Lover's Kiss (13 page)

Chapter 18

"Soon," Penny breathed.

"I know," Beth responded.

Penny started. "Did I say that, or think it?"

"What?" Beth turned and looked at her. She smiled and reached over to squeeze Penny's hand on the arm of her chair. They'd brought in two chairs to sit in the corner and watch as John's final breaths slipped away. "Soon? I think you said it, but I'm not sure now that you mention it."

Penny smiled and shook her head. "I knew you were bad news the moment I saw you."

Beth's jaw dropped. "Bad news? You don't strike me as the type of lady that does something that would be bad for her."

"I'm slipping in my old age."

"Stop it," Beth scolded her.

The fell into a comfortable silence and continued to watch the shallow rise and fall of John's chest. He was lying on Penny's bed, on top of another plastic sheet just like the one Beth had died on. Next to him was the sleeping woman. Denise Roberts, the old woman with terminal cancer. She'd said her goodbyes and come to see Beth for one last adventure.

"Are you worried?" Penny asked.

Beth glanced at her. "Can't you tell?"

Penny tilted her head. "I want to hear you talk."

Beth nodded. "A little. Afraid more than anything. If he rises but it's not really him— what's that like?"

"You might not be able to tell at first. It's how he reacts to us. How he responds to seeing us. That's what will tell us."

"And if he's not, um, him?"

"Then we kill him. We hold him down and drain him dry."

"Jesus!"

Penny smirked. "Then we'll cut his head off and stake him out on the roof for the sun to take him."

Beth stared at her blood sister. She felt the power of Penny's conviction and drew strength from it. She ran her tongue over her teeth. "I hope we don't have to," she said.

"Of course," Penny said.

"Penny! Why are you still jealous?"

"I'm not," Penny said and shrugged.

Beth fixed her with a stare. Penny was lying. "I can feel you, remember?"

Penny scowled. "That's not fair. Fine. Mostly."

"I have no intentions on doing what we did with John," Beth said.

Penny turned to look at her. Her blue eyes danced over Beth's face before she turned to look at the bed again. "Why not?"

"Because this is special," Beth said. "Intense. I don't know if I could share this much with somebody else."

"Oh?"

"Or if I would want to," she admitted.

"Mmm, that I like. Tell me more."

Beth grinned. "Well, you get me. And I get you. Or I think I do, I'm still learning so much about you. We have kindred spirits, I think. Souls that are a perfect match. We don't get catty and fight over stupid shit like most girlfriends do. It just feels right."

Penny smiled and spared her a quick glance.

"With someone else? It wouldn't feel right. Well, maybe if I met the right person, but I'd have to want it and find them at the same time. Pretty unlikely. John? He's nice, sexy, caring. The perfect guy. Maybe sex and all that isn't as important anymore— or at all— but I'm attracted to him on more than just a girl-likes-guy kind of way. The thing is, we don't have as much in common as you and I do and there are parts of me I want to keep to myself, you know? "

Penny smiled but it faded almost before it began. She sat up a little straighter and nodded. "It's time."

Beth's eyes widened. She felt Penny's hand squeeze hers as she watched John's chest rise a final time and then fall. No, not fall, it collapsed. His breath rattled out of his chest and his body lay still. Unnaturally, deathly still.

Beth leaned forward and ran her tongue back and forth over her teeth. John, or John's body, rested on the bed. Was that what she'd looked like when she'd died and risen?

"Yes."

Beth glanced at Penny, not surprised by her answer. She heard the plastic crackle on the bed and jerked her head back. John's foot had twitched. Penny squeezed her hand again, reminding her to sit down. She lowered herself back to the chair and waited.

The wait wasn't long. His hands twitched and then his arms moved. He waved them back and forth before his head twisted right and then left. John twisted and rolled up on his side, staring at the sick woman sharing his bed. He shuffled closer on the bed, focused entirely on her, and reached for her head.

Beth was leaning as far forward as she could without falling out of her chair. She  pressed her lips together to keep from making a noise and urging him on. Penny had insisted that she remain a silent observer, just as she had done. Only after he was finished feeding the first time was she allowed to talk.

John stopped and picked his head up. He turned slowly, looking around the room with eyes that were narrowed. His pupils were dilated, making them look black and bottomless.

Beth's eyes widened. Was he going to see them? What would he do? How would he react? She began to turn to Penny but stopped. She felt Penny inside of her. She knew what to do. Beth focused her thoughts the same as she had when she'd encountered the homeless people, This time it was easier. She was more focused and aware without the heroin racing through her veins.

John swiveled his head and looked around the room, his eyes passing over both of them as though they weren't there. He brought his attention back to the woman and stared down at her. Beth could see his struggle. He was thirsty. Thirstier than he'd ever been in his life. She wanted to drain the woman for him it was so obvious.

He lifted his head up and stared up at the ceiling. His mouth opened and closed, allowing a strangled growl to slip out. He sucked in a breath and then panted through a half dozen breaths. He looked down at the woman again and squeezed his eyes shut. "Forgive me," he whispered.

Beth jerked as he fell on her and drove his teeth into her throat. Penny pulled her hand as she started to lurch forward. Beth froze and watched as blood ran down the woman's neck and pooled on the plastic sheet. Had she been that messy her first time?

The woman jerked and woke, but after a few tenses moments she relaxed and fell still. A hissing moan escaped her lips as he drank from the gaping wound. He kept drinking and licking until the woman's final breaths rattled in her chest and she lay still.

Beth rose with Penny and stood in the corner. John picked his head up and stared down at the corpse. He reached up to touch his lips and then pulled his bloody fingers away. The woman had a smile on her face but he was more interested in his fingers.

"That's how you felt when I drank from you," Beth said.

John twisted and stared at her. "What did you do to me?" he wheezed.

"Breathe," Penny said. "You don't have to anymore, but if you want to speak, you must."

He sucked in a breath and turned to look at the woman again. "I just killed her. I couldn't stop. I tried to, but I couldn't. You've made me a monster!"

Beth's eyes widened. She shook her head and turned to Penny.

"This woman asked for a peaceful end," she said. "Cancer. Her time was near and she wished a blissful end. You gave her that. Does that offend your morals?"

"I—" he hesitated and looked at her again. "I don't know. We have laws. I shouldn't—"

"Laws are for the living," Penny said. "You enjoyed it, yes? Feeding? Drinking from her. Draining her life and offering her sacrifice to the elder gods within you."

He twitched and turned to give them his full attention. His green eyes burrowed into Penny. "Yes, I loved it," he snarled. He shook his head and stared at the ground before dragging in a ragged breath and admitting, "I'm so confused."

Beth stepped forward and held out her hand. "John, you are John?"

His eyes focused on her, shrinking the black circles. His lips jerked for a moment, lifting into a quick smile. "Yes," he wheezed and then pulled in a fresh breath. "I am. I— it was horrible. I had to do…had to… my partner."

Beth crawled onto the bed and pulled him to her. "Shh, you can tell me later. Or never, if you like. I haven't spoken of my fight. You survived, John. You are a fighter. And a lover."

He pulled his head back and looked at her. "I don't know if I can do this."

"You can," Beth insisted. "I will teach you. I will help you. I will be here, for you. With you."

He nodded. "I— I'll try."

"It gets easier," Penny offered.

Beth glanced back at Penny and sent her a grateful smile. She turned back to John. "Come, let's get you cleaned up. We may have a lot of time but I can't wait to begin the rest of our, um, lives!"

John nodded and looked back at the dead woman. "She wanted this?" he asked.

"Yes," Beth said. "You met her that night you saw me at the bus stop."

He nodded. "I remember. Are there others, like her?"

"Probably," Beth said.

"There's no shortage of people to feed on," Penny said. "Wicked, dying, or otherwise."

John nodded. "It was… surreal. Empowering."

"Like sex," Beth said. "Really, really good sex."

"Better," John agreed. "Is it always like that, or is it just another drug that I'll build up tolerance to?"

"Always," Beth said. "Or at least it has been so far for me."

Both of them turned to Penny. She nodded and offered a smile, confirmed what Beth told him.

John turned to Beth and smiled. He pulled her in for a hug and said, " I think things are going to be just fine."

Beth lips split into a smile that revealed her teeth. Her eyes sparkled and drew a matching smile from Penny. The elder said, "I'm happy for you."

"Be happy for us," Beth said. "There are three of us now. You can have the family you were denied. We will be here to look after each other and to love each other."

Penny raised an eyebrow and slowly nodded. Beth felt her hesitate, but more importantly, she felt a glimmer of hope bubbling deep inside her blood sister. The hope she felt made it's way to Penny and caused the elder vampire's smile to grow wider. Beth let out a squeal as John picked her up and twirled her around. Life— or death— was getting better by the minute. She couldn't wait to see what tomorrow's sunset would bring.

###

Afterward by the Author

My second series and it's complete! Yes, Blood Kissed ends with only three books. One beta reader was disappointed that I wasn't going to continue Beth's story, even though each individual story is longer and more fleshed out.

Like I told her, this is the end, and it's not. For readers that have read my other books, you're recognizing a lot of characters, places, and events. I'm weaving them all together for a reason. Both for comfort and to have a little more fun with old friends. Oh, and because I have a lot of plans down the road.

Plans that keep werewolves, vampires, watches, and more dancing together. I've got paladins and wolf slayers running around too. So many options to pick from. So many opportunities for unlikely relationships and star (or moon) crossed love affairs!

About the Author

Dawn Michelle is a girl next door turned mother of two and household champion. After years of watching her husband write novel after novel and not trying to write the stories she was interested in she decided it was time she showed him how it was done.

If you enjoyed Dawn’s writing and would like to have a chance to find out more about her and her new releases, please
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Claimed by the Beast series:

Claimed by the Beast – Part One

Claimed by the Beast – Part Two

Claimed by the Beast - Part Three

Claimed by the Beast – Part Four

Claimed by the Beast – Part Five

Claimed by the Beast – Part Six

Blood Kissed series:

First Kiss
(book 1)

Forever Kiss
(book 2)

Lover's Kiss
(book 3)

Stand Alone Books:

Taken by the Beast