Chapter Forty
She woke to darkness, but it was a darkness unlike any she had ever experienced. There was no light in the room, yet she saw everything clearly, each object crisply defined. She had fallen asleep in her clothes. They were familiar yet different. She felt each individual thread against her skin. A glance at the ceiling revealed every tiny fault, every tiny crack.
An ant crawled across the ceiling. Incredibly, she could hear its movement as it made its way toward the corner.
She licked her lips, suddenly overcome with a ravenous thirst. Never before had she felt such thirst, or such pain. Something was wrong. Throwing back the covers, she moved toward the door. Andrei. She needed him.
She was reaching for the latch when the door opened and he stood in the opening. Silhouetted in the light from behind him, he looked tall and dark and dangerous.
When he opened his arms, she went into them gladly. He was here. There was nothing to be afraid of.
His hand stroked her hair. “How do you feel?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never felt this way before. What’s wrong with me? I’m so thirsty!”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
She looked up at him and it was like seeing him for the first time. He looked the same and yet different. It was as if she had been looking at him through a veil before and it had suddenly dropped away, revealing the true beauty of the man.
She was trying to comprehend the change when she became aware of a sound she had never heard before—a slow, steady beat that sang in her ears like music.
A heartbeat. The knowledge came to her, along with the realization that it wasn’t a single heartbeat, but four. It spiked her thirst, made her whole body ache with need.
She licked her lips, let out a startled cry when her fangs ran out.
Fangs!
“Tessa, it’s all right.” His arms tightened around her as he sensed the panic sweeping through her. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. What you’re feeling is natural.”
She stared up at him in silent horror as the memory of the night before flashed through her mind. The images were hazy, dull, but she clearly remembered demanding that Andrei turn her into a vampire.
She didn’t have to ask if it was true.
The answer was there, in his eyes.
“I’m so thirsty.”
“I know, love. You can drink from me, if you like, or I can take you hunting.”
Hunting. She waited for a sense of revulsion to overtake her, to feel nausea churning in her gut, to be horrified by the mere thought of feeding on a fellow creature. Instead, the idea was oddly compelling.
But she was thirsty now.
And he was here.
She ran her fingertips along the side of his neck. She could feel the blood flowing there, smell the crimson tide just beneath the skin.
Driven by a force too strong to resist, she went up on her tiptoes, pulled his head down, and took her first bite into a new life.
* * *
Andrei closed his eyes as Tessa’s fangs pierced his skin. Since he’d been turned, no vampire had ever fed on him. The feeling was orgasmic.
He had been able to read her mind before; she had been able to hear his thoughts. Now it was as if their hearts and minds and bodies were one. He knew her deepest thoughts, felt what she felt as she drank from him—surprise, satisfaction, a growing hunger for human blood.
When she’d had enough to ease her thirst, he pulled away. “Not too much, love.”
She licked her lips.
“Tessa?”
“Don’t let me kill anyone.”
“I won’t.”
Wrapping her arms around her middle, she rocked back and forth. “I’m still hungry.”
“I know. That’s why we’re going hunting. It’s nothing to worry about. It will come naturally. And I’ll be there to make sure you don’t take too much.”
* * *
Walking down the streets of the neighboring town, Tessa felt as if she had been reborn, which, she supposed, she had. Sights and sounds and smells assailed her from all sides. Her new vampire senses were amazing. Her vision allowed her to see things mortals never saw. Her hearing, sense of smell and touch, were equally amazing. And always, like a song that played over and over in her head, the alluring symphony of beating of hearts.
She glanced at Andrei. How did he stand it without going insane, this constant barrage of sensory perceptions?
“With practice, you’ll learn to tune it out,” he said.
A short time later, Andrei found a young couple leaving a restaurant. Taking Tessa by the hand, he followed them to their car.
Tessa watched as he approached the couple. He mesmerized them both with a look.
She watched as he took the woman in his arms, ran his tongue along the side of her neck, then buried his fangs in her throat. When he finished, he licked the twin wounds in her neck.
“Your turn,” he said.
“I don’t know . . .”
“Put aside your human preconceptions,” he said. “Listen to the beat of his heart. Let his blood call to you. Follow your vampire instincts.”
“How will I know when to stop?”
“You’ll know. And I’ll be here,” he said, smiling. “Just in case.”
Listen to the beat of his heart. Let his blood call to you.
Tentatively, she pulled the man closer, felt her fangs run out as the scent of his blood enticed her, a river of rich red nectar flowing just beneath his skin. Almost before she realized what she was doing, she ran her tongue along the side of his neck. He tasted of salt and fear. It sparked her hunger and then she was biting him, drinking from him. His blood was not as thick or rich or satisfying as Andrei’s had been, but it eased her thirst in a way his had not.
She knew without knowing how when she had taken enough.
She sealed the tiny wounds, licked the blood from her lips.
Why had she feared this?
She smiled at Andrei.
And he smiled back, his expression smug with satisfaction. “Didn’t I say you might like it?”
* * *
Jilly sat on the sofa in Andrei’s living room, nervously chewing on her thumbnail. “Where do you suppose they are?”
Luke glanced at Bailey, one brow raised, and Bailey nodded. It was obvious, at least to the two of them, that Andrei had taken Tessa hunting.
Sighing, Bailey closed her eyes. Tristan had gone to tell the pack what was happening and to make final arrangements for tomorrow night when they would be life-mated. She had only a vague idea of what was to take place. Had no idea if Tessa would be in any condition to attend. What was it like, to be a new vampire? Was Tessa filled with uncontrollable bloodlust? Bailey had only had dealings with two vampires—Andrei and Katerina, and they were as different as night and day.
All things considered, Bailey decided she’d rather be a were-panther.
Rising, Jilly paced to the window and stared out into the darkness. “Luke, go find them.”
“I’m sure they’re fine. She’s with Andrei. He won’t let anything happen to her.”
Jilly whirled around to face him. “What if she’s turned into a monster? What if that’s why they’ve been gone so long? What if something went wrong and he had to . . . to . . .”
Taking Jilly in his arms, Luke said, “Honey, calm down. Andrei would have let us know if there was anything wrong. I know this is hard for you, but try not to worry.”
“She’s my best friend!” Jilly exclaimed, her voice rising. “How can I not worry?”
Urging Jilly to sit down again, Luke went into the kitchen. He returned moments later with a glass of wine. “Here, drink this. It’ll help you relax.”
“I’m sorry. I know I’m overreacting, but I just can’t help it.” She sipped the wine. “What if we can’t be friends anymore?”
“Tessa’s fine,” Bailey said.
“How do you know?”
Bailey shrugged. “I just do. I can sense it through Andrei. They’re on their way home.”
Jilly’s eyes widened.
And then she drained her glass.
* * *
Andrei slid his arm around Tessa’s shoulders. “Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes.”
“No regrets?”
She shook her head. “No. I think, deep down, I always knew this was inevitable.” And then she frowned. “I don’t feel like a monster.”
“You’re not a monster. You’re a beautiful woman.”
“Who just happens to have a craving for blood. Will I be dead all day?” Funny, she hadn’t worried about that when she considered everything she’d be giving up. But it was too late now.
“I wouldn’t call it dead, exactly, but you’ll probably have to rest when the sun’s up, at least for a while. But don’t worry, love, I’ll be there beside you.”
“When do you rest?” she asked. “You’re usually with me during the day, and most of the night, too.”
“I catch a nap when I can. I don’t need to rest as often as I once did. Or feed as often,” he remarked, his expression thoughtful. “And I’ve been eating normal food. I think it’s all because of your blood.”
“So I’ve made you more human?”
“In a way.” He grunted softly. “But you’ve also made me stronger. Come on, let’s head back. This might be a good time for you to practice willing yourself from one place to another.”
“Seriously? How do I do that?”
“Gather your power around you, then think about where you want to . . .” He laughed as she vanished from his sight. “Be.”
Following their blood bond, he found her waiting for him outside his house.
“That was kinda scary and fun at the same time,” she said, eyes sparkling.
“What are you doing out here?”
“All of a sudden I feel a little nervous about being around Jilly and Luke.” She could hear the two of them whispering, wondering if she would be a “civilized” vampire, like Andrei, or like one of those out-of-control fledglings who attacked without provocation or remorse. She might have been offended, angry, even, if she hadn’t wondered the same thing herself.
“Not Bailey?” he asked.
“No. She’s sort of like one of us. But Luke’s a hunter. And Jilly . . . she’s my best friend. What if I want to drink her blood?”
“I think you’re worrying for nothing, but there’s just one way to find out.” And so saying, he took her hand in his and opened the front door.
The conversation in the living room came to an abrupt stop when Tessa and Andrei entered the room.
Luke looked wary.
Jilly worried.
Bailey merely curious.
“I’m still me,” Tessa said. “I promise not to eat you.”
Luke snorted. “I don’t mean any disrespect, Tess, but you’re a vampire now. In my experience, fledglings are highly unpredictable.”
“Luke!” Jilly admonished.
“It’s true!” Luke exclaimed. “And if the time comes when it’s your life or hers, you’d better know which side I’m on.”
“I think we all knew that,” Andrei said dryly. “But I can assure you that Tessa’s no threat to any of you.”
“Yeah? How can you be so sure? You might have had hundreds of years to learn to control your powers and your appetite, but she hasn’t.”
“She carries the blood of a master vampire and that makes all the difference. She’s stronger and more powerful than ordinary fledglings. She won’t be plagued with an insatiable thirst or an overwhelming desire to kill.”
Luke nodded, but he still looked doubtful.
There was a moment of tense silence in the room. It was Bailey who broke it. Getting off the sofa, she embraced Tessa. “You’re still coming to the life-mating ceremony tomorrow night, aren’t you?”
“Of course,” Tessa said, smiling. “I wouldn’t miss it.”