Chapter 21
Twenty-One
Blake
Everything was different now. In a moment of pain, and the piercing of my skin with Marlon’s teeth, my life was no longer my life.
We were bonded, and I could feel how strong the cords of the bond were that tied me to him.
But I also wasn’t a victim. I still didn’t fully understand what being bonded to a vampire meant, but there were many things I couldn’t ignore.
His emotions, which were so vague and hidden from me as a human, were now a living part of me.
I could feel every shift and every subtle change, and his heart—I knew how much of his heart I held.
He had been so hard for me to read, and I thought because he was a vampire he had no emotion, or at least he didn’t show it. Now I knew the opposite was true.
A scent too appealing to ignore snapped me out of my thoughts and in a blink, I was at the door ready to throw it open and feed on whatever I found there.
“Stop!” Marlon said from where he still lay on the bed. “You will not feed yet.”
My breath sped up in anticipation of warm blood, but my feet were frozen in place along with the rest of me. Then he was next to me, pulling me into his arms, where I melted against him. “I—”
“Shh, love. The sun is still up. If you’d gone outside, you’d be ash.
We’ll leave here as soon as the sun sets and feed.
Come back to bed,” he said. His voice was so gentle it lulled me from the frantic hunger I’d just experienced into a relaxed state.
He guided me to the bed before laying me down and snuggling in behind me.
“It’ll all be set right once the sun is down. ”
Neither of us moved, and I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. This new life was strange. I knew I should sleep, but I wasn’t tired. Lying here next to my mate was all I needed to be ready for nightfall. And blood. Because once Marlon had mentioned feeding, blood was all that was on my mind.
“It’s time, love,” Marlon murmured in my ear. I flew over him and landed on the floor in a crouch without making a sound.
“Whoa. That was kinda cool,” I said, making him grin.
“You are truly a wonder,” he said before pressing his lips against mine. “Let’s go.”
We walked out to the truck and drove toward the office. “I’ll be right back,” I said and hopped out of the truck to return the key. Once again, the smell of warm blood overwhelmed me. Before I had a moment to react, he pushed me back to the truck.
“We need to leave,” he growled. The power of his voice washed over me and forced me to comply.
Without a word or thought, I walked back to the truck and put it in gear as he closed the door behind him.
We drove away from the motel and merged back onto I-5.
We’d driven a few miles in silence when, once again, the scent of blood called to me.
“Fuck.” My jaw clenched shut, and I tried to fight the urge to bolt from the truck and run down whatever the scent was from. But then Marlon squeezed my leg.
“It’s okay, Blake. Take the next turn,” he said and directed me to the nearest exit.
We drove along a narrow road that led into the dark woods we were now surrounded by.
“Pull over here.” I did as he said, never questioning and never a thought of disobeying.
He stepped out of the truck and walked into the woods, and I followed.
After a short walk, he turned to face me.
“You need to feed. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Let the need wash over you and take control.”
I did as he said and was hit with an urge too powerful to ignore.
Blood, warm and fresh, was nearby. I bolted in the direction, and all my senses focused on the same thing.
Just ahead of me, an elk startled and took off running.
Instinct took over, and a thought flashed through my mind: I was no longer human.
I was a vampire. Just as I jumped to take the animal down, I was hit from the side.
Startled, I struggled to get a grip on whatever hit me.
Dirt, ferns, and fallen trees were brushed away as the two of us fought for control.
I sailed through the air and hit a tree so hard that the crack of it ripped through the quiet woods.
Spinning away, I landed on my feet, ready to fight whatever the fuck had attacked me.
“Blake, what happened?” Marlon asked as he burst through the thick trees. He was on high alert, eyes wide and fangs out.
“Something attacked me.” My eyes surveyed the area, but I saw nothing in the now quiet forest. Marlon froze before speeding past me.
I immediately followed, staying as close to him as I could, but he was so much faster than I was, and with the thick growth it was hard to follow him.
Our connection guided me. It didn’t matter if I fell behind.
I would always know where he was. Now I understood how he tracked Josiah.
“Blake,” Marlon said. He didn’t need to shout for me to hear him.
“What is it?” I said from his side.
“There’s another vampire. I don’t recognize the scent,” Marlon said and knelt by a footprint.
“It’s not Josiah?” I asked and knelt next to him.
“No.” He glanced around again before standing. “We need to—” Before the words were out of his mouth, he was hit from the side and then shoved into a tree. He managed to get a grip on his attacker, and I could now see that it was a small child.
“I’m not a child,” he said and turned to sneer at me while holding Marlon against the tree by his throat. I growled and started to run at him. “Stop, or your mate dies.”
Marlon’s eyes were wild as he looked at me and nodded his head while clawing at the hand clamped around his throat. The vampire looked between us before dropping Marlon.
“Marlon.” I rushed over to him as he scrambled to his feet.
“Who are you?” Marlon sneered.
“No one you would know,” he said, not answering at all. He looked to be about ten, with blond hair that stuck out all over his head and clothes that looked like they’d seen better days. “I don’t care about clothes.”
“You can read my thoughts?” I asked.
His eyes narrowed, and he walked closer to me and nodded. “You more than him. It doesn’t work on older vampires. Only newly turned, and within the first year it vanishes.”
“What about humans?” Marlon asked.
“No, only new vampires.” He sat on a fallen tree and picked at the bark. “Why are you here?”
“We’re only passing through. My mate needed to feed.”
“There are plenty of humans around here,” he said.
“I don’t want to kill humans,” I said.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s hunt.” Then he was off like a shot in the night.
Marlon gave me a shocked look before the two of us ran after him.
He was small but incredibly fast, and by the way he’d held Marlon—strong.
He led us to a clearing where a few elk were grazing in the moonlight.
The vampire signaled Marlon to circle around, and he showed me where to go.
The small vampire rushed in and snapped the neck of one elk, making the others run away. “Feed. There’s enough for all of us.”
I tried to hold back, but my need was too great, and I sunk my teeth in and drew out the warm liquid. Marlon put his hand on my back, making me growl.
“We feed together or not at all,” Marlon said, using the tone I had no choice but to follow. Calm washed over me as the three of us silently fed.
After having his fill, the little vampire wiped his face and sat back. “Why are you here?”
Marlon looked up at him as a thin trail of blood slid down his chin. “We’re hunting a vampire who trapped me in a grave for nearly a century.”
“What will you do when you find it?” he asked but showed no emotion.
Marlon’s lips curled, and his eyes grew black with hate. “I’m going to tear his head off and leave him for the sun.”
“Sounds fun. Mind if I join you?”
“What’s your name?” I asked, unable to stop myself.
“Elias. No one has asked me that for many years,” he said. His eyes were far away in thought for a split second before meeting my eyes again. “And yours?”
“I’m Marlon, and this is my mate, Blake,” Marlon said.
“Bonded,” he murmured, and Marlon nodded. “I’ll help you.”
“It’s not necessary,” Marlon said and wiped his mouth before standing and moving closer to me.
“There are more dangers in this world than the world you left behind,” Elias said.
“What of the world you’re from?” Marlon said.
“Yes, vampires are always more willing to fight than listen,” Elias said and glanced at me. “I’ll tell you my story, but right now we need to go if you want to find the vampire you’re hunting and avoid burning up.”
Marlon didn’t look convinced, but something told me we could trust Elias. I took Marlon’s hand and squeezed it, making him look at me. “Not all vampires want to destroy us,” I said and hoped like hell it was true.