“Which would you prefer?”
“I’d love to go shopping. So let’s go to the boutiques and have coffee outside somewhere.”
“Your wish is my command. I know where we can go. First let me give you these Prada sunglasses so we can look like the beautiful people and off we go,” he says taking my hand after he summons up the expensive shades.
With a warm sucking sensation we pop from his flat in Chinatown to Fillmore Street.
We decide to stop at Kiehl’s first for some skin care products. It’s a fun shop where you can try all the products first. A girl who is way too perky waits on us. She keeps giving Aidan the eye and he flirts back shamelessly. I drag him out. Then we take a break and have coffee at a small table under a tree on the sidewalk. Dappled light dances across the table.
“Don’t pout, Lilith. She meant nothing to me. I was feeding.”
“I knew that,” I say, feeling my shoulders relax.
“Yeah, right,” Aidan says, laughing but looking very pleased.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, love. Let’s get back to your coffee and we’ll see what other mischief I can get into.
Every once in a while Aidan will gaze intently and someone will drop a bag or another breaks. I think I have figured out his formula. He only picks people wearing green. In spite of my feelings of sympathy, it can be amusing. After a half hour or so I drag Aidan away from his fun into some of the boutiques. He patiently waits while I browse and try on clothes. It’s a pleasant afternoon.
“It’s funny how fashions keep repeating themselves,” I say, not really expecting an answer.
“You have no idea. When you look at the total picture and I mean total picture, you see that humans like certain styles and keep bringing it back into fashion over and over. It’s very interesting actually, if you like that sort of thing.”
“You know I do.”
We spend the next two shops discussing fashion, something Sebastian would never do with me. I immediately feel guilty thinking that.
The whole time we keep talking like we had the night before. Sometimes he will tell me about things he has seen and done. Sometimes I will tell him what it is like being a vampire or what I want to do with my life. I don’t use my hand sanitizer once.
When it grows dark, Aidan takes my hand and pulls me into a shop doorway to bring us back to his flat. He tosses my purchases onto a chair. I go to the bathroom to tidy up. When my cell phone rings on the way out, it’s Sebastian.
“Hello, Cherie. I know I am supposed to be giving you space but I wanted to hear your voice.”
I sit down on the bed and twirl one of the curls in my hair.
“Sebastian…”
“Wait, don’t hang up, I need to tell you I love you. When you didn’t come home last night I thought I might go crazy with worry, but I’m trying to be calm and remember that you are ninety-eight. You can take care of yourself.”
“Yes, I can and I would have been crazy in your position. It got late and today I needed a stress-free day.” I blow out a breath and hold myself together with my other arm. “I love you too, Sebastian.”
“I hired a new manager. You were right, Paul was a nightmare. But now I have to go in and start training him. His name is Seth. I think he is going to work out great.”
He still doesn’t get it.
“That will be a big help for us but it’s not just that, Bast. Yesterday, telling me I couldn’t see Aidan, I can’t have you controlling my life like that. That’s my biggest fear. I don’t want to lose myself and be your puppet. I don’t want to find myself several years from now totally dependent on you for everything,” I whisper, afraid of expressing any more of my worst fears.
“It won’t be like that, Lily,” Sebastian says strongly. “Aidan just knows how to press my buttons. I was over the line yesterday. I apologize for that. He still loves you and I can’t help thinking that you won’t marry me because you still have feelings for him too.”
“Oh, Bast, honey, that’s not the reason why I have wanted to put off our engagement. Aidan has nothing to do with it.” But I wonder if at least a small part of my reluctance comes from my feelings for the jinni.
“I wish we had talked about your feelings before too.”
“What are we going to do?” I ask, throwing myself onto the bed.
“First things first, we need to be in the same place at the same time so I can wrap my arms around you.”
“I miss you, Bast.”
“What are your plans for tonight?”
“I need to feed and then I was going to hang around here for a little while longer. What about you?”
“I have to go back to the club and train Seth on more of the routines. Charlie will close with him so I can leave at eleven. Can we meet back at the manse then, Cherie?”
“I’m not sure. Bast, we fight so much. Maybe we need a small break?”
“No. We need to talk, like we have started doing tonight. Communication will get us through this. Listen to me. I sound like Oprah. What have you done to me?”
I laugh despite the seriousness.
“Okay, I’ll see you at home later.”
“A bientot, ma petite.”
I sit for a minute. Things are not resolved but they are on the way. Despite what I’ve said to Sebastian, I have to admit the crux of many of our problems is Aidan. I refuse to give him up. He is too good a friend and something else. Aidan makes me feel differently than anyone else does. I love Aidan, but not in the same way or for the same reasons I love Bast.
Aidan quietly enters the room and I smile at him letting him know all is good.
“Lilith? It’s dark out. I heard you say you needed to feed. Why don’t we go out and get you some dinner?”
“Doesn’t it gross you out?”
“Not when it’s you.” He looks almost perplexed. “I’m not sure why, but it doesn’t. Come on, let’s go. I know a good spot. Lots of people roaming around and it’s just a couple of blocks away.”
“Okay, but I’m not so good at it unless they’ve been drinking. Helena and Julian are the only ones that can lure people in. I have to have a reason for the person to come to me.”
“Let me summon some new clothes for you and then you will have all the reason in the world to be approached.”
“Oh brother, I can only imagine,” I say as I roll my eyes at him.
“Do you want to eat or not?”
“Yes.”
“Then shut up and put this on.”
He smirks and leaves the room.
It is my worst nightmare and then some. The smallest red dress I have ever seen. Low cut, little straps and short. Black thigh highs and fuck me pumps. He even has bright red lipstick in the bag of goodies. All this bright red will look gauche on a strawberry blonde, but somehow I don’t think the clientele will mind. It doesn’t take me long to put on because there isn’t much to it. He’s right. I’ll be propositioned in no time in this outfit.
“I’m ready and I’m going to kill you for this,” I yell to the next room.
Aidan appears. He swallows hard.
“I wish I had blood, you could have me for dinner.”
“You naughty man, let’s go hunt.”
We pop down to the street. I’m not even sure Aidan has a door like normal people. We walk along the narrow passageways of Chinatown. Down the famed haunted streets. We narrowly miss the Night-time Ghost Walking Tour of Chinatown. Aidan has admitted to messing with them in the past.
He stays close to me for the next two blocks, guiding me by the elbow until the street becomes darker and, oddly, more populated. We pass by closed up vegetable stands and move into a neighborhood that’s thick with tension. The sidewalks haven’t been washed and the shop fronts aren’t cared for like other areas. I notice doorways where single light bulbs shine overhead to illuminate signs in Chinese, advertising I can only guess, above shop fronts. I get the impression the people that habituate this section o
f town like to remain anonymous. We walk maybe a half mile when I feel Aidan brush his hand against the small of my back and start to fall back which is his cue for me to start hunting.
I check for doorways I can stand near to lure in a prospective snack. It isn’t long before I feel the presence of someone behind me. At first I assume it is Aidan until a breeze brings a strong animal scent, like dog but not quite. An odor I haven’t smelled before. The stench is overwhelming, making my nose wrinkle and my spidey senses go on alert. Before I turn around to confront it something heavy jumps on my back, snarling with deep guttural growls, making the hairs stand up on my arms and my fangs come out. We turn into a snarling fur and fang ball. I struggle under the things iron-like grasp. Never since I became a vampire has something been able to hold onto me when I didn’t want it to. Panicking, I reach behind my head and draw my nails across a hairy beast’s eyes. It’s stink stings my nose and my eyes burn. I can’t find Aidan. Is he okay? Sebastian. Sebastian. Sebastian. This thing is ripping into me leaving burning, searing trails in its wake. My fingernails are as strong as iron nails but my attack doesn’t even register on my assailant.
“Help!” I scream, but it comes out in a gasp because the creature’s wiry, furred arm has hold of my throat.
The monster clamps onto my shoulder. This time my lungs fill and I scream. I hear Aidan yell my name and then feel a whoosh of warm air. The beast on my back falls off and runs. I see a glimpse. It looks like a naked human man. Then the world gets blurry and black around the edges. A human runs up to help me. In a frenzy fueled by adrenaline and fear, I bite. Savagely. Before I feel like I have enough, Aidan is pulling me off and transmanifesting us back home.
“Aidan, what’s wrong?” Julian is at our side instantly.
“I don’t know. Something attacked her. I think it’s related to the other attacks in the city. It’s what I meant to talk to you about yesterday.”
“Lily!” Helena arrives at vampire speed. “Put her on her stomach on the sofa.”
I feel them gently tearing my dress off my back. There is a collective gasp as I let out a groan.
“It’s foaming,” Helena says. “It’s poisoned, or cursed.”
“What in hell did this, Aidan?” Julian demands. I’ve never heard Julian sound so vehement.
“She was hunting and I didn’t want to disturb her so I didn’t see what was happening until it was too late. The thing looked human but was covered in hair. I had to blast it with a plane disturbance because it was attached to Lilith and I didn’t want to hurt her. There were people in between us,” Aidan speaks quickly. “I heard her scream and came running.”
I start crying. Oh God, I did it again. I killed someone. I bit into that person so ferociously. I had to have killed him.
“Aidan, I killed him. Oh my God…”
He moves to my side and brushes the hair from my forehead.
“No, love, you didn’t.” He reassured me, stroking my arm. “You were fighting for your life, in full vampire mode. I pulled you away in time. I’ve never seen you like that. You scared me.”
“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I could’ve killed him.” What a nightmare. What happened? “Thank you.”
“Anything, love.”
“She fed?” Julian asks.
“Yes,” Aidan says. “I reached her just as she started to feed.”
“That’s good,” Helena says. “It will help her heal faster. We have to find out what bit her so I can tend to the wound. Julian, look up bite marks on Voogle.”
“Already there, dear,” Julian says from behind his computer.
“What’s Voogle?” Aidan asks.
“Google for vampires. It lists all paranormal occurrences so that we can have a comprehensive database,” Julian says as he motions Aidan over to his laptop and starts searching with his vampire speed. “It’s a member’s only search engine of course.”
“Of course,” Aidan says, rolling his eyes.
Helena rings for Andrew.
“Andrew, will you bring me hot water, towels and gauze pads? I don’t want to use any purifying agents until I know what has caused this. I think that blessed water will be safe though,” Helena says, uncertainly. I wince. Helena’s cures are effective but not pain free.
We hear a car drive up. Sebastian is home.
“Helena, have you heard from… What happened?!” Sebastian sees me on the couch with everyone gathered around me and roars. “Dammit Aidan, what did you do?” Sebastian doesn’t wait for an answer before he grabs Aidan by the throat, fangs out and slams him into the wall. I can’t believe that Aidan has let him touch him. He feels guilty, dammit.
“Not his fault,” I say as clearly as I can manage.
Sebastian kneels beside me.
“Cherie, what happened?” he asks softly.
“Smelled like an animal, followed me and jumped me from behind. Quick … very strong… couldn’t break free. Bit me. Aidan blasted it.”
“Aidan says it appeared humanoid and excessively hirsute,” Julian summarizes.
“Have you fed?” Sebastian asks me.
“Yes, I was hunting when it happened.” I shift my body to take some pressure off the wound. “I tore someone… I could’ve killed him but Aidan pulled me away.”
“Good girl,” Sebastian says, not really hearing me. He seems more concerned with inserting himself between Aidan and me. Aidan’s eyes narrow but he concedes his place for now. “Julian, what bit her?” Sebastian demands harshly.
“I think it was a werewolf,” Julian says slowly as his eyes scan the text and pictures. “But I want to be sure.”
“Oh good God,” Helena whispers.
“Just what we need,” Aidan says.
“Loup-garou! Merde,” Sebastian says.
“Let me make sure. There are other candidates as well,” Julian says.
“Here is the water and gauze Miss Helena. Oh my God, Miss Lily,” Andrew says, setting the supplies down on a table next to me. I give him a weak smile. I know it will probably be my last smile for awhile considering what Helena is about to do.
Helena takes a moment to say a blessing over the water. I’m not looking forward to this. Andrew stands nearby chewing on a fingernail. Sebastian takes my hand.
Dipping gauze into the steaming, blessed water Helena dabs it onto the first scratches. I hear myself moaning. She continues to dab at the rest of the scratches. When she gets to the bite area I almost pass out. Intense mind-numbing, burning pain.
I come to on the sofa in a night gown. I don’t remember how I got it on. I think that Aidan zapped me into the clean clothes.
“I want to get you to bed as soon as possible, Cherie, but Julian needs you close by to compare the bite to his books and the computer results,” Sebastian explains. “He promises it will just take a little bit longer.”
“What about the werewolf?” I say hoarsely. “He attacked someone the other night while I was on the phone and I did nothing.”
Sebastian starts pacing. Aidan is staring at me, looking lost. I know he wants to comfort me and I also know he is restless to do something about the situation. It’s not like him to sit around. He leans forward on his knees.
“Lilith, there is no way you could have known he was accurately describing his situation. We’ll sort this out,” Aidan reassures me.
“I’m sorry, Aidan. I seem to be getting you into trouble quite a bit lately.”
“Hush, Lilith, rest. I can take care of myself,” he insists then winks. “Besides, a little trouble makes life worth living.”
Sebastian grunts, hands jammed into his pockets. “It seems I owe you my thanks for saving Lily’s life, Aidan. Thank you,” he says grudgingly.
“You don’t owe me anything.” Aidan’s eyes smolder. There’s a new edge to his voice since my fight with Sebastian.
“You’re right,” Sebastian shouts, going from reluctantly grateful to enraged in an eyeblink. “She was with you and you let her get hurt. Can�
�t you even protect her?”
Aidan glows as he launches himself at Sebastian. The two start swinging their fists and ripping at each other. Julian is a blur as he moves in to break it up. He separates them and they back off. Sebastian pulls at his shirt roughly to straighten it out. Aidan’s incandescence dims but his expression is still menacing.
“Can I go back to my research now?” Julian asks, gauging the potential for mayhem.
Both men give stiff nods.
“Lily needs calm to heal not testosterone saturating the room,” Helena admonishes Bast and Aidan. Helena wipes my forehead and face with a cool cloth. It feels wonderful.
“She has a fever,” Helena says. She gives Julian a worried look. His vampire speed allows him to access his books and web pages simultaneously. Sebastian lays his hand against my forehead. He frowns.
“Vampires don’t get fevers Helena, yet she’s burning up,” Sebastian says in a low voice. “Can’t we give her something?”
“We can put her into a tepid bath and bring it down but it will be painful when those scratches and that bite hit the water.”
“Let me assist,” Aidan says.
He moves his hand around and summons two sponges. He hands one to Helena and the other to Sebastian.
“These are cool,” Sebastian says.
“Yes, and they will stay that way. This way you can cool her down but not hurt her.”
“You are brilliant, Aidan, thank you,” Helena says.
The sponge scrapes against my fevered, sensitive skin as she rubs me down. Bast pulls my gown up to my hips and starts rubbing my legs. I shiver as the cool sponges spread over my fevered limbs.
“I think I’ve found the most probable suspect for what bit Lily,” Julian says. “It was an American werewolf,” he translates as he reads. “First, we should cleanse the wound with a steeped tea of wolfsbane. It will burn the wounds clean and then they can heal, otherwise they will fester and never heal completely,” Julian reads. Helena explains she doesn’t have any of the fresh herb needed.
Once again, Aidan offers to summon the solution to Julian and Helena’s specifications.
I clench my teeth and prepare myself. Sebastian kisses my cheek.
Sucking Bites (San Francisco Vampires Series #3) Page 4