Nathan visibly relaxes next to me.
I see it in Zeff eyes, the discourse. I know I’m risking a lot. I need his help. And by the looks of things after today, I won’t survive five minutes out there without his protection.
I’m just praying on the fact it’s not in him to walk away. If I’m guessing right, he’s been here since I left Italy. He followed me here. It wasn’t exactly a coincidence he was here at just the exact right time, was it. And that tells me all I need to know.
“Okay,” he nods. “The more bodies, the better you are protected.”
He doesn’t mean that for one second. Zeff could protect me fine alone. He could probably take down a small army of vampires single-handed if he wanted to.
“Well, if you and Nate are going, then I’m coming too,” Jack pipes up. I swivel to look at him. “Well, I can’t stay here now, can I? With a shit load of vampires and God knows what else readying to swoop in … so where else am I going to go?”
“Somewhere safe?” I pipe up.
“I’m in too,” Craig says, obviously ignoring me.
“Me too,” Scarlett says from beside me. I give her a confused look. “Well where else am I gonna go?” She shrugs. “It’s either brave the streets, or stay with you guys and go on the run with one of the most powerful creatures on earth who can protect us. Hands down, it’s an easy choice from where I’m stood.”
I hear Zeff’s little snuffle of laughter. I fire him a sharp look. He lets out a cough.
“Okay,” he says, composing his features to neutral. “We need to get moving, and now. So grab what you need and be quick about it.”
Chapter 32: Family
I’m in the passenger seat of the Range Rover. Nathan next to me, driving. Our bags in the back.
A horse box is attached to the back containing Honor. There was no way we were leaving them there. Zeff assured us, where we’re going there would be a place for them to stay.
In front of us is Zeff in his car. Behind us, Craig, Jack and Scarlett, in Craig’s truck, the other horse box with Hope attached to it. Nathan’s Ducati is in there too. He wasn’t leaving without her, apparently.
Zeff gave us directions, but we’re still following close behind him. He spelled me before we left the farm. It worked. I think he always knew it would. It was the oddest sensation I’ve ever felt.
Like I was showering in electricity. Now I don’t feel anything. Just back to normal. Well, except for the fact that I’m tied to Zeff by a powerful magical force.
Zeff wanted me to ride with him in his car, because I need to stay within decent proximity to keep the spell active. If I break it he has to respell me.
Not a massive effort, but not something I fancy having done on a regular basis. But still I said no. As long as Nathan stays close to his car, then we’re fine. I wanted this time alone with Nathan because who knows when we’ll be alone properly together, or how long I really have left.
One of two things will happen.
I’ll be taken by Isaiah and they’ll never find me again.
Or, I’m going to die.
The latter is looking most likely considering it’s the vampires who seem to be the best at finding me, and they want me dead. I haven’t really considered the fact Elijah wanted me dead until now. It’s not personal, I know that, but still it’s hard to know that my existence is so pernicious to someone that they’ve put a bounty on my head.
I guess that’s one thing I have in common with both Zeff and Isaiah. Elijah wanted … well still, wants them dead. They’ve managed to stay alive for four hundred years. Maybe I have a chance of surviving the next fifty or so.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
A life lived in the shadows. But a life in the shadows with Nathan is better than no life at all.
I reach my hand out to his side, fingers gently touching the area just outside his knife wound. I hear his sharp intake of breath.
“Sorry,” I say.
A soft smile. The sweet kind which makes me want to reach over and kiss him. So I do. A light kiss on his cheek.
It wins me another smile.
Nathan wouldn’t let me have Jack or anyone stitch his wound up. He said there was no time, and it would heal soon enough. I’m just worried it’ll get infected. He said it wouldn’t, but I think he would have said anything to get me out of the house and moving. I did manage to get to put some gauze on it.
“Is it healing okay?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Is that a yes to shut me up and stop me worrying, or a real yes?”
He slides his eyes off the road to me, momentarily. “A real yes.” He reaches over and takes hold of my hand, bringing to his mouth, he kisses it.
“You feel a little funny,” he says.
“Funny how?”
“Like … I keep getting tiny static shocks from you every time I touch you. I just thought it was static at first, but it’s every time.”
“Oh.” Pause. “It’s the magic.”
“Ah … okay.” But he doesn’t let go off my hand, which makes me feel better.
I inhale a deep breath. “Nathan, is this the right thing to do?”
He looks at me again. “It’s your call. You just say the word and I’ll swing this car around now, and we’ll take our chances alone.”
I can see the glimmer of hope in his eyes. I know he wants to keep me safe, and safe is under Zeff’s spell. But he doesn’t want to be in this with Zeff. I know Nathan, he’s the in charge guy, so I figure this can’t be easy for him. In more ways than one.
We’d just found one another, had settled into something, and here we are again on the run. But this time, we’ve lost the sanctuary of home. And I’ve lost the one remaining place I could run to for safety.
“I know keeping me hidden is the right thing to do,” I say slowly. “What I meant when I said it is, you all coming with me.”
I see the hope in his eyes fade, quickly replaced by hurt.
“And don’t take that as I don’t want you with me. Because I do, more than anything. I just feel like you’re all being dragged, yet again, into my fight.”
“Obviously there was no stopping me. Even if you didn’t want me here, I’d have still come.” He gives me a warm smile. “And seriously, do you really think you would have been able to stop my dad from coming?”
“I guess not.” I shake my head. “It’s just pulling them away from their lives. Your dad leaving behind the farm. It must be killing him; I know how much that place means to him.”
“But that’s what you do for family. You drop everything to help them.”
“I know your dad’s doing it for you, I get that, but you’re doing this for me and that’s makes me feel like utter crap for creating the domino effect.”
He casts me a surprised look. “I didn’t mean just me. You’re his family too. Craig and Scarlett. We’re all a family.”
A sudden rise of tears, warn the backs of my eyes. “We are?”
“You remember back when I was being a bastard in Scotland, and I said you didn’t have any family left? Well I was talking shit, as usual. I said it to hurt you because you were trying to leave me, and I was scared. I didn’t want you to go.”
He lets out a small laugh. “You know, because back then I thought being a complete and utter shit to you would make you want to stay.” He raises his brows at me. I actually have to let out a little laugh at that one. “You have family Alex, the same as you did back then. You have me. Us.”
He thumbs behind him.
“Family isn’t always blood. It comes from friendships. When people care for one another. That’s what makes family. Just like Carrie and Angie and Tom were. And well, those lot in that car back there, are doing this because they care about you, because they love you. Just like I do,” he says.
“Maybe not Scarlett,” I say, trying to lighten my own heart. “I think she’s pretty much confused half the time about what’s going on. Living in her own world. Which is
probably a good place to be right now. I might ask her if she fancies a trade.”
Nathan laughs, “Yeah, we’re a pretty fucked up weird kind of family – two shifters, the only female Vârcolac in existence, an outcast werewolf, and an ex-street girl. But we are family. I guarantee you that.”
I laugh again. But inside I’m all types of fuzzy feelings, because the word ‘family’ has coated me, wrapping around me like a life-jacket, helping me bob up to the water’s surface I keep feeling like I’m been pulled under, with the ever strong current, and Nathan has just resurfaced me.
Kissing my hand one last time, he releases it, and says, “I need to make a call.”
He pulls his phone out of his pocket. “I promised dad I’d make sure the animals left on the farm are sorted and cared for,” he says when he sees my puzzled expression.
“Oh okay, sure.”
Scrolling through his phone book, he dials a number, then clicks the phone into his hands-free kit on the dashboard.
It rings a few times, before answering.
“Nate?” comes the female voice down the line. I noticed how surprised she sounds to be hearing from him.
“Hi Beth.”
I notice the change in his voice. For some reason it bothers me.
“It’s been a long time,” she says. “How are you?”
Her voice is lovely. Soft and nice sounding. I don’t like it.
“I’m good, thanks. You?”
I feel like I’m listening in on a conversation I really shouldn’t be listening to.
“I’m well, thanks,” she sounds distracted. “Look Nate, I’m really glad you called. I’ve wanted to speak to you for a while now, I mean the last time we spoke, and well, what I said, I just want you to know–”
“You’re on speaker,” he cuts in. “And I’m not alone.”
Silence.
I don’t know if he said that to spare me, or her.
And now all I want to know is who the hell Beth is, and what did she say to him the last time they spoke?
I’m guessing she was more than a friend once upon a time. Just how long ago was she his ‘non-friend’? Was it in the six months I was gone? I mean, we’ve never discussed what, or who, he did while I was away. I never wanted to ask in case I didn’t like the answer.
Also I hate the way she calls him Nate. Only his family and close friends call him Nate, but to me he’s Nathan. I hate the ways she’s so familiar with him. And more to the point why couldn’t he wait to ring her when I’m not here listening. I know this is something to do with the animals and the farm but Jesus Christ. And now I’m just really irritated.
“I need you to do me a favour,” he says.
“Okay,” Beth says. “What is it?”
“We’ve had to leave the farm unexpectedly.”
“Is everything okay?”
She sounds concerned, worried. I actually want to punch the phone to silent. I never knew I had such a jealous streak.
“Yeah. Kind of. Nothing to worry about, it’s just there’s no one there to take care of the animals. Would you be able to move them off the farm and find them a good home?”
“You going to be gone a while?” she inquires.
“Yeah. So can you make sure they get good homes? Another farmer, give them away, it’s no problem.”
“I can take them in. I’ve got the space, and then you can get them back when you come home.”
“Thanks. I’ll reimburse you for any cost.”
“Don’t be silly,” she says. “What about Honor?”
“She’s with me.”
“Ah. Okay.”
“You’re sure you're fine with doing this?” he confirms.
“Of course.”
“Will you let me know when you’ve got the animals?”
“Sure.”
“And Beth, don’t go there yourself. Send one of the collection guys to get the animals – actually send a few of them, and tell them to not go anywhere near the house. And when they get there, if there are any cars parked on the drive, tell them to turn around and drive away, and not to go back – ever. Okay?”
“Okay,” she says tentatively. “Nate.” Pause. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
I can hear the worry in her voice. Again, I don’t like it. It tells me more than I think I want to know.
“I’m fine.” His tone is soft with her. I hate that even more.
I really wish this phone call would end. I can feel my heart pumping hard against my chest.
“Okay,” she says. “I’ll go now and call you later when I’ve moved them.”
“Thanks.”
He clicks off.
There is absolute silence in the car, except for the sound of my pumping heart. I know she’s doing him a favour, and I have no clue who she is, but I’m feeling kind of irrational at the moment. And I’ve got a thousand questions reaming through my mind, I’m just not sure which one to start with.
Eventually, I have to ask, “Who’s Beth?” Before I bite my tongue off.
“An old friend.”
“Oh.” I start to fiddle with my necklace, holding the pendant, sliding it around the chain. “She an old friend, of the old girlfriend variety?”
“Yes.”
“Is she the last girlfriend? The serious one?” I remember him telling me there was one serious girlfriend that time in the Dalby Forest, the one who left him because she didn’t like who he’d become after leaving the army.
He looks at me. “Yes.”
“And why did you just call her exactly?”
He gives me a ‘were you actually listening to the conversation’ look.
“Because she’s a vet, and she is the only person I know who can take the animals, and more to the point won’t ask too many questions.”
“Oh – wait, is she the one who you got Honor from?”
“Yeah, she works at the RSPCA, well she volunteers actually.”
Great, so his ex-girlfriend is a saint. She volunteers her free time to sick and injured animals. I drink blood from animals, and kill them.
And I’m on the run from some of the world’s most dangerous supernatural creatures, and have dragged pretty much the remainder of his family into running with me, and they’ve all lost their home because of me. And his ex-girlfriend, Beth, who clearly, if I’m reading her tone right, still has feelings for him, is doing the good Samaritan bit.
Brilliant. Just bloody fucking brilliant.
Okay, I know this is probably the worst time to start feeling jealous, but honestly I can’t seem to help it. I’m putting it down to recent events absconding with any sense there was in me.
“Have you seen her recently?” I finger the lapel of my jacket.
“No.”
“In the last six months?”
He gives me another slow look. “No.”
“So what was she trying to apologise for?”
“I don’t know”
“You must do.”
He grips the steering wheel, harder. “No, Alex, I don’t.”
“So why did you stop her from talking then?”
“Because the reason I called her was not to rehash the past.”
“So you did know what she was going to say?”
“No!” He’s getting frustrated.
So am I. Jealous and frustrated. I didn’t know it was in me to feel this level of envy. I guess it shows how much he means to me.
“Did you call her to punish me?”
He looks at me surprised.
“For Zeff turning up,” I add, like he didn’t already catch my meaning.
His face hardens. “Are we really going to do this now?”
I shrug, feigning indifference, but clearly I’m up for it.
“You’re pissed off because of a two minute phone call to an ex-girlfriend so I can get the animals safely off the farm and cared for, because we are now, yet again, on the run for your life. Hmm…” He drums his fingers against his lips. “Yeah, sure I get why you’
re pissed off,” he says sarcastically.
“Fuck off!” I curse at him. “You’re such an arsehole at times!”
“And you’re irrational. Come on, it’s hardly the time to have a conversation like this. I mean, how do you think I’m feeling right now? Not so fucking great. But I cast it aside because there are bigger things to worry about at the moment.”
I turn to him, feeling a wave of guilt.
“I’m sorry you’ve had to leave the farm again because of me,” I say quietly.
“That’s not what I meant.” A sigh. “I’d leave there in a heartbeat for you. I did leave there in a heartbeat for you. None of that matters if I don’t have you, Alex … it’s just.”
He sighs again. “Don’t you think I don’t hate this.” He jabs a finger ahead in Zeff’s car's direction. “Don’t you see it’s hard for me to accept that we are going to be with him for an infinite amount of time, because we have to be, because I can’t protect you enough, not in the way he can. You think that I don’t feel completely fucking useless?”