Blood Bond (PULSE, Book 5) (17 page)

It was a meaningless promise – coming as it did in the midst of this hopelessness – but Kalina was grateful for it nonetheless. She leaned her head on Justin's chest, listening to his faint heartbeat. “I love you, brother,” she whispered. “I love you so much!”

“Kalina...” Justin's lips emitted a faint sound before he passed out once again. She clutched at him, feeling his skin grow cool. She wouldn't let him die; she couldn't!

Meanwhile, Jaegar had flown over to Stuart, a stake in each hand. With a single, swift, fluid movement he rushed to two of the minions Stuart was fighting off, staking both at the same time. They evaporated into twin clouds of dust. Stuart ducked and managed to stake one more vampire.

That left Molotov. He had managed to knock the stake from Octavius's hand; Octavius stumbled back and reached for it. Molotov kicked it away with a smile. “I'm looking forward to tasting you,” he said. “All the memories, all the experiences – I want to know what it was like to live and die as a general of Rome, to serve the Consortium for so long. When I suck you dry, I look forward to experiencing all your memories – your pleasure, your pain. Believe me, Octavius, I can't wait to drain you dry.” He poised to strike.

“No!” Stuart rushed forth, pushing Octavius out of the way. Molotov's fangs came down upon his own neck, drinking furiously. “Very well, boy,” Molotov hissed. “If you insist, I'll take you first.”

Stuart spluttered and cried out with pain as Molotov drank deeply. When he had finished, Stuart slumped to the ground, blood staining the floorboards.

“No!” Kalina cried, but Jaegar got there first.

“You leave my brother out of this!” Jaegar aimed a stake at Molotov, but he artfully dodged it.

“You want to be next?”

Molotov flew to Jaegar, his massive fingers squeezing Jaegar's neck. “I want to tear your heart out myself!” He raised back his arm, ready to deliver a fatal thrust straight to the heart.

“No!” A voice rang out through the room, as a dark figure appeared before them, moving almost as quickly as light itself, delivering a flying kick that sent Molotov sprawling backwards.

It was Max, her hair cropped short and a determined expression on her face. Kalina's heart began to beat faster with hope. “Come on, Justin,” she whispered, trying desperately to keep him with her. “Max is here. She's coming – she'll save us. We'll all be fine.”

Max began to attack Molotov, leaving Jaegar to recover. “Go help Stuart,” Max commanded, without even looking at Jaegar. “I'll take it from here.”

Jaegar rushed to Stuart's side, quickly dragging his body out of the way to Kalina's side, where she knelt, desperately trying to save Justin, who was growing fainter by the second. Jaegar bit deep into his wrist, allowing a few drops to spill onto Stuart's lips.

“Wait,” said Kalina. “Let me.”

“Life's Blood?” Jaegar looked surprised. “Are you sure!”

“It'll save him,” said Kalina. “My blood is strong...”

“But you know what happened last time.”

“It's different now,” said Kalina. “I'm willing. And he's...well, he's unconscious. He can't stop me. If he turns evil – Max is here now. She could fix it. Turn him back. And if it saves him...Stuart's wanted this so long.” Her eyes were wet with tears. “I can't save Justin, Jaegar. I need to save
somebody
. And he wants this so badly...”

Jaegar nodded. “I understand,” he said.

Kalina bit into her own wrist, her newfound fangs making the process easier. The smell of Life's Blood filled the room, and Jaegar leaped to his feet, covering his nose and mouth lest the scent of her prove too intoxicating. She pressed her wrist to Stuart's lips, praying silently that it would work.

Jaegar rushed once more into battle. She knew as well as he did that it was too dangerous for them to be close together – especially with the scent of Life's Blood still lingering in the air. Risking Molotov seemed like the safe choice by comparison.      

“Come on, Stuart,” she whispered. “Wake up – wake up!”

Chapter 18

S
tuart woke up with a cough, looking wildly around him. “What's going on?” He looked up at Kalina. “What happened to you? Did they turn you?”

“Turn me – what?”

And then Kalina realized it. Her fangs were protruding from her lips – they had grown longer now. And her body was filled with a new craving – a craving she had never felt before. She wanted more than anything in the world to throw herself onto Stuart, to sink her teeth into his neck, to drink down all his delicious blood.

His
human
blood.

She stopped herself with horror. What was happening to her? Was she developing vampire cravings alongside vampire abilities – turning without being turned? She raised a hand to her mouth in shame.

“No – they didn't turn me. It's the Life's Blood. It...”

“The Life's Blood!” And then Stuart realized what had happened to him. His skin was pink and rosy. Kalina could hear his heartbeat.

“You did it!” Stuart looked up, love radiating from his eyes. “You turned me. Kalina, you saved my life! You...you gave it back to me again.” His hands felt so warm in hers. “I had given up hope, Kalina.” He pulled her to him in a kiss. “I never thought it would be me – as much as I hoped...I wished...I've always loved you, Kalina, but that's nothing compared to the feelings I feel right now.”

So she had managed to turn him after all. Kalina looked down at him in surprise. Her body had spoken; she loved Stuart, and her love was enough to change him. But something felt strange – even wrong. If Stuart was human, what did that mean for Jaegar? For Octavius?

She looked up in horror. They were both fighting off Molotov – with Max's help, they had at last managed to regain the upper hand, surrounding him on all sides and pressing rubies into his skin to subdue him. She couldn't let them see what happened to Stuart – not now. It would hurt them too much. And right now, they needed to believe in her. In hope.

She looked down at Stuart, who was beaming up at her with pure joy. Did she love him – was that it? She cared for him – she had wanted more than anything to make him human – but was that enough? Was her body telling her something more?

She looked at Stuart in confusion. She loved him – but as she looked up at Jaegar and Octavius, she felt no more certain of her choice than before. And yet she had turned him.

She couldn't bear to look at him a moment longer. She couldn't bear dealing with the turmoil of her feelings. She grabbed hold of a ruby, crushing it effortlessly into powder, her fingers stronger than ever before.

“Hey Molotov,” she shouted. “Take this!”

As he turned to face her, she threw the powdered rubies in his face.

Molotov staggered back, reeling in agony. His face began to blister and burn as he screamed. “And this!” She forced another handful of the powder onto his neck. Molotov shouted with pain as the others rushed to subdue him, Max and Octavius pressing rubies to his sides.

As he opened his mouth for another scream, Kalina reached once more into her pocket, bringing out her final handful of rubies. These she thrust into Molotov's mouth, his tongue sizzling as she forced his chin shut.  Molotov's entire body began to steam and burn.

When he opened his mouth once again, spitting out the rubies, it was a gory, charred mess. “You may have me this time,” Molotov broke free of the others and headed towards the door. “But I will not forget. It is I who shall have the last word!” With that, he flew off, leaving a thick smell of smoke into the air.

Kalina rushed back to Justin's side, followed by Max, Jaegar, and Octavius. Stuart was sitting up, looking in shock and wonder at his new hands, his new fingers. “I'm human,” he was whispering to himself, trying to get over the shock.

Jaegar looked back and forth at Kalina and his brother. So, she'd done it, he'd thought to himself. Pain mingled with happiness in his heart; his gladness was bittersweet. She had saved the brother he loved, given him the happiness he had always desired – and yet in so doing she had made her choice, a choice that cut Jaegar to the bone. Did this mean that she loved Stuart, after all – valued his quiet strength more than his passionate recklessness? No – he had told her to do it. He had encouraged her...

And yet, looking at Stuart's red cheeks and wide smile, Jaegar felt a pain far greater than any stake.

Kalina had made her choice, and it wasn't him.

Jaegar looked up at Kalina, who was staring at Stuart with concern in her eyes. He could see the vampire energy taking hold in her – her fangs were longer, now; her skin was paler. The Life's Blood had given her a strength he had never seen in her before. Her love had given her a new, rare beauty. And it was not him that she had loved! He could bear the pain no longer. He had encouraged her to go for Stuart, he knew, simply out of pity for his poor hapless brother, but he had never believed that she truly would do so. He had always imagined, deep down, that she loved him most of all, that it was only a matter of time before she would realize it. After all, she had turned him human once – for she did not know that he had willingly turned back in order to keep her safe, keep her alive. She had loved him, once.

But now her feelings had changed. If Kalina had known – if she had only known that her love for him when she had turned him was true; if she had only realized that her blood called out for his...then perhaps she would not have transferred her affections to his brother. But she had given up on him – Jaegar thought bitterly. She had believed that she didn't love Jaegar enough to turn him for good, and so she had given him up.

His one act of love – his secret he could never tell her – had become his own undoing. Even now, Jaegar felt his blood calling out to her, his desire stronger than ever. He wanted nothing more than to run to her, to kiss her, to explain. To tell her the truth that her love was strong enough to turn him. He saw Kalina look up at him, her face a mixture of love and pain, fear and relief. She was still listening to Justin's heartbeat, kissing his fingers, hoping against hope that he would survive. But the battle was over now. At least he and the others were safe.

Her gaze turned to Stuart and softened, as Stuart's large, loving eyes met her own. Jaegar felt his heart contract within his chest, a pain that spread out through his whole body in what seemed like a neverending ache. He couldn't think; he couldn't breathe. He was consumed with a pain so intense that it seemed to Jaegar that it would never leave him; he would spend the rest of his life strangled by this agony.

She had chosen Stuart. She had chosen another. She didn't love him – not enough. No, he couldn't bear it – Jaegar clapped a hand over his mouth. He couldn't bear it no longer. Looking at her, smelling her, wanting her and knowing it would never be enough...

Against himself, he wanted to rush to Stuart and throw himself upon him, to rip out his throat, to drink him dry, to leave no obstacles between himself and Kalina...

No – no! He would never do that! Never hurt his brother, never hurt Kalina.

But the madness in his brain would not subside.

He had to get away – he had to get out!

Without saying a word, Jaegar backed away, running as far as he could, as far away as possible from the woman he loved.

Chapter 19

N
obody saw Jaegar as he left. Everybody's attention was fixed on Justin, who was slowly breathing out his last breath, cradled in Kalina's arms. “Mom!” The word escaped Kalina's throat for the first time as she held tighter to her brother. “Mom – he's dying....I don't know what to do.” The fear and adrenaline of the battle over, Kalina was left with nothing but a slow, aching pain as she realized that there was nothing she could do to save Justin. In the moment she had been too afraid, too overwhelmed, to realize it – but now it was sinking in.