5. Chapter Five
Chapter five
Benji
Lysandro’s quick departure over another vampire here in his territory worried me. Maybe I should’ve told him about the letter I received at his house earlier today, but I’d been worried about my World Religions test.
I knew Lysandro was lethal; I’d seen it with my own eyes, but that didn’t stop the fear growing inside of me that someone was gunning for my complicated, wonderful Lysandro because of me.
Sitting on the bed in his private quarters in the library, I pulled the letter out of my back pocket where I’d stuck it earlier. Opening it up and looking at it with fresh eyes, knowing that Lysandro had sensed another like him, my apprehension grew.
Benji,
Don’t worry, my sweet. I haven’t forgotten about you. Nothing could ever make me forget you. You are mine, as I am yours.
Forevermore, your true love
My hands shook as I pulled out my cell phone. Rafe was more than likely at work, but he’d become the truest friend I’d ever had, and I needed to tell someone about the letter.
While my foster brother, Eric, had introduced me to Velvet Vein and the world of vampires, he’d pretty much disappeared from my life as soon as he met his vamp Daddy.
Within a year of sitting at the bar in Velvet Vein, though, watching Rafe bartend and interacting with vampires and humans alike, seeing how good he was with everyone, we’d bonded, and that connection hadn’t fizzled even though Lysandro had moved me here to be near him.
Hoping beyond hope that he’d answer, I scrolled to his contact number and hit send.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked, answering the phone on the second ring.
He read me so easily. “Yeah. Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Hold on,” he said. The phone muffled, and I could hear the hum of the club in the background before the noise went distant. “Sorry. I’m taking a break. And yes, I know something’s up because we talked this morning, and you never call me at night since you know I’m at work.”
“Ugh. You’re right. I’m really sorry to bother you, but I’m kind of freaking out over here.” I read him the note.
“And you said it was in your mailbox?” he asked, sounding concerned.
“Yeah. Don’t you think that’s weird? No one from Velvet Vein knows where I’m staying, but I found it when I checked the mail today.”
“Shit. I haven’t heard any rumors of anyone figuring out what town Lysandro’s in, much less his address. What did he say?”
“I haven’t told him yet,” I admitted quietly. I regretted that with every fiber of my being now. It should’ve been the first thing I said when I came into work.
“Benji!” Rafe shrieked into the phone.
“I know,” I whined. “I was going to tell him tonight but…” I hesitated. Would it be bad to admit that Lysandro had sensed another vampire in town? I wasn’t sure that he’d want anyone else to know that. I could tell Rafe without telling him where we were, and I knew he wouldn’t tell anyone, but…
It didn’t seem fair to tell him, and then swear him to the same secrecy I lived with. He wouldn’t be getting anything out of keeping things from Damien, or even Ronan. Being with Lysandro was payoff enough for me.
Clearing my throat, I said, “I’ll tell him the next time I see him. I promise.” Hopefully that’d be soon. Until he came back, I’d be worried that the vampire he sensed was my delusional secret admirer.
I heard Rafe blow out a breath through the line. “Good. So how’s operation become Lysandro’s consort going, anyway?”
Flopping back onto the bed, I groaned. “Slow, Rafe. Sooooo freakin’ slow.”
He snorted. “You’ve been there for months. What’s the holdup.”
“Well, not me, that’s for sure. I swear, if he hadn’t brought me home with him, I’d think I was fooling myself.”
Rafe giggled. “That’s not all he did. He showed up here every weekend for months, and he killed another vampire for pushing himself on you. I think it’s safe to say that he wants you.”
“Then why won’t he have sex with me? He hasn’t even kissed me again.”
“Maybe you’re a bad kisser,” Rafe teased.
“I am not,” I said, indignantly. “I’ll have you know I’m a fabulous kisser. Besides, he kissed me back. I know he was into it.”
“So jump him. You’re the only person I know brave enough to pursue him. Hell, even Damien and his men are scared of Lysandro.”
We both laughed. “I should, but…it’s nice watching him trust me a little bit more every day, you know? And it’s not like I don’t have the time.”
Rafe scoffed. He hated feeling like Lysandro had trapped me here and might never let me go.
“Whatever.” I heard a yell in the background before he said, “I gotta go. We had a new wave of donors come in. Let me know how it goes once you tell Lysandro about that letter, please. I’m worried about that. ”
Me and him both. “I will. Thanks, Rafe.”
“Anytime.” The line went dead, and I was back to my own devices until Lysandro showed back up.
The silence in the room reminded me why I played music or audiobooks nonstop while I was at home.
So much had changed so quickly, and while I felt far safer here in Willowhope—knowing that Lysandro would protect me to the death—than I ever had in New York, especially during some of my foster placements and my bout of being unhoused, I’d become even more a part of this mystical world coming here with Lysandro.
Like, I’d never had a serious enough relationship before being welcomed into the world that Velvet Vein opened up to me and discovering the man—vampire—of my dreams, which meant this note had to be from a vampire, right?
Could it be Mr. Mordeaux? I hadn’t seen him since the night Lysandro stepped in, but he was the only person I could think of.
The only other problem I’d ever had there was now ash.
“You are safe,” I heard in my head, making me jump.
Lysandro hadn’t spoken to me that way in so long that I wasn’t sure if I’d imagined it before. Comforted by his words, I wished I could respond, ask him where he was and when he’d be back. For now, I’d have to make do with the fact he’d thought of me at all.
Lysandro
I fought for my composure as I entered the library, making my way toward a waiting Benji. The longer he’d been here, the more my fear of bringing him from the world of Velvet Vein to this one—the one place I was free to just be—had eased.
Deep down, I’d known he wouldn’t betray me, but yeah…I enjoyed the life I’d built here, and the only thing that could’ve—would’ve—chased me out, were others of my kind finding my location and coming here.
I liked that, to the residents of this town, I was nothing more than the quirky librarian. It was liberating. There was no reason to be on guard, because to them, I wasn’t an ancient vampire with unknown gifts to be feared. I was just a plain ol’ human.
True, it wouldn’t last forever. The people would age, while I wouldn’t, so I’d have to move on to a new place somewhere along the coast, which was always an uncomfortable adjustment for me, but…
Just when I thought I could fully relax, just when I believed that bringing Benji here wouldn’t disrupt my freedom from my own kind, Ego showed up.
Trying the handle on my private room, I was relieved to find it locked. Benji had obeyed my directive to lock the door, which was good. I needed to know I could trust him to do exactly as I said with the unknown future that now lay before us.
Unlocking the door, I stepped inside, still debating how much of the truth I should reveal, and came to an abrupt halt at the unexpected sight of Benji’s lithe body stretched out across my bed. I’d pictured this many times, but my imagination had been nothing compared to this.
My thoughts had leaned more toward the sexual side, filled with desire and lust. Instead, a deep longing filled me at how peaceful and very precious he looked in slumber.
Moving quietly so as not to disturb him, I crossed to my desk and sat in my chair. I found my anger calming as I watched the gentle rise and fall of Benji’s chest. The rhythm of his heartbeat soothed me far more than I ever could’ve expected.
“Lysandro, you’re back,” he said quietly, blinking awake.
Embarrassed to be found staring at him like a creeper, I dipped my head in acknowledgment. “It’s late. You should sleep.”
He pushed himself up on his forearms. “You said we’re safe, but what happened? Who was it?”
Ah, so he’d heard me. I hadn’t been sure it would work from such a distance. Hell, I couldn’t pinpoint why it worked at all. It shouldn’t. We had no connection outside him being my donor and one stolen kiss.
“Lysandro,” he said again, reminding me that I needed to offer him some explanation.
Pushing my hand back through my hair, I considered the best way to handle this. I didn’t want to scare him, but he also needed to know that there was a possibility it could all go to shit. Ego’s Sire was out there somewhere, which could mean nothing at all, or it could change everything.
“A fledgling has arrived in town. I’ve promised to help him for a while.”
“A fledgling is a baby vamp, right?” At the sharp nod of my head, he tilted his head. “Why isn’t his Maker taking care of him? Isn’t that what normally happens?”
“Yes,” I bit out. Needing to release some of my nervous energy, I stood up and began pacing. “And not only is his Maker not present, but he changed the mortal without consent.”
Benji paled. “That…that’s against your laws, isn’t it?”
“It is. It’s a heinous crime. It’s a wonder the fledgling didn’t walk into the sun and burn or starve. It’s disgusting.”
Like my mouth had a mind of its own, I continued, “And I don’t want to be involved in the politics of this.
If I hunt down the beast who did this, it’ll be considered engagement.
” I thumped my chest with my fist. “I belong on the periphery. I fought hard to be released from the confines of my family. If I hunt Ego’s Maker, it’ll be like plucking on the threads that connect me to my Sire’s other children. ”
Benji moved on to his knees in the center of the bed. “Is that what you meant by helping the fledgling? You’re going to track who did this?”