I—I see nothing, Elijah stated. I don’t know what you should do anymore. And I don’t like it. I don’t like this.
Still Aden forged ahead. “I was right,” he said gently. “You were protecting me, weren’t you?” No reply.
Could they understand him?
“Why would you do such a thing?”
The one in front tucked those deadly wings away and crouched down, placing his face inches from Aden’s. Moist breaths sawed in and out of huge black nostrils. That dripping mouth, with those protruding teeth, nudged Aden’s arm.
For a moment, fear petrified him. Then he realized there were no new injuries on him, no new stings. Then realization set in. “You want me to pet you, don’t you, boy?”
Again, no reply, but Aden reached out. Even though he was almost positive he was right, his hand shook. He flattened his palm behind the beast’s ear and rubbed. Rather than a snapping of teeth, a wound, a torrent of pain and the loss of a limb, he received a purr of approval from the beast.
The others clomped closer to him, claws scraping against the floor as they settled at Aden’s feet, seeking his touch.
“I don’t understand this,” he whispered.
Me, either. Julian, dumbfounded.
But, dude. We rock! Guess who? Caleb, a strutting peacock.
I never saw this coming. Elijah, awed.
Why did the creatures like him? Why had they protected him from the very people they lived inside? It made no sense.
All he could think was that they must like the pull of him, the strange vibration he emitted, drawing the vampire, witches, fairies and goblins to Crossroads. Those creatures hated the pull, though. That’s why the witches had called their meeting. To decide what to do with him. That’s why Thomas and then Brendal had come to the ranch: to save themselves and “their” humans from his evil.
“Aden?” Victoria’s voice was soft, gentle as she attempted to return to his side.
Several of the beasts hissed and snapped at her.
“No,” Aden told them, stopping his petting. “She’s a friend.” He didn’t know what he expected the admonishment to do, but what he got was pitiful mewling. His arm was even nudged, a demand for more pets.
He gave them, even as he said, “Victoria, approach us slowly.” He couldn’t allow these beasts to threaten or hurt her in any way. Ever.
He could hear the soft fall of her footsteps. Again the creatures hissed and snapped. Their bodies stiffened, scales rising, almost like armor being engaged, preparing for attack.
“Stop,” Aden told her and the beasts.
The footsteps ceased. The beasts calmed.
“Another step.”
She obeyed, and more of those hisses erupted.
“Stop.”
Again, she obeyed. Again, the beasts calmed. He sighed. They would have to try again another time. These monsters just weren’t ready to accept anyone else, not that he could tell, and he wouldn’t be able to hold them back if they lunged for her.
“How do I get them back inside their vampires?” he asked, still petting.
“They’re solid now,” she told him, voice trembling. “They don’t have to go back.”
Ever? “Can they, though?”
“Yes, but I’ve only seen a return once. Usually the vampire hosts are dead by the time the beasts reach this point.”
“Are the councilmen…”
“No. They’re alive,” she said. “In pain, bones broken, but alive. They’ll heal.”
Aden peered into the eyes of the monster in front of him. “I need you to return to where you came from,” he said. He couldn’t have them running about, scaring people. Eating people.
That earned him a derisive snort.
They understood, he thought, taking heart. “I need you to return,” he repeated more firmly.
This time, he got a shake of the beast’s head.
“Please. I’m grateful for your help, but those men, they’re also helping me. I can’t visit this home without them. So if you don’t return to them, I have to leave, and I can never come back. If you do return, however, I can talk to them about their wards, about letting you come out and visit with me.”
He was taking a gamble. Did these creatures care about him? He didn’t know for sure. Did they want to spend more time with him? He didn’t know that for sure, either, but it was the only bargaining chip he had.
They stared at him for a long while, eyes narrowing, nostrils flaring, clearly angry, but at least they didn’t attack him. Finally, huffing and puffing, they rose, one after the other. Gradually their color faded and the scent of sulfur thinned. By that time, they were once again nothing more than outlines, like ghosts.
Astonishing. Those outlines floated to the writhing vampires and disappeared inside them as if sucked up by a Hoover. Aden watched everything through wide eyes. Amazing.
A commotion behind him had him turning. Victoria was rushing to him; when she reached him, she threw herself into his arms, the impact nearly flattening his lungs. As he struggled to breathe, he hugged her tight. The other vampires who had entered the chamber were chalk-white, muttering and peering at him with a strange mix of awe, horror and disbelief.
“How did you do that?” someone finally asked him.
I’m wondering the same thing myself, Elijah said.
“I’ve never seen anything like that…” another said.
“The beasts were tamed. Actually tamed!”
Beast Tamer. That should be our new nickname, Caleb said with a whoop.
A big, burly vampire with red hair stepped forward, head bowed. He even dropped to one knee. “I do not know if you were told of my challenge, Majesty, but I humbly withdraw it.”
A second vampire echoed his words and gestures, followed by a third, a fourth.
“Good. That’s good,” Aden replied, because he didn’t know what else to say. “Victoria and I are going to take off for a little bit. Okay?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Of course.”
“Please, enjoy yourself, Majesty.”
“Do whatever you’d like. This is your home.”
Though he was shaking, Aden twined his fingers with Victoria’s and allowed her to lead him out of the chamber and up the stairs toward her bedroom. There were now pink and green ribbons tied along the banister, he noted. Clearly people were taking his color mandate seriously. But with the council’s insistence that changes be limited to bedrooms and clothing, he wondered how long the ribbons would last.
Riley and Mary Ann were waiting for them upstairs. They sat on the edge of Victoria’s bed, silent, not looking at each other.
When he shut the door behind him, closing everyone inside, Victoria whirled on him, her eyes as wide as his probably were. “That was incredible. How did you do that?”
“Do what?” Riley asked, frowning.
Victoria told him, and the wolf paled, pushed to his feet and shook his head. “I should have been there. I’m sorry that I wasn’t, sorry you were attacked. I—”
“It’s no big deal,” Aden told him, trying not to waver on his feet. “I had things under control.” For the most part.
“Are you all right?” Mary Ann asked. “You look like you’ve been in a boxing ring. While playing with knives.”
For the first time, Victoria raked her gaze over him. She frowned. “She’s right. Your clothes are torn and your skin is eaten up with bites and you…you smell divine.” Her voice lowered, husky with desire. “Shall I give you some of my blood to heal you?”
“No, thank you.” He didn’t want to see the world through her eyes. Not that he minded. He actually liked it—when he wasn’t seeing through Dmitri’s eyes, too—but for the next couple of days, he needed to be in control of himself. “Were you able to get the tattooing equipment?”
She nodded, forcibly jerking her attention from him. Then she motioned to the vanity. There were tubes, vials and needles scattered along its surface.