Longing for You, стр. 17
Amelia turned around on her stool to face Byron and said, “You’renot going to let Katie near her, are you?”
“Of course not, mia cara.” Byron took her hand and helped her up.“That would only encourage her addiction—besides, Alexis would kill her. Josieis being provided with rich vampire blood.”
“You mean Alexis is actually showing how much she loves Katie?”Amelia smiled.
“You may have been right about Alexis and Katie, but all I knowfor certain is that Alexis doesn’t want her anywhere near Josie. I’ve neverseen her so animated about something in over a century.”
“I knew it. I can always tell when there’s romance brewing.”
Byron slipped her hands around her waist and said, “Maybe it’s thewitch in you?”
Amelia remembered they were going to The Portal bookshop today tomake contact with a witch who might help her. “Do you want to postpone today?”
“No, it’s important. This is the first good lead we’ve had and thefirst witch willing to talk to us. I need to go down and speak to this newvampire, but then we can go whenever you’re ready.”
“I promised Alexis I’d talk to Katie too. What she did last nightwas far too risky.”
There was a knock at the door. “It’s Katie, may I come in? I havetea.”
“Yes, come in,” Amelia called out, then whispered to Byron, “I’lltalk to her, okay?”
“Thank you, Principessa.”
* * *
Alexis felt like her skin was crawling as she paced outside thebasement room where they were keeping Josie. Byron had promised to meet herhere and talk to their new vampire.
Josie had been nothing but trouble all night as she struggled withher need for blood. The blood bags and vampire donors were not being receivedwell.
The secure room was next to the blood room, and Alexis had relayeda message to Katie to not come down to the basement under any circumstances.Alexis also had the room and the basement under guard.
If it was up to her, they would have turfed this woman out ontothe streets. She was too much of a risk under the same roof as Katie, but sheknew Byron would always do the honourable thing, just as she had done forAlexis after she was turned.
Normally Alexis agreed with Byron’s approach, but Katie’s safetywas everything to her, and her stress over protecting Katie was even moreheightened after last night. She had tasted Katie’s blood again and it was liketasting Elysium. She closed her eyes and listened to the heavy thud in herchest. Normally her heart beat only every so often, but since last night it hadbeen pounding like a mortal’s.
A crash was heard from inside the room, and Alexis heard Josieshout, “Get me that girl’s blood now.”
Alexis’s temper was near breaking. She burst into the room andfound blood bags burst over the floor, and one of her vampires trying to clearit up.
“Leave us, Nathan.”
Josie was breathing heavily and leaning on the back of the chair.She didn’t look good. Dried blood was all around her mouth, and she lookeddishevelled and wild. “The big boss is back,” Josie said with a sneer.
“I’m not the boss. Byron is our clan leader, and if you wish tobecome part of the Debrek clan, then you had better drink the blood we aregiving you and start behaving properly.”
“I don’t want that blood. It’s not working. I need the girl fromlast night—Katie. She’s the only one who can satisfy me.”
“Katie is not going to be an option for you, so you’d better getused to the blood offered to you,” Alexis said.
“Why are you keeping her from me? I found her, I tasted her, she’smine.”
Alexis grabbed Josie’s T-shirt and pulled her up to her fullheight. “Katie is not yours and never will be.”
“Why do you care so much?” Josie spat. Alexis stayed silent andJosie said, “Is she your girlfriend?”
“Katie is not my girlfriend, but she is off the menu for you andalways will be, newbie.”
A smirk appeared on Josie’s face. “Oh, I get it. You’d like her tobe, wouldn’t you? Well you’re out of luck. She’s mine. I tasted her blood andclaimed it. She tastes so sweet. I think I’ll make her moan while I drink her.”
Alexis couldn’t hold her restraint any longer. She was sick ofother vampires feeding on Katie and hiding her emotions. All of her repressedanger rose up in a flash, and she smashed Josie against the wall, still holdingher T-shirt. Josie’s body made an indentation in the wall, and the plastercrumbled to the floor.
She grasped Josie’s jaw and squeezed tightly. “If you get within ahundred yards of Katie, I will take the head from your body, and you will die avampire death. Do you understand me?”
“Put her down, Duca.”
Alexis turned to the side and saw Byron standing in the room. Shehad been so caught up in her fury that she hadn’t heard her enter.
“Duca?” Byron said firmly.
Alexis took a breath and the red mist started to fall from hereyes. She let go of Josie and went to stand by Byron.
Josie slumped against the wall. “Who are you?”
“Byron Debrek. Leader of the Debrek clan.”
Josie got up and sat on the chair. “Is this how you treat all thepeople you help?”
“Your behaviour couldn’t have been exemplary if you made my Ducareact like that. My people tell me you won’t accept the blood we have providedfor you.”
“I want the girl from last night. I need her blood.”
Byron straightened her tie. “That will not be possible. Thishunger will get better if you let us help you, and we will give you safety andpurpose within the Debrek clan. But it’s up to you to take it. It’s a dangerousworld out there for a new vampire, but you have to want your place with us. TheDebrek clan is run with respect and consent above all. Is that something youwould like to be a part of?” Josie just stared at the ground. So Byron said,“I’ll leave you to think about it. Duca? You’re with me.”
* * *
“I know it was stupid, but…” Katie sat on the end of Amelia’s bedtalking about last night.
Amelia was sitting at her dressing table. “But what?”
“I just can’t