Polar (Book 1): Polar Night (16 page)

Chapter 36

Aleksei paced the length of his
study, waiting for the sun to set for the day. It was typical of his luck that the snow had stopped and the sun had made a brief appearance on the one day he planned to travel. Luckily for him, he didn't have the same travel restrictions humans had, so he would still be able to get to his destination in spite of the delay. He just needed the sun to go away.

While he waited, he turned the problem of Maria over in his mind. He was going to just kill her when he roused her from her sleep that morning, but instead he had decided to give her a reprieve. He had given her breakfast and allowed her to get cleaned up, then locked her back in her room. While he didn't want to think about it, he knew there was a chance his plan for the rest of the winter could go awry. He decided to keep Maria around while he made sure all of his ducks were in a row. She was his backup plan now. It wouldn't be an enjoyable winter with her, but at least he wouldn't be alone.

He glanced at the clock on his wall, noticing the time was nearly 3:00. The sun should be gone now. He walked to his window and pushed the heavy shade slightly aside so he could peer out, happy to see the sun had indeed set, and the twilight now cast a purple glow across the snow surrounding his home. It was time to go.

Aleksei had already prepared several meals for Maria and left them in the root cellar, along with enough water to tide her over, a lantern, and a clean chamber pot. He had also tossed several blankets and a pillow down the stairs into the cellar. Now, he would toss Maria there as well, and be on his way.

He walked quickly to Maria's door and swung it open. She was sitting up in the bed, and jumped when he entered the room.

“Get up,” he said.

Maria quickly rose from the bed. “What's going on?”

“No time for talking.”

Aleksei opened the bottom drawer of the dresser and pulled out a pair of thick fleece pants and a heavy wool sweater. He threw them onto the bed.

“Put these on, it's going to be cold where you're going.” He turned his back and faced the door. “I'll give you privacy.”

“What do you mean, where I'm going? Where are you taking me?”

Aleksei bit his lip and swallowed his temper. “Did I not just say we don't have time for talking? Shut up and put the warm clothes on. I'm giving you one minute. If you're not dressed, you'll be left with nothing on but that nightgown. Believe me when I say you won't like that.”

Maria suppressed her rising terror and quickly put on the pants and the shirt. She kept the heavy socks she had found the night before on her feet.

“Don't I need shoes to go somewhere? Where are my shoes? What did you do with my own clothes?”

Aleksei whipped around to face her, his face filled with rage. His mouth was open and two fangs protruded from his gums. Maria screamed and stumbled back onto the bed.

“I told you to shut up!” Aleksei yelled. He stood over Maria's shaking figure and purposely bared his fangs as he grabbed her arm. “Do you see what I am now?” he whispered. “Do you know how easy it would be for me to kill you right this second? To sink my teeth into your neck and drain every last drop of your blood?”

“Oh my God,” Maria said. “Oh my God, please.”

“Please what? Are you asking some god of yours to save you?” Aleksei drew in his fangs and stared down at Maria. “This may surprise you, but I can actually understand that. I've been there. And you know what? It doesn't do a damn bit of good.”

He tightened his grip on Maria's arm and pulled her from the bed. “You're in luck today though. I'm not going to kill you. Mind you, I was. But I realized that I need you as my backup now.”

Aleksei continued to talk as he dragged Maria out of the bedroom and down the hallway towards the kitchen. He knew his grip on her arm was the only reason she hadn't fainted dead away. As it was, she was too frozen with fear to resist him.

“I'm not sure how long I'll be gone,” he said. “But don't worry, I've left supplies for you. If you learned anything from the start of your stay here with me, you'll be smart enough to conserve the lantern this time.”

Maria's lack of resistance ended as she heard the word lantern. She stopped in her tracks, catching Aleksei off guard.

“No,” she said, her voice cracking with panic. “No, please, not back there. Please!”

Aleksei recovered from his momentary lack of attention and continued pulling her into the kitchen. “You're wasting your breath,” he said.

He opened the kitchen door and dragged a now kicking and screaming Maria outside. She immediately gasped at the burst of frigid air.

“Good thing you kept those socks on,” Aleksei said.

He pulled Maria through the snow and opened the door of the root cellar. “I'll see you when I get back,” he said, before throwing her down the stairs of the cellar as carelessly as he had previously thrown the blankets and pillow. At least she had those to break her fall, he thought. Not that he cared if she got hurt.

He slammed the door on her screams, and slid the lock in place. He smiled, unable to contain the thrill he got from knowing Maria was down in the cellar, fumbling in the pitch dark, and wasting her breath on screams no one but him would ever hear. Regardless of his disdain for her, he absolutely loved the power he had over her. He was glad he had decided to keep her in reserve. Killing her wouldn't have been nearly as fun.

He allowed himself time to savor the moment. If he blocked out Maria's tinny screams, there was nothing but silence in the still darkness around him. He could barely contain his excitement at the journey that lay ahead of him.

It was time to get going now and to leave Maria behind. He was moving on to his new companion and he knew exactly where to find her. Guest books and credit card invoices were such wonderful things.

He went back inside and took one last look around his home before locking it up for his trip. He felt a rush of adrenalin as he locked the front door behind him. Before he knew it, he would be in Seattle and in front of the Bailey home.

Aleksei paused for a moment, wondering what Katie Bailey was doing now. No doubt school was closed for the holidays, so she was likely to be out with friends. Maybe shopping or going to the movies. Wasn't that what young girls did nowadays? He smiled as he imagined her laughing and smiling with her friends, with no awareness of the fact that her days as Katie Bailey were numbered.

Katie had been so sullen when visiting Snow Creek with her family, it was obvious the girl needed something more out of life than boring vacations with her parents and imbecilic little brother. Aleksei could tell she had longed for excitement and adventure. He would give that to her, in ways she could never imagine. She would thank him when it was all over, he was sure of that.

She would never look back at the life she was soon to be leaving behind. Katerina would never be Katie again.

Chapter 37

Katie Bailey typed out a text
to her friend Jessica as she walked to her car after finishing her shift as a waitress at her grandfather's restaurant. Her feet ached and her shirt was stained with the coffee she had managed to pour down the front of her instead of into her customer's mug. She had been lucky she hadn't been burned, but she didn't feel particularly lucky. It had been a crappy day.

Katie resented the fact that she had to work, when so many of her friends were able to spend all of their time on school clubs and teams. Why did she have to get stuck with parents who believed work experience was important for every young person to have? She could hear her mother talk about the importance of learning responsibility in her head and she rolled her eyes. She used to love hanging around her grandfather's restaurant before she had been forced to work there. Her mother managed to ruin everything.

She got into her car and slumped into the driver's seat. She sent Jessica another text, letting her know she would be picking her up at 8:00 that night, and stuck her phone into her purse. The last thing she needed was to be stopped under Seattle's new bullshit “texting while driving” law. Her mother's lectures would never stop then.

Katie didn't notice the tall blond man who was watching her from the group of trees surrounding the restaurant. She didn't know he had followed her mother and brother from their house when they had come to the restaurant for an early dinner a few hours earlier. She didn't know he had watched her while she waited tables and chatted with her customers. That he had watched with joyful anticipation while she hung up her apron and clocked out for the evening, giving her grandfather a hug before she left the restaurant.

She didn't know.

Katie pulled out of the restaurant parking lot and headed for home, just as the rain started back up again and she had to quickly turn on her wipers. There was no getting away from the Seattle winter rain. She just hoped it might slow down for a bit when it was time to head out with her friends. Within minutes, she had arrived home and she ran through the rain onto her front porch and into her house.

An hour later, Katie ran back out, having showered and changed into her favorite outfit, a black tunic dress and red platform pumps. She played with her large hoop earrings as she got into the car and turned on the ignition. She and Jessica were meeting Tyler and Ryan tonight and Katie couldn't wait.

She was so excited about her upcoming date that she didn't notice the tall blond man across the street from her house as she pulled out of the driveway and sped off down the road. She didn't see him as he stood on the sidewalk and watched her drive away.

Chapter 38

Aleksei opened the door of his
Seattle hotel room and immediately closed the heavy drapes that hung across the window. He lay down on his back on the hard double bed in the center of the room. The sun would be coming up soon enough, and he needed to rest for the day. He had a big night ahead.

As he glanced down at his chest, he noticed a spot of blood on his black coat. He
frowned and brushed at it with his fingers. He had obviously been careless when he had made the homeless woman down near the shore of Puget Sound his dinner. At least her body shouldn’t be turning up any time soon and would probably be in the middle of the Pacific Ocean by the time he got back to Alaska. Still, he would need to remember to clean up the coat before he left the hotel.

He felt confident that he had watched Katie long enough to know her routine and it was clear that the restaurant where she worked as a waitress would be the best place for him to make his move. The parking lot was small and poorly lit and was apparently used only by restaurant staff. The customers seemed to all park along the street in front of the building. Best of all, there was no security camera anywhere in sight. Aleksei was sure he could distract Katie as she walked to her car and take her with him without anyone being the wiser.

Aleksei stared at the dull white ceiling and visualized how the evening would go in his head. He could see himself grabbing Katie around the neck and stifling her screams with his large hand placed over her mouth. He would pull her into the woods next to the restaurant and choke her windpipe with his forearm until she lost consciousness. From there, it would be smooth sailing until he got her back to Snow Creek.

He planned to keep her in his home right away and he would prepare the bedroom Maria had defiled for Katie. He wasn’t sure exactly when he was going to turn her, but he knew he didn’t want to waste much time. His anticipation was getting to be too much for him. And he had decided that Maria would be the first kill he and his companion made together. That alone made him nearly giddy. Or at least as giddy as a nearly 100 year old vampire could be.

There was only one thing holding him back. If this was all going to work as he planned, he had to do everything correctly when he turned Katie. Aleksei was ashamed to admit, even to himself, that in all these years he had never turned a vampire. He just hadn’t wanted the aggravation. He had been all about killing, feeding and moving on.

But there shouldn’t be any problem turning Katie. Obviously he knew how it was done, because it had been done to him. All he had to do was remember.

Aleksei heard the rustle outside the torn walls of the medical tent and knew the vampires were back. He sat up in his cot and clenched his threadbare blanket in his hands, trying to calm his nerves. Tonight had to be the night.

It was February now, and his leg had completely healed. The only reason he had been able to remain in the relative safety of the field hospital was because the Russian troops had devolved into such chaos both at the front and in Petrograd, no one paid any attention to which soldier was where. No one had any idea anymore where anyone belonged. As long as Aleksei kept to himself and remained in the confines of the hospital, no one noticed him.

No one except his Natasha, that is. She continued to watch out for him, and seeing her smile was always guaranteed to be the highlight of his day. She regularly brought him the latest news about the city. Petrograd was in chaos, as workers organized industrial strikes and starving citizen staged marches in the streets that quickly turned into riots. Soldiers were deserting and joining in with the strikes and the city was rapidly turning into anarchy.

Natasha had been excited when she visited him earlier that day. Tomorrow was International Women’s Day, and she was planning to join a march in honor of the occasion with her fellow nurses. Aleksei had no use for her enthusiasm, as he felt such activity was far beneath her. Who knew what kind of street trash she would encounter? Not to mention, he could barely hide his disgust when she shared that Max planned to desert his post and join in the march with her.

He tried to convince her that this march was no way for a lady of her caliber to behave, but Natasha merely shushed him and continued to chatter about Max and their plans. Aleksei could barely contain his rage. One more mention of that charlatan Max and he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.

Natasha didn’t even notice his anger and left him with a smile as she always did. Aleksei watched her leave the tent and seethed as he imagined her meeting her precious Max. That was when he knew he couldn’t wait any longer for the vampires.

Now that they were right outside the tent, he felt a pang of fear. He had seen what they had done to the soldiers on the battlefield, their fangs sinking deep into their necks. Did he really want that done to him? He looked around the tent of dying men and got his answer. Of course he did. What was the alternative?

Aleksei got up from the cot and folded his blanket into a neat square. He didn’t look back at any of his fellow patients as he lifted up the door of the tent and walked outside. The cold air hit him in a rush. He had been so cold for so long he had been sure he was immune to the temperature, but leaving even the minimal shelter of the hospital tent proved how wrong he was. He shuddered, wishing he had brought the blanket with him. But as he turned towards the sound of the vampires, he knew he wouldn’t need it for long anyway.

There were three of them, two men and a woman. Aleksei could tell that one man was the leader just by his posture and body language. He was a stocky man, with dark hair and sallow skin, and the Asian-like features of the Russian Far East. The other man was tall and slender, with hair as blond as Aleksei’s and skin so pale it was nearly translucent. The woman was nearly as tall as the blond man and her face was surrounded by an unruly mane of bright red hair. She was standing with her arm draped over the blond man’s shoulder, as if she was marking her territory. The three turned and looked at Aleksei in unison and immediately bared their fangs.

Aleksei swallowed his fear, and continued to move towards the trio of vampires.

“
Why are you disturbing us, soldier?” the stocky man asked.

“
I want you to feed on me.”

The vampires laughed, again in unison. The woman dropped her arm from the blond man’s shoulder and walked seductively towards Aleksei.

“
You’re offering yourself as food, handsome?”

“
I am. But not just that. I want you to turn me.” Aleksei paused, remembering his manners. “Please.”

The woman stared into Aleksei’s eyes and ran an ice cold hand down his cheek. “You certainly are a gorgeous one.” She turned back towards the leader. “What do you think? Should we do what he wants? I’d like a new toy.”

Aleksei winced. “No, I don’t want that. Please. I don’t want to be part of your group. I just want you to turn me.”

The leader approached Aleksei now, his power evident in every step. Aleksei forced himself not to back away.

“
You think you can just strut out here and make demands on us? What’s stopping me from feeding on you right now, and letting you rot here with the rest of your kind?”

“
Nothing. I know nothing’s stopping you. I know you’re going to feed on me. All I want is for you to turn me as well.”

“
Why?”

“
Because it’s the only chance I have at life.”

“
You think you’re going to die?”

“
I know I am. I’m starving. And the cold…”

The man nodded. “You’re right of course. You’ll all die here. But why is that our problem?”

“
It’s not. But I know you need to feed. So I’m offering you myself. You won’t have to hunt or do any work.”

“
You think I’d have to hunt if I walked in that tent right now? I’ve got a buffet in there, lined up and ready for me.”

“
They’ll scream and fight you. I won’t.”

The blond man spoke for the first time. It was clear from his voice that he was not Russian. Scandinavian, perhaps? “You really think you won’t scream or fight? When the fangs sink in and your blood starts gushing out of you?”

“
I know I won’t.”

The man chuckled. “You have no idea what you’re in for, soldier.” He turned back to the leader. “I’m inclined to give him what he wants. Just so I can hear him scream.”

The dark-haired man shrugged. “Do whatever you want, Greger. I’m going inside to eat.” He gestured towards the woman. “Come, Yelena.”

The two disappeared into the tent, leaving Aleksei alone with the vampire he prayed would soon become his sire.

“
What’s your name, soldier?”

“
Aleksei Nechayev.”

“
Do you know how this works? Obviously you knew what we were. Have you watched us feed?”

“
I have, sir. On the battlefield. And some nights in the tent.”

Aleksei now heard faint moans coming from inside the tent, and knew the vampires had begun to feed.

“
So you’ve been watching us. Why are you offering yourself now?”

“
Because I know I don’t have much time. And I need to be able to turn someone myself. Before it’s too late for her.”

“
Her?” Greger burst into laughter. “This is about a woman? You want me to turn you into a vampire so you can make yourself a girlfriend?”

“
I need to save her.”

“
Is she dying too?”

“
No. But she’s getting herself into trouble with a fool. She belongs with me.”

Greger continued to chuckle. “So you love her so much you want to kill her? How very romantic of you. And so Russian. All of you are mad.”

“
You’re not Russian, sir?”

“
I’m not. I’m Swedish. And don’t ask me how I ended up in this god-forsaken place, I’d rather not discuss it.”

Aleksei nodded and remained silent.

“
So, I guess we might as well get on with it, shouldn’t we?” Greger said. “No time to waste. Although frankly, you don’t look like you’re ready to die any time soon.”

“
It’s time, sir. Please.”

“
Oh don’t go back to your begging. I already told you I’d do it.” Greger took a bite out of his own wrist and watched as red blood began to flow down his arm. “Do you know why I did that?”

“
No.”

“
Because that’s how it works. Once I bite you, I’ll drain you to an inch of your life. But right before you die, I’ll give you my wrist. You drink my blood, and you’ll turn.”

“
Right away?”

“
No. You’ll die first. But you’ll wake up tomorrow a vampire.”

Aleksei shuddered with a mix of fear and anticipation. “Will you be here?”

“
I thought you said you didn’t want to join our group?”

“
I don’t, but…”

“
We’ll be around. I’m not the type to desert my descendents.” Greger grabbed Aleksei’s arm and pulled him close, his fangs grazing his neck. “Ready then?”

Aleksei nodded as he felt the teeth sink into his skin. He jerked at the intense pain, and fought the urge to scream as his feet collapsed under him, and the world around him faded to black.