Page 8 of Vampire Visions

Novak had been dying to get ahold of Taylor and scare him for the past few years. Now seemed like the perfect time to do it. The nosy vampire caught onto my thoughts real quick, too. He slid his fangs down and snapped his teeth at Taylor before smiling viciously. Everyone seemed to take that as a cue of some sort, or maybe they were just tired of holding back.

Stone morphed again, growing into his full demon in two blinks of my eyes. His stark black skin was striking against the mid-morning light. With his tail lashing back and forth, he opened his wings to stretch them out to their full size behind York and Novak. Jack shifted as well. His anger changed his hellstead form, making his mane and tail rolling hellfire instead of hair. Grim wasn’t far behind him. He held his right hand out, and his skin slowly disappeared as his scythe formed. He stood, without a robe, in all his skeletal glory. It was really fucking cool.

Taylor began to move toward York as ice raced its way across the ground from Vaughn to him. York and Palmer looked at each other with mischievous grins. Bright orange magic that resembled electricity wrapped around Taylor’s wrists and vines twisted around his ankles.

Franklin sighed and rolled his eyes at us. “If you’re all done playing with our dinner, then I’ll take him off your hands now.” I couldn’t help the deep, rumbling laugh that left my mouth. The old vampire had a sense of humor. Who knew?

Everyone settled down while Taylor was in full panic mode. He searched for an escape, but he wouldn’t find one with us. Franklin turned to Jack. “I’d rather you kill him out here so I don’t have to clean up two pools of blood.” He waved his hand at the ground and walked back inside.

“Sure thing, Frank!” York shouted at the retreating vampire before the door swung shut.

“You’re not going to eat me,” Taylor informed us.

“I’m not, but he may.” York pointed to Jack as the demon was shifting back to his human skin. The sinewy muscles of the hellstead shortened, his fur pulled back to make way for his smaller human skin. The process of his shift was so much different than mine. Either that, or he purposely slowed it down to show off.

York turned and glanced toward the top of the monstrous mansion we were staying in. I could only assume it was Sloane’s bedroom window. Relief flooded his face. “Probably want to wait a little bit though, Jack. Sloane just woke up.”

“I’ll go get her,” I offered. My wolf was ready to see her alive and awake, and I was itching to get away from the tension for a few minutes so I could calm down. I walked at a casual pace to the basement door, then raced up all the stairs two at a time. All the stairs.

I couldn’t reach her fast enough to make me or my wolf happy. He was pushing just under the surface of my skin when I knocked on her door. I took a long, deep breath when I didn’t hear anything. Turning the knob, I entered her space for the first time, calling her name as I looked around. Shutting the door with a soft click, I was immediately met by the reddish English Mastiff that was Helios as he emerged from behind Sloane’s desk. If the teeth he was displaying were any indication, I’d dare say the hellhound was pissed about my intrusion.

“I just came to check on her,” I gently told him as I lifted my hands in a gesture of surrender. He stalked closer, closing several feet of the distance between us in one powerful stride. “I don’t want to fight with you, Helios. I won’t hurt her.”

He lunged for me across the six foot space, and I twisted to dodge his attack. He slammed into the door, momentarily stunning himself. I didn’t want to hurt him. I knew he was still recovering from the potions too, but he wouldn’t stop until he knew Sloane was safe.

I waited for his next attack. He growled low and shot forward, hitting me in my thighs. We both tumbled to the ground, and I rolled over him, pinning him to the floor beside a purple couch.

He continued his growling, but I spoke over him. “I won’t hurt her. I won’t hurt you or the others. I came to check on her because York said she was awake. I’m gonna let you go, and I’m gonna go check on Sloane.”

Yes. I was talking to the hellhound like a person. I felt like an idiot for doing it, but it seemed to be the best option. I slowly released my hold on him, limb by limb. We both jumped up, watching the other. I sidestepped until I was between him and the door to Sloane’s bedroom. “Barbie?” I called out. “If I open this door, am I gonna get attacked again?”

“No,” she yelled. “I heard you guys fighting, so I changed these two to kittens.” I put my hand on the doorknob before hearing her say to herself, “On second thought, maybe I’ll change them to something without claws...”

When I opened the door, I was greeted with pigs.

Fat, pink pigs.

Those things could chew through bones! I’d rather have the kittens to deal with.

They didn’t attack as I entered the room, though. They grunted, otherwise staying still as statues on either side of Sloane. She sat with her feet dangling over the edge of her bed, not quite touching the ground. She was still bloody, but not actively bleeding. Her forehead was bruised, the colors ranging from a dark purple to a dull yellow as they healed. She had a visible hole just to the left of the center of her forehead, as well as her right leg and left shoulder. The latter holes were smaller and nearly closed off. Her head was not.

Even with the blood and wounds, she was gorgeous. She was beautiful every time I saw her, but something about seeing the fight so bright in her eyes made her irresistible to me. The bite in her personality complimented my own. She was challenging, wild, and terrifying in the best kind of way. I just couldn’t figure out what I’d done to merit a mate like her. I was waiting for someone to tell me it was a mistake, that I really didn’t deserve her after all.

She was studying her right leg intently, wiggling it back and forth. “You want a hand up?” I asked as I moved in front of her and held my hands out in offering.

She groaned in annoyance and looked at me. Her eyes moved casually up my naked body until she was making eye contact. Her lips twitched as she schooled her face. “My leg is all tingly, like there are pins and needles sticking in it. I was just debating how badly I wanted to clean the blood off of my body.”

“Come on. I’ll help you clean up.” I didn’t give her a chance to stand, instead scooping her up softly in my arms. I held her against my chest as I carried her to her bathroom and set her on the counter. Starting the shower, I adjusted the water so it wasn’t scalding. “Helios didn’t want to let me in,” I admitted as I watched her continue to eye her leg in... concern?

She shrugged distractingly. “They’re always like that when I’m injured.” Poking the bruised area of her leg, she grimaced and sucked in a quick breath.

“That’s what York and Jack said.” After testing the water again, I ambled over to her. “Stop,” I delicately commanded as I pulled her hand away from her leg.

Sloane sighed in defeat when she looked up at me. “They’ve been trained to protect me at all costs. I’m surprised you got past Helios.” She gave me a small grin, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“I had to fight Helios,” I confessed quietly as I picked her back up and placed her on the tiled seat inside the walk-in shower. “What else do you need?” I inquired after moving several bottles down from the shelf and detaching the shower head.

“I know why I’m naked, but why are you running around naked?” She questioned with genuine amusement.