Longing for You, стр. 14

Chapter Five

“It’s your move, Alexis,” Bhal said.

Alexis realized her thoughts had drifted away from her game. AfterByron and Amelia retired for the evening, she and Bhal set up a game of chessin one of the upstairs sitting rooms.

They often played chess to unwind and discuss the day and the nextday’s security matters. But tonight Alexis’s mind kept drifting to Katie aloneat The Sanctuary. She was angry, worried, and frustrated.

“Sorry,” Alexis said, then moved her pawn on the chess board.

“Alexis, why don’t you just tell Katie you care about her?” Bhalsaid.

Alexis, who was taking a sip of whisky at the time, nearly spat itout. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re angry she went out tonight.”

“I’m only concerned for her and Daisy’s safety, but of courseKatie won’t listen. She’s behaving like a child.”

“She’s not a child any more, Alexis. You can’t fool someone as oldas me. I’ve seen your eyes follow her everywhere since she came home forholidays from university, and even more so since she began working with theclan.”

“It doesn’t matter how I feel—humans break and break our hearts. Isaw the woman I loved dead in this house. Her throat ripped out by the Dredvampires. It destroyed me and it will not happen again. Besides, Katie can’tstand me.”

“I know what you went through. I was there to see your pain andgrief, and believe me, I know how it feels to lose someone you love, but youcan’t fight love. Maybe she behaves like she doesn’t like you because of theoffhand way you treat her. You’re trying to make her hate you, so you haveevery excuse not to love her.”

Alexis knocked over her king in surrender. “I’m sorry, Bhal. Ineed some time to myself.”

“Think hard, Duca. Some people aren’t lucky enough to find lovetwice in their life.”

Alexis didn’t consider love luck. She walked out of the room andmade her way back to her quarters. Was she really in love?

* * *

Katie hugged Daisy outside The Sanctuary before she got into ataxi. “Are you sure you don’t want me to wait until you get a taxi too?” Daisyasked.

“It’s okay. Another will be along in a minute. Besides”—Katiepointed to the seven-foot-five doorman of The Sanctuary—“Otto will make sureI’m safe.”

“Okay, well, let me know you get in safely,” Daisy said.

“I will.”

Katie waved as Daisy’s taxi pulled away. She saw a few taxis stopfurther down the road, so she started to walk towards them. As she passed thealley at the side of the club, Katie heard moaning. She looked down the darkalleyway and wondered whether to go back and get Otto. Someone might be hurt.Alexis’s warnings floated through her mind, but what if this was someone introuble?

She looked down to the doorman again, and he was busy dealing witha pair of young, rowdy werewolves, so she decided to go down and see who neededhelp in the alley. As she started to walk down the dark alley, all she couldhear was the clatter of her heels on the cobbled stones and moaning ahead. Feargripped her. “What in God’s name am I doing?”

Katie was about to turn back when the moaning got louder. Someoneneeded her help. She flicked the torch on her phone and started to walk again.All of a sudden, she saw a woman around her own age slumped against the wall ofthe building. Katie hurried over to her. She had a short blond pixie cut and aslim build.

“Hello, it’s okay. I’ll get you help.”

“Help me, please,” the woman mumbled.

Katie started to check her over and found a vampire bite on herand blood on her lips.

“I’m hungry, so hungry.”

“Shit,” Katie said. “She’s been attacked and turned.”

Katie had lived long enough with vampires to know the signs. Thiswoman had been turned but hadn’t completed the final step, feeding on a human.That’s why she was in so much pain, and hungry. She had to make the choice totake the final step or die.

Katie needed to get her back to the house, so that she could behelped safely through the final stage.

“What’s your name?” Katie asked.

“Josie,” the woman wheezed.

“Okay, Josie. You’re going to be okay. I’ll get you help. Juststay calm.”

Katie reached out and squeezed Josie’s shoulder. Then everythinghappened so fast. Josie’s eyes turned red, and she attacked Katie’s wrist.

* * *

Alexis lay back on her bed staring at the ceiling. She had been inthe same position since leaving Bhal and their chess game. All she could thinkabout was Katie and worrying about her out on her own. Katie was so stubborn.Why couldn’t she see that she was just trying to keep her safe?

Alexis had been shocked when Bhal called her out on her feelings.She didn’t think anyone would have noticed, but then Bhal was an old, wisesoul. Bhal was right about how much she cared for Katie. She consumed all ofAlexis’s thoughts. But it wasn’t right—Katie was a young vibrant woman, whileAlexis was a century-and-a-half-old vampire who’d had her heart broken inpieces before.

She sat up quickly and walked over to her chest of drawers.Underneath her clothes in the top drawer were a small painting of Anna and alock of her hair. Alexis felt guilty about having feelings for Katie, but nomatter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake them.

Alexis closed her eyes, and the movie of finding Anna dead,downstairs, at the hand of the Dreds, played in her mind as it always did, butthen something different happened. Katie’s smiling face came into her mind—herbright smile, her goodness, and the fire in her eyes when she and Alexisargued.

She took a moment and imagined giving Katie