“You’re insane,” I said.
Just then something came crashing through the large plate window from the courtyard.
“Incompetent idiot,” sighed Faye as Ethan stood up straight. She quickly grabbed me around the throat.
“Let her go,” growled Ethan, stepping towards us slowly.
Faye’s grip tightened. “Step away from us, or I’ll break her neck.”
He stopped. “Faye, don’t do this.”
“Why? Because you can’t live without her?” she barked.
“Because she’s just a girl. Look, she’s not Miranda.”
“She must die, like the rest.”
He frowned. “Like the rest? What do you mean by that?”
“The bodies that Miranda has used to try and come back. I’ve worked very hard to stop her.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“She thought she could fool me, but I… I could see her in all of their eyes.”
“Whose eyes?” he asked.
She laughed. “Amy, Tina, all the others. Miranda used their bodies to return to you, and now she’s in Nikki’s. But not for long. I’m going to find a way to stop your little bitch for good.”
“You killed all of those girls?” I whispered hoarsely.
“Shut up,” she growled, squeezing my throat tighter.
Just then Lucas stormed through the front door. “I got one of them,” he said.
My chest grew tight. Duncan!
“The other one is here, now finish the job.”
Ethan smirked. “You’re kidding right? I’m a little faster than your bullet.”
Faye pushed me to the ground. “Better yet, kill the girl instead.”
There was a loud blast from the gun and then total darkness.
Chapter Twenty-eight
My dreams were a jumble of terror, grief, and hunger. When I finally woke up, there was an overwhelming need in the pit of my stomach, which ached to be satisfied.
“Ethan!” I gasped, sitting up.
I looked around and found myself alone in a strange bedroom, wearing nothing but an oversized man’s button front dress shirt.
The room was cold.
I began to shiver in spite of the warm fire cracking in a nearby fireplace. I pulled the scratchy blanket in tighter to my body and stood up to get closer to the heat of the fire.
“Hey,” said Ethan, walking through the door, holding a cup.
“Ethan, oh thank God,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.
“Get back into bed,” he said. “You’re much too weak to be on your feet.”
“What’s happened?” I asked, sitting back down on the edge of the bed.
He put his cup down on the nightstand and sat down next to me. “You don’t remember anything?” he asked, grabbing my hand.
I shook my head.
He sighed. “You’ve been in and out of consciousness for a few days.”
“What? Where are we?”
“In the mountains of Montana,” he said. “This place was deserted when I brought you here.”
I licked my lips. “What’s happened to my family?”
He stared into the fire. “I’m not really sure. The only thing on my mind has been you.”
“Ethan, we have to go find them,” I said, trying to stand on two very shaky legs.
“Wait,” he said, pulling me towards his lap. “You need to rest longer. You’re too weak to do anything right now.”
“Then find me something to eat, so we can leave,” I pleaded, feeling my stomach growl in agreement. “Please.”
He pursed his lips. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
I scowled. “About Faye?”
“No, about you.”
I stared into his eyes. “What?”
He touched my stomach. “You were shot.”
I looked down where his hand was. “Shot?”
He traced a circle near my belly and I grabbed his hand. “Stop, that tickles.”
“You weren’t going to make it,” he said, pulling me closer.
I shivered as his lips brushed the hollow of my neck. “That’s ridiculous. I wasn’t shot.”
“Nikki,” he said, lifting his face to stare into my eyes. “You were dying and I had to save you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you trying to say?”
He lifted me up, carried me over to a large, full-length mirror and set me down.
“What?” I asked, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I was very surprised to see his refection next to mine, since he was supposed to be some kind of vampire. Obviously, that was another misguided notion. A vampire in Shore Lake does cast a reflection.
He stood behind me and raised my chin so that my neck was exposed.
“What in the heck is that?” I whispered, shaking his hand away. I walked closer to the mirror and examined the scar.
“I had to,” he murmured. “You were dying.”
“You bit me?”
“We…bonded.”
I turned to him. “You turned me into one of you?” I cried.
He touched my cheek. “I had no other choice. You lost too much blood.”
My eyes widened. “Three times? We had sex when I was unconscious, three times?”
He smiled. “Believe me; you weren’t unconscious when we made love.”
“But, I don’t remember. I…oh, my God,” I choked. “I’m not human anymore?”