“We should do this later.”
“Don’t you want to?”
“You know I do, but you want to finish this and I need to tell Ivan about the salt so he just doesn’t walk into it. I don’t want you to jump into anything.”
He was right. Keaton was giving me more time to make up my mind. He brushed a kiss across my forehead and then left the room. I continued to lay the line of salt across all the openings, the door, windows, and even the fireplace. The stairs creaked, so I knew Keaton was coming back up. Done, I set the salt on the nightstand and sat on the bed. His body depressed the mattress. He snuggled up against me drawing me closer. Nothing was said between us. That didn’t matter. The only thing that was more important was that he was there for me. Some of the darkness surrounding my soul evaporated.
Chapter Seven
The next morning I was glad it was Friday, and I had the day off anyway. Keaton had stayed with me most of the night. Nightmares plagued me, but Keaton had woken me during them and said soothing words until I calmed enough to sleep again. I cleaned up the salt and hoped that the remnants wouldn’t hurt Ivan. After I dressed, I found the half troll downstairs cooking breakfast. He offered me a plate. I didn’t say much and neither did he. When I went to leave, Keaton waited for me at the foot of the steps.
“Your car awaits.”
“I thought you couldn’t go out in the sun.”
He was bundled up in a long sleeve shirt, pants, and wide sunglasses. “I can move about in the day. It weakens me, but it can be done. My car has special glass that filters the UV rays. Come on.”
I shrugged and followed him outside. Keaton winced when we stepped out into the direct light. He opened the door for me. Once I got in he raced around the car to get in.
We drove in silence back toward my house. As we drove, I thought a lot about what he had said to me the night before. The more I contemplated being without him, the more I didn’t want to be. Maybe he was right. I was the recipient of bad circumstances. When I reached the house, I shivered. A dark cloud blotted out the sun. Keaton stopped and I got out. With keys in hand, I mounted the stairs and went to slide the key into the lock. However, when I placed my hand on the door, it swung open. I glanced back at Keaton. He shut the engine off and then rushed out of the car.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. Something isn’t right. None of my roommates wouldn’t lock the door. Not in this neighborhood.”
He went in ahead of me. I heard a harsh growl utter from his throat. “Stay here.” He waved me back and then bolted into the house.
I looked around and didn’t see anyone. Finally, I went inside. When I did, I was immediately hit with the damp, overwhelming, wet aroma that was laced with metal. The living room was splashed with blood. There was a trail of it leading into the kitchen. I followed it and found Sandi dead on the floor. An open wound on his throat was dried with blood. The tears in the skin showed his muscled beneath the flesh.
Oh shit! What the hell happened in here?
I blanched and turned from the scene.
I heard footsteps upstairs and rushed up them. I found Keaton, fangs extended in my bedroom. The state of my room was in shambles. The mattress and bedding were in tatters. My drawers hand been rifled through. Clothes were strewn on the floor. Glass littered the floor from the window being broken inward. My closet had been picked through. Keaton stopped me when I stepped forward.
“Stay there. You’ll contaminate the scent.”
I stepped away from the room. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
What happened?
My blood ran cold at the sight. If I had been there then I’d have been shredded too. Someone had broken in and killed my roommate. It looked like they were aiming for me.
Stephania had said there was evil stalking the night.
That’s why she gave me the salt.
She knew something was coming to my apartment
. But I hadn’t been. I’d been with Keaton. This was worse than anything that had ever happened to me. I stumbled backward until I hit the wall. I slid down the solid surface and looked at my shaking hand. Keaton came out from my room and said something. He took me by the arms and lifted me up. His lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear anything he said.
He patted my cheek. It didn’t register in that he was touching me. He snapped his fingers in front of my face. The blackness that had descended over us had me in its grip. Sandi became Mark, sprawled out on the floor. He opened his eyes and stared at me. He began to speak.
“This is all your fault. Madi—”
I covered my ears and squeezed my eyes shut. “No. No. I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill you. No—”
“Madison,” I opened my eyes when someone shook me. Keaton’s lips were pursed. His forehead creased as he stared at me. He had my hands in his. Keaton kissed the back of one of them. His appearance had returned to normal. I focused on him and tried not to get pulled down back into the dark tide of images rising inside of my mind.
“What happened?”
“Another vampire was here. I think it was the one who attacked you the other night. Have you seen him since?”
I shook my head. “N-no. I-I would have told you if I had.”
“Of course you would have. Come on, we need to get you away from here.”
“But what about Sandi? We can’t just leave him in the kitchen. All that blood.”
“I’ve already called Ivan to come over. He will take care of the body.”
“How?”
“Do you really want to know?”
I shook my head. My stomach turned at what I thought Ivan would do since he had a penchant for raw, human meat. I couldn’t think of him snacking on my roommate. Keaton helped me up.
“Thank you.”
“You should come to my place for now. Do you need anything here?”
I glanced at my room, but I needed clothes. “Just give me a minute, okay?”
“Sure.” Keaton stepped away. I grabbed a suitcase from my closet amongst the wreckage. Some clothes were okay. Those went into the bag. In my dresser were a few bras and panties to wear along with some pajamas that I would need. I gathered my laptop and a couple of books I was reading. But none of that seemed to matter. I walked out of my room and in that moment knew that I was saying goodbye to my old life and beginning a new one. Keaton brought me back to his house afterwards.
The last thing I had taken with me was an old stuffed bear that hadn’t been shredded. I snuggled closer with it in the bed. Keaton walked into the bedroom carrying a mug filled with hot tea. He gave it to me. I blew the steam away and sipped on it.
“You’ll stay here from now on. We’ll go shopping when you’re ready. Sunday if you want.”
I shook my head. “No. I told Stephania that I would meet her Sunday so we could go shopping.”
Keaton gave me a tight smile. “Well, that’s good.”
“You don’t sound like it is.”
“It’s not that. There is still some bad blood between us.”
“You don’t trust her?”
“No. I do. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’ll be careful. She seems sincere about our relationship. She did warn me about the evil and gave me the salt. If I had been home...” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Keaton grimaced. He ran his hand over my knee. “I know. If you had been there, I would’ve lost you.”
“Do you know who was in the house?”
He got up and began to pace. He clutched the bedpost. “It was that bastard who attacked you in the alleyway.”
“I thought you killed him?”
“So did I. He might have had someone with him. Pulled out the stake right after I left. I was too focused on you.”
“How did he find me?”
“He must have had a piece of your clothing to trace your scent. Did he take anything of yours that night?”
I thought back. His hand caressed my throat and ran through my hair. I had a scarf around my neck that night that he'd ripped off. “He took my scarf. I didn’t think about it because he dropped it to the ground.”
“He must have come back and grabbed it after we left.”
“Do you know who he is? Can he track me back here?”
Keaton nodded. “I know who he is.”
“Who?”
“Someone I thought would’ve known better. I’ll take care of him.”
“I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I love you.”
Keaton stopped pacing and stared at me. Surprise lit up his face. “What did you say?”
“That I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Before that.”
I felt the blood heat my cheeks. The words had slipped out, but once they did, I knew them to be true. He had protected me. Shown me that he loved me, and it wasn’t because of the mating fever or whatever the vampire mojo was that bound us together. “That I love you.”
He took my hands and peered into my eyes. “You mean that?”
“Yeah. I do. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t. I swear.” He wove his fingers in my hair and pulled me to him. His lips met mine, and I conformed my body to his. The pleasure of his touch ignited my need for him. Keaton thrust his tongue into my mouth. I tasted his sweetness. I cried out when he parted from me. I didn’t want him to be gone from me.
“Can I ask a favor?”
“Anything.”
I bit my lip and looked at him. I trailed my finger along his throat. He sucked in a breath. I slipped closer. My lips ran along his neck. I nipped at his flesh. “Let me taste you again.”
He pulled away with shock in his eyes. “You know if you do, it only hastens you turning into what I am. I don’t want to bring you into the darkness until you are ready to be with me forever.”
I bowed my head. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to ask.” I began to pull away from him, but he took my arm.
“No. You don’t have anything to forgive. I was surprised that you asked. That’s all. I’d never deny you anything. But allow me to sip from your veins.”
I pushed the hair from my neck. I guided him to my throat. His soft lips touched upon my flesh. The bolt of pleasure that speared through me from the simple gesture reminded me what Keaton was. The fear that I originally had for him wasted away. I trusted him now with my soul. He spread his lips over my jugular. His teeth pressed into my flesh. I slipped my fingers through his hair. His teeth plunged into me and I moaned. One hand cupped my breast. He squeezed it lightly. The nipple puckered when he brushed over it.
As I relaxed, I felt his mind poking against mine. I tried to drop the barriers on my thoughts. He sucked on me harder. The fire he sparked in me grew. It burned along my veins and engulfed me.
Keaton pulled away after a few more sips. When he did, I was out of breath, and my heart slammed against my chest. He cupped my chin and glanced at me. “Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Fabulous.”
“I’m glad. If I ever hurt you, then I couldn’t bear it.” He slid his finger along his neck. I wanted to taste him. I hungered for it. The longer I stared at the gash, the more the gnawing grew in my stomach.
“You’re hungry. It’s faint, but I can feel it in you.”
I nodded. “Yes.”