Page 65 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

Monica reached forward, took Jules’s hands in her own, and pulled her to a standing position. Jules felt the glass shred her back farther. She grunted in pain, but put a hand out to stop the hovering Gabriel. “You should go home,” she told Monica.

She followed Monica’s gaze to her bed. Her white sheets, smeared and drenched in blood. “I’m going to throw your sheets into the washer with some bleach. Then I’ll go.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Monica bent and brushed her lips lightly to Jules’s forehead. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” She squeezed Monica’s hand.

With this, Jules walked from her room and through her house.

Every step hurt. Every small motion tugged at the glass embedded in her back.

But she was not broken. Carson had nearly ended her, but ultimately he’d lost. She was still here.

She still existed. He may have beaten her this time. But this was a war he wouldn’t win.

Ricky had been so tired from being on his feet all evening that he’d collapsed onto the couch after the carnival, not even caring when his mother went upstairs to sleep in Carson’s bed. At least working the carnival had paid off. He’d gotten Tasha’s phone number.

Regardless of his exhaustion, he’d spent the night sleeping not-so-peacefully until the moment he was no longer sleeping at all.

Ricky sat up groggily after the front door slammed against the wall. In Carson’s rage, Ricky heard the wall crack. Nice guy my mom’s screwing. Really stable. Ricky pulled his headphones out of his bag and connected them to his phone.

“How the hell did she get away!” Carson yelled at a few of the other wolves who had trailed in behind him. Kip’s shirt was covered in blood, Max was nursing a bloody scalp, and Ben was limping.

“I don’t know,” Max said. “We just lost her.”

“How do you lose a five-foot-something, blood-sucking demon exactly?” Carson shouted.

The younger wolf whimpered, cowering.

Well, you were there, weren’t you? Ricky thought to himself. How did you lose one then? Ricky stuck the headphones over his ears and laid down, closing his eyes. However, he did not turn on any music. He was awake, listening intently, he assumed they were talking about Jules.

“Can she even survive all those injuries?” Kip asked.

“Unfortunately, she can,” Ben replied.

“How?” Kip asked.

“Blood, you idiot,” Carson growled. “She’ll only have to kill a human or two to heal herself right up.”

But she won’t do that, Ricky thought, laying too still.

What had they done? Was Jules going to die?

Where was Luca? Ricky wasn’t sure why he’d decided to get mixed up in the Beta’s relationship drama.

Maybe because Luca was the only person who’d asked him if he was okay after he watched his own father get murdered.

Also, vampire or not, Jules seemed cool.

Yes, a vampire killed his father. But after meeting Jules, he’d decided that vampires, like werewolves and humans, weren’t as cut and dry evil as he’d always been told.

Carson, on the other hand, was pretty much a beast, not the Beauty and the kind either.

Someone’s phone beeped. Ricky had the auto response to check his own phone, even though his alerts didn’t sound like that.

“Kyle found Luca,” Ben said, most likely reading a text. “The vampire is gone, but Luca is hurt. Kyle’s taking him home so…” Ben’s voice trailed off for just a moment and then he continued, “so, Hayley can help babysit his recovery.”

“Fine,” Carson said, his voice cold. “I’m over that Beta right now. He started that fire too early. He’s the reason she escaped. Let him stay where he’s out of the way.”

“At least he’s alright,” Ben said, sounding relieved.

“My life would be easier if he wasn’t,” Carson commented. “Let’s get some sleep. We can go over our options tomorrow.”

A few of them muttered something Ricky didn’t catch, and then he heard several sets of feet clomping up the stairs to where all the bedrooms were.

Still, he remained where he was. He could almost feel Carson glaring at him.

And then the last set of footsteps ascended to the second story of the house.

Ricky looked blankly at his phone. He’d just realized that, although he wanted to contact Luca and Jules, he couldn’t.

He didn’t have their phone numbers and he suspected that neither were big on social media.

Luca was what? Ricky’s grandfather’s age. Or would be, if he had a grandfather.

Nick was now the needy one. Waiting by the phone.

anxiously analyzing all of Chad’s texts.

He was rotating between spinning the rings he wore on his thumb and pointer finger, and checking his phone.

His leg began to bounce involuntarily. With a snarl, he tossed his phone onto the couch, stood, and resumed pacing around the apartment.

Nick couldn’t remember the last time he felt this out of sorts.

Or felt anything at all, save for the rush of fresh blood.

There was only one being on the planet that could cause him to panic like this.

He had to find out what Chad knew and who he was working for.

Then he had to get the hell out of dodge and save the one Chad, and his unknown cohorts, were actually after, preferably without being seen. He’d promised to stay away this time.

“Baby,” Nick exclaimed, throwing his arms wide when he heard the front door open. “I missed you today!” He added as he walked over to greet the man he’d been sleeping with for weeks, handing him a beer.

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with my situation-ship?” Chad accepted the kiss reluctantly, then took the beer.

“Situation-ship?” Nick faked disappointment.

“We’ve never had the talk you know.” Chad dropped his duffle down in front of the door like always.

“Not directly no. But it’s past time, don’t you think?” Nick took Chad’s hand ushering him to the old couch. He was playing this too strong. His worry was impeding his unshakable ability to charm anyone.

“Are you alright?” Chad asked. His gaze dropped to Nick’s hand where he had resumed spinning the ring around his thumb.

“Fine.” Nick’s fake smile didn’t falter. “Okay. Maybe not. You’re right. We need to talk and maybe I’m …. I’m nervous.”

“Doesn’t sound like you.” Chad was still eyeing him skeptically.

“With love on the line it might be,” Nick blurted.

“Love?” Chad chugged the beer.

“Yeah. Maybe, I love… you.” He forced the unnatural words out. There was no way Chad bought that. He didn’t even buy it himself.

Chad stared at him for a moment. Either wheels were turning beyond his studying eyes, or the stare was actually blank with surprise. After just one more moment Chad’s demeanor changed, and a wide smile spread across his face. “Awe Baby, was that so hard to say?”

That was too easy, Nick thought to himself. Way too easy.

Jules had consumed even more of Gabriel’s home blood supply.

Seven bags in and she was starting to feel stronger.

The burns on her face and chest had already become dark scars.

Her broken ribs and leg were healing with time, but the glass in her back had to be removed by hand.

She sat backwards on an ornate dining chair while Gabriel cut and pulled glass out of her exposed back.

“Hang on,” he warned before pain shot though her whole body again. “That was a big piece.”

“Yep,” Gabriel agreed. He pulled another piece free without warning. Jules cried out and clutched the back of the chair a little too hard. She snapped another piece off the top.

Eileen squeaked at the further mutilation of her dining room furniture.

“I’m sorry,” Jules said again. Once the obstruction was pulled from the wound, the cut inflicted by it started to heal as well.

Eileen patted Jules’s shoulder. “It okay.” She handed Jules another glass of blood with a straw. Jules shook her head. Eileen set it on the table in front of her just in case she needed more.

“How many more?” Jules asked, through gritted teeth.

“More than a few,” Eileen said, leaning over her husband to inspect Jules’s back.

“Do you need to take a break?” Gabriel asked. He pulled the next shard free without warning. Jules just flinched, this one must have been shallow.

“No, keep going,” Jules replied. “I just want this over with.”

Gabriel tugged on another piece, but it didn’t come free.

“Oh, come on,” Jules exclaimed, knowing what he would have to do.

“Sorry,” Eileen said for him as he picked up the small blade and cut the shard free. The chair back suffered another blow. Jules cringed.

“Jules, can I ask you something?” Gabriel asked from behind Jules.

“Uh huh,” Jules mumbled.

“Do you see the danger in staying here now?” His question came out angrier than she’d anticipated. Although she’d known it was coming. “Surely you’ll agree to leave town after this. No human relationship, even yours with Monica, is worth the risk.”

“Gabriel…” Jules began to say but stopped when he pulled yet another shard free.

“How about we talk about this later?” Eileen said, a false chipper tone in her voice. This time, she patted Gabriel on the shoulder. Jules looked beside her and noticed the ‘not right now’ face that Eileen was making at Gabriel.

“That’s a good plan,” Jules replied in a strained tone.

Gabriel paused, obviously fighting with himself. He probably thought that bringing it up now, while Jules was in active pain would incentivize her to see things his way. It wouldn’t. “Fine,” he agreed. “But we will talk about it.”

“Sure Gabriel. We’ll talk about it.”

Kyle didn’t go back to the Den after the attack on Aboit High.

Instead, he went home and texted Luca to meet him there.

If Carson wanted something more from either of them, he could call and demand it.

Besides, he guessed Luca was going to need one massive alibi.

Kyle was deeply shaken by the whole experience.

It was a dark business, protecting Aboit from the undead, but he’d never seen Carson play with a vampire they’d captured before.

This was a whole new kind of darkness, one that Kyle couldn’t understand.

“We knew Carson had a brutal side, but this…” Hayley’s voice trailed off. She squeezed her husband’s hand from where she sat next to him on the couch. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yup,” Kyle threw his head back against the couch. “It’s Luca I’m worried about.”

“Luca why?” Hayley asked.

Kyle hadn’t gotten to that part yet. He took a long, steadying breath. “He’s the reason the vampire got away. He begged me to let her… them go. The way he was holding her Hayles, the way he was protecting her. There’s more to it than Carson’s brutality. I know there is.”

“So, he asked you to cover for him?” Hayley asked, rather than said. “And you did.” This she stated.

“Naturally,” Kyle admitted with a half-smile.

“What if Carson finds out?” A little bit of panic was edging into her voice now. “You’re in enough hot water as it is Kyle. What if…”

“Didn’t you know I’m invincible Babe?” He rubbed her hand gently. “It’ll take a little more than one angry Alpha to end me,” Kyle joked, hoping to loosen her up.

“That’s not funny,” she snapped, yanking her hand away and crossing her arms.

“It’s a little funny,” he said just as there was a knock on the apartment door. “I’ll get it,” Kyle said, standing.

“Good,” Hayley said grumpily. “Because I wasn’t planning to.”

Kyle glared at her playfully and then wrenched the door open. Luca stood in the doorway, covered in vampire blood.

“Luca,” Hayley cried, running to the door as well. “Are you alright?”

“It’s not mine,” he replied, referencing his blood-soaked shirt.

“That is,” Kyle pointed to Luca’s arm.

Luca looked down at the cuts littering his arms like he’d just realized they were there. “They’ll heal.”

“Is your vampire alright?” Kyle asked bluntly.

Luca’s head shot up.

“Don’t deny it, dude,” Kyle demanded.

Hayley pushed Kyle aside so Luca could come into the apartment. Luca sank into an armchair, head hanging between his knees. “I think she’ll be okay, this time,” Luca replied after several moments.

“It’s true then,” Hayley said, dropping down onto the floor in front of Luca. “Kyle wasn’t exaggerating. There is more to this than mercy.”

Luca nodded toward the floor.

Kyle walked over and joined Hayley, slipping an arm around her back. “What’s the real story then?” he asked.

Luca waited a full minute before he moved or spoke. He raised his head and there was water in his eyes. “I’m in love with her.”

Hayley gasped, but Kyle’s reaction was a little less surprised. “Yes, but how exactly did that happen?” he asked.

A small smile brightened Luca’s expression. “Because of a blind date.”