STEP (The Senses) (41 page)

He heard Tye shift his feet and felt his eyes on him. He didn’t give a crap what the guy was thinking. Abby needed to remember who she was. She was now a vampire, but she could be a sane one. Abby was still within.

“Jesus, Abb, look at me,” Damien shouted. He slammed his fist into one of the bars and a ding vibrated throughout the room.

She slowly raised her head and her eyes met his.
God, Abb.
She looked like a wilted piece of lettuce drowning in sorrow. His senses picked up her pulse. Her heart stopped, then skipped several beats as it struggled to find life with so much sorrow.
Why,
he screamed inside.
Why?

“I don’t want you to see me like this,” Abby finally said in a rough scratch
y voice. It was the first words he heard her speak since she changed. “Go away, Damien.”

“Damn it
, Abb. I spent months with you in hell. Don’t you dare tell me to go away,” he shouted. “Don’t you dare!” He was pissed when he should have been sympathetic, but she’d abhor anyone showing her pity. He made a deep growl in the back of his throat. “Get your ass over here and talk to me.”

Tye cleared his throat. “Umm, I don’t think—”

“Piss off, Tye. Abb.” He stared across the twenty-foot expanse of space, his vision able to take in every detail, even the one drop of sweat that dripped from her hairline on the right side. Her scent was fear, frustration and anger, a real shitty combination for an unpredictable starving vamp, but he needed the starving part. He slid his arm through the bars, wrist up. “Take my blood, Abb.”

“Jesus, Damien,” Tye said, his stance straightening and his gaze finally lifting from the floor. So much for respectful privacy. “You’re kiddin’ right? Shit
tin’ me?”

Damien kept his eyes on Abb, but his other senses were locked on Tye. There was no way he’d get away with this without some sort of confrontation. She was crawling to her feet, eyes hungry with need. He was pissed that Waleron had only given her enough blood to sustain her violence.

But she needed this. He needed this.

“Are you insane? You can’t give her your blood.” Tye began to stride across the room.

Damien turned, his eyes focusing in on Tye. “Stay where you are or I’ll blast your ass.”

Tye stopped short, hands up, but Damien smelled his intent. “Damien
, man, I can’t let you do this.”

Damien’s eyes heated and blazed, every sensory in his body ready to fight for this one last moment he had with Abby. “I have to do this. She needs this,” Damien said. “Back off, and I won’t singe your ass.”

“No can do, buddy. Against our laws, man.”

Damien knew Tye fo
llowed the rules to the letter. That was why Waleron had chosen him to come with him. But all he needed was two seconds for Abby to take his wrist. “Abb, do as I tell you.” He heard her soft hesitant steps approaching, like a wounded animal weary of another trap.

Damien was ready when Tye leapt. He jerked his head upwards and the chair beside him went flying through the air and blocked Tye’s path. He felt his eyes burning and directed the power at Tye
, who was already on his feet and looking rather discontent. Damien was about to blast him with a surge of power from his eyes, then suddenly decided against it. If he used his Visionary skills against another Senses . . . no, he’d not go back to Rest. Not now. Not ever.

Using telekinesis was a fair enough
, though, and he quickly lifted the old antique shield Keir had hanging on the wall. It hovered in the air for a second; the weight was impressive and it took a lot for him to will it with his mind.

Tye saw it and ducked to the right, but Damien expected the reaction and the shield slammed into Tye’s chest
, sending him across the room and into the wall.

Abby’s soft familiar touch caressed his skin as she took his arm within her grip. He closed his eyes at the contact. This was all he could give her and it was killing him. He should be able to protect her and he couldn’t, damn it. He couldn’t.

His concentration faltered, sending the shield crashing to the floor. He breathed in the scent of her hair, remembering the day before yesterday when he’d washed it with papaya shampoo. “Remember, Abb. You goddamn remember the blood you taste this night. My blood. No one else’s. You stay strong.”

There were tears in her eyes and he saw her hesitation, the uncertainty as if she was fighting what she was and remembering the girl she had been. But it was too late. She’d have to face that. “Do it!” he ordered.

Tye cautiously approached.

Damien sucked in his breath as her fangs drove into his wrist. It felt painful and yet sweet at the same time because it was Abby. Her lips caressed his skin
and then he felt the drain of blood from his vein.

This was all he could give her. A part of him to take wherever it led. He wanted—no
, he needed her to remember what they’d been through together, what she once was—a free-spirited girl who laughed at the simplest things. The woman who made him laugh. He hoped by taking his blood, she’d take with her a part of what they’d shared. Because goddamn it, he sure as hell was.

The air shifted and
his wrist was ripped from Abby’s mouth as a rock-solid body slammed into him and he went flying through the air to land on the unforgiving floor with Tye on top of him.

“Nice tackle.” Damien held his hands up with mercy. “Now get the
hell off me.”

Tye hauled back and punched him in the jaw. “Crazy bastard. Get your ass out of here.” Tye jumped off him and didn’t offer a hand
, although Damien was just damn lucky Tye hadn’t broken his jaw.

Damien easily came to his feet, his jaw hurting like a son-of-a-bitch and his wrist bleeding from two puncture holes. He took a final glance over his shoulder at Abby and caught a glimpse of two tears sliding down her cheeks.

His heart shattered into a million fragmented slivers.

****

Rayne had no idea what was going down tonight, but Liam was prepared for something. He obviously had warned his vamps of her capability and none touched her, although three of them surrounded her as they walked in silence through the deserted exhibition grounds.

There was no sign of Jasmine or the CWOs, but she suspected
they were around somewhere. It was doubtful Liam would go against the Senses without her.

Dark shadows of Liam’s underlings were on top of the buildings, alert and ready for any surprise attacks by the Senses. Liam led them with confidence, each stride purpose
ful as if he was unconcerned.

Her nerves were snapped as if wire cutters had cut each one, although a few still frizzled like live wires gone bad. Her evil twin pushed to be free
, begging to send her body into a full-on panic. She repeated over in her mind Rebecca’s words, remembering her voice and all the work they’d done on keeping her panic at bay.

Liam stopped at a steel door and broke the padlock off the latch with one yank. He held the door open and gestured for one of his underlings to enter. They waited several minutes then the guy came back and gave the okay.

“After you, my dear.” Liam grabbed her elbow when she hesitated and guided her into the darkness.

The instant she walked into the deserted warehouse
, she smelled the remnants of food and knew where they were. Delara had told her about the Canadian National Exhibition grounds, which opened for two weeks out of the year with rides and games, and one of the most popular attractions was the food building. It showcased vendors galore with every possible kind of mouthwatering treats. Delara said she liked the three cheese fries with sour cream and onions, although Rayne could only smell the overpowering smell of meats.

It was an open warehouse that had a high ceiling with metal beams, a benefit for the vamps agility capabilities. Rayne guessed it had to be half the size of a football field. Liam
had probably picked this place because the smell of food would hinder the Senses’ abilities. Intelligent.

She saw the shadows of vampires up on the metal beams, but she couldn’t hear them
, they were so silent and agile as they took their places around the building. Liam was taking no chances. Still there was no sign of Jasmine.

Her ears suddenly began to ring with a screeching sound and she groaned as it pierced her eardrums. She tried to put her hands over her ears, but Liam yanked her arms down.

“A precaution,” Liam stated. “High frequency tends to make telepathy difficult. Only dogs and of course Senses can hear it.”

The constant sound was throwing her off-balance
, and she tried to block it out with her shields, but it pounded them down until she was too exhausted to fight it.

Liam grabbed her elbow as a door creaked open then slammed. “Behave yourself.”

The steady sound of booted feet walked in their direction; it was dark but her vision had improved since her weight gain and she saw Waleron approaching. Her heart thumped against her ribcage and her palms began to sweat.

Waleron wore simple back trousers and a matching T-shirt with no weapons in view. His expression was unreadable as his eyes locked on Liam, not even for a second wavering from his adversary. Delara came up beside him wearing her usual green army pants and a dark green long
-sleeved shirt. Rayne picked up on Delara’s emotions and she staggered at the despair that was all consuming. Something was wrong. Delara was pale and distraught, her eyes unable to meet her own. What were they planning?

A high-pitched screech had Liam’s underlings step closer to her
, and the grip on her elbow tightened. Rayne had no idea what could make that horrid sound until she saw a young woman struggling like a rabid animal in the grip of a . . . it was a Scar—not like her Serafina, but a majestic, lithe panther-like man with a sleek black coat across an eight-foot two-legged figure. The muzzle was sharp and defined with long straight black whiskers. It had small ears on the sides of his head instead of on top, like a panther’s. The eyes were human-looking, intelligent and watching every single movement. It completely ignored the struggling woman, its massive paws—which had thumbs—clamping down on her arms. The Scar didn’t need weapons; it looked like it had a jaw of iron and, by the way it walked, was quick on its feet.

“I said no weapons,” Liam said, his tone showing annoyance.

Waleron nodded towards the girl. “She would sink her teeth into our flesh if we go near her. It is easier this way. You specifically asked that we be cautious with her.”

“Abigail
, you will settle,” Liam issued the order and Rayne was surprised when the girl stopped struggling and stood meek in the Scar’s grip.

Rayne felt her knees weaken and wobble as she saw Kilter step out of the shadows
, coming up beside Waleron on the opposite side of Delara. None of them seemed to be hurt by the high-frequency device, although she expected it affected them just as much as her.

Kilter met her eyes and the rising anxiety eased as his calmness settled into her. She was surprised by his cool fortitude
, considering the situation. She’d expected a raging lunatic charging in by himself without a care to the other Senses. Instead, Kilter gave her a tiny nod with the corner of his lips twitching up the slightest amount.

Well, he was definitely still cocky and confident and they’d certainly need that.

“Trinity is not coming?” Liam asked. “A shame. I would have loved to have seen her expression when she hears the news.” He shrugged. “No matter.” His eyes roamed over Delara and his smug smile faltered. “Delara, I do apologize for this. I like you, although I fear you never liked me. If it weren’t for Abigail, I’d have gladly continued our trysts. But as you know, Abigail has something I want, and my power in this world is more important than a mere roll in the sack.” He held up his hand when Delara went to say something. “I have the right to protect mine as well as you do. The law is that you may not touch me if we do not harm humans or make ourselves known to the humans.” Liam looked over at Abby, who was standing quiet. “Foolish girl. Nearly ruined my plans, sleeping with Damien and getting pregnant.”

“Let’s get this done, Liam,” Kilter said. “What do you want from us?”

“Oh, just to share a tidbit of information you might find interesting,” Liam said. His eyes blazed triumph and his brows accentuated upwards with eagerness.

“You have nothing that is of interest to us except Rayne.”

“But that’s not true, is it Delara? Waleron was very quiet on the phone last night when I told him about Jasmine.” He grinned. “Even quieter when I told him your news. Did he ask you about it?”

“You’re a bastard, Blood,” Delara shouted and took a step towards him.

Waleron grabbed her arm and kept her in place. Delara looked ready to explode and Waleron was a time bomb. Surprisingly, the only one calm was Kilter.

“Does he know the rest
, I wonder? I didn’t want to break all the news. We needed to save some of it for shock value. Honestly, I never would have believed it until I read the document. Jasmine is very . . . shall we say resourceful, as you’re well aware, Waleron.”