The Dark Vampire: Last True Vampire 3 (44 page)

Ronan’s gaze slid toward the closed door at the end of the hall as an uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Jenner cupped the back of his neck and he tried to rub some of the tension away that pulled his muscles taut. “Look, I know you’re not happy about what went down last night. But if Naya hadn’t been there I don’t know—”

“Don’t sweat it.” Ronan didn’t make eye contact and his tone stiffened with the words. Jenner knew all too well the fierce protective instinct of a mated male and it must have nearly broken Ronan to see his mate throw herself into the thick of the action. Any one of them could have died and it was a gods-damned miracle they’d come out of it safely. “Believe me, it’s not the first time Naya’s dove into danger without realizing how bad it rattles me. Maybe I’m the one who needs to loosen up,” he said with a laugh. “She knows what she can handle and what she can’t. I have to trust in that.”

Jenner found himself in the same situation with Bria. She’d left him because he hadn’t trusted her to know what she could and couldn’t handle. He’d never even given her the opportunity to prove it to him. Never again, though. As much as it might kill him to see her put herself in what could be a possibly dangerous situation, he had to trust that she wouldn’t be there if she didn’t think she could hack it. All he could do was support her in all things. Remain by her side and be her strength when she needed him to be.

Before either one of them was forced to further explore his feelings, Mikhail emerged from the guest room. The vampire king’s drawn face and pallor were enough to tell Jenner that the male had yet to feed since turning Saeed.

“How goes?” Ronan asked.

“I’m glad we’ve turned him,” Mikhail said on a long sigh. “There’s no way I can continue to do this by myself. It’s too gods-damned exhausting. Now let’s hope he becomes tethered soon. If we turn the coven masters who’ve been vetted, they can make appeals to turn their members. The system will soon run like a well-oiled machine.”

“Don’t be so sure,” Jenner said.

Mikhail raised a brow. Jenner knew that he should keep his mouth shut, but the reality of this elitist system needed to be drilled into the male’s head.

“It’s a flawed system. It’s not going to run smoothly.”

“I realize you think it’s classist—”

“It
is
classist,” Jenner stressed. “Elitist. Dhampirs who are denied transition will rise up against you. They’ll leave their covens. Maybe join Siobhan. By setting stringent rules, you’ll do nothing but build up your detractors.”

“That will be the coven masters’ jobs. To keep order and squash rebellion.”

“Your father was a high king, Mikhail. Did that system work for him?”

Mikhail pursed his lips and pinned Jenner with narrowed eyes. “You’ve pleaded your case,” he said. “And I’ll take it under advisement. I don’t want strife, but we
need
order.”

“That’s what Ronan and I are here for,” Jenner said. “Order.”

Mikhail gave him a robust pat on the shoulder. “True.” He cast a glance toward the guest room. “We might need Lucas. The dhampirs that Saeed brought along will need to eat, to take blood, and replenish their strength before
they can feed him again. I’ve asked Lucas to tend to Chelle, but perhaps he’ll come if we ask.”

“My guess is he’s still here,” Jenner remarked. “Chelle’s pretty damned pleased with him. Ronan and I were about to go check on her.”

“Good idea. Saeed is resting and he’s past the worst of it. I don’t think we need to keep quite as close an eye on him.”

“What will you do when he’s calmed?” Jenner asked. “Cut him loose?”

Mikhail held out his hand and they proceeded down the stairs. Mikhail led the way toward his study and Ronan and Jenner followed him inside.

“I have contractors coming tomorrow to soundproof this room. I’ve found I don’t have quite the privacy I used to.”

Ronan snorted. “Isn’t that the fucking truth. This place went from tomb to Grand Central in nothing flat.”

“I am cutting Saeed loose.” Mikhail lowered his voice to below a whisper. “That’s not to say we won’t be keeping an eye on him. He seems to be handling the Collective now, but . . .” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m worried about him maintaining the grip on his sanity.”

“He’ll be all right,” Ronan said with a shrug. “We all know how hard it is in the beginning. He just needs time.”

“That’s my hope,” Mikhail said. “Until I know for sure, we need to keep him on a short leash.”

Jenner nodded his agreement. The last thing they needed was a crazed vampire running around. Jenner himself had been starved for blood and sex post-transition, but thank the gods his mind had remained intact. He’d been on the very verge of losing his control and he had no doubt Mikhail would have put him down if he hadn’t gotten his shit together.

“I think we’re all on the same page. If you don’t need anything else, we’ll go check on Chelle,” Ronan said.

“Let me know how she’s doing,” Mikhail said. “It’s been much too quiet over there.”

No shit. Time to check on the wild female. If Jenner let anything happen to Lucas he doubted Bria would ever let him live it down.

“What’s
up, Bro?” Chelle said as she answered the door. “Jenner? Another minute and you guys might not have caught me at home.”

Ronan stiffened beside Jenner, his anxiety palpable. It was a good thing they’d come together.

“You know you’re not supposed to leave the property, Chelle,” Ronan said. “Not until your thirst is more under control.”

She laughed and tossed her mane of golden hair over one shoulder. Her green eyes sparked with mischief. “It’s been
months
. I’m bored and want to go out. Besides, you don’t need to worry about me anymore. I’m the epitome of control.”

Somehow, Jenner doubted that.

Chelle turned her attention to him and flashed a sly smile. “Did you find your mate, Jenner?”

The hairs stood on the back of his neck. “I did.”

“Good. Lucas will be glad to hear it. He used to worry about her, you know.”

Used to
. Jenner’s nerves cranked up another notch.
“Where is Lucas, Chelle? Mikhail would like to speak with him.”

She opened the door wide and turned. Jenner and Ronan followed her into the modest guesthouse and down the dark hallway toward the bedroom. Power radiated from Chelle, sending little jolts of electricity over Jenner’s skin. Ronan looked at him from the corner of his eye, making it obvious that the male shared in Jenner’s worry over his sister.

Chelle pushed the bedroom door open and stepped to one side. Lucas lay stretched out on the bed, naked. One arm was slung over his head and the other stretched over his bare chest that rose and fell with breath. Jenner relaxed by a small degree until his eye caught sight of a second set of fangs protruding from beneath the male’s upper lip.

Fucking hell
.

Ronan looked close to blowing his head right off his gods-damned shoulders. Anger vibrated off of him and he tensed. Chelle put her finger to her lips and closed the door. “Don’t wake him,” she chided her brother with a coy grin. “He’s been through a lot.”

Chelle had turned Lucas.

This was a fucking disaster. Jenner had known all along that not Mikhail or Chelle’s own brother would have been able to control her. She’d turned Lucas without a thought to her actions. She’d probably done the deed before Jenner had come here last night.
Gods-damn it.
Had he known she’d be so impetuous, he would have demanded to see Lucas before he’d gone after Bria. He was as much to blame as anyone. They never should have left Chelle alone and unchecked. Mikhail had indeed thrown the lamb to the lion and it could never be undone.

“Get Bria,” Ronan said on a breath. “I have a feeling we’re going to need her.”

“Yeah.” Jenner was inclined to agree.

“Are you ready?”

Bria took a deep breath. “Yes.”

Her own transition had been violent. She’d suffered so much pain before her uncle brought her to Mikhail’s door and she’d been awoken from the bliss of death with fire coursing through her veins. Claire, Mikhail, even Lucas had seen her through those first three days when her mind wandered and her thirst raged. Had Lucas’s transition been so violent? Had Ronan’s sister comforted him? Had she even given him a choice in the matter?

Anger swelled within Bria like a tide. Lucas had made an arrangement with Mikhail, and Bria was positive that agreement hadn’t involved his being turned at Ronan’s sister’s hand. Making accusations and starting fights weren’t going to change what had already been done, though. Jenner warned her that Chelle was volatile. A vampire unlike any other and very powerful. Bria felt that power as a thickness in the air when she entered the guesthouse at the back of Mikhail’s property.

“Bria,” Chelle said pleasantly as she walked through the door. Ronan’s twin was quite beautiful, with long blond hair, striking green eyes, and sharp features. She sat in an overstuffed chair in the cozy living room, the remote control held aloft as she surfed through channels. “How’s it hanging?”

Bria had never met Ronan’s sister, but Chelle seemed comfortably familiar with her. “I’m fine.” Bria bucked her chin up a notch, threw her shoulders back. “I’m here to see Lucas.”

“You’ve already got one virile male,” Chelle eyed Jenner up and down as though he were her next meal. “Now you want mine?”

“Watch it, Chelle.”

She shot Jenner a petulant pout. “You’re no fun, Jenner.”

“And you’re not funny.”

“You all worry too much.” Chelle tossed the remote aside and shifted her position in the chair with a flounce. “He’s fine. You act as though he’s going to sprout horns or mutate into a mindless, murdering beast.” Her expression grew almost said and her voice dropped an octave. “Is that how you all see me?”

Bria sighed. If she’d been in Chelle’s position she supposed she’d feel the same way. From what little she’d learned about Chelle, her existence must have been incredibly lonely. Bria knew all too well how disconnected the female must have felt. How isolated. Better precautions should have been taken before they’d allowed Lucas to come here, but that couldn’t be changed now. She didn’t sense a bit of malice from Chelle. Simply . . . loneliness.

“You’re right, Chelle,” Bria said. “I’m sure we’re all being overly cautious. I’m just here to check on my friend. That’s all.”

“I knew I’d like you,” Chelle replied. “All of Lucas’s memories of you are happy ones.”

Bria looked to Jenner. If Lucas had been turned by Mikhail the only memories that would have entered into the Collective would have been the ones from the day of his turning, on. Chelle certainly was an anomaly.

“I’m glad,” Bria said without missing a beat. “Where is he?”

“Sleeping.” Chelle indicated the hallway.

“For how long?”

“Since last night.”

Chelle wasn’t much of a conversationalist. Bria had a feeling that having her, Jenner, and Ronan standing in Chelle’s living room, staring at her as though she were an animal at the zoo, wasn’t doing much to put her at ease. “You and Ronan should go back to the main house,” Bria
suggested. “See if Mikhail needs your help with anything.” Jenner opened his mouth to protest and Bria held up a hand. “I’ll be fine. Trust me.”

A few quiet moments passed. Jenner’s gaze locked with Bria’s. She sensed his doubt, the tension that pulled his muscles taut. With a gust of breath his shoulders relaxed. “All right.” He leaned in and placed a slow kiss on her mouth. “I’ll be close.”

Bria beamed. That he’d trust her to take care of herself in this situation spoke volumes as to how far they’d come so quickly. “I’ll be fine.”

Once Ronan and Jenner left, Bria went into the living room and plopped down on the couch. “What are you watching?”

“
Mob Wives
,” Chelle said. “These women are cuh-ray-zy.”

Chelle was powerful, there was no doubt about it, but there wasn’t a malicious bone in her body. She exuded life and positivity. No wonder Lucas had been drawn to her. “I like
The Bachelor,
” Bria responded. “And
So You Think You Can Dance
.”

“Oh my gods! Did you watch last season?” Chelle’s expression became animated and a wide smile lit her face, revealing the wicked points of her fangs. “Last year’s group was
so
good.”

“They were,” Bria agreed.

“I’ve gotta be honest with you, Bria. I’m going stir-crazy. If I don’t get out of this house, my head’s going to explode. I would kill for a caramel macchiato right now.”

Bria didn’t know much about Chelle’s situation, but she was a pro when it came to feeling cooped up. “You seem fine to me. I don’t know why everyone is so nervous.”

“Maybe because I was made into a vampire by a magic coffin and now I’ve turned your BFF so he could join my wacked-out little coven?”

Jenner had filled Bria in on how Chelle had been turned, but she still had a hard time wrapping her mind around it.

“Crazy, right?” Chelle said to Bria’s astonished expression. “Looks like all of those rumors of how we were created happen to be true.”

“Did—” Bria cleared her throat. “Did Lucas ask you to turn him?”

Chelle continued to stare at the TV, watching as the group of women screamed at one another in the middle of a restaurant. Moments passed and Bria gave Chelle the time she needed to respond. “No,” Chelle said. “It was an accident.”

Bria’s heart sank. Had Lucas asked Chelle to turn him, Bria wouldn’t have worried as much. Lucas had expected Mikhail to turn him after he proved his worth. Instead, his transition had been a matter of circumstance, just like hers. “Did you hurt him?”

Chelle didn’t seem offended by Bria’s bluntness. A half smile quirked one corner of her full lips. “Believe me, Bria, he wasn’t hurting when it happened.”

A flush rose to Bria’s cheeks. “I shouldn’t have . . . I mean . . .”

“Relax. I know how it seems. That I seduced him, brought him over to the dark side,” Chelle quirked a brow and gave a mischievous grin that made her look so much like Ronan. “It wasn’t like that, though. I know about your coven. How you were raised. I hadn’t planned to turn Lucas or do anything else with him.” She averted her gaze back to the TV. “It just happened. It was an accident.”