Bitter Bite (9 page)

For a moment it didn’t look like Gideon was going to back down,
but then he rubbed his face tiredly. “I’m sorry.”

Alaric pursed his lips, but he accepted Gideon’s apology. “If a
vampire never meets his consort, he’s much more likely to perish young. That’s
why the human world is not overrun with hordes of monsters, rampaging across the
land.” His mouth twisted. “That is why we do not kill indiscriminately, like
wild beasts. There simply aren’t enough of us to behave so recklessly. Most of
us are killed within five years of being turned, generally at the hands of
another vampire.” He raised an eyebrow. “However, I’ve never heard of a vampire
my age finding a consort. And I’ve never heard of a vampire with
two
consorts. It defies all belief.”

Hannah still didn’t know what to make of all this.
Do I accept what he’s saying? I want to.
Her body still buzzed with arousal. It made it difficult to think. “You don’t
even really know me.” She glanced at Gideon. “Or him.”

Alaric smiled. “Not true. The moment I touched you, I imprinted
your memories into my mind. I don’t know them consciously, but I absorbed them
instinctively.”

Hannah put a hand to her throat, thinking of her father. His abuse
had torn their family to pieces. She didn’t want
anyone
knowing about him
and her mother. Even Gideon only knew part of it. “That’s awful,” she said,
looking down. “You shouldn’t have to feel what I’ve lived.” She glanced at
Gideon. He was looking at her with so much compassion on his face she couldn’t
stand it. She pushed off from the counter and started pacing. She knew Gideon’s
life hadn’t been much easier than hers. When he’d left the priesthood, she’d
been shocked, but only until she found out about his mother’s cancer. When his
mother died, she’d felt so bad. She knew what it was like to lose a parent too
soon.

Alaric took her hand and she ground to a halt, then nearly tripped
as he pulled her in. Her heart hammered in her chest. The beginnings of an
anxiety attack tickled at the back of her throat.

“Shh. It’s not a conscious memory. It’s okay, Hannah.”

She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. “No, it’s not.”

“He’s right.” Gideon gently extracted her hands from Alaric’s.
“Nothing in your past would ever change how I feel about you.”

He has no idea
, she thought bitterly.
Neither of them do.
She’d stopped trying
to get away, but she still felt wrung out. Alaric and Gideon’s worry pushed
past her nerves, confusing her. She took a deep breath. “You’re bonded just as
much as I am, Gideon. That means he has all of your memories in his head, too.”
She swallowed against the fear that welled up in her throat. “How do you feel
about that? A lot of us wondered why you left the priesthood. How do you like
knowing that Alaric knows the true reason?”

Gideon’s face went tight. “It’s not a secret why I left the church.”

She scoffed. “You never talk about it.”

 
“You don’t talk about your
parents, either.” Gideon frowned. “And you’re my
student,
Hannah.”

“Not anymore, I’m not,” she said, pulling away from him. “I
haven’t been your student in years.”

“He left because he no longer believed in God,” Alaric said.

Gideon flinched.

Hannah stared at Alaric, then turned to Gideon. “Is that true? I
thought it was because your mother died,” she said, dismayed. When he turned
away from her, she shook her head. She wished he would trust her enough to
answer her. Didn’t she deserve that? Especially now? “Why?”

“We can head to my place. We’ll be safe there,” Gideon said,
instead of answering her question.

“We should go soon,” Alaric said.

Hannah stepped back, away from them both. “No.”

Alaric frowned. “This is non-negotiable.”

“You can’t force me,” she said.

His nostrils flared. “I most certainly can.”

“You can’t compel me. You said so yourself.” Hannah sat down on
her sofa and crossed her arms. No way was she going anywhere with them. Between
the dangerous arousal she felt when they got close to her and the idea that
Alaric had her memories tucked away in some portion of his brain….
No. No
way.

Gideon and Alaric exchanged glances. “She doesn’t understand,”
Gideon said.

Alaric pressed his lips together.

A sudden bang from the hallway had her jumping. “What was that?”

“It is the reason we need go. Quickly,” Alaric said, grabbing her
by the wrist and dragging her to her feet. “You can yell at me later.”

Another bang sounded, this one louder and closer.

“What the hell is that? It sounds like someone’s trying to chop
their way through the wall!” Fear rushed though Hannah, blending with her anxiety
and arousal in a stomach twisting combination. She didn’t want to go with
Alaric and Gideon, but she also didn’t want to deal with some crazy person rampaging
through her wall and attacking her. The way her night had gone so far, she had
to expect the worst. And, too, the men’s worry had infected her. Another crash
made her jump again.

Shit. I’m going to
regret this.
Gideon
and Alaric made her feel safe. The decision was clear. She should go with them.
Which is crazy. Alaric bit you!

“Brosius has a pet demon,” Alaric said, dragging her over to the
windows. “That’s part of the reason I want him destroyed.”

“Jesus,” Gideon said, sounding horrified. “Demons are real?”

Alaric snorted. “So is God, but I know you don’t believe in Him
anymore, either. You might want to reconsider that, by the way,” he said dryly.

When another crash reverberated through the room, Hannah yanked
her wrist out of Alaric’s grasp and opened the drapes, exposing the fire
escape. “Okay, fine. I’ll go with you,” she said, gritting her teeth when the
floor shook. “Dammit,” she muttered, fiddling with the clasp on her window.
“It’s stuck.”

“We can go to my place,” Gideon said again, suddenly pushing
Hannah’s hands aside. He pounded on the lock and it popped open like magic.
“It’s not that far from here.”

“Is your apartment consecrated?” Alaric asked.

“Why would that matter?” Hannah didn’t like the feeling that
events were moving too fast, and furiously out of her control. Since her
parents died, she’d worked hard to keep everything in her life organized.
Predictable. Both men ignored her question.

Gideon nodded at Alaric. “It’s blessed. I went through the motions
when I moved in. I still don’t know why I bothered.” He shoved open the window,
stepped onto the grated landing, and then held out a hand for Hannah.

She took it, nearly tripping over the sill. “Thanks,” she said,
reminding herself to not look down. The metal grating shuddered beneath their
weight, and she shivered. She hated heights.
You also hate dying, so suck it up
. Whatever was banging on the
walls wasn’t human and certainly wasn’t friendly. That much she knew, just from
Alaric’s reaction.

“You bothered with the ritual, Gideon, because somewhere deep
inside, you still have faith,” Alaric said, following them out. He shut the drapes
behind him and then pulled the window shut. “And you know that the monsters are
very, very real.”

Chapter Six

Alaric followed Gideon down the street, keeping Hannah between
them.
Keeping her protected.
As an ordained priest, Gideon held some
inherent protection against demons, but Hannah did not. The protection mostly
amounted to Gideon dying quickly instead of slowly if he was bitten, which
admittedly wasn’t much reassurance. Demon bites caused great suffering in their
victims. Alaric did not relish experiencing that kind of pain, and he’d feel every
bit of it if one of his consorts was injured.

That’s not the only reason you want to protect her,
a small voice at the back of his
head insisted, but he quickly dismissed that line of thought. Blood-bond or
not, he had neither time nor the desire to let his emotions rule the moment,
particularly when the situation was so fraught with danger. Fortunately, the
demon probably couldn’t kill
him.
Alaric was over five centuries old,
and one of the strongest immortals to walk the Earth. Demons might be able to
destroy him, but not without a lot of concerted effort. Hannah, however, was
vulnerable to both demons and vampires, even as his consort.

Because demons love innocents more than any other prey,
he reminded himself. Alaric had
sensed her virginity the moment he’d kissed her. He intended on doing something
to remedy that weakness as soon as possible.
And your desire for her has
nothing to do with it, hmm?

“Won’t they just follow us?” Hannah asked. Her anxiety made the
back of his neck prickle.

Alaric put a hand on her arm, hoping to soothe her nerves. “Brosius
will have to hide once the sun comes up, just like any other vampire,” he
explained. He wanted her to understand she wouldn’t always be this vulnerable. “He
might be able to track us to Gideon’s apartment, but if it is truly a sacred
space, his pet demon won’t be able to get inside. Neither will he.”

“Why not?”

“Because he is the walking dead. The resident of the consecrated
dwelling would need to invite him inside.” Alaric walked a little faster. He
didn’t like being out in the open like this. Not tonight, while the consort
bond was still so new. He worried Gideon and Hannah would be snatched from him
before he could set up protocols to keep them safe. He smiled sardonically.
After all these centuries you’ve finally bonded,
and it happened after you’d convinced yourself you wouldn’t want a consort even
if you found one. Irony, that.

“You won’t be able to enter my place either,” Gideon said.

Alaric felt the man’s hesitancy. “I will be able to enter if you
invite me.”

“What if I don’t?” Gideon’s emotions tasted sharp. “What if Hannah
and I go inside and I leave you to your own devices?”

Alaric understood. The ex-priest was a strong man who’d been
through a great deal in his short life and survived.
And I am a very, very dangerous indulgence.
“If I don’t find a safe
place for the day, then we will all die when I burn in the sunlight,” he said
bluntly. He couldn’t afford to sugar-coat the consequences. “The bond gives us
strength even as it renders us vulnerable.”

“I’m going to hope they didn’t track us here,” Hannah said,
hurrying along the sidewalk. The streetlight at the end of the block flickered
yellow, making her look older than her years, but still achingly beautiful.

Alaric nodded. “I am praying for the same thing, but I prefer to
plan for the worst.”

She flashed him a quick smile. “I like that. It’s sensible.” Her
grin faded. “But sometimes terrible things happen. Things you can’t plan for.”

He touched her reassuringly. “I’m very good at surviving, Hannah.
Do not fret.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Gideon said, walking faster. “And
I’ll always protect you.” He tucked Hannah’s hand into his arm and pulled her
along. She was so much shorter she needed to half run to keep up, but Alaric
knew Gideon understood their biggest concern was protecting her. He wanted to
keep her safe.

“Gideon, slow down,” Hannah muttered when she nearly tripped. She
tried to pull her arm away, but Gideon wouldn’t let her. Alaric steadied her
from her other side.

“The sun’s going to rise soon,” Gideon said.

“This is crazy. Demons can’t be real.” She glanced at Alaric, then
hurriedly looked away. “I mean, most demons are just crazy, awful people.
Right?”

He smiled at the back of her head. He knew he unsettled her. Truth
was, she unsettled
him,
too. So did Gideon.

“If vampires are real, so are demons,” Gideon said.

She made a face at her former teacher.

“We truly need to hurry,” Alaric said, feeling the first, faint
tickle of dawn over his shoulder. At his age, he held some natural resistance
to the light, and he would be fine for a few hours, but he didn’t like to cut
things too close to the bone if he didn’t have to.

“It’s just another block,” Gideon said, looking around as if to
check for bad guys.

Alaric didn’t have the heart to tell him he wouldn’t be able to
see Brosius coming, regardless of his vigilance. The vampire was old, and very
powerful. Gideon was human. He’d be harder to kill than Hannah, but he was
still just a man.

“It’s always so creepy this time of night,” Hannah said, peering
up as she walked. “Or rather, morning.” The buildings loomed two and three
stories high, and were a mix of shops and old brick buildings built in the
early part of the twentieth century.

“Here we are,” Gideon said, leading them down a short set of
stairs. Iron railings protected the steps from the sidewalk. At the bottom, he
swung open a creaky gate, then headed toward his front door. A pot of pansies
sat near the entrance.

As soon as they were clustered in the small alcove, Alaric closed
the gate behind them and locked it. Gideon shot him a glance, but didn’t
protest.

“You live in a basement?” Hannah asked, eyebrows raised.

Gideon shrugged and unlocked his apartment. “It’s cheap and quiet.
I like it.” He pushed the heavy wooden door open and led them inside.

Hannah followed him, but Alaric waited at the threshold. The
tingle of the consecrated barrier scratched against his senses like
electricity. He wondered how long it would take Gideon to notice he wasn’t
following them inside.

Gideon took two more steps, then paused and turned around. His
mouth twisted, then relaxed into a tentative smile. “I guess you weren’t
lying.”

Alaric shook his head solemnly. Now was the moment Gideon had to
decide whether to trust a vampire or not.
I
hope he chooses trust.

Hannah frowned at Gideon and made as if to join Alaric, but Gideon
stopped her. “It’s okay,” he said, without dropping Alaric’s gaze. “Welcome to
my home, Alaric. Please come in.”

Alaric let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
Silly, since I usually only bother to
breathe when I need to blend in among humans.
Gideon’s emotions tasted
oddly mixed, but he understood the man’s uncertainty. Arousal vied with worry
and weariness.
I feel much the same
, Alaric
mused as he crossed the threshold.

“I like it. It’s cozy,” Hannah said, taking in the space. “I
thought I would feel claustrophobic.”

“I like it even more than you, Hannah,” Alaric said. While
Hannah’s small studio apartment had handsome views, Gideon’s basement home
resembled a bunker. However, the living space was generous, and the open floor
plan made it feel very welcoming, as did the hardwood floors. A wide hallway
stretched beyond the living room, with three doors leading off of it. Four
small windows sat at the top of one wall, showing a street view. Iron bars
bisected the glass. Alaric felt some subtle tension he’d not even been aware of
slowly dissipate as he took in the apartment.

Gideon flicked on a switch and warm light filled the room. “Mi
casa es tu casa,” he said, shrugging off his jacket. He closed and dead-bolted
the front door. “Make yourselves at home.” He walked to the windows and pulled
down some light-blocking blinds.

Alaric nodded, then turned and checked out the door lintel. To his
relief, the correct letters and numbers written in chalk decorated the wooden molding.
The barrier had prevented him from entering, so he knew Gideon had been
truthful, but he felt better when he saw the sacred markings on the wood.
Such paranoia
, he mocked himself.

“Didn’t believe me?” Gideon asked, mouth twisted wryly.

“Just checking,” Alaric said softly.

Gideon lifted a shoulder. “It was done in the usual way, with all
the words said properly and in order.” He dropped Hannah’s bag on the sofa. “I
can’t guarantee anything, though. I don’t believe in God anymore.”

“It kept me out of your home, did it not? I could not cross until
you bid me enter.” Alaric wished he could restore his consort’s faith, but it
would take a far better person than he to perform such a miracle. “For which
you have my thanks, Gideon.” He smiled.

Gideon blinked. Alaric waited, feeling the ex-priest’s emotions
roil and then settle. Gideon slowly smiled back.

“So, we can relax now?” Hannah said, interrupting the moment. She
walked over to the wide sofa and tentatively sat down. “I hope so, because I’m
wrung out.”

“Yes, you can relax, Hannah,” Alaric said, moving to check out the
rest of the apartment. He walked down the hallway and peered into the bathroom.
No windows, good.
The other door showed an office with what looked like
a convertible sofa. The last room was Gideon’s bedroom. The king-sized bed
seemed almost too large for the space, but it looked comfortable. The lack of
windows probably meant Gideon didn’t have any trouble sleeping during the day
and working night hours.

“Does it meet with your approval?” Gideon asked from right behind
him.

“It does.” Alaric turned. “It’s excellent.”

“There aren’t any windows, though,” Hannah said, wandering down
the hall toward them.

“I sleep better without windows,” Gideon said, leaning on the doorjamb
to his bedroom. “Sorry about the mess. I didn’t have time to make my bed.” He
stepped inside and began picking up dirty clothes. He straightened the covers
on the bed and plumped the pillows. He laughed. “And I didn’t expect company.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You’re kind of messy. I didn’t expect
that
. You were always so regimented in
your classroom.”

“Give me a break.” Gideon rolled his eyes. “No matter what you’ve
heard about the seminary, becoming a priest is not really like going to boot camp,
Hannah. And I was only ‘regimented’, as you call it, because high school kids
will tie you in knots if you give them so much as an inch of rope.”

Hannah grinned. “That sounds kinky.”

“I also sleep better without windows,” Alaric said, tongue in
cheek.

She snickered. “I guess you would, huh? What about with rope?”

Alaric stared, then smiled as his mind worked through all the
implications of that statement. Hannah’s face went red.
Delightful
, he thought, intrigued.

“Shouldn’t you be passing out right about now or something?”
Gideon asked, making a show of checking the time on his phone. “It’s almost sunrise.
Don’t all good vampires go to bed at dawn?”

“Who said I’m a good vampire?”

Gideon gave him an exasperated look.

Alaric shook his head, amused. “I’m very old. As long as I’m
underground and away from the sun, I can choose when to sleep. I can go for
days without rest, if necessary.”

Hannah frowned. “Other vampires can’t do that?”

“No. Especially not young ones. And since most vampires are under
a century in age…” He shrugged.
Let them
draw their own conclusions.

“I thought you said this Brosius guy was old, too.” She rubbed her
arms, as if cold.

“He is, so he may very well be awake as well. However, sunlight is
still fatal. He’ll need to find somewhere to hole up.” Alaric touched her
cheek. “Don’t worry. His pet demon is vulnerable in the day, as well. Though
the sun will not destroy a demon, it will hurt it greatly.” He traced a
fingertip over her lips. “You’re safe here.” He paused, then continued. “For
now.”

“For now?” Gideon asked him, obviously sensing Alaric’s slight
hesitation.

Alaric kissed Hannah on the lips, then stepped back. “Demons are
particularly fond of innocents.”
That
weakness will need to be rectified as soon as possible
. He looked forward
to making love with Hannah. His only worry was how she’d react to his
insistence on sex. Would she accept that losing her virginity was necessary? He
could not force the matter. Even if he wished to, her emotions would batter him
mercilessly if he tried.

“And by ‘innocent’, you mean—” Gideon went silent, then looked at
Hannah, his expression speculative.

“Why are you both looking at me like that?” Hannah took a step
back, and then another. “I’m not innocent.” She frowned, stopping at the
hallway wall. She put her hands behind her as if holding onto something would
keep her from having to think about what was at stake.