Welcome to the Neighborhood (9 page)

Panic motivated her and she ran as fast as she could in her heels. She descended the staircase, but her shoes made it difficult for her to hurry. Several steps down, her ankle twisted. She ignored the slight bit of discomfort and continued on her path. A few stairs later, the heel of her shoe snapped. She twisted her ankle and heard another loud crack. White-hot pain she couldn’t ignore raced up her leg. Her knee buckled and she fell forward. She hit her knees and arms as she tumbled down the staircase. When she hit her head, the pain ended and she lost consciousness.

* * * *

Greg watched in horror as Alexi’s body rolled down the stairs. The loud thumps as her body and head hit the steps made his stomach tighten. The snaps of bones breaking sounded the worst. He held his breath and fought the urge to spew. Bones popping and contorting never bothered him when he or others shifted into a werewolf. But witnessing the woman he cared for break her bones was too much for him to handle.

“Alexi,” he yelled and jogged down the steps.

Her body crashed onto the floor and rolled once more before stopping. Fear and panic fueled his racing heart. He jumped down the steps, taking two at a time. She lay motionless on her stomach at the bottom, a leg and arm twisted in an unnatural shape. One shoe with a broken heel remained on her foot while the other appeared missing. A coating of blood on her forehead raised his anxiety. Oh, God, what if she was dead?

Wait, she was dead. But even the undead felt pain.

“Alexandria!” He yelled again near the bottom of the staircase.

He reached the end of the staircase, leaped over her body and fell to his knees. She looked dead with closed eyes and dark red fluid spilling over her pale skin. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Alexi.” He hoped for a twitch, something. When she didn’t move, he choked on fear. “Oh, God.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “Think, Greg. Think.”

Thoughts swarmed in his head while the urge to do something chiseled at his soul. What should he do? How long would she be out? Would she need blood to heal? He’d never dealt with an injured vampire before. Would she try to attack him when she woke up?

As he stared at her lifeless, half-naked body, he didn’t believe she would try to bite him. The lovely vamp had a temper, but she showed great restraint earlier toward Sylvia, proving Alexi wasn’t the vicious type. She had independent and stubborn qualities, but not ferociousness.

He considered moving her but hesitated with the fear he might bring her more pain. He wondered if she could even feel anything since she wasn’t responding. Greg glanced around the large, furnished basement. One short hall led to a room on his left. To his right, he saw a living room with furniture on one end and another hall. The wall prevented him from seeing how far the hallway went or if there were any rooms. Turning his gaze back to the furniture, he decided the sofa would seem like a better place to rest than the hard floor.

Greg put his hands under her armpits and lifted her slightly. Her limp body felt heavy and awkward. Carefully, he rolled her toward his body and slid an arm under her legs. He stood slowly, lifting her in his arms. The smell of fresh blood drifted in his nose. The dark substance covered her forehead and she had a gash above her brow. Adrenaline shot through him in his desperation to help her. He couldn’t do anything about her bones, but he could take action to stop the bleeding.

He carried her to the living room and stepped around a wood coffee table to the black sofa. The leather made a low wrestling sound as he slowly placed his precious cargo over the cushions. Ever so gently, he slipped his arms from underneath her.

Wasting no time, he backed away only to hit the back of his foot on the table, creating a loud thump. “Damn it.”

Greg walked around the table, then dashed down the hall. He found four doors, two on each side of the wall. Stopping at the first one on his right, he pushed the door open. The scent of floral soap clung to the air. Finding a long counter with two sinks, he knew he’d reached the right room. He quickly located a towel and washcloth, wet the smaller one with cold water, then raced back to Alexi.

Greg dropped to his knees and started cleaning the blood from her face. He wiped the wet cloth over the area, then used the dry one, repeating the steps until most of blood was gone. The gash on her forehead looked nasty, pink and puffy, but not gaping open. At least she was healing and she didn’t need stitches. He hoped her bones were fixing themselves too.

Holding the dirty towels in his hands, he rose and stared at her. She looked dead as a corpse, but still beautiful in her lacy bra and panties. He sat on the table across from her and wondered what more he could do to help her. There had to be something. But what? He wished he knew more about vampires.

“Greg? Alexandria?”

The sound of Corey’s voice lifted his spirit. He twisted to face the stairs. “In the basement.” He set the soiled towels on the coffee table, then headed for the staircase. The dark splotch on the carpet looked horrible. Damn, she probably wouldn’t be happy.

Corey descended the stairs. “I parked Alexandria’s car next to your car. Did you see the hole in her patio door?” He stopped on the last step, his gaze focused on the stain on the carpet. “What’s that?”

Greg gripped his arm. “I needed you to get Phillip and bring him here.”

“What? Why?”

“Alexi is hurt and I need to know she will be okay.”

Corey turned his head toward the living room. “Is that her? Let me see her.”

Greg nudged Corey to go back upstairs. There wasn’t time to waste. “Please, just do this for me. Get Phillip and tell him I need his help with Alexandria.”

“What happened to her? Is she all right?”

“I don’t know.” He placed his foot on the first step as he practically pushed Corey to move. “That’s why I need you to get him and bring him back as quickly as possible.”

Corey finally took the hint and jogged up the steps. “I can’t believe this. I’m about to ask a vampire for help.”

Greg remained downstairs. “Tell him it’s for me.”

Corey rounded the corner then disappeared from sight. The sound of his footsteps thudded upstairs as he ran through the house.

Alone again, Greg returned to Alexi’s side. She hadn’t moved and the red mark on her forehead remained vibrant. A sick feeling churned within him. He wanted to do something, but was helpless.

He ran his fingers through his hair and paced the room. Phillip could suggest a way to wake her up and help her heal back to normal. Hell, if Greg had to donate his blood, he was more than willing if it would heal Alexi. He glanced at her beautiful body. Sleeping beauty. If only a kiss would wake her. Well, what if?

He kneeled by her and gently glided his fingers over her lips. The coolness of them bothered him. Since she didn’t respond to his touch he decided a kiss wouldn’t matter. He gripped his shirt tangled on her body and tugged on it in an effort to cover her precious goods. His fingers brushed over her skin and he noticed her body felt cold too. She appeared more pallid from earlier. He wondered if heat would help her.

Greg dashed down the hall in search of a blanket. He pushed open the first door on the left this time. An unmade queen-size bed with a black headboard occupied the middle of the room. Ruffled fleece blankets, at least two he counted, were on the mattress. The walls were white and a long antique dresser took up half of a wall along the far back. Knickknacks appeared spread out on top of the dresser, except one item looked like a vibrator. He peered closer. The shape was unmistakable. He shook his head, saddened that such a lovely woman used a machine for pleasure. If he could help her in that area, he would. He definitely wanted to.

Stepping into the room, he noticed another door almost directly to the side of the one he’d come through. The closet, he suspected. Framed artwork leaning against stacks of boxes took up the space along the wall past the door. Stepping past the boxes, he reached over the bed and grabbed a fleece blanket.

He rushed back to Alexi and draped the cover over her body. The length didn’t cover her entire legs, but came close enough. Seeing one shoe still on a foot, he slipped it off and dropped it on the floor. Dark blue polish with light blue polka dots covered her toenails. The sight brought a smile to his face. A vampire with a vibrator and painted toes. Maybe the undead weren’t so different from the living after all.

“Greg.” Corey’s voice trickled through the house and basement. “Phillip is with me.”

As if he didn’t know. The patters of two pairs of feet were an instant giveaway.

Greg headed for the staircase as Corey led the way down the steps. When Phillip’s arctic gaze hit Greg, he wondered if asking the vamp for help was the right thing to do. Phillip’s stony face and dark eyes suggested he was not pleased.
Tough shit
, Greg thought while he clenched his jaw. Alexi needed help.

“Thank you for coming here, Phillip,” Greg said to appease the vampire.

“A werewolf asking for help for a vampire. I had to see it for my own eyes.”

Corey exchanged a look with Greg as he reached the end of the stairs, but kept silent.

“I smell blood,” Phillip said before he noticed the spot on the carpet and grimaced. “That might be difficult to remove.”

“She fell down the steps and hit her head. I’m not sure if she is okay, or not.” Greg walked next to Phillip as he headed straight for Alexandria’s motionless body.

Corey stood off to Greg’s side. “Did you see her fall?”

The three of them stopped near the coffee table. Greg turned to Corey and nodded. “It happened so fast.” He twisted to face Phillip. “I think she might have some broken bones, and she lost some blood.”

“Obviously.” Phillip crossed his arms. “So, why am I here?”

Greg extended his arm toward her. “She hasn’t woken up. I don’t know what to do.”

“She looks awfully pale,” Corey said.

“Her body is healing. She’ll need blood.” Phillip peered past Greg at Corey, and the vampire’s sandy brown hair fell forward over his shoulders.

“Don’t look at me. I like my blood to stay in my body.”

The vampire looked at Greg.

“I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Phillip smirked. “Such a good little neighbor.”

Gregg stiffened at the comment. He was far from little and sure as hell could give the vamp, or any vamp, a fair fight.

“How do we give her blood if she’s knocked out?” Corey asked.

“Duh. You can’t,” Phillip said.

Greg balled his hands as he held back his irritation with the vamp, though he really wanted to take a swing at him. “How do we wake her?”

“A good slap in the face should work.”

“Are you insane?” Greg blurted out. “I’m not slapping a woman in the face.” Vampire or not, he wouldn’t.

“Fine. I’ll do it.” Phillip lowered his arms and casually stepped toward her.

Greg reached out and gripped his arm. “Maybe you hit women in your day, but we don’t in today’s world.”

Phillip jerked his arm free. “Look, mutt, you asked for my help. Do you want it or not?”

Greg inhaled a deep breath as he shifted his gaze to the beautiful woman sleeping on the sofa.

“What if we don’t wake her up? Will she be all right on her own?” Corey asked.

Phillip kneeled on one knee in front of her.

Greg’s duty to protect her kicked in fast. He smacked the vamp’s shoulder. “What are you doing?”

The vampire’s icy glare met Greg’s eyes. “I need to touch her to find out how cold she is.”

“Why?”

Phillip gripped Greg’s hand and shoved it off his shoulder as if he were flicking dust off. “When a vampire is injured, the body will draw from blood within to heal. Our bodies become cold, ashen, and in extreme situations, a vampire can become nothing more than skin and bones.”

“Gross,” Corey said.

“It’s because our bodies are sucking every bit of nutrients in the blood to become whole again.”

“Is there anything else that can help her? Anything at all?” Greg asked.

Phillip snickered. “Do you know anything about vampires?”

Greg lowered his gaze, hating to admit he didn’t know anything about how to care for them, but it was the truth. He’d never imagined he’d take such a keen interest in one, so he never bothered to learn much about them. He knew the obvious–they needed blood to survive. Aside from that fact, decapitation and incineration was a sure way to end their immortal existence. His limited knowledge now put him at a disadvantage.

“So, if we don’t wake her, can she…die?” Corey asked.

“She’s already dead, wolfboy.”

“Is she in pain?” Greg asked.

“Are you in pain when you’re unconscious?”

Annoyance snaked down Greg’s spine. Now he knew why he never spoke to Phillip. His neighbor’s arrogant and rude attitude made him a real asshole.

Corey stepped around the coffee table and stood next to Phillip, who was still on one knee. “What can get rid of a vampire?”

“If you want me to leave, just ask,” Phillip said.

“I think he meant, what can kill, er, destroy a vampire?” Greg asked.

Phillip shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m educating werewolves.”

“Humor us, please.” Greg glanced at Alexi and hoped she’d wake up on her own at any given minute. Maybe their voices would trigger her brain to snap back to reality.

“Decapitation and fire,” Phillip said.

As he touched Alexi’s face, Greg watched him closely.

“What about the sun?” Corey asked.

“It could over an extended length of time. We can tolerate some rays, though it gives us a nasty rash and it’s very painful.”

“How does she feel?” Greg asked.

“Cold, and her lips are losing their color.” Phillip looked at Greg. “Do you want my help or not?”

Greg stared at the vamp. He couldn’t hit Alexi or allow Phillip to, no matter how much he wanted to help her. There had to be another way to wake her.

“Oh, hell.” Phillip slapped Alexi’s cheek with his palm, then smacked the other side of her face with the back of his hand. He did it so fast Greg didn’t have a chance to stop him.