Welcome to the Neighborhood (33 page)

“What?” Alexi asked in surprise.

Chris gave Greg a knowing gaze. “He has a good idea.”

Alexi swung her head to Greg. “Why the entire barn?”

“They need to be taught a lesson about stealing on our territory,” Chris said, and she turned to look at him. “It looks to me as if you’re not the only person they’ve stole from. This kind of activity is not tolerated.”

“So you’re letting the thieves go?”

“Yes, but don’t worry, they won’t bother you ever again. In fact, once word spreads from within our pack, these guys probably won’t even venture over the Indiana line.”

Alexi slowly shifted her gaze to Greg. Her solemn expression led him to believe she questioned Chris’s plan.

“None of this stuff is their property. The owners have probably already filed claims with their insurance companies,” Greg said. “It wouldn’t be right if we let them get away and they can sell this stuff that doesn’t belong to them. They need to learn they can’t come to Indiana and steal.”

She pressed her lips together and scanned the table again. “All right. It’s your territory. I trust you.”

Chris tightened the chain around his prisoner’s throat. “You hear that? You get to run free in a few minutes. Make sure you warn you partners not to come back here or go near her. Do you understand?”

The choking werewolf shook his head.

Greg took the gun from the table, strode past Alexi and stopped in front of the thief. He pointed the gun at the werewolf’s shoulder. Sweat trickled from the man’s red face as he gasped for air. Greg veered the gun past him, then fired it. The werewolf flinched in response to the loud blast.

“If I ever hear of you near her, or smell you near, I won’t hesitate to shoot you next time,” Greg said with a deathly gaze on the thief. “Understand?”

The werewolf nodded.

Greg turned to Alexi. “You should grab your belongings and get a head start. We’ll catch up with you.”

She quietly gathered her bags and the metal box. Her movements were slow and Greg feared she was getting weaker. He needed to get her help, and would as soon as they set the barn ablaze. The first items to toast were her maker’s keepsakes.

Alexi approached with her property in hand. Greg stepped in front of her, bringing her to a stop. He kissed her forehead and noticed how cold her skin felt. Though she wouldn’t admit it, she appeared extremely dehydrated. He hoped she would at least make it to Jerry’s house.

“I won’t be long.” He rubbed his nose next to hers.

“I won’t be far,” she said with a pained smile.

His heart jumped. She was in agony. He couldn’t waist anymore time.

He pressed his hand to her cold cheek. “Hold on, for me. I’m coming soon.”

She nodded, then stepped around him and left.

Greg twisted to face Chris.

“Ready to play with fire?” Chris asked.

“More than ready.”

24

Alexi sat in the passenger seat of her car with the seat tilted back and her eyes closed. The trek from the house had been difficult and she’d come close to collapsing a few times. She was weak, extremely achy, tired and thirsty. She desperately needed blood to replenish what she’d lost, but she refused to let Greg know just how distressed she was. Because he cared for her so much, she feared he’d cut himself to force her to feed from him. In her weak and hungry state, she wouldn’t be able to resist him, which scared her. She’d taken enough blood from him earlier. Withdrawing more might cause a serious problem for him. A risk she didn’t want to take. She’d put on her best I’ll-be-fine act and struggled through the cornfield. As soon as she reached the vehicle, Greg ran off to change. She’d tossed the contents of her safe in the back, then she’d dropped into the front seat where she now waited.

The roar of a fire engine forced her eyes open. She sat up and stared at the mirror outside her window. The blaring sound intensified and seconds later a red truck zoomed by with lights flashing. Another whizzed by, following the first.

She leaned against her seat feeling as if the elephant on her back no longer weighed her down. Her maker’s keepsakes were gone, destroyed in the blaze. The idea to get rid of them struck her as she read over the obituaries Greg had handed to her. She wept internally for all the lives forever changed. Her maker had killed many, destroyed families, including hers and turned more than a dozen people into vampires. She’d never understand why he selected her and the others to spend eternity walking the earth. Maybe he was lonely at the time. Whatever the reason, the keepsakes were painful reminders to her and anyone who might find them. She wanted to forget about him and her past, leave the painful memories locked up in a microscopic vault in her mind. She had Greg now and he loved her with his heart and soul and body too. Yes, the time to move on had arrived.

Letting go of the past wasn’t reason enough to destroy his keepsakes. By burning his financial documents, she ensured all his assets and properties would remain secure. He never changed his accounts or sold the various homes he had after she left him. She’d checked numerous times. Maybe he hadn’t changed anything, hoping she’d steal from him so he’d have a reason to find and punish her. She’d often wondered. Pushing thoughts of her maker aside, she grinned. She didn’t have to worry about keeping his information hidden any longer. As for the records belonging to all the vampires born from his blood, they didn’t need any kind of reminder about their family’s deaths. Why cause more anguish?

The driver’s side door opened and the scent of something burning rushed into the car. Greg fell into the seat. He had damp hair and sweat covered his face. He shoved the key into the ignition and gunned the engine.

“How are you feeling?” he asked as he powered the GPS monitor.

“I’ll feel better after we get back to Westport.” No sooner had she spoke and a cramp tightened in her gut, sending a sharp pain to her head. She clamped her jaw and winced in agony.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

“Hunger pain,” she said from behind clenched teeth. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen and wished her soaked shirt didn’t cling to her like plastic wrap.

“Hang on, sweetheart.”

He shifted his attention back to the GPS device and tapped the screen multiple times. She tried to see what he was typing, but the blaring sound of another fire engine aggravated her headache as it sped by. She couldn’t focus or concentrate.

“The fire must be bad,” she said, hoping to free her mind from the pain consuming it.

He studied the monitor while his finger slid up the screen. “After I made sure your maker’s belongings were ash, Chris and I set fire to different areas of the barn. He also rigged it so the propane tank would ignite.”

That explained the loud boom she’d heard right before Chris and Greg caught up to her in the cornfield. She hadn’t paused to look back and see what the explosion was from as she’d focused on trying to stand on her feet and make it to the car instead.

“Thank you,” she said.

He tapped the monitor, then looked at her. “I love you, Alexi. You’re my mate. I’d do anything for you.”

She reached out and touched his face with the back of her fingers. His smooth cheek felt so warm. And his eyes were full of love and compassion. Her gut cramped while her teeth ached, signaling she needed to feed.

He took her hand and kissed it. “I’m going to get you help, but if you need to feed now–”

“No!” she said a little too loudly, then calmed. “No, I won’t feed from you. I’ve taken enough already.”

He set her hand on her knee. “Then give me a few minutes.”

Greg shifted the gear and began backing out of the driveway. Alexi closed her eyes and wondered how he could get her help. Only one thing could make her pain go away. One substance would heal her, and she needed an abundance of it. She needed at least three humans to replenished her loss and without harming her donors. Where on earth could he take her to where she could easily feed?

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but the slightest movement from the car irritated her hunger pains. Her upper gum ached and her canines lowered. She was ready to act on a split-second notice. Pressing her lips together, she hoped Greg wouldn’t notice.

“Chris told me about a hospital in Chicago that caters to nonhumans,” he said.

She opened her eyes. “Really?”

“I’ve heard about them on PTV. Westport doesn’t have one and as far as I know, neither does Indianapolis. But I heard rumors city officials were considering converting an outdated hospital into one for supernatural creatures.”

“I’d heard about them on television too.”

“Have you been to one?” he asked as he glanced away from the road.

“No, and I didn’t know there was one in Chicago. But then, I never ran into a situation where I needed to visit a hospital.”

Greg’s expression turned dreary. “I can’t say how sorry I am about everything that has happened.”

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for. I’d rather take a bullet than you. It won’t destroy me, not even if it’s silver.”

His lips twitched as if he were attempting to grin. “I meant since you moved to Westport. Since the day you moved next door to me, you’ve had to struggle. It doesn’t seem fair. You didn’t do anything to deserve this kind of frustration or pain.”

“But if I hadn’t have moved, I never would’ve met you.” She lifted her hand to touch him. Noticing her skin clinging tight to her bones, she drew her hand back. God, she was hideous in her dehydrated state. How could he bare to look at her? She couldn’t even get her pointed teeth to retract. And the scent of his blood added to her agony. She twisted to face her window and tucked her bony hands between her legs in an effort to hide her ugliness from him.

“Are you in more pain?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong, besides the obvious?”

She stared out the window for the longest time, avoiding his question. The answer was the obvious. She was a monster that fed upon the living, human and animal. How could anyone care about her? How could Greg, an honest and compassionate man have feelings for her? Once again, the voice in her head told her he deserved better. He should be with a mate who he could grow old with, someone who didn’t have to drink blood to survive.

“Alexi?”

She blinked her eyes to stop the tears before they escaped. “Maybe it would’ve been better if we hadn’t have met.”

Her heart ached for him. She loved him and wanted to spend every minute with him. But they were very different creatures.

“How can you say that? Do you regret us meeting?” His tone sounded worried.

“No.” She shook her head. Regret wasn’t a thought in her mind. She was overjoyed to have met Greg. He showed her love, true love. For the first time in her existence, she’d met a man who was genuine and longed to make the world a better place, if only through one baby step at a time. The effort counted.

“You said you loved me–”

“And I do. Believe me, I do.” She lowered her head as she fought the temptation to turn and face him. She longed to see his loving eyes and succulent lips. But surely, she’d gross him out with her hideous appearance.

“I don’t understand.” He let out a deep sigh. “Why won’t you look at me?”

“You don’t want to see me.”

“What do you mean?”

She licked her cracked lips and disgusted herself. Even she didn’t want to look in the mirror. “I’m not very attractive right now.”

“Do you think I care about how you look?”

“I’m not someone you should spend your precious life with.”

“I believe I’m the judge of that.”

“I’m a monster who feeds upon the living. I could kill you in seconds.”

“You won’t. You’re not a killer or any kind of monster. You feed upon the living because you have to in order to survive. You’re a good person who wouldn’t hurt me or anyone else.”

She squeezed her eyes closed. Damn it, why couldn’t he stop arguing with her?

“I’ve seen you weak before. You don’t scare me. And that little act of I’m-stronger-than-you…It makes me want to throw you down on a bed and show you just how strong I can be.”

Her lips tugged to form a smile. She couldn’t help it. The man’s charm always came through at the right moment, and it warmed her soul. The mere thought of him trying to prove his strength gave rise to another desire. How could she ignore him?

Slowly, she turned to face him. He gazed directly at her. His loving blue eyes were the most gorgeous set she’d seen. She could stare at them forever.

“The fact you are a vampire doesn’t frighten me, not for a second. I love
you
, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If you love me, please accept me into your world. I promise I will make every day a happy one.”

She considered his request as he turned onto the interstate. If she honored his appeal, surely all her days would be beyond blissful, and pleasurable. Without any doubt, his happiness would match hers. Yet, one thing concerned her. She’d have to watch him grow old, and one day, pass on. Could she do it?

“I’d lov…” An intense pang shot through her, cutting off her words. She dubbed over and nearly smacked her head on the dash.

“Alexi!” Greg yelled. He placed his hand on her back. “Tell me what’s happening.”

She leaned sideways toward the door in her pained state. Her mouth hung open with her two pointed teeth fully exposed. Ringing in her ears along with the ungodly stiffness in her muscles consumed her thoughts. The agony was worse than when she’d fallen down the stairs.

“Alexi!”

She heard him shout, but the world had started spinning around her. Her agonizing condition left her mummified. And thank God. She didn’t want to attack anyone. Better to pass out than leech from the closest person.

He called her name again. This time he sounded distant. Head pressed to the door, she gave up fighting and succumbed to a peaceful state of unconsciousness.

* * * *

Greg held her cold hand as he sat next to her in the hospital. Her pallid tone had improved and her eye sockets no longer swallowed her eyes. Though she still showed signs of dehydration, two bags of blood had greatly improved her condition. She needed more to make a full recovery. He didn’t care how many bags it took, the expense, or if it took all night and morning, he’d wait by her side and ensure she received the treatment she needed. This was his mate. His woman. His love. Nothing could force him away from her.