by Mel Teshco
The tabby cat jumped onto the doctor’s lap and pushed against his chest, as though it too wanted to reassure the doctor. Newry ran an absent hand over the cat’s head, before the tabby purred like a motor.
Newry’s hand stilled. “Yesterday I visited Amy. I had an epiphany that it would be best that I cleared the air between us, said goodbye to her in the off-chance the vampire returned.”
I stared at the older man. At least now I understood why the doctor hadn’t been home, and had left his food congealing on the stove. After our visit asking about the vampire, Newry had evidently had an attack of fatherly conscience, or maybe fatherly love and devotion, and gone to see his one remaining daughter.
“I’m so glad we’ve reconciled. But I have no idea now how I’ll tell Amy that her only sister won’t ever be coming back home.”
Charley squeezed his shoulders. “I’ll make a pot of tea.”
It was a somber atmosphere, with the doctor taking grateful sips of his sweetened, hot tea, and Charley and I unsure of what to do or say next.
“Perhaps it would be best if we left,” I ventured.
Newry jerked up his head. “And go where?” He put his cup down and it clattered on the table. “Please don’t go on my account. In fact…I’d prefer not to be alone right now.”
“Then of course, we’ll stay,” Charley hastened to reassure him.
The doctor’s shoulders slumped. “Thank you.”
Jasper chose that moment to trot into the dining room and head straight to the front door. When he sat and whined, Charley looked at me and said, “I think Jasper is hinting for a walk?”
I nodded. “I’ll come too.” It would be a relief to get outside and clear my head. Get away from the jarring feeling I was jailed all over again. I turned to Newry. “We won’t be long.”
He nodded, and I clipped on Jasper’s lead before he all but bounded outside, vibrating with energy.
“Wow, the dog’s fired up,” Charley said with a smile, clearly as relieved as me to get out and do something normal.
Of course, she had no idea the Rotty had consumed a good amount of black vampire blood. And I wasn’t about to spoil the mood and tell her. Not when our walk was meant to de-stress and relax us after breaking the terrible news to Newry. News that had involved me, whether I liked it or not.
I pushed away the ever-present guilt and sucked in the mid-morning air. Despite it being the coldest season of the year, the sun was warm on my head. A magpie warbled from the branches of an overgrown eucalyptus tree in someone’s front yard.
Despite Newry’s grief and my own role in it, my step had a spring to it. Despite not having any money in the foreseeable future, I’d never felt more secure. Charley and I had more than a fighting chance now to make a life together. And I for one couldn’t wait to leave my past behind me.
Brakes screeched and I looked up at an old, faded sedan that’d pulled to the curb ahead of us. A man climbed out of the driver’s side before the passenger door opened. I narrowed my eyes. It was the same lady from the house we’d taken Jasper.
“See, Freddy! I told you that was our dog!” the woman screeched, her thin frame quivering with rage.
I felt Jasper’s tension seconds before his hackles raised and his top lip pulled back. When he growled and lunged toward the couple approaching, the lead almost slipped from my grasp.
Freddy stilled and his partner in crime stopped beside him. Freddy was a big man, with big arms, a huge beer belly and a receding hairline. He curled his fists but he didn’t come any closer when he snarled, “What the fuck you done to our dog?”
Charley pointed a finger at them. “Shouldn’t we ask what you did to your dog for him to hate you this much?”
“Give him to us before we call the police!” the woman shouted, jabbing her finger right back at us.
I moved toward them, holding the leash out for them even as Jasper’s vicious growls and snarls amplified to the next level. The Rotty looked ready to tear the couple from limb to limb. I had no idea if the vampire blood had given him the extra courage, or if he’d decided he liked being with us a whole lot more. Possibly both. I hid a smirk. “Go right ahead. Take your dog.”
The woman stepped forward and Jasper leaped at her, his teeth glinting and his mouth drooling. “Bloody hell.” She stepped back. “Keep the mongrel away from me!”
I shrugged and stalked toward Freddy. “Hey, he’s your dog. Don’t try palming him off to us now.”
Freddy stumbled back, palms out. “He’s not our dog. Never seen him before.” He fled to his car.
When the sedan roared back into life and took off down the road, I turned to Charley with a grin. “Don’t suppose we’ll have to worry about them anymore.”
Her grin reached her sparkling eyes. “Great job scaring them away.”
“Hey, Jasper did all the work. I was just a humble bystander.” She kissed me on the cheek anyway, a chaste touch that left me softer than a marshmallow inside.
Then she dropped to eye level with Jasper. “Hey, they’re gone now. You got rid of them. Good boy.”
Jasper’s whole body relaxed, and he whined before pushing his big snout into her hand.
Charley giggled. “Relax, buddy, we’re not going anywhere without you now.”
My heart swelled. It sounded as if we were already a family. My stomach dipped. All that was missing was a child. But I wasn’t foolish enough to imagine that might be a possibility. The vampire blood might have changed our DNA forever.
We really needed to study those books.
As if reading my thoughts, Charley straightened and said, “We probably should take Jasper home. I think he’s had enough excitement for a while.”
I nodded. “I agree.”
It was only as we headed back that I told her what Jasper had consumed. She shook her head. “Imagine that, our dog living a long life with us.” She giggled. “I know I shouldn’t laugh, but right now I can’t help but see the funny side of it.”
I squeezed her hand, loving her so much it hurt. “I think it’s safe to say we can afford to laugh now. Just promise me you won’t ever stop laughing and smiling.”
She looked up at me. “That’s one promise I’d love to keep.”
After being on such a low, I returned to Newry’s house on a bit of a high. Though I knew the doctor was far from moving on from his grief. There was at least a determined glint in his eyes as he pulled on his socks and boots at the dining table.
Charley stilled just inside the doorway. “Doctor Newry, is everything all right?”
He shook his head. “Nothing will ever be right again, will it? But it don’t mean I’ll be sitting around crying in my hands. I need to find out all I can about the vampire. See that there are no more out there. Make sure no more ‘missing people’ are reported to the police and never found.”
I nodded. “You’re right. We should go.” I let Jasper off his leash and called him into the fenced back yard. I made sure he had plenty of water and returned inside.
Charley assessed me. “Are you sure you’re ready to face the nest again?”
A shiver of doubt for a moment took hold. Then I forced a smile and said, “The vampire is dead and gone. I can face my demons knowing that.”
Newry stalked into the kitchen and retrieved a set of keys. “Well then, no more faffing about. Let’s put this nightmare behind us.”
As I followed the doctor out to the tiny garage at the side of the house, which I’d never once suspected was there, and saw his bright red beast of a car that only just squeezed into the garage’s tight dimensions, I couldn’t stop a smile from spreading over my face.
“Could this get any weirder?” Charley whispered.
I shook my head. “Guess every man’s got one love in his life.”
As the car fired up, Charley leaned close and asked, “So what’s yours?”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’m looking at her.”
Chapter Fourteen
I looked around
the lobby of the apartment building where I’d been taken against my will. I brushed a hand down my faded shirt, decidedly drab and ugly compared to the women strutting past in high heels and power suits. The ground floor didn’t just feature a restaurant—there was a real estate and building society too.
Guess I’d been a bit brainwashed to have noticed when I’d been ushered through the lobby and into the elevator.
I could only imagine how things must have changed in the years Alexander had been kept here. Many of the people who’d once lived and worked here forty-six years ago would now be dead.
I turned to Alexander. I couldn’t even try to conceive how he must be feeling. But his stride didn’t falter as he headed toward the elevator, Newry following right behind.
No one took notice of us as we stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that’d take us to the top floor. It was almost as though we didn’t exist, or, more tellingly, the penthouse suite that was the nest didn’t exist.
The elevator slowed to a smooth stop and its doors slid apart. My pulse beat loudly in my ears, my palms clammy. Alexander stepped out, his spine straight and his jaw tight. “Let’s get this over with.”
I nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Alexander didn’t once hesitate, until we got to the door of the vampire’s former chambers. He paused, sucked in a breath, then swung open the door before he stepped into the room.
My nose wrinkled. Already there was a pervasive musty scent, as though the vampire had died half a century before, not less than twenty-four hours ago.
Newry stepped purposefully toward the bookshelves before he slid a huge volume free. The red cover was dulled with age, but the doctor easily read its title. “History of an Alien Species.” He chose another. “The Truth behind the Myth.”
Alexander took down a different volume, his lip curling with distaste as he read its title. “Grooming a Donor.”
I drew one off the shelf. “Finding Your Blood Source (and Keeping It).”
I sank onto the pallet, queasy. “Those books make us sound no better than cattle. They could be a farmer’s manual.”
The doctor was scanning the inside of one of the huge books. “According to this history book, vampires are an alien species who came to Earth for its bountiful food supply.” He looked up. “I’m guessing they’re not talking about our orchards and corn fields.”
My heart twisted in my chest. “So there are more of them?”
“Enough to write these books,” the doctor murmured, before he continued to read for some minutes. He shook his head. “From what I gather, they’re a dying breed. Something about our atmosphere makes them impotent, so they’re unable to procreate.”
At least now I fully understood why the vampire had never tried anything other than to drink from my throat. It was obvious these blood-sucking aliens weren’t meant to be a part of our world, and I thanked Mother Nature for that mercy at least. It must have been hell for the vampire to want to recall the pleasure of lovemaking.
Alexander pulled free a smaller volume. He scanned through the chapters until he found what he’d been looking for. “This volume suggests vampires either took their own lives after decades of feeding from humans, or returned to their own planet to take their chances with a dwindling food source.” He looked up. “It would seem our vampire is now only one of a handful of vampires left on the planet.”
The doctor clucked his tongue at some scientific textbook he was reading through. “A pity those few who are left on this planet are able to communicate telepathically.”
My belly did a slow roll. “So you’re saying, whatever the vampire was thinking, he relayed it to others of his kind who live on Earth?”
“It would seem that way, yes.”
“Shit.” I squeezed my eyes closed. “Then we have no choice but to leave here as soon as possible. Evade any vampire who might decide on retaliation and slay the people who killed one of their own.”
Alexander studied some more text, too intent on learning what he could before we had to leave. “Drinking enough of the aliens’ blood will make their donors powerful and turn their donors immortal. But the immortal human will never take on alien characteristics. In fact, a small amount of blood keeps the donors addicted and alive, but doesn’t give them more than token strength.” He looked up. “It doesn’t give donors enough strength to fight back.”
My body tensed. “Not to mention keeping us starved and in enough pain that we’d be too preoccupied to think of anything else.”
The doctor stroked his chin. “You know, if those aliens have a hive mind, they won’t waste your donor blood. They’ll arrive here not to kill you, but to claim you.” He sighed. “It looks like you two will have to leave either way, and I won’t be having you as guests in my house for much longer.”
“Come with us, then.” I was already attached to the feisty old man.
He shook his head. “No, I’m too ancient for that sort of excitement.”
Alexander looked up from the book he was speed reading, and gave Newry a considered stare. “Then drink some of my blood. I might only have scratched the surface of this book, but I already know that my blood is only slightly diluted of vampire power. It will give you many more years of life.”
Newry smiled at Alexander. “The offer is a kind one, but no. I’ve had enough of this world. I’m ready to leave behind the daughter who doesn’t need me to meet my daughter waiting for me in the afterlife. Until that time, I have more research to do with these books.”
“If the vampires come while you’re here?” I asked, sick at the thought.
He dug into his pocket and held a lighter aloft. “Then I’ll ensure this entire level will be gutted by fire.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
Alexander nodded. “We’ll never be able to repay you.”
Newry shook his head and stared hard at Alexander. “I believe you were there for my daughter, whether you’re willing to admit it to yourself or not. It comforts me to realize that much, at least.”
I faced Alexander. He exhaled carefully, then nodded at the doctor and said, “We’ll find a way to keep in touch.” As he took my hand and we turned to head out of the chamber door, he stilled, focused on the doctor and added, “If you uncover whether two donors who’ve ingested vampire blood can have children, I’d be grateful to know.”
The doctor nodded, and said brusquely, “I’ll do my best to find out. Just…take care of yourself, and of this wonderful woman you’ve found.” His smile warmed his craggy face. “And never forget that sometimes fate drags us through the worst trials and tribulations to get to the biggest prize.”
I released Alexander’s hand and stepped toward the doctor, hugging him before I whispered, “Say hello to Nancy for me.”
I pulled back, ignoring the doctor’s watery eyes to kiss him on his leathery cheek. “Goodbye, Doctor Newry.”
I turned to Alexander. He took a final look around the nest, as though he was trying to exorcise his fears so that he could leave them at the door on the way out.
“Are you ready?” I asked gently. After all this was over, I owed Jasper a big, juicy bone. If we couldn’t have children, we’d have Jasper, at least.
He turned to me, his eyes losing their vacant look as he focused on me. He inhaled then said huskily, “I’m ready.”
I reclaimed his hand and, as we walked to the elevator and stepped inside, he faced away from the nest and stared at me as if I was the only thing that existed… The only thing that mattered. “I love you,” he said hoarsely.
I smiled. “And I love you too.” I squeezed his hand. “We’re in this together. For always.”
Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:
Huntress Chronicles: A Demon in Dallas
Amy Armstrong
Excerpt
Chapter One
“I can’t see a freaking thing down here, it’s too dark,” Matt whined.
Hands clenched into fists, I glared at him, my jaw tense. “If you don’t stop whining, I’ll leave you down here to find your own way out.”
Matt shut up. The trip to Texas had been his idea, and only two days after arriving, he had me combing the sewers, knee deep in God only knows what. As we headed farther into the labyrinth of tunnels, my already sour mood worsened. Why had I agreed to this? I should have known better.
After a few more minutes of walking on in the worst kind of uncomfortable silence, Matt mumbled, “I was sure he came this way.”
He might have missed the glare I tossed in his direction, but I’d be surprised if he couldn’t feel my gaze burning a hole in the back of his head. I’d never have admitted it to Matt, but I was angrier at myself than I was with him. Yet again, I had let him talk me into one of his idiotic plans. Apparently, my stupidity knows no boundaries.
It wasn’t as if we didn’t have enough work to keep us busy in Maine, and you didn’t melt in Maine when you stepped out into the midday sun. That was always a bonus. But no, the idea of a nest of vampires that were getting too big for their cowboy boots had seduced me. It was always the damn vampires that did it. I felt drawn to them like a wolf to the moon- which made sense in its own perverse way. I was a hunter, after all. The need to exterminate the vermin was in my blood, embedded in my DNA.
Matt stayed by my side as we traversed the intricate network of tunnels. He didn’t have the sense of direction that I had been born with, so we had to stick together. If we split up, Matt would be sure to get lost and the last thing I wanted was to have to spend more time in the damn sewer than I needed to.
Placing a hand around my upper arm, Matt pulled me to a stop. He was about my height, if marginally broader, so when I turned we were standing face to face and close enough that I could see his remorseful expression. He let out a long sigh.
“I’m sorry I dragged you into this. You were right. We should have stayed in Maine.”
His repentant tone dispelled most of the anger I had been holding onto. There was a reason I hadn’t wanted to come back to Austin, but Matt didn’t know about that. As far as he was aware, I’d walked out on that part of my life two years ago and I hadn’t looked back. I was good at hiding my feelings, even from Matt, who had become like a brother to me over the ten years we’d been hunting together. Or maybe I was just a damn good liar-too good.