What Lies Inside (A Blood Bound Novel, Book 1) (35 page)

That had been the end of his begging for forgiveness. The remaining flights passed in acidic silence. Through it all, a tiny part of me wanted to forgive him, to let him off the hook. But the part of me that was hurting with the heartbreak of leaving Ty behind just wouldn’t allow it.

With the sun’s rise, we finally arrived in Anchorage. A suited chauffeur holding a card printed with our names was waiting. He hadn’t uttered a word as he collected our luggage and escorted us to the limo. Now almost two hours had passed in complete silence, on a road surrounded by nothing but thick forestry. Just over ten minutes ago, we’d passed through a chain-link gate topped with razor wire. Threatening warning signs had been posted along the electrified fence, which disappeared into thickening trees. There had been two mute guards, who after inspecting the limo, granted us entry. Still the chauffeur hadn’t uttered a single word.

I glanced back out the heavily tinted window as we drove through another guarded entrance. This one was an impenetrable gray-stone wall. It was yet another barrier to keep the outside world and Ty away. Cobblestone lanes snaked around the castle. They fronted what appeared to be residential homes and shop fronts. The Armaya was an entire vampire community.

Kendrick exited the limo at once. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his boarding jacket and took off. In seconds he’d disappeared down a cobblestone lane.

An impatient throat clearing drew my eye to the chauffeur. He was now standing at my door, shielded beneath a thick-skinned umbrella. Without a word he turned, climbing the stairs to the castle’s thick, iron-braced doors. I hurried after him into a dark foyer lined with pews, then down a corridor lit with lanterns.

With a knock at the first door, the chauffeur spoke for the very first time. “Miss Amelia Lamont, Lord Bathory.”

The chauffeur pushed open the creaking door and stepped aside. Then he bowed deeply before scurrying up the hall. As he vanished beyond the light of lanterns, something occurred to me. I had never taken much notice of my uncle’s surname.
Bathory.
There was a certain ring to it that hung on the tip of my tongue.

A throat clearing drew my eyes up to my uncle. The sight of him spiked my pulse, nerves instantly refocusing all my attention onto him. He was formally dressed in a soot-colored suit and seated behind a leather-swathed desk. A mountain of askew papers surrounded him like a small fortress. The room was dark, shielded by thick drapes. Heavy bags circled his eyes and were emphasized by the poor lighting of a single desk lamp.

Caius pushed one stack of papers to the side and smiled. A relieved sigh escaped my lips as he stood, walking around the desk. His outstretched arms wrapped me in a welcoming hug. “Amelia, my dear, it is truly wonderful to see you.”

Considering the circumstances, I had expected him to be at least angry, if not livid. But he wasn’t. He seemed genuinely happy to see me.

Caius released me from his paternal embrace and cleared his throat again. “So, I hear you are involved with a lycanthrope.”

Caught off guard, I coughed and averted my eyes. The air suddenly seemed thick and stifling. A rhythmic ticking drew my sight to the swinging pendulum of a grandfather clock. It was positioned between shelving units that bordered almost the entire room. The pendulum barely ticked a quarter as fast as my now racing heart. I knew my uncle was waiting for a response, but any and all words seemed lost to me.

“You are lucky Kendrick came forward when he did,” Caius went on. “Had The Council found out, I would not be responsible for their actions.”

The grim edge to his tone raked across my skin. While the mere mention of Kendrick’s name flooded a fuming anger throughout my body. “What would they have done?”

Caius motioned to the door. “Let us not worry about that now. It is late, and we have mere hours before a new day begins.”

I glanced back to the antique, grandfather clock. It was almost 1
PM
.

“Oh,” Caius chuckled. “Lamayli—I mean, your mother—must have forgotten to mention it. As vampires largely reside within the Armaya’s walls, we run on a schedule opposite to that of humans. It is our natural way.” He held out his elbow for me to take. “Come, I will escort you to your room.”

With our arms linked, we cleared the corridor before climbing a stone stairwell. After passing a number of closed doors, Caius paused at one nearing the end of the corridor. “I have arranged a mentor to school you in vampire history. Your mother expressed your interest to learn. Plus I do believe the knowledge will be invaluable.”

He fished into his pocket. Out came an ancient-looking key that he handed over. I kept my lips pinned shut. Any encouraged conversation could bring Ty back into discussion.

“I have afforded you a day’s rest. Your tutoring will commence the day after tomorrow.” A controlled smile spread over Caius’s lips. It was the kind that didn’t quite reach his dull, silvery eyes. “This will be your room. I trust it is satisfactory. If you require anything at all, dial one on the landline. Your every need will be taken care of. Now, try to get some rest and I will see you tomorrow.”

After a hard twist of the key, I forced the heavy door open. I found the light switch and stared around my new prison. Lanterns matching the stairwell flashed on, lighting the space with a yellow glow. Iron-footed, antique furnishings minimally decorated the room. A wall-mounted flat screen was positioned above an age-worn wooden cabinet. It was the only modern touch.

Dragging my feet across the room, I slumped onto the turquoise quilt covering an enormous bed. I sighed and pulled out my iPod to play Three Days Grace. All the flights and time involved had seriously drained my energy. I needed a boost, a boost that sleep alone would not replenish. I grasped the phone from the bedside table and dialed one.

A female voice answered after a single ring. “Service operator, how may I help you?”

I needed blood. That was clear. Only I had no idea how the Armaya operated. “I was um, wondering,” I floundered, “if I could get a drink. I’m a little low on…energy.”

“Ah, this must be Amelia, welcome. You’ll find a mini bar in the cabinet below the television. It’s stocked with
refreshments.
Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

I vaulted over to the cabinet, yanking the door open. As promised, inside was a mini bar. An assortment of beverages stocked the shelves: water, soft drink, milk and glass-bottled blood. “No, that’s all I needed. Thanks.”

I hung up and downed the contents of an entire bottle. The dead blood was nothing compared to Ty’s. Yet somehow it tugged at a memory. The one time I had lost control and drank his delicious blood. My face warmed while my aching heart sank. I hadn’t allowed myself to think about him too much. Now I was trapped and alone in this expansive, stone-walled room and I couldn’t stop myself.
God, I miss you.

With a sigh I crossed the room, about to fall back onto the bed when a dark shadow caught the corner of my eye. Across the room was an open door, beyond which appeared to be a bathroom. A gold-framed mirror spanned the entire length of the wall. In its reflection was the shadow I had seen. A wooden door with an iron bordered keyhole. A wardrobe in the bathroom?

With a frown, I bounded into the bathroom. A claw-footed bath sat in the center of the room, which I dodged, before pushing down on the handle. Beyond the door was a bedroom. It was decked out with modern furniture rather than antique pieces. I breathed in sharply. Posters decorated the exposed, rocky walls, ranging from the bands Skillet and Threes Days Grace to a bunch of snowboarding ones too. A snowboard fitted with bindings was propped against one wall. A thick boarding jacket was slung over the couch. This was Kendrick’s room, the one he must have live in his entire life.

We’re sharing a bathroom? In the background the song
‘I hate everything about you’
came on from my iPod. I slammed the door. Fan-freaking-tastic!

~

Darkness surrounded me as I paced impatiently, waiting for Ty to join my dream. The only light source came from above, where the waning moon propelled a ghostly glow down at me. Then there was a sudden and instantaneous shift. The night turned from dark to light as the sun soared over the tree-rolling horizon. I blinked in amazement. Around me, the sound of soothing water flowed over a tall cliff-face. It plunged into the river below, dusting me with a fine spray. Straight overhead, sunbeams cracked light through the thick canopy of trees. Gold laced their leaves and warmed the air around me.

“I’m getting better at this,” Ty’s voice floated on the air. He materialized right in front of me wearing a black collared shirt and blue jeans over his hunting boots.

I smiled, and sensing cool fabric against my own flesh, I glanced down. I was no longer wearing the clothes I had fallen asleep in. Instead I had on satin shorts and a cotton tank top. “You dressed me?”

A mischievous smile lit Ty’s tan face and his eyes twinkled. “I told you I can control everything.” His arms wrapped around me, lifting me off the ground. “I know it hasn’t even been to full day, but God I’ve missed you.”

His closeness washed over me like a rolling tide. The onslaught of his potent scent made my gums prickle. I struggled to hold back the urge to extend my fangs. Thankfully Ty lowered me back to the ground. I stepped back drawing in a deep, clearing breath.

“What’s it like there?” Ty asked, appearing unaware of my strain. “Did your uncle give you a lecture?”

“No,” I replied, taking a much needed further step back. “He was quite…
controlled
.” I didn’t want to reveal my uncle’s words or the danger we had escaped. “But,” I went on, wanting to change the subject, “we run on an opposite schedule. Sleep during the day, awake at night. So, I guess it’s going to be harder to correlate dreamscapes with you awake and at school while I’m sleeping.”

Ty smiled, though I could sense tension growing within his masked expression. He moved forward and pulled me against his chest. “We’ll make it work, somehow. But we don’t have long now. After all the transformations and the full moon, I’m struggling to keep this dream going.” His lips grazed mine. “I wish it could be more.”

A sense of urgency seized me, causing my pulse to jump at more than his touch and mouth-watering scent. I entwined my fingers in his sleek hair and pulled his face to mine, kissing him with passionate force. Ty gasped with surprised. A second later he recovered, gripping my back and deepening our kiss. His hot body pressed against mine while his scent flooded my lungs. The soaring desire made my limbs tremble. The total intoxication was like Skillet’s song,
‘Better than drugs’
.

My hands crept under his shirt, finding the scar-covered muscles there before pulling it over his head. His perspiring skin slid under my fingertips as they traveled back down the lines of his chest. Electricity shot through my body, tingling with the searing heat of his touch. His hands trailed across my back to my sides, creeping under the thin fabric of my tank top. I sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers caressed the naked flesh of my stomach, slowly rising. Fangs split from my gums, piercing my lower lip. My body screamed, yearning for every part of him. I tore my top off, barely able to think past the lure of his blood while tasting my own. Ty responded, reaching up with expert fingers to undo my bra. His lips broke from mine, finding my collarbone as the straps fell down my arms. At the firm brush of his lips I shivered. Then I hastily threw my bra aside before lowering shaking hands to unbuckle his pants. I sank onto the soft grass. With my fingers gripping his belt, I pulled him down on top of me. A broad smile tugged at Ty’s lips. He gazed into my eyes, dipping his head to re-join our lips. His smoldering body molded against mine while he trailed hot kisses down my neck.

It’s not real.
The damning thought invaded my mind. It cut through the undeniable yearning I felt to give myself to Ty. A shock-wave bolted through my body. My hands froze, no longer pulling Ty against me.
This is just a dream.

Instantly Ty hesitated, lips drawing away from my neck. His intense eyes peered into mine from behind the hair that fell over his face.

“This isn’t real,” I whispered, struggling for breath.

Dawning realization stole across Ty’s features: shock, disappointment and longing. There even appeared to be a glint of regret. He lifted his body from mine with a shuddering sigh.

My heart squeezed, my body still screaming for his.
“I’m sorry,”
I whispered, arms awkwardly lowering to cover my exposed chest. “Are you mad?”

“What?” Ty seemed genuinely surprised. “No. Of course I’m not.” With a sigh he slung one arm under my legs and the other around my neck. Then he drew me onto his lap. He reached for his discarded shirt and pulled it over my head, covering my bare flesh. “I should be the one who’s sorry, and I am. Amelia, I wasn’t trying to pressure you.” His hot lips met my temple, and his sweet breath ruffled my eyelashes. “I wanted you, so bad. I still do.” He sighed again, long and hard. “But not like this. Not in an alternate reality that exists only in our minds and not on any lasting physical plane. I want the real you, flesh and blood. And I would rather wait than rush it like this. I just forgot where we were. Can you forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive.” A genuine smile brightened my face and I hugged my arms tight around Ty. “And I want that too. More than anything, I just want you.”

~

In the morning I awoke alone. The heated brush of Ty’s lips and hands lingered on my cold skin. A vivid reminder of what we had been about to do ran through my mind. His flesh connecting with mine had shot electricity through my body, awakening my every sense. In the fleeting moments we’d had together, missing him had taken over. I’d wanted nothing more than to be with him, to give myself to him entirely.

But I hadn’t. Reality had edged its way in, along with a daunting realization. It was just a dream. The physical interaction would forever remain in our minds. But any remnants of the intimate act would disappear as he did.