herself with something else.
Sebastian knew he looked strange—out here in the middle of nowhere, with no vehicle to have brought him here and miles of forests and mountains surrounding him. Plus, his smart clothes and lack of thermal clothing didn’t help. He was bound to attract attention.
He lifted the phone receiver, added some change from his jacket pocket and punched in his old home number, the digits remembered by heart.
The ring of the phone came down the line.
“Sebastian?”
She answered with his name, a frantic tone beneath her voice. Instantly, his hackles rose, knowing something was wrong.
“Serenity, what’s happened?”
She broke down on the phone. “Oh, God, Sebastian. I’ve been waiting for you to call. Elizabeth got her period this morning and then attacked her friends.”
“What do you mean, ‘attacked her friends’?”
Her voice came out as a whisper. “She bit one of them.”
“What?” He couldn’t help the shock ratcheting through him. No, surely not his sweet little girl?
“She drank the girl’s blood and then threw it back up. She’s been up in her room since we got back and she’s really upset about what she did. But she’s changing. I can feel it.”
He’d feared this might happen someday, but had been hoping and praying Elizabeth would stay just as she was. How was she going to cope with being like him? He’d never wanted that for her.
“You don’t have to—”
“Hey, buddy. I need the phone.”
Sebastian looked over his shoulder to see a burly man in a thick lambskin jacket standing too close. The trucker. Sebastian narrowed his eyes and shook his head, indicating the phone was in use.
The man took a step closer, a scowl on his weather-beaten features, a reddened, bulbous nose poking from a heavily bearded face. The gap was only a matter of feet now.
“I’m busy,” Sebastian said, regarding the man coolly before turning his back on him once more.
“Sebastian?” Serenity’s worried voice came down the line, obviously wondering what was happening. He opened his mouth to tell her everything was all right when the man spoke over the top of him again, too loud, as though wanting the other men in the room to hear him, trying to prove something, though Sebastian couldn’t imagine what.
“You think you out-of-towners can come up here and treat this place like your own—”
Sebastian’s patience snapped. He spun around, curled his lip and hissed, flashing his fangs at the guy. The man stumbled back, almost falling over a chair. He turned his head, his eyes locked on Sebastian’s face as he staggered to get away.
“Ralph?” one of the other guys sitting at the counter called out as the man ran from the building, his face pale, and climbed back into his truck.
Sebastian took a perverse delight in watching the man’s fear and then turned his attention back to the phone. “I’m sorry, Serenity. Some people have clearly forgotten their manners.”
“Is everything all right?”
“The only concern I have right now is for Elizabeth.”
“We need you, Sebastian. Elizabeth needs you. I don’t know how to handle this. I need you to come home.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll come right away.”
“Are you far?”
“I’m in Canada. I’ll be with you long before daybreak.”
“Oh, thank God.” He sensed her relief down the line. Hearing her emotion in her voice gave him a sense of purpose. His family still needed him.
“And, Sebastian, this may sound stupid, but be careful. An awful storm seems to be heading this way.”
His lips quirked in a smile. Even after all this time, with everything that had happened and was happening, she still worried about him.
“A bit of bad weather won’t keep me away. I’m coming to you, Serenity,” he said. “I’m coming home.”
Chapter Six
Serenity replaced the receiver only to turn and collide with a wall of cold, hard muscle. Not thinking,
Sebastian knew he looked strange—out here in the middle of nowhere, with no vehicle to have brought him here and miles of forests and mountains surrounding him. Plus, his smart clothes and lack of thermal clothing didn’t help. He was bound to attract attention.
He lifted the phone receiver, added some change from his jacket pocket and punched in his old home number, the digits remembered by heart.
The ring of the phone came down the line.
“Sebastian?”
She answered with his name, a frantic tone beneath her voice. Instantly, his hackles rose, knowing something was wrong.
“Serenity, what’s happened?”
She broke down on the phone. “Oh, God, Sebastian. I’ve been waiting for you to call. Elizabeth got her period this morning and then attacked her friends.”
“What do you mean, ‘attacked her friends’?”
Her voice came out as a whisper. “She bit one of them.”
“What?” He couldn’t help the shock ratcheting through him. No, surely not his sweet little girl?
“She drank the girl’s blood and then threw it back up. She’s been up in her room since we got back and she’s really upset about what she did. But she’s changing. I can feel it.”
He’d feared this might happen someday, but had been hoping and praying Elizabeth would stay just as she was. How was she going to cope with being like him? He’d never wanted that for her.
“You don’t have to—”
“Hey, buddy. I need the phone.”
Sebastian looked over his shoulder to see a burly man in a thick lambskin jacket standing too close. The trucker. Sebastian narrowed his eyes and shook his head, indicating the phone was in use.
The man took a step closer, a scowl on his weather-beaten features, a reddened, bulbous nose poking from a heavily bearded face. The gap was only a matter of feet now.
“I’m busy,” Sebastian said, regarding the man coolly before turning his back on him once more.
“Sebastian?” Serenity’s worried voice came down the line, obviously wondering what was happening. He opened his mouth to tell her everything was all right when the man spoke over the top of him again, too loud, as though wanting the other men in the room to hear him, trying to prove something, though Sebastian couldn’t imagine what.
“You think you out-of-towners can come up here and treat this place like your own—”
Sebastian’s patience snapped. He spun around, curled his lip and hissed, flashing his fangs at the guy. The man stumbled back, almost falling over a chair. He turned his head, his eyes locked on Sebastian’s face as he staggered to get away.
“Ralph?” one of the other guys sitting at the counter called out as the man ran from the building, his face pale, and climbed back into his truck.
Sebastian took a perverse delight in watching the man’s fear and then turned his attention back to the phone. “I’m sorry, Serenity. Some people have clearly forgotten their manners.”
“Is everything all right?”
“The only concern I have right now is for Elizabeth.”
“We need you, Sebastian. Elizabeth needs you. I don’t know how to handle this. I need you to come home.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll come right away.”
“Are you far?”
“I’m in Canada. I’ll be with you long before daybreak.”
“Oh, thank God.” He sensed her relief down the line. Hearing her emotion in her voice gave him a sense of purpose. His family still needed him.
“And, Sebastian, this may sound stupid, but be careful. An awful storm seems to be heading this way.”
His lips quirked in a smile. Even after all this time, with everything that had happened and was happening, she still worried about him.
“A bit of bad weather won’t keep me away. I’m coming to you, Serenity,” he said. “I’m coming home.”
Chapter Six
Serenity replaced the receiver only to turn and collide with a wall of cold, hard muscle. Not thinking,
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