AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, I believe that he’s more than a vampire. I think he tapped into who you are, and that he followed you, hoping to forever sideline you. If you were any weaker, he might have. But Elphyra, you have a strong spirit, and no matter how far the encounter knocked you down, there is no doubt in my mind that, at some point, you’d get up and face life again.”
“Will he come back for me?” If anybody knew, it would be Grams.
She let out a long sigh. “I fear that he’ll be back, so yes. Even though May helped you cut the cords connecting him to you, he’ll track you down. When a demon marks you, they don’t forget about you.”
I stood, pacing over to the woodstove, where I added more fuel. “Why didn’t he kill me when he had the chance?”
“Perhaps he was overconfident. Perhaps he was satiated with Rian’s death. Perhaps…he enjoys the hunt and the chase. He’s a sadist, so making you fear for years would be par for the course. I can’t answer you’re question, but I do know that you have to be ready to meet him when he returns. And you have to be ready to take him on and win. We’ll discuss your training regime tomorrow.”
The day had taken twists and turns I never expected, but I knew—gut deep—that Grams was right. And that meant that I was right. I wasn’t meant to lead a normal life, I wasn’t meant to settle down and be happy—at least not the way people thought it was supposed to look like.
“I’m not going to enjoy this, am I?” I asked, wryly.
She gave me a veiled laugh. “Oh, my dear, who knows what you’ll discover? Maybe you’ll enjoy living up to your destiny. Maybe you’ll embrace the fear instead of trying to hold it at arm’s length. Adrenaline can be an addictive drug.”
And with that, she excused herself and headed into the bedroom. I peeked out the curtain just in time to see a patrol car easing into the driveway. Whoever the officer was, they paused long enough to get a look around, then silently withdrew. I could see Von stiffening from where he was sitting on the front porch, but then he relaxed and sat down again.
Grams was right. I needed to learn how to protect myself. I appreciated the extra help, more than Kyle and Daisy could know, but I wanted to be able to protect myself. I wanted to be someone people respected and knew enough to leave alone. I wanted my power back, and then some.
I thought about the demons of the world. We all knew about the ones who were all-too familiar—the politicians out to strip away our rights and freedoms, the religious ones out to force everyone into a hive-mind all worshiping the King Bee. We knew about the serial killers and the con artists. But behind everything lurked the true demons, who were out to dismantle humanity as a whole. And they often acted as puppet master, using mortals as their cover. Maybe I could make a difference. Maybe I could stop some of the harm from happening. If I was born to hunt demons, why not do so in a way that it benefitted more than myself?
Feeling both confused but oddly optimistic, I headed for bed, looking forward to the morning and to what Grams was about to put me through. It was time I woke up. It was time to take up my responsibility within the family. It was time to grow into the woman I was meant to be.
CHAPTER NINE
I was up with the dawn, for once. Grams was showering—I could hear the water running. I dressed in a pair of black leather pants, a black V-neck sweater, and a black vest. My tattoos that covered me from shoulder to wrist on both arms were mostly hidden. It was too cold for short sleeves, when I had the feeling Grams would have me out and about every day for a long walk.
I texted Bree, telling her what had happened. I was about to make my breakfast when the doorbell rang. As I peeked through the window, I saw Von and the other men there.
“Hey,” I said, opening the door. “How was the night?”
“Uneventful. We saw the deputies pull in twice.” Von glanced at his watch. “We’ll be back tonight around nine. I’ll text you before we arrive, so we don’t startle you by just showing up.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked. “Kyle’s so kind but really, I hate inconveniencing you.”
“It’s our job, Ma’am. We belong to the Pack’s security force. And truly, we don’t mind. See you tonight.” He nodded as Kells tipped his hat. James gave me a friendly stare. As the three of them headed out, I stopped them.
“Would you like coffee first? I’ve got a spare Starbucks gift card—there should be enough on it for coffee and pastries, if you like.” I hated feeling like I was taking advantage of them, but again, Von shook his head.
“We’re good. We appreciate the offer, though. See you tonight.” He and his men took off down the steps, heading toward their cars that were parked in the strip for my customers.
I watched them go, then glanced back at my shop. I was waiting for the insurance adjusters to come out and take their pictures. Now, though, I wondered, would I would ever open the shop again? And if not, what would I do instead?
“Well, good morning. You’re up early,” Grams said.
“Yeah, I wanted to say bye to the boys. They’ll be coming back tonight,” I added. Turning back to Grams, I said, “I’m heading down to the mailbox to check the mail. When I get back, we can make breakfast.”
“Nonsense. I’ll whip us up something. Fancypants can help me, can’t you?”
The dragonette was hovering behind her. He bobbed his head quickly, which I’d come to equate with a dog wagging its tail, and said, “Of course. I’d be happy to offer my services.”
“All right. I’ll go check the mail, you two make breakfast.” And with keys in hand, I headed out the door and toward the driveway.
* * *
Normally, I would drive to the mail box—the driveway was long and, given the night’s rain, it was still muddy, even with the gravel covering it. But Grams had lit a fire under me and I decided that it was time I stopped doing everything the easy way. It was time that I stretched myself a little.
The morning was dry and partially clear. The rain had eased off some time around three AM, but the smell of moisture still hung heavy on the wind, and my guess we’d be seeing more before nightfall. The tang in the air—pungent and slightly acidic—stung my nose as I jogged slowly along the rain-slicked drive. The trees were listing in the breeze, which was steady and constant at around ten miles per hour. I shivered lightly, feeling the weight of winter approaching.
