THE AIR WAS thick with tension. My vampire eyes could almost see it hanging in the room, like a light fog shrouding everything in mystery. Hunter was staring at Jake with a dumbfounded expression. He had no idea what he was talking about. I didn’t either. The vampire hunter had done a complete one-eighty in a matter of seconds, and all because of the kid we’d just met tonight...Simon.
While my father gently removed Jake from his arm, I asked a question that had already been asked several times. Maybe we’d finally get an answer though. “Who is Simon?”
Jake’s tired eyes turned to mine. “A kid. Orphaned, but I’ve raised him since he was in diapers. I showed him how to protect himself, but he’s never…” His eyes flicked back to Dad’s then Hunter’s. “He’s never been alone this long. And now that he knows I’m in danger he’ll do whatever it takes to get me out of it.”
“You’re not in danger,” Dad quietly told him. “No one here is going to hurt you.”
Jake shook his head. “Simon won’t know that. I’ve raised him to think the worst of your kind. Right now, he probably believes I’m being shackled and drained. Just a little at a time, until my body finally gives out. He’ll be in a state of panic, and he’ll do something stupid.” He clenched his hand into a fist. “Because of me.”
Dad met eyes with Mom. No words passed between them, but I knew what they were saying regardless. We have to help him, Teren. I know, Em. Help the helpless, defend the weak. It was just the way my parents were. But family trumped all, and they wouldn’t do anything if it would put us in too much danger.
Mom shifted her eyes to Jake. “What trouble is Simon in? What do you think he’s going to do?”
Jake fell onto the bed, his body suddenly as exhausted as his eyes. “Normally, he’d call up a hunter friend of mine and ask for help, but…hunters have been acting weird lately, almost preaching against hunting. I wasn’t sure why until I went to that stupid meeting…” He glanced up at Hunter, guilt, knowledge and irritation in his eyes. With a sigh, he looked at his hands resting on his knees. “Anyway, before I disappeared, the last thing I told him was to stay away from hunters, so there’s only one place he’d go for help now. My grandfather…Henry.”
Jake’s eyes hardened in a way that was nearly as vicious as when he spoke about vampires. Feeling nothing but love and adoration for my own grandfather, I didn’t understand Jake’s expression. “Why is that a bad thing?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound young and naïve.
Turning to me, Jake studied my face, then my hand clenched in Hunter’s. “Henry is a brilliant man. Too smart for his own good actually. He came upon a…vaccine of sort. Telling us it was necessary to protect the family, he gave us each a dose. We weren’t even sure what it did at the time, but we trusted him.”
Jake sighed, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “When the first of us showed to be immune to vampire compulsion, he admitted what he’d done. The vaccine infused vampire blood into our blood. He’d injected us with a little bit of the demon…to keep us safe. To keep us protected.” Clearly not happy with that fact, Jake’s face momentarily hardened. When he spoke again, fear softened the heat in his eyes. “When that proved successful, he got greedy. He thought, if a little bit of blood would protect us from compulsion, then maybe more would give us some of the vampire attributes. If we had vampire strength and speed, we’d be better soldiers, better fighters. He started introducing vampire blood into people, little by little, hooking up volunteers to IVs that would drip vampire juice into them for hours at a time. When that did nothing…he had the idea to balance the blood. Remove half of the human blood, and replace it with a vampire’s, to create a being that was the ‘best of both worlds’ as he called it.” Jake smirked on the end, like he didn’t really believe that.
My mom gasped while my dad muttered, “He was trying to make mixed vampires? With transfusions?”
Jake calmly met his gaze. “Yes. We didn’t know about you at the time, but that’s essentially what he was trying to do. Make living vampires.”
Dad shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that. Mixed can hardly ever make more mixed. And full vampire blood…it wouldn’t make a mixed vampire. It would make another pureblood, or it would…”
Dad let his thought trail off while Jake nodded. “Or it would kill them. I know.” He stared at his feet. “My father was one of the volunteers. He didn’t survive the process. None of them did.”
Hunter squeezed my hand while Jake lifted his chin and returned his eyes to Dad’s. “I told Henry he needed to stop with the experiments, that it couldn’t be done, and his own son was dead because of it. Maybe it was his grief talking…maybe it was just pure stubbornness, but he refused to stop. He said he had to keep trying, especially after Dad’s death. ‘Otherwise, it was all for nothing,’ he said. Only problem was, once word got around that the experiment never worked, and wasn’t ever going to work, people stopped volunteering. The day he tried it on an unwilling participant, was the day I took Simon and left. That was six years ago, and I haven’t talked to Henry since.”
“Is he still doing the experiment?” Hunter asked with a furrowed brow.
Jake ran a hand down his face. “Yeah. A buddy of mine told me a few months ago that he was.”
“You think he’ll force Simon to go through with it if he shows up?” I asked, hating the sudden mad scientist vision in my head.
Jake pressed his lips together as he shook his head. “Honestly, I have no idea. Simon is family, not some easily missed transient that Henry found on the street. But…my fear is that…if Simon thinks I’m locked up in an impenetrable fortress full of bloodthirsty vampires…”
“He’ll volunteer,” Hunter finished, glancing down at me.
Jake’s eyes were watery when he looked up at Hunter. “Yeah. He’ll volunteer so that he’ll be strong enough to bust me out, and he’ll die before he even has a chance. Or worse…Henry will accidently change him into a pureblood. If that happens, he’ll stake him the second he wakes up…just like he does with all the others he accidentally converts. Just like he did to my father, his own son.”
The sudden pain in Jake’s face tore my heart. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my cell phone. “Call him. Tell him you’re fine and you’re safe. Invite him out here, so he can see for himself.” I shrugged and looked at my parents. They didn’t seem opposed to the idea, and surprisingly, neither did Halina. She pursed her lips, but nodded in approval.
But with a grieved expression, Jake told me, “That won’t work. Simon will just assume it’s a trap. I taught him too well,” he murmured, his voice drifting off.
I didn’t know what other suggestion to make, other than, “Let’s go get him then.” All eyes in the room shifted to me. I met every pair with stoic resolve. “Jake’s family is in trouble. Family is everything, so…we need to help him.”
Julian had wandered into the room at this point, holding hands with Arianna. He looked unsure about what we should do, but after a moment of consideration, he nodded in agreement. Even though Simon wasn’t his favorite person—or mine, he had tried to kill Hunter, after all—right was right, and Julian knew that.
Mom and Dad shared a prideful look, then Dad nodded. “We’ll take you to him, Jake. Show him you’re fine.” Dad clapped Jake’s shoulder. “Everything will be okay. You’ll see.”
Jake looked hopeful for the first time. “We have to hurry. Henry doesn’t live far from here, a couple hours north, in Blackfoot. If Simon found a ride or was able to get a bus at this hour, he could be close. But knowing him, he probably hotwired a car and is already there.” Obviously impressed, Hunter smiled at that comment. Even Julian looked amused. I rolled my eyes. Men.
My father looked around the room, examining the members of his family and choosing which ones would stay, and which ones would go. Releasing Hunter’s hand, I took a step forward. “I want to go, Dad.”
Both Dad and Hunter turned to me, and almost unanimously said, “No.”
I frowned at both of them. “It’s one teenage human and one old man. I won’t be in danger.”
Jake gave me a parental once-over. “Henry won’t be alone. He’ll be surrounded by hunters who are immune to compulsion. Hunters who routinely trap vampires, so Henry can drain them dry and use their blood for his pointless experiments. They’ll attack any vampire they encounter, provoked or not, just for their blood. Trust me girl, it will be dangerous.”
Hunter furrowed his brows in an expression of I’m-your-sire-listen-to-what-I-say. “Stay here with your brother and the humans.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m not afraid. I’m strong, I’m fast, and I can help.”
Hunter seemed unimpressed with my argument. He was about to provide his rebuttal, when my father put a hand on each of our shoulders. “You are strong, and you are fast, and we can’t leave the nest unprotected. It could be that we’re wrong. It could be that Simon went to hunters, found some we have yet to compel, and has formed a hunting party to retrieve Jake. If so…here will be the most dangerous place of all.” True concern washed over his eyes, and I knew a part of him really believed that.
He had a point. We couldn’t be certain where Simon had run off to. If we made the wrong assumption, and all of our strongest fighters left, the rest of the family would be in danger. I couldn’t let that happen. I nodded at my father. “I’ll stay. I’ll protect the home.”
A smile full of pride touched Dad’s lips. “I know you will.” Looking around again, Dad said, “Hunter, Ben, Jake and I will go get Simon. The rest of you stay here.” Halina cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest. Dad flicked a glance at her, then lifted the corner of his lip. “You can come too, of course.”
Halina rolled her eyes. “Like I need your permission to leave, child.”
Dad grinned, then turned to Jake. “Let’s go get your son.”
A ghost of a smile brightened Jake’s face. “He’s not my son. Not really.”
Dad clapped him on the shoulder. “Close enough.”
Julian swallowed so loudly, we all turned to look at him. “I’m coming with you.”
Arianna’s face went a ghostly shade of white. She clutched at his arm and whispered, “No…he said it was dangerous. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
Julian gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Arianna, but I have to do this. It’s my fault Simon found out about my family. I screwed up by throwing that party, by telling everyone in that room what I was, and I need to make things right.” He kissed her cheek, and she suddenly flushed with color. Her eyes sparkled with multiple emotions—fear, confusion, desire. I knew she wouldn’t be allowed to remember this night, but if she somehow could…I knew she’d choose to be with Julian. She’d always chosen Julian. She just didn’t remember.
Arianna still seemed worried, but she didn’t comment further. My dad had the same argument ready for Julian that he’d had for me though. “It’s too risky. You’re staying here with the others.”
Julian lifted his chin. “It’s not your call to make, Dad.” He shifted his gaze to Halina, the true authority in the room. “I created this problem, and I want to be a part of the solution. I need to fix my mistake…not let others do it for me.”
Dad immediately objected. “No, you’re staying here and that’s final.”
Halina appraised Julian for a few moments, and then turned to Dad. “If he wants to come, he may.”
Dad’s eyes flared in warning. “No offense, Great-Gran, but you’re not his parent. No matter what he said, it isn’t your call.”
Halina didn’t look intimidated or ruffled by Dad’s words. “He wants to make amends, and he’s old enough to do so. And I happen to agree with him…he should fix his own mistakes.” She shrugged. “Besides, it’s not as if we’re sending him into battle alone. He’ll be perfectly safe tucked between you and me.”
Dad seemed at a loss. He looked at Ben, me, then Mom. None of us had any helpful advice, so we stayed quiet. Finally, Dad tossed his hands into the air. “Fine. He comes.” Dad pushed his finger into Julian’s chest. “But you listen to everything we tell you, and you obey what we say without hesitation. Understand?”
Julian nodded, and I could see the fierce determination on his face. And the guilt. He truly did want to fix this.
Dad indicated the door to Jake. Jake glanced at it tentatively, like he was nervous to walk through it. He did though, and Rory and Cleo immediately grabbed him. Tired or not, they weren’t about to let him walk past their defenses. And unlike the rest of us, their human ears hadn’t heard the conversation. They had no idea what was going on.
Hunter stepped forward to intercept the vampire hunters, but Gabriel beat him to it. Facing Rory, Cleo, and the captive they were firmly holding between them, Gabriel coolly intoned, “Let him go. He’s coming with us.”
Even standing behind him, I could tell that Gabriel made Jake uneasy. Hunter had told me that Jake had attacked someone, someone who had healed. By Jake’s reaction to Gabriel, I was pretty sure I knew who Jake had targeted.
Rory and Cleo immediately let Jake go. He shrugged away from them, then nodded a thank you to Gabriel. Gabriel raised his arm, showcasing the hallway, and Jake moved past him, his eyes still wary. Halina walked through the door next. She stopped beside Gabriel. She didn’t touch him, but her tone was soft when she spoke. “We’re taking him. Are you coming with?”
Gabriel tilted his head as he studied her face. “I wish to go with you, to help keep you safe, but I realize that you may not want me around, so I will do whatever you want, my love.”
Halina was stone still for a moment, while Mom, Dad, Ben and Tracey brushed by her as they exited the room. When Hunter and I squeezed through the doorframe, Halina glanced over at Hunter, perhaps remembering what Gabriel had momentarily taken from her.
“My apologies are eternal,” Gabriel whispered.
Halina’s eyes returned to his, and her fingers reached up to lovingly stroke his neck. “Are you all right?”
Gabriel nodded once. “Physically, I am fine.”
Her fingers shifted to cup his neck. “And emotionally?” she murmured.
Gabriel closed his eyes and pain clearly flashed over his features. It felt intrusive to be watching them, so I averted my eyes and followed my parents down the hallway. I heard Gabriel’s answer though. “I miss you,” he told her. There was so much raw emotion in his voice that I couldn’t stop myself from peeking a glance at him. Emotion of any kind was rare from Gabriel, and therefore, so much more powerful when it surfaced.
I saw Gabriel lower his head in apparent agony, then I saw my grandmother wrap her arms around his neck. “I miss you too,” she whispered in his ear. She started nibbling on his earlobe and I turned back around. Some things I didn’t need to see.
My parents had stopped Jake in the common area where Trey was hanging out with my grandfather, aunt, uncle, and all of my grandmothers, besides Halina. Mom and Dad were talking strategy with Jake and Ben. I was sure Hunter would want to join them, but instead, he stopped several feet away and looked down at me, then back at Halina still hugging Gabriel.
When he returned his eyes to me, the dark brown depths were torn. “We should…before I go…” Pausing, he let out a heavy sigh. “This probably won’t be as dangerous as Jake made it sound, but I can’t afford to be…distracted while I’m gone. You and I…we need to…”
He looked down at his feet, and I could tell he didn’t even want to say it. I supplied the answer for him. “We need to break the bond. Now, before you leave?”
Pain in his eyes, he looked up at me. “Yes. For your safety as well as mine.”
I felt my throat closing up and tears stinging my eyes. I’d known this was coming, and he was right, we needed to do it. But it still hurt. Just thinking about doing it was painful, the actual act would be torture. And I wasn’t the only one who would be affected by the bond being broken. The shot Hunter was going to take would sever his bond with everyone he was attached to.
Even though she was still wrapped in Gabriel’s arms, Halina overheard us. She was immediately at Hunter’s side. “What? You’re going to sever the bond again?” she asked, disbelief in her voice.
I felt bad that there wasn’t more time to ease her into the conversation. To really explain why it needed to happen, and give her some time to deal with it. But if I was staying and Hunter was leaving, and neither one of us could afford the risk of being drawn to each other at an inopportune moment, then this needed to happen right now.
Dropping my hand, Hunter grabbed Halina’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. I wanted to sit down with you, explain why I needed to do this and give you time to prepare, but there just isn’t any time.”
A red sheen moistened Halina’s eyes. “You said you wouldn’t do that to me again. You know how awful it was.”
Hunter nodded as he smoothed her hair. “I know. And if things were different, I wouldn’t do this. I don’t want to, but I have to. It’s the only way I can keep Nika safe. It’s the only way I’ll be able to stay focused while we’re apart. You know what the bond does to us. If we’re at a critical moment in Simon’s rescue, and the drive to rush to Nika kicks in…I could get you all killed. And I won’t risk that. I won’t put my family in danger like that.”
Halina gave him a small, sad smile. “Your family?”
Hunter wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into his embrace. “My family,” he told her, kissing her head.
My eyes misted, and I had to look away. Jake was watching the tender exchange with a strange expression on his face, like he was seeing something he didn’t know how to process. I hoped he was beginning to understand that being a vampire didn’t necessarily mean you were a monster. We had lives, feelings, families…aside from being undead and living solely off the blood of other animals, we were just like everybody else.
After Hunter and Halina parted, Hunter looked past her, to Gabriel. “She’s given her permission. Can you bring the shot to my room, please?”
Gabriel nodded, then turned to go to his lab. Halina frowned. “I don’t know if I would call that my permission. I still don’t like this…but…I understand.”
Hunter nodded, then kissed her head again. Dad broke apart from Jake and the others to walk toward us. He put his arm around Halina, leading her to the circle plotting a potentially deadly mission. Dad must have figured that would make Halina feel better. He was probably right too. Hunter led me away, to his room. Normally, going to my boyfriend’s room would have given me delightful goose bumps, but not today. Today Hunter’s room was the last place I wanted to be.
I was practically dragging my feet by the time we got there. Hunter looked equally glum. He halfheartedly opened the door and pushed it inward. Even with no effort involved, the door still banged against the far wall. I stepped inside with a heavy sigh. I’d rather be doing something far more interesting in this room than temporarily removing our bond.
That delightful thought instantly set fire to another one. I was fairly certain I wouldn’t be able to talk Hunter into sex before he left, but I might be able to convince him to do a different intimate act with me. Hunter turned on the light and we waited a few, brief moments until Gabriel arrived with a small, stainless steel suitcase. He handed it to Hunter, inclined his head in a respectful manner, and then left the room, shutting the door behind him. Quiet descended on us once the wooden door was closed. Like all of the bedrooms down here, Hunter’s room was soundproof.
The still in the air was both natural and unnatural. It had been a long time since I’d heard so little. Like I was standing next to a freeway, there was usually a constant stream of background noise around me. The absence of sound amplified everything else. My skin felt on fire with anticipation, and I was overly aware of where Hunter was in the room. His light breath was behind me while I scanned the art on his walls, the odds and ends on his bookcase, the rumpled sheets on his bed.
Without a word, Hunter headed to his dresser and placed the suitcase on top of it. Unclasping the latches, he lifted the lid and exposed the handful of syringes tucked inside. I wanted to sigh again, but I held it in. He had to do this. I understood.
With sure, steady hands, Hunter grabbed one of the vials and removed it from the case. Walking over to him, I grabbed his arm. He turned to look at me, and there was no hiding the sadness in his eyes. He didn’t want to do this any more than I wanted him to. Swallowing a lump in my throat, I said in a low voice, “Before you take it…can I have my birthday present?”
A confused expression passed over him for an instant, and then he understood. His mouth dropped open and the pain in his eyes shifted to desire. “Nika…I don’t think now…”
I pressed a finger to his lips. I didn’t want to hear his excuses. We both wanted this, and there was no reason to deny ourselves anymore. I replaced my finger with my mouth, and worked my lips against his. A deep noise of satisfaction escaped his throat, and he shifted to set the syringe down.
One of his hands came up to cup my cheek, the other reached behind me to pull my body tight against his. Our slow breaths quickly increased, and I felt a phantom heartbeat pulsing in my chest. Hunter’s tongue slipped between my lips and a groan escaped me. I was instantly grateful for the soundproofing. I also started to wonder if we had time for more than what I’d originally planned. I knew we didn’t though. He had to leave me soon.
As his fingers drifted from my cheek to curl around my neck, mine ran up his broad chest. Every muscle was defined under my fingertips, and I could easily picture the curves and valleys of his skin. It only made me want him more.
Pulling my mouth away from his, I breathed across his cheek, “Please, bite me…”
I felt a growl rumble through his chest as his grip around me tightened. His hand on my neck shifted to pull my shirt down my shoulder. I hissed in a breath as my skin was exposed. His lips dragged across me, sending shockwaves of sensation through my body. I could feel the indentation of his teeth extending as his mouth pressed against me. My own teeth, no longer containable, dropped of their own accord.
I bunched his shirt in my hands. Feeling lightheaded, needy, and so full of love I thought my heart might burst, I moaned, “Yes.”
I hiked my leg up his thigh, needing to feel more of him. His free hand grabbed my leg, holding me tight against him. His desire for me was almost overwhelming. I could feel all of his straining muscles. It made me feel weak, wanton, and lustful. I couldn’t reach his neck from my position, so I told him, “Lift me.” He instantly reached down with his other hand and scooped me up.
Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I settled my lips at the base of his neck, over his jugular. Hunter found the same sweet spot on me, and I ground against him in delight. “Now…I want you…” I murmured, before pressing my fangs into his skin.
Hunter let out a deep groan, then pressed his teeth into me. With my lips still firmly attached to his body, I cried out and grasped him even tighter. I almost couldn’t take the heady, erotic rush of drinking from him while being entangled with him. It reminded me of our first electric time together. It made me want to make love to him, but we couldn’t. This was it for now. And it was enough.
Our bodies moved together in a teasing, stimulating way while we drank, and I felt like I’d been transported to another world, one where nothing else existed but Hunter. It was a fabulous world, one I never wanted to leave. I felt strong in his arms. And loved…cherished. I never wanted to let him go.
Hunter released me first. With a gasp, he pulled his mouth away. His hands helped my hips rock against his while I continued to drink. With longing in his voice, he murmured my name. I felt a familiar ache building as his life poured into me. I knew I should stop. I should let him go so he could leave with the others, but I was past the point of being able to. With a few more frantic rubs against him, a powerful wave of ecstasy washed through me. I released him as I rode out the sensation with a series of light moans. It had been too long. For the both of us. Hunter’s body was still ready to go. I wished I could help him as I came down from my high, but I knew he’d say no. Now wasn’t the time, here wasn’t the place. Just the fact that he’d let it get this far spoke volumes about how much he’d needed me.
When my breath was close to normal, Hunter released my legs. I stood, but I was a bit wobbly. When I giggled, Hunter furrowed his brows. Steadying me, he asked, “Did I take too much?”
Biting my lip, I shook my head. “I don’t think it was the blood.”
Hunter’s lip curved into a half-smile. “Oh.”
His fingers wiped away the remnants of blood on my neck. I knew I’d already healed. He had too. He seemed stronger as he stood before me. Even though I’d taken some of his blood, just the act of drinking had been good for him. I loved that I could help him in some small way.
“Are you okay?” he asked me, still concerned.
I nodded, feeling a little drunk. “I’m perfect.”
By his corresponding grin, I could tell that he agreed with me. Flicking his eyes over my face, he sighed, then placed a light kiss on my forehead. “I should…” He indicated the forgotten syringe with his head.
My happiness faded. “Yeah…you probably should.”
With slow fingers, he reached down and picked the syringe up. By the way he lifted it, you would think it weighed a thousand pounds. He squeezed a bit of the liquid out of the top. It was an unnecessary precaution, since an air bubble trapped in the vial wouldn’t hurt him, but being cautious was a human trait that was hard to shake. His eyes were locked onto the syringe while he straightened his other arm. Where he shot himself didn’t matter…it just needed to be in his body. And it would hurt going in. I knew. He’d given it to me once.
I squeezed the fingers of his extended hand, giving him strength. He gave me a brief smile, but his eyes were still focused on what he was doing. With precision care, he brought the needle to the inside of his elbow. Seemed as good a spot as any, I supposed. He inhaled deep, then held his breath. I was a nervous wreck while I waited for him to push down the plunger. When he did, I flinched. He screamed.
He sank to his knees as a torturous cry escaped him. I sank down with him, holding his hand now. He clasped me with all his strength. If I were human, he would have crushed my hand. When the syringe was empty, he tossed it away and slapped his hand over the wound on his elbow. Rocking back and forth, he massaged the area.
I couldn’t feel his pain, but I could feel the bond breaking. It was like a sharp crack up my spine. A dull ache started radiating in my chest, growing stronger with each surge. Then the pain faded and all that was left was an empty hollowness. The loss of our connection was so great, tears rolled down my cheeks. Hunter looked up at me then, and I saw the same loss reflected in his eyes.
It was gone. The part of him that resided within me, giving me peace, comfort, hope…was gone. Even though the torment he’d just gone through was so much worse, I couldn’t stop myself from crying and my soul wept right along with me.