Sucking Bites (San Francisco Vampires Series #3) (23 page)

“We can’t talk here,” Aidan whispers. “But I need to talk to you.”

“I know. We will.”

“I love you, Lilith. I will not go away without a fight.” He closes his eyes for a second and the temperature goes up in the room. “I will not lose you completely, I swear.”

And with that he pops out of the manse.

Sebastian notices Aidan’s dramatic departure and the rise in temperature, again. He comes over to me.

“He didn’t take it well?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry, Cherie. We will do everything we can to make him comfortable, but it’s time he moves on.”

“He won’t, though.”

Sebastian wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me over to the others to be congratulated and to discuss wedding plans.

We have coffee and pass the day and night much in the same way as we have passed the previous two. Aidan pops in long enough to change Liam’s IV solution and then he’s gone. I worry about my fiery friend. Yes, I care deeply for him, but I have made my decision. Now I have to help him live with it.

We are all anxious for Liam to transform. The afternoon after the third night we are waiting anxiously outside the wine cellar door. Aidan pops in and checks on him.

“He is back to his human form,” we hear him call from the other side of the door. “I’m going to take him out of the trance now.”

We wait anxiously and then hear Aidan talking softly. Eventually we hear another voice join his. We look at each other with relief. Andrew is pacing and pulling at his shirt collar. I think he needs to see Liam.

“Can you unlock the lock, please?” Aidan calls from the other side.

Julian flips a switch to comply. Aidan emerges from the wine cellar supporting a hollow eyed, gaunt Liam. He hasn’t eaten in three days. Helena hurries about the kitchen, making him food and Aidan helps him sit. I notice Aidan has given him fresh clothes.

“I feel awful but not as tired as I have before. How bad was it?”

“You were quite distressed. Aidan put you in a trance after the first night and we gave you an IV to keep you hydrated,” Julian tells him.

Andrew hugs him hard. Liam holds on to him.

“I was so worried about you,” Andrew whispers. We look away to give them privacy.

“I hope I didn’t scare you off?” Liam asks.

“Not on your life,” Andrew says patting him on the back.

Liam smiles and it transforms his face.

“Lily, you don’t look worn out. Can I hope you fared better than I did?”

“Yes, my eyes are back to normal now, so you can’t see them, but they were large and silver. While they are like that, I have heat vision. It was hard to get used to at first but I adjusted quickly.

My joints were more elastic. I could jump clear across the room. The night before the change came on, I fed like crazy. I went through four people and needed some help to keep from draining the first person I came across. That is probably going to be the most difficult part. Julian thinks the feeding is because of my body’s metabolic needs to make the change. I could easily kill someone during that part of my change. Listen to me, I’m babbling, I’m just so relieved. But bloodlust shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially with the extra abilities. I also can’t be anywhere near another werewolf. I start howling and want to ‘pack-up’.”

“That’s all? Really? I remember pacing and getting very anxious and then I don’t remember anything at all.”

“My friend, it looks like you have a true choice if you want it,” Julian says.

“I do. The sooner the better,” Liam says.

“You need to rest for a couple of days first. Helena or I can do it then. Andrew, am I right in assuming you want to be turned then too?” Julian asks.

“Yes.” Andrew says. He’s serious and resolute, a far cry from his histrionics when he’d first tried to get us to turn him months ago. “I want to go at the same time.”

“Darling, we will have two children to raise again. We haven’t had a young one in the house since Lily was turned. It will be a challenge,” Helena says. “But rewarding.”

Julian takes her hand and kisses it.

“Can I watch? I have never seen anyone turned or met them right after,” Hannah asks.

“That is a good idea, ma petite chou chou. We will need all the help we can get. It takes a lot of time to help the new ones feed. They need to eat every few days when they are that young and we need to make sure they don’t drain their dinner,” Sebastian says. “Lily was a little glutton.”

Liam and Andrew look a little green at Sebastian’s words. Aidan smiles—I know he is glad the boys are not bloodthirsty.

“I truly think this is the best choice for you, Liam,” Aidan says.

“I do too,” he says. “It’s just hard to hear about draining a person. I suppose I’ll get used to it.”

“Don’t get too used to it. Try and keep your humanity. It will be your best part. It is why I did not destroy these vampires,” Aidan says. Aidan looks away. Does he regret letting me live on the night we met on the Golden Gate Bridge?

“Helena has offered me the room I am staying in on a permanent basis. I have accepted. My condo is up for sale, I needed the money. I already had an offer on it. I didn’t know where I was going to live, now I can take it,” Liam says.

“Welcome to the family, Liam,” Sebastian says.

“Yes, welcome,” I say. I kiss him on the cheek. Whew, I was worried I would smell that terrible dog scent from the night of my attack, but Aidan must have done a wash and dry spell too.

“Your skin is so cool. I guess I will be too, soon,” Liam says as he feels where my lips have been on his cheek.

“Yes. That’s why we almost always have a fire going and we drink a lot of coffee, tea and mulled wine,” I say.

“Personally, I like hippie blood. You get a nice buzz and then you don’t mind the cold so much,” Hannah says with a wink.

Liam laughs hard. Andrew rolls his eyes at Hannah. It seems his awe in her is wearing off or maybe he is just showing off for Liam.

I leave Liam to finish eating and be tended to by nurse Andrew. I have to go and get ready for work. Hannah follows me upstairs.

“Hey, girlfriend, I’ve been meaning to ask you about your little vacay with Aidan. He looked pretty relaxed when you came back. Anything you want to talk about?”

I look at her with a guilty face.

“That’s what I thought,” she says. She doesn’t look very upset, just thoughtful.

“It’s not what you think, though. I didn’t sleep with him. I couldn’t do that. It took everything in me to control myself. I had to push him off me and in my condition it was hard. In the end he stayed on the beach away from me and I swam with the dolphins.”

“It’s okay, ‘Lil. I’ve seen the way Aidan looks at you. I don’t think I could withstand that kind of intensity if I was alone with him. He is a beautiful person. Generous with his love. And kind.”

“He is. I do love him. I wish he would find someone to love besides me. It would break my heart in a way, but also make me happy for him.”

“I think Sebastian suspects it will be a while before Aidan is over you, but seems to be okay with it as long as it is over,” she observes.

“Sebastian says he would do and give anything for me.”

“He would do anything for you except share you with Aidan.”

“I don’t want him to share. I don’t plan on it being an issue anymore. Hey, let’s stop talking about this. Will you be a bridesmaid?”

“Hell yes! I would love to be! So cool! The Queen is going to be there, isn’t she?”

“We’re inviting her. Helena seems to think she will come. I imagine she will want to see what I’m like after being bitten.”

“Helena said she was relieved after her phone call to explain how well you were doing. The Queen didn’t want anything to happen to you. Helena told her that Liam was going to be turned too. She told a little white lie to keep Celine off our backs.”

“Well, we knew it probably wasn’t a lie. What did the Queen say about Liam then?”

“She agreed to spare him. She said to welcome him on her behalf—but I don’t think everything is cool yet.”

“Oh, Hannah, it’s still promising news. Celine is probably gone by now. Helena is convinced. I was hoping I could get to
talk
to her one more time,” I say with a bit of sarcasm.

Hannah high fives me. She leaves as Sebastian shows up, looking at us suspiciously. He doesn’t ask what the high five is for though. He is busy with some papers, I think it’s something to do with taxes, while I change into jeans and a tee shirt, my requisite uniform for work. It’s better at work if they don’t know how much money I have and I fit in better this way. After Sebastian had gone over my portfolio, it didn’t take long for my modest inheritance to blossom. I had some money but was investing it all wrong. Now I won’t have to worry, ever.

I’m tying my Converses as Bast shuffles together the last of his papers. He plans to go to the club after he drops me off. He has a lot of work to catch up on.

“Ready, Cherie?” he snaps the flap on his briefcase.

“Yes, you?”

“Oui. Let’s go.”

I grab my jacket and we head for the stairs. We drove through Pacific Heights then past the University of San Francisco on the way to Haight Ashbury, chatting about mundane things. He kiss me and pulls away as soon as I’m out of the car.

The wind shifts and I read something off. I go on alert. Crouching down in preparation for an attack, I’m not surprised when Celine jumps out at me from the shadows of the doorway of the next building.

“Bitch!” she hisses.

“What is your problem?” I ask.

“You made me a laughing stock at court, but I know you’re still dangerous. I don’t care what your tame little Helena says,” she growls.

“You’ve got it all wrong, babe. You’re the one who is dangerous and stupid too!”

We begin to circle each other. She has her fangs out and kicks at me but I dodge her. She snarls. I punch her, hitting her in the stomach. I feel a whoosh of warm air. Aidan and Sebastian are standing to the side of me.

“I should have walked you to the door, Cherie,” Sebastian says with a grim look on his face.

“Not necessary. I got it.”

“What’s the matter, little wolf-bitch needs her jinni to save her?” Celine taunts.

I see Aidan raise his fingers with a look of fury on his face.

“Leave her to me, Aidan,” I shout.

He reluctantly lowers his hand.

Celine lunges at me and we head lock, circling. All the anger and angst of the past month comes together at this moment. I still have some of my extra speed. Sebastian and Aidan taught me self-defense, after the warlock tried to kill me. I don’t care that she is probably better trained and older than me. Celine is mine.

I snap a kick and her knee gives way and she rolls away from me. I lunge but she is too fast and is back on her feet. We dance around each other. Somewhere in the confusion I hear the click of Sebastian’s fangs descending. Mine are already out. I leap at her, shoving her against the building. I smack her head against the building a few times. Her grip on my neck relaxes with each impact of her head against the cement wall. I reach back and punch her in the nose. It breaks spectacularly. I grab her by the shirt front and haul her over to Aidan.

“Restrain her.”

“My pleasure,” Aidan says. Sebastian snarls at her.

“I need to let them know I won’t be coming in tonight. I’m in no place to help anyone tonight. You were right. Please, take her to the manse and then come back for me.” I try to straighten my hair and shirt but the bruising on my neck is still visible. The tear on my tee shirt is impossible to hide. “How did you know to come here?” I ask Aidan. “Why is Sebastian here?”

“I was following Celine, saw her lurking and went for Sebastian right away. His car is just down the street. Why don’t I take her home and let him fetch his car. He can take you home then.”

“Sounds good. See you in a minute, Bast.”

I punch myself into work and tell them I’d just gotten mugged. Which is true—they don’t need to know I kicked the attackers ass. Everyone is very concerned. They want me to call the police and I promise I will when I get home. I love my job and want to get back to it, but I am anxious to find out more about what Celine is doing tailing me and trying to kill me. By the time everyone has fussed over me and I make it back outside, Sebastian is waiting for me. I sink into butter soft seats and we start driving away.

“You were incredible, Lily,” he says.

Flying high on adrenaline, he is just about as horny as I have ever seen him. Seeing me fight definitely trips his trigger.

“She really pissed me off,” I say.

“Remind me never to really piss you off then, Cherie,” he says with a wry smile. “Honestly, I have never seen anything that was sexier in my whole life. I love it when you show fang, but when you kick ass on top of it… Oh God…”

“You are a naughty boy, Bast,” I tease.

“I’d love to show you just how naughty, take those jeans off and give me fifteen minutes.”

“That’s all? Fifteen minutes?”

“That’s all we have time for. Besides, I’m so hot right now; I don’t think I could hold out any longer.”

I quickly wiggle out of my jeans and slip into the back seat. Sebastian pulls over on a dark street. He is in the back seat in a flash. Let me just say it is a hot, hot fifteen minutes. We pull ourselves back together and are on our way.

“Damn, Lily, you are perfect for me. We are perfect together. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Bast.”

We pull into the driveway. By now, Celine will be healed up enough to be her pleasant self again. I doubt Julian or Helena would have kept her in a weakened state.

I am hyped to see Miss Sunshine again. Bast opens my door and he takes my hand as we walk into the manse. In the kitchen, Celine is back in her chair, immobilized by a certain djinn. Julian is cooking for Andrew and Liam. Everyone is trying to fatten Liam up a bit, after his ordeal.

“Well, if it isn’t the prize fighter,” Aidan smiles. “Were they concerned for you at work?”

I know he wonders why it has taken us so long to get home.

“They made a big fuss over me. It took forever to get out of there.”