Jude Stephens (23 page)

Leave it to Janel to look at the glass half
full.

Mark grumbled “Yeah interesting
people that are trying to kill Wren.”

Janel looked at me “Oh you know about that
already?”

“
What do you mean? How do you know
people are trying to kill me?”

“
Well, I’ve been working in the
clinic for awhile; there is this really dreamy doctor there. His
name is Kai. He is the most handsome, smartest and compassionate
man I’ve ever met.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, “What happened to
Andy?”

“
Oh him, he took off to go find
that bastard Roberto. I told him if he went we were through. By the
way, why are you here risking your skin for a snake of a man like
Roberto?”

“
Janel, you know if there’s a
chance that I can save him I have to try regardless of the risk.
Besides, I have Mark, Cheve and Alex to help me, and I’ve learned a
lot in the last few months.”

Cheve could keep quiet anymore
“This whole thing stinks, Wren, and you know it. It’s not about
Roberto at all. It’s about eliminating you.” He said to Janel,
“Tell us what you know, so I can do my best to keep this woman
alive despite her foolishness.”

“
I know there are those within The
Evolved community who want her dead so she cannot fulfill her
destiny. I know that they are building and organizing a group just
for that purpose. I also know that Roberto is and was being used to
plot against Wren.”

Janel turned and grasped my hands and I knew that
whatever she was going to say, I didn’t want to hear.

“
I also know that the vampire
that’s lying in your bed right now is also involved in the plot.
I’m so sorry, Sweetie.”

Chapter 23

I felt the blood rush from my head. “No. This can’t
be happening again.”

Janel said, “I’m sorry. Truly I
am, but I have it on good authority that Alex is
involved.”

Angrily I asked her, “Who? Who is your good
authority? It seems to me that at the moment I really can’t trust
anyone anymore.”

Janel looked hurt, “You know I would never say
something unless I was sure. It’s not my intention to hurt you and
I can’t believe you would think so.”

I immediately felt contrite. “Oh,
Janel, I know you wouldn’t try and hurt me on purpose, but I need
to know facts if I’m going to keep myself alive, and sometimes
well, you know you tend to get carried away with a bit of
gossip.”

I couldn’t help but think back to how Janel always
used to buy the tabloids in the supermarket. She was a firm
believer in Bigfoot the Loch Ness Monster and Yeti’s.

I took a minute to stop and think about that. I was
in a room with a vampire, a spirit walker and I myself was a
Sensay. Who was I to judge Janel and the tabloids?

“
I’m sorry, Janel. I didn’t mean
that. I’m just upset and need to know the truth.”

Janel looked a little less hurt, “Well, I told you
I’ve been working at the clinic. We get all kinds of patients
there. A few days ago who walks in but the tall blond bombshell
herself, Annika.”

I had to sit down. I was now positive I didn’t want
to hear this.

“
I knew who she was the minute she
entered. She knew who I was too because she said, ‘What the hell
are you doing here?’ I told her I was helping out and learning to
use my nursing skills for The Evolved now. She narrowed her eyes
and asked, ‘Is the fucking Sensay with you?’ I told her no, and she
just said, ‘good.’

“
I asked what I could do for her
and she told me she needed a bottle of tussin A B.”

At my confused look she said, “Tussin A B is a cough
syrup made especially for vampires. It’s made of a regular cough
syrup and A B positive blood.”

Still confused I asked, “I didn’t think vampires
were susceptible to common colds.”

“
They aren’t, but their children
are, especially before they reach puberty and start their
transformation. Research has shown they do, however, benefit from
blood even before they hit puberty, thus the added addition of pure
A B positive into the cough syrup.”

Janel was pleased with her knowledge of Evolved
medicine I could tell, but I really wanted her to get on with
it.

“
Janel?” I reminded
her.

“
Oh yeah, sorry. Anyway, after I
got her the medicine, she said, ‘Tell the Sensay to trust no one.’
And then she left.”

I felt better. As was usual Janel had been
exaggerating. “That doesn’t mean Alex. She was just warning me
that’s all. Though, I do wonder about that. I’m sure she holds no
love for me.”

Janel said, “I think it’s more
than that though, she said something about her brother being
involved in this mess too now.”

My heart sank. I didn’t believe it. I would not
believe it until I talked to Alex, and I stated as much, “I don’t
know what’s going on but I will say one thing. I trust Alex and I
will give him a chance to explain.”

“
I think that’s a good idea. These
evolved are a secretive and strange lot,” Janel said.

I cleared my throat and Janel hastily added, “I
didn’t mean you. You’re not like them.”

I sat down on the chair. I was
getting tired. “Ah, but I am like them Janel. I’m different now
than when you last saw me. If I concentrate I can hear your
heartbeat loud and clear. By the way it sounds its nice and
healthy. I can smell what you’ve eaten for breakfast through your
pores. By the way, watch the bacon or your heart won’t always beat
so healthy. And I may not have x-ray vision, but I can see just
about every skin cell clearly on the back of your hand. You may
want to change hand lotions by the way, yours isn’t working so
good.”

At her horrified look I shrugged and said, “You’re a
little flaky.”

“
Now, that just creeps me out.
Stop that. You don’t walk around all day sniffing and listening to
people’s bodies, do you?” Janel said clearly disgusted with
me.

“
Of course not. I just wanted you
to understand what I am. I’m not like you. I’ve accepted my
difference. I need you to also. You’re my best friend.”

Janel came over and hugged me. “I’m sorry. I do know
you’re different. I just don’t think of you that way. To me you
will always be sweet Olivia, though I’m glad that you’ve embraced
your real name, I’ve always like it.”

I smiled, “Everyone seems to have shortened it to
Wren now.”

“
I like that even
better.”

In a way I was glad there was at
least one person on the planet that didn’t look at me differently.
God knows, most days I felt like a freak.

I stifled a yawn and Cheve said,
“Wren must get some rest. Since we are among The Evolved there will
not be need for protection, so we will all get some sleep and meet
in the dining room at dusk.”

Janel was giving Cheve what I liked to call the
flirt eyes. “I like the way you take command Cheve.”

I almost laughed at his wary expression. I felt like
telling him to run as fast as he could. I said my goodnight to
everyone, quickly showered and climbed into bed beside Alex.

I lay beside him looking at his boyish features. He
looked so peaceful and innocent in his death sleep. Could he be
playing me? Somehow I didn’t think so. What we needed to do was
talk to Annika. As much as I hated to face her I knew she was a key
to everything.

I slept and when I awoke it was to the sweet
sensation of Alex on top of me. Unable to stop the flames from
building, I opened myself to him. I was wet and ready and he slid
inside me. “God Baby, promise me I’ll wake up next to you for the
rest of our lives and I’ll never ask for anything else. I love you
Wren.”

He kissed me until I was dizzy and
couldn’t think clearly. His hips pumping fast, it didn’t take
either of us very long to shout out with our climaxes, and I
couldn’t help tease him, “Well, that was short and
sweet.”

Instead of being put out by my
remarks he replied, “Yep…that’s the way I say good evening. After
feeding, I’ll start showing you how I say good night, and I’ll say
it all night long.”

I hit him with a pillow. “Go shower and dress. We
have to meet Janel and the guys in the dining room.”

He groaned, “Oh God, you found her, huh?”

“
Stop it. She’s my dearest friend,
and I want you to be nice to her.”

“
You ask a lot my love, but for
you I will do it.”

He rolled out of bed in all of his naked
gloriousness and I said to him, “You are so beautiful. You look
like you were sculpted by the Gods themselves.”

He grinned and said, “Yeah, I know.”

I threw the other pillow at him. One of the things I
loved about him was that he was so easy going. He didn’t turn every
conversation into a life and death matter like Roberto tended to
do. I felt uncomfortable comparing the two vampires, but I couldn’t
help it.

I would have to mention Annika
before we went down to meet the others. When Alex returned from the
shower, I was dressed and ready to talk. He sang while he dressed.
“Let’s spend the night together. Now I need you more than ever.” I
still couldn’t believe how beautiful his voice was. “You seem to
favor the British Invasion.” I said to him.

He turned with a wide grin, “Oh yeah. The sixties in
London was a wild time.”

I could see Alex in sixties
fashions dancing in the clubs. My breathing quickened when I
pictured myself dancing in his arms. I forced my mind from the
enticing image and saw Alex watching me with a lazy smile. “We
don’t have to go down and meet Janel. I can call room service and
we can stay in bed all night.”

He began walking towards me clad only in his jeans.
I tried staring at his bare feet but strangely even that was
turning me on.

I jumped up. “No. Janel has information about
Annika.” I blurted.

He stopped. “What? Is Annika here?”

“
I believe so. Janel saw her at
the clinic a few days ago.”

“
The clinic? Is she
sick?”

“
Um no, she was getting some
medicine for a child.”

A pained look crossed his face. “I
guess she had a child then.” He sat down on the edge of the bed.
“It’s hard to understand any of this, Wren. I don’t get why Annika
ran away. There was a time when we were young that Annika and I
would share everything. I love my sister and to not know what’s
going on hurts.”

I went over and wrapped my arms around him. “Don’t
worry we’ll find Annika and straighten everything out. And then
we’ll find Roberto and we’ll go home.”

“
I like the sound of that. Home.
Do you think your Mother would mind if we built a bigger place on
the island? Maybe on the other side?”

“
Why Mr. Sandstrom are you asking
me to move in with you?”

Looking serious Alex said, “No Wren. I’m asking you
to marry me.”

“
Marry?” I repeated.

“
Yeah Wren, marry. I know we’re
already bonded in the vampire way. I want to marry you in the way
humans do. I want the world to know how much I love you. I want to
be your husband and walk beside you everyday.”

My head was spinning. Part of me wanted to jump up
and down and say yes, yes, yes! Another part of me cringed at the
word marriage. My first marriage with Brian had been a disaster and
it wasn’t just the cheating thing. He was critical and controlling.
Now that I discovered my abilities and my purpose in the world, I
liked being the one in command of my life.

Sensing my hesitation Alex said, “Baby you don’t
have to answer me now. I just wanted you to understand how I feel
about you. How I’ve always felt. I know you love me and that is all
that matters to me.”

I did love him, and I knew that he
loved me. He was right. That’s all that mattered. I kissed him. “I
love you Alex, and one day it will be the right time and we’ll both
know. We need to clean up this mess around us first.”

He sighed “Of course you’re right, but damn I just
wish the world could go away so that I can concentrate on loving
you.”

I laughed. “You need to concentrate on loving
me?”

He leered at me, “Oh yeah. I need
to think about all the places and all the positions that I’m going
to take you in. There is this hot spring right here on this island
where I picture us making wild love…”

I jumped up. “Okay…now I need to concentrate on
something else. Let’s go down to the dining room.”

When we got downstairs, everyone was already there.
To my delight even Bullet was lying beside the table. When he
spotted me he got up and met me halfway wagging his tail.

“
Hiya Boy. Are they taking good
care of you?” I asked while I petted him.

I looked at Alex “Is it okay for him to be in the
dining room?”

Alex bent down and petted Bullet’s sleek fur. “Sure,
this is a hotel that caters to The Evolved after all. Believe me
half the guests in the dining room right now are far more wild than
Bullet.”

I glanced around. The people in the dining room
looked normal enough to me. I opened up my senses and was assaulted
by a myriad of smells, sounds, visions, and feelings that literally
knocked me on my ass. It had come at me like a freight train.

Alex was helping me up when the others came to
assist.

Cheve gave me a scowl. “Wren, what were you thinking
opening yourself up like that?”

“
I’m sorry. I wanted to see what
types of Evolved there are here.”