Born in the Shadows (In the Shadows Series Book 1) (12 page)

The hands refused to give and she was held until she was able to focus on Gabe’s face.

His face was ghostly pale and his knees wobbled uncontrollably. Zeke was still at Gabe’s side and his grip was the only thing keeping Gabe upright. Jesus, she had taken way too much blood from him. He looked half-dead.

“May I suggest a quick exit? This sort of thing gets our kind riled up. Best take your boy and go,” Demetri whispered in her ear.

His steady voice calmed the last of the fight inside of her and she was able to think clearly. Caught up in the bloodlust, she had forgotten where they were and what had gotten her here. Demetri was right.

“Take the car and drive the both of you back to the manor. Mary and I will stay here to make sure everything is kosher with the Aldric clan.”

Demetri’s authoritative commands were a relief. She needed a simple task to focus on right now. Things were happening way too fast for her to process, something nice and easy like drive a car from point A to point B would be a welcomed break.

She grabbed the keys from Demetri. “No complaints from me.”

Demetri pointed to the opposite end of the alley. “If you go down that way and then turn right, the parking lot is two blocks up on the left.”

She watched Demetri and Mary slip back inside the club before turning to face Gabe. He was staring at her, his face now a clear window to his emotions. He was scared. More specifically, he was scared of
her
.

She cursed as she realized she had forgotten that he had his faculties back under his control. And here she was standing in front of him in blood-soaked clothes, fangs still bared and covered with his blood.

She really didn’t want to do it but his terrified eyes were killing her.
Relax, it’s not as if you are doing this to read his thoughts. You just want to calm him down. Hell, if you don’t do it, he’s probably going to have a heart attack or something.

His cheeks were cool when she placed her hands on them. Her heart broke when he flinched at her touch but she kept going. She recalled Nicky’s instructions as she practiced on Marcus earlier in week. She stared deep into Gabe’s eyes, watching as his pupils dilated until all she saw was a field of blackness. She let the darkness flow over her until she was a part of it.

…
This is fucking insane…that guy is dead…his blood was everywhere…the teeth, the blood…Christ, it can’t be, it can’t fucking be…vampires…fuck, I’m gonna end up dead…

Shit, she hadn’t meant to hear his thoughts. It was probably going to take a lot more practice to get control over this new ability. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to put in the time required. It was a strange feeling to share your head with someone else and there was the underlying terror that at any moment you could float away, lost in the darkness.

...Gabe, you aren’t going to end up dead…Everything is going to be okay…I need you to come with me and get in my car…Take my hand…As long as you have my hand, you are safe…

...Cordelia, what happened to you...

The deep pain in his voice shook Cordelia and she quickly pulled herself back into her own head. His pupils were still dilated and his eyes were glossy and unfocused. She could see the trembling in his broad shoulders and she took his hand.

The second she threaded her fingers through his, the trembling stopped and he let out the breath he had been holding. Looked like her mind mojo had worked.

She led him down the alley, pausing at the end and peeking around the corner before going out on the street. She was still running high on adrenaline from the fight and her paranoia was maxed out.

They didn’t run into any problems, the street practically deserted but even still, Cordelia did not breathe until they had slid into the leather seats of Demetri’s Bentley a few minutes later.

She looked over at Gabe to give him a reassuring smile but it faltered when she got a look of him.

He sat there, just staring straight ahead, his face impassive. He didn’t look like the Gabe she knew. His face was always bright with emotions, whether he was having a laugh or pissed off at something or someone. She didn’t like seeing him like this. She didn’t like the idea that she was doing this to him.

She turned his head towards her, making eye contact with him so she could sever the remaining ties to his psyche. He didn’t deserve to be imprisoned in a fog of confusion, no matter the crazy events going on around him. 

His body jumped the moment he came under his own power and he looked around the inside of the car in bewilderment. His focus came back to her and he blinked a few times, as if clearing his vision would help him recognize her.

“Cordelia?”

“Hey,” she said quietly, not sure of what else to say.

“Where the hell are we?”

“My car. Actually, it’s really my friend’s car but that’s not important. I’ve got to get you back to the place I’m staying at.”

“Why?”

“Safety reasons.”

She started the car and gunned the engine as she left the parking lot, heading in the direction of the manor.

“Cordelia?”

She took her eyes off the road for a moment to look at him. “Yeah?”

“This is one really fucked up dream.”

***

It was the only explanation Gabe could come up with. All of this was a dream. He was really at home, passed out in bed with a couple empty bottles around him and a bitch of a hangover waiting for him when he woke up.

Not that he ever wanted to wake up. He liked this dream. Cordelia was alive here. And she was looking damn hot and she was driving him back to her place in a sweet ride. Yeah, this dream was way better than reality.

The whole vampire thing was a little weird though. He had always been into horror movies but it rarely translated into his dreams and when it did, it was usually dreaming about some homicidal slasher maniac. Vampires were something new but he didn’t mind. God knew they looked a hell of a lot better than Jason or Freddy.

And that fight had been amazing to watch. Sure, there had been a ton of blood spilled but watching glamazon Cordelia kick that guy’s ass had been brilliant. Which was a bit strange because normally in his dreams he was the conquering hero. He was the one who fought to protect the damsel in distress, not the other way around.

He could definitely get used to the role reversal if it meant she bit him again. Jesus that was the most erotic thing he had ever experienced. One moment he felt nothing and the next, it was like every one of his nerve endings flared to life at the same time. A wave of sensations had crashed into him and, as he was swept under it, one feeling stood out above them all. Bone melting pleasure. It had been better than any sex he had in his life.

“Are you going to bite me again?” he asked her and he saw her wince as she stared out the windshield.

“No, I promise I won’t. I’m sorry I had to do that but it was the only way to keep you safe.”

“It’s okay. You can do it again. I liked it.”

She glanced over at him. “You liked it?”

“Fuck yeah. Just thinking about it gets me hard all over again.” He squeezed his shaft to relieve the throbbing and she looked over again, her wide eyes on his lap.

He stroked his hand up and down his erection, her eyes watching his movements. A horn blared and she jerked her attention back to the road, swerving the car back into their lane. What did the road matter? It wasn’t as if they would get hurt if they got in an accident.

              He noticed that as they cruised over the uneven roads, the lapels of the jacket she wore had fallen apart, revealing her cleavage. The plump flesh was hypnotizing and he reached out to place his palm on the swell of her breast. He squeezed gently and she gasped.

“Gabe, what are you doing?”

“I always wondered what your tits would feel like. Warm and soft, just like I thought.”

“Wait, I’m driving, you have to stop that.”

“Forget about the driving and come here.” He reached across the gearshift and tried to pull her over to his seat but she pushed him away.

“Damn it Gabe, you are going to get us killed!”

“You can’t die in a dream.”

“Shit, I knew we shouldn’t have screwed with your brain. Listen Gabe, this isn’t a dream. This is real. The club, the fighting, the blood, the fangs…it all happened.”

“No it didn’t. My subconscious is just trying to deal with you dying. The grief has been slowly killing me.”

She stared at him silently, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape. A car horn blared again and her eyes shot back to the road, where the lights of an oncoming truck were right in front of them. She cursed and cranked on the wheel, the tires squealing as she brought the car back into the proper lane. The truck’s horn continued to blare as it passed them harmlessly but she still slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to a halt on the side of the road.

Her breath was coming in quick pants and she dropped her forehead to the steering wheel, her eyes closed tight. Her knuckles were white as she clung to the wheel and her shoulders were trembling. She was scared and he longed to reassure her.

He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her skin radiating from beneath the suit jacket and he closed his eyes to relish the sensation. It could be his last chance to touch her, knowing that he could wake up at any moment.

His palm moved in small circles and he could feel the trembling in her body ease up. She took several deep breaths to calm herself and finally her head rose from the wheel and she gave him a weak smile.

“Sorry about that, the truck just scared the hell out of me.”

“You don’t need to be scared, it’s just a dream,” he said, moving his hand from her shoulder to her neck, his thumb softly stroking her pulse point. He stared at her intently, memorizing every detail about her, from the way her eyes darkened as he touched her to the way the tip of her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip.

His hand moved to cup her cheek and he ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. He wanted to kiss her, take her mouth with his own and finally find out what she tasted like, even if it was just a dream version of her.

“Gabe, there’s something you need to understand,” she said, breaking the spell and he dropped his hand from her cheek.

She cleared her throat, her eyes darting away from him while she licked those lips of hers again. Before he could get distracted again, she spoke.

“I’m not dead. I’m a Shadow Walker, all those people back there, they were Shadow Walkers too. Everything that happened tonight was real. This isn’t a dream.”

“Sure it is but I don’t mind. I’ve missed you so much.”

She smiled and once again, he saw those fangs. “I’m sorry that you’ve had to go through all this. I’m sorry that it’s not over yet. And I’m sorry that you can’t keep thinking this is all a dream.”

She hauled back and punched him hard in the upper arm. He groaned, his hand going to rub the sore spot. Damn, she had a hell of a right hook. He was pretty sure that he would end up with a bruise the next day.

Except this was a dream and you didn’t get bruises from dreams. As a matter of fact, you didn’t feel any pain in dreams. Yet he was feeling a very real ache in his arm.

Holy fuck.

“This isn’t a dream,” he stated, as if he needed to hear the words from his own mouth.

“No, it’s not. I would like to tell you more but right now, we have to get back to the manor. Once we are there, I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”

He nodded dumbly and she shifted the car into gear and headed back on the road. The purring engine of the luxury car had a calming effect on him and for that, he was grateful.

He felt as if all the circuits in his brain were jammed and he had no idea how to get things back on track. All he could focus on was that Cordelia was really alive. If he could hold on to that, maybe he wouldn’t lose his mind.

Chapter 7

Cordelia was worried about Gabe. He had not said a single word since he had realized this wasn’t a dream. He had just stared out the window of the car, silent and unmoving. When they arrived at the manor, he had followed her inside at her request but said nothing as she led the way to the lounge.

She was pretty sure he was in shock and she didn’t want to have this conversation with him while they were perched on the antique and uncomfortable chaises in the front salon surrounded by dark oil paintings and expensive statues. The leather couches, track lighting and state of the art entertainment system in the lounge would be a more comforting sight.

She watched Gabe carefully as he took in the room, eyeing the pool table and the pinball machine in the corner before walking around to check out the gaming consoles hooked up to the television. He took notice of some games that Demetri had left out on the coffee table, the catatonic gaze disappearing as he studied the plastic cases with interest. Looks like she had made the right call about the room.

Though his eyes had some life in them now, his coloring was still quite pale. She was sure that the blood loss was not helping with the shock and vice versa. She grabbed up one of the house phones and buzzed Giovanni in the kitchen, requesting a bowl of the broth that he made for Olivia and Marcus. Giovanni had told her that it was his own special recipe, designed to help restore strength and energy after blood loss.

Within a few minutes, Olivia was knocking on the door carrying a tray with a large bowl on it. When Cordelia walked over to take it, Olivia nearly dropped the tray in shock when she saw her blood soaked clothing.

“What happened to you?” she cried out, placing the tray on a nearby side table. She began to cluck over Cordelia like a mother hen, pulling open her jacket and examining her for any injuries.

“I’m fine, really. I fed right after it happened so I’m all healed up.” Cordelia wanted to reassure Olivia, not because she wanted her to stop fussing over her, but because she didn’t want the woman to worry. She actually welcomed the motherly attention.

“You swear you are okay?”
Cordelia held up her hand, palm out. “I swear it.”

Olivia gave her another once over and seemed satisfied that Cordelia spoke the truth. She then craned her neck to peer over Cordelia’s shoulder.

“Who is your guest?”

“He’s just a friend,” Cordelia replied defensively. She felt like she was a teenager who had been busted sneaking a boy into her room.

“Well you better get that broth into your
friend
. The first time always takes a lot out of you.”

Cordelia glared in annoyance at the way she said friend but she knew better than to argue. Though she adored her new family, one of the things she had learned over the last couple of weeks was that they were meddlers. If she went into denial mode, it would tip Olivia off. The lady doth protest too much and all that. Better to let it pass and pray she left it alone.

“Thanks for the advice.”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Olivia said with a wink and Cordelia rolled her eyes as she exited the room. 

Cordelia grabbed the soup and walked around the couch to face Gabe. She held the bowl out to him and smiled reassuringly.

“Here, eat this. It will make you feel better.”

He took the proffered bowl and just held it, staring down at the swirling liquid. She longed to reach out and discover what he was thinking. The blank slate of his face giving nothing away but she was quick to rein in the urge. She didn’t want to get into the habit of rooting around people’s heads. Everyone deserved their privacy, especially in their own minds.

So she was just going to have to sort out what was going on with Gabe the old-fashioned way. A calm voice and no sudden movements were her best friends right now. She sat down on the coffee table facing him and reached out to place her hand on his knee.

“Please Gabe, you need to eat something.”

Her voice was soft but the pleading tone was still strong. He nodded, picking up the spoon and putting some of the broth into his mouth. His face lit up at the first taste and he began to eat faster.

She watched him as he ate, studying the way his lips moved around the spoon and the way the muscles in his neck flexed when he swallowed. She really shouldn’t be getting turned on watching someone eat but what do you know, there was that pleasant heat curling in her belly. 

When he finished, she took the bowl from him and he sat back on the couch. For the first time tonight, the lost and confused look was gone from his eyes. Now those baby blues were clear and focused and she was thankful for Giovanni’s culinary talents. The Gabe she knew was back.

He took another look around the room before finally speaking. “So, this really isn’t a dream?”

She wanted to laugh, thinking back to how fiercely she had held on to her coma theory when she first came here. Anything sounded more rational than the fact that vampires actually existed.

“It’s all real, I’m afraid.”

He nodded his head but she wasn’t sure if it was just from habit or if he really understood.  Damn it all to hell, why did she have to get him involved in all of this? He probably would have been happy to have spent the rest of his life thinking she was dead and never knowing about this other part of the world.

“So is this where you’ve been since you…died.”

“Yes, I was brought here after I was changed.”

“Changed into a vampire, you mean?”

The way he said vampire gave her pause. It wasn’t that he seemed disbelieving of what she was, it sounded almost like he was annoyed by it. She thought it was an odd reaction but then again, was there really a normal way to react to the news? They were both in uncharted territory here and she now understood exactly how Mary had felt when they had first met.

Cordelia took a page from Mary’s book and decided to answer Gabe’s questions as directly as possible.

“We don’t call ourselves vampires, we’re Shadow Walkers. But to answer your question, yes, after I was changed into a Shadow Walker,” she replied, flashing her fangs as she smiled. He stared at her pearly whites for a moment before going back to staring off into space. The urge to reach out for his thoughts flared up again but she slammed it down hard. She didn’t care if it was natural for a Shadow Walker, her and mind control were done professionally.

“How did it happen?”

Good, he was asking questions, which meant she could focus on answering instead of doing a thought-ectomy. 

“Do you remember the last day I was at work and how Sampson was hassling me? Well, he took it a step further. He came up to me in the parking lot after work. He was pissed and things got heated and he ended up pushing me. I fell on a piece of rebar and it went through my chest. He left me there to die.”

Gabe’s eyes filled with such fury that she found herself leaning away from him on instinct. “That motherfucker! I swear when I see him again, I’m going to flay every last piece of skin off of his body!”

She couldn’t help but chuckle. “You and Nicky will get along.”

Gabe’s eyes narrowed at that. “Who’s Nicky?”

“Nicky found me when I was dying and changed me into a Shadow Walker.”

She watched several emotions flick across Gabe’s face as if he was conflicted about something. “Does that mean you’re her vampire bride?”

She laughed at the idea. “First of all, Nicky is a male and, second, he’s like a father to me. Besides, a romantic relationship just wouldn’t work between us. Nicky isn’t…well, let’s just say he isn’t my type.”

“Yeah, he’s definitely not your type,” Gabe mumbled under his breath. “This Nicky, he’s been treating you right?”

“Of course,” she said. “Nicky and everyone else here has been amazing. They’ve become my family.”

Gabe just nodded and Cordelia heard the faint wail of a warning siren go off in her brain. These weren’t innocent questions. He was searching for something, his questions leading as he looked for clues to the puzzle he was trying to solve. 

“That phone that you used before, does it dial out? Can you make calls to outside lines?”

“Yes,” she said cautiously. The siren was getting louder and she felt like she was being led into some kind of trap.

“Were you always a selfish bitch or did that happen when you became a Shadow Walker?”

The words were like a slap in the face and she sat back, staring at him with her mouth hanging open in shock. His face was like stone; his brows low over dark eyes and his mouth was a white line of anger. For the first time since she met him, she felt afraid in his presence. She had done something to set him off but she had no idea what it could have been or how to fix it.

“I thought you were fucking dead!” he spat at her. “How the hell could you do that to me? One phone call, that’s all it would have taken. Just one call to tell me you were really okay. Instead you spend your time going out partying with your new
family
without giving a shit about anyone else.”

He sprung up from the couch and began to stalk around the coffee table, pacing like a caged animal. She stayed still, afraid of what would happen if she moved or spoke, not wanting to set him off more than she had already. But he was far from done and he pierced her with angry, accusing eyes.

“It’s been two weeks, Cordy, two weeks of thinking you were dead. Do you know what that was like? I couldn’t stop thinking about you, about all the things I should have told you, about what I could have done differently so you didn’t die. Hell, I didn’t even know
how
you died because you didn’t care enough about anyone to make up a good story.”

He laughed bitterly before pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. “I was going out of my fucking mind. I stopped going to work, I stopped eating. All I was doing was drinking myself into a stupor every night. And all that time, you were here, enjoying your new life and not giving a shit about the people you left behind.”

His pain was palpable and she didn’t know if it was because she had his blood inside her or because it was so deep, it would be impossible for anyone, human or Shadow Walker, not to feel it.

She would never have thought that he would react to her death like this. Of course, sadness was expected, but the grief Gabe was describing was profound. She had no idea he could feel that deeply about someone like her. 

She didn’t know what to say or do to help him. She felt like she was two inches tall as he glared down at her with daggers in his eyes. She had made a mess of everything tonight. She had been crap at being human and she was crap at being a Shadow Walker. 

“I’m so s-s-sorry,” she gasped, before her voice caught on a sob. She tried to clamp down on the tears but they burst forth, streaming down her cheeks as she took shaky breaths.

“Oh shit Cordy, don’t cry,” Gabe said, the anger evaporating from him instantly.

“No, don’t stop,” she said between sobs. “I’m not trying to manipulate you. I just can’t help the crying. Go on, keep yelling at me, I deserve it.”

“I can’t yell at someone who is crying.”

“See? I am a selfish bitch. You deserve to yell at me,” she wailed, snuffling her nose and wincing at the unattractive noise. God, she was a mess.

“I don’t want to yell anymore. I got it out of my system,” he said, handing her the napkin that Olivia had brought with the soup. He sat next to her as she wiped her tears away. “It’s just…please don’t ever do that to me again. I don’t think I can handle it.”

“I promise I won’t,” she told him, sniffling a bit, but the tears had finally stopped. “I just wasn’t thinking before, everything was changing so fast, I guess I got caught up in it. I am so sorry for hurting you.”

“I think I’m over the hurt part. Now I’m just relieved that you’re alive.”

“Technically I’m undead.”

“Whatever you call it, I’m just glad you’re here.”

He leaned forward and pulled her into an embrace, squeezing her tight as if he needed to confirm that she was really here. She buried her nose in his shoulder, inhaling his scent. The fresh sawdust and pine mingled with a darker scent, one that caused her breath to hitch in her throat.

She turned her head into the crook of his neck and she saw the twin puncture marks, pink flesh that was nearly healed. She could smell her own scent emanating from the marks, the unique signature that marked him as hers. The damage to the skin would be gone by tomorrow morning but her scent would stay on him, telling other Shadow Walkers whom he belonged to now.

Knowing that in her world, he was hers had her pulse quickening and a sudden heat bloomed between her legs. She had the urge to trace the tip of her tongue over the marks, to remind herself that the blood that flowed through those veins was all hers. She could taste it any time she wanted, drink as much as she wanted because it belonged to her.

The shifting in her mouth as her fangs elongated made her realize where her thoughts were leading. She was shocked at herself for turning Gabe into an object she owned. An object she wanted to use for her own enjoyment.

Except she wasn’t like that. She wasn’t a user; it wasn’t in her nature. At least not in her human nature but her Shadow Walker nature was completely new to her. New and untested.