B004SOYUR8 EBOK Page 11

  “I will destroy you,” Donavan promised.

  “You know what that would mean … don’t you?” Omar smiled, the light gone from his eyes.

  “Yes, but it will not matter.”

  Slowly the two immortals descended until their feet were on the ground.

  “Get Nicole free and make sure Ethan is secure,” he told the others without taking his eyes off of Omar.

  “I forgive you brother … this time,” Donavan stressed.

  Omar glared at him, but made no move to stop their escape.

  “I will be watching over her Omar. I better not see any sign that your vampires are stalking her,” Donavan warned him as he was backing away.

  “You have always been a pathetic Light Seeker Donavan,” Omar yelled after him. “It will be your undoing.”

  With his bare hands, Dash broke Nicole free of the chains and led her out of the room. Alec was struggling with Ethan, pulling him by the chains he was wrapped in. They entered a small hallway. Nicole could hear music coming from the front of the building. Apparently they had brought her to the nightclub that Alec had told her about.

  “Go through the back,” Alec told them, motioning toward the other end of the hall.

  They all slipped out of the building through the back door. Donavan wrapped his arms around Nicole and they rose into the night sky. In a matter of seconds, they came down in front of Alec’s house.

  “Hold him down while I get something for him,” Alec told Dash.

  Dash took over while Alec ran into the house. When he came back, he had a couple of bags of blood. He held the first one over Ethan and let him sink his fangs through the plastic and feed. It was gone quickly and he started on the next.

  “Where do you get that stuff anyway?” Nicole asked, wrinkling her nose.

  “Black market donors,” Alec told her.

  As they watched, Ethan began to resemble his old self, though he still looked ill.

  “Are you okay now? Can we let you go?” Alec asked him.

  Ethan nodded.

  When they unwrapped the chains from Ethan’s arms, he sat up slowly. He then gave Nicole an embarrassed look. “I’m sorry,” he told her. “If I had been myself …” His voice trailed off.

  “I know,” Nicole smiled.

  Donavan put an arm around Nicole’s shoulder. “I must be going. I have issues to attend to,” he told her.

  Nicole nodded.

  “Do you think that your mother is still very angry with me?”

  “Well … yeah. Maybe a little … or maybe a lot.”

  “I guess that is to be expected.”

  “You probably should have told her why you had to leave,” she scolded.

  Donavan shook his head. “If I had done that she would have worried herself constantly about your welfare. I wanted you to have a normal childhood.”

  “What about my sisters, and their childhoods? Do you even know anything about them?”

  “I confess … I know little of your sisters. One disappeared when she was a baby … the other when she was a little girl. They are both younger than you are.”

  “Younger? I thought you said you loved my mother?” Nicole’s anger sparked.

  “And I do … maybe more than any woman. But I am a vampire … and I like the pleasures of the flesh as much as the essence of life. I much prefer mortal women to vampire females … they are too cold.” he explained. “I am sorry daughter, but it is what I am.”

  “A vampire player.” Nicole rolled her eyes.

  “Let us not forget … that there was to be three of you. So it was meant to be,” he added.

  “How will I find these sisters?” she wanted to know.

  “You will find each other. I have no doubt about that.”

  “Will you see my daughter home?” Donavan told Alec. There seemed to be some kind of unspoken message passing between the two vampires.

  Alec nodded.

  “Well I can do it,” Dash cut in.

  “Alec will see Nicole home,” Donavan told him.

  “Well I just thought … you know … since it was on my way,” Dash shrugged his shoulders.

  Turning back to Nicole, Donavan said. “I will be back soon.”

  “For sure this time?”

  “Yes, for sure.”

  Nicole turned toward Dash. “Thank you for all of your help,” she told him.

  “Sure,” he grinned. “But when are we going to Wyoming? We’re still going to do that … right?”

  Nicole smiled. “Yes, I do think that we will be going there sometime in the near future.”

  Alec took her hand in his and they started walking toward his car.

  “We aren’t flying?” she asked. Nicole had decided that she really liked the feeling of flying.

  He shook his head.

  Once inside the car, Alec sped away. He seemed preoccupied, barely saying two words to her all the way to her apartment.

  When he parked, he got out and opened the door for her.

  “Would you like to come in?” she asked when they reached her apartment.

  He hesitated, but nodded. “Sure.”

  Once inside, Nicole turned to him. “What’s wrong Alec?”

  “You should not have gone off like that … not alone,” he frowned.

  “I thought my mom needed my help. How did you know where to find me?” she asked.

  “Followed that beacon,” he said, his features softening. “I did suspect that Omar had you and that he had taken you to the Cell,” he added.

  “I should be thankful that you are so in tune with my signals.”

  Alec pulled her into his arms. He was kissing her face and her neck. “I have to leave you Nicole,” he said softly.

  Nicole backed away. “No … you can’t leave!” She shook her head. “There’s no reason for you to leave.”

  “Sweet … it is what is best. We both know that.”

  “No! This is my father’s doing isn’t it?”

  “It is his wish … yes. But I would have left anyway, because I love you. It is the one thing that I can do for you to express my love.”

  Tears streamed from her eyes. She felt as if her entire world was falling apart. He was her heart - her reason for breathing, and he was leaving. “No what is best for me … is to be with you. I love you Alec,” she cried.

  He brushed her tears away. “I am the last thing you need in your life … I am darkness.”

  “But I was born to darkness so none of that matters.”

  “Yes … but you will only blossom in the light. You will live in the light. You will have children and grandchildren, and you will know through all of it, that I will love you for eternity.”

  He kissed her lips tenderly. This time, there was not the familiar - uncontrollable hunger, but need and regret. When the kiss ended, he hugged her tightly. Letting go, he backed away and turned to leave.

  “No don’t do it Alec. Please!” she cried.

  “Bye sweet,” he whispered, giving her one last kiss on the cheek.

  Nicole closed her eyes so that she would not have to see him walk away, but she heard the door click shut behind him.

  When she opened her eyes, she was alone. Not since the day of Jay’s funeral had she felt this alone - this empty.

  Instead of going after him like her heart was screaming at her to do, Nicole turned away from the door.

  Chapter Twelve

  The seasons passed, but Nicole did not see the beauty of the fall or the wonders of rebirth in spring. She walked around in a daze, going through the motions of life, without actually living it. All around her, the world kept turning, people went on with everyday life, but she was lost somewhere in the darkness - longing for someone she would never see again.

  She’d gone to the club a couple of times, hoping that she would find him there. The others in his group were still there, but he was gone. She’d asked around, but no one seemed to know where he’d gone.

  It had taken a little while for he
r to be able to be around Ethan without feeling skittish, but he was back to being the same person he had always been. It was only when she thought about that night that she even remembered what he was. Though she still enjoyed working for Ethan, she did not find her job as exciting as she once did.

  Dash would drop by once in a while - literally. She would hear a knock at her window, and she would find him sitting on the ledge outside. Nicole couldn’t get him to understand that he could still use the door - even if he was a vampire.

  He would ask about their trip to Wyoming. She’d promise that it would be soon, but she didn’t know when. Nicole had attempted to locate her sisters, but she just didn’t have the heart for it.

  Her father had returned, as he had promised. Donavan was always close at hand now - watching over her. This should have made her feel safe and cared for, but it only reminded her of the person that she really wanted to feel safe with.

  There were nights when her emptiness was so profound that she considered seeking out a vampire to end her anguish. If she turned - she could find Alec, and there would be no reason for them to be apart. She would stare out her window at night, hoping beyond reason that he would come back. That maybe she would catch a glimpse of him watching her from the street, but she never did.

  When she slept she would dream of him, of his kisses and the way it felt when he touched her - loving her so completely. Sometimes the dreams were so real, she was surprised to wake and find that she was still alone.

  Had he found a way to get into her head and make love to her with his mind?

  Nicole stared at the computer screen, lost in thought, as she often was these days.

  “Nicole … are you still with us?”

  Ethan’s voice intruded on her thoughts and she looked up.

  “You have been staring at the same page for the last hour. Is something wrong?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No … I’m just a little tired I guess.”

  “Why don’t you go home and get some rest. You don’t have to stay here all night. You’re already here most of the day,” he suggested.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, turning her attention back to the computer screen. “I just have to finish running this background check that you asked for.”

  Ethan cleared his throat. “I wasn’t going to bring this up yet, until I asked your father about it, but maybe you’ll feel better if I do.”

  Nicole looked over at him - her curiosity peaked.

  “I’ve gotten some information that one of your sisters may be on the west coast somewhere. I mean the girl is a fit.”

  “Really … I guess I better check it out,” Nicole told him, but without a lot of enthusiasm.

  Ethan shook his head, confused by her lack of excitement. “You are a Light Seeker now … like the rest of us. This is fantastic news. Not only will it bring us closer to the Place of Light, but this may be your sister.”

  Nicole forced a smile. “I know … I’m sorry. Of course I’m excited, this is great news.”

  It was great news. Though her heart ached for Alec, finding one of her sisters would take her one step closer to fulfilling her destiny.

  Ethan walked over to Nicole and gave her a slap on the back as if she were one of his buddies. “You didn’t listen to me, did you Nicole? Didn’t I tell you not to look into his eyes?”

  Nicole tried to reply, but found that she could not talk without choking on her words. Instead, she covered her face with her hands and wept.

  “It will be okay,” he told her softly.

  “I love him,” she spoke through her tears.

  “He only did what he thought was best for you.”

  Nicole shook her head. “It wasn’t though.”

  Ethan was silent for a long time, but then he put an arm around her. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I have heard rumors that they are doing an outdoor concert in Texas … this weekend.”

  Nicole held her breath. Ethan wouldn’t be telling her this, if it didn’t have something to do with Alec.

  “And?” she urged him to continue.

  “Well they say Alec is going to be with them. But like I said, it is just rumors,” he cautioned.

  Nicole stood up from her chair so fast that she knocked it over. “Sorry,” she said, reaching behind her to pick it up.

  “Can I take a few days off?” she asked.

  Ethan smiled. “Sure … but be careful Nicole. Let’s not forget what these people really are? If Alec isn’t there, don’t hang around.”

  “I won’t,” she smiled. It was her first genuine smile in months.

  “There’s something else I should tell you.” His words stopped her just as she got to the door. “This sister … they say that there’s trouble brewing around her. It would be a good idea to check this out as soon as possible.”

  “Yes I will, as soon as I get back from Texas,” she told him. “Can you see what else you can find out about her?”

  Ethan nodded, but he had a worried expression on his face.

  * * * *

  The crowd was humungous. The event was some annual rock festival that was held in a large field outside of Dallas. Several bands would play throughout the day and night. Alec’s band would not come on until sometime after dark. Nicole anxiously watched as the sun sank lower and lower into the horizon.

  There were so many people that Nicole had to practically shove her way through them. It took her a long time to get up close to the stage. Once she was there, people were trying to push her out of the way. She held her ground. There was no way she was moving until the band she was waiting for came on.

  As the last rays of sun faded, the stage exploded in a spray of fire. The guitars came alive, sending out waves of haunting chords to the thousands of people that crowded around them.

  When the smoke cleared, she saw him - the wind blowing through his hair and his eyes alive with hunger. His voice rang out above the roar of the crowd. His words of love and desire pierced right through to her soul. Suddenly his eyes were on her, and she felt herself falling under their spell once again. This time she did not fight it - but welcomed it. She saw no one else. Not the rest of the band - not the people around her, only him and his exotic - hypnotic eyes. His vampire eyes!

  Nicole began to tremble. To be so close to him after all of this time, and then be unable to feel his arms around her was a torture beyond anything that she could imagine. Throughout the show, his eyes rarely left her. Her heart called out to him to end her suffering.

  Too soon the music faded away and Alec disappeared. A lump was forming in her throat. Her despair was almost too much to endure. To be so close to him, and then have him disappear without a word. He had acknowledged her with his eyes, but no more than that.

  Turning away from the stage, Nicole pushed through the crowd. She seemed to be moving in slow motion. All she wanted was to get away from all the people and find solitude so that she could grieve in peace.

  Finally she was out of the crowd and walking through a sea of parked cars. She wandered around for a long time, trying to find where she had parked her car. They all looked the same in the dark. Spotting her car, she started to run toward it. She had to get away. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could outrun the pain in her heart.

  It was dark. She could barely see to put the key into the door’s lock. A hand reached out to cover hers, taking the keys from her grasp. She spun around and saw that Alec was standing behind her.

  Without thinking, she threw her arms around him, and welcomed the feeling of his arms encircling her waist.

  He kissed away the tears on her cheeks. “Don’t cry anymore, sweet. There have been too many tears in your life.”

  “You went away,” she accused.

  “Only because I love you,” he whispered. Alec’s mouth came down on hers and he kissed her with all of the passion and yearning that she could ever hope for.

  Nicole clung to him, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear.

>   When the kiss ended, he gazed at her with such adoration that she could feel her heart bursting with love for this man - this vampire that was the light of her life.

  “I will never leave you again,” he promised.

  “What about Donavan?” she asked, still breathless from his kiss.

  Alec held her closer and spoke in her ear. “He will have to destroy me to keep me away from you. I was going to sleep through your lifetime so that I would not be tempted to return, but I could not do it.”

  The thought of never seeing him again was more terrifying than anything she had faced so far.

  “My sisters … the Place of Light?” She remembered what her destiny was.

  “We will search together,” he told her, leaning down to kiss her again.

  Lifting her in his arms, they ascended into the dark sky.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Somewhere where I can do what I have been dreaming of doing every night since the last time I saw you,” he told her.

  His words sent a wave of heat through her body. This time, she hoped that she did not wakeup to find that it was only a dream.

  * * * *

  Lex watched them from a distance. He had followed the girl from New Orleans. He had been watching her for months now. Nothing could happen to her. She was too important to the future of the wolves and the vampires. Only through her could they hope to ever reach the light.

  While he watched over the girl, he was protecting his own granddaughter at the same time - and possibly redeeming himself too. There was a storm coming to Outerlands, and to the realm of the vampire. Even now, Omar was gathering strength and building his army of darkness.

  The sisters had to prevail. They would bridge the gap and be a powerful weapon against the darkness.

  Lex turned away. For now her vampire lover could protect Nicole, but who was protecting the others?

  The End

  Excerpt From Book Two of the Immortal Destiny Series

  Night Breed

  Copyright 2011 Lorraine Kennedy

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.