Flowers and Fangs (Stake and Dust series, Book II) (10 page)

His heart stopped then kicked into action
thudding so loud he could hear it echoing in his ears. Sloane's
unruly strands were unbound, framing her face in dark waves of silk
and her eyes stood out like twin pools that he could drown in and
he'd gladly dive right in.

He'd truly lost it. And the funny thing was:
He didn't give a damn.

"What decision?" she asked.

Chapter Eleven

Sloane frowned, wondering why Derek stared at
her as if he'd never seen her before, but then something intense
flared through his entrancement. She recognized the look because
she'd experienced something similar at Dr. Sinclair's place.
Desire.
Heat rose to her cheeks and spread down her body
like a fever. She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
"Uh…" She shifted her gaze, knowing it was the only way she'd be
able to string two words together and have it make sense. She
cleared her throat and fixed her eyes on Cassandra. Looking at
Tremayne would only intimidate her. "Is anyone going to tell me
what decision I'm suppose to make?"

"It doesn't matter," Derek bit out. "It's not
going to happen." He opened a drawer behind him and shoved what she
thought might be a dagger into it. Had he been holding it when she
walked into the kitchen? Funny, she hadn't noticed anything but the
way his eyes caressed her.

Cassandra spoke up, ignoring her brother's
remark. "We need to find Tim."

"I said she's not going to do it," Derek
barked louder, turning his heated gaze on his sister, only this
heat was one of anger.

Tremayne chuckled, which won him the lethal
glare from Derek. The vampire lifted his hands in an apologetic
shrug. "Sorry, but I thought vampires were possessive, but it
appears hunters are just as controlling."

Sloane lifted a brow and placed her hands on
her hips. "Will someone please let me know what's going on?"

Derek leveled his gaze in her direction again
and she flinched at the fury radiating off of him. He didn't seem
to notice his affect on her as he grounded out each word. "They
want to use you as bait. Tim wants you and only you and he'll stop
at nothing to have you. Is that clear enough for you?"

"Why are you snapping at me?" She threw
back.

Silence hung in the air for a long few
seconds.

Derek closed his eyes as he took a deep
breath and let it out again. When he opened them once more, he
seemed to have gained some control over his temper. "Sorry. I'm
pissed off at these two eegits." He motioned toward them with a
quick jerk of his thumb. "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

She regarded Derek curiously, not
comprehending what had set him off. So they wanted her help. Why
did he care? Then it dawned on her.
He cared.
That was what
this was all about. He cared about her. God, why did he have to
look so good with temper flaring in his catlike eyes, turning them
greener as they blazed with passion? Sure, the passion was anger,
but he wore it so well, like a knight-in-shining-armor coming to
her rescue. Would those eyes look as captivating as they did now
when making love? She frowned at where her thoughts had taken her
and her lack of control to stay on the subject. They were
discussing taking down a killer and she stood here fantasizing
about getting naked with Derek. She looked at Cassandra and
Tremayne. "I'll do it. If we can stop Tim from killing anyone else,
I'll do whatever it takes."

"What?" Derek sputtered in disbelief.

"Splendid," Tremayne said with an amused
smile plastered to his face as if he were watching a humorous
sitcom and was anticipating the next punch line.

"Sloane, you don't understand." Derek took a
step toward her, but she held up her hand to halt him. She met his
stare head on.

"I said I would do it. End of discussion. I
don't want anyone else harmed. If this is the only way to stop Tim,
I'm all for it. You should be, too."

"It's not the only way," Derek argued.

"But it's the best plan, isn't it?" Sloane
shot back, knowing the answer already.

Derek's intense eyes held her prisoner, but
then he blinked, releasing her, and without dignifying her question
with an answer, he stalked out of the room.

"Don't mind my brother," Cassandra said,
breaking the awkward silence.

She glanced at Derek's sister. She could see
the strong family resemblance. Brown hair with a deep reddish
tint—mahogany came to mind, though Cassandra's hair was highlighted
with strands of golden brown, making it appear a shade or two
lighter than Derek's thick head of hair. The eyes were the same,
too: a light green almost catlike in both color and shape. "Why is
Derek so adamant that I don't do this? You'd think he'd be jumping
for joy at the possibility of catching Tim."

"You'd think." Cassandra's lips twitched, but
she didn't fully smile as she gave Tremayne a meaningful
glance.

"We'll need to formulate a plan," Tremayne
took over. "A plan where you'll remain safe."

"Safe until I change into a vampire, you
mean. I am going to change, aren't I?" She hoped Tremayne would
tell her she wouldn't, but her hopes died with his next words.

"We need to have a chat about your options,"
Tremayne told her. "Let's take a walk."

She glanced at the digital clock shining
bright on the microwave. "It's two in the morning." The moment she
said the words it hit her. "Vampire," she murmured then spoke
louder. "Night is like day to you, isn't it?"

"The sun can do considerable damage to a
vampire. I know you have questions and I'll do my best to answer
them."

He waited patiently for her to make up her
mind to follow or not. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't at
least a little curious. She glanced at Cassandra. "Let Derek know—"
She stopped mid-sentence and frowned. What was she thinking? She
didn't owe Derek an explanation. She could walk with Tremayne if
she wanted to. It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong,
but—

Cassandra placed a comforting hand on her
shoulder, interrupting her confusing thoughts. "I'll tell him."

Sloane nodded her appreciation.

She never was out this late… or rather this
early. The night proved quiet and it was difficult to believe
vampires and other preternatural beings were up and about living
their lives.

She glanced at Tremayne. He was tall, taller
than Derek by an inch or two. His muscles strained against the
fabric of his T-shirt. This he had in common with Derek. Both were
well muscled as if they lifted weights for a living.

"You may ask questions, if you wish," he said
to her.

Boy did she have plenty, but she decided on a
more personal question and hoped it didn't prove too forward of
her. "When were you turned and how long have you been a
vampire?"

"I was born a Oiche Sith." He glanced at her
as they strode side by side on the sidewalk.

"
Ee-hah shee…"
She dragged out the
pronunciation. "Sounds like American Indian."

"It's Irish Gaelic. Translating it loosely,
it means
night being
."

"Well, I suppose that's appropriate."

"We're an old blood-drinking sept. There are
many others that have survived the centuries and still more that
did not."

"Each sept is different in some way,
right?"

"Aye, but we all rely on blood for substance.
The vampire clans at one time lived among the humans, but a malady
targeted the blood drinking septs. We could no longer have
children."

She frowned. "Vampires could have
babies?"

He gave her a small smile and a dimple winked
at her from his right cheek. It kind of gave the vampire a
more…human look about him. "Shocking, I know." His sarcasm wasn't
lost on her.

"But you can't have any children now?"

"No. As the blood drinkers' life changed and
women became scarce or infertile, some of the males chose to take
what they needed from the humans, while others tried to find
another way to survive. I will not make excuses. The Oiche Sith as
well as the other blood drinking septs need blood. It's a fact that
cannot be ignored. If mated, we can survive by drinking from our
mates, but with no young being born to our clans, finding a mate
has proved difficult. The men out numbered the women. In the past,
we sought other means, made treaties with the human clans, but the
females rarely survived the blooding ritual."

"The blooding ritual?" That didn't sound
pleasant in the least and when Tremayne explained the details, her
suspicions were correct.

"It has always been risky to turn a human,"
he continued. "Even now with all our technology, sometimes the
human rejects the change."

It never dawned on her that she would not
survive this whole ordeal. "So I could die…for real…forever gone,"
she clarified and swallowed hard.

"Aye, it is a possibility."

They walked in silence for a moment as she
digested what he told her. "You said that I would change no matter
what now. I don't feel any different."

His unsettling blue-eyed gaze settled on her.
"Is that so?"

The way he asked her made her question her
claim. "Yes, that's so." She lifted her chin in defiance, but she
knew she wasn't entirely speaking the truth. Pools of streetlight
paved their way, but she realized her eyesight was sharper. She
could make out details normally hampered by the cover of moonlight,
but she wanted Tremayne to be wrong. She wanted to beat this and
survive. She wanted to remain
human
.

Tremayne shook his head. "If a Oiche Sith had
fed from you, then I would say your chances were good, that you
will not change, but not all vampire septs are the same. Some
infect their prey, their blood is tainted from centuries of
indulging in blood practices that altered their DNA, but I can
still help you. It's not a cure though," he hurried to say,
obviously recognizing the hope in her eyes. "There is no cure once
you've been infected from a Nosferatu's bite, but I could flush
your blood with mine. You would take on the traits of the Oiche
Sith. I am a pureblood, born from vampire parents," he explained as
if this meant something to her, but he didn't leave her wondering.
"My blood is strong and not tainted."

"But Tim's blood is?"

"Aye." He nodded.

"Is it too late for him? Could you…" He
looked at her and she knew by his expression of pity that Tim could
not be helped.

"I'm sorry. He's killed and it is difficult
to come back once the aggressive blood lust is unleashed."

"Difficult, but not impossible." She touched
his arm and brought his strides to a halt. "Not impossible, right?"
she repeated.

"Not entirely impossible, but..."

"But will you try? If I could make him turn
himself in, would you help him?"

He looked away from her with a heavy sigh,
which surprised her. She didn't realize vampires needed to breathe.
It was just one more question she had to ask him. Finally, he
answered. "Truthfully, I must side with the hunters on this one.
Dusting him would be preferred, but we shall see."

She wanted to push him further on the
subject, but he turned away. For a second she stared at his
retreating back. His long-legged gait gave her the impression of a
predator's strut. Each step sure of the next to follow and with the
knowledge there was nothing to hamper his jaunt through the night.
Once she changed, would she be as surefooted?

She jogged to catch up to him. She had other
questions she needed to ask before the sun rose.

* * * * *

A few hours later they were back at the
house. She didn't know all there was to know about being a vampire,
but she had a better understanding of it than when this whole
nightmare began.

Derek was seated at the kitchen table with
his sister sitting across from him. He looked up when she entered
and their gazes locked. The worry he wore like a cloak slipped away
and his lips curved. There was a tingling in the pit of her stomach
and her heart jolted at the sight of his smile. Those compelling
green eyes, his firm features that sported a five o'clock shadow,
and the confident set of his shoulders that strained against the
fabric of his white, long-sleeved T-shirt—really did something to
her.

Tremayne explained how her emotions would be
heightened and that was putting it mildly. She was acutely
conscious of Derek's rugged looks, but she was also drawn to his
inherent strength. Heck, he fought monsters for a living. He was a
warrior in every sense of the word and that really spiked her
attraction for him.

"I'm off to bed," Cassandra announced as she
pushed her chair away from the table and stood. "I'm assuming there
are clean sheets on the bed in the guest room?" She arched a brow
at Derek.

"Of course," Derek said. "Also if you push
the button beside the light switch, it will activate the steel
blinders to cover the windows." He shrugged. "Had them installed
last week."

Cassandra strode over to him and gave him a
kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she said.

Tremayne inclined his head in Derek's
direction. "I appreciate you being so thoughtful. I will not soon
forget your hospitality. I bid you good sleep…to both of you," he
added the last as he turned his gaze on Sloane. He then took
Cassandra's hand as they turned to leave.

Sloane had a hunch the couples' sprint toward
the back room had nothing to do with sleep. She noted a change in
their scent as they strode by since her sense of smell was revved
up a notch. Just another perk or curse depending on the
situation.

Her gaze swept over Derek from head to toe
and back up again, and for a moment she entertained the thought of
tumbling into bed with him. "I've turned into a wanton woman," she
murmured with a frown of concern.

"I wouldn't go that far." Derek smirked.