Darlings of Darkness: A Vampire Anthology Part 100

"I told you I wouldn't."

Yes, she did. But sometimes her mouth ran away with her. And on that note, he remembered his words to Jersey.

"Jersey won't go nuts on other people," Jack said. "He'll know it was us. If he wants revenge, he'll come for us."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because I admitted I saw the wraiths."

"You did what?" Silver bolted upright. "Are you crazy? Why didn't you just confess right there and tell him Pagan was dead? Unbelievable." Her eyes went north. "He's probably outside the house right now, preparing to tear us limb from limb."

Jack's hand reached out and stroked Blanca's fur. The cat was half-asleep. A contented purr started to buzz deep inside her warm body. Jersey wasn't outside. Blanca wouldn't be so relaxed if a werewolf was nearby.

"Do you have a death wish?" Silver asked. "Seriously. You have to be out of your mind to admit anything to him. What am I saying? I'm talking to someone who thought it might be a good idea to become close friends with the head werewolf."

Those days were over. Jack decided to tell her the rest, give her some peace of mind before she went stark raving mad. "I'm going to use the rock on him."

She blinked a few times before a huge smile transformed her face. "Really? You're going to kill Jersey Clifford?" He nodded and she hugged him. Her head rested on his chest, and her fingers gripped his side. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her silky hair. She said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the best. I love you."

Her body went rigid, and his hand froze in mid-stroke. A palpable silence surrounded them. Neither of them knew what to say next. The three little words hung in the air, echoing in their thoughts. Her admission of love was out there, and it couldn't be denied or ignored.

Should he say something? Was her admission for real, or had she accidentally blurted the words out because she was grateful for his help? Jack knew he loved her, but he didn't want to admit it if she didn't truly love him.

Silver slowly disengaged. She sat up, a stunned look on her pretty face. Her eyes traveled around the room, probably looking for something to clean or reorganize. She leaped up and headed for the door on quick feet. Although he hadn't wanted any company, hadn't want to talk to anyone, he couldn't let her leave like this.

Jack jumped up, ran across the mattress, and beat her to the door without even using vampire-speed. He blocked her way effectively and said the first words that popped into his head. "Don't go."

"Please don't make an embarra.s.sing situation worse." She still didn't look him in the eyes.

"Why are you embarra.s.sed?" He took a deep breath and asked, "Did you mean what you said? Do you love me?"

Her gaze reluctantly slid up to meet his. "I...uh...yes, okay. I love you. Deal with it."

"I love you, too."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to say that. I wasn't trying to corner you into saying words you don't mean. Just stop it."

His hands went to her shoulders, grasping them firmly, and part of him wanted to shake her until she stopped being stubborn. "I wouldn't lie to you, not about something this important. I fell in love with you a long time ago."

"Really?" Her eyes brightened. "When?" She blushed. "I mean, when did you know you were in love with me? And why didn't you say something before?"

Good questions. He tried to come up with good answers. He wasn't sure there was a particular moment that caused him to fall for her. "I think it happened a little at a time. Part of me fell for you when you killed the werewolf in the cemetery. Another part loved you when you threatened to suck my soul out that first night. I love the way you go all shy on me sometimes and when you stand up for what you believe, even when it's me you're fighting against. There are a lot of things I love about you."

She seemed satisfied. Her smile widened, and she moved closer until there was only a breath of air between their bodies. She looked at his mouth. "Maybe you should kiss me now to kind of seal the deal."

She didn't need to ask twice. He leaned forward, touched his lips to hers. It was still new, still thrilling. Her arms wound tightly around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands settled on her hips. Her lips blossomed beneath his, and she invited his tongue inside the warm recesses of her mouth.

Now this was definitely new.

His knees went weak as the kiss deepened.

Whether by accident or design, they stumbled in the direction of the bed until they b.u.mped into it. They went down, side by side, still touching and kissing. Her hands molded the muscles in his arms while his fingers dove into her hair. Things were getting out of control fast.

Jack stopped kissing her and gently pushed her away. At the hurt look on her face, he said, "Your dad would kill me for sure if he walked in and found us rolling around on the bed together. Besides, we haven't known each other for that long. I care about you too much to take advantage of you."

"I feel like I've known you forever."

"I feel the same way. Still, we need to take it slow. Most of our relations.h.i.+p has been about hunting monsters. We've hardly had time to have a normal conversation. After I kill Jersey, we can go on a date like a real couple."

She smiled and nodded. "Sounds great. What are we going to do on our date?"

"I don't know. I haven't given it much thought."

Liar. He had planned every second down to the last detail. As soon as he got his hands on some money, he was going to take her out for an expensive meal. They would go to a movie, something sweet and romantic to set the tone for the rest of the evening. Then he was going to walk her out to the middle of the field, spread a blanket, and count the stars as they talked about their hopes and dreams for the future.

"We can decide later," she said. The hopeful smile disappeared, and a frown marred her beautiful features. "Don't let him hurt you. I don't want you to die trying to give me my freedom."

He waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "Don't worry. I think I can handle touching a man with a rock."

"Don't underestimate him. He's going to be wary of you after seeing what we did to the wraiths. He may not let you get close to him again." She s.h.i.+vered. Her arms went around her own body, and she began to shake her head vehemently. "No, never mind. I don't want you to do it. We'll think of another way to stop him."

"There isn't another way."

"I'll train harder so I can suck his soul out. Until then we can live and let live."

He knew it was her fear talking, fear for him. She didn't want to lose him, and he didn't blame her. After seeing her almost die, he knew he wouldn't be able to go on without her. As sappy as it sounded, if anything happened to her, he would die.

Jack stroked her cheek. "Relax. I won't take any stupid chances. If I don't get the perfect opportunity, I won't do it. Okay?"

"Okay." She hugged him again. Her head fit just below his chin. "Tomorrow, take the stone to school with you. When you're in his cla.s.s, look for a way to touch him without him seeing it. If you can't, then forget it. Deal?"

"Sounds like a plan." He turned and pushed her toward the door. "I need some sleep. Tomorrow could prove to be a long day."

Silver smiled as she left his bedroom.

Jack went to bed. This time he turned the light off and pulled the sweats.h.i.+rt over his head before tossing it to the floor. He rested on top of the covers instead of climbing under them. The chilled air felt good against his too-hot skin. He blamed Silver for his rise in temperature.

A smile raised his lips. Silver loved him. The knowledge made him want to scale the highest building in the nearest city and shout the words for all to hear. He was the luckiest guy in the world. Funny, a short time ago he wouldn't have thought so, but that had been before he'd met the tiny werewolf killer.

Hard to believe a pint-sized girl with huge blue eyes could make his life worth living again.

The door opened and light hit the bed. It closed before he could see her sneak back inside. The girl just couldn't seem to stay away from him. Neither of them said a word as she settled beside him on the bed. He decided to let her stay for a few minutes. Then he'd throw her out before her father caught them.

He closed his eyes, smiled, and waited for her to speak.

She turned to him and placed a hand on his bare chest. His heart quickened. She leaned against him. Her mouth touched the side of his throat, sending a s.h.i.+ver through him. His breath caught in his throat. He needed to get her to leave before he lost control. He didn't want to do anything that might hurt her.

She opened her mouth on his skin.

He frowned. A wet kiss didn't seem like the Silver he knew. She might have pressed herself against him earlier, but it had been done in innocent abandon.

He sniffed the air. The scent was all wrong. Silver wasn't in bed with him; it was Summer.

Teeth pierced his skin without warning. Summer bit him, infecting him for the second time, and it was too late to stop her. He was going to be a vampire again by morning. Nothing he could do about it.

He felt the blood slowly drain from his body, leaving him with a dizzy, euphoric sensation. He closed his eyes, floating on a familiar high. His thoughts turned to Silver. He would have to leave the house tonight and never see her again. He couldn't risk hurting her.

Summer's body jerked. She cried out and fell backwards off the bed. Jack lifted on his elbows in time to see Summer explode into ashes. Silver stood beside the bed, a stake in her hand. She had killed the girl too late, and she knew it. She turned on the lamp and stared at the b.l.o.o.d.y bite mark on his neck.

"What do I do?" she asked, panicking. Her gaze flew around the room. She grabbed his s.h.i.+rt off the floor, wadded it up, and held it against his throat. She repeated, "What do I do?"

"It's over," he said, feeling hopeless. "You can't do anything."

"No! I am not going to lose you now."

He placed a hand on top of hers. "I'm sorry. I thought she was you when she first came in."

"Stop talking like you're going to die. You aren't. I won't let you."

Silver raced from the room. She returned in mere seconds with a knife. Before he could demand to know what she was going to do with it, she sliced her thumb and held it over his wound, dripping blood into the open cuts.

"It works for werewolf bites," she said. "Maybe it kills vampire venom."

Jack's mind began to drift away from her. He could barely hear her anymore. Regardless of her strong will, his body was dying. Soon he would be a vampire. This time it would be permanent.

A question gnawed at the back of his mind.

Vampires couldn't enter a home without being invited, so how had Summer gotten inside?

Chapter Twenty-One:.

SUICIDE BY SUNLIGHT.

It was a long night.

Silver stayed with him, soothing him with a wet cloth when the cramps. .h.i.t. Sometime in the middle of the night she got up and closed the curtains to block the sun's rays. He watched with a heavy heart as she performed the task. Blinking his eyes against the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks, he purposely turned his head. The saddest part wasn't that he wouldn't see another sunrise; it was the loss of Silver and Billy, his family. He couldn't possibly stay with them now.

He held onto Silver all night long. Neither of them slept. They didn't talk either. As if by an unspoken mutual agreement, they kept their dark thoughts to themselves.

When morning finally came, he asked, "Is Billy waiting outside with a stake in hand?"

"I haven't told him about Summer yet."

"You didn't tell anyone?"

"Only my mother, in case I need help."

The good news: he wasn't in pain anymore. He felt great in fact, better than he had in weeks. The bad news: life as he knew it was over. He thought about returning to Cowboy, the only surviving member of his group, but he couldn't even fathom living as a vampire again, not after this wonderful second chance at life.

He made up his mind what to do about it. Summer had taken the choice from him, forced him to become a vampire again, but no one could make him live as one. He touched his throat as if it hurt and used a raw voice to make a request, "Could you get me some water, please?"

For some reason Silver seemed reluctant. She got up, walked to the door and opened it, but she hesitated in the doorway. She suspected he was up to something. If he wasn't quick about it, she'd call for reinforcements. They might pile on top of him, hold him down or tie him to the bed so he couldn't find peace.

Jack threw off the covers and raced to the window. Before Silver could stop him, he yanked the curtains open wide, closed his eyes tight, and mentally prepared himself to burst into flames. It might hurt for a few seconds. At least it would be over fast.

Nothing happened.

Jack opened one eye a slit. He saw the sun and felt its warmth on the bare skin of his chest. He placed a hand on his stomach, testing the theory. Giant b.u.t.terflies fluttered their huge wings as his stomach growled, hungry for food and not for blood.

"You aren't a vampire." Silver's voice mirrored his shock. She repeated the phrase with a huge smile on her face. "You aren't a vampire!"

"They don't call me Jackpot for nothing," he joked.

They met in the center of the room. He picked her off her feet, twirled her around, and laughed with her. Her blood must have kept him from turning back into a vampire. She'd saved his life. What would he do without her?

He set her down and smoothed the hair back from her face. "You know what this means, don't you?"

Her eyes narrowed for a moment, unsure.

"It means we can be together forever," he said. "It means we've shared blood, the most intimate of things, and now we're linked together for an eternity. It means I can kill Jersey before he starts a war. It means you can have your life and live it the way you want."

"Remember your promise about Jersey. If you can't do it without risk, I don't want you to do it at all. I can survive as a hunter, but I can't live without you."

If anyone else had said those words to him, he would have cringed or laughed at how corny they were. Coming from Silver's mouth they sounded like the most beautiful words in the world. And he totally agreed with her.

"I remember," he said.

"I've been thinking about college." She twisted her fingers. "I don't need to go. I don't have to be a lawyer. It was just a silly dream."

"It's not silly, and I want you to have your dream."

"People can't always have everything they want."

"You can," he insisted. "Don't turn your back on your dreams because of me. I didn't mean what I said before. I'll go with you, wherever you go. I can find a job and get a place off campus to live."

Her eyes lit up at the thought. "Yeah. We can get a cute little place, and I'll cook for you when you get home at night."

"You don't have to do that either."

"I want to do it."