He inches his fingers down my back and grips a tight hold of my vest, pulling me closer to him. My arms snake around his neck, my fingers twist into his hair. He parts my lips with his. His tongue runs over mine, warm and inviting, and he tastes just like heaven.
I feel the desire pass through us. It’s like lightning hitting a circuit breaker, blowing out all the fuses, and all my thoughts head south. Nathan lifts me at the hips. I wrap my legs around his waist. Then, without breaking from our kiss, he carries me back over to our picnic blanket.
He lays me down, resting himself on top of me, and our kiss deepens to something a little more than passionate.
My head is light with anticipation. He runs his hand under the hem of my vest, his fingers working their way up my side. My heart starts to beat out of my chest.
He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth. “Is this how all our fights will go from now on?” he murmurs, his voice breathy, as he trails his fingertip around the edge of my bra.
“Hopefully.” I bite down on a smile.
He laughs, an intimate laugh, and starts to kiss me again, his hot breath mixing with mine as his hand runs down my arm, searching for my hand. Taking hold, he interlocks our fingers and moves my arm to rest up above my head. “Let’s go home,” he murmurs into my mouth.
My stomach tumults. “Will anyone be there?”
“No, they’ll all be out working on the farm. The house will be empty.” I can hear the smile in his voice.
I put my free hand under his T-shirt, feeling the ridges of his muscles on his back, and run my hand under it onto his hard chest. His muscles flex with my touch. A memory flashes through my mind of how Nathan looked that time I saw him naked when he stripped off in the woods, and it practically sets my pants on fire. I’ve never wanted someone as much as I want him and I really don’t think I can wait the half hour journey back home.
I kiss him again, deeply, wrapping my legs around him, holding him to me. I never want to let him go. I feel him harden against me and any rational thought I might have had left flies out of my mind, and all I know is I want him, now.
“Is there anywhere else closer we could go?” I sound like I’m sixteen again and after a quickie with my boyfriend. My excuse: I’m not thinking rationally; I’m driven solely by lust and, really, who can blame me?
His mouth twists into a perceptive and sexy smile. “There’s a hotel about five minutes from here.” His pupils are wide and dilated, so much so the green of his iris is almost indistinguishable.
A flux of butterflies swoosh through my stomach. “Sounds perfect.”
Nathan starts to lift himself up off me.
“Is this a private party or can we all join in?”
The deep voice jolts us the rest of the way apart. Nathan springs to his feet. I shoot up into a sitting position, all my breath leaving me in a whoosh.
We were so lost in each other, we didn’t even sense them coming. And no, I don’t need to look at them to know who or what they are. Vârcolacs.
And it’s at this exact moment that I know it’s all over for me. A tight feeling of impending doom slides through my stomach, not stopping until it reaches my toes.
When I do finally bring myself to look, I see the three of them standing just to the left of us about twenty feet away, blocking our only exit.
I clamber to my feet, and the second I’m standing Nathan takes hold of me and pushes me behind him.
I’ve so many thoughts flying through my mind, I don’t know which one to address first, and now there’s a chill in the air pushing the sun out and my clothes suddenly feel inadequate. I know with certainty they’re not enough to protect me from whatever harm the three of them intend for me. And neither is Nathan. Nathan’s undoubtedly strong and a trained fighter, and I might be freakily strong nowadays but I’m no fighter, and that puts us at a considerable disadvantage to the three of them.
So basically, I’m fucked. There is no way out for me. Now all I can do is to try to ensure Nathan gets out of this unharmed.
One of the Vârcolacs takes a step forward, moving away from the other two. He’s average height and build, has white blonde hair, really pale skin and bright blue eyes. He reminds me of an albino.
“Nathan,” he says, addressing him like he knows him.
Does he know him? Oh God. Alarm shoots through me, my eyes darting up in panic to Nathan as my heart slams into my chest.
“Am I supposed to know you?” Nathan says flatly, but I hear a discreet undercurrent of menace there.
A strange sense of relief ripples in waves over my skin and I falter against Nathan, gripping a tight hold of his arm.
“No,” The albino’s mouth twists in the suggestion of a smile, “but I know you and I also know that you have something which belongs to me.”
“And what would that be?” Nathan asks, almost conversationally if it wasn’t for the set line of his jaw and the chill in his eyes.
Albino tilts his head in my direction. His eyes drift over me, a slow languid smile forming on his lips. My skin practically ups and crawls off my bones. “Wow, Alex, you really are a beauty. You were not done justice at all. The Originals are going to be very happy to meet you.” He clicks his tongue in approval and I feel all kinds of violated, and completely and utterly terrified.
Nathan smiles but it isn’t pleasant. “Well, it sure is a shame that they’re not gonna get to meet her.”
Albino’s eyes shift back to Nathan, the muscles in his jaw tightening. Another one of them - black, slicked back hair - takes a step forward but Albino puts a hand out stopping him.
“So, Nathan, you’re the one who killed Eric.” Albino’s tone is impassive.
“If you’re referring to the lackey in Hackness woods.” Nathan nods. “Well then, yeah, that would be me.”
Albino laughs, and from his cool demeanour I can’t decipher whether he’s actually impressed or irritated. “You make that sound like you have more than one Vârcolac on your killed list?”
Nathan’s mouth tips up but it’s hardly a smile. “No, but I am working on it.”
Albino gives another laugh, this one silent as he pushes his tongue between his teeth. “Okay, so here’s how things are gonna go.” He traces his fingertip with precision over his eyebrow. “You’re gonna give the beautiful Alex to me, and then I might be kind enough to let you go with not so much as a hair harmed on your head.”
Nathan laughs and scratches his chin. “Kind of you to offer but unfortunately we’re gonna have to pass.” His voice is even. Not a hint of fear. How is he keeping so calm? I listen to his heart. Yep, beating like a dream. I’m freaking out. My mouth is as dry as a waterless well and my heart has given out on me.
Albino laughs, a dry, papery laugh, then moves his lips back revealing his huge fangs.
A sensation – fear, I think - grabs hold of my heart, twisting and tugging at it, awakening it. And then I know what I have to do.
Swallowing against the thickness in my throat, I part my lips and say to the Albino, “I’ll come with you. Just don’t hurt Nathan, okay.”
“No,” Nathan says firm and low, tightening his hold on me. He looks down at me and I see it in his eyes, the fear. It ripples just beneath the surface. He’s not afraid for himself, he’s afraid for me, afraid of what he knows will happen to me when they do finally take me.
I give him a pleading look to let me do this, to let me save him, but he ignores me and moves his eyes from me back to Albino. “I’m taking it that it’s money driving you here,” Nathan says with a clear edge to his voice, his calm dissipating, “so we can work a deal. You walk away and forget you ever saw Alex and I’ll pay you whatever it takes you to do that. You’re not interested in Alex, it’s only the Originals who’ll want her. You’re just interested in the money they’ll give you when you hand her over, and I’ll match it, whatever it is - and more if necessary.”
Silence blisters the air, and for the first time ever in my life, I start to pray.
&nb
sp; Albino takes another step closer to us, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. “You’re right, Nathan, I’m not interested in Alex. I’m only interested in the money.” He drops his hand down to his side. “But you’re too late, the deal’s been done. The Originals already know about her.”
My body goes slack as the last shred of hope left is taken. I feel powerless and, completely and utterly vulnerable.
“I called them the minute I arrived here and got a whiff of her,” Albino adds. “They’re getting on a plane as we speak. Should be here in about … ” He glances down at his watch, tapping the glass face with his fingernail, “...fourteen hours, and I’m under strict orders to keep her safe and sound. And honestly, you could have as much money as Richard fucking Branson and it wouldn’t make me want to go up against them. I betray them and…” He slides the tip of his index finger across his throat in a cutting motion, “… and I kind of like my head. So thanks, but no thanks. But a question, though, farmer boy. If you have so much money, why didn’t you just pay your brother’s gambling debts off in the first place for him, and right now you’d be well on your way to riding Alex to the finish line, with us none the wiser.”
I can’t even be offended because my world has just come crashing down all around me. Blood starts to beat loudly in my ears.
“What?” Nathan says, his voice splintering.
“Your brother Cal. Seems he’s got himself into a bit of debt, owes a lot of money to some very nasty people - not me, of course.” Albino winks conspiratorially at me. My stomach curdles. “That’s why he called. He wanted to sell the lovely Alex to me. Told me all about her existence, how you saved her like a knight in shining armour, and how she somehow survived the change to become our only one. Honestly, I could hardly believe my fucking ears. So, I told him I’d have to see her with my own eyes, and if she was the real deal, I’d give him the money he so desperately needs. He pays his gambling debts off and gets to keep his head in the process. I get Alex. I hand her over to the Originals and I’m rewarded handsomely. It’s a win-win situation.” He pushes his hand through his hair. “Well not for you, obviously,” he adds, giving me an awkward smile.
It rolls right off me. The last thing I could ever imagine him to feel is awkward.
Nathan makes a guttural sound, bordering on a growl. “You’re lying.”
“Easy, boy,” Albino mocks. “And believe what you want.” He shrugs, uncaring. “But have a think about how I knew exactly where to find her.”
Oh God, Cal sold me out. This was his intention all along. He was just testing the water with Nathan, trying to see if he could get him onside. And when he couldn’t, he went off and did it anyway.
I slide my hand down Nathan’s arm, taking hold of his hand. His fingers close in around mine.
I look at the three Vârcolacs, the cocky Albino, the black haired one with the arrogant stance, and the silent Asian with the look of death in his eyes.
And I know I’m one of them. I’m their kind.
Something breaks inside me. Hot tears tumble down my cheek. “I’m so sorry,” I choke, pressing my face into Nathan’s back, my tears soaking into his T-shirt.
He sighs, a tired sound. “Okay, so we all know how this is gonna go. You want Alex, you gotta get past me first.”
I lift my head, fear crackling my mind to alert. I want to cry 'no', to stop him from doing this, but I’m too late.
“You know, I was really kinda hoping you’d say that,” Albino says with a smirk and then he’s heading for us.
Nathan pushes me backwards, hard, away from him. “Run!” he yells, moving forward, heading for the three charging Vârcolacs, “and don’t ever look back.”
Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without
and know we cannot live within.
James Arthur Baldwin
Chapter 18
Nathan
There’s dirt in my mouth. I can taste blood. I lift my head up slightly and spit it out. My body feels like carnage. What the hell happened?
Fuuccck!!
I jump to my feet, stumbling forward as the memories flood my mind. My eyes struggle to focus as I scan the area searching for Alex. But she’s long gone. She didn’t make it. They took her.
How long have I been out? I check my watch - 17:20. Jesus, I’ve been out for hours. She could be anywhere by now.
Think practical, Nate. If you were them, where would you take her? She’s worth a lot of money to them.
They’ll have a safe house.
But where?
They’re local but they won’t keep her too close by. They’ll know I’ll look for her and they won’t want me messing up their plans, but it will be somewhere close to an airport with the Originals travelling in by plane. Keep the bosses happy.
Surrounding airports - Leeds Bradford, Durham Tees and Humberside.
It depends where the Originals are flying in from? If I know where they’re coming in from, I can get the airport and narrow down my search to that area.
Okay, so he said they’d be here in fourteen hours, so depending on the travelling to airport time from their end, I could be looking at China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and just about any other country that sits in the southern fucking hemisphere!
Arrggh! This is fucking hopeless!
No, Nate, it’s not. You can figure this out. Alex is relying on you to find her. You have to find her. You can’t lose her, not now.
Okay, deep breath and calm down. Just think...
Cal.
I gonna fucking kill him.
Then I’m on my bike, yanking my helmet on, ignoring the pain that sears through my face from the pressure of it, and I’m tearing up the dirt and grass, down the track back onto the road out of here in seconds, heading for the only person who can tell me exactly where Alex is.
How could Cal do this? No, don’t think, just drive. The sooner you see him, the sooner you’ll get the answers you need, and the closer you’ll be to getting Alex back, even if you have to beat it out of him.
I accelerate faster.
Cal should still be at the farm. He usually is at this time. I really don’t want to have to do this in front of Erin, but I will if I have to, and then I guess she’ll see what type of bastard she’s married to, if she doesn’t already know.
It feels like hours have passed before I finally hit my driveway. Swerving in, the back wheel spins out, nearly tipping me off, but I put my foot to the floor, gravel raking at my sole, and somehow I manage to keep on. Then I’m outside my house, skidding to a halt. I jump off my bike, letting it drop to the floor, not even bothering to turn the engine off.
Cal’s still here. I could smell his betrayal from the top of the drive.
I throw the front door open and tear into the living room. I see him sitting as calm as fuck in the arm chair, drinking a can of lager, watching TV. He looks up at my entrance. I see a flicker in his eyes and I know.
I tear my helmet off and throw it as hard as I can at him, aiming straight for his head. He puts his arm up to protect himself. The helmet hits his arm and bounces to the floor, lager splattering all over him.
“What the fuck?!” he yells, wiping the lager from his face. But I’m already advancing, covering the room in a few strides. I grab hold of his shirt and drag him up to his feet.
“Where is she?” I say, my tone dark.
“Nate, what’s wrong? What’s happened to your face?” my dad asks, worried, getting up from the couch.
I don’t answer him. I can’t answer him. My only focus right now is Cal.
“Where is she?” I repeat, my voice harder.
“How the hell would I know where Alex is? I thought she was with you.” I hear the small break in his voice. Most wouldn’t, but I do. I know my brother and he’s a shit liar, always has been. He attempts to push me away from him but I increase my hold. I have no intention of letting go, not until I have the answers I want.
“Don’t mess with me, Cal. Just tell me wh
ere the fuck they’ve taken her?” I push him back into the chair, leaning over him, my face close to his as my hand goes up and around his throat.
Sol bursts in from the kitchen. “What the hell’s going on?” His eyes are pinging between me and Cal, and dad. “Where’s Alex?”
“Ask our so called fucking brother where Alex is,” I hiss, not taking my eyes from Cal.
“What?” Sol sounds confused
I glance in Sol’s direction. I feel an unexpected wave of guilt at what I’m about to tell him. I don’t know why but I feel like I’ve not only let Alex down but I’ve somehow let Sol down too. “Cal sold Alex to the Vârcolacs.”
“He sold Alex?” he says in a way that sounds like he sincerely hopes I’m joking. I wish I was.
I nod my head, briefly closing my eyes.
And I’ll never forget the look of horror I see in his eyes.
“Tell me exactly how much you got when you sold her out?” I say, low, narrowing my gaze back onto Cal.
“I didn’t … ”
“Don’t fucking lie to me!” I roar. My tolerance has reached its limit. “They told me. The blonde one told me it was you right before him and his buddies kicked the shit out of me.” I shove him harder into the chair. “How could you do this to Alex? I told you no last night.” I move my face closer to his, my nose almost touching his. “Tell me just exactly how much is Alex’s life worth to you?”
I see it flicker over his face and it just confirms everything I already know.
“Does it matter?” he finally says in a hard voice.
I feel sick to the pit of my stomach. I knew it was true, of course I did, but deep down some part of me was praying it wasn’t.
I feel like I don’t even know him anymore. He’s a complete stranger to me now.
Rage burns through my veins, blurring my vision. “Of course it fucking matters!” I yell, pushing my hand hard into his throat as I propel myself away from him. He gags from the pressure. Coughing, he rubs at his throat. “I need to know exactly how much money it takes to buy you off so I can pay you and get my fucking answers.” I try to grab hold of him again but he slides off the side of the chair, scooting around the back of it, out of my reach.