Silver Blood (Blood Series Book 2)

by Tamara White

  I concentrate on the game in front of me, trying not to react in any way.

  "Was he okay?" I ask nonchalantly.

  "Who knows?" Nik shrugs, sitting down opposite me. "All I know is what he did was stupid and reckless. There are people who rely on him, a whole pack of them, and he just up and left to go hunt down a rogue without any assistance."

  And that's exactly why I won't ever admit the truth about this to them. If they are this upset thinking about Lincoln doing that, imagine how much worse they'd react knowing it was really me.

  Dev groans, stretching his neck and sits on the floor in front of me, grabbing the controller from my hand. "I don't know, I kinda think it was pretty awesome. He knew he was strong enough to handle the threat and went to take care of it. In some ways, I admire the strength he showed and his drive to protect those he cares about," he muses. I look down to see him giving me a cheeky grin, and that's when I realize.

  He knows I killed the wolf.

  Thirty-Two – Safe House

  Emerald

  I roll over, snuggling into the warm body next to me in bed, feeling a hardness pressed against me. I reach my hand between us, stroking his length. A hiss escapes him, and I open my eyes to meet Talon's green ones.

  He smirks at me, and my breath stops at the realization we're alone. For the first time since we got together, there is no one to stop us. I see in his eyes that he had the same thought, and he thrusts his hips upward, causing me to stroke his length.

  "I knew it was only a matter of time before I'd get you all to myself."

  Talon rolls on top of me, and I can't help but reach up, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him to me with a moan.

  He kisses me slowly, his tongue gently brushing against mine. Then he breaks the kiss, peppering light kisses along my jaw, moving down to my neck. His tongue traces over his name on my skin, and I shiver in anticipation.

  I watch as he slowly moves down to my breasts, trailing his tongue over my hypersensitive flesh.

  He circles my right nipple before gently sucking it into his mouth. His fangs scrape the edge of my breast when he releases me.

  I pant with need, wanting him to hurry up, but loving every second of his touch.

  He moves to my other breast, sucking my nipple into his mouth with care so his fangs don't scrape the sensitive nub, and I can't tell if I'm relieved or annoyed by that.

  He continues his exploration, moving down to the top of my panties and pressing a gentle kiss to my waist. Then he sits up, peeling my panties off and throwing them across the room somewhere.

  A banging sounds in my ears, and at first I can't believe just how hard my heart is beating, but then Talon dives from the bed and I realize the sound came from the door. Talon spins and comes to stand with his sword raised, just as the bedroom door flies opens.

  I prop myself on my elbows, wondering who the hell would just barge into our room like that. I squeak in surprise, hurrying to pull a blanket over my naked body when I see my father standing in the doorway, his chest heaving.

  Talon relaxes, lowering his sword, and my gaze is drawn to his other 'sword,' which is still standing at attention. He sees the direction of my gaze and curses, tucking himself back in his boxers before facing my father.

  "What's going on?" I demand, giving Talon a moment to compose himself. When he turns back around, my father glances between us with a frown, and I fight not to laugh. He looks somehow both embarrassed and angry by what he just walked in on, but I'm just annoyed my father caught me naked. Sex is natural, especially between soul-ties, but there are some things you don’t ever want your father to see.

  His gaze settles on me, seemingly unable to look at Talon. "Your mother and grandparents have called an emergency meeting. You're to get dressed and come down to the hall immediately."

  He turns to leave, but then glances back. "No lingering. It’s urgent and all our safety depends on this."

  We both nod in understanding, and he leaves the room in a rush, not even bothering to close the door behind him.

  Talon rushes over to the dresser, pulling out clothes. Then he goes through my drawers, grabbing out a a t-shirt and pants and throwing them at me. I hurriedly get dressed, knowing when someone says it’s urgent, it could mean the difference between life and death.

  We make our way out of our room, and down the hall to the elevators. For the first time since I arrived here, it’s packed. We squeeze inside, heading for the ground floor. I notice that most of the vamps in the elevator are carrying bags over their shoulders, as if planning to leave.

  We arrive on the ground floor, and head straight to the sanctuary, where the pews have been moved up against the walls so everyone can stand assembled as they wait to be addressed.

  Talon sees my parents at the front of the room, and grips my hand. As we approach them, I can see my mother arguing with my grandparents, and their voices carry over the chatter enough for me to hear.

  "She will be fine with her ties. That's the reason the spirits gave her three," I hear my grandfather say in his gravelly voice, and I roll my eyes at the faked concern in his tone.

  My grandmother chimes in. "Exactly! Really, Sierra, you need to stop treating her like a child and let her learn how to protect herself. If you coddle her, she'll just become a self-entitled brat."

  "Jeez, I can feel the love all the way from over here, granny," I mock, taking pride in the nickname, because I’m sure she’ll hate it.

  She cringes as if I just called her old. Which, technically, she is. Just because she looks like she's in her twenties doesn't change her actual age, which is over six hundred years old.

  Dev and Nik spot us from across the room and stride straight to us, while my parents and grandparents remain silent.

  "What's going on?” Talon asks from my side as Nik and Dev come to flank us.

  Before either of them can answer, a drum sounds in the room, drawing everyone’s attention to the front steps of the altar, where five vampires walk up and stand to face the room. I feel each of my guys straighten in a show of respect, and I have to wonder who exactly these people are.

  The older-looking man in the middle steps forward. His black hair shines in the light, but you can see slight streaks of gray on the side, which makes him appear more mature than the others. The men surrounding him seem like nothing but teenagers when compared to the power of the first man.

  He waits for the room to go quiet before addressing all the assembled vampires. "You have all been summoned because of a breach in our security.

  "Last night, one of our own was attacked, and this was not the first time, either. We have to believe it’s safe to assume this individual is being targeted, and for everyone's safety, we are evacuating the coven until further notice."

  Voices rise throughout the room, and I shrink in on myself, knowing I'm the individual he was referring to.

  "QUIET!" the man booms into the room, and all sound immediately ceases. "We had an intruder infiltrate our walls twenty minutes ago. For that reason, we have deemed the coven unsafe and will be evacuating everyone to the safe houses. You each know the evacuation procedure for reaching the safe houses. One guard will be assigned to take ten of you. Split into groups, unless otherwise instructed, and move to your assigned safe houses. Once there, the guards will be kept up to date on the threat and you will be advised when it's safe to return."

  He steps back and gestures to my mother, who climbs the steps and faces the coven with a grim expression. "I know this is a trying time, and hopefully we'll soon discover who is orchestrating these attacks and be back before you know it. Until then, stay safe."

  She steps down, effectively dismissing everyone, and I watch in fascination as the assembled crowd immediately walks in an orderly fashion to each of their guards. It’s like they've done this before. Maybe they have drills to prepare for these kinds of situations?

  Then my mother approaches me, her heart in her eyes as she does so. I can see fear, worry,
and anger flashing in her eyes one after the other, before they finally settle on fear. She obviously doesn't want to leave me, but her position in the coven would require more protection than mine, even if I am her daughter.

  "Emerald, you'll be going with Talon, Nikoli, and Devin. They will make sure you're protected. We have no idea who to trust right now, and Nikoli is one of the guards who has a safe house assigned to him. Only he knows its location, so you should be safe while we think of what to do next." She sighs heavily and pulls me into her arms, hugging me tightly. "Please stay safe."

  "Mom, it’s okay. I can protect myself just fine, and each of these guys would die before letting anything bad happen to me," I reassure her, gesturing at Dev, Nik, and Tal who stand to the side, with pride in their eyes that I trust them enough to keep me safe.

  A sudden bright smile lights up my mother’s face, and tears glisten in her eyes. "You called me ‘Mom,’” she murmurs as a tear falls. I fidget, feeling uncomfortable. It was nothing but a slip of the tongue, but it obviously meant more to her than I could imagine.

  "Uh, yeah, I did.” My cheeks flame at the admission.

  “Fine, I'll pretend it didn't happen, this time," she says with a smirk, pulling me in for another hug. "But you did call me Mom," she gloats happily before backing away.

  Before I can respond, my father steps into my personal space, wrapping me in a bone-crushing hug. "I know I screwed up, but I really don't want you to leave. I want to know my daughter. After this, I promise I will do better," he whispers into my hair, and I feel my eyes watering. I blink furiously to hide any trace of tears.

  "Be safe, sweetheart," he urges as he steps back, grabbing hold of my mother’s hand. He tries to remain stoic as they walk away, but I see the sheen in his eyes, giving him away.

  My grandmother looks over at me with a harsh expression, while my grandfather follows after my parents without a word. "I heard about your weapon of choice."

  I nod, waiting for some kind of remark about how I'm not worthy, but what she says next surprises me.

  "You've made me proud, and one day soon, we will train together. I will show you exactly how to wield your weapons." At that, she gives the guys a nod of respect and turns to catch up with her husband and my parents.

  "Well, that was kind of nice, I think." I mean, she did also imply I have no idea how to wield them, but I suppose I’d better just take what I can get for now.

  "Okay, we’ll go upstairs and pack the bags. You guys head to the garage, and we'll meet you there in ten," Nik declares, and then he and Dev take off at a run.

  Sure enough, ten minutes later, they meet us in the garage, each carrying a massive duffle bag. They walk straight to my car, and I climb in the back, knowing that if Nik is the only one who knows our location, it would make the most sense for him to drive.

  "Why are we going to separate safe houses? Why not just one main one?” I ask as Talon gets in beside me.

  Nik and Dev throw the bags in the trunk before climbing in. Dev turns to me, having heard my question. "Because, if someone is being targeted, in this case you, then it makes no sense to send you to the same place as everyone else. That way, on the off chance we're attacked, then no one else will be harmed."

  "So, we're being used as bait to see if I am the reason for all the attacks?" I ask, feeling slightly annoyed. Why not just throw me outside on the street and see what happens if that’s the case?

  Nik shakes his head as he starts the car. He drives out of the garage, and onto the streets of St. Louis.

  "It’s not just that, we have to be careful because Sie may actually be the intended target. Someone could have been trying to target you, so they could use you to get to her. We have to be prepared for any and every possible scenario. Besides, it won’t be that bad. I made sure to tell Torie the location of my safe house and blood oathed him not to tell anyone else. So, Britt and the guys will be there when we arrive. They left as soon as the call for the meeting was put out," he says, smiling at me through the rear view mirror.

  "Well there’s that at least. So, how long will we be at this safe house then?"

  The car becomes dead silent, and I know the answer isn't going to be one I want to hear. "Well," Dev says nervously after a moment, glancing over at Talon who remains stoic. Dev rolls his eyes before turning to me.

  "We could be there anywhere from a few days, weeks, or maybe even months. It all just depends on when we find the person responsible. We may even have to move around if we find out it really is you they are targeting," he adds on, sounding matter-of-fact, like he didn't just tell me we could be in hiding for months.

  I sit back in the seat, feeling completely defeated, and I turn to stare out the window as we drive. Hopefully, we get to this safe house soon because I want nothing more than to just sit under a nice warm shower and recharge. It seriously feels like this day will never end.

  Thirty-Three - Broken

  Emerald

  We've been driving for a little over an hour when I start to get worried. I know they said the safe house is on the outskirts of the city, but as to how far it is, I have no idea, and the longer we drive, the lighter the sky becomes as dawn quickly approaches.

  I look out at the pale purple light, my heart hammering in fear. If we don't get there soon, the sun is going to come out.

  "Guys? You do know the sun’s almost up, right?"

  Talon turns to me with a grin. "Sun won't kill us, Em, it just weakens us. We'll be fine. We should just get–"

  I jolt forward suddenly, my head hitting Nik's seat as my baby is rammed into from behind. Talon grabs me just as the car is struck again on side, the screech of metal on metal hurting my ears.

  The last hit sends my car spiraling out of control, and we end up slamming into a tree on my side. The windows are smashed on impact, and glass flies all over the seat. I smell blood and frantically look at each of the guys to see who's bleeding. Talon is still conscious, but his eyes are dazed, and a line of blood runs from his forehead to the bottom of his chin.

  I reach back, unclipping my seatbelt and slide closer to Talon. "Talon, baby. I need to know if you're okay? I have to check on the others."

  His eyes meet mine, and he looks me over to make sure I’m not hurt. Then he lifts his hand slowly, waving me away. "Fine. Check them.” The words come out slurred, and I know he needs a moment to heal.

  Instead of waiting for him to heal so he can help, I climb through the middle, and try to shake Devin awake. He remains unconscious, so I give his face a light slap. I watch as he seems to gather consciousness for a brief moment before closing his eyes again.

  "Dev, honey, you need to look at me," I plead, ready to slap him again.

  He blinks his eyes a few times, seeming to become more aware. When he realizes where he is, his eyes shoot up to mine.

  "Shit, Em, you okay?"

  "I'm fine, Talon took the brunt of the damage. I just need to make sure you're alright before I check on Nik."

  The sound of a car door slamming reminds me it wasn't an ordinary accident we were just in. I look out the rear view mirror, seeing the two cars who hit us, both with damaged front ends, and four people striding towards us.

  I debate in my mind over what to do, but I know there's no real option. The sun is only minutes away from being fully up. If I wait any longer, the people who hit us will be able to use the daylight to their advantage. I need to get rid of them myself.

  Talon sees the look of resolve in my eyes as I stare out the window, and reaches forward to grip my arm. "Em, don't."

  "I'm sorry, I have to. You guys can't protect me this time. Please, trust me to keep you guys safe," I say, before opening the door on Dev's side and crawling over his lap, Talon's grip too weak to really keep me contained.

  Dev struggles to climb out of the car after me, but his seat belt keeps him locked in place. I look back at Nik, who hasn't woken up yet. "Look after Nikoli, and I'll get rid of these idiots."

  I tune out their pr
otests and make my way to the back of the car, wishing I was wearing something more badass than just sweats and a tee. My body heats for a moment and when I look down, I see myself dressed in a white tank, sheer enough to show my black bra, and a pair of matching black leather pants. Even my shoes have changed from slip on ones I had when we left the coven to a pair of steel-toed boots. It must have been my magic. Normally, I’d take a second to appreciate my newfound power, but I have more important things to take care of right now.

  I prowl around the back of the car and shake my head at the man standing before me. My heart pounds in my chest, a sliver of fear running through me before I lock it away in my cage along with my beast. He can't hurt me anymore.

  Brendan and Xander stand beside him, looking smug as hell, while Sophie is off to the side, looking bored out of her mind. Movement behind me has me flicking my gaze back, and I see Joel and Brian strolling out of the tree cover beside the highway, as if they had been waiting there all along.

  "I don't know what you want, Jeremy, but I’m only going to give you this one chance. Leave here now, and no one has to die," I offer, holding my palms out peacefully.

  Talon and Dev try to climb out of the car, but I push magic at them, keeping them locked inside where they’re safer. Jeremy doesn't want them, only me.

  "The only one who will die here today is you, you filthy abomination," Jeremy spits angrily, the vein in his temple bulging.

  I crack my neck to each side, concentrating on my swords, and wishing them into my presence. My hands grow warm and a second later, my swords appear in my hands, giving me a sense of being reunited with a lost piece of my soul. I watch in satisfaction as everyone takes a step back.

  "What's wrong, Jeremy? Your spies didn't tell you about the new powers I have?" I boast with a smirk, twirling the blades in my hands.