My cell phone was buzzing angrily when I stepped back into the room, nearly vibrating itself onto the floor. I glanced at the illuminated display, saw it was Conal. Since the kidnapping, he'd kept in regular contact with me, always starting his conversation with the same sentence – “Still with the bloodsucker?” He'd proven to be a good and loyal friend. Although he insisted he kept in touch because of the blood pact, I knew he was interested in more. Lucas didn't like my continued contact with Conal, but he'd accepted it without complaint, saying only that I had the right to choose my own friends. I wavered for a minute, trying to decide whether to answer or ignore it. With a sigh, I flipped open the phone. “Hello.”
“Thank Christ. Where the hell are you?” Conal demanded, relief tangible in his voice. “I've been trying your number for hours.”
I swallowed nervously. “I've been ignoring it.”
“That much was obvious,” Conal stated, his deep voice husky across the line. “Where are you, Charlotte?”
I glanced around the room, viewing the faded wallpaper, the worn carpet covering the floor. “To be honest, I don't have a clue.”
“Acenith telephoned yesterday, told me you'd run off. Said something happened with your blood-sucking boyfriend, although she wasn't big on details. Did he hurt you?” Conal questioned. I could hear the barely-concealed antagonism in his voice.
“No. He didn't hurt me.” I stared down at my hands, wondering for the millionth time how I'd created such destruction. “I hurt him,” I admitted quietly.
There was a long silence at the other end of the line and I waited for Conal to speak. “What the hell does that mean?” he finally asked.
“I don't know. I don't know what I did, or how I did it.” I paused, trying to put together a reasonable explanation for what had occurred. “All I know is something I did injured Lucas, William and Striker's brother. William's knee is dislocated and he's got concussion. Striker's brother, Holden, has a severe concussion and his arms are both broken. Lucas has a fractured skull, his right leg is broken and he's got some broken ribs.”
Once again, there was a protracted silence at the other end of the line. “And you think… you did that?” Conal queried incredulously.
“I know I did that,” I stated dully.
There was another minute of drawn out silence before Conal spoke again. “Where are you? There must be something around to tell you where you are.”
I glanced around the room, spying the room service menu sitting on the scarred wooden desk. “I'm at the Paddlers Motel, Steamboat Springs.”
“Colorado?” Conal said disbelievingly.
“Yeah, apparently.” I'd driven further than I'd imagined, not even realizing the distance I'd travelled.
“Okay. Don't move. I'm heading out to the airport and I'll catch a flight to Denver. I'll hire a car and meet you in Steamboat Springs.”
“Conal, that isn't a good idea. You don't know what happened; you don't know how strong this power is. I could hurt you.”
“This isn't up for discussion.”
“I'm serious, Conal. I'm too dangerous to be around anyone until I figure out how to control this.”
“I'll take my chances. You won't hurt me,” Conal responded firmly. “And I won't take no for an answer.”
“Conal… you don't have to do this,” I protested softly. Deep in my heart, I was grateful. I was completely directionless, with no idea of where I was going, what I was doing. It would be nice to have someone take control, stop me from spinning uncontrollably as I was doing now.
“Yeah, I do. Promise me, you'll stay right there until I come and get you.” His voice was unyielding, filled with determination.
I took a deep breath. “I promise.”
Chapter 23: Salvation
It was late in the evening when I heard the soft knock at the door and went to pull it open.
Conal stood in the doorway, as tall and muscular as I remembered, wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, his dark hair a wild mane around his attractive face. He looked down at me, his dark eyes softening. “Charlotte.”
For a long moment, I stared at him, until my eyes welled with tears again. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me as I cried, whispering comforting words against my hair until I got my emotions under control. I pulled back, wiping the tears away with my fingers. “Come in.”
Conal released his grip and followed me into the tiny motel room. When I turned back, he was dwarfing the place with sheer size. “You really know how to pick a classy place, don't you?” he announced dryly.
“It's got a bed and a shower. It met my needs.” A ghost of a smile played on my lips, disappearing as quickly as it came.
Conal gazed down at me and I could see the questions in his black eyes. He surprised me though. “When did you last eat?”
“I— I don't know.” The past forty-eight hours had seen me drinking plenty of coffee, but I couldn't recall eating anything since I'd left Puckhaber.
“You look like hell, Charlotte. I saw a diner a couple of miles down the road. Let's go and get something to eat and some coffee.”
We sat in a booth at the roadside diner, this late at night there were only a couple of other patrons, truckers on their way through a long haul, stopping to eat and drink. The waitress took our orders and Conal leaned back against the brown vinyl seat, eyeing me curiously. I'd poured out the whole story of what happened, not leaving out anything and even stumbling over the fact that I'd thought Holden was attacking me. When I finished, I felt the nervous energy seep from my shoulders as I waited for his response.
“I warned you about the bloodsuckers, didn't I? They can't be trusted, Charlotte.” Conal's voice was low in the quiet diner. “It might have been a misunderstanding this time, but you're right to be frightened. Ultimately, they can't fight the desire for human blood.” The waitress stood at the counter, the other patrons far enough from us that it was unlikely they'd overhear our conversation.
“I'm sure they wouldn't have hurt me,” I protested quietly. “It really was a misunderstanding.”
Conal shook his head, his dark hair sweeping against his shoulders. “They are what they are. There's no denying that they only live— exist, for one thing. Blood. The Tine Kiss might be subsisting on human blood, but I can't believe they can control it perfectly. Sooner or later, Charlotte, it was gonna go pear-shaped.” He was sitting cross-armed, but now he reached one hand across the table, touching a curl that hung against my cheek. “And what happened, when you think you attacked them. You're absolutely certain it came from you?”
“My abilities have been steadily increasing.” I explained the events of the past weeks, how I was refining the control I had over the spirits and increasing my mental abilities. “But it's never been like that before. Conal, I broke their bones… that shouldn't be possible.”
“It's not impossible,” Conal replied slowly. “But improbable. Vamps are virtually indestructible. It would take a tremendous amount of power to break one of their bones. More power than any human has. Or any werewolf, for that matter.”
“Well, apparently I managed it. And I didn't break one bone; I broke a whole lot of them.” I bit my lip, forcing control over my tightly strung emotions.
The waitress appeared with our orders – espresso for Conal, soda for me and a huge hamburger for each of us. I picked at the lettuce peeking out from the bun, popping it into my mouth.
“Was Acenith worried about me?”
Conal sipped his coffee, eyeing me thoughtfully. “I like that girl, Marianne too. Despite them being leeches. Yeah, she was worried about you. Practically begged me to find you, because you wouldn't pick up your cell phone.”
I shut my eyes, a wave of misery swamping me. “I like them, too.”
Conal bit into his hamburger, chewing before he spoke again. “She wanted me to tell you the men are okay.” His black eyes were scrutinizing me carefully as though he was seeing into my soul. “They want you to go back.”
�
�I can't go back.”
“Why? Because you're frightened of them? You should be.”
I shook my head, picking at the sesame seed on the top of the bun. “Because I might hurt them.” I saw the cynical look cross Conal's handsome features and hurried to explain. “You didn't see it, Conal. You didn't see how much damage I did. I threw Lucas – through a wall – without physically touching him. Hard enough to break the stone and wood behind it. I can't risk doing that again. And William has a little sister, Katie. I couldn't bear to think I might hurt her.”
“A bloodsucker with a sister?” His voice was heavy with cynicism. “She a vamp, too?”
“No, she's just a little girl. She's not really his sister… more of a descendant. But he and Gwynn love her like a daughter.”
“The bloodsuckers risk having a human kid living with them?”
“Not all the time. She lives with a carer.”
“Convenient. Probably saves her from being eaten by them. What did they do? Kill the parents to take the kid?”
“It wasn't like that,” I flashed angrily. “Her mother was a drug addict; Katie was put into foster care.”
“Probably better off,” Conal said mulishly.
“How can you say that?”
For a long moment, we glared at one another, before Conal backed down. “Okay. Let's agree not to fight over this. You know them better than I do.” He finished the last mouthful of his burger. “Now eat, Charlotte. You haven't touched your food.”
I bit into the burger and had to admit, it was good. Conal sat quietly opposite me, allowing me to eat in peace and I surprised myself by finishing a good portion.
“So,” Conal clasped his hands together on the table as he watched me. “You aren't going back.”
I shook my head. “I can't.”
“What about you and Lucas? I thought you were pretty happy together.” He was studying me, his eyes devoid of any decipherable emotion.
Tears welled in my eyes. “I can't put him at risk. It's better for him if we don't see one another again.”
Conal watched me for a long moment, his black eyes like endless pools of night. “I think you should come back to Mississippi with me. Stay at my apartment, take a bit of time to figure out what you want to do. I've got a spare bedroom you can use.” He pushed my phone towards me. “But the bloodsuckers should hear it from you. I don't want them getting the impression I'm coercing you in any way.”
I shook my head frantically. “I can't.”
“Charlotte, we have a blood pact with you as part of the Tine Kiss. By having you come across to our side, it could make the pact… messy. I have to think of my own pack. Lucas and his friends need to know you're coming with me willingly. I don't want them thinking they need to come and rescue you.”
“I'm not sure it's a good idea, Conal, it could be dangerous for you.”
Conal smiled. “I'll take my chances. Now call them.”
I stared at the phone, picking it up with fingers that trembled. I flipped it open and dialed Acenith's number. The coward in me hoped she wouldn't answer, that maybe she would be out hunting. Typical of my luck, she answered on the second ring.
“Charlotte! Thank goodness! Are you okay?” Her voice was filled with anxiety.
“I'm fine,” I responded quietly. “Conal's with me.”
“Lottie, what happened wasn't your fault; you weren't to know your ability had increased so dramatically. We all completely understand, you thought Holden was going to attack you. Lucas is devastated that it happened and you felt so threatened.” Acenith spoke in a rush, as if she needed to say everything quickly in case I hung up.
“Is— are they okay?”
“Yes, of course. The bones have mended and no one is worse for wear. Holden is sorry for appearing so abruptly and frightening you, he hadn't got our messages about you coming to live with us, so he was shocked to discover a human at the house. He misread the situation, thought William had lost control of his thirst and was attacking you. He wouldn't have hurt you; he was trying to save you.” Acenith's tone changed, almost begging. “Please come home. This is nothing that we can't work out.”
“I'm not coming back, Acenith. I'm—” I inhaled heavily. “I'm going to stay with Conal for a while. I need to work out some things.”
There was silence at the other end of the line and I imagined Acenith's face, knew she would be crying if she were capable of doing so. “Please, Charlotte. Don't do this,” she pleaded softly.
“I'm terrified of hurting someone else. What I did – it could happen again. I can't take that risk. Next time it could be you, or Marianne, or Rowena. Worse still, I could hurt Katie. I can't let that happen.” I paused, trying to get my errant thoughts into order. “I need time to work out what happened, why it happened. How to control it.”
There was a lengthy silence. “Charlotte.”
It was Lucas and my heart plunged, tears running unhindered down my cheeks.
“I am so sorry, my love. I failed you. I swear it will never happen again.”
I struggled to stop the tears, drawing a ragged breath as I glanced at Conal. His strong features were emotionless, his eyes impassive. “I'm not coming back.”
“Can't we talk this through?” I heard the wretchedness in his voice, could imagine his expression and tears dripped onto the table.
“No, there's nothing to say.”
“On the contrary, I think there's a lot to say,” Lucas responded resolutely. “Charlotte, what happened was a debacle. Holden picked the worst possible moment to return to the Kiss. We all know William worries about his self-control and for Holden to arrive and see him racing towards you, a human – he honestly believed you were in danger. To add to the fiasco, Marianne got a warning, but by the time she'd deciphered it and called Rowena, it was already too late. Can you not forgive us for one mistake?”
“I'm not blaming you or the others. But it… it frightened me, I can't explain what happened, how I managed to— hurt you. And I can't take the risk of being around you in case it happens again.” I inhaled sharply, fighting for courage to say the next words. “I think it's best for everyone if we don't see one another again.”
“But you can take the risk of being with Conal,” he stated harshly.
I winced at the bitterness in his voice. “Conal isn't a risk to me, Lucas. He doesn't have the same issues with his… condition, as you have.”
“I have never threatened you, Charlotte. Never lost control.”
“But one of you might.” I hated saying it, didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I had to. Deep in my heart, I had to admit I'd been terrified when Holden ran towards me, had been convinced he would attack me. If it happened again and this power I held flared – would I kill one of them? “Please, Lucas. Please accept that I have to leave.”
The silence at the other end of the line seemed endless. Even before Lucas spoke, I knew what he would say, knew he wouldn't force me into anything I didn't want to do. He had promised he never would and when he spoke, his words confirmed it. “If that's what you have decided, I'm bound to accept it, my Charlotte. I promised you I would never make you do anything you didn't want to do. And I promised myself I would never hurt you. I have failed on both accounts.”
I was crying in earnest now, great sobs that left my chest aching. I couldn't bear this, couldn't tolerate never seeing him again and yet, there was no alternative. “Promise me you won't do anything stupid. Promise you'll take care of yourself,” I begged. I couldn't live with myself if he chose to do something drastic because of me.
Another long pause before he spoke again, his voice desolate. “I will make that promise, as long as you promise the same thing.”
“I promise,” I agreed softly. “Goodbye, Lucas.” I shut the phone and stared at it for a long moment, before I buried my face in my hands.
Conal slipped from his side of the booth and into mine, wordlessly drawing me into his arms and letting me sob against his shirt.
; Chapter 24: New Beginnings
It had been a little over two months since Conal rescued me from the motel room in Colorado. He'd taken control, arranging transportation of my car to Mississippi and driving us to Denver so we could catch a flight to Louisiana.
I'd learned Conal had two homes – one on the outskirts of Natchez, in a group of houses where members of his pack lived in a close community, and an apartment in the heart of Jackson where he lived during the week. His elegant apartment was spacious and comfortable with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living area and a small balcony that looked out over the city.
Conal was an engineer and worked at his father's construction company, designing high-rise structures to be erected around the United States. He was away from Jackson frequently and insisted I was welcome to live in the apartment while I pulled my life together. He was absent for two or three nights most weeks and I spent the time coming to terms with my new circumstances.
For the first few weeks, I was in a continual funk, deeply depressed and struggling to comprehend a life without Lucas. I sat around the apartment, drinking coffee and watching reruns on cable. Most days I didn't bother changing out of pajamas. To his credit, Conal was amazingly patient, letting me work through my feelings in my own time. I'm certain that some days I must have driven him to distraction and made him wonder why on earth he'd invited this wretched woman into his home. If I'd been him, I would have kicked me out on my ass.
He was a perfect gentleman. The first night at the apartment, Conal insisted on giving me the master bedroom and he moved to the second, smaller bedroom. He made no mention of anything more than friendship, though I was aware of the way he gazed at me when he thought I wasn't looking. I sometimes caught the smoldering desire in his eyes when I glanced up unexpectedly and he'd turn away until he'd recovered his composure. We both studiously ignored mentioning it.
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