Sucking Bites (San Francisco Vampires Series #3)

by Jessica McBrayer

  The sound of voices leads us to the kitchen. Julian is cooking for Andrew. Helena, Sebastian and Hannah are playing cards. At times, I feel like I’m being shared by these two men. I wish it were that simple. I walk over to Sebastian and hug him and smile.

  “Thanks, Bast. I had a great time.”

  “Mmmm, you smell like the ocean and sunshine, Cherie. You are still warm from the sun.” He smiles at me.

  “I’ll just check on Liam,” Aidan says.

  “Thanks, Aidan. He’s been quiet this whole time,” Julian says.

  Andrew pours me a glass of wine and then settles in to eat. The rest of us play cards with Helena and Sebastian and Hannah. We spend the day talking and the night reading and watching movies. Later in the night, Aidan excuses himself like he had the evening before. Sebastian and I go to our bedroom and fall into bed together. We are like savages. I can’t keep my hands off him. He begs me for a few minutes to recuperate. We take a shower just before dawn and then I settle in to sleep. I wake up with him beside me, fully dressed.

  “I guess you weren’t afraid to face them this morning?” I say.

  “That would be correct. I had a few errands to run. I felt comfortable leaving you for a few hours since you are doing remarkably well.”

  “What errands did you run, darling?” I stretch and climb from the warm blankets.

  “I picked something up that I have been waiting to show you. I’m excited you are finally awake. Come see, ma petite.”

  He leads me over to the dresser and a large velvet box. He opens it and inside is his mother’s sapphire and diamond necklace and earrings. He takes it out, and steps behind me to lay it on my neck. I flinch, but trust him. It doesn’t burn me. He’s had it entirely re-set in platinum. It is stunning.

  “Look in the mirror, Lily,” he whispers.

  It takes my breath away. To know this was once worn by his mother over four hundred years ago on her wedding day.

  “It’s so beautiful.”

  “It’s beautiful because you wear it. My mother would have been proud to see it on you.”

  “Oh, Bast. Do you think so?” I want to think she would approve of me, though a were-vamp is probably too much for any potential mother-in-law to accept. That makes me wonder if his mother knew about Sebastian’s change and if she grew old watching him stay young. Then I wonder how it feels to be born without a mother—to be formed from chaos. No wonder wild energies feed Aidan. Sebastian interrupts my free flowing associations.

  “I know so. She and I were much alike. She would have liked you very much.”

  He nibbles my neck while I look in the mirror imagining a time long ago. A French court with a young girl, nervous on her wedding day. Had she been in love with her fiancé? Sebastian slides his hands up my bare arms and holds me close. There is a knock at the door.

  “Come in, Helena,” Sebastian says. “She’s been hovering all morning.”

  “Did you show her?” Helena asks as she sticks her head in. “Ohhh,” she gasps. “Lily, you look so beautiful. Oh, Sebastian, doesn’t she look gorgeous?”

  “Yes, she does. I was just telling her that my mother would have thought so too.”

  “Any mother would be proud to have Lily for a daughter-in-law.”

  Sebastian is right for me. I am ready to be a wife. I know I won’t have anything to fear from Sebastian. He has stood by me through these scary days without a second thought. This is right. Keeping him waiting feels wrong.

  “Sebastian, let’s start planning our wedding,” I say as I turn to look at him.

  His pupils dilate and he gives me a five hundred watt smile that lights up his face as well as the room. Sebastian lets out a whoop and picks me up, swinging me around and around, finally setting me back on the ground. Helena is beside herself, excusing herself to begin her plans for the event of the season. We stare in each other’s eyes.

  Sebastian kisses me softly on the mouth while looking in my eyes. “Lily, you’ve made me the happiest man. Where do you want to get married?”

  “Anywhere you want. Paris, Rome, here, anywhere.”

  “We’ll talk more about this when we get Liam and Andrew turned. I’m sure Liam won’t want to go through one more full moon,” Sebastian mumbles around his gentle kisses to my neck.

  I know this news is going to break Aidan’s heart. I think he feels as long as I’m not married, there is hope. I need to find a way to help Aidan move on. As painful as it is for me, it is ten times more so for Aidan. I put these feelings aside temporarily.

  “I think you’re right. Helena and I will talk about it too. Right now I should get dressed.”

  Our kiss turns more passionate. Sebastian finally releases me so I can dress. I actually almost feel warm from the heat we are generating between us. I rummage through our closet and pick a handkerchief dress and heels. Sebastian sighs when I take off the necklace. We put it back in the box to be opened on our wedding day. He pulls another small velvet box out of his pocket and runs his fingers down my cheek.

  “What’s this?” I ask.

  “You really didn’t think I wouldn’t be prepared with a ring, did you?”

  “Thank God I don’t go all freak-like at the moon phase or you’d have to buy a new one every month.” We both smile.

  He snaps the box open and lifts a brilliant band of diamonds. The ring is shaped in a wreath of diamonds within a vine. It’s regal, classical and I’m sure that’s what drew Sebastian to it in the first place.

  “Oh, Bast.”

  “Lily, will you be by my side for eternity? Will you let me love you for that long?”

  “Yes, Bast,” I whisper as I meet his gaze.

  He gently slides the ring on my finger and then kisses the ring. He takes my hand and we descend the stairs together.

  When we enter the library, my ring reflects a kaleidoscope of color off the wall as it hits the sun. I face a room full of shocked faces. None more than Aidan’s. My attention focuses on him. What I see is pure anguish. He quickly hides it and puts on a smile.

  “Congratulations, love.” I’m not sure why, but my eyes sting. I quickly bat my lashes to take the sting out. Aidan’s smile falters.

  “Thank you, Aidan,” Sebastian says. Aidan looks down for a minute, almost as if he is deciding what to do, then comes over and shakes Bast’s hand. He bends down and kisses me on the cheek. I can smell the sunlight on him and I close my eyes remembering the past few hours. This really means no Aidan. The shock of it reverberates through me.

  “When will you be tying the knot, Lil?” Hannah asks, her usual exuberance subdued. She and Aidan are close and she understands what this means for him.

  “I don’t know. This is kind of sudden,” I say as I look at Aidan.

  Sebastian doesn’t try to hide his elation. He chats with Julian and Helena about wedding locales. Aidan has not taken his eyes off me. Hannah starts to fidget. She’s caught between the two of us.

  “Why don’t I let you two talk,” she says as she makes a hasty exit for the other end of the room.

  “We can’t talk here,” Aidan whispers. “But I need to talk to you.”

  “I know. We will.”

  “I love you, Lilith. I will not go away without a fight.” He closes his eyes for a second and the temperature goes up in the room. “I will not lose you completely, I swear.”

  And with that he pops out of the manse.

  Sebastian notices Aidan’s dramatic departure and the rise in temperature, again. He comes over to me.

  “He didn’t take it well?”

  “No.”

  “I’m sorry, Cherie. We will do everything we can to make him comfortable, but it’s time he moves on.”

  “He won’t, though.”

  Sebastian wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me over to the others to be congratulated and to discuss wedding plans.

  We have coffee and pass the day and night much in the same way as we have passed the previous two. Aidan pops in long enough to chan
ge Liam’s IV solution and then he’s gone. I worry about my fiery friend. Yes, I care deeply for him, but I have made my decision. Now I have to help him live with it.

  We are all anxious for Liam to transform. The afternoon after the third night we are waiting anxiously outside the wine cellar door. Aidan pops in and checks on him.

  “He is back to his human form,” we hear him call from the other side of the door. “I’m going to take him out of the trance now.”

  We wait anxiously and then hear Aidan talking softly. Eventually we hear another voice join his. We look at each other with relief. Andrew is pacing and pulling at his shirt collar. I think he needs to see Liam.

  “Can you unlock the lock, please?” Aidan calls from the other side.

  Julian flips a switch to comply. Aidan emerges from the wine cellar supporting a hollow eyed, gaunt Liam. He hasn’t eaten in three days. Helena hurries about the kitchen, making him food and Aidan helps him sit. I notice Aidan has given him fresh clothes.

  “I feel awful but not as tired as I have before. How bad was it?”

  “You were quite distressed. Aidan put you in a trance after the first night and we gave you an IV to keep you hydrated,” Julian tells him.

  Andrew hugs him hard. Liam holds on to him.

  “I was so worried about you,” Andrew whispers. We look away to give them privacy.

  “I hope I didn’t scare you off?” Liam asks.

  “Not on your life,” Andrew says patting him on the back.

  Liam smiles and it transforms his face.

  “Lily, you don’t look worn out. Can I hope you fared better than I did?”

  “Yes, my eyes are back to normal now, so you can’t see them, but they were large and silver. While they are like that, I have heat vision. It was hard to get used to at first but I adjusted quickly.

  My joints were more elastic. I could jump clear across the room. The night before the change came on, I fed like crazy. I went through four people and needed some help to keep from draining the first person I came across. That is probably going to be the most difficult part. Julian thinks the feeding is because of my body’s metabolic needs to make the change. I could easily kill someone during that part of my change. Listen to me, I’m babbling, I’m just so relieved. But bloodlust shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially with the extra abilities. I also can’t be anywhere near another werewolf. I start howling and want to ‘pack-up’.”

  “That’s all? Really? I remember pacing and getting very anxious and then I don’t remember anything at all.”

  “My friend, it looks like you have a true choice if you want it,” Julian says.

  “I do. The sooner the better,” Liam says.

  “You need to rest for a couple of days first. Helena or I can do it then. Andrew, am I right in assuming you want to be turned then too?” Julian asks.

  “Yes.” Andrew says. He’s serious and resolute, a far cry from his histrionics when he’d first tried to get us to turn him months ago. “I want to go at the same time.”

  “Darling, we will have two children to raise again. We haven’t had a young one in the house since Lily was turned. It will be a challenge,” Helena says. “But rewarding.”

  Julian takes her hand and kisses it.

  “Can I watch? I have never seen anyone turned or met them right after,” Hannah asks.

  “That is a good idea, ma petite chou chou. We will need all the help we can get. It takes a lot of time to help the new ones feed. They need to eat every few days when they are that young and we need to make sure they don’t drain their dinner,” Sebastian says. “Lily was a little glutton.”

  Liam and Andrew look a little green at Sebastian’s words. Aidan smiles—I know he is glad the boys are not bloodthirsty.

  “I truly think this is the best choice for you, Liam,” Aidan says.

  “I do too,” he says. “It’s just hard to hear about draining a person. I suppose I’ll get used to it.”

  “Don’t get too used to it. Try and keep your humanity. It will be your best part. It is why I did not destroy these vampires,” Aidan says. Aidan looks away. Does he regret letting me live on the night we met on the Golden Gate Bridge?

  “Helena has offered me the room I am staying in on a permanent basis. I have accepted. My condo is up for sale, I needed the money. I already had an offer on it. I didn’t know where I was going to live, now I can take it,” Liam says.

  “Welcome to the family, Liam,” Sebastian says.

  “Yes, welcome,” I say. I kiss him on the cheek. Whew, I was worried I would smell that terrible dog scent from the night of my attack, but Aidan must have done a wash and dry spell too.

  “Your skin is so cool. I guess I will be too, soon,” Liam says as he feels where my lips have been on his cheek.

  “Yes. That’s why we almost always have a fire going and we drink a lot of coffee, tea and mulled wine,” I say.

  “Personally, I like hippie blood. You get a nice buzz and then you don’t mind the cold so much,” Hannah says with a wink.

  Liam laughs hard. Andrew rolls his eyes at Hannah. It seems his awe in her is wearing off or maybe he is just showing off for Liam.

  I leave Liam to finish eating and be tended to by nurse Andrew. I have to go and get ready for work. Hannah follows me upstairs.

  “Hey, girlfriend, I’ve been meaning to ask you about your little vacay with Aidan. He looked pretty relaxed when you came back. Anything you want to talk about?”

  I look at her with a guilty face.

  “That’s what I thought,” she says. She doesn’t look very upset, just thoughtful.

  “It’s not what you think, though. I didn’t sleep with him. I couldn’t do that. It took everything in me to control myself. I had to push him off me and in my condition it was hard. In the end he stayed on the beach away from me and I swam with the dolphins.”

  “It’s okay, ‘Lil. I’ve seen the way Aidan looks at you. I don’t think I could withstand that kind of intensity if I was alone with him. He is a beautiful person. Generous with his love. And kind.”

  “He is. I do love him. I wish he would find someone to love besides me. It would break my heart in a way, but also make me happy for him.”

  “I think Sebastian suspects it will be a while before Aidan is over you, but seems to be okay with it as long as it is over,” she observes.

  “Sebastian says he would do and give anything for me.”

  “He would do anything for you except share you with Aidan.”

  “I don’t want him to share. I don’t plan on it being an issue anymore. Hey, let’s stop talking about this. Will you be a bridesmaid?”

  “Hell yes! I would love to be! So cool! The Queen is going to be there, isn’t she?”

  “We’re inviting her. Helena seems to think she will come. I imagine she will want to see what I’m like after being bitten.”

  “Helena said she was relieved after her phone call to explain how well you were doing. The Queen didn’t want anything to happen to you. Helena told her that Liam was going to be turned too. She told a little white lie to keep Celine off our backs.”

  “Well, we knew it probably wasn’t a lie. What did the Queen say about Liam then?”

  “She agreed to spare him. She said to welcome him on her behalf—but I don’t think everything is cool yet.”

  “Oh, Hannah, it’s still promising news. Celine is probably gone by now. Helena is convinced. I was hoping I could get to talk to her one more time,” I say with a bit of sarcasm.

  Hannah high fives me. She leaves as Sebastian shows up, looking at us suspiciously. He doesn’t ask what the high five is for though. He is busy with some papers, I think it’s something to do with taxes, while I change into jeans and a tee shirt, my requisite uniform for work. It’s better at work if they don’t know how much money I have and I fit in better this way. After Sebastian had gone over my portfolio, it didn’t take long for my modest inheritance to blossom. I had some money but was investing it a
ll wrong. Now I won’t have to worry, ever.

  I’m tying my Converses as Bast shuffles together the last of his papers. He plans to go to the club after he drops me off. He has a lot of work to catch up on.

  “Ready, Cherie?” he snaps the flap on his briefcase.

  “Yes, you?”

  “Oui. Let’s go.”

  I grab my jacket and we head for the stairs. We drove through Pacific Heights then past the University of San Francisco on the way to Haight Ashbury, chatting about mundane things. He kiss me and pulls away as soon as I’m out of the car.

  The wind shifts and I read something off. I go on alert. Crouching down in preparation for an attack, I’m not surprised when Celine jumps out at me from the shadows of the doorway of the next building.

  “Bitch!” she hisses.

  “What is your problem?” I ask.

  “You made me a laughing stock at court, but I know you’re still dangerous. I don’t care what your tame little Helena says,” she growls.

  “You’ve got it all wrong, babe. You’re the one who is dangerous and stupid too!”

  We begin to circle each other. She has her fangs out and kicks at me but I dodge her. She snarls. I punch her, hitting her in the stomach. I feel a whoosh of warm air. Aidan and Sebastian are standing to the side of me.

  “I should have walked you to the door, Cherie,” Sebastian says with a grim look on his face.

  “Not necessary. I got it.”

  “What’s the matter, little wolf-bitch needs her jinni to save her?” Celine taunts.

  I see Aidan raise his fingers with a look of fury on his face.

  “Leave her to me, Aidan,” I shout.

  He reluctantly lowers his hand.

  Celine lunges at me and we head lock, circling. All the anger and angst of the past month comes together at this moment. I still have some of my extra speed. Sebastian and Aidan taught me self-defense, after the warlock tried to kill me. I don’t care that she is probably better trained and older than me. Celine is mine.

  I snap a kick and her knee gives way and she rolls away from me. I lunge but she is too fast and is back on her feet. We dance around each other. Somewhere in the confusion I hear the click of Sebastian’s fangs descending. Mine are already out. I leap at her, shoving her against the building. I smack her head against the building a few times. Her grip on my neck relaxes with each impact of her head against the cement wall. I reach back and punch her in the nose. It breaks spectacularly. I grab her by the shirt front and haul her over to Aidan.