Possessed by a Vampire

by Susan Griscom

  “There you are. Not too much.” He tried to tug his arm away, but I latched on to it.

  NO! I panicked.

  His blood was my lifeline.

  “It’s okay. You can let go. I have more for you right here. You need some human blood now, but I didn’t want you to wake up to a plastic bag.” It took me a minute to process what he was saying, but once my brain accepted the concept, I released my hold on his wrist, and he removed it from my lips, immediately replacing it with an unappealing plastic straw. But I took it, knowing I needed it.

  “That’s good. Drink. The more blood you ingest, the faster the silver will be obliterated from your system.”

  When the bag of blood was empty, he took it away. I looked around the room. Everyone stood around, watching. I was on Preston’s bed, and I felt very self-conscious with everyone there. But I guess I’d been pretty sick from the silver. My body still shivered from the poison killing all my blood cells. The comforter was pulled up around my neck, but I was still so cold.

  “I have another bag right here. I warmed it up in the microwave.” A female voice. I looked up to see the petite one, Maggie, smiling at me.

  “The more you take, the faster you’ll heal.” Preston stuck the straw into the plastic film and then placed it at my lips.

  My brother came to stand next to me. He placed his hand on top of mine.

  Julian.

  I said his name in my head. There was something I needed to discuss with him. What was it? Something about . . . a dream I’d had. But that was all I could remember as my mind went blank. I pulled the straw from my mouth. “Julian.” The sound of my own voice seemed so foreign to me. So low and scratchy.

  “Shhh. Drink, get strong, Lil.” He grew silent, sorrowful, and the sadness in his eyes was almost too much to bear. I worried that he was upset about Dorian. What had happened to Dorian? Was he dead? Did Preston kill him? Was that why Julian was so sad? How did we get here anyway? Then he added, “I’m so sorry.” He hung his head and squeezed my hand.

  I frowned and pushed the bag away. “For wha—?”

  I couldn’t continue because it hurt too much to speak, but I couldn’t imagine what he would be sorry for.

  “We’ll talk when you’re well,” he said. He looked good. Strong. Healthy. The healthiest I’d seen him in years.

  He glanced at Preston. “I should go.”

  “No,” I croaked out like an old frog. I never wanted him to leave me. He was my rock. My one constant in this messed-up world. I needed his strength beside me. He was the reason I had endured Dorian for all those years.

  “Okay. But no more talking for you until you can sit up. By the way,”—Julian glanced at Preston and gave me smile—“this is quite a guy you have here. I approve. Not that you ever needed my approval. After all, you’re the big sis.”

  Everyone that lived with Preston stood around. When one of the women, the one with long, blonde hair, saw I noticed her, she came forward. “We all just wanted to make sure you were okay. We were all so worried.”

  I must have really been in bad shape. I smiled and mouthed a thank you to her. Vanessa, that was her name.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “You’re family now. One of us. We’re here for you,” Maggie said.

  “We’ll go now and give you some privacy and time to rest and heal,” Vanessa added as they headed out of the room.

  “Vicious was worried.” The female vampire with the short hair winked and lifted the puppy up. I stuck my hand out as the dog licked it. “She wanted to give you a kiss before we go. I’m glad you’re okay.” She tugged the dog away, and they left the room.

  They all seemed to want me here. They were accepting me as one of them. “One of us,” Maggie had said. I glanced at Preston, who’d sat down next me and stroked his fingers down my arm.

  “Hey, I can do better than that bag,” the guy who’d been the bouncer at the club said as he came into the room. “If you want it that is. If you do, I got it. It’s a hell of a lot fresher than that stuff. Warm, too.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  I nodded.

  He smiled. “I’m Ari, in case you don’t remember.” He stuck his arm out toward Preston, and Preston pierced two little holes in his wrist with a quick bite, then Ari held his wrist to my mouth. I was a little timid at first until I got the flow going. “Later, when you’re back to normal, I’ll take a little of your blood and then we’ll be bonded. That way, I’ll always be able to find you in case of an emergency. I have a little of everyone in me.”

  “Yeah,” Lane said. “We should nickname you The Savior.”

  “Hmmm . . . I could get used to that. I’ve saved your ass a few times over the years.”

  “Okay, let’s give her a chance to rest and relax while she drinks Ari’s blood.” A stranger. Someone I hadn’t met before stood beside Preston. He was slightly older-looking than everyone else, maybe in his early thirties when he’d been turned.

  “This is Grayson. He’s Chelle’s dad and our doctor.”

  A doctor? Chelle’s dad? How did that work?

  “I think that’s enough of Ari’s blood. He’s beginning to get a little pale.” Cian grabbed a chair and placed it directly behind Ari so he could sit.

  I stopped sucking at Ari’s wrist and ran my tongue over the wounds to heal them. “I’m so sorry, but thank you.” I wiped my mouth with my hand, and Preston handed me a towel to finish the job. “I didn’t mean to take so much.”

  “It’s okay. I’m used to it. I hope it helped.”

  “It did. I’m feeling much better.”

  “Do you mind if I examine you?” Grayson asked.

  “No. But I’m sure I’m fine now.”

  He pulled some sort of machine closer to the bed and put some goopy jelly on a wand that looked similar to a microphone and looked at me. “May I?”

  I nodded.

  He lifted the cover from my chest just high enough to place the cold, yucky wand between my bosoms so he could move it slowly over the area where my heart and lungs were, all the while looking at the monitor of that machine.

  I glanced at the screen. The picture was very fuzzy-looking to me, but then I saw movement.

  Beating.

  “Is that my heart?”

  “Yes. I’m checking to see if there is any more silver close to your heart since this is the place it entered. The further away it travels from this area, the better off you’ll be. And I don’t see any sign of the silver. That’s a good thing. I think we’ve managed to dilute your veins with enough good, rich blood that you’re going to be okay in a few days, maybe sooner.” He chuckled. “I keep forgetting how we vampires heal so quickly. I’ve dealt mostly with humans for so long. Still do.” He finished his examination and smiled, adjusting the covers back in place over me. “I’ll leave you two alone now.” He glanced at Julian. “I mean, you three.”

  “I’ll talk to you later, sis. I’ll give you and Preston some time here.” Julian got up and left with the doctor.

  “I don’t know what I would have done if anything had happened to you, Lily. I’m so sorry Dorian did this.”

  I smiled. “It’s not your fault.”

  “Maybe not, but somehow, I feel responsible.”

  “Please, don’t. Dorian was . . .” I sighed. “Dorian. What happened to him? Did you . . . kill him?”

  “No. But he won’t hurt you or Julian ever again, I can promise you that. He’s gone. I don’t know where, but I know he’s gone.” He lowered his head. “I couldn’t bring myself to kill him. I’m sorry, Lily. I’m afraid I’m not the hero you may have thought I was.”

  I was relieved for some strange reason. The fact that he hadn’t killed him was exactly the reason I fell for him in the first place.

  “You’re braver for not killing him in my opinion. Anyone can kill something they’re afraid of, but I think it takes a lot more courage to face your fears and tame them. To overcome something makes you stronger. In here.” I pointed to his heart.
“You showed humanity by allowing him to live. I respect you for that.”

  “I find it fucking hard to breathe sometimes just thinking of you,” he said, smiling before he kissed me.

  “Are you ready?” Preston asked as he came into the bedroom. “Everyone is downstairs, acting like they’re starved for human food, but they refuse to start without you.”

  “Almost,” I said as I slipped on the pair of comfy Ugg boots Preston had given me. They were warm and felt like slippers. I’d never owned a pair before, though I’d seen them on many humans. These were black and came up to mid-calf. They went with just about everything, too. They were now my new go-to shoe for everywhere.

  “We’re having a variety of oyster dishes. Ari found a good deal on them down at Fisherman’s Wharf today.”

  I turned up my nose at the thought of eating an oyster. All I could think of was something resembling a wad of snot.

  “Trust me, you’ll love them. And if you don’t, there’s some crab, too.”

  “Good. I like crab. Not too excited about eating something that looks like a loogie, though.”

  He laughed.

  He held my hand, and we flashed downstairs to the dining room.

  “Finally,” Lane said, and Vanessa jabbed him in the arm. “Ouch.”

  She frowned at him. “We have a variety of different dishes. We weren’t sure what you liked. Here. There’re raw oysters on the half shell with plenty of hot sauce to go with them, oysters Rockefeller, grilled oysters. There’s also clam chowder and crab legs.”

  “But if you don’t like seafood, there’s also rare prime rib,” Lane said. “All vamps love beef. Let’s dig in.”

  The table was impressive with an assortment of different dishes. Especially for vampires, considering that human food wasn’t the most important nourishment for them. But it was yummy, and an indulgence that I had a feeling these guys made a special effort to have all the time.

  Everybody began passing platters filled with food and scooping things onto their plates. Even my brother. I guess after being held prisoner for so long, this was a real treat for him.

  Preston placed two raw oysters on my plate and laughed when I frowned. “Just try it.” He put some hot sauce on them and a little horseradish and handed one to me while he picked up the other. “Come on. We’ll do it together. On three.”

  Then everyone started counting.

  I smiled, and on three, opened my mouth and let the little bugger slide in. I swallowed and quickly took a swig of the beer from the frosted pint that sat in front of me. “Oh . . . that was just . . . horrible.” I laughed, and Preston pressed his lips to mine.

  “That a girl.” He passed the platter of oysters on and placed a couple of crab legs on my plate, as well as some prime rib. He hand-fed me one of the oyster Rockefellers, and that one wasn’t as gross. I sucked on his finger that he left lingering in my mouth until I remembered we weren’t alone. I looked around with chagrin but realized no one cared. Preston did silly things to my heart, making me not care about anything except him and how wonderful and sexy he made me feel.

  We finished eating, and everybody went his or her separate ways. Preston and I walked into the living area where Cian, Maggie, Gage, and my brother sat relaxing.

  Gage got up. “I’m going out.”

  “Alone?” Cian asked.

  “Guess so, since my partner in crime is no longer single. Then he looked at my brother, opened his mouth to speak, and then quickly shut it, shaking his head a little before turning to leave. Before he got out of the room, he stopped and turned back. “Julian.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I suppose we could check out several types of bars if you want to come?”

  Julian laughed. “Love to. And, I enjoy both sexes, so whatever type of bar you want is fine by me.”

  “Oh.” Gage let out a sigh of relief. “Good to know.”

  “Can you give me about twenty minutes, though? I need to talk to Lily first.”

  “Sure.” Gage nodded and headed to the credenza instead and poured himself a drink.

  I was glad Julian wanted to talk to me. We hadn’t had a chance to really sit and talk about anything since Dorian. Now that he was gone, I didn’t miss his presence in my life. I would have thought that I would feel some hole or emptiness if my maker suddenly went far enough away.

  Julian motioned to the balcony through the opened double glass doors and walked out there.

  “Take your time,” Preston said and kissed me on the forehead. “I’ll be right here when you’re finished.”

  I joined Julian outside, and he slid the door shut.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” I said.

  He nodded.

  I looked at him. “Julian. I want you to know, I did everything I could to keep Dorian happy so he wouldn’t harm you.”

  “No. Don’t. There are things you don’t know,” he said. “And I’m sorry, so, so fucking sorry for the past one hundred years of our existence. I never meant for any of that to happen.”

  “What are you talking about? None of that was your fault. Dorian abducted us. He turned us, made us what we are. It’s all his fault.”

  “That’s not entirely true.”

  “It’s not?”

  He shook his head. “Things didn’t happen quite the way you’ve always believed. Or were led to believe.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Julian inhaled deeply. “Dorian didn’t attack me.”

  “What? Of course, he did. I was there, I saw it.”

  “No, you were compelled to believe that.”

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “Please, hear me out. When you and I came home that day, Dorian was in our home. When he approached me, he said he was a friend of our father’s. He was just so attractive. I was instantly curious about him. He’d lied, of course, about why he was there. I never questioned his motives. He never needed to use his compulsion on me. I was barely nineteen and very sexually curious. He seduced me. I’m sorry, Lily. I let him do whatever he wanted. I let him kiss me and fondle me. I was young. I’d never had anyone touch me like that before. The fact that he was a man didn’t matter. All I knew was he made me feel extremely good. He made me hard. Then, during the heat of the moment, he bit me. At first, it frightened me, but the longer he sucked . . . well, it turned out to be amazing. I wanted more of that experience. He never forced himself on me.”

  “It’s okay. I understand. You were young. You didn’t know what he was.”

  “I asked him to turn me.”

  “You what?”

  “I did. I asked him to turn me. He agreed.”

  Heat rose up inside of me as I listened to my brother. He had to be making this up.

  “Unbeknownst to me, you were under Dorian’s compulsion. You had been the entire time and were left to sit and read a book while we were . . . engaged. During my transition, Dorian drained you of too much blood. He planned to let you die. After I completed my turn, I talked Dorian into letting me take care of you since he didn’t want you the way he wanted me. So I fed you my blood.”

  “What?” My gaze snapped to his.

  “I made you a vampire. Not Dorian.”

  “You made me? It’s your blood that I’m bound to?” The thought came back again. Something I told myself over and over again.

  I only stayed because of Julian.

  I stood with my mouth open like an idiot. I was having a difficult time accepting all of this. Then, something clicked. Things started making more sense. Things like Julian’s devotion to Dorian. An admiration I could never quite grasp. I’d always wondered why. I knew one was supposed to fall deeply for their maker. Julian had. I hadn’t. I’d thought there was something wrong with me. I’d only stayed because of Julian.

  “Dorian knew you’d bond with me, and he used that against you. Threatened you with my demise if you didn’t do everything he asked. Being sired by him, I couldn’t do anything about it and was forced to compel
you into believing that he had sired you so you would listen to him and do whatever he told you to do. But it was actually me telling you what to do.”

  I could only stare at him; my mouth unable to form any words.

  “It was either let you die or let you become his slave. I chose life for you. Please forgive me. I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

  “You could have told me.”

  “No, I couldn’t. If you had known I was your maker and not Dorian, I was afraid you’d try something stupid.”

  “Like leave?”

  He ignored me. “I knew the bond between the two of you wasn’t there. But as long as you thought it was and didn’t really understand it, that it was me you were bound to, you’d believe it and believe that it was just a brother-sister love.”

  I let silence fill the air between us because I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to go inside and take comfort in Preston’s arms. My brother had lied to me all these years. I couldn’t even look at him. I was so angry. Then, I remembered the dream I’d had back at that house Dorian had taken me to.

  “Drink, Lily.” My brother’s voice was so clear in my head, yet so distant. “You’ll need to drink if you want to survive. That’s it. This is what you need to live.” Julian’s soothing voice comforted me as his dark, beautiful eyes gazed down at me.”

  Only this time, I remembered the part I’d forgotten:

  His smile was wide as he pressed his wrist against my lips, feeding me the much-coveted blood I suddenly craved. Julian’s blood.

  Julian was my maker.

  Not Dorian.

  And then it hit me. It was all suddenly so clear. Julian had been seduced. Similarly to the way Preston had. If the tables had been turned, if it had been me that Dorian had been attracted to, interested in, and approached the way he had Julian—with the charm, the passion, and the raw, carnal, sensual pleasures—I’m sure I would have had a difficult time resisting, too . . .

  And after the transition? I would have done the exact same thing if the tables had been turned. I would have saved my brother the way he saved me.