29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

An hour later, Nina and Aidan arrived. Though neither allowed themselves to look distraught, Nero could sense the heaviness of their psyches. A bitter sadness had infiltrated their minds after the tragedy they had discovered just hours earlier.

"We can't thank you both enough for being here," he began.

The footsteps that shadowed him into the foyer announced the arrival of his mate. Immediately pulling her close to his body, Nero introduced them. "Eden, this is Nina. You already know Aidan."

"Hi Aidan," she greeted. "Nina, it's wonderful to meet you."

Nina held out her hand in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you, Eden. Nero's told us so much about you, and I'm eager to get to know you better."

"You as well." She dipped her chin. "Nero said that you're a vampire?"

Nina nodded. "Yes, the vampire breed started with my blood. I was born a Raeth."

"That's fascinating," Eden breathed. "I'd love to know more about how that works—about how you can belong to two immortal races."

Aidan shifted uneasily at Nina's side, but said nothing while his sister explained, "It's a long story, but I'd be happy to tell you. For now, can we come in and discuss the plan?"

"Of course."

Sweeping an arm out, Nero closed the door behind them when Eden's beat of distress registered to his senses.

"Aidan, are you okay?" Her voice was filled with concern. "I heard about what happened."

Aidan's smile didn't reach his eyes. "I'll be fine. The Citizens have done some terrible things, but I have no doubt we'll soon put an end to it."

"I'm sorry." Eden gingerly squeezed Aidan's arm. "I want you to know, I would have been proud to have you as my alpha. You've treated me with nothing but consideration and support, despite the circumstances the Citizens put us all in."

Forgiveness and deep emotion flooded the alpha's features. "It was understandable; I don't blame you. I'm hopeful that this will work—even if that means I don't get to claim you as one of my own."

"Thank you for being here."

Eden and Aidan gave each other a nod, unspoken understanding and respect passing between them. Then she clasped Nero's hand and walked everyone back toward the living room.

The carpet was still sporting the blood spots from where he had arrived unconscious. Cleaning was at the very bottom of his priority list. To his frayed nerves, it still appeared as an omen.

Everyone took their seats and turned expectantly to Nina. "Eden, I want to make sure you know the extent of what we're about to attempt today. How much do you know about vampires?"

"Only what folklore and paranormal literature have detailed, which I gather is fairly inaccurate."

"More or less," Nina responded. "If … when we succeed, you will be a juvenile. As soon as the sun crosses the horizon, you'll literally fall asleep where you stand. There is no resistance against that at first, and you will be vulnerable to the sun's rays. You will need to be aware of that at all times and seek shelter before sunrise. Juveniles always think they're the exception."

"Experience with that, have you?" Nero asked, his tone bearing a hint of amusement.

"Let's just say that Blair learned that the hard way," Nina chuckled. "Over time, you'll be able to walk in the sunlight and remain awake for longer stretches of time.

"Fledglings are blood progeny of their sires, and that's what you'll be to me. As the source of all vampires, my blood and my direct offspring are more powerful than most. That doesn't mean invincible. Like everyone you've met recently, you'll be immortal. But you'll require blood to survive."

Straightening in her seat, she continued, solemnly. "It is the immutable reality of becoming a vampire. When you're young, you'll require it often, but as the years progress, the need reduces."

"And what happens if I don't get blood when I need it?"

"Without it, it'll become a point of fixation. A vampire starved of blood will crave little else," Nina warned. "Fortunately, vampires seldom get to that point. Several years ago, the vampire council passed a law banning us from using suggestion on humans to feed. These days, our race uses bagged blood as primary source of food."

Eden swallowed, hesitating on her next question. Through their bond, Nero could feel her uncertainty, but before she could put words to it, Nina spoke once more.

"Of course, in a relationship with two willing partners, the law doesn't apply," Nina explained after reading the room. "Raeth and werewolf blood doesn't have an adverse effect on vampires. Elementals, on the other hand, are a bit of a different story. If a vampire were to take blood from an Elemental, they'd receive their abilities in turn. Done maliciously, it could warrant a death penalty."

Eden sat back. "I could understand how that could be a problem."

"Let's just say there's precedent there, too." Nina gave her a tight smile. "Do you have any questions so far?"

"It's hard to say—my interest before this was academic, and now, my entire outlook has changed," she said. "It's difficult to separate my study from reality, and to realize that what I read in books may or may not be accurate. Before this, my life was measured in decades, and now, it might be centuries. It's difficult to wrap my head around."

"Time passes differently for us," Aidan said. "It's the same thing that happens to humans as they age. As a child, summer is endless, and it feels like the days go on and on. As an adult, they pass more quickly, and you realize just how finite time can be."

Aidan's soft voice was tinged with memory, and Nero couldn't help but feel the weariness of the other man's soul. The wolves in the Citizens' holding cells had come close to breaking his friend.

"Do you understand the ramifications of the decision you're consenting to, Eden?"

Nero's stomach leapt into his throat.

His mate didn't waste time. "Yes. I want to move forward with it. That is, if you'll have me."

"Nero wasn't the only one who's been anticipating your arrival, Eden." Nina's kind words made his chest constrict with affection for the woman who'd been his friend for centuries. "I'm happy to attempt your change. I have to remind you that we've never tried this before and we don't know how the process will affect you. You will be the first person bitten by wolf and then changed into a vampire."

Nina grimaced with regret. "Your departing wolf might take a part of you with her. That's why Aidan is here, to guide her through as peacefully as we can manage. Nero and Aidan have asked Luna for her presence to spare you as much pain as possible."

A loaded look passed between the two women before Eden said, "You're unsure how successful this undertaking can be. And can't ensure it won't be agonizing for me, even if it works."

Nina nodded.

"There is one more thing," Nina said. "Vampires are barren. Once bitten, a fledgling cannot have children. It's an important difference that I needed to make sure you knew. There are Raeths with a fertility gift, but being given that option is rare."

As Eden digested the information, so did Nero. He'd been preparing himself for the eventuality, as Raeth fertility was notoriously low. Knowing his mate now—and how it might affect her—was an entirely different realization. The bond between them tightened, and he glanced over at his mate.

Her smile was sad, but there was no hesitation. He knew she had already resigned herself to never having children once she'd received the terminal cancer diagnosis. He gave her a supportive nod.

When she turned back to Nina, determination filled her eyes. "I'm ready."

"The process is rather simple," the other woman began. "There is an exchange of blood. First, I'll take yours. Immediately following, you'll receive mine. From there, the transition will begin in your blood.

"It's normally painless, but the effects take varying forms," Nina continued. "Some fall asleep, some exist temporarily in an altered state of consciousness, and others find themselves speaking coherently throughout. Regardless of the direction your siring takes, the transition process itself takes around three hours if successful. Don't worry if your case takes slightly longer.

"Your inner strength and calm will be a deciding factor, so try to take all of this as a guide, but do not be alarmed if things proceed in different ways. It's not necessarily a bad thing. Whatever happens, at the end of it, you'll sleep until the next rising. Don't try to fight it."

A fleeting glimmer of nervousness threaded through their bond, and Nero tightened his hand around Eden's. Though he rarely had occasion for deep, soul-crushing fear, he felt it whisper within him.

"And you'll be here with me?" Eden asked. "You and Nero and Aidan?"

"We won't leave you, Eden," Nero promised, pressing a kiss into her knuckles. "We'll stay right by your side through it all."

The others nodded and formed an unbroken circle of support around his mate. At his call, Luna appeared beside them and dipped her chin in greeting.

"Now or never, right?" Then, a bit more quietly, Eden added, "If something we fear happens, Nina, can you please look after Nero? I'm worried he'll hurt himself."

Nero was aghast at the insinuation, but knew her fear held merit.

"You have my word, Eden."

Nina's attention was focused on him. Staunch determination flooded the air between them. The other Raeth sovereign had a tenacity unseen in the modern world, and he knew without a doubt that she'd fight for him to stay among the living to the bitter end.

It was a battle his oldest friend would lose. Without Eden, Nero would not continue breathing.

"Are you ready?"

A nervous chuckle escaped his mate. "How painful is it when you bite me?"

"There will be no pain, I promise." Nina grinned. "Fortunately, I can control the pain or pleasure associated with my bite. Our saliva also has healing properties, which makes for very reliable plausible deniability, and ensures the bite mark disappears almost instantly."

Nina hummed with affection. "We'll have to compare notes on Gothic fiction once you're out of the woods, Eden. It's a favorite pastime of mine to see what the human literature got right and what fantasies they indulged in."

"Absolutely," Eden gushed, looking at them with gratitude. "Thank you all for doing this for me—I can't express how much I appreciate all of you."

"Whatever happens, Eden," Nero promised, "I'm with you."

"I'm ready."

Unlike in the stories Eden loved, Nina didn't bite her neck. When she asked, his mate extended her wrist and Nina's barely visible fangs gently pierced her flesh.

His panther suddenly surfaced, outraged at the sight. Nero hissed his displeasure, earning him a startled look from Eden.

Calm yourself, Nero . I'm not hurting her.

Nina telepathic message cut through the sudden red haze in Nero's vision. The woman was unflappable, even in the face of his panther's hysterics. Swallowing the unexpected reaction, he pushed his cat back from the surface.

Soon, his friend was retreating from Eden's wrist, gently folding her tongue across the two pinpricks of blood left behind. As soon as she sat back, there was no trace of the bite, and his panther was instantly relieved.

Nina manifested a dagger into her right hand and split the flesh of her left, blood welling rapidly in the wound.

"Drink, Eden."

Hesitant at first, his mate leaned forward, gently lapping at the dark puddle. The tentative lick soon became a zealous pull, a sign that Eden was giving herself over to the process. The change had been triggered in her blood.

Nina had moved to position herself by Eden's side. The vampire supported the feeding with her free hand, eyes intently focused on the human attached to her vein.

"Open yourself to the transition, Eden. Don't fight any of the sensations, no matter how alien. Feel it take shape in your blood. Being calm and centered is your best ally."

Gently, Nina pulled Eden's curtain of hair backward and studied her features. Nero's senses sharpened, trying to discover what Nina had felt.

Soon, the signs became obvious to all. Eden's heart rate had accelerated, drumming as though she'd just finished a marathon. A sheen of perspiration glistened over her skin and her breathing became increasingly erratic.

The dual natures present inside her were competing for dominance. It was a fight that no one had undertaken before, and Eden was breaking under its strain.

"What's happening to her?"

"Her body is rejecting the change to vampirism because she's already primed for the wolf." A dogged shake of her head. "Luna?"

Within moments, the healer was crouched next to Eden. Concentrating, a pulse of power abraded the air around them.

"A war within her cells." The healer's eyes were closed, and she spoke in a bare whisper. "The wolf's resisting the transition, sovereign, and her body is paying the price."

Aidan moved forward, gently placing a hand on Eden's shoulder. An alpha werewolf looked out of his eyes, attempting to guide Eden's she-wolf peacefully to the light—even when he had very little light left himself.

It was plain to see that the turmoil within Aidan was immense. After what had happened earlier in the kennels, his soul was drained and bleak. Being here cost him a part of himself he could barely spare. The alpha had been forced into delivering death onto the rabid wolves, and now, he had to coax another of his people to the same fate.

Beside them, Nina asked, "Can you assume control of the change, Luna? Can you usher her toward the blood?"

"I am attempting it."

Nero was unable to sit still. He paced the length of the living room as they worked, closing down his bonds to his clansmen when he felt terror take him under.

His mate was still bent over Nina's wrist as the vampire grew more and more pale. Neither Nina nor Luna moved away from her side.

Luna's pulse of power prickled through their clan bonds, and Nero forcibly heaved more psychic energy through to the healer as she continued her efforts on his mate.

It was twenty minutes later that Nina spoke, her voice so lethargic, it was softer than a whisper, "Can you still feel her wolf, Aidan?"

For a long moment, Aidan didn't respond. When he finally looked up from where he'd been focused on Eden, his cheeks were wet, defeat and despondency heavy on his features. He'd come undone.

The depth of Aidan's despair hit Nero hard. He flinched from the onslaught of the alpha's emotion through his abilities, and reeled from his friend's pain.

"No, her wolf has faded from the surface—but I can't be certain she's entirely gone. Her wolf was already quiet to begin with. An omega."

"What does that mean?"

"A wolf who is generally submissive," Aidan explained, "but contrary to popular thought, one of the few who could've fully resisted an alpha if need be. They're rare. Generally less prone to violent outbursts or dominance battles, and capable of calming even the most violent or troubled of our kind. Her gift would have mirrored yours in many ways, Nero."

No one spoke as Aidan closed his eyes and retreated back into himself. Nina pulled her brother into a one-armed hug, giving him the closeness he needed as he struggled with the loss of yet another wolf.

As that part of his mate slipped away, Nero's panther roamed closer to the surface, desperate to ease Eden's burden. Cognizant of Aidan's battle, but needing an update, he dared to breach the silence "Is the vampire rising?"

Luna met his gaze. "The war within her has concluded; we've coaxed her cells to accept the blood and they've begun transitioning properly."

"Time will tell," Nina said softly, "but I can feel the siring bond fitting into place now. We need to continue to watch her closely."

Once convinced Eden had taken enough blood to sustain herself, Nina gently coaxed her off the vein and into Nero's waiting arms. Like so many of her kin, she'd given herself over to sleep.

"We shouldn't rouse her," came Luna's warning. "I didn't interfere with any of the pain associated with the transformation, in case I dulled nerve pathways she needed for the process. I'd prefer she stay asleep through as much of it as possible."

So they waited. For hours, they lent her their strength, and ensured that Nero's mate survived the transition to immortality.

They kept vigil as her heart ceased its frenzied attempts to resist, and her body caught up to the changes taking place within her.

Then, with very little fanfare, Eden's signature shifted from registering as human, to that of an immortal.

Vampire .