BloodGifted (34 page)

Chapter 37

Coming Home

LAURA

We sat
in my mother’s favourite part of the house; her sitting room, she called it, situated opposite the dining room at the end of the hall. It was as feminine in decor as Luc’s study was masculine; cream walls and beige sisal rugs blended with the plush softness of two linen covered sofas, whose muted sage greens complemented the lichen coloured, glass-topped wicker coffee table, the centre of which held a crystal pitcher filled with fresh garden roses.

A vintage wrought-iron chandelier, entwined with green enamel leaves
, hung from the stuccoed ivory ceiling, and various botanical prints vied for attention with framed photos of my mother as a young woman. White wrought-iron bookshelves filled with pot plants and mismatched pieces of English china lined the walls, while expansive French doors opened to reveal another view of the garden beyond.

Judy
settled herself in one of the sofas after making sure I was comfortably reclined in one of the armchairs.

Alec had taken the small luggage bag she had brought with her to the hospital and deposited it in my bedroo
m. Then he joined us.

‘Laura, I believe we may have come up with a solution to end your present danger,’ Lu
c said. He was seated next to Judy. ‘It’s the Blood Pledge.’

‘What’s that?’ I asked.

‘A sacred oath taken by all the Brethren to protect the
Ingenii
and Guardian. Sworn on the Serpent Ring, any who break it, die,’ he answered.

‘You mean, they’re—
executed?’

‘N
ot by any living being. The ring strikes them down. The eyes of the serpents erupt fire and they are destroyed.’

My gaze automatically drifted down to the ring
on my hand. Here was yet another thing I would have to add to the list of other things in this strange, new world I had to accept. Magic. Who believed such stuff in the twenty-first century? Yet how could I deny it. The serpent’s eyes gave off a subtle glow. It gave a completely new twist to the old saying, if looks could kill!

‘Luc…’ I started then changed my mind. He said it would please hi
m if I could call him Papa. I thought I’d give it a try. Would it feel strange?

‘Papa, have you ever seen it happen?’

His face beamed. ‘
Merci, ma petit
e,’ he said, but the smile faded as he told me about the first two rebellions and how they were dealt with; how one of those who had taken the Pledge broke his oath and fire flared from the serpents’ eyes. Since then, there had been peace. ‘Many are still alive who remember, but the newly transformed, like those who attacked you, have never seen it happen.’

‘Maybe it’s
time they did,’ Alec said. He was leaning against the wall by the French doors. I noticed it gave him a direct view of me.

He and Luc
started to discuss the logistics of summoning all the Brethren to swear allegiance to the two of us.

‘We’ll begin the Summons. Before this year ends I want every last of the Br
ethren to take the Blood Pledge,’ Luc said.

Alec nod
ded in affirmation. ‘Prefects only?’

‘Best way, since they’re responsible for the Brethren in their respective territories. Any breach of the Pledge will be a reflection of their own loyalty and they will be liable. Much more effective t
han individual oath taking and—’ he emphasised that last word ‘—it’ll be faster. It can also be accomplished in one night.’

‘What about those who don’t
show?’ I asked.

There was a dangerous gleam in Luc’s eyes. ‘Stripped of their offices and reacquainted with the sun.’

I swallowed. It was hard getting used to vampire politics. A compassionate democracy it was not. Yet I couldn’t deny Luc’s harsh judgement, having experienced first hand the cruelty of those who hated the Princeps. Still, it was too frightening a thought for me dwell on now. From their conversation, I assumed the “Prefects” were similar to magistrates who dealt with the vampires in their respective cities or countries. Therefore a pledge taken by them would be binding on all under their power. And if it could all be done in just one night, even better.

‘Laura, I know that’s not what you’re used to, but we ha
ve no choice,’ Alec said.

‘It’s okay. I’m beginning to understand.’ Deep down I hoped there’d be no dissenters, so no one would have to be killed on my account. I’d seen too much of that already. At least now I knew they didn’t go “whoosh” in the sunlight, as I once l
aughingly expressed to Judy. They kind of… sizzled!

‘How about this comin
g Sunday night?’ Luc asked. His eyes ranged between Alec, Judy and myself.

We all agreed. I certainly didn’t have anything planned. My soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend was in hospital in a coma and my unit was off limits until Russell’s killer was caught.

‘Good, then that’s settled,’ Alec said.

The way his gaze locked
onto mine resurrected images of the two of us together, linked in the most intimate ways, and once again I looked away and tried to think of something else.

‘W
e better start contacting the Prefects,’ Luc said.

‘I ca
n send the necessary emails. Let me know to whom,’ Alec said.

‘
I’ll send you the list,’ Luc replied, after which he leaned down and kissed Judy. ‘I’ll see you later tonight,
ma cherie
.’ Then coming over to me, he said, ‘Get some rest,
ma petite
,’ and he dropped a light kiss on the top of my head before strolling from the room.

Just as I began to relax, confident everything would be okay, my injured arm began to throb. Whatever Alec had given me earlier to ease the pain had worn off. I leaned
my head back and closed my eyes.

‘Laura, are you in pain?’ he
asked.

‘Uh huh.’

‘Judith, can you please bring some Panadol and a glass of water.’

I heard her
padded footsteps cross the rug as she left the room. Cool fingers against my temples caused me to jump in surprise.

‘Take it easy,’ Alec said. ‘Only trying to help. Close your eyes.’

My heart thumped in my chest at his touch and I had to force myself to relax. He rubbed my temples till Judy came back, his fingers soothing against my skin and I had to resist the urge to place my hands over his.

‘Take this
,’ he said.

I opened my eyes, took the glass of water and the two tablets he held out to me and quickly swallowed th
em down. ‘I’m tired.’

‘You’ve had very little sleep and after everything’s that’s happened to you, I’m surprised you’ve been awake this long. That police interview was exhausting enough.
Try to get some sleep, the tablets will help.’

He was right
. If not for Russell I would have easily slept several hours more. I curled up in the sofa and tried not to think of the way my life had changed in the last few days.

Ale
c sat down in one of the recliners opposite and twirled the Serpent Ring round his finger as he gazed at me. Neither of us said a word. As the seconds passed the heat rose to my cheeks, and to hide my discomfort, I turned my head into the side of the recliner and closed my eyes. Yet still I felt his gaze on me.

Chapter 38

Precious Jewels

ALEC

While Laura dozed, I thought of the impossible situation I’d deliberately placed her in. She’d now have no choice but to leave Sommers. Would she want to stay with him after learning his intent to kill us? Then, of course, there was the matter of the Child. My child, not his—should Laura conceive tonight.

My body reacted in anticipation.

I rose and walked over to the French doors. Judith was still in the room. I didn’t turn back around till I heard her leave and then my gaze went straight to Laura. She stirred and sighed in her sleep, and her deep-copper hair spilled over the floral green cushion, almost like molten bronze. A slight curl made it turn up at the ends and I remembered the silky feel of it round my fingers the last time I touched it.

I crouched down next to her, smoothed some fallen strands away from her face and gently tucked them behind her ear; careful not to wake her.
Her lips were slightly parted and the memory of how they felt beneath mine came rushing back and my body reacted once again.

Damn!
No other woman had ever had this affect on me.

Judith walked back in
carrying a steaming cup of tea and a book. She said nothing, but the smile on her lips when she looked at me spoke volumes.

I grabbed my laptop, sat back down and began sending emails to
the various Prefects but, damn, if it didn’t take all my concentration to stay on task.

Judith settled herself comfortably back on her sofa and
started reading—a crime novel, by the cover. Within an hour, she too had dozed off. Both slept peacefully throughout most of the afternoon.

Luc popped in a little while later. Seeing Judith asleep on the armchair, he made his way to her side, took the book from her hand and placed
it on the coffee table. He kissed her cheek before spreading a cotton blanket over her. ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’ he said proudly, his voice barely above a whisper. He straightened up and looked over to where Laura lay sleeping. ‘The two precious jewels in my life. My women.’

I closed my laptop
. ‘How’s it coming?’

‘Three
Prefects haven’t responded. I’ll give them another twenty-four hours.’

‘Which three?’

‘The Eastern Europeans—Karl, Timur and Milena.’

‘Jake mentioned them, although I haven’t really had a chance to talk to him about it.’ That’s all we needed, three of the most powerful and ancient
districts causing trouble. Karl had been ruling the Bohemian Brethren for nearly three hundred years and was usually at loggerheads with the other two. They were continually fighting over territory. Last I heard he and the Hungarian prefect, Timur, were trying to squeeze out Milena; take over and divide her Slovak Prefecture between them. Hence, their absence from the Ritual.

‘I sent him over to broker some sort of peace between them and put an end to their petty squabbles.’

‘And?’ I prompted when he didn’t elaborate.

‘They were all compliant…’

‘But?’

He let out a deep breath. ‘Jake felt he wasn’t really needed. They’d worked it out by the time he got there. It was almost as if Milena created it in order to get him there.’

‘Huh! Interesting. Did he say anything more?’ Jake was no fool, and if he felt something strange was going on in Europe, it needed investigating. I made a mental note to speak with those Prefects right after the Pledging.

‘No. Anyway, problem—whatever it was—is settled. T
hey’ve got no excuse not to come.’

I nodded.

He walked over to the French doors and looked out. ‘As soon as my men rise, I’ll place them around the grounds. The area down near the water isn’t secure.’

We spent the next hour planning the ceremony, no detail left out. There was too much at stake. Never had it been more personal for Luc.

By the time we finished it was early afternoon, Laura still slept and I didn’t want to wake her. She was home, she was safe and since both her parents were here as well, it gave me the perfect opportunity to step out and head for the lab. There were several experiments needing my attention.

I was bac
k at the house by early evening. Laura had slept through lunch and I didn’t want her to miss out the next meal. It was time to wake her.

I leaned down and softly stroked h
er face. ‘Laura, wake up.’

Chapter 39

Human Or Vampire?

LAURA

Something soft and feathery touched my face. I opened my eyes to see Alec leaning over me. His bent fingers gently brushed my cheek.

‘Hello,’ he whispered. ‘You’ve been asleep for over seven hours.’

‘What time is it?’ I said sleepily.

‘Just gone six.’

My stomach rumbled. ’I’m hungry.’

‘I’m not surprised. You haven’t eaten since early this morning. How do you feel?’

I did a mental check then flexed my hand and tried twisting my wr
ist. It felt more comfortable—less painful than before. ‘Better, I think. It doesn’t seem to hurt that much any more.’

‘Goo
d. I want to take a look at it—change the dressing and check the stitches.’

My stomach rumbled again. He smiled. ‘Dinner’s on its way up.’

A light snore came from the other end of the room. I turned my head to see Judy asleep in the armchair.

‘She fell asleep while reading,’ Alec quietly said. ‘I don’t want to wake her.’

‘You’ve been here the whole time?’

‘Through some of it
,’ he said.

I breathed out a contented sigh
and rose to a sitting position. He looked at me and smiled, but I didn’t miss the way his eyes moved down to my throat. He’d fed from me yesterday morning, yet I was reluctant to offer him my blood. It was fear of succumbing to him that held me back.

The shrill sound of Alec’s ringing
phone almost made me jump. He stood and dug it out of his back pocket. ‘Alec Munro here. Yeah…’ His expression changed—alert. ‘Has he said anything, asked for anyone?’ His gaze was on me. ‘Uh huh… right… okay, thanks for letting me know.’

I knew it was something to do with Matt.

Alec shoved the mobile phone back into his jeans pocket, braced his hands on the arms on the recliner and leaned down toward me. My eyes were automatically drawn to his mouth. ‘He’s awake and out of intensive care,’ he said. Every nerve in my body tensed, but I couldn’t tell if it was from Alec’s closeness or the fact I’d have to confront Matt. ‘There doesn’t seem to be any brain damage, but they’ll be conducting tests tomorrow morning just to be sure. His family’s there with him.’

‘Okay.
I need to see him; speak to him.’

‘Tomorrow.’

He remained staring down at me and I couldn’t pull away. My insides tightened with a strange mix of excitement and fear—fear at what I was beginning to feel for him and the knowledge that it wasn’t going to go away. How on earth was I going to tell Matt of the pact I’d willingly made with Alec? A growing pregnancy wasn’t something I’d be able to hide for very long. And no matter the valid reason for it, Matt would never understand.

Alec’s gaze slowly slid to my mouth and as he leaned further toward me, Judy stirred. ‘How long have I been asleep? What time is it?’

He froze and I turned my head away as I felt the hot blush creep up my cheeks. Alec was about to kiss me, of that I had no doubt. And… I wouldn’t have stopped him.

My stomach clenched
all over again. I couldn’t go on like this.

Alec straightened
and, without taking his gaze from me, said, ‘Dinnertime, and I’m about to check Laura’s stitches.’

‘Is she
awake then?’ Judy asked.

‘Have
been for some time,’ I answered.

She rose
from the sofa and came over to us, smoothing her hair back into place. ‘I need a cup of tea.’

It was just the thing I
needed to hear at that moment—trivial and inconsequential. I stretched to ease the tension from my body while Alec went to stand by the French doors.

Luc
walked in carrying a tray smelling of roast beef and mashed potatoes. ‘The cook just finished it,’ he said.

I sat up, wondering how I was going to balance it on my lap.

‘Take this dear,’ Judy said and she plucked a metal fold up tray from beside my armchair and set it up on my lap. ‘I’ve used it on occasion here.’

‘W
hat about you?’ I asked.

‘This will
do nicely.’ She picked up a plump cushion from the sofa.

As I ate, I tried to avoid looking at Alec, yet once or twice I ventured to look up to see him staring at me.
I swallowed and lowered my eyes again. Judy and Luc’s voices filled in the void as neither Alec nor I spoke. I was too aware of the hours that were left before he and I were to come physically together.

The knot in my stomach tightened and I pushed the rest of my meal away.

A tiny alarm went off in Alec’s watch. ‘Time to change your dressing, Laura.’ He opened his medic bag and removed a pair of sharply pointed scissors and a small metal tray.

‘All yours,’ I said
and held out my wrist to him.

His eyes crinkled at the corners but that soon disappeared as he
unpeeled the dressing and removed the gauze. ‘Luc, take a look at this.’

‘What is it? Is something wrong?’ I didn’t want to look, as blood and anything associated with it always made me cringe. But there was something in Alec’s
tone that made me want to. I looked down expecting to see a nasty gash with dark stitching and ugly puckered skin, but instead there appeared a near-clean whitish scar with the surgical stitching half-hanging out.

Alec glanced at me
questioningly. I shrugged. Luc and Judy were at my side in an instant. ‘Even for one of the Bloodgifted, this is unusual. Your body has completely healed itself in… one day!’

As we watched, one of the stitches popped out, slid down my arm and onto the blanket. The skin around it was a healthy pink.

Luc’s brows were drawn. ‘She’s more vampire than human,’ he softly said.

‘I can’t be absolutely sure,’ Alec replied. ‘But the healing process is definitely not human.
’ He pulled a pair of tweezers from within his bag and removed the rest of the stitching from my arm. My skin closed over the neat, little pricks leaving a smooth, unmarked surface.

‘Laura, have you ever had a
craving for blood, dear?’ Judy asked.

‘No.’ I looked at my father—a
vampire. Was there a possibility that one day I could become one? The thought frightened me.

‘Have you always healed so quickly?’ Alec asked.

‘I think so.’ I turned to Judy. She probably knew every injury I’d ever had.

‘When she was little she healed faster than anyone else, but we didn’t make much of it.’ She looked at me. ‘I lost track when you left home.’

‘I’ve rarely been injured, and if I did get a cut I just shoved a bandaid onto it and forgot it.’

Alec didn’t say anything. He just looked thoughtfully at me.

‘Well, I suppose there’s no need to keep the bandage on any more, is there?’ I asked.

He took it and threw it into the bin.
‘You’re a puzzle, Laura.’

‘Then it’s a pity you don’t intend being around to solve it!’

H
is eyes narrowed slightly. ‘I thought that’s what you preferred?’

‘I’ve changed my mind.’

Without any warning, he took my hand and pulled me from the sofa. ‘Excuse us,’ he said to Luc and Judy as he dragged me from the room.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’ I demanded of him.

He said nothing, but pulled me behind him up the wide, marble stairs to the next level, past my bedroom to the next wing of the house and to a door I didn’t recognise. He pushed it open and as he ushered me through it, I heard the lock click in place.