chapter 17
Liam sat on the bed and cradled her in his lap. He held her gently, allowing her to sob out her sorrow as he kept his head buried in her hair. He could smell her blood, hear her heartbeat, but it didn’t arouse the beast in him now. The monster within seemed to be effectively buried by the anguish that was wracking through her.
He lightly stroked her long golden hair that was still damp from the snow. Reaching behind him, he pulled one of the blankets forward and wrapped it around her as he gently rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm her even more.
Minutes ticked slowly by. Eventually her tears dried as she lay trembling against him. He noticed how small and frail she was as he shifted his hold on her. At the thought he felt the demon surge forth. Closing his eyes, he willed it to go away. Now was not the time, or the place. She needed him now; she didn’t need more trauma.
“Feeling better?” he asked softly.
She shook her head and curled tighter against him as she buried herself within the blanket. He pulled it gently away from her face and caressed her tear stained cheek as she lifted her chin to look at him. Her eyes were a vibrant violet, even though they were bloodshot, and swollen from her tears. Her lower lip still trembled slightly.
A fierce wave of protectiveness washed through him. He hated to see her cry, he never wanted to see her cry, and it was his fault that she was doing so now. Everything was his fault. “Damn!” he hissed as he pulled her tighter against him. “I’m sorry Sera. I am so very sorry.”
Her lids dropped down, her long, gold tipped lashes were wet with tears as they shadowed her pale cheeks. “It’s all true, isn’t it?” she whispered softly.
His hands convulsed on her. He wanted to tell her that David was wrong, that no matter what he could control himself around her. But he had promised her that he would never lie to her again, and he knew that David was right. He was controlling himself now, but only because of her tears. He knew that he couldn’t control himself long, knew that one of these days he would snap, and it would be soon.
“Yes, I think it is.” She shivered as a fresh tear rolled down her face. “If I had known, I would have left you be,” he grated hoarsely. “I would have stopped myself from seeing you. I would have left the country, the continent if necessary. I would have done whatever it took not to hurt you like this Sera. But I can’t now. I just can’t.”
The thought of it sent the demon within surging instantly forth. He grit his teeth as he forced himself to take a shuddery breath and get himself under control. “I would have left.”
The anguish in his voice tore at her heart, ripped through her soul, but she was so scared, and so confused. She knew that he would have left her be before things had gotten this far, but she also knew that even if he had left, even if she had never seen him again, she would have missed him. She would have always been empty without him. He would have haunted her dreams and she knew that somehow she would have found him again.
“I would have found you,” she whispered.
His hands tightened on her as he groaned softly. “Sera...”
“No Liam, I would have. If you hadn’t come back for me, I would have found you. I love you.”
“I would have left before it ever came to that.”
“I’ve loved you from the beginning. I loved you before I met you,” she told him as a dawning realization came over her. “I was ready with Jacob.” His hands convulsed on her as a soft growl escaped him. She turned to him knowing already that the demon was there. His face was strained as he fought to bring it under control. “But, I began to panic. It suddenly felt wrong, it felt awful. I was waiting for you. Somehow, even then, I knew you were out there and I was waiting for you.”
His jaw was clenched with barely suppressed fury. The thought of Jacob touching her in anyway was more than he could bear. The thought of what Jacob had done to her made him wish that the bastard was still alive so that he could kill him again. A shudder ripped through him and he almost bellowed from the rage that was encompassing him.
A gentle, butterfly touch on his cheek drew his eyes open. She was staring at him with a mixture of fear, and a love so fierce that it shook him. “I was waiting for you,” she whispered again.
Something inside of him broke. He hauled her against him, holding her as close to him as he could. It wasn’t close enough. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she pressed herself against him. “What have I done?” he groaned.
Her hands clenched upon him as tears spilled free again. She could feel the anguish and self loathing radiating from him. “I love you Liam. I love you so much that it hurts.” Her voice was choked with sobs as she clung tighter to him.
His hands were painful as they dug into her. She winced, but didn’t make a sound. She could feel his desperation, his hurt, he needed her, and she wasn’t going to let him down. “I don’t deserve you.”
She laughed softly as she buried her face in his neck. Her tears wet his skin, but they were no longer tears of grief for herself, but for him. “Yes, you do. I can’t live without you. I can’t even breathe when I think about the possibility. If this is what was meant to be, then that’s fine. I would have let you change me anyway; it just might have taken me a little longer to come to it. But this is all right Liam. It is.”
“Sera,” he moaned.
“It’s all right.”
She pulled away from him and tilted her head so that she could gaze into his tortured face. She pulled her hair away from the wounds in her neck. His eyes gleamed as they fastened upon her wounds and his teeth instantly elongated. He snapped his eyes shut, his face twisted with anguish as he fought to bring the demon under control.
“I can’t Sera.”
She blinked in surprise. “Liam, it’s all right. I want this.”
“Not tonight. You’ll need blood right after. Unless you want to feed off of Danielle and Kathleen, I can’t.”
Sera froze as that thought hit her. Blood, she would have to drink blood. An involuntary shudder of disgust ripped through her. He reached out and pulled her hair back over the marks before they tempted him even further.
“Blood.” She was unable to hide the disgust from her voice.
“I can feed you Sera. You need never feed off of anyone but me, if that is what you want.” That was what he wanted. The thought of her even going near someone else twisted his stomach and brought a surge of violence rushing through him.
Her eyes were wide as they swung to him. “Not them,” she whispered. “Not them.”
“No, never them. I promise. But until I can find someone else, this cannot happen.”
She nodded slowly and dropped her head to his chest as she yawned softly. He lifted her easily as he stood up. Pulling the remaining blankets back, he laid her gently upon the bed. For a moment, he contemplated undressing her, but firmly decided against it. The thought of her naked body hardened him. The sight of her naked body would push him over the edge, and all common sense would go out the window.
He could not be with her again until he was ready to change her. She smiled sleepily at him and raised her arms. He climbed in beside her and gathered her into his arms. He closed his eyes as a wave of contentment stole through him. The beast was at bay. She was going to be his, and nothing would ever change that.
***
Sera woke with a start. The night closed in around her as she strained to see anything. She reached out a hand and felt Liam’s solid figure. It reassured her, but she couldn’t get rid of the fear that crept through her belly. She sat up and tossed the blanket aside as she walked over to the window.
The moon lit the backyard, revealing bare trees, and an endless sea of white. The howling wind blew snow across the yard. She stared for a moment longer, but couldn’t see anything worth worrying about. She turned and crept to the door.
Creeping down the dark hallway she felt her way to where the stairs began. Her hand found the banister and she used that to guide her toward the kitchen. There were still two candles burning within the room, but their flames were sputtering in the small nubs of wax left. She crossed the linoleum to where Kathleen had left some candles on the counter and used the flames to light four more.
Taking one of the candles with her, she moved to the back door and opened it. There was nothing in the dark yard, but the hair on the back of her neck began to stand up. She froze for a moment and then spun quickly. Nothing was behind her, but she was suddenly certain that something was watching her. She turned back to the night and took a small step back. The wind howled across her, blowing snow into the room, and knocking out her flame.
Terror suddenly ripped through her as she took another step back. The force of the sudden impact sent her flying to the floor. The scream in her throat was cut off as the air was knocked painfully out of her lungs. Something was on her, clawing at her, ripping into her shirt, and chest. She couldn’t breathe, she could hardly even move. Then, the eyes were there, brilliant red eyes that stared hatefully at her.
The air rushed back into her lungs as she opened her mouth to scream. A hand shot over her mouth, stifling her. She gasped in shock as Beth’s face appeared above her. It was twisted and evil as she leered down at her. “I told you that I would get you!” she hissed.
Sera bucked wildly in a desperate attempt to get away, but although Beth was smaller than her, she was amazingly strong. Almost as strong as Liam, who could kill her with a flick of his wrist. The sudden knowledge that Beth could do the same sent her heart beating so wildly that she was certain it was going to rip out of her ribcage.
Beth’s eyes gleamed maliciously as an evil smile curled her mouth. Her lips pulled back to reveal her deadly teeth. Sera screamed against her hand, but only muffled cries of fright escaped. Beth surged forward, her mouth wide, and her teeth gleaming as she lunged at Sera’s throat with deadly intent.
Air rushed back into her lungs as Beth was ripped off of her. Sera blinked in surprise as the deadly teeth didn’t sink into her neck and her chest was suddenly able to expand. Blinking in surprise, she watched as Liam appeared within the candlelight and flung Beth across the kitchen. Beth slammed into the back wall with so much force that the cabinet doors popped open. Pots, pans, and cans fell to the floor with loud rattling crashes, and dull thumps. Beth instantly sprang back to her feet as a hiss escaped her.
The hair on Sera’s neck rose as she scrambled backward. The answering hiss from Liam was nearly as frightening as Beth’s. She could feel the hunger in the room; almost smell the bloodlust emanating from them. Sera’s mind and body screamed at her to run, but she couldn’t get her shaking muscles to obey the command.
Liam spun and caught her easily as Beth launched at him. She spat and hissed in his grasp as she dug her long nails into him. Liam bellowed with rage and flung her away. She skidded across the floor and crashed into the fridge.
“What the hell?”
Sera turned as David, Jack, Doug, and Mike came skidding into the kitchen. Their eyes widened as they took in the sight before them. “What’s going on?” Kathleen cried. Mike spun back around to effectively block the doorway. “Get out of my way!”
Mike refused to budge from the doorway as he turned his head to see what was going on. Beth stood slowly, her eyes vivid and hateful as she lifted her chin. She spun and bolted out the door, seeming to blur and disappear as she moved. Liam took a step after her, and froze; his body was tense and shaking.
His ruby gaze darted back to Sera. Sera’s mouth gaped open and her heart leapt into her throat as he came at her. A scream tore from her as he seized hold of her arms and ripped her off the floor. “What were you doing?” he roared.
Fresh terror spurted through her in the face of his obvious rage. A rage that was now focused solely upon her. All of his control was gone.
“What were you doing?”
He punctuated each word with a small shake. “Liam!” David shouted. “Liam stop!”
David’s words did nothing to dim the fury blazing through him. The hands on his arms ripped a shout from him. He released Sera and spun toward them as he instinctively shielded her from whoever was behind him. David and Doug took a quick step back, their hands raised in surrender as their eyes widened upon him.
He turned instantly back to her. Tremors wracked her body as she stared at him with wild, petrified eyes. Her shirt had been ripped from her collar to mid chest. Blood marred her porcelain skin. The sight of that blood further unraveled him.
He took a step forward. She whimpered as she scuttled back a few feet. At any other time the obvious sign of her terror would have stopped him. It didn’t now. The fact that she could have been killed, the fact that she had almost been killed, had shattered all of his control. He would not lose her. He would not take the chance of losing her.
Sera had seen what was inside of him before, but not like this, never like this. Before, she had always been able to glimpse something of Liam inside. There was nothing there now. There was no flicker of green in his blood eyes. There was no hint of softening in his contorted features. He had lost complete control, and he showed no signs of being able to regain it.
She wanted him to change her. She wanted to be with him. But not like this. He looked as if he was going to kill her.
She scrambled back. He was on her in an instant. Sera screamed as her hands flailed wildly. He seized them and pinned them down. Pain flared through her wrists, but it was nothing compared to the fear constricting her chest and throat. “Sera!” Kathleen screamed.
Hands seized hold of his shoulders and tried to rip him away. “Liam don’t!” Doug yelled. “Don’t do this!”
He spun quickly and lashed out in fury. Doug was flung into the kitchen cabinets as if he weighed no more than a twig. His own eyes flashed red for a moment before he took a deep breath and steadied himself. Liam looked at the others, but they made no move to come near him.
His eyes focused on her again. The smell of her blood was thick in the air; the wild fluttering of her heart was hammering in his head. He pushed her hair back and pulled her forward. She cried out as she fought against him. Her struggles only made him more determined. He was going to make her his for good. He was going to make sure that no one ever hurt her again.
“Liam please,” she whimpered as his teeth skimmed her neck. Terror spurted through her and she choked out a strangled cry. “Please not like this. Not like Jacob.”
He was pulled back, ready to strike, when her words slammed into him with the force of a sledgehammer. They rocked his body and soul as they knocked the demon out of him. He released her wrists as he pulled away from her. Her eyes were wild and terrified, her hair a tangled mass about her beautiful face. Blood marred her delicate cheek and chest, the smell of it was heady, and enticing, but he did not go after her again.
“Get away from me Sera!” he hissed. “Get away now!”
She needed no further encouragement as she scrambled to her feet and stumbled around the island. Jack reached out to steady her, thought better of it, and dropped his hands back to his sides. She had taken a risk with mentioning Jacob’s name. She had known that it would either drive him into a further rage, or help him come to his senses. She was extremely grateful that it had gone her way.
“Get her out of here!” Liam spat. “Get her out now!”
“Sera!” Kathleen yelled. “Sera are you okay?”
“She’s fine,” Mike answered when it became obvious that Sera wasn’t able to do so.
“Get out of my way! I want to see her! Now!” Danielle and Kathleen were both screaming and shoving at Mike.
“Get her out of here!” Liam bellowed. “And take care of them!”
Mike pushed Kathleen and Danielle back as they fought and struggled to get away from him. “Everything is fine,” he said lowly. “Jack, help me.”
“Let us go!” Kathleen screeched. “He’s hurt her! I know he has!”
Mike seized hold of Kathleen’s chin and forced her to look at him. Her eyes blazed with fury as she beat ineffectively at his chest. “Everything is all right,” he said forcefully. “Sera just had a nightmare, but she’s fine now.” Her eyes began to glaze as his power wrapped into her mind. Beside him he could hear Jack whispering the same words to Danielle. “You saw for yourself that she was all right. Now, go back to sleep.”
Kathleen nodded dazedly and turned to leave. Danielle followed silently behind her. Mike sagged against the wall, feeling completely drained. “We can’t keep doing this,” Jack muttered. “Damn I feel as weak as a newborn kitten.”
Mike nodded his agreement as he turned back to the kitchen. David and Doug were before Sera, blocking her from Liam. Liam was standing by the sink, his hands clasped on the counter so forcefully that he was shaking. His head was bowed, but hunger still radiated from him like a heat wave.
“They’re gone,” Jack said.
David and Doug glanced back at them and nodded. “Would you please get her out of here!” Liam grated.
David and Doug began to back up, pushing Sera with them without touching her. Sera’s gaze was intent upon Liam’s trembling back as she shuffled slowly back. She wanted to go to him, to soothe him, but she knew that he would lose it again, and this time he would not come back.
A sob rose in her throat, but she quickly suppressed it as she tore her gaze from him. She was lucky to have gotten away before; she couldn’t risk not being able to get away again. Her breath froze in her lungs as her legs instantly planted themselves. David and Doug bumped into her and instantly jumped away as Liam stiffened and lifted his head.
“What is that?” Sera gasped.
Four sets of red eyes hovered just outside the window. “Shit!” Jack exclaimed.
“Get her out of here!” Liam yelled.
He turned and raced out the door in a blur of motion. “Liam!” Sera screamed and lurched forward. “No!”
Doug seized hold of her shoulders and pushed her back. “Stay with her!”
Jack grasped her shoulders and released her as if he had been burned. The minute she was free, she bolted forward. David blocked her off as Mike and Jack ran past. “If you go out there you’ll only distract him, and get him hurt. If you go out there, he will bring you back in here, and he will finish what he started. There will be no stopping it this time.”
Sera glanced quickly at David before looking longingly at the door. She knew what those eyes were, knew what they represented, and knew that Liam was out there with them now. She needed to help him. “There’s nothing that you can do to help him. You will only get him hurt. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
She didn’t move for a moment, and then her shoulders slumped in defeat. She turned and walked woodenly out of the room.