*****
Dallin awoke hours later, his body on fire and raging with fever. He blinked away the haze, squinting to see in the bright light that filled his small room.
He was lying on his bed, shirt removed, a soft voice talking to him gently. When his eyes opened fully, he saw Esther staring back at him, her face tight with concern.
“Dallin. I thought I’d lost you.” With that, she burst into tears of relief, dipping a rag into the bowl of cold water she held and tending to his wound.
“What happened?” Dallin’s voice cracked and his mouth was dry. He was incredibly thirsty, and when he swallowed, he felt as if the lining of his throat was sandpaper catching itself.
“Gavin came back to the village, screaming that you’d been killed and blubbering like a buffoon. He’s still with the town doctor. His mother said her son was addled and would never be the same again. Oh Dallin, I was beside myself with grief when I saw you in the dark, stumbling toward your home. Your father carried you here and I slipped away from the crowd, undetected.”
She grabbed his hand, held it to her lips and kissed him tenderly.
“Dallin, I have never been so frightened in my life. I’m so glad you’re all right.”
Dallin pulled his hand away from her, struggling with the thirst building within him. The sound of rushing blood filled his ears, even as his heartbeat slowed.
“Dallin, what’s wrong?”
He motioned to the bite on his neck, shielding his eyes against the morning sun with his other arm.
“It’s alright, Dallin. If you were going to turn, it would have happened by now.”
Dallin sat up, putting his feet on the floor and trying to stand. Esther protested, but he pushed on, stumbling toward the door and pushing through it, into the sunlight.
His skin felt afire and he fought to stay upright. He moved quickly, heading for the gate and the forest beyond. Esther followed him, shouting his name and trying to keep up.
From the other side of the square, Dallin heard the collective gasp of those gathered, though hearing something that far away should have been impossible. Almost as one, the crowd realized that something was wrong and the single shout of “after him!” echoed in his ears.
He ran. His steps quicker than before. Dallin could hear Esther behind him, and close on her heels was the crowd, screaming for his blood.
Dallin ran for his life, heading for the one place that stuck out in his mind; the clearing where he and Esther always met. Stumbling, running and nearly falling, he could hear her calling to him. He was running from her as much as the crowd, trying to protect her from himself as his body transformed beneath his flesh.
He burst through the thicket and into the clearing, but Esther was right behind him, heedless of the danger that she’d placed herself in.
“Esther, you must leave. I am a danger to you.”
She stood before him, defiant, her red hair framing her face like an angry flame.
“I will never leave your side, Dallin. You would never harm me. Our love is stronger than this evil, you must fight it.”
He tried, the pain of his need for her life’s blood physically draining him. He fought the hunger, and the tremendous thirst.
Behind her, the first villagers pushed through the trees and into the clearing. Stakes held high, their faces full of fear, they advanced on him.
Someone shouted for Esther to move, but she refused. The group stood in a half-circle around them, both too afraid to advance on Dallin, and much too afraid to let him escape.
Dallin’s throat was on fire, the smell of so much heat and blood overwhelmed him. He wanted to grab the nearest man and drain him of every drop of blood within him, but he wrestled against the need and held fast. He had Esther to think of.
Gavin stood in the front of the group, his face twisted with rage. Dallin caught his eyes and sneered at him.
“I thought you’d gone daft with fear. Did you tell the others how you wet yourself and ran like a frightened girl?”
Gavin roared with anger, shouting, “Liar!” He lunged at Dallin. Gavin aimed his stake at Dallin’s heart, and Dallin closed his eyes, ready for the sweet release of death.
A sickening, wet sound filled the air and Dallin was shocked that he felt no pain. He opened his eyes, wanting to watch Esther’s sweet face for his last moment before he burst into ashes and into oblivion, when he heard a heavy thud.
Esther lay on the ground in front of him, stake protruding from her chest, light already fading from her eyes. The metallic smell of her blood assaulted his nostrils and he railed against his need to drink.
His hands reached out, cupping Esther’s face as Gavin’s wail sounded, more distant than it should have been.
Esther reached out, her cold hand against his cheek, her eyes locked with his.
“Dallin Upchurch, I will wait for you, from here to eternity.” With a shudder, her heart stopped and her head fell limp.
Dallin stood, rage exploding within him. The midday sun burned his skin, but it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.
He lashed out at the villagers gathered there, grabbing the closest one and tearing into him without drinking a drop. He cast the man aside and reached out with both hands, plucking two men from the small group and slamming them together so forcefully that they died instantly.
Only three men remained and one was Gavin. Gavin, who had left him for dead in the woods. Gavin, who had killed his one true love.
Dallin focused on Gavin, and the other two men took the moment to flee, neither looking back. Dallin picked Gavin off the ground and threw him against a tree, leaping into the air and closing the distance between them.
He moved in until he was inches from Gavin’s face and kept his voice low and menacing.
“I will not kill you today, but someday I will. I will come for you when you’re least prepared.” He took a breath and waited, enjoying the terror he saw in the coward’s eyes. “And I will take my time with you. You will know the pain that you’ve caused me today, and you will never sleep soundly again. I will come after you. Until then, never forget that all of this death-this is all because of you.”
He turned his back on Gavin, his eyes settling on his sweet Esther as she lay on the ground where they’d shared tender kisses so recently.
Gavin ran through the woods, heading straight for the village. Dallin didn’t pay him any mind.
He knelt beside Esther, holding her wrist against his mouth. He bit her, draining, pulling all the blood from her before he sliced his own wrist with one sharp fang.
He held the wound against her lips, tears streaming down his face as he begged her to take a sip. Only one drop of the vampire’s blood had entered his mouth, and it had been enough. If he could get her to drink just a drop, she would live for eternity.
He yanked the stake from her breast, screaming in anguish before he attempted once more to force his blood past her lips and down her throat.
But she was long dead, and nothing he did would revive her. He laid out beside her, willing the torturous sun to end his life and release him from his pain.
Still hungry and fading fast, he fell into blessed darkness beside his love.
*****
Epilogue
A soft voice called to him in the distance, and he blinked in the waning afternoon sun. His skin was hot, but he was still very much alive.
He shook his head, trying to shake off Esther’s voice calling to him. But it wasn’t Esther.
With a start he jolted awake, dragging Esther’s body backwards as he moved away from the cloaked figure before him.
Her face was barely visible in the shade of her heavy garment, but something about her seemed so familiar. Confused, he looked down to see if Esther was still there.
She was as dead as he’d left her, and the pain welled inside him once more. Unimpeded by the stranger before him, he wailed softly and buried his face in Esther’s hair, inhaling the scent of her.
A
hand touched his shoulder, and he was surprised by the contact. He turned, looking again into the large hood and trying to see the face in the outline.
“Shh, Dallin. Don’t weep.”
“Do I know you?”
The woman chuckled, reaching out with her gloved hand to wipe the tears from his cheeks tenderly. A memory pulled at him, but his head was spinning from the grief and hunger.
“Sweet Dallin, do you not recognize your own mother?”
He sucked in a breath, watching with trepidation as she slowly pulled back the hood. The sunlight hit her skin, which immediately reddened with the contact. She replaced the hood, but he’d seen enough.
Genevieve Upchurch was indeed sitting before him, looking very much like she had the last time he had seen her.
“You’re a vampire?” His voice was incredulous, and he almost laughed at himself. It wasn’t hard to believe, considering what he was becoming.
“Come now, my child. We don’t have time to dawdle.”
Dallin stood, bending down to scoop Esther up. Genevieve shook her head.
“We can’t take her. I know your heart aches with a pain that won’t be healed, but there’s nothing to be done for her. She is gone from this world and beyond saving.”
She looked around, grabbed his hand and dragged him further into the clearing and north, toward the part of the forest that was forbidden. Dallin could hear movement in the woods behind him, but the source was impossibly far away.
Their legs moved swiftly beneath them, and already they were miles away from where he’d left Esther’s body. He tried to stop, but Genevieve pulled him.
“We cannot pause. We’ve more dangerous enemies than mere humans.”
“Where are we going, Mother?” He tried to yank his hand from her grasp, but she was impossibly strong and his heart wasn’t truly in it.
“Home.”
The End
Bonus Story 2 of 40
Lion’s Pride
“Bye Miss N! See you next year! I’ll be taller again!” Nora chuckled as she hugged little Bo Reynolds. She’d miss him over the summer vacation. He was the funniest second grader she’d ever had and that was mostly because he didn’t even know he was being funny.
After she saw all her kids out she went about cleaning up her classroom for the summer, taking down decorations and leaving the room pretty much bare. Even though she definitely needed the break of summer, she always felt sad at the end of the year to see them go.
“School’s out already?” his voice rumbled through her, comforting, enticing, and exciting her all at once. Nora turned around and smiled at Safir, who was leaning against the wall just inside the classroom’s back door. He was a tall, sturdy man, with not one ounce of fat on him, and was as sharp and protective as a guy could get. But he wasn’t just any ‘guy.’ He was a lion shifter, the local pride’s leader and he was all Nora’s.
“I think it is actually… but maybe I just lost my kids again,” she joked, causing him to chuckle. He walked over to her. He was wearing his characteristic blue jeans and flannel shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. His curly blonde hair was always shoulder length and framed his GQ-worthy face beautifully. Nora often couldn’t believe she lucked out with such a perfect guy.
“You’re the worst teacher ever,” he said and instead of embracing him when he reached her, Nora punched him in the arm. Of course it was like hitting a rock and he didn’t even flinch. Laughing, he pulled her in for a kiss and encircled her waist with his arms. “So I was thinking that this summer we can spend more time together. As in…you have no excuses to be with me night and day. No ‘grading spelling tests’ and ‘picking up Suzan Lancaster from home because her mother’s car broke down.’” Safir was being sarcastic only because Nora did have a tendency to run away from him a little and make excuses to put some distance between them. They’d only been together for a few months and she had trouble believing Safir was real, that he really wanted her and her alone.
“Alright, alright. I give, so what do you have planned for us this summer, pray tell?” she asked. He smirked and pushed a lock of her mahogany-colored hair behind her ear.
“So much romantic stuff that you’ll have no choice but to marry me come August.” He gave her a charming grin and pressed another kiss to her lips.
“Romantic ‘stuff?’” she giggled.
“Yup, absolutely. You like watching hockey right?” she rolled her eyes as he laughed, a fond smile on her face.
“So are you staying to help me pack up the classroom or what?” she asked him, stepping out of his embrace to fetch a nearby box.
“No I’m just here to look pretty and watch you do all the work. You know…sit back, watch you bend over and…put stuff away,” he said slowly in some trying-to-be-sexy voice. Nora couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re such an idiot,” she said, still laughing. He simply flashed her a toothy grin and walked over to the pile of boxes, grabbing one for himself.
“Of course I’m here to help you baby, then we can go grab some lunch,” he kissed her on the temple before they got to work. They pulled down decorations, emptied out desks, and pushed them out into the hallway. Of course Safir was the main one doing the heavy lifting and Nora was the one to sit back and watch. It was dusk by the time they were done and Nora felt as though she could use a bath and a glass of wine.
“So where are you taking me to eat?” she asked him, knowing he’d most likely had their entire evening planned out.
“To my place,” he smirked and slid an arm around her waist as they walked to Nora’s truck out in the school’s lot.
“You own a kitchen?” she teased, making him laugh out loud.
“Yes, I do own a kitchen and I cook sometimes,” he admitted. All the time she’d known Safir, she’d always been the one to cook dinner at her place. In fact, the only parts of Safir’s unnecessarily large house she’s seen were his bedroom and the family room.
“Will you finally give me a tour of your house? Or are you actually hiding dead bodies in every room?” he simply smiled and held his hand out for her keys.
“Well I was a private guy before, but now I’ve decided to share things with you,” he admitted. His sudden honesty took Nora a bit by surprise.
“Okay then…” was her only reply.
“Like I said, married by the end of the summer,” he winked at her and held the passenger door open for her to get in.
“So what’s the rush to marry me all of a sudden?” she asked him as he started up the truck and pulled out of the parking lot.
“Well I’m one hundred percent sure that you’re my mate so…why wait to marry you?” he glanced at her briefly, flashing a smile. She reached over to slip her hand in his. Honestly she couldn’t have dreamed up a better future husband.
*****
“Safir, are you sure you know how to cook?” Nora was watching him with amusement. She was sitting at the breakfast bar while Safir was about to cook steaks for them both in a cast iron pan.
“You laugh now, but just watch. When you eat this you’ll be doing more than kissing the chef.” He glanced at her with a wink, and she giggled before taking a sip of wine. Safir glanced over at the kitchen door before Nora even heard a knock. He opened the door and his second, Rafael, walked in.
“Hey Nora, how you doin’?” he asked, not even greeting his alpha yet. Safir growled and Nora hid her laugh.
“I’m good Rafael, what’s up?” she asked.
“Yeah why are you here? We’re on a date,” Safir practically growled, Rafael simply grinned at his closest friend.
“There’s a bonfire party out on the beach. I wanted to see if you guys would stop by,” he glanced over at the stove, smelling food, but Safir got in his way before he could steal a bite of anything.
“Fine, we’ll come later. Now leave,” Safir said, pushing Rafael back out.
“You look great by the way Nora, I’ll see you at the party,” he grinned and she winked at him, which Safir
saw. With a growl he shoved a laughing Rafael out and shut the door soundly behind him.
“Don’t flirt with my lions,” he said in that dominant tone he sometimes used with her.
“Rafael’s harmless,” she said with a small smile. He quirked an eyebrow at her and walked over to pull her chair out from the bar a little, closer to him. She bit her lip to hide her smile.
“Don’t flirt with the lions…” he reiterated, his mouth only a breath away from hers. She nodded without comment. Safir kissed her, softly brushing his lips over hers before he set her chair back to normal and went to focus on the steaks.
“What if…what if the only way you could have me was if you had to share with someone else?” she asked him, half testing, half teasing. Nora knew she ran the risk of really upsetting him though with her question.
“And you’d be happy with being shared?” he asked her with a quirk of his brow.
“Yeah, like say for instance the only way I could be happy was if I had you and someone else in my life…” she posed the question with a hypothetical tone.
“Come again? You’re joking right?” he said, pointing a fork at her. She shrugged, instantly regretting posing that question in the first place. Safir stared at her for a moment with an intent stare before he sighed, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t share you with anyone Nora, you’re mine and I’m yours.”
“It was just a…hypothetical question,” she said, trying to appease him.
Safir took a deep breath and she saw him relax, though only a little. “Yeah well…you know if you want a threesome all you have to do is ask,” he said, giving her a wink. Nora’s jaw dropped and she threw a cube of cheese at him, which he dodged even with his back turned.
“Can’t you be normal for just five seconds so I can hit you?” she asked which made him laugh of course.
“No darling, I can’t,” he answered blithely. “These steaks will be ready soon,” he added.
Two Wolves For Lizette Page 10