A Vampire's Saving Embrace (20 page)

Caleb’s face turned a bright red and he swallowed visibly – she held back the sigh of relief when she realized that she had him.

“No problem. Come on.” Caleb started off towards the woods with Abby following close behind – fighting back the overwhelming guilt she was feeling for having lied to him. It wasn’t until they stepped through a clearing and she saw the cottage that she relaxed. Caleb led her over to a rusted blue pickup and opened the passenger door for her. “It still needs a lot of work,” he explained shyly, “but she runs great.”

I don’t care if I have to ride in a little red wagon – she silently thought, just as long as I get into town.

“So, who are you meeting?” Caleb asked as he jumped in next to her and started the engine. He threw the truck into gear and turned onto the main road, the vehicle bouncing wildly.

Abby braced her hand on the roof of the cab to steady herself - and smiled. “A girlfriend,” she explained, trying to keep what information she divulged to a minimum. “I really need to pick some stuff of mine up from her.” She looked around at the unfamiliar road and frowned. “How far are we from town?”

“About twenty-five minutes.”

Abby did a quick calculation in her head, it was just after three – they would reach town before four, which actually was perfect because Kat didn’t get into work to prep until at least four-thirty or five. She just had to wait for her to show and she could easily do that at the little coffee shop across from the bar.

She knew Lexie, the owner there well, and knew that she would be more than happy to give her a cup of coffee as she waited for Kat.

Caleb was explaining all the work that he had done to his truck over the past year, and what more he planned to do, but Abby didn’t really hear his words. The realization hit her like a physical blow that she was never going to see Desmond again, and her eyes blurred with the tears threatening to flow.

No matter what his feelings for her - she loved him. She loved him with all her heart and the cold hard fact that she would never see him again hurt like hell, and was leaving a hole in her that would never be filled.
Could
never be filled – and the reality of it all just completely sucked out loud.

Her hand went to where the cut had been and she sighed. The attack had changed her life in more ways than she could possibly count and Desmond had been kind enough to remove any trace of a permanent reminder for her. Her skin was perfectly healed now, with not even the slightest hint of a scar. If only he could make her heartbreak disappear as easily – but she knew that these were scars she would bare the rest of her life. She would never be the same.

“…never been happier.” She heard Caleb say and turned her face towards him.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, Luke keeps saying how he’s never seen Des happier.” He gave her a sly grin, and chuckled. “In fact, I’ve never seen him so much as crack a smile in all the time that I’ve known him…that is, not until I saw him with you.” He smiled at her in nothing less than wonder – as if she had performed some sort of miracle.

Abby felt her heart wrench painfully in her chest and looked back out the window, concentrating on the road zooming by. Telling herself that he was happy only because he thought that he had hit the mother lode in the blood department.

She chewed her lower lip anxiously - wondering with a sense of dread if he had discovered that she was gone yet.

Desmond watched as the workers replaced the window frame with impatience. He wanted nothing more at the moment then to be lying in bed with his mate in his arms. He smiled,
his mate
– damn but that sounded good.

Abby was everything and more than he ever thought possible and he couldn’t wait for the moment when he could tell her exactly how he felt. There was that part of him that didn’t believe that he should be as fortunate as he was in finding her, but he wasn’t about to question it. She
was
his – and if he could just survive his inevitable encounter with Argramon, he planned on spending the rest of eternity proving it to her. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for her - or
too
her he thought wickedly.

He fidgeted slightly, his body responding to the thought of showing her how much he loved her, and glared at the workers – willing them to finish. One night not spent with her had been enough to drive him to the brink of madness and sitting here now, knowing she was just down the hall was pure unadulterated torture. He growled low in his throat then choked on a laugh at his behavior. He was behaving like a rutting beast!

“Mr. LaGrange?” one of the men said - pulling him from his thoughts. Desmond looked up to see the elderly man – he believed his name was Marty -standing in front of him. “We’re almost finished up here,” he said, looking at Desmond curiously. He had done work for Desmond LaGrange in the past, but his entire demeanor seemed completely different somehow this time.

First, he had always insisted that he and his men work at night, but after an early call from him this morning, he had insisted that they come out as quickly as possible. Second - and most telling was –the man seemed relaxed and happy – whereas he had always been cool and controlled in the past. “We just need to put the glass in and we’ll be out of your way.”

“Thank you, Martin,” Desmond replied with a smile, his body tightening at the thought of being with Abby. “I appreciate you pulling some favors to get the treated glass here so quickly.”

“Not a problem, sir.”

Not twenty minutes later, Desmond closed the door behind the men and grinned- but only a moment later, the smile left his lips as he realized that he could no longer sense any humans in the house. The heartbeats he had been picking up on disappeared as soon as the workers left- leaving nothing but a foreboding silence that caused a chill to run up his spine. Desmond’s body stiffened as he turned and made a blinding dash up the stairs and to the guestroom. When he threw open the door, his worst fears were realized - Abby definitely was not in the house!

Chapter 9

“So, where do you want to go?” Caleb asked, turning down Main Street and shooting her a grin.

“The Mug & Grind,” she said, pointing to the coffee house across from Echo’s. Caleb pulled up in front of the small shop and gave her a warm smile. “Would you like me to wait for you?” He asked, but Abby shook her head.

“No, that’s not necessary - my friend can give me a ride back,” she lied, and silently wondered how she could deceive him so easily, and her heart tightened in her chest. “Caleb, um… do you have a cell phone?” she asked - hoping to cover all her bases.

“Sure, why?”

She cringed slightly, hating herself for doing this. “May I borrow it in case need to call Des? I can’t find mine, and I completely forgot to ask him for his.”

“Sure,” he said digging into his jeans pocket and handing her the phone. “Des’s number is programmed into the phone...number one,” he explained. Of course he was number one, Abby thought sadly as she nodded her head.

“Thank you,” she whispered, fighting back tears once again. She was finding it difficult to let any of these people that she had just met, go. For the first time in Abby’s life, she felt as if she had a family, and now they were all slipping through her fingers in the blink of an eye.

She hugged him tightly, her voice thick. “
You
are such a wonderful man,” she whispered in his ear.

“Geez, Abby,” he laughed, his face turning red. “You’re acting like I’m never going to see you again.”

Abby smiled sadly at the thought that he wouldn’t, and opened the door and got out. She leaned back through the window and blew him a kiss. “You be careful driving back,” she warned, her eyes shining.

“Your friend will have you back by dusk, won’t she?” He asked and she nodded. She waited until she saw him drive away before turning - dropping the cell into the trash can out front, and going into the shop.

Lexie, the pretty blond owner of the coffee house looked up as Abby walked in and visibly paled. “Abby?” she breathed, coming out from behind the counter and practically running up to her. “My, God – where have you been? Kat has been absolutely frantic!”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Come and sit down,” Lexie urged, leading her over to one of the small tables. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Oh, yes… please.”

She quickly poured them each a cup and sat down across from her. “What on earth happened? Kat came in here a few days ago ranting and raving about how you were gone, and that there had been a demon bothering you at the bar on the night that you disappeared and…”

“What?” Abby gasped, choking on the sip of coffee she had just taken.

“Demon, sweetie,” Lexie said it so casually that Abby’s mouth fell open – her eyes wide and disbelieving.

“How does she...I mean…how do you…” she stammered, at a total loss. How the hell did Kat know? And if she knew about demons, did she also know what Desmond was? What
she
was for that matter!

“You mean to tell me that she
never
told you that she and I are witches?” Lexie asked, incredulous – as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I mean, we’re from different coven’s of course – but witches all the same.” She said conversationally, her voice taking on a note of pride. Abby shook her head numbly, her face visibly paling. Oh, Lord. This was all beginning to become too much!

Fae’s and Vampires, werewolves and now
witches
! Holy Hell, she thought miserably, when the supernatural world reared its ugly head, it did so with a vengeance. What the hell was next – the Devil himself?

“I had no idea,” she croaked out, at a total loss. How had her world turned upside down so quickly?

Lexie placed her hand on top of hers and smiled, although Abby noticed that it didn’t quite reach her eyes and seemed somewhat forced - and she silently wondered if she had somehow offended her. “Not to worry,” she said reassuringly as she grabbed a cell from the pocket of her green apron and pressed a button. “Kat, its Lex. Guess who is sitting across from me? No… no, she’s fine.” Lexie looked at Abby and gave her a wink. “Not a problem. Ok, we’ll see you then.” She flipped the phone closed and smiled at Abby once again. “She’ll be here in an hour.”

Abby glanced at the coffee cup shaped clock hanging on the far wall and sighed. It was already four thirty -by the time Kat got here, she’d be cutting it close – being winter, the days were much shorter and it wasn’t giving her a very large window time wise - but she would have to make due. She
had
too! If she could just get on a bus out of here and go…anywhere – she thought sadly. She would get a ticket on the first bus that was leaving this God-forsaken town. Who cared where she ended up? Without Desmond in her life, she was just a ghost anyway. “

So,” Lexie said, glancing at Abby’s neck intently. “Tell me - has the vamp bitten you yet?”

Chapter 10

Desmond paced the study like a caged animal - his eyes glowing silver. Marcus sat there silently, watching his brother, knowing that it was taking every ounce of willpower that he had not to barge out into the sunlight and go after her .

After Desmond had woken him and told him that she was missing, they had called Luke, who had just gotten back from his council meeting -who in turn informed them that Caleb and his truck were gone as well.

Knowing that Caleb wouldn’t leave his post unless he had a good reason, Luke began to try and track the boy down - and the fact that he wasn’t answering his cell phone did nothing to ease any of their minds. Something was definitely wrong - he could feel it.

Meanwhile, Desmond paced – waiting for dusk.

Abby stared at Lexie – speechless. “What are you talking about?” she finally whispered – her face going pale.

“Among being a witch, my dear,” she explained, “I also have some physic abilities, so when Kat came in all bent out of shape that something awful had happened to you, I did a channeling and saw that you were with the vampire.” Her brows knit together, a slight look of annoyance crossing her features. “I also saw that he would drink from you.” She glanced again to Abby, the annoyed look leaving her face - only to be replaced with one of remorse as she studied her throat. “And I’m afraid that I see extreme danger for you,” she said, almost in a whisper.