Page 64 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

Blood Heals all Wounds

L uca shook her gently. “Jules, wake up,” he pleaded.

She stirred, but barely. Luca’s mind searched frantically for what to do.

He didn’t know much about saving a vampire’s life.

He didn’t know where the rest of her coven lived.

There was only one thing he did know; she needed human blood.

And there was only one place that might have some readily available.

“Hold on Jules. Please. Just hold on. I’m taking you home. ”

Luca shifted her weight, cradling her more tightly against him. He took a back door out of the school. Which should have set off an alarm, but he knew Ben had disable the system before this whole, abhorrent thing had started.

Luca avoided the street where the pack had left their vehicles. He took the darkest alleys he could find, cut through as few yards as possible, and worked his way across the sleeping streets as silently as his running footsteps would allow.

Luca moved to open Jules’s front door. Luckily, it wasn’t locked. That’s strange.

Luca maneuvered through the doorway, still holding the barely conscious vampire in his arms.

“What happened!” he heard someone cry from the living room as he passed by it.

Jules stirred again, mumbling something incoherent.

“She was attacked,” Luca explained to Tai’s girlfriend as she followed them into the bedroom and he set Jules carefully on the bed.

“You probably shouldn’t be here right now Monica,” he said. “It’s not safe.”

“I’m going to pretend you did not just say that,” Monica said, sounding almost offended. “I’m only going to ask once more, Luca. What the hell happened!”

“Werewolves. They attacked her at the school. I tried to warn her, but she didn’t answer the phone. I tried to…,”

“She didn’t have it on her when she left.

I heard it go off from the other room. I should have answered it.

I’m so sorry. You did what you could. You got her home,” Monica replied, walking to Jules’s other side and sucking in a breath.

“Now we need to figure out what to do with her. She has cuts and burns all over her,” she said more quietly. “Why aren’t they healing?”

“I think she needs blood.” Luca sat gently on the bed next to Jules. Her eyelids fluttered but didn’t open.

“She doesn’t have any here, but…” To Luca’s amazement, Monica bent over the vampire and started feeling around on the bed for something.

Monica knew what Jules was, how dangerous she could be, and yet, she trusted her completely.

“Found it.” Monica pulled a phone out from under Jules’s shoulder.

Her hand came away bloody. Somehow ignoring this, Monica stood and scrolled through the phone for a moment and then pressed it against her ear.

“Mr. Prentiss, it’s Monica. Jules needs help. She’s been attacked. We’re at her house. No, a friend brought her here.” Monica sounded impressively strong, but her voice was shaking a little.

Jules’s eyelids fluttered again. This time they opened. “Jules.” Luca leaned over her. Her eyes focused on him.

“Don’t let me hurt Monica,” Jules managed to mumble.

Luca looked between Jules and the pacing young adult.

“I won’t,” he said. That was the least he could do. Since he’d obviously failed to protect her.

Monica ended the call. “You’re not going to hurt me,” she told Jules. “Gabriel is on his way.”

Jules offered him what he thought was supposed to be a smile. Then he watched as she turned over slowly, obscuring the cuts and burns on her face, but exposing her shredded back.

“Gabriel. Jules’s coven?” Luca asked, tentatively.

Monica looked at him wide-eyed and then looked back at Jules, who nodded at Monica.

“I’m going to pretend that I haven’t guessed the rest of this massive secret you two have, but assuming I am right, you’d better leave,” Monica said in a rush.

Luca did not confirm or deny Monica’s assumption. “How long will Gabriel take to get here?” Luca asked instead, looking down at Jules again. He was reluctant to let her out of his sight.

“He’ll be here any second,” Monica assured.

“I’ll have to be gone.”

“You’re a werewolf.”

Luca said nothing. He didn’t want to leave Jules’s side, but he doubted that the angry, blond-haired, male would ask questions before killing him. “We both need to go.” He looked up at Monica.

Monica fumbled over this new information but said, “I am not leaving her.”

“I made a promise to Jules. If you won’t come with me, you at least have to wait outside. I can’t leave you here, it’s too dangerous.”

Monica said nothing, but nodded.

Luca began to stand.

“Luca…” Jules’s soft voice was barely audible.

“Jules?” Luca paused, leaning over her.

She turned to face him. “Thank you.” She mouthed the words, but no sound came out.

Instead of responding verbally, he bent down and brushed his lips lightly against her shoulder. She smiled a small and broken smile. “Anytime, My Little Corpse.” He squeezed her hand once before ushering Monica out the front door.

He knew he didn’t have much time. So, he sprinted a few blocks and then slowed his pace. He wasn’t going anywhere in particular, just away. He certainly wasn’t in a hurry to face whatever would be waiting for him back at the Den.

As he looked down and noticed that his tee-shirt was covered in Jules’s blood, he was hit hard from the side.

He rolled to a stop. His eyes glowed yellow and his nails became lethal claws.

Standing only feet away was the vampire who was supposedly on his way to help Jules.

Luca glanced in the direction of Jules’s house, which he could no longer see.

“Fight me, beast!” the vampire male shouted.

Luca looked around them. All was quiet. This vampire was important to Jules. If they fought, one of them was very likely going to die. Luca could refuse to fight but would that stop the vampire from spilling Luca’s blood all over the sidewalk?

With a speed hard to comprehend, the vampire came at him. Luca dodged the attack, sending his assailant into a barrel roll. The vampire hissed, extending his fangs but Luca resisted the urge to embrace his animal side. If he lost control of the situation they would likely fight to the death.

The vampire leapt again, this time, slamming his fist into Luca’s stomach. “Fight back!” the vampire shouted as Luca hit the sidewalk beneath them.

“No!” he growled.

“Fight back!” the vampire shouted. It appeared he wanted a fair fight. Luca would not give it to him.

In a flash of light, Luca the man, was gone and only the wolf remained.

“That’s more like it.” The vampire lowered his fighting stance to accommodate the change in his opponent’s shape.

Luca wanted to charge him. This asinine male was supposed to be helping Jules.

She was dying, or fading, or whatever vampires did when they died for the final time.

Yet, here he was, caring more about a fight than his injured coven leader.

Taking himself out of the equation entirely, Luca turned and ran back towards town, leaving the angry vampire shaking with rage behind him.

“That’s right beast! Run away. Next time I see you, you’re dead.”

Yeah, whatever asshole, Luca thought to himself as he left the quiet coastal street behind.

Jules heard a familiar voice shout, “she’s over here!” Jules heard shuffling inside her bedroom but couldn’t make her eyelids open. She mumbled something, incoherent to even herself.

“Jules!” Another familiar voice called to her. Weight settled on the bed beside her. “It’s alright Jules.” Gabriel crooned. “I’m here now. It’s all going to be okay.” There was more shuffling as Jules tried to open her eyes again, unsuccessfully. “Can you give us a moment?”

“Sure,” Monica said, the door clicking shut as her footsteps receded.

“Come here, Jules.” A hand was placed under her neck and her shoulders were propped against his leg. A zipper unzipping, a nearly silent tearing of plastic, and the scent of blood rushed into Jules’s muddled brain. She needed it. She needed it now, but she still couldn’t move her own body.

Gabriel tipped her head back and then, the cool, sticky, liquid dropped onto her closed lips.

She gasped, her mouth opening. Gabriel squeezed the bag and Jules drank.

With the first gulp, she opened her eyes.

With the second, feeling came back to her limbs.

With gulp number three, she took the bag in her own hands and drank.

Once she’d polished off everything Gabriel had brought with him, she wiped her mouth. “Monica?”

“Here, Jules,” Monica said, opening the door and walking back into the bedroom. “Whoa, red eyes, sorry. I knew. I just haven’t seen… are you okay?” Monica asked.

Jules nodded. “I will be.”

“What happen?” Gabriel asked, looking from Jules to Monica and back.

“She was attacked I guess,” Monica replied.

“I’m okay.” Jules replied at the same time.

He studied them for a moment.

“I’m getting you out of here.”

“No Gabriel. I’m fine.” Jules protested.

“Eileen is already on her way. You are not staying here. Please don’t fight me on this.”

Jules conceded, too tired for this fight.

“Where are you taking her?” Monica asked.

“My house, for now,” Gabriel replied. “You should leave too. It’s not safe for you here.”

Monica nodded and then walked around the bed. She hovered over Jules. Her soft brown eyes searching Jules’s red ones. “Are you okay with this?”

Jules nodded. “I still have glass in my back. He’s going to have to get it out.”

Monica nodded, what would she have done if Jules had said no, she wondered. Taken on a male vampire? Probably.

“Tell…” Jules paused. She knew Gabriel was listening. “Tai’s friend thank you. Let him know I’m okay.”

Monica glanced skeptically over toward Gabriel and then nodded. “I will.”

The moment Jules heard Eileen’s car pulling into the driveway, Gabriel walked around the bed to lift her into his arms. “I can walk,” Jules said stopping him.

“Jules…” he began to protest.