Page 44 of Those That Don’t Exist (Hidden Vampires #1)

AURORA

T he pounding in my head is what brings me back to consciousness. I screw my eyes shut rather than letting them open because I can already feel the sun’s rays ready to spear into my brain. It must be morning, mid morning if the intensity of the light beyond my eyelids is anything to go by.

This is going to be the worst of hangovers. Should I even get hangovers now?

I try to order the events of last night, images slowly resurfacing as I groan. There was champagne, and something else… Maybe tequila? I remember the band, and dancing. And Ty twirling me around the dance-floor. Everything else is fuzzy.

I inhale slowly through my nose, trying to clear my head, deciding to ignore the black spots in my memory until later.

The scents which hit my nostrils, however, make me freeze. From smell alone I can tell I’m not in my room. In fact, I’m somewhere completely unfamiliar.

My eyes fly open and, immediately wincing, I look around the room. It's white, and bare, except for the double bed I’m in, one bedside table adorned with an ugly lamp and the two doors lining the wall opposite. What the fuck happened last night?

The window has curtains, but they’re not drawn, the bright sun burns my retinas as I’d predicted. Head swimming, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and sit up to look out. After a moment of dizziness where the whole world tips sideways, I squint my eyes to take in the view.

I'm shocked when all I can see are endless rooftops. They stretch out in varying colours and peaks until, in the distance, I can see the ocean. I know there are several high rise blocks of flats towards the west side of the city, where the mountains meet the edge of the suburban sprawl. I must be in one of those. But how? I don’t know anyone who lives here .

At least I’m still in Froan Bay, I guess.

I take a couple more inhales but don’t get much other than the unfamiliar scent of the sheets and stale air, like the place has been locked up for a while.

Ty’s scent is on the bed too so I guess he must be here somewhere, although I haven’t heard a single noise.

Thankfully, I’m still wearing the dress and underwear I went out in last night but my shoes are nowhere to be seen. I stand on shaky legs and sneak towards the two doors.

The first one I try turns out to be a closet. It's small, empty except for some hangers on the rail. I close the door and try the second. This opens up to a small open plan kitchen slash lounge. Sitting on a sagging brown leather two seater sofa is Ty, scribbling on a notepad.

Relief washes through me, at least with him I know I’m safe.

He looks tired but his posture is relaxed, further reassuring me we aren’t in any immediate danger. Maybe he knows where we are, and why. As I open the door more fully and step out the bedroom his head snaps up.

“You’re awake.” He offers me a wary smile, causing a prickling sensation on the back of my neck. “Want some water and painkillers?”

Predicting my answer he stands, chucking the paper on the beaten up coffee table in front of him before moving to the kitchen area.

“Yes, please.” My voice comes out as a rasp. I take the pills he offers and down the glass of water. The cool liquid soothes my throat. “Where are we?” I manage to say, in a much more normal voice.

“A flat in the city,” he answers as he sits back down, but this time his posture is tense. I don’t like the evasive answer.

“Who’s flat is this? Why are we here?” Gods, my memories are still so hazy. I think I remember getting in a cab.

“It's ours, for a little while at least,” he says a little sheepishly.

My brows knit in further confusion, trying to remember any details from last night.

This is starting to freak me out. “How much do you remember from the event?” he asks hesitantly, leaning forward on the couch.

Resting his elbows on his knees and twisting his hands together, he seems anxious.

It does nothing to calm the nerves coursing through me.

“I remember booze. And dancing. But not much else. How did we get here?” I push despite the empty feeling in my stomach telling me I’m not going to like the answer.

“You don’t remember drinking blood from a human? Or anything afterward?”

“No…” Although some flashes of anger and shouted words I can’t quite grasp blur around my brain.

“Red, please don’t panic.” His tone makes me start to do exactly that.

“Last night, after I helped you drink from a human I left you for a few minutes so I could feed as well. I thought we were safe there. But a member of my old pack turned up. They must’ve spiked your drink. They were going to try and snatch you.”

He moves off the sofa again, coming to stand in front of me, putting his hands on my bare arms. “I’ve brought you to a safe house.”

I think he means to be reassuring but it has the opposite effect. Some of the yelling from last night comes back to me. Us arguing in the street. Ty telling me that we needed to leave.

“But what about my house?” I glare up at him, squaring my shoulders.

“Your house isn’t safe. They can’t know where you are. I did what I had to, to keep you safe.” He keeps repeating the word but each time it's making me feel anything but. I step back out of his grasp.

“I didn’t agree to this,” I tell him, waving my arm around at the flat before me. “Did you trick me into coming here?” I can barely believe the words as I say them. This is Ty, he’s helped me for months. We’ve built a relationship for months.

“What? No!” His hands drop and a flash of something passes through his eyes before he shuts it down. “You were practically passed out with whatever they spiked your drink with. But I told you we needed to find somewhere to hide out.”

“I don’t remember.” I rub the heel of my hand to my forehead, trying to recall the end of night. The thick fog only offering me glimpses. It doesn’t matter I guess. “Now I’m sober, can you take me home?”

“We can’t go back, they’ll be watching your house. Red, we can’t take them on.”

“But I’m not bonded, they can’t force me,” I argue, getting fed up with repeating myself.

“Red, I can’t stand by and watch the pack snatch you,” he snaps. “Doesn’t them drugging you not show you they’re willing to do anything to have you? They’re not waiting for your permission. It doesn’t matter that you’re not bonded.”

His words sound logical but deep all consuming fear consumes them.

“I’m not leaving the city. I’m not running from those assholes, as we agreed,” I shout back. This city is the only thing I have left.

“We can't fight off the entire pack. I thought we could come up with a plan but, after seeing you like that, how easily they managed to drug you. No, I can’t keep you safe here.”

I look around as if a solution is sitting on one of the work surfaces in the little apartment.

“Where’s my phone?” I ask, suddenly thinking of Bree and Claire. They'll be worried if I’m not at home.

“I had to ditch our phones on the way here.” Ty says so casually like this is a very normal thing to do.

“You took my phone?” Who is this guy in front of me?

“I had to, in case they tried to track us through them.”

That does it. I push past him and head straight for the apartment door.

I wrench on the handle but stumble when it doesn’t open. I try pushing and pulling but it doesn’t budge. It's locked, and there’s no key in the mechanism.

Spinning back around I summon a stronger voice. “Ty, I want to go home. Unlock the door.”

He looks at me like he wants to give in but I see the steel resolve behind his gaze.

“You need to stay here, Rory. We have a boat booked for this afternoon.”

My entire body freezes. “Um… Excuse me, what?!”

“I booked us tickets before I ditched the phones. Please sit and relax. We have a couple of hours before we need to leave.”

“Ty, open the door,” I demand. He isn’t listening.

“We need to stay hidden for a few hours," he continues over me. “I made sure to hide our scents for the last few blocks last night but I’m sure the pack will be sniffing around.”

“No, you’re not getting it. I’m going back to my house. I have classes. I’ll stay locked up in my house or surrounded by people like I have been the last few weeks.” My voice rises with each sentence. “Open the door, now.”

Ty falls silent.

“Unlock the door,” I repeat.

“I can’t,” he replies, not meeting my eyes.

“Yes, you can. You’re choosing not to. Are you really going to keep me prisoner here?” I say, calm once more, but I can hear the pleading in my voice.

“I’m keeping you safe.”

“No, you’re not listening to me. I didn’t agree to come here. I didn’t agree to leave. Now let me go.” My chest tightens, my ribs refusing to expand and take in the oxygen I need.

“No.”

His answer crashes around me. It's like a physical blow. The male in front of me is not the person I thought he was. I’m stunned, totally immobile for a few seconds. We stand staring at one another, it’s like I’m seeing him for the first time.

“Ty, I swear to the gods if you don’t let me out of here now…

” I trail off as I see my threat won’t land.

We’re probably six stories up, I don’t know where the key is.

Ty is entirely in control here. He’s stronger, his bulk and muscle far outweighing my own, and has a steely resolve in his eyes which is only getting more potent.

The guy I’ve gotten to know has never forced anything on me. He’s been sweet and caring and nothing but helpful and kind. He’s been teaching me, letting me fall for him. Has this always been his plan? Seduce me and steal me? Have I been completely naive?

“Have you… have you been playing me?” I choke out the words. The pain erupting from my chest soars into my throat, tasting like ash.

“What? Rory, no! Red, please. Why can’t you trust me enough when I say you’re in real danger from my old pack?”

“Why?! Because I don’t feel in danger. Sure Adicious seems like a right prick but I can handle it. Let's see last night as a warning. I can be more careful. I’m supposed to be going over there today to smooth things over, I can play them at their own game.”

“They drugged you Aurora!” He’s shouting again.

“Still,” I fight through my racing thoughts to come up with something to make him open the door, this can’t be happening. “They won't risk exposure. They can’t snatch me if I’m surrounded by people. And I won’t drink anything other than blood.” I repeat the same arguments.

“Red, please, please trust me. Please, listen to me.” Ty reaches for me.

“Really? It seems like you’re not that different right now.” I see the blow land. “Unless you’re willing to unlock this door.”

He shakes his head.

I’m trapped.

By him.

The tears spill down my cheeks as my chest caves in. My heart shatters, crushed under the weight of this betrayal. Of my own stupid vulnerability. I’ve been played by the ultimate predator. He seduced me, and made me need him.

Ty must see the pain on my face because he reaches for me again as a sob escapes my throat. Feeling weak I let him pull me into his embrace.

His body feels like it always does. His woodsy scent offers comfort, the weight of his arms around me are familiar. I want to sink into it desperately.

More tears spill from my eyes as my lungs try to take a breath. His body feels so right against mine but his actions have broken all trust between us.

“It's going to be ok, Red. We need to keep you safe,” he soothes me, it's too much.

I rip out of his embrace and race away from him, into the only room I can access.

At least that’s what I thought. Instead of returning to the bedroom I find myself in a bathroom.

A room with no windows, no chance of escape.

However, it does have a lock. I slam the door quickly and bolt it.

It’s a flimsy thing but I know Ty will have heard it slip into place.

I pray he doesn’t barge in as I move to the sink, placing my hands on the cool porcelain.

Thick tears streak my cheeks as I try to process what’s just happened. I’ve been kidnapped by the guy I love.

As I stare at my reflection I see how stupid I’ve been. I let a stranger be the person to support me over the last year, be the person to see how broken I’ve been, see the changes in me. I’m completely alone.

My knees buckle as sobs, crashing like waves I have no hope of controlling, break over my body. I pull my knees into my chest, resting my head on them as I let the emotion pour out.

I want my dad’s guidance.

I want Claire and Bree to support me.

I want to be the demi-Fae girl I was last year with so many opportunities ahead of her.

The thought of being forced to go on the run is the final straw.

I scream through the crying because I can’t control any of it.

I have no idea how long I break apart for but finally the tears slow and my breathing reduces to short stutters. My ribs and back ache and my head is pounding as I slowly lift it up from the tear soaked dress covering my legs.

I spot the shower and suddenly all I want is to be clean. I rise slowly and strip my clothes off. Stepping into the tub, I turn on the overhead shower.

The water is icy cold, instantly raising goosebumps on my skin.

I let the harsh spray sting my body. It heats after a few seconds but I turn the temperature back down.

The cold feels better, it’s distracting.

I raise my face to the cascading water and feel it washing away the snotty mess covering my face.

After a while I look around for some soap or shampoo. There is none. Grea t. I soak my hair anyway and rub my skin over with my hands. It’ll have to do.

When the shivering kicks in I force myself to shut off the water. Instead of being invigorated I’m drained. I look out around the bathroom, it's as bland as the rest of the flat. There’s no towels.

Fan-fucking-tastic .

I ring out my hair and brush the excess water from my skin before sitting down in the tub, raising my knees up and wrapping my arms around my legs. I’ll have to wait to dry.