Struck (A Vampire Novel) ✔

Thirty-Two

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, I ripped away from Jacobi’s grasp and immediately migrated between Aveline and Xander in an extremely sulky manner. What was the point of being the wealthiest Master in the states if you couldn’t even stop horrible things from happening in one of the lesser territories? How difficult would it have been to force Noland to stop hurting Clio if only for one night? I knew I didn’t quite understand the proper respects a vampire was to pay on another’s territory- I had skipped the whole boring discussion in the books I had read – but it didn’t keep me from being distrusting and disgusted.

“Jacobi, do you think the Royals would be upset if we healed her now?” Aveline asked abruptly, reaching to grasp my arm before pressing a cloth against my profusely bleeding wound. I whimpered at the sharp pain that the pressure caused, but didn’t tug away from her. Instead, I moved closer and allowed her to put her arm around me affectionately.

“Fuck the Royals,” Jacobi growled darkly.

“Fuck you,” I muttered almost immediately, but choked on my own words the moment they left my mouth. Aveline laughed, cutting it off just as quickly when Jacobi looked back at me sharply.

“I heard that,” Was all he said before continuing. I sighed in relief. I couldn’t believe I actually let that leave my mouth and survived. I was still sore from the whole Clio incident, not just because of the wound I had achieved through it. I wanted to do something. I wanted someone to do something. I wanted Aveline, Xander, or Jacobi to do something. But I knew now… she was a Vampire Hunter like me. Vampires don’t help their hunters.

Once we reached the guest rooms, Wyatt and Corentine were led to their separate rooms before a member of the McElroy showed Jacobi to where he was staying. I followed the morbidly quiet Xander and Aveline, who was glancing at him occasionally with a sad look in her eyes. I looked back in the direction where I knew Jacobi to be.

Was there a way I could finally convince him I wasn’t dangerous? That I wouldn’t become a murderous vampire hunter in the future? Maybe I could even try to appeal to him to take Clio away from here or help her get out as well… I couldn’t just let things continue as they were.

“Go to him,” Aveline suddenly told me quietly. I looked at her in slight confusion, but she indicated towards Jacobi’s room to make her point clear. I wondered if this was another one of her attempts to have me charm Jacobi.

“I’m not going to go to him to be nice,” I responded, my heart constricting in fear at my own daring. If I did go to him, it would be to argue my way to freedom… or attempt to. I wouldn’t play good Elysia. It didn’t work anyway.

“We’ll be here if you need us,” Aveline simply responding, opening the door to their guest room. She looked at Xander, who didn’t even appear to be here mentally. “Someone else needs my attention, anyway. Unless you’d like to join us…” She winked at me then suggestively. I blushed deeply. We’d already nearly played that three-way game before. I wanted to avoid that.

Without a word, I took off my annoying heels and abandoned my vampire companions, heading down the hallway. As I walked, I held the cloth against my arm nervously. When I reached the door Jacobi was no doubt behind, I hesitated. The hall was now empty and quiet. I considered the fact that I could chicken out and go back to Aveline and Xander. But then if I did that I might witness or be a part of something extremely mortifying…

I took a deep breath and knocked gently on Jacobi’s door. For a moment, nothing happened, though I was completely certain Jacobi had heard my presence. Perhaps he had decided to ignore me. But then the door opened slowly and he was there, leaning against the threshold and still appearing as a towering figure of danger. His suit jacket was gone and his undershirt was unbuttoned partially, revealing that attractive, dangerously muscled chest of his.