Awakened (Vampire Awakenings) (17 page)

He enfolded her tightly, his heart swelling with love as he rolled her onto her side. How he had ever gotten so lucky to find her, to have her, he didn’t know. She should have run screaming from him, from everything that he was, from everything that he had done, and could do.

Instead, she had given him her heart, her body, and her soul. Even before he had become a monster, he hadn’t been a good man. There was nothing in his life that could explain the kind of whole hearted love that she gave to him.

“I’ll always love you,” she whispered. Liam’s heart skipped a beat as his arms convulsed around her. “But you have to promise me, no more lies, no more secrets.”

“I promise that I will never lie to you, or keep another secret from you.”

“Good.”

“I love you too,” he whispered.

***

Sera glanced up from her history book as Mike slid into the seat across from her. “Hey,” she greeted in surprise.

He smiled as he leaned back in his seat and draped an arm casually over the back of it. “Cafeteria food will kill you.”

Sera grinned as she pushed the remains of her salad aside. “Not all of us are lucky enough not to have to eat it.”

His eyebrows rose in surprise as he snorted a chuckle. “True.”

“So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

He shrugged as he glanced around the crowded cafeteria. Sera had been there for so long that she had tuned out the noise level; it now penetrated her ears again. “Not much. Just saw you sitting here and thought you might like some company.”

“Keeping tabs on me?”

He frowned as his arm dropped from the back of the booth. “No. I don’t understand why you’re taking this so well, but I do trust Liam, which means that I trust you.”

“I didn’t take it well at first,” she admitted.

“I know, Liam told me.” She bit into her bottom lip as her gaze fell to the table. “Do you love him?”

Sera’s eyes flew up to his. “With all my heart and soul,” she said fervently.

He nodded, his clear eyes clouding as he leaned across the table. “You do realize he won’t age, he won’t...”

“I know Mike,” she interrupted briskly. “I know everything.”

“Then what do you intend to do?”

She chewed nervously on her lip as she scanned the cafeteria. “I don’t think this is the best place to be talking about this.”

“They’re not listening to us,” he replied softly. “Besides, I doubt they could figure out what we were talking about anyway. So, what do you intend to do?”

“I don’t know.”

He seized hold of her hand. She jumped in surprise as her eyes flew to his. “I trust you Sera, I do. But you need to think about this. I don’t want to see him hurt, and I don’t want to see you hurt. This way only leads to unhappiness.”

“I know that,” she whispered. “I do. I tried to leave Mike. I was at the door. He would have let me go, but I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I know what I did when I went back to him, because I did it. I can’t let him go.”

“And he can’t let you go.”

“He would have let me go yesterday.”

Mike opened his eyes to stare intently at her. “I don’t think he would have Sera.”

She swallowed heavily. “You didn’t see him,” she whispered. “He would have let me go.”

“I honestly don’t think he would have. I have never seen him like this. I’ve known Liam our entire lives. Hell, I was there the day he broke his arm, the night he lost his virginity.” Mike’s face reddened slightly as he looked at her with chagrin. Sera met his gaze with a slightly amused smile. For all his bluff and bluster, Mike was more like a giant teddy bear.

“I don’t think I want to know the circumstances surrounding that.”

He snorted softly as he smiled. “No, I don’t think you do either, but my point is that he’s my best friend, and he threatened to kill me if I hurt you.” Sera gasped loudly. Mike laughed harshly, released her hand, and leaned back. “That was my reaction too. He won’t let you go Sera, but his life is going to be a lot longer than yours.”

She swallowed heavily. “So, what are you saying?”

He studied her intently before shrugging again. “I don’t know exactly. Look, most of this is none of my business, but some of it is. I like you Sera, and I trust you to do the right thing. I think that you will.”

“And what would the right thing be?”

“You’ll figure it out in time. Just don’t take too long.”

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

She felt extremely uncomfortable in the heavy silence that followed. “How did everything go last night?” she asked quietly.

He frowned as he ran a hand through his hair. “Good. It’s all taken care of, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Where...”

“It’s taken care of.”

Sera knew that he wouldn’t tell her anything more. “Trying to make the moves on my girl?”

She smiled brightly as Liam slid into the booth beside her and draped his arm around the back. Doug and Jack slid in beside Mike, shoving him against the wall. He scowled fiercely at them. Sera’s heartbeat picked up as she realized that she was surrounded by four men that could easily kill her.

She instinctively moved closer to Liam. He cast a curious glance at her before draping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. “Hey guys!” Kathleen cried as she bounded eagerly up to the table. Danielle looked slightly breathless as she came up behind her. “I’m glad I found you!”

“So am I,” Danielle muttered.

Sera stifled a laugh as Danielle slumped wearily into the booth beside Liam. She knew how hard it could be to keep up with Kathleen when she was in a mood. Kathleen chose to ignore Danielle as she grabbed an empty chair and pulled it over to sit down. “What do you guys have planned for tonight, and tomorrow?”

“Classes,” Sera answered instantly, not liking the way this conversation was starting.

“Nothing much, why?” Mike asked.

Kathleen grinned brightly as she practically hopped up and down in her chair. “I have an idea.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Mike said with a grin.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Oh, it’s a very good plan. If you’re willing to miss a couple of classes.” Her glance was pointed as she looked at Sera. “And you want to have fun, relax, and get away.”

“So far it does sound like a good plan.”

Sera groaned.

CHAPTER 12

“Turn right up here,” Kathleen directed from the backseat.

Liam turned the car onto a small dirt road that was beginning to get slick from the heavy snow accumulating on it. “Are we going to get snowed in?” Doug asked.

“Nah,” Kathleen answered. “My dad leaves a plow truck here. There are a few snowmobiles too so we’ll be able to get around no matter what.”

They bounced along the road over potholes, and rocks. Sera’s head pounded fiercely with every rut they hit. She closed her eyes and forced herself to picture the cabin at the end of the road. She had come up here with Kathleen once during their freshman year, and she had loved it. When Kathleen had suggested coming up now, she had instantly jumped at the chance to go, despite her reservations about missing classes.

She had fallen behind already; she didn’t need to fall behind anymore. But the idea of spending a couple of days at the cabin, with Liam, was too tempting for her to refuse. She could do some studying here, and really crack down when they got back. So what if she didn’t get straight A’s this semester, in the grander scheme of things it didn’t seem that important anymore.

The cabin was at the top of the steep hill and was set back in a grove of trees that surrounded it on three sides. Snow was just beginning to cover it, and old snow had been plowed into a big pile at the end of the road. Behind the large cabin, mountains loomed high against the night sky. Kathleen’s family stayed here through the summer, and visited it often in the winter.

Liam pulled the car up and turned the engine off. “Thank God,” Jack said, throwing his door open. “My legs are killing me.”

They piled out of the car, and Sera took a deep breath of the crisp, cool air. Snow filtered down the back of her parka and caused a chill to run down her spine. When they had left Massachusetts the weather forecast had predicted a chance of snow showers in Vermont. When they had gotten to Vermont, they had begun to predict at least six inches.

The wind howled around them and Sera pulled her parka tighter around her. “We’ll get the stuff,” Mike said. “You guys go inside and get some heat on.”

“No problem,” Kathleen said as she eagerly rubbed her bare hands together.

She bounded through the snow toward the cabin with Sera and Danielle following more cautiously behind. They huddled together on the huge, wraparound porch as Kathleen dug the keys from her pocket and threw the door open.

Kathleen flicked a switch and the lights came on. The living room on their right had a large, cathedral ceiling, with old wood beams running across the top of it. The beams were the same dark mahogany as the floor; while the walls were a light, oak color. A large stone chimney took up the farthest wall, tapering slightly as it went out the ceiling. The room was furnished with two large, creamy white couches that were extremely soft and comfortable. A forest green recliner was in between the couches, and a glass coffee table was in the middle of the room. The far back wall was taken up by a long bar with a green bumper running around the edge of it. The wall behind it was a mirror, and the glass shelves were lined with bottles of alcohol.

Kathleen turned down the hall on the left hand side and flicked on another light switch as they passed a doorway on the right. The small half bath was done in a pale blue that was warm and comforting. Kathleen moved onto the kitchen and to the thermostat on the wall. The floor of the kitchen was light blue linoleum. In the center was a small island crafted from a light oak wood. The kitchen counters were a pale yellow tile, and the cabinets were stained the color of dark wood. The curtains were long and a soft, shimmery yellow that brightened the whole room.

Sera paused in the doorway and smiled softly as she leaned against the frame. She loved the cabin, with its elegant beauty and comfy furnishings. The smell of wood permeated the air to mingle with the hint of spices, crisp apple, cinnamon, and vanilla from the candles, and potpourri, scattered throughout the home.

“This place is beautiful,” Danielle whispered.

“Thank you,” Kathleen said as she turned up the thermostat on the wall. “I love it up here, but I never have a chance to come. Lack of transportation and all.”

“We have to come here a lot more,” Danielle said.

Sera looked around as a sense of peacefulness settled over her. This place was like a real home. A home that she wanted to have one day, with a family of her own. A family that would be nothing like hers. Her children would know that they were loved and cherished.

Pain flickered through her as she realized that the family she was picturing would never be. Not as long as she was with Liam. Sera closed her eyes and took a deep breath to ease the constricting pressure building in her chest. She forced herself not to think about it, not now. For now she was going to enjoy her time here, and she wasn’t going to let any depressing thoughts interfere with that.

Kathleen flicked another switch, and the back porch was illuminated. “Would you give me a hand?” she called over her shoulder.

Sera walked out to the screened in porch. Snow was billowing down outside as the wind howled through the trees. “It’s getting nasty out there,” Sera said as Kathleen began to grab piles of wood.

“We’ll light a fire and cozy up,” Kathleen said with a sly grin. “Just grab some wood for me.”

Sera piled wood into her arms before following Kathleen back to the living room. “Danielle, why don’t you put on some hot chocolate,” Kathleen called over her shoulder.

The door opened with a blast of cold air as Mike, Doug, Liam, and Jack piled through. “Damn it’s cold!” Mike called, dropping his arm full of bags on the floor.

Kathleen grinned at him and playfully bumped his hip as she walked past. “It is winter,” she said.

“Actually Miss Wise Ass, it is technically still fall,” he retorted.

“Where do we put this stuff?” Jack asked as Doug slammed the door.

“Just leave it there for now. I’ll get the fire started. The heat takes awhile to warm this place up.”

“Nice place,” Doug said, taking in the large staircase before him and the chandelier over his head before turning to follow Kathleen into the living room. “Sweet,” he said, plopping onto one of the couches.

Sera grinned at him as she placed the logs next to the fireplace. Kathleen began to stack wood carefully inside of it. Liam sat on the other couch, while Jack slid in next to Doug. Mike plopped into the recliner, and popped out the footstool. “I could stay here forever,” he said as he closed his eyes and leaned back.

“I’m sure my parents would love that,” Kathleen quipped as she lit a piece of paper and placed it under the logs.

“Do they know that we’re here?”

“They know that Sera, Danielle, and I are here. They wouldn’t appreciate you guys, but what they don’t know won’t hurt them, right?”

“True, true.”

Kathleen stood up as the logs began to smoke, and a flame sputtered to life. She shut the grate and stepped back with a look of pride on her face. “Hot chocolate’s done!” Danielle called from the kitchen.

“Great,” Kathleen said as she rubbed her hands over the fire. “Who wants some?”

“I do,” everyone said at the same time.

“Jack or Bailey’s?”

“Oh shit, I’m in heaven!” Jack cried. “What could be better?”

“You actually getting laid,” Mike retorted.

“Screw you.”

Mike laughed and leaned further back in the chair. Sera shook her head as she headed back to the kitchen to help Danielle carry out the pot of hot chocolate, and cups. When they came back to the living room, Kathleen had pulled out bottles of Jack, Tequila, and Bailey’s from the bar and set them on the table.

“There are three bedrooms upstairs,” she was saying. “One down here. The little bathroom’s down the hall and the full bath is upstairs.”

“So what are the sleeping arrangements?” Mike inquired his eyes intent on Kathleen.

She grinned at him and raised an eyebrow flirtatiously. “Well now, we’ll just have to figure that out later, won’t we?”

Sera put the hot chocolate on the table and poured herself a glass and added a nice shot of Bailey’s to it. She sipped it slowly as she slipped onto the couch next to Liam and kicked off her shoes. The fire crackled and sputtered as it filled the room with warmth. Liam slid his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled closer to him.

“Actually, I figured that Sera and Liam could have the room down here.” Kathleen sipped her hot chocolate as she settled onto the floor. “Danielle and I will take my room, and the three of you can figure out the other two.”

“Sounds good to me,” Danielle said as she sat next to Sera.

She glanced over at Liam as he sat silently watching the flames. The light danced across his face and lit his eyes. Her heart picked up as a fierce wave of possessiveness swept through her. He was hers, and she was never going to let him go. No matter what happened, no matter what she had to give up for him.

She looked back over at the flames, feeling completely at peace in Liam’s warm embrace. No one spoke as the fire crackled and the room became steadily warmer. The grandfather clock in the corner chimed ten. “This is wonderful,” Danielle finally said.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “I can’t wait to go skiing tomorrow.”

“The ski hills are about two miles down the road; we’ll take the snow mobiles out there. There’s a hill right behind the house, I’ve come down it a few times, but it’s not very big and it’s a bitch to climb.”

They fell back into a lulled silence, watching the flames as they started to sputter down. Kathleen got up to toss more logs onto the fire, and then settled back down. An hour drifted by with little conversation. When the clock chimed eleven, Sera stood and stretched her legs. “I’m pretty beat,” she said.

Kathleen stood up and stretched. “I’ll show you the room.”

Sera followed her back to the main foyer. She stopped to pick up her bags as Kathleen walked to the side of the staircase. “We don’t use this room often,” Kathleen was saying. “But it’s nice, and it’s private,” she added with a sly grin, and a wink.

Kathleen stopped in front of the door behind the staircase and swung it open. Stepping inside she flicked on the light switch. Sera looked into the small room and smiled. It wasn’t very big, but it was furnished with a large oak bed, a dresser, and an antique nightstand. A brass lamp with a rose colored shade was on the nightstand, and the entire room was done in a pale, rose color.

Liam appeared in the doorway behind her. “Very nice,” he said softly as he rested his hands on Sera’s shoulders.

Kathleen grinned. “I knew you’d like it. I’ll leave you guys alone. See you in the morning.”

Sera had to fight the urge to grab her and tell her to stay away from Mike as she left the room. She kept her arms by her sides though as Kathleen left.

“What’s wrong?” Liam inquired as he placed his bags by the dresser.

“I think Kathleen is planning something with Mike.”

He looked up at her as he opened a bag and pulled out a sweater. “That bothers you?”

“Yes. I don’t want him to hurt her.”

“They’re both adults.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Sera put her bags down and walked over to the small window. “How do you survive?” she asked softly. She hadn’t asked yesterday because her mind hadn’t actually thought of the question, but it did now and she needed to know.

“Sera...”

She folded her arms over her chest as she turned back to him. “You said no more secrets, no more lies.”

He ran a hand through his hair as he studied her. “I know what I said, and I meant it, but there are some things that are better left unexplained.”

“I want to know,” she whispered.

He sighed as he leaned a hip casually against the dresser. “You won’t like it.”

“I don’t care. I need to know.”

“Fine,” he relented. “It’s easy enough to be able to survive in a frat house. Plenty of drunken girls, parties almost every night of the week. At first it feels like a hurtful hickey, and then that goes away.”

Sera blinked as she thought over his words. The thought of it disturbed, and hurt her. How many girls had he done that too? She hated to even think about it. She bit into her lip as another thought occurred to her, a more hurtful thought. He had never done it to her. Suddenly she felt as if there was something wrong with her, that there was something that he didn’t want.

She turned her mind from those thoughts, and focused her attention back on him. “Did you sleep with them all?” she whispered.

“Sera come on,” he groaned.

“Did you?” she asked softly.

His eyes flashed angrily as he clenched his jaw. “Most, but not all.”

Sera closed her eyes as pain clenched around her heart. Why had she even brought any of this up? All it did was hurt her, and yet she couldn’t stop herself from asking, from knowing. “How often,” she had to stop and swallow heavily before finishing her question. “How often do you have to… to ah do this?”

“At least four times a week, preferably every day. Are you happy now?”

No, she wasn’t happy. The thought of it turned her stomach in ways that she hadn’t thought possible. That was a lot of girls. A lot more than she ever wanted to think about. “How did all of you become like this?”