Amelia ignored her, swung her legs off the bed, and tried to stand. She pushed up, rolling to her feet and looked at Luke. “You need to change me.” The words came out in a slurred rush, but she couldn’t slow down.
His inquisitive hazel eyes bore into her, and a smile twitched at his lips. It was infuriating. Amelia knew that look, it was the one he gave her and Mitchell when he thought they were being rash and impulsive and acting like children. He folded his arms over his chest and let out a long sigh. “Amelia, get back in bed. No one is changing you.”
“Change me,” she demanded, taking a shaky step towards him. “It’s the only way to stop all of this. I need to pick a side.”
Luke chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I can’t do that, kiddo.” He over enunciated every syllable and punched out the words clearly, as if he thought she wouldn’t understand so he needed to spell it out.
“Luke, you have to.” Her voice pitched, and she forced herself to take a breath. “It’s the only way to make all of this stop.”
“It’s over, Amelia,” Lola said. “The bond is back in place. It’s over.”
“No, it’s not,” Amelia said. Her legs wobbled, and Lola took hold of her arm, steadying her. “Josh will keep hunting you guys. He doesn’t have a choice. It’s in his blood. And until I pick a side, he’ll keep going.”
Any bit of humor that was in Luke’s eyes faded fast. He flushed, and the vein at his temple throbbed. “Amelia, I’m not changing you,” he said slowly, and firmly. “Mitchell would never forgive me.”
Why won’t he listen? a voice in her head shouted. Obviously keeping calm wasn’t working. “You have to!” she yelled. “You don’t understand.”
“I can’t, kiddo.” He turned away from her and started for the door. “I’ll go find him. I’m sure he’d want to know that you’re awake.”
Amelia watched him walk towards the door and racked her brain searching for something, anything that would make him take her seriously. Why wasn’t he listening to her? She watched the door open, and then close, and suddenly she wanted to scream.
“You sure about this?” Lola whispered in her ear as soon as Luke was gone.
“Lola, please. It’s the only way to stop this. Please!”
Lola held her index finger to her lips and glanced at the door. “There’s no going back,” she whispered, although to Amelia, it sounded like a hiss.
“Yes, Lola, please just do it,” she begged.
Lola narrowed her eyes. “And if you change, you think it will stop the hunters?”
“I know it will,” Amelia said with certainty.
Lola smirked and then gave her a dirty look. “I swear if you get all worshipy sidekick on me, I’ll stake you,” she hissed, but her eyes danced in amusement. She slid one of her manicured nails across her wrist and instantly, blood seeped from the small slice. Amelia looked at her, confused. “We need to drink from each other at the same time,” she whispered.
Amelia’s stomach rolled in a bunch of back flips. She hadn’t really considered what changing might entail, and right now, the thought of drinking blood made her want to spew. Lola must have noticed because she said, “Get used to it. In a few minutes it’s the only thing you’ll want.” And then she grabbed a handful of Amelia’s hair, shoved her wrists to Amelia’s lips, and sank her fangs into Amelia’s neck.
Amelia gasped as Lola latched onto her neck like a bulldog. She wasn’t gentle, not like Mitchell. Amelia could feel Lola’s fangs extending under her skin, and then she felt the pull as Lola sucked mouthfuls of her blood. Amelia struggled, trying to break away, but then she tasted it. Lola’s blood. It was ... sweet, and thick, almost like maple syrup.
If Amelia had expected it to hurt, she was wrong. After the first second, she hardly felt Lola’s fangs. Her skin warmed, her stomach fluttered wildly, her throat burned, and before she knew it, she was swallowing huge mouthfuls of the syrupy goodness. And then she was biting down, and there was a pinching sensation, and her gums throbbed, and her body tingled, and …
Lola released her, and when Amelia kept drinking, she jammed a finger into the side of Amelia’s mouth, prying her off. “That’s enough,” Lola murmured. Her voice filled Amelia with a cozy warmth, and she opened her mouth, letting go.
Something snapped in her mouth, her gums pulsed, and everything around her had an odd reddish tint as if she was looking through stained glass. She rubbed at her eyes trying to clear them, and it hurt—really hurt. It felt as if someone was peeling the skin from her face, and a snarl erupted from her lips.
“Not so hard, Amelia,” Lola said, taking her hands and leading her to the full length mirror that hung on the bathroom door.
“Holy crap,” Amelia breathed, taking in her reflection. Her eyes blazed like fire, and the skin around them was stained with blood, healing. But that wasn’t all she noticed. The little bit of flab under her arms was gone, defined into lean muscles. Her complexion was even, soft porcelain. Her hair looked smooth, with a healthy sheen.
“How do you feel?” Lola asked, her eyes running over Amelia, with a new appreciation.
“Um, hot?” Amelia answered, pitching the word into a question. Lola giggled, rolling her eyes, and Amelia rushed on, trying to explain. “Hot as in, like my throat is burning, and my skin, and well, my whole body, like … like, I just went for a run, and it feels…awesome.” She felt her lips pull into what she was sure was a goofy grin, and as it widened, her gums ripped, and she felt the tip of fangs jutting into her bottom lip.
Lola gave her an encouraging smile. “It’s your muscles changing, strengthening. It’ll pass in a few hours.”
Amelia glanced back in the mirror. “You know, if I had have known that changing would take away the frizz from my curls and make them look so silky, I would have done this months ago.” She spun around looking at her new body from all angles, and as she did, a carousel of scents: sweat, blood, sweet fear, salty tears bombarded her, spinning around her in a whirlwind. She felt her eyes blaze for a second and then dim, smoldering like embers in the smoking coals of a fire, and her fangs slowly sharpened when the last smell hit her—tangy spice.
Mitchell.
Her nostrils flared, breathing in long deep breaths, and her feet began to move, with slow predator precision. The chain around her heart urged her to run to him, find him, and most of all, she wanted to taste him. Lola snagged her arm, stopping her.
Suddenly, Mitchell’s brain snapped shut like a hidden trap door. The soft pull of the bond melted away, and Amelia’s skin stopped tingling. Her heart stopped beating. “Mitchell!” she shrieked, lunging for the door.
Lola was on her in seconds, tackling her, and pinning her down. “Amelia, stop,” she growled.
“No, let go. I can’t feel him. Josh… Let me go.” Amelia struggled, using all of her strength. She kicked and punched. Lola’s nose snapped to the side, and Amelia felt one of her ribs snap when she kicked out. But she didn’t care. All she could think about was ripping out Josh’s throat.
The bedroom door flew open, and suddenly, Lola was off of her. Amelia vaulted up, easily, landing nimbly on the balls of her feet. Before she could move, Luke was there with firm hands on her biceps, as if they were vice grips, holding her tightly. “Hold still,” Luke snapped when she tried to struggle. “I’m stronger than you. Struggling is pointless.” His voice was cold, hard, and so not like Luke, that Amelia stopped moving completely.
“Amelia, what did you do?” her mother gasped, scanning Amelia from head to toe. Amelia looked up just as she walked through the door, shaking her head in disappointment.
Amelia barely noticed her. “Mitch?” she breathed. She tried to go to him, but Luke held tight. He walked in, and he looked … amazing. Everything about him was sharper. His muscles looked more defined, the stubble on his jaw, darker; Amelia could even make out the individual hairs. His skin was flushed pink, and when she squinted her eyes slightly, she was sure she could see the blood moving under his skin. He was the hott
est person she had ever laid eyes on, and he smelled delicious.
“Oh, love,” he said, shaking his head. He stopped just inside the doorway, keeping his distance. His voice held a note of defeat mixed with heartbreak.
Amelia could hear his heart beating, his blood pumping. She tried to break free of Luke’s grip, but it was pointless. A frustrated growl bubbled up in her throat, and brushed through her lips. She looked at Mitchell again, taking in a long, deep breath of his scent, and she noticed something. Something different—something wrong. Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath. She caught Luke’s scent, and immediately she noticed the difference. His blood smelled … stale. But Mitchell’s, it was fresh and new, and it was as if he was wearing a big eat me sign on his chest.
Amelia’s eyes snapped open. “You’re … you’re … ” her brain wouldn’t finish the thought. It just couldn’t. She blinked furiously, and her jaw dropped.
“Human,” he whispered, dropping his eyes.
“Holy crap!” Erin said, skidding into the room. Her jaw dropped, and the way she was looking at Amelia was as if she had never seen her before. “Who changed you?” She shook her head and shifted her gaze to Mitchell. Her jaw dropped further. “Holy crap,” she breathed again, raising her hand to her mouth and gasping.
“You’re kidding me, right?” Eric laughed from the doorway, looking between Mitchell and Amelia. “Don’t you guys ever talk to each other?” Megan was nestled under his arm. His green eyes sparkled with laughter, as they shifted between Amelia and Mitchell. He didn’t seem shocked at all, just amused.
“This is such awesomeness,” Angelle squealed, clapping her hands, but then her eyes fell on Mitchell, and she gasped. Her brow creased, and she blinked a few times as if she was trying to clear her vision, or blink away what she was seeing. “Mitch, what did you do?” she whispered, shaken.
Amelia ignored them all. “The bond … I can’t hear you. I thought you were dead.”
Mitchell looked at her then, and he opened his mouth to speak, but her mother cut in before he could get a word out. “Oh, child, that’s because it has been reset.” She looked past Amelia and said, “Luke, you can let her go.”
Luke dropped his grip. “What do you mean reset?” he asked in an icy tone.
“Mitchell is now marked for Amelia,” Mrs. Caldwell said. Her airy voice should have been soothing, but it wasn’t.
Suddenly, Amelia moved, and then she was standing in front of Mitchell. It happened so quickly that it made her head spin, and she stuck out her arms for balance. Then she saw it, the mark. It looked like a tattoo—an inky figure eight with a solid line passing behind the bottom circle.
“This … this can’t be happening!” she yelled. “How is this even possible? Can’t just one thing go right! How are you even human?” Anger bubbled up inside her, white-hot and blinding. It was consuming, irrational, and she felt a pinch as her fangs snapped down. A reddish film clouded her vision, and she balled her fists. The anger built, coursing through her and burning her veins.
Silky, warm hands cupped her cheeks. “Calm down, love,” Mitchell said firmly. His voice wrapped around her, cocooning her in warmth, and her anger washed away. He tilted her chin up, and smiled. “Your mother, she changed me, love, so I could take you away from all this.” He dropped his hands from her face and waved his arms around, gesturing to their family.
She searched his cerulean eyes. “You’d give up all this for me?”
“Amelia, I’d give up everything for you.” His voice was so full of emotion, so sincere; she knew he was telling the truth.
“What have you done to her?” Josh yelled. He burst into the room and headed straight for Mitchell.
CHAPTER 31
“Josh, stop!” Amelia yelled. But he kept coming at Mitchell, and the look in his eyes was like a rabid dog.
Everything happened in a blur. Josh grabbed Mitchell and slammed him against the wall. He raised his arm, pulling it back, and that’s when Amelia spotted the sharpened, wooden stake in his hand. Energy surged through Amelia, and a red glow surrounded her. She pushed on it, flinging it at Josh, just as he plunged the stake down at Mitchell, and he froze. Josh’s eyes widened and he screamed, and before Amelia could stop herself, she ripped him off of Mitchell, her teeth were embedded in his neck, and she tore out his throat, spitting a chunk of flesh onto the floor. His eyes flicked, rolling back, and he fell.
And just like that … it was over.
Victory felt empty. She expected to feel a sense of triumph or something—anything. But she didn’t. She didn’t really feel anything.
Arms went around her then. They were slow and tentative, and they pulled her closer and closer, until her back was pressed tightly against a solid chest. Lips pressed against her ear, and warm breath puffed against her neck. “Love,” Mitchell whispered, “take a deep breath. It’s going to be okay.”
Lola stepped in front of Amelia and said, “It’s over.”
Amelia nodded, unsure of what to say or do, and Lola pulled off one of her layered tank tops and began wiping Amelia’s face as if she was a child, but then she kind of was, Amelia realized. Not just a child, but she was Lola’s child.
Amelia sighed. “Dammit. I guess my plan worked.” Because if it hadn’t worked, Josh wouldn’t be dead. She wasn’t sure why that was a bad thing, but at that moment it felt like it was. We won, she thought. Why didn’t it feel any better? “I still have magic,” Amelia said, suddenly realizing how she had stopped Josh.
“Of course you do, sweetie, it’s in your blood; it will always be a part of you,” Mrs. Caldwell said.
Amelia almost laughed. Almost … and then she moved out of Mitchell’s arms and turned to her mother and said, “Explain how and why you changed him.”
It was a very long conversation.
Saying goodbye to her mother was easier than Amelia had thought it would be. Maybe it was because she now really understood that it wasn’t goodbye, or it could have been, because after Amelia thought about it, really thought about it, she was finally ready to let her go.
Once she was gone, to Amelia’s surprise, Cole actually thanked her for setting him free. He explained that, as soon as she had become a vampire, the hunters had ceased to exist—sort of. The people were still there, they just didn’t have the hunter gene anymore. Their weapons lost their charm, and they lost the urge to track and kill vampires. Most of them had left as soon as the spell was broken, running away from the madness as quickly as they could. Amelia didn’t blame them, not for a second. And without the hunter part, Cole was just a plain old witch, and he was shockingly glad.
When Cole left, Amelia went to find Mitchell. She didn’t know how she was going to tell him what her mother had said before leaving, but she knew she had to. It was safer that way, but still, it made her feel sick and scared all at once.
“Tristan’s dead?” Megan asked, and she looked at Erin, just as Amelia walked into the kitchen.
“It’s okay.” Erin sounded exhausted and kind of, well, broken, but she smiled—a little. “It’s better this way. He hated this life.”
Mitchell’s eyes found Amelia, and his smile lit up his face, reaching his eyes. And then he looked past her, expectantly, and Amelia knew exactly what he was looking for. “She’s gone,” she said, just that, plain and simple.
He looked stunned. “What do you mean she’s gone? She needs to change me back.”
Amelia thought about holding it back. It would be easier, that was for sure, but she knew she couldn’t. If they didn’t know … She sighed, and met his eyes. “Mitch, you can’t. Not yet. She said your body wouldn’t be able to handle the change again so soon.”
He had to be thinking. He had to be. Amelia could see it in his eyes, and she noticed the slight scrunch on his forehead. And for a second she thought about biting him, desperate to know what he was thinking.
The urge passed—kind of. Although Amelia suspected it wasn’t really gone. It was hidden, masked by the mem
ories of the pain the bite had once caused her, and she was determined not to put him through that, so instead she asked, “What are you thinking?”
Eric was the first to laugh. It was amazing, alive, packed full of raw energy, and it didn’t take long for the others to join in. Well, everyone except Mitchell.
“What’s wrong, old man?” Eric asked, elbowing him in the ribs playfully. Mitchell winced. “You lose your humor with your immortality?”
Mitchell hadn’t yet broken his stare with Amelia. It was really hard to keep doing; there was so much emotion in his eyes that it was giving Amelia the shakes. He was scared, she could smell that, but there was something else, something stronger, and she couldn’t pick out what it meant.
Mitchell raised his hand, cutting them off instantly, and that shocked her. They were all still listening to him as if nothing had changed and he was still a vampire. “Then I want you to do it.”
“Mitch, I can’t,” Amelia said, and for a moment, there was something so painful in his eyes that it made her want to look away. She saw desperation and anger, filled with longing.
Mitchell cracked a smile, it was brief and small, but it was still a smile. “I meant bite me,” he said. “I want the bond, love.”
Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt her heart break all over again, in a beautiful kind of way, with lights and bells. Mitchell must have felt it too, because he got up from his chair and started towards her.
The feeling didn’t last.
“Um, maybe not such a good idea, Mitch,” Lola said, a bit shaky as if she was nervous to tell him no, and Amelia figured that the old habits were hard to break. She moved to Amelia’s side and put a protective arm around her, which to Amelia was just plain weird. He was the breakable one now, not her. “She’s only like two hours old.”