Blood Curse (Misty Cedars - Vampire Edition) Read online

  She gasped in disbelief. For there she was, perhaps a little paler than usual, but it was still her own face staring back at her. Almost. For she could see right through to the wall and the bedpost behind her. It was like she was fading. Holly repeatedly shook her head and looked again.

  "Oh my God, what trick is this?"

  Gently, Noah eased the mirror from her hand and put it safely behind him. "It's not a trick, I'm afraid. I would have spared you this for now, at least, until you were stronger, but..." He wet his lips and thought for a moment. Holly trembled, not knowing whether to scream or cry. Everything was so fucked up, and oh God, her face!

  "It's going to be a lot to take in," he said softly. "And I don't expect you to believe me, not immediately, but the man who attacked you, well, I'll just say it. He was a vampire."

  Just for a second, Holly sat dumbfounded, but then she realized this had to be some kind of elaborately staged joke, and she laughed out loud. And her strength was returning a little. She pushed the quilt aside and lowered her legs over the side of the bed.

  "I'm sure this is side-splittingly funny for you, mister, and I don't know how you did the mirror thing, but the joke's over now. So if you don't mind, it's time for me to go."

  But as she tried to stand a wave of dizziness and nausea engulfed her, and she slumped back down on the mattress. In a flash, Noah was by her side, helping her back into bed.

  "Steady now. It's too soon," said Noah. "You'll be able to walk in a little while, but your body's still going through a transitional phase. You'll be very weak for a day or so at least."

  Holly still couldn't believe it. "Did you drug me?"

  "No. I did not. And it's perfectly reasonable for you to have questions. I just wish I had all the answers."

  Holly's head was spinning. She wanted to go, to run away, to be as far away from here as she could get. Everything was just so fucked up, and she could make sense of nothing. And she was so helpless, lying here, powerless, unable to get away from this man, this room, this place. She needed time to think, but she was so weak.

  "You should try and eat something."

  She shook her head. The scent of the food couldn't be less appealing to her. At least something could be done about that. "No, please, take it away. I can't face anything right now."

  "Please, just a little, just for me. My bacon and eggs are famous."

  Noah was oddly insistent; he cut off a piece of the meat and tried to coax her to eat it, but that didn't change the fact that Holly didn't want it. She pushed his hand away.

  "No, no. I think I'm gonna be sick."

  Holly turned her head. It was a dry retch only, but the effort was too much. She fell back hard on the mattress, her head spinning in a near faint. And as she sank deeper into her pillow, she was hit by a sudden and profound exhaustion. Holly closed her eyes, and despite the thousand questions she still had, she passed into a deep but troubled sleep.

  What the fuck had he been thinking? How could he possibly prepare her for what was to come? Or explain his presence in the middle of nowhere? Miraculously, Noah had leapt from one dilemma to the next. And yet he had always prided himself on being so freaking careful.

  He mulled over these thoughts as he chewed on the cold bacon she'd just sent away. One thought dominated the others. Holly was so damned beautiful. She had an aura about her. It was rare to find a human who looked more like she belonged in this world than her own, and he had to admit, he liked that a lot about her. Being a lone wolf wasn't a bad life, but sometimes it got real lonely.

  His manhood stirred. God, I wouldn't mind.... It had been forever since a woman had aroused him like this. Not that he'd ever done anything about it. His first woman was going to be his last.

  He shook his head, trying to escape from this line of thought. What good would it do? After all, Noah thought, he knew nothing about her. She could be a crazy mad-ass bitch with a pretty face. Hell, just look at that car she was driving - there was trouble right there.

  The beast in him growled low. Yet, maybe Holly could have been the one. Who knew in what guise she would come, or how she would enter his life. Shit luck if she was. He could hardly mate with the undead.

  Noah chuckled, imagining what twisted offspring such a union might produce. Still, it was unlikely the undead could breed, not the way he understood it, anyway.

  Done with the cold food, Noah ran the dirty plate under the faucet, checking the heat, ensuring it was as hot as he could handle before soaping it up. And that was another thing. What the hell was she going to eat? What did he know about the eating habits of the not-yet-undead?

  What if she turned on him? She might be weak and powerless now, but that was going to change pretty damned soon. Now would be a good time to tell her about the vagaries of shifter blood, he thought. That would stem any desire in that department. He smiled. The tussle might have been fun.

  He dried the plate quickly, placing it in a neat stack on an open shelf over the kitchen counter, and slid his polished cutlery into a drawer. Neat freak? Maybe. But that was a good thing to be when you were shifting from one thing to another. Lord knew what you might break in the dark.

  "No! Please, no, no! Stop!"

  Noah threw his tea-towel on the table and ran to Holly's room. She was tossing and turning on the bed, trapped in some abominable nightmare from which she couldn't escape. Should he wake her, he wondered? What would happen if he did? Would it harm her? Would she hurt him?

  Without a thought for his own safety, Noah sat down beside her. He put a hand to Holly's cheek and, stroking her softly, tried to soothe her. Instantly, her kicking and twisting became easier, and her features became serene, almost angelic. Again he was reminded of her beauty, and without thinking, bent low to kiss her cheek.

  At that moment, Holly turned. Her eyes were open, staring in terror at some fiend she imagined was before her.

  Startled, Noah pulled back. His attention was drawn to her mouth, which was parted in anguish. Yes, there it was! He saw it again. Her incisors had elongated, just a little, but they were there. Something in her dream must've triggered her blood lust.

  Perhaps it would be a kindness to end this right now, he thought. He could drive a stake through her heart and release her from the hell she was about to enter. If that even worked. He'd never had to destroy a vampire before. And as beautiful as she was, she would kill, and kill again. He would be doing everyone a favor if he took her life now.

  But then she turned in the sheets again, and when she turned back, her teeth were normal once more. In time, she would learn to control it, but not yet. And when she did....

  Noah shook his head. How could he have allowed this to happen? He shouldn't have brought her here and got mixed up in this crazy undead business. Vampires and shifters just didn't mix. Hadn't he spent his whole life ensuring that they never did?

  One look at her face softened him, and he rose from the side of her bed and walked over to the window.

  Bracing himself against the frame, his thoughts turned inward. No matter what was to come, this was not Holly's fault. It was just pure bad luck for her to be driving along that road when she did. Micah was the enemy, not this poor girl sleeping fitfully under his roof, waiting only for her mortal death and her immortality to begin.

  Right, he thought. His mind was made up. It was true, it had been stupid to bring her here, but brought her he had, and now she was his responsibility. The least he could do was prepare her for what was to come, whatever that was.

  But first things first. If he was to help her, he would have to understand her. At least he ought to start by finding out what the poor girl could eat.

  Noah pushed away from the frame, and turning, saw that she had settled at last into a deep and gentle sleep. Thank God for that. He slipped quietly from her room and went downstairs to his study. There were plenty of things he could learn on the web, and Noah knew all the right places.

  He clicked in a search box, and surfed for the undead.
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  3

  Home Cooking

  Everything looked so far away. It was like looking down on a model miniature village, only this was no model. The earth beneath her was quite real. The wind roared violently through her ears, blocking out all other sounds and ruffling along her naked body. The sensation reminding her of her hand bouncing off the wind as she stretched it out of a speeding car. And she was so light, riding the thermals like a playful hawk, her arms spread, feeling for the subtle changes in heat as she twisted and turned to enjoy it.

  But she wasn't here for the fun ride. The hunger in her belly was as violent as ever and demanded to be answered. With some reluctance, she stopped drifting and focused in earnest on the ground below.

  Once, her eyes had seen poorly, but now her vision was as sharp as an eagle's. They narrowed as she sought her prey, seeing traces of their heat, long before their bodies came into view. She circled lower, the urgent need in her gut driving her out of the heavens to the earth. She took a moment to marvel at what she saw.

  The shapes were familiar of course, but their colors were intense, beautiful and organic, purples, oranges and reds, with their hot blood pulsing through their innocent bodies as raging incandescent fires. And to that she was drawn.

  Suddenly, one in particular, isolated and moving a little slower than the rest caught her attention. Her decision was instant, and she swooped earthward, the air brushing past her in a tremendous whoosh. Down, down, down she flew, her arms outstretched, ready to strike.

  Holly woke with a start. She was still lying in bed. It had all been a dream! But how real it had felt. Her heart was still pounding wildly. How long had she been sleeping? An hour? Two, perhaps? Her limbs still felt like lead, but her mind was a little clearer. But the hunger was still there. Always this unrelenting desire to feed. Would it ever be satisfied?

  She glanced over to the table. Per her request, Noah had removed the tray of food, but she now regretted its absence. Perhaps the smell would be less repugnant after having had some decent sleep. But she. Must. Feed.

  The house was silent. There was no clock by her bed, and outside was mostly pitch black, the world illuminated only by the brightness of the waxing moon, now tilted to look down on the earth like a doting parent. But it was bright enough for Holly. Nothing could be clearer. It was like she'd donned a pair of night vision goggles, only far sharper. She could see as well as if it were broad daylight.

  Tired of just lying there and desperately needing to pee, Holly slid slowly off the bed, steadying herself on the iron headboard with both hands. It was a little easier this time, and she edged her way to the door, clinging to a small chest along the wall in case her legs gave way beneath her. They did not.

  Thankfully, she found the bathroom was right next to her own room, and after relieving herself, washed her hands, annoyed there wasn't a mirror over the sink. Vampire indeed! That reflection thing had been some trick. She grabbed the towel to dry off and studied her unusually pale hands. But that didn't mean anything. After all, hadn't she just been attacked by some mad man? Of course they were pale!

  Holly crept slowly along the broad and creaky first floor to a large stairway that flared out to the ground level. Holly took one cautious step at a time, holding onto the rail with both hands, until at last, she made it all the way down to the bottom.

  Light shone from a door that lay slightly ajar. She pushed it further open and saw Noah, sitting at a desk, tapping away on a laptop under the dim light of a solitary banker's lamp. The air conditioning was on, but he was barefooted and his top was off. He clearly looked after himself, judging by his well-defined muscles. There was a tattoo of a wolf's head on his upper left arm.

  Holly coughed, cleared her throat, and Noah looked up from his work, surprised.

  "You shouldn't be out of bed, Holly. It's too soon."

  "I'm huuungry."

  Noah looked her up and down. Thankfully, his long tee shirt provided more than enough coverage but she wrapped her hands protectively around her waist.

  "I suppose you are."

  "Do you have anything to eat?"

  He thought for a moment, then rose and slipped by her. "Come. You tell me."

  Noah walked into his kitchen just a few doors down. She followed him slowly, then slumped down at the kitchen table, weakness getting the better of her. There was a rattle of loose bottles as he opened the fridge door.

  "I have cold meats - I could make you a sandwich. Chicken, cooked beef, maybe some cheese?"

  Holly shook her head and lowered her head into her hands.

  Noah looked again. "I have steak."

  "Would you cook it rare for me?"

  "Sure. What would you like with it? Rice, potatoes?"

  "Just the steak thanks."

  "I see."

  Holly looked up. "What do you mean?"

  Noah closed the fridge door, retrieving something wrapped in brown paper, and pulled an old copper frying pan down from its hook over the stove.

  "I mean you're further along than I thought." As he talked he unwrapped the meat then dropped it on an old wooden cutting board. He reached for a salt mill.

  Her hand shot out. "No, please. Just as it is." And then, "I don't understand. Further along?"

  Noah bent down to check the gas ring had lit. "Earlier, I tried to give you bacon and eggs. I hoped you wouldn't refuse it but you did, but then I half-hoped it just wasn't your thing. But the vampire must have brought you closer to death than I thought. The blood lust is already strong in you."

  Holly shook her head in disbelief. "The vampire thing again? At least you're persistent."

  Noah threw a knob of butter into the pan and turned the skillet as it sizzled. Then he tossed in the steak, leaving it just long enough to sear the surface, then flipped it quickly. In less than a minute, he was plating the meat. He pushed the cooked food in front of her and fished out a knife and fork from a drawer by the copper sink.

  Odd. Holly had always enjoyed a nicely browned steak, but the sight of the cooked flesh held little appeal for her. She began cutting away the seared surface to the red meat below.

  Noah returned to the sink and poured water into a kettle which he swapped out with the pan on the stove. "Would you like some tea? I'm having some."

  She wasn't thirsty. For tea.

  "No thanks."

  "Suit yourself."

  While the kettle boiled, Holly ate steadily, sucking the juice through her teeth which were unusually sensitive. Perhaps her attacker had punched her face, she thought? But she couldn't remember, not really. She removed a lump of steak flesh from her mouth. She had sucked all the juices from it, but the flesh itself held little appeal. Perhaps it wasn't a proper thing to do, but she didn't care. At least she felt a little better now for having eaten.

  Noah was watching her, not critically, more like a doctor observing the actions of a patient. She placed the chewed up piece of meat on the edge of her plate and sliced off some more. He could think what he liked. She needed nourishment.

  Once the whistle blew, he poured the water over a tea bag and waited while it steeped.

  Holly glanced out of the window, and in the pale light of the night saw her car parked outside. Had he abandoned his in the wilderness to return hers?

  "What were you doing out there anyway, in the middle of nowhere?"

  Noah picked up his mug and sat down opposite her at the table. "I sensed something."

  She scoffed in disbelief as she sucked on another piece of meat. But then she happened to glance at the window again, just as a cloud obscured the light of the moon, and she saw Noah's body, clear as could be against the reflective glass. Once again, her form was faint at best, and it chilled her to the bone to see it. No way could this be a trick then. Her own eyes could not deceive her. But what did it mean?

  "Sensed something? What does that even mean?"

  Noah mashed his teabag against the side of his mug with a spoon then set it on a small saucer. He toyed with the mug,
since his brew was no doubt too hot to drink right away. He scratched his beard as he thought.

  "Are you trying not to tell me something?" asked Holly.

  "I'm wondering just how much you're ready to hear."

  "Just tell me everything, and we'll go from there."

  "Okay, if you insist. Now, where to begin...."

  4

  A Cup of Tea

  "I can sense when an immortal enters my personal territory."

  "You're saying I'm an immortal?"

  "No. At least, not yet. But your attacker was."

  Finished eating, Holly pushed her plate away and now surveyed with some disgust the chewed up pieces of meat on her plate. She threw her napkin over it, hiding it from view.

  Noah sipped a little tea before beginning again.

  The pause had given Holly time to think. "You knew him?"

  "Regrettably."

  "Who is he?"

  "His vampire name is Micah. I don't know what he was called in his previous life...when he was still alive. But he has plagued this valley for generations, always attacking just at the borders, which makes it difficult for me to do anything to stop him. He never strikes at the same spot more than once. And Micah has a penchant for beautiful travelers."

  She blushed at this.

  Noah continued. "Sometimes, I get to them in time, but not always."

  "So there are lots of his kind running about the place?"

  "No. He can make other vampires, but Micah prefers to kill his prey. This is a large valley, but the population is small. Other vampires would exhaust the food supply in months."

  "So he planned to just kill me. Not to make me undead?"

  "Just so."

  "Are you a vampire?"

  "Me? No." He looked down at his tea and took a thoughtful sip.

  "So how do you sense him, this Mike, er...?"

  "Micah. His name is Micah. I'm a shifter."

  "A what?"

  "I can transform from a man to a wolf. And other things. I'm a wolf shifter."