17
Vincent
I watch her sleeping peacefully in our bed, then close the door softly and head downstairs. My fangs are already out as I spot the vampire in my living room.
“What happened?” Ian asks, then bends over and vomits into a wastebasket.
“That’s a long story.” Harry rubs his back. “But tell me what’s wrong. You’re bad off.”
“I’m fine. I think the witch booby-trapped her cauldron. Got me right in the face.” Ian wipes his mouth and sits up again. “Where the hell have you been? You’ve been gone for months, and you show back up as one of them?”
I don’t take offense to his tone, though perhaps I should. After all, I’m one of them too.
“It was this or die. I got into some trouble in Budapest when I was exploring some of the ruins in the mountains. Bad trouble.”
I lean against the doorframe, just listening. I’ve no doubt that Harry can sense my presence, but he’s too focused on Ian to care.
“You went alone?” Ian shakes his head, then stops and lets out a sloppy belch. “Jeez, that witch got me good.”
“I had three armed guards. We were after the most ancient vampire lore in the world. But we were no match for the nest we uncovered.”
“Nest?” Ian leans back, his pale face covered in a sheen of sweat.
“Spiders. Big ones.” Harry closes his eyes. “I can still hear my guards’ screams. They were ripped apart. I ran, but the creatures caught me too. I was on the verge of death when a vampire saved me and turned me.”
“But you’re not feral.” Ian glances at me.
“He wouldn’t be, not if his master stayed with him.”
“She did.” Harry nods.
“She?” Ian scoffs.
“Yes. My sire is a female. She’s fierce. A great fighter. And she knows so much more about vampires than we’ve ever been able to uncover in our dusty books.”
“So you ran off and left me, then got turned? You didn’t send word. You didn’t even let me know you were still alive! The last message I got from you, you were in a hostel in Budapest, and then nothing but silence for months!”
“I was still sort of crazed at first. It’s why I couldn’t come back to you, not safely. But now…” He takes Ian’s hand and presses it to his chest. “Do you feel it?”
Ian stills and looks into Harry’s eyes. “It’s … beating.”
“It’s you.” Harry cups Ian’s face. “You’re my mate.”
“Your m—” Ian turns his head and vomits into the wastebasket again.
Harry looks at me. “Thanks for inviting me in.”
“If you hurt my mate or even Ian, I’ll end you. Otherwise, you’re welcome here.”
He nods. He may be newly turned, but he understands the brutality of our race. We kill and we protect what’s ours.
“Where’s your master?”
“She’s in Budapest. She actually rules an entire section of forest ceded to her by Budapest in secret. She keeps her vampires in check, and in exchange, they’re granted sanctuary.” He strokes Ian’s hair. “Are you certain this was caused by a witch?”
“I don’t know. We were all exposed to the cauldron, but Ian’s the only one feeling sick.”
“It’ll pass.” Ian groans. “In the meantime, I need you two to see if you can figure out what the hell is going on. Imelda Gaskins was a witch who was killed by a vampire. That can’t be a coincidence. We need to find that vampire before it strikes again.”
“You need to drink my blood. It’ll help with your illness.” Harry opens his wrist and offers it to Ian.
“No.” Ian pushes his arm away. “You can’t disappear on me and then show back up like this. I’ve moved on.”
Harry’s entire aura fades. “You … moved on?”
“Yes,” Harry says, a bit less vehemently.
“Please. That’s not what the photo on your nightstand says. You know, the one you kiss before you fall asleep?” I should stay out of it. But what fun would that be?
Ian shoots me a glare.
I smirk and turn to go back upstairs while they continue their argument.
Everly is still slumbering peacefully, her little snores so cute in the stillness. When I get near her, she turns over and reaches for me. I can’t deny her, so I get into bed with her, pulling her against my chest.
“Vinny.” She sighs and snuggles against my chest.
“I love it when you call me that.” I kiss her crown.
“I love you,” she whispers.
“I love you, too.”
Before I know what’s happening, she’s on top of me, her mouth on mine. My blood has made her strong and so damn fast. I’m not complaining. I grip her ass, squeezing it as she moves on top of me.
“I want you.” She kisses my throat and licks along my veins.
“More blood?” I reach to open up a spot for her to feed on.
“No.” She takes my wrist and pins it to the bed. “I want you.” She moves her hips, rubbing her hot pussy against me.