Final Days (19 page)

“Probably wise.
  I still don’t think she’s stable, so better err on the side of the less insane.  Park, I have to take care of something tonight, so I’m sending you and Eillia to your hotel room.  This is a pretty city.  You won’t have any trouble figuring out something to enjoy tonight.  Then tomorrow, I want to bring someone to meet you.”

“Father, Eillia told me.  You’ve found your mate.  I couldn’t be more pleased for you.”

“I never expected this.  But I know you’ll both love her.  Well, get to your rooms.  Eillia, you two ladies just enjoy yourselves.  I’ll wait here until Ahmose arrives.  He’s but an hour away.”

“Alright, my friend.
  We will see you and your woman tomorrow night after rising for first meal.”

The women departed in the same car, and Koen stepped back inside the building to wait for Ahmose.  The wind
was frigid and in spite of his vampire constitution, too cool on his exposed skin.

Number Two wandered back into the room as Number One finished packing.

“Mistress, I don’t know if this would interest you, but when I was getting the food you asked for, I saw the woman that was with that
big vampire.”

The little human?
  The one Koen had seemed overly happy to choose over Windari?   Windari would love to kill her, just to send a message to the arrogant big-ass first blood.

“Huh.  I’m interested.  You wouldn’t happen to know where she is right now, would
you?”

“I saw her just a few minutes ago around the cor
ner.  I think she was heading for Mama Giovanni’s for dinner.   She was dressed like she was going out and that’s the only restaurant in that area.

Windari made a s
udden decision.  “Both of you, go get her.  Now!”

Alisa thought the sweater dress would be warm enough tonight, but the breeze weaving through the streets between the skyscrapers was on a mission.  Its cold breath blew chill bumps all over Alisa’s arms as she hurried to meet Percy at their favorite little Italian restaurant.  It was just down the street from Lauren’s flower shop, and she glanced at the dimly lit sign as she walked by, still wondering what the story was with the striking woman and the man she loved.

Running late, she was thankful Percy was a patient man.  He would know she would be there shortly, so she forced herself to slow down before she turned an ankle.  Her feet were becoming considerably less reliable with each passing week, and she knew the cute heeled boots she wore now would be of little use soon.  Tamping down the regret, she turned the corner just before she arrived at the restaurant.  The wind caught her unexpectedly and nearly took her breath away.  Winter was trying to assert itself, and although it was too soon, this frigid wind tonight was a promise of how it would feel in a few short months.

She smiled as she thought she might be in the south of France by then.

So tonight, it didn’t matter how cool it was.  Percy was waiting, along with an excellent lasagna, so she would enjoy a wonderful dinner with him, and then she would go home to Koen and Samson.  She’d never expected to find this kind of happiness after her diagnosis of ALS had made her believe it was all over.  And yes, her time was still tragically shorter than it should be, but the remainder of her life would be glorious enough to make up for any lost years.

Alisa looked up
against the brutal onslaught of the wind, but it made her drop her head and close her eyes to protect them.  Mama Giovanni’s was just a hundred yards ahead, she would be so grateful to get in off the street, but as she stepped off the curb to cross to it, something came down over her mouth. Someone’s hand, squeezing hard, then someone else grabbed her and pulled her backward into an alley almost devoid of light.  She was losing consciousness as the hand moved to cover both her nose and mouth.  No matter how hard she struggled to breathe, she couldn’t.  Moments later, she passed out.

Alisa had given him a key to the apartment, but vampires never had problems with locks.   The key still stashed in his jeans pocket, Koen sailed through the door of 817 to find it still and silent.  He was disappointed since he really had been hoping to find Alisa watching television, sitting on the big champagne sofa completely naked.

He saw no lights on in the bedroom so he thought she must be out on the balcony, but as he walked out the French doors and scanned the small space, he found she wasn’t there. 

Perhaps she was asleep then.  Since he had been with her, Alisa had matched his nighttime schedule.  But it was normal for her to be tired and sleep at night.  She was likely just catching up on her rest while she waited for him to return.

It disturbed him not to know where she was just by sensing her, but after tonight, he would.  After he revealed his nature to her, he intended to blood-bond her to him.  That way, he could always find her, just in case she ever tried to take off again
, although he thought that was settled now.  But more than anything, he needed to taste her.  Had wanted to from that first night. 
Needed
to now that he admitted he was in love and would make her his mate.

Koen entered the bedroom through the open door to find the bed made, empty. 

Where the hell was she?  Dinner with Percy should have been over hours ago.  Making his way back out to the living area, he stood looking out the French doors as the sleeping puppy on the sofa tumbled off of it and bounded over to him.  Koen picked up the dog, wondering how he could get in touch with Percy.  He called Tim, who found Percy’s cell number, and dialed it.

“Hey, it’s Koen. 
Alisa’s friend.  Is she still with you?”

Koen listened as Percy told her she never showed up.  His breath stopped and he lowered the pup to the floor.

“She’s so reliable, I know if she couldn’t make it, she would have called me.  I couldn’t reach her on her cell, so I came to the apartment, but no one was home.  I’m worried.  She never does this,” Percy told him.

Koen held his phone with rigid fingers.  “I’ll find her.”

Then he closed off the call and turned for the door.  His chest burned.  Something was wrong.  Something had happened to Alisa, he knew it.   Fuck!  He’d waited too long to feed her his blood.

Bright light hurt her eyes the second she opened them, so she closed them again and sat up.  Her head ached, and she couldn’t think why.  Slowly, she tried to open her eyes again, but kept them slotted until they adjusted to the brightness of the room.

Glancing around, she saw she was in an open area with high ceilings like you might find in a warehouse, with no furnishings except a large bed and the plush French-style divan she sat on.  A row of spotless mirrors angled toward each other at the ends reflected her image back to her in multiples.  Her hair was wild, but otherwise she looked okay.  Sliding forward, Alisa stood, but that went poorly as neither leg held her and she crashed to the ground.

“Graceful,” a feminine voice behind her said.

Alisa twisted her body around to see who spoke and drew a blank for a moment.  Did she know this woman?  No. 
But she recognized her as the woman who rudely interrupted her dinner with Koen two nights ago that he was searching for right now for attempted murder.

The beauti
ful woman wore a lace negligee that hid none of her perfect body.  Long fit legs ended in high stiletto heels.  They were moving toward Alisa, who scrambled to gain her feet.  By the time the woman got to her, Alisa stood upright again, although none too steady.

“
Where am I?  Why have you abducted me?”

The woman stopped just in front of Alisa and assessed her, pale blue eyes traveling quickly over Alisa’s form.

“I don’t get it.  You’re pretty, sure, but nothing as lovely as I am.  And you’re just human.”  Windari walked right up on top of Alisa, taller than she by about five inches, although the heels helped, and lifted Alisa’s hair to sniff it.

“You
smell
human.”  She walked away.  “Well, not for much longer.”  

Alisa realized then how much danger she was in. 
It was apparent this woman was unbalanced. And that last comment was a barely veiled threat.  She looked around the empty room for a possible weapon.

The woman grinned at
Alisa as she launched herself onto the bed.

“Please.  Forget it.  You could be carrying a machine gun and couldn’t hurt me.  Don’t you get it?  I’m vampire.  Like your lover.”

Alisa’s expression was blank as she watched the prone woman on the bed.  Suddenly, the woman shot onto her hands and knees.

“Wait.  You look like you don’t know what I
’m talking about.  Is it possible you don’t know what he is?”

Tossing her spiked hair, she rolled off the bed, and us
ed vampire speed to move in front of Alisa.

Alisa
stumbled backward as the woman on the bed was instantly in front of her as if she’d teleported.  Only the French divan directly behind her kept her from falling again when she clutched the cushioned back.

Vampire?
  What the hell was this crazy woman talking about?   How insane was she?  And what did she want with Alisa?   Was this an Ex gone crazy jealous?

Alisa looked her in the eyes, refusing to back down.

“I have no idea why you brought me here, but I am leaving.  Don’t try to stop me.”

Alisa turned and made it halfway across the large room when the woman was in front of her again.

“Not. Happening.  I have to kill you now.” She said as she grabbed Alisa by the throat and brought her to an abrupt stop.  “In a few minutes, anyway.  I’m starving.  Come, join me.  Number Two just brought this snack tray.  My blood-bonds know to only bring me the best.”

The woman clasped Alisa’s left arm in an iron grip
, dragged her back to the bed, and threw her on the floor beside it.

She crawled back onto the bed and scooped some smooth cheese onto a cracker, then groaned.

“Excellent.  You must try some.”

The woman became so preoccupied with the tray of crackers and cheese, Alisa took a moment to look around the room again.  It was too much to hope for that her cell phone was anywhere in sight.  It wasn’t.  She thought that in spite of the woman’s taunt, she wouldn’t mind a machine gun in her hand right now.

All she had left to work with were her wits.  Luckily, she was well-armed in that area.   She rose carefully, smoothing her sweater dress back down where it had ridden up high on her thighs.  She decided to play nice.

“My name is Alisa.  Um, so how do you know Koen?  He’s a pretty terrific guy, isn’t he?”

The woman looked up, licking her fingertips.  “He’s first blood.  Of course he is.  Oh.  That’s right.  You don’t know what that means.”

“I’d love to, though.  Would you mind telling me?”

Windari watched Alisa standing before her, her head tilted, her long pale brown hair streaked with blonde shining over her shoulders where half had escaped from a hairclip.  She
was
a pretty thing.  Okay, she could see what had taken Koen’s interest.  Her human eyes were a luminous blue that made you just fall right into them.

Windari patted the bed beside her.

“Come here.  Have some cheese while I rock your world.”

Alisa had no idea what this crazy woman meant by that, but she hoped it wasn’t sexual.  Still, the goal was to survive and escape to get back to Koen, so she could do whatever it took.

With as sincere of a smile as she could manage, Alisa came forward and sat beside Windari.

Windari scooped some of the cheese onto a cracker and fed it to
Alisa, who hesitated, then took a bite.

“Good, huh?
  I love this city.  Best food I’ve ever eaten.  Incredible clothes.  Lots to do.  I hate to leave it now that I’ve begun to settle in.  But your lover is looking for me.  He must have talked to Ahmose.  Oh, well.  So.”

Windari stared in
to Alisa’s eyes.  “He hasn’t told you what we are?”

Alisa hesitated,
then shook her head. 
What they
were?

“Then you must have been just dinner to him.”

Windari leaned in and pulled Alisa’s hair back away from her neck.  She ran her fingers over the soft skin.

“Huh. 
Unbroken.  That’s odd.  He hasn’t fed from you?”

This was getting too bizarre for words.
   Carefully, still playing along, Alisa replied, simply, “No.”

“Well, I can’t figure that out.  But, for whatever reasons, he must have cleaned your memories.  Little human, we are vampire.  Your sexy lover and I
are vampire.  We are first bloods, a race of powerful vampires older than you would believe.  Let me see if I can unlock his compulsions.”