CRAVE

OUR LOVE IS WORTH DYING FOR.

NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

TERESA MUMMERT

COPYRIGHT © 2011 BY TERESA MUMMERT

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS BOOK OR ANY PORTION THEREOF MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OR USED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER EXCEPT FOR THE USE OF BRIEF QUOTATIONS IN A BOOK REVIEW.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ISBN: 9781311906281

ISBN 13: 978-1530196791

WWW.TERESAMUMMERT.COM

SYNOPSIS

All I craved was one night to forget about the tragic murder of my brother Marcus. Elijah Malakai seemed like the perfect person to take my mind off everything my family had endured. He was a hunter and for the first time in years, I felt safe.

However, Elijah had his own tragic past. As his secrets unraveled, my world was thrown into turmoil once more.

I had to decide whether or not Elijah was worth the pain his past would bring and if I was strong enough to stand by his side and fight.

CONTENTS

SYNOPSIS

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

FIGHT

CHAPTER ONE

SORRY FOR MYSELF

CHAPTER TWO

EMBERS

CHAPTER THREE

LEAP OF FAITH

CHAPTER FOUR

SACRIFICIAL LAMBS

CHAPTER FIVE

INTRUDER

CHAPTER SIX

MONSTER WITHIN

CHAPTER SEVEN

PREPARATION

CHAPTER EIGHT

V POSITIVE

CHAPTER NINE

DELIVER US FROM EVIL

CHAPTER TEN

LIKE THE DEAD

CHAPTER ELEVEN

WITH YOU

CHAPTER TWELVE

HELPLESS

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

FEED

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

BLOODLUST

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

SAVE YOU

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THE PLAN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

VIVIANA HAPPENED

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

JUMP

CHAPTER NINETEEN

TAKE A LITTLE

CHAPTER TWENTY

INNOCENT BYSTANDER

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

TOO EASY

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

A MILE AWAY

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

OVER EASY

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHURCH AND MAIN

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

WAR

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

WAVES

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ELDERS

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

HONEYSUCKLE AND GRASS

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

LIKE RUM

CHAPTER THIRTY

TRUST

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

PORTER

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

REST HAVEN

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

NEVER FORGET

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

AGAINST THE WORLD

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

GLIMMER OF HOPE

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

ANIMALISTIC

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

BE STILL MY HEART

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

WHAT’S IN A NAME

EPILOGUE

DÉJÀ VU

CHAPTER ONE… AGAIN

ELIJAH MALAKAI

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TERESA MUMMERT

PROLOGUE

FIGHT

I stood on the thin ledge of my hotel’s roof as my heart pounded rapidly inside of my chest. Kicking my sandals off, I watched them flutter toward the ground below, disappearing into the darkness of the night as the concrete bit into my soles. I hoped I would be as lucky. I just wanted to fade into oblivion and out of existence like the others before me as they became a memory.

I inched forward slowly until my toes hung over the edge, freedom from the turmoil that plagued me within reach. Stretching my arms out to my sides, I braced for my disappearing act. I hoped my next life would be less cruel, one where the monsters remained inside of our heads and not outside of our doors clawing to get inside.

It started with a bite but less dramatic than you’d probably imagine. Just like a simple nip from a mosquito could transfer diseases like the Zika virus that could mutate human offspring and then be transmitted from person to person, so did Vampirism. Only it didn’t spread as rapidly with vaccinations such as the TDap immunization that inadvertently made human blood a less than an appealing host starting as young as two months old, or even in the womb if the mother had opted for their own shot while pregnant.

Unfortunately, adults rarely went back for booster shots and many began not vaccinating their children altogether when it was rumored that they could possibly cause autism. If only they knew what was actually being spread. By the time vampires were discovered, the damage had been done.

At least, that’s what the government told us, to keep us lined up in the clinics and feeling like we had some semblance of control over our fate. All we needed was a simple prick, the president told us. He was a simple prick who had no idea what he was talking about. The truth was, vampires had been around a lot longer than we liked to admit and there was nothing we could do to stop them.

Thousands took what they called the easy way out, committing mass suicides to get the jump on the end of the world and meet their maker. But they were wrong as well. There was nothing easy about what they’d done.

Sure, their pain ended in the blink of an eye but their pain didn’t die with them, only transferred to those who’d loved them. Same with the victims who’d fallen prey to the vamps. Pain, like love, didn’t die. It wasn’t human. It wasn’t something tangible. Until we all were gone, it just collected, building up like sludge in the souls who were still struggling to make it through another day until it clogged up the heart and we lost all will to continue. The population was rapidly dwindling and the heartache was spreading like an infectious disease.

The air whipped around me, engulfing me with the smells of the city. The scent of life was intoxicating, but it was the death that lurked in the shadows that terrified me. I let out a deep sigh as fat tears rolled down my cheeks and jumped backward to safety onto the roof.

THIS WAS NOT MY DAY TO DIE.

WHEN I GO, IT WILL BE WITH A FIGHT,

NOT A SURRENDER.

CHAPTER ONE

SORRY FOR MYSELF

I wandered back to my apartment barefoot and brokenhearted.  It was one of those nights that you dared someone to mess with you. No one did, of course, and I made it home without anyone so much as glancing in my direction. Even the hunters who stood guard through the night acted as if I was invisible. I posed only a threat to myself, and I couldn’t even go through with that.

Throwing my purse on the kitchen table, I grabbed a beer from the fridge. Sinking down on my couch, I turned on the evening news and braced for the inevitable. The current ticker filled with undead crimes scrolled across the bottom of the screen as if it wasn’t something out of a horror movie.

“Monsters,” I groaned under my breath as I chugged my drink, setting the bottle on the coffee table.  My doorbell rang, jolting me from my self-loathing and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“Who is it?” I called out as a gripped the small handgun stuck in the back of my jeans, my trembling fingers flexing against the warm metal that dug into the flesh of my lower back.

“This how I taught you to greet people?” My dad’s voice called from the hallway.

“Shit.” I released the gun and unlocked the door, plastering on a fake smile. “Sorry, Dad.”

My father was the strongest person I knew growing up. I never feared anything because nothing could ever hurt me with him around. Today, his hair is peppered gray and his face shows long lines from a terrible life of loss and regret. The world had changed a lot since I was a kid. Now no one was safe.

“I wasn’t invited to the party.” He held up my empty beer bottle as he cocked his eyebrow.

“It’s been a long day.” I snatched the bottle from his hand bracing for a long father/daughter talk.

“The family is worried about you. You never call or show up for family functions,” his voice trailed off, concern written all over his weathered face.

“I’ve had a lot on my mind.” Tossing the empty bottle in the trash, I grabbed two cold ones from the fridge. I opened them both before handing one to my dad as a peace offering.

“Yeah, so it seems.” He eyed his drink before taking a long swig. I expected a lecture about my drinking but he only sighed, a faraway look in his eye. “You know, when Marcus died it hurt all of us. You don’t have to be alone, Eva.” Staring off at the television, his gaze went unfocused and I knew he was struggling to keep his emotions under control. Slipping inside of my room, I put my gun on my dresser so I wouldn’t have to listen to him drone on about gun safety.

My brother Marcus had gotten mixed up with a bad crowd. He had always been in and out of jail, but it was usually for relatively harmless crimes. Until the night a group of locals decided they would rob a vampire owned business, whom they thought owed them something for taking away jobs from the living. Marcus couldn’t resist a quick buck, regardless of the cause.

They broke into a local vampire blood bank during the early morning hours, stealing thousands in cash and destroying a huge cache of blood. It had been purchased from people in need of money or donated by vampire rights supporters. I knew he brought trouble on himself, I just don’t think he deserved to die for it.

“How’s Mom?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“She’s seen better days.” A deep sigh escaped him as guilt settled deeper in my chest.

I took a long pull from my bottle, struggling to form the correct response in my brain. I couldn’t come up with anything that wouldn’t come off sounding callous and insincere. Mom always favored Marcus. He was a perpetual screw-up, but she never seemed to lose faith. I, on the other hand, tried everything I could to be noticed, but it only seemed to happen when I made a mistake.

I picked at the label on my bottle as my father watched me, the pity not hidden in his expression.

“She needs you, Kiddo,” he said, finally breaking the silence.

“She needs Marcus,” I replied and chugged the last sip of my beer, wiping a wayward drop from my bottom lip.

“Nothin’ you do or say is gonna bring him back. Getting’ angry at us won’t help either.” The irritation in his voice caused me to cringe. I hated disappointing everyone but it was inevitable. The world we knew had changed and no amount of lying to myself would correct that.

He drank a sip of his beer and sat it down hard on the coffee table before walking out.  I jumped when he slammed the door, but I refused to run after him. All I could offer was empty promises. Picking up our bottles, I tossed one as hard as I could against the wall. Glass rained as it made an impact, shattering like my heart into a million shards.

“Just great.” It was another mess I would have to clean up, just like the mess Marcus left behind with the vampires, and neither could be swept under the rug.  I scooped up the broken pieces and threw the other bottle in the trash before grabbing a pair of shoes from the coat closet. I needed to get out of this freaking house before the stress alone killed me.

***

As I walked out onto the sidewalk, I lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke out hard as I contemplated where to go.

“Screw it,” I muttered under my breath as I decided to head to my ex-boyfriend, Grayson’s house. He always threw killer parties on the weekends and I was in desperate need of forgetting myself in the bottom of a bottle. Fat drops of rain dotted the sidewalk as I trudged down the street lit only by sporadic street lights and shop signs. I took another drag as I made eye contact with the only other person in sight, my brain on high alert.

I’d seen him hanging out in this area for the last couple of weeks. He walked toward me, keeping my eyes locked with his gaze.  God, he was hot. His dark hair was messy like someone had just raked their nails through it. Lucky girl. He passed by without a word and I wished I’d had the guts to say something. Anything.

Hunters always stood guard after the sun descended. It was the only way any of us could get a decent night’s sleep. But they were outlaws and wild by nature in their own right. Their trail of broken hearts tended to be just as long as their trail of bodies. Glancing over my shoulder, I couldn’t help but smile as I noticed him glancing back at me.

His mouth turned upward in a mischievous grin causing my stomach to flutter.  I looked down at the sidewalk and began to walk faster, turning the corner down Church Street to Grayson’s apartment.  I made my way up the back fire escape and knocked on his window three times before sliding it open and climbing inside.

The apartment was a sea of drunken misfits. I snaked my way through the living room to the kitchen where Grayson West sat at the table surrounded by his closest friends and miscellaneous scantily-clad women playing poker. His dirty blonde hair framed his bloodshot eyes, magnifying the intense blue of their centers. Girls flocked to his disheveled I don’t give a damn appearance. I couldn’t blame them. At one time, I was just as enthralled by his lack of motivation and moral compass. But the slacker routine wore thin when the world became a war zone.

“Classy,” I quipped, making sure not to look in his direction as I pulled open the fridge. I grabbed a bottle of liquor and beer.

Grayson and I had dated for three years in high school. We were the couple everyone envied.  But as the world changed, so did I and I could never be that bubbly carefree girl I’d once been. I dropped out of school when Marcus died, just shy of earning my diploma. Things like education and relationships no longer felt relevant when the world was coming to its end. The minute I turned eighteen I got my own apartment, unable to be surrounded by the people I knew one day would all become victims.

I slammed the shot back and chased it with the beer, dulling the burn to my throat. I set the shot glass back onto the counter and refilled it, desperate to become numb. Taking a deep breath, I slammed another.

“Eva, take it easy,” Grayson called from across the room with a warning tone. I sat the shot glass down and refilled it again, refusing to listen to him. I needed to forget if even for one day. He had no idea how it felt to have to feel all of this, to not be able to shut it off and pretend people didn’t matter as he did. Grayson got up from his seat and came over to my side, putting his hand on mine, preventing me from drinking it.

“Oh, now you care about my feelings?”  I didn’t try to hide the hostility in my voice, but I knew my anger was misplaced.

“Come on, Eva. You know I’ve always cared about you.” I let go of the shot glass, his hand still on mine, his eyes filled with what looked like pain and regret causing my heart to clench painfully in my chest. Grayson wasn’t to blame for our split, but it wasn’t easy to admit to myself that I’d been the one to break his heart.

“It’s been a bad day, Grayson.” I wouldn’t offer more of an explanation and I hoped he wouldn’t push me to.

“Come on,” He said, inclining his head toward his bedroom. “Let’s talk.” I turned back to my shot and swallowed it quickly, grabbing my beer off of the counter as he pulled me by my hand toward his room. He motioned for me to sit on his twin bed, sloppily covered in an old space movie comforter. I hesitated before sighing and taking a seat, struggling to ignore the memories of our time spent alone here. He sank down next to me as his palm landed on my thigh.

“What happened?”

I hadn’t the slightest clue as to where to begin.  I decided to leave out my brief stint on the ledge of a building. He would run right back to my father and they wouldn’t let me out of their sight again.

“Dad came by today,” I replied, sipping my beer.  He nodded his head and took the bottle from me, chugging from it before handing back.

“He’s worried about you, Eva. We all are.”

“I don’t need pity and I can take care of myself.” The anger welled up inside of me, desperate for an outlet. I stood to leave and he grabbed my arm pulling me back beside him on the bed.

“I don’t pity you, Eva. I love you. You used to be so happy. We used to be so happy.” He pressed his mouth against mine softly, catching me off guard. I gave in and relaxed my body against his as he parted my lips with his tongue, an old familiar longing buzzing just below the surface of my skin. His hands slid to either side of my face as he held my mouth against his tenderly. I let myself melt into his touch, my hands roaming over his chest, craving the connection.

It had been too long since anyone had showed me this kind of tenderness and I felt like an addict relapsing. He slowly laid me back on his bed, coming to rest on top of me, the weight of him making me feel safe. Suddenly, the door shot open and a blonde girl appeared, pulling me from the moment as I was reminded that Grayson was no longer mine.

“Grayson, you’re missing all the fun,” she pouted, waiting for a response like a puppy eager for a treat. He glanced over at her as he groaned in frustration. The magic of the moment evaporated around us and the sadness that followed me settled back into my chest. This wasn’t what I needed. He wasn’t what I needed.

“I have to get out of here.” It was one thing to want Grayson to live a happy, healthy life, it was another to have to watch as he moved on without me. I pushed him off me and stormed out of the room and into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge, before heading out the window and down the fire escape. Grayson called after me, his voice echoing from the old buildings.

“Come on, Eva! Don’t leave like this.”

I rolled my eyes and twisted open my beer, tossing the bottle cap over my shoulder.  I chugged as I turned the corner from Main Street back onto Church.  I could still hear Grayson yelling, “Don’t do anything stupid, Eva.”

CHAPTER TWO

EMBERS

I defiantly took a longer swig, trying to imagine what life would have been like had I never met Grayson.

My eyes focused on a figure standing against a store front in the distance. I lit a cigarette and continued on knowing I could use it as a weapon if necessary, although it would do little to stop one of the vamps.  As I got closer, I recognized the guy who had caught my eye earlier. He had chestnut brown hair, in need of trim, and deep chocolate colored eyes flanked by thick lashes. He could have stepped off of the cover of a magazine, not the typical guy hanging around on the streets in Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania. It is a small town filled with mostly farmers with Pennsylvania Dutch roots.

I glanced subtly at him, smiling as I passed. He grinned back and pushed off the wall, trailing closely behind me. The warm alcohol sloshed in my belly, giving me liquid courage. I turned around, walking backward as I looked him over. The scruff on his face must have been at least three days old, but he wore it well, enhancing his rugged, tough exterior.

“Help you with somethin’?”  I asked with a wry smile. The alcohol coursed through my veins, lowering my inhibitions. I wanted to forget, just not with the guy who reflected his broken heart in his eyes every time I looked at him.

“Perhaps a drink?” He asked raising an eyebrow and glancing at my beer. My eyes drifted down over his plain white T-shirt and over his dark wash jeans.

“Afraid I already finished this one off.” I held the bottle up and shook it as I stumbled over my own feet, trying to keep myself steady. He lurched forward and wrapped his arms around my waist, catching me before I tumbled to the ground and died from humiliation.

“Careful, sweetheart. I think you may have reached your limit.” He laughed deeply causing his hard chest to vibrate under my hand. “Let me help you.” He took my bottle and tossed it into a nearby trash can before taking my cigarette and flicking it into the street, orange embers scattering off against the asphalt. “That’s a nasty habit. Isn’t life dangerous enough? You want me to walk with you?”

“I don’t even know you.” I pushed against his chest as he scoffed in amusement, his lips twisting up into a devilish grin that settled two deep dimples into his cheeks.

“So get to know me.” He smiled playfully as I raked my teeth over my lower lip, wanting to leave my self-loathing behind, even if only for a night.

“It’s still a free country, I guess.” I gestured with my head as I began to walk, the mystery guy by my side. “What’s your name?”

“Elijah Malakai. Yours?”

“Eva Morgan.”

“Eva? That means life doesn’t it?”

“Um… yeah. How did you know that?”

“I’m more than just a pretty face,” he quipped, shaking his head before running his fingers through his short messy hair. “Where’s your place?” he asked as he glanced at the old buildings. The last thing I wanted to do was to sit in my apartment alone and who knew if I’d ever see this guy again.

“Actually, I don’t feel like going in yet. You mind hanging out with me a little longer?”

His eyes had traveled down my body before the corner of his mouth twitched. “Come on. I know where we can go.”

Turning down Cherry Street, we crossed over onto the old railroad tracks, toward the creek. The smell of honeysuckle was thick in the air as he led me to an open patch of grass next to the water, surrounded by oak trees.

“What are we doing here? It’s not safe in the woods,” I asked, not sure which blurry image of him to focus on.  I laid back on the grass, staring up at the stars through the branches. He sat down beside me and put his head on the ground next to mine.

“What are you worried about? You think the undead are just lingering in the trees, eating baby bunnies or something? They’re out there, with the people, their food. This is where I come to get away from all of that.”

“It’s… nice. Very peaceful.” I glanced around nervously but I knew being next to a hunter was the safest place I could be, even if they did tend to be quick tempered.

“I haven’t been to the creek for years.”

“You can come out here anytime. Just don’t tell anyone about our spot.” He glanced over at me and winked sending the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy.

“It’ll be our secret.” I was grinning so big my cheeks hurt. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d let my guard down. It felt good to be an ordinary girl again.

I rolled over to my side, propping myself up on my elbow so I could look at him.

“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-two, but I feel sixty,” he joked.

“Well, I’m only nineteen. I’m second guessing being out here alone with an old man. What if we got attacked? I can’t carry you on my back if you break a hip.”

“Oh, I think I can protect you from the stray cows and corn mazes you may get lost in around here.” He laughed, but it was forced. We both knew that the times of small town living and leaving your door unlocked had passed us by. “So tell me, Eva,” he said my name as if it were a curse, “What did you want to be when you grew up?”

I frowned in the darkness, not liking to think of what could have been. “I don’t know,” I shrugged, blowing off his question.

“Oh, come on. You must have dreamed of being something when you were a little girl. A veterinarian… a princess perhaps?”

I laughed because I was never that type of girl. “I wanted to be a figure skater.”

He chuckled but I didn’t take offense. I knew it wasn’t the answer he was expecting.

“I wanted to be a doctor,” his laughter faded as he cleared his throat, the past apparently as painful for him.

“Nobel job… saving lives.”

“Would have been,” he shrugged.

“You’re a hunter.” It wasn’t a question but I wanted to understand how he went from wanting to save people, to killing them. They’re not people anymore I reminded myself.

“I do what I have to do,” he said nonchalantly as he shrugged. We all did what we had to do, but most didn’t take pride in the fact we were now forced to fight, forced to kill. Regardless of the vampires animalistic behavior, they looked very much like us and killing one of them got to you, changing you forever. The line between murder and self-preservation had blurred. There was no right and wrong, only kill or be killed.

I relaxed back onto the grass, the heaviness of the conversation fading my buzz into the background of my mind.  We laid in silence for a few minutes watching the branches blow in the wind, the rustle of the leaves blending with the soft rush of water.  I searched for the right words to make what he’d done okay, but my mind faltered.

“You really shouldn’t be walking alone at night, you know. It’s not safe.” His tone was serious and I knew he probably heard Grayson yelling at me from his window. The whole damn town probably heard him.

“Well, I’m not alone now, am I?”

“Who said you’re safe with me?” His eyebrow had risen before he let out a quiet laugh, sending butterflies scattering in a frenzy inside of my stomach once again.

I sucked in a ragged breath trying to contain my nerves as my heart raced from the closeness of his body. “What brings you to Seven Valleys?” I asked, searching for the conversation to break the awkward silence as my heart hammered in my chest.

“I have a cousin who lives down Green Valley Road. I came to stay with him for the summer. Nice change of scenery.” His gaze drifted down my legs before meeting mine again.

“Most of us from here spend our lives trying to get out of this place and you came here on purpose?” I sat up, wiping the dirt and grass from my palms as he did the same.

“It’s not so bad. I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

I looked down at the ground between us, trying to hide the blush I could feel creeping over my skin even though the darkness would hide my embarrassment. Placing his fingers under my chin, he slowly lifted my face upward. Our eyes locked as he leaned in closer to me, his mouth nearly touching mine as his minty breath fanned over my face. All of the fear, the trepidation faded into the background like the soft hum of music vibrating through my soul.

Tilting his head, he gently brushed his lips against mine causing my body to shiver. My eyes fell closed as I let my lips part, granting him access to deepen our kiss. His hand slid to the back of my head, his fingers becoming entangled in my hair.

I wanted to forget everything and enjoy myself, if even for a fleeting moment. I pressed my hands against his muscular chest, sliding my fingers down over the hard ridges of his stomach as they flexed and pulled beneath my touch. His mouth broke away from mine, leaving me breathless and confused.

“What’s wrong?” I wrapped my arms around my chest, feeling self-conscious and wondering if my breath stank or if I had drooled on him in my momentary lapse in judgment.

“Shh,” he whispered pressing his finger to my lips. Over the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind, there was the faint echo of someone yelling. I leaned forward trying to decipher the message when I realized the voice belonged to Grayson.

“Shit. That’s just Grayson. He must have stopped by my house and got scared I wasn’t home or something.”

Standing up, he held out his hand for me and I slipped my fingers into his, letting him pull me effortlessly to my feet. I brushed the dirt from my bottom, upset that our time had been cut short.

“Your boyfriend?” Elijah questioned, his eyes narrowing like it was all my idea to bring him out here to make out and now he’d end up in a fight. Grayson wasn’t that type of guy. A guilt trip was more of his style.

“No. Just someone from my past,” I stammered, not wanting to go into the details of my failing love life with a virtual stranger. “I should go before he wakes up the entire town,” I said. “Thanks for... everything,” I added, trying to suppress my smile, my lips still tingling from his kiss.

“My pleasure.” He grinned as I walked by him and into the clearing.

“I’m here,” I yelled as Grayson’s head snapped in my direction and smiled with relief. I forced myself to smile back, although I wasn’t very happy about the interruption.

“Where have you been?” he asked as he approached me.

“Around.” I looked down at my shoes, not wanting to look him in the eye. “I needed to clear my head.”

“Next time you wanna get wasted and wander off, maybe you could give someone a heads up.” His voice was filled with irritation, but I knew it was out of concern.

“Didn’t think I had to,” I shot back with a glare and walked passed him toward the tracks. He trailed behind me without saying a word. As we made our way onto Cherry Street, behind the local store, he quickened his step to get by my side.

“Not everything in my life is your concern, ya know. We broke up a long time ago,” I said coldly as the thought of those other girls crossed my mind. He pushed out a hard breath and grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at him.

“I know you’re mad about Marcus, and at me… and the whole fucking world for that matter, but you can’t cut yourself off from everyone.” He turned and stalked off angrily. I trudged after him, shouting at his back with fire in my veins.

“Who said I’m alone? Who told you I don’t have someone? You’re not the only one who can move on, you know.” It was a low blow. Deep down we both knew our relationship had failed because I couldn’t cope with losing my brother, but it didn’t make this any easier. He swung around and glared at me. I immediately regretted what I had said.

“Well, then I hope he doesn’t mind putting up with your shit because I’m done,” He walked away from me again, and this time, I didn’t follow. I sank down wrapping my arms around my knees and let the tears flow down my cheeks, exhausted and overwhelmed. I wiped them away with my arm and stood up to head home. A hand grabbed my shoulder and I swung around, gasping. The thought of my gun I had forgotten at home crossed my mind and I silently cursed myself for being so stupid.

“Oh, Elijah. I didn’t hear you coming,” I startled as I stood back up. I hated showing anyone how vulnerable I truly was. He took his hand and gently wiped my cheek with the pad of his thumb.  I looked down at my feet, embarrassed that he may have overheard the argument.

“Did that guy hurt you?”  His eyes narrowed and the muscles of his angular jaw worked beneath his stubbled flesh. I could feel the difference between him and a pacifist like Grayson and an involuntary shiver racked my spine.

“No, no, I’ve done all this to myself,” I responded, my voice loaded with self-pity.

The corner of his mouth raised slightly in amusement, “It’s not the end of the world,” he cooed as he leaned in and kissed my cheek where my tears had been. His words were so absurd because we had been on the precipice of the end for a few years now and it was only a matter of time before humanity was lost. But he was right that my childish spat with a former boyfriend meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. None of it really mattered anymore. Rules and morals were things for people who were afraid to face tomorrow with a guilty conscience. Tomorrow was no longer promised.

I turned to meet his lips, pressing my mouth against his. My arms wrapped around his strong back, as his muscles flexed under my fingers, responding to my touch. Pushing the length of my body against him.

“So, I guess this is what you meant by not being alone. Perfect,” Grayson’s voice called from behind us. I turned, seeing his face filled with sadness before he threw his hands in the air and turned to leave again. I pushed back from Elijah, but his grip tightened on my waist.

“I should go after him.”

His hold on me didn’t relax.

“Don’t. He’ll be okay,” he said searching my eyes with his. “Live a little.” His eyebrow rose, challenging me.

Chasing Grayson would only lead him on further. The goal was to get him to stay away, not hurt him.

Staring into my eyes, he tucked a strand of my long brown hair behind my ear. I could feel the electricity pulse between us in time with the thumping of my heart.

“And I thought I would hate it here,” He said with a mischievous grin that made my stomach flutter.

“Come home with me,” I whispered nervously, still emboldened by the liquor. He fought a smile as he swung me up into his arms causing me to giggle loudly in the empty parking lot. My laughter echoing down the street.

“You don’t have to ask me twice. Where to?” he asked, holding me as if I was weightless. And for once, I felt it too, like my burdens had been lifted from my chest and I could finally breathe easy.

“Church Street, the brick house with the big porch.”

***

After climbing up two stories worth of steps, Elijah paused, “We don’t have to do this.”

I smiled up at him, uncertain if he was sincere. “Just come in. Hang out for a bit.”

He turned the knob and pushed through as he kissed me passionately. He walked down the hallway and sat me gently on the couch in the living room.

“You missed the door to the bedroom,” I joked, my face feeling like it was on fire with humiliation.

“I thought we were going to hang out.”

I sighed heavily as I sank back against the cushions. “Just my luck. I bring home the one guy in town who doesn’t want to hook up. How embarrassing.” I pressed my palms against my face hoping when I pulled them away I’d be alone, awaken from a nightmare.

“Eva, I didn’t say I didn’t want to. Trust me, there is nothing I want more right now but not while you’ve been drinking.” He pulled my hands from my face as his eyebrow rose as his lips curved into a smile, deep dimples settling into his cheeks. Just great. A killer with a conscious.

CHAPTER THREE

LEAP OF FAITH

I woke around three in the morning from the steady thumping in my head. I rubbed my face with my hands and looked beside me at Elijah. His eyes were open and he had a smile on his face. Our limbs were tangled together on the couch as he held me against his bare, muscular chest.

“Hello, beautiful,” he whispered as he pressed his lips to my forehead.

“You didn’t sleep?”

“A little but I work nights. Hazard of the job.”

I pushed myself up on the couch, rubbing my face again as my head pulsed beneath my temples.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, sitting up beside me and tucking my hair behind my ear.

“Hangover,” I replied with a guilty smile, my tongue feeling thick in my dry mouth.

“I’ll get you something.” He slid his body from beneath mine.

“It’s in the bathroom, above the sink,” I called after him and pulled a pillow under my head. He returned quickly with aspirin and a glass of water.

“Thanks.” I sat up, popping the aspirin into my mouth and took a sip of the water as he pulled on his white T-shirt, obscuring my view of his well-toned body.

“Leaving?” I asked trying not to sound disappointed. He smiled and bent over to kiss me on the cheek.

“I have to get back to my cousin. I work with him when I’m in town, earn my keep. Third shift over at Sensations. He’s going to be pissed I didn’t show last night.”

“Wait. What? You’re… a stripper?”

He let out a loud, deep laugh as he shook his head. “No, I’m a bouncer. My cousin owns the place.” My eyes roamed over his body.  He definitely could be a stripper. He looked chiseled out of stone. Greek gods would have been jealous.

“Oh,” I mumbled feeling a little embarrassed. He bent down again kissing me on the lips with such passion my headache faded to a dull ache.

“I’ll come back to see you… if you want.” he whispered in my ear.

“I want…” I nodded and he turned and left the room. A few seconds later I heard the apartment door close quietly. I fell backward onto my pillow with a sigh. My headache crept back in as soon as the euphoria faded. I took a pillow and put it over my face hoping to sleep away the remnants of my hangover.

***

I awoke around seven in the morning for the day and stumbled down the hallway to the bathroom, flicking on the light. The brightness was overwhelming and I turned it back off with a moan. The sunshine from the window would be sufficient. I grabbed the bottle of aspirin from the medicine cabinet above the sink, fumbling with the child proof lid until it popped off, sending pills scattering.

“Shit,” I muttered to myself as I gathered two pills that had landed in the sink and tossed them in my mouth. Turning on the water, I cupped my hands to catch it to wash them down. I stood for a moment examining myself in the mirror as water dripped from my lip. My hair was disheveled and mascara had left faint trails of black under my blue eyes. I splashed water on my face to help wake me up, grabbed a hair tie and wandered back into the hallway toward the kitchen, pulling my hair up into a ponytail as I went. Flashes of Elijah crossed my mind and I smiled to myself.

Despite the hangover, I felt better than I had in months. I grabbed a box of cereal off of the fridge and made my way into the living room. Hitting the ON button as I passed the TV, I settled in on the couch. The news channel was still on, and they were discussing equal rights. The sound trailed off as my mind wandered to yesterday. I couldn’t get Elijah out of my thoughts. I wasn’t sure if he’d actually return and had no idea what I would do if he did. I grabbed the remote and flicked through the channels. Nothing was on this time of day, but talk shows, so I sat the remote down and picked up my cell phone. I had three voicemails and about twenty text messages. I sighed loudly and read through them as I ate the marshmallows out of the cereal box. All were from Grayson. All of them were full of hate.

I tossed the phone back to the coffee table and went to the kitchen. I made myself as cappuccino from a powder mix I found at the store. Almost as good as the real thing, without having to interact with other people. I took a big sip, burning my lip from my lack of patience. I slammed the cup onto the counter and grabbed an ice cube out of the freezer for the burn. I held it against my lip before I tossed the cube into my glass and watched it swirl as it melted into my frothy beverage.

Walking into my bedroom, I picked out something to wear for the day while my drink cooled off. I grabbed a pair of jeans from my dresser and a faded gray, fitted t-shirt from my closet, my standard wardrobe. Pulling a pair of panties from my top drawer, I headed toward the bathroom.

Turning on the shower, I waited for the temperature to adjust as I got undressed, then jumped in and scrubbed myself quickly under the warm spray, washing away the scent of stale beer and smoke. I was in and out in less than ten minutes. Brushing my hair, I paused in front of the mirror to apply mascara. I was ready for the day.

I grabbed my drink from the kitchen counter and headed out the door just after eight, sliding into my little bright orange Rio, which belonged to my brother before he was murdered. The radio blared to life, causing me to squint from the sharp pain in my head.

I manually searched through the stations to find a song I could sing along to. The presets were all still set to my brother’s favorite stations, which were mostly hard rock. I didn’t feel right about changing them. Settling on a nineties love ballad, I pulled out onto the street, ready to start the day.

I headed towards York New Salem through the winding country road, stopping at a local Hammons gas station and filled the car, which had been showing empty for two days now.  I ran inside to buy a pack of cigarettes and a scratch-off ticket before continuing my trip.

Cranking the radio, I sang off key, glaring at the car next to me as we stopped at a red light and they laughed at the impromptu concert.  I didn’t care. I swung around a Shafers’ drive through in Spring Grove to get some food before heading to my parent’s restaurant. I loved the drive to work. I was all alone and no one could bother me except for my own doubts and insecurities. The singing helped me keep my mind blank.

I arrived a little late and hustled into the restaurant, tying my apron as I made my way across the dining room floor to the kitchen. I ignored my fathers’ shocked expression as I clocked in and immediately went to work on setting up tables. Lately, I haven’t made it to work very often. I knew I laid a heavy burden on my parents and their struggling business, but I had convinced myself they were better off without an angry, bitter waitress swearing at customers. But deep down I knew, any help was better than no help. After Toby had gone missing a few weeks ago, they needed me more than ever.

As I was filling the salt shakers, an old couple came in and sat in my section. I rushed back to the kitchen and started a fresh pot of coffee and grabbed them a basket full of fresh biscuits. It was rare to see an elderly person, let alone a couple. They became easy targets for the Vamps because of their inability to fight them off.

The husband ordered for his wife and they laughed and talked for nearly two hours, before leaving. The rest of my shift was a blur. Couples and families came and went. My feet ached by the time my shift was over and I had, at least, two pots of coffee to myself. I was wired and exhausted at the same time.

The sun was beginning to set as I drove home and I decided to swing by the local pool hall where all of my friends from high school still hung out. I parked by the Paper Mill and made my way into the tiny rundown building on a back alley in Spring Grove. A few familiar faces noticed me and smiled in acknowledgment. I smiled back shyly and made my way to the back room where a heated pool game was in full swing.

Men yelled over the music and accused each other of cheating. Someone threw a pool stick and I ducked as it hit the wall beside me.

“Ezra’s hustling again?” I asked Madelyn, who shot me a wry grin as she tucked her fire red hair behind her ear. “I got next,” I yelled over the commotion. I grabbed a twenty out of my purse and threw it on the table. “I got next!” This time, the guys looked up and nodded, acknowledging my existence. I smiled back and leaned against the wall, watching the game unfold as I tried not to think of the handsome stranger from last night.

Ezra won, of course, and came over to receive a victory kiss from Madelyn. After a minute or so he looked over at me with a cocky grin.

“Let’s go,” he said, inclining his head toward the table. Ezra could have gone pro. He was the best pool shark I had ever seen, but his love for drugs had been greater than for the game. His once muscular physique was now thin and pale, dark purple marring the skin under his sunken eyes.

I racked the balls and waited for him to break. He did and balls scattered across the table with lightning speed, sinking three. His talent was incredible and such a waste. The bell above the door rang as people flooded into the pool hall for the evening rush.

During the day, this place looked abandoned, but at night, it came alive. The main room became hushed, and we quickly took notice of a commotion in the back. Everyone grabbed a pool cue and waited to see what was coming our way. Three men walked through the doorway, glaring at everyone in sight. The leader, a tall man, built like a farm hand with dirty blonde hair spoke first.

“I’ve got next,” he said with a slight Irish accent. His lips curled up into a smile, revealing his pointed fangs. Vampires could go undetected if they chose. This act was a sign of aggression. He wanted us to run. No one spoke as they made their way across the room to our table. I shot them a look of utter disgust and bent over to take my shot, sinking a ball.

I had pure hatred for vampires. Ever since their existence came to light, they preached equality while torturing and killing anyone who didn’t bow down and worship at their feet.

I walked around the table, shoving past them to take my next shot. I bent over, taking aim as a hand grabbed my ass from behind. I spun around shoving my cue stick under the vamp’s neck, my chest heaving in fear but I refused to back down. He raised his hands up in mock surrender as he and his friends laughed.

“Don’t fucking touch me, zombie,” I seethed as I turned back around to take my shot, hating that my hands shook.

“Actually, we’re not zombies, friend.” Grabbing the back end of my cue stick, the smile returned to his face.

“Dead is dead and I’m not your friend.” Throwing my cue onto the table, I walking out. I refused to show them any fear, they thrived on it.

I couldn’t take being here anymore. I stomped out toward my car, grabbing a cigarette from my purse, inhaling deeply as I lit it. My gaze found a shiny black muscle car parked several spaces from mine with a driver in the seat. It was exactly the kind of car my father used to drool over when I was little. I narrowed my gaze as I took in the dark haired man in the driver seat, his face obscured by the reflection of the street light on the glass.

“Eva,” Grayson called out as he got out of the car and walked over to greet me.

“Shit,” I mumbled under my breath. I jumped at the unexpected sound of his voice.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. I thought maybe we could talk.”

“I was just leaving.” Glancing back over my shoulder at the dilapidated building, I took another drag from my cigarette. He finally broke the silence as I opened my car door.

“Want some company?” He asked with forced enthusiasm.

“I think I’m just gonna go home and take a bath. It’s been a long day at work.” I was trying my best to look tired so he wouldn’t press the issue. It wasn’t hard after the day I had.

“Sure, no problem.” He placed his hand on my car door as I slid inside. “Have a safe trip. Call me.” He stared at me as the engine roared to life and an old rock ballad blared over the speakers.

“Sure thing,” I called back over the noise and shifted into drive as he pushed the door closed. I pulled out looking at Grayson through my rearview mirror. I had always thought he was the one. It was disappointing to learn that such things didn’t exist.  Only in fairytales. Then I remembering that things such as vampires were all too real. Life was cruel.

CHAPTER FOUR

SACRIFICIAL LAMBS

I headed down the back roads toward home. I couldn’t get Grayson off of my mind. I felt awful for hurting him, even though we would have never worked out. My mind wandered to Elijah. I wondered if he would come around again. I hoped he would.

I turned onto Church Street with a new attitude. There was more to life outside of this small town. I had tasted it and I wanted more. I immediately went to my room to change out of my work clothes that smelled of coffee and sweat. I grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a tank headed into the bathroom as I thought of him while turning on the water and let the tub fill. My cell phone began to ring from my bedroom. I ran down the hall to see who it was. The caller I.D. showed Grayson. I set the phone back down on the dresser and walked back to the bathroom, lowering myself into the tub without answering.  I felt like I finally had the courage to stop running back to Grayson whenever he flashed me a smile. It was only prolonging his pain. He wanted forever, and I knew our futures were no longer guaranteed.

I thought about the vampires at the pool hall and then those who had killed my brother. Three of them had been caught immediately, but their leader had avoided capture. Many doubted whether the ones found were even involved or if they were just sacrificial lambs to a higher power. I had my doubts as well.  That is why I carried the gun. It had belonged to Marcus. If he had been carrying that night, perhaps he would still be around. I wouldn’t make the same mistake he had. He was caught off guard.

Most vampires have the ability to hide their true nature from humans, not making their secret known unless they deemed it necessary to get what they want.  Or in the case of the pool hall assholes, they show their true colors for a good laugh.  Most blended right in with the community, hiding behind the façade of a frat boy who parties all night or working nights like many people around here had to do to pay bills.  It was harder for new vampires. They didn’t have the ability or the desire to stay in control. They thrived on the power of being an undead killing machine. Now that vampire’s existence was known, there was a great deal of speculations about who in the public eye had been one of them.

Groups had formed that were dedicated to discovering and exposing such people.  They had already uncovered countless politicians and rock stars who led a secret eternal existence. Several of whom had faked their own deaths and lived in the underworld scene of European countries, where their names and faces were lesser known.

Once exposed, people would protest and harass them until they fled. I used to rally against such exposures and help with petitions for equal rights between the vampires and humans. That was until my brother was killed. I blamed myself for his death because of that.

Last year, when a young vampire went on a killing spree in a movie theater, the world rallied together to expose and eradicate them like disease-infested animals. Countries and world powers joined forces. Violence in the Middle East ceased and we all united against our common enemy. Nothing brings people closer together than sharing a mutual hate for someone else.

My phone rang again, startling me from my thought process. When was Grayson going to take the hint? I hopped out of the tub and pulled the drain as I began to dry off. There was a knock on the door and I rolled my eyes, cursing him under my breath. I was not dealing with his shit tonight. I brushed my hair out and went to my bedroom to grab my lotion. The banging on the door became louder as my phone simultaneously rang.

“Damn it.” I stormed out of my room to the door, yanking it open. “What?”

Elijah stood in the hallway with a grin and a bouquet of flowers. I felt my cheeks heat up as I blushed.

“I-I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else,” I stammered, chewing my lip.

“Clearly.” Grinning he held out the flowers as his eyes traveled down the length of my body.

“Thank you. Come in,” I said, stepping out of the way, smelling the lilies. My phone went off again and I threw it on my bed as I followed Elijah to the living room. All my frustrations disintegrated as Elijah turned around and looked me up and down. “I should get dressed,” I said, suddenly realizing I was still wrapped in my towel.

“Don’t put on clothes on account of me,” he said with a devilish smirk.

“Here.” Handing him the remote, I motioned to the couch. “I’ll just be a sec.” I headed down the hall. I heard the television come on as I slipped into my room, squealing quietly to myself. I threw on my T-shirt and shorts, stopping in front of my dresser to spritz on some perfume that smelled like a horrible imitation of the very real flowers Elijah had brought me. Grabbing them, I inhaled their scent once more before putting them in a tall glass on my kitchen counter. I walked back into the living room casually, trying to hide my nervousness. Elijah was so enthralled with the news he didn’t seem to even notice my presence.

“Anything interesting?” My voice squeaked and I swallowed hard, begging my heart to slow its pace.

He looked startled and clicked off the television. “Just you,” he said as he got up and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. I smiled, unable to hide my growing infatuation with him.

“No work?”

“Nah, got the night off. I’m all yours.” He grinned.

“What do ya have in mind?”

“A movie.” He winked and I had to force myself not to giggle like a little girl.  I was excited to go out on a real date. I can’t remember ever having one unless you count the after school trips to get fast food with Grayson, which I didn’t. I grabbed my phone off of my bed, and then realized I couldn’t have it on in a theater, and tossed it back onto my pillow.

***

We decided on an action flick with an underlying love story. We sat off to the side and Elijah kept his arm around me for most of the movie. I was so lost in the thought of him, I didn’t notice the commotion on the other side of the theater. That was until Elijah grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the fire exit in the front of the room. Some guys had come in and started a fight with the local football players, most likely a rival team. We made it to the parking lot where I noticed a shiny black muscle car parked in the fire lane.

“I think those guys in there are the ones who came into the pool hall earlier starting trouble. They’re vampires,” I warned.

“Come on.”

I pulled my arm free from his grip and he turned around, his jaw tense.

“We can’t just leave. Aren’t you going to do… something?” I threw my hands in the air, not certain what it was I expected from him.

“Like what, Eva? You want me to go in there half-cocked and start shit with a bunch of vamps?”

“Well, we can’t just leave them in there with all those people.”

He took two quick steps toward me and I had to look up to maintain eye contact.

“If they wanted to kill someone in there, they’d already be dead.” His voice was so low but I could tell he was upset.

“But it’s your job.” I sat the weight of the world on his shoulders with one statement but his resolve didn’t waver.

“No. Tonight, my job is to keep you safe. You. So you can either walk with me side by side, or I can carry you, but we are leaving now.”

I eyed him for a moment, wanting to protest but I knew he was right that if those guys wanted to, everyone in that room would be dead. Having him go back in would just escalate the situation.

I held out my hand and he laced his fingers in mine, his mouth cocked in a small grin. We rushed back toward my house, avoiding any confrontation.

When we reached my apartment, I locked the door, leaning back against it as I struggled to slow my breathing.

“Whenever you see that car I need you to run the other direction as fast as you can.” He placed his hands on either side of my face.

“I know, Elijah. Don’t worry. I’m the last person who would want anything to do with them.” I smiled, trying to lighten his mood. His expression remained hard.

“Promise me.”

“I promise.” Whatever the vampires had done to Elijah had to have been terrible. My thoughts drifted to my brother. I contemplated telling him my story to make him understand how serious I was about avoiding them, but it was too soon. I didn’t want to scare him off with my baggage. Besides, he didn’t seem ready to talk about whatever his issue was with them either. He kissed me on the forehead softly, ceasing my rambling thoughts.

“So, what now?” I asked, hoping our night wasn’t over.

“I have an idea.” He leaned in to kiss me again and I let my lips part, wanting to pick up where we left off last night. I wrapped my arms around him just as my phone rang from the bedroom.

“Shit.” I pulled away from him. “I should get that. They will just keep calling if I don’t.” I stalked off to my bedroom to answer, ready to release a string of curse words on the caller.

“What?” I asked into my phone.

“Jesus, Eva! Where have you been?” Grayson asked angrily.

“None of your business, Grayson.”

“Wait, wait! Eva! I have some… bad news.”

“I’m listening.”

“There was a big fight out at the pool hall after you left. Christ, Eva. I don’t… Madelyn is dead.” The line went quiet as I tried to process what he’d just told me. “I’m coming over.”

“No.” I rubbed my hand over my face, praying this was some sort of sick joke. “I think I just want to be alone.” The last thing I needed was Grayson and Elijah face to face in my house and I didn’t want Grayson running to my rescue anytime things went wrong.

“Fine… just call me if you need me. Eva, I love you,” he said as he hung up, not giving me the chance to respond. I was relieved he didn’t.

I tossed my phone on my bed, collapsing next to it as the weight of his words crushed me. Burying my face in my hands, I tried to absorb the news I had just received. This is what happened when you cared about someone and even though I attempted to keep everyone at arms length, they still found their way into my heart.

Elijah knocked on my open bedroom door to announce his presence.

“You alright?” he asked as he bent down beside me and lifted my chin to look at my face. I sniffled as the tears that blurred my vision fell from my lashes, rolling down over the apples of my cheeks. He held my face in his hands and wiped my tears with the pad of his thumb.

“My friend… died tonight.” A small sob escaped me as the reality of the situation set in. Wrapping his strong arms around me, he pulled me against his chest.

“It was those vampires. I know it. It had to be them,” I rambled in between sniffles.

“Calm down, Eva. How do you know it was vampires?” he asked, pulling me away from his body to look at my face.

“They were there. It had to be them. They came in just to cause trouble. I left right after they had showed up. I should have stayed… or… done something.”

“There’s nothing you could have done. If you would have stayed it could have been you that they hurt.”

“We have to do something about it. We have to stop them from hurting anyone else.” Scrambling to my feet, I grabbed my gun out of my dresser drawer.

“Whoa, Eva. What the hell?” He raised his arms as if I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had.

“It’s okay. It’s for protection. I know how to use it.” I slid it into the back of my jean shorts, my body shaking from being overcome with grief. He walked up to me slowly, putting his hands on my waist and looking me in the eye.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Reaching his arm behind me, he pulled the gun out of the band of my shorts. He released the clip and emptied the bullet from the chamber. Sitting the contents on my dresser, he turned back to face me. “I promise you, no one will hurt you, but you can’t just go after them by yourself.” Kissing me on the forehead, he searched my eyes for understanding. I let out a sigh, feeling overwhelmed and defeated. I just wanted to be held. I was surprised he hadn’t run out the door yet. I thought about my stint on the ledge. I can’t believe I almost missed out on this.

“I understand if you wanna go,” I murmured into his chest. His arms gripped me tighter.

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart,” he reassured me. I slipped my arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly. I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his musky cologne mixed with the lingering smell his body wash had left behind on his skin. He kissed me on top of my head as his hand ran over the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my hair.

“We have to kill them,” I whispered as I glanced up to look him in the eye. His body stiffened, pulling me back against him. My eyelids grew heavy as tears silently fell from my lashes to his shirt.

“You should rest,” he said.

“No,” I replied quietly, grasping a man that was nearly a stranger as if he held my sanity.

“Sshh...” He breathed in my ear as he picked me up into his arms and swung around laying me gently on my bed. “I’m not going anywhere.” He took off his shoes and walked to the far side of the bed. I slid under the covers as he lifted his shirt off and removed his pants. Even in the darkness, it was hard to miss the ripple of muscles down his stomach and I hated that even grief-stricken, my stomach still fluttered at the sight of him. He slid under the blanket and wrapped his arms around me. I turned my back toward him and adjusted myself to fit perfectly against him, cocooning myself in my newfound sense of security. He kissed my neck, exhaling deeply before resting his head on the pillow behind mine. I pushed out a heavy breath of my own and let my eyes fall closed, feeling safer than I had in years.

CHAPTER FIVE

INTRUDER

I awoke cloaked in darkness but for the first time in as long as I could remember, it didn’t cause my heart to stutter. I glanced toward the window that had thick, chocolate-colored drapes, blocking out any hint of time. I reached over to my alarm clock and turned it toward me. It read 7:34 am. I laid back down on the bed and closed my eyes, not wanting the night to end. Elijah’s arm reached across me, taking his fingers and turning my head to face him, he kissed me softly.

“Good Morning, Beautiful,” he whispered as he brushed the hair from my face. I couldn’t stop my smile from spreading and I thought for sure it would light up the room.

“You stayed.”

“I told you I wasn’t going anywhere. I thought we could spend the day together,” he replied with a wink that caused goose bumps to erupt over my flesh. He pulled my face closer to his and kissed me again, this time, more passionately. I pressed the length of my body against him, wrapping my arm around his torso, relishing in this small moment of normalcy. I felt like I was in high school again, back when the world was less complicated.

He slid his arm under my body and positioned me on top of him.

“I’m not going to be such a gentleman this morning if you keep that up,” he warned as his hands glided down my back. I let a quiet moan escape into his mouth, unable to hide how much I was enjoying myself. He quickly flipped us over and pushed his body hard against me, entangling his hands in my hair as his mouth moved roughly over mine.

I matched his intensity, not wanting this moment to end. His hand traced down my side and he looped his finger in my shorts just as my phone began to ring and I waved my hand for him to ignore it.

His mouth left mine as he peppered kisses down my jaw line toward my neck. I turned my head to the side and pressed it against the pillow, my lips falling open with a contented sigh.

A loud banging on the front door startled me. Elijah raised his eyes to meet mine, the muscles under his jaw flexing in frustration. I placed my hands over my face as I groaned, unable to hide my disappointment.

“You should get that. It might be important,” he said as he rolled off me and gestured for me to get up. He sank his head in his hands as if resisting this moment was physically painful. I knew the feeling.

“You’re kidding,” I groaned as I rolled up to a sitting position and pushed myself off of the bed.

“Coming,” I yelled as the knocking continued in rapid succession. Elijah sighed and lay back on the bed putting his arm over his eyes. “I’ll be right back,” I whispered and closed the bedroom door quietly behind me. I walked down the hallway to the door and held the chain lock in my hand. “Who is it?”

“You would know if you ever answered your phone,” Grayson said half-seriously. I quickly undid the lock and opened the door partially, positioning myself between it and the wall.

“What’s up?” I asked, noticing the somber expression on his face. I remembered Madelyn and I was once again consumed by guilt. I let my weight fall against the wall and dropped my eyes to the floor.

“How are you?” He asked trying to catch my gaze as he held out a Styrofoam coffee cup. I took it and finally looked back up at him.

“These are bad for the planet you know.” Holding the cup up, I blew into the hole to cool the cappuccino before sipping.

“Vampires are bad for our planet,” he shot back as his face suddenly turned hard. I looked down at the cup and nodded my head in agreement. A moment had passed without us exchanging words. “I know you didn’t want any company but can we talk?”

“Now's not the time,” I said thinking of Elijah in my bedroom. Grayson put his palm against the door forcing it open.

“It’s never gonna be a good time.” He was inches from my face as he walked by me into my place. He reeked of booze and cigarettes. Peeling off his jacket, he threw it over one of my kitchen chairs as he walked toward the living room. I glanced nervously at my bedroom door as I followed him to the couch and hesitantly sat down next to him.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked blowing into the hole in my coffee cup again. He sat his drink on the coffee table and turned his body toward mine.

“I want another chance,” he confessed, placing his hand on my knee. I didn’t know how to respond. I moved my leg from under his hand as the many faceless women I’d seen him with flashed in my memory.

“I can’t do this.” I stood up and took a step back. He stood and stepped toward me and I raised my hands keeping the space between us while his face twisted with confusion.

“Please, Eva. I need you,” he begged quietly. I didn’t meet his gaze because my guilt wouldn’t allow it. I had no right to say anything with Elijah lying in my bed. But where I pushed people away when things got bad, Grayson clung to any seemingly happy memories.

“Madelyn’s dead and you’re trying to bring this up now?” I had no idea what had come over me. As much as I hated Grayson at times, I knew he was hurting over Madelyn’s death also. He shot me a look of disgust and my stomach rolled.

“I can’t believe…” his voice trailed off and he turned to leave.

“Grayson,” I called after him. He raised his hand to signal he was done talking and slammed the door on his way out.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath and leaned onto my kitchen table before burying my face in my hands. I took a couple deep breaths and headed back toward my bedroom. I turned the knob slowly and peeked inside. Elijah laid in the same position I had left him. He appeared to be fast asleep. I was hoping some miracle he hadn’t heard the exchange between Grayson and I. I tiptoed across the room and crawled into bed next to him. I snuggled closer and put my hand on his chest. His arm never uncovered his face as his other hand shot up and grabbed my wrist.

“It seems like I have some competition.” His tone was unreadable. I nervously laughed at the idea of Grayson ever being able to compete with someone like Elijah.

“He’s nothing you have to worry about,” I replied. His grip on my wrist tightened momentarily before he released it, rubbing his thumb softly over my skin.

“I know. You couldn’t lie to me if you wanted to.” He said peeking out from under his arm and grinning. “You turn an adorable shade of pink when you get nervous.”

I shot him a half smile.

“…or excited.”

He rolled onto his side and put his hand on the side of my face, stroking it softly with his thumb. I stared into his deep brown eyes trying to read them, but it was too dark. He slowly dipped his head down and kissed me gently. I relaxed below him and completely forgot about my difficult conversation with Grayson. He rested his forehead against mine and I closed my eyes as he spoke.

“I have no idea what I’m doing here, Eva,” he whispered. His eyes shot open and he studied my face, his unspoken past plaguing him. It was more than obvious that he had some skeletons in his closet. Literally.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said with a heavy breath and pressed his forehead back against mine. I slid my hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth closer. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to let that happen.”

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I thought about laying on top of him. I knew he was trying to be a gentleman.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” I asked with a grin as I kissed him, letting him know he had no reason to apologize. He ran his head through his hair and was seemingly lost on that question. He lay back onto the pillow. We were silent for several minutes until he finally spoke.

“What do you want to do tonight?” he asked staring up at the ceiling.

“No work?” I questioned back, glancing over at him. He shook his head no. “Hmmm,” I said as the possibilities ran through my head. “We could check out some clubs,” I said knowing full well the last thing I would consider fun is dancing in public but I wanted to get out of the house.

“We could do that,” he responded with a nod. “In the meantime...” He turned on his side a kissed me passionately, picking up where we’d left off. My hands roamed over his muscular back as his fingers entangled in my hair, pulling me deeper into him. I moaned against his lips as his grip tightened in my hair. I felt a smirk spread across his mouth as his hand slid over my hip.

“I thought you didn’t want to do this,” I teased with a giggle.

“I never said I didn’t want to.”

I was completely lost in the moment. I never heard the door open. In a flash, glass rained down on me. I grasped at air were Elijah had been just seconds before as I sat up and scanned the darkness as the small shards bit into the palms of my hands but didn’t break the skin. I began to panic, gasping for breath. I could make out shadows in the corner and hear the grunts and groans of an intense struggle. I curled up into a tight ball and hugged my knees as my breaths came in rapid pants. My heart was hammering so loudly I could hear the blood whooshing in my ears, obscuring the sounds of the struggle. Suddenly, the room was silent aside the labored breaths of someone else and I had no idea who it was.

“Elijah?” I asked, searching the darkness for him, my voice cracking from the weight of the fear that sat heavily on my chest. I backed myself against my headboard and began crawling to the side of my bed. I slowly stepped off and kept my back pressed tightly against the wall as I felt for the light switch. It clicked loudly in the quiet space and light flooded the room. I covered my eyes at the sudden intrusion before blinking them open and hoping the nightmare had ended in our favor.

Elijah was hunched over someone with his back toward me, unmoving aside from the steady rising and dropping of his shoulders as he caught his breath. “Elijah?” I whispered as I stepped toward him, petrified that he may have been injured in the fight.

“Don’t,” He hissed angrily. I stopped walking, frozen by the tone of his voice. I’d never seen a hunter in action but I’ve been told they are every bit as dangerous as the bloodsuckers they hunted. They had to be.

“Who is it?” I asked, terrified to hear the answer. The body lay motionless below him and I couldn’t see his face, only his legs. After several excruciatingly long seconds, he turned slowly to face me. His hands were shaking as he held them in front of him. “Who?” I asked again.

“I don’t know. It’s just a burglar,” he finally replied. He pulled something from the guys pocket. “He has an employee ID for Pizza Place.”

“Oh my God,” I choked out and rushed toward him. He grabbed around the waist and squeezed me tightly. “Why?” I sobbed into his shoulder.

“Shhh…” he whispered, stroking my hair until I relaxed against him. I hugged him tighter trying to match his grip on me. I knew he was the strong one of the two of us, but that didn’t mean he didn’t need to be comforted.

“We have to call someone… the police,” I concluded and he nodded his head in agreement. He grabbed his clothes, pulling them on as I reached for my cell phone, fumbling to unlock it. I finally got an operator on the line and frantically tried to explain the situation. I covered my other ear as Elijah’s cell began to ring in his pocket. He mumbled something quietly and walked into the living room so I could finish explaining what had happened, even though I still wasn’t quite sure.

I hung up the phone after giving all of my information and grabbed the dresser to steady myself. I took several deep breaths and glanced to my left. The body of the intruder still lay motionless and half concealed behind my bed. I took a slow step toward him.

“Aargh,” I screamed in terror as an arm gripped me around my waist and spun me around. “Grayson!” I threw my arms around him and squeezed as if he was holding me to the Earth.

“Eva! What happened?” He brushed my hair back from my face and glanced at the body behind me. “Are you hurt?”

“I'm okay. I’m safe.”

“A burglar attacked us,” Elijah’s voice said flatly from behind us. Grayson spun around with the sudden intrusion, studying Elijah, then looking back at me for answers.

Grayson’s face was gripped in confusion as he stood silently putting all of the pieces together. The intruder was killed in my bedroom, where he had tried to attack Elijah and me. I could feel the second Grayson put all of this information together when his look turned to disgust and my heart clenched in my chest. He swallowed hard and his hands fell free from my waist.

“Grayson,” I protested. He held up his hand to motion for me to stop talking. I shot a glance at Elijah, who tilted his head toward the floor and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“I’ll uh... let you guys talk,” he said and shot a glance from Grayson back to me. My mind was racing. I had no idea how to fix this situation. Grayson’s eyes searched my face and waited for an explanation. I didn’t have one.

“I’m waiting, Eva,” he finally said, breaking the silence.

“I can’t do this now, Grayson. I’m dealing with a freaking dead body.” I didn’t know what had come over me. I had enough on my plate right now and I didn’t have room for a jealous ex-boyfriend. It wasn’t like he was sitting at home, waiting for me to come around. He had been out with plenty of other girls and he was oblivious to how that had made me feel.

He threw his hands up in defeat and stormed off toward the door. “Grayson, wait,” I called after him as he pushed through the police and emergency workers entering my apartment. Elijah walked up behind me and tucked his arm around my waist and kissed me on the top of my head, letting his lips linger as he inhaled deeply.

“So that’s your past,” he asked recalling Grayson’s first intrusion in the woods. I nodded my head in response hoping that Grayson hadn’t just walked out of my life forever.

***

We stepped back into the kitchen as emergency workers removed the intruder on a gurney. I turned around to bury my face in Elijah’s chest so I didn’t have to see his bloody remains. He answered a few questions by the police and they slowly began to file out.  I sighed in relief when the last person was gone as he pulled me back from his body and placed his hands on either side of my head as he inspected my expression.

“You okay?” he asked. I felt myself begin to relax as he stroked my cheek with his thumb.

“I’ll manage,” I said, turning the corners of my mouth up into the beginning of a smile. He pulled my head toward him and placed a hard lingering kiss on my forehead. The truth was, I would be completely losing control if it weren't for him. I slipped my arms around him and gripped his shirt in my hands. Thunder began to rumble from outside as the rain started to pelt the side of the building violently.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said with a weak smile.

“It’s storming out,” I replied and he pulled me in to give me a soft kiss. I couldn’t stop my body from melting against him. After a moment, he pulled me back and took my hands in his, lacing our fingers together.

“It’s not safe for you here.”

“Where would we go? There is no safe place anymore.”

“You’re right,” He said in defeat because we both knew it was only a matter of time. You couldn’t win in this world. “Let’s, at least, get out of here for a few hours.”

“Alright. I love the rain,” I agreed and grabbed my sandals from my room, pausing to look at the spot on the floor that recently held a dead body. I shook the thought from my head and picked up my cell phone out of habit. I turned it around in my hand and set it back down on the dresser. I didn’t need any more drama from Grayson tonight. I spun around and flashed a smile at Elijah, who stood in my doorway, grabbing his hand as I passed and pulling him behind me.

CHAPTER SIX

MONSTER WITHIN

The rain was warm as it coated us in big heavy drops. We were soaked in minutes. Something about a storm made you feel alone even if the streets were crowded with others and I didn’t mind the intimate moment with Elijah. I struggled to hear him talk over the rumbles of thunder and the music that spilled into the streets from the local bars and clubs.

“My parents are originally from Ireland, but I was raised in the south,” he explained in a hushed tone.

“Where are your parents now?” I asked trying to unravel the mystery that was Elijah. He furrowed his brow and looked down at the sidewalk.

“Long gone,” he replied in a flat tone. I didn’t probe any further. I could tell it wasn’t something he wanted to talk about and I immediately regretted asking.

“I see,” I said looking out toward the street as headlights streamed by. The sun hadn’t set yet, but thanks to the clouds it could have passed for night. We stopped in front of a stand on the sidewalk selling ice cream and he ordered us each a cone, handing me mine with a wink.

“You?” he asked back. I sighed when I realized I hadn’t completely ruined the moment.

“They’re around. I don’t see much of my mother, but my father comes by every now and again to check up on me,” I replied with a nod.

“How come?”

Now it was my turn to feel uncomfortable. I pushed out a massive breath and decided to tell him about Marcus.

“My brother, Marcus, was killed a little while back. Murdered.”

His face turned to stone and neither of us spoke for a moment.

“I just don’t like to see the disappointment in their eyes when I walk through the door and he doesn’t,” I admitted feeling sorry for myself. I absent-mindedly licked my ice cream waiting for him to respond.

“That explains a lot,” he finally said. I wasn’t sure what he meant. He took my hand again and we began to walk. Drunks spilled from the bar in front of us, crashing into pedestrians that lingered on the sidewalk. Elijah instinctively pulled me behind him, placing himself between the rowdy crowd and me. The inebriated partiers staggered and shoved anyone around them.

“Hey,” Elijah yelled in a dark, frightening tone and the crowd froze in place. The drunks staggered and laughed making their way toward us.

“Got a problem, Friend?” A man called as he stepped out from the middle of the action. My body immediately tensed as I recognized the voice. A chill shot up my spine.

“That’s one of the vampires from the pool hall,” I whispered behind Elijah.

“You guys need to take your party elsewhere. You’re scaring people.”

“Is that right?” The designated drunk leader asked with a smirk. He inched closer to Elijah with his mouth gaping open, exposing his fangs. “Who’s your girl?” He asked, shooting me a smile. “Oh, I remember you. From the pool hall, right?” Elijah stepped to the right, blocking him from my view. “Real shame about your friends. You can never be too careful these days.”

“You son of a bitch,” I yelled as Elijah held me back.

“You need to leave now,” Elijah growled. The man laughed and turned around to his merry band of misfits.

“I guess it’s time to go,” he said in a mocking tone. He turned back around to get the final word. “We’ll be seeing you, Elijah.” And with one last sinister chuckle they headed across the street to their car and hopped in. They howled and hollered all the way down the road until they were out of sight. I breathed a sigh of relief as they disappeared under the railroad bridge into the hollow. Elijah spun around and gripped both of my arms just below the shoulders.

“Are you alright?”

“I'm okay,” I reassured him and wrapped my arms around his waist. He squeezed me tightly as I struggled not to break down right there in the steady drizzle of the rain.

“Elijah? How did they know your name?” I asked replaying what the vampire had said in my head now that my fear had subsided.

“They come into my cousin’s club from time to time and try to cause trouble.”

“Aren’t you worried?” I asked, pulling back from him and looking him in the eye. He tugged me back against him, squeezing me tighter than before.

“Not for me,” He answered quietly. “Come on.” Shooting me a grin he pulled me by the hand into the bar as I tossed my half-eaten cone into the trash.

“I’m not really in the mood for fun now.”

“Then you need a beer more than ever.”

The song When the Sun Goes Down blared from the jukebox in the corner. We weaved our way through the crowd of people on the dance floor and sat on two stools at the end of the bar. The bartender made her way down to us and flashed Elijah a big smile. She had blonde hair that seemed to radiate its own light and all eyes were on her.

“What are ya’ havin’?” she asked, not acknowledging my existence. I sighed deliberately and rolled my eyes.

“We would like two beers,” he replied as he winked at me.

“She looks a little young,” she quipped.

“I use a lot of moisturizers,” I deadpanned.

The barmaid glanced in my direction before walking down the bar to get our drinks. I let out an awkward laugh as he tucked a strand of my long, brown hair behind my ear causing my skin to heat. “She’s not my type.” Lifting my chin with his fingers, he looked me in the eye. “You are.”

The barmaid brought our drinks and sat them down in front of us with a touch of force, trying to get his attention, but his eyes never left mine. We grabbed our drinks and took a sip as Radar Love began to play. Elijah’s eyes lit up.

“Oh no,” I said, knowing what he was thinking. He nodded his head and laughed. I set my beer down as he grabbed my hand and dragged me to the dance floor. “I can’t dance,” I muttered. He furrowed his brow in mock confusion.

“You can’t or you won’t?” he said looking utterly mischievous. I shook my head no as he pulled me in against him and began moving his hips to the rhythm. I couldn’t help but break into laughter. He pushed me backward, still gripping my hand and tugged me back, spinning me on the floor and catching me in his arms.

I glanced behind me at him and caught him winking out of the corner of my eye as he pushed against me again, sending me twirling. He grabbed my other hand and pulled me back. This time, I swung my hips to his. I was dancing and actually enjoying it. My father would never believe this. As the song neared its end, he pulled me close and kissed me. The drunken crowd cheered and I felt the blush burn across my cheeks. I didn’t care. I kept my lips pressed against his. There was nowhere else I wanted to be but in the middle of the dance floor with Elijah.

A thunderous bang rang out through the bar as the power flickered out from the storm. The crowd screamed and hollered all around us as Elijah pulled me in for another kiss. The inebriated patrons shoved passed us as he held me tight in his arms. He rested his forehead against mine for a moment, peaceful in the center of chaos.

“Come on.”

I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear the smile behind his words. He wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me out of the building making sure we didn’t bump into any tables. We made it to the sidewalk where all of the other locals had congregated, their drinks still in hand. We snaked through and headed back toward my place. The rain poured onto us in sheets. He grabbed my hand and we began to run down the road and onto my street. Tugging at my arm, we crossed the road in between the sporadic traffic.

Cutting across Cherry Street, we headed toward the secret path to his favorite spot next to the creek. He pushed me back against a tree and brushed the wet strands of hair from my face. I leaned in to kiss him, sending a chill through my entire body.

He slid his tongue between my lips as I ran my hands up his back, feeling his muscles flex beneath my fingers. He pushed his weight against me causing the bark from the tree to dig into my flesh, the pain fading almost as fast as it came, drowning under my desires. He slid his hand down my side, and grabbed my thigh from underneath, yanking it up and wrapped it behind his waist.

“Being a gentleman around you is proving difficult.”

I kissed him hungrily as he slipped his hand under my shirt and jerked it up over my head with one quick motion, leaving behind my beige lace bra. He pulled back as his eyes roamed over my body before he leaned back in kissing his way down my neck. I ran my hands through his wet hair as his mouth slipped lower, making his way down my chest and slowly undoing my shorts.

I pushed back against the tree and angled my hips toward him as he slid them off, leaving a trail of kisses down my thigh. I pulled him up toward me and began to undress him. We locked eyes as I lifted his shirt. His body glistened in the rain. I bit my lip and took in the view for a moment before pushing off of the tree and undoing his pants.

Kissing his neck, I made my way up to his earlobe. He let out a quiet moan as his hands slid over my soaking wet body. He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the bank of the creek in nothing but our underwear. It sloped perfectly down into the water. I laughed as he turned around and lifted me effortlessly by the waist and lowered me in. I gripped my arms around his neck as he picked my legs up and placed me around him. He wrapped his hand in my hair and pulled my face against his, breathing raggedly as we kissed.

I was consumed by his passion and the terrible events of the day melted under his touch. I let out a moan into his ear as he kissed along my jaw, our bodies moved with the rhythm of the current. I nibbled on his earlobe as his tongue trailed down my neck. He slid his hand from my hair and pushed it off my shoulder.

Elijah’s body froze in place, his arms gripping me like a vice. I opened my eyes and turned to meet his gaze that was fixated on his own hand. The rain ran off it mixing with a dark crimson substance. My mind went to the vampires we’d seen tonight but I quickly dismissed any danger because I felt safer in Elijah’s arms than I’d ever felt before.

“Oh… I must have cut my back against that tree.”

His expression never changed. He didn’t look up at me as I spoke.

“It’s okay, I'm all right. I didn’t even realize I was hurt.” I continued not wanting this moment to end because he was concerned for my safety.

My words trailed off as he slowly raised his eyes to meet mine, expressionless. “I’m fine,” I repeated and flashed him a smile to ease his worry, pulling him back to me for a kiss. His body relaxed slightly and he returned my advances. He was much rougher than he had been before. Our bodies began to move hard against each other as his mouth made its way down my neck.

A sharp, stabbing pain shot through me, radiating from my throat and down to my fingertips. My mind raced, pleading with my body to do something, anything to save myself as I struggled to comprehend what was happening.

This was the very place he’d assured me I was safe.

I was safe because I was with him.

I gasped and let out an animalistic scream that felt like it was ripping itself from my soul. A pushed at Elijah’s chest with all of my strength, but his body did not budge an inch. He was too strong. Too determined. He wasn’t a he at all, but an it. A thing that could not be reasoned with or feel sympathy. He caught my wrists and squeezed harshly as his teeth penetrated deeper into my flesh. If I tried to pull away, my skin and muscle would surely be ripped away with his bite. My throat quickly became raw and my screams became raspy, lost among the sounds of the falling rain and the rush of the creek.

“Please,” I sobbed, more pleading to myself to be strong than for mercy that I knew wouldn’t come. He let out a muffled growl against my skin as he twisted my arms behind my back. “Elijah,” I choked out as my head began to spin, dizzy from the blood loss. I relaxed my weight against him, unable to fight anymore. It felt as if my body was tumbling from that ledge of the hotel, weightless and fading. My head rolled to the side as he retracted his fangs but the pain didn’t ebb. He let go of my wrists and put his hand on my back to keep me from slipping beneath the surface of the murky water. I was barely clinging to consciousness and I was begging myself to just let go so I wouldn’t have to feel this betrayal that hurt much worse than the flesh wound. I kept my eyes closed and hoped that he would think I was dead.

His breathing began to normalize and he gripped my body tighter against his. “Eva, I’m so sorry,” he whispered in my ear in a hushed panic. “Eva, I know you can hear me. I can feel you heart beating.” He gently tucked my hair behind my ear. He was fighting a battle against his monster within him and it felt like the human side of him was losing.

***

Elijah lowered me onto the creek bank, his body coming to rest on top of mine. The image of his blood stained smile morphing into the one I’d known before, He pressed his lips to mine and I welcomed his touch, hungrily sliding my hands down his body.

“I want you,” he groaned.

“In your dreams,” I shot back with a giggle.

“This isn’t my dream, Eva. It’s yours.

CHAPTER SEVEN

PREPARATION

I awoke and shot up into a sitting position as fear washed over me. I glanced around, catching the alarm clock that read 8:43 am. I was in my bed, alone. It was just a nightmare.

I shoved the covers down, my body, overheated from being under the heavy fabric. I was wearing a silk nightgown that I had bought several years ago and never worn. I slid my hand down the slippery material. “How?” I mumbled to myself. A sound from the kitchen startled me and I gasp. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I tiptoed to the doorway, holding my breath. It squeaked as I slowly pulled it open and was assaulted by the bright light that poured in. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath.

“We need to talk,” Grayson called from the kitchen. I flung the door open the rest of the way and peeked out. Grayson sat at my table eating a bowl of cereal as if it were just another ordinary day.

“H-hey,” I stammered. I grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and a spoon out of the dishwasher. I sat in the seat across from him and poured a bowl for myself, glancing up to see his expression, but trying to avoid eye contact.

“Glad to see you’re alone this morning,” he said coldly as he glanced up and looked me in the eye. “You are alone, aren’t you?” His face read of disgust and I rolled my eyes.

“Grayson, you have no idea the night I had.” I started, but he quickly interrupted.

“Spare me the hangover sob story,” he replied.

I have had about enough. I slammed my spoon into my bowl and crossed my arms.

“Look, Grayson, we aren’t together. I’m getting really sick of these double standards.” I shoved away from the table and got up to put my bowl in the sink. I had lost my appetite. I rinsed it out as I heard his chair slide back and he stomped down the hall and walked out the door. I felt the tears stream down my cheeks and slammed the bowl, watching it crack into shards.

I was breaking down. I sunk to the floor and wrapped my arms around my knees and rocked soothingly. My neck throbbed. I summoned the strength to reach my fingers under the collar of my gown, trembling when I felt the slow healing puncture wounds. Flashes of last nights’ brutal attack from Elijah replayed in my mind. How could I not have known? How am I still alive? I was feeling sorry for myself again. I pushed myself up and headed to my bedroom. I shrugged off the nightgown and slid into an old pair of jeans and a tank, and threw my hair up into a messy bun. I grabbed the gun from on top of my dresser and slid it into the waist of my jeans. I suddenly remembered Elijah emptying the bullets. Rifling through my drawers I come up empty handed.

“Shit!” I cursed myself. He took all of them. I walked over to the window and ripped open the heavy curtains. The sun shot through the slits in the blinds. It was a beautiful sunny day. No vampires were out right now. I decided to make an impromptu trip to the gun supply shop out in York to stock up on ammo. Grabbing a cigarette from my pack, I lit it and slid them into my back pocket. I grabbed my purse and headed for my car.

Take Me To Church played as the engine turned over and roared to life. I retreated inside my imagination as I absentmindedly made my way through the curves of the hollow. I pictured the night I walked down the road and first made eye contact with Elijah. My heart involuntarily fluttered at the mere thought of his gaze. Most attacks occurred at random. What Elijah had done was anything but that. He had spent time with me, made me care about him. Why?

I shook myself from the daydream in time to see the car in front of me stopped in the middle of the road with its hazard lights flashing.

I slammed the breaks and they locked up, sliding me to a stop inches from his rear bumper. My heart raced. I shifted into park and put on my four-ways.

Making sure my gun was secure in the back of my pants, I got out to see what was wrong. I cautiously rounded the front of his battered car and spotted the white tail deer lying motionless off on the shoulder. “You okay?” I asked the driver. He nodded as he took off his baseball cap and scratched his head as he inspected the damage to his grill. An impact with a deer this size could easily total a car. I stepped in behind him getting a closer look.

Snorting and shrieking sounded behind me and I jumped at the sound. “Shit,” I yelled as I clutched my chest, willing my heart to slow.

“It’s still kickin’,” he yelled. I grabbed for my gun to put it out of its misery, but quickly remembered the lack of bullets. The man circled his car and reached in the drivers’ side to hit the trunk release button. He made his way to the back and dug around for a moment, reappearing with a rifle. My heart raced at the sight of him wielding the weapon and marching toward me. He took aim and caught the doe right above the eye, the pleas for his pain to be ended finally answered. I struggled to catch my breath. He walked over the deer and inspected the carcass that now lay motionless.

“She ain’t gut busted,” he called to me over his shoulder, pleased as punch with himself. He slid his arms under the deer and hoisted it up. Walking back by me and dropping it in his trunk with a thud. He looked over his vehicle waiting for approval.

“Huntin’ season came early,” I said trying to sound cheerful for him. He smiled approvingly.

“Thank ya’ ma’am. I think she’ll drive,” he said patting the roof of his car and ducked into the drivers’ seat. I nodded and made my way back to my car.

I flicked my cigarette butt that had burnt clear to the filter and grabbed for my pack from my pocket. I lit another cigarette and took a deep breath, laughing at myself for startling so easily. I clicked off my flashers and put the car in drive, slowly crawling up the hollow. Dangerous Mood blared through my speakers as I made my way toward York New Salem. As I sat at the only intersection in town, I let my mind think of Elijah again.

I hated myself for missing him. I was seething mad, I wanted to kill him, but a warm feeling flowed through me as I pictured his face. I turned into the gas station and put the car in park.

I took a deep breath and let myself think about what had happened last night. I saw us laughing, holding hands, and running through the rain as if there was nothing to fear. I felt the passion as he slid me against the tree and kissed me. Then I felt the sickening feeling that washed over me as he bit into my flesh. I had trusted him to protect me. That wasn’t like me. I stayed pretty guarded toward others, especially after my brother was killed. The one person I had let in turned out to be a monster.

I bit my lip and fought back the tears as I remembered how helpless I had felt last night. I was sure I was going to die. And there was nothing I could do to protect myself but pretend to be dead. I pictured the suffering deer who could do nothing but gasp for air. Her life was snuffed out without a second thought. I was no different and yet I’d been spared. I cranked the radio and threw my car into reverse. If I were going to die, I would, at least, give those leeches one hell of a fight.

I made my way toward Route Thirty as I dug through my purse and pulled out my wallet. I dumped the contents and gathered the bills to see how much cash I had to spend. I had fifty-seven dollars to my name. That would have to do. I turned off onto the bypass and sang along to Dead or Alive, screaming out my frustrations.

The parking lot at the Shoot and Scoot was packed. Business for these kinds of stores boomed after the existence of vampires was realized.

I parked at the far corner of the lot and made my way inside.  The clientele was extremely diverse. Middle-aged hunters and young mothers stockpiled weapons and ammunition. I wandered through the aisles listening to random bits of conversations about vampire attacks. I closed my eyes to fight off the overwhelming emotions building inside of me. We all knew vampires were heartless, but Elijah had taken cruelty to a whole new level.

I sifted through the boxes of ammo until I found the kind my brother had always bought. I grabbed two and made my way to the register. The clerk was arguing with a middle-aged man whose appearance could only be described as disheveled. He wanted to buy a virtual arsenal of weapons without waiting the typical grace period. Even with the dead walking among us, there still had to be rules. It was what kept all hell from breaking loose.

My eyes wandered from customer to customer wondering who they had lost at the hands of the undead. An older woman caught my eye at the corner of the counter. Her eyes were puffy and swollen and her cheeks were bright pink. It was obvious she had spent the day crying.  She pushed off of the counter and walked over to the man who was arguing with the cashier. She put her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it as she whispered to him quietly. The man turned to her, nodding his head and followed her to the side of the counter she stood at moments before. I realized they were waiting for special approval for arms. If someone in your immediate family or yourself was attacked by a vampire, you could receive a waiver for the grace period for personal protection.

I stepped forward as the line shortened. A mother and her young son stood in front of me. I smiled and waved at him as he turned around to inspect the items in my arms. His mother shot me a worried look and pulled the boy tightly against her. My heart sank as I thought about the world this little boy would grow up in if he were even lucky enough to grow up at all. We stepped forward again in unison and the mother quickly paid for her items and hurried her son from the store.

“Two boxes of the wood tip specials. This all for you Ma’am?” The cashier asked, his silver eyebrow raised, crinkling the thin skin around his eye. I nodded as I fished around in my purse. I handed him my Government Vampire Victim card and cash. He glanced from the I.D. to me and nodded in approval. I stuck it back in by purse and grabbed the bag and my change, anxious to get out of there myself. These stores were huge targets for vampires with a vengeance and their sympathizers.

I made my way through the lingering people and pushed my way out of the double doors. Sliding my sunglasses on my face, I paused, my chin tilted up toward the warm sun before I headed towards my brother’s car. Thick clouds were rolling in and the sunshine wouldn’t last long. As I unlocked the door, I heard the muffled ringtone of my cell phone go off. I threw my bag across to the passenger seat and started the car. Taking a deep breathe I rifled through my purse and pulled out my cell phone. The caller I.D. read Daddy.

“Shit,” I muttered to myself. I wondered if he had caught wind of the burglary incident. I sighed and tossed the phone onto the seat. There was too much to think about right now, and I was in no mood to be lectured.

Rain sprinkled on my windshield and I leaned forward to inspect the sky. If this keeps up, it will be getting dark early. I put the car in reverse and headed back toward my apartment. My mind wandered to yesterday's events. I suddenly remembered our run-in with the vampires outside of the bar. How had they known Elijah’s name? Better question- How had I not known what he was? I searched through the memories of the time we had spent together. The signs were definitely there, but I had let my guard down. I shook the thoughts from my head and flipped through the radio stations.

I made my way to the Hollow as the rain started to fall in a steady pour. I flipped on the wipers and picked up the pace. It had rained a lot lately and the little bridge over the creek had a tendency to flood. If that happened, I would be forced to backtrack around to the other side of town. I sang along with the radio as I made my way to the borough. The water was lapping at the road, but I made it across safely before the road was covered completely. I stopped at the Valley Tavern and grabbed a couple of six packs before going home. I didn’t want to be left alone with my memories and anger.

CHAPTER EIGHT

V POSITIVE

I was starving when I finally reached my door. I pushed through and kicked my shoes off and threw my bag and purse on the table. I shoved the beer in the fridge and searched for something to eat. I settled on leftover hog maw and popped it into the microwave. As I waited, I picked up the broken pieces from the bowl I had left in the sink earlier this morning and wiped down the countertops.  The microwave dinged and I jumped causing me to slice into my palm with the shards.

“Perfect,” I shouted through clenched teeth as I wrapped a dishtowel around my hand. I ran to the bathroom to clean up my wound. As I slowly unwrapped the towel, I winced at the sight of my blood soaked fingers. My mind flashed to Elijah’s hand the moment before he attacked me; the moment he betrayed me. I shuddered at the thought of how stupid I’d been. I should have known the second a guy like that showed me attention, he had to have an ulterior motive.

The fresh water from the sink made it burn in pain as I dug through the cabinet to find the peroxide. I fidgeted with the cap and dumped the contents onto my cut, watching it bubble and wash away the blood.

“Ouch,” I screamed as the pain shot up my arm through every nerve ending. I sank the floor and waited for the throbbing to subside. Could this day get any worse? I knew it could, and it would. I pushed myself back up and wrapped some gauze around my hand securing at the wrist. I was going to have to suck it up if I was going to get through all of what was ahead. I knew Elijah would return.  It was a standard warning on the news that if a vampire attacks you and gets a taste of your blood, they will attack again until they finish the job. I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed my food, taking it in the living room. I flipped on the news and waited for the headlines of the day.

“Local woman attacked at home ends in the death of a burglar. The assailant was proven to be V positive,” the newscaster reported as a picture of my apartment building flashed across the screen. V positive was the blood type assigned to the undead. It was the politically correct way of saying murderous monster. Turns out, even vampires could get their feelings hurt.

“Oh, God,” I said to myself as my cell phone began ringing from the kitchen table. “He was a vampire?” I set my plate down on the coffee table and ran to the kitchen to retrieve my phone. “Hello?” I asked pushing back the tears from my eyes.

“Eva, I just heard. Are you okay?” Grayson asked, his voice riddled with fear. I sighed at the sound of him.

“I-I’m fine,” I lied trying to catch my breath.

“How did he get inside? Did you invite him?”

I searched my memory of the sudden attack. “He worked at a pizza place. He’s probably been invited in a million times.”

“I’m coming over,” he said as my phone beeped with a call from the other line.

“Okay,” I said and switched the call. I wasn’t going to argue with him. Not after the week I’d been having.

“Was it you? Eva, I just saw on the news. Did this happen in your apartment?” my Dad asked frantically.

“Yes. I didn’t want to worry you. I am fine.”

“A vampire attacks you and you don’t think to call us?”

“I-I didn’t know he was a vampire until I heard it on the news. It’s not like they wear name tags.”

“I’m coming over.”

“No, Dad, it’s okay. Grayson is coming and I’m not in any danger. The guy is dead.” I replied knowing full well that Elijah was still out there, but I couldn’t put my family at risk. “I will call if I need anything, I promise,” I said waiting for his response. He pushed out a loud sigh.

“Fine, but I will be in contact with Grayson to make sure you are safe.” I hung up the phone and tossed it on the table and wiped my cheeks to rid them of any fallen tears. I decided to run through the shower quickly, wanting to scour my skin of any trace of Elijah’s touch. I was rinsing my hair when I heard the door.

“Eva?” Grayson called from the hallway.

“Be right out,” I yelled over the sound of the water. I turned it off and reached beside the tub for my towel as Grayson appeared in the doorway.

“You okay?”

“I’ve been better,” I said with a nervous grin. “We need to talk,” I added, realizing I needed to tell someone else about Elijah.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, tilting his head.

“It’s nothing. I just…” I let my voice trail off not knowing what to say. He brushed the hair back from my neck. We stood in silence for a moment as he examined the two tiny puncture wounds at the nape.

“He… bit you?” he asked quietly unable to hide the fear in his tone. A lump developed in my throat and I struggled to choke out a response. I didn’t know how he would react. His eyes searched mine for a moment then he pulled me in tightly against him, squeezing me. “I’m so sorry, Eva. I should have been there to protect you.”

“It’s okay. I'm okay. You’re here now,” I said squeezing him, trying to reassure him it wasn’t his fault. I knew exactly where to lay the blame. I should have known better. I should have seen the warning signs.

“I guess it is a good thing Elijah was here to protect you when I wasn’t.”

I scrunched up my face. Grayson thought the intruder is the one who’d bit me. Swallowing hard I struggled to find the words to tell him otherwise.

He pulled his face back slightly and wiped my tears with his fingers. He slowly leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. I gave in for a moment but suddenly realized that no matter what had happened between Elijah and me, it didn’t change things with Grayson. I pulled back reluctantly. He looked at me with sadness and nodded his head.

“Right.” He couldn’t hide his agitation, still thinking I was pushing him away because of Elijah, when in reality, we had been over a long time ago. “I’ll… just wait out here for you.” He headed to the living room to let me finish getting ready. I wandered into my bedroom and grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top from my drawers and threw them onto the bed behind me. I heard a floorboard squeak and whipped around, startled. Elijah stood behind and all I could do was gasp.

“Shh,” he said as he stepped closer. I was frozen in absolute terror. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You mean again? You’re not going to hurt me again.” My mind searched for where I had left my gun and I glanced around the room. It was in the bathroom and the bullets still sat on the table in the bag.

“Looking for this?” he asked pulling my gun from the back of his jeans. I reached out, but he wagged his finger at me to stop, “Guns are dangerous,” he cautioned as he slipped it back into his jeans. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. I stood silently watching him, unsure of what move I could make. His eyes opened slowly and he licked his lips. “I’m so sorry, Eva. I never wanted any of this to happen,” He whispered, placing his hands on either side of my face. I shuttered and pulled back slightly as my knees threatened to give out from under me.

“Hurry up, Eva! It’s already dark out,” Grayson called from the living room. I turned my gaze back to Elijah. He placed his finger on my lips to warn me not to give him away.

“Just a minute,” I called back trying to hide the shakiness in my voice.

“Thank you,” Elijah whispered and kissed me softly on the forehead. I froze, torn between wanting to scream and wishing the Elijah I’d known the last few days would wrap me in his arms and keep me safe. My head swirled as the emotions battled inside of me. I was paralyzed, like the prey of a shrew.

“Have you missed me?” he asked and even though I knew he was a monster, it felt like he genuinely wanted to know. A blush crept over me as I thought of the dream I’d following his attack. Do I tell him no and risk him deciding he was done playing his game and could kill me now? Or do I tell him I’ve missed him and giving him more ammunition to humiliate me with and I die without my dignity, the only thing I had left?

“Y-yes,” I stammered hoping the rapid beating of my heart didn’t give away my fear. I wasn’t lying per se. I did miss him, but the version I missed I wasn’t even sure was real. Was he still clinging to that thin thread of humanity that I could reason with, or was it all just a game of cat and mouse? Was he simply… playing with his food?

He smiled and I caught my breath as my eyes locked onto his. “I’m here now,” he whispered in my ear as he inhaled against my hair. My body involuntarily relaxed as he slowly trailed kisses down my neck. I could feel it. This was the moment it all ended. I’d somehow found the will to live after all I’d been through, only to be eaten alive by the same guy who had somehow managed to steal my heart only days before. I wasn’t sure which part of him I hated more; the thief or the murderer.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Grayson called from the doorway and for a moment, I felt relief like I’d been spared this horrible fate. But as Elijah pulled away and turned to focus on Grayson, Fear slightly crept back in. No! Not Grayson! Kill me but let him live! He is too good to die because of me.

“We have to stop meeting this way,” Elijah joked with a sinister tone. I realized that Grayson had no idea what he was up against. He didn’t even stand a chance.

“I-I’m sorry, Grayson. Maybe we can catch up some other time?” I said quickly, flashing a small nervous smile and hoped it was convincing. Elijah glanced at me with a grin and back to Grayson.

“Right,” Grayson replied in a bitter tone and turned to head down the hall.

“Grayson,” I shouted around Elijah. Grayson’s face peeked back around the doorway waiting to hear whatever excuse I’d had for him, his eyes narrowed.

“You were always there for me with Marcus. Thank you for being here for me when I need you now,” I said hoping he would read between the lines. He nodded and walked off down the hallway, slamming the door to my apartment as he left. I let out a sigh of relief knowing he was out of danger, but the night was just beginning for me and my opponent didn’t play fair.

CHAPTER NINE

DELIVER US FROM EVIL

Elijah rested his forehead against mine with his hand wrapped in my hair. I remained perfectly still knowing if I didn’t fight it, at least, my death wouldn’t be terrifying. I also knew that if I let the fear take over, my blood would pump faster, putting me out of my misery faster, but I didn’t have the guts. He pressed his lips hard against mine and my knees went weak.

“Don’t be scared. Everything I feel for you is real,” He whispered. “And everything you have felt for me is real.”

My body stiffened at the sudden revelation and he gripped me tightly against him. So it wasn’t all a game to him?

“I’m so sorry for what I’d done,” he whispered as if he’d forgotten to buy milk or something. “I didn’t want you to find out that way.”

I relaxed again hoping at any moment Grayson would burst through the door to save me. But the house was quiet, the only sound from the rain that pounded the side of the building. I was completely torn. Everything about what Elijah was sickened me, but I couldn’t deny how hard I had fallen for him before I knew his dark secret.

He pulled me in for another kiss. I hesitated but decided it wasn’t in my best interests to fight him. He could kill me without blinking, and if he did actually care about me, I could use that to my advantage to stay alive. I pushed back against his mouth as he parted my lips with his tongue. He growled under his breath as I slid my hands around his back pulling him in tighter. I moaned back against him as I slipped my hand around his waist and wrapped my fingers around the gun. He pulled back from my mouth and shot me an agitated look. I pulled the weapon quickly and held it between us. He smiled down at the gun and back at me.

“Is this your way of saying you don’t forgive me?”

“Leave now. You are no longer invited,” I said trying to steady my hands. He let out a deep laugh.

“You can’t un-invite me. That’s just something the news made up to make people feel safer. Plus, it’s kind of rude, Eva.”

I pressed the barrel of the gun against his chest and his expression switched from amused to unreadable.

“You want to kill me?...again?” he asked sarcastically. He pressed his chest hard against the barrel of the gun, causing me to stumble back a step. “Do it.” There was no playfulness in his tone, but he wasn’t angry either. “Put me out of my misery.”

My hands shook wildly as a gripped down on the trigger. I closed my eyes as I pulled it back further hearing it click. I opened my eyes hesitantly to see him still standing in front of me.

“That hurts worse than any bullet could have done.” He grabbed the gun, pulling it effortlessly from my hands and throwing it against the wall across the room. “Ammunition is still on the table, remember?” he added, cocking his head to the side.

“I’m sorry,” I cried as I completely broke down.

“Shh… You don’t need to ever be sorry,” his words sounded pained as he wiped the tears from my cheeks. “You’re bleeding,” he said glancing down at my side to my palm that I had injured earlier on the broken dish. Fear overwhelmed me as I thought of what he did at the sight of my blood yesterday. His eyes became void and I slid my hand behind my back. He caught my wrist and pulled it toward him slowly.

“Why didn’t you just kill me yesterday? Why are you torturing me?”

His expression turned somber. “I never wanted to kill you. I thought I had better control,” he confessed and if lacking control was his only noticeable weakness, I was in a lot of trouble.

My front door banged open loudly, startling me and catching Elijah off-guard. I seized the opportunity and broke free from his grasp, running out of my room and straight into Grayson’s arms. He pushed me behind him and walked cautiously toward my bedroom. Elijah stood where I had left him looking positively pissed. Grayson aimed his gun at Elijah and cocked it.

“Can’t you take a hint?” Elijah asked with a chuckle and I cringed thinking of how he’d seen me kissing Elijah before. “She doesn’t want you.” he added looking at the gun.

“I suggest you leave and never come near Eva again,” Grayson hissed. Elijah cocked his head to the side, still grinning.

“If I don’t?” He asked, glancing over Grayson’s shoulder at me.

“I’ll pull the trigger,” Grayson replied coldly.

“You don’t scare me,” Elijah said harshly, stepping towards Grayson.

“I bet my wooden bullets do,” Grayson replied with a smile of his own and I exhaled loudly, relieved he had figured out what I was trying to tell him before Elijah showed up. “I won’t think twice about killing a vamp.”

Elijah hadn’t expected Grayson to know what he was and as he looked to me, he knew I had confided in him. His jaw tensed and the look of betrayal was clearly visible. He nodded his head once in understanding. He raised his hands slightly to signal that he didn’t pose a threat.

“I’ll go,” he said as he walked closer. Grayson and I backed into the hall as he exited the room. Grayson kept the gun pointed at his back as he walked toward the door. “I’ll see you later, Eva,” he called over his shoulder before walking out and slamming the door behind him.

Grayson turned to me and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Clinging to him, he stroked my hair soothingly as I sobbed against his shoulder. I was relieved, but I knew it was far from over. Elijah wasn’t going to stop until he got what he wanted. Unfortunately, what he wanted was me.

We made our way to the bedroom where I was finally able to take off my towel and throw on some clothing. Grayson kept his gaze on the wall, ever the gentleman even when we may die at any moment.

“What did he want? What did he say?” Grayson asked in a panic.

“He said… he said he was sorry.”

Grayson’s eyes narrowed as if he didn’t believe me. “He apologized for attacking you? Why?”

His tone made me angry. “Maybe he felt bad for what he did.”

He shook his head and half smiled. “Bloodsuckers don’t feel anything, Eva. They’re dead.”

I nodded, not wanting to argue semantics with him. Sure we called them dead, but they weren’t. Not really. How could they walk and talk if they weren’t even semi-alive? Maybe there was some part of their humanity still alive in there somewhere and we just hadn’t figured out how to bring it out in them.

“You want to go to my place?”

“No, you know if they want us, they will find us. I’m not leading them to your door.”

“Well, we can‘t just sit here and wait for them to decide to kill you,” he shot back angrily and I knew he was just mad that there was no real way to keep me safe.

I walked over to him, swallowing hard as I tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do.

“We don’t have to, Grayson. You can go. I wouldn’t be mad. I wouldn’t-”

“I’m not leaving you, Eva.”

“I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I don’t know how many times I told you that we were over and now here you are putting your life on the line for me. It isn’t fair.”

The left side of his mouth turned up in a sad smile. “Maybe you don’t feel that way about me anymore but you don’t get to decide when I stop caring about you. And until I do, I am right here by your side. I promise.”

I nodded, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. I wanted to tell him that I’d never stopped caring about him either, but Grayson deserved so much better than what I could give him.

“Now that we got that settled. What do you want to do?”

“We can’t fight the undead on empty stomachs,” I half joked as my belly panged with hunger.

“Alright. It’s my treat. Any requests for your last meal?”

***

We decided to order some food and watch movies until the sun came up. I curled up on the couch in a blanket as Grayson called the local restaurant. I flipped through the film channels, not wanting to hear any more news about the vampires. I settled on a romantic comedy just as Grayson came to sit next to me. He slid himself under the blanket and I laid my head on his shoulder. I tried my best to concentrate on the movie and not focus on the events of the day. Grayson trailed off into sleep and I decided to let him get some rest. I would be tired before long and he would have to keep watch.

***

The movie ended uneventfully. I began clicking through the channels as someone knocked on the door. Grayson stirred at the sound.

“It’s okay, just the food. Go back to sleep,” I said with a smile and kissed him lightly on the forehead. He rolled over, stretching out the full-length of the couch. I made my way to the door, stopping at my purse to pull out some cash.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Food delivery,” A voice called back from the other side. I sighed and pulled it open. I handed the boy the money and he gave me a stack of containers. He fumbled for the change in his pocket, letting a box slip to the ground and spilling bourbon chicken everywhere.

“Shit,” He said under his breath. “I’m so sorry, ma’am.”

“No big deal. At least, it wasn’t the shrimp sauce. Just let me get a rag or something, you can set the boxes on the table,” I said pointing behind me and went off to grab a towel. I rummaged through my closet in the bathroom and found an old beach towel from several summers ago that had worn threadbare. I turned to head back to the front door and the delivery man was standing in front of me. “You startled me,” I said, letting out a gasp. His expression turned cold. His mouth slowly parted and I could see his gleaming white fangs inside.

“I heard you had another mess to clean up here the other day, one of my friends.” His lips curled back over his teeth.

“I hope not… too close.” I froze in complete shock mentally chastising myself for being so stupid. Suddenly, the delivery boys body flew against the wall in the hallway, making an unnatural cracking sound as it collided with the drywall.

Elijah stepped into view with his fangs bared looking absolutely animalistic. He locked eyes with me for a brief moment before turning his attention back to the other vampire, who was already on his feet. They thrashed through the hall, biting and clawing at each other like rabid beasts. I screamed in horror as I saw Grayson appear. He pointed his gun, steadying himself for a shot but his hands shook. Elijah leaped from the delivery man and threw himself on top of Grayson, knocking him backward into the living room. The other vampire stumbled to his feet and attacked Elijah from behind, biting into his back viciously. I screamed not knowing whose side I was on but the only one who could kill the intruder was Elijah. I’d deal with what comes next when the time came.

Blood poured from the wound as Elijah clawed behind him, thrashing as he struggled to break the boy free. I slid along the wall and grabbed the gun that had flown from Grayson’s hand during their skirmish. My hands trembled as I took aim and pulled the trigger. With a beastly scream, the unknown vampire’s body went limp onto the floor.

Elijah’s eyes locked on mine as tears flowed down my face. He opened his mouth and bent toward Grayson, ready to kill him.

“No,” I screamed, holding the gun back up, trying to see through my tears. Elijah stopped as if time itself had frozen and I wasn’t sure if it was my own fear just making the world spin slightly slower. He reluctantly let go of Grayson and began to pull back. Grayson scrambled backward until his body was pressed against the wall.

“Shoot him,” Grayson yelled. “Shoot him, Eva.”

Elijah slowly stood up, never taking his eyes off me. My thoughts raced. He could have killed Grayson and I both by now, but he didn’t. He could have killed me before I ever knew what he was. He didn’t. This time, I couldn’t pull the trigger. I let the gun lower an inch or so, just enough for Elijah to realize I was conflicted. He dropped his gaze and turned to walk out the apartment without a word.

I sank down to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably as Grayson scrambled over to me. He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed tightly, rocking me until I no longer had the strength to cry let alone keep my eyes open. I had never killed anyone before and the fact that he was already what most would consider dead didn’t make it any easier. He still bled the same.

CHAPTER TEN

LIKE THE DEAD

I awoke around lunch time to the smell of bacon and eggs, thick and heavy in the air. I trudged out of the bedroom still half asleep and almost as if the night before was nothing more than a nightmare. Grayson was at the stove cooking, the mess of yesterday long cleaned after the police had left. He shot me a crooked smile. I smiled back and took a seat at the table, watching him work. He was an amazing cook. He used to work at my parent’s restaurant until our break up.

He slid the food onto a plate and turned around to present it to me.

“Two dippy eggs, bacon, and scrapple. Crispy on the edges, just the way you like it.”

“Thank you,” I said as he leaned over to kiss me on the forehead before sliding the syrup in front of me.

“How did you sleep?” He asked as he loaded his food onto his plate and sat down across from me.

“Like the dead,” I covered my mouth, realizing what I’d just said. Grayson broke out into wild laughter. I hadn’t heard that laugh in a long time.  It felt great and I let a giggle escape me. He had winked at me before he took a large bite of his meal, falling into a comfortable silence as we pretended everything was going to be okay.

***

I was absolutely stuffed. I had nearly eaten every bite of my food. I pushed back from the table and grabbed his plate, making my way to the sink. I began scrubbing them quickly as he stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Come on.” He pulled me by the hand toward my bedroom. I pulled back against him, stopping in my tracks.

He looked back over his shoulder at me with a slight grin. “I want you to get ready, were getting out of this place,” he said, reassuring me.

I followed him into my bedroom and grabbed some fresh clothes to wear as he sat on my bed, watching me. I glanced over my shoulder shooting him a dirty look. He turned and faced the wall as I finished changing.

“So, where are we going?” I asked. I caught him glance back at me as I pulled on my jeans.

“My place,” he said, clearing his throat. I shot him an unsure look. “The vampires don’t know where I live and haven’t been invited in,” he said proudly.

“Grayson, everyone in three counties has been invited to your house. We might as well just wear neon signs around our necks saying bite me.”

He laughed, looking embarrassed but his smile faded and I knew he was worried that I’d already been bitten.

“You got a better plan?” he asked, raising his eyebrow. I shook my head no. I had no idea what to do. Honestly, I had no idea what I was feeling. Elijah had gotten under my skin. Drinking my blood aside, he killed two of his own to save me. I was only alive because he wanted me to be. And yet, we all knew that once bitten, the outcome was always grim. He would kill me or turn me. What I couldn’t figure out was, why hadn’t he yet?

“Let’s go.” I bent over to retrieve my gun that Elijah had thrown across the room and made my way to the kitchen. I opened a box of the wooden bullets and carefully loaded it, throwing the remainder of the rounds in my purse. Grayson turned off the lights and we headed out of the apartment toward his place.

The weather had eased up and it was only drizzling lightly, but the sky was still a gloomy gray. The heat from the UV light reacted with the mutation in their blood causing intense, excruciating pain. It was the one defense nature had given us and really the only reason most of us were still alive.

I was shivering and damp by the time we reached his apartment door. He ran into the bathroom and grabbed me a towel to dry off with.

“Thanks,” I said as I toweled off my arms and ran it through my hair. He disappeared into his room and came back with an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I grabbed the clothes and inspected them.  “You are kidding right?” I said holding up the pair of female shorts that were not mine. His cheeks reddened as he grabbed the shorts from my hand and went back into his room. He returned a few minutes later.

“Better?” he asked, giving me a pair of basketball shorts. I nodded my head and went to the bathroom to change. When I returned, Grayson was in the living room trying to wake his roommate who had passed out on the couch. He rolled over and vomit spewed from his mouth all over Grayson’s feet. I covered my mouth trying to catch myself from becoming sick. This arrangement was not going to work. I wandered back to Grayson’s bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed while he helped his roommate to the bathroom. There was a picture laid face down on his nightstand. I picked it up and sat it on its end. It was Grayson and me at the junior prom. I smiled at the memory. Life was much less complicated back then.

Grayson appeared in his doorway, wearing only his boxers, lightly knocking to get my attention. He smiled when he saw what I was looking at. He walked over and touched the frame with his finger.

“Good times,” He murmured. “I’m gonna run through the shower.” He leaned down to kiss me softly on top of my head. I nodded and he disappeared through the door. What was I doing here? Being around Grayson was stirring up emotions inside of me that I didn’t even know I still had. I was only putting him in danger. I couldn’t put him through this. I heard the water turn on in the shower and I quickly changed back into my damp clothes and slid out of the window down his fire escape.

I rushed, cutting across some back yards to my place. Grayson would notice I was gone any minute and I needed to be as far away from here as possible. It was the only way to keep him safe. Elijah wanted me alive for some reason, but I was unsure how long that would extend to Grayson.

I opened my door and threw my purse on the table, heading for my bedroom to gather some clothes. I flicked on the light switch and the room remained dark. My mind filled with panic. I turned to run and my body slammed against something hard, a person but I wasn’t certain if they were alive or dead.

“Why the hurry, Love?” A sinister voice asked from in front of me. I recognized it immediately. It was the twisted vampire that I had called a zombie in the pool hall, who later had a confrontation with Elijah outside of the bar. He reached behind my head and grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking me backward toward the ground.

I shrieked as the pain rushed through my scalp like a thousand pin pricks. He dragged me into my living room and released my hair, flinging me onto the floor. The impact knocked the wind out of me and I struggled to catch my breath. He laughed sadistically as his friends joined in. “How rude of me. I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Reid.” He said with a smile, fangs protruding. He pointed to his accomplices across the room. I blinked trying to bring them into focus. My vision was blurred by my tears.

“Say hello to Xavier, Ashton, and Elijah. But, of course, you already know Elijah.” He said with a chuckle. I wiped my eyes feverishly scanning the vampire’s faces. Sure enough, Elijah stood across the room with the others. “Elijah, why don’t I let you explain to your little chew toy why we are here.” He grinned, baring his fangs. Elijah slowly made his way across the room toward me. I backed myself up against the wall, uncertain as to what he had planned.

“Eva, they are here because of the two vampires I killed here for you,” he whispered, searching my eyes for understanding. I nodded slowly. He was taking the blame for both deaths.

“And you? Why are you here?” I asked hesitantly, trying to hide the shakiness in my voice. He glanced back over his shoulder at the others before responding.

“I owe them vampires in return,” he said coldly, his eyes locked onto mine.

“No,” I screamed, pressing my body tightly against the wall. But as my heart began to race, my mind calmed. I knew this was coming and I had brought it all on myself.

“Shh…” he whispered as he slid his hands under my body and lifted me from the ground. He gave Reid a quick nod and carried me out of the front door.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

WITH YOU

We made our way down the road and slipped behind Elmer’s store toward Elijah’s secret spot. My mind was racing, wondering how I would ever get out of this. I didn’t fight, didn’t struggle. The paralyzing fear was too strong. I closed my eyes and silently gave up, hoping at the very least, I got to see my brother again when I met my end.

He gently laid me on the soft, damp grass next to the creek bank and brushed my hair from my face. I flinched as he stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. His eyes grew cold and I could see he was becoming angry with my response to him.

“Do whatever you have to. I promise you if you make me a vampire, I will step outside on the next sunny day,” I said coldly, hoping my words weren’t transparent, giving away my fear. If I were going to die, it would be on my terms. His lips curled up into a slight smile, amused.

“You have a lot of fight in you. You are going to need it,” He said, and pressed his lips hard against mine. I pushed against his chest with all of my strength but he didn’t budge an inch. He pushed harder, grabbing my wrists and pinning them down on the ground beside me, sinking them into the soft earth.

“I’m not going to kill you, Eva.” His face looked hurt that I would think he would. I stopped struggling underneath his arms, confused.

“Then why?” I couldn’t wrap my head around everything that was happening… especially with my own feelings.

“We have to go to them, but I wanted to warn you first,” His voice sounded sad and full of regret, emotions I wasn’t even certain he was capable of having. Sure, he had once been human but that had to have been a long time ago.

“Warn me?” I asked with my voice full of panic. How much worse could this get?

“Many Vampires go unseen inside Reid’s Sector. Many that only come out when needed,” he explained, trying to find the right words to tell me what he needed to say. “Marcus is one of those people,” he confessed, searching my eyes for understanding. I began to struggle against him again as tears burned my eyes.

“No! No! Marcus is dead,” I sobbed, my teeth clenched in anger. He let go of my wrists and I began hitting hard on his chest with closed fists, not caring how strong he was or that he could kill me without even wasting any energy. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and held me against him until I was too exhausted to struggle anymore. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I choked out, but I knew how absurd my question was. He didn’t even say that he was a vampire. This was all some sort of sick game to him. I was nothing more than a pawn.

“I didn’t know right away. I learned from Reid just a few hours ago,” he reassured me, but it did little to comfort the ache in my stomach. “Let me make you feel better.”

He brought his wrist to his mouth and I cringed, stopping him from puncturing his own flesh. I didn’t want anything he had to offer me. “They expect me to bring you to them at sunset. I convinced them to let me come for you early because of the weather,” he explained.

My head swirled as I took in all of this new information. Why were we going to see them if he wasn’t going to turn me? How could I possibly say no now that I knew my brother was still out there? What if Elijah was lying to keep me from struggling?

“What are we going to do?”

He gently ran his fingers along my jawline. “I will think of something,” he replied and kissed me softly on the lips. Being with Elijah was the safest place I could be and if they had my brother, I had to go. Grayson would never forgive me for abandoning him at his apartment, but if I lived through all of this, I hoped he would give me the opportunity to explain.

“Where is your mind right now?” he asked curiously.

“If you are lying to me,” my voice wavered. “If you’re lying about Marcus… killing me would be less cruel.”

“I’m not lying to you, Eva. But you have to understand. He’s not the brother you used to know. Prepare to have your heart broken.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m used to that,” I snapped.

“I wasn’t using you. If I’d have told you what I was, you would have run from me.”

“Don’t you think that was my decision to make?” But even as I said the words, I knew that being able to see Marcus again made every bit of pain worth it.

“Vampires are selfish creatures.”

“So are humans,” I mumbled as his lips curved up into a smile, making me momentarily wonder if he really was that bad.

“I was one of those once, too.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

He laughed quietly as his eyes searched my face.

“Even when I do this?” His lips met mine with a gentleness I didn’t know he was capable of. Even in all of the turmoil and chaos, my heart still drummed a little harder with his touch. He broke away from our kiss and as my eyes opened, he was smiling sweetly. “See, you believe it. I can hear it.” He placed his fingers on my chest, over my heart, and I gasped. “I’m going to need you on my side when I take you there. Going rogue will get you killed.”

I swallowed hard, hating him for what he was, even if he couldn’t help it. Hating myself because I knew that was not the only thing I felt toward Elijah. “I’m right here with you,” I said and pulled his lips back against mine. He ran his tongue over my lower lip and I let my lips part, inviting him to kiss me deeper.

If I was going to die tonight, I was going to enjoy what little time I had left. Elijah’s hands cradled my face as he kissed me tenderly as I let myself once again get lost in his lies.

CHAPTER TWELVE

HELPLESS

We trekked up Green Valley Road as night began to take over. Elijah gripped my hand tightly, not speaking a word. I was terrified, but I couldn’t help but be excited to see my brother. He was my best friend, and for years now I thought he was lost forever. Elijah glanced down at me and smiled. I knew he could feel the change in the way my blood was pumping through my wrist, steadily drumming against my thin skin.

“Your brother will not be who you remember,” he reminded me, glancing at me for a brief moment then he looked back out at the road ahead. I nodded my head trying to understand exactly what he meant. I couldn’t imagine Marcus being anything other than the troublemaker he’d always been.

“It’s only been a few years,” I explained, trying more to convince myself than Elijah. He stopped walking and turned to place his hands on my shoulders.

“It’s not the time that changed him, Eva,” He muttered. I nodded my head in understanding, but I refused to believe it. He was my brother, my best friend. “Killing someone will change anyone. Your brother has been doing that for several years. You can’t trust vampires.”

“And you? You still seem to have some redeeming qualities left, even if you try to hide them,” I replied with a nervous grin, fighting to hold back more tears. He smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear.

“I don’t, Eva.” His eyes grew vacant and distant. He turned back toward the road, grabbing my hand and pulling me along. The rain was cold against my face.

“What is he like?” I asked, trying to prepare myself for what was to come. He stopped again and I knew he was growing frustrated but he struggled to keep his patience.

“Like any other vampire.” He stepped toward me and brushed my hair from my shoulder, running his fingers along the bite marks he had left the other day. His eyes locked onto mine and I felt a chill run up my spine. “We cannot be trusted,” he added, glancing down at my still wounded hand. His face looked pained and he took a step backward and turned the other direction. I looked down at my injured palm and realized how hard it must have been for him to be with me all of this time.

“You’re wrong. If it weren't for you, I would have been dead several times over by now,” I called after him as I stepped closer. He whipped around and a low growl rumbled from his chest.

“Because of me, it is only a matter of time,” he hissed. His words replayed over and over in my head as I struggled to come to grips with what he was telling me.

“You won’t let them kill me,” I said trying to reassure the both of us. He looked down at the ground for a moment, his face looked slightly amused.

“A human putting all of her faith in the same kind of creature that wants her dead,” he thought aloud.

“I know you are risking your life for me.” Stepping closer to him, I placed my shaky hand on his cheek. His eyes shot up and locked onto mine. He slowly glanced to my injured hand on his cheek and back to me.

I had made a horribly fatal error. His fangs ran out as I slowly pulled my hand back from him. His arm rose at an inhuman speed seizing my wrist, gripping it excruciatingly tight. I winced in pain.

“I-I didn’t think…” I stuttered trying to wriggle free from his grip. His hand clamped tighter around me and it felt like my bones would crack and crumble into dust under the pressure.

“You didn’t think?” he asked as his chest heaved. “That is what will get you killed,” He seethed angrily but he seemed to be madder at himself. He released my wrist and pushed me back from him causing me to stumble but I didn’t fall. I doubled over waiting for the pain to subside. I rubbed my wrist gingerly and watched as it turned purple and blue. I looked back up at him. He was standing a few feet away and his expression had become more human, almost regretful, as he glanced up at the clouds. “It’s time,” he said and motioned for me to come to him. I slowly stood upright and nodded. We walked in silence for the rest of the trip.

***

We reached the property of an old farmhouse that sat back in from the road. It was surrounded by two small storage barns and a large red one used to house livestock. I glanced around nervously hearing movement in the darkness, but I couldn’t make out any shapes. Elijah reached over, putting his arm around my waist pulling me close to his side as we walked up the dirt driveway.

I suddenly thought of the little boy in the ammo store, whose mother had held him close trying to make him feel safe. At least, Elijah possessed the foresight to try to keep me calm. I decided to believe the lie I had told myself since the moment he stepped out of the shadows the first night we spoke. He was a hunter, giving his life to keep others safe. We reached the front steps and Elijah stopped and turned to me.

“Whatever happens, we will walk out of here tonight together,” he whispered. Whatever happens? Like getting killed and becoming a succubus? I reluctantly nodded my head. He kissed me quickly on the forehead and knocked on the door. Only a moment had passed before it flung open.

“Greetings, Elijah,” a young woman who appeared to be in her late teens said with a smile. She was dressed as a flapper from the Roaring Twenties. “You brought dinner,” she said glancing over at me as her tongue ran over her lips. “What’s your name?”

“Does it matter?” I asked awkwardly.

She shrugged. “You know, humans don’t name their livestock because they are sentimental creatures. They don’t want to know the name of their dinner.” Her fangs ran out.

“Eva,” I cleared my throat as my voice cracked. “My name is Eva.”

She glanced back at Elijah and giggled. “Come in,” she said, stepping off to the side and sweeping her hand in front of her in a grand gesture.

I glance over to Elijah, who held his hand in front of him for me to enter first. I cautiously stepped into the house and scanned my surroundings. The walls were painted vibrant colors. Elijah came in behind me and put his arm around my waist, leading me through the house. Each room was decorated according to a different era. I was in awe.

“What do you think?” Reid asked from a chair in the corner.

“It’s breathtaking,” I whispered. He laughed, looking positively amused.

“The breath taking will come soon enough, friend,” he joked, showing a fangy smile. I glanced around nervously as vampires slowly surrounded us.

“Would you like me to show her to her room?” the young female vamp asked.

“There will be plenty of time for that after dinner,” he replied and the room broke out into a broad sadistic laughter.

“Enough,” Elijah shouted through clenched teeth and the room fell silent.

“Right, we have business to attend to,” Reid agreed, waving his hand as two vampires stepped behind Elijah and grabbed his arms. Elijah struggled against them and a third stepped in to hold him still. The young flapper moved beside me and gave me a warning look. I didn’t move, paralyzed by fear.

“Elijah, you have taken it upon yourself to kill two of my vampires for this… human,” he sneered. “As we negotiated before this meeting and under the advisement of the Council, two lives would be taken in turn,” he said, nodding his head to the vampire in the next room.

The man entered dragging a limp bloodied body in his arms. He let go and the person fell into a motionless heap onto the floor. “That’s number one. He didn’t make it.” His eyes glanced coldly at me. “Let’s see how many lives this Eva of yours has in her,” he said with amusement.

My heart began to race and panic took over my body. My knees started to buckle as my head grew faint. I thought about what Elijah had said. We were going to walk out if this together no matter what. I steadied myself. I glanced quickly at him, nodding my head. Reid smiled widely as he noticed the exchange. “Well, isn’t this just sweet,” he laughed. Elijah’s fangs ran out and I heard a growl resonate deep within him. “Careful,” Reid warned, standing up quickly from his chair and snarling at Elijah.

“Please! I didn’t do anything wrong,” I begged. Reid stepped toward me slowly and grabbed my chin in his hand forcing me to look at him.

“He did,” he replied, glancing over at Elijah. “Unfortunately for you,” he continued with mock sympathy as he let go of my face.  I rubbed my tender jaw. I could feel the bruises setting in. Reid stopped and raised his head, sniffing the air. I dropped my bloody hand down to my side and slid it in my pocket as he shot me a smile. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

My stomach turned at the thought.

“We agreed I would handle this,” Elijah interjected with his jaw clenched shut tightly.

“That was before you brought her to me bleeding,” Reid replied with narrowed eyes.

“She belongs to me,” Elijah argued, as the other vampires tightened their grips on him and he struggled against them. Reid rolled his eyes and walked back to his chair. I could almost feel Elijah’s want for me to remain strong. It felt thick and cumbersome in the air around me. Reid sat quietly for a moment as his eyes darted back and forth between us.

“So she does. Eva, did our friend here explain to you why he is able to share his feelings with you?”

I looked at Elijah, who remained silent, but I could tell he was furious. It radiated off him in intense waves. Is that what this was? Is that why I was so trusting of him even when he walked me here to my death?

“It takes a very special bond between a vampire and a human. It appears our dear Elijah never had any intention of leaving you breathing.” He laughed as the others joined in, but I felt ill.

“What? Is that true?” I searched Elijah’s face for any sort of confirmation but he gave nothing away.

“Oh, no. You’ve hurt her feelings,” Reid replied mockingly. “I simply meant making you his, not his dinner.”

“Shut up, Reid,” Elijah bit out, his fists clenched in anger.

My stomach suddenly turned and I doubled over on the floor in pain. I screamed as it crept through the rest of my body. Elijah eyed Reid wildly as his anger flowed through my veins like arsenic.

“We won’t even need to bite this one,” he said shooting me a glance as the pain got excruciatingly worse. “You never were any good at controlling your emotions,” he said with a grin towards Elijah. “Right now her heart is racing too fast, her blood running cold. Your hatred is too much for her weak and fragile body to endure.”

I choked and coughed as a tiny trail of blood flowed out of my mouth onto the cold tile floor. Elijah’s body convulsed as he struggled to break free from the other vampires.

I let my heavy eyelids flutter closed as a scream ripped from his chest. The pain was too overwhelming. I heard Elijah growl in agony faintly in the background as I slipped out of consciousness, letting the ache consume me.

Elijah ripped free from the grips of the other vampires and was next to me on the floor. I felt him lift my body in his arms, but I couldn’t respond. He squeezed me tightly and brushed the hair from my face. I felt his sadness deepen and sweep over my body, engulfing me in his heartache. The pain was greater than anything I’d ever felt. Death would have been kinder than this.

His finger trailed along my mouth, wiping the blood away as he slowly put his lips to mine and kissed me softly. The pain that coursed through me slowly subsided as Elijah bit his own lip and his blood slowly dripped into my mouth, filling my mouth with the copper liquid. I felt a tear escape my eye and roll down my face as I lay helpless.

“No!” I heard a scream from above. It was Marcus. “Don’t make her a monster like me,” he pleaded.

Reid laughed in the distance. Marcus launched himself at Reid knocking him hard into the wall behind him. “What do you care?” he hissed at Marcus.

“She’s my sister,” Marcus growled and clawed viciously at Reid. I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids. Elijah’s face was inches from mine and I felt his overwhelming relief surge through my body as I was finally able to move. He lifted me and climbed to his feet. Every inch of my body felt alive and better than ever. I shot a glance passed him at Marcus, who was savagely beating the other vampires. “Take her,” he growled to Elijah amidst blows. His face was twisted into a snarl. I hardly recognized my own brother.

Elijah nodded and ran out of the house, carrying me in his arms. I closed my eyes, thankful Marcus was really here. My brother was alive and so was I, for the time being.

But as darkness took over, I was sure I’d finally succumbed to the pain of a broken heart. I just couldn’t tell if it was my own or if I was feeling Elijah’s loss.

***

My body shook violently as. I blinked open my eyes, gagging at the dryness of my throat. Even in the darkness of night, the stars in the sky were blinding. I squinted, staring up at Elijah whose expression was unreadable.

“I-I’m alive,” I sobbed, still unable to move. Elijah bent down and pressed his lips to my clammy forehead. “You saved me.” I wrapped my fingers in his t-shirt and gripped it tightly, the fabric tearing under my grip.

“Shh… Rest. You’re fragile.” Brushing my hair from my forehead, his lips curved into a sardonic smile. “But you’re a fighter.”

“No, you saved me.”

Elijah shook his head as his expression fell. “No, I didn’t, Eva.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

FEED

I stood on the ledge of the building I had once before. Elijah squeezed my hand and I glanced to my right, shooting him a smile. We both looked ahead into the darkness. I had seen this view many times before but tonight it was different.

Tonight it seemed as if the veil of obscurity had been lifted, and every exquisite detail shown through crisp and clear. My eyes danced over the buildings that were once too far to see. Sporadic windows illuminated the facades, giving the illusion of a starry night sky. It was breathtaking. I sucked in a harsh breath and my lungs burned at the sudden rush of air. My body no longer needed it, but it was a human habit that still lingered.  Without a single spoken word and perfect synchronicity, we leaped into the vast abyss. Our bodies intertwined and danced in the sky above the city that was oblivious to our presence.

We descended to the ground at a lazy pace. I giggled and stole a kiss from Elijah as our toes touched the Earth. He grabbed my hand and pulled me along the street as we made our way through the maze of alleys onto the main road.  He pushed me against a store front, the bricks cracking and crumbling under the force and kissed me hungrily. My new fangs shot out and I pulled back from him and gingerly ran my fingertips over my teeth, piercing my finger against the sharp tip.

“You need to feed,” Elijah said with a wicked grin as he bared his own dagger-like fangs. A smile spread across my face at the idea, high on bloodlust. I could feel his excitement swimming through my body, vibrating in my veins. “Come on,” he said as he pulled me along, glancing back every once and a while with wide eyes.

The thought of draining someone of their blood was all I could think about. My mind was focused on the kill, like a hunter. I could feel the blood coursing through my veins with the melodic rhythm of a drum. My mouth filled with saliva, and I swallowed hard as my stomach panged with need.

I ran my tongue over the tips of my fangs as Elijah turned around and winked at me. “Almost there,” he called out. Time seemingly slowed as we made our way through the sea of people on the street. I was dying in anticipation for my sanguinary treat. “Come, my Love,” Elijah said facing me and backing his way up a staircase. His devilish grin caused a blush to burn across my cheeks. I couldn’t take my eyes off of his. He slid a door open at the top of the landing and gestured for me to enter. I stepped inside the apartment and realized we were in my place. I glanced around at the familiar yet strange surroundings.

I could hear a faint whooshing sound coming from the other end of the apartment. Was someone doing laundry? I closed my eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of blood pumping through a heart. My eyes shot open as my mouth watered in anticipation. Elijah slowly crept down the hallway like a lion on the prowl.

I followed his lead and crept behind him on my tip toes, light as air. Elijah stopped just before the entry to my kitchen. He turned to me and extended his fangs, and I did the same. His face contorted into that of a killer as he stepped around the corner to stalk his prey.

As I rounded the corner, Elijah had already overcome his victim and was on top of him on the floor growling. My stomach knotted as I was overcome with the irresistible urge to feed. In an instant, I was by Elijah’s side eagerly anticipating my meal. Elijah smiled a fangy grin as his prey turned his head weakly to face me.

“Grayson?” I asked not believing my eyes. I quickly retracted my fangs. My gums burned as I struggled to keep them hidden.

“Feed now,” Elijah hissed in a demanding tone.

“Eva, please don’t,” Grayson begged for mercy. A low growl resonated from Elijah, as a threat for Grayson to be quiet. Grayson’s pleas choked in his throat as he silently entreated for his life with his eyes.

The blood whooshed through the veins in Grayson’s neck with each pump of his heart. Every hair on my body stood on end as the smell filled the air. I licked my lips as my throat became dry and raw. My fangs ran out and I bit my lip as I tried to resist the temptation. My razor sharp tooth punctured my bottom lip and the warm thick metallic taste filled my mouth. I swallowed hard.

I closed my eyes to steady myself but lost all control in an instant. I felt my hunger, combined with Elijah’s power over me and lurched for Grayson. I bit into his jugular with a surgeons’ precision as Elijah held him in place. The blood flowed freely and Elijah joined me in lapping up the overflow from our ensanguined victim.

Sharing this meal with Elijah was more intimate than sex. It was an important bonding experience with my creator, my lover. As the blood flow slowed, I drew harder, sucking on the wound. Elijah lazily lapped up the drops that escaped my mouth, allowing me to finish our first kill together. I pulled back and wiped my chin with the back of my hand. Elijah grabbed my wrist as his mouth curled into a slight smile. He leaned into me and slowly licked the blood from around my mouth. I stared into his demonic black eyes, missing the soothing brown I’d come to know.

***

“Eva?” He asked looking concerned and frightened. I was suddenly confused. My vision became blurry and I struggled to bring his face into focus. “Eva, can you hear me?” he asked, sounding distant and muffled. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly as I tried to fight off the dizziness that crept over me. I blinked several times and the world around me slowly came into focus. I felt Elijah’s cold breath wash over my face as he breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re safe now. Your brother fought off the others,” he said in a near whisper.

I clung to Elijah’s neck tightly as the scenery flashed by in a blur. I wasn’t scared any longer. I was swimming in euphoria, his euphoria. He was wrapping me in it like a blanket on a bitter-cold day.

We reached his secret spot by the creek in seconds. He gently unwound my arms from his neck and placed me on the soft grass. My head was dizzy from his blood and I had to press against the ground with both hands to cause the spinning to stop. He stared at me intently waiting for me to speak. I felt his emotional influence pull back just enough for my thoughts to become apparent. The darkness was pitch-black and I could barely see an inch in front of my face.

“It was a nightmare,” I sighed in relief. I was still very much alive.

“Because of my blood. I’m afraid the real nightmare is only just beginning.”

My stomach turned as I thought of how vividly I had pictured myself killing Grayson and how much I’d enjoyed it.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

BLOODLUST

“Marcus! We have to save him,” I cried, my voice laced with panic. Elijah’s body stiffened and he glanced over his shoulder as a shadowy figure stepped out from the trees behind him. “Marcus?” I whispered. Elijah took a protective stance between the two of us. I pushed myself up to stand. Shaky on my feet,

Elijah grabbed my arm and helped me steady myself. I stepped forward and Elijah’s grip tightened and held me in place. I glanced at him and he shook his head no as he looked to Marcus.

“It’s not safe for you to be near me,” Marcus agreed, glancing toward Elijah. I nodded my head in understanding and Elijah reluctantly released his hold on me.

“How did you get away? Are-are they… dead?” I asked trying to focus my thoughts. Marcus looked to Elijah.

“They sent me with a message.” He glanced back to me. Elijah looked at the ground and his body tensed. I could feel his rage polluting the air around us.

“How long until they come for us?” Elijah asked, clenching his jaw.

“They gave me a choice to come retrieve her myself. They said if I bring her back they will turn her. If they find her first, she is dead,” Marcus replied in a sad tone, although his facial expression didn’t reflect any emotion.

I looked nervously between the two of them, trying to wrap my head around what they were saying. “I was worried you had already turned her yourself,” Marcus confessed to Elijah.

“I was careful,” Elijah replied. He ran his hands through his hair and let out a deep sigh.

“What are we going to do?” I asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

“I’ve done all I can do. It’s up to Elijah to keep you safe,” Marcus replied, looking at Elijah. Elijah nodded his head quickly and my brother vanished before I could voice my opinion.

“Why?” I asked sadly, trying to hold back the tears forming in my eyes.

“He can’t control himself around humans. It took great strength for him to come here and warn you. You can’t ever see him again,” Elijah warned as he placed his hands on my shoulders, maintaining eye contact. “They were counting on him losing control and killing you,” he continued, as tears spilled down my cheeks. He wiped my tears with his thumb and pulled my face closer to him, kissing me softly on the forehead.

“Where will we go?”

“There is nowhere that they won’t find us,” he replied, his face turning hard again. I slowly reached toward his face, uncertain if the bond we had was also part of my blood-filled hallucination. His eyes followed my movements as I slowly trailed my fingertips down his cheek onto his stubbled jaw. His eyes met mine and his expression softened.

“The sun will be rising soon. Come on.” Taking my hand in his, he laced our fingers together. “We have tonight to figure it out.” He pulled me along behind him. We began to run at a slow pace through the trees out onto the road. We ducked through the alleyways to avoid being seen, and my mind suddenly flashed to my all too realistic dream. He turned to glance back at me with a carefree grin. His expression quickly changed as he noticed the look of worry on my face. “What is it Eva?” he asked, stopping and searching my eyes with his.

“Nothing,” I reassured him, pushing the feelings aside. I had no idea if our emotional bond was a two-way street but I suddenly felt self-conscious as if he had a direct link to my soul. “We need to keep going, the sun is rising.” I glanced up at the sky. He nodded and reluctantly agreed.

We continued on our path until we finally reached my apartment. He stopped outside of the door and put his finger to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet. I nodded in understanding and stood behind Elijah still clutching his hand as he slowly opened the door and crept inside.

The apartment was dark, the sun not making its way through the windows, but there was a faint glow of light coming from the kitchen. He released my hand and continued around the corner on his own. I heard a scuffle and a panicked yell that was cut short. I peeked around the corner and saw Elijah laying on someone who was struggling to get free. My heart shot into my throat and I screamed in fear that my nightmare had become a reality.

“No,” I shrieked and ran toward Elijah. I cupped my hand over my mouth to capture the sob that escaped me. I blinked rapidly trying to un-blur my vision.

“It’s done,” Elijah said coldly and stood up to examine me. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?” he asked, brushing my hair from my face. I glanced by him over the lifeless body that lay on the floor beside us.

It wasn’t Grayson. It was a vampire that I had never seen before. His face was still twisted in a defensive snarl, fangs exposed but slowly retracting on their own. I sighed in relief and wrapped my arms around Elijah’s neck.

“I’m fine. I was just worried about you.”

He let out a quiet laugh at the idea of a human being concerned for his safety.

“I’m fine,” he mocked, pulling back from our embrace to look into my eyes. His deceptively sweet smile coated in smeared blood. I took my thumb and gently wiped his bottom lip. He grabbed my wrist and sucked the blood from my finger as his gaze turned lustful.

I could feel his passion wash through every fiber of my being and it sent a chill up my spine. He slowly inched his face closer to mine and I parted my lips waiting for his kiss. His lips lightly grazed mine and the taste of metallic blood coated my taste buds.

He moaned and his mouth violently crashed into mine. The thrill of the hunt had turned his emotions into overdrive. It was a more accurate definition to the word bloodlust. I stumbled back a step as his arms locked around my lower back and pulled me tightly against him. My heart was racing from a combination of fear of who was in the kitchen and my overwhelming desire for Elijah. Panic ultimately won over sex and I broke free from our passionate embrace, struggling to slow my breathing.

“What do we do with him?” I asked quietly, looking over Elijah’s shoulder to the lifeless body on the floor. Elijah’s expression became very sober as he thought of what to do. The sun was up and he couldn’t leave the apartment. “We could call the police?” I suggested.

“No. It would be too suspicious. Look at his neck, Eva. It has already been all over the news that two vamps had died here.” He gestured down at the body. I sighed with frustration. How did I get myself into this?

“I’ll call Grayson.” I rifled through my purse for my cell phone. Elijah grabbed my hand to stop me.

“I don’t need a human’s help,” he snarled through clenched teeth, his jaw muscles flexed under his skin.

“Oh, so you don’t need my help then?” I asked angrily and wriggled my hand free from him, storming off into my bedroom and slamming the door. I heard Elijah let out a frightened growl and a slam as if he had punched the wall. I sank down to the floor and began to sob. I scanned through my memories trying to pinpoint the exact moment my life had fallen apart but I had no one to blame but myself.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

SAVE YOU

I jumped at the sound of a loud, urgent knock at the front door. I quickly wiped my cheeks and opened the bedroom door, scanning for Elijah. He was nowhere in sight and neither was the bloodied body. Another knock rang out and I used my fingers to straighten my hair and took a deep breath before cracking the door open.

“Hello?” I called through the crack. Grayson stepped in front of my view.

“Eva, Jesus Christ, where did you go?” He asked, pushing through the doorway and walking past me. His eyes scanned the apartment before he turned back to me and grabbing my face with his hands. “I was so worried. Are you okay? Have you been crying?” He bombarded me with questions I couldn’t begin to answer. I pulled his hands from my face.

“I'm alright. I didn’t want to put you in any more danger,” I explained.

“Where have you been?” he asked, his voice laced with irritation now that he knew I wasn’t chained in a dungeon somewhere. “And why didn’t you call me? It’s not safe for you here.” He grabbed me, hugging me tightly.

“She is safe with me,” Elijah called from the bathroom doorway as he stepped into the hall, closing the door tightly behind him. Grayson looked over his shoulder and relaxed his grip on my waist. He shot me a look of confusion that soon twisted into a rage. I eyed them both anxiously.

“I can explain,” I began, racking my brain for an explanation that made sense.

“Don’t bother,” Grayson cut me off with a sneer. “I’ve been worried sick about you and I find you here with the very animal that wants you dead,” he continued angrily, his eyes filled with disgust.

“He saved me from them,” I shot back, trying to defend myself, but there was nothing I could say. He was right.

“I could have saved you, Eva! I would have protected you,” he yelled, making me jump. Elijah took a step toward us and I shook my head, silently letting him know not to intervene.

Grayson noticed the exchange and shot Elijah an angry glare. “Screw this and screw you,” he yelled, inches from my face and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door so hard I thought it would fall off of the hinges. I sighed heavily and glanced toward Elijah. I thought of running after him for a moment, but Elijah interrupted my thoughts.

“Let him go. If you care about him, it is the only way he will be safe.” He sounded genuinely concerned but I knew the one he was worried about was me. I rolled the idea around in my head for a moment and nodded in agreement. It was better Grayson was angry with me. It was the only way I could keep him safe.

“Come up with a plan?” I asked, wondering what Elijah had been up to. He nodded.

“We will dispose of the body on our way out of town,” he answered shortly and disappeared into my bedroom. I followed him into my room and watched him grab a duffle bag from my closet and begin packing it full of my belongings.

“I thought you said there was nowhere for us to hide?” I grabbed my sweater from his hands and placing it back in my drawer. The weather was too warm for it.

“There isn’t, but this is the first place they will look tonight. We need to buy ourselves some time,” he explained, grabbing some tank tops from my drawer and holding them up. I nodded at his choice and he slid them into the bag. “You should sleep,” he said as he stopped packing and eyed my tired face.

“How can I sleep-“I began to protest, but Elijah quickly interrupted me.

“You will need to be alert tonight.” He dropped the duffle bag on the floor at the end of the bed. “If you need me to make you tired,” he said in a husky tone as he stepped closer to me, his hands sliding around my waist. I smiled and leaned into him, kissing him softly.

His hands roamed over my body as his tongue parted my lips. His hand tangled in the hair on the back of my head and his mouth drifted to my ear, nibbling my ear lobe. I felt the sharpness of one of his fangs drag over the delicate skin, never puncturing my flesh but leaving goosebumps in their wake.

I was panting as he pressed his body against mine, licking and nipping at my throat. I should have been terrified but what I felt from him wasn’t hunger for my blood, it was a hunger for my body.

My hands slid up to his neck and I ran one of my hands through his hair and pressed his mouth harder against my throat. He growled as his fangs scraped my skin and I couldn’t help but think about the dream I’d had after tasting his blood.

“Eva,” he groaned as he reluctantly took a step back from me, his face twisted in pain. “I would hurt you.”

“I trust you,” I reassured him, but he shook his head.

“I don’t trust myself. I’ve already hurt you once.”

I sighed, my shoulders dropping in defeat.

“Rest,” he pressed his lips against my forehead before leaving me alone.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THE PLAN

I awoke to the muffled sound of my cell phone ringing from inside of my purse. I yawned and wiped my eyes before moving Elijah’s arm that was strewn across me so I could get the phone. He must have waited for me to fall asleep before coming back to my room. I climbed out of bed and picked up Elijah’s t-shirt and slid it on, making my way to the kitchen.

I dug through my purse and found my phone just as it quit ringing. The caller I.D. read Daddy.

My finger hovered over the return call button as I wondered whether or not Grayson had contacted him. Either way, I would have to let him know I would be going out of town for a few days so he didn’t worry or send a search party looking for me. I rolled my eyes at the thought of his overreactions. I sighed aloud and pressed the call button.

The phone rang in my ear as Elijah traipsed lazily out of my bedroom in his boxer briefs. He ran his fingers through his hair and winked at me. I felt my heart flutter in my chest.

“Hello,” My father’s voice called through the receiver, catching me off guard.

“Dad… hey, it’s me, Eva.” I stuttered as I watched Elijah bend over looking in the fridge.

“I know who you are, Eva. My phone tells me,” he said with a chuckle and I rolled my eyes. He paused for a moment for me to laugh but when I didn’t, he continued. “So, anyway, Grayson called me. He seems to think you’re getting yourself into some kind of trouble. He said something about a guy?” My father was doing his best to get me to be forthcoming with information.

“I-I started seeing someone new,” I explained as Elijah rested against my kitchen counter and smiled as he bit into a pickled red beet egg, making a disgusted face at the taste. “Grayson is just jealous,” I continued, turning away from Elijah, who was incredibly distracting in his boxer briefs. I immediately felt guilty for blaming Grayson, but the guilt was short lived when I reminded myself that he was the reason I had to explain myself to my father.

“Tell me about this guy.”

Elijah smiled, obviously able to hear what my dad was saying on the phone.

“He’s tall, handsome and… he has a killer smile,” I said, unable to keep the grin from spreading across my face. Elijah raised an eyebrow. I shot him a wink and did my best to reassure my father that everything was okay. With a little more convincing and assurance that a few days away with Elijah would be a fun vacation, I was finally able to end the phone call. I glanced at the clock on my phone. We had about an hour before sunset.

“What’s the plan?” I asked as I headed to my bedroom to grab my bag Elijah had packed for me.

“The plan is to dispose of the dead body and leave town,” Elijah said with a wry smile, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I rolled my eyes at him but couldn’t help but let a small smirk creep across my face.

“Where and where?” I asked, probing him for more details. He shrugged his shoulders. It was evident that if he had a plan, he wasn’t going to share it with me. I zipped up my duffle bag and tried to walk around him to leave my room. He placed his hand on my stomach to stop me from getting by.

He leaned in and inhaled the scent of my hair as his fingers traced my abdomen. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to get lost in his touch for a moment. He pressed his forehead against mine as his hand ran over my hip.

“We have to go,” I whispered as I opened my eyes, searching his. He nodded and took the duffle bag from my hand before standing straight and allowing me to pass. He followed me into the hallway and went toward the bathroom.

He came out of the bathroom a moment later with my bag across his chest and the body wrapped in an old blanket over his shoulder. I peeked out of the window. The sun made its last glimmer of light as it set. I nodded to Elijah that it was time. I grabbed my purse and we headed casually outside. I stepped onto the sidewalk and looked around as I opened the trunk to my brother’s car and motioned for Elijah to come.  He placed the body in the trunk and slid my bag into the back seat before snatching the keys from my hand with vampire speed. I shot him a frustrated look and he winked as he kissed me quickly on the cheek and made his way to the driver side of the car. One thing I have learned about vampires, they thrive on control.

I slid into the passenger seat and fumbled with the radio as we made our way through the hollow. We headed a few towns over to Spring Grove where Elijah pulled into a quarry set back in off the main roads and quickly disposed of our attacker. He disappeared into the waters as if he’d never existed. We got back on the road as quickly as possible and headed toward Chambersburg to get on the main highway to head south.

That was all the information Elijah had given me. I stared out the window trying to take mental photographs of everything we saw. I felt Elijah’s eyes on me, his hair blowing in the hot air.

“I’ve never been more than a few hours from Pennsylvania,” I said, smiling. He grinned back and rubbed my thigh. I stuck my arm out of the window and played with the breeze as the radio blared The Doors. We rode for hours in comfortable silence. The miles flew by like seconds.

***

“What?” Elijah asked as I grinned at him.

“Nothing,” I replied, biting my lip and stifling a laugh. He actually looked nervous. It was adorable.

“Well, if you’re going to be that way,” he said with a mischievous grin as he turned off the radio.

“Hey!” I pouted and reached for the dial, but he batted my hand away playfully.

“Tell me what’s on your mind first.”

“Fine,” I sighed in mock surrender. “I was just wondering where you came from, how you became…you know…” I answered, not knowing how to ask all of the things running through my mind.

“Oh…” he replied, sucking in a deep breath. “Where should I start?” he asked himself.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

VIVIANA HAPPENED

We sat in silence for a moment while Elijah thought over his life.  I began to regret asking such personal questions when melancholy washed over me.

“You don’t have to tell me,” I blurted out, letting my voice trail off.

“I’m just trying to remember two hundred years ago,” He reassured me with a smile. I rolled that information around in my head. Two hundred years. “I was born in Dublin in 1809.” He began, lost in his memories as he stared at the road. “My parents Emma and Collin Malakai moved to Louisiana when I was two, the year of the slave rebellion,” he continued, flashing me a lingering smile, but never swerving on the road.

“My father taught me to live off of the land. We would hunt for everything we ate. Any clothes we needed my mother would sew for us. Back then, there wasn’t anywhere for us to buy those things. We would hunt for alligators by day and shrimp at night. We sold whatever we couldn’t eat ourselves in town. We made a decent living. He taught me everything he knew.” He glanced between me and the road.

I slid off my sandals and propped my bare feet on the dashboard as I listened to him reminisce.

“When I was fourteen, my father fell ill and I had to provide for my family alone. It was hard work and I couldn’t manage the alligators that he and I would catch together. I tipped the pirogue several times trying to haul them on board,” He said with a deep laugh as if the memory was still sharp in his mind. “It’s difficult to remember what it was like to be so… weak. I wouldn’t come home until I was bone dry. My mother would never have let me on the bayou again if she knew how close I had come to being the alligator’s dinner,” he continued, his smile slowly fading.

“We never wanted for anything. Whatever money we made in town my father stashed away until we had enough saved to buy a plot of land to farm on. He leased the land to cotton growers so we always had a steady income. I still lived on the bayou until I turned twenty-two.”

“What happened at twenty-two?” I asked curiously.

“Viviana happened,” he whispered. “I met her in town. I was selling off mudbugs and some dresses my mother had sewn. Viviana was shopping with her father. He had stopped at my stand to haggle prices for the seafood as Viviana sifted through the pile of garments. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.”

***

January 1833

Viviana held up a gown against her body and swayed causing the skirt to catch the breeze. Elijah was lost in her beauty. Her dark hair hung in ringlets around her porcelain face. “What do you think, father?” She asked.

“Viviana Morcant, you have more dresses than we can fit in the carriage to take home,” he scolded her mockingly.

“Morcant? Is that Welsh?” Elijah asked, trying to strike up a conversation with her father.

He eyed him suspiciously before replying, unable to resist boasting about his family. “It is indeed a Welsh name. We’re from the Severn Valley.”

“How about you pay full price and I’ll throw in the dress for free. It would be a crime to be worn by less a beauty,” Elijah said boldly to the banker, never taking his gaze off Viviana. Her eyes lit up and she bit her lip and blushed at the brazen compliment.

“Do you know who you’re talking to, Boy?” the banker asked through clenched teeth.

“You must be God in the flesh to create such a magnificent creature as her,” Elijah replied with a smile. Viviana could not stop herself from giggling.

“Do you find it humorous to spout such blasphemy in front of a proper lady?” the banker asked in shock.

“Father, it was but a compliment. Do you not find me to be so attractive?” Viviana asked him, feigning insult.

“Of course I do, Viviana. You are the spitting image of your angelic mother,” the banker explained, trying not to upset his daughter. Elijah watched the exchange silently, winking at Viviana as she glanced in his direction.

“Then I see no arguments amongst you gentlemen,” She said wryly. The banker nodded and handed Elijah several coins and grabbed his seafood. Viviana gathered the dress and walked off arm and arm with her father. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Elijah. It was the moment he had fallen in love.

***

“So what happened? Did you see her again?” I asked, completely enthralled with his story.

“Yes, we would meet in secret. I can still picture her sitting on the bank of Lake Pontchartrain,” Elijah replied with a smile. “ But it only lasted a few weeks… until Mardi Gras, which was slowly becoming like the festivities you know today. There were parades with maskers riding horses and carriages. The streets were lit by flambeaux. It was incredible.”

***

February 19, 1833

“Mother, I’m heading into town for the festivities. Are you sure you do not care to join me?” Elijah called from his room.

“You know I must stay with your father, Elijah. His fever has not broken in three days,” Emma Malakai replied to her son from the doorway. She was thin but with womanly curves hidden under her modest, handmade gown. Her long brown hair fastened into a bun at the nape of her neck. Her beautiful face etched with lines of worry.

“How do I look?” Elijah asked, turning to his mother. He wore a suit his mother had made for him out of the finest material they sold at the market. Emma smiled and walked toward her son, straightening his shirt collar.

“You look like a very fine husband in the making, dear Elijah,” Emma replied with a thick Irish accent.

“I’m afraid all of the women are out of my reach,” Elijah sulked, buttoning his jacket.

“What about Amelie from down the road? She is exquisite and has taken a shine to you,” Emma asked with a smile.

“Amelie is like a sister to me. Her father wants her to marry French,” Elijah replied like he has a thousand times before.

“Her father can be easily persuaded, dear boy. Your father makes good money doing honest work. You would make an excellent suitor for Ms. Amelie,” Emma reassured him as she brushed off the shoulders of his jacket.

“Thank you, Mother. I must get to town before the parade,” Elijah said with a smile and kissed his mother on the cheek.

***

“Your mother didn’t want you dating Viviana?” I asked.

“She didn’t know about her,” he explained, the corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk. “Even with my father’s building wealth, most still viewed us as commoners. But she didn’t care about any of that,” he continued as his smile faded, lost in the past.

***

February 19, 1833

Elijah walked the cobblestone roads lit by gas lanterns, making his way through the sea of people. Vendors had set up stands along the way selling food and novelty items. He wandered into a tavern and ordered himself a drink, just as he noticed some of his friends at a table near the corner.

“Elijah! Join us for a drink,” Jacob Breaux called over the rowdy crowd. Elijah raised his glass and took a large swig before making his way to the other side of the bar. “Play a hand with us,” Jacob said, looking at Elijah as he shuffled the deck. Elijah scanned the room and took a seat at the wooden table.

A few hands and a few more drinks, Elijah stumbled away with a couple of extra dollars.

He staggered back onto the streets filled with bachelors and woman of ill repute.  Swiping a mask from a vendors table, he placed it on his face, blending with the crowd.

Tonight was a night of debauchery. He flipped a coin on the next table and grabbed a beer as he stumbled his way down the main roads, ending on Rue Bourbon. Locals danced and performed magic tricks for the crowds. Elijah worked his way into a circle of people and watched as a man played music in the middle of the street.

“Amazing isn’t he?” A young woman in a masquerade mask donned with feathers whispered in a heavy French accent into Elijah’s ear. Elijah nodded and drank his beer until the cup was empty, throwing it onto the street in front of them.

“You look like you could use a break,” the brunette woman said as she looped her arms through his and pulled him back to a doorway, out of the way of party goers. Elijah leaned his weight against the bricks, trying to gain control.

“That is kind, but I can handle myself,” Elijah replied, as his knees buckled under his weight. The woman leaned in and kissed him quickly. He pulled back suddenly with a look of disgust. “A true gentleman does not need to pay for companionship.”

“You think of me as a harlot?” The woman asked in disgust.

“No, Ma’am. I did not mean to insinuate…” He backtracked, letting his voice trail off. The young lady removed her mask and smiled, waiting for Elijah’s reaction.

“Viviana?” he asked in astonishment.

“How do you do, Sir?” She asked continuing her fake French accent. She dipped down to curtsy, giggling as she rose.  She slowly reached for his mask and pulled it from his face. He had been dreaming of this moment for weeks. She leaned in, giving him a quick peck on the lips and slipped her mask back on before running off into the crowd playfully.

“Viviana,” Elijah called off into the distance frantically.

***

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

JUMP

We pulled into an old gas station just off of the main highway in Georgia.

“Need anything?” Elijah asked as he exited the car. I stepped out of the passenger seat and stretched, sliding on my flip flops.

“I think I’ll go in and grab some snacks. You want anything?” I asked, realizing how absurd my question was as soon as it left my mouth. Elijah smiled, and I felt a blush wash over my cheeks. “I’ll be right back.”

I walked into the Quick Grab and paced the snack food aisles trying to decide what I was in the mood for. The door chimed as I assumed Elijah had entered to pay. I grabbed a pack of fruit snacks and a bag of chips and turned around to show Elijah what I had gotten. “I think I just want…” I began, but the words choked in my throat as I was face to face with a rugged man in his early thirties.

“I know what I want,” the man said in a wickedly sinister voice. He stepped closer until we were breathing each other’s air and my stomach revolted at the pungent smell of his breath. He licked his lips and eyed me up and down.

“You need help with something?” Elijah called to the man from behind him. The man’s trance broke.

“No, sir. Found what I needed right here,” he said defiantly. Elijah grabbed the man’s arm and spun him around to face him. He began to speak but took one look at Elijah’s fangs and decided it was best for him to remain silent.

“Let’s go, Eva,” Elijah ordered without ever looking away from the man. I stepped around the guy and we made our way to the register to pay.

I finally left out a sigh of relief as I unloaded my items onto the counter along with Elijah’s, who paid for them. “Come on,” he said in a sweet tone as he wrapped his arm around me and we made our way back to the car. We sat for a moment in silence.

“Your fangs,” I mentioned quietly, his fangs showing in the dim lighting from the store parking lot. He bowed his head for a moment and started the car.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve fed.” He murmured and we turned back to the desolate highway. I mindlessly ate my snacks as Elijah turned up the radio. He reached behind the driver’s seat and pulled out a large bottle of alcohol, opening it, and drinking from it as if it was water.

“Is that safe?” I asked in a panicked voice. “I can drive,” I began protesting, but Elijah quickly cut me off.

“It will help me with the cravings until I’m able to feed on blood. I’ve also been driving for longer than you have been alive. You have nothing to worry about,” He said with a playful grin as he choked back another swig. “I should say… my driving is the least of your worries.”

I grabbed the bottle from him and took a large gulp myself, causing me to cough and sputter. He eyed me curiously.

“We might as well make it a party then.” Smiling, I handed the bottle back to him. I assumed he had known this route by memory. “So, tell me more about Mardi Gras,” I said, trying to strike up more conversation. He shook his head no as he poured the liquor into his mouth.

“Maybe later,” He replied, his eyes showing a hint of pain and I could feel it, goosebumps rising across my flesh. “Tell me about you, Eva.”

“Not much to tell.” Taking the bottle from his hand, I sipped it more gingerly this time. “I grew up in a small town and never escaped.” I stared out of the window as Wanted Dead or Alive blared over the speakers.

“You’re escaping now.” Reaching over, he took my hand in his. I glanced at him, unable to hide my smirk.

“We’re running. It’s not really the same thing.”

“Here we are,” he said as he pulled off onto the side of the road, and down a small bank, hiding us from oncoming traffic.

“Where is here?” I asked, unable to make out my surroundings. Elijah rounded my side of the car and opened the door for me. I stepped out reluctantly.

“Ft. Pulaski.” He grinned from ear to ear. “They give tours during the day, but tonight it is all ours and I have a spot we can hideout during tomorrow,” he said with excitement. His happiness was contagious, literally. I ran my fingers along the stone wall as we walked the perimeter toward the entrance.

“This is amazing,” I said, turning back to him.

“Come on.” He headed up a pathway to the top of the wall. We stepped to the edge and you could see the full view. It was completely surrounded by stone walls, the center beautiful lush grass.

“Incredible.” I smiled, taking in the scenery. Elijah suddenly leaped from the wall and landing on the grass below with a dull thud.

“Jump,” he called up to me.

“No way, I’ll break a leg,” I yelled back at him, stepping back from the edge.

“I’ll catch you.” He held his arms in the air. I hesitated, still not fully believing the strength that Elijah possessed. He shot me a look of mock frustration and scaled the rocks on the side of the wall with ease. He took my hands in his. “Do you trust me?” he asked, looking deeply into my eyes. “Do you trust me?”

I slowly nodded my head yes. He quickly swept me into his arms and leaped from the wall, landing gently onto the ground below.

I squeezed his neck tightly as he pressed his forehead against mine. It felt as if we were on our own planet. I lifted my gaze to meet his and kissed him gently.

The electricity between us was palpable. He sunk to his knees and laid me on the soft grass, tracing my collarbone with his fingers, hovering just above my body. His eyes followed his fingertips as the slid up to my throat and toward my shoulder. I slipped my hand behind his neck and pulled him close to me, kissing him again. I sucked on his bottom lip and opened his mouth with my tongue. He moaned harshly and pushed his lips harder against mine, breaking away only to slide off his shirt and throw it onto the grass. He rested his body on top of me, and I could feel how badly he wanted me as well.

I pushed on his shoulder and rolled him onto the ground, positioning myself over his waist. Running my hands down his perfectly chiseled chest, I was desperate to feel the rest of him. I began to undo the button of his jeans. His fingers wrapped around mine, stopping me.

“Eva,” he began and I rolled my eyes.

“I get it. You don’t want to,” I snapped, feeling embarrassed that he was turning me down again.

“I want to, trust me. But I don’t want to hurt you again. I could kill you.”

“Then make me like you,” I pleaded without even thinking it over. “You can’t kill me if I’m-”

“Dead? Like me? Is that what you want? You want me to drain the life out of you?” His anger was like a furnace and I was suffocating inside of it.

“No, no,” I stuttered. “I just…”

His expression relaxed as he put his hand against my cheek. “Come here.” He motioned with his chin to the ground beside him.

I slid off his waist and laid down on the grass beside him, looking up at the stars above.

“Why are we here?” I asked. I could feel his eyes on me, but I continued to watch the sky.

“Because I have to keep you safe.”

“Why? Why do any of this? You could have killed me at the creek and no one would have cared.”

“I would have cared, Eva.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

TAKE A LITTLE

“I will have to leave for a little while,” Elijah said out of the blue as he pulled his shirt over his head.

“What? Where?” I asked, propping myself on my side to face him.

“I’ll need more blood to sustain me. I am no match for the others if they find us. I won’t be able to protect you,” He explained, rubbing my arm.

“Is there a blood bank that you can go to around here?” I asked, scanning our hidden fortress. Elijah shook his head.

“Not if I want our location to stay secret. I will have to find a donor,” He explained and a pang of jealousy hit me.

“Drink from me,” I offered without thinking. He stroked my face with his fingertips, letting them drop to the ground.

“I can’t risk hurting you, Eva,” he said sadly. “I could never risk that now.”

“You won’t. I trust you. I jumped off a stupid wall with you. I trust you,” I pleaded. I didn’t want to spend a second away from him. The only time he’d taken my blood had been very intimate, and I couldn’t fathom the thought of him sharing that moment with anyone else.

“I don’t trust myself, Eva.”

“Please… try.”

Elijah’s eyes were sad and lost in another time.

“I never finished my story, about Viviana,” He said with no emotion in his voice.

***

February 19, 1833

“Viviana,” Elijah called through the crowd. He caught a glimpse of her ahead, turning down a forgotten alleyway. He pushed his way through the partygoers and made his way to the narrow road. He crept down slowly by several woman of the night earning their keep. A door at the end slammed shut, and Elijah pushed his way to the end and quietly slipped inside the entrance. The room was dark and smelled of incense. “Viviana?” he asked again quietly.

“I have what you seek,” A sinister voice called from a shadowy corner of the room. Viviana let out a small whimper.

“Please! Please do not harm her,” Elijah begged. “Whatever it is you want I will give to you.”

“You can’t give me anything. My life, everything I had was taken from me. Do you know what it is like to have an insatiable hunger?” The man asked Elijah.

“If it is money you need for a meal, I can help you,” Elijah replied, pleading with the deranged man.

“You’re not listening. Money is what human’s hunger for. My need is much simpler than that. Let me show you.” In a flash, he was at Viviana’s side, pulling her head backward by her mound of messy curls. His fangs shot out and he lingered at her jugular.

“Stop, I beg of you! Let her go. Take me,” Elijah pleaded, pushing to his knees. The man pondered over his proposition for a moment. He released Viviana’s hair and lurched for Elijah.

Viviana hit the wall and crumpled into a heap in the corner, sobbing. With inhuman speed, the man was face to face with Elijah. He threw him to the ground and ripped at his throat like a wild animal. Viviana huddled in the corner in shock, unable to speak or scream for help as he devoured his prey.

The bloodied criminal released Elijah and watched him for a moment. Elijah’s fingers fluttered.

“Perfect.” The sadistic man whispered as he ripped into his own flesh of his arm and let the blood ooze into Elijah’s mouth, bringing him back from the precipice of death. He sputtered and gasp for air. His body gave in and slowly began to swallow the thick, crimson liquid that threatened to choke him until instead of satisfying him, he grew hungrier.

“Enough.”

Elijah’s eyes fluttered open and he looked as if he was lost in another place or time.

“Go to her,” he whispered as he pointed to Viviana. Elijah pushed himself from the ground weakly. He focused his eyes on Viviana, who held out her arms for him as tears streamed down her beautiful face. He slid to her side and cupped her face with his hands and searched her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Elijah asked, worry filling his voice.

“I’m scared,” she sobbed as a stream of tears raced down her flawless face.

“Hush… hush...” he replied, trying to soothe her as he stroked her hair. Elijah doubled over in excruciating pain feeling as those the contents of his stomach might revolt against him.

“You must feed. If you do not feed now, you will die here.”

“What are you? What right have you to perform voodoo on me,” Elijah groaned through clenched teeth as he twisted in agony.

“I am much more than a priest now. I am a vampire, and so are you, dear Elijah, unless you choose to rot like a corpse. Save her or she will be my next meal.”

“How do I save her?” Elijah begged.

“The same way I have saved you, given you eternal life. That is if you maintain self-control.” He explained. “Take a little, give a little, and find her another to take from. It’s really very simple,” he continued with apparent boredom.

***

“What did you choose?”

“There was no real choice. He knew I was too young, too hungry to let her live. The urge to feed was… overwhelming. It takes many years of practice not to kill the ones you feed on,” Elijah replied with anger, his jaw muscles flexing in the moonlight. “I failed her.”

We stood in silence for a moment. I could feel myself suffocating from his grief.

“I won’t fail you too.”

“You are not a new vampire anymore. You’ve resisted my blood when I was injured. I trust you. You have to trust yourself,” I reassured him, not sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.

Elijah slowly leaned closer, inhaling the scent of my hair deeply and nuzzling my neck. I closed my eyes and let my head fall to the side. I heard his fangs protrude and my breath quickened with anticipation. He gently kissed my throat and traced my jugular with the tip of his tongue as his hand slid across my stomach. “I’ll return soon,” he whispered in my ear as the air from his sudden departure blew around me.

CHAPTER TWENTY

INNOCENT BYSTANDER

I sighed heavily and stared at the passing wafts of clouds in the sky. The inside of the fort felt incredibly safe. The same way I felt with Elijah. I wish he trusted himself with me as much as I trusted him not to harm me.

The idea of him out feeding on some innocent bystander should have made me scared, but oddly enough all I felt was a pang of jealousy.

I processed that thought as I pushed myself up from the grass and brushed myself off. I spun around, eying the large stone walls that surrounded me and headed off toward one of the doorways.

I pushed on one of the old wooden doors that stood ajar and scanned the room. It was dimly lit by the moonlight, but I could make out some wooden benches and cabinets. I hesitantly stepped inside and ran my hands along the dusty shelves, taking in the history. I could only imagine the thousands of souls who had passed through these walls. I picked up a pamphlet from one of the tables and walked back into the grassy courtyard to read it by the light of the moon.

Laying on my belly in the open space, I scanned through the pamphlet, not registering the words I was reading. All I could think about was Elijah. Where was he? Who was he with? A sudden wave of panic washed over me, but it was not my emotions I was feeling. It was Elijah’s and he was unable to control his influence. I knew something bad must have happened.

I quickly rolled over and jumped to my feet as he came to a halt in front of me.

“What is it? Did someone catch you?” I blurted out in a panic. Realizing he had let his emotions run ramped, he took a deep breath, more for my comfort than out of necessity. I relaxed as his mood shifted even if I knew it was for my own benefit.

“Everything is fine. I believe I may have been spotted by one of Reid’s allies, but I was able to lose him. We need to leave the area, just to be safe,” Elijah explained, placing his hands on either side of my face. I nodded and he took my hand as we walked rapidly across the courtyard. I was barely able to keep up with his relentless pace.

“Have you fed?” I asked breathlessly as I began running to keep up.  He stopped suddenly and I rocked forward. He turned and caught my shoulders with his hands, keeping me from tipping off balance.

“Your safety is what matters right now. The fact that you are worrying about me,” he snapped angrily. I could tell he was completely frustrated and confused by my concern for him over myself. He ran his hands through his hair and turned away from me again, grabbing my wrist harshly as he began dragging me along toward the wall.

My arm ached from the pressure of his grip. I didn’t say a word. He slid his hands around my waist and guiding me up an old stone staircase and out of the fort before we raced to my car. He opened the passenger door and slid me onto the seat and was inside the car next to me before I could exhale.

Dust flew from the tires as we headed out of the area and back to the main road.

“Where are we going?” I asked quietly. Elijah ignored my question and stepped on the gas. We flew through the back roads on the near-empty streets. His mood was unreadable and I could tell he was purposefully keeping his feelings guarded. I turned on the radio he relaxed as I tapped my fingers to the beat of the song. I watched the trees whip by in a dark blur as we left Savannah.

“That sign said north. Why are we heading back toward Pennsylvania?” I asked, confused. Elijah clenched his jaw and even in the darkness I could see his muscles flex as his face turned hard. “Elijah? Why are we headed toward home?” I pleaded for an answer. He glanced over at me and looked back at the road, his expression unchanging.

“The vampire I met tonight came with a message.” His fingers gripped the wheel tighter causing his knuckles to turn bone white. “They have Grayson.”

I felt the blood run from my face as I took in what he was saying. We rode silently for a few more minutes. I was at a loss for words. “I’m sorry, Eva,” Elijah whispered and I could feel his sadness in the air. I searched for words to comfort him, to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but nothing came. The truth was I was too busy blaming myself.

The car slowed as we pulled into a dimly lit hotel. I glanced at the clock on the dash. It was just before dawn. There was no way we could make it home tonight. I sighed heavily as tears welled in my eyes. Grayson would have to wait another day for us to help him if he could endure whatever torture they had planned.

Elijah left the car and went into the lobby. I let my face fall into my hands and broke down. It was one thing to have been careless enough to put myself in danger, but someone I cared about was too much for me to handle. It was like losing Marcus all over again.

My door flew open, startling me as Elijah stood beside me, his arm outstretched. I took his hand as he helped me to my feet. I suddenly realized how tired I was from lack of sleep and emotional exhaustion. He slipped his arm behind my back and his other under my knees and carried me to our room.

He slid me onto the queen sized bed and pulled my shoes off. I rolled onto my side and curled into a ball as the tears began to burn my eyes again. Elijah brushed the hair from my face and ran the back of his hand over my cheek.

“Please don’t cry. I will fix this. I will keep you safe.”

“It isn’t me I’m worried about,” I confessed, looking up at his face.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he replied, searching my eyes. “I will keep you alive at any cost,” he said absolutely. I knew exactly what he meant. He was willing to let anyone die to save my life. Anyone.

“I couldn’t live with myself if someone I cared about was hurt because of me.”

“Even if you hate me, even if you never want to see me again,” he began as his dark eyes glassed over in sadness. “I will do whatever it takes to keep you alive, no matter whose life must be lost to accomplish that.” He slipped under the covers and I rolled away from him. There was no use arguing. He wrapped his arm around my waist and I wiggled slightly, letting him know his touch was unwanted. He didn’t move. I closed my eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

TOO EASY

I awoke to water splashing my face. I gasped and blinked my eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden rush of light. My body was warm, soaking in the midday sun.

“Bout time you woke up,” My dad called from the far side of an endless blue pool.  I clung to the sides of my raft, trying to keep from flipping over as I was overpowered by the smell of the chemicals.

“Dad?” I asked as I looked around, my eyes finally starting to adjust.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Elijah joked as he rounded the raft. I wiped my eyes trying to determine if what I was seeing was real.

“Elijah, what are you doing here?” I asked in a whisper. His body was a dark, golden brown from the sun and his eyes sparkled like I had never seen them before.

“Are you alright?” he asked with a look of concern, then spiked a volleyball over my raft to the other side of the water. “You don’t look so well.”

“You’re in the sun.” I called out with such enthusiasm that my raft capsized, sending me swirling in a sea of water. My lungs burned as I struggled to find my way to the surface. I gasped for air as I shot up, water dripping from my face.

***

“You don’t look so well,” I heard again, blinking my eyes open to see Elijah’s concerned face. He patted a wet washcloth across my forehead, pushing my hair from my face. “You’re burning up,” he noted as I held my hand up to block the blinding fluorescent light overhead. My stomach twisted in knots as the pain shot through me.

“Your hand is warm,” I mumbled.

“You had a fever dream,” he whispered.

“Where am I?” I asked, searching the room for some clue to my whereabouts. The heavy door to the room pushed open and a young woman in a white lab coat walked in, my chart in hand.

“Mr. and Mrs. Malakai?” she asked as she leafed through the pages. “My messenger,” she said with a smile, glancing toward Elijah.

“Excuse me?” I asked with genuine confusion and irritation. How dare this woman hit on my- whatever he was right in front of me?

“That’s what Malakai means, correct?” she asked, proud of herself. Elijah nodded and smiled politely. “Well, what seems to be the problem today?” she asked as she finally glanced my direction.

“My wife is sick. She is running a fever and is complaining of terrible stomach pains,” Elijah explained, his fear wafting heavy in the air. I replayed his words over and over in my head. My wife. It would have made my cheeks blush red if I weren't already from my fever.

“Is there a possibility of pregnancy?” The doctor asked, writing in her chart.

“None,” Elijah replied. I noted a sudden sadness in his eyes and it briefly passed through the air like a breeze. A male nurse in sky-blue scrubs entered the room and smiled as he fumbled with cords and wires from the machines beside my bed.

“I’ll run tests just to be sure. I’m sure we will have you up and out of here shortly,” she said, finally glancing up from her papers to shoot me an insincere smile.

She left the room and the male nurse took a seat on a stool beside my bed. Elijah squeezed my hand and winked at me. I smiled, taking in his handsome, chiseled features under several days of stubble. A sharp pain radiated through my arm and I winced. Elijah shot up from his chair, sending it flying back several feet.

He ran his hands through his dark, messy hair and paced the floor. I glanced down at the nurse who was placing an I.V. tube into the needle he had set in the crook of my arm. Hunger radiated from Elijah’s eyes and I could feel it throughout my body. The nurse noted the commotion and eyed us suspiciously.

“He can’t stand the sight of blood,” I blurted out. The nurse smiled, seemingly excepting my excuse.

“We aren’t all made out for this sort of thing,” he said with a small chuckle. “How about you go get yourself a snack or something from the vending machines, down the hall to the left.”

“Sure,” Elijah replied, leaning in to kiss me quickly on the forehead, his lips cold against my hot skin, and left the room. The nurse smiled at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. I pulled the covers up over my chest and relaxed as he took several vials of blood from the needle for testing. I stared off at a painting that hung on the far side of the room.

“That was almost too easy, Friend,” Reid’s sinister voice called from the doorway as he shut it and twisted the lock. He nodded to the nurse as he made his way to my side. The nurse nodded back nervously, handing him the vials of my blood.

Reid held one to his face and inhaled the scent as he closed his eyes and smiled darkly. “How are you feeling?” he asked with mock sincerity as he slipped the vials into his coat pocket and motioned for the nurse to back away. He pulled a wad of cash from his back pocket and handed it to the employee. “You humans are so weak,” he laughed, and I wasn’t sure if he was talking about my fever or the guy he was bribing.

“Sorry,” the nurse said quickly in my direction, avoiding eye contact. I pushed myself up into a seated position and slid back against the headboard, yanking the needle from my arm quickly. The nurse left the room, turning the lock behind him. I was all alone with Reid.

“You have to admit, this is all kind of… funny. Well, maybe not for you.” He smiled at his own deceitfulness as my stomach twisted. “Please understand, I just want what is owed to me. I couldn’t trust Elijah to bring you to me now could I? He has no reason to want Grayson alive,” he explained as if he was telling me about his plans for the weekend.

“We were on our way back to Pennsylvania,” I argued, defending Elijah’s honor. Reid let out a deep chuckle and shook his head.

“Were you?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow. He grabbed the chart the doctor had sat on a table by the door and tossed it on the bed. I glanced over it quickly. Beauregard Hospital, Louisiana was printed across the top of the form.

“How?” I asked, my mind swarming with confusion. Reid pulled up his coat sleeve and examined his watch.

“It’s nearly four o’ clock in the morning,” he said smugly. “It appears your beloved hero was planning on letting poor Grayson die in your place.”

The door shot open with a loud thud and Elijah was on top of Reid in a flash, barely visible to the human eye. I cupped my hand over my mouth to muffle my screams, waiting for the commotion to stop. When it finally did, the door rocked on its hinges as Reid escaped. Elijah stood at the foot of my bed panting heavily, his face smeared with blood. His eyes glanced at the tiny pinhole on my arm the needle had made. He was hungry and void of humanity.

I grabbed the blanket and pressed it against the small wound, trying to mask the smell of my blood. He licked his lips as his eyes narrowed into slits. His hand opened, revealing a vial of my blood he must have gotten from Reid during the skirmish. He bit the rubber seal off and spit it on the floor, emptying the thick crimson fluid into his mouth. His eyes closed as he licked a stray drop from his bottom lip. I watched frozen in fear. He hadn’t eaten properly for days and I knew better than anyone what his hunger does to him.

“Run,” he said with a deep growl. I didn’t hesitate. I leaped off of the bed and flew out of the door without looking back. I wanted to question him about where we were and why he brought me further away from home. I was angry, but most of all I was afraid.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

A MILE AWAY

I ran down the dark sidewalk at full speed. My lungs burned and my feet were sore and raw. I hadn’t had time to grab my flip flops at the hospital. I slipped off the main road into some trees.

Completely lost, I sat down on an old log to examine the wounds on my feet in the dim moonlight. They were smeared with blood and caked with dirt. I sighed in anger as I realized how much easier it would be for Elijah to find me. I could only hope he would find someone to feed off of before we ran into each other again. The sun would be rising soon and I would have the advantage. That is if I can keep myself awake until then. I was running on pure adrenaline and that could only take me so far. My body was still aching and weak.

I lay over onto the log and rested my face on my hands. If I survived until sunrise, I had a fighting chance of saving Grayson. My muscles burning, I breathed deeply trying to relax. Before I knew it, my eyes hung heavy and I struggled to keep them open. I finally gave in and decided resting wouldn’t be such a bad idea. The sunrise couldn’t be far off.

I slid into dreamland and the only thing on my mind was Grayson. I thought about the first time I had met him. We had just moved a few towns over and I was starting to a new high school. I was the kind of person who could get along with anyone but preferred to be left alone. I managed to be late to nearly every class that morning and all of the students noticed. Most of them stared at me with curiosity, but I had also received the occasional glare.

***

In a small town like this one, there was no blending in. They could smell the outsider on me a mile away, even though I had grown up just a few towns over. It’s like we were from different worlds.

When it was finally time for lunch, I breathed a sigh of relief and made my way through the stampede of students to the hill outside. They gathered in groups to eat their processed meals and gossip. I ducked my head and made a beeline up the hill to the alley behind the school where I had parked my car.

I smiled as my teal Duster came into view. “Thank you, Dad,” I muttered under my breath. When I had passed my driving test, he had given it to me as a present. We didn’t have a lot of money, but my father was very handy with cars and found me a fixer upper.

I unlocked the door and slid into the seat. I turned the key just enough for the radio to blare to life and fished in my bag for a pack of cigarettes. I bobbed my head to the beat, lighting my cigarette. It felt good to be alone in my own space. I wound down the window and laid my head against the headrest, closing my eyes and letting my imagination take me away from this place.

“You’re gonna get busted,” A voice called from beside me. I was startled but tried to keep my composure. Opening one eye, I peered to the side to see a teenage boy with dirty blonde hair and a blue and white jersey that read Rockets.

“I’ll take my chances,” I replied, closing my eye and taking in another drag. “Even in my own space, I am getting messed with,” I thought to myself.

Suddenly, the cigarette was ripped from my fingers. Before I could protest, the boy was walking away from my car and toward the hill. I peered out the side mirror at a heavy set woman scaling the side of the slope.

“Grayson, you better not be smoking up here,” She called in between labored breaths. I slid down in my seat and watched as he took a long drag on the cigarette and threw it on the ground in front of him. “You just earned yourself a detention, Mr. West! I’m sure coach won’t be very pleased about this. You can count yourself out of the game on Friday,” She shouted angrily.

Grayson glanced over his shoulder, his eyes catching mine in the mirror before walking by the teacher. He replied back to her, but it was too quiet for me to make out. The teacher turned and followed him.

“Shit,” I scolded myself. Who was that guy? Why was he helping me? I hadn’t exactly given off a friendly vibe. I waited for the bell to ring and the students filed back into the building. I slid out of my car and made my way back inside, trying to find my next class.

I wandered down the hall, glancing up from my map from time to time to read the numbers above the doors. I came across one that read Office and slipped inside.

I stood at the counter as the receptionist held up a finger for me to wait as she finished up a phone call. I took a seat along the wall. The bell rang again I knew I was late yet again. The door on the side of the room opened and Grayson stepped out followed by the principal I had met when my father had registered me for school. I tensed up as Grayson glanced my way then immediately looked to the exit.

“Eva Morgan. Just the person I wanted to see,” The principal called and gestured for me to follow him into his office. I looked at the exit that Grayson had just passed through and shook my head. He must have told them the truth. I stood up and walked after the Principal, hanging my head and avoiding eye contact. He sat behind his desk and leafed through a stack of files on his desk without saying a word. I sat across from him and silently said goodbye to my car. I knew my parents would take it away as soon as they found out I was smoking and had left school property. “So…what do you think?” he asked, raising his hands.

“What do you mean?” I asked cautiously.

“It’s tough being the new kid. I know. I’ve been there,” He replied. I sighed and rolled over the possible answers in my head.

“It’s not so bad,” I lied. The truth was I couldn’t wait for this day to end. I had already planned my stomach illness that would get me out of coming back for a few days. There was a knock on his door and a weathered old face peered through the sliver of a window. The principal gestured for the man to enter.

“Coach Jacobs, I need to speak with you about Grayson,” the principal said. The coach nodded and I saw Grayson standing a few feet behind him with a slight grin. “Grayson, show Eva to her next class while I have a word with the Coach.” I stood up slowly and walked toward Grayson. I followed him out of the office and into the empty hallway.

“Thanks,” I said shyly, glancing towards him.  A grin spread across his face.

“No big deal. I have better things to do Friday than the game anyway,” He explained. I smiled back at him nervously. “Come on.” He gestured with his head to a side hall and I eyed him suspiciously but followed behind without protest.

“This is the senior hallway, isn’t it?” I asked, reading the numbers on the doors. He put his finger to his lips to motion for me to be quiet. I smiled and didn’t say a word as we snaked our way through the halls and into a set of big double doors. The room was pitch black.

“Where are we?” I whispered as I ran into the back of him. He slid his hand down my arm and grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him. He pushed through another door and flipped on a light switch. The room was full of old sporting equipment and game tables.

“Wanna play?” he asked with a smile that gave me chills. I let go of his hand and ran my fingers through my hair.

“What is this place?” I asked, walking around and taking in all of the games.

“Our school has carnivals and things like that to raise money throughout the year. This is where they keep all of the donated items.” He plugged in an old air hockey table. It lit up and the fans buzzed. As the beeping from the table grew louder with every score, I was suddenly brought back to reality.

***

I sat up quickly and scanned my surroundings. I was completely alone in the woods as the sound of car horn blared off in the distance. My body was stiff but my fever had broken. I rubbed my eyes and smiled to myself at the happy memories I had pushed so deeply into my subconscious.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

OVER EASY

For the first time in a very long time, I was missing Grayson. I glanced around in the daylight and struggled to figure out how I would get myself back home. I pushed up off the log and immediately fell back on my makeshift bed. “Ouch!” I grabbed my feet and inspected my wounds. They were crusted with dried blood and dirt. I looked like a vagrant, but my appearance was the last thing on my mind.

I searched around at the sound of a small stream and decided to hobble my way toward the water to clean my wounds. The last thing I needed was an infection that landed me back in a hospital where Reid could find me. My mind drifted to Elijah as I gently washed away the mud from my feet. He had lied and tricked me and now I was even further from helping Grayson. I knew he had done it to save me, but I didn’t care. I could feel the heat burning under my skin as my anger toward him rose. I shook the excess water from my hands and hobbled through the brush to the sidewalk. In the daylight, the town seemed as peaceful and calm as any other. I was thankful Elijah had the sense to take me to a safe neighborhood, at least while the vampires rested.

I spotted the big hospital from behind a row of stores. Crossing the street, a million thoughts raced through my mind. What if Elijah had taken my car? What if Reid has humans looking for me? I shook away the nervous thoughts and walked down the first row of the parking lot.

With a huge sigh of relief, I raced to my car. The door was unlocked and I slid in the driver’s seat. “Thank you,” I called out while reaching around the compartments searching for the keys.

“Shit!” I realized nothing in life could ever be that easy. I grabbed my bag off the back seat and pulled out a pair of flip flops and slid them on. My purse was inside the duffle bag as well. “That’s something,” I said with a smile and pulled out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling deeply.

Digging around in my purse I had come up with money and a cell phone. The battery was nearly dead, but I could turn it off and use it in an emergency. I slid it back into my purse and straightened the bag on the back seat.

I left the parking lot and walked down the main road, ducking into a small café.

“What can I do ya’ for?” A cheerful voice called out from behind the counter. I smiled at the woman with long, blonde hair in her thirties who was preparing a pot of coffee. I glanced around the empty diner.

“Servin’ breakfast?” I asked, hoping it wasn’t too early to get a bite to eat.

“Yes ma’am, you just missed our mornin’ rush. Get ya’self a seat and I’ll see what we got on the griddle,” She replied with a wink. I smiled and walked back the row of tables, sitting in the corner booth farthest from the door. The waitress followed me to my seat with the coffee pot in hand and setting the menu down in front of me. “Rough night, Sugar?” she asked as she filled a mug full of steaming coffee for me.

“You bet,” I answered with a yawn as I dumped a mountain of sugar into my glass.

“Well, you just find something that looks good to ya’ and I’ll fix ya’ up with some fresh biscuits. We made ‘em from scratch.” She was off through the kitchen doors. I grabbed the ashtray and slid it in front of me before lighting another cigarette.

The menu was pretty standard. The waitress made her way back to me with a basket of biscuits in hand. “Find somethin’ you want?” She asked, the smile still plastered on her face.

“I’ll have the number two special,” I replied, handing her the menu.

“How would you like those prepared?” she asked, eagerly waiting to write my decision on her pad.

“Dippy,” I answered. Her smile turned to confusion. “Over easy,” I corrected myself, remembering I wasn’t in Pennsylvania anymore. She took my menu and flashed a grin before heading back through the double doors, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I had to figure out how I would get home and not get caught. My mind raced. Why had Reid taken samples of my blood? There was entirely too much about the undead that I didn’t understand. Unfortunately for me, I was going to learn the hard way.

The bell above the door chimed as several young twenty-something guys poured into the restaurant. They donned construction worker garb and shouted as if they were still competing with the overbearing noise of rush hour traffic. The waitress brought over my plate and hurried off to take the men’s orders.

I salted my eggs and dipped my toast into the yolk as I watched them hit on her relentlessly. She loved every moment of it. One of the workers whipped out his cell phone and typed in her number as she blushed. I rolled my eyes and threw my toast on my plate. I had lost my appetite. It suddenly hit me that Grayson may still have access to his phone. It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

I slid out of the booth and threw some money on the table to cover my meal and a tip. I made my way out onto the sidewalk where I turned on my phone and held it in the air. I had barely any signal. “Damn it,” I murmured to myself and walked further down the road with my arm extended in the air. My phone beeped as its signal increased and messages and voicemails flooded my phone. I opened a new text and typed feverishly hoping he would answer.

Are you okay? What do you need me to do?

I clicked send and looked around trying to figure out my way home.

“Excuse me,” A male is his early thirties called from a van that had pulled up to the curb. I shielded my eyes from the sun and glanced his way. He waved his hand to signal he was talking to me. I could see a female in the passenger seat who appeared to be his wife. I smiled as I stepped closer to the vehicle.

“Can I help you?” I asked, glancing back and forth between their faces.

“Yes, Ma’am. We are not from around here and we are just lost,” the woman answered with a laugh.

“I’m sorry. I’m actually not from around here. I’m from Pennsylvania. I’m trying to find my way back home as well,” I apologized, shrugging my shoulders.

“Everything alright?” the woman asked with genuine concern written on her face.

“My car… broke down,” I lied.

“Well, we’re from Maryland. We wouldn’t mind the extra company. If you wouldn’t mind us singing show tunes,” The man chimed in with a smile that appeared a little forced. I glanced toward the back of the van. My phone beeped and I read the message from Grayson.

Please hurry!

I swallowed hard.

“Sure. I mean… if you really don’t mind.” I didn’t have any other options and I needed to get back as quickly as possible.

“Hop on in,” the man reassured me and gestured for me to get in the back. I opened the door and slid in the middle row next to an empty car seat. We took off down the block, stopping at a gas station for directions before finding our way to the highway. “Name is Silas and this is my wife Aster,” he said eyeing me through the rearview mirror.

“I’m Eva. Pleased to meet you,” I replied with a smile. “Thank you so much for the ride.”

“It’s no problem,” Aster said with a flip of her hand and turned up the radio.

***

The couple sang as the miles clicked by. I happily joined in on a few songs, grateful for the distraction. It reminded me of when I was young and our family would take vacations. Every summer we would pile into the car and head to a local amusement park several hours from home. Back then, a few hours felt like a world away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHURCH AND MAIN

We made our way through a sliver of Georgia, uneventfully as the sun set. We pulled off of the highway to fill up on gas and get a bite to eat. Silas checked the fluids in the car as I chatted up Aster and ate my premade turkey sandwich from the store.

“How long you guys been together?” I asked with a mouthful of food.

“Just a few months, but it was love at first sight,” Aster replied and nibbled at her food. I took another bite and glanced over at the car seat.

“You look great for just having a baby,” I said as I unscrewed the lid to my coke and took a swig.

“Oh, we don’t have any kids,” She replied. I glanced toward the front and back at the seat.

“Oh… I just assumed because of the seat,” I explained, confused. Silas hopped back in and turned on the van.

“You ladies ready to go?” he asked with a grin, peering into the rearview mirror.

“Actually, I have to use the ladies room if you don’t mind.” Something wasn’t adding up about the couple. Aster grabbed Silas’s arm and shot him a warning glare. He sighed heavily and got back out of the van and slid my door open.

“I didn’t want to have to do this, Eva. You seem like a real nice lady,” he said as raised his hand and struck me on the head. I threw my hands up protectively as he struck again, this time with a hard object. My head spun as I lay over and the world faded to black.

The van was in motion again and the radio blared in the background as we made our way up the highway. I struggled to move, but my mind was helpless, trapped in my unresponsive body. I gave in and drifted off into dreamland.

***

When I awoke, I was surrounded by the darkness of night. I blinked several times trying to fight off the pounding of an excruciating headache. I lay motionless and attempted to focus on the conversation Aster and Silas were having in the front seat. The music was too loud and I could only pick out fragments.

“They will pay us when they-,” Silas said in an angry tone.

“What if you killed her? She-” Aster shot back. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to steady myself. I felt nauseous. Everything was spinning and I couldn’t contain it any longer. I heaved violently on the seat and floor. Silas slammed on the breaks and cursed as he whipped off of the road onto the shoulder. I heaved again as his hands looped around my arm and yanked me from the vehicle and I slammed onto the gravel road below. Aster was quickly at my side and brushing my hair from my face as I vomited helplessly, expelling the morning eggs and shitty turkey sandwich.

“What if she has a concussion?” She asked as she patted my back soothingly.

“Not our problem,” he answered as he paced back and forth nervously, running his hands through his hair.

“It is our problem if Reid finds out what you did,” she shot back angrily.

“He wanted her! What else was I supposed to do? She was gonna get away!” I could hear the fear in his voice and people do stupid things when they are scared. He may decide it is better to kill me and say I escaped then to take me to Reid injured.

“I'm all right,” I shouted between labored breaths. “I just need a drink of water.” I looked back and forth between the two of them. Silas stared at me for a long moment then went to the back of the van to get me a drink from their cooler. He returned quickly with a bottle and twisted the cap off and handed it to me. I drank slowly trying to buy myself some time to think. “I need to use the bathroom.”

“It can wait. We are almost there.” Silas replied, grabbing me by my arm and lifting me to my feet.

“How? It’s still dark out,” I asked as he shoved me into my seat and pulled a zip tie from his pocket, fastening my hands behind my back.

“You been asleep for a long time,” Aster answered as Silas slid the door shut between us.

“Shit.” The van started back down the road. I stared out of the side window at the street sign that read Church and Main. My mind was racing and throbbing at the same time. This was what I had wanted, granted my plan never went past getting to Grayson’s side. I let my eyes fall closed and tried to clear my thoughts.

We weaved through the hollow and the van slowed as we approached the old farmhouse. I said a silent prayer as we made our way up the driveway. I wasn’t a religious person by any means, but I was willing to try anything at this point. We slammed to a stop with a bang. I caught my breath in my throat and searched into the darkness. Marcus stood in front of the van, illuminated by the headlights.

“Get out of the car Eva,” he growled between clenched teeth. I froze for a moment, as scared of him as my kidnappers. “Get out,” he growled louder and I scrambled to open the door. I was thankful he was on my side. I ran to him, his eyes never leaving the occupants of the van.

“Just leave them. We don’t have time for this,” I pleaded.

He grabbed the plastic tie that held my hands and ripped it from my wrists effortlessly.

Grabbing him by his arm, I struggled to pull him away. He didn’t budge until he was ready. When he finally broke his stance, I nearly fell backward. Marcus wrapped his fingers around my forearm swiftly, holding me in midair.

“Thanks,” I said nervously. He nodded his head and loosened his grip, but still holding on firmly.

“Let’s go,” he whispered as he pulled me around the back of the building. I followed as quietly as I could, cursing my noisy flip flops in my head. “In here,” he whispered in a barely audible tone as he inclined his head toward a barn on the backside of the property. I nodded in understanding and slid off my flip flops, holding them in my free hand. We made our way across the field in the darkness without as much as a field mouse noticing our intrusion. Marcus motioned for me to stand back as he twisted the knob on the side of the building.

The door sprang open with no resistance. He gestured for me to enter and I smiled at our luck as I slid past him into the darkness. I made my way across the seemingly empty floor as the tiny sliver of moonlight that shown through the crack of the door disappeared. Marcus pulled the door tightly closed and twisted the lock.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

WAR

“Marcus?” I whispered into the darkness as I stretched my arms out in front of me. My fingers collided with the cold chest of another person and I jumped and let out a small shriek. “Damn it, Marcus! You gave me a heart attack,” I scolded him, hitting him playfully.

The room suddenly flooded with harsh light. My eyes struggled to adjust and I rubbed them feverishly trying to help along the process. A deep sadistic chuckle resonated from in front of me and I felt my blood run cold. My body was instantly coated in sweat, my heart raced at an unnatural speed. I slowly peered through my fingers at what was ahead of me. I was face to face with my worst nightmare.

“We wouldn’t want that now would we?” Reid asked sarcastically with his hand placed over his heart.

“Marcus,” I screamed out like a helpless child into the cavernous room. A group of vampires brought Marcus into view, holding him by his limbs as he struggled against them. “Let him go,” I screamed and lurched toward them. Reid grabbed my throat with one swift movement. His fingers slowly squeezed as I struggled for breath.

“That is enough of that,” he said in a calm, disturbing tone. From the other side of the room, another group of thugs carried out someone else. When they stepped into the light, I realized it was a battered Grayson.

“No,” I struggled to yell as Reid’s fingers began to retighten on my throat. Marcus went into a frenzy and began to break free from the grips of his captures. “Please,” I struggled to say, trying to noticeably calm myself down. Reid loosened his grip slightly. “Please let him go,” I sobbed and my vision became blurred with tears. I stopped struggling against Reid as I began to lose all hope.

“Now, now…  No more of that, Eva. You are here to witness something spectacular.” Reid replied with what appeared as sympathy. He rubbed my head and brushed the hair from my face.

“I have found a way to strengthen a compound in human blood to make it virtually irresistible. Once that is given to one of my loyal subjects,” he explained, glancing towards Marcus. “They will not stop until they have killed the donor. It really is magnificent.”

My head was spinning with this new information. I stared off at Marcus, who looked as if he was in agony. He wasn’t trying to break free to save me. He wanted to get to Grayson so he could kill him. Reid smiled as he saw everything began to click inside of my head.

“The vials of my blood,” I whispered. His grin spread larger and his fangs glistened in the light. “Grayson,” I mumbled.

“He is my test subject,” Reid explained. My heart sank and my knees gave out from under me. Reid grabbed me by my arms, forcing me to stand. “You are not going to want to miss this, Love,” he said with enthusiasm. He puffed out his chest as he prepared for the show. “Prepare the feast,” He yelled into the giant space. The vampires steadied Grayson and Marcus feet from each other, directly in front of us. I sobbed uncontrollably.

“Please, Marcus! No,” I begged in between moans of sadness. I was losing all hope. Reid looked like a kid in a candy store. His eyes beamed as Marcus fought with all of his inhuman strength to get to Grayson. With his cold fingers gripping my arms tightly to my sides, I could only watch in horror as the fight prepared.

“Release the victim,” Reid bellowed. I watched in shock as the vampires let go of Grayson and he scrambled to escape. He was severely beaten and barely able to stand on his own. He limped as quickly as he could away from the others as they laughed. “Release my killer,” Reid yelled proudly. As the words left his mouth, Marcus was gone in a flash, unable to be seen with my human eyes. I heard a shriek of pain coming from the back of the barn near the hay bales. I screamed and fought against Reid’s death grip, crying. “I’m anxious to see who won, too. Shall we take a look?” He asked with a sickening joy.

He dragged me to the back of the barn. I could not make my feet cooperate with me. I stumbled as he pulled me along. When we turned the corner to look at the bales, everything was painted red. Blood soaked everything in sight, including someone hunched over with their back towards us.

“Marcus, what have you done?” I asked sadly as he slowly turned around to face me. With the blood soaking his face, it took me a moment to realize who I was staring at. “Grayson!” I screamed in horror as his blue eyes peered at me from behind the blood.

“Eva, I’m so sorry,” he huffed behind labored breaths. This is why Elijah wasn’t going to bring me back here. He must have found out.

“Beautiful,” Reid cheered and clapped his hands. “I love a good plot twist, don’t you? Now you know what you have coming if you ever run from me again,” he hissed as he grabbed a handful of my hair at the nape of my neck and yanked harshly toward him. A tear streaked down my face and a squeal escaped my lips. Grayson’s lips curled up in disapproval. “Seize him,” Reid commanded nonchalantly to his cohorts.

The others surrounded Grayson, grabbing and clawing at him to keep him from escaping their clutches. Reid circled in front of me, turning his back to the crowd. His mouth turned upward into a smile that repulsed me.

“Why?” I choked out as I glanced past him to Grayson, who was seething with anger, unable to escape the others. Reid glanced over his shoulder and paused for a moment in thought.

“I thought it added a sense of drama,” he replied, letting his fangs protrude. “It’s really not so bad. I can give you the nine lives every pet dreams of,” he explained as he brushed my hair from my face and stroked it with mock tenderness. “Just look. I’ve given you Grayson as a show of good faith. You can share your eternal life,” he continued as he motioned toward a bloodied Grayson then back to me. “From there you can choose whoever you want to join you, Eva.” His eyes locked onto mine as he got lost in his own twisted dream.

“Why me?” I cried, cupping my hand over my mouth as I tried to keep some sense of composure. Reid looked amused by my question.

“Elijah needs to pay his debt. Killing him would be too easy and leave me another hand short. It’s just business.” He nodded his head and two others were at my side in the blink of an eye, gripping my arms so tightly I couldn’t feel my hands. “Now are you going to cooperate or do I have to convince you further?” he asked, turning toward Grayson, who continued to struggle.

“Fuck you,” I snapped through clenched teeth. Reid laughed deeply before digging his fingers into Grayson’s throat. His body writhed in pain. He slid one of the vials of my blood from his pocket and let the dark murky liquid pour down Grayson’s throat. He sputtered and growled but reluctantly gave in and swallowed the crimson cocktail. “I will kill you if it is the last thing I do,” I hissed, the anger heating my body from head to toe. With unparalleled speed, he spun around and backhanded me across my cheek. My skin burned and my jaw felt as if it had been broken. The metallic taste of my blood filled my mouth. My head spun as I struggled to regain composure. I pushed my eyes closed tightly as I sucked on my lip trying to mask the smell of my blood around my captures. I could hear Grayson growl as he struggled to reach me, this time, to kill me.

“Good luck,” Reid retorted with a snicker.

“She doesn’t need luck. She has me,” a familiar voice called from behind. I blinked my eyes and Elijah was in front of me. His hand traced my sore jaw. I winced at the pain that shot through my face. His eyes were filled with sadness. I blinked and my body crashed to the floor below. I kept my head down and crawled to the nearest wall as bodies clashed together around me in a violent brawl. Blood sprayed the room as Elijah struggled to save me.

Hands suddenly latched onto my shoulders as my eyes locked onto Grayson’s. His filled with sadness and hunger. His fangs gleamed next to his bloodied face. I clenched my eyes tightly, preparing for the violent end. His hands ripped free from my shoulders as I was hoisted up into Elijah’s arms. The world flew by in a flash of night time scenery. I sighed, but was anything but relieved. I knew Grayson would not be able to stop until he found me if it is the last thing he did. I also knew that Elijah would die trying to stop him.

My head swam as Elijah kissed my sore bloodied lips tenderly and stroked my bruised face.

“You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you weren’t going to bring me back. You knew about Grayson,” I rambled as I searched Elijah’s eyes for the truth. He leaned his forehead against mine and inhaled deeply as he closed his eyes, letting a moment pass before responding.

“I will do anything it takes to protect you, Eva. No matter what it takes.” He finally whispered. This time, I believed him. I nodded and pushed my mouth back against his, kissing him hungrily as he resisted the taste of my blood. He must have fed and I was glad because he would need his strength. War had begun and it was Elijah and me against the world.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

WAVES

I laced my fingers in the grass and squeezed as I sat hunched over on my knees. Tears involuntarily poured down my sore, swollen face. The emotional rollercoaster of finding out my brother was alive, only to lose him again had taken its toll on me. I wept for what seemed like an eternity. With each breath, my body grew heavy and I soon struggled to feel anything at all. I was thankful for Elijah’s bond that once seemed like the cruelest talent a human could possess, but Elijah was not human. He was the mere shell of what one should be.

The last thing I remembered as I drifted off into sleep was Elijah sliding me into the passenger side of a large, dark car.

***

I awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs engulfing the air around me. I smiled before letting my eyes flutter open. A brief moment of panic washed over me as I struggled to place my surroundings. The room painted in a honey-gold color with a deep gold filigree overlay. The drapes were silk, adorned with hand-stitched blue flowers. The furniture was oversized ornately carved mahogany with a dark leather inlay that looked like dollhouse props in the massive room.

My eyes danced over the strange surroundings in complete awe. Nothing was familiar except for him. Elijah stood in the doorway of the bedroom with a plate full of food and a grin on his face.  I couldn’t contain my smile at the sight of him. His dark-wash jeans hung low on his hips and his chest was bare and toned. The light danced off his rippled abs giving him the appearance of a chiseled stone sculpture. I was learning to understand the difference in real emotions and being under Elijah’s influence. This was definitely real.

“Hungry?” he asked as he made his way to the side of the bed. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, groaning. “It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked anything,” he said, making a face and causing me to laugh.

“I’m starving. I feel like I haven’t eaten in days,” I said as I took the plate from his hand. It could have been fine china. It was white with wistful paisley flowers adorning the edge accented with gold accents. He sat on the bed next to me and brushed the hair back from my face. I suddenly felt self-conscience of my disheveled appearance. He looked like a Greek god with no effort. I, on the other hand, could spend hours in front of a mirror and come out looking worse than I had when I’d gone in.

“It’s been two days,” He replied nonchalantly. He ran his hands through his dark chestnut hair.

“What?” I replied, nearly choking on a bite of toast. “How is that even possible?” I asked, gulping down some orange juice, wiping a wayward drop from my chin. I smiled thinking he would reveal it was just a joke, but his expression remained unchanged.

“You were emotionally and physically drained. You needed your rest,” he replied, taking the glass from my hand and sitting it on the dark wooden stand beside the bed. I glanced around the new room once more.

“Drained?” I felt my heartrate accelerate. Had I been turned?

“Tired,” he clarified.

“Where are we?” I asked squinting and waiting for whatever answer he would throw at me. Nothing could surprise me at this point. A devilish grin spread across his face.

“Come,” he said, avoiding my question. He stood and he extended his hand toward me. I smiled nervously and sat the plate on the bed. I reached for him, placing my hand on his. He pulled me to my feet effortlessly.

I trailed behind him barefoot as we made our way through the maze of hallways and rooms to the front door of the home.

He stepped to the side and opened the door widely. The warm air that carried the scent of the salty ocean engulfed me. The roar of crashing waves pounded the shore like a steady heartbeat in the distance. I could hardly contain my giddiness when I spotted the moon reflecting off the water. I squeezed Elijah’s hand and ran out of the door in a full sprint. I was thankful I was barefoot when I felt the sand between my toes. I felt free.

We reached the water’s edge and I stopped short, dipping my toes in to feel the temperature. It was as warm as bathwater. I bit my lip playfully as I glanced at Elijah who was smiling broadly. I tugged at his hand playfully and he gave me a mischievous grin before splashing me. I screamed and splashed him back, soaking him.

His arms circled my waist and he lifted me off the ground as I squealed. His body stilled and he pressed a small kiss to the tip of my nose.

“This is incredible,” I whispered. He pulled his head back to look into my eyes.

“You are incredible.” He kissed me softly on the forehead. I squeezed him tightly and for this brief moment in time, I had left all of my worries on the shore. My life had become a roller coaster. It was time to accept that I could not change its course. All I could do is hang on and hope it did not end too soon.

“I never want this moment to end. How long can we stay here?” I asked with a smile.

“Forever, if that’s what you want,” he replied with complete sincerity. I tilted my head to hide the fact that I was blushing.

“We can’t run forever,” I said solemnly. Elijah had been risking his life for me and I still didn’t understand why.

“You wouldn’t be going through all of this if you wouldn’t have met me,” he said with a slight hint of anger. Taking my chin in his hand, he tilting my face back up to meet his gaze.

“Marcus got me into all of this,” I argued as sadness swept back over me like a wave.

“The past is the past. Dwelling on it won’t change a thing. It’s us against the world,” he reassured me. I leaned in closer, hesitating for a split second before kissing him. He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine as the waves lapped at our toes.

“Come on,” Elijah whispered as thunder began to ripple through the air as big heavy drops of water speckled the sand.

“Hurry,” Elijah yelled enthusiastically and grabbed my hand, a boyish grin spread across his face. I stumbled to keep up as he dragged me across the beach. We made it to the safety of the porch roof. Elijah gripped my waist and pressed me against the front door, kissing me passionately as he turned the handle and I nearly fell inside. He pulled me closer and held me upright as he kicked the door closed behind him. Being able to feel how deeply he wanted me was intoxicating. I giggled as we snaked our way through the house, never letting our lips part.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ELDERS

The room illuminated around us and our bodies froze in place. In the blink of an eye, Elijah was facing away from me in a protective stance. My heart began to race and my breath caught in my throat. His peaceful, loving emotions ripped away at the speed of the light that now blinded us.

“That is how you greet the Elders?” Our intruder asked in a thick French accent. She was almost too beautiful to behold. Her jet black hair was incredibly long and bone straight. She wore a vintage off-white gown, covered in intricate lace that flowed to the floor, hugging her curves as if sewn onto her body. Her piercing ice-blue colored eyes stood out on her otherwise pale complexion.

Elijah sank to one knee and lowered his head. His emotions ran ramped and I was quickly overcome by his worry. I avoided eye contact and stared helplessly at the back of Elijah. “And you,” she hissed as she rose from the dining room table and pointed her long boney finger directly at me.  Her words sounding beautiful even in anger. I glanced in her direction as Elijah slowly rose back to his feet.

“She has nothing to do with this,” he snarled. His chest heaved with anger, like animals presenting themselves as an alpha so no other would dare attack. She smiled an evil twisted grin.

“Silence, Elijah. We wouldn’t want to do anything to get you killed,” She warned in an ominous tone. Her attention turned to me as I begged silently in my head for courage.

“My name is Olivie Durand. I am a member of the Elders Council, an exclusive group of vampires who have ruled Kingdoms in their human lives. We now continue to do so in our extended lives.” She introduced herself with a look of sheer pleasure. I was at a loss of how to greet her properly. I bowed my head awkwardly and returned her smile.

“My name is Eva Morgan,” I replied, trying to keep my voice from shaking. “Um… a h-human from-”

“Of course,” She said to herself as she turned back to the table, seemingly losing interest in her own game.  Elijah glanced at me and I shot him a worried look.

I felt his confidence blanket me and I was finally able to think clearly. Olivie leafed through a newspaper she had left on the table. “It is not often one of our kind is needed to solve problems within a Sector,” she said as she shook her head in disappointment.

“I did not summon help, Your Grace,” Elijah responded with forced calmness. Olivie turned around abruptly and slapped the paper down on the table.

“You didn’t need to,” She replied angrily and pointed to the front page. I glanced down at the paper. The lead article read Vampires Murder Family in big bold letters. I cupped my hand over my mouth and let out an involuntary gasp as the picture of my parents came into focus. My knees became weak. “It looks like the problem has been taken care of. Just some loose ends to tie up,” Olivie added coldly. The room began to spin around me and the sound of their voices muffled and grew distant. Tears mixed with the salty ocean water on my face and I was thankful it would partially hide my sadness.

“What happened?” Elijah demanded an answer through clenched teeth. His arm wrapped around my waist, holding me upright.

“Reid demanded retribution. It appears you have killed some of his vampires and owed him lives in return. He took them. Your debt has been paid in full,” She explained with a smile as if balancing her checkbook. My family was nothing more than a payment that had been noted and forgotten.

“What about Eva?” Elijah asked, utterly confused. His grip tightened around my waist.

“She is free to return to her life,” Olivie replied, sitting back in her seat at the table.

“My life… What life?” I asked as tears poured down my face. I felt the anger rising inside of me and was on the verge of losing all self-control.

“That’s it? The council is just letting this all go?” He asked as his eyes narrowed and I felt like there was more to this exchange than I could understand.

“I am sorry for what has happened to your family. Vampires will not be a problem for you as long as you do not seek revenge,” Olivie droned.

“I’ll take you home.” Elijah comforted me, stroking my arm. I nodded in agreement. My body shook and I was not sure if it was from the news or the blasting cold air on my wet skin.

“That will not be possible. Elijah, I need you to relay this matter to the board of the Elders. Your side needs to be documented.” Raising her eyebrows, she waited for our response. I was in disbelief. “Reid and his Sector will be doing the same. I assure you no harm will come to Eva. You will be back by her side in a matter of days. I will escort her myself,” She added. Elijah turned to me, taking my face in his hands.

“I will do whatever you want. You don’t have to go back there without me,” Elijah reassured me as genuine concern radiated from him. I bit my lip and thought over the situation for a moment before answering. I placed my hands over his and squeezed them tightly.

“No, it will be okay. Take care of your business with the Elders Council and we can finally put an end to all of this,” I answered, nodding my head. I was trying to convince myself that this would be the best way. He hesitated for a moment before agreeing. I knew he felt responsible for what was happening to me and his guilt was beginning to eat away at him.

“I will make this right,” Elijah promised as he placed his forehead against mine and inhaled deeply. I needed to get back home as soon as possible. I was overwhelmed with guilt. Had I stayed there perhaps I could have saved them. At the very least, I could have warned them. My family had no idea what was coming for them until it was too late. It was my fault. I sniffed and fought to hold back my tears as I wrapped my arms around Elijah’s neck and squeezed him tightly. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head.

“I’ll get your things.” He broke away from our embrace, uncertainty in his voice. He glanced back toward Olivie and walked off into the master bedroom. My blurry eyes danced over the newspaper. The hum of something vibrating caught my attention and I glanced at the table where my phone laid. I was getting a call and in big letters across the screen, it read Daddy. Something was not right.

“Elijah,” I yelled in panic as my mind tried to figure out what was happening. “She’s lying!”

“Your whole relationship is a lie!” With a flash, Olivie pounced on top of me, her fangs protruding. The air flew rapidly from my lungs as we toppled to the floor, causing my head to bounce harshly off the beige, travertine tiles. I clawed at her feverishly, struggling to get the upper hand.

Suddenly, the weight of the former Queen was no longer paralyzing me. I pushed to my feet and stumbled forward. The wound on my head was worse than I had anticipated. Elijah’s body was now perched over Olivie, ready for the kill. They bit at each other as growls of animalistic anger filled the air. I stumbled back against the table and felt for the wound on the back of my head. Pulling my hand away, it dripped with fresh blood.

“Get out of here,” Elijah growled as he flashed me a look of pure hunger. I turned toward the hallway and began to run. Adrenaline surged through me causing my wound to thump with each accelerated heartbeat. I fell against the walls and used them to steady myself until I finally reached the door. The room blurred and shook for a moment as everything flashed green. I spun around in disbelief, blinking as the forest came into focus.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

HONEYSUCKLE AND GRASS

“Elijah,” I screamed into the vast woods. My voice echoed back to me through the rustling of the leaves. I fell against a large tree and rubbed my sore aching head. It was hard to tell if the fog was real or in my imagination. Was any of this real? Was I already dead?

“Elijah?” I yelled into the woods once more as tears welled up in my eyes and a thick lump formed in my throat. My family was okay. Olivie had told a vicious lie to my face without as much as batting an eyelash. My sadness and confusion turned to rage.

I grabbed onto a fallen tree branch and snapped the end off. Not the regular wooden stakes they sell in stores, but it would do in a pinch. I picked away the bark and dead leaves, wrapping my fingers around it tightly until splinters bit into my flesh.

I whipped around and scanned the forest. Only leaves and trees filled my view. I took off running full speed, desperate to find a clearing and my way back to Elijah. Just as a road came into view, I tripped. But the ground was anything but soft. It was flat and cold under my fingers and when I blinked my eyes open, I was back inside of the house.

***

I struggled to catch my breath, to scream for him, but nothing came. I winced in pain as I rolled over onto my side. Blood seeped from the fresh wound on the back of my head. My mouth gaped open as I struggled to find my voice.

The world began to grow dim around me as I struggled not to lose consciousness. I clawed at the floor, trying to find anything I could grip onto so I could pull myself off the cold tile. My eyes grew heavy and I no longer had the strength to fight it.

The world around me was cold, dark and uninviting. My body felt weak and oddly limp.  My head thumped with the steady beat of my pulse from the wound I had received in the kitchen. I tried to focus my attention on that injury, and not my certain death that would be coming any moment now.

This is not how I pictured the end of my life. I imagined myself old and frail surrounded by my loved ones.  I should be in my own bed, with my own things, not on a cold hard floor, bleeding out, alone. I thought of my father having to tell my mother that my lifeless body was found, bloody and beaten. Elijah’s panicked voice filled the background of my thoughts and I struggled to focus on him.

“Eva,” he called in the distance. My brain was coated in a hazy fog. I struggled to snake my way through the painful thoughts to him.  His voice radiated regret and anger and it seeped into every pore of my being. I wanted to scream out to him, but my body refused to cooperate.

I felt my heart rate accelerate as my wounds thumped with each passing beat. For a brief moment, I could feel his hope. It was warm and peaceful, but the feeling was short-lived as Elijah’s insatiable hunger for blood overcame him.  His emotions ran ramped and flooded the air around me like thick storm clouds. I struggled to steady my heart rate, but it was too late. A sharp sting to my right wrist was the last thing I would feel. I had officially given up. I let the fog take over me, enveloping my body and mind.

I searched for a happy place in my memories to hide from the end. I was back on Main Street, walking by the handsome stranger in Seven Valleys.

My heart fluttered at his smile. This was the memory I went to when I wanted to feel alive, with the very person who would kill me.

I stumbled as he caught me in his arms. Had I known where meeting him would take me, I realized I would do it all over again for that moment. It was the first time in years I had felt that life was worth living. I pictured him picking me up effortlessly and carrying me to his special spot by the creek.

I was in my perfect place with him now. The air smelled of honeysuckle and fresh cut grass.  I wrapped my arms around his neck and held onto him, letting him carry me to my death.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

LIKE RUM

The aching in my body faded into the background of my death dream. I had given up entirely, but I was at peace with my decision. Elijah would be able to go back to his life the way it was before me and my family would be safe.

As I closed my eyes on our private walk, something pulled me back into reality. The fangs that had violently ripped into my wrist retracted. Thrown back into consciousness, the scent of flowers replaced with that of blood. I gasped for air and opened my eyes, squinting in the harsh light.

Bodies crashed around me as Elijah fought Olivie. Her mouth was stained with blood as she snarled and bit at him like a rabid animal.

I sat up quickly, the blood rushing to my head, causing the room to spin. I steadied myself and pushed off the ground to my feet determined to end this.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the broken branch I’d grabbed in a last ditch effort to defeat Olivie. I snatched it from the ground, the bark biting into my palm as I squeezed it tightly.

Elijah and Olivie crashed violently into one another and it sounded as if the house was being torn down with a wrecking ball.

I swallowed hard and summoned the courage to try to save Elijah like he had done for me so many times. I tiptoed around the corner and into the hallway. Anger consumed me as Elijah came into view. I would not go out without a fight. I would not let this bitch take away the most important person in my life.

Elijah had her distracted. I slipped into the room beside them. I gripped the thick stick with both hands and took aim at her back. I didn’t second guess myself as I brought the weapon down. It slipped into her flesh effortlessly, between bones, just below her right shoulder blade.

She lurched and twisted trying to remove the weapon from her back, but to no avail. A single stream of blood oozed down her off-white gown that was torn just above the knee.  Her arms flailed wildly without reason. I stepped back to avoid her claw-like nails, but not quickly enough. Her hand caught my cheek, her nails digging in as a look of satisfaction washed over her. Pain rippled through my face. I drew back in anger and swung toward the monster.

My fist connected with her nose. Unfortunately, this gave her the opportunity to reach me and one of her hands wrapped itself in my hair, clutching into a fist and pulling back hard.  Elijah grabbed the stick and twisted sending her reeling in pain. She screeched like a wounded animal.  I held my hand in front of me and examined my busted knuckles. The pain radiated up to my shoulder and I knew once the adrenaline wore off I would pay for what I had done, but I didn’t care.

“Leave,” Elijah shouted as he ripped her hand from my head, taking a handful of hair with her. I spun around on my heel and darted into the hallway. I sank to the floor and covered my ears as they growled and screamed. Olivie was a lot tougher than Elijah had anticipated.

The fighting went on for what seemed like hours. With the sound of breaking glass and an excruciating moan, the house fell silent. I held my breath as my mind swirled. I was numb from all that I had seen and felt. All I could do was hope that Elijah was the one left standing.

He stepped into the hallway moments later with blood smearing his lips. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. A long jagged claw-like mark ran down his otherwise flawless face. I sighed and jumped up into his arms, squeezing his neck tightly. Hot tears of relief rolled down my face and I never wanted to let him go again.

“We have to go. Those injuries will only hold her for so long,” Elijah warned through a clenched jaw. I could tell he was struggling with my bleeding wounds. I hoped he had fed enough from Olivie to hold him over.

I steadied myself on my feet and walked into the bedroom to grab my things that Elijah had already packed. Possessions in hand, we hurried out of the beach house and into the street.  Elijah scanned the alleyway for Olivie’s vehicle. He spotted a blue classic car that seemed out of place in the modern neighborhood. In a flash, he was on the car, prying the hood from the latch. He gripped onto part of the engine and pulled, effortlessly freeing it from the car. He walked back toward me with a quickened pace, car part in hand.

“Get in,” He called as he walked to the driver’s side of his sleek, black Barracuda. I reached for the door handle and realized that my fingers on my right hand were useless. Fumbling with the handle, I was able to pull it open with my left hand and slide in. My adrenaline rush was fading as fast as it had come over me and every part of my body began to ache. Elijah was already revving the engine. His wound was nothing more than a faded pink line.

“Where are we going?” I asked as panic began to set in and I fumbled with my seatbelt. The engine had roared once more before he answered.

“We have to kill Reid’s Sector,” He responded, never glancing my way. I repeated his words in my head. Kill Reid’s Sector. I had no idea how to respond to that. My mind flashed to memories of Grayson. I had to say something. I could not condemn him to die. Before I could form the words, Elijah answered my concerns.

“Grayson will not give up until he has killed you. He cannot stop. He’s not the person you loved. That Grayson died the moment he was turned into a vampire.” My head raced at the thought of killing him again. It hurt just as much to lose my vampire brother, as it had to lose him in his human life. I refused to believe that just because Grayson was a vampire, that he was hopeless. Elijah was the most important person in my life right now and he was a vampire.

“I’m going to be sick,” I warned him. He glanced over at me with worry. The car slowed rapidly and he was opening my door before I could glance in his direction. He unbuckled my seatbelt and lifted me from the car. Carrying me to the shoulder of the road, he placed me gently on the grass. He raised his wrist to his lips and bit into his own flesh.

“This will help,” He said as he extended his arm. I snapped my mouth shut at the idea. He pressed his gaping wrist to my mouth firmly. I resisted. I didn’t want to be condemned to a life of murder and an insatiable hunger for human blood. Elijah gritted his teeth and I could tell that if I did not take his offering, I might become his next meal. I parted my lips and let a few drops of the crimson elixir flow into my mouth. The throbbing in my head subsided as I flexed my right hand. “It won’t turn you. You only need a little blood and you aren’t close to death,” he assured me. “You’d also have to have to find your own victim.”

“Good as new,” I exclaimed with a forced smile. He grinned back with approval.

“We still need to get you washed up. The dried blood in your hair is becoming hard to resist,” Elijah replied, the smile fading as he brushed my hair back from my face and tucked it behind my ear. “I almost killed you back there,” he confessed.

“But you didn’t and it made you stronger so you could fight Olivie.”

He smiled sadly. “Not strong enough. She’s going to come back for us.”

“We’ll be ready.” I nodded and looked down at his wrist, my fingers still wrapped around his arm. The wound had healed and a faded pink line marked the spot that just moments before he had ripped open. I peered up from behind my eyelashes and stared into his black, hooded eyes.

He looked like and animal who had just caught sight of his prey, but his hunger was for more than just blood. I could feel his insatiable want for me radiating through the air. He held out his hand for me. I slipped my now healed fingers into his palm and he quickly lifted me to my feet. He bent slightly and his lips brushed across my previously wounded knuckles. A shiver ran down my spine as every hair on my body stood at attention.

The momentous events of this morning faded into the background of my mind. I let my lips fall open and a flush washed over my cheeks. I stared at him like a schoolgirl with an unwavering crush.

“Come,” he murmured and I trailed behind him, my hand still in his. His blood was coursing through my veins like rum and I felt warm and wonderfully euphoric. He opened the passenger door and I slid into my seat, pausing briefly as my face passed by his. He smiled a devilishly charming grin and my heart jumped into my throat.

Clicking my seatbelt, I glanced over to Elijah, who was already in his seat and revving the engine of his muscle car. The machine shook and vibrated with each compression of the gas pedal. I bit my lip and wished that his car could move at the vampire speed that his body was able to travel.

We pulled back onto the winding road and drove in silence for several minutes. Elijah’s lips were set in a hard line and his eyes gave nothing away to what was going on behind them. I blew out a long breath and let myself relax into the seat. Never glancing my way, Elijah slid his hand over my leg, letting it come to rest just above my knee. Goosebumps immediately followed. My body stiffened back up and all hope of relaxing next to this beautiful specimen of a man was lost.

CHAPTER THIRTY

TRUST

Elijah pulled the car into a dimly lit parking lot just off the main road. He jumped out of the driver seat, leaving the car idling and disappeared into the motel lobby. I rang my hands together in my lap as I waited for him anxiously. My mind becomes lost in the events of this morning. Was Olivie working with Reid or was she really just protecting the vampire race? If we do eradicate Reid’s Sector, will the hunting from The Elders Council end? My thoughts were cut short by the sound of Elijah opening the driver’s side door.

“I’ve got us a room,” he said as he pulled the keys from the ignition and the gentle rumble of the engine ceased. I blinked several times at him, in disbelief that this man could possibly have any attraction for me.  He smiled and joy shot through me like a giddy child on Christmas morning.

I scrambled to free myself from the seat belt and exited the car. My grace escaped me and I stumbled. With lightning speed, Elijah’s arms were wrapped tightly around my waist, suspending me in midair.  I remembered to breathe and let out a sigh of relief. My feet found the earth underneath me and I regained my balance. My mind swayed with Elijah’s blood coursing through me and I had to concentrate to keep from falling over again. Elijah’s eyes turn cold and his expression hard.

“S-sorry” I stuttered, wondering what I had done to upset him.

“You need to wash up immediately,” he hissed. I self-consciously ran my fingers through my bloodied hair and nodded sheepishly. I tiptoed toward the door, like a scolded child. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and tried to gauge his mood. He gave nothing away by his facial expression. He slipped the keycard into the door lock and flipped the handle, sending the door ajar.

“After you,” he whispers politely, still no emotion evident. I lowered my head and shuffled passed him to the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and let my forehead fall against it. Slipping my hand through the clinically white shower curtain, I turned on the water faucet on full blast. Slipping out of my tank and shorts, I ran my hand over my wrist where my wound had once been. Olivie had taken this to an entirely different level. I felt defeated. I slipped into the shower and adjusted the water to the perfect warmth. Dumping a handful of travel-sized shampoo into the palm of my hand, I absentmindedly massaged it into my scalp.  The morning had started out with so much promise. Would my life be like this every day if I stay with Elijah?  Would I survive a day without him? Would I want to? I shook the thought from my mind.

I stepped back into the flow of water and let the soap wash free from my hair, the water a swirl of red as it rinsed down the drain.  I had fallen for Elijah hard and as much turmoil as my life had consisted of since meeting him; I couldn’t seem to remember anything before him. Was this a side effect from his blood? Would it wear off when the blood leaves my system? I strained to try to focus on any event from my past that did not include him.

I reached for the conditioner and it toppled toward the shower floor, never making its impact. I glance up to see Elijah, hand extended and holding the tiny bottle in his hand. A smile involuntarily flashed across my face. The corners of his mouth turned upward and I was relieved he was no longer upset. His feelings washed through the air and I became drunk with his lust. I closed my eyes for a moment, grinning like a fool behind the curtain that I held against my body.

“Can we talk?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. It took a moment for me to find my voice. Is this how vampires feel all of the time, drunk with passion?

“No one is stopping you,” I replied coyly, taking the conditioner from his hand and turning my back on him, warming my front in the wall of water. I watched Elijah’s shadow outside of the curtain. I dumped the contents of the bottle into my hand and rubbed it through my hair.

“Where did you get that stick from, Eva?”

“One minute I was standing there in the house and the next I was… I don’t know. I was in the woods somewhere.”

“You were unconscious.”

I pressed my back against the cold tile wall, shaking my head as I went over the details of the fight in my hazy memory. “No. I could tell she was lying so she took me away, or she made the world change. I- I’m not sure how she did it. It’s like how I can feel what you feel.”

I finished rinsing my hair and stuck my arm out of the shower. Elijah placed a towel in my hand and I quickly wrapped it around my body and shoved open the curtain. I stepped out of the shower, stopping in front of him.

He shook his head, looking at the lingering red that swirled around the edge of the drain.

He nodded in agreement but I could feel his uncertainty. “Tell me what you think happened.”

My words poured out of me in a confusing jumble as I struggled to explain the fight I’d thought I’d had with her. I was known for getting lost in daydreams but this took things to an entirely different level.

***

By the time I’d finished, my hair had all but dried. Elijah seemed more relaxed, although he was still uncertain as to what had happened.

“You must think I’m crazy,” I mumbled, fighting to talk past the lump that had formed in my throat.

Elijah’s fingers slid through my hair and the corner of his mouth turned up in a slight smile.

“Never,” he whispered and I closed my eyes, committing this moment to memory out of fear that might be all it is one day. “Look at me.”

I slowly opened my eyes, struggling to keep my worry from reaching him and letting him know how scared I now was. This feeling of dread was much worse than any I’d felt when face to face with monsters who’d wanted to kill me. Losing him would feel like literally ripping the heart from my chest.

“I promise.” The pad of his thumb glided over my damp cheek and I leaned into his touch.

He pulled my mouth to his, kissing me slowly as if would be the last time. If it was, I wasn’t going to waste a single moment we had left. With shaky fingers, I reached up to the top of the towel where it was tucked into itself, and slowly pulled it free. I let it slide from my hand and puddle at my feet.

Elijah inhaled deeply, his lips pressing harder against mine. I knew he was struggling to keep himself in control and I hoped that he wouldn’t be successful.

“Elijah,” I whispered against his mouth and he groaned, his hands sliding down my back causing me to shiver under his fingertips. I pressed my body against his, scared that he would disappear, another dream that I would be pulled from at any moment.

Elijah broke free from our kiss and took a step back from me. I couldn’t hide the disappointment from my face, causing him to smirk and he grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head. His body crashed back into mine sending us tumbling onto the bed, his body landing on top of me.

I slid my fingers into his hair, not wanting him to ever leave my arms again. His hands moved with an urgency now, exploring the curves of my body. His touch ignited a spark inside of my belly that quickly spread like wildfire throughout my veins. The need for him consumed me like the flames of desire needed oxygen.

I reached between us, fumbling with the button of his jeans and his hand slipped over mine and I thought for certain he was going to put an end to wherever this was leading, but instead, he popped the button free from the fabric and shoving them down along with his boxers.

“You’re not stopping?” I asked as his mouth roamed over my collarbone.

“I can’t,” he whispered against my skin, his breathe fanning out over my flesh, causing my need for him to intensify further.

My back bowed from the bed below as we moved together like it was always meant to be us. He was gentle yet strong. But even with all of the pleasure, I couldn’t help but wonder if the reason he’d finally given in was because he didn’t think we had a chance of walking away from any of this.

“Don’t think, Eva. Just feel,” he whispered.

In that moment I let go. I let go of my fear and my worries of tomorrow. I put my life in the hands of Elijah as we tumbled over the edge of desire together.

I would follow Elijah to the gates of hell if it meant spending eternity with him there.  I could see the struggle to maintain his humanity every moment we were together. My life was balanced precariously on the edge of death, but it was a thrill I couldn’t remember living without.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

PORTER

I ran the brush through my hair absentmindedly as I thought about the words Olivie had said to me.

“Your whole relationship is a lie.”

What did she mean? As far as I knew, I could only feel what he felt because he cared for me. How could that not be real? Elijah’s voice broke through my train of thought, startling me.

“What is it?” he asked. His jeans hung low on his hips, unbuttoned. His voice was thick with concern. I smiled and quickly erased any trace of worry from my expression. I felt a blush creep over my cheeks at the memory of what we’d done together.

“I’m hungry,” I replied with a pout. I had been ignoring my stomachs cries for nourishment and I felt like I had not eaten for days. He grinned and ran his hand along my jaw, tipping my chin toward him and kissing me quickly on the lips.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said and grabbed a t-shirt from his bag before heading to the door. “Do not open this for anyone,” he called over his shoulder. I nodded in understanding and ran my fingers through my hair. I turned to the bed and rummaged through the bag for something to wear.

I was relieved to find a tank and a pair of panties. I laid them out on the bed as a low buzzing and the flashing of a cell phone screen caught my eye from inside the bag. It is white and silver, not one I recognized. Elijah has been using a black flip phone since I met him. I bit my lip glanced back at the door. No sound came from outside and I picked up the phone.

The screen came to life at the touch of my finger. I slid through the pages of applications and come to one with an envelope titled messages. I paused for a moment to listen for signs of Elijah. The room was silent. I clicked the icon and scroll through the lists of messages. One caught my eye titled Porter Duties. I clicked the folder and an overwhelming list of messages popped up onto the screen. I chose one at random and read the contents.

Services needed. Payment upon delivery of the head.

I gasped aloud at what I had just read when the lock on the door to the room suddenly clicked. I threw the phone back into the bag and nervously began dressing. I had my panties on and my tank just over my head as he entered.

“Find anything?” I asked, my voice too high pitch and jumpy. He looked at me for a brief moment and smiled, holding out a bag full of goodies. I relaxed a bit and remembered to breathe. “Thanks,” I said as I walked over and grabbed the bag, unable to look directly into his eye. I felt guilty for invading his privacy.

I sat on the small desk chair beside the bed and clicked the remote. The television came to life. I watched Elijah pick the phone out of the bag from the corner of my eye. After a moment, he slid it into his pocket.

“Here,” He said as he flung a pair of my jeans onto the bed.

I finished a honey bun with as little chewing as possible, desperate to settle my nervous stomach. I still wasn’t sure what had caused me to end up in that forest. We needed to get to Reid before she could get any closer to us. I pulled on my jeans and slipped on my shoes.

“Ready?” Elijah asked, slinging the bag over his shoulder. I nodded and stood up to take his hand. He held onto me tightly as he opened the door and did a sweep of the parking lot with his incredible vision. Everything was pitch black except for a faint glow from the open sign. He pulled me along hurriedly to his car and opened the passenger door, practically shoving me in with more force than I think he intended.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, he was in his seat and we whipped out of the parking lot and back onto the main road. His eyes flicked from the road to the rearview mirror and lingered longer than I felt comfortable.

I grabbed my seat belt and wrapped it around me, clicking it into place. Elijah looked at me from the corner of his eye with a small hint of a smile. I flushed realizing that a car accident was the least of my worries as I rode with my vampire boyfriend to escape the legion of others that wanted me dead. My body felt incredibly rested. I was better than normal. I expected to feel tired and sore after we’d slept together.

“What are you thinking?” he asked, interrupting my thoughts. I felt a blush creep over my cheeks and I turned to look out the window into the night.

“Where are we going?” I asked, brushing off his question. He glanced at the clock on the dash.

“We will find another place to sleep just outside of town. We should attack Reid right after the sun sets tomorrow night. Catching them off guard is our best bet.” His plan seemed to make sense, but I didn’t know if I could sleep another day knowing that death was hunting for me at every turn. Not coming up with any other ideas, I nodded in agreement and reached for the radio. My mind going to the mysterious cell phone.

***

We made it to Baltimore with little time to spare before sunrise. I waited in the car as Elijah checked us into a small motel that appeared abandoned. He reemerged from the tiny office with a key in hand. I quickly hopped out of the car and grabbed our bag from the back seat, meeting him in the center of the parking lot.

When we made our way into our room, it was dark and dirty, smelling of smoke and stale alcohol and smoke. I tossed our bag and lay on the bed, grabbing the remote from the side table.

“I need to make a phone call,” He said as he leaned over and kissed my forehead, inhaling the scent of my hair. I nodded and began clicking through the channels. As he walked outside, I sighed and sat the remote down. I could not stop thinking about the messages on the phone from the bag.

The last thing I needed was to doubt Elijah. I was exhausted and the sun would be rising soon. I pulled the covers back and slid underneath, snuggling into the center of the bed.

***

I awoke to Elijah’s hushed voice near the entrance of our hotel room. I glanced at the alarm clock beside the bed. It read nine o’clock. I rubbed my eyes and stretched.

“Elijah?” I called out into the darkness. A moment passed and Elijah rounded the corner.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked, grinning as he leaned down and rubbed the back of his fingers along my cheek. I nodded as a yawn escaped my mouth.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” I asked as I fumbled with the button on his crisp white button up shirt.

“You needed your rest,” he replied, kissing me softly on the forehead. “Get dressed. We need to get on the road.” He got up and walked toward the bathroom.  I nodded and rubbed my eyes. Sitting up, I search the cramped space for our bag. I spotted it across the room on the dresser and my mind went back to the messages.

I turned on the bedside lamp and made my way to the dresser. I found my favorite pair of old jeans and shrugged them on. My hand skimmed around the bottom of the bag coming up empty. The other phone was gone. I was hoping he would have returned it to the bag after his call. I sighed and pulled my hand out of the bag, turning to see Elijah staring at me from just inside the room, toothbrush in his cheek. His expression was blank.

“Looking for something?” he asked. His tone was calm.

“Just a hair tie,” I stuttered and smiled. He grinned and walked toward me.

“I like your hair down,” He said sweetly, running his fingers through my tangled mane.

“Down it is,” I said blushing and quickly zipped the bag. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to untangle it the best I could before taking a brush to it.

“Your toothbrush is in the bathroom,” He called as he walked back to the restroom.

I needed to talk with Elijah and put my mind at ease but now was not the time. We were preparing for a war and the last thing he needed was to be preoccupied with me.

***

I got ready in record time. We were less than an hour from Seven Valleys when my nerves began to take over. Grayson was part of Reid’s Sector. He was blood lusting for me and outside of killing him, we had no other ideas of how to make him stop. I bit my nails absentmindedly as I thought of what we were up against.

“Stop,” Elijah growled, breaking me from thoughts. I glanced over at him confused, trying to figure out what I had done. “Your heart. It is beating out of control,” he explained and I realized in the glow of the streetlights it was becoming harder for him to resist. Getting my emotions under control on our way to fight a hoard of angry vampires was easier said than done. I bit my lip and tried to clear my mind, but my thoughts became more jumbled and worried.

“Can I ask you something?” I turned my body to face him, wringing my hands together nervously. He glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. “Please don’t be mad, but well… when I was going through our bag, I had found a phone. It had lit up and I knew it wasn’t yours,” I rambled not sure what my question even was. I could see Elijah’s jaw clench and I swallowed hard, wishing I had kept my mouth shut.

“What would you like to know?” he asked evenly. If he was angry with me, he was excellent at hiding it.

“What is a porter?” I asked closing my eyes as if that would help soften the blow from whatever he was going to tell me if he were even going to tell me anything. He took a long deliberate breath and I knew he was frustrated because breathing was not a priority for vampires.

“A porter is an attendant. Sort of like the guy at a hotel who carries your luggage for you or gets you things you need,” He explained vaguely. I was even more confused. My mind flashed to Elijah in a bellhop uniform.

“But the message…” I said letting my voice trail off. Elijah nodded his head and knew he would have to explain further.

“It’s a little different in the vampire world. Vampires don’t need someone to lug around their belongings. But occasionally they need someone found and brought to the Elders Council.” He opened his mouth to say more but decided to wait for my response before giving too much away.

“You are an assassin?” I asked, my voice cracking and coming out more high pitched than I intended.

“Not exactly. They usually want someone brought back intact to stand trial. But some occasions require… swift justice,” he clarified. My brain tried to process all of this information.

“Olivie,” I said barely above a whisper, but Elijah had heard me clearly. “Why didn’t she send a porter? Why did she come for us herself?”

Elijah did not answer and I knew this was something that he had not quite figured out himself… or something he didn’t want to share with me.

I reached for the radio and cranked the volume as high as I could stand. If I Was Your Vampire blared through the speakers and had we not been in such a dangerous predicament, I would have laughed. Elijah’s expression softened and I could see him begin to relax, which made it easier for me to calm down.

Time raced and before I knew it, we were rolling over one of the last hills into Seven Valleys. This was it.

Elijah reached across me and for a moment, I was not sure what he was going to do. He clicked open the glove compartment and pulled out my brother’s gun. He held it out in front of me, waiting for me to take it. I hesitated but wrapped my fingers around the grip and examined it. Hot tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I had not had time to properly mourn the second passing of my brother and with all of the excitement, the emotions were becoming too much to contain. Elijah’s hand rested on my knee and he glanced at me. I knew he was comforting me and he did not need to say a word. I looked back down at the gun and slid it behind me into the back of my jeans so it was handy when I needed to kill someone.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

REST HAVEN

Main Street was just beginning to come to life and people filled the streets, not caring about our hurry to wage war in their tiny town. Elijah clenched his jaw and cursed under his breath as the car crept forward at a snail’s pace. When we reached Green Valley Road, the congestion had dissipated and Elijah was free to drive at his usual high speed. We slowed to a crawl just before Reid’s farmhouse. Elijah clicked off the headlights and we drifted by, inspecting for signs of life… or death.

One solitary light in the front of the house glowed as Elijah circled around, pulling the car off the side of the road about a block away. He nodded and I knew that it was now or never. We both got out of the car and I met Elijah at the trunk. He slid his keys in the lock and popped it open, revealing an arsenal of vampire-killing weapons, most of which I had never seen and would not even begin to know how to use. Rows upon rows of stakes lined the walls of the trunk. On top of those sat several flat open top creates. Each held a different type of weapon, one filled with crossbows, and another with handguns. The rest looked like movie props from horror flicks.

“You ready for this?” he asked and I was not sure if I ever would be. I nodded and a quick smile spread across his face but faded leaving behind no visible emotions. He pulled out a wooden stake and inspected the tip. It seemed to meet his standards and he handed it to me. “Use the gun first. Hopefully, no one can get close enough that you will need the stake,” he explained and I continued to nod like a bobble head doll.

He slid several weapons into the waist of his jeans and closed the lid. He placed his hand on the small of my back and his confidence flowed freely in the air, calming me. This was Elijah’s favorite pastime and I could tell he was damn good at it.

We moved silently through the dark, circling the house and finding a door near the back that housed a furnace. Elijah tugged on the handle and it swung open. I held my breath.

The room was silent as we stepped inside. I could not make out which part of the house we were in and the glow from a few rooms away did not light my path enough to make it out. I placed my hand on Elijah’s back and followed blindly through the maze of rooms. When we reached the entry to the lit room, I recognized it immediately. It was where I had come face to face with Reid, and discovered my brother was not exactly dead. Elijah turned and nodded quickly and I tucked my body in close to his and followed him around the corner. By now, someone should have known we were here, but nothing came for us. I was beginning to lose confidence in our ambush tactic. Elijah motioned for me to stay put as he snuck up the stairs to the second floor. I pressed my back against the wall, praying to a god I was certain didn’t exist.

The sound of quick footsteps startled me and I struggled to see up the dark staircase. Elijah bounded toward me with his gun in hand.

“I know where they are,” he said as he walked passed me. I followed behind quickly as we snaked our way back through the home and out the same way we had come in.

“Well?” I asked, practically running to keep pace.

“They’re at the club,” he answered over his shoulder as we reached the road. Elijah kept walking, but I stopped out of habit and glanced in both directions to make sure no headlights were in sight.

“What club?” I asked, not trying to hide the irritation in my voice as I got into my seat. The car lurched onto the road before my door closed. “Elijah! Please talk to me,” I begged over the sound of the radio. His jaw clenched and the muscles in his face tensed.

“Remember the club I had told you I worked at when we first met?” he asked but not giving me a chance to respond. “That is where Reid is at tonight, but it’s not just a typical strip joint. It caters to vampires,” he explained. His eyes smoldered, even in the darkness of night.

“I don’t see what the problem is. We just walked into a vampire nest ready to kick some ass. Why are you worried?” I asked, still not understanding the serious tone he had undertaken.

“On any given night there can be hundreds of vamps, not to mention the humans,” he explained and his worry began to scare me. “We can’t risk human casualties. The Elders Council will never stop hunting us if we bring more bad press to their doorstep.”

I was terrified, but I would not let Elijah do this on his own.

“Then we will have to make sure no one dies who doesn’t deserve to,” I replied and kept my expression hard. He nodded once and I knew that was the end of the discussion.

We rode in silence for a few minutes as we sped along the winding country roads. My mind overflowed with all of the things I wanted to say, but I had no idea where to start. I knew these roads like the back of my hand, but this place felt like another planet. Death stalked us at every turn. Our lives hung by a thread. Elijah broke the silence first.

“I think we should discuss turning you.”

I had no idea how to respond. He had done everything he could to prevent that from happening.

“Elijah, I-” I began to respond, but he cut me off mid- sentence.

“I don’t want you to die, Eva. Chances are, Grayson is already aware that your blood is close by. If we change you, he may stop looking. We could run away together and never have to deal with any of this again.” It made perfect sense, but I knew in my heart that was the last thing Elijah wanted for my life. It was the last thing I wanted for my life. I didn’t know what our future held for us, but I didn’t want that life. I have watched it destroy those around me that I loved and I would rather die than suffer the same fate.

“We don’t have time,” I replied sadly. “You know they will find us. I can’t have you fighting them alone,” I swallowed back tears, trying not to let them fall. Elijah was scared. “And Grayson didn’t hesitate to kill Marcus even though they were both vamps,” I pointed out.

He swallowed hard and did not say anything further on the subject. I knew if I didn’t let Elijah change me, that we would have to kill Grayson. A lump formed in my throat and I turned to stare out the window as my tears fell silently from my eyes. Even, after all, we had been through, I still loved Grayson very much and I knew he felt the same way about me, at least while he was alive. But now that I was being forced to choose, I only knew that what I felt for Elijah was… more.

“Turn,” I called out as I realized where we were in Hanover. Elijah whipped the car right.

“What is it?” he asked, looking at me with worry.

“My brother,” I replied as I pointed to the Rest Haven Cemetery. He didn’t say anything as he pulled off the main road into the grass. I could feel his eyes on me, but I did not wait for him to say anything. I got out of the car and made my way across the dark lawn toward the headstones. It was impossible to read them and I soon found myself sobbing uncontrollably as I struggled to find the right way. Elijah put his hand on my back soothingly and began reading the names on the stones. His vision was incredible, another side effect of being a vampire. Because they could not go out in the daylight, their senses adjusted, adapted. He took my hand and pulled me through the rows, reading each stone off one by one. Finally, his feet stopped moving and I rocked on my heels waiting.

“Marcus Morgan,” he whispered quietly. I threw myself onto the grass in front of the marble sculpture. I knew Marcus was never actually here, but it made me feel closer to him. Elijah knelt down beside me and stroked my hair as I cried aloud. I was crying for my brother, but I was also crying for Grayson. I knew if everything went right, he would be dead before the sun rose. Maybe becoming a vampire was my only option. I remembered Reid offering me a place in his Sector and I knew that none of this would ever actually stop unless I took him up on it or died.

“We will be okay,” Elijah whispered. I wanted to scream. It would never be okay. My brother was dead. My ex-boyfriend was a vampire who would soon be dead unless they killed Elijah or me.

“No,” I said under my breath.

“Eva?” he asked as I struggled to control my breathing. I was on the verge of exploding.

“No! It will not be okay,” I screamed. He leaned back from me, but his hand remained on my hair. “We can’t fix this! We can’t make it better! Everyone around me will keep dying until they get what they want.” I felt defeated. I didn’t know if I had any strength left in me to fight. I wanted to give up. I buried my head in my hands and began to cry harder.

“Eva, look at me,” Elijah demanded as he took his fingers and turned my chin toward him. “You are the strongest human I know.” I wanted to roll my eyes but his expression was serious and I knew he believed what he was saying. “I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” His eyes darkened and I knew there was something more to what he was saying. I nodded my head and he took my hand pulling me to my feet.

“Let’s get this over with,” I said as I made my way through the maze of headstones. Elijah trailed behind me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

NEVER FORGET

I was thankful Elijah didn’t complain about the detour to my brother’s grave. I needed a chance to say goodbye to him. I didn’t know if I would ever get the opportunity to do it again. He turned the knob on the radio and an old rock love ballad filled the silent void between us. I had to get my head in the game. If I showed up at the club with tears streaming down my face, I would undoubtedly become a vampire snack.

I leaned over and fumbled with the radio knob until I found a good song to get me in the mood to fight. I settled on Let the Bodies Hit the Floor and cranked up the volume so I could no longer hear my own thoughts. Since we had lost the element of surprise with an early attack, we didn’t need to rush to get to the club. I wanted to get this over with, but I also knew this could be the last moments I got to spend with Elijah. I glanced over at him, and his eyes caught my gaze. He reached over and laced his fingers in mine. I smiled as I took in the absolute perfection that he was.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he repeated, as he had many times before. I knew he meant it. He would die trying to save me and I would do the same for him. I squeezed his hand to let him know I trusted him. I didn’t like having to choose between two people that I cared about. Who was I to say which should live and which should die?

We drove around the club before finding a suitable place to park. People milled around the front door, but the crowd didn’t seem overly impressive. We pulled into a closed business right down the road and prepared for war.

Elijah went through the uses of each weapon one more time to make sure I knew how to use everything correctly. We went back to the trunk of the car and loaded up with a few extra things because the vampire crowd would be larger here than just Reid’s Sector. I hoped I wouldn’t have to run or I would surely be overcome with all the extra weight I was now carrying.

“Do you think they know we are here?” I asked, scared to hear his response.

“It is hard to say how heightened Grayson’s senses are with the blood concoction. This is new territory for all of us. We can only hope he knows you are in the area, but doesn’t anticipate us coming for them.” Elijah was visibly worried but his confidence radiated through the air and my panic dissipated. “We are lucky that we waited until later. Perhaps if things get too bad you can escape into the daylight,” he added, thinking aloud.

“What about you? You will be stuck inside with the Sector.” It suddenly dawned on me that Elijah had never expected to make it out of this alive. His plan only went as far as to save me. I could feel my own fear pushing back against Elijah’s confidence that hung in the air. I was leading him to his death and the death of Grayson. He wrapped his hand around the back of my head and pulled me against him, pressing his lips to my forehead. I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly as tears pricked my eyes.

“I’d never lived before I had met you,” he whispered into my hair and I nodded my head. A lump had formed in my throat and I was afraid that if I had tried to speak, the floodgates would open. His grip tightened around me.

He kissed me hungrily. I felt an overwhelming urge to abandon our plan of attack and run away with him. I knew we wouldn’t make it far, but it would prolong our time together.

Reluctantly, he pushed himself back from me and held me at arm’s length. His eyes searched mine for a few minutes and I felt his anger and rage push through my sadness. “You can do this,” he assured me. I nodded and a small, sad smile flickered across his face, then quickly turned to stone.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

AGAINST THE WORLD

He took my hand and guided me behind him through the maze of buildings and cars. We snaked our way around the back of the club to a fire exit that was unattended. The door was propped open by a bucket. I assumed the employees used it for their smoke breaks so the customers would not see them. I often used the one at my parent’s restaurant to do the same. It suddenly occurred to me I hadn’t smoked in days. I felt proud of myself for a second as the thought crossed my mind but was quickly replaced with fear as someone slid through the opening.

We ducked behind a car, but one of my weapons banged on the side making a loud clanging noise. I held my breath and locked eyes with Elijah. He kept perfectly, inhumanly still. I tried to mimic his actions, but my body shook from my intense heartbeat.

After a moment had passed, Elijah looked over the hood of the car. The scrawny man stood with his back to us, oblivious to our presence. I realized that he must be human and would be little match for Elijah. He put his finger to his lips to motion for me to be silent as he released my hand. He snuck quietly along the dark wall of the club. I stared at him in awe. He was a lion stalking his unsuspecting prey. The man had no idea his life was about to end. Part of me wanted to scream out to him in warning, but I kept silent, biting my lip as I waited for his death. This casualty was necessary if we wanted to gain access to the others. I no longer saw it as us humans against vampires. It was now just Elijah and me against the world.

Suddenly, Elijah was behind the man. In one swift motion, his hands rose in a blur and the man’s now lifeless body slumped to the ground. Elijah lifted him effortlessly and carried him behind a small divider wall. He reappeared a few minutes later, wiping the blood from his chin. I sighed with relief as he made his way back to my position.

“Now is our chance,” he whispered. I followed him as we crept across the quiet lot and slipped into the open door. The small room was lined with old couches and a busted brown coffee table. Luckily, no one was in sight. Elijah peered through the next door and nodded for me to follow him. We slipped through the opening into a dressing room. I was shocked to see several women milling about, but they didn’t seem alarmed at our presence.

In fact, they hardly noticed me at all. Elijah’s unmatched good looks took center stage. He smiled at them as we passed by and I felt a pang of jealousy as they blushed and smiled back. I struggled to keep my feelings to myself, but Elijah’s determination pushed through and kept my mind on track. A thick red velvet curtain is all that kept us from the crowd.

Elijah glanced around the entertainment room and as the last song ended, we rushed through. I raised my weapon and took aim at anything that showed its fangs. I was shocked at how relatively small the crowd was. It appeared that everyone in the audience was a vampire or a midnight snack. A tall, lanky man rushed Elijah. He blocked his advances and shouted at me to shoot. I aimed my brother’s gun and pulled the trigger. My hands were shaking uncontrollably and I missed, hitting a window.

Glass shattered and poured like rain onto the marble floor. Elijah’s body looped around mine and he slid his hand around my wrist, taking aim at whatever crossed my path. Vampires fell around us and blanketed the ground.

“Behind you,” Elijah shouted and I grabbed a stake from my waist and thrust it backward. With a loud grunt, the woman stopped in her tracks. She cried out in shock as she felt the object now embedded in her body. She was human. I instantly felt sick as she crumpled to the floor. Elijah’s body move away from me and I spun around to scan for danger. He was walking toward Grayson, his hand gripping another stake.

“Grayson,” I screamed, but the words were caught in my throat as a hand wrapped around my neck and squeezed.

“All this trouble for a human. What is so special about you?” a sickeningly sweet voice purred in my ear.

“Olivie,” I choked.

“Stop,” she yelled across the room to Elijah. He whipped around, his eyes locking onto mine. Vampires slowly closed in on him as I read the fear in his eyes. “Elijah’s death will come at the hands of the Council,” she said calmly.

“What is it they want from me?” Elijah asked, trying unsuccessfully to hide his rage.

“I think we both know the answer to that,” she replied coolly in her thick accent. Her grip tightened and the room began to fade. Grayson, unable to contain his hunger for me, leaped forward. Elijah spun around and caught his shirt as he flew overhead, causing them to both crash into us with enough force to knock me free from Olivie’s grip. Elijah slammed his body on top of Grayson. Olivie clawed at them desperately trying to break up the fight.

Grayson managed to escape the brawl as Olivie focused her attention on Elijah.

“Run,” Elijah growled. I stumbled getting to my feet, but as soon as I stood, I was sprinting. I made my way through the dressing room, crashing into a dancer so hard she went flying into a makeup table.  Grayson gripped my hair, shoving my head forward and into the cinderblock wall.

***

Scrambling to my feet, I didn’t look back as I made my way out of the back exit and into the refreshing air of the outside world. My lungs burned as I pushed myself harder.

I could see off in the distance that daylight would be coming soon. If I could keep up this pace for just a little while longer, I would be safe… but only me.

Our plan had failed miserably. None of it made any sense. Why did Olivie want Elijah dead? I thought of Elijah in the club, alone, fighting for his life. My heart sank and my legs became heavier as I realized I might never see him again. I pushed the thought to the back of my mind as I spotted a small wooded area off in the distance. I summoned all of my strength to continue.

As I entered the woods, my relief quickly turned to fear. I heard growling off in the distance and it was growing louder. I realized I had sought sanctuary in the one place the vampires could be outside in the daylight, shrouded by the trees. Ahead I could see a clearing, but I didn’t know how much more strength I had. The growling grew louder and I knew Grayson was coming for me. I could feel Elijah not far off and it gave me the courage I needed to continue.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

GLIMMER OF HOPE

The sun’s rays began to shimmer and dance through the leaves. It was my glimmer of hope. I ran full speed as my legs felt like they would give out any minute. My lungs burned and I struggled to steady my breathing. I could see the meadow in the distance. I raced daylight, hoping to catch it. I broke through the tree line with Grayson at my heels.

“No,” I screamed, tears streaming down my face. I could feel Elijah’s emotional turmoil pushing down on us stronger than ever. It was an eerie calm in the middle of my own undoing. Elijah growled and hissed from the tree line as he struggled to stay hidden from the sun. Grayson pushed forward, his skin grew gray and gaunt in the rays of dawn. “Stop,” I pleaded, no longer running.

“Eva, Fight,” Elijah wailed from the woods, begging me to defend myself or flee to safety. My legs couldn’t carry me any further.

Grayson stepped heavily toward me, using all of his energy to push through the agony of his final death. I sobbed louder, losing control entirely. Grayson drudged just feet from me. His knees shook as he reached his arm out in front of him, struggling to touch me. I covered my mouth with my hands and watched in terror as he fell to his knees in agonizing torture.

“Grayson,” I choked as he growled and writhed in agony. His body twisted and contorted in an inhuman manner. His hands curled and froze in a stiff claw-like pose. I choked on my breath as he fell to the ground motionless. “No,” I screamed and lurched toward his lifeless body. Elijah’s anger washing through the air, but I didn’t stop. I placed my hand on his hard chest and the floodgates opened.

I wailed aloud in the middle of the now brightly lit meadow as birds chirped happily, oblivious to my pain. “I’m so sorry for all of this,” I whispered to Grayson as I wiped the tears from my face. I glanced at the tree line and spotted Elijah, hunched behind a giant spruce. His face was hard and unreadable. He stood slowly and hung his head.

I wondered for a moment if this is what my life would always be. Would I lose everyone one I love this way? A dull thud emanates from beneath my fingers and I jumped, startled at the sudden disturbance. Grayson’s face looked rosy and his cheeks full, his hair shiny and healthy. I pulled my hand back in shock as his eyes flash open and he sucked in a hard labored breath.

“Eva,” Elijah shouted from the forest, his voice panicked and thick with fear. I watched in horror as Grayson’s arm reaches toward me.  I jumped back instinctively, placing myself out of his grasp. He drew in another hard, long breath.

“Eva,” Grayson struggled to call for me in a raspy choked voice. My mind spun as I try to understand what is happening.

“Grayson?” I asked as the wall of tears built back up behind my eyes, threatening to spill over my lashes. His lips twisted into a grin as he held his hand out in front of him in the sunlight.

“I’m alive,” he called out to me, his face beaming brighter than the sun. I let out a nervous laugh as I cupped my mouth and tried to understand what I was seeing. He pushed to his feet and stood before me, arms outstretched.

“You’re…” I begin, but I was suddenly at a loss for words. I stepped closer and reached out my hand, touching his chest ever so slightly. The dull and steady thudding of his heartbeat pushed back against my fingertips. “You’re human,” I sputtered in shock. His grin spread showing all of his pearly white teeth, minus the fangs. “Do you know what this means?” I asked, unable to believe what I was seeing.

He took a deep breath and his expression became serious. His eyes locked dead onto mine as he wrapped his fingers around my hand and held it firmly in place on his chest. He seemed older. He had aged a lifetime in these few short weeks.

“I can save you,” He replied, his voice just above a whisper. My heart melted at his words and I instinctively wrap my arms around his neck. His skin was warm to the touch and it was a soothing and welcomed sensation. His arms laced around my body and squeezed me painfully tight.

His body was hard and muscular beneath me. I suddenly realized he was much larger than his old self. I felt… safe. Anger washed through the air and I pulled back as I looked off into the trees for Elijah. I scanned the woods, unable to locate him. Grayson’s arms wrapped tighter around my waist and I was pulled back into the moment. I reached up and stroked his cheek, not believing my eyes. He grinned and turned his face slightly to kiss the palm of my hand. I blushed involuntarily as happiness blanketed me. It was my happiness. The anger that floated through the air had evaporated with Elijah as he retreated further into the woods to avoid the daylight. I wanted to run after him, soothe him and let him know he had nothing to fear. My heart belonged to him now. Grayson gripped me tighter, nearly squeezing the air from my lungs as he lifted me into the air and swung me in a circle.

“This is impossible! After Marcus,” my voice trailed off as the sadness from losing my brother crept back into my mind.

“Eva,” Grayson spoke and I could see the regret in his eyes. I placed my hand over his lips, stopping him from ruining this happy moment.

“No, it wasn’t your fault. I’m just glad you are…you,” I explained and his expression softened.

All night I had mourned Grayson. If everything went the way we had planned, he should have been dead by now, but here he was, in my arms.

I blinked back the tears from my eyes, but my vision remained blurred. A haze fell over us and my heart began to race. Grayson’s arms were locked around me as the world faded back into the night.

***

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

ANIMALISTIC

“No,” I whispered, my body frozen in fear, suspended in Grayson’s arms and still in the dressing area of the club. When our eyes locked, the smirk fell from his lips as his fangs slowly protruded from his gums. His confusion turned to hunger.

It had all been a lie.

My heart broke, not because my death was imminent, but because I had a glimpse of how ordinary life could be before it would be snatched away. Tears fell to my chest as I gave up, unable to fight any longer.

Grayson’s nose had skimmed along my jaw before his teeth roamed over the flesh of my neck. That’s when it washed over me, so subtle I almost missed it. Beneath the haze of my own panic was remorse, but it was not my own. Grayson had meant what he’d said when he’d told me he loved me and now, the inkling of human emotion that he clung to, might be able to save my life.

“Grayson, I love you. This isn’t you,” The tears poured from my eyes as I pleaded with him to remember what we’d had. He was a much younger vampire than Elijah, and I knew that meant he would be less predictable and more animalistic. But I had to take a chance.

With the sounds of Elijah and Olivie fighting to the death in the distance, I was soft spoken and whispering sweet-nothings to Grayson, in hopes of saving my own life. If I was honest, I was making peace with my demise. I was okay with things ending this way because I couldn’t picture any other outcome.

Love didn’t conquer all.

In the real world, there was pain and disappointment, and in those tragic moments, we know we’ve really lived. I think that’s why they tell you to pinch yourself when you are overwhelmed with joy. Because the feeling of happiness and love are just an illusion that we create for ourselves to make our meaningless existence more bearable.

I felt that pain now, wafting through the air in Grayson’s remorse as his fangs sank into the soft flesh of my throat. His bites were not gentle, but neither was his affection. He was wild and wanton with his emotions in life as he now was in limbo.

As my body weakened so did, the pain and I smiled through the tears as Elijah screamed my name, no doubt feeling the life drain from our connection. I’d felt his agony as it ebbed and flowed around me. He was being set free from me as well, no longer saddled with the burden of my affection. I wished I could suffer the quick snap of a broken neck, ripping off the Band-Aid with one quick motion. Instead, we all suffered through my slow demise.

Everyone fears the physical pain of their death but that was nothing more than a mosquito bite across the course of an entire lifetime.

The real pain was those last few moments when the body dies but the brain still contains a spark and you are trapped alone, inside of your head and lost in all of your regrets.

Your life literally flashes before your eyes and it has nothing to do with a God or religion. Only regret. Only selfishly thinking about all of the things you’ll miss.

“It was you,” I felt Elijah’s words vibrate through every fiber of my being and I felt at peace. Everything I’d thought I’d known about vampires was wrong. They couldn’t all be painted with the same brush.

The very thing that had killed me, taken from me, had also given me life and love.

“It was you,” he screamed, the pain of his words slicing through my heart. “Wake up, Eva.”

I struggled to scream back and let him know I would be okay. I wasn’t going to a better place, but I was going… fading… making peace with what my fate had turned out to be.

The flicker, the spark inside of me began to dwindle.

“Eva, It was you all along,” he pleaded.

The sharp thud of my heart caused my eyes to shoot open and I sucked in a ragged breath, burning my lungs as they struggled to take in more air.

“It’s you,” he pleaded and my skin began to cool where the sun had warmed it only moments before. My hands unclenched and blades of grass fell from my grip, pulled from my twisted imagination. Grayson laid only a few feet from me, his eyes still open and looking at nothing, the light behind them gone. Grayson was dead.

I was on the floor of the club, chaos surrounding me. My eyes locked with Elijah’s briefly and I felt my heart surge. He was coated in crimson and I hoped, in a moment of selfishness that it belonged to someone else, that it wasn’t his own blood. I looked off to the small group of vampires gathered just a few feet away from him, waiting for their chance to be able to get their shot at him. He was hunched in a defensive crouch, his hands extended in front of him, ready to grab and rip apart anyone who tried to advance. I gripped my hand over my mouth and let out a devastating cry as Olivie took her shot, jumping on him from behind.

Elijah’s growl was so intense and full of agony it felt like it had vibrated through my bones. I shoved to my feet, wobbling before I grabbed the broken leg of a chair, charging toward him.

He was on his back and Olivie had sunk her fangs into his throat, ripping and tearing the flesh from his body.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

BE STILL MY HEART

Closing my eyes when I leaped, it felt almost like I was flying. But I didn’t disappear into oblivion. Instead, I was knocked from the air when my body collided with another. I screamed, when my hand slid down the length of the chair leg, lodging a large splinter into the palm of my hand.

The other end slid effortlessly into Olivie’s back, missing her heart, so the blow was nothing more than an irritation, a bug bite to someone of her strength. But I knew all too well what a mere bug bite can turn into. Death.

That simple distraction was enough to take her attention away from Elijah, who grabbed a small knife from his belt, shoving it into her stomach and upward, lodging it under her ribcage.

She sputtered, blood pouring from her lips that quirked up into a smirk. “You think if you kill me this will end?” she asked, struggling to laugh and spraying a few drops of blood onto Elijah’s face. “The Elders will come for her. They won’t stop until they have her. Until Moses has her.”

“Moses,” he whispered, his face going white.

“You can’t save her.”

“I won’t let that happen,” he growled, his anger so intense and thick in the air around me I could barely breathe in his crippling rage.

He grunted as his hand followed into the wound. I covered my mouth, gagging but thankful I couldn’t see him reaching inside of her stomach and sliding under her ribcage, clutching her heart in the palm of his fist and ripping it from her chest.

Her back bowed as she let out a blood-curdling scream. The other vampires froze and I seized their moment of uncertainty as they watched one of their Elders being eviscerated.

I stumbled to Elijah, pressing my hand over the wound on his neck, struggling to keep the life from draining from him. He growled, fangs extended.

“You’re bleeding. I can’t be near you. Go! You have to go!”

I shook my head, struggling to keep myself from crying as I held my aching palm against him until his blood caused my wound to fade away.

“You said we’d walk out of this together. I won’t leave you.”

“I need to feed so I can heal,” he groaned. “It’s too deep.”

“Feed from me,” I pleaded, although I was still lightheaded from Grayson’s attack.

“No. I’ll kill you.”

“You didn’t kill me last time. You stopped. I know you can stop.”

“Eva, I was only able to stop because Olivie pulled me off you.”

“They are going to kill you if you don’t heal!” I looked to the small gathering of vampires who hadn’t made any attempt to continue their attack. They turned and ran, leaving me alone with my bleeding vamp. “Why? Why aren’t they killing us right now?”

My eyes went back to Elijah as he looked at the doorway they’d just exited. “Because I killed an Elder.” His eyes met mine again, searching for some understanding but I had no idea why that had caused them to stop advancing. “Because I’m already dead.”

“What?”

“They already know she’s gone. They will be here for us and there is nowhere we can hide that we will be safe.”

“Why are they doing this to us. What do they want from us?”

“It’s not us they want. It’s you.”

“I don’t understand. W-what did I do wrong?”

“I was supposed to bring you to them. That was my job. But I couldn’t. I’m so sorry, Eva.” My mind raced as I thought back to the hidden phone I’d found in our bag and the mysterious Porter duties.

“No,” I wiped the tears from my cheek, smearing Elijah’s blood across my face. “No, you can’t just give up!” I pushed to my feet, grabbing his arm and struggling to help him stand. He groaned but stood as well, leaning against me for support.

“You can’t save me, Eva. I’m already gone.” He laughed sardonically. “I was gone before you ever met me. I’m not human anymore.”

“That’s not true. You know it’s not true. You care about me. I can feel it. I know you can feel it too.”

His eyebrows pulled together as his mouth turned down. “I hadn’t been able to feel anything since I’d turned… until I met you.” He smiled, his hand cupping my cheek and his thumb sliding over my skin. “I’ve lived more in these last few days than I had in two hundred years. I will never be able to thank you enough.” He pressed his lips against my forehead and his eyes fell closed. “You should have kept walking, Eva. I should have told them I couldn’t find you. I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist you and it would end this way, but I couldn’t help myself.”

I pictured the moment I had walked by him on the street, cloaked in darkness. “Why didn’t you?” It hurt to hear him confess he wished I’d never met him but I knew he meant because I would be safe.

“When you stood on that ledge-”

“Wait, you saw me on the hotel roof?” I took a small step back as he steadied himself. He nodded, not hiding the guilt he felt. I could feel it too, like a dense rain cloud threatening to let the storm break free. “You were the porter they sent for me. That’s why Olivie came looking for us herself.” I swallowed hard trying to process the events of that day. “Why not just kill me?”

“They wanted you alive. You are special.”

“There’s nothing special about me. I’m just an ordinary human.”

He smiled, shaking his head. “You are anything but ordinary. I felt a pulling to you before I ever saw your face.”

“How is that possible?” I asked, my lip quivering. “I thought you had to… care about someone to be able to feel each other the way we do.”

“You have to love them,” he confessed using the word I so desperately wanted to speak but was too afraid.

I knew it was absurd standing in a building full of dead vampires and worrying over sharing my feelings.

“It wasn’t until I saw your face on that street that I knew how I could feel bonded to a stranger. I’ve loved you for hundreds of years.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

WHAT’S IN A NAME

“What?” I took a step back, stumbling and hoping that someone would pinch me and wake me from a crazy, fever-induced dream.

His eyes closed and he hung his head. Now he was the one not sure of what to say, choosing his words carefully.

“I don’t know how, or why you…” He let his hand fall, revealing the wound that had begun to heal but hadn’t quite disappeared. I could see that he was in pain and I wasn’t sure if it was because of the bite or what he was trying to explain.

“The man who turned me wasn’t an ordinary vampire. He called himself Moses.”

“Like from the Bible?”

“The very same. Things were very different back then, especially in a place like New Orleans. Viviana’s fathered owed Moses for a ceremony he’d performed. He claimed he was the reason he’d been wealthy and successful. But he never paid, so Moses collected his debt. I was never meant to be there. When I followed Viviana, he decided to kill two birds… so to speak. Viviana’s death would be payment for what was owed, and I would become someone he could teach.”

“What do you mean teach?”

“There are many worse things out there than eternal life. Much darker things.”

“Like voodoo?”

“There was no name for it back then but they say it had been around since before man was even created. Now it’s referred to as hoodoo. They believed God was the quintessential hoodoo doctor and Moses was a great conjurer.”

“I don’t understand what you’re telling me.”

“I’ve only fallen in love once, Eva. When I met Viviana, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. When she… she died, I knew I would never be able to love anyone else. So I tried everything I could to bring her back to me. I spent years at Moses side, learning everything he had to offer in hopes of finding a way to bring her back to me. Moses claimed to be a necromancer, to talk to the dead, but not even he could make her rise. When there was nothing left for him to teach me, I vowed to kill him for what he’d made me do to her.”

This must be what it feels like to be staked in the heart. “Oh,” I whispered, fighting back my devastation that I knew he could feel as I looked at the blood-slicked floor between us. “Did you?”

He shook his head swallowing hard. “No. He turned dozens of vampires to protect himself from me. I spent years killing his scions until I was the only one left born of his blood. But by then, no one had heard from Moses in a hundred years. Olivie must have made a deal with him for something, maybe her seat on the council. Who knows how many of the members he has control over. I had no idea who I was being sent to find, Eva. I didn’t know it was you.”

“I still don’t understand, Elijah. What is it they want from me?”

“Do you believe in soul mates?” He asked and I cringed because I didn’t want him to continue on about his love for Viviana. Placing his finger under my chin, he tilted my face up to look at him. “Because that’s what we are. That’s what we’ve always been. I lost you that day in the French Quarter.”

I shook my head, pulling back from his touch. “That’s not possible.”

“Some people believe that we never actually die…”

“You’re a vampire.”

“I mean humans. Some believe humans never truly die. That their soul comes back over and over again.”

“Reincarnation? That’s impossible.”

“It was impossible. Look around you. Look at me?” His eyes were pleading with me to understand. “I shouldn’t even be here, Eva. I should have been dead hundreds of years ago. I’ve tried to kill myself in more ways than you could even imagine but I could never go through with it. I held onto hope that one day I would find a conjure that would bring you back. The reason Moses was never successful was because he had to be in love for it to work. But I’ve always loved you. You are one of a kind, Eva. Could you imagine how powerful vampires would become if they could come back from the dead? The human race would be wiped out. You are the pin to their grenade.”

“I’m not Viviana,” I replied defensively as I folded my arms across my chest, hugging myself as if trying to hold onto my sanity.

“No. You’re not. You are Eva, but your soul is the one I was meant to be with. You’ve lived countless lives and I was forced to suffer through this one for eternity... waiting.”

I reached up to his face, running my fingers along his stubbled jaw.

“I know you’ve felt it too, Eva. It’s like we’ve always known each other. It’s why you were comfortable with me from the first day we spoke. And now I finally have you, and I’m the one who is going to die.”

“I won’t let them hurt you,” my voice quivered.

The corner of his mouth quirked up into a sad smile as he brushed my hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear. “Maybe this way I get to come back.” There was hope in his eyes. “Will you wait for me in your next life?” he asked and a sob broke free from my chest because I knew he had given up and was just trying to comfort me.

“Forever,” I whispered.

He nodded, fighting back his own tears. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you but I’m not sorry that you didn’t become like me.” I could tell he had waited his entire vampire life to say those words. He thought he’d failed Viviana, he thought he’d failed me.

“Don’t be. Maybe it was meant to be this way.”

He looked pained by my words but he was right. There was something different about me. I wasn’t ordinary. That place I slipped to inside of my mind wasn’t just my imagination and it wasn’t Olivie controlling it. My eyes danced over the blades of grass that lay scattered on the floor.

“Maybe I can save you.”

“Eva, I won’t let you get yourself killed for me.”

“It was me all along,” I repeated his words back to him that pulled me from my dreamlike state that had put me in the forest with Grayson.

“Yes, it was you that I loved,” he confessed, looking confused but I could feel his anxiety. He wasn’t being honest.

“No… That isn’t what you meant. That’s not why you said it. Something else you’d tried back then had worked, hadn’t it? Something Moses doesn’t know about. I can… I can do something.” I was so excited my words all ran together just as jumbled as my thoughts. I flung my arms around Elijah, pulling his body against mine. His arms looped around my waist and he hugged me so tightly it felt like my bones were going to snap under the intense pressure.

I squeezed my eyes closed, willing my mind to slip elsewhere but when I opened them again, we still stood inside of the nearly destroyed club.

“I don’t understand.”

“I know this doesn’t make sense to you but-” Elijah began but I cut him off.

“Why isn’t it working?”

His brow furrowed and he looked pained. “Because you have to be close to death, Eva.” He shook his head, losing his last glimmer of hope.

“Do you believe the Elders?”

“What?” he asked, looking at me as if I’d lost my mind.

“Do you believe that my blood can give someone else a chance to come back?”

“Why are you asking me this, Eva?”

“Feed from me.”

“Eva, I am too hungry. It is taking everything I have in me not to bite you right now. If I get another taste of your blood, I could kill you.”

“You won’t. I won’t let that happen. Just… just trust me,” I begged.

“I won’t risk your life for mine.”

“I only have this life because of you. You don’t have a choice. When the Elders come, it’s all over for us. It’s all over for the entire world,” I threatened. “This is our only chance to be together.”

He eyed me intently before his fangs protruded and he slowly leaned down, pressing their points against the flesh of my neck. “I love you, Eva. I always have and I always will,” he confessed, his lips moving against my skin.

“I love you, Elijah,” I whispered as his teeth sank into my throat.

I watched his wound heal before my eyes leaving behind nothing but his torn shirt and drying blood. My body grew weak in his arms as he grew stronger and his appetite intensified. I had no idea if any of this would work or how much of my blood he would need to ingest, but I wasn’t going to take any chances.

Every time I’d been able to disappear into my own mind, it had been on the verge of losing my own life. I just had to hold on a little longer.

My knees began to buckle and Elijah held me firmly against him as if I was weightless. My vision blurred and my head lulled as I struggle to keep consciousness.

But that was where I was wrong. I needed to let go. I needed to take the leap of faith. My eyes fluttered closed and I felt myself being pulled into a sleep-like state, trapped in limbo. Flickers of past and present morphed into a final collage of my life. I saw people I’d loved and lost, people who wanting nothing more than for me to be happy. But I never was because it had always felt like something was missing. That’s when I saw Elijah and I felt whole again.

I reached into my memory and turned around on the edge of the hotel ledge. There he stood, cloaked in shadows.

Our eyes met and I felt the butterflies take flight in my stomach as he smiled. I smiled. As he took a step toward me, I felt the warmth of the sun as it began to rise over the buildings.

“Eva, what are you doing?” His panic wafted through the air like the scent of a freshly baked pie on a window sill.

“It’s okay,” I assured him as he continued closer. “Remember in the hospital when I said your skin had felt warm?” I asked and he nodded as he stopped in front of me.

“I felt it. All of it,” he confessed and my smile broadened.

“What if it was me that needed to save you for us to be together, not the other way around?” I asked as he slipped his hand in mine and stepped up on the ledge. We both turned to face the rising sun, his hand gripping mine tightly as we watched it break free from above the other buildings.

“Don’t be scared,” I whispered as my eyes locked onto his. He did not look away as the warmth enveloped us. He winced and I could tell he was in pain but when he saw my concern… he smiled.

His other hand went to his chest, his eyes widening before he let out a loud laugh. “Eva,” he sighed, taking my hand and placing it over his heart.

I felt the steady thumping against my fingers for a moment before looking up at him, unable to contain my own joyful laugh. “Your heart is beating.”

“Only for you,” he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead. I let my eyes close, relishing in this brief moment that we were able to stand hand and hand, both human and both infatuated.

“We can’t go back.”

He pulled back to let his eyes roam over my face, memorizing it before replying. “I know.”

“Do you think we will remember any of this?” I asked as I looked out over the grassy meadow below us that was surrounded by large trees and the creek he’d taken me to the first night we’d met. I inhaled deeply, breathing in the smell of the honeysuckle from my memory.

“Even if we don’t, our souls are connected. We will find each other,” he reassured me.

I nodded, unable to hide my fear but excited for the unknown. The chance for us to have a life together. It was scary not knowing what that future would hold but I hoped that by that time, vampires would be eradicated.

I turned to Elijah, rising up to my toes to press my mouth against his. He looped his arms around my waist, lifting me off the ground, his mouth on mine, and together we fell.

We fell in love.

We fell for love.

We died for each other again.

EPILOGUE

DÉJÀ VU

My body ached as I spun, bowing my back and struggling to keep my face relaxed. Don’t show the pain. It won’t last much longer. I hit the ground hard, my elbow taking the brunt of the impact as I slid across the cold surface.

“You’ll get it, Ava. Let’s try the Axel jump next,” My coach, Victor, called from the side of the rink. I nodded, exhaling as I shook my cold hands in hopes of making the numbing subside.

“Can I take five?” I asked and slid to the door. He nodded, giving me my blade guards and I slid them onto the bottom of my skates before heading to the locker room.

The woman’s locker room only had three stalls and all were occupied with a line of four more girls waiting to use the facilities.

“Great,” I grumbled as I headed back out to the rink, stopping at the men’s locker room door. I glanced at Victor, who was sipping a fresh cup of coffee, the steam rolling up to his face as he ran his hand through his graying hair, unconcerned with where I was.

I shoved against the men’s door and slipped inside. The hockey team wouldn’t be in until later and there was only one other male skater on the ice today, practicing a pairs routine with his partner.

I hurried over to the stall and closed the door behind me, struggling to get my pink leotard down my body before I exploded.

The door to the locker room creaked open on its hinges before slamming shut.

“Damn it,” I grumbled to myself knowing Victor was never going to let this one down. “I couldn’t hold it,” I called out. There was no reply. “Are you going to just stand there and listen?” I laughed but it died in my throat when he didn’t respond.

I hurried up and flushed, pulling my outfit back over my shoulders. I slid the lock open on the door and looked out into the empty locker room.

“What the hell?” I mumbled under my breath as I went to the sink and washed my hands, my arm thudding in pain.

“Don’t mind me,” A voice called out and I jumped before looking over my shoulder.

I noticed the guy leaning up against the end of the lockers, his hands shoved into his jean pockets. My eyes continued down further and I noticed his sneakers. There was no equipment bag in site. He clearly wasn’t here to skate unless he was renting his skates. Maybe he was on a date or something.

“Sorry. The girl’s room had a line.” I took a small step back, rocking on the blade covers of my ice skates.

“No need to apologize to me.”

I turned back around, looking him over. His basic white tee hugged the muscles of his chest and he was a few inches taller than me, even with my skates.

“You here to skate?” I asked.

“God no,” he said with a little too much disdain.

“Yeah. It’s a lot tougher than it looks,” I shot back defensively.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to offend you,” he placed his hand on his chest as he took a few steps closer to me. “I’d probably make a fool out of myself. You looked great out there, by the way.”

“You were watching me?” I turned back to him.

“It was kind of hard not to. I’ve ever seen anything so beautiful. The skating I mean…” He stumbled over his words with a sheepish grin.

“Oh… thank you.” I felt my entire body heat up and I hoped I wasn’t turning as pink as my outfit.

“You should let me look at that,” he lifted his chin and I looked down at myself, my eyes widening in embarrassment as I covered my chest. “No! No!” he laughed, running his hand through his thick, short hair causing it to stick up haphazardly. I momentarily got lost in the gesture wishing I could be lucky enough to run my fingers through his hair. “Your arm,” he clarified as he sauntered toward me.

“Oh! Right,” I shook my head feeling like I was burning up inside of my own skin. “It’s nothing. It happens all the time.” I waved him off as he stopped just inches from me.

“Mind if I…” his voice trailed off as his fingers slid across my arm leaving goosebumps in the wake of his touch.

“S-sure,” I stuttered, looking up at his face, taking in the hard lines of his jaw and the way his chocolate eyes narrowed as he looked me over.

“I don’t think you did any real damage,” he said as he examined me, his finger running over the scrape and catching a wayward drop of blood. He looked like he might pass out.

“Not a fan of blood?” I asked, scrunching up my nose in disgust.

“Nah. Not really my thing but we should probably get you cleaned up.” He smiled and his eyes met mine. “Have we-”

“No!” I yanked my arm back from his grip, embarrassed he thought I was the type of girl who just slept with random guys and didn’t even remember them.

“Met,” he finished. “I feel like we have met before.”

“Oh… uh… I don’t think so.” I felt tears prick my eyes out of embarrassment.

“Come on,” he took my hand and pulled me back to the sink, turning on the water and waiting for it to warm before holding my arm under the stream and rinsing it clean before rubbing some soap on the wound.

“You should be more careful,” he said as he examined my injury.

“I think I’ll live,” I joked and he laughed. “Unless you came in here to murder me or something. You’re not a serial killer are you?”

“No. No worries there.”

“Vampire?”

“Not a very good one if I can’t stand the sight of blood,” he deadpanned. “We haven’t had vampires for hundreds of years.”

I rolled my eyes as he studies my arm. “If you believe in bedtime stories. I think people just made those stories up to keep their kids from going out at night. Are you a doctor or something?” I asked and he laughed, shaking his head.

“No. Not yet. Hopefully one day. You know, it’s because of doctors that we don’t have monsters like that anymore. Are you up to date on your shots?” He teased and I stuck out my tongue.

I nodded, impressed. “Nobel job… saving lives.”

He shrugged off my compliment as he rubbed a wet paper towel over my scrape and I winced, trying to pull my arm back but he held it firmly. “You gotta do something,” he finally responded.

“What about you? You’re an ice skater?”

“Nah.” I shrugged, embarrassed. “I mean, I’ve always wanted to be but as you can see… I’m not very good. I’ll probably go to school to be a veterinarian or something.”

His eyes narrowed as he thought that over. “I don’t know. I think you should stick with this… if it’s your dream.”

“Maybe I will,” I mused.

“Are you sure we haven’t met?”

“I think I would remember,” I replied nervously.

“I just have this intense case of Déjà vu,” he laughed as he rinsed the soap from my arm.

“I don’t believe in any of that weird, magic stuff.”

He laughed. Patting my arm dry with a fresh paper towel, he smiled widely, hesitating before letting my arm slide from his grasp.

“All better.”

“Thank you.” I let my arm fall to my side as I walked backward a few steps, waving awkwardly. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

I turned and pressed both palms against the heavy wooden door and it squeaked on its hinges as it began to open.

“I didn’t catch your name,” he called from behind me and I paused, hesitating before responding.

“My name is Ava. Ava Ó Muireagáin.”

“Ava,” he repeated with a smirk. “Doesn’t that mean life?”

“Um… I don’t know,” I laughed. “Maybe. What’s your name?” I asked as I stepped through the door. It began to swing closed between us but he spoke up just before it slammed closed.

“Elijah. Elijah Malakai.”

CHAPTER ONE… AGAIN

ELIJAH MALAKAI

A lot had changed since I’d leapt from the building with Eva. Science prevailed and vampires where eradicated when a new vaccination made human blood unable to satisfy their hunger.

As far as anyone knew.

I did my best to single handedly wipe out thirteen major Sectors and seven of the ten Elder Council members. Moses still eluded me but I was confident he was long dead. I was willing to do anything to make the world safer for my love. Ava was getting a shot at a brand new life where nothing was going to stand in the way of her dreams.

I wasn’t a vampire.

I was more.

Ava’s blood hadn’t just given me true eternal life. I was stronger now and able to control my hunger. I could walk out in the sun with no worry other than getting a sunburn. And I held onto every single memory I’d had of her. But the one thing I couldn’t control was my need to protect her.

I was the strongest and most dangerous creature to walk the Earth.

I’d watched her for weeks, afraid to get too close to her. I wanted her to know about our history together, but if she found out too quickly, she would think I was crazy. I had to take my time and luckily, I had nothing but time.

I’d learned my lesson.

I’d watched my soulmate, now Ava, grow into a beautiful woman. I’d watched her begin to follow her dreams. I stood in the shadows and kept my distance as a boy from her school courted her. I watched him cheat on her and make her cry.

His body was found three weeks later on the bank of a ravine.

I watched her cry. Again.

She mourned the loss of him for weeks. It killed me inside that I’d hurt her and I couldn’t go to her to make it better.

I wasn’t the hero of her story.

I vowed to stay away from her because I knew her life would be better that way. I wasn’t ready. Maybe the next lifetime… or the next.

But I couldn’t.

I wouldn’t.

As hard as I tried to fight the special bond we’d made, it physically pained me not to be with her.

In a moment of weakness, I went to her, as a predator tracks his prey. She had isolated herself from the safety of the other humans. For a fleeting moment, I entertained the idea of turning her in that locker room. We’d never have to play this game again. But as I watched her out on that ice, living out her dream, I couldn’t take it away from her. Instead, I asked her out on a date.

And another.

And another.

I spent two years making her fall in love with me again, all while keeping the darker truth hidden from her.

She’d never understand the things I’ve done… but I’ve done them all for her.

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TERESA MUMMERT

TERESA MUMMERT grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania where she began dating her husband when they were only sixteen years old. They married at eighteen and soon moved to Louisiana as her husband began his military career. They are the proud parents of four children that they are raising in Georgia.

Teresa began writing when her husband was deployed to Afghanistan as a way to cope with him being away at war. She soon became a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her work includes the word of mouth bestselling, White Trash Trilogy, which landed her a three book publishing deal with Simon & Schuster. She has also written the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel The Note, the USA Today bestselling novel Safe Word, as well as Perfect Lie, Pretty Little Things, the Honor series, Rellik, The Good Girls, Something Wicked, The Death of Lila Jane, Crave  and the USA Today bestselling co- written novel Sweet Nothing.

Future releases include Cruel, Depravity, Hollow, Weeping Willow, Paper Doll, The Deep, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead,  Rocked, Before I Wake, Fall to Pieces,  Something in the Water, Superficial, and Victim.  She also has a Middle-Grade children's novel coming out soon titled The Seeker under the pseudonym T.S. Mummert.

Find Teresa at TeresaMummert.com

Facebook:  Facebook.com/TeresaMummert

Twitter: Twitter.com/TeresaMummert

Instagram: Instagram.com/TeresaMummert

Pinterest: Pinterest.com/TeresaMummert

Table of Contents

synopsis

Contents

PROLOGUE

Fight

CHAPTER ONE

Sorry For Myself

Chapter Two

Embers

Chapter THREE

Leap of Faith

CHAPTER FOUR

sacrificial lambs

Chapter five

Intruder

Chapter six

Monster Within

Chapter seven

Preparation

Chapter eight

V Positive

Chapter nine

Deliver Us from Evil

Chapter ten

Like the Dead

CHAPTER eleven

With You

Chapter twelve

Helpless

Chapter thirteen

Feed

Chapter fourteen

Bloodlust

Chapter fifteen

Save You

Chapter sixteen

The Plan

Chapter seventeen

Viviana Happened

Chapter eighteen

Jump

Chapter nineteen

Take A Little

Chapter twenty

Innocent Bystander

Chapter twenty-one

Too Easy

Chapter twenty-two

A Mile Away

Chapter twenty-three

Over Easy

Chapter twenty-four

Church and Main

Chapter twenty-five

War

Chapter twenty-six

Waves

Chapter twenty-seven

Elders

Chapter twenty-eight

Honeysuckle and Grass

Chapter twenty-nine

Like Rum

Chapter thirty

Trust

Chapter thirty-one

Porter

Chapter thirty-two

Rest Haven

Chapter thirty-three

Never Forget

Chapter thirty-four

Against the World

CHAPTER THIRTY-five

Glimmer of Hope

Chapter Thirty-six

Animalistic

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Be Still My Heart

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

What’s In A Name

EPILOGUE

Déjà vu

CHAPTER ONE… AGAIN

Elijah Malakai

About The Author

Teresa Mummert