Trueblood 01-The-Consolation-Prize (20 page)

She sat with her eyes closed, half-dozing and waited patiently until her name was called. A different nurse led her into a curtained-off cubicle.

“Sit on the bed.” She read Chloe’s chart and glanced at her. “Vampires?”

“I know it’s hard to believe,” Chloe said, wondering if she’d have been better off saying aliens.

A young, harassed looking male doctor with untidy hair pulled back the curtain.

“Who do we have here?” he asked.

“Chloe Lord. Age twenty-seven. Complains of feeling ill. Not eating or drinking.” The nurse cleared her throat. “Says she’s been attacked by vampires.”

Chloe watched the doctor’s jaw tighten and the nurse bite her lip as they exchanged glances.

“How much alcohol have you had tonight?” he asked.

“None.”

He raised disbelieving bushy eyebrows.

“In the last twenty-four hours?”

“None.”

“Any aches and pains? Breathing okay?”

“I hurt everywhere, especially my arm. I think I’m still breathing.”

“Let’s take a look. Would you remove your sweater?” he asked.

By the time Chloe struggled without help to pull it over her head, the nurse and doctor appeared stunned.

“Good God, what happened?” the doctor asked. “What are all these marks? Boyfriend get a bit carried away?”

“I already told you,” Chloe muttered. “I’ve been bitten by vampires.”

He pulled her forward to look at her back as Chloe dragged the sweater off her aching arm. She heard the sharp intake of breath from both of them.

“Her arm,” the nurse said.

When Chloe looked down, the dark lines seemed to be moving, creeping under her skin like tiny black snakes and she gasped.

“When did that start?” the doctor asked.

“I don’t remember.”

The room had started to fade, colors drifting to grey. Chloe struggled to focus.

“Do you think I could have some blood?” she asked and passed out.

* * * * *

Once Constantine’s acute senses had ascertained Chloe was not in her apartment, he had retreated to watch from a distance. All was not yet lost. She was the route to Luka’s cooperation.

Constantine was as much an expert on Truebloods as anyone could be who wasn’t one, and he understood the significance of the mark on Chloe’s arm. That and her ability to resist his thrall told Constantine she was Luka’s lifemate. They were bound together and Luka would die to protect her. Therefore, if Constantine had Chloe in his grasp, Luka would be obliged to do anything to ensure her safety. The only problem being Constantine didn’t have Chloe in his grasp.

No more than an hour after he’d arrived at her apartment, a vehicle holding a vampire pulled up.

Luka. Chloe wasn’t with him. Staying as far back as he could in the shadows, masking his scent behind a cat he’d killed because it had annoyed him with its constant purring, Constantine watched. Minutes after Luka had entered the building, he came out again. He carried no bag and his pace was slow. So he was looking for Chloe too. Luka got back into his car and waited.

Constantine could have attacked Luka, though not with a surety of success. Better to get his hands on Chloe and use her to persuade Luka to cooperate. He’d whisk her off to his lair and Luka would never find her. Constantine had nowhere else to be until sunrise. He waited.

* * * * *

Luka slumped in his car tempted to brain himself on the steering wheel. If he’d thought it might knock some sense into his head, he might have done it. He’d been so sure he’d find Chloe in her apartment. Where else did she have to go? He didn’t know. He didn’t fucking know because he hadn’t taken the time to find out. Luka was filled with horror at the way he’d behaved, the way he’d treated her. He’d let her down and he’d let himself down. She was the sweetest, most kindhearted mortal he’d ever met and he hadn’t been able to allow himself to believe in her. Was he so far gone that he could no longer see the truth, understand innocence?

When he thought of her poor body…his grip on the wheel was so tight, he cracked it. If -- no, when he got hold of Eve, Krista, and Selena, he’d show them -- Luka gave a short laugh. Not show them, he wanted to kill them for what they’d done. Nevchek too. Luka straightened out his hands, tried to calm down. Sitting here railing about his stupidity helped no one. He had to think.

Would they still consider Chloe of use? If he was Nevchek, what would he be doing now?

Constantine still thought Luka wanted Chloe, so that’s who he’d be looking for. And Luka, by coming to Chloe’s apartment had telegraphed his continued interest.
Shit
. Was the Ancient here now?

Luka lowered his window and scented the air. The faint tang of blood. Not human. Was Nevchek here, waiting for Chloe, just as Luka waited? Luka stepped from the car, his fury churning like molten rock.

* * * * *

When Chloe opened her eyes, night was over. Sunshine poured through the window and she blinked in the bright light. She turned her head and looked around. Hospital. In a room on her own. Her arm lay on top of the covers, the black vine now stretching from her wrist to her shoulder, but no longer moving. Chloe hoped she’d imagined that.

“We’ve tested for blood poisoning,” said a voice.

Chloe looked up. Another doctor. A middle-aged woman with short red hair and kind eyes, a stethoscope looped around her neck.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Lee. How are you feeling?”

“Okay.”
Not dead, anyway
.

“There’s no trace of anything toxic so far in your blood tests.” She came up to the bed. “But you’re suffering from chronic anemia. Your red cell count is the lowest I’ve seen and your blood pressure had dropped off the chart. You’ve had three pints of blood transfused, your pressure is better, but your red cell count hasn’t budged. You’re an enigma.”

“Oh.”

“So what happened? I don’t understand how you lost so much blood. The wounds on your body are extensive but not severe.”

“I don’t know.”

“Last night you claimed vampires had done it.”

Chloe forced a laugh. “I was confused.” Last night she needed sanctuary, now she didn’t want them to commit her.

“Could be you have a boyfriend who thinks he’s a vampire,” the doctor said, raising her eyebrows.

“Should I put a stake through his heart?” Chloe asked.

“When someone treats you like this, you’d be better off telling the police. We’ll keep you in the hospital while we get your red cell count back up and investigate that arm. But you need to think about what you should be doing to sort out your life. There are plenty of people who can help.”

No, there aren’t. Only me
.

The moment the doctor left, Chloe swung her feet out of bed and stood up. The lightheadedness had gone. She felt -- hungry? Her clothes were in a side locker. She was dressed and out of the hospital before anyone came to check on her.

Outside on the street, Chloe lifted her face to the sun and basked in the warm rays. No burning sensation, no turning to ash. This had all been a bad dream. She was going to go home, make herself a cup of tea and something to eat, and start looking for another job. She’d forget Luka and Washburn Hall and that she’d ever believed in vampires. The sun went behind a dark cloud and Chloe groaned. Wishful thinking wasn’t going to get her out of this. She wasn’t safe from Constantine and Selena. Luka wasn’t going to help her so she had to help herself.

When she saw her car still sitting where she’d parked it, Chloe sighed with relief. The sight of the ticket stuck to the windshield was far less inconvenient than if the vehicle had been clamped or towed.

By the time she got back to her apartment it was after two in the afternoon. Chloe’s feeling of wellbeing had worn off, along with her hunger, and she was tired again. Bed appealed. A short rest and then she’d plan what to do.

She’d just laid her head on the pillow when the doorbell rang. The only person she vaguely hoped might want to see her was Luka and it couldn’t be him because it was daylight. Anyway Chloe didn’t think he needed to ring doorbells. On second thought, maybe she had to invite him over the threshold. “
You’re welcome anytime, Luka
.” Chloe sent the message winging across the ether. She felt disappointed in herself that she was still attracted to him after the way he’d treated her.

Whoever stood outside held their antisocial finger on the bell for several seconds. Chloe swung her feet out of bed. Why didn’t the “had to invite you in” work with murderers and rapists? Was the threshold thing made-up, like the aversion to garlic and crosses? At least she knew silver worked. She slammed to a halt halfway to the door. Silver worked and she had silver in the apartment, in liquid form. She used silver nitrate as a sensitizer in the developing process. Would it work as a weapon?

A voice called, “Chloe? Are you home?”

Not Luka.

“Chloe?”

Who was it?

“Chloe?” And louder still. Bastard Pete.

She flung open the door and he barged inside.

“I’ve been calling you. Why didn’t you answer? Oh God, what is it?” He ran his hand over her forehead. “Are you ill? Your eyes look weird. What’s wrong?”

“Why would you care?” Chloe muttered.

“Of course I care. Do you need a doctor?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been attacked by vampires.”

Pete laughed. “Some hangover. Where’s your aspirin? I’ll make you something to eat.”

Chloe stared his back as he walked into her kitchen. She wanted to be extremely pissed off, but only had the energy for slightly annoyed. She followed him and he handed her water and two capsules. It grated that he knew where everything was. When she felt stronger she’d rearrange her kitchen.

“How did you get through the main door?” she asked.

“I came in with one of your neighbors, the one with the twins.”

So much for being secure, Chloe thought. “What do you want?”

“Who says I want anything?”

Chloe sat at the table and watched as he worked. A lifetime ago she would have enjoyed this, Pete looking after her, cooking for her. He rambled on about nothing and finally put a plate of scrambled eggs on toast in front of her. “See, I remembered.”

“I don’t have a hangover,” Chloe said and she pulled the plate towards her.

Pete pushed a knife and fork into her hands and sat opposite.

“We need you to come back to work,” he said.

“We?” Chloe sawed at the toast.

“I need you to come back.”

She felt a rush of satisfied vindication. She
was
indispensable.

“You left us in the lurch. I know you had holiday due, but you can’t just walk out.”

She put a forkful of food in her mouth and chewed. It tasted weird. Chloe wanted to spit it out and forced herself to swallow.

“So will you come back?” he asked.

“Does Helen know you’re here?”

Pete didn’t meet her eyes. “No, but I need you. She won’t argue about it.”

Chloe struggled with another mouthful and felt her stomach register a strong objection. “Where did Helen come up with that consolation prize?”

She didn’t miss his wince. “Her brother found it under a table in a nightclub. Rebellion?

Revolution? Something like that.”

Chloe sighed. No plot against her, just bad luck and an opportunity taken by a mean-hearted, tight-pocketed bitch.

“I think you better go now,” Chloe mumbled.

“Why?”

“Because I’m not going to come back to work, but I am going to be sick.”

Pete fled. None of the scrambled eggs and toast stayed down. Chloe thought she’d have to remember throwing up as a way to get rid of unwanted visitors, though she doubted it worked on vampires. Chloe bit into a chocolate biscuit and her gut clenched. She’d hardly swallowed the last crumb before she was rushing back to the bathroom. She wouldn’t bother trying to eat anything else.

Strange how a visit from a pain in the neck like Pete had given her a kick up the butt and made her think of a way to defend herself. None of this was her fault. Until a couple of days ago, she’d been blissfully unaware that vampires even existed. Now she was living proof that they did.

“He’s coming.”

Chloe jolted. Her sixth-and-a-half sense back again? Who was coming?
“Luka?”

There was no reply.

“Couldn’t we have just put the idea in her head?”

“No, Rufus. Better that she think of it herself.”

“This could all go horribly wrong.”

Chapter Twenty

The moment his day-sleep was complete, Luka opened his eyes and sat up. The immediate and severe pain in his arm dragged a cry from his throat, but only one thought choked his mind.

Chloe. He’d spent the previous night outside her apartment building, and she hadn’t come home.

He’d convinced himself Nevchek was in the vicinity, but as Luka had stormed around looking for him, he realized it could be a trap to lure him away leaving Chloe vulnerable. The irony hadn’t escaped Luka that in finally doing the right thing in trying to find her, he’d put her in more danger. Now Nevchek knew Luka wanted her, Chloe would be his prime target.

While Luka sat in his car, he’d contacted Dan and told him to call his mobile if Chloe showed up at Rebellion. As dawn approached and there had been no sign of her, rather than return home, Luka retreated to the club where he’d spent the day in an emergency safe room. Luka rarely left himself so vulnerable, but he wanted to be in a place to which Chloe might have returned. The day staff had instructions not to let her depart if she did turn up.

Luka stood. He knew she wasn’t here. The sun had gone down on another day and his desperation threatened to overwhelm him. His arm felt next to useless. He didn’t even have to move for it to hurt. He washed, showered, and went downstairs to find Dan and a group of employees huddled around waiting for him.

“We want to help,” Dan said.

Luka looked at their faces. Four vamps, three werewolves, and a mortal -- Jason. Luka tightened his jaw.

Dan stepped forward. “We can spare this many of us from the club to help you look for her.” He bent his head to Luka’s ear. “They only know that you were kidnapped and Chloe helped you.”