting.
Damien and I were going to meet in an hour to check out the prospects for tonight's bloodletting. He'd been disappointed when I told him we wouldn't be able to continue drinking and draining our victims to death. No, we had to start draining and storing it so it could be introduced to the other demons at the meetings as planned, though killing the donors was still the ultimate end to the process.
"I'll be there in an hour. A
re the workers still in the area?" I asked.
"Yes. They're taking a lunch break now, but once the horn sounds, they branch off again and head to their designated areas. There's one section way in the back and only two workers are assigned there. It's perfect."
"I'll decide if it's perfect once I'm there. I'm leaving now."
Damien had found what he thought was the perfect place to obtain some of our victims. There was a logging facility outside of town that had recently hired a large crew of Labor Ready employees. He figured it would be the ideal situation since there were so many new faces; it was likely that no one would miss the men we took.
Honestly, I didn't care if they were missed or not, as long as I got what I needed and we didn't leave any evidence behind. I wasn't stupid and had recently bought a bundle of gloves so our fingerprints wouldn't be found in the area. We'd have to knock these men out and transport them to a secure location before draining them.
When Damien first told me his plan, I looked up the area on the computer and found there was an abandoned hunting shack just a quarter mile from the location. I figured with my demon speed, it wouldn't take me long to transport the men there to meet their death. I had everything we needed to make it look like they wandered off to get high and met their end by way of a wild animal. I was sure we could make this work.
As I gathered the last of my supplies and stuffed them in my oversized purse, I glanced out the kitchen window and noticed a blue SUV parked across the street. I couldn't recall if it had been there last night, but I'd lived here long enough to notice a strange car in the vicinity. I looked closer but didn't see anyone in the vehicle so I made a mental note to check and see if it was still there when I came home tonight.
I eased into my BMW, excited about starting this next phase of my plan and sped towards my meeting with Damien.