Blood Bond (PULSE, Book 5) (10 page)

“I don't know.”

“I'll keep trying to make it work, Kalina. I will try. Because it's worth it. I'll always love you – as a vampire and as a human.”

Kalina turned pink. How she wished she could choose Jaegar, forget Octavius and his talk of duty and honor and give herself over to the sheer pleasure and delight that was life with Jaegar. He had no strings attached. He would never leave her to go save the world, valuing the vast totality of honor against mere moments of their love. Even if Octavius broke his oath, Kalina thought, would it be worth it? He would resent her for tempting him away from his duty – resent
himself
for leaving the worst vampires walking the earth without him there to protect it. The guilt would tear them apart even more than the fear was doing now.

Jaegar pulled Kalina down to the ground, his fingers delicately caressing the insides of her thighs. “It's so funny,” he said. “My skin is heating up – like I'm a human or something. Or at least, it feels like it. You being so close makes me feel so human. Just feel my skin...”

Kalina pulled away in surprise. “Jaegar, you're...
warm
!” She felt his bared chest again. “Human warm!” She looked him up and down. “And you look...”

“What?”

His pale, marble skin had grown darker and rosier – it was a tanned light olive. And she could almost see the blood coursing through his veins.

“This is weird,” said Kalina. “First I start to look more like a vampire, now
you
look human. But...you're not, are you?”

A look at Jaegar's fangs answered that question. “I still feel like a vampire,” he said. “But I look...”

“Human.”

When they walked back into the cafe,  Justin reacted with even more surprise, nearly falling out of his chair. “What did you
do
?” he asked.

Kalina and Jaegar looked at each other and blushed.

“No, I mean not
that
. To your skins!”

“What are you talking about.”

“Kalina – you look like you've lost about twelve pints of blood. You're so pale – your skin's vampire-white and shining. You didn't drink from her, did you?” He turned threateningly to Jaegar.

“Wouldn't dream of it! Without her permission, I mean.”

“Then how do you look so...human all of a sudden? And Kalina – you look more like a vampire than Molotov or Octavius.”

Kalina looked down at her arms. Her skin had gone from olive to pale to paper-white. She shuddered. It didn't look like her at all, but like some strange, pallid, dead creature. The Life's Blood in her. Not her.

“Don't worry, Kalina,” Jaegar laughed. “You're still beautiful. Just the way you are.”

Kalina forced a smile back at him, but she wasn't sure she liked what she saw. For starters, she and Justin no longer looked like they were even related – while they were only brother-and-sister by adoption, she'd always valued the basic similarity in their appearance.

“And don't worry, Jaegar,” Justin added. “You're still pretty, too. Who knew vampires could get a real tan?”

“You're the doctor!” Kalina couldn't help feeling a little snappish with worry. What was happening to her body? “You tell us what's going on!”

“Vampire stuff is beyond my pay grade, sis,” said Justin. “The only thing I can even guess is that maybe it has something to do with Life's Blood. When you ran, you brought out one of the latent abilities that Blood gives you. And now maybe the Blood's starting to take over.”

“
Take over?
”

“Well, not take-over take-over. Just...show itself. And you've got enhanced blood – so maybe we don't know what to expect. It's not like Max's blood.”

“Well, we've kept our abilities. Jaegar still gets all his vamp glamouring powers alongside his beach tan,” Kalina forced the situation into a joke. “And I get to have people back home wondering why I turned white all of a sudden.”

“But what did you
do
?” Justin looked confused. “Why did it happen just now.”

“Nothing you'd want to know, Justin,” said Kalina quickly.

“But nothing you'd be worried about either, ah, sir...” Jaegar quickly cut in.

“I don't
want
to know about that!” Justin exclaimed. “My kid sister's romantic life is strictly off-limits as a topic of conversation from now on! I don't want to know.”

“But it could be important,” Kalina sighed. “I don't like talking about it in front of you, but we can't deny my sex life is inextricably linked to the whole Life's Blood thing in the first place. Anyway, we were...holding each other. Maybe that transferred something.”

“Or maybe it's because we've exchanged blood before,” said Jaegar, “so now when we touch, our connection does all sorts of strange things...”

“I'm sure that would come in handy for you, my dear brother.” A voice rang out in the cafe. They all turned around in surprise.

There, standing against the doorframe, was a face they all recognized, a face they had all doubted if they would ever see again.

Stuart.

Chapter 10

K
alina gasped. She had not seen Stuart since she had left him for dead, his body sprawled across the floor of the farmhouse in Connecticut during her Yale visit, a stake in his heart. Only a telephone call had told her that he still lived – a call that seemed so surreal. He was going to Mongolia; he was following in the footsteps of Max. But here he was, before her, leaning against the doorway. Real. He was handsomer than ever; his customary rigidity had vanished, and he was even smiling. How different he was, Kalina thought, from the stern, serious boy she had first dated – the chivalrous figure who had caught her when she fainted. And yet she could see the same kindness in his eyes, the same intelligent, keen expression. Memories of her happiness with Stuart – so long ago, now – came flooding back to Kalina. Memories of how Justin had approved – of their sweet simplicity. But that belonged to another time, another place.

“Stuart!” Kalina cried. But before she could run to him, she was beaten in her attempt by Jaegar, who pushed Kalina aside as he ran to embrace his brother in a great bear hug. Kalina looked up in surprise. Even on those rare occasions when the brothers weren't outright trying to kill each other, she had never seen them display anything like real affection. But Jaegar's arms were wrapped tightly around his brother.

“Don't you
dare
die on us again!” Jaegar said.

“It wasn't my choice, believe me.”

“But you're back!” Kalina cried.

“Max did it. She saved me.” Stuart smiled. “I mean, first she staked me, but then she saved me. She managed to resurrect me – just in time. I mean, she didn't do it to be
nice
or anything. That's not how she rolls. She wanted me to be her vampire slave, to help carry her around and help her track down Life's Blood Carriers.”

Kalina could easily imagine Max trying to enslave pretty much anybody.

“But we've gotten to know each other. We want the same things – peace, the protection of Carriers.”

“Then she's
not
that bad?” Kalina said in hushed tones. She had never quite understood what Max was, and she couldn't help admitting that she felt a little wary of the woman who called herself Kalina's mother. Kalina's mother wasn't human, after all – at least not according to the bloodwork Justin had done in the hospital – and Kalina couldn't help suspecting that perhaps Max's intentions weren't quite so pure. But Stuart's genuine smile, the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of Max, removed her doubts. “She's really...something,” said Stuart. “I can see where you get it all, Kalina.”

“Get what?”

“Your strength. Your grace. Everything about you. I can see its source in Max. She's smart – funny, when you get to know her.”

“Funny?” Kalina looked doubtful.

“She's strong. Brave. Willing to die for what she believes in…like you, Kalina.” Kalina saw an unmistakable blush spreading across Stuart's pallid cheeks.

“What is it with you, Stuart?” Justin stepped forth. “Charming the pants off all of Kalina's relatives. First me, then Kalina's real mother.”

“Birth mother,” Kalina said quickly.

“I was in Ulan Baatur, tracking down a lead on a latent Carrier, when I got the call for help. I knew Max needed me.”

“How could you tell?”

“She gave me her blood when she revived me,” said Stuart. “It may not have turned me human – given her...well, she's had kids and everything, you – but it was enough to make me stronger. Faster. I can even walk in the sunlight now. Look, no ring!” He showed off his bare hand to Jaegar.

“Lucky bastard,” Jaegar grumbled.

“Anyhow, I've tracked her down here. Or at least, I was trying to. I didn't guess you'd all be here too.”

“Max and Octavius are fighting off Molotov,” Jaegar explained. “Which is exactly where we're going. Or were going.”

“We should continue onwards then,” said Stuart.

“Just a minute,” said Jaegar. “Life's Blood or not, you don't exactly look rested. Why don't you get yourself someone to eat? I know a very obliging waitress near here...”

Kalina grimaced inwardly.

“No thank you, brother. You know I only imbibe vampire wine.”

“There's none to be had here, Stuart – and you'll need your strength for the fight. Trust me, she's willing. And I'll be on hand to make sure you don't hurt her.”

And so Jaegar led Stuart to the waitress, where Stuart fed just as his brother had done, sending the waitress into paroxysms of pleasure. Jaegar watched over them to ensure that Stuart did not lose control – he was not as used to feeding on human blood as Jaegar was, and Jaegar knew it was dangerous should the bloodlust take over. But the waitress left them, alive, if somewhat exhausted, and Jaegar and Stuart stood alone behind the cafe. Kalina and Justin were talking in the distance, out of earshot.

Stuart sighed as he gazed upon Kalina's face. “Looks just like her mother. Kalina’s still a vision,” he said softly.

“The famous Max?” Jaegar clapped his hand upon Stuart's shoulder. “It's a pity she can't turn you – although I'm getting the sense you'd
like
her to! Like mother, like daughter, right?”

Stuart looked embarrassed. “Of course not! Don't be silly. Max and I are nothing but friends and colleagues. I wouldn't dream...she reminds me of Kalina, that’s all.”

“You love her, don't you?” said Stuart, nodding to Kalina.

Jaegar nodded silently. “Don't you?”

Stuart sighed. “I do – I did. I'll always love her. And I'll always regret not turning human. I wanted it more than anything – and yet I was the only one I think she never really loved. She loved the idea of us, of course – the first dates, the courtship. But women always preferred you, brother.”

“And women prefer Octavius to me.” Jaegar shrugged.

“Octavius?”

“He's rather supplanted you as my rival,” said Jaegar. “She loves him. As she can't love either of us.”

“But his oath...”

“He'll never turn,” said Jaegar dismissively. “He wouldn't let himself do it. Pity, that. Maybe if we refused Kalina and told her we'd never be hers, she'd run to us in a heartbeat. Play hard to get and all that.”

“Octavius doesn't play.”