Page 9
Story: Seth
Chapter Six
Seth
They had moved inside her house after Aubrey sensed Seth shiver from the plunging temperatures on the late September night.She filled the kettle and set it on the stove to brew him a cup of tea and he couldn’t stop himself from asking questions, wanting to know everything about her.
“Why do you have food in your house?Have you tried to eat?”
She laughed and shook her head.“No, but Cole comes over, especially after a break-up, and the only way to cheer him up is by feeding him.I haven’t forgotten how to cook from all the years that I took care of myself, so I stock up just in case.”
“You both are the most generous people I’ve ever met.”
“I was in a spot when I first met him—it’s the least I can do.”
“So I take it his dates usually end in disaster?” Seth asked, curious about the man who loved Aubrey like family.
Aubrey handed him the hot mug before she took the seat next to him at her kitchen table.The humor left Aubrey and he nudged her into telling him what happened.
“Usually his dates are losers who discover that he’s a ER doctor who earns a well-paid salary.They come to realize that Cole is a people-pleaser and they take advantage of him.His relationships don’t last long after they get what they want from him, depending on the asshole.”
“Usually?”
“There was this guy, Mark.I didn’t know at first that he started to hit Cole.Cole later told me that it had been a couple of times and he hid the bruises from me, but one night he showed up with a broken arm and a battered face.I took him to the ER and he was patched up, but the emotional toll took longer to get over.Last Friday was his first date in years.I did a background check on his latest date, Simon, and it turns out he’s a nice guy.He started a children’s charity after his nephew died of cancer.He’s never been married, doesn’t have kids, and there’s no criminal record.But if he ever hurts Cole…”
“Do I want to know what happened to Mark?”
Her answering sneer said it all, but she told him how she had run him out of town after she’d taught him a lesson.After she’d described everything she’d done to the man, his only surprise was that the man was still alive and he told her so.
“Pain is something that lasts longer.If I killed him, he wouldn’t remember the fear and pain I caused.”
“Well, at least you and the assassins will get along.”
“What…assassins?”
“Fuck, yeah.Sorry.MaybeIshould start at the beginning.”
He skimmed over his relationship with his parents; they weren’t an important part of his life and they could wait until later.
“I met Kai when I was twelve.He was my mysterious next-door neighbor; you know, never out during the day, stealthy, rich as sin.And when my curiosity got the best of me, he caught me trying to break into his house.I thought that he slept in a coffin or had humans chained up in his basement to feed from, stupid shit like that.Well, I didn’t get very far.I suck at trying to pick locks and he caught me.”
She gasped.“Were you scared?”
“I thought he was going to kill me, but he took me inside and talked to me like I was an adult.He let me ask any questions I wanted to and he answered them.He told me he was a vampire—he turned in the early 1800’s—but he wouldn’t tell me what he did for a living.It turns out he works as a government contractor, along with thirty-some shifters and several vampires, assassinating targets that their human counterparts couldn’t touch.I was seventeen when he met his mate, Liv.Liv was human, an immunologist.Her work was stolen and manipulated into making a bioweapon to kill immortals and she risked her life and career to warn Kai and the others.Liv watched out for me and we became close.”
Seth paused as he remembered what happened to Liv.
“What is it?”Aubrey reached for his hands and squeezed gently.
“The scientist who had stolen her work kidnapped her and tortured her.He sent a vampire, Kane, whose mate had been held in exchange for his cooperation to kidnap Liv.He couldn’t find a way into Kai’s secured house, but one day he spotted me as I was going to see her and forced me to open the door for him.Liv exchanged herself for me.She had been beaten within an inch of her life.The only reason she survived is because Kai had turned her while she’d been in a coma.”
“It’s not your fault.You were a kid.Do you think that Liv would’ve allowed you to be hurt in any way?She gave up her career to warn those she didn’t even know and from what you’ve told me, she would’ve done anything to protect those she loves.”
Coming from someone who’d never met Liv, Seth finally started to believe that Liv being kidnapped by Kane had been a set of unfortunate circumstances.He still felt guilty, but he never let it affect his relationship with Liv.
“How do you know the vampire’s name who kidnapped her?” Aubrey asked.
“Liv had dosed him with a sedative and knocked him out when she realized that Kane didn’t want to hurt her.Kane confessed all and learned the fate of his mate.It turned out that Dr. Ames had killed his mate, but pretended she was still his captive to manipulate Kane into doing what he wanted.Liv killed Dr. Ames with the same bioweapon he created, after she learned the fate of Kane’s mate.Kane decided that he needed a purpose in life, so when Ghost, the boss, offered him a job, he accepted.After some training, Kane is now an assassin.”
“Is Liv an assassin?”
Seth
They had moved inside her house after Aubrey sensed Seth shiver from the plunging temperatures on the late September night.She filled the kettle and set it on the stove to brew him a cup of tea and he couldn’t stop himself from asking questions, wanting to know everything about her.
“Why do you have food in your house?Have you tried to eat?”
She laughed and shook her head.“No, but Cole comes over, especially after a break-up, and the only way to cheer him up is by feeding him.I haven’t forgotten how to cook from all the years that I took care of myself, so I stock up just in case.”
“You both are the most generous people I’ve ever met.”
“I was in a spot when I first met him—it’s the least I can do.”
“So I take it his dates usually end in disaster?” Seth asked, curious about the man who loved Aubrey like family.
Aubrey handed him the hot mug before she took the seat next to him at her kitchen table.The humor left Aubrey and he nudged her into telling him what happened.
“Usually his dates are losers who discover that he’s a ER doctor who earns a well-paid salary.They come to realize that Cole is a people-pleaser and they take advantage of him.His relationships don’t last long after they get what they want from him, depending on the asshole.”
“Usually?”
“There was this guy, Mark.I didn’t know at first that he started to hit Cole.Cole later told me that it had been a couple of times and he hid the bruises from me, but one night he showed up with a broken arm and a battered face.I took him to the ER and he was patched up, but the emotional toll took longer to get over.Last Friday was his first date in years.I did a background check on his latest date, Simon, and it turns out he’s a nice guy.He started a children’s charity after his nephew died of cancer.He’s never been married, doesn’t have kids, and there’s no criminal record.But if he ever hurts Cole…”
“Do I want to know what happened to Mark?”
Her answering sneer said it all, but she told him how she had run him out of town after she’d taught him a lesson.After she’d described everything she’d done to the man, his only surprise was that the man was still alive and he told her so.
“Pain is something that lasts longer.If I killed him, he wouldn’t remember the fear and pain I caused.”
“Well, at least you and the assassins will get along.”
“What…assassins?”
“Fuck, yeah.Sorry.MaybeIshould start at the beginning.”
He skimmed over his relationship with his parents; they weren’t an important part of his life and they could wait until later.
“I met Kai when I was twelve.He was my mysterious next-door neighbor; you know, never out during the day, stealthy, rich as sin.And when my curiosity got the best of me, he caught me trying to break into his house.I thought that he slept in a coffin or had humans chained up in his basement to feed from, stupid shit like that.Well, I didn’t get very far.I suck at trying to pick locks and he caught me.”
She gasped.“Were you scared?”
“I thought he was going to kill me, but he took me inside and talked to me like I was an adult.He let me ask any questions I wanted to and he answered them.He told me he was a vampire—he turned in the early 1800’s—but he wouldn’t tell me what he did for a living.It turns out he works as a government contractor, along with thirty-some shifters and several vampires, assassinating targets that their human counterparts couldn’t touch.I was seventeen when he met his mate, Liv.Liv was human, an immunologist.Her work was stolen and manipulated into making a bioweapon to kill immortals and she risked her life and career to warn Kai and the others.Liv watched out for me and we became close.”
Seth paused as he remembered what happened to Liv.
“What is it?”Aubrey reached for his hands and squeezed gently.
“The scientist who had stolen her work kidnapped her and tortured her.He sent a vampire, Kane, whose mate had been held in exchange for his cooperation to kidnap Liv.He couldn’t find a way into Kai’s secured house, but one day he spotted me as I was going to see her and forced me to open the door for him.Liv exchanged herself for me.She had been beaten within an inch of her life.The only reason she survived is because Kai had turned her while she’d been in a coma.”
“It’s not your fault.You were a kid.Do you think that Liv would’ve allowed you to be hurt in any way?She gave up her career to warn those she didn’t even know and from what you’ve told me, she would’ve done anything to protect those she loves.”
Coming from someone who’d never met Liv, Seth finally started to believe that Liv being kidnapped by Kane had been a set of unfortunate circumstances.He still felt guilty, but he never let it affect his relationship with Liv.
“How do you know the vampire’s name who kidnapped her?” Aubrey asked.
“Liv had dosed him with a sedative and knocked him out when she realized that Kane didn’t want to hurt her.Kane confessed all and learned the fate of his mate.It turned out that Dr. Ames had killed his mate, but pretended she was still his captive to manipulate Kane into doing what he wanted.Liv killed Dr. Ames with the same bioweapon he created, after she learned the fate of Kane’s mate.Kane decided that he needed a purpose in life, so when Ghost, the boss, offered him a job, he accepted.After some training, Kane is now an assassin.”
“Is Liv an assassin?”