Blood Judgment (Judgment Series) (8 page)

“I can’t,” Julian said.

Saranna looked at him as if he were a few notes short of a measure. “You have to. Look at your wounds, they’re badly infected. That isn’t going to clear up by itself and it could kill you.”

“I don’t have enough money to pay a doctor.” Julian’s face burned. Never in his life had he been poor. He didn’t like it, but his future was looking pretty bleak in the finance department.

“Jason was a half-breed, like you were. He takes whatever he can get,” Saranna said. “If a patient has nothing, he charges nothing.”

Julian stifled a groan. Now he was a charity case.
Just great
.

JULIAN FIDGETED while Dr. Jason Bradford scribbled notes on a chart, wrapping up the humiliating visit. He needed to get out of there. Almost anywhere else would be preferable at that point.

Saranna stood next to him and patted his shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Despite his embarrassment, her kindness made him want to believe everything would be all right.

Unlike the others, she’d almost managed to hide her reaction when the doctor insisted Julian remove his shirt and the scars and fresh cuts in his arms had been exposed.

Dr. Bradford put the chart aside. “I want you to come back if your hand isn’t better in a couple of days. You don’t want the infection getting worse.”

Julian slid off the exam table. “Thanks, Doc.”

“Call me Jason, everyone else does.” He handed a bottle of antibiotics to Julian. “Take the meds as indicated on the bottle. Take all of them, even if you feel better before they’re gone.” Next, he gave Julian a slip of paper with a name and phone number. “You might want to talk with her. She’s also a doctor, a counselor. I think she might be able to help you.”

Julian’s face flamed. He stuffed the paper in his pocket with no intention of ever using it. No way was he talking to some stranger about his problems. He could deal with whatever came down the pike without someone trying to psychoanalyze him to death.

“One other thing,” Jason said.

Julian’s belly knotted. Now what? He’d suffered enough embarrassment already by discussing his new status among the lower class and his inability to pay. The doctor’s hint to see a shrink hadn’t helped. Julian wished he could will himself invisible and sneak out like a whipped dog.

“Don’t mention me to any human. I’d lose my house and have nowhere to work if people knew about me.”

“I have no reason to talk to humans.”

“What about your human family?” The doc cocked his head.

“I don’t have family. Human or otherwise.”

Jason nodded. “I hope I don’t see you again. At least not in professional capacity. But knowing who you’ve fallen in with, you’ll be a frequent flyer. With two of them in the Resistance, someone’s always here.”

The Resistance?
Holy fucking shit!

“Try to keep your brother and cousin from getting him killed before he has a chance to learn what he is,” Jason said before sliding out of the room.

Cousin? Vali or some other cousin?

“Come on,” Saranna said. “Let’s pick up your things and go home.”

HEART THUDDING, Julian stepped inside Saranna’s apartment.

“It’s small, but we can make do,” she said.

She wasn’t kidding. The apartment was tiny and populated with worn furniture. She didn’t have much, but everything was tidy and spotless.

“Just put your things over there,” she said, motioning toward the wall.

He placed the violin case out of the way of foot traffic. He held on to the duffel bag.

Though his insides were knotted with hunger, a hot shower was a necessity overriding everything else. He’d wanted to clean up before surrendering the key to his room, but she’d insisted he wait. “I have to clean up.”

She pointed to a door next to the single bedroom. “Shower’s in there. Make yourself at home.”

He ducked into the bathroom. It sparkled with cleanliness and smelled of lemon.

He caught his reflection in the mirror and stood transfixed. Dirt smudged his bruised face and deep shadows accented his eyes. He resembled countless vampires he’d sneered at, vampires he’d considered beneath him.

He’d never known true shame as a human. Now he knew it intimately.

He cranked on the shower and peeled off his ruined clothing. Teeth clenched, he stepped under the stinging spray. It hit his wounds and he gasped at the shock.

He stood head down, shivering as a chill raced through him despite the heat in the steaming shower stall.

He washed away the grime and blood and took inventory of himself. An assortment of bruises marred his skin. The claw marks down his torso were ghastly. His arms… God they probably thought he was a mental case.

Shit, he looked awful.

He stalled. He hadn’t been jittery around a female since he was seventeen years old. But Saranna made him jumpy as a wild colt. Which was stupid. It wasn’t like he was inexperienced. But the idea of feeding from her in front of strangers had him in knots.

He finished showering and dressed in clean clothes. After stalling for a few more minutes, he took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom.

Everyone focused on him.

Saranna’s eyes widened. “Now I know who you are. You’re Julian Wilkes. You’re with the symphony.”

Her words cut hard. “I
was
.”

“Oh. Oh, Julian. I’m so sorry.”

“Not your fault.” He tried to force a smile and failed. “How did—”

“I saw you perform once. At an outdoor concert. Your playing was breathtaking.” She stared at him with something like awe. “Your hair was different. You had it pulled back in a tail.”

“Symphony requirement.” From the corner of his eye he caught Slade scowling.

She nodded. “You played a solo. I don’t know the name of the piece, but it was incredible.”

He’d played his ass off when he tore through the Saint Saens piece. “The concertmaster was ill. I took his place.”

“I can’t believe it’s really you.”

He couldn’t believe it either.

She patted the beige cushion next to her.

He hesitated only a moment before a hard jab of hunger set him in motion. He reached the sofa in a few long strides and settled beside her. Her scent enveloped and tantalized him. He breathed it in, holding her fragrance within him.

She rolled up her sleeve.

Ground Zero and now he didn’t care that they had onlookers; he was too starved to give a shit.

She eased closer and extended her arm. “Just bite and let instinct guide you.”

He took her arm and lowered his head. Unable to stop himself, he flicked his tongue over her wrist. Her skin was soft and warm. His face heated. Inherently, he understood he was engaging in a form of sexual behavior in front of her brother and cousin. He knew that, unrestricted, vampires would feed from humans, not each other, unless they were mates.

“It’s okay.” Her tone soothed. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Heart pounding, Julian fastened his mouth on her wrist, then hesitated as self-consciousness gripped him. He shifted on the sofa. Did Vali and Slade have to sit there like a rapt audience?

“Go on,” she said, encouraging him.

Shit
. He tried to shut out her brother and cousin. Didn’t work.

Fuck it. He bit hard. She jerked, but steadied. Blood poured into his mouth. Moaning in relief, he clamped down and drank.

Her blood hit his shrunken gut, soothing the pain and spreading warmth throughout his body. Shuddering, he fed with long greedy draws despite his effort to restrain himself. His cock hardened, pushing against his jeans. Mortified, he shifted to keep her from noticing.

“It’s a natural reaction. Don’t worry about it.” She spoke quietly. Compassion and maybe sorrow reflected in the hazel depths of her eyes.

Minutes stretched, until feather-light, she touched his cheek. “You have to stop. I can’t give you any more.”

His fangs ached and hunger still burned in him, but he stroked his tongue over her wrist and backed off. “Thank you,” he whispered.

She clapped a folded hand towel over the wound. “Come here, Slade, he’s still hungry.”

“No! I’m okay.” Feeding from Slade sounded about as pleasant as a root canal.

“You sure? I can take care of you, I don’t mind.” Slade’s offer didn’t ring true. Not even close.

“I’m fine. Really.” Mild hunger was nothing after what he’d been through. He’d gotten enough to sustain him. Besides the idea of feeding from Slade was too off-putting. Neither of them wanted to go there.

Saranna rose and disappeared into the bedroom. She returned a few minutes later with blankets, a sleeping bag, and a thick pillow.

She piled them on the floor, using the blankets for a cushion. “Vali gets the sofa, so you’ll have to make do with this. You’ll want to sleep soon. Feeding has that effect.”

“Thanks.” She was right. With the hunger pain lessened, the sleeping bag looked inviting. A chill raced over his skin followed by heat. Besides, he needed to let his body heal and recover from the infection that had taken control of him.

“Go ahead, bunk in. I’ll take these two outside so you can sleep.”

SARANNA SAT on the top step outside the apartment building. Vali and Slade perched below her.

She drew in a deep breath of moisture-laden air. It would rain soon.

Slade shifted. “How long are you going to keep him here?”

“As long as he wants to stay.”

“Not a good idea, sis.”

“Someone turned him because they wanted him to suffer, knowing he probably wouldn’t survive. I’m not throwing him back for the wolves to eat.”

Slade shook his head. “What if he turns out bad? He’s been knocked around and who knows what his life was like before any of this. He might be a walking time bomb.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Didn’t you see his arms? He cuts himself. He’s not right.”

“People who do that have trouble coping with their problems.” Why did Slade have to be a bastard whenever a guy entered the picture? A shiver ran over her.

“Yeah? What do you think he’s going through now? This has to be the most traumatic thing he’s ever experienced.”

“He’ll be okay.”

“He’s a symphony musician, a sissy-boy violinist for God’s sake. He’s not used to the way we’re forced to live. What if he can’t handle it?”

“He’s not a sissy and he’ll handle it. He has to.” She would help him adjust.

“I don’t like it. I’ll be honest, I don’t like him.”

“It’ll be fine.” Goosebumps covered her skin. What if he did something to Julian?

“Saranna, be careful. He’s a stranger, ignorant of our ways. He might be bad news, so don’t get too attached to him. I wouldn’t allow you to keep him here if you were alone together.”

She bristled. “I can handle a starved fledgling.”

Slade met her eyes. “He may be starved now, but he’ll recover. You’ll have a
physically
healthy male on your hands. And you know nothing about him other than he has a pretty face and likes to hurt himself.”

Chapter Six

CHRISTOPHER STALKED the streets with a single-minded purpose. A cold mist fell like vapor and most females, human and vampire alike, had gone indoors.

He’d find one though, sooner or later. Whores trolled the streets regardless of shitty weather. Tonight, he wanted a female vampire. Strong enough to put up a fight, they were more challenging than humans.

On the opposite side of the street, people streamed from Benaroya Hall. Sneering, he stopped and sized up the concert hall. His son would be in there. He considered waiting in the shadows for Julian. Not that he wanted to make contact.

If they ever crossed paths, Julian would know. He looked like Christopher had when he’d been young, some two hundred years ago.

The vampire pressed on. He had more important things to do than check up on his half-breed son. He needed a female to assuage the anger burning inside him.

He drew in damp air. The stench of wet city streets and automobile exhaust overpowered his senses, but, underneath, he picked up the scent of a female close to her heat cycle. The ripe fragrance teased Christopher’s cock until it pushed against his trousers. Excitement raced through his veins.

Encountering a female in heat, or close to it, rarely happened. Most were smart enough to remain indoors, safe from predatory males.

Christopher followed the scent for two blocks before spotting a scantily-dressed female huddled under an overhang. She was too thin, but blond hair framed a pretty face. Balanced on blood-red high heels, her bare legs were long and elegant. The scent of her approaching fertility clogged his nostrils and his cock strained at the zipper of his tailored pants.

He manufactured a friendly expression. “Excuse me, Miss. Do you know how to get to Moore Theatre?”

She stepped from the shelter, desperation in her eyes spelling out her willingness to whore herself. “I know where it’s at.”

He’d seen the look too many times, both in humans and vampires, not to recognize it. “Could you show me? I’m terrible at following directions.”

“I can take you right to it.” A little smile of implied promise lit her face.

He made a sweeping gesture with his arm. “Lead the way, my dear.”

“It’s easiest to go this way.” She led him to an alleyway and cut into the dark passage. “Have you…” The words died on her lips.

He’d lost control of his expression and knew feral anger and the desire for her blood blazed on his face.

She opened her mouth and he fell on her, wrapping her in his unyielding arms. “Don’t scream.”

She trembled in his grasp. “Please … don’t hurt me.”

He growled.

Whimpering, she squeezed her eyes shut.

Snake-strike fast, he dipped his head and tore into her throat. She stiffened and sucked in a breath. He tightened his arms around her, a silent threat to remain quiet. She exhaled in a gasp, the scream dying before crossing her lips. Instead, she struggled in his hold like a trapped animal.

He let her fight, enjoying the friction of her body writhing against his. His cock responded, growing harder.