Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down (24 page)

“I’m just saying…”

“She doesn’t test as a
newborn
.
I wouldn’t have to list her as mine.  I could say
Carys
was her Sire.  There aren’t many still alive who could dispute it.”  He could do this, he could make it work.  He could be her mentor.  That would keep Anja safe and he could still see her
and she wouldn’t have to keep
making those puppy dog eyes at him whenever he told her to go away.

“And if her Sire shows up to lay claim to her?”

Bishop honestly couldn’t answer that one, not yet.  “That will be an interesting day,” he allowed with a grim smile. 

“Sounds like you’ve got it all worked out then, good luck,” Mason clapped him on the shoulder again.  “I just have one question.”

“What’s that?”

“Does she have a sister?”

Chapter
Twenty

On the prowl.  Come on Anja, you can do this…
I sat at the end of the bar, the same bar Bishop had taken me to, but I couldn’t relax enough to enjoy the atmosphere.  When I’d woken up
,
I felt that slight flush of warmth, the telltale sign I needed to feed soon.  Now that I knew what to look for, it was easy to recognize, and I didn’t have to worry about it getting so out of control again. 
I made a list of pros and cons for going to the same bar
,
and the pro column won by a landslide.  Without Bishop to guide me, I went for as much familiarity as I could muster.

It was impossible to think of feeding without remembering the experience with Bishop.  The way our bodies pressed together, the heady sense of power as
Josh
’s life force poured into us, the kiss...  I had to fan myself as another rush of heat went through me that had
nothing to do with the thirst
.  More than anything, I wanted to feel that way again, but Bishop had made it clear I was on my own, despite his appearance the night before.  It was up to me to step up and figure out how to do this vampire thing on my own.  I had to stop acting like a wallflower and remember I could have anyone in th
e
bar I wanted, thanks to my handy dandy vamp powers.

Yep.  Anja on the prowl.  Humans beware! 

Only who to pick?  Everyone seemed like they were either with someone or waiting for someone.  Maybe
it
was the wrong kind of venue for a single hunter like me
after all
?  I didn’t have the right temperament for approaching total strangers, which meant I had to either catch someone’s eye across a crowded room, or wait for someone to approach me. 

I’d reverted back to more of my own style, with a pair of skinny jeans and a black fuzzy sweater (in case I got any blood on my outfit)
.  B
ut instead of wearing a
blouse
under the sweater, I opted to go without, which left one shoulder bare and about all the lure I could manage from my own wardrobe.  It didn’t exactly scream siren, but it also wouldn’t attract a great deal of attention, a plus in my books. 

Just then, I caught someone looking, a guy about my age, on the shorter side, with sandy brown hair and stooping shoulders. 
It turned out w
e had a lot in common.  We were both college students, fans of Dr. Who and terrible monster flicks on the SyFy channel, preferred
hot chocolate
to coffee
,
and weren’t much for heavy drinking.  In any other circumstance, I probably wouldn’t have minded hanging out with Stan, though there definitely weren’t any sparks on my side of the conversation.  

It didn’t take much to talk him into leaving with me
,
I didn’t even have to use a hint of compulsion on him.  The lure of a coffee shop and
late movie
were enough to get him into the parking lot, and from there I grabbed his hand
, tugging
him over by the dumpster. 

“What’s going on?” he asked, a silly grin on his face, and I almost lost my nerve.  But I was the predator and he was my prey
.  T
his was the way it had to be, right?  In a few minutes he’d be on his way with an interesting scar and a hole in his memory, and I’d have a full tummy
-
no harm, no foul. 

“I want to show you something.” 

“But we’ll miss the beginning of the show,” he objected and I focused on exerting my will, instantly calming his objections. 

“Trust me, this is better.”

“Trust you,” Stan murmured, his eyes vacant. 

The blank stare unnerved me, and I had trouble approaching him.  “Close your eyes,” I ordered and he immediately obeyed.  His height made it easy for me to reach his neck, but I couldn’t bring myself to go for it and dig right in.  That was the problem, wait too long and I was liable to take his head off, eat too soon and I got squeamish about the process. 

I had to get my head in the game and do it before I lost my window of opportunity and someone came along.  That thought was enough to make me stop and extend my senses, making sure we were truly alone.  Apart from something that
scurried
under the dumpster (and I
personally voted for
stray kitty rather than rat in my imagination)
,
we were the only ones out there.  “Stop being such a baby…” I murmured, leaning in close
.
I felt my fangs
descend
the closer I got to the throb of his pulse. 

In for a penny, in for a pound…
Once more, I was overwhelmed with the bright taste of blood as it exploded across my tongue.  Had I said I wasn’t hungry?  At the first drop of blood, a terrible craving consumed me body and soul, and I drank as though I might never slake my thirst. 

It wasn’t sexy and it wasn’t a game.  It was carnal, pure and simple, a physical need without any of the sensual trappings of my last feeding.  Dimly
,
I was aware of the fact that Stan wasn’t having a very good time, and a tiny part of my brain wondered what I’d done wrong, but mostly I drank and drank as if I’d never get my fill.

I felt his heart shudder and quake beneath me and I
knew
it was time to stop.  Hell, it was way past time to stop, but knowing and doing are two very different things.  Even though part of me screamed inside that I was taking too much, my body wouldn’t obey until I felt his heart quiver and stop.  Only then was I released from the spell his blood
wove
over me, and he slumped to the ground as I abruptly let go. 

“I’m sorry
!
” I wailed, falling to my knees beside him, desperately searching for a pulse.  “Oh God, oh God, oh God, please…” I switched to his wrist, not finding anything on the neck.  “This isn’t happening,” I murmured, hot tears spilling down my cheeks as I wondered what to do.  Calling an ambulance was out of the question… Suddenly I had a flash of insight.  My blood could heal him, right?  I fumbled at my wrist, pushing the sleeve out of the way as I brought it up to my mouth, but my fangs had already retracted.  Closing my eyes, I bit down as hard as I could, my muffled cry of pain rewarded by the slight trickle of my own blood. 

“Stan?  I’m trying to help you.  I can fix this.”  I held my wrist up to his
mouth
, but he didn’t stir as the drops of blood hit his lips.  “Stan, can you hear me?  You have to drink…”

“Anja, no…”  Bishop pulled me away from Stan’s body, his hand clamping over the wound at my wrist.  I didn’t even stop to wonder what he was doing there
,
I
only
knew I had to make it right. 

“
I need to help him, I took too much
,
h
e’ll die
.”  I tried to struggle past him, but his grip was too strong for me.  “Bishop, please…”

“It’s too late.”

“No, it’s not too late.  My blood can heal him, you said so yourself.  Let me help him!”

“
He’s already gone
.”  Bishop pulled me into the shelter of his embrace, obscuring my view of the body.  “
L
et him go, Anja.  There’s nothing to be done.”  I sagged against him, tears falling in earnest as he held me.  I wasn’t sure who I felt more sorry for, Stan for losing his life, me for having to deal with taking a life, or Bishop who kept getting drawn back into my life. 

“I’m so sorry,” I wept, shoulder
s
shaking with quiet sobs.  I felt Bishop’s touch at my back, his hands strong and comforting. 

“It’s not your fault
,
it’s your nature, remember?”

“How can you say it’s not my fault?  I killed a man.  Ten minutes ago Stan’s biggest problem was too many writing intensive courses this
semester
and because of me he’ll never graduate.  He’ll never do anything ever again because I chose him and lost control.”

“If it makes you feel any better
,
it’s my fault for pushing you off on your own before you were ready.”

As much as it surprised me to hear that coming from him, I couldn’t let myself off the hook so easily.  “It’s not your job to look after me.”

“Could have fooled me,” he murmured and I pulled back to look at him a little closer. 

“What are you doing here?”
Why hadn’t he stopped me before it was too late?

For a long seconds, I thought he might not even know himself, and his answer sounded hesitant. 
“Looking out for you?”

“Well you’re doing a crappy job,” I sniffed, tucking my head back down against his chest where I felt his rumble of laughter.
 

“I could leave again if you’d rather be alone.”

“Don’t you dare
.
”
M
y arms tightened around him.  It was a crutch
,
but I needed it in the worst way at the time.  Eventually my storm of emotions subsided enough that I started to worry about discovery.  “We have to do something about his body before someone finds us.”

“
I’ll take care of it
,” he offered, and once again I was surprised.  Was this the same Bishop who kept telling me I was on my own? 

“
But it’s my mess
…”

“
Anja it’s
fine
, I’ll take care of it.
”  Letting go of me, he reached for his phone, fingers flying over the keyboard as he texted. 

“Who are you calling?”

“People who specialize in this sort of emergency.  They’ll be here in no time.”

“Oh.  I didn’t realize you could get rid of a body as easily as ordering a pizza.”
  I wasn’t so sure that was a good thing
.  H
uman beings shouldn’t be so easily disposable. 

“Not everyone has access to the same resources I do,” he reminded me.  “In the meantime, I think I should take you home.  The more removed you are from this situation, the better.”  Pulling a cloth from his back pocket, he swabbed at Stan’s face, removing the traces of my blood on his lips.  When he was satisfied with the results, Bishop did a quick pat down of the body, and pulled out Stan’s wallet, pocketing the thin sheaf of bills inside.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded, outraged at the theft.  Nevermind that the crime I’d committed against Stan was far worse. 

“It’s not going to do him any good,” Bishop shrugged. 

I couldn’t watch. 

Hugging my arms to my body, I walked away, telling myself I was looking out to make sure no one else
came along
while he did whatever else he was going to do to the body before his contacts arrived. 

“Come on, let’s get you home.”  Bishop’s light touch at the small of my back made me shiver as he guided me to his SUV
,
and I was grateful he hadn’t ridden the motorcycle that night. 

The ride back to my apartment was a silent one.  Bishop seemed to understand I needed a bit of space to process what I’d done, though I was grateful for his presence.  Even after he parked the car down the street from my building, I made no move to leave the warm cocoon of the vehicle.  His phone chirped
,
and whatever
popped up
on the display made him scowl.

“What is it?”

“The body is gone.”

“The body, you mean my body?  Stan is gone?”

“Looks like it.”

“How could that be?  He was dead, really dead, wasn’t he?”

“Dead as they come,” he agreed.

“So he didn’t just get up and walk away.”

“Definitely not.  And if someone from inside the bar found him and called the police or an ambulance, they would still be on the scene by the time my people got there.”

“What does this mean?”  Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.  All manner of thoughts made my head swim.  Had the blood I’d given him turned him into a vampire and he’d really gotten up and walked away?  Had someone stolen the body?  What possible reason could they have for taking a dead body? 

Bishop’s fingers texted like mad.  “Try not to
worry
,
we’ll get to the bottom of it.  I’ve already got people checking the dispatch records and local hospitals.  We’ll find out what happened to him and take care of it.”

“If you say so.”  Though trying not to worry sounded like a contradiction to me.  I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him yet and go up to my empty apartment.  Almost as though he’d read my mind, Bishop turned, his features sharp and distinct to my eyes despite the poor lighting. 

“Do you want me to come up for a bit?”

I stared at him, at a momentary loss for words.  Had the Bishop I’d come to know and love been replaced by a pod person?  Regardless, I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.  “That would be nice, if you’ve got the time.”