NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE
AS I LAY ON the bed bundled up in the warm blankets an agonizing burning pain spread through my veins. Still, I was not going to feed. I would rather starve to death than drink that bastard's blood.
The hunger must have been driving me insane; I could hear Aaron's sweet voice in my mind, as a soft whisper, but of course, that was impossible.
Jackson had injected me with something that blocked my bond to Aaron.
My eyes snapped open when his voice became clearer. I sat up and drew the sheets back before trying to stand. When I did, my legs wobbled beneath me and gave out. I hit the floor hard and grunted.
My throat burned and it was hard to swallow. "Aaron?" A soft sob escaped my lips when the pain intensified, forcing tears to trickle down my cheeks against my will.
Kendra.
I could actually hear him in my head, as I had that day in front of the door of his room.
But this was impossible; A vampire and a werewolf couldn't connect.
I narrowed my eyes as a soothing warm sensation spread through my body, but this time, it was not painful. After leaning my back against the frame of the bed, I rested my head back. The sensations intensified, making me press my lips together to not let any sound out. My eyes fluttered closed as I felt a gentle caress throughout every inch of my body.
What the hell was happening to me?
Do you feel better?
I sure didn't feel any pain now; On the contrary, now my body craved for his touch.
I'm sorry. I was trying to test something. Please, open your eyes.
How is this posible...Jackson—
I know what he did...He underestimated our bond. Please, open your eyes.
The last part was like a demand even though it didn't sound like it. My eyes opened and I glanced around the room. As my eyesight enhanced, I realized my eyes were being used not by me but Aaron, as he had done in the limousine with Eliot.
Do you remember how you got here?
I thought of what happened. How I had been dragged out of the limousine and then forced to leap into what I guessed was a portal.
Shit.
What is it?
You could be anywhere. If you went through a portal it can be difficult for me to find you, but we can give it a try. Go outside.
Legs trembling, I stood and walked into the small hallway. When I reached the living room, I was not surprised to see Jack on the sofa, reading a book. He had told me that I had to feed sooner or later and he would wait until I was ready. But I would never be ready. No. I couldn't feed when it clouded my mind. The lust from the feed was hard to control and I wasn't going to take any chances.
"Are you ready?"
A soft growl in my head told me that Aaron was still connected.
"No, but I would like to get some fresh air."
Jack stood and faced me, eyes scrutinizing me. "Okay." As he headed for the door, I followed a couple of steps behind. He stood in the opened doorway and motioned for me to go ahead. When I did, I resented it. The fragrance of the blood coursing through his veins hit me the moment I was beside him. I clung to the doorframe, trying to regain control. My fangs elongated and I parted my lips before the tips pierced my bottom one.
"You need to feed," he whispered into her ear, sending a shudder through my body. "If you don't, you'll slowly fall in a deep slumber. I doubt Aaron would like that."
I managed to put a hand on his chest and pushed him back, ignoring the heat in my fingers as I did so. "I would rather die than feed from you."
If my words hurt him, he showed no sign of it. He stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. Heart pounding in my chest, I walked out into the fresh air and inhaled the fragrances of the forest in an attempt to drown out the scent of Jack's blood, but it didn't matter how much I tried. It lingered all around me. The few hours with the man had managed to imprint his aroma in my mind.
Kendra.
My heart throbbed at the voice of Aaron in my mind.
Could he sense everything I was feeling?
I hoped not.
What now?
When wolves want to locate each other, they use their howls. There was a long pause. Mates are the same way.
I can't howl. I'm not—
I know.
I crouched down and ran my fingers over the soft blades of grass as the breeze brushed against my body, making my long scarlet hair fly out behind me. When I glanced over my shoulder, my eyes narrowed in bewilderment. Jack's gaze wasn't on me. He was studying the surrounding forest.
"Catherine."
Catherine, his sister, came out from the house, tying her long violet hair up in a ponytail. When she was close enough, he whispered something in her ear, and then she ran into the woods. Reluctantly, he followed suit.
I need you to scream as loud as you can.
What?
I might be able to hear you.
I doubt this will work.
It's our only option.
My gaze snapped toward the woods surrounding the house. I tilted my head to the side and realized Aaron had complete control now.
There is something out there.
I stood upright but bent forward when the pain of my hunger intensified. I cried out, holding a hand against my aching stomach. One second, the pain was gone. The next, it came back stronger.
At the pain, I cried out at the top of my lungs just like a banshee warning everyone of death. In the distance, a howl made my eyes widened, but I couldn't hear Aaron's voice in my head anymore. I couldn't even feel his presence.
I looked over my shoulder to find Jack standing behind me with Catherine by his side. Scarlet covered his hands and lips, making him look menacing, yet I felt no danger; on the contrary, his presence brought a sense of calm...I felt safe.
I put my face in my hands as I fought the urge to whimper, hating everything I was feeling at the moment.
"Get her inside."
Strong hands grabbed me and hauled me to my feet, tugging me into the house. Once in the living room, Catherine pushed me into the sofa. I didn't move until Jack walked into the room, clean from blood.
"Who did you kill? Someone who came for me?"
"I killed a slayer." He kicked the coffee table and it flew across the room into the wall, shattering to pieces on impact. "How did they track us down?"
"Brother, we have to leave. There could be more."
"We can't. Not until she feeds."
Catherine glared at me. "If she wants to die, then let her."
"I want you to go and meet with everyone else. Let them know, Luisa is attacking already. They all have to be prepared."
"I'm not leaving without you."
"It was not a request."
Pain flickered in Catherine's eyes before she nodded. She pulled him close for their foreheads to press against each other. "I will be waiting for you, brother." Without another word, she pulled back and moved faster than my eyes could follow. The slam of the front door confirmed she was gone.
"Aaron is coming for me."
"I know, but he will not get here on time."
"Leave. I'll wait for him."
"You really believe you can be together." A humorous laugh escaped his lips. "Kendra." I despised how the sound of my name on his lips made my heart pick up pace. "Everyone will hate you. Even when you were half-werewolf, those who follow your mate would have never accepted you. Never."
"You're a hybrid. It's not so forbidden."
"Then...perhaps that is why my father abandoned my mother to her fate in human lands. He was nothing but a fucking coward saving his own skin."
"Is that why you hate pack wolves so much?" Even though he had not admitted such thing, it was clear that he disliked them. He broke the distance between us. The heat radiating off him made me lightheaded.
"Feed now. Our enemies are close and trust me, they will not have mercy with either of us if they capture us."
"I'm not hungry." How could I say that when my fangs had elongated just at the anticipation of tasting his blood?
"Kendra, you must feed in order to be capable of protecting yourself. You are weak and an easy target right now."
"No."
"Stop being stubborn!"
Jack pulled back and stood in front of me as if he could shield me with his body. The front door shook from its hinges before exploding inward. Jack growled and his entire body began to morph.
At the sight of the beast, I pushed myself back against the wall, my body trembling. This was normal for vampires. Werewolves and Vampires were enemies. I felt the sudden urge to harm Jack but pushed it aside. He was trying to protect me.
Perhaps, I should have listened and fed from him.
"Kill the prince first," A male said as he entered the room.
My eyes widened as humans walked into the room, weapons in hand. Without thinking, I reached out a hand and pressed it against Jack's muscular body. This was far different than a wolf. His entire body seemed made from stone, powerful. When he moved his hand to push me back, I stumbled backward afraid he might crush me.
"Well, I sure didn't expect to find you with a mate, Jackson." The male threw the weapon over his shoulder and gestured to me. "I thought Lycans no longer chose mates."
A deep growl came from Jackson before he launched himself at the dark-haired man. The man moved faster than any human I had ever seen. He aimed the weapon at Jackson and pulled the trigger. Fire exploded from the muzzle and a blanket of blazing flames covered Jackson. I cried out and ran forward.
What was I doing?
I didn't care about Jackson.
It had to be the vampire bond.
I threw my hands out and a couple of the humans flung against the wall. Eyes wide, I halted and felt a breeze spread through my body and built in my hands. I raised them and could almost feel the air around me.
When I glanced toward Jack, I was pleased to see he was moving, even though the fire had burned half his body. Without thinking it over, I ran forward and stood in between the dark-haired man and Jack.
Another shot was fired. As the flames came closer, I raised my hands in the air and the flames flowed around me as if there was an invisible force field around us, protecting us from the fire. As the fire died down, I could see the human's stunned expressions.
Eyes narrowed in confusion, still trying to comprehend how on earth I had controlled the element of air, I glanced toward Jackson to find him in his human form, crouched down. The burn marks were slowly healing, but he still appeared in great pain when he locked gazes with me.
Did I forget to mention some of us have gifts? Take my hand. Now!
Without hesitation, I reached out and grabbed his hand. As I did so, time seemed to slow down around us. Everyone let out bullet after bullet, but they all froze in mid air.
One moment, we were in the midst of orange and red flames, threatening to devour us whole. The next, we dropped into water with a mighty splash. My heart pounded against my ribcage as I tried to claw at something to stop myself from falling deeper and deeper. My lungs felt as if they were going to explode when I swallowed water. A hand grabbed mine. My vision blurred and my eyes closed. When I reopened them, I realized I was in the arms of Jackson as he carried me out of a river.
"What happened?" I glanced up at the sky, not wanting to meet his gaze. I had actually protected him, protected the man who turned me into a monster.
"I teleported us out of there. I was too weak to concentrate, so we ended up in a damn river."
"I'm sorry," I whispered, grunting at the pain in my head and chest. "I freaked out. I don't know how to swim."
He set me down but kept a hand around my waist as if to make sure I didn't collapse. What he did next completely took me off guard, but I did nothing to pull away. I was shivering from the cold water and welcomed the heat radiating off him when he hugged me. With a sigh, I buried my face in his shirt and tried to understand how could I feel safe in the arms of a man that had done unforgivable things.
He had threatened the safety of her family.
But so had Sammy and Nicolas.
It took a lot of willpower, but I pulled out of his embrace and turned away, pressing a hand against the pain the distance evoked in my chest. "Why did you really choose me?"
He said nothing.
"No more lies. I want the truth."
"I told you that I never lie."
Eyes narrowed, I whirled around and faced him. "You said you kidnapped me to force Aaron to convince his father to give you a place in the council."
"And that is nothing but the truth." He paused for a moment. "I just didn't tell you everything."
"You don't want the humans freed, do you?"
"Of course I do. Do you know how many resources are wasted protecting them?"
"I see." He didn't want to save them. It seemed all he wanted was to use the guards, the ones trained to fight until the end, for some unknown purpose. Although, after what happened, I had somewhat of an idea what he wanted them for.
"When I was exiled, I hid amongst the shadows with my followers," he paused as if making certain I was listening. "Slayers have always wanted all of us dead. The kings sent out their best warrior to eliminate the threat, but clearly, not all of them were killed. You have no idea what we have done while Aaron hid in that room of his." He took a step closer but stopped. "While he drowned in the sorrow of losing the love of his life, I fought day and night to bring this threat to an end. But our numbers are dropping by the second. My followers cannot fight during the day. They retaliated by hunting us at day and dragging us into the sunlight to burn."
"If you needed aid, you could have asked—"
"Nicolas? Lucius? Really? You believe if an outcast would have walked into their precious mansion and informed them of a growing resistance led by a very powerful slayer they would have actually believed me?" He laughed. "First of all, they would have locked me up for trespassing into their land. Then, they would have burned me alive."
He took the steps needed to break the distance between us. "That day I was out hunting one that had crossed into Bevelon unnoticed...and I found you. At first, I couldn't comprehend what attracted me to you, but then that night you got shot and I realized you were half-werewolf, an Alpha Female...which attracts any Alpha without a mate. I thought that was the same reason Aaron fancied you, but I have realized that it is more than power attracting power...you're mates."
"It doesn't matter what we are."
His gaze averted. "You know either of us can mark you."
Why would he lie to me? "The bite is lethal for a vampire."
"You, my dear..." He leaned closer, our lips almost touching. "You are no normal vampire. I bit you. A hybrid. My blood runs through your veins."
I pulled back, heart pounding against my rib cage. "So...all this was planned."
He shook his head. "Trust me, my plan was never to turn you. I was not certain you would survive it, but I had no other choice. Like I said, at the age of eighteen all werewolves finally shift, the wolf within them awakens; however, sometimes, it can be too much. As you did, some reject the change and die. I had to change you...and in order to keep your bloodlust in check—"
"—You bonded with me." He had done it to save my life after all.
When he stepped closer, I shoved him away after slapping him across his face. "Did you ever stop to think I would have rather died than be bonded to you! You turned me into a blood-sucking monster! I hate you!"
In the blink of an eye, he broke the distance and covered my mouth with his. The kiss was not gentle, but it still managed to take my breath away. I should have pushed him away and slapped him hard. I shouldn't have grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. My eyes fluttered closed as he trailed open-mouthed kisses down my neck, nibbling at some of the skin, setting my skin of fire. The heat spreading through my body was unbearable. And only he could take it away.
This was wrong.
I was betraying the man I loved.
After managing to shove Jack back, I pressed my hands against my temples and shook my head as warm tears streamed down my face. "Don't ever do that again. I don't love you and I never will."
When he broke the distance a second time, I raised my arm and managed to put a hand against his chest, stopping him from getting any closer. "You really believe he is loyal to you? Kendra, your mate is forced to marry soon or he will lose his place in the throne."
I shook my head. "Stop lying to me." If it was a lie, why did I sense the truth in his words. My eyes burned as tears kept streaming down my cheeks as I met his gaze. "Aaron will never do such thing."
He bit the tip of his forefinger before running it over my parted lips. At the small taste of his intoxicating blood, my eyes fluttered closed.
"Feed. You need your full strength."
This time, I didn't fight. I licked a bead off his finger before kissing the inside of his hand, making my way to his wrist. My incisors elongated and tingled with anticipation. When I bit down, I couldn't stop the moan from escaping as his blood poured into my mouth. Once my throat no longer burned, I pulled back to meet his deep scarlet eyes.
"Why do I need to feed so much?"
"You're still a fledgling. Soon, you will not need as much."
Heat rushed into my cheeks as I folded my arms over my chest. "Why did you kiss me?"
My gaze was anywhere but him. He didn't answer me and when I looked at him, my gaze fell on his back as he scanned the surrounding forest.
"We have to move." He turned and stretched out his hand.
"To where?"
"Somewhere safe. Out here, were sitting ducks."
I stretched my hand out but stopped when the tips of my fingers brushed his.
"Kendra, the slayers are not your allies. They do not seek freedom for the humans."
"They freed humans from Sector Three."
"Their leader doesn't care about anyone but herself. She seeks power—"
"And so do you. Apparently, everyone is out to rule the world."
He smiled. It was the first time I had seen such innocence in his expression. "You're right. But I want to stop them from killing innocent people. They tortured my sister without any reason. What do you think they will do with you if they capture you?"
Wide-eyed, I stared at our hands. These were the ones who had tortured his sister and him, along with many other vampires many years ago. At first glance, they did seem human, so it was clear why the government had thought they were...or perhaps they had known the truth. Maybe the vampire losing control in New York had been a setup.
Now, it made sense how easily it was for the humans to bring down such powerful beings. Slayers despised any supernatural creature. If they captured me, I didn't even want to think of what they would do to me.
I had no other alternative.
My shuddering fingers wrapped around his hand.
Hopefully, I wouldn't regret putting my trust on him.