Compelled by the Vampire: Vampire Enforcement Agency Series Book 1 Page 7

  Based on what she’d heard, he’d gone down the stairs to her left, but there was another stairwell at the end of the hall, the one they’d come up. Her rubber-soled work shoes made only the tiniest squelch on the polished hardwood floors as she walked, but she tiptoed as quietly as she could so the other vampire wouldn’t hear her and come out to investigate. She hurried down the hall, down the stairs, and out the back door.

  The cool night air sent shivers racing up and down her body, and she swayed on her feet. There was no way she could walk all the way home. She was too weak. Plus, Roric might be able to trace her scent. Vampires were good at that, right?

  Her own sense of smell was heightening, the nearby scents blooming around her in suffocating clouds — the dry, earthy smell of dead grass, the ozone scent of the rain-washed air, and of course, the intoxicating scent of Roric. The way she felt when she was drinking his blood was more intense than anything she’d ever felt before. She’d never done drugs, but she imagined it had to feel something that. A high so addictive she was hooked after one dose.

  Lustful cravings slammed into her again, making her reach for something to steady herself. Her hand landed on the cooling metal of Roric’s vehicle. Did she dare? She wouldn’t keep it, only use it to get back to her own car. Without taking the time to debate it, she yanked open the door and slid into the driver’s seat. Her hands shook as she fumbled with the keys, scratching the steering column as she tried to get them in the ignition. She had to hurry; he could discover she was missing any second.

  Finally, the jagged metal tongue of the key slid into the slot. She turned the key, one foot hovering over the gas pedal and the other on the brake, switching from one to the other as soon as she threw the car into reverse.

  She knew Roric would be able to hear the engine start, so there was no point trying to be quiet. She peeled out of the parking spot, shifted into drive, and gunned the engine as she roared down the driveway, through the gate that rolled open as she approached, and out onto the road, barely looking to see if there was any oncoming traffic. Roric would be on her tail in moments if he wasn’t already.

  She couldn’t go back to her car at the cemetery. That was the first place he’d look. And she couldn’t very well leave his car outside her apartment. Even if she abandoned it somewhere else and walked home, a peek at her registration would tell him her address. Plus, he was a VEA agent. He could probably run her license plate like the cops could and learn everything there was to know about her. What if he already had?

  She could never go home again. The thought hit her like a wrecking ball, driving a mammoth hole in her chest. If you’d asked her yesterday, she would’ve said her crappy apartment meant nothing to her and she’d trade it in a heartbeat if she could afford something better. But now the thought of never going back there hit her with a sense of loss almost as powerful as what she felt when she lost her parents. That was her home, it was all she had!

  Everything she owned, everything she cared about was in that tiny hovel. The family photo albums, her mother’s costume jewelry that was worthless to everyone else but precious to her, even her father’s ratty recliner that she hated when he was alive but lugged with her when she moved because it still smelled like him. She tried not to use it much so her own scent wouldn’t cover up his, but every once in a while when she was desperately missing him, she’d curl up in the lumpy chair, press her nose to the nubby, brown fabric, and pretend her father was sitting there, holding her. She’d rub her fingers over the stains on the arms, remembering the hands that made them and wishing she could hold them again.

  Her hand went to her heart, fully expecting to feel the gaping hole she knew was there, but her chest was solid, even if it was empty inside. She drove aimlessly for a few minutes, not caring anymore if Roric found her. Her life was over, anyway. What difference did it make what he did to her now? He’d already stolen her humanity.

  She almost ran a red light but screeched to a stop at the last moment when the light registered in her subconscious. Jolted back to reality, she looked around at the neighborhood. She didn’t know where she was, but yet, it seemed familiar. The sign at the entrance to an apartment building jarred her memory. She’d been here before, visiting her old friend, Piper! They hadn’t hung out in a while, but maybe Piper could help her, at least for tonight.

  Chapter 11

  A quick glance in the rearview mirror told her that Roric hadn’t found her yet. She pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and searched for Piper’s number, praying that she hadn’t changed it. When Piper’s perky voice said hello, a rush of relief flooded through Caroline’s body.

  “Piper, it’s Caroline… er, Caroline Weston?”

  She’d considered Piper a good friend in high school, but after Caroline’s parents died, her life took a drastically different path than Piper’s. While Caroline was forced into adulthood, Piper had done the traditional college thing at her parents’ insistence, going off to school for four years of art projects and frat parties.

  When Piper came back to Modesa to take a job teaching art at a middle school, they’d tried to reconnect, but the differences between them left little in common. They’d hung out a few times, but Piper worked days, and Caroline worked nights, and Piper still held on to a carefree immaturity that annoyed Caroline and made her envious at the same time. While Caroline had abandoned all her dreams and struggled just to pay rent, Piper was living her dream life, and her biggest problem was whether or not she had enough paint for her next art project.

  “Caroline! OMG, girl! It’s been forever! How are you?” Piper’s personality bubbled out of the phone, a surreal interruption to Caroline’s terrifying night.

  “Piper, I’m in trouble, and I need help. Can you come get me? I’m sitting in a VEA unit a couple blocks down the street from your apartment.”

  Piper gasped, and Caroline could imagine what her face must look like — her green eyes would be bugging out of her pale, freckled face, and she’d be shoving a hand through her wild, red curls. “There are so many questions I want to ask right now, but you sound freaked out, so I’ll save them for later. Be there in a sec!”

  Piper hung up on her, and Caroline sat nervously in the car, waiting for her, her hands and knees shaking, sure that Roric would show up any minute now that she was sitting still. When Piper’s yellow convertible pulled up in front of the car, Caroline grabbed the keys from the ignition and jumped out.

  Piper gaped at her when she slid into the car, but Caroline didn’t give her a chance to ask why her nylons were torn, her clothes were dirty and covered in damp grass, her cheeks were tear-stained, and her blonde hair was dark with congealed blood.

  “Put the top up, please. Quickly! And the windows. I don’t want to leave a scent trail.”

  Piper did a double-take then pushed a button that made the back of the car pop open and the soft, black top fold out to cover their heads. As soon as it latched in place, Piper took off. “My apartment okay?”

  Caroline nodded. She hated the idea of putting her friend in danger, but she was desperate. “Park as close as you can, or better yet, drop me off by your door first.”

  Piper followed her directions, and a few moments later she was hustling Caroline inside. Piper wasn’t known for her patience, so as soon as the door shut behind them, the dam burst.

  “Holy crap, Care! What happened to you? Are you okay? Why are you driving a VEA car? And who the heck is trailing you by scent?” Her questions shot out like tennis balls from a ball launcher.

  Caroline’s shoulders slumped under the weight of it all, and Piper’s face crinkled. She threw her arms out and crashed into Caroline, holding her up in her hug. “Oh, geez, Care. I’m glad you called me.”

  Caroline let herself drop into Piper’s embrace, burying her face in Piper’s soft, curly hair. She was alive, and for the moment she was safe. But as soon as she drew in a ragged breath, the scent of Piper’s blood flared around her. A groan ripped from her throat, and her body
quivered with need. Her mouth opened involuntarily, and her new fangs lengthened as she rooted through Piper’s thick hair, searching for her neck.

  No! What was she doing? This was her friend! She clamped her mouth shut and held her breath, her body stiffening as she pushed Piper away.

  Piper’s brows pinched. “Are you okay?”

  She scurried backwards till her body hit the door with a loud thud and she couldn’t go any farther. Her hands clawed at the smooth, flat plane, searching for something to hold onto to keep herself from attacking. But there was nothing but a cold, metal doorknob that offered an escape she couldn’t afford to take. She closed her eyes and drew in slow breaths, trying to desensitize herself to Piper’s scent.

  No, she had to stay here, and she had to learn to resist her cravings. She wasn’t a monster. She wasn’t going to attack her old friend. She just had to keep some distance between them.

  When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a streak of red paint that had transferred from Piper’s paint-splotched white tee shirt to Caroline’s black one.

  Piper noticed it, too, and winced. “Sorry, I was painting. Take it off and let me wash it out before it dries.”

  She moved towards Caroline, but Caroline pressed herself harder against the door and held up a hand. “Stay back, Piper. Don’t get too close to me.”

  “Why not?” Piper’s normally strong, confident voice wavered with fear tinged with curiosity.

  Did she dare tell her? What would Piper think? Would she be terrified of her and run away, screaming? Would she kick her out, leaving her at the mercy of Roric? Or was she brave and kind enough to risk her own safety to help a friend?

  Maybe she could tell her about the attack and leave out the part where she’d been turned. Piper had always been open to adventure, but there was a big difference between impromptu trips across the border for margaritas and letting a newly-turned vampire hide out in your house. No, it was better if she fed her the story slowly and gauged her reaction before she revealed the whole truth.

  Caroline glanced around the small apartment, calming herself with the dose of reality. Not that Piper’s apartment was normal, by any means. Even the beige walls couldn’t tone down her wild personality. She’d covered practically every inch of them with bold, geometric paintings that looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope, most of them she’d probably painted herself. Her paint supplies and an easel holding a half-finished project took up the center of the dining area.

  In the living room, a half-dozen multicolored, silk pillows piled on the turquoise velvet couch tempted her to sink down and rest, but if she did, Piper might try to sit next to her, and she didn’t think she could handle that. Instead, she headed for the armchair covered in a modern, red and purple floral pattern.

  Piper took the couch, curling up on the end closest to the armchair, and stared at Caroline, waiting for her to spill. Caroline sighed, picked up a squishy pillow, and wrapped her arms around it.

  “A vampire attacked me in the cemetery tonight and drank my blood.” The words sounded so foreign coming out of her mouth, she barely believed it, even though she’d been there.

  But Piper didn’t question it. She jerked, and her eyes got wide as she leaned in closer. “Oh my God! Is that why there’s blood all over you? Did he… turn you?”

  Caroline’s hands fluttered around, trying to hide the gash on her head and the blood-streaked punctures on either side of her neck. Of course, Piper would go straight for the big question. But she seemed more excited than scared. Did she dare tell her the truth?

  “I ran away, but I fell and hit my head, and the vampire ran off when a VEA agent showed up.”

  “Holy crap, two vamps in one night! So that’s where the car came from. What happened next?” Piper bounced up and down with an excited smile on her face like Caroline was telling her the plot to a scary movie and not recounting the details of a violent attack. Her blasé attitude ticked Caroline off. This wasn’t some story, this was the worst night of her life!

  How would Piper react if she knew a vampire was sitting in her living room? On impulse, Caroline blurted out the rest. “He tore his wrist open and fed me his blood because I was about to die. He made me one of them.”

  Piper’s eyes got as big and round as the candles clustered on her battered, painted coffee table. She stood up like she was in a trance. But just when Caroline thought she was going to run away, she squealed and raced towards Caroline, dropping to her knees in front of her. Caroline hissed and pulled back, but Piper didn’t seem to notice.

  “Holy freakin’ shit, Caroline! You’re a vampire! Do you have fangs? What was it like? Did the bite hurt? I heard it feels like an orgasm! What did his blood taste like? Was it gross, or did you like it? How do you feel now? Are you stronger? Are your senses heightened? You have to tell me everything!”

  Piper’s excitement stirred up her blood, surrounding Caroline in a cloud of her scent. Caroline’s fangs dropped, and her nails dug into the arms of the chair as she reared back, trying to get away from her. She couldn’t stand it for another second. If she didn’t get out of there, she was going to attack her! Caroline leapt from the chair, bounding over Piper, and raced to the far side of the living room.

  Piper whirled around and gawked at her. “Oh my God, you want to bite me, don’t you?”

  Caroline’s face crumpled, and she buried it in her hands. Tears wet her palms. Her body shuddered as she nodded.

  “You can do it if you want. I don’t mind. I’ve always wanted to know what it felt like. I heard it was an amazing rush.” Piper’s soft voice was too loud, her warm body too close.

  Caroline pulled her hands away to see Piper standing inches away from her. “What? No! I’m not going to bite you; it’s illegal! I need to drink from a vampire.”

  Piper took a small step back, but not really enough to keep from tempting Caroline. “So, what happened to the VEA dude?”

  Caroline thunked her head against the wall and closed her eyes. “He took me to his house, and he was going to feed me, but then I heard him arguing with someone. He wanted to shut me up so I wouldn’t tell on him for changing me. I got scared and ran away. I stole his car so he couldn’t track my scent.”

  Piper put her hands on her hips and shook her head, making her flyaway curls bounce. “So that explains the car. Wow, what a night.”

  “I can’t go home, Piper. He’ll find out where I live and track me down. I need somewhere safe to stay, but I need to feed. I’m weak, and I don’t want to lose control.” Her voice cracked in desperation, but there was nothing Piper could do to help.

  “Don’t worry, Care. I know someone who can help us.”

  Caroline opened her eyes. That was the last thing she expected Piper to say. “Who?”

  “My brother, Alec. He got turned a while back.”

  Now that was a story she wanted to hear — Alec was the last person she would’ve expected to become a vampire. But before she had a chance to ask about it, Piper was off, looking for her cell phone.

  Caroline slumped to the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs, burying her face in her knees while she waited for Piper to come back. Her body wracked with shudders as the enormity of her situation crashed down on her. A few minutes later, a soft hand on her shoulder brought her attention back to the present.

  “Alec is on his way. He’ll know what to do, okay? In the meantime, do you want to clean up? You can use my shower, and I’ll find you some clean clothes.”

  The thought of a warm shower sent shivers down her limbs, and she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She didn’t realize how cold she felt. But it wasn’t her body so much as her soul. She nodded and followed Piper to the bathroom. Piper pulled some towels out of the cupboard and piled them on the sink.

  “Here, use anything you need. I’ll go look for some clothes that will fit you.”

  When Piper left, Caroline carefully avoided the mirror and turned on the shower. She didn’t want to see wha
t she looked like now that she’d become the thing she despised. Would people be able to tell that she was a vampire? Piper obviously hadn’t. There wasn’t a defining characteristic that announced their kind, but Caroline had never had any trouble spotting them. There was something about them that screamed danger, stay away. Would people feel that way about her now?

  She stripped off her dirty clothes and stepped under the pounding spray, hoping the hot water would wash away the terror that clung to her body like oily sweat. She grabbed a bottle of body wash and squirted a glob on her hands, but no matter how much she scrubbed her skin, she still felt dirty. She hadn’t gotten her hair wet yet, afraid to disturb the gash on her head, but the overspray had dampened the dried blood, and it dripped pink splotches on her shoulders that made her want to wash all over again.

  She had to get the blood out of her hair. Carefully, she tipped her head back and moved it under the water, trying to keep the spray away from her gash, but when she ran her hands over her head, she couldn’t find it anymore. Had it healed already? She turned her head the other way and let the water wash off the thick streak of blood, but it didn’t hurt when it touched her. How could that be? She knew vampires healed quickly, but it’d only been a few hours!

  Amazed, she filled her palm with some of Piper’s strawberry shampoo and washed her hair till the water ran clean. There wasn’t a twinge of pain anywhere. Then she followed it up with the thick conditioner Piper used to tame her wild curls. A laugh burst out of her. She might be a bloodthirsty vampire now, but at least she’d have soft, tangle-free hair. Turning off the water, she wrapped a fluffy, purple towel around herself and used another one to wring out her hair.