The Awakening (6 page)

Jonas turned into the nearly empty megastore lot. He drove up to the entrance and parked. “I’ll run in. You guys can wait in the car.”

“Don't take long,” Boss said.

“Milk. Anything else?” Jonas looked back at me.

I shook my head. The thought of food touching my tongue made me sick.

“Be back soon,” he said.

He darted in front of the car, and disappeared into the store.

Boss twisted in his seat. “I heard what you were thinking before we pulled up.”

He heard me thinking about Jonas? Oh, great. Did he think I was trying to steal Jonas from him, or force Jonas to give me his blood?

“I wasn't going to hurt Jonas. He's a nice guy. He told me he’d done it before. So, I’d assumed he meant share his blood.”

Boss’s turned to the front window. “Jonas is my donor.”

I scooted closer and shoved my head in the gap between the seats. “Then he does share his blood with you.”

He gave a single nod.

“Willingly?”

“I have never forced him.”

I wondered why he selected a man as a donor instead of a woman. The whole blood sharing idea seemed intimate and personal to me. Wouldn't he prefer to touch the opposite sex when he fed? Wouldn't Jonas prefer a woman feeding from him rather than a man?

“Can I ask a personal question?”

“You can ask, but I may not answer.”

“Are you two lovers?”

He laughed. “Heavens no, woman. Is that what you think?”

No, I didn't, especially after his pat-down earlier, but I had to ask. “I guess I'm a little surprised he lets you feed from him.”

“It’s a trade off. I need living blood to survive and he wanted to work with me.”

“He said he followed you out of that town. Why would he do that? Why would he want to fight people that are not human?”

“You’d have to ask him that.”

I sighed. Damn it, I wanted answers. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You said you'd worked for your organization for a long time. Why do you do it?”

“In truth, because I can kill without regret.”

“Excuse me?”

He turned to face me. “People, human and non-human are greedy, selfish, and want to rule the world. My job is to make sure they don’t succeed, and if that means taking out a few members of a clan, then so be it.”

I knew right then what the definition of a killer was. The memory of the pawnshop flashed in my mind. Boss's eyes were empty and he held an impassive expression on his face. He'd shot the man in the head effortlessly. And when he sought information from Ronnie, he showed no emotion in causing Ronnie more pain. Killing was a cold, heartless job.

“I’m not like you,” I said, looking him square in the eye.

“Maybe,” he shrugged. “All vampires have it in their blood.”

Me, a merciless killer? No way, vampire or not.

“How long have you worked for your killer club?” I asked.

He glared at me. “Do you think we kill for fun?”

I stiffened. “No, but I do wonder if you enjoy it.”

He thrust his face in front of mine. His pupils dilated and the area around his eyes tightened. “I enjoy making sure no single race dominates. I’ve seen what happens when one overpopulates. I’ve seen an entire species almost wiped out. My actions are more than justified.”

My heart fluttered. He was pure strength and dominance. Oddly, I found myself attracted to him. He had a soft musky scent and perfect skin. Long eyelashes complimented his obsidian eyes.

I stared deep into his dark wells. “I’m not like you.”

“Who are you?” His eyes drifted down to my mouth and then back up.

“I wish I knew.” My eyes lowered to his pink lips, so dangerously close to mine.

Laughter jolted us from our up close and personal moment. Boss turned to the front window. I followed his line of sight and saw two men dressed in black headed for the entrance. The taller one had shoulder-length dark hair. He blocked my view of the other man at his side.

“They’re out late,” I said.

“Hmm...I recognize the tall one.” The men vanished inside the store, and Boss snatched the keys from the ignition. “We should check on Jonas.”

We exited the car. The dampness in the air tickled my nose while my heels clicked over the pavement. Boss strode toward the entrance, his arms at his sides and with an aura of determination. As I tried to keep pace with him, I wondered what he suspected of the two men.

The glass doors swished to the sides. We walked inside, and I squinted in the bright lights.

Boss glanced over his shoulder.
Don’t speak. Use your thoughts.

I nodded.

We stopped near the first aisle and traded glances.

We need to find Jonas and leave quickly and quietly. Avoid the two men who walked in here.

Is something wrong?

I'll explain later.

I’ll walk around to the other side of the aisle,
I said silently.

I'll search the main walkway,
he replied before walked away from me.

I strode down the produce section, wondering where Jonas might be. He'd come for milk over fifteen minutes ago. He should be ready to go.

I rounded the corner and saw the two men Boss wanted to avoid standing near the lunchmeat, talking to Jonas. I paused, deciding what to do. Boss said not to speak, but if the priority was to find Jonas and leave, than I'd have to overlook his instruction. Walking fast, I curved around the refrigerated case in the center. “Darling, what’s keeping you?”

The tall man with long, brown hair turned to face me. His long face and narrow nose gave him an eerie appearance. He had an odd scent. Ashes described it best.

“Have you forgotten all about me?” I asked, coming to stop in front of Jonas. He held a black basket in one hand. His lips hinted a smile as if he were relieved to see me.

The short man giggled. His bloodshot eyes and stench of sweat and alcohol clearly indicated he was drunk.

“Don’t mind him,” the tall man said. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”

“Probably not,” I answered. Peering closer at his eyes, I noticed a red circle around the black center.
Shit!

“My name is Sal,” he said, and extended his arm.

I looked at Jonas, not sure what to say. I didn’t have a name.

“This is Stephanie,” Jonas said. “She’s a friend of Boss's.”

Stephanie? Did I look like a Stephanie?

Offering a friendly smile to Sal, I took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

He had a firm grip and his hand was warm, too warm. “A friend of Boss's? Have you known him long?”

“Long enough.”

The heat from his hand intensified, yet, I didn’t feel pain. After he let go, I had a strong desire to scrub my hand with alcohol.

“Boss is waiting. Are you ready to go?” I asked Jonas.

“Is Boss around here?” Sal asked with a curl of his upper lip.

“He's waiting for us. We should go,” I said, reaching for Jonas’s arm.

“But we’ve just met,” Sal said. “You haven’t told me anything about your pretty self or why you are here.”

I tugged on Jonas's arm. “Maybe another time.”

Jonas walked next to me with his basket in his other hand. I glanced down and saw more than milk in the small container. In fact, he had filled the entire thing with groceries.

Just milk?
I asked Jonas.

He grinned.
I thought you might get hungry later.

“Since when does Boss consider a half-demon a friend?” Sal asked.

Jonas and I stopped. We exchanged glances.

What does he mean?
I asked.

Boss doesn't have demon friends, and Sal thinks you're half-demon.

What?

You can't be. It's impossible.

Footsteps drew near. My heart picked up a few extra beats as I attempted to comprehend the situation. I wondered why Sal thought I was half-demon. Slowly, Jonas and I twisted around.

Sal approached us with his hands wedged in the front pockets of his black jeans. “Jonas, you should know better. Your lies are sweeter than sugar.”

The dopey man at his side giggled.

“You’re mistaken. I’m not a half-demon,” I said.

“Am I?” he asked, stopping in front of me. “Tell me, what did you feel when we shook hands?”

Heart pounding, I glanced at Jonas. He looked back with curious eyes.

What did you feel?

“Do tell,” Sal said with a brow curled.

“Fire. I felt fire,” I answered.

Sal grinned. “You didn’t even flinch, and there isn’t a single blemish on your hand. Only those of our kind can withstand such heat.”

I stared at Jonas, bewildered and speechless. How could this happen? How could I endure his touch if I wasn't part demon? Jonas said it was impossible.

“We need to go,” Jonas said with urgency in his tone.

“Before you go, let me give you my email and cell number.” Sal withdrew a small card and handed it to me. “You have to report with the clan while you are visiting. We wouldn’t want Boss to be angry with us for withholding any information.”

My eyes flashed from the card between his fingers to Jonas.

Take it and let’s go!

Frowning, I snatched the card and shoved it into my pocket.

“Come on,” I said to Jonas.

As we strode down the produce aisle, away from Sal and his friend, I sensed Sal watching us. The sensation made my skin crawl.

Boss is not going to believe this.
Jonas slipped into my head.

I swallowed hard.
I
couldn’t believe it. I was part vampire and demon? What next?

Chapter 7

“You lied to me!” I snapped from the back seat of the car. “You said I wasn’t a demon. How am I to believe anything you tell me now?”

Jonas gripped the steering wheel so tight the bones in his knuckles bulged. The windshield wipers flashed, clearing the window from rain and revealing a dark street with no lights on the sides. Trees and sparse homes dotted the sides of the road. We were somewhere in suburbia, that much I recognized.

“I didn’t lie,” Jonas retorted, focusing on the road. “You don’t have the ring around your eyes.”

“Sal must have deceived you. It’s not possible to be part demon and part vampire,” Boss said to Jonas. “He has the ability to manipulate thoughts.”

“I have my contacts in, Boss. He couldn’t have gotten into my head,” Jonas said, his voice elevated.

My hair clung to my wet face from having dashed out in the rain to the car. I pried the strands away and twisted them behind my ear. “How do you know it’s not possible to be both?”

Boss turned and faced me. “Because clans are not interracial. One species always dominates over the other. I’ve been around over fourteen hundred years. There has never been a creature made up of more than one gene pool.”

I leaned back against the seat next to the three grocery bags. I wasn’t sure which disturbed me more, the fact that Boss was over fourteen hundred years old or that I was the only mixed creature on the planet. How was I even walking, talking, and breathing? I needed to take a step back and learn a few things.

“How are half-breeds created then?” I asked.

“Humans are the weaker species and have been used for power, money, and sex since the beginning of time. Most trueborn creatures can simply procreate with a human to create a half-breed. Since most trueborn prefer their own kind, not many half-breeds exist,” Boss explained.

“What about half breed vampires? How is one created?” I asked.

“Blood is exchanged by both parties over an extended period of time. The human body eventually adjusts to the foreign blood. A half-breed can survive two to three lifetimes before their human side dies and they turn into vampires,” Boss said. “We monitor the clans closely.”

“So, all half breeds are half-human?”

“Yes.”

“And breeds don't mingle with each other.”

“Correct. So, you cannot be part demon and vampire. The combination isn’t possible.”

“There has to be a way to test her,” Jonas said as he turned a corner into a neighborhood.

“Sal expects me to contact him. If I don’t, he’ll probably contact you,” I said.

“All the more reason to test her, Boss.”

Boss twisted to face the front. “Maybe Tabby can help.”

“Who's Tabby?”

Jonas met my gaze in his mirror and smiled. “You'll see.”

Jonas turned onto a driveway leading to a mid-size, two level home. The outside resembled others around it: shuttered windows, a manicured lawn with a yard light on the side of the driveway, and a front porch with flowerpots. I wondered if the inside smelled of baked cookies.

“This is your home?” I asked, surprised.

“One of them,” Boss replied.

The garage door lifted. An SUV with darkened windows sat to the left of the space. Jonas drove the car in beside it and cut the engine. He pressed the button on the remote above his head, and the door slid down behind us. With a heavy sigh, I got out of the car.

Jonas met me on my side and gave Boss the keys. “I'll get the bags.”

Boss said nothing and head for the door.

“I can help,” I said, standing to the side of Jonas's rear, enjoying the view.

Jonas backed out of the car with three bags in his hand. I reached inside the vehicle and grabbed the milk. After shutting the door, I caught up with Boss and Jonas at the entrance to the house.

Boss unlocked the door and pushed it open. He stepped into the dark entryway first and I followed with Jonas behind me. Peering through the darkness, I saw a blur near the ground racing toward us. I came to an abrupt halt, forcing Jonas to bump into me with his bags. The object jumped, and I gasped.

Boss caught the black and white cat and held it up. “Calm down.” The cat meowed twice, then turned its glowing green eyes on me and hissed.

“I don’t think your cat likes me,” I said.

The cat hissed again, and Boss set it down. “Go change and put on some clothes.”

Jonas squeezed beside us. “Don’t mind Tabby. We never bring company home.”

“That was Tabby?”