Chapter 21
Dru drove like a bat out of hell. She tightened her hand on the steering wheel, and it took everything she had to not tear the damn thing off. She couldn’t care less about the speeding laws. She dared a human officer to pull her over. The only thought on her mind was Tomesha.
The draft would be occurring tonight, as it did every night, and she’d be damned if another vampire matched with her human.
This was the one woman who Dru would do anything for—even defy vampire law.
She’d been loyal to the vampire crown her entire life, but for once, she wanted to be selfish and take something for herself.
Tomesha.
The human had burrowed underneath her skin, and she didn’t know or understand why. It wasn’t like she’d never been with a human donor before. In her lifetime there had been countless of donors, but Tomesha was the only one who stood out.
The only one who made her cold heart beat.
Kept her distracted.
Was constantly on her mind.
But why?
Dru turned down the road where she was told Tomesha lived.
It was working-class neighborhood. The people obviously didn’t have much, but it was clear they took pride in the area.
Dru found the house and parked in front of it.
She exited the vehicle and slammed the door shut without cutting off the engine. They wouldn’t be here long.
She’d take Tomesha away from here. She’d only be safe with her. There was no telling what vampire she’d match with or where they’d send her. Dru would cut down any vampire who tried to take her away.
Dru stalked toward the small house and jogged up the few stairs. She banged on the front door. She had half a mind to rip the damn thing off the hinges and go inside to collect her female.
Her heart pounded as she waited. She strained to listen and heard movement somewhere inside the home.
They weren’t moving fast enough for Dru. She banged again, this time harder. The door rattled, almost caving in. Her heart hammered harder.
Was she too late?
Had the draft already happened? The royal guards were known to be swift with collecting the humans who were matched.
There was a history of humans attempting to run to avoid being taken to the vampires.
Would Tomesha run? Where would she run to?
Dru sent up a swift prayer to every god she could think of that she wouldn’t fall for a group like the Rebels if she had fled.
Even though the Rebels had been disbanded due to their connection with the lycans and abducting humans to give to them, there were still groups out there helping humans who wanted to escape the draft.
Dru’s inhaled sharply, scenting a male on the other side of the door. She raised her fist to bang again, but the door opened.
“What the hell do you want?” a deep voice barked.
Dru eyed the male and recognized him as the one who’d been with Tomesha that day her vampires had intervened with the altercation. He stood holding a large knife. She bit back a smirk. This human male may be intimidating to some, but he’d be no match for her.
“Where is she?” Dru pushed into the house.
He tried to struggle with her, but her strength in this state of mind was too much for him.
His feeble attempt to hold her back only ended with his body being thrown into the wall nearest them.
He fell forward onto the floor, dazed, the knife skittering away.
She stepped over him and continued into the house.
She inhaled and picked up Tomesha’s scent.
It was strong. She was still in the home.
A door opened down the hallway just as Dru turned down it. Tomesha rushed out of the room tying the ends of her robe together.
“Tarek!” Tomesha cried out. She paused in the hallway and took Dru in. Her eyes widened at the sight of her. “What did you do to my brother?”
She raced forward and tried to go past Dru who caught Tomesha’s smaller body and lifted her off her feet.
“He’s unharmed,” Dru growled.
“Put me down. Tarek!” Tomesha hollered.
She tried to wiggle free, but Dru had a strong hold on her. She walked back to the end of the hallway. The male pushed up from the floor and reached for his weapon.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Dru snapped. She lifted Tomesha higher in her arms. Another door opened behind her. She spun around and was hit in the face.
“Put her down!” an older woman screeched. She swung her weapon again.
Dru swatted at the object. Was she wielding a broom at her? The older female would come and attack a distinguished warrior? The older woman kept advancing on Dru, hitting her on the shoulder.
“Gran! Go back in your room!” Tomesha cried out. She finally broke free of Dru’s hold and hit the floor. She moved quickly between the older woman and Dru. She held her hands up. “It’s okay, Gran. I promise. Put the broom away.”
“I may be old, but that woman is trying to kidnap you!” There was a fire in the old woman’s eyes, and she appeared to be an older version of Tomesha. Her gaze was locked in on Dru. Her chest rose and fell, but her hold on the broomstick hadn’t relaxed.
“I’m sure there’s a good reason that Dru is here at this time of night.” Tomesha glanced over her shoulder at Dru.
The look she gave had Dru feeling as if she were a wet-behind-the-ears warrior during their first sparring. Dru stood to her full height and glared at the older woman.
“This human is mine,” Dru rasped. She reached for Tomesha and snagged her by the arm.
Tomesha tried to yank it away, but this time Dru wasn’t going to let her go. This was who she’d come for and she wasn’t leaving without her.
“My sister doesn’t belong to anyone.” The male hadn’t listened to Dru and held the weapon in his hand with it pointed at her.
“Tarek! No. Put that away. Please!” Tomesha pleaded.
Dru growled and wrapped her arm firmly around Tomesha. The male was threatening her with her mate in front of her. Didn’t he know that she’d be able to disarm him before he could blink?
This was her human, and she didn’t care who stood in her way, she’d cut them down for trying to keep her from Tomesha. She whipped out her dagger from her waist and held it up with the tip aimed at the male.
“Don’t come any closer,” Dru threatened.
She stood with her back to the edge of the hall where she could keep an eye on the old woman and the male.
These were Tomesha’s family members, and in the back of her mind she didn’t want to hurt them.
They were inexperienced in fighting a vampire—a general—and it would be an unfair fight.
But Tomesha belonged to her, and they weren’t going to take her away from Dru.
“You expect me to allow you to barge into my home and just take my sister? Who the hell are you?” Tarek snapped.
“It’s okay,” Tomesha said. “This is Dru. The vampire I’ve been…um…assigned to.” She tried to turn around in Dru’s arms. She struggled but was able to force her way. She brought her hands up to Dru’s face. “What has gotten into you? What’s the matter?”
“You’re coming with me.” Dru didn’t remove her eyes from the two who stood with their weapons aimed. The older female could be disarmed easily, but she’d certainly be injured. The male, he’d put up a fight, but he too would be injured.
“Why? I thought you’d call for me?” Tomesha said gently.
“I sent that vampire away. They came when you were gone,” Tarek announced.
Tomesha’s body stiffened. She frowned and glanced back up at Dru. “Is this why you’re acting this way? You thought I wasn’t available for you? Did you need to feed—”
“No.” Did she have to feed? No. Did she have a burning desire to sink her fangs into Tomesha’s soft flesh to mark her as hers forever?
Yes.
“Then why are you here?” Tomesha tried to keep Dru’s attention to her, but it was easy for Dru to sense the other two in the room.
Dru finally broke the stare with Tomesha’s brother and looked down at Tomesha. Concern lined her beautiful face. Her hair had been held back with a scarf that was half haphazardly on her head. Her soft body was pressed against Dru’s, reminding her of what she desired most.
“Because.” Dru paused. Common sense was reentering her brain as if a fog was lifting from her.
She glanced around again and took in the damage she’d done.
There was an indent on the wall where she’d tossed Tomesha’s brother, other items were scattered on the floor, while Tomesha’s elderly grandmother stood armed with a broom.
Had she not been so desperate to keep another vampire from her female, it would have been comical.
Dru swallowed, but she didn’t relax her grip on the dagger. No matter what, Tomesha was coming with her.
“I was told you were drafted,” Dru finally admitted.
Tomesha’s features softened. “That’s why you’re here? Were we matched? You’re here to collect me?” Hope shone in her eyes.
“What?” Dru blinked.
She tightened her hold on Tomesha who finally blessed her with a smile.
“I asked if we matched and you were here to collect me yourself? Is that why you come barging into our home late at night? We don’t have a television, and I wasn’t able to see the results. If that is the case then—”
“I am not registered for the draft,” Dru admitted.
“Then I’m confused. If you’re not here to claim me, then why are you here? Has someone else matched with me?” Tomesha’s smile disappeared, replaced with a frown.
“I don’t give a shit why she’s here. You’re not going anywhere with her.” Tarek stood tall and glared at Dru.
“That’s right. You’re not taking my baby away from me,” the older woman chimed in. She gripped that broomstick, prepared to swing again. She raised it and rested the wooden stick on her shoulder.
“Dru. You know as well as I do, that if I matched with a vampire and it’s not you, you can’t kidnap me,” Tomesha said.
“No one is taking you from me,” Dru growled. She didn’t want to hear reasoning at the moment. She’d spent her entire life following rules, laws, enforcing them, putting her life on the line for her people.
Why was it that she couldn’t have this one thing?