10. Montana

Clarice passed out bottles of blood as we hurried along the road and I gulped mine down, relishing the way it soothed the burn in my throat. A morning’s rest was nothing in comparison to drinking this life-giving nectar. My body came alive as the blood swam into my veins and sent a thrill tumbling down my spine. It was the most twisted kind of pleasure, and one I was growing far too accustomed to. The guilt didn’t usually kick in until after I’d sated my needs and it was all too easy to push it out of my mind when the hunger sharpened.

Clarice wordlessly took the empty bottles back and returned them to her bag. The only reason we’d need to keep them was if we could refill them and no one made any comment on how that might happen. As far as I was concerned, the slayers were off limits. No matter what Erik had decided for me.

He walked at the head of the group, his mood sullen again. I didn’t think he’d gotten much sleep this morning. I imagined he had so much on his mind right now that rest wouldn’t have come easy. After our argument, we’d barely said two words to each other and I was beginning to feel like I wasn’t doing enough to make this right. He might have been acting like a bossy asshole again, but I knew why. And I desperately wanted to do something about it.

As we closed in on the line of ruins at the far end of the long road, I jogged to his side, throwing him a small smile.

His mouth twitched and he took my hand, lifting it to his lips and placing a kiss on the back of it. After my drink, my skin was coursing with electricity and he charged even more into my blood from his touch. I released a soft breath, brushing my shoulder against his as we walked on, glad we weren’t going to continue arguing.

That thought was short-lived as he said, “I meant what I said last night.”

I rolled my eyes, biting down on my tongue as I tried to keep it from spewing a harsh retort.

He’s grieving, give him time. Let him be an asshole if he has to be.

“I’m aware,” I said airily, not mentioning the fact that I still had no intention of following his demands and drinking from the slayers.

“I’m not sure you are,” he said tersely, releasing my hand.

I took a breath, setting my eye on the first row of houses as we approached them. A rat darted across the street ahead of us and everyone fell still.

“It’s just a rat,” Julius called. “I’ll tell you if Menace senses any Familiars.”

We continued moving but the tension in the group had definitely increased. We hurried into the ruins down crumbled streets and past silent doorways, searching for anything that resembled a supermarket.

“We better split up,” Fabian said, shooting to the front of the line. “It’ll be quicker.”

“Fine, meet back at the house in two hours,” Erik agreed, then glanced around the group. “We’ll stay in pairs. Watch each other’s backs.”

“There’s nothing here but dirt and rats,” Julius said, lazily swinging Menace in his hand.

“Well if a dirty rat monster comes after you, I can watch your back,” Clarice said sweetly, clapping him on the shoulder.

Fabian looked to Chickoa with a tentative smile. “Do you want to pair with me?”

I expected her to refuse but she shrugged and headed after him down a side street.

“See you later,” Clarice called, moving after Julius down another road.

I was suddenly left alone with my husband and that seemed like a much more terrifying prospect now that his anger was back in place.

He stared at me for several long seconds and I walked away from him before he could start lecturing me about the slayers’ blood again. I took the lead, turning right down a narrow alleyway, hearing the near-silent footfalls of Erik following.

I took another right turn and spotted a row of stores that looked promising. I hurried toward them down the cracked road, passing buildings which had been ravaged by bombs, knowing whatever had laid inside was long since gone.

I reached the end of the row, pushing my hand against the glass pane of a door that was miraculously still intact. It opened and I was even more surprised as I stepped into the small store. Erik entered behind me, sweeping his eyes over the road as he lingered in the doorway before moving further inside.

I frowned as I gazed around at the place. The rows of shelves were empty as if the contents had been taken. Erik swept his finger across one of them and it came away clean. “Whatever was here has been recently moved.”

My gut spiralled as I turned to him, his tone sending a flicker of fear through me. “Who would take human food in this place?”

“My guess would be humans,” he said dryly and I frowned. His eyes lit up as an idea struck him. “And if there’s humans here, there’s blood.” He turned toward the door, yanking it open and I darted after him, frustration filling me.

“Wait.” I grabbed his arm, but he didn’t stop moving. “There can’t be humans out here, how’s that possible?”

“Because even I am not one hundred percent efficient at everything I do,” he said and I gave him a prompting look to make him go on. “We didn’t catch every human who remained in the entirety of America after the Final War. Some of them live on the verges in places like this, away from our kind.”

My mouth fell open and I stopped walking. He turned back to me, his brows lowering as he took in my expression. Humans lived out here? Free. Without the vampires to ever tell them what to do...how to live...when to die.

My gut twisted as I thought of all the years I’d wished for such a life. And it was somehow thrilling to know there’d been rebel humans out here all along who’d escaped their rule.

The vision came crashing down around me as my vampire husband strolled toward me.

“We’ll take what we need, nothing more. It’s how we used to live. No one has to die,” he said and my thoughts scattered as I realised what he was suggesting.

“Erik we can’t,” I gasped. I couldn’t do that to humans. People who were just like I’d been. I shook my head in refusal. “I won’t become one of the vampires I feared my whole life.”

His brows stitched together and his eyes scraped down me. “Like me you mean?” he asked coolly.

“I- that’s not what I meant,” I spluttered.

He nodded stiffly, his eyes dark.

I gazed at him, unable to believe we’d gotten back here. To the place we’d been when I was just a girl locked up in his beautiful castle. I pushed the thought away, determined not to let what had happened break us. But he was making it so hard. And I didn’t know what he needed.

I opened my mouth to say something – anything that could make this better. But as words met my lips, a scream caught my ear. I froze as adrenaline surged through my veins.

“That wasn’t Clarice or Chickoa,” I breathed and Erik nodded, his pupils dilating.

The scream sounded again and I threw caution to the wind, sprinting in the direction it had come from.

We sped down streets left and right, moving deeper into the ruined town. I rounded a corner into a wide square and at the heart of it, I spotted a human girl on her knees before a tall male vampire with bright grey eyes. He had his hand on her shoulder and I ran forward in alarm, desperate to stop this beast’s attack. Had the biters found us? Had they come across humans here in this wrecked town?

“Not so fast,” the male called to me in a southern drawl, raising a hand. I eyed the girl before him, slowing to a halt in fear of him killing her. “One more step and you’ll be ash.”

Erik flew into view beside me, snarling as he gazed at the man.

The vampire raised his hand higher and I spotted guns pointed at us from the surrounding buildings. Every window, every alley. They’d penned us in. But who the hell were they?

I took Nightmare from my hip and tried to feel out how many vampires surrounded us.

Eight of the weaker, four of the strong, Nightmare whispered in my mind.

“We don’t want any trouble,” Erik growled. “We’re just passing through.”

“Passin’ through?” the man echoed. “No you ain’t just passin’ through, is he boys?”

A holler of agreement sounded from beyond the darkened windows and doorways, and I tensed with discomfort.

“Who are you?” I demanded, taking a step closer to Erik.

“Name’s Memphis,” he said with a smile that sent a chill through me. “And you’re tresspassin’ on my territory.”

Seven of the weaker, three of the strong, Nightmare said and I frowned in confusion as it changed its mind.

“You don’t own any land in this country,” Erik said in a deadly voice. “But I’ll make an exception if you let us go. We’re not here for you.”

“What are you here for then, huh? Blood?” he asked, drawing the human to her feet and she writhed in his arms. “I hear your kind don’t drink from the vein,” Memphis growled and my muscles tensed as he brushed the hair from the girl’s neck.

“You’re working for Valentina,” I snarled, lifting Nightmare.

Memphis nodded slowly. “Valentina Torbrook has a mighty high bounty on your heads.”

Five of the weaker, two of the strong, Nightmare hissed excitedly.

Erik stiffened, his hands curling into fists. “Whatever she’s offering, I’ll double it.”

“See now, I don’t think you’re in any position to negotiate, Prince Erik,” Memphis drawled. “I don’t hear any gold jingling around in those pockets o’ yours.” Laughter rang out again and Memphis grinned hungrily. “Besides, perhaps this ain’t just about the money. Perhaps this is also about the revenge I so dearly want on you for callin’ yourself my ruler without so much as a presidential election.” His expression turned to a deadly grimace and he pointed directly at Erik with a knife in his grip. “We prey off free humans out here in the way it should be, ain’t that right?” he spoke to the human and she trembled in his arms.

My gut knotted and I clenched my fists, panic rising in me as I tried to see a way out of this.

“We’re not travelling alone,” I blurted. “We have a whole host of warriors with us. The Belvederes never travel without an entourage of guards. If you kill us, you’ll have a hundred Elite to deal with.”

Memphis considered my lie and I hoped he’d buy it.

“Is that so?” he mused. “’Cause the new queen sent word that you’re travelling all on your lonesome.” He smirked and my shoulders stiffened.

“Erik still has many loyal followers,” I tried to bluff.

Memphis gestured to the empty square around us. “And where are these so-called followers, girl? Do my eyes deceive me? Am I blind to an army who stands at your backs?” He started laughing again and his laughter was echoed from the concealed vampires.

Watch out!Nightmare screamed and I grabbed Erik, pulling him down with me as I ducked as a blur of gold whipped over our heads.

Memphis lurched sideways and Vicious tore past his ear, cutting it open. He hissed in agony as the sword flew through a doorway behind him and a scream sounded from within it.

My heart soared as I turned to find Julius but I couldn’t spot him.

The human girl fled, darting off into the streets, using the distraction to her advantage.

One of the weaker, one of the strong, Nightmare corrected again and I finally realised what was happening. Our friends were here, picking them off.

Memphis’s face twisted into a snarl. “Kill them!” he roared.

Erik threw me to the floor with force and I cursed as he fell on top of me. “No!” I screamed, trying to force my way up, but the bullets never came.

I stilled and Erik shifted off of me so I could see Memphis who was gazing around in shock.

“Die motherfucker!” Julius burst from the shadows with Menace raised, charging down Memphis like a harbinger of death.

Erik flew to his feet, sprinting toward Memphis as he sped away across the square.

Erik and Julius took chase, disappearing down an alley out of sight. But I wasn’t worried. One Elite was easy enough for them to dispatch.

I moved to pick up Vicious from the ground, weighing the heavy blade in my hand as it reluctantly accepted me. Chickoa, Fabian and Clarice jumped down from a window above, splattered with blood and looking fierce.

“Thank the gods you’re okay,” Clarice said as she jogged toward me and pulled me into a hug.

“Thank you assholes, you mean,” I said with a smile. “You saved us.”

“Fucking revolutionaries,” Fabian said with a scowl. “They live beyond our borders and thwart our rule when given the chance. If Valentina’s paying them off, she must be offering them a place in the city. It’s the only thing they’d want.”

“Fuck!” Julius roared as he and Erik sped back out of the alley, tearing toward us with dread in their eyes.

Twenty five of the weaker and eight of the strong! Nightmare screamed inside my mind and my gut dropped.

“There’s a horde!” Erik bellowed. “Run!”