Page 17 of Those That Don’t Exist (Hidden Vampires #1)

TY

I have only a few moments to pull myself together as I jog down the road. My heart is beating way too fast for the small exertion.

I’d spoken to her.

She’d spoken to me.

I’d had my hands on her and my body had sparked with the contact. Since my little fantasy last weekend my brain was no longer on a self-preservation plan. It was firmly on lusting after this female, the most dangerous female on the planet that could catch my interest.

I was so stupid for stopping her from biting the boy.

For many reasons. The main being if Adicious ever found out, it would cost me my life.

But in the moment all I could think about was stopping her from turning, stopping her from becoming one of us.

Stopping her from becoming his. As soon as she bit someone I was under orders to kidnap her, and bring her to the ranch.

I really hoped she kept her mouth shut.

Should I have told her why? Perhaps, but I selfishly want to keep her in the dark a little longer.

I didn’t exactly lie, I didn’t have time tonight to fully explain.

I wasn’t expecting tonight to be the moment.

She hadn’t shown any signs of blood lust until now, none that I’d noticed anyway.

Fuck, had there been things I had missed?

I wasn’t ready for her to know the truth. The full fucked-up sadistic truth.

Of course it would happen tonight, right as I needed to leave.

Adicious had ordered both myself and Ronan to do the hospital run tonight to steal blood.

Ronan, however, had been desperate for a live drink and knew I was coming to this party to do my daily check-in on Red.

The bastard had followed me here. We’d argued about him using the party to find his prey.

Thankfully I have some rank over him, being older, and got him to disappear for a couple hours. He backtracked to a local pub whilst I went to the party.

I’d been in the shadows of the garden, about to head out to meet back up with him when it all went to shit.

Actually, her spotting me from the upstairs window earlier was where I should’ve picked up that tonight wasn’t going to end well.

Gods alive and dead she looked jaw droppingly gorgeous tonight, her dress was pure sin. It made her look lethal. And it was like the costume had unlocked something in her, tonight she commanded the room instead of shying from it.

Her hair too. However she’d achieved the vibrant red colour, it brought out a fiery side to her. I want to curl it round my fingers, see it splayed across my chest.

Holy mother those thoughts need to take a hike.

Getting myself under control I can’t help but chuckle at how even more apt my little nickname seems. It was her hair which caught my attention as I was leaving, I hadn’t noticed she’d followed me outside until those fiery strands had caught in the porch light.

And then the boy she’d shared a dance with earlier joined her. I’d immediately paused to watch whatever was about to play out, ready to protect her if he tried anything she didn’t want. He seemed decent enough but I couldn’t risk it.

When they started dancing on the porch I was practically vibrating with jealousy. Stupid I know, but I can own my emotions enough to recognise it for what it was. I wanted her to look at me like that, feel her move against my body. Yeah, not happening.

I’d been plotting the boy’s untimely demise when her face changed.

I’ve been around enough newbies to see it, the lust. Not sexual lust, the lust for blood.

I wasn’t expecting it but there it was. I wasn’t ready.

A voice in my head whispered that with a house full of people it risked exposure too much.

It gave me the excuse I needed to intervene.

Did I shove the guy harder than her, maybe a little. Oops . At least I didn’t use my full strength, my palm would’ve broken straight through his human skin, obliterating his heart with his own rib cage.

When her eyes had locked to mine I saw the opportunity and ran with it.

I could get that conversation we didn’t have in the alley, so I lured her into the shadows.

The frigging traitors seemed to welcome her too, I saw them caressing her in thickened bands as I called on them to hide us.

It was odd, they always hid my companions when I needed them to but they seemed willing to ensnare her in their embrace, it took very little effort from me.

Every syllable she uttered and every shift of her body during our conversation only endeared me to her more. I could still feel the pulse under her delicate skin on my fingertips. Honestly, I’m surprised I managed any conversation at all with my blood rushing to my cock.

I come to a stop on the street corner where I’d left Ronan. He wasn’t waiting but I could scent him nearby.

“First, you won’t allow me to suck on some hot college students and then you’re late.” His voice floats from the darkened doorway opposite as he steps out onto the street. Nice try fucker but you’re not going to surprise me.

“So sorry to keep you waiting,” I quip sarcastically, and add a grin for good measure.

“Something happened,” he surmises, looking me up and down. It takes tremendous effort on my part to keep my body from tensing.

“Nope, same old waste of time.” I think I manage to keep my voice level. At least I can lie to him, I have no idea what I’m going to say to Adicious.

“So, why are you late?” He crosses his arms over his chest.

“We’ve been through this already tonight, I don’t answer to you.” I let him see my fangs. “Now, let’s go do this hospital run and get back. I could use a drink.” I stride away not giving him time to answer back.

Try as he might to engage me in conversation I simply keep snarling at him. It riles him to no end which I’m sure I’ll pay for soon, but I need time to think of some version of the truth for when we get home. Curse the fucking blood bond.

So, as we break in and out of the hospital - which is as easy as breathing to me - I run scenarios through my mind of how to control the report I know I’ll have to give. Unhelpfully, two giant alarms keep buzzing around my head.

If Adicious finds out I stopped her, I’m dead. If she turns, and that’s looking inevitable now, I’m even more certain I want her to be mine.

The following morning, I take off by myself onto our land. I do it frequently enough no one will question it. Last night hadn’t gone well, but hey I am still alive.

Adicious was in the lounge with several of the pack when Ronan and I had returned.

I kept my report succinct but I think Adicious was suspicious.

He asked me even more questions than usual, and I had to work damn hard to keep my voice, and my heart rate, level.

I’d feigned tiredness, getting out of there as soon as I could.

Maybe it's paranoia but I swear this morning more than a couple of the guys had brought up Aurora. It wasn’t as if she was never talked about, but I felt like they were trying to get a rise out of me. Ronan even made a quip about how hot she was.

My thoughts are a huge jumble and my stress levels are way too high as I crest the hill of my destination. I jog the last bit, stripping to my boxers as I go and plunge feet first into the cold pool of water, shocking my body, and my mind, into silence.

We’re lucky to have a significant amount of land with the ranch. It means we can give in to our nature without being worried about being discovered.

It also includes a river which runs down from the mountains above us, through our estate before connecting to the much larger one which flows through the city, and to the ocean below.

The mountain run-off has a series of waterfalls and swimming pools along its winding path.

The one furthest from the house is my favourite.

Pressed up to the foot of the mountain range on the edge of our property it is fed by the waterfall above and offers complete privacy.

There is a small rocky shore that can be traversed to enter more gracefully.

Or you can choose the twenty-foot cliff like I did.

I break the surface, inhaling deeply, having pushed my lungs to the max. For the first time in weeks, I can breathe. I tread the water for a little while, focusing on my breathing and letting the cold seep into my muscles.

Just as I’m relaxing a noise snags my attention. Two seconds later my peace is shattered by the rush of someone leaping off the cliff face. He releases a “woohoo” and hits the water, cannonball style, to cause the biggest splash he can. So much for being alone. My fangs extend with my frustration.

Atlas breaks the surface with zero finesse.

Arms flapping and shaking his head like a dog, his shoulder length hair spraying water droplets everywhere.

He chuckles as he clocks my scowl. I’ve avoided him at all costs since he joined the pack a couple of weeks ago.

I have too much guilt and I don’t want Adicious seeing us together.

“Either you’ve been avoiding me or you’re feeling guilty because you’re the reason I’m now stuck in this bullshit pack.” He’s always been too perceptive, it’s not his magical ability but still he can read a room very quickly.

“You can’t say stuff like that out loud,” I warn.

“Don’t worry, no one else is around.” This is his power.

He can feel the presence of others far better and at more range than even our supernatural senses allow.

What’s particularly annoying is that he was born with it, being part Fae, so there was no sneaking up on him as kids.

Playing hide and seek with him was always a losing situation.

“For what it’s worth I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure they’d actually find you when I discovered you weren’t dead. And I have to admit a selfish part of me hoped to see you again.” Even though we’ve not spoken in decades it feels familiar, like we weren’t ripped apart at all.

“Ty, do you honestly think I’d be here if I didn’t want to be?”