B004SOYUR8 EBOK Page 2

  Alec turned his gaze back to Nicole. “Why is she involved in this? Does she have a death wish … maybe?”

  Nicole tore her eyes away from his. How could he know her deepest fascination? How could he be aware of her wish to know what lies beyond the last breath - the last beat of one’s heart?

  “Nicole can lead us into the light. I sensed this in her the moment I saw her. You sense it too Alec … admit it.”

  “You forget friend … I am not a Light Seeker. It would not matter to me.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Ethan was becoming impatient.

  “Do not come looking for me again Ethan. It is too dangerous for both of us. Omar knows what you are.” Alec’s voice dripped ice.

  Alec turned his attention to Nicole. She stood there watching the exchange, in disbelief.

  He stared into her eyes, as if searching for something. Leaning down, he brushed her lips with a feather - soft kiss. It was brief, but when his lips came into contact with hers, she was again bombarded with erotic images of sleek - naked bodies coming together in a mating frenzy. Nicole stood motionless, as if she’d been frozen in time.

  When she came to her senses, he was gone.

  Chapter Two

  Nicole stared at Ethan. It was like he was someone that she’d never seen before. In truth, maybe he was. The Ethan that she’d seen the last few moments was not the same person she’d known and worked with for nearly a year.

  “I see you have lots of questions,” he smiled.

  “You could say that.” Nicole drew her brows together. “What was that all about?”

  Ethan motioned toward the tomb’s opening. “Let’s get out of here. I’m sure you find it as distasteful as I do.”

  They began the walk back to the car in silence. In the distance, sirens shattered the silence of the night. New Orleans had a dark side, and Nicole was just getting a glimpse of just how dark it could be. Not the criminals that waited in the shadows to snatch your purse, or the gangs that stalked each other. The night creatures of the city were far more dangerous than any criminal could be. It was the creatures that no one believed in that would prey on the ignorance of humans.

  “Nicole,” Ethan began. “I know you don’t believe in vampires, or other types of hocus pocus, as you call it, but they are very real. You could not even imagine the creatures that are a part of our reality.”

  They reached the car, but instead of getting in, Nicole leaned against the hood. “Ethan, why don’t you start from the beginning? Let me decide for myself what I believe.”

  Ethan leaned against the car, peering down at her with something between amusement and sadness. “It happened about 10 years ago … while I was still in college. I was on my way home from a late class one night and a guy stopped me on the sidewalk. He was different than people that usually approach you in the city. He was dressed all in black, and was like … this deathly white. I mean this dude was way beyond Goth.”

  Ethan stopped, as if reliving the memory was too painful.

  “Go on, “ Nicole urged, her curiosity peaked.

  “He was a vampire. He had followed me as I left the campus. I would have died that night if not for Alec.”

  “Really? I’m a little confused here. I take it from the conversation that I just overheard that Alec is a vampire. At least you both believe that he is. Why would he save you?” Nicole was skeptical.

  “Alec is one of the unfortunate few that still retains a flicker of his humanity.”

  “Why is that a bad thing?” Nicole asked.

  “Well when you are a predator, having human traits can be a little troubling,” he smiled.

  Nicole remained quiet, waiting for Ethan to finish his story.

  “Anyway … Alec ran the vampire off and then he fed me some of his blood to keep me from dying. I mean … I did die I guess. But I was reborn to be what I am now.”

  Nicole laughed out loud. “You are telling me that you are a vampire?”

  “I am,” Ethan informed her, “but I don’t feed on humans. It is only animals. I have been searching for a way to end this curse of an existence. That’s why I joined the Light Seekers. They are a group that believes the same as I do. That there is more to what we are. We want to uncover the answers.”

  Nicole stared at him, unable to find the words to express her shock.

  “I could demonstrate what I really am, but it would only frighten you.”

  “Oh come on Ethan! Is this some type of joke?” Nicole could not believe that what Ethan was saying could be real.

  “No … it’s no joke, but I wish it were. Haven’t you noticed anything strange about me at all?”

  Nicole thought for a moment and had to admit that Ethan sure did have the traits of a vampire. He never went out, except at night. She’d never seen him eat a meal, though he did drink water.”

  “You drink water … I’ve seen you,” Nicole grasped at the piece of evidence that she felt eliminated any possibility of Ethan being a vampire.

  “We are flesh and blood, and though we must feed on blood, we must still consume water.”

  “Vampires are dead, they don’t need water,” Nicole pointed out.

  Ethan laughed. “Very true … if you are in Hollywood. Not so true with real vampires.”

  “Well … what is a real vampire then?” Nicole was becoming impatient with the bits and pieces of information she was getting from her boss.

  “That’s what I want to know too. All that is known for sure is that there is something in our blood that causes death, but then it reanimates us as another form of life. We must feed on blood to live. The sunlight will make us very ill, though we don’t turn to dust as you see in the movies.”

  “What about garlic and crosses?” Nicole asked.

  “All myth.” He opened his shirt to show her that he was wearing a crucifix. “I always wear one.”

  Nicole stepped away from the car and started pacing back and forth in front of Ethan. “Well even if you are serious, it would appear that Alec doesn’t have the same beliefs that you do.”

  “He did once,” Ethan explained. “He searched for a long time for the answer. He never found any evidence that there was anything more to our existence, but there is. I know there is.”

  “So what were you referring to about me?” she asked, suddenly remembering what he’d told Alec about her.

  “Let’s go. It’s probably not good to hang around this cemetery,” he told her, walking around the car and getting into the driver’s seat.

  Nicole slid into the passenger seat and looked over at Ethan, waiting for him to answer her. The way he seemed to be trying to avoid this part of the conversation made her uncomfortable.

  “Come on Ethan. Tell me everything.”

  Ethan started the car and pulled away from the curb. “Where did you come from? I don’t mean what city, but who were your parents? What do you know about your family?”

  Nicole turned away from him to stare out the window, trying to focus on the scenes that flew past them as they drove. How could she tell him about something that she didn’t even know herself? Her dad was long gone. He’d disappeared when she was a small child. Her mom remarried, and had another child with her new husband. Before long, her stepfather was gone too - the victim of an automobile accident.

  But there was Jay, her little brother. He’d been such a pain, getting into all of her stuff, messing her room up, and tagging around with her wherever she went. Nicole felt her heart shattering at the memory of his little angelic face - looking up at her with such trust. He asked so many questions about everything. He’d drive her absolutely bonkers some days. But what she wouldn’t give to have just one of those days back.

  Nicole cleared her throat. “There’s nothing much to tell really. All I have is my mom.”

  “What about your dad?” he asked.

  “He left when I was little. I don’t know where he is,” Nicole told him, shrugging her shoulders.

  “Well you should find o
ut what you can about him because there’s something about you that’s different … that chases away the darkness of the soul.”

  “Maybe it’s my bright smile,” she joked.

  “Nicole … there’s something you should know. Because you seem to have this unique quality … the vampire will be more attracted to you. They will want to prey on you because they crave that light.”

  “Is that why you hired me?” Nicole asked him.

  “Partly,” he admitted, “but I think there’s a reason why I found you, and part of that reason could be that you can help us find answers. I can sometimes read your thoughts, and I know you are a good person.”

  “I don’t think I like that.” Nicole narrowed her eyes.

  “It’s all okay. I just need you to convince Alec.”

  “And I’m going to do that how?”

  “You’re going to convince Alec to go to Omar and to find out what it is he is hiding?”

  Nicole shook her head. “He’s too scary. And besides … he told you not to contact him again.”

  “Nicole, he likes you … I can tell. And I can tell by that blush on your face that you are attracted to him too.”

  “Well if he really is a vampire … none of that matters, does it?”

  “Just don’t let yourself fall into the sex trap with him,” Ethan warned her. “Alec likes to consume his sexual partners,” he told her with a cryptic smile. “In more than one way.”

  “Well that’s a nice thing to know about the famous Alec Norwood.”

  “Oh and Nicole … I know you’ve lost someone important to you. If what I have been told is correct, you just may get another chance to see that person, if you can get Alec to help us get the information from Omar. The wolf talked about a place of light, where many things are possible … even contact with the dead.”

  “That’s not fair Ethan. You are using my emotions against me.”

  “I would do this myself, but Alec doesn’t believe anymore. He doesn’t want me to contact him because it will attract attention. He gave up a long time ago.”

  As Ethan talked, she thought she caught sight of the creature within, just for a fraction of a moment. It had been in the way his eyes took on an unearthly sheen as he explained the urgency of what she was to do.

  It was then that she started to fully comprehend her predicament. Could she turn down a vampire? If she did, what would become of her?

  * * * *

  The Saturday crowd had thinned. All that remained were a few stragglers that were not quite ready to end their evening of partying. Alec packed away his guitar, glancing around the room to find his prey for the evening. He usually didn’t hunt near home, but the one that he kept close to feed on had succumbed to the constant lack of blood in her system. Now it was time to find a new feeder.

  Once he’d been like Ethan, subsisting on animal blood and searching for the answer to the curse that had given him immortality. That was a long time ago. Each year that went by, he lost a little more of his humanity. It was true that he’d saved Ethan’s life. The kid had seemed so confused - so frightened. He had not deserved that kind of death.

  Now Alec regretted that decision. Ethan was too good for the existence of a vampire. He should have let him take his last breath and enter oblivion. It would have been a better option than the one Alec had given him. The decision to turn Ethan had been too impulsive - a human fault that he was trying to control.

  He sensed her before she’d even walked through the door. Glancing behind him, he saw her but quickly turned his attention back to what he was doing. Tonight she was an entirely different person than she’d been the first time he’d seen her. She was wearing a slinky black silk dress that hugged her curves like a second skin. It was so low cut that her cleavage beckoned to him - called to his hunger. Her neck was long and graceful, exactly the type of neck that he loved to sink his teeth into.

  Oh yes, she dressed like someone that he would love to make into a feeder, but she was not successful in disguising her innocence. She wore her innocence like a cloak, though it was tarnished by the darkness of sorrow. But even that darkness could not extinguish the light within her.

  Alec was sure that coming here again had not been her idea. He had sensed her fear of him, but it was just as well. She was far too tempting. He would devour her like he did all of his playthings. The part of him that remained human wanted to preserve that light that she emitted. She was special, like Ethan had said, but why?

  She stood behind him - watching him as he secured the guitar case. He could hear her heart beating violently, and the blood rushing through her body. He could smell her fear.

  Finally he glanced behind him and acknowledged her presence. “Well, if it isn’t the little assistant? I’m surprised that you would come looking for me again.”

  “Can we talk?” she asked.

  As she spoke, the artery in her neck pulsated in time with her heart - her life essence rushed through her. Alec felt the hunger creeping up on him. She was so tempting that he had to fight to stay in control.

  “I don’t think now would be a good time,” he told her, and then turned away.

  If he looked at her for one more moment, the woman would end up being dinner. She was too beautiful and too innocent to be that.

  “Please.” Nicole reached out to lay her hand on his arm.

  Her warmth against his cold skin was like the golden sunshine that he craved. He wanted more.

  The hunger burst forth and he could not control it. “Wait outside,” he snarled before rushing away from her. He entered the rooms reserved for the band. All was quiet. The others were out hunting and enjoying the taste of New Orleans.

  From the small refrigerator, Alec pulled out a bag full of blood. He then placed it in a warmer that he had made especially for this purpose. He kept some blood for emergencies, like the one he was experiencing now. If he hadn’t walked away when he did, there is no telling what would have happened. Alec would have been in a much better position to control it, if she’d come after he’d fed.

  The timer went off and Alec lifted the bag above his head. He let the warm blood drain into his mouth. It was not preferable by any means, but it would help him to control his hunger while he talked to the woman. He would have to send her away again, maybe more forcefully this time.

  * * * *

  Nicole stood outside beneath the light of the Dark Wind’s neon sign. Her shoes were killing her feet, but she could not stop herself from pacing back and forth every few minutes. She still didn’t know if she believed the whole vampire thing or not, but for a moment there, she was certain that Alec had been ready to turn on her.

  She’d let Ethan talk her into another visit to the Dark Wind, but her real reason for coming had been so that she could get another look at Alec, and to find out if this place of light could offer her a way to connect with Jay. If there could be vampires, why couldn’t there be a way that she could reach beyond death to connect with her baby brother again? Of course Ethan hadn’t said specifically that Alec could do this. He’d only said that Alec could help provide a way for her to do this.

  “You seem agitated.” The voice came from the murky shadows. He snuck up on her again. Instead of coming out of the front exit like she’d expected, he’d come from the side of the building. Nicole assumed that there must be another exit in the back.

  “Well it isn’t everyday that a girl stands around in the dark, waiting to meet a vampire,” Nicole burst out nervously.

  Alec’s laugh was deep - somehow menacing. “I suppose not.”

  “Alec, will you please reconsider? Ethan really needs your help on this.”

  “The Light Seekers are wasting their time.” Alec’s voice was full of contempt. “They are looking for something that does not exist.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I searched for these answers for years, and found nothing. I’m sure I would have come across some evidence of this secret … this place of light,” he s
aid, shrugging his shoulders. “But if Ethan wants to continue wasting his time … well it’s not like he is short of that?” Alec gave her a dark smile.

  Nicole returned his smile. “Well I tried.”

  Alec attempted to pull her in with his gaze, but Nicole averted her eyes.

  “Nicole,” he whispered her name. “What a beautiful name.”

  ‘Thanks.”

  “Well Nicole … let’s go for a ride.” Alec motioned toward a small blue sports car that was parked near the building.

  She hesitated.

  “Nicole … if I were going to kill you, I could easily have done so already,” he laughed.

  Alec walked to the car and opened the passenger side door for her. After another moment of hesitation, Nicole slipped into the leather seat and let him close the door behind her. He then walked around the car and got in beside her.

  Looking at him, he seemed as normal as any other guy. Sure, he was probably the most charismatic and gorgeous man she’d ever met, but still just a man. Right now she was really wishing that it were true, but deep in her heart, she knew that what Ethan had told her was a reality.

  “Where are we going?”

  “My place,” he told her.

  “But are the others there?” she asked. Being with Alec was risky enough.

  Alec laughed. “They are hunting. We’ll have the rest of the night to ourselves.”

  “Hunting?” Nicole unconsciously brought a hand up to her throat.

  Again Alec laughed. He seemed to enjoy toying with her.

  Chapter Three

  Alec drove to the Garden District and pulled into a driveway that wound around a large house. It was beautiful, and probably one of the most exotic houses she’d seen in the District. The garden surrounding the house looked as if it would be gorgeous during the day. Not far from the front porch, a cherub poured water into a small fountain. The air was thick with the scents of jasmine and mint.

  “This is nice,” she told Alec.

  “Yes … I like it. It just says New Orleans … doesn’t it? No other city is quite so interesting.”