VampireMine (11 page)

Before he could respond someone knocked on the door. He
wanted to curse his shitty fortune. True, they’d had time for nothing more than
a quickie. He’d done what he needed to do, marking Sadie with his scent,
acknowledging what she meant to him. But he wanted more. It wasn’t supposed to
be like this—wild, crazy and rushed. He’d waited centuries for this woman. A
romantic he wasn’t but he’d imagined things differently. Didn’t women like
sweet words whispered in their ear?

Maybe you’ve found a woman who won’t put up with your
shit.

“Trey,” Emory called through the door, “you might want to
hurry it up.”

He started to tell Emory to kiss his ass when Sadie paused.
Her eyes went cloudy, as though she were listening to something Trey couldn’t
hear. In a split second her eyes became cognizant. She scrambled away from him,
scurrying back from his body. It was like she couldn’t get away from him fast
enough. He frowned, confused at her behavior. She didn’t waste time, jumping
from the bed to collect her clothes.

“That girl—that vampire—you left out here is freaking the
fuck out,” Emory informed him, yelling loud enough for the entire house to
hear. “Mary and Ava can’t calm her down. You need to get your
mate
,” he
emphasized the word sarcastically, “out here right now.”

“Shit,” Sadie spat, tugging on her underwear. “I shouldn’t
have left her.”

Rising from the bed, he yelled, “We’re coming.”

“Right now?” Emory quipped. “I’d hoped you’d gotten that far
already.”

Smartass.

“Emory?” he yelled, wanting to strangle his sibling.

“Yeah?”

“Fuck off!”

“Don’t thank me. You’re welcome, shithead,” Emory snarled.
“Don’t blame the messenger.”

The floor creaked as Emory walked away from the door. Trey
didn’t bother with his socks or shoes, sliding into his jeans. Sadie had gotten
dressed in record time, working on her boots by the time he’d shrugged into his
shirt. She started to rush for the door and he stopped her, grasping her elbow.
At least he knew it wasn’t personal. She was rushed but it had nothing to do
with their mating. Her mind was evidently with her friend.

“You need to calm down.”

“Easy for you to say,” she hissed, narrowing her eyes.
“That’s
my
vampire out there, not yours.”

Damn Emory.
The bastard had to shoot off at the mouth
and get Sadie riled. He smoothed her hair with his other hand, straightening
the blonde strands tangled around her shoulder.

“If you don’t act like you’re in control, everyone’ll think
you’re weak. You don’t want that.” He waited until the anger drained from her
eyes to add, “Diskant doesn’t trust the weak. He never has. You have to prove
you can keep Leigh in check. Otherwise Nathan won’t be able to do squat to keep
her safe. Diskant will want her gone.” He let the words sink in, giving Sadie a
few seconds. “Do you understand?”

She broke eye contact, turning her head. “I understand.”

The situation was all kinds of fucked up. His mate didn’t
have many choices. The weight and responsibility had to be killing her. If she
didn’t walk the line carefully, Leigh’s fate wouldn’t be up to her. Diskant would
take any measure necessary to protect Ava and the pack, even if it meant taking
the life of an innocent woman. If it wasn’t for Nathan the Omega probably would
have already eliminated the threat.

He cupped Sadie’s face, trying to reassure her, skimming his
thumbs across her cheeks. She turned her head and pressed a kiss to his palm.
Such an innocent and sweet gesture that was sad in a way. He wanted to tell her
everything was going to be okay but he wasn’t going to lie. They’d finally
found common ground. Telling her things to make her feel better—even if he had
her best interests at heart—would destroy the tentative truce between them.

“I’ll be with you,” he said, struggling for the words.
Proving himself worthy had never been so difficult. “If you need me…if you want
me…”

Silence followed. Then—so softly he had to strain to
hear—she replied, “Thank you.”

It wasn’t what he wanted but it was a start. He led her to
the door and opened it. He waited until she’d stepped outside to follow. The
die had been cast. From this moment forward, nothing was certain.

Yet, strangely enough, he experienced something he hadn’t
felt in a long time.

Hope.

Finally.

Magical defenses were in place, invisible shields where they
needed to be.

Aldon couldn’t find Sadie despite the blood he’d taken from
her, even if he tried to use a spell. But the blood Trey had given her had been
just enough to get the job done. It had taken every ounce of her magic to
finish the deed. She couldn’t keep going. Not like this. And she couldn’t take
more from Trey to regain what she’d lost. Not yet. Taking more was too
dangerous.

That meant she wouldn’t be able to provide for herself and
Leigh.

She watched her friend, wondering how she should break the
bad news.

“I’m beat,” Leigh said, peeping through the blinds covering
the window.

Sadie wanted to tell the young vampire she had no idea.

Instead of basking in the afterglow of her encounter with
Trey, it had taken her nearly an hour to calm the fledgling down. Leigh had
lodged herself in a corner in a bedroom, crouching between a dresser and the
wall. Nathan had tried to calm her down but his presence only upset the girl.
Sadie’d come to the rescue, asking everyone to leave in order to take charge of
the situation. Trey and Nathan hadn’t liked it but they’d relented. During
their absence she’d managed to convince Leigh to put aside her fear, warning
her Aldon would find them if she didn’t. Sadie had given Leigh as much blood as
the vampire would take, explained what they needed to do and shortly thereafter
they’d gotten to work.

To Nathan and Trey’s credit, the shifters had gone about
their business. Although Sadie had seen them check in on them here and there as
they moved through the house. The women—Ava and Mary—had made themselves
scarce. Sadie wasn’t sure if they were busy or didn’t trust the crazed vampires
in their home. Either way, she understood. Things weren’t simple. Leigh had to
understand that now more than ever.

I have to tell her.
Sadie drew a deep breath.
Bring
on the crazy.

“We need to talk.” She plopped down on the bed, glad to get
off her feet.

Yet again her pride and confidence had gotten in her way.
She’d thought she could do this. After all, she’d defended the coven for years.
But the people in Diskant’s home weren’t her coven and Aldon wasn’t an idle
threat. In light of what she’d learned, she’d accepted she couldn’t defend
everyone on her own. Leigh had all a vampire could need—blood from a sister,
power beyond a human’s belief—but it wasn’t enough. Not even close. With his
abilities Aldon could crush through the girl’s defenses and take them down one
by one.

Leigh had to accept things had changed.

“About?” Leigh asked, continuing to look outside.

“What’s at stake,” she exhaled in a rush, frightened for the
first time since she’d entered Disktant’s domain. Trey’s earlier warning
returned to torment her. Diskant would kill Leigh if he had to. Sadie had to
make sure that didn’t happen. “You have to be prepared.”

Leigh pivoted, a wave of dark hair spilling over her
shoulder. “I don’t understand. You said we only needed to cast the spell. We’ve
done it,” she stated, relief on her pale face. “We’re safe.”

Safe? If only.

Leigh’s abilities surpassed Sadie’s by leaps and bounds. As
painful as it was to admit, the newborn vampire’s magic was much more potent.
It shouldn’t have come as a shock when Leigh had memorized the spell Sadie had
taught her, worked to create it and sealed off the place without breaking
sweat. Even now—standing in front of Sadie with her face aglow—Leigh looked
like she’d done little more than climb a hill. Meanwhile, even if Leigh wasn’t
aware of it, the magic had put Sadie on her ass. If it weren’t for Sadie’s
determination to defend the compound—to defend Trey—she might have given up.
Fortunately Leigh had taken over with ease, invoking the spell like a seasoned
pro.

That was the bitch of it.

Leigh thought everything was gravy.

The naïve creature had no idea how strong she really was.

Be honest. Tell her the truth.

“Your magic is stronger then you realize. That comes with a
cost.”

A shadow of agony crossed the woman’s face. “You think I
don’t know that?” Leigh snapped with a hint of bitterness. “I don’t cast spells
or use my abilities unless I have to. I wouldn’t have now if it weren’t so important.
You know how I feel. I’ve told you why.”

Leigh hated the magic, feeling it made her less human.

The poor thing—even though she knew better—held out hope
that one day she’d return to her normal life. She denied herself blood,
preferring to eat human food that did nothing for her body. It left the vampire
thin, ghostly pale and constantly weak.

Sadie wanted to curse the world that had treated Leigh so
cruelly.

One minute Leigh had been a human girl with hopes and
dreams. The next she’d been changed by a vampire who’d left her to rot. No one
knew why. Some rogues thought it was funny to create fledglings who didn’t
understand what they’d become. Leigh’s case was strange though. Most
creators—even dickhead rogues—usually returned to their progeny and established
some sort of connection. Whoever had made Leigh would always be able to find
her. A link formed between a vampire and its child, one that could only be
broken in death. Why he hadn’t shown himself—why he hadn’t returned—was
anyone’s guess.

“You’re going to have to get over the past.” Sadie lifted
her head to stare at her friend. “This spell—our spell—is nothing. Call it a
blimp on the shit-o-dar. We’re about to deal with some medieval stuff. You’re
going to have to come to terms with your part in this.”

A surge of exhaustion rushed through her.

“Some choices are never easy.” She kept going, hoping Leigh
would listen. “You take what you’re given or you die. You’re going to have to
accept more than you’re willing to, even if you hate me for it.”

Leigh’s bitterness swiftly changed to suspicion. “What do
you mean?”

“I can’t feed you,” she blurted, shaking her head to clear
away cobwebs clouding her thoughts. She bowed her head, unable to bear the
horror in Leigh’s face. “I thought I could but I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“I can go a long time without blood. It shouldn’t be an
issue.” There was resolve in Leigh’s statement, as though she harbored a small
bit of hope.

Hope for what?

A world gone to shit? A world in which everyone would burn?

“Diskant will kill you.” She hated the gravity the words
carried. It wasn’t her job to threaten members of her coven—it never had been
until this moment. “He’ll tear you apart if he thinks you’re a threat. If you
want to live, you’re going to have to accept I can’t provide for you. Starving
yourself isn’t an option. This isn’t the coven. You can’t hide out and pretend
you’re not a vampire anymore.” Telling her sister-in-magic something so
brutally honest hurt Sadie more than Leigh would ever understand. She tried to
keep a level head, attempting to convey her concerns. “You’re going to have to
take what you’re given, even if that means accepting what you’re not ready for.
I wish it were different. I wish I could give you choices. I’m sorry you have
to…”

Take Nathan’s blood. Be Nathan’s mate.

Sadie’s chest ached at the thought. Forcing Leigh to accept
Nathan—a man the woman didn’t love—wasn’t what she wanted for her friend.

Damn it.

Life wasn’t simple. If Leigh wanted to survive, she had to
think about the future.

Maybe it was Sadie’s old age. She accepted that some things
were decided by fate. Leigh had been born a mortal, putting her faith in a
higher power. The truth was no one knew what happened for certain when a person
died. And Nathan wouldn’t let anything happen to Leigh. If Diskant threatened
to harm her the Beta would take Leigh somewhere else—to another pack perhaps.
Sadie would insist on traveling with them but she needed to know if something
happened Leigh would have a protector.

“You can’t make me drink. It’s my choice.”

“It used to be,” Sadie conceded, speaking quietly. “That’s
no longer the case.”

“No longer the case?”

“You need to able to defend yourself. You can’t do that if
you don’t feed.” Bracing herself for the earful she was about to receive, Sadie
continued, “What if something happens to me? What would you do then? Your
options are limited. The coven isn’t secure. They have weaknesses. And Geneva’s
been hiding something. I’m not sure what it is but it’s no good. You won’t be
happy there. You need someone to watch out for you, someone who would give his
life to keep you safe.”

The silence that followed was almost deafening.

“You think you can force me to take blood from Nathan?”
Leigh finally asked, voice shaking. “That’ll never happen.”

The scheming bitch
! Sadie caught Leigh’s thought and
followed it, delving into her friend’s thoughts.
I can’t believe I followed
her here. I can’t believe I trusted her! She’s been lying to me the entire
time. And why not? She’s finally gotten what she wanted. She’s mated to her
werewolf. She’ll turn on the coven and go on her merry little way. Oh God,
she’ll try to make me do the same thing. She’ll force me to become just like
her.

Sadie accepted the vehemence directed at her but even as she
did she knew she’d missed the mark big-time. A face flittered through Leigh’s
mind in her panic—of a young man, smiling and laughing. Sadie knew it had to be
the man Leigh’d lost after she’d been changed. She’d never imagined Leigh was
so affected by the love she’d left behind. Yet Sadie felt Leigh’s hurt, the
heartache lancing through her chest like a rusty knife. The terrified young
woman would never give up her hope for her past life.

Shit.

Leigh thought she could change what had happened to her. The
only reason she’d given up was because she had to. She actually believed there
had to be a way to go back to the way things used to be. If magic existed,
there had to be a way. She wanted to be who she used to be more than anything.

“I’m not doing this because of Trey.” Sadie knew if she
didn’t get this right everything would turn to shit. She had to reason with
Leigh and help her understand. “You came to find me, remember? None of this
happened because I wanted it to.” She knew she had to tell her the rest as
well. “There’s a reason Geneva took you in, Leigh. I didn’t question it at
first but I should have. I don’t know what it is but there’s some ass backward
shit going down in the coven. I have a feeling Geneva’s been planning something
for months. That’s why she tried to trap me at the house. She’ll use you.
You’ll find yourself snared in her web if you’re not careful.”

She’s playing you for a fool!
Leigh’s thoughts—much
louder now—slammed into Sadie’s head.
She’s one of them now.

“So it’s Geneva we have to worry about, huh?” Leigh strode
from the window as her private feelings crashed into Sadie’s mind. “You might
have fooled me once but it won’t happen again. If you’re going to lie, at least
come up with something decent.”

Will the coven welcome me back?
Leigh wondered.
Will
they turn me away? Where do rogue vampires go? Is there a place for us?

Every single worry in Leigh’s mind merged with Sadie’s
thoughts.

They’ll destroy me for leaving in the first place.
They’ll make me suffer. It’ll be worse than before. Will they make me feed?
Will I kill? What if they turn me over to…to…the vampire who made me? Oh God. I
can’t go through that. Not ever again. What do I do? Where should I go?

“I’m not lying,” Sadie said, trying to stay composed.
“Geneva was ready to turn on me. That’s why I told you to phase. She almost
trapped me before I could escape. She used her magic against me. She took you
into our home for a reason. She wants something from you.”

“Like you don’t!” Leigh screamed.

Sadie used the little energy she had left to raise her head
and look at the girl.

Leigh’s entire body was shaking, her eyes brimming with
tears. “You brought me here,” she sobbed, eyes swimming. “You brought me to
him. You knew exactly what you were doing.”

“I didn’t bring you here for Nathan.” Not intentionally, not
with ulterior motives. Sadie would never have done such a thing. “I swear. It’s
not—”

“I’m not listening to you anymore,” Leigh yelled while her
thoughts tumbled together, making it impossible for Sadie to understand them.
“You’re a liar! You’re all liars!”

Oh no. She’s going to phase.

Somehow—someway—Sadie knew she had to reach Leigh before she
did.

She stumbled from the bed and grasped Leigh’s arm. Months of
starvation had shown her she could push beyond fatigue. As tired as she was,
she had enough energy to maintain her grip. But it wouldn’t last, especially if
Leigh decided to throw a spell in her direction. She couldn’t reason with the
youthful vampire, not right now. Leigh’s mind was too chaotic, too fucking
wounded.

“
Trey!
” Sadie called out mentally, banking on his
ability to hear her. “
I need you. Come to me.
”

In her weakened state she wasn’t sure if it was her demand
or the passage of time that caused Trey and Nathan to appear so quickly. The
door burst open and the men rushed inside. The shifters’ gazes darted to the
women—Trey’s full of worry, Nathan’s filled with alarm—prepared to take on
enemies.

“
She’s going to run.
” Sadie directed the thought to
Trey. “
Stop her.
”

“Get your female,” Trey snarled to Nathan. “Don’t let her
go!”

Sadie welcomed Trey’s embrace, leaning against him, allowing
him to hold her. Leigh fought Nathan, thrashing about to break free. When she
couldn’t, Leigh screamed. Sadie’s heart broke for the woman as she cried,
slapping at Nathan’s chest.