Once Bitten

"I can keep her then?” he finally asked, and I knew his fangs were out by the slight lisp in his voice.

"For now. I might take her from you in the future, but for now she is yours. Of course, my generosity will come at a cost,” Tatius said.

Nathanial tensed again. “What cost?"

I pushed against his chest, trying to get him to let me go so I could see. He clung to me even tighter.

"I want you on my council, and I want both of you active in our community. I have allowed you to slide through the cracks too long, Hermit. You will come when I summon you and you will meet with the other council members a minimum of twice a week."

"You know I have no interest in being part of your puppet council."

"These are the conditions. Accept them, or forfeit her life and yours."

Nathanial's hand moved up to stroke my hair.

"Fine,” he whispered, and I shivered. I was being used as leverage. I didn't like it.

"Let her go, Hermit."

Nathanial's muscles tightened for a heartbeat before his arms slackened. I'd wanted him to release me earlier, but now that Tatius was demanding I stand alone, I would have rather stayed pressed against Nathanial's chest. I turned and stared at the piercing in Tatius's eyebrow instead of his eyes.

"You will still owe me a favor, Kita. A very large one."

I wanted to argue about owing someone a favor just to live, but bit my tongue. Bite me once shame on you. Bite me twice? Not happening.

Tatius looked at me strangely, then laughed. “You know, I once ate a schizophrenic who tasted like you. Go away, now. I grant you hunting rights. Go feed. I will expect you both to return here in three nights."

Tatius turned his back on us. We were dismissed, if not forgotten. Nathanial grabbed my upper arm and led me out of the room as if tarrying even a second might change our fate. In the hallway, the ghost-like vampire watched us with quizzical black eyes, but she said nothing as we passed her.

There were now a dozen vampires in the room with the stairs. They studied us with varying degrees of veiled shock as we entered. Alistair stood in the center of the group. He had probably shared everything he'd seen in the council's chambers. Of course, he'd missed a crucial segment. He glared at Nathanial and me as we entered.

"Kita, dear, are you all right?” Samantha asked, looking me over. It was my neck she focused on. I ignored her gaze.

"Fine,” I mumbled, trying to navigate around the vampires without looking hurried.

"You got your hunting rights?” Jezebel asked from her spot on the couch.

"Yes."

"Then we need to get you cleaned up and take you upstairs to feed.” Magritte touched the torn neck of my sweater.

I glanced at Nathanial for help, but he remained silent. He still hadn't managed to put his neutral mask back on, and his gaze looked dangerous as it slid over the vampires in the room. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me away from Magritte's attention. He took a step forward, and the vampires shuffled out of his way. No one said anything until we reached the bottom step. Then Alistair moved into our wake, but he hung back, out of reach.

"You should both be dead."

I glared at him. “Yeah well, you are either wrong, or we scared the whole vampiric council, and that's why they're not chasing us down right now."

A collective gasp followed my words. That shut Alistair up, for the moment, but I could tell he was straining his little mind for something else to say.

"Enough, Kita.” Nathanial heaved the door open before my tongue got me in any more trouble.

Chapter 19

"The trail in the alley first?” Nathanial asked as we wove through the restricted area of club.

I frowned. Every second the falling snow could be obliterating the trail, or it might have already. I'd lost the scent when it was relatively fresh. How long had it been since then?

I shook my head, even with the taste of Tatius's blood improving my senses, I couldn't follow a cold trail the way Bobby could. “We need Bobby."

Nathanial scowled. He hadn't regained control of his emotions yet. Dark hostility shadowed his crystal eyes, a possibility of violence turning his mouth hard. I looked away. The man gazing at me from behind those eyes wasn't the same man I'd known the last few nights. The urge to say something that would make his lips twitch into a lazy smile crept over me, but I pushed it aside.

Music poured through the club. I kept my head down as we passed through the crowded rooms, but my hunger didn't surface as it had earlier. Not that I was complaining, but it struck me as strange. Apparently Tatius's blood was potent. All it had taken was a drop or two. Amazing.

"I think I'll start dinning on vampires,” I said once we were outside the club.

Nathanial's gaze cut into me. “Do not drink other vampires’ blood. Particularly if they have recently taken yours. If they are powerful, and you get enough of their blood in you, they can bind you."

I'd been joking, but ... Magritte had said something about binding. And about masters. “You have given me your blood."

He frowned and tugged me into his arms. Wind roared by my ears as he took to the air. I scrambled for a better hold on him. He was avoiding the subject He touched down in an alley across from the hospital, but he didn't release me.

"You were bound to me when I turned you.” His lips pressed the words into my hair. “That is the nature of a master and companion bond, but Tatius is old enough and strong enough to break our bond and bind you to himself."

A chill crawled down my spine. I shook my head. I had too much to worry about tonight without considering vampiric bonds. I backed out of his arms.

"Speaking of Tatius ... I noticed you didn't exactly jump to my defense when he tried to kill me."

"He could not have killed you simply by draining your blood. He would have used the dagger on his thigh."

I hadn't noticed the dagger. “And would you have stood there and watched that too?"

"No, Kitten. Then I would have fought him, and you and I would both have died."

"Oh.” I looked away. What was I supposed to say to that? Thanks didn't cover it. “We should find Bobby and Gil."

I started for the street, but he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. I hated that I was getting used to him doing that, as if his touch were somehow expected. I turned. His eyes were still shadowed, his expression slightly raw, but his emotions were more hidden than before. A stranger might not even notice. But I wasn't a stranger anymore.

"We're on a tight schedule, remember?” I tried to step out of his grasp.

He didn't let go.

"You told Samantha you anticipate us going separate ways after tonight."

I shrugged. “We have to live through tonight first."

"You cannot leave alone. If you did not notice, a young vampire without a master is anyone's meat. Every inch of known land is charted as territory for some vampire somewhere. There is nowhere you can run or hide. You are mine, I will watch over you until you are stronger, but you cannot run off."

"I'm not a possession, nor am I your mate. You hold no claim over me."

"Kita, I am trying to protect you. Not date you. I have seen your disregard for other's hearts. I would not choose to trust you with mine."

His hand dropped, releasing me, and he swept out of the alley.

I watched his retreating back. He wouldn't choose ... Why did those words make my stomach hurt? I opened my mouth to call him back, but my tongue felt heavy, clumsy. My jaw snapped closed. He was almost across the street already.

I ran to catch up, reaching him as the doors to the hospital lobby slid open.

Bobby sat alone on a bench by the door. He jumped to his feet as we entered, relief spilling over his face. The relief slipped away just as quickly, his eyes narrowing, his gaze fixed on my neck. I touched the badly torn collar of my turtle neck. I'd forgotten about it. I pushed the collar back in place and the shoulder Tatius had gripped protested the movement with a surge of pain. Bobby didn't miss my grimace. He glared at Nathanial.

"Why is she hurt?"

"She is fine,” Nathanial said before I could answer.

I shot him a dirty look.

Bobby's concerned eyes narrowed, and he reached for my collar. After the night I'd had, with everyone going for my throat, I wasn't up for anyone reaching for me. I stepped back, pulling down the collar in the process. I had the distinct feeling there were no marks left, but I wasn't positive until the confusion flowed across Bobby's face. He leaned in to study my neck like I was somehow hiding the wound.

"We had a bit of a run in with some vampires. I'm fine.” I looked around the lobby. “Where is Gil?"

"She said she had an idea and then disappeared."

"Did you two see the victim first?"

He shook his head, and my stomach twisted. How were we supposed to get into the ICU without Gil doing the magic thing on the receptionist? Nathanial seemed to realize the problem at the same time.

"I can hide us behind an illusion,” he said, nodding us toward the stairwell. “Bobby, you will need to cause a distraction so Kita and I can see the victim."

"No way.” Bobby glared at Nathanial's back. “Kita comes back injured every time you leave me behind."

Nathanial ignored that statement, but I had to admit there was some truth in it. Though, if I were being fair, I got myself into trouble that couldn't be laid at Nathanial's feet. We exited the stairs on the same floor Gil had taken us to a couple nights prior.

Despite his protests, Bobby followed. Nathanial hesitated at the door of the ICU and glanced down the hall. It was empty. Even so, he kept his voice low. “Creating a moving illusion to cover all three of us is not feasible. Besides, we will need the ICU door open. If I open it, people will notice and focus on that spot. The attention might break through my illusion. If you open the door, which gives them something different as their focus, Kita and I will be able to slip by unnoticed."