Page 47 of Those That Are Lost (Hidden Vampires #2)

AURORA

T he next day, Ty switches the rota so he stays in the apartment with me.

We called Claire and set up the hideout.

She’s thrilled that she’ll be seeing us so soon and has no issue allowing Ty and Henry to stay with her.

It turns out her parents are away and have been for a few weeks.

Claire doesn’t openly admit it but I hear the relief in her voice, and I remember Bree’s comment about her not likely being alone since I disappeared.

She chats animatedly about how David stayed for a few days but then he had to take off on a placement.

She discusses food she’ll get in— all my old favourites—until I remind her that I won’t be eating anymore.

That makes her pause, but then she asks a million more questions and I leave the call filled with longing and excitement.

I can’t wait to see her again. I don’t let the circumstances dampen the fact.

After checking on our hostage in the closet, who remains the same, we spend the rest of the day alone. Together, but completely alone.

And we waste none of the time being clothed.

We make love slowly, like it's our last chance. There’s not an inch of skin that goes untouched, unkissed.

One round blends into the next, with only short breaks to catch our breath.

It’s the perfect afternoon of lazily fucking and savouring each other’s flesh.

All too soon, the others are returning for the evening and we’re forced to shower, dress, and move back into the living space.

Henry comes home first, having been at the university catching up with his commitments there, and organising his next academic paper.

He’s filing stuff from his bag at his desk, with Ty and me curled up on the sofa across the room when the door opens and Mitch and Antares burst into the apartment, laughing at some joke and animatedly chatting.

Their final task of the day was to steal some blood for us for tonight so that we are all well fed for the journey tomorrow.

Mitch moves to the kitchenette area and slings his backpack down on the counter.

Unzipping it, he starts pulling out packets, which Antares takes, putting them in the fridge for later.

We exchange casual conversation as the guys take it in turns to use the shower in the main bathroom.

Having taken dibs, and now in sweats, Henry brings his laptop over and sits on the sofa adjacent to ours, needing to finish a couple of emails to his editors on his fiction publishing side. Antares asks him how it’s going as he waits for his turn in the shower. Ty joins in the conversation too.

I sit and just absorb everything. Watching the dynamics between the males, I realise how quickly they’ve gelled.

I know Henry has been friends with Ty for decades, and Antares for several years too, but Mitch and I are newcomers.

And despite their rocky start, Antares and Ty seem to have formed a kind of friendship.

It might be one where they sling insults at each other still but it's not with any malice anymore, it's simply their dynamic, and I secretly think they love it. We’ve been brought together through various connections, but the five of us already feel like a gang, rather than the mate, or the friend, of the core members.

It's the way Mitch lands a hand on Antares when he passes him after showering, telling him the bathroom’s free.

It’s the way Henry and Ty pour out the blood into glasses together once everyone is clean and seated on the sofas.

It’s the way they all genuinely care that we pull off this plan as we run over it one more time.

My certainty in the decision Ty and I mulled over this afternoon gets all the stronger.

As we drink, we go over a map of the layout of the ranch house and surrounding land that Ty drew up for us.

Ty and Mitch quiz us on the pack members, ensuring we know every name, face, and power in Adicious’s pack.

It starts as a serious revision session but descends into a competition and eventually into topics of conversation completely away from the subject at hand.

At a lull, I send a question down the bond to my mate.

‘Now?’ he responds, eyes flicking to meet my gaze.

‘Why not?’

Ty gives me an adoring look before clearing his throat. The conversation ceases as they all give him their attention.

“There’s one other thing we wanted to ask before tomorrow.” Ty links his fingers through mine, putting the empty glass he’d been holding on the table. He gives my hand a squeeze as three expectant faces all look our way.

‘You ask,’ Ty encourages.

“Well,” I say, stumbling a little. “We wondered if you would want to join us. Like, officially.”

“As in form a pack?” Henry answers as Antares eyebrows hit his hairline.

“Yes,” Ty confirms. “We’ve been discussing it for a while. We’re so incredibly grateful for all of your help in this plan.” He scans each male. “We are aware of the danger you’re putting yourselves in and we want to offer you some kind of protection.”

“So, this is just for the mission?” Antares fires. His posture has gone a little rigid.

“No. No, not at all,” I jump in. “We want you all to be the first in our pack. We want you guys to be with us beyond the next few weeks.”

“I’m touched.” Henry’s response strikes me as formal, and not like he’s going to accept.

“You’re touched? I’ve never been asked to be in a pack before. I’m about to cry.” Antares leaps from the couch and launches himself at us. He lands across us both on the sofa, nearly winding me. I embrace him whilst Ty gives him a pat on the shoulder. “You really mean it?”

“Yes, you’ve grown on me, you little dipshit.” Ty softens towards the male currently holding the both of us in a vice-like grip. He really is strong, considering he’s basically the same height as me.

Antares bounces back, nearly falling over the coffee table and wipes his cheeks as he goes. He stares down at Henry. “You’re not rejecting them, surely?”

“No.” Henry turns to us. “At least, I don’t want to. I’m under contract here though. The university expects another year of teaching out of me, at least.”

“Well, you can do that. Just because you’re bonded doesn’t mean we will force you to live with us. Assuming we take over the ranch, that will be our base and there will always be space for you there. Would you consider transferring to Froan when your contract is up?”

“Yes, I think so. Depending on what allowances they would give for my research, and my author requirements.”

“Then do it. We won’t hold you hostage. But it would be great to be on the same team again.” Ty’s words have me feeling emotional. I guess he and Henry have been through a lot together, this would cement the bond they share.

I notice Mitch sitting quietly.

“We would love to have you too,” I tell him.

“But I’m still bonded to Adicious.” The sadness on his face is enough to convey his thoughts.

“Once you’re free, and we will be ensuring you get free, will you join us?”

“I would love to. Adicious is the only leader I’ve known as a vampire, but I can see how things should be run.

How you two will run a pack, it’ll be a hundred times better than what’s going on right now.

” I see the hope return to his eyes for a second before another emotion flits across his features.

It’s quick and I don’t decipher it before it’s replaced with sadness once more.

“Right, are we doing this then?” Antares is already holding his wrist out to Ty.

“It’s the other way round.” Ty shakes his head. “I have to willingly let you drink from me. I have to open my own veins to you.”

“Oh.” Antares looks sheepish at his mistake. I guess even though he’s been a vampire for decades, he’s not had much guidance on the bonds.

“Ready, Red?” Ty pulls me up out of my seat.

“Show me how,” I tell him, gesturing.

Ty lifts his wrist to his already extended fangs. I scent his blood the second his lips lift from the puncture wound he’s inflicted on himself. I have to brace against my instinct to lick the drops of blood pooling on his skin.

Ty offers his wrist to Henry first. Henry simply nods then takes a pull from Ty’s veins. Seeing him swallow my mate's blood makes me tense. If he dares take more than he should …

He doesn’t though, one pull and he’s retracting. Ty’s non-wounded hand soothingly strokes the base of my back.

‘Your turn,’ he instructs through the bond.

Biting my own wrist is a strange experience. It’s strangely more painful than when Ty sinks his fangs into me. I let out a little hiss as the sting.

‘That stops vampires feeding on themselves. Never swallow too much of your own blood, or you’ll be sick for days,’ Ty informs me.

Oh.

Remembering the task in hand, I offer my punctured wrist to Antares. He cups the back of it in one of his hands.

“Thank you.” He looks up into my gaze as he lowers his head. He pulls a mouthful of my blood from my veins and swallows.

I expect to feel something but nothing happens. Antares licks the wound, sealing it and lets go of my wrist.

We repeat the procedure so Ty can bond Antares and Henry can bond to me.

Afterwards, Ty grabs another blood packet from the fridge and splits it between him and me.

Even though we’ve only given a little blood Ty encourages me to drink to ensure we’re at one hundred percent full strength again.

Which is wise considering what tomorrow is going to bring.

“Do you feel it?” Antares asks as we settle back on the sofas. He blinks a few times in rapid succession.

“I can,” Ty acknowledges.

“You can?” I ask, still not feeling any different.

“Focus on one of them,” Ty informs me.

I look at Antares and suddenly I sense it. As soon as I focus in on it, I can tell there’s an invisible tug in the back of my head linking me to him. I can sense his nearness and his contentment.

‘That’s telling you he’s alive and well.’

I’m awestruck. I immediately feel for Henry and have the same sense wash over me. It's nothing like the bond I have with Ty. My mate almost feels like an extension of me, we can share brainspace in my head with complete ease.

These bonds, however, take a little focus. But as soon as I think of them, I get a soft wash of their presence. The sensation strikes me with a sudden ominous feeling. We have a responsibility to these males now. Their wellbeing is ours to monitor and to ensure.

I exit the ensuite in our bedroom a while later and get a shock when there are four males in the room, three more than I’m expecting. Whilst alone in the shower I’d leant further into my new bonds and had sworn I could start to feel a shimmer of emotion from each of them.

“Why are you all in here?” I wave a tired arm between them. The hot water from the shower has relaxed me and I just want to crawl into bed.

Ty sits on the bed, up against the pillows, his face annoyingly passive at the scene.

Antares is crossed legged on the foot of the mattress and Henry looks to be pulling extra bedding from the built in cupboard.

Mitch looks thoroughly amused, leaning on the doorway to the living space, covering his grin with his fist.

“Ask them again,” Mitch chokes out around his barely concealed laughter when no one answers me.

“Well?” I press. Ty bites his lips as a grin splits his face as well.

“We’re sleeping in here tonight,” Antares declares, completely giddy about it.

“What?” I say, my head tilting in confusion.

“I think the new bonds are taking hold.” Ty gestures at the two males. Henry is now making up what looks like a makeshift bed along the floor beside the double bed Ty and I have been sleeping in. “They may not be able to fully control the protective instinct now placed upon them.”

“That’s not made anything any clearer,” I grumble, irritated now.

“We can’t leave you exposed to danger,” Antares explains. “I started getting this intense feeling that we can’t sleep in Henry’s room when there’s two vampires bonded to another in this flat. So, we’re sleeping in here instead.”

“That’s not necessary. Mitch is on our side, and Demetri is still firmly tied up and in some fucked up drained coma in the closet.”

“I tried to tell them I mean you no harm.” Mitch shrugs, palms raised. I glare as he descends into laughter once more.

I turn away, facing Antares once more. “Thank you for your concern but we will be fine.”

“Rory, please don’t kick us out. I won’t sleep a wink knowing he’s between you and us.”

“So put him in Henry’s room and you take the couch!” I suggest, bringing my hand up to rub my temple. Fear flashes at the base of my skull and it takes a second to comprehend that it’s Antares feelings.

“Rory, please,” he whines, giving me the biggest puppy dog eyes. I feel myself caving.

“Sorry, Red.” Ty gives me a pointed look. “I can empathise. The bond forces the instinct on them. And as our situation is a little unconventional right now, I get why it’s so strong.”

“You could have reminded us of that before we drank from you,” Henry grouches as he settles on the floor.

“Hey, I’m not stopping you from sleeping in your bed,” Ty responds. “You really don’t need to be in here.”

Anxiety blooms in my stomach that Henry might be regretting this already but as I seek the thread to him, I don’t get any resentment from him. In fact, he feels content, despite his words.

Dropping my head, and taking a deep inhale, I give in to the madness and cross the room to the bed.

“Fine, but you’re both on the floor,” I say, giving Antares a less than soft kick with my feet as I get under the covers and sprawl out down the side where he’s sitting.

“Yay! Sleepover.” He brightens right back up and disappears into the bathroom.

Ty and Henry resume chatting quietly as I look at Mitch again.

“You may as well join in too.” I gesture for him to come into the room.

“Nah,” he says, still chuckling. “I’m sticking with the couch. Have fun, you guys.” And with that he closes the bedroom door as he leaves us to it.