Bizarre Life of Sydney Sedrick (18 page)

Dearest Sydney, this is for you. It is my own. Drink it when you are in dire danger. Your attendance is expected at my home this weekend. The address is written below. If you do not attend my gathering, it will be taken as the insult it will be, forcing me to come to you in a less civilized manner, at the time and place of my choosing. You may find it in your best interest to do as requested. My coven eagerly awaits your arrival.

Who the hell did he think he was?

I wanted to scream at someone, preferably one of Kieran’s vampires. I set the offending note down on the counter. Clearly there wasn’t any way to say no, sorry, I’ve already made plans. From my understanding, vampires weren’t really a people that a girl wanted to piss off. The thought of having the leader of the vampire coven hunt me down because I ditched his party didn’t sit well with my self-preservation instincts. I was learning.

A thought struck me. Blake wasn’t going to take my hanging out with the vampires lightly. It wasn’t his choice, or mine, for that matter. What did one wear to a vampire bash, anyway? I’d definitely have to come up with something elegant and classy. All the vampire movies showed women in nothing but sleazy high fashion.

Pulling out the gift from Kieran, I held it up to the sunlight coming through the front window of the store. There was a red liquid inside. Blood. I tapped my fingernail on the container. The vial was still cool to the touch and made out of clear glass with a black rubber stopper on the end.

My chest tightened. The red liquid must be Kieran’s blood. As far as unusual gifts went that I’ve ever received, blood easily took first place. I’d bring it with me to Kieran’s house, and ask the vampire exactly how it was supposed to help me. And why did it come in a refrigerated box? I mean, he couldn’t possibly expect me to keep it cold all the time, could he?

I went into the storeroom, cut out a piece of bubble wrap, and rolled the vial into it. When the vampire blood was secured with a thick piece of packaging tape, I stuffed it back in my purse. I didn’t know what would happen if the vial broke and blood leaked all over my purse. It could get into a cut on my hand or seep into my lipstick case.

My stomach churned at the vision of applying blood-smeared lipstick on my lips. Knowing my bad luck, I’d use it without looking. I didn’t know how someone was turned into a vampire, and until that was clarified, there was no taking chances. It may only take a drop. Could vampires or werewolves turn the Selected? Grandma hadn’t mentioned anything about that in her journal, yet.

The door chimes jingled in the front of the store. Blake had finally come in for his visit. Against my better judgment, and all my self-control, I smiled from ear-to-ear. It was difficult from keeping my feelings from seeping out onto my face. The store temperature instantly rose a good ten degrees, bathing me in his warmth.

“Hey, beautiful.” Blake came in with two large cups of coffee. He’d gone to my favorite coffee shop. I could tell by the logo on the cups with little coffee beans skiing down a mountain. The smell of freshly brewed coffee with melted caramel swirls drizzled on top made me realize I desperately needed a pick-me-up. The fact the coffee was delivered by a really hot guy made me feel even better.

“Hey, yourself.” I tried to pretend to wait patiently for him to hand over that great coffee. I failed.

He laughed and gave it to me, careful not to let any of the hot liquid seep through the hole in the lid and land on my hand, or the floor. Taking a big swig, relishing in the hot, bitter taste of the dark roasted coffee with the sweet hint of caramel with every sip, was like holding heaven in a cup. Whatever Mountain Bean did to their coffee beans, they did it right.

Blake sat on the couch and put his right ankle on his left knee. His posture seemed relaxed. When Blake was tense, he tended to want to talk about us, and the possible future we were going to have together, or so he kept insisting. It was beyond flattering, more like frustrating as heck, that this extremely sexy, naturally sensuous man wanted to have anything to do with me. But the timing was way off. Story of my life.

My entire existence had been tipped on its edge, and there was no way of knowing which way it was going to go. I couldn’t handle getting involved with a man, only to have my heart broken. Eventually, his loyalties to the werewolf pack would be called into question. Seriously, relationships were hard enough to make work. Adding people who turned into werewolves and ran in the woods when the moon was full, and you may just have a disaster on your hands. My new, developing instincts told me to avoid disasters at all cost.

I took another swig of coffee and sat next to Blake on the couch. I didn’t want to ruin the good mood he was in, but that was inevitable. It was only fair to let him know about my having to meet the vampires at the coven house. I didn’t tell him about the vial of blood. That was my business. Technically, the Selected didn’t owe the wolves anything, but intentionally doing something to make them mad at me wasn’t my style. It was important to be as open and honest as politically possible, without causing myself or either the vampires or werewolves any more issues than they already had. That’s how I planned on handling Selected business. I just made my first executive decision as the Selected. Huh.

“Yeah, it was going to happen sooner or later. It goes with the nature of the job as the Selected, having to deal with them and all.”

It was an utter shock that Blake didn’t have another outburst of jealousy. He was being all calm and collected. Why didn’t he get mad? Was it the eye of the storm, and the worst was yet to come? He asked about the details of the evening, and then it hit me.

Kieran hadn’t mentioned in the note if he would send an escort to take me to the party. He also didn’t mention what vampires did when they got together. Did they sit around drinking blood from humans addicted to the high from their bite?

I didn’t look forward to seeing humans cock their necks to the side, and beg to be bitten like a junky begged for their next fix. Knowing humans were out there that would give their own children up to the vampires, to be sucked dry of their own blood, was sick enough. There was no reason for me to actually see it.

“Would it be too much to ask you to take the cell phone with you, in case you find yourself in trouble?” he asked with one eyebrow up. He clearly expected an argument.

Since he was playing calm guy, I’d give him the same courtesy. “Of course. Just try not to call unless you need to. If an emergency comes up or something, of course go ahead and call. But if you just want to say hello, I’d rather you wait on that.”

He smiled again. “It’s okay to be nervous about meeting them. For the most part you’re human, and they drink human blood. Being surrounded by those parasites would make me nervous, too. Just stick close to Kieran, and keep your guard up. The Selected can’t be manipulated like other humans can, but vampires are devious by nature, and you don’t want to get talked into a scenario you don’t know how to get yourself out of.”

I got a little defensive at that. “Listen, Blake. I’m not a little girl, so you don’t need to go all ‘Dad’ on me, and give me a speech like it’s my first dance with a boy. Don’t let anyone talk me into giving them my blood, otherwise the world will end, or whatever. Don’t worry. The whole idea of someone biting me and sucking my blood pretty much grosses me out, and that isn’t going to happen.”

Blake put his hands up and said, “I’m trying to talk over every possible situation you might find yourself in so you’ll be prepared, and you can avoid them. They’re not like humans. They live by a separate code of ethics. What that code is, is anyone’s guess. Don’t get comfortable with them. Don’t trust any of them, and never, ever, put your back to them.”

I appreciated Blake wanting to protect me from the vampires, but I’m plenty capable of taking care of myself. “Thanks. I’m sorry. There’s no reason to be snippy with you. It’s just I’m not used to any of this, and it’s put me a bit on the defense. So please, don’t take it personally.”

He put his hand on my knee and gave it a squeeze. For a second, I didn’t hear what he said. All I could focus on was the heat radiating from his hand through my jeans. The thought of him leaning over and kissing me warmed me even more.

“I’ll forgive you if you go out with me on Sunday, for lunch.” Blake grinned that sexy grin that made me melt inside, all the way down to my toes. I’d have to work on how strongly my body reacted to him. Blake was a weakness that may possibly get me in big trouble someday, and probably soon.

Morning Sun wasn’t open every other Sunday in the morning, and he knew it. So, there was no trying to lie about being busy at the store. “Okay, just lunch. We’ll be two friends going out for lunch, and not a man and a woman going out on a date.”

“If that’s what you have to keep telling yourself, so be it. We’ll be friends going out to lunch to enjoy a nice meal together. Nothing more, until you change your mind.”

Suddenly Blake stood up. The couch moved from the force his legs when he pushed against the frame. The couch scooted a few inches from where it had been positioned on the carpet. He strode over to the counter and stood there for a second with his broad back toward me. He put his nose up in the air and inhaled deeply. His eyes snapped open, and his head whipped toward me with a fiery anger he’d never shown before.

I sank back in the cushions, heart pounding. Blake’s eyes had turned that gold-bronzed color when he smelled something that set him off.

“Sydney!” He stalked over to me, grabbed both of my hands in his, and lifted me up off the couch to a standing position. He wrenched me against him so forcefully, the entire front of my body felt every inch of his hard, taught, muscular frame pressing against me. Sticking his nose next to my neck, into my hair, he took a big whiff.

“Why is there vampire blood here? It’s the middle of the day. It’s like the vampire is right here in the room with us.” Blake put his nose back into the air, trying to pinpoint the location of what he smelled. Aggression, concern, and confusion laced his voice as he searched around the store like a hound, keeping me positioned behind him as he turned this way and that, sniffing.

I didn’t want to tell him a vampire had sent his blood in the mail in a convenient glass vile, and that I had kept it from him on purpose. Hopefully, honesty would be the best way to get myself out the jam Kieran had inadvertently put me in with Blake. It was inadvertently, right?

I threw my hands up, totally at a loss for what to say. “The package you found by the door, well, it ended up being a vial of vampire blood.”

Repulsion contorted his face. “What the hell would anyone send you vampire blood for, and why didn’t you tell me about it?”

He was mad, but it wasn’t my fault! There was nothing that said Blake had to know every little detail of every encounter between the vampires and me. If we were in a relationship, or something, that might be a little different. Blake getting mad would be somewhat understandable. But we weren’t. Maybe I was right, and it would be best if we didn’t travel down that complicated road that would probably only lead to pain and heartache, most likely my pain, and my heartache. My responsibilities as the Selected and Blake’s loyalty to his pack would surely get in the way if we started dating.

“The vampires sent me the blood, in case I get in trouble. They said to drink it and somehow it would help. That’s all, so don’t make a big deal about it.”

Blake scoffed at that. “Clearly, your ignorance in the ways of vampires is like a black-hole. Do you realize what will happen if you drink that? You should not drink vampire blood, no matter what the circumstances are. Besides, you can always call me if you’re in trouble.”

“Well, no, they didn’t specify how it would affect me. I assumed it would give me temporary strength, better vision at night, and maybe help me heal wounds a little quicker.”

“Sydney, you’re right.” He sighed in exasperation, and ran his hands through his gorgeous rich dark hair. “The blood of a vampire will help a human heal a near mortal wound. The blood will also enhance your senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and even taste. But what you don’t know is, once you consume the blood of a vampire, there’s no going back.”

That piqued my interest. “What do you mean, there’s no going back? Going back from what?”

He loosened his grip, but kept my body pressed against him. He ran his hands up and down my arms. The friction from the motion was leaving searing trails of heat wherever he touched me.

He pinned me with his gaze. “When a human consumes the blood of a vampire, they become connected to that specific vampire. You wouldn’t be addicted to it like the addicts that crave to have their blood taken. You will experience an initial burst of adrenaline while your body tries to figure out what to do with the vampire blood, how to process it, and how to most efficiently use it.”

We sat back on the couch next to the fireplace once his temper receded. He told me about the connection between a vampire and a human who drank their blood. That vampire would be able to communicate with the human at will. He would also be able to find them with some sort of internal compass that pointed the vampire to their own blood.