17

he could have killed me! The thought, coupled with the phantom vision of her eventual death, brought the fear to the forefront yet again.
Jayda found herself sitting by the window, her hand locked onto the curtain and knees to her chest. She slept on and off, waking briefly to roll her head to the other side and ease the building tension in her muscles. On the bed, Lori lay next to Arden, both trapped in sleep. Plenty of times the half-breed shown signs of a caring nature, but in the flip of a switch, she could be a selfish, blood thirsty creature just like the drugged vampire at her side. And to apologize for what she did? Jayda had a hard time believing her words. Then to assume that she wouldn’t understand? Lori gave no reason to be trusted. She was as dangerous as any monster that dwelled in the night.
The mattress springs groaned at the shifting weight. Jayda’s eyes shot to the bed and saw Arden sitting up, his long hair concealing his face. As he left the bed, Jayda slowly pulled herself to stand, her back to the window and hand still holding the curtain. Arden finally noticed her. He lifted his head, those same frightening eyes meeting hers.
Jayda gripped the curtain tight and pulled. The cold light from the hotel’s sign entered the room, reaching Arden and harmlessly landing on his skin. Jayda looked out the window and saw the dark sky and street lights.
“Lori,” she whispered, “wake up!”
Arden’s eyes stayed on her but he remained where he stood. Jayda inched closer to the door, mentally plotting where she would run once she made it outside.
Lori finally awoke. Seeing that the bed was empty she whipped around to look for Arden. She found him standing in the middle of the room, staring at a trembling Jayda. Lori saw the girl’s hand reach for the doorknob.
“Don’t!” she said, raising her hand at Jayda. “Just stay there.”
Arden looked back at Lori, giving her the same odd stare.
“Say something,” she begged.
The vampire spoke, his voice becoming lost in his dry throat. “Where are we?”
Lori let out the breath she was holding. “It worked.”
“Are you sure?” said Jayda.
Leaving the bed, Lori continued to keep her words and actions passive as she addressed Arden once more. “What do you remember last?”
His eyes went from her to Jayda, as though he tried to piece together the puzzle. “Hell,” he said, looking back at Lori.
Her body relaxed. “It worked.”
“Where’s Nicholas?”
Going for her bag, Lori answered as she began to repack. “They took him.”
Arden headed for the door still blocked by Jayda. Lori moved in front of him, hands on his chest.
“You’re in no condition to go out there on your own,” she explained. “We don’t even know where they took him.”
“I’ll find him.”
“No you won’t. Any blood bond you had with him is now gone. They have ways of severing that connection. And with what you’ve just been through, if they haven’t already severed the link, then my blood has.”
Arden looked down at her and backed away as he yielded to her command.
“Where’s the nearest haven?” Lori asked.
“Where are we?” Arden replied.
“Thirty miles south of the Oregon border.”
“There’s a haven near Redding.”
“Who’s the elder?”
He fought through his foggy mind to recall the name. “Miguel, Child of Rhune.”
“Rhune,” Lori scoffed. “Great. Well, beggars can’t be choosers. Let’s hurry up and get on the road. The sooner we can get there, the sooner we can start looking for him.”

Lori’s car stopped before a large, iron gate. On either side of the road stood large trees planted seventy years ago when the haven was first built. Many havens had gated entries that seemed more fitting of a private community rather than a single residence. Lori didn’t know much about this haven’s history, but it was obvious from the history of the area, the building was less than a century old.
In the back seat, Jayda saw a human step out from the guardhouse and approach the driver side window. The tinted glass lowered to reveal Lori flashing a friendly smile.
The guard ignored the small gesture as he spoke. “I need to see some identification.”
“This is new,” she replied, a look of confusion taking over.
“It’s been the procedure for the last six months.”
Digging through the middle console, Lori handed him a driver’s license. The man glanced at the card then at the woman.
“Laurel Jones,” he said, “what’s your business here?”
Answering fast, she replied, “A bit of R&R.”
The guard’s lips contorted as he looked her over, ending as he handed her the card. “I’m afraid I can’t let you in.”
The passenger side door opened as Arden got out and walked around the car toward the guardhouse. The guard noticed the vampire’s clothing and dropped the tough-man routine.
“I’m sorry,” he quickly said, “I didn’t know.”
Arden opened the gate from within the guardhouse, then returned to the car, never once acknowledging the guard’s apology or presence. The guard continued his newly found generous behavior as he spoke to Lori.
“To avoid this in the future, the answer is ‘rest’.”
“Well, I was half right,” she said, certain that the man didn’t pick up on her snide undertone.
He gave a nod. “Enjoy your stay.”
Jayda watched as the tall gates passed them on either side, closing slowly once they entered. Lori expressed how safe havens were and how relieved she would feel once they were within one. But Jayda saw it differently. As she looked back at the closed gates, she felt trapped. The feeling was greater than the one she knew at Nicholas’ house. Nothing good would come from this place.
The car slowed before a fork in the road, one on the left remaining paved and the one on the right covered in gravel.
“Right or left?” asked Lori.
Arden replied, “Right.”
“Gravel it is.”
The car continued on, the gravel popping and crunching under the tires. The road was lined with more trees to conceal its existence from the paved road. Jayda mentally mapped the road and traced the large loop it made around the property. As the car rounded a second bend, a large opening to a tunnel rested before them. The road dipped inside and ended within a spacious cavern. The place reminded Jayda of a single level parking garage. A dozen cars were parked, scattered throughout the level, including some that looked as though they belonged to the government.
Lori spoke, her words aimed at a clueless Jayda. “The parking up top is for nightly visitors. Underground parking is for the VIPs and guests staying longer than a night.”
Jayda nodded at the delivery truck where workers placed boxes onto a flatbed dolly. “What’s that for?”
“Food,” she answered as she parked the car and turned off the engine. “Humans live here, too. These places are like privately owned hotels. You have to keep the humans and vampires happy.” She turned in her seat to face Jayda and continued to explain. “Each haven is ruled over by an elder. First thing we have to do once we get inside is to speak with him. It’s required. Just keep your eyes down and don’t speak. To everyone in there, you and I are regular humans, and we can’t let them think otherwise. This haven is controlled by Rhune’s Court, and they are known to be sticklers for the rules.” Lori then looked at Arden and added, “We’ll follow your lead.”
The knot in Jayda’s stomach tightened as they exited the car and headed for the double, wooden doors. A man dressed in a white shirt, black blazer and slacks, and polished dress shoes stood within the hall, as though he knew of their arrival. With a slow, deep nod, he addressed Arden.
“My name is Mark,” he began, sounding like a well-rehearsed tour guide, “and I will be your nighttime liaison. If you need anything during the day, ask for Shauna. She is our daytime liaison. Please, follow me to the orientation room where you will be briefed on the rules.”
Arden remained steadfast. “I wish to speak with Miguel.”
The curtness of his demand caused Mark to stumble over his reply. “Well, yes, you will be able to speak with him after the orientation.” He gave another nod, his fractured composure fully recovered. “This way, please.”
Mark led them to the stairs and down several flights until they reached the lowest level. The further they walked, the heavier the pressure grew around Jayda. There was no certainty within this place, no assurance she would emerge to see daylight once more. The knowledge that would accompany the sensation was absent. A numbness trickled in from her fingers and toes, working inward until her whole body felt foreign to her. She took in a slow breath to combat the feeling and root herself back into reality. Where am I? Why am I walking? Why do I smell metal?
Jayda’s spinning head whirled back into focus as she followed Lori into a large room set up like an formal office. Behind the oak desk sat a woman with hazel eyes and brown hair swept up in a loose bun. She looked up from her paperwork and studied the trio brought in by Mark. With fluid movements, she left the desk and approached the new guests.
“My name is Rebecca,” she said, her focused aimed at Arden. “What is the reason for your stay here?”
Lori gripped the back of Arden’s coat, the small gesture unseen by Mark or Rebecca. Jayda, however, could see the simple gesture and what it truly meant. Arden belonged to the half-breed now. He was hers to command, just as Nicholas once held his reins.
Rebecca crossed her arms as she waited. “I need an answer.”
Arden kept his eyes forward and mouth shut.
The woman’s cordial nature yielded to her short temper before this vampire. “As a guardian,” she began, trying to stare through his tough, outer shell, “I would expect more compliance from you. Who do you serve?”
Still following Lori’s silent order, Arden didn’t reply.
A smug look found Rebecca. “Fine,” she said, turning to Mark. “Tell Miguel that he has new guests to meet.” Mark accepted the order with a small bow and left the room.
Rebecca stared at Arden once more, undefeated by his silence. She took a daring step closer toward him and spoke, her voice softer, yet carrying a heavy trace of hate. “Let’s see… I have never seen you before, so I know you don’t belong to Rhune. That leaves me with five more guesses.” She stopped to read any reaction from him, then continued. “Is it the coward Mehdar? How about the bumbling idiot Jharell? Not him? Could it be the loose-cannon Saros? Nah, you’re too disciplined to be hers. What about the freak show that’s Gysai? That leaves ol’ pompous Nauvia. Yeah, Nauvia, sitting in her ivory palace, pretending to be some goddess, when we all know she’s more like a typical fledgling, feasting on anything that slithers into her path, and giving her blood to anyone willing to mount her ancient, dusty ass.”
Arden shown no reaction to woman’s bait.
Stepping even closer, Rebecca pressed further. “Come on, guardian. Are you going to let me talk about your momma like that?” She studied the vampire’s blank expression, then laughed. “She’s trained you well.”
Jayda noticed the woman’s teeth. Her two canine teeth looked sharper than the rest. It was a subtle difference, one she would have overlooked if she didn’t know vampires were real. Even upon seeing Rebecca for the first time, she assumed she were human. Nothing about her seemed threatening, not like how she felt around Arden. If this were the case with all vampires, then how many did she meet in life and not know what they really were? The same thought occurred to her when she learned about the existence of werewolves.
Rebecca’s laughter died down as the side door opened and Mark entered, followed by a haven guardian, dressed similar to Arden. The final person to enter was a man wearing nice clothes and with a handsome look to match. This wasn’t how Jayda envisioned the elder to look. She expected a vampire far more intimidating than Arden. But he seemed as approachable as any human. Was there something her prey-like mind wasn’t picking up on?
There was something, however, that didn’t escape her attention: Lori. Upon seeing the elder, she lowered her head, avoiding eye contact and slowly inching behind Arden. This once confident half-breed was acting more like a terrified human. What was it about this elder that frightened her?
Lori’s hand gently tugged on the back of Arden’s coat. There was no command with this simple action, but rather a plea. Though she didn’t recognize his name, it was his face she remembered. Miguel wasn’t an elder the first time she met him, but he was on his way to secure the title through his strong connections. Age was a major role in deciding an elder; however, in the modern times, politics also played an important part. It was one of the reasons that led to their first meeting in a haven near New York City.
The haven was celebrating its tenth year after being established in 1887, around the time Lori was beginning to learn how to live on her own. She no longer wished to be shadowed by obedient servants or guardians. The last person she traveled with was a vampire, one who kept her attention for twenty years. But Lori held onto her selfish nature and left him without a reason why. He did nothing to upset her or push her away, but Lori believed he secretly wished for his old, nomadic life, untethered by a responsibility to protect someone in his keep.
Finally on her own, Lori headed east to live under the guise of a human. She took up residence in the haven near New York City and worked as nurse for the doctor there. She was, as the position called for, “off the menu.” She was being paid for medical services and not for her blood. This was the only way she allowed herself to stay at havens. But the position didn’t offer ironclad security. As with any human in a haven, they were still vulnerable to the creatures they lived among.
Three weeks into Lori’s stay at the haven, the party celebrating the tenth year anniversary was underway. Not only was it a time to relax and have fun, it attracted the more important figures of the vampire political pyramid. The haven was under the control of Rhune’s Court and was peppered with vampires seeking to better themselves. Lori knew of these precise, woven games, and amused herself by watching them work. On the balcony surrounding the open ballroom, she stood, wine glass in hand and eyes stalking the games below. To advance yourself in this arena, the correct connections needed to be made. Lori kept her own connections as limited as possible. Her safety depended on it. But her taste in fashion, especially on this night, refused to heed the warning.
Dressed as fine as any female vampire at the celebration, Lori’s dark green dress plunged daringly over her chest and back, hugging her form before cascading down to her matching slippers. Even her arms and hands were adorn with bracelets over top of her long white, gloves. With hair swept up, secured with pearl and silver combs, she knew her appearance wouldn’t go unnoticed. And this was another reason she remained in the balcony.
Lori took another sip from her glass, and in that small moment realized she was no longer the one observing, but rather the one being observed. Looking to the side she saw a handsome vampire with short, brown hair slicked back and wearing a suit that perhaps cost three months of her wages. Certain she noticed him, the vampire walked towards her.
“Not enjoying the festivities?” he asked.
“I believe I’ve had my fill for this evening,” Lori replied quietly before taking another drink.
“Why haven’t I seen you here before?”
“I haven’t been here long. I work for Dr. Weirton.” She tried her hardest to avoid eye contact.
“A nurse,” he said, amused at the title. “I was certain you were here for other reasons.”
“I am sorry you came to the conclusion that I was here for my enjoyment.”
He stepped in closer, his voice lowering. “All women seek these places out for their enjoyment. We offer them what their mundane lives lack. I imagine you are no different.”
Lori gulped down the last of her wine. “You, sir, have no idea what I want in life.”
The sharpness in her tongue, unleashed by her third glass of wine, made this woman a greater challenge and prize for the vampire. She seemed unafraid to anger him, alcohol or not. “What do you want in life,” he repeated, playfully feeding into her offensiveness. “You want to better your station in life. You want to be respected as any man who is seen as your superior. You want to be the leader others answer to. But in the end, removed from ranks and accomplishments, you are still a woman.”
Lori finally looked at him, his face so close to hers she could see the details in the irises of his green eyes. “If you believe you are right, then why have you restrained yourself this long? Are you trying to prove a point that all women will act the same once they are in your presence? The fanciest of roosters trying to bed any hen it sees is just another cock to the hens.” Delivering her last biting statement, Lori brushed past him to walk away, but the vampire grabbed her upper arm and pulled her back, pressing her against the wall and placing a hand to her neck. His firm grip kept her from looking away.
“Restrain myself?” He loosened his hand as he continued to speak. “It is you who needs to learn restraint.” With softening movements, his thumb glided along her jaw and settled on her lips, sliding her lower lip down as he leaned in, his mouth taking over in a light kiss. His hand left her neck as it slid to her backside, pulling her closer as he pressed inward.
Under his eagerness, Lori entertained many ideas as to how she could play this to her benefit. Sharing his bed offered him a sense of accomplishment, while she was left with a compromised self-worth. This idea fueled her rage to kill him afterwards. But if his fangs were to break her skin before they left the balcony, he would know there was something different about her.
As their kissing continued, his lips moved onto her neck and teeth scraping against her. Lori felt the gums around her own fangs ache as they wanted to release and spill his blood. She held them back, the pain increasing as her body wanted to give in to the vampire’s taunting actions. His hand move down to her thigh, lifting it up as his hips dug into hers, the force of the quick movement causing Lori to gasp and heart to race. He was unknowingly tempting both sides of her nature, and she wasn’t sure if either side had the strength to push him away.
The touch of his fangs against her skin cleared her foggy mind. Loosening her hand, Lori dropped the wine glass. It struck the floor, shattering. The sudden sound sent the vampire away from her neck, giving Lori the opportunity to wiggle from his hold. He grabbed her again, but this time she stopped him with a hand to his chest.
“No,” she said. “This ends here.” Stepping back, Lori turned and headed for Dr. Weirton’s office, the only place she felt safe within the haven. But the incident played over and over in her mind. The days that followed she feared another run-in with the vampire. So without telling her boss or anyone within the haven, she left to work at another haven, hopefully learning from her mistakes.
And now, over a century later, she found herself in the same room with the vampire.
“What is your reason to break procedure?” the elder, Miguel, asked.
“I request sanctuary,” replied Arden.
“That much I gathered,” he said, annoyed. “Anything else?”
“No one is to touch the humans in my keep.”
“Request granted. What are your names?”
The elder seemed uninterested in the formalities, but the rules were the rules. Rebecca went to the desk and, with pen in hand, readied the guest log.
“The human names are Jayda and Laurel. My name is Arden.”
Miguel perked up upon hearing the guardian’s name. “Arden, from Nauvia’s Court. I’ve heard of you before. What brought you across the Atlantic?”
Arden didn’t answer.
Miguel shook his head and spoke to Rebecca. “Put in an order for two rooms. The humans will stay upstairs and the guardian—”
“They stay with me,” Arden interrupted.
“Humans stay upstairs,” Miguel firmly stated.
Lori rose onto the balls of her feet to whisper to Arden, “We’ll be fine. I’ll watch over her.”
The elder narrowed his eyes at the human. “You. Step forward.”
Lori dropped back in behind Arden before stepping to his side, head low and eyes to the floor.
Miguel gained a new interest with this group as he eyed the meek human. “I’m very good with faces,” he began, reading her reaction to his words, “and right now something isn’t adding up.”
“I do not know what you mean,” she softly replied.
“I never forget a face or a scent. You’re a human who doesn’t age.”
Arden’s arm shot out before Lori as he guided her back behind him.
Miguel smiled. “A dhampir.” The other guardian in the room went for the knife he kept in his belt, but stopped as the elder waved a hand at him. “I’ve never known a dhampir to live this long. Then again, we never let them live long enough to know what they’re capable of. I’m truly sorry, Arden, but you of all creatures know the rules.”
Arden stared at him, meeting his words with a bold order of his own. “You will bow down before her.”
A boisterous laugh left Miguel. “You’re giving me orders?”
“She is protected by her father, Jharell, and husband, Demetrius. She has appointed me as her protector.”
Rebecca stood up from the desk and circled around to lean against it, her arms crossed. “That fragile thing is the once feared Dianthia?” She began to laugh, as well. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but you should’ve picked a better myth.”
Jayda saw Lori’s hand lightly touch Arden’s back. The guardian moved to the side as the half-breed’s composure went from subservient to monstrous, the same Lori she saw doused in the van’s headlights the night before. The vampire, Rebecca, didn’t see the attack heading for her, but she felt the hand striking her face and the strength behind it sending her to the ground. Before she could recover, Lori had her hand around the vampire’s neck, lifting her into the air. Rebecca could barely touch the floor with the tips of her high-heels.
“That was for calling my father a bumbling idiot,” hissed Lori. She then threw Rebecca into the wall, smashing the back of her head into decorative sconce. Lori held the vampire by the neck once more as she continued to speak. “And that was for calling Gysai a freak show.” Still keeping her a hold of the vampire, she looked at Miguel. “We will be staying in one room, underground and away from any fledglings. If you refuse to comply, you will allow us to leave in peace.”
The guardian stood by Miguel, ready to fight. The elder, however, had no intention of giving the order. His new amusement with the dhampir was just beginning, picked up where they left off more than a century prior.
“Your sway in this world died with your brief reign,” he said, coldly. “I don’t see anything before me worthy of a bended knee.”
Arden spoke, words just as cold. “Your grudge isn’t in this room, it resides half a world away with the one who appointed you this haven. Smile in his presence, but curse his existence for keeping you away from the lights of Los Angeles.”
Miguel’s eyebrows raised at the observant guardian. “So it is the quiet ones you have to look out for. Negative words must certainly travel further than those of humble beginnings.” He addressed Mark who stood off to the side, awaiting orders. “Please, show them to their room.”
Opening the door, Mark nodded at their guests. “This way, please.”
Slowly, Lori released Rebecca and backed away toward Arden, then headed from the room with Jayda following. After the door closed, Miguel’s friendly exterior flipped to reveal his anger. He looked at Rebecca and the guardian, each one familiar with his current tone.
“Keep an eye on them,” he ordered. “I want to know why they’re really here.”
“What about the dhampir?” the guardian asked.
“Kill her,” Rebecca said, touching the deep cut on the back of her head.
“No,” said Miguel. “Sanctuary has already been granted. But there is another reason they came here. If she is Dianthia, then we need to tread carefully. She has too many big guns on her side to tick off.”
“Including the one in her control now.”
“I’m not worried about the guardian. It’s the others she could bring here with just one command.”
Rebecca felt the stress this was beginning to place on him. “Then why let them stay?”
“Curiosity. The other human with them seemed out of place. I want to know more about her, as well.”
Accepting his orders with a single nod and a grin, Rebecca answered. “Yes, sir.”

The door closed as Mark left them within their room.
“So much for keeping a low profile,” Jayda said.
“I’m sorry,” Lori replied, “but she pissed me off.”
The room was a nice upgrade from a basic motel. It has its own bathroom, a king sized bed, table, and widescreen TV on the wall. The theme of the room was reminiscent of high-end hotels that offered an ocean view and a private beach access. But they were far from the coast, trapped outside Redding, California.
Lori stepped further into their new quarters and began exploring the room. She flipped on the light to the bathroom. “You can finally take your shower,” she said, glancing at Jayda. “I can have the doctor here take a proper look at your arm if you want.”
Jayda sat on the bed, hands between her knees. “Are you sure it’s safe here for me?”
“You worry too much.”
Arden spoke as he remained by the door. “What is your plan?”
Lori took a seat at the small table. “I’m going to wait till it’s daylight before contacting my source.”
“Who is this source of yours?” asked Jayda. “And should we even trust him?”
“If we want to have any chance at finding Nicholas, then we’ll need his help.” She paused, debating on what information to tell them. “He use to work for The Brotherhood. He didn’t agree with what they were moving towards and left. He’s been in hiding ever since. The Brotherhood doesn’t fire people or just let them leave. They take the whole termination thing literally.”
“Do you think he’ll help us find him?”
Lori understood the real uncertainty of it all and gave a weak shrug,. “It’s worth a try.”

15

ou’re hit,” said Jayda. She leaned toward Lori and tried to lift her shirt to gain a better look.
Lori waved her hand away. “I’ll be fine. We need to get as far away from this place as we can.” The van continued to speed along the road under the guidance of its erratic driver.
“We can’t just leave them,” Jayda nearly screamed.
“Just Nick. They didn’t get to Arden in time.”
Turning in her seat, Jayda peered through the curtain divider and saw the black, formless mass that was Arden. She slid back around, her voice lowering. “Tranquilizers work on vampires?”
“A vampire’s heart is still alive, but it doesn’t beat like a human’s. Anything that can disrupt the heart can paralyze them.”
Jayda settled further into her seat. “Where are we going?”
“To get my car. We have to ditch the van.”
“But this is Nicholas’ van.”
“And a perfect way to find us. Don’t worry. I’ll leave it someplace safe.”

The lights of the city shown just as they had the night Lori came crashing into Nicholas and Arden’s life. It was the same lights Jayda happened to glimpse on their approach. But instead of circling around to the industrial area, Lori headed onto a secondary road that ran along the city’s edge.
The van’s headlights moved onto a dark blue Dodge Stratus, parked behind a rundown feed store. Lori pulled the van beside the car and got out, walking fast toward the store. She returned moments later with a set of keys.
Jayda followed Lori’s order and helped her with Arden as they placed him in the back seat of the car, then after taking what they needed from the van, they, too, climbed into the car and continued down the road. Lori drove slower this time, keeping her speed in check and obeying the simplest of rules, going as far as to use her blinker even when no other car was around.
The road on which they traveled led away from the city and turned onto an interstate. Jayda could see a hint of relief hit Lori as her hands relaxed on the steering wheel. Her own small brush with relief faltered upon seeing the welcoming sign to California. For the first time since she could recall, she could place her location on this ruthless planet. And as the neon sign to the motel shown like a beacon through the car’s windshield, she added the Tall Pines Motel to the address.
“It’s no five star, five diamond place, but it’ll do,” said Lori as she parked the car. “Stay in here while I get us a room.” Opening the center console between the seats she pulled out a leather wallet stuffed with cash.
“Do you plan for everything?” Jayda remarked upon seeing the fat wallet.
“In this day and age, you have to.” And with that, Lori left the car and popped the trunk as she retrieved a new jacket to cover up the blood on her shirt. She then headed into the main office.
Jayda’s eyes nervously scoped out the surrounding buildings. The typical businesses sat around the simple, two-story motel: a gas station, a locally owned fast food restaurant, and a run-down strip mall. Similar structures lined the two lane road, leaving the place to resembled more of a pit stop for tourists heading into the nearby mountains.
Her eyes then inched closer to the back seat and looked upon Arden still unconscious. His body was covered in the same dark clothes and coat he always wore, with his face and hands the only pale skin to be seen. Even now she found it difficult to look at him, the intimation from his very presence remaining just as strong.
Jayda whipped around in her seat as she saw the shadow of Lori crossing in front of the car.
“Room 9,” Lori announced. She turned on the car and drove to the other end of the parking lot, stopping before a dark green door with a brass number 9. Lori then worked fast as she carried Arden into the room. Jayda continued to keep her distance, though she tried to help where she could with opening the door to the room and retrieving Lori’s bag from the car’s trunk. As she sat the bag on the bed closest to the door, she saw Lori sitting beside Arden on the other bed, checking his condition.
“There’s a first aid kit in my bag,” instructed Lori. “Can you get it for me, please?”
Unzipping the bag, Jayda rifled through the clothes and found three boxes; one a white plastic and the other two a grey metal. She picked up the heaviest metal box and opened it. As soon as her eyes registered the form of a gun, Lori’s hand grabbed the box and removed the weapon.
“Good idea,” said Lori. She released the magazine and grabbed a box of ammunition from her bag. “Get the white box and follow me.” She then headed into the bathroom and waited.
Jayda plucked the first aid kit from the bed and went into the bathroom. She dropped the lid on the toilet before sitting down, hands still clutching the plastic box. Lori finished loading the gun and sat it on the lavatory, then turned her attention to Jayda, taking the kit from her and preparing for the next task.
“Is it just your arm?” she asked, filling a syringe.
Jayda glanced at the dried wound on her arm. “Yeah. They wanted me to scream.”
“They did that to you?”
“To get Nicholas’ attention.” Looking at the wound further, she winced as she noticed how deep it was.
“It’s gonna need stitches. Lucky for you I’m prepared for things like these.” Lori double checked the liquid in the syringe then asked to see the injured arm.
“What is that?” Jayda asked, nodded at the needle.
“Just something to numb the area.”
Swallowing hard, she slowly extended her arm and looked away, eyes shutting tight. Her teeth clenched as she felt the sting from the needle, followed by three more. Lori returned to the sink and recapped the needle before tossing it into the wastebasket. She then readied a different needle for stitching.
Jayda cringed at the sight of the curved needle. “Have you done this before?”
“Plenty of times. When you’ve lived along side humans for as long as I have, knowing how to fix them up comes with the territory. Working at havens taught me much of what I know.”
“Why at havens?”
“Some of the guests can get a little too rough with the humans. I worked in the medical area as an assistant. Usually there’s one doctor and three nurses, but that can change depending on the haven.” Lori went to Jayda’s arm and poked the surrounding area with the needle. “Do you feel that?”
“No.”
As Lori continued talking, Jayda felt the pressure from her hands as she began cleaning away the blood and preparing the area. Upon seeing the needle nearing her skin, she turned her head, shielding herself from the sight. “Aside from the random mishaps,” Lori said, “havens can be sanctuaries for humans, as well. They take in plenty of runaways or people with nowhere else to go. They are then given a job and a place to stay.”
“I know why you’re telling me this.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You’re on his side.”
“I’m on my own side. He just happened to have the same idea as me. It’s not like she’s this mindless killer. Gysai can be…is one of the most caring of the Six. She will never force anything upon you.”
Tying the last stitch, Lori rinsed the needle in the sink then grabbed bandage from the kit to cover the wound. With Jayda taken care of, her attention went to her own body and the bullet hidden somewhere inside her abdomen.
Jayda, unable to watch her own flesh being worked with, had no issue in watching Lori remove her shirt and pick up a pair of long tweezers, slide it into the bullet hole and begin to fish around for the tiny piece of metal. A torrent of obscenities left her with each twist and prod from the slender, metal instrument. Finally, she removed the tweezers and held the bullet in the air.
“I hate these things,” she grumbled.
“Why not numb the area first before doing that?”
“Drugs like that don’t stay in my body long.” She wrapped the bullet into a wad of toilet paper and asked Jayda to flush it for her.
Doing as she was told, she dropped the ball of paper in the toilet and flushed, then lowered the lid once more to sit down. Lori continued to survey the hole left in her side.
“Are you going to stitch yourself up?” asked Jayda.
“No need. I’ll heal soon enough.” She picked up a bandage and began taping it in place.
Slumping forward, Jayda rested her chin in her hand. “What are they going to do with him?”
“Nicholas? Well, once they get him to his new home, they’ll start processing him into the system and get him setup in his own eight-by-eight cell. They’ll keep him sedated for the most part. Then they’ll begin the evaluation.”
“Why do they want him?”
Lori answered as she closed the first aid kit. “He’s a rogue. He has no pack and no family. He won’t be missed.”
“And Arden?”
“All vampires are loners by nature. The Brotherhood likes to seek out subjects that won’t be missed. Only in the havens do vampires allow themselves to live with others. It’s a safety thing. But that also creates pampered vampires who don’t know how to survive in the world.”
Jayda sat back against the toilet’s cool tank, her eyes lifting to Lori. “I don’t want a life like yours or Arden’s. I want one of my own. That is my choice.”
Crossing in front of her, Lori took a seat on the bathtub’s edge. “Arden was wrong to take you on like a lost puppy. You’re not his to command. It is your choice.” She took in a deep breath before continuing. “I want to tell you a story. I think it was around 350 BC. My father learned that one of his human mistresses was pregnant. The typical nine months later and I was born. I don’t remember much in those years, but I remember when I first saw him. He was the first child of Gysai. Vampires like to call their creations their children, which kinda’ of sounds creepy when there’s a sexual relationship between them. But that’s beside the point. Gysai gave her first child away to be my husband. This was an arranged marriage, and was meant to stop the feud between my father and Gysai’s bloodlines. I despised the fact that I was used as a pawn in their plan, but I kept my feelings to myself. Demetrius, however, saw every thought I carried and he carried the same. But we played our parts, pretended to be the King and Queen we were ordered to be. Throughout all of this, I fell in love and he with me. I no longer hate what my father and Gysai ordered of us. I thank them. I never would have known Demetrius the way I do now. And to this day I trust Gysai’s judgment. She will not request you to stay in her court unless you are worthy of her guidance.”
Shaking her head, Jayda remained steadfast. “I don’t want to be a part of her collection.”
“I know I can’t talk you into this, but perhaps Demetrius can. He’s not like Arden or any other vampire you’ll meet. It’ll be one conversation. I promise.”
Jayda’s voice softened. “I just want to go home. Nicholas promised he would take me home.”
Lori broke the solemn atmosphere surrounding them as she stood and grabbed her shirt from off the floor. “However this goes,” she said, pulling the shirt over her head, “we have to find out where they’re taking him.”
“You don’t know?”
“There are three facilities on the west coast. The closest is in Washington, east of Seattle. The other is in Arizona, and the third is in southern California.”
“How will we know which one has him?”
“I have a source. He’s the one who’s gotten me this far.” Lori gathered up the gun and kit, then headed back into the main room.
Jayda stepped into the room, as well, and sat on the bed next to the bag. “Were you really born in 350 BC?”
“Give or take,” she said, setting the gun and first aid kit on the dresser. “But I was asleep for the most part. Woke up in time for the Civil War, but I was in Europe at the time. Boring stuff, really—as fascinating as history class.” Returning to the other bed, Lori sat next to Arden, checking on him once more.
“Why do you care about him so much?” Jayda asked.
Lori kept her eyes on him as she answered. “He’s a guardian. His life is similar to mine. He was groomed to serve others, to protect them and to keep all other feelings hidden. Guardians are used to watch over havens and elders. They are the Originals’ private militia, so to speak.”
Jayda raised an eyebrow at Arden. “And brought down by a single dart.”
“They got the drop on us,” she defended. “They’re professionals at their little game of tag.”
Watching the caring movements of Lori’s hand against Arden’s forehead, Jayda asked a daring question. “What would your husband think if he knew you were with him?”
“Not much, I’m certain. He has his own distractions and I have mine. When you’ve been with someone or as long as I have, you become attuned to every part of their being. It is hard to tell where they end and you begin.”
“Then why aren’t you with him now? Why don’t you ask for his help?”
“Because there are some things you need to do by yourself. This is my mess. Besides, I don’t want him swooping in to have all the fun.”
Jayda found herself shaking her head again. “You’re a big contradiction.”
Lori looked at her and smiled. “And a hypocrite… when it suits me. It’s nice to see you getting vocal”—the smile dropped from her face—“but you can shut up now. I think we’ve talked enough.”
“No. I’m not finished.” She didn’t know where this bravery came from, but she made no attempt to wrangle it into submission.
“Well, I’m finished,” Lori deflected. She went for the small table between the beds and grabbed the restaurant leaflets. “Pizza, Chinese, or subs? Take your pick. They all deliver.” She handed them to a stunned Jayda.
“Uh, pizza is fine,” she said, handing them back.
“What do you want on it?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Lori picked up the phone and dialed the number on the pizza leaflet. As she began ordering, Jayda left the bed and calmly entered the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She pulled a wash cloth from the towel rack and ran it under the facet, drenching it with cold water and placing it to her face. The water from the saturated cloth ran down her neck and arms and dripped into the sink.
Why wouldn’t anyone listen to her? She tried to be heard, she tried to speak up, but everyone acted as though they knew what was best for her. If she had a choice in all of this, then why were they so quick to ignore her pleas?
Jayda heard a quiet knocking on the door, followed by Lori’s voice.
“If you want to take a shower, I have some extra clothes if you need them. But I’ll have to change the bandage on your arm.”
Staring at her disheveled appearance in the mirror, Jayda replied, “I’ll take one later.”
“Alright. The pizza will be here in twenty minutes. I ordered the basic pepperoni and cheese. I hope that’s okay with you.”
“That’ll be fine.”
Jayda waited for Lori to reply, but the woman returned to the main room to await the delivery of the pizza. With a deep breath, Jayda continued to stare at herself in the mirror. How could Lori see this girl as anything more than an object? Others repeatedly tried to beat it through her thick skull. She was an object to them. And now with the fight to persuade her into an even darker existence, she wanted nothing more than to run away from it all.
But she had to stay… for him. Nicholas was on her side. She had never been so certain of anything before. He would protect her—take her home to a family once forgotten. This is the only thing she had left to hold on to.

14

tanding in the doorway to the garage, Lori stared at the stacks of junk lining the walls. Somewhere in the clutter were the items she needed to get rid of the Tasha mess. But which method to use? On her first glance around the packed garage she spotted the case to a chainsaw. Too loud, she recalled. Think discreet. Seeing the containers of paint thinner she remembered the best way to dispose of a human corpse; sulfuric acid. There’s never a vat of that stuff when you need it.
Near the paint thinner sat a box of plastic sheeting once used as a drop cloth during the house’s renovation. Nothing in this house went to waste it seemed. The garage was proof of that. And judging by the deer antlers hanging on the walls, there was something else going on with Nicholas she didn’t see before.
Fumbling around the boxes and shelves, Lori picked out the items she needed: a roll of plastic, shovel, lighter fluid, and a book of matches that read “Phil’s Bar & Grill.” She plucked the matches from an old Mason jar filled with more of the same. For someone who doesn’t smoke, he sure has plenty of these things. It was another little clue hinting at Nicholas’ mysterious side, something he continued to flaunt just below the surface. If the circumstances were different, she would have loved to claw through his layers. But the predicament she found herself in now allowed no time for fun.
Lori went around to the back of the garage and sat the roll of plastic and lighter fluid on the grass, then slid the matches in her pocket. Placing the shovel over her shoulder, she looked to the sky, guessing how many hours of sunlight she had left. Her eyes moved to the back of the garage. Under the eaves of the roof, more antlers hung, double the amount of those inside. Based on the sizes of each set, the bucks were at their peak when they were killed.
“That boy definitely has some issues,” she smirked.
Shaking her head at the display of trophies, Lori headed into the woods, beginning her long walk in search of the right spot. Her previous hunting venture with Arden helped her map out the property, and finding the perfect resting place for Tasha wouldn’t be too difficult. Most of the land was untouched wilderness, and with no werewolf pack claiming this land, the probability of anyone discovering the remains played in their favor. Nevertheless, if the body were to be discovered, Lori knew she would be in the clear. No one could tie her to this land or its owner.
Lori drove the shovel into the soft, forest floor. The rotting vegetation and loose soil made the job easier, but no less tedious. The trick was to dig deep enough to keep an animals from disturbing the grave. As she finished digging, she began gathering up dried limbs to line the bottom of the hole, then continued deeper into the woods to being digging a second, smaller hole, lining this one with kindling, as well. Leaving the shovel by the first hole, she returned to the house to begin the second phase.

Lori stood in the kitchen doorway, the roll of plastic under one arm and a bucket of hot water by her feet. She liked it better when she wasn’t the one having to deal with these kind of messes. But it had to be done.
Rolling out the plastic she looked at the body and sighed. Blood was the enemy here. Grabbing the duct tape left on the counter from earlier, Lori ripped off a long strip, then twisted it into a makeshift rope. She wrapped the tape around the stump that was Tasha’s neck and secured it tight, using a second piece to keep it in place. She finished by using Arden’s knife to cut away the duct tape holding her to the chair and slid the body onto the plastic, followed by the severed head. After removing the car keys from Tasha’s pocket, she sealed the plastic around the remains and taped it up as perfectly as she could. Lori sat everything in the hall and began cleaning the blood from the floor. She took her time, making everything spotless to the naked eye.
With the sun nearing the horizon, the time to dispose of the body approached. Lori carried the body into the woods and placed it by the grave. Still using Arden’s knife, she sliced through the tape, as well as the makeshift rope around the neck, and rolled the body and head onto the bed of dried limbs. Lori then balled up the plastic and tape and set it aside. Removing the bottle of lighter fluid from waist of her jeans, she doused the body and kindling. Finally, with a lit match, she sat the kindling on fire and stood back. The flames caught hold of the dry wood and built in strength, catching onto the fuel covering the remains of poor Tasha. Lori waited until the corpse charred enough to hide any evidence before she began to fill in the grave. The fire extinguished underneath the smothering dirt, giving off a thick, white smoke that smelt worse than burning trash. Lori worked fast to kill the smoke as well.
Smoothing out the top of the grave, even scattering dead leaves over the area to hide the disturbed earth, Lori moved on to the second hole to get rid of the plastic and tape. With the aid of more lighter fluid, the flames of this fire rose quicker than before, melting the plastic and tape and releasing its own nauseating smell. As she watched the fire engulf the kindling, she sensed someone approach. Keeping her eyes on the flames, she spoke. “This is your mess. You should be doing this.”
Arden stopped a few yard from her, but did not reply.
Lori continued. “Nicholas agreed to leave tonight. Do you think he’ll keep his word?”
“Yes,” he answered.
Picking up a stick, she began to stir the fire. “I flushed the tracking device already. And we still need to get rid of her car. Speaking of cars, I need to go back into the city. I left my car there.”

No more waiting.
Jayda looked beyond the front porch and across the field leading away from the house. No more waiting for others to decide her fate. This was her time and her chance to prove she was in control. She heard Arden leave the house and knew the opportunity was now. Nicholas usually left his room not long after sunset, giving her only minutes to attempt an escape.
The main road wasn’t far away. She only needed to find a house or a passing car with people willing to help. Inhaling deep, Jayda began to run down the driveway, her legs growing numb within the first furious strides. It wouldn’t take them long to discover she was missing, and she knew her human speed was no match against theirs. As she came to the end of the driveway she headed left. It didn’t matter which way she ran, as long as she placed distance between herself and the house. But the further she ran, the more her fears began to build.
With her body unable to continue at its current pace, Jayda saw an old mailbox marking the end of a driveway. She changed her course as she began running down the overgrown driveway. The unkempt road should have been her first clue, but as she neared the old farmhouse, her elation turned to dread. Some of the windows were busted out and the front door was open. The house had not used in years. Even the land around the dilapidated structure was being reclaimed by the woods, the once sprawling fields now replaced with waist-high grass and patches of tall shrubs.
Jayda looked skyward and saw the darker blues pushing back the faded red. Time was against her now more than ever. Soon her eyes wouldn’t be able to pick up any light, and navigating through the darkness frightened her more than staying under the same roof as the vampire, Arden. These were unfamiliar lands, and she knew of the dangers that others were unaware of. And this knowledge sent her fear to flood her other senses, heightening them.
As she returned to the driveway to being the quick run back to the main road, a rustling in the woods found her ears. Jayda stopped in midstride to focus her attention on the noise. She counted the steps, deciphering them as an animal on all fours and running towards her. Taking off in the opposite direction, she went for the tall grass and concealed herself within. She took in a few calming breaths as she quieted her body.
The rustling of the leaves stopped. Jayda peered through the grass and saw the farmhouse and a dark figure moving towards it. The creature was a large, grey wolf, a beast she was accustom to seeing. But she couldn’t tell who it was; Nicholas or another werewolf. From what she gathered, werewolves once roamed the area and there was a possibility they still lived nearby.
The wolf investigated the house and followed the scent into the field. Jayda stopped breathing as she saw the wolf disappear into the grass. Every part of her wanted to run, but her fear kept her muscles locked and eyes refusing to blink.
Jayda saw the tops of the grass stalks swaying as the wolf crept closer. Its shadowed form rose above the grass, taking on a beastly shape with each step on its hind legs. With its eyes finding her, the wolf lowered itself once more, still keeping its beast form.
The fear within Jayda finally buckled under her desperation to survive. She backed away from the werewolf, keeping her eyes on the moving grass and her breathing in check. Any scream at this point risked triggering the wolf to attack. But as she crawled backwards, the wolf entered the grass matted down by her own weight. It stopped advancing to stare at her.
Its eyes…
Jayda stopped moving, as well, as she studied the face of the wolf. Her survival instincts had clouded her judgment. She assumed the worst of this land and believed more wolves roamed the area. But the truth was that the land had become a dead zone to any werewolf pack, tainted by a self-destructive alpha.
The werewolf inched closer to the human as he sensed her fear soften. His fur yielded under the pull of his human facade, returning to a form more familiar to Jayda. She raised a shaky hand and rested against his face. This was the Nicholas she wanted to see. He looked at her, his eyes the last to change as they went from amber to blue, and moved his body over hers.
Closing her eyes, Jayda felt the heat of his breath on her chest and neck, then his lips brushing her jaw before descending in a kiss that awoken a hunger once forgotten. She found herself kissing back, mirroring the aggressiveness in Nicholas’ movements. This was no scheme to gain any favor with him or to seek out a way to avoid a meeting with some vampire queen. She just wanted to feel anything else besides fear and uncertainty. She wanted to feel alive, and for once, enjoy it.

Entering the house through the front door, Lori continued her rambling concerns over Nicholas. “I know that deer are a staple for a werewolf’s diet, but he’s taken it a little too far with the trophies. There must be over a hundred set of antlers out there. I can understand a human’s fascination with trophies, but a werewolf? That’s a sign of some serious issues he needs to deal with.”
Arden didn’t show interest in her worry. His own concern centered on the fact that the house was empty. “They’re not here,” he remarked, quietly.
“Where are they?”
Searching for Nicholas through the bond they shared, he shook his head at his findings. “He’s blocking me.”
Lori froze in mid step as she replied, “Or they have him.”
“No. He’s still here.” Arden nodded at the discarded clothing leading to the front door. “I believe she tried to escape.”
“Then they better get back here soon,” she commented on her way to the stairs, “cause I don’t want to spend half the night looking for them.”
Arden followed Lori downstairs and into the spotless kitchen. The half-breed crossed her arms and gloated at her work.
“Pretty good, eh? Thoroughness and patience is the way to go in times like these, and with the mess you made, the method still holds true.”
“Wire isn’t really a preferred weapon, so why did you have it?”
Lori shrugged at his observation. “I wouldn’t call it a weapon; more like an instrument in gathering knowledge, unlike that strange knife you carry.” She reached behind her back, retrieving the knife from the waist of her jeans, and inspected it closer. “It’s nothing like I’ve seen before. Definitely handmade.” On the butt-end of the handle a letter “G” was etched into the design. The signature sent Lori reeling as she stared at knife. “Where did you get this?”
“It was given to me by a werewolf hunter.”
Lori let out a small laugh. “Gabriel.”
“Being the wife of Demetrius, I’m sure you two have met.”
“We traveled together for a while,” she said, handing him the knife. “We didn’t part on good terms.” Arden took the knife and placed it underneath his coat.
A solemn expression fell over Lori as she remembered time she spent with the werewolf hunter. She sat down at the table and spoke. “When this is over, I’ll leave. You two can go back to your little dual partnership you got set up here.”
Arden remained standing as he answered, “I return to court next year; sooner if I wish.”
Scratching at the table’s edge with her thumbnail, she saw more details of his plan surfacing. “So that’s why you’ve been waiting. Do you really think Nick will let you leave with her? The longer you keep her here, the more his feelings are going to deepen.”
“It was your plan to take her to Gysai, as well.”
“Well, yeah, but I was going to talk her into it. Use a bit of tact when dealing with others,” she said, looking up at him. “None of that brute-head guardian way of dealing with people. You need to give others more than just a blank slate.”
“I am reserved for Nauvia and no one else,” he said, words turning sharp.
“She’s not here and you’re not on duty. Stop hiding behind a title.”
“All I am is a title.”
Lori rolled her eyes and exhaled. “Centuries of hiding, of course. It’s not going to stop after one conversation, I’m sure.” Standing from the table, she headed for the doorway. “Let’s go find them so we can leave.”

Underneath a cloud-filled sky, in a forgotten field in Oregon, lay Jayda and Nicholas, bodies spent and breath heavy. The clouds brought with them a chilling breeze, jostling the tall grass around the two bodies hidden within.
Nicholas covered Jayda’s mouth in one last kiss before laying beside her on the grass, arms embracing and legs intertwined. He pulled away to look at the young woman still shuddering in his arms.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Jayda’s eyes focused on him as she dared to look into his eyes. “We can… we can leave them behind. We can travel faster without them.”
“Are you still worried about what might happen?”
“I escaped one prison already,” she said, her eyes dropping from his. “I not going to enter another one.”
Nicholas placed a hand to the side of her face and guided her to look at him. “Then let me take you home.”
A rare smile found Jayda. “Thank you.”
Pulling her close, Nicholas kissed her once more and began to feel the last of her fears crumble away.

Lori followed Arden down the driveway leading away from Nicholas’ house. The vampire picked up on the trail belonging to the human and werewolf and tried to keep himself from running. It would have taken him a few minutes to reach them on his own, but Lori refused to give in to her own urgency. Though they still needed to get rid of the Honda Civic parked in front of the house, the fact that they were leaving this night relaxed her.
Arden stopped walking and looked across the field. Lori found herself mimicking his actions as she tried to pick up on what caught his attention. A muffled pop came from the edge of the woods, sending with it a small object. Lori eyes widened as she saw the dart strike Arden in the chest.
“It’s them!” she called out, grabbing him by the arm and forcing him back toward the house. She felt Arden slowing behind her, then stopping altogether as he dropped to his knees. Lori tried to get him to his feet but the dart’s contents already took hold. The vampire fell to the ground, silenced by 6 cc of a powerful drug.
Lori rolled him over and ripped the empty dart from him, throwing it to the side in disgust. She looked to the wood’s edge and saw the darkened forms of men, all armed and with weapons trained on her. Tearing herself away from Arden’s side, she ran for the garage, choosing the simplest course of action as she climbed into the van’s front seat. She checked the console and visor for the keys, but when the frantic search turned up nothing, she went for the panel above the peddles. She couldn’t remember the last time she attempted to hotwire a vehicle, but the skill was an easy one to remember.

The men, covered in black clothing, closed in on the fallen vampire. The group of six split up; three heading for the house and three nearing the vampire. Each man carried two weapons this night; an air rifle used to deliver tranquilizer darts and the other a handgun filled with silver bullets.
As the men crossed the final yards between themselves and the vampire, a crash came from the garage as a black van busted through the door, almost sideswiping the car parked in the driveway.
The men closest to the house dodged out of the van’s path while the other men in the field switched to their handguns as they opened fire, the silver bullets pelting the speeding vehicle.
Lori steered the van toward the men, hoping to run over as many as she could. But the men leapt out of the way, recovering fast with guns waiting for a clear shot at the driver. Lori whipped the van around and used it to shield Arden as she rushed into the back and opened the side door, moving fast to pull him inside and continue down the driveway. Her adrenaline began to catch up with her as her muscles felt like they were filling with cold liquid, reaching every joint and pore. She gripped the steering wheel and pressed harder on the gas. The van rumbled down the gravel driveway, leaving the group of six men to radio their change in status.

Nicholas sat up, the height of the grass still concealing him. Through the rustling of the leaves in the wind he heard something else.
He whispered to Jayda, “Stay here,” and then disappeared into the thick grass.
Jayda reached for her clothes and began to redress. She imagined Arden coming after them, furious in her attempt to leave. But she felt safe knowing that Nicholas was on her side. She trusted his word over the hollow promise dished out by Lori. The half-breed was on Arden’s side. She had been playing everyone for her own gain.
Finally pulling on her shoes, Jayda daringly lifted her head above the grass. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a half dozen figures surround her location, dressed in dark military attire and carrying rifles. She flattened herself to the ground, breathing shallow and mind racing. She had no where to run. Nicholas had to have seen them.
Looking through the grass again, Jayda saw an opening between the men and ran towards it, her speed hindered by the thick grass. The men lowered their weapons upon seeing her. The two men closest to her broke from formation to give chase. Jayda heard the sound of their heavy boots as they closed the gap behind her. She then felt a firm hand grab the back of her shirt and gave a quick tug. The man wrapped his other arm around her and held tight, his rough voice in her ear. “Give us a good scream,” he said.
Jayda saw a knife in his other hand as he lowered it toward her arm. The sharp blade cut into her lower arm, digging deep in an attempt to get her to call out. The man changed directions with the knife, as though he tried to saw through her arm. Jayda gave in. She heard her own scream echoing over the field. As soon as it began, the knife left her.
Realizing what she had done, her eyes snapped open and saw the other men scouring the field with the infrared goggles attached to their helmets.
“He’s heading this way,” one man said as he raised his rifle.
Another man called out. “He’s moving into the woods. I lost visual.”
The men began to spread out. The one holding Jayda remained where he stood, certain their target would come directly for him first.
Jayda struggled to see the other men in the dark. The clouds seemed to part under her silent wish, spilling the early moon’s light onto the field. The subtle change sent the grass before the men to erupt as the large wolf form of Nicholas made himself known. He went for the nearest man, leaping into the air, his clawed hands swiping him across the neck and face. As he returned to the ground he went for the next man with the same feverish speed.
A man standing further back pulled the trigger to his rifle. The dart struck the werewolf in the shoulder, almost missing him. The werewolf didn’t even notice the attack as he continued his rampage.
Jayda squirmed against the man still holding her and brought her head back, clenching her jaw as she smashed into his mouth and nose. The sudden hit caused his arms to loosen. Jayda wiggled herself free and began running once more, this time ignoring the grass that threatened to eat away at her skin.
The man threw a hand over his face and went after her.
The remaining men held their own as the drug raced into the werewolf’s bloodstream. With each swipe of his claws, his actions softened until he began to stagger. His breathing, too, quieted. Looking at the men with rifles ready, the werewolf knew he was defeated. In his final act he called out to the vampire with his mind.
The werewolf collapsed.

Jayda’s feet struck the pavement and continued to push her body further into exhaustion. She noticed her vision becoming blurred and her hearing replaced with the rush of her blood, but her brain would not let her quit. Nothing felt real in this moment. She could see herself running, yet she sensed no more pain.
Her blurring eyes saw a white light engulfing her and the roar of some great beast. She stopped running to shield her eyes. The beast rolled to a stop and a silhouette entered the light.
Lori ran up to Jayda, her hands on her shoulders.
“Where’s Nick?” she said, lightly shaking her back into reality.
The last five minutes collided into Jayda as she began to grow hysterical. “They got him!” Tears began to pool in her eyes and fall down her cheeks with each fluttering blink.
From the edge of the woods, a man ran onto the road and raised a handgun at the two cast in the van’s headlights.
Lori looked at the man and calmly ordered Jayda, “Get into the van.”
The girl ran for the passenger side and climbed in.
Lori breathed in deep, exhaling slowly. This wasn’t Owen, but this was the first Brotherhood dog she happened to face in quite some time. And seeing that he was currently alone…
Taking a step forward, Lori sent a silent challenge to the man. He responded by tightening his grip on the gun, his finger pressing against the trigger.
The loud bang from the gun sent Jayda to cover her mouth with her hands. She saw Lori stumble as she was hit in the stomach. But the woman regained her composure and continued walking, eyes still locked on the human. The man fired again, aiming for her head. The bullet missed its target and struck the van’s driver-side mirror.
Lori was on the man before he had time to aim once more. Her hand caught the man under his jaw, slashing to the side as her nails tore through flesh and veins, even ripping into his airway. The man began choking at the blood trying to spill into his lungs. Falling to the road, he spit out the blood gushing into his mouth and nose. He stared up at the woman, his hands over his throat and mouth open with blood gargling out.
A sneer of contempt formed on Lori’s lips as she knelt beside him. She placed a hand to the blood passing through his fingers and then tasted it. Her look of contempt was replaced with more disgust.
“You’ve tainted your blood,” she said, spitting out the taste. “Interesting new trick. I’ll need to remember that.”
Lori watched as the man’s body started to spasm under the lack of blood and oxygen. She then searched through his pockets and gear, grabbing the last of his ammo and a pack of darts before picking up the gun.
The man’s body grew quiet. Lori wished she had more time to filet him properly for his buddies to find. But his buddies were probably surrounding the area, perhaps watching her now. Sensing that time was against her, she ran back to the van and into the driver’s seat.
Jayda couldn’t help but stare at Lori. She had never seen anyone move as fast as her. And to kill the man as coldly as she had… Her actions reminded her of Arden. Vampire or not, Lori was a different kind of monster in Jayda’s eyes.

13

our days passed without any arguments. Lori kept her distance from Nicholas, only leaving her room to visit Arden during the day. At night she locked herself in her bedroom, careful to avoid Nicholas altogether. This was a result of Arden’s doing. He had asked her, as kindly as he could, to keep herself scarce around him. She willingly agreed. Lori could see how easy it was to ruffle the werewolf’s fur. Messing with him further risked angering Arden, a loyalty she no longer wanted to jeopardize.
As each day ended with no sign from The Brotherhood, Lori felt the tension grow. She knew they would make a move, but how will the first strike occur? Up until this point, she relied on the information given to her by an ex-member of The Brotherhood. Figuring out their next move, however, was something she had no patience for, and contacting her source wasn’t an option. His paranoia was his lifeline. Anyone who decided or attempted to leave The Brotherhood forfeited their lives. Once someone was in, they stayed till death—a marriage without divorce—a choice many saw as a second chance in life. Lori’s source, on the other hand, was one of the few who managed to disappear after he escaped. Now living in fear of being found, his dealings with Lori were kept to a single visit every three months. Lori had another month before their next meeting.
She saw this as her deadline. If The Brotherhood didn’t make a move on Nicholas and Arden by then, she would cut her ties with them and seek out her source. His paranoia wouldn’t appreciate her visit if she were accompanied by someone in The Brotherhood’s crosshairs. But it would be a meeting she must attend. If she happened to miss any scheduled meeting, their arrangement would come to an abrupt end. Lori couldn’t risk it. He was her only connection to the leviathan at the center of her obsession.
Waiting and more waiting was a boring sentence for one such as Lori. But the game was a delicate one, and Arden served his place well, keeping the boredom to a manageable level as they squandered the days away.

Outside in the sun’s midday light, a blue Honda Civic crept down the driveway toward the quiet house. The car stopped before the porch, its engine turning off before a young woman in her early twenties stepped out. She squinted through the bright sunlight and surveyed the overgrown property. In her hand she held a small piece of paper with a scribbled address. The written numbers matched the metal ones on the house. This was her confirmation. There was no mailbox at the end of the driveway to make her search easier, but the verbal directions given to her were enough.
Stuffing the paper into her pocket, the woman climbed the steps to the porch, and with a quick straightening of her clothes, knocked on the door. She waited. Her eyes went from side to side, looking for any movements or signs of the homeowner. Knocking once more, the woman moved to the nearest window and found the curtains pulled tight. “Great,” she grumbled.
Continuing on, the woman headed off the porch to the inspect the garage. She wanted to be certain no one was home before calling the visit a bust. Whoever lived here had the answers she was looking for, and giving up this soon, while she was close to the finish line, would haunt her for the rest of her life.
No ‘what ifs’, she would tell herself. I need to know what happened.
The woman reached for the handle on the garage door.
“May I help you?” asked a man’s voice.
Whipping around, the woman brought her hand to her chest, catching the breath he startled from her. “You frightened me,” she said, exhaling. “I wasn’t sure if anyone was home.” The woman approached the man standing on the porch and extended her hand. “My name’s Tasha Daniels.”
The blond haired man kept his arms folded over his chest as he stared at her.
Tasha lowered her hand and continued speaking. “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, but I have some questions about my father. He was friends with your father years ago, before I was born.”
“I can’t help you,” Nicholas replied.
“Please, I want to know more about him—my father. Everything I’ve learned about him has led me here.”
“My father died a few years ago. I won’t be able to help you.”
“He was the alpha, right?”
Nicholas remained stern. “There’s nothing here for you,” he said as he walked back to the front door.
Tasha followed him, pleading with him in an attempt to gain any foothold. “I have no family or pack. I was hoping to find something to cling to or learn from. From what I can see, we’re the same. A life alone isn’t really living for those like us.”
As Nicholas reached for the door it swung open, the blurred form of Lori ran out, her body colliding into Tasha and sending them both off the porch and onto the ground. Lori pinned the woman and began driving her fist into her face, each blow building in strength until the woman’s body gave in.
“What are you doing?” Nicholas shouted.
“Following an order,” she replied. Sitting back, Lori’s studied the woman underneath her. “Not much of a fighter,” she added as she stood up and grabbed the woman’s ankles. She then drug the unconscious Tasha up the steps, her head striking each one with a thud.
Nicholas entered the house behind them and closed the door. Lori stopped dragging the woman to pick her up and carry her downstairs. At the bottom, Arden waited by the kitchen and ordered, “In here.”
Lori continued to follow his command as she sat Tasha in a chair pulled out from the small table. Nicholas waited by the doorway, watching as Arden bound the woman to the chair with duct tape, finishing as he secured her legs.
“What has you spooked?” Nicholas asked.
Tossing the roll of tape to the side, Arden answered, his eyes on the woman. “She’s hollow.”
“You’re gonna need to explain.”
“She has no emotions. No simple werewolf is that skilled in suppression.”
Lori reached into her back pocket and removed a coil of silver wire, rolled tight and constructed for this very occasion. She moved closer to the woman and wrapped it around her neck.
Another set of eyes found the group in the kitchen. Jayda heard the commotion from her room and snuck into the hallway to investigate. She was shocked to see a young woman bound to a chair and Lori standing before her with, what looked like piano wire, wrapped around the woman’s neck. The woman seemed to react to the wire and rolled her head to the side as she began to awake.
Tasha’s raspy voice passed through her sluggish lips. “What happened? What’s going on?”
Lori tightened the wire and demanded, “Who sent you?”
The sharp pain caused by the silver wire sent Tasha into a panic. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play dumb with me!” She pulled tight on the wire before letting go, then looked at Arden and asked, “I need a knife.” Arden handed her the custom knife he carried and stood back to watch. Using her fingertips, Lori felt around the woman’s arms, pressing deep for any signs of a foreign object. This was the only evidence she needed to find. If this woman, Tasha, was sent here by The Brotherhood, then she would have some kind of tracking device inside her. Everyone working for them, subject and scientist, were fitted with such devices.
The woman called out on pain as Lori felt around her upper arms, fingers working through her muscle. A hard object moved within, sending Lori’s stomach to sink. Raising the knife, she drove it into Tasha’s upper arm.
Tasha screamed at the searing pain caused by the silver blade. The scream blended into a roar, then a vicious growl as she threw her weight forward, rocking the chair and aiming for Lori. Her mouth reopened, teeth sharp, and clamped onto Lori’s shoulder. As quick as the attack began, Arden already had a hold of the woman’s hair, yanking her away from Lori and taking the wire into his hands. He then pulled, the silver wire cutting through her skin and sending her wolf side into submission.
Lori ignored the damage to her shoulder as she returned to Tasha’s arm, delivering her own viciousness with the aid of the knife. She wiggled it within the muscle until she felt it strike the foreign object, then with her fingers, she fished it out. Lori faced Nicholas and held the tracking device up for him to see.
“She’s with The Brotherhood,” Lori confirmed. She handed the blood covered device to him and added, “Don’t smash this one.”
“Let me go!” Tasha begged.
Lori went back to the woman and grabbed her under the jaw, forcing her to look up. “Who sent you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Why are you here?”
Tasha’s body relaxed. She knew the answer to this question. “My brother, he told me I can find information about my father if I came here. He told me this before he died last month.”
Lori’s lips tightened into a sneer. “She’s been brainwashed.” Backing away, she asked Nicholas, “I can’t tell… Is she a pureblood?”
Nicholas gave a weak nod. “Yeah.”
Looking beyond him, Lori spoke to the girl watching in the hall. “Jayda, can you do a favor for me?”
She blinked at the mentioning of her name. Up until this point she was transfixed on the brutality she’d been witnessing. This, added with the constant weight of the house’s energy, numbed her other senses.
“Uh, sure,” Jayda answered as she broke through the stiffness that had filled her legs. Stepping into the kitchen, she stood near Lori and listened to her request.
“Can you see if you can get anything from her. Any feeling or thought?”
Jayda shook her head. “I told you it doesn’t work that way.”
“I can help you,” Lori said, taking her hand. Guiding her to kneel before the woman, she began with her instructions. “You have to close your eyes and calm your mind.” She waited until she saw Jayda’s eyes close before continuing. “Visualize a single point between your eyes. See this point begin to lengthen. It divides your body into two perfect halves. This is your center. Let the line vanish.” She waited, counting the moments with the beating of her heart. “Now, with your hand, touch hers.”
Jayda, with eyes still closed, extended her hand. As her skin touched Tasha’s, the flash of white heat surrounded her. She felt her head splitting open under the crushing thunder of metal and fire. Her sight took on Tasha’s last moments as she saw the sea of red roll away from her and toward the shoes of three men. Their voices were muffled by the pressure in her head and the life fading away. The scene closed in around her, sealing everything in a blanket of darkness.
Jayda’s eyes flew open. She stumbled away from Tasha and the vision, scrambling back until she was met with Nicholas’ legs. “I saw—I saw,” she stammered between shallow gasps. “It was her death.”
“What all did you see?” Lori asked.
Jayda held her head as she fought through the phantom pain. “They shot her in the head. I could see their shoes—black, shiny shoes. I think they were wearing suits. They were talking. I couldn’t make out the words.”
Lori’s stomach sank further as she realized the truth. “We took the bait.” Looking from Arden to Nicholas she began to explain, her words almost sounding like a rambling mess. “So stupid, so stupid! They wanted us to question her, they were betting on this. And I can’t believe we fell for it. She’s not going to tell us anything. She has no idea what happened to her. She’s like a robot. They programmed her with this story. They needed conformation. And we just gave it to them.”
“Do we let her go?” asked Nicholas.
“They’ll kill her if we do,” Jayda said, pulling herself to stand beside him.
Tasha began to scream once more. Lori, Nicholas, and Jayda looked to see Arden pulling the wire tight, the thin silver slicing further into her. The pressure closed off her windpipe, ending her screams. Increasing the tension, Arden twisted the wire, the thin metal cutting through tissue and muscle, stopping as it met her spine. Arden then held the wire in one and used the other to push her head forward as he yanked the wire back, ripping through the fragile spine. Tasha’s head rolled free and landed on the floor.
Jayda’s screams replaced Tasha’s as she buried her head into Nicholas’ chest. He held her close, his hand to her head.
“No vision of the future is permanent,” Arden remarked, dropping the wire to the floor.
“Of course not,” agreed Lori, “especially when you know what to change.”
“You didn’t have to kill her!” Nicholas fumed.
Arden remained calm in the face of his anger. “If we had let her leave, her death would have been by their hands. Only the cause had changed.”
“You’re cleaning this up,” he growled.
Lori gestured to the bloodied remains of Tasha with the knife. “This seals it. They needed to know if your were on to them. As you said, the ball was in their court. And now we just spiked it right back to them.”
The werewolf glared at Lori. “I’m not running.”
“What’s the point in staying?” she asked.
“This is my home.”
“This is your father’s home. That’s the real reason you won’t leave. You still feel guilty for what he did.”
Nicholas shot Arden a dangerous look, knowing he told Lori more than he should. “You’re beginning to talk too much.” He glanced at the mess. “Both of you, clean this up.” He then left the kitchen, still holding onto Jayda.
Lori followed them into the hall. “I can’t stress to you how stupid your choice is to stay here.”
He stopped to look at her. “You are a guest here. Do as I say or leave!”
“So you’re just going to sit around and wait for the cosmos to decide your fate. What are you going to do when Arden finally leaves?”
“That will be years after the dust settles from this mess,” he said as he saw Arden stand in the doorway.
Lori glance at him as well. “What about when he takes Jayda away from here?”
Nicholas’ eyes narrowed at Arden. “What is she talking about?”
The vampire didn’t answer.
Lori’s eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. “You’re going to give her to Gysai as a peace offering from Nauvia.” She turned to Nicholas. “Gysai likes to collect human oddities and awaken their full potential with her blood.”
“How do you know this?”
“Because my husband was the first in her collection. His special sight gave birth to her obsession.”
Nicholas looked at Arden once more. “Is this what you’ve been planning this whole time?”
Arden finally answered. “She will be a gift to Gysai. Her life will find meaning in her care.”
Jayda’s eyes darted between the three discussing her fate. “Don’t I have a say in what I want?”
Arden’s cold eyes met hers. “Your life was spared by me. I will decide your fate.”
“Spoken like a true vampire,” muttered Lori. She raised her voice as she continued. “Listen, you all can discuss this later. We have a bigger issue to deal with.”
Nicholas bypassed the attempt to change the conversation. His focus lingered on Arden. “You’re not taking her anywhere, least not to some vampire queen who wants her for some collection.”
“In this matter,” Arden snapped back, “you cannot command me.”
“It should be her decision.”
Jayda remained nestled against Nicholas as she spoke up. “I’m staying here.”
Seeing no reason to argue further, Arden walked past them, glancing at Lori as he ordered, “Get rid of the body.”
They waited in the hall until they heard the door to his room close. Nicholas eased his hold on Jayda, reassuring his promise to her. “You’re not going anywhere with him,” he said, his eyes dropping to hers.
Lori shook her head at the foolhardy vow. “He has it in his mind what he’s going to do, and that’s not going to change.”
“How did you become an expert on him so fast?” Nicholas asked.
She shrugged as her lips tightened on themselves.
Jayda answered for her. “She sneaks into his room during the day.”
“And your point?” Lori shot back. “I have no issue with what you think of me, but the fact is clear; The Brotherhood now knows beyond all doubt that you’re aware of their surveillance on you. They will act again. But the real question is when.” She could see the wheels turning in Nicholas stubborn brain. His reply shocked her and Jayda.
“We’ll leave tonight,” he said, calmly.
Lori let her relief show through as she sighed. “Thank you.”
Nicholas looked at the tiny tracking device in his hand, then handed it to her. Without another word, he led Jayda down the hall and to her room, then closed the door behind them.
The terrified girl sat on her bed, her hands under her legs in an attempt to quiet everything within. Nicholas sat beside her and placed a comforting hand to her back.
“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.
She stared at the floor, eyes wide as she replayed the horror she just witnessed. “I keep seeing her face. She honestly didn’t know what was happening. It’s like that part of her mind no longer existed.”
“It’ll be alright.”
Tears began to roll over her cheeks in the presence of another thought. “He’s going to take me to her.”
“Listen to me,” he said, forcing her to look at him. “I won’t let him take you.”
“I know my death,” she said as her lungs shuddered amidst the words. “I saw it. I die by the hand of something extremely old and powerful. It’s going to be her. I know that now.”
His eyes locked on hers. “You just now saw that your visions can be changed. You don’t have to let this happen.”
“But she still died.”
He lowered his voice, reaffirming his stance on the matter. “I won’t let that happen. If I have to, I’ll kill him.”
“You can’t make a promise like that. What’s my life really worth?”
“A minute ago you wanted to stay here, and now you’re going to give up?”
“I’ve learned not to expect much from anything. I know what I want but I know it will never happen.”
“You have to try and fight it. You don’t belong to anyone. You have a say in your own life.”
Jayda heard the honest compassion in his voice. No one had ever spoken to her like this before. Others may have said similar things, but to believe them, to know that they truly care for her, was something their words lacked.
Brushing the hair from his forehead, Jayda allowed his words to comfort her. She leaned in closer to him and placed her lips to his in a soft kiss. Nicholas felt himself give in for a moment before pulling away.
“Get some rest,” he said, leaving the bed.
Stunned by the change in his actions, Jayda watched as he left the room. Usually after she shown any interest in any guy, they proceeded to take what she offered. But Nicholas spurned her at every turn. He didn’t want her. But did this mean that he only wanted her around for her ability?
That’s all she was to anyone—a dumb human with a rare gift. No one cared about the girl, just the gift she carried. If she stayed with them, she knew Arden would deliver her to this vampire queen. But if she could find some way to leave everyone behind, there was a chance she could erase her vision altogether.
No more relying on others. She had to create her own fate.

12

he front door to Nicholas’ house squeaked open as Jayda shuffled onto the porch, the familiar cool, night air chilling her skin. She stopped upon seeing the back of Lori as she sat on the steps, one hand holding the tiny gravel from the road and the other tossing them away, one at a time.
“I thought you left,” said Jayda, moving to the porch’s railing.
“Believe me, I wanted to,” Lori huffed, then sighed. “But a promise is a promise, right?”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. It was Arden who talked me in to staying. But the walk was a good thing—gave me a chance to clear my head and weigh some things.” Lori tossed a piece of gravel onto the driveway. “You’ve been keeping your distance from me. Why?”
“I didn’t realize I was.”
“So Nick told you about me.”
“A little.” Jayda leaned against the railing, her weight on her forearms. “Is it true?”
“That I was the first person to ever run away from the circus?”
“The truth.”
Lori read the irritability in her voice and eased up on her sarcasm. “If you knew the life I ran away from, then you would know what I said was true.” Another pebble left her hand and bounced over the driveway and into the grass. “What do you want to do with your life?”
“I don’t know.”
“Any dreams or goals?”
Jayda shrugged as she replied, “It doesn’t matter what I do. I can’t escape what’s going to happen to me.”
Lori stopped throwing the pebbles to look at her. “What have you seen?”
“My death,” she said, forcing a laugh.
“How?”
Looking away, Jayda’s mind flirted around the knowledge she once saw. “When they came into the cave, I knew my death would be soon and at the hands of a vampire. But Arden let me live.”
“Did you see the vampire in your vision?”
“There was no vision, only the truth, and they always come true. The end result can never be changed.”
“And you’re certain it was a vampire? Male or female?”
“All I know is that I die at the hands of something older than I can comprehend. I can feel my blood leaving me and my heart slowing. But this thing believes it’s for the best. And that’s it.”
Something older than she can comprehend? Lori retraced the small hints she gathered from Arden, and even her own plans once she discovered Jayda’s talent. This wasn’t a permanent death she was led to believe. She had seen the end of her human life and the beginning of her life as a vampire. This thing she saw could be Gysai.
Lori decided to change her tactics, an attempt to soften the fear she may have on the night of her “death.”
“You know how some people talk bad about their mother-in-laws?” She gave a relaxed grin. “Mine isn’t so bad—a little testy around the edges, but who isn’t? You should meet her. She can explain more about your gift than anyone else.”
“You’re married?”
“Yeah. I can’t recall how many years we’ve been married, but it feels like forever and a century. I may pay him a visit after things settle down here. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him.”
“Is he human?”
Lori laughed. “Not since the Romans worshipped their stolen gods.”
“How old are you?”
“You’re not suppose to ask a girl that question,” she coyly avoided.
Jayda hung her head. “Sorry.”
“I look like I’m in my twenties, right? That’s all I need to know and that’s all anyone needs to know.”
Finally looking at her once more, Jayda asked, “People like me… What can they do?”
Lori returned to tossing the gravel in her hand. “Some can read thoughts by eye contact alone, while some need to hear them speak. A rare few can even gain glimpses of the future. And the strongest can control weak minded creatures. Now that one, though one of the rarest, has found a home in vampire folklore for centuries. Gysai prizes all of these oddities—almost worships them for their talents.”
“Why were you going to leave tonight?”
“There is a group out there who searches for test subjects, like rats to a scientist. They bring in werewolves and vampires, even a few like me. They perform tests and try to find ways to control them. I spent the next five years enduring their tests, and this group now has its eyes on Nick and Arden. I wasn’t going to interfere that night. I needed to know if a certain someone would be there. But Arden found me and I was forced to change my plans.”
“Who were you looking for?”
“We are all forced to do things for survival. But when we are cornered by their selfish reasons, that’s when it crosses the line in my book.” She let out a painful laugh. “I’m the biggest hypocrite in the world, actually.” Dropping all of the gravel to the ground, she dusted off her hands and leaned back, her eyes on the black sky.
“How are you a hypocrite?”
“Let’s just say that I hate it when the tables are turned.”
“Are you going to keep your promise to me?”
“If we’re still alive by then, yeah. Promise will be kept.” Lori heard Jayda’s light footsteps as she walked back into the house, gently closing the door behind her. She was thankful that the girl’s annoying questions were over, but the lack of intuition left her wishing for her own mental gifts.

At his desk in his study, Nicholas sat forward in his chair, elbows propped up, eyes closed and fingers rubbing his temples. The shattered tracking device, now in the wastebasket, continued to scream at him. How could he have been so easily compromised by money? Normal procedure had him removing the cash and placing it in his own bag, but years of a clean track record left him feeling too comfortable. And with anything threatening him as a result, it was his fault.
“What do you want?” said Nicholas, sensing he was no longer alone.
Arden stepped further into the room and stood before his desk. “She came back.”
Nicholas sighed as he dropped his hands to the desk. “You should’ve let her go.”
“How do you know I went after her?”
“She wouldn’t have come back if you didn’t.”
“If she is right, they will come for us.”
“Or not,” Nicholas muttered.
“Prepare for all possibilities.”
“I don’t care anymore.”
Arden tilted his head at him, eyes narrowing. “You have been playing human too long. Go into the woods and stay till dawn.”
“I’m fine.”
“Allowing your fur to be seen only on a job or by the pull of the moon is not the life of a true pureblood. You are poisoning yourself with worry.”
“Leave,” said Nicholas as he returned his hands to his head, this time rubbing his forehead.
“It is affecting your judgment.”
“I said leave.”
Arden slammed his hands on the desk, the loud thud piercing Nicholas’ self-loathing demeanor. The werewolf stared up at him, eyes widened by the unexpected outburst.
“I am here by my own choosing,” Arden said, his words sharp. “I am here to protect you. Follow my orders or I will leave you to your destruction.”
Nicholas dared not to blink, fearful that the vampire would use the moment to take hold of him. “All right,” he whispered. “You win.”
“Till dawn,” he ordered.
Nodding, Nicholas agreed. “Dawn it is.”

The woods were once a place where Nicholas loved to visit. His favorite time centered around the fall when the bucks were crowned with their seasonal weapons. Taking down the largest and strongest was something he strived for each year, sometimes landing six before the first snowfall. He was careful not to hunt close to home. He had to protect the local population as well as his whereabouts. But there had been a few close calls in the past.
The last hunter Nicholas surprised was the last time he went on a hunt. As he went for the kill, he failed to sense the human yards away. The hunter saw the massive creature attack the prized buck, and in the moment between awe and bewilderment, the hunter took aim and fired at the beast. The bullet from the rifle drew Nicholas’ attention as it struck him in the back, entering his left lung and exiting his chest. He faced the hunter, growling through his clamped jaws around the deer’s neck. Enough blood pooled in his lung to labor his breathing. But as he stood his ground against the hunter, the bullet wound healed and his body began the task of removing the escaped blood. The hunter lowered his weapon as he saw the creature release the dying buck onto the ground, followed by the blood pouring from his mouth. A roar, mixed with a wheezing cough, continued to leave him, taking with it the last of the blood. He looked at the hunter once more and rose to his feet, snorting at him. As he saw the hunter readying for another shot, Nicholas dropped back on all fours and snarled at the human, ears flat and head still as he slowly moved toward him. Killing the human wasn’t in his plan, but it was an idea he entertained.
With another shot hitting him in the shoulder, inches from his head, Nicholas rushed for the hunter, knocking him back before jostling him around. He kept his claws and teeth from dealing any serious harm. His plan was to frighten the human into running, but this stubborn guy took more than a display of teeth to incite any real fear. After a few seconds under the barrage of this beast, the hunter broke free and ran, thanking God that he would live to tell his tale.
And the tale did spread like Nicholas had feared. But the story told of a bear-like creature, which soon became a story about a bear altogether. Though years had passed since the incident, the urban legend about the invincible bear continued to flourish around the southern towns of Oregon.
This night, however, was neither a time for hunting nor running. Nicholas abided by Arden’s request to stay in the woods until dawn, but he refused to call upon his fur. He sat by a tree miles away from his home and dozed off. This was all the relaxation he wanted. Arden’s worry, as misplaced as it seemed, was one he humored. He was the only one in the world that appeared to give a damn about this worthless rogue.
Even though Nicholas cared little about himself, he began to care about someone else. The poor girl, stolen away from her own messed up life, and forced into another by the chains of greed. He almost regretted letting her live. If he had done his job regardless of Arden’s order, then she would have been put out of her misery. But now, under the veil of a second chance, he felt guilty for even entertaining the idea. Any which way he tackled his thoughts regarding her, he was thankful she was still alive.
As the dark blue of the sky gave way to a paler shade, Nicholas left the tree for the comfort of his bed. Throwing himself onto his mattress, sleep came to him easier here than in the woods. Arden may have been right. He was acting too human. But being human wasn’t all bad. It offered a simpler life, one Nicholas was beginning to yearn for.

11

he screen on Nicholas’ computer displayed a list of information about a certain Jason Randall Martin. He had waded through the other possible subjects, hitting on three more with the same name. But this Jason had to be the right one. Out of the list of past known residence, Las Vegas was one of them. The man wasn’t too smart. Telling Jayda his real name was the first clue to this fact. Another was that he was still living in the same apartment. Mixed in with the other information was a list of previous crimes, the greatest one being an assault on an officer.
A playful thought entered Nicholas’ mind; Would anyone really miss this guy?
The cell phone on the desk vibrated into life. Still looking at the screen, Nicholas reached for the phone and answered it. On the other end a familiar voice began speaking, his tone friendly but concerned. This was the call Nicholas had been waiting for.
He listened to the man’s torrent of words and replied with his prepared answer. “The scene was compromised.” Another quick response from the man followed. Nicholas sat back in his chair, ignoring the man’s gracious tone and pleas.
“I trust myself foremost,” Nicholas said, voice firm. “I don’t care how secure you believed it to be. You are free to hire someone else.”
With a sigh, the man gave a cordial reply.
“I understand,” said Nicholas.
With one last response from the man, the call was ended. Nicholas tossed his phone onto the desk and leaned forward, his hands wiping away the worry from his face. He cleared the hurdle, and the man on the other end, though disappointed in the refusal, didn’t seem too frustrated by his choice. If they were truly planning to capture them, then why sever contact without a fuss?
Nicholas dropped his hands onto the desk as a new thought formed out of this mess. Was Lori telling the truth? She expressed concern about this Brotherhood coming after them, yet she hadn’t relinquished any more information. His skepticism about this woman’s story was becoming too heavy to ignore.
Seeing a new hurdle presenting itself to him, Nicholas left the study and headed for Lori’s room. He gave the door a few strong knocks. Lori answered, her hair wet from a shower and wearing one of Arden’s black shirts. She looked him over as she crossed her arms and spoke. “Figured you’d come to visit me sooner or later.”
“Tell me again about this Brotherhood,” he demanded.
Lori shrugged at the broad request. “That you can’t fight them, you can’t smoke them out, and they’re always one step ahead.”
“Not that. How did they capture you?”
There was a subtle change in her composure. This wasn’t the time to play coy. “I use to frequent this club near LA. Nothing mainstream or posh. It was the kind of place the Marquis de Sade would call home. On the surface it was a place for humans, but it also attracted vampires and the occasional werewolf, all passing themselves off as humans. The Brotherhood must’ve been watching the place for awhile. A few of the regulars—vampires, that is—started going missing. The disappearances were spaced weeks apart. I don’t know when they started noticing me, but I made certain I appeared human to everyone, even going out in the sunlight more than I wanted to. Only a few humans knew about me—one too many, actually. And after a long weekend at the club, I headed out to breakfast with one of these humans. As went to his car, this van pulled out in front of us and my supposed friend jabbed the syringe into my arm. I woke up hours later, shackled and on the way to my new home.”
“Why do you think they’re after us?”
“They were there and you were there. I’ve seen them use this same strategy before. They hire hunters, either werewolf or vampire, and lure them into their tests. They want to see if their worthy of their ‘program’.”
“Why not take us after we finished the first job for them?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps they wanted to test you further or use that night as the perfect time to strike. You were out of your element and off guard.”
“Then the ball is in their court. I’m no longer working for them.”
“When did you talk to them? Did you happen to catch any names?”
Nicholas shook his head. “No names. Never any names. And I just got off the phone with them. Let’s say you’re right and they’re testing us. What would they do now?”
Lori looked away as she played out the possible scenarios in her mind. “I think it’s safe to say that they believe they’re still in control. This would be the time to decided if you two are worth the trouble. But I doubt they would know where to find you. You’re too careful to lead anyone here.” Her eyes returned to him as she added, “You didn’t take anything from them, did you?”
A grim expression settled on Nicholas’ face. In an abrupt turn, he headed back to the study and kneeled before several stacks of books. Lori followed him into the room and watched as he moved the books to the side, revealing a small safe placed underneath the mess. After dialing in the combination, he opened the door and removed a black canvas case. He then stood beside his desk and slid the zipper open.
Lori eyed the stack of money Nicolas’ laid out on the desk. The bills, bundled by a standard band, were in pristine condition, looking as though they fell off the back of an armored bank truck. She picked up one stack and flipped through it, inhaling the freshness of the notes.
“Wow,” she remarked. “They sure pay well.”
Nicholas ripped open one bundle and looked for any signs of a tracking device. When the money checked out clean, he picked up the bag it came in, searching inside and out for anything suspicious. He then ran his fingers along the seams and edges of the zipper, but everything appeared normal. Dropping the bag onto the desk, Nicholas slumped into his chair, a look of relief washing over him.
“What are you really doing here?” he asked, the frustration with her returning.
Lori had no other answer for him. Picking up the bag, she began to inspect it for herself. The device that was once in her arm was tinier than she imagined it to be. What if this device was even smaller? Lori moved her fingers over the edges of the zipper where it was sewn into the canvas. “Do you have a knife or scissors?” she asked.
Nicolas retrieved a pair of scissors from his desk and handed it to her. Lori then began cutting away the seams along the zipper. The first side revealed nothing, but as she made her way onto the other side, the scissors struck a hard object. Lori sat the scissors down and worked the small object loose with her fingers. Like removing a large splinter, the tiny cylinder object slid free. She held it up to gain a better look.
“This is it,” she confirmed.
Taking the device from her, Nicholas looked it over, judging it for himself. This was it, this tiny thing? He placed it on the desk and grabbed a thick, glass paperweight.
Lori’s eyes widened as she saw him lift the glass object. “Don’t!”
The heavy paperweight continued its descent onto the tracking device, crushing it like a defenseless bug.
“You idiot!” yelled Lori. “Now they know you found it!”
Nicholas sounded less concerned. “Then let them come here.”
“This isn’t worth it,” she muttered. Shaking her head in disbelief, Lori left the study and hurried back to her room. Nicholas followed her this time and stood in the doorway, watching her move around the room, frantically redressing into her own clothes.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Leaving. I’m not going to be here when they show up.”
“If they show up.”
“Oh, they’ll show. They don’t leave loose ends. The tracking device has been destroyed and they’ll want to know how.” Lori finished redressing and checked for the coin in her front pocket. Finding it safely tucked inside, she continued speaking. “It’s dark out so I can assume you have no issue with me leaving now?”
Nicholas answered by stepping to the side of the doorway. “The nearest town is southwest of here.”
Lori moved past him and into the hall. As she neared Jayda’s room, she saw the girl peering out. “Where are you going?” she whispered.
With her eyes dropping to the floor, Lori didn’t reply. She had forgotten her promise, and in the moment of remembering, she felt a sting of selfishness resurface. Thinking back on it now, it was wrong to promise her something she couldn’t fulfill.
As Jayda heard Lori run up the stairs and outside, her fragile spirit began to buckle.
“Is she leaving for good?” she wondered out loud.
“It looks that way,” replied Nicholas. Letting out a sigh, he returned to the study.
Jayda glanced up and down the hall. If she worked fast enough, she could catch up with Lori and they both could leave this place together. But one remaining fact loomed over the quick plan; Arden was somewhere out there, and running from him wasn’t an option.

The paved road didn’t appear to Lori like some great escape route. She would’ve felt more at home traveling through the woods this night, but the road offered her a chance to hitchhike to town. Perhaps a frightening choice to some, she never worried about the possibility of running into someone out on their own hunt.
Minutes into walking, Lori realized that the country road wouldn’t offer much in the way of traffic. Hitchhiking was becoming more of wishful thinking than reality. She mentally cursed the long walk ahead. It’s your fault, she scolded herself. You should’ve left that day with Jayda.
A chill ran down Lori’s spine and over her arms and legs. The sudden change was one she knew well. Someone was following her.
“I’m not going back,” she said without looking to see who it was. She didn’t need to confirm her assumption. “Your reckless puppy just made a huge mistake, and I’m not waiting around to see what happens.”
Her follower didn’t answer.
“Like I can really explain this to you.” Walking a few more strides she finally stopped to look at him. Arden stopped walking as well.
“Why follow me out here?” she asked. “You’re getting your wish. You don’t have to put up with me anymore.”
Arden looked beyond her and down the road, then headed into the woods, vanishing in the dark brush. Lori saw the bright lights of a car as it rounded the bend and approached. The vehicle slowed to a stop with its side window rolling down.
“Do you need a lift,” the man asked.
Lori glanced in the direction of Nicholas’ house before answering. “No, I’m fine. I’m looking for my dog, actually. Stupid thing like to run off from time to time.”
“What kind of dog is he?”
“A mutt. Scraggily, grey, and dumb as a stump. Answers to the name of ‘Nicky’.”
The man politely nodded. “Well, I’ll keep an eye out for him.”
Lori gave a smile. “Thank you.”
“You be careful out here. Plenty of bears have been spotted in this area over the years. They’re mostly active at night.”
Giving him another smile, she replied, “I will.”
“Good luck finding your dog.”
Lori watched as the car’s red taillights disappeared around the bend, then waited until the sound of the engine faded. The man was no threat. He was a simple human, living a simple life. Taking in a deep breath she headed off the road and into the woods. She saw no way to shake Arden from her trail, but if she could talk to him or order him to let her go…
Where is he? He couldn’t have gone that far.
She stopped and listened for any sound or rustling leaves or footsteps, but only the slight breeze swaying the treetops could be heard.
“I don’t have time for this,” she called out.
From her side, a few trees away, she heard Arden’s voice. “Why are you running?”
Lori turned and saw him leaning against the large trunk of a fallen tree. Crossing her arms, she made no attempt to hide her defensive mood. “Why are you following me?” she demanded.
“For answers,” he said, the familiar lack of emotion absent from his words.
“I told you everything already. I have nothing else to hide.”
“What is really driving you?”
Lori felt her hands tighten into fists as she replied, “I don’t want them to harm an innocent person. I don’t want them to go through what I went through.”
“This isn’t about them. You’re after an individual.”
The statement sliced through Lori’s calloused facade. “What makes you say that?”
“You’re biding your time, staying in the shadows. You’re searching for a single target. And now you’re running to place distance between yourself and this place. You want to watch from the sidelines like always, searching for that one target.”
She gave a painful laugh. “Believe me, if it weren’t for him, I would be as far away from anything linking itself to The Brotherhood.”
“Then why not let it go? Forget about him.”
The casualness in Arden’s voice sent Lori’s anger in a tailspin. “Because it’s maggots like him that taste the best,” she fumed. “He believed he as some connection to me, like we were meant to be together forever.” Another painful laugh left her. “I may be childish for taking it personally, but I belong to only one soul in this fucked-up world. And I’m going to deliver this prick to him with a bow atop his head.”
“If that is your only interest here, then why play your games?”
“Games?”
“I’m not blind nor easily swayed. I know you have other intentions besides revenge.”
Lori dropped her arms to her sides, hands relaxing. “I had to test Nicholas. I had to see… He’s a pureblood who detests wearing his fur unless pushed over the edge. He’s prideful of what he is, yet ashamed. The house was built as a den but he’s the only werewolf for miles.”
There was a subtle change in Arden’s voice as he answered. “He is the only werewolf in this county. He was the son of an alpha. The pack was at least forty-strong. His mother was killed by a vampire. The vicious attack was carried out before her husband’s eyes. Richard, Nicholas’ father, used her death to fuel his hatred toward vampires. He began capturing them to torture and eventually kill. He didn’t capture me, but rather purchased me through another. I had been betrayed by my own kind. It took twenty of them to land the stake in my heart. Richard had hoped that I was the one responsible for his wife’s death, even said that I looked like the one responsible. But it was my silence that kept me alive. Nicholas eventually had enough of his father’s new hobby and released his prisoners. And it was I who released Nicholas. Richard was far too damaged to be saved. I showed mercy on Nicholas and gave his father a quick death.”
“And he harbored no anger or revenge for what his father did?”
“What would it have solved? Revenge is an action based in vanity. Holding on to an anger created by Richard’s actions gives the beast its power. The basic rule of any guardian is to ignore the emotions of vanity. You should know this.”
“Sadly, I do.”
Arden tilted his head at the vague reply.
“Why did you follow me out here?” Lori repeated.
“As I said, answers.”
“Now that you have them, I’ll be on my way.” As she turned for the road, she heard the rustling of leaves and felt a strong hand on her upper arm, stopping her. Lori faced him. “You can’t force me to stay.”
“I cannot leave him and I cannot allow you to travel alone.”
Reading beyond his words, she realized her plan had backfired. “Shit,” she cursed herself, “I knew I should’ve kept my big mouth shut.” Testing his grip, Arden continued to hold strong. “You don’t have to protect me,” she said. “I’m not your charge.”
“You belong to an elder. I must protect you.”
“Forget what I told you. I don’t need a babysitter. I’ve gone a hundred years without someone watching over me.”
Arden released her arm. “I’m not ordering you.”
“But you’re not asking me, either.” Lori watched in confusion as he stepped away from her. “You’re letting me go?”
“I have no wish to fight you.”
She found herself laughing at his abrupt change. “So I spill my big secret and that silences you? I liked you better when you wanted to rip my head off.”
“How else would you have pulled me onto your side?”
“There’s no reason for that now. Things have changed.”
“For you, perhaps, but I will stay where I’m needed. I do not turn my back on those who need me.”
Lori rolled her eyes. “I don’t like it when people try that whole guilt trip thing on me. It’s the most transparent form of manipulation out there, so don’t even try it.”
Watching her for a moment, Arden gave no reply as he walked away from her, heading deeper into the woods. Lori shook her head at the whole conversation. If this was his attempt to keep her from leaving, then he did a lousy job.
Back on the road, Lori continued walking. There was no doubt in her mind that The Brotherhood would show. The real question was when. Waiting and watching from the outside, as safe as it was, gave Arden and Nicholas no chance to walk away. And what of Jayda? If they knew about her gift…
Lori stopped in her tracks and cursed at herself once more. “When in the hell did I grow a conscience?” she grumbled. Turning on her heels, she began the long walk back to the house.

10

he sun. The wretched sun.
Lori tried to sleep away the annoying presence of the midday sun. Though she was well below ground level within her room at Nicholas’ home, the weight of the sun still pressed down on her as though she were a pure vampire. The brief walk the day before was now a bad idea in retrospect. Exposure to the sun weakened her no matter how strong she was before stepping outside. She could feel its toll reaching an apex. No amount of animal blood could soothe it. She needed human blood.
Her mind drifted to the human sleeping down the hall. The girl trusted her enough to be sold on the idea. Just a small drink—a few mouthfuls. It would be like donating blood, she planned to say. One friend helping another.
Lori rolled onto her side, wincing at the passing thought. It was a stupid idea. Arden would know. She had seen a piece of his own plans for the girl during their hunt for deer. As she followed him through the woods, she commented on Jayda’s “gift” and what he thought.
His answer was a stern, “I will not let you leave with her.”
To which Lori responded, “She doesn’t belong to you.”
“She will have a master soon,” he said, ending the conversation.
The vague sentence told her all she needed to know, though the minor details were yet to be deciphered.
Lori cringed again at the pain deep within the muscles of her arms and legs. This wasn’t human hunger. The deer she fed from earlier did little to ease the consuming agony. Some vampires managed to exist on a diet of animal blood, but Lori’s complicated metabolism begged for one of two things; human blood or vampire blood, or so she wanted to believe.
She couldn’t do this. It had been far too long to live without him. Wrapping her arms around her body, she curled onto her side and searched for him. Months ago he sought her out, his mind touching hers for a few breathless moments. As she felt him begin to pull away, the tears filled her eyes as her spirit became hollow once more. But now, her searching found no answer from him. The link, weakened by more than a century apart, left her feeling alone—reminiscent to the years spent locked away by The Brotherhood. She needed to feel something, anything, and blood was the key to releasing those chains.
Crawling out of the bed, Lori opened her door and entered the hall. Her feet moved over the carpet without a sound. She reached the door to one of the bedrooms and raised her hand, lightly scratching the wood. Her legs grew numb as she realized her decision and the possible cost it would bring her. But the pain was too great. She had no choice but to yield.
The door opened, revealing Arden, dressed in the same clothes from earlier, minus his long coat.
Lori kept her head low and eyes away from him as she spoke. “Can I come in?”
“No.” He went to close the door but found her hand stopping him.
“I’ll tell you everything,” she said, the sincerity shaking her voice. “Everything you want to know about me. The real truth.”
Looking her over, he stepped to the side, a wordless invitation.
With her head still low, Lori entered and heard the door shut behind her.
“Begin,” he said, sounding more like an order.
“I want to start off with a proposal. I’m going to cut to the real reason I came to your room. I need your blood.”
Arden went for the door. Lori stopped him. “Hear me out. For your blood, you can use me however you wish. I won’t fight you or say no to anything.”
“Why?”
Her shoulders dropped as she continued. “I… I’m not a simple half-breed. I need the blood from either a human or vampire to survive. Both give me life. I can’t live off animal blood. It’s the same reason I can’t live off human food.”
Arden tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “Who are you?”
“I believe you already know.”
“I’m not abreast on the news of our Kings and Queens.”
She gave a nervous laugh. “Of course not. Please, may I?”
Extending his arm, Arden freely gave her his wrist. Lori wrapped a clammy hand around him, her eyes going from the exposed skin of his wrist to his neck. She stepped closer and placed her hands around his shoulders, then raised herself onto the balls of her feet, her lips against the skin of his neck. As her teeth broke through she believed he would push her away, but he stood unmoving. The blood passed into her, erasing the lifeless taste of the deer from her memory. It had been too long since she savored the taste of vampire blood, and his outclassed the fledgling she last fed from. The poor, untrained boy thought he was the hunter in that scenario, but Lori turned the tables as she led him to believe he had her cornered. Ten years was an eternity to go without this level of completeness.
Lori stopped drinking to lick away the blood that slowly escaped the bite. Though she wanted more, she took enough to calm her body. But this was a new ploy she sat in motion. She didn’t know if she would need him in the future, so she chose not to wear out her welcome. On the other hand, they had the rest of the day to squander and she hoped that her teeth would find him once more before sunset.
Moving away from him, Lori walked further into the room and began to remove her shirt. She had no issue with giving herself to him. Many times during the day hours she would distract herself with various bedmates. And with someone like Arden, she was actually looking forward to it.
Watching her, something caught Arden’s eye. A series of markings were tattooed on the back of her neck, disappearing under her auburn hair. He approached her and lifted the hair. The writing was ancient, unknown even to him.
“It’s Vedic Sanskrit,” she said. “They are my husband’s vows. He is marked with my vows.” She felt him lower her hair.
“Then why enter my room?” he asked.
Lori faced him, her modesty absent as she refused to cover herself. “I’m not some human who confuses sex with devotion,” she said, pulling at his shirt.
Arden stopped her, the same look of uncertainty finding him. He then gave in and removed his shirt himself. Lori ran her hand over the disfigured tattoo on his chest. The custom was a painful one. A guardian was called into service once every one-hundred years, at which time the old tattoo would be sliced away and a new one added once the flesh had healed. The tattoo on Arden’s chest shown many battle wounds, and perhaps his one-hundred years was coming to an end. Was this why he stayed with the werewolf? One last act of charity before the real job begins again?
“I am amazed… A guardian who has never heard of me,” she whispered, her voice distant.
“You said ‘he’ would come after me if I killed you.”
“I would imagine they both would come after you.” She looked back at the tattoo and ran her fingers over its design as she went on to explain. “I am the daughter of Jharell and the wife of Gysai’s first child, Demetrius.”
“Dianthia isn’t real.”
Her eyes met his. “Dianthia is dead. I’m called Laurel now.”
“I know Demetrius. He has never mentioned you.”
“To protect me, he keeps my existence a secret.”
“Why so candid now?”
“You are the only one keeping me alive. I doubt you will permit me to feed from the human or werewolf.”
Arden grabbed her shirt and handed it to her. “Do not lie to me.”
In a rush of anger, she ripped the shirt from his hand. “Feeding from deer may suit you, but I find it repulsive.”
“It’s not about survival, is it? Your pride is too strong.”
Lori grumbled. “You should be kneeling before me… But this modern age refuses to bow down to its past.”
“I bow only to Nauvia.”
“That’s obvious.”
Walking back to the door, Arden opened it. “You got what you wanted. Leave.”
“Without getting what you wanted?”
“I never accepted your offer.”
“True, but you didn’t turn it down either.”
Arden kept his eyes straight ahead and away from her. Anymore speaking on his behalf would send her spiraling into a verbal tirade.
With shirt in hand, Lori took her time as she walked toward the door, already defeated before she could test her limits. As she neared the door she stopped. “I know what you’re going to do with her.”
The words caught Arden off guard.
“Gifts like hers are sought after by a certain someone,” she explained. “Do you think I wouldn’t figure it out? You’re not going to tell her, are you?”
Arden didn’t respond.
Lori’s expression turned cold. “Shut the door.”
Giving in, he followed her order, locking it as well.
“I’m going to stay in this room until sunset,” she informed. “And you are going to do as I say. If not, I will inform the werewolf and human of your plan.”
“Your threats have no weight with me,” he made clear.
She smirked. “And yet you’re obeying me.”
“What else do you want?”
“Just you.” Dropping her shirt, she stepped toward to him and pulled him close, her lips pressed against his, parting as she urged him to do the same. The small act was enough to spark his animal side in continuing this further. Lori sensed his hunger for her increasing with each toying movement of her lips and tongue. She was willing to do anything to keep him on her side, and this day would be the first of many she would use to seal his obedience to her.

9

o words in Jayda’s vocabulary could describe the constant discomfort she felt within her mind. The looming presence was the strongest while she stayed in her room at Nicholas’ house. It centered around the energy still festering in the hall, sealed away from sight. Though the truth of the house’s past was now known, the thick energies remained, pressing around her without prejudice. She needed to get out of there, if only for a few hours.
As Jayda climbed the stairs to the main floor, she found the house empty and dark. Outside, night had sat in and the coolness to the air had returned. The porch’s floorboards creaked under her as she walked toward the other end. Light came from the garage as well as music from a radio. Curious, she headed off the porch and skulked to the garage’s side door. She reached for the door knob and stopped. What if the vampire was in there?
Listening to hip-hop?
Jayda’s doubts that the werewolf wasn’t alone sent her hand back to her side. She didn’t feel like talking to him anyway. Out of everyone staying within the house, it was the newest one, Lori, she felt the most comfortable around. Perhaps she was still in her room. As Jayda turned away from the door, she heard the handle click and the music grow louder. She looked back and saw Nicholas standing in the doorway.
“Is there something you want?” he asked.
Jayda stammered as she tried to conjure up any feasible response. “The… it’s just… the house was too quiet and I was looking for Lori, so I came out here, but I guess you haven’t seen her either.”
“She went out with Arden at sunset to hunt deer. That can take several hours.”
Hunting deer? Why would she go with him to hunt deer? There was something about that lady she couldn’t quite figure out. “Why would she…?” Jayda said before stopping herself. “I guess I’ll go inside and wait for her.”
“Or you can stay out here and help me.” He opened the door further and stepped to the side.
Jayda didn’t see this as an invitation but more like an order. With her eyes dropping to the ground, she entered the garage. The black van sat in the center, its hood up and new air filter ready to be installed. Nicholas nodded at the bench stool as he passed. “You can have a seat if you like,” he said, returning to his work on the van’s engine.
Again, she took this as an order and sat on the wobbly, aluminum stool. Her eyes moved around the cluttered garage. The place was the complete opposite of the house. Where everything was kept in its place inside, the garage was a wreck. Deer skulls, still crowned with antlers, lined walls, some hidden by stacks of boxes. An old soda machine sat in the far corner, its top covered in other odds and ends. More items filled the outer walls, with the center of the garage remaining clear enough for the van. The truth then struck Jayda. He only used the house for sleeping and work, while this area offered him a chance to escape.
She heard him talking to her but his words were lost amongst the music. She caught him looking back at her, waiting for an answer.
Jayda shook her head. “What did you say?”
Nicholas went to the bench and turned off the music, then continued installing the new filter. “I asked about today. Why did you try to leave?”
“I didn’t,” she answered, her eyes dropping back to the floor. “I just wanted to go for a walk.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Jayda swiveled around in the stool, propped her elbows on the bench and began to flip through an old Sears catalog. The careless action was to show a lack of interest in the question. “The house is suffocating. I needed a walk to clear my head.”
“Fine. Lie.”
She heard metal against metal as he returned to the engine.
“I would be more than happy to help you get home, but that’s not up to me,” he said.
“I’m alright staying here for now.” To utter the lie was harder than she thought, but she continued the facade. “I thought you needed my help.”
“Changing the filter and oil, I can handle that myself. The help I needed was some answers to my questions. What did you two talk about on your walk?”
Jayda flipped through the pages faster as her mind shuffled through any decent reply. “Nothing really. She says there’s more people out there like me. I don’t know if I should believe her. I want to.”
Nicholas, finished with his current task, grabbed a rag and wiped off his hands. He then turned around, leaning against the van. “I wouldn’t believe anything she has to say,” he replied. “I find it a little odd that she happened to be there last night. And she hasn’t been really forthcoming with her answers. Then there’s the fact of what she is.
The last sentence sent Jayda to swivel back around, her eyes narrowing at him. “What is she?”
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. “She didn’t tell you?”
“She was pretty much quiet about herself. She was more interested in me.”
“Well, she’s not human. Arden says she’s a half-breed; human and vampire. They’re suppose to be rare, even hunted by vampires. And if she’s lived this long, then she knows what to say in order to stay alive.”
“So she could be lying to me?”
“I would take anything she says with a grain of salt.”
“Oh.” Jayda looked away as she noticed herself watching him, watching her.
“Where did you grow up?” he asked, picking up a glass of ice water that sat beside the radio.
“Why do you want to know?”
“Just small talk.”
Jayda took in a deep breath, stalling as she debated on whether to tell the truth. “Montana.” The truth it was.
“A long way from home.”
“I have no home,” she mumbled.
Nicholas scooted another stool to the bench and sat down, taking a second drink from the glass before speaking. “How do you control it?”
“I can’t control it.”
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t know what it is. I just hear things, but it’s not words, it’s more like feelings. And they’re starting to become stronger.”
“So you don’t talk to the dead or read thoughts?”
“Nothing like that.”
“What’s your real name?”
Jayda answered, her eyes returning to him. “Jennifer.”
Nicholas’ tone changed, softening as he continued his questions. “How did you get mixed up with them?”
“I, uhm. I ran away. I went to Las Vegas to find work.”
“How old were you?”
“Fifteen. I got a fake ID, tried passing myself off as twenty-one. I’m not sure if it worked, but no one outwardly questioned me. I worked as a waitress in the beginning, then did a few months in laundry at a hotel. Went back to waitressing, this time at a strip club. Stayed there the longest. The tips were better. I started seeing this guy. He was very secretive. And then one night when he was picking me up from work, he took me into the desert. There were other cars there and other girls. He put me with them. They, uh… They took everything of ours; clothes, purses, phones, everything. We all stood there as the auction began. We were runaways, already on missing posters. I was sold to the group who bought most of the girls. One man bought several girls and ordered them to run if they wanted to live. After they took off, he asked if anyone wanted to go hunting. He made his money back, plus some. I remember hearing the girls’ screams in the darkness and kept thinking how lucky I was to get the better deal.”
“I’m sorry,” Nicholas said.
“Why are you sorry? You’ve done nothing wrong.”
“We were suppose to kill everyone in that place. We were suppose to kill you.”
“Alive or dead, it doesn’t matter now.” She straightened herself on the stool. “Can you do something for me?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“The one who sold me, can you find him for me?”
Nicholas shook his head. “I’m not killing him for you. He’s your kill. All I can do is give you the gun.”
“Then get me a gun.”
He slumped in his seat, watching her carefully. This was a different side to her, a fire that was long since extinguished was beginning to spark back into life. Was this the real Jennifer or the true damaged one?
“Give me his name and possible address,” he said within a sigh.
“Jason Randall Martin. He was last living at the Christine Apartments in Las Vegas.”
Burning the name into his mind, Nicholas replied, “I’ll see what I can do.”

8

dull hunger pang grew within Lori’s stomach. This hunger, different from the one she frequently gave into, came from her human side and was easily silenced with blood. But on few occasions the thought of eating human food was just as tempting. Pizza happened to be her favorite, topped off with extra cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives.
Olives, she inwardly drooled. I would give anything for a bowl of black olives.
Crossing the room to the door, Lori unlocked the handle and looked into the hallway. The light at the other end, almost unnoticed by human eyes, was enough for her to see. Several doors lined the long hallway, all shut and perhaps locked. Her interest wasn’t with them but rather the kitchen that was hidden somewhere within the maze that was the house.
Lori rounded the corner and found the small kitchenette. The room contained a simple table and chairs, refrigerator, sink, microwave, and a basic oven, with white cabinets running along one wall. She flipped on the lights. The place was spotless. No fruit or other food sat out for quick use or any canisters of flour or sugar. Going to the cabinets, Lori began to search for any morsel of food. Her search ended at the refrigerator. Old containers of Chinese food sat on the top shelf, while the door and other shelves contained other unsavory things, mostly condiments. Lori’s eyes dropped to the drawers at the bottom and began to look through them. Her spirits lifted as she found a small bag of oranges. Choosing the perfect one, she stood up, pleased at her find.
“I thought I heard someone up.”
Lori jumped at the sound of a female’s voice. She looked toward the doorway and saw a petite human with shaggy, short, black hair. She had never seen the girl before but her voice was familiar. Was this the phoenix?
“I’m going back to my room,” replied Lori, her hands covering the orange like it was some precious orb.
The girl lowered her head as she crossed her arms over her stomach, hugging herself. Lori stopped and read the subtle body language. “Are you a prisoner here?” she whispered.
“No, I… I want to go outside for a little bit, just to take a walk. They don’t allow me to go upstairs during the day, but I was thinking that if you accompanied me, then it’ll be all right.”
Lori shrugged. “I guess a short walk won’t hurt. What’s your name?”
“Jayda,” the she replied, a new hint of nervousness rising within her voice. “What’s yours?”
“Lori.”
Jayda forced out a smile. “Nice to meet you, Lori. We can talk more outside.”
As they climbed the stairs to the first floor, Lori mentally mapped the house’s layout. It was easy to see that the majority of the building’s activity took place below ground level. A typical comfort structure for most werewolves. Havens, the buildings used by vampires as sanctuaries, were constructed partially underground as well, but served as a means to hide from the sun. And havens were more like low-key hotels, while this place was a more like a private home. No, not a werewolf haven but a den. A nice, relaxing den that could house ten guests comfortably.
But there was a mystery to this place. Why would a lone werewolf require such a large den? The place had the makings of a perfect headquarters for any pack, and the renovations smelled fresh.
Reaching the front porch, Jayda stepped into the sun and kept walking with a new burst of energy. Lori, on the other hand, lagged behind, her attention returning to the orange as she began to remove its peel. Though the sun pressed down on her and stung her eyes, she continued on.
“It’s kind of too easy, don’t you think?” Lori asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Escaping. You know they heard us up and about, so why didn’t they stop us?”
Jayda stopped walking and looked back at the house. “Maybe they don’t want us.”
Pulling off the last of the orange’s peel, Lori broke it in half and offered it to the girl. Jayda waved away the fruit. Lori shrugged and took a bite, talking as she ate. “If that were the case, then why haven’t they offered to take us into town or help us get back to our homes?”
“You’re right,” she whispered, her fear doubling. Turning around she continued down the driveway, walking faster this time. Lori sighed and followed.
The road cut through the woods with trees towering overhead and blocking the direct sun. Lori breathed in the cooler air as she finished eating the orange. The small meal was enough to quiet her hunger. “What’s the plan?” she asked.
“Get to the main road and flag someone down.”
“Where to then?”
“I’ll think of something.”
Lori remained a few strides behind her as she kept her questions coming. “Why not stay?”
Jayda didn’t answer at first. Why did she want to leave? “I spent my time in one prison. I’m not staying in another,” she quietly answered.
“I thought you said you weren’t a prisoner?”
“What about you?” she deflected. “What brought you here?”
“I was checking up on some old friends last night.”
“Is that sarcasm?”
Lori smirked. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”
Jayda slowed down to walk beside her. “How can you be so lighthearted about this? He almost killed you last night.”
“Oh, that ol’ brute? It will take more than blood loss to kill me.”
“What is that suppose to mean?”
Giving her a sideways glance, Lori realized the obvious. “They don’t let you in on a lot, do they?”
Jayda’s eyes went to the road as she shrugged. “I don’t really know them. I was… they were hired to kill the pack I belonged to.”
Shocked, Lori remarked before thinking. “You were a pack slave?” The term struck the poor girl harder than a wooden club. Lori tried to recover. “The practice of slavery within a pack was banished centuries ago. Humans are a protected species in the eyes of werewolves. There are actually laws and groups out there that try to stop this on a daily basis. You should be thanking them for saving you.”
With a weak voice, Jayda replied, “I did. But that’s not the complete story. I think they want me around for another reason.”
“Sex?” Lori said, again, speaking before thinking.
Instead a showing a look of disgust, the word didn’t faze the human. “No, it’s nothing like that. There was a reason why I lasted as long as I did within the pack. The alpha kept me around because of my Sight.”
The last word snagged onto Lori’s interest. “Sight?”
“Some call it an ability. I can’t control it, but there’s times when I know something is going to happen. I know it sounds completely weird, but I know what I see and these things come true.”
“How clear are these visions?”
“Sometimes they’re not even visions. Most of the time they’re just thoughts, but I know them as truth. A few times they’ve been of the past, like watching a movie. The last one was in that house. It was so vivid. I could feel and smell everything.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry I’m going on like this. I just don’t have anyone to talk to.”
“It’s all right. I’m a very good listener. Feel free to spill, spill, spill.” Lori found herself flashing a genuine grin. “You think you’re alone, don’t you?”
Jayda’s face lit up. “Are you…?”
“Like you? Nope, no clairvoyance here. But sometimes—on some rare occasions—I like to think I can read people’s thoughts. Not really a gift I’m born with, only borrowed.”
“Borrowed?”
“Long, long, story. But you… I know a place where you can be worshipped for the gift you carry. You don’t know how special you are.”
“This isn’t a gift.”
Lori could see herself dropping her guard around this girl. There was nothing malicious within her. And in a twisted view of the current conversation, she saw this as the beginning of a long friendship. “Give it some time. You’ll see things differently.”
Picking up her pace, Jayda began to run as she saw the main road come into view. Lori continued to take her time in reaching the girl who frantically looked up and down the road.
“I don’t know which way to go,” Jayda admitted. “I never saw which direction they came in from.”
Lori slid her hands into her back pockets and faked her interest in the choice. “All roads lead to a town, unless they say ‘Dead End,’ which in this case you don’t have to worry about. I think I have a coin if you want to flip on it.” She began to check her front pockets.
“Wait, you’re not going?”
Retrieving a silver coin from her pocket, Lori held it up to look at the old, Greek piece. The small object held more worth to her than anything else she possessed. “All right. If it lands on Athena, you go this way”—she nodded to the right—“Pegasus, you go that way”—she nodded to the left. “Ready?”
Jayda grabbed the wrist holding the coin. “Please come with me! I can’t do this alone.”
“You’ll be fine. You’re a tough girl.”
She shook her head, confused. “Why do you want to stay there?”
Lori sucked in her lower lip and returned the coin to her pocket, followed with a deep breath. “Tell you what. If you can tough it out and wait for me, then I promise I can get you out of there. Deal?”
“I want to leave now.”
Lori remained firm. “Do we have a deal?”
Sensing the seriousness in her voice, Jayda nodded. “It’s a deal.”
The sound of footsteps on gravel came to Lori’s ears. She grumbled. “The wolf is looking for us.”
Jayda once again became frantic as she tugged on the young woman’s wrist, urging her to run.
“Not that way,” said Lori, her own hand taking hold of Jayda’s wrist and leading her into the woods. She kept their pace steady as not to provoke the werewolf into a chase. The new path took them in a large circle and away from the driveway, ending as they came to the woods’ edge with the house a football field’s length away. Lori released Jayda’s wrist as they returned to the house.
Instead of heading inside, Lori took a seat on the porch’s steps, relaxing casually while Jayda continued to stand.
The werewolf rounded the corner of the driveway and approached. He looked as though he was in a hurry to leave the house, dressed only in a white tee-shirt, blue jeans, and unlaced work boots. Even his short, blond hair was unkempt.
“What are you doing out here?” he fumed as he neared them.
Jayda hung her head in response to his anger while Lori stared at him, unflinching.
“Chill,” she defended. “We were restless, so we took a walk. No harm done.”
“You aren’t allowed to leave the house during the day.”
“Sorry,” she mocked. “Your rules. Not mine.”
He pointed at the front door. “Get inside, now.”
Lori glared at him. “You can’t give me orders.”
“I believe I just did.”
Unable to withstand the tension, Jayda obediently headed inside.
Lori closed her eyes and leaned back, her face skyward as she soaked up the midday sun.
“Get inside,” he repeated.
Rolling her head forward, she opened her eyes, the carefree persona melting away. “No wolf commands me.”
Nicholas stepped closer and grabbed her arm, pulling her off the steps. Lori wiggled from his grip, brushing past him to stand in the driveway. She heard a growl escape him.
“I will go inside when I’m ready,” she said.
“If you want to leave, then do it at night. I’ll even drive you into town.”
“I didn’t say anything about leaving. You’re stuck with me, furball. I’m not going anywhere.” She looked him over and smirked. “I bet you’re not so tough without your hired muscle.”
The rudeness of this girl was too much for Nicholas. This was his home, his land, and no one had the power to order him around. He went for her upper arm and began to drag her to the house. Lori, however, wasn’t finished testing him. She twisted her arm around and took hold of his, jerking him back and bringing her other hand to his neck. Her legs then swept his feet out from under him, his back striking the ground first. The quick movements ended as Lori moved over top of him, her fangs ready for his flesh. She closed in before he had time to push her away.
Lori bit hard into his neck, its real purpose to show dominance than to draw blood. She bared down, her other teeth threatening to break the skin, as well. Nicholas grabbed a handful of her hair and gave a strong tug, causing Lori to release her bite. She eased up long enough to pin his arms to the ground.
Her cold eyes stared into his and saw the first hints of his wolf side beginning to show through. His eyes, once blue, were now a light amber, and through his drawn lips she saw his teeth—menacing fangs, upper and lower, perfect instruments in ripping through flesh and muscle.
Lori’s face softened. She had tested him enough. Any further actions would result in a full on fight with the werewolf, a feat she had no need for. She saw what she wanted. This werewolf could be trusted.
Lori calmly backed away from him and stood, her hands at her sides in a show of obedience. Without a word, she headed into the house, leaving the wolf bewildered by the incident.
As she moved deeper into the house she saw no sign of Jayda. The terrified girl was probably back in her room, door locked and waiting for the day Lori would make good on her deal. But the girl had nothing to worry about. No one would kill her because of the gift she carried. In the right company she would be protected by the strongest—protected by brutes like Nicholas’ pet.
Lori opened the door to her bedroom. From within the darkness, a hand shot out and grabbed her arm, pulling her inside. She heard the door slam shut and felt a strong hand grab her once more, holding her by the throat.
The words that came from Arden were filled with raw anger, a complete one-eighty from the emotionless exterior he was so skilled at carrying. “Showing disrespect to Nicholas shows disrespect to me,” he hissed.
“No one here can order me around!” she almost shouted, her own anger blistering to the surface. “Especially not some guardian. You should be—”
“I am ordering you.” He squeezed his hand, nails digging further into her skin. “We allow you to stay here, and in doing so, you will obey the rules.”
Lori clenched her teeth as she was forced to silence her pride.
Arden released her, adding, “Rest during the day hours. Moving about in the sun attracts unwanted attention. As a dhampir who has lived this long you should know how to keep a low profile.”
Lori wanted to reply but held her tongue. She wanted him to leave the room. Staring him down, she was the first to divert her eyes. “I agree,” she muttered.
Scoffing at the hollow promise, Arden left the room and headed down the hall, back to his room.
Nicholas entered the hallway, still fuming from the incident outside. “I don’t care what she knows about this group,” he snapped out. “I want that thing out of here.”
Arden’s exterior returned to normal as he answered. “It was simpler when it was just you and I.”
Nicholas scratched the back of his head, his anger subsiding. “We can talk about this later,” he said as he walked past the vampire, dragging his boots with each step. He went into his room and locked the door, one of the rare times he heard him do so.
Things were simpler when it was just them. But Arden had his own mission this day. He heard Lori move about in search of the kitchen, and even speaking with Jayda. He had then heard them leave the house. It was only at that moment did he alert Nicholas to their absence. Arden’s plan was to see what Lori would do. Would she actually leave with Jayda or convince her to stay? In all honesty, he assumed they would go through with it. But he was surprised to hear them return.
The dhampir’s actions, on the other hand, led him to believe she was planning something. She seemed to jump at the opportunity to show her dominance over Nicholas, but in Arden’s presence, she was quick to back down. Perhaps it was the fact that hunting her kind was seen as sport to him. He still hadn’t made his decision on how he would deal with her. But if her insubordinate behavior against Nicholas continued, he wouldn’t think twice in removing her head.

7

Present Day

n a roof within the city’s warehouse district, Lori mentally cursed at the storm ready to unleash itself. She looked through the binoculars and scanned the scene again. The Brotherhood was here, but were they going to spring their trap? The werewolf and vampire were on the cusp of this snare, being tested to see if they were worth the trouble.
It wasn’t by chance that she was in the city on this particular night. Lori had been watching this group for almost a year. She would pick up stories from others, most told to them by someone else, but they were all she had to go on. From the beginning, the only reliable information she gathered was from Gale. This group was more difficult to follow than SEVEN.
But her revenge wasn’t aimed at the group itself, but at Owen Hartley. The rodent was transferred out of the facility in Arizona and sent elsewhere. Lori lost track of him after his transfer. Armed with various license plate numbers, however, her searching began. Owen was part of the teams used to bring in their new test subjects. All she had to do was follow the vehicles and hope Owen would show his face.
She hated this type of hunt. Patience wasn’t her strongest trait. She wanted the kill. And the team for tonight? Her body crawled with excitement. Owen had to show himself one of these days.
Lori felt her breath catch in her throat. She wasn’t alone. The feeling of eyes on her made her blood run cold. Another few drops of rain struck the concrete ledge as her mind raced over the right plan of escape. Down the main stairwell? No, too obvious. Down the fire escape? Or jump off the roof? Lori lowered the binoculars. How about a fight? She wanted to smile at the thought.
Turning around, Lori’s eyes rested on the last thing she imagined to see. The vampire, who accompanied the werewolf, stood across the roof, watching her with no a hint of emotion. The wind picked up, stirring his long, black hair and black clothes, the only parts of him that shown movement.
His clothes. Lori scolded herself for not noticing them earlier. Simple at first glance, she now saw the intricacies of their design. The long coat was made of heavy, black fabric and accented with silver pieces—a garment mixing historical and modern. These were the common garments used by Haven Guardians. This type of vampire couldn’t be reasoned with or manipulated. All guardians were created by the Originals. But who did he belong to?
With her back to the roof’s edge, Lori needed to end the brief stalemate between them. Her choice of action wasn’t the smartest or bravest, she just needed to distract him long enough to get out of there. Reaching behind her waist, she retrieved her gun and fired, unloading it as she began to run. The gun went empty as she approached the end of the roof. Not stopping her momentum, she leapt into the air and landed on the next building, a story shorter than the other.
The rain began to fall.
Lori continued to run. This wasn’t happening! All of her patience and work, to end at the hands of a fucking guardian! She had to outsmart him. Her mind tried to form a plan, but as she felt something grab onto her hair, her thoughts went from her new plan to any chance of survival.
Arden grabbed a handful of the woman’s hair and pulled back, sending her off balance and to the roof. He stood over her, his boot crushing the hand still holding the gun.
Through the rain, Lori looked up at him and saw the blood on his face where a bullet struck his cheek. A bullet to the head would’ve been better, would’ve given me a few extra minutes. Why didn’t I shoot him in the head to begin with?
“Who are you?” he asked.
Tell him the truth. “I’m not your concern,” she said. “You and your friend are walking into a trap.”
He stared at her as if trying to read her thoughts. Was he capable of doing so? Lori shielded her mind.
“What makes you believe this?” he said.
“Trust me. I know these guys better than you.” Why am I afraid of him? Guardians are suppose to bow down before me.
Bracing one leg on the roof, Lori brought the other one up and around, kicking him in the stomach. All of her strength was behind the quick swipe. The vampire was sent backwards, caught off guard by her abrupt attack. Lori saw no chance in escaping him while he was at the peak of his strength, so her tactic changed. She was going to fight him long enough to find the right opening and hopefully weaken him. The best way to weaken a vampire was to remove their blood, a plan that would give her own strength a boost, but only temporary. Though she savored the taste of human blood, vampire blood enticed her more. She feared the many broken bones as a result of this plan.
The vampire pulled himself to stand, taking his time as he tried to read further into this woman. She stood a few strides before him, gun still on the ground and her body dropped into a fighting stance.
“You wish to fight me?” he said, the emotion still absent from him.
“I have no choice. You won’t let me leave.”
“You have a choice. Who are you and why are you watching us?”
Don’t play your hand too soon, she warned herself. Stick with what he needs to know. “Please, listen to me. Get in the van and drive away. Refuse to help them.”
Lori expected him to reply but the vampire moved forward, beginning his own attack, his speed surprising. She dodged to the side but his hands still found her. Lori tried to free herself from his grip, twisting her body around and throwing the back of her elbow into his face. The jarring strike loosened his hold and she pulled herself free—hands balling into fists and flying into him over and over. The vampire took the shots to his face before deflecting them with his arms. He didn’t fight back. He was still reading her.
The realization squashed Lori’s aggression. She could feel herself losing her momentum. The fear returned. He knew. He knew she wasn’t human. She was too strong, too quick to be a human. But why continue to stay on the defensive? What was he planning?
A new realization came into view. He was debating whether to kill her or…
Lori threw a series of final punches and kicks, gaining back some of her energy as she struggled to send him off balance once more. He didn’t budge. She had no other way out; she had to run.
Shifting her weight, she began running for the edge of the roof, hoping to leap to the ground and run for her car. Getting on the road was her only sanctuary. As she neared the edge, she felt his hands return to her, this time grabbing the back of her clothing. His actions were too fast for her to retaliate. The pressure of his teeth in her neck caused her to gasp. This was his way of ending their fight.
Lori could feel her blood and strength leaving her. He wasn’t taking his time to enjoy this. He wanted her dead. She heard her own voice pleading with him. “Don’t kill me. Don’t kill me. Kill me and he’ll come after you. Stop. Stop! Please, stop. Please… stop.” Her voice trailed off but her mouth continued to form the words.
Arden heard her mind grow quiet as her pleas softened. Deep within her fading thoughts, she begged for help. The image of an old soul shimmered to the surface before losing itself amidst her dying consciousness.
He lifted his head to look at the woman in his arms. She hung lifeless, her heart falling quiet as well, unable to continue its steady rhythm. He had killed dhampirs before, but he had never met one as strong as her. And the taste of her blood confused him the most. He knew each vampire could be traced back to one of the Original Six. Even with the generations placed between them and the source—diluting the once pure blood—the telltale taste was still there. This woman… the blood within her spoke of Jharell and Gysai. How could she be a product of both lineages? She wasn’t a normal dhampir.
Arden called out to Nicholas with his mind. The order simply told him that they needed to leave. The rain, added with the dhampir’s warning, were too many red flags telling him to back off. He had to trust his instinct. Someone else was watching them this night.

In the back of the van, Jayda was ripped from her sleep as she heard the side doors open. The vampire laid the body of a woman on the floor next to the cargo containers. The woman was pale, her light, red hair drenched from the rain and covered her face like netting. Jayda stared at her, not even blinking as the doors shut. She heard Arden speaking to Nicholas outside, their words lost among the heavy rain striking the van’s roof .
The front doors opened as they climbed inside. Nicholas picked up on the new scent and looked in the back.
“Who is she?” he asked.
“Get us out of here,” demanded Arden. Jayda actually heard something else within his voice. It wasn’t anger but fear. Did something actually spook him? What on this planet had the power to frighten him?
Jayda stared at the woman again as the van started to move. She looked dead. Touching the woman’s face, she felt the warmth still within her and nothing else. No crackling of images dared to surface or any sense of who she was. Her odd ability had a known habit of only working when it wanted to. But the torrent of images she saw within Nicholas’ house, she had never experienced anything that strong before.
Jayda sat back, eyes still on the woman. What was so special about her that kept Arden from killing her? Could she be like me? The thought was comforting.

Who in the hell parked their elephant on my head? And why do I keep seeing green, smoky dragons? I want a slice of cheese pizza.
Blood loss affected most people the same way. Lori, on the other hand, knew that any severe loss would force her body into a defensive sleep. As the sleep deepened, her mind would be the next thing to lock itself away.
She envisioned her attacker as a giant, black bird, wrapping its wings around her and its beak slicing through her flesh, feasting on every morsel. She was at his mercy. He could easily kill her—removal of her heart or head. Unlike her father’s kind, her body wasn’t as resilient. A part of her, blurred within her linage, was her humanity. As much as she tried to squash its presence, she could feel it festering within like a sore brimming with maggots.
The elephant caught scent of some peanuts and lumbered away from Lori’s head to find them. The green, smoky dragons, however, continued to swirl about, their hissing becoming rasps of words.
“Who is she?” one dragon asked.
“I don’t know,” replied the other dragon, his voice deeper than his buddy.
“Let’s get her inside.”
The dragons wisped around her, their touch like thin velvet, and carried her through the darkness. Pops and rattling hissed around her as well, bringing with them flashes of light. Another wisp of smoke came into view, this one a radiant orange and in the form of a phoenix. The creature’s voice moved from her in a cascade of blue—caring and serene. The dragons hissed at this one, telling her to wait in her cage. In a fluster of orange the phoenix disappeared into the darkness.
The touch of the dragons left Lori as she felt her body falling to rest on a sea floor, her slow impact stirring up the soft, sandy bottom. Around her the dragons continued to churn within themselves, their hollow eyes watching her.
“You took too much,” one dragon commented.
The second dragon—the frightening dragon—moved over Lori, its form melting into a thick cloud, blocking out everything she once saw. The wisps from the cloud opened her mouth and began to slid itself inside. From a massless form, the invading cloud grew heavy and thick, awaking her sense of taste, and this was a taste she knew. Blood. Vampire’s blood. Vampire?
A shattering jolt of lightning ripped through Lori’s mind, waking her fully as she sat up in the bed, her hands pushing the vampire away. The vampire’s hands returned to her, forcing her back to the bed, his weight on her shoulders.
Lori’s wild eyes searched her new surroundings. The vampire she once fought on the roof sat on top of her, straddling her waist, his grip like stone. Another person stood beside the bed with his arms crossed over his chest, watching her. His lack of compassion was as absent as the vampire’s. “What’s your name?” he asked.
Just answer their questions. You can ask yours later. “Lori,” she replied.
“Who was waiting for us?”
Lori glanced at the vampire still holding her down. As her eyes met his, she looked away and answered. “The Brotherhood of Osiris.”
“Who are they?”
The vampire above her spoke. “I’ve heard of them. They’re an old society of necromancers.”
“Why were they after us?” the werewolf continued to press.
Squirming underneath the vampire’s grip, Lori tried to roll onto her side, away from him. The vampire reaffirmed his hold as his hand went under her jaw, keeping her eyes on them.
“Tell us,” demanded the werewolf.
Lori’s body softened as she gave in. Okay, enough playing around. “I think it was their plan to add you both to their collection,” she choked out.
A look of confusion found the werewolf. “How do you know this?”
“Because I was one of their little projects.”
“And you happened to be there tonight by chance?”
The skepticism was caked within his words and body language. The CliffsNotes of her story would have to do for now.
“I was captured by them six years ago,” she began. “They tried to control me and exploit what I am. A lot of their tactics involve brainwashing and drugs. They strip away who you are to make you into the perfect subject; obedient to the end. I refused to yield to their program. And that was enough to stamp my file with the big, red word ‘Termination’. Before my body could be burned, a cleaning lady snuck me out of that place. I stayed with her while I healed and she told me all she knew about The Brotherhood.”
The confusion left the werewolf’s face as he went back over her words. “Why did they want you?”
Lori wasn’t sure how to answer him. Telling them the truth about The Brotherhood was one thing, but to explain her history to them now? She didn’t even know where to begin or how she should hide the truth.
“She’s a dhampir,” the vampire answered as he removed his hand from her neck. “A half-breed.”
The werewolf shot him a puzzled look. “Is that even possible?”
“Offspring of a male vampire and a female human,” he explained, sitting back, his eyes still on her. “It’s possible, but rare. They are abominations that are hunted down and killed.”
Lori finally turned her head away from them and spoke. “You can’t keep me here.”
“You haven’t told us everything you know,” the werewolf replied. “We’re not going to hurt you, if that’s what you’re worried about. We can continue this later after you have some time to rest.”
Closing her eyes, Lori listened to the werewolf’s footsteps as he headed for the door. The sound of his shoes striking the hardwood floor, added with the hidden inflection in his voice, told her of the stress he was under. She then heard him open the door and call out to the vampire.
“Arden, leave her. She’s not going anywhere.”
“I wish to speak with her alone.”
The werewolf took in a deep breath. “Fine. But remember what I promised; we’re not going to harm her.”
“Don’t worry. It’s only words.”
As the door closed, Lori felt the weight of the vampire leave her and the bed. Her stomach knotted as she heard him locking the door. She sensed him standing at the foot of the bed, her body now feeling the weight of his eyes.
“Who are your parents?” he asked.
Lori didn’t answer. She kept her eyes closed and wrapped her arms around her head, shielding herself from his stares. She felt like a spoiled child refusing to own up to the mess they created.
Arden continued to speak. “I, unlike Nicholas, am not interested in The Brotherhood. Your parents, who are they?”
“My mother…” Her voice gave out in the wake of uncertainty. Don’t tell him. “My mother’s name was Robin Carrick. My father’s name is Jared Carrick.” Half-truths, that’s all he needs to know.
“When and where were you born?”
Lori picked out a date and city she used in her previous life six years ago. “I was born twenty years ago on November 5th, in Vancouver. Would you like to know my shoe size, as well?”
“Who is your father’s sire?”
“Outside of a name, I know nothing about my father.”
“Yet you know he is alive.”
Shit, she scolded herself. What to say, what to say… “I saw him eight years ago. So yeah, he’s still out there.” She finally opened her eyes and looked at him. “I know what guardians are capable of, so my protection lays with one question; Who do you belong to?”
He tilted his head at the direct question. “Dhampirs avoid havens. How do you know what I am?”
“Clothing is a status symbol across all cultures. But which master you serve is my question.”
“Nauvia,” he said without hesitation.
“The Indian Princess,” Lori scoffed. The thoughtless remark struck a nerve within the vampire. She quickly backtracked as she sat up in the bed. “I do my research. It’s not based on any personal feelings, really. I wanted to know more about my father’s side of the family. I also learned about the role of guardians and that I needed to steer clear of them. It’s your job to kill my kind as well as protect the haven you’re assigned to.”
“I’m not really sure what you are,” he admitted. “Dhampirs don’t have fangs.”
“Dhampirs aren’t suppose to exist in the first place, right? Variations of the anomaly, so to speak. Can I trust your loyalty to Nicholas that you won’t harm me?”
“I obey him when I please. But I still don’t know what you are, therefore my judgment must wait.”
Not yet. String him along for now. Lori swallowed at the fake lump forming in her throat. “I won’t run. You have my word.”
The vampire loomed over the foot of the bed for a few passing moments, reading the fear within the young woman. She was telling the truth. Deceit was an easy trait for him to sense within others. This woman’s fear would keep her compliant.
Swirling within a sea of self-made hysteria, Lori watched as the vampire left the room, leaving the door unlocked. Keeping up the facade she jumped up from the bed and locked the door, then let out a sigh as the unneeded tension left her body.
You still have the upper hand. Let them believe they need you.