Reborn to Bite (Vampire Shadows Book 1) (22 page)

Kim hadn't mentioned the sunglasses Sabine was wearing, but Sabine knew that Kim was dying to ask. She could read Kim's every thought, but she knew that replying to Kim's thoughts without her having voiced them might scare the poor woman.

Trent jogged a few hundred feet behind them, watching for danger from a discrete distance.

"Gabe was totally all trying to organize a hunt after you told him," Kim said, huffing as she worked to keep pace. "Robert was kinda nonchalant about it, as usual. It's pretty hard to know what he's thinking most of the time. He can be creepy that way."

Sabine glanced at Kim as they jogged, noting the thrumming of the blond's pulse with the same interest she'd give an after-dinner mint when leaving an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant after four hours of eating. Kim's pulse barely registered over the two hundred and thirty-eight other heartbeats around them. Not that Sabine was counting. She wondered for a second how that number popped into her scattered thoughts. "What about the rest?"

Kim took a few breaths before answering. "Darren I'm not sure about. Sam has been busy in his neighborhood."

"What's going on in Sam's neighborhood?" Sabine asked, dodging an old couple out for an evening stroll.

"Remember the bikers that turned out to be nice that night?" Kim asked, not waiting for an answer. "Well apparently it wore off and they were up to no good again. ATF got another tip, and the house got raided. Most of them got carted off, but Beatrice was away at the time so they missed her."

"That sounds convenient for her," Sabine said.

"Yeah, apparently Beatrice made the call," Kim said, smiling. "I think we scared her straight."

Sabine smiled back. "So what's with Sam?"

"Yeah, so this is the great part," Kim said, then took a few breaths as she worked to keep pace. "Beatrice went around and apologized to the neighbors and asked if they could help her clean up the place so she can sell it. She promised that the bikers would never be back, and that she was turning her life around. Sam is helping her fix her place up."

"Wow. All that in just two days?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"What about you? You know that the city is filling up with monsters, and you still want to go for a jog every night?"

They jogged in silence for a minute before Kim answered. "This is really hard for me. Being here, spending time with you. It's one of the most frightening things I've ever done in my life."

Kim kept jogging, thinking about anything and everything but vampires. She thought about Gabe, and the way his dimples showed when he smiled. In her imagination, his muscular arms circled her, and his bravery protected her. She envied those things in him, and envied Sabine's strength. Kim's dad was strong, but he was a world away, stationed someplace in the Middle East with the Army. He had so many medals for brave things he'd done. But Kim had ended up more like her mother, scared that life was too out of control to take any chances. Kim's grandparents had died at an early age from alcoholism. She pictured her own struggle to keep from hiding in a bottle, and didn't want to be a prisoner of fear, in a cage of her own making. The need to feel strong and free burned within her. The alternative scared her more than anything else.

"I get it. Courage doesn't come easy, but you're trying. I'm really proud of you," Sabine said.

You really can read my mind!
Kim thought, then mumbled "I don't know how I would have phrased all that."

Sabine smiled. "So... you and Gabe?"

"Oh my God!" Kim said, a whole litany of fantasy images crossing through her mind. "You totally were not supposed to see that!"

Sabine laughed. "It's okay, I think you two would make a great couple."

Kim turned every shade of red. "Okay, kill me now. I'm going to die from embarrassment anyway."

"Same time tomorrow night?" Kim asked at her building's door.

Trent shuffled his feet down by the street, impatiently waiting as the girls said their goodbyes at the top of the stairs in front of Kim's building.

Sabine skipped down the steps and waved behind her. "See ya tomorrow, Blondie."

Kim waved and shut the door.

Sabine was surprised when Trent offered his hand to her as she reached him. She could feel his eyes on her as they walked along the sidewalk.

He sighed. "You seem happy."

"I'm just stealing a moment," Sabine said, enjoying the warmth of his hand against hers.

They walked to the nearest bus stop and watched as people passed by. Sabine felt like she was being watched, and closed her eyes. She listened to the thoughts of the people nearby, and found the man watching them. He was a shady character named Todd, but his friends called him Toad.

Toad sized them up, trying to figure out if they'd have enough cash to fund his next hit of heroin, as he fingered the small gun in his pocket. Sabine sighed. Toad was just the type of guy she would have hunted before. If she wasn't so full now, he might have been worth going after. Toad had just decided that Trent looked like too much of a threat, and turned to take his dirty business elsewhere, when his mind went blank.

A second later, Sabine felt the aura of a vampire in the alley with Toad.

Trent jerked his gaze towards the alley, and Sabine covered his lips with a finger before he could say anything.

He pushed her hand aside. "There's a vampire attacking someone in that alley. I can't just sit by and watch."

"Shit," Sabine said, following him as he jogged to the entrance of the alley.

The aura hit them full force as the vamp sent out his glamour to hide what he was doing. He finished feeding and sealed the wound in Toad's neck, then tossed the unconscious junkie aside.

Sabine relaxed, hearing Toad's heartbeat. Not dead. Sabine sensed that Trent hadn't been able to resist the vampire glamour, and that his mind was pretty much blank. Funny, it had only felt like a tickle to her. She stood still, focusing on breathing like a human.

"What have we here?" The man said, straightening his long black duster and eyeing Trent. "What's that I smell? Wolf?" He smiled, then turned to Sabine. "And you, little one. Why do I not hear you?"

Sabine waited until he was closer so she could get a good look at him. He wore black combat boots, black jeans, black leather vest over a black button-down shirt, covered by a black duster. He stood a little over six feet tall, and had broad shoulders. His chiseled face was rough and rugged, framed by shoulder-length wavy black hair that looked dyed.

Sabine stepped closer to Trent, surprising the vampire. She placed her hand on Trent's arm, which helped him wake from the glamour. "You can't hear me because I'm blocking you."

Trent shook his head to clear it, then glared at the vampire. "You must be new in town."

The vampire regarded them, his face twisted into a grin. He sent another wave of glamour. His aura washed over them like a cool breeze.

Sabine could feel that Trent was using her touch to center himself, and she felt proud of him. He was getting better. He shook with the effort, but held steady.

Sabine smiled. "Your glamour won't work on us. So maybe you could try talking instead? You let the junkie live. Was that your plan before we interrupted you?"

The vampire crossed his arms. "What difference does it make?"

"It'll help us decide whether you're friend or foe," Trent said, grinding his teeth.

Sabine smiled. She knew Trent was aching for a fight, and that he'd planned on saying something more along the lines of "whether to hurt you or kill you." The fact that he gave the vampire an option to be a friend was a big deal.

"I have enough friends. You aren't worried by what I am. And the disposition of some criminal trash merits your concern. How fascinating."

"I'm glad we could help broaden your horizons," Sabine said with a grin. "Did you, or did you not, plan to drink poor Toad there dry?"

The vampire raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"

"Getting sick of the question-as-an-answer game here," Sabine said flatly. "Did you plan to drain him completely? Or not? Simple question."

The vampire rolled his eyes and sighed. "I don't know why I bother talking to my food, considering you're next on the menu."

"Maybe you should think about going on a diet," Trent said.

"So. You're immune to glamour; that could pose a problem. The last time-" He paused, looking thoughtful. "Do you have a wand hiding in that jogging outfit, female?"

Sabine snorted. "I'll answer if you'll tell me what your intentions were in regard to Toad there."

"My intentions are none of your business, witch or whatever you are. However, I have a compulsory obligation to make sure my activities and those of my kind aren't reported. Since I'm apparently unable to erase your memories of this incident, looks like I'll be forced to use more destructive measures."

Trent assumed a fighting stance. "You can try."

The vampire laughed.

"Listen, we'll be quiet about your
activities
," Sabine said, making air quotes with her fingers, "if you just answer my question."

"And if I don't answer?"

Sabine glared at him, grinning when she saw the look of curiosity on his face. "Then you'll be on my shit list. Which is where you're heading in a big hurry. You don't want to be on my shit list, vampire."

The vampire stood there, regarding Sabine. He breathed in and sighed for dramatic effect. "We don't kill the food. It's bad for business."

"Bad for business?" Trent asked with unmasked sarcasm.

"Because people stop minding their own business and start getting into our business if we do."

"Yeah, that's not a callous reason at all," Trent said, glaring.

"It doesn't matter why," Sabine said. "So long as you're not killing people, you're free to go."

The vampire laughed so hard he choked, then took a deep breath and laughed some more.

Sabine grabbed Trent while the vampire was busy laughing. "Come on, let's go."

The vampire moved in the blink of an eye to block their exit from the alley. Sabine tracked him with her eyes and made an effort to move human-slow.

The vampire adopted a serious expression. "I didn't say you could leave."

"Move aside and let us pass," Sabine said, stepping forward. "Now."

The vampire let out a burst of power, concentrated on Sabine. It washed over her like a silk sheet, but with tendrils trying to probe her mind. When the power wave failed, he lunged forward.

The world slowed.

Sabine watched as the vampire lifted his arms to grab at her throat. She moved slightly to the side and stepped forward as he came at her, slipping outside his grasping hands. She reached up between his outstretched arms, and grasped his neck, under his clenched jaw. She tilted his head back. The momentum of his rushing attack caused his body to continue forward as his head snapped back. His feet left the ground. His legs flew out from under him.

She shoved the vampire's head down, slamming him head-first into the pavement with a loud crack. The back of his skull opened like an eggshell, spilling red goo onto the dented pavement. He stared up at her as his wild eyes glazed over.

"Oops," Sabine said as his body fell limp next to where she knelt on the pavement. She hadn't meant to hit him that hard.

"Is he dead?" Trent asked.

Sabine felt his aura, and sensed the body slowly repairing itself. "He's not dead, just out cold."

Trent laughed.

Sabine looked up at him. "What's so funny?"

"I just realized how crazy that sounded."

She chuckled at him. "You did well at blocking him. I'm really impressed."

He bowed. "Apparently you
can
teach an old dog new tricks."

Sabine laughed.

"And no, you can't use that line later."

"Dammit," Sabine said, grinning up at him.

She searched the vampire's pockets and found his wallet, with a driver's license issued under the name Henry Bondurant. The address was south of them, nearer Heather's house. She memorized it, noticing that Trent was looking at it over her shoulder, and put the wallet back.

The vampire named Henry blinked.

"I think he's waking up," Trent said, stepping back.

Sabine knelt beside Henry and watched as he blinked his eyes again. They seemed to clear, though the back half of his skull was still smashed on the pavement. She could hear his skull knitting itself back together. Without moving his apparently broken neck, he met her gaze and stared at her sunglasses. His aura changed to one of fear as Sabine traced the area over his heart with a finger.

"Have you read Sun Tzu, Henry?" Sabine asked.

He coughed and his neck cracked. "Not for about a hundred years."

"I had a professor a few years ago that insisted we read 'The Art of War' and I could quote a little right now but that might be unnecessarily cruel."

"I appreciate your restraint," Henry said, twitching a finger as the feeling apparently came back into it.

"I'd like to hear a quote," Trent said. "You can't just tease it like that."

Sabine smiled up at him. "Are you sure? Because Henry might think we were gloating or pouring salt in his open wounds."

Trent smiled back. "Knowledge is power though. You could think of it as powering him up. Or powering me up. I never read Sun Tzu."

Sabine gave Trent a reproachful stare and then snorted when the werewolf winked. "Fine. Sun Tzu says 'He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious'."

"That's great advice," Trent said, smiling down on Henry. "You'd think someone who's been around as long as an old vampire would know that kind of thing."

Sabine stood. "Maybe he just prefers learning things the hard way."

"I'm right here you know."

"Any other cool quotes from Sun Tzu?" Trent asked, ignoring the prone vampire.

"Well, there's 'All warfare is based on deception', but I think he knows that."

"Your mockery is impolite," Henry said, another bone cracking into place.

Sabine smiled down at him. "So do we have your permission to leave the alley now?"

Henry waved the hand he was able to lift, gesturing towards her and the exit of the alley. "You're dismissed. But there will be a reckoning for this."

Sabine looked down at him. "I look forward to it. You might want to take Toad's gun away before you leave. It'll only cause trouble if he wakes up and uses it on someone."

"I'll take it under advisement," Henry said, dropping his hand again.

"Oh, and Henry? Don't kill anybody. You don't want me coming after you."

"Your superfluous threat is duly noted," He said, bending a leg. He cleared his throat. "It's probably a little late to ask your names."

Sabine pondered him. He turned his head, grimacing. His expression held a hint of confusion.

"Sabine," She said.

"Trent," the big werewolf added.

"In my memoirs, I think I'll describe you both as hulking giant neanderthal demons. With warts. You understand, of course."

Sabine smiled. "I'm touched."

Trent laughed.

The MUNI bus pulled up to the stop as Sabine cast a wary glance back down the street at the alley with Henry still laying flat on his back and Toad in a heap behind a dumpster. Trent and Sabine hopped on the bus, Sabine flashing her pass and Trent dropping some money in the till. They fought the G-forces as the bus rocketed forward in a whir of electric motors.

Sabine loosened her ponytail and let her hair fall around her face. She sensed thirteen people on the bus, and was thankful that none of them smelled like wolf or had a vampire aura. She relaxed a little and found a seat.

"That was quite a hit," Trent whispered under his breath once he had taken the seat next to her.

Sabine stared at her hands. They shook ever so slightly. She had never been this strong before, or this fast. It thrilled her, but at the same time it scared her. "I didn't mean to hit him that hard."

Trent ran a hand through her hair, and pulled her to him. She sank into his arms and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and drowning herself in his warmth and the comforting smell that was uniquely Trent.

"I don't know if I can go back to your place, Trent," Sabine said softly, thinking about how well her glowing eyes would go over with the werewolves and her childhood friend Doug and his adorable daughter Tiana. She couldn't hide the eyes forever. Doug would see them and leave. Tiana would cry. Someone – probably Val - would try to jab a branch through her sternum. That's when it hit her that Mike had seen all the vampire antics tonight. "Oh God! Mike knows everything now!"