“Good luck convincing your traveling buddy of that. She hates the water.”
Mikhail said to call the number he just called from when they got to the dock and he would have Shayla send a boat for them. She had one she used for bringing in supplies.
Damon tossed the cell back on the dash, trying not to wake Shade who was using his arm as a pillow. He sped back up again and decided to circle the city on the interstate. Then he would head south again. More than likely he was being overly cautious but he had tracked others for hundreds of years. He knew what worked and what didn’t. As long as they didn’t use their names or left a paper trail they would be fine.
He needed to do something with his hair though. Most everyone knew he had dark shoulder length locks. The front was always in his eyes anyways. He took the next exit and rolled through a decent sized town with all the basic stores. The hair salon on the right would work. He’d go in and get it changed while Shade took a nap.
Damon reached for grabbed her brother’s leather duster and used it to prop her up. Shade mumbled something but stayed asleep.
He got out and locked the doors behind him. Damon had a vivid idea that would work with his style and throw people off. Inside he paid the cashier a hundred if he could be seen next.
They ushered him back, passing several confused customers who didn’t complain. For all they knew he had an appointment.
He told the woman what kind of style he wanted and asked that she hurry. If she could do it in an hour or less he would tip her nicely.
Damon paid little attention to what the woman did with his hair. He was focused on the door when he could see it. Forty five minutes later the stylist, Star, handed him a mirror. It was definitely different than his old hairstyle. Even Gideon would have trouble finding him now. All he had to do was either get to the coast or ditch the car.
Damon handed the mirror and some cash to the woman telling her to keep the change.
Honestly it wouldn’t hurt Shade to do the same but he liked her natural hair and no one really knew what she looked like.
He noticed a gas station across the street and decided to fill up again and see if Shade wanted anything before they made another couple hundred miles. He would have to stop again halfway more than likely.
He pulled the car over to the gas station and beside a pump.
“Shade, hey babe, wake up.”
She rubbed her face and mumbled something about stupid mutts. She rolled toward the window and moaned.
“Wake up. We are stopping here for a minute. You want to get out and stretch?”
Shade nodded then unbuckled looking like a zombie, making Damon smile.
He got out and paid for gas and an energy drink. She had not eaten solid food since she was turned. He had tried once when he was a newborn and realized it made no difference whatsoever. If she wanted food he would get it for her, but not unless she asked.
After pumping he got back in and Shade squeaked, nearly jumping out of the car.
Damon turned with vampire speed to see what was wrong. He took a defensive position.
“Whoa! When? What is wrong with your hair?” she stuttered.
“I figured a change would make it harder to notice me. Gideon wouldn’t recognize me now.” Damon replied relaxing.
“I’d say not.” Shade stared at his spiky blue hair for several minutes. She gave a crazy look and shook her head. He was the same Damon just looked different. His hair was black with lots of blue highlights and stood about an inch all over his head with the sides swept back. He looked like he had just run his hands through it. With his face structure it made him look like he was straight out of a movie or rock band. She liked it the more she looked at it.
Damon pulled out of the gas station and back onto the interstate. He gave Shade her energy drink and saw a habit coming on. She would not get much of the effects and more or less drank it for the taste.
Shade put another CD in and popped her boots off. She reclined her seat and pulled out a book. She knew it would be a long drive and reading or sleeping was the best idea to pass the time. Sleeping would leave Damon alone though and it was not fair he was doing all the driving. Even a vampire must get tired of driving.
Damon was watching her from the corner of her eye and couldn’t help notice how she kept sneaking looks up at him. Like she thought he might turn into something at any moment.
Hours later they pulled off the freeway and into another gas station. Shade groaned and nearly fell out of the car. Her body was not used to being in one position for so long. Even as a vampire her body was unable to handle the stress. It was made to move around and hunt.
Both stretched and Damon filled up and then they looked for a hotel. It was nearly twilight and he needed a few hours’ sleep before he drove on. He had not gotten much in a long time. He would sleep a few hours and get back on the road.
Ten minutes of circling one block after another they found a rundown hotel. Damon paid cash again and parked directly in front of the room.
Shade walked stiffly into the room and fell onto the single bed. The room was the same as any other but the colors were disgusting. Shade didn’t care as long as she could nap. Even the thought of only one bed was now more comfort than worrisome.
Damon and Shade both got comfortable and immediately cuddled. Shade was as close to Damon as she could get without being on top of him. She felt safe in his arms and could unwind.
Just as both had drifted off and the sun went below the horizon something passed their window slowly, stopping outside their door. The parking lot light cast a dark shadow against the window. It was obvious that whatever or whoever was outside was not there for house cleaning.
The demon had been trained to follow someone or something over thousands of miles. The demon quietly picked the lock and slipped inside. He noticed two bodies in the bed and smiled. Neither was mortal so he had no rules. The girl was weaker, much weaker, than the male she laid with.
He pulled the sword from the sheath on his back and brought it in front of him. He could behead the girl in one sweep and then take the vampire or take the vampire first and then easily finish her. Just as he made up his mind and brought the sword down Damon leapt up and used his arm to block the blow. He used his other arm to punch the demon in the throat and realized instantly that this was no ordinary demon. It was one of the worst he had ever had the unfortunate opportunity to face.
Shade sat up and rolled away towards the bathroom with startling speed. She huddled on the floor in terror.
Damon would have to shift to hurt the demon before it went after Shade again. He hesitated and glanced at Shade. If he changed she would think he was a monster? If he defended them in his current form then he took a good chance of one of them being hurt or backups arriving and slowing him down. He had to finish this.
Damon leapt up and kicked the demon in the throat and then welcomed the change. He pushed himself to transform faster than ever. When he was on all four paws he chanced a look at Shade as the demon found its legs again. She was in shock just as he knew she would be. Would she hate him for not telling her sooner? Would she be scared of him or see him as a bizarre freak of nature?
The demon swung the sword as Damon leapt up, his claws finding purchase in the demons chest. Damon rendered the demon defenseless before knocking him against the wall. The vampire used feline fangs to pierce the demons throat but he did not drink. This demon’s blood was not toxic but it would not help him either.
The demon pulled a gun from his jacket and shot Damon in the shoulder. Shade screamed as Damon slumped to the floor, shook his self, and then launched once more at the demon before it could aim and fire again.
Shade grabbed the sword and waited for an opportunity to strike.
Damon bit into the demon again and used his razor sharp claws to tear open the demons chest and expose the heart. He managed to knock the gun away. It spun across the floor and under the bed.
He was having a hard time hol
ding the demon at bay and Shade was worried she would accidentally hurt Damon if she tried to stab the creature before her.
Damon was the cat she had seen in the beginning. She felt he had betrayed her somehow. It was his secret to tell of course, but seeing him change before her eyes was mind boggling.
Damon was unsure if he could beat this demon especially if he pulled out another weapon. The demon managed to get an arm lose and reared back and punched Damon between the eyes. Damon staggered back shaking his head. He would lose if he couldn’t bring the demon down soon.
The demon took the opportunity to kill at least one of the creatures, as he was now unsure if he would survive or not. This was not the typical mark he had been ordered to kill. The demon leapt for Shade at the same time Damon found his sight again. Shade held the sword up and nearly dropped it. It was heavy and cold. She managed to get it nearly even with the demon’s chest and exposed heart as it barreled towards her. The room was small and Damon knew that his mate was in trouble so he did the only thing he could, he slammed into the demon’s back and aimed it so that the sword pierced the demons heart and possibly his own. He would die for Shade. He would do whatever it took to protect her. He closed his eyes at the last second and waited for the impact.
CHAPTER TWELVE
As the sword slid effortlessly in and past the rib cage to exit the other side he knew without a doubt he would be stabbed along with it. Damon changed back to his human form at the last second and shoved his shoulder up so that his shot arm took the brunt of the damage. He felt the blade slide in over an inch and then he was pulling back. His momentum had nearly killed him as well. It nearly missed his other wound which had left an ugly gaping hole.
He also knew Shade was under the demon still and had to get to her. Between his wounds and the quickness of the changes he had very little strength left to move the demon off of her. He was nearly fully human looking now. Only his fangs and claws were still long.
Shade was cussing and kicking but he was nearly too weak to get to her. His hand had almost changed fully back but he was afraid of scratching her.
He was careful not to accidentally harm her. When the demon was off her his heart nearly stopped. She was covered in blood from where he sliced the neck open and had stabbed the demon. She dripped with blood and shook with fear. In her mind she was still human and reacted the way she would have before.
Damon waited for the change to complete and then he pulled Shade to the shower. He was fairly sure she was not hurt. He was not worried if the demon had scratched or bit her because this one was not the same as the Vanth. It was a tracking demon and it always found its prey. He could not remember the name of the demon but it was something similar to Noxx.
When Damon had the water running warm he turned back to Shade who looked horrified. She trembled at his touch and nearly jumped back. He realized then that she may be afraid of him, again.
With vampire speed he stripped her clothes off all but her bra and panties and helped her into the shower. Shade refused to comply but did not fight him until she stood rigidly and nearly naked in front of him. He managed to get her under the warm water without hurting her even though his arm was nearly useless. The bullet had penetrated and exited the other side into the wall behind him. He was so grateful that Shade had not been behind him or in the bullets path.
Damon realized unless he too washed off he would only get her bloody again. That and he needed to see how bad his two wounds were.
He used his good arm to rip his clothes off before he staggered in behind Shade. She stifled a yelp when he pulled the curtain closed. She was scooting closer to the water and away from him. He waited for her to calm before he moved closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as everything that had just happened became real and the shock set in.
The victim in Shade took over and she began screaming. She was no longer herself. The removal of clothes and all the blood had given her a flashback and she fought like a wild cat to free herself. He would do whatever it took for these nightmares to stop plaguing her so she was not manic with him. He needed her to trust him and believe in him because all this, all the running and fighting back, was for her.
Damon was anxious she would hurt herself but he held on tight and spoke serenely in her ear, waiting for her to come to her senses.
Nearly twenty minutes later her struggles ceased and her screams became whimpers. She looked back and up at Damon and realized who he was before her body gave out. She went limp in his arms, leaving him to completely support her insignificant body weight.
Damon moved her so that he could get the blood off the both of them as quickly as possible. It ran reddish pink into the grimy white tub and swirled with a gurgling sound down the drain. When the water began to run cold he set her on the edge and finished rinsing himself off. Then he toweled them both dry and carried Shade to the bed. He quickly called the cleaners and reported the incident. He gave them the address and explicit instructions on the situation.
When he was done with the call he returned to Shade’s side. She seemed catatonic again but he knew it wouldn’t last. She was coping with everything the best she could under the conditions. Her mind needed time to grasp the events over the last few days.
He saw fresh tears blossoming in Shade’s eyes. He went to her still only in his boxers and wrapped himself around her not only comforting her but him as well. He could have lost her several moments ago. His fear of her getting hurt or dying was constantly on his mind now, he was obsessive.
She did not flinch as he held her securely so he knew she was back in her right state of mind again. She was more than likely embarrassed and completely distraught by the demon attacking.
The body was behind them on the floor close to the bathroom. Blood ran down the wall and was soaking into the carpet. The smell was unbearable but he had to get Shade calmed down before they left. The cleaners would not enjoy this surprise at all. They could not simply point the laser and incinerate the body. The public was only a wall away and any damages to the room would raise suspicion. He did not know exactly how they would clean it but more than likely the old fashioned way.
He knew they had only minutes before the cleaners headed their direction. He had used his code therefore it was only a matter of time until the Royals would know exactly where he was. That is if the demon that had found them had not alerted the Royals first.
Shade was shivering below the blanket in only her bra and panties.
“Babe, I need you to come back to me. You need to get dressed. I do not want to dress you myself. I do not think you are ready for that yet. We have to leave now. We got go before they catch up.”
Shade nodded. Damon slid his hand around to her stomach and laid it there. She did not object at all. She seemed herself once more and trusting of him still even after the shock of seeing him turn into an animal.
“I know what you have seen is too much to understand right now, that I should have shared it with you. I do not share anything of my life with anyone, sometimes even Gideon. I am the only vampire shape shifter ever that I am aware of and our government now wants me dead.”
Shade nodded again and struggled to sit up. She was beginning to get a bruise on her rib cage but it would not stay. The vampire genes would fix everything inside her so fast that she would not have time to fully bruise.
Damon let her go and went to get her bag so she could get dress. He stepped over the body careful to avoid the blood soaking into the carpet. The blood changed the color of the fabric and in his opinion the new color was an improvement over the olive green.
While Shade dressed herself with stiff movements Damon did the same only with the vampire speed of his kind. He was ready before her and had the car loaded as she struggled to lace her boots up. As bad as he was hurt he still kneeled before her and tied her shoestrings for her, smiling up at her as he did so. Shade still had tears in her eyes and avoided him. At least she was working with him and not fighting
him anymore.
He knew it would take time for her to understand what had happened and to forgive him.
His shoulder hurt like hell but he helped her to stand and led her out to the car. He made one more sweep of the room and found the hand gun under the edge of the bed. It was missing only one bullet from the clip. He stashed it in the trunk before joining Shade and heading to the freeway.
“Are you okay?” Damon asked shifting into another gear and checking his rearview mirror.
“Yes.”
She stared out her window. Her body language told him otherwise. She was not handling things very well.
“Are you upset with me?” he whispered. He knew the answer. He only wished to get her talking, and she was not going to do much more than short answers.
“What do you think?”
“I have reasons for not telling you until now. I did not want to overwhelm you when you already had so much to deal with. Forgive me for not explaining this sooner babe. We are still getting to know one another but as my mate I should have told you.”