by Angel Lawson
“I knew you couldn’t let me just go by myself,” I muttered but took a deep breath and said, “Look, I’m sorry. I’m acting dumb and I’m not even sure what came over me. Like, I haven’t felt so insecure since high school. I totally let those girls get to me and then they said those things about Genevieve and my head just got weird. I went to a super mind-fucking place.”
A strong hand slipped under my hair and around my neck. I closed my eyes and leaned into him. “Can we just forget that ever happened?” I asked.
“Whatever you want, babe. Not that you’ll have much time to worry about it anyway.”
My eyes popped open and I spun around. Or at least I tried. Two large hands connected to a body and a voice that was not Grant held me in place. My heart lunged to my throat. Caleb’s new henchman—Joe, stood before me with a smug expression on his face.
“Sounds like quite a soap opera going on between you two. Trust me, Amelia, he’s not worth it.”
I glanced around the parking lot. It was dark and no one else was down here. Birds fluttered in the high alcoves, casting shadows on row of cars below. Why should anyone be in here? It was the middle of the day. I was on my own and completely screwed. “What do you want?” I asked, hoping at best to distract him.
“Just wanted to pay you a little visit. See how things were going for you since your little friend met such a terrible end.”
“Don’t talk about her,” I spat. “Don’t you dare.”
“Or what?” he asked, laughing. I fought against him, kicking my feet and twisting out of his grasp but he held tight. I yelped in pain. “Ah, I can see why you were friends. She was a fighter, too.”
“So what’s your plan? You take me to Caleb? Because we both know you’ve got to take me to him in one piece. He’s made that abundantly clear.” I thought back to how Sasha warned Jenna in the woods against killing me.
“Oh, Caleb doesn’t know I’m here. I came on my own. I’m not quite as loyal as some of his other followers. To be honest, I heard about Caleb’s little gang and it piqued my interest. For a minute at least.” The cold, calculating tone in his voice raised the hairs on the back of my neck. “See there’s something about you that’s got Palmer twisted into knots. Something that makes you valuable. I can only imagine what it could be.”
He released me, but only long enough to rip the collar of my sweater, exposing my shoulders. He ran a finger under the strap of my sundress. The look in his eye changed from deadly to something else…something possibly worse. “I’ve been with human girls before and understand the appeal. I know what it’s like—the softness and the vulnerability.”
He pressed against me, hard and threatening. I swallowed and turned away, not wanting to see his disgusting face. He grabbed my chin and lifted it up. “Those girls, they begged me to stop once they realized what I was, how I couldn’t control myself. God, they were so soft—so alive.”
His word brought bile to the back of my throat.
“You’re different though, aren’t you?” he continued. “You’re in this willingly. You want the monster disguised as a man. The question is, how much can you take?”
He reached for his belt, moving so fast I couldn’t see his movements but heard the clank of his buckle.
“He’ll kill you, you know,” I said, straining to speak against his grip. “He’ll hunt you down and make you pay. It won’t be worth it.”
“I’m willing to take that bet.”
Joe pushed me hard against the car and I cried out in pain. A shadow streaked across the parking lot and I waited—I prayed—that Grant had come to save me. The blur came again and I nearly sobbed when I saw it was just the cat from earlier. There was no vampire here to save me today. Not this time.
I braced myself, already disconnecting my mind from reality. I thought of Grant’s face. The way he looked when I challenged him. The surprise and happiness those moments of my humanity brought him. I hated that my weakness would be the very thing that brought us both down.
Joe was closer now, mouth near my neck. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt—much.” Just as he laid a hand on my waist the sound came rapidly, a fluttering near my hair. Something soft brushed against my cheek and when I opened my eyes I was surrounded by a sea of black, including the space between me and Joe.
“What the hell?” he shouted, but his words were drowned out by the sound of screams—no, not screams but some sort of ear piercing screech. I didn’t care what it was, bolting toward the elevator. Sharp pain erupted on my arm, but I kept running. Reaching it seconds later, I stabbed at the button, looking over my shoulder. Although I could see better now, what I was looking at made no sense at all. Joe was trapped in the middle of a swarm of huge black birds. Their beaks stabbed at his eyes and face. Through the adrenaline beating in my ears I could hear his screams of pain. Could a bird hurt a vampire? I didn’t have time to care.
The elevator dinged behind me and I jumped in, pressing the close button—terrified he’d get free and follow me. The swarm never let up and even when Joe dashed in one direction or another the birds tightened their movements keeping him from escaping.
“Come on,” I begged the elevator, pushing the close button once again. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors slid shut, but not before the gray cat slipped in the car.
I hit the alarm button, effectively stalling the elevator. Pressing my back to the wall I slid to the floor, pulling my torn sweater back over my shoulders. The cat walked over to me, swishing its fluffy tail, and rubbing his cheek against my knee. It had a white slash of fur over its eye and a loud purr rumbled through its chest.
I don’t know how long we stayed that way. Me and the cat, but before long I heard movement from above, the car swaying. He’d found me.
The cat stood and I looked up just in time to see the ceiling tile lift upward, revealing a black hole into the shaft above.
A moment later a body dropped through the empty hole, landing with a solid thud at my feet. The instant I saw his hair, his broad shoulders and then his fiery, pained violet eyes I knew I was safe.
Grant had found me first.
Chapter 21
Grant
Amelia was huddled against the back of the elevator car, face streaked with tears. Her sweater was torn—buttons missing—the same ones I’d considered removing myself just a short time before.
I ground my teeth. That bastard dared lay a hand on what was mine.
“Did he hurt you?” I asked, bending on one knee. The gray cat hissed. I pushed it aside. Physically, other than bruises and a scratch on her arm, she seemed okay. The fear in her eye told another story. Rage rolled through my veins.
She shook her head, words seeming to be caught in her throat. I brushed her hair out of her eyes and grazed a thumb over her pulse. It raced faster than I’d ever heard it. It’s how I knew she was down here—how I knew something was terribly wrong.
“You’ll be safe in here,” I told her, standing up and placing my hands on the sliding doors. Through the metal I heard the vampire’s screams had died down. He was either escaping or had been incapacitated by the birds. Either way this was my chance.
“No!” she cried, hands reaching for me. “Don’t leave me. Don’t. Not now.”
I glanced down and took her hand. The cat was rubbing against her leg. With my foot I tossed it to the corner of the elevator. “I’ve got to get him, Amelia. I can’t let him do this again.”
She whimpered but nodded. With amazing strength she said, “Okay. Okay but don’t let him near me. Or any of the others.”
The cat hissed again. I looked at it and said, “Fine. Stay with her. Do not leave.”
A crease formed on Amelia’s forehead and she asked, “Who are you talking to?”
The vampire screamed, revealing that he was still out there. Using accelerated speed, I kissed her forehead and wrenched the door open. Before I reclosed the door I answered, “The cat. It’s a shifter. He’ll protect you.”
~*~
Feathers covered the parking garage floor, and drops of dark, tainted blood seeped into the concrete. Along with the vampire’s pained cries they left a trail to a back stairwell where the birds cawed and perched on ceiling beams, watching.
He was injured, bleeding from the eyes and face. I didn’t envy the pain—something as a species we weren’t accustomed to. But the shifters, they were our foe for a reason. Their nails were coated with a natural repellant—a venom of sorts that infected our bodies. A small dose was enough to numb our senses. More would paralyze our muscles, leaving us unable to defend ourselves.
There was a reason for the covenant between our communities. It protected both of us. Currently, they’ve done me a favor weakening the asshole that would pay for the fear he’d inflicted on Amelia. I walked toward him, ignoring the sounds of the birds. He leaned against the stair railing, his face nearly frozen from the poison.
“Wha—“ He tried to speak but his bleeding lips no longer functioned.
I gripped him by the shoulders and spoke slowly. “You stepped into a world you can’t even begin to comprehend. You think those birds are bad? Wait until Caleb encounters the rest of the Shifters. Wait, until he encounters me.”
“He didn’t kn—“ Again his words ended in a slur.
“I don’t fucking care what he knows. Or what he thinks this battle between us is about. I do care that you came here—on my property and dared to touch what is mine.” The words came out as a growl and I bared my teeth.
His eyes widened in fear. He was pathetic. Weak. But there was no way I could allow him to walk out of here. I wrapped a hand around his throat, my nails puncturing his skin. “He’s coming,” he cried.
I frowned. “What?”
“He’s coming…for her.”
His lips twitched upward and mine did the same. With both hands I parted his neck, much like the elevator doors before, separating his throat and skull cracked into two separate pieces. Dark blood oozed down his chest, spilling on the concrete. I dropped both parts and they landed with a splatter in the blood, coating my shoes. My favorite fucking shoes.
Reaching for my phone, I hit speed-dial. “Elijah, I need a clean-up immediately.”
“Where?”
“In Raleigh. In the parking deck.”
“Caleb?” he asked, hopefully.
“No—the other one.”
“Right. Okay, we’ll be there soon.”
I took a deep, settling breath. “Elijah?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t burn the body.”
Chapter 22
Amelia
The scratch on my arm was deep. Red, but not bleeding. I tried my best not to get it wet in the shower but failed. With a towel wrapped around my body, I dug through the medicine cabinet for a bandage. I wound the gauze around my arm, wincing when the fabric came in contact with the wound. Just as I managed to secure the ends, I heard a knock at the door. Adjusting the towel, I left the bathroom but didn’t open the door. I wasn’t ready to talk to Grant, or rather I wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk to me.
“Amelia, it’s Olivia. Can I come in?”
I twisted the knob and pulled the door open. I didn’t look in the hallway. I knew he was out there. He’d probably never leave my side again.
She entered quickly, shutting the door behind her. Within a heartbeat she stood before me, sadness reflected on her face. “I heard what happened.”
“Did you?” I asked. I hadn’t told Grant all the details. There was no possible way he could bear it.
“Enough.” Her eyes landed on my torn and dirty clothing, I’d left piled on the bathroom floor.
I walked over, holding my towel at my chest with one hand and picked up the clothing in the other. On the way back into the bathroom I tossed them into the trashcan. Closing the door between us, I pulled on a shirt and some yoga pants. Grabbing a brush on the way back to the bedroom I pulled it through my hair.
“He didn’t hurt me,” I said, sitting on the bed.
She sat next to me and took the brush, gesturing for me to turn around. It was a little weird. It had been years since someone brushed my hair, but I wouldn’t deny I needed comfort. I turned and felt Olivia’s hands gently pull my hair long and flat against my back.
“He wasn’t there on Caleb’s orders,” I said. “He came on his own.”
“Looking for you?”
“Yeah, I guess. He mentioned Grant’s attraction to me and understanding it. He said he’d been with human girls before.” The brush faltered, but only for a second. “He said some pretty scary stuff.”
“He sounds sick in the head—beyond the normal.”
She worked the brush through a tangle and I felt the urge to ask, “Grant and I…we’ve talked about it a little. Taking it slow and doing things on his terms, but after what that guy said, it makes me wonder. Is it even possible for me and Grant to be intimate without something terrible happening?”
“Grant has unprecedented control, Amelia. He loves you so much. That bastard wanted to hurt those women. It’s not the same thing.” When I didn’t respond she said, “Grant will never force you into anything you aren’t comfortable with.”
That got me to laugh and I shook my head. “Oh, I’m well aware of that. I’ve had to make all the first moves. God, that’s what started all this today in the first place. I never would’ve gone down to the parking lot alone if I wasn’t being a baby about wanting to be asked to a stupid dance.”
Olivia sighed. “Due to our long and involved history I have to stick by Grant, but even I am willing to admit he’s an idiot.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Tell me your history with him.”
The corners of her mouth turned down and she said, “Lucky for Grant, I don’t have lot of memories from before my transition.”
“Why does that make him lucky?”
“Because I had zero reference on people or loved ones. I pretty much thought he was a God.”
I snort. “I’m sure he loves that.”
“Seriously. One day I was just me, roaming around the swamps of New Orleans—a wild, feral fledgling, starving and killing whatever or whoever I ran into. I was knee deep in marsh water when I had a striking moment of clarity. The face of a handsome man popped into my mind. I knew I needed to find him.”
“Elijah?”
She shook her head. “No. It was Grant. His face was the first clear moment I had once I awoke. I left the swamp and started looking.”
“How did you find him?”
“Honestly? He found me. Grant and Miles have always had a network to find fledglings. I’d just drained six men when they found me in a barn outside of Memphis.”
“Six?” I gulped, realizing the ferocity of Olivia’s strength.
"Yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “Not one of my better moments. I was half delirious and convinced he was Jesus for quite a while. I had some intense religious hang-ups at the time.”
“Wow. So you have no idea who changed you?”
Olivia was fingering the beads on her bracelet, spinning them around. "Nope. Nothing." She held up her arms and pointed out two scars I hadn’t noticed before. “I have no idea where these came from either.”
"I'm so sorry, Olivia. I can't imagine losing my entire history."
She smiled. "It's okay. Everything worked out. Once I got on my feet, I started living a ‘clean life’. I realized Grant was just super brilliant and not an actual god or something; we became best friends. I suspect I may be happier in this life than in the last."
“That’s a nice way to look at it.”
“I think so.”
The tension lifted a little but I still had a worry. “How is Grant going to handle this whole thing from today?”
“If I were you I’d be prepared to have a shadow for the next two or three years.”
“God,” I said, resting my head in my hands. “What have I gotten myself into?”
Moving from her seat, Olivia reached fo
r both of my hands. "You have gotten yourself into something wonderful. And he really is worth it, Amelia. I told you before you must be patient with him and don't be afraid to teach him. Contrary to popular belief, he doesn’t actually know everything." Her eyes were bright but sincere. I nodded my willingness to do this and she flashed me an ultra-white grin. "That includes showing him how strong you are.”
“I’m not strong like you—or the other women he knows.”
“You’re stronger.”
“Yeah, right,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“Don’t give up. He's a very efficient learner. Once this clicks it will be worth it,” she said, and a shiver of excitement ran up my back. “So don’t worry about the party. That will come together. He’ll just be a little slower to figure it all out.”
She laughed. “There’s one thing about Grant you always need to remember, everything he attempts, he does very well. He’s a perfectionist and man, he loves you so much. Trust me on that.”
“Except cooking. Oh my God, he’s a terrible cook.”
She laughed. “Give him time.”
“Thanks, Olivia,” I said, feeling a little bit better. “I know I have a million questions.”
“I’m happy to answer all of them. You’re Grant’s mate. That means you’re family.”
“Family?”
She gave me a brilliant smile. “Welcome to the Palmer Coven, dear. Once you’re in, you’re in for a lifetime.”
Chapter 23
Grant
The door closed behind Olivia with a definitive click. Amelia had retreated to her room the instant we returned home. I didn’t blame her. She needed some privacy to clean up and sort her emotions.
Since Olivia was with Amelia I took my own shower, washing the remaining blood off my hands. Water poured over my head and I closed my eyes, replaying the events of the day, including the disturbing fact that this had even happened. That vampire never should have entered my property or been anywhere near Amelia. And the Shifters? Had they been watching us all along?
I gripped the towel bar in the shower and ripped it off the wall. The rage I felt. The hopelessness. It had to end.