Chapter 2
Chapter Two
The vampires washed Emma’s blood away with a pressure sprayer and tank of hot water. Adrian directed their efforts to remove any evidence of the attack, but hours after the team disposed of the human detritus on the street, her scent still lingered in the cold air.
He’d never forget the distinctive taste of her blood, her flavor surpassing all other experiences before it.
To him, Emma had been a delicate ambrosia, and he’d struggled internally for months to show restraint in her presence.
Her blood sang to him, a deadly siren’s lure with the potential for landing him in front of the council for betraying their rules.
Even the memory of their night together haunted his morning dreams, each touch and sweet kiss burned into his mind.
Once, only once, he’d allowed himself the selfish indulgence of making love to someone beneath him in their prestigious vampire hierarchy.
But it couldn’t happen again. If Brennan knew he’d fucked one of their subordinates, he’d probably bust Adrian down to their level.
He’d lose his title as a master, and again, it’d only be his fault for stepping beyond their professional boundaries.
He couldn’t even blame Emma for seducing him, because he’d wanted it just as much, if not more.
In fact, he’d known from the moment he assigned her to the shift with him that he was dooming himself to failure, hoping by some impossible chance she wanted him as much as he’d craved her.
Once would have to be enough. Putting professional distance between them was the only logical solution.
After their squad picked over the area with a fine-tooth comb—even allowing one of their hounds off leash in hopes of finding some elusive clue—Adrian sent two members of their security team to dump the bodies with their contact at the local police department.
“No identification on any of them,” McMichaels said as he returned from his errand. “I’d wager a week’s rations the police won’t find anything in their system either. Those men smelled like desperation and piss.”
No surprise there. “It was a suicide run,” Adrian said.
“A what?” McMichaels raised his brows. He was younger than Emma, not yet a decade into his new life, and a recent transfer from Seattle. Vampires in that region would never know the threat of a hunter, the community there living like gods thanks to a series of novels published a few years ago.
“A hunter leader sends five of his new recruits to their death. They watch from a distance, study us, see how we handle a fight, and they learn from it.”
“All they learned is she’s a badass in heels. Found her shoe in one of them.”
The admiration in the younger man’s voice elicited a surge of pride. No matter how much Adrian wanted to coddle Em, McMichaels was right. She was a badass in heels, and his hopes of protecting her like a little neophyte had gone in vain. She hadn’t needed him.
“C’mon. Let’s get back to the manor. Whoever arranged this is still out there.”
Adrian had already dismissed the others to perform their assigned tasks—speaking with the chief of police and investigating the nearby area for witnesses. Three members of the coven were on the local force and only worked the evening beat as reserve officers.
“Curfew then?” McMichaels asked.
“Until further notice. All travel is to be done in groups of three between the manor and town.”
A five-car garage on the property housed luxurious, armored vehicles with solar-shielded, tinted windows. Anyone in the house, except for the neophytes and junior acolytes, could check one out. The generous reserve tank made for a pleasant driving experience on cross-country trips.
Of course, Adrian hadn’t taken one of those in a while. Didn’t have the time.
After returning to the manor, he sought Emma on the second floor where the intermediate members of the coven dwelled in private bedrooms. Before knocking, he told himself it was a courtesy call.
Emma cracked open the door. “What do you want?”
“Welfare check,” Adrian replied.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re pale.” No rosy glow infused her cheeks and dark circles showed beneath her eyes, giving Emma the classic “goth” look people associated with their kind.
“That happens when you’re attacked,” she remarked. “Do you know what else happens? Irritating vampire masters won’t leave you alone to rest afterward. It’s four in the morning, Adrian.”
He frowned, but she didn’t budge to allow him inside.
“Sunrise isn’t for another couple of hours. Now that you’ve recuperated, I need to get your accounting of the incident.”
“Fine.” She relented and moved away from the door.
His swept his gaze across the room, noting changes to the space since his last and only visit.
She’d replaced her bedding, trading white and turquoise for sophisticated shades in charcoal, lavender, and plum.
An aromatherapy candle burned on the bedside table.
Emma retreated to her desk and leaned back against it, arms crossed over her chest.
“I need to know if you may have done anything to allow them to identify you as a vampire.”
“No. Unless walking at night makes me one.”
“How would you explain what happened?” Adrian mimicked her posture and waited to see if she came to the same conclusion.
Her eyes narrowed. “Angela seems to think it was a suicide band, and I agree with her. Those guys were well-trained but disposable. They had no idea what they were up against. Probably homeless vets who thought they were getting a legitimate job for a real cause again.”
Adrian stroked his chin. Good. Smart girl, but he hadn’t expected anything less of her.
“I came to the same conclusion, but what I can’t figure out is why they chose you.
Were they merely waiting for any one of us to walk the street at night, or were you followed until the opportune moment was presented to them? ”
“I have a better question,” Emma said. “How did you know I was under attack at all?”
He stiffened and looked away from her expressive hazel eyes. They were the perfect blend of blue and brown, a mere hint of gold surrounding her pupil with a larger ring of azure. “When I drank from you, it was more deeply than I should have indulged.”
Her eyes widened. “But I didn’t drink from you. There shouldn’t be a bond.”
Despite having every reason to be relieved that she didn’t return the favor, it had troubled him for days after their tryst. Had he been presumptive when he bit her?
Had he taken advantage of her? Emma’s invitation to her room afterward implied he hadn’t, but the longstanding rules of the coven—of their entire vampiric community—had been scribed for a reason.
Masters did not mix with their subordinates. Sharing blood, viewed as an act more intimate than sexual relations, was strictly off-limits.
He’d broken two rules in one night.
“As an elder, I use blood more efficiently than most vampires.” An acute sense of discomfort came over him. He hadn’t intended to initiate a blood bond, or even a partial one, but something unusual had occurred that night. “It’s the only explanation I can think of.”
“What?” Her voice raised sharply in pitch, and her eyes brightened to warm amber. “You’ve been feeling my emotions all of this time and you never told me? How long will it be until it wears off? How long until I have my privacy back? It’s been eight months and you haven’t said a word!”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “It could be days or…”
“Or?” she prompted.
“Months longer. Regardless, I realized you were in a dilemma and came to rescue you.”
“I don’t need to be rescued.”
“As you have thoroughly demonstrated. Good evening, Whittaker.” Adrian moved to the door, a terrible sensation of apprehension rolling through his gut when he thought of how she’d looked at him—like he’d intentionally wronged her.
Emma hated to be called by her last name.
“For your safety, all travel to and from the manor must be under guard in adherence to curfew policies for now.”
“What? Is that for everyone?”
“No. Only you.”
“Excuse me?” Her voice rose, anger dripping from every word. “So I get attacked and then you punish me for it?
“Until we determine why you of all the vampires in this coven were chosen to be their first victim, or their test, yes, you are grounded.”
“Get the hell out of my room.”
“Em—”
“No. You don’t get to ‘Em’ me now. You want to punish me for whatever the fuck I did to piss you off, fine, but at least respect the boundaries of my bedroom and leave me in peace.”
And with her wishes stated, he had no choice but to comply with her demands.
Adrian stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him, but the fury of her words followed him, stamped into his soul with the permanency of a tattoo.
Long after he left her hallway and ascended to the third level where the other elders kept their offices and slept, her anger still pulsed in his mind.
Goddamned blood bond.
He raked his fingers through his dark hair and paced the hall in frustration until the office door at the end of the hall opened. Brennan Stevens emerged and gave him a quizzical look.
“Must you storm around like an angry gorilla at four in the morning? I’m sure some of the residents beneath us would like to sleep.”
“Emmaleigh didn’t take her protection arrangements well.”
The corner of Brennan’s mouth quirked. “Emmaleigh now, is it?”
“When she snaps at you for calling her by her last name when she isn’t on duty, yes, she’s whatever the hell she wants to be, Brennan.”
The older vampire raised both of his brows. “Did you tell her those were my instructions to you?”
“I wasn’t given the chance.”
“She kicked you out?”
“Yeah…”
While chuckling at Adrian’s plight, Brennan stepped into his office and gestured for his friend to join him.
A few moments later, they’d both taken seats in matching leather armchairs and opened cans of thick, dark beer.
While food had limited nutritional value for them, most vampires still enjoyed the pleasant buzz of an alcoholic beverage. Or ten.
Part of the room had been dedicated to Brennan’s addiction to firearms. Rows of rifles and shotguns—including an elephant gun large enough to punch a hole into a dragon’s hide—filled four display cabinets built into the wood-paneled walls.
A centuries-old elephant tusk gleamed above the mantel, where the fireplace emitted a comfortable heat Adrian appreciated after his hours of traipsing in the snow.
“Would you like the good news first or the bad news?” Brennan asked after a few minutes of silence passed between them.
“Bad.”
“The attack against Emmaleigh wasn’t a randomized assault. It hasn’t been confirmed, but my contact among the Overseers believes this may be tied to her exit from Rosenhaven.”
The empty beer can in Adrian’s hand crunched, the aluminum crinkling in his closed fist. “What gives them reason to suspect that?”
“They uncovered a hunters’ safe house in Fort Worth,” Brennan replied as he maneuvered behind his desk and adjusted the monitor. “Have a look.”
Images revealed a well-organized office space with pictures and maps on the walls. One corkboard had been dedicated to surveillance and tracking of one target—Emmaleigh.
“Were any of them present?”
“Only a handful of their weaklings. Easily exterminated.”
“And the good news?”
“The petition came only moments ago from the Council of Elders. They’re demanding to see Emmaleigh in person to discuss the circumstances surrounding her decision to leave San Antonio. And you are to escort her to New York. Personally.”
Adrian grimaced. “How is that good?”
“I know. Almost two years delayed, but better now than never, right? I imagine, in your care she’ll be safe from harm.”
“How is this in any way good news? If they so much as suspect she knew anything about what that coven took part in, they’ll march her into the sun.
” His stomach sank and twisted with nausea at the thought of the council delivering any judgment against Emma.
Not because of his infatuation, but because she was, as far as he could tell, innocent of any wrongdoing.
After all, he’d tasted her blood, and if she’d been involved in Rosenhaven’s schemes against the Ancients, he would have determined it then.
“I am aware. It’s good then that she has you to guarantee her voice is heard in a fair meeting.”
“What makes you think they’ll listen to me?”
“Your status and station. You’re an older vampire, Adrian, and a master in this coven. In addition to your impeccable record, you’ll also be couriering a letter from me with my thoughts regarding Emmaleigh’s character.”
“All right, I’ll do it.”
“Good. I didn’t plan to give you a choice.”
“Thanks. No, really. Thanks.” He tossed his empty can into the wastebasket and moved toward the door.
“Tell me something before you go.”
Adrian paused with his hand on the knob and looked back over his shoulder. “What’s that?”
“What’s been eating you these past months? You’ve been an incomprehensible ass since the Fourth of July celebration last year. I was content to ignore it at first, but you’re brooding more and more of late.”
“It’s nothing. Personal matters. Worry less about me and more about the potential nest of hunters in our neighborhood, Brennan.”
As he stepped into the hallway, he wondered which option Emma would find most punishing: her temporary house arrest or four hours in a car with him.