HerVampireLover (7 page)

As soon as they were gone, Cat’s mind raced. They almost died, she was pregnant, and…and she was a vampire. There was an almost surreal quality in the air that made her feel the last five minutes hadn’t quite happened. She turned and watched Tobias rise.

“I thought we were going to die,” she said numbly.

His expression was grave. “We were. You saved us, Cat.”

“I can feel it. The baby.”

“That’s one of the wonderful gifts you’ve acquired turning into a vampire.”

Her head was woozy and her vision started to blur. “Umm…I…I don’t feel so great.”

His mouth tensed. “I know. Immediately after a turning, the fledgling vampire must feed, otherwise they will die.” In two strides, he stood before her.

She collapsed into his arms and gasped for air. “I don’t think I’m ready to drink blood.”

“Cat, you don’t have a choice.”

“Can’t…can’t I drink a
V8
or something? A red wine? Does it have to be blood?” Her stomach burned. God, this was excruciatingly painful. “Damnit! I didn’t even have a minute to enjoy I’m pregnant. Now, you’re telling me I have to hunt a squirrel and drink its blood.” A searing spasm in her gut doubled her over. She was having difficulty breathing. “This is what it feels like to live forever? You have to be kidding me. I feel like I’m dying.” She groaned as another spasm speared her.

Tobias lowered himself to the ground, taking her with him. Gently, he placed her on his lap. “You will die in a few minutes if you don’t feed. Take my wrist. My blood will save you.” He brought his wrist close to her mouth. “Please, Cat. Don’t fight this. Drink my blood and save yourself,” he said, his voice breaking.

She knew if she didn’t, she
would
die and so would her unborn child. Suddenly, a treacherous cold seeped through her veins. She
was
dying. In the movies, didn’t people say they were cold and two minutes later, they died?

Common sense prevailed and she licked her dry lips, stiffening in surprise as her tongue ran over the tiny incisors in her mouth. She really was a vampire!  The cold in her limbs grew and she squeezed her eyes before sinking her newfound, pointy teeth into his wrist. Drinking his blood beat out dying, and she sucked and swallowed, trying hard not to gag.

Stunned, her brows rose to the rafters. His blood tasted amazingly sweet, like warm milk with honey. As she drank, her pains subsided, her breathing returned to normal, and her racing heart calmed down.

“That’s enough, Cat.” Tobias’s voice sounded strained and hoarse.

She moaned. My God, she couldn’t get enough of him.

“Cat. Stop!” He took her by the shoulders and gently pulled her away. “A fledgling vampire’s initial thirst is insatiable, and if I let you, you would drink every last drop in my body.”

She licked her lips and noticed her incisors had retracted. “Sorry. Did…did I hurt you?”

Slowly, he smiled. “No.” He rose and took her hand. “And don’t worry about hunting for animals. We only hunt when absolutely necessary. Back home, my kind keeps a freezer full of blood. All we need is an equivalent of a glass a day to survive and we have doctors who supply us.”

“Vampire doctors?”

“Yes, and vampires who work in hospitals.” He opened his arms. “Come here.”

Willingly she went into his embrace and nestled her face in his chest. “Am I really going to live forever?”

“Yes.”

“Won’t you grow tired of me?” She couldn’t believe she’d just asked him that.

“Never.”

He placed a gentle hand to her chin and raised her face to his. He kissed her tenderly. “We need to leave, Cat.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know.”

She covered her face with her hands. “What have I done?”

“What you had to do. I owe you my life. Our child owes you its life.” Tenderly, he took her hands and pulled them away from her face. The look he gave her made her limbs melt. “And I love you more because of it. You are a brave woman.”

Her mind raced as he held her in his strong arms. Hearing him say he loved her comforted her.

I love you.
Three little words that had so much impact.

Three little words she was beginning to believe she could tell him.

Chapter Eight

Within the hour, Cat cleaned the living room from the debris the Grangers had caused when they blew down the door and Tobias sealed the door-less entrance by nailing the table top from the inside. Repairing the BMW’s cut wire proved more challenging, but he’d managed to repair that as well. Cat knew she had a lot of explaining to do to Mel and she would, the first chance she gathered her courage.

After the car was packed, she snapped her seatbelt in place and settled back in her seat, promising herself she’d call Mel once they arrived in New York. The easy part was telling her about the cabin door, her kitchen table, her Hummer, but how was she going to tell her the rest of it? Her immortality? Her pregnancy? Her vampire lover?

The drive would take the better part of the day, bringing them to Manhattan by nightfall. She leaned back on her headrest and closed her eyes, sighing wearily. Was any of this going to get easier?

Tobias shot her a quick sideways glance, his expression concerned. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “As good as can be expected. I’m just trying to figure out how to tell Mel what happened.” She gave him a quick look and noticed him grip the wheel tighter. “It’s her cabin. I was staying here for a week. She’s my agent and my best friend.”

“Cat, you can tell her the cabin was robbed while you were out, but you can’t tell her any of the rest. Not to anyone.”

She frowned. “She won’t say anything. We can trust her.”

He sighed heavily. “Cat, you don’t understand. You must keep your new life a secret from everyone, for their own safety. The Grangers will assume Mel will eventually turn into one of us and so kill her.”

Cat gasped.

“I’m sorry, but it’s true. The Grangers have murdered humans who’ve befriended vampires in the past.”

“No!”

“Yes. So unless you want to risk your best friend’s life, she must never know about you. Eventually, you must stop seeing her. I can understand that will take time, but it’s something you must do.”

“No,” she repeated, her voice quavering. Mel was all she had, more family than a friend. “I won’t do it.”

“Cat, if you don’t, you’ll be putting her life in danger. I’m sorry.”

Her stomach dropped. She couldn’t do that. She couldn’t hurt Mel. She loved her like a sister, the sister she never had. “What if we protect her? Keep a close eye on her?”

He shook his head solemnly. “It won’t work. You won’t be able to spend every moment of every day with her. As much as we want our human friends in our lives, we must let them go. Our code is to protect humans, not put their lives at risk.”

Cat didn’t know what to say. She turned and looked at the wintry, forest scene rolling by her window. Her throat was dry. He was right. She couldn’t put Mel’s life in jeopardy. Her mind went back to the morning, when she’d decided to turn into a vampire.  If she knew then what she knew now, would she have made the same choice? Slowly, her hand went over her belly and warmth settled in her breast—the love for her unborn child.

Yes, she would have made the same choice all over again. A thousand times, yes.

“Okay,” she said numbly. “I’ll do it, but I need time.”

He removed his right hand from the steering wheel and squeezed her hand on her belly. “Try to get some sleep. We’ll feed when we get to my home. You can call her from there.”

For a long time, she stared unseeingly at the bare trees, the snow-covered terrain, the overcast sky, then eventually she closed her eyes. Being a vampire, her immortality, Tobias, and a child came with a heavy price.

She felt herself drifting off to sleep and welcomed it.

* * * *

Even though Cat knew she was dreaming, it didn’t stop her from thinking how real it was.

She was in a field, carrying a small basket as she picked through the various plant life and shrubbery. The weather was overcast, the air cool. She looked down at her attire and noted her long, empire cut dress. It was pale blue with white lace trimming the edges. She spun around at the sound of a horse galloping toward her. She smiled. It was Tobias, looking gallant and magnificent in a black coat. Her smile faltered as she caught his dangerous frown.

He vaulted off his horse the moment he reached her side and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Seraphina, I have been looking everywhere for you. I told you never to venture off without me.”

So…she was Seraphina in this dream. Interesting. Well, she knew how that had seeped into her subconscious.

“Don’t be cross with me, darling. I was looking for herbs to heal Mr. McTavish. His wife told me he still suffers from nerves and hasn’t slept. There’s valerian in these parts.”

Was that her voice? It sounded different, more lilting, and softer than her well-modulated, even tone.

Tobias looked up. “It looks like rain. I’ll help you look.”

Cat, or rather, Seraphina smiled up at him. “After we find it, I will go see him quickly and be home by night fall.”

Tobias nodded. “Don’t forget I have to help the Forresters. I will be home as soon as I have repaired their well.”

Seraphina went into his arms and hugged him. “And then we can have a quiet night to celebrate our anniversary. Can you believe it’s already been ten years? What should we do tonight?”

His gaze dipped to her breasts. “I can think of a few things,” he murmured deeply, then bent his head to take her mouth.

His mouth was firm and warm. Cat moaned softly. Mm, she liked this dream. She dropped the basket and slid her hands up his arms around his neck, pressing her body close to his. He was aroused.

He deepened the kiss, running his hands up and down her back. Then, with a groan, he withdrew from her. “You will be the death of me, Seraphina. I have a mind to suggest we forget the valerian and the Forresters and go straight home.”

Seraphina feigned a look of reproach. “And let poor Mr. McTavish suffer another sleepless night?”

He smiled. “Fine, but the second I come home, I plan to have my own sleepless night with you.”

She giggled. “Promise?”

He ran a dark, intense gaze over her face and took her back in his arms. “I love you, Seraphina. The past ten years have been more than I could ask for.” He paused. “And I’ve been thinking, tonight would be a good time to start our family. We’ve been talking about having children for a while now.”

She smiled up at him. “Oh, yes. I love you, Tobias.”

Cat was surprised how comfortable she was saying the words. In her dream, she did love him. Suddenly, her heart swelled with emotion. Then, like a dam bursting, she saw the ten years with him rush before her eyes. The laughter, the warmth, the caring. All the passion and love. She was breathless. She knew she was dreaming, but the love she had for him was real. The ten years together were real. They happened. And she remembered every wonderful, joyful, satisfying moment.

“Come,” he said, taking her hand. “Show me where to look for your valerian.”

Suddenly everything around her disappeared—the fields, Tobias, her basket, and she found herself standing in front of a small keep. She didn’t know how or why, but somehow she knew it was Seraphina’s and Tobias’s home.

And she was surrounded by ten men. There were two in particular she felt a connection to, an older man with graying hair, and a younger, handsome blond man.

Seraphina’s father and brother. Clive and Quinn Granger.

They were carrying stakes.

Seraphina screamed and Cat woke up in a cold sweat. Gasping, she looked around her and was relieved to see she was in the car with Tobias.

“Cat, what is it?” He asked, trying to regain control of the car.

Her scream must have jarred him. She gave him a frightened look and noticed his taut, grim profile.

“I had a bad dream.”

He tossed her a concerned look. “Do you want me to pull over?”

“No.” Something was troubling her deeply. She took a deep breath and faced him. “Tobias, did Seraphina die on your ten-year anniversary?”

He sucked in a harsh breath and gave her a dark look. “So it has begun.”

Her stomach jolted. “
What
has begun?”

“Your subconscious is starting to reawaken. Vampires remember everything, even past lives.”

Cat frowned. “You mean the dream I just had where I was looking for valerian for Mr. McTavish and you found me in the field, really happened?”
She was afraid of the answer.

“Yes.” He gripped the wheel so tight, even in the dimly lit car she saw the white streaks on his hands. “I had finished helping the Forresters with their well and was on my way home when I saw what happened.”

“You saw the stake through my heart and then my father finishing the job with an axe?”

“Yes.”

She covered her face with her hands. The dream felt so real. More so, how was she able to dream it? Tobias had never told her it had been their anniversary when Seraphina had died. He’d never mentioned the valerian, the McTavishes, the Forresters. Was it true?
Was
she Seraphina?

What about the brief flash where she’d seen her ten years with Tobias? They seemed so real. The love she experienced felt real. Those ten years were a part of her memories now. “Maybe you should pull over. I think I’m going to be sick.”

He glanced in the rear view mirror and shook his head. “I can’t. He’s back.”

She, too, glanced over her shoulder and saw nothing. No headlights, no movement.
Nothing
. “Who?”

“I’m not sure, but one of my kind has been following us the past couple of hundred miles.”

* * * *

The Elder moved with grace and speed through the woods. Thankfully, the weather was on his side.
Cloudy.
He vaulted over boulders, sped across the snow-covered road, and raced through the dense woods. Even though he knew following them on foot was a better camouflage, he also knew Tobias sensed him, aware he was not far behind.