Vampire Betrayed (Vampires Destined) (5 page)

California

Redwood Forest

Fury drove Joaquin into the forest, following the unique scent to Devlin, the only one of his kind he could call a friend. “I know that scent now. The one I couldn’t quite place when I went back to Ariana’s house.”

Devlin leaned his back away from the tree. “And?”

“It’s Charon.” The name came out like a hiss. “She’s the reason Ariana’s gone missing.”

“I thought she was in hiding ever since the last time you battled her.”

“I knew she wouldn’t remain hidden for long. She’s too egocentric.”

“Yeah. Wants to rule the world and all that.” Devlin circled the tree slowly. “If she does have Ariana, you know what this means, don’t you?”

“Don’t say it.” Joaquin didn’t even want to think about it much less hear the words spoken aloud.

“Joaquin, come on. She’s not going to let your girlfriend remain human. That’s just keeping a liability. Charon wants more vampires like herself. Killers.”

“That’s what we’re supposed to be.” Joaquin trained his gaze into the darkness, seeing nothing. Seeing everything. Since leaving Ariana, the forest had become his home. He belonged here, far away from the perfection of marble countertops and grenadine floors of the luxury hotels he’d stayed in around the world.

As much as he wanted to believe he could be something more than what he was, the look on Ariana’s face had revealed the truth. He was and always would be a vampire.

And now, unless he could stop her, Charon was going to turn Ariana into the very thing she detested.

 “I know what you’re thinking, and I’m coming with you.” Devlin clamped his hand on Joaquin’s shoulder. “I’m not letting you do this alone.”

Joaquin gave him a grim smile. “No. Charon wants both of us as a package deal. We’re stronger apart.”

“But if I don’t come, you won’t have backup.”

“I need you to stay here, Devlin. I won’t be able to focus if I know your life could be in danger, too.”

Devlin sneered before guffawing, the sound bouncing off the trees to echo in the vast space of the forest. “In case you haven’t noticed it, buddy, I’m as dead as you are.”

“But at least you’re up and walking around. If things with Charon go wrong, what life you do have could end permanently.”

A sigh escaped Devlin’s lips, and his hand fell away from Joaquin’s shoulder. “Sometimes I think that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”

Joaquin’s head whipped around. “Don’t say things like that.” The words sent shards of pain through his heart, but he only had himself to blame.

Once Joaquin had been sired, he’d had an insatiable thirst for blood, and Devlin had made the mistake of being the first mortal to cross his path. Joaquin had begged him to leave, but Devlin hadn’t listened. As a police officer, he’d wanted to help, and he’d offered his assistance despite Joaquin’s repeated pleading for him to go away.

Then Joaquin had killed him, taking his life’s blood without restraint. It was only through Devlin’s amazing resilience and adaptability that they’d managed to remain friends once Devlin had arisen.

Joaquin didn’t know if he could have been so forgiving.

He cleared his throat. “Promise me you’ll stay here.”

“Can’t, but I can promise I’ll watch my back and yours. Now, are we going after Charon or not?”

* * * *

He loved her. He knew it the moment he woke to find her watching him, her hand propped up on the pillow next to his head. Dusk had just crept over the city, but the dim lighting in the room couldn’t hide the glow on her face.

His gaze took in every smooth line of her face before he touched her cheek with just the tips of his fingers. She smiled. At that exact moment, Joaquin felt as if his heart started to beat again. All these years he’d spent in a dark hell, wanting only to escape, and yet, he’d always known that freedom might mean a more torturous existence than what he now lived. And then he’d met Ariana.

“Why are you smiling?” He spoke the words on a whisper, not wanting to spoil the moment.

“Do you really have to ask that?” She leaned in to kiss him, allowing her lips to hover over his.

The scent of her skin enveloped him, but it was the warmth of her blood which beckoned him. He yearned to make her his, to cocoon her in a moment that would last for eternity, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Once he told her everything, she would need time to absorb the truth, to understand his existence.

His thumb plumped her lower lip. “I suppose not.”

She nipped at his chin. “Paris is a beautiful city, but I think I liked the view from the tub better than the walk.”

His chest rumbled with laughter. “Then perhaps we should have the maid prepare another bath for us.”

Her nose wrinkled. “I think I can fill a bathtub with water, Joaquin.” She tried to climb out from beneath the sheets, but he pulled her back in, needing to feel the warmth of her body against his. “What are you doing?”

The husky tone of her voice answered the question for him. “I’d like to make love to you again.”

She leaned into him, her breasts pressing against his chest. “Joaquin, what are we doing?”

His hands spanned her waist and lifted her on top of his body. “I believe it’s called making love.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

He smiled up at her. “Yeah, I know.” He brushed the tip of her nose with his finger. “That’s called falling in love.”

Her hands framed his face. “We barely know each other.”

He shifted his hips, allowing her to feel the hardness of his erection. “But we have all the time in the world to learn what we need to know and...” Another move of his hips had her gasping. “...I believe we shall enjoy the journey.”

* * * *

Ariana awoke in panic. She tried to gasp for air, but her lungs refused to cooperate. Fear pushed her upwards, but before she could scramble from the bed, Charon was there, a serene smile on her face.

 “What’s happened to me?” The voice speaking sounded as rusty as an unoiled hinge, definitely not her own. “Why can’t I breathe?”

Charon tapped her hand with a soothing murmur. “You have been given a great gift, my dear, one I’m sure you will use with the utmost care.” She held out her hand, and Ariana took it because she needed something to hold on to, to ground her to this reality. “The fear you are feeling now will dissipate one your body grows accustomed to the change.”

“The change?” She tugged her hand free. “What have you done to me?”

“Simply what you asked. Your life will never be the same, Ariana, but never again will you fall prey to a vampire’s trap.”

“Why don’t I feel like myself anymore?” Ariana held up one hand to inspect it. Her body still looked the same, but something was off. Why couldn’t she breathe? And why did every scent in the bedroom assault her nostrils all at once?

Roses, lemon furniture polish, and fresh laundry detergent blended together into a sickeningly sweet aroma that should have made her nauseous. She’d always hated too many flowery or citrusy scents at one time. So why wasn’t her stomach revolting?

“It will take some time.” Charon stood, her hands folded in front of her like a queen bestowing a great honour upon a subject. “I’ll have my housekeeper bring you some breakfast.”

Now that Charon had mentioned it, Ariana
was
hungry.  Ravenously so. Her stomach growled to punctuate the thought. “And then what?”

Charon rested a hand on her shoulder. “Then we get to work.”

* * * *

“How can you be sure you can trust her?” One of the legion spoke up, his face contorted grotesquely which wasn’t the fault of his sire. He’d been transformed seconds after a horrifying acid incident, leaving him disfigured.

Charon tried not to look at him, using the ruse of inspecting her nails instead. She didn’t like to be rude to her followers, though, at times, they
did
force her to remind them who was the head of this legion.

“I don’t have to trust her. She will get close to Joaquin because she wants to make sure he’ll never hurt another living soul again.” The thought brought a smile to her face. The vision had worked perfectly, giving Ariana a picturesque view of Joaquin’s fabricated nocturnal activities. She couldn’t imagine the girl would risk keeping her vampire lover alive now.

“Still,” the same vampire grumbled, “why do we even need her?”

Annoyance crept into Charon’s voice when she replied. “Because Joaquin would recognize any of our scents. Even if he were to recognize hers, he’ll still allow her to get close to him. In fact,” she favored the gathering of vampires with a pleasant smile, “she’ll be able to get closer than any of us ever could. And that’s when she’ll stake him.”

“What makes you so sure she’ll kill him?”

Charon grew weary of the vampire’s continuing questions, but she couldn’t afford to lose even one of her minion now. Her numbers were too low as it was, especially after the previous month’s clash with some vampires in Somalia that weren’t eager to join her mission.

“Ariana will kill Joaquin. Trust me. She wants nothing more than to see him dead.”

“We do trust you, Charon.” Another vampire spoke up, this one easier on the eyes. “But will she after she learns what you have done to her?”

“She need never learn until Joaquin is dead. All of you know my masking skills are the best among the undead. Now, let this be the end of any concerns. Go feed and let me take care of our newest acquisition.”

Walking away from the group that had gathered in the city park, Charon could only hope the girl wouldn’t fail her. Once Joaquin discovered the truth, if Ariana didn’t kill him, he’d come after Charon. And she’d never been sure she could defeat him.

* * * *

One month later

Redwood Forest

“Charon has hidden her well. Too damn well.” Joaquin punched a tree, his fist gouging a deep hole in the trunk. “I lost Charon’s scent at the Atlantic. She’s disappeared.” And taken Ariana with her.

There was no doubt in his mind now that Ariana had been changed. Charon would not have had the patience to keep her mortal. He refused to dwell on the possibility Ariana hadn’t been kept at all.

“Samuel told me about a small war in Somalia a couple of months back. It sounds like Charon’s group was involved. Maybe we should go check that out.” Devlin dropped to the floor of the forest, drawing his knees up to his chest.

“I’d sooner trust Charon than I would Samuel.” Joaquin’s lip curled. Samuel had been changed well over a hundred years ago, and bitterness had made him one hell of an enemy. Most vampires just tolerated him and none trusted him.

“I get that, but he’d have no reason to lie about a battle. How would that serve him?”

His friend had a point, but Joaquin wasn’t ready to leave the country. Something, call it instinct or just blind hope, told him Charon hadn’t left the United States. She wouldn’t want to stray too far as long as Joaquin was still alive. His death had always been her ultimate goal.

“I think I’m going to head back to New York for a while. I’ve left a trail for Charon to follow if she wants to find me.”

“And what about Ariana? What if she’s the one looking for you?”

“If Charon has changed her, Ariana can follow my scent, too.”

Devlin cursed and got to his feet. “
If
Charon has changed her? It’s been a month, Joaquin. Ariana is either a vampire, or she was a meal for Charon. Don’t kid yourself into thinking she’s still a human. That’ll only hurt worse when you meet up with her again.”

“There’s no guarantee I will meet up with her again.”

“Whatever you’re thinking, man, you shouldn’t be heading off on your own. Not now. Charon has upped the stakes. She’s always wanted you dead since you’re one of the last holdouts preventing her from dominating the East Coast, but you made the mistake of getting involved with a human, and she’s going to use that against you.”

Joaquin closed his eyes and tried to ignore the fury rising up inside him. How many times was Devlin going to remind him of Ariana? He’d crossed a line, but he didn’t regret a moment of it. And if he could go back, he’d do the same thing all over again. “I don’t want to listen to another lecture about the error of my ways, Dev.”

Holding both hands in the air like he was surrendering, Devlin turned away. “Fine. Go back to New York, but I hope if Ariana does come after you, you’ll have enough common sense to see her for what she is instead of what she was. If you see her, don’t make the mistake of thinking she’s a human. That’ll get you killed.”

“Yeah. I know.” The agreement fell flat, but Joaquin couldn’t stand there and guarantee he wouldn’t try to talk to Ariana, convince her he wasn’t the monster Charon had, no doubt, told her he was.