The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Complete Collection(40)

“She stood and said softly to me, ‘Have no fear for my life, sir.’ I felt entranced by her beauty, though my harsh words continued to flow freely from my lips. She took a few steps toward me, and I reached out to grab her by the arm and drag her back to the top of the cliffs with me.”

He shook his head, remembering his frustration with the woman. “As I clamped my hand around her arm, she had me in her arms quicker than lightning, as I have no memory of how I got there. Her lips caressed my earlobe and whispered again ‘Have no fear.’

"I felt the pierce of her fangs when she bit me; they drove deep into my neck. Her lips formed around the wound. The last thing I remember after screaming in fear until I was breathless was that it was the most amazing feeling I had ever encountered.

“Ever since then, we traveled, and then I left her and traveled on my own. I built my power within the supernatural realm as well as the living, and killed to live instead of living to kill.”

I fell back in my chair and pushed some hair out of my eyes. I didn’t want to feel sorry for him. I regretted asking him to tell me his story. I didn’t even know what to say to him.

I set my fork down. “I’m tired. Can I go to bed, now?”

“Of course.” He nodded and rose from the table. “Go on up to your room. If you require night clothes, you will find a few things in the armoire.”

There was no way in hell I would wear anything he had gotten for me in anticipation of my being here.

“Thank you.” I slid my chair out and rose to leave.

“I feel I should warn you, there are guards all over the grounds. They will stop you if you attempt to leave.”

Seriously? “So, I’m a prisoner, then?”

His eyes were cold. “Only if you make yourself one.”

“I understand,” I told him and marched out the door.

What a freakin’ jerk.

I should have known he wouldn’t let me have freedom. Well, to be fair, it seemed like I would have a little freedom, as long as I was on the grounds.

Once upstairs, I put on my Harley shirt and sweatpants out of my bag and slid into them. I hadn’t worn the Harley shirt since the night my mother had been murdered. I wore it this night on purpose, because I needed it to bring back memories of her death. I had to stay focused on my goals. That's the only way this time with Trevor would be bearable.

I pulled back the covers on the bed and slid beneath the cool sheets. Curling up into a ball, I pulled out my cell phone and turned it on. Immediately it buzzed that I had messages and texts. I checked them. There were four texts from Drew, two of them were of him yelling at me and demanding to know what the hell I was doing. Then the last one was him, finally, begging I come back or call him, anything.

There were also several voice messages and texts from Gavin. His were all simply wondering why I had left, asking if I was in trouble, and asking me to call him as soon as I could.

Tears slid down my cheeks and soaked the pillow. I sniffled and sighed, and then I turned off my phone. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t call them.

I just couldn’t.



When I woke, I couldn’t even tell if it was morning, because there were no windows to let in the light. I rolled over and looked at the clock. It was almost nine in the morning. I never, ever, slept that late. Even on vacation days from school or during the summer, I still woke up at the butt crack of dawn to go for my run and train.

I pulled back the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed. I wondered what I was supposed to do all day. I assumed Trevor would be asleep, being a vampire and all. I picked out an outfit to wear and then hurried to the bathroom. After I’d showered and dressed in jeans and a plain black tee-shirt, I wandered into the sitting room and immediately smelled food. A quick glance around the room proved there was, to my surprise, an entire breakfast sitting on the little table in the corner of the room. On closer inspection, I saw an omelet, hash browns, a bowl of fruit, coffee and orange juice. My stomach rumbled, and I realized the long rest overnight had stirred up my appetite.

“I hope you like it.”

“Ahhhh!” I jumped back and reached for my gun—that wasn’t there—on instinct. When I realized it was Alice who had spoken, I put my hand on my heart and released a big sigh. “Jeez, Alice. You scared me!”

“I’m so sorry.” She held out a little dish with toast on it. “Please, don’t tell Mr. Trevor I scared you so badly. I was just getting the toast off the cart over there.”

I was still catching my breath from the scare. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Mr. Trevor. You didn’t do anything wrong. I was just surprised; that’s all.” I pulled out the chair and sat. “Would you sit and have coffee with me?”

She shook her head quickly. “Oh, no. I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Uhm… I just… I—I don’t think I’m supposed to. I’m just the help.”

“Well you’re not just 'the help' to me.” I pointed at the chair across from me. “Sit,” I ordered.

She smiled shyly and sat.

“Well, now, that’s more like it.” I handed her the coffee mug and took the orange juice for myself. “Tell me about this place, Alice.”

“What would you like to know?”