my neck was broken. I
rolled down the hill, hit my head several times on the roof, and
landed in the icy water. Vaguely, I could feel someone in my head
watching. My last thought before I passed out was, “Don’t worry,
StaciDoll. I’m coming for you.”
I woke up in the hospital. Voices whispered
softly so as not to disturb me. My first instinct was to make sure
I had movement in all of my limbs. I tested my toes and found that
they wiggled. I moved my legs and gasped. It hurt, but not much
different from the hurt of an overused muscle. I was sure I had
bruises and scrapes, but no broken bones there.
“You’re awake,” my aunt said. “You don’t
have any broken bones, thank God.” She turned away and came back
with a mirror, and I knew it wasn’t pretty. “We can wait to do this
if you want. I just thought... I thought you’d want to see.”
I reached for the mirror and whimpered as I
snatched it from her and held it up to my face. I didn’t give
myself a chance to back down. It took a moment for the image to
make sense. There were white bandages around my neck covering the
finger gouges and I worked my way up, noting a split on my chin
where I must have hit it on the steering wheel. The right side of
my face was purple and my eye swollen, but not shut completely. My
hair was bloody from a gash across my forehead that was butterflied
shut. I was hideous, but not disfigured. I let out a sigh of relief
and settled back against the pillows.
“Staci?” Pierce’s soft voice brought a faint
smile to my lips, but it hurt too much to smile. His beautiful eyes
shone with worry.
“You’re here.”
“Of course I’m here, love. Nothing could
keep me away. You know that.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” Pierce rested his
head on the bed for a moment. When he looked back up at me, there
was a look of fear on his face like I’d never seen before. “I saw
you,” he whispered.
My eyes widened. “What did you see?”
“Two men fighting in the middle of the road.
One threw your car in the quarry lake.”
I didn’t know what to say so I asked, “How
did I get here?”
Pierce smiled like I should have already
known the answer. “I called 911.”
“Hold my hand.”
“Of course.” His touch made me feel safe and
I drifted back to sleep.
Someone was speaking French as I came out of
the stupor of the pain medication. Roman sat beside the bed, an old
book propped against his crossed legs. He closed the book he was
reading and smiled.
“LeKrista.”
I turned my head and smiled back the best I
could.
“I am so sorry,” he began. “I underestimated
his strength and ability. I failed to protect you as I should
have.”
“You should have told me who he was when I
asked.”
“I should have protected you better.” He
came to stand beside me. His furrowed brow matched the pain I saw
in his eyes and he took my hand. “Please, I cannot change what has
happened, but I can take some of your pain. Please.”
“Fine,” I told him, “but you owe me some
answers.”
“Ask me anything. I will answer.”
“What are you?” I asked.
“LeKrista.” He sounded like he was going to
chastise me. “What I am... I fear I will lose you when you find
out.” He shook his head and sighed. “LeKrista, I’m a vampire.”
I shook my head vigorously so the pain would
keep me from going into shock. “There’s no way,” I whispered.
“Vampires don’t exist.”
“On the contrary, my dear. We are very much
in existence. We just prefer to keep it a secret.”
I knew my face was a mask of disbelief that
I didn’t try to hide from him.
“Give me your hand.”
I offered it without thinking and he lifted
one finger to his parted lips. They were soft and warm and there
was something so sensual about the act. My finger slid over his
lips into his mouth, across his teeth until I felt the point of one
very sharp canine. My eyes widened in surprise and I gasped when it
pricked me. I jumped
rolled down the hill, hit my head several times on the roof, and
landed in the icy water. Vaguely, I could feel someone in my head
watching. My last thought before I passed out was, “Don’t worry,
StaciDoll. I’m coming for you.”
I woke up in the hospital. Voices whispered
softly so as not to disturb me. My first instinct was to make sure
I had movement in all of my limbs. I tested my toes and found that
they wiggled. I moved my legs and gasped. It hurt, but not much
different from the hurt of an overused muscle. I was sure I had
bruises and scrapes, but no broken bones there.
“You’re awake,” my aunt said. “You don’t
have any broken bones, thank God.” She turned away and came back
with a mirror, and I knew it wasn’t pretty. “We can wait to do this
if you want. I just thought... I thought you’d want to see.”
I reached for the mirror and whimpered as I
snatched it from her and held it up to my face. I didn’t give
myself a chance to back down. It took a moment for the image to
make sense. There were white bandages around my neck covering the
finger gouges and I worked my way up, noting a split on my chin
where I must have hit it on the steering wheel. The right side of
my face was purple and my eye swollen, but not shut completely. My
hair was bloody from a gash across my forehead that was butterflied
shut. I was hideous, but not disfigured. I let out a sigh of relief
and settled back against the pillows.
“Staci?” Pierce’s soft voice brought a faint
smile to my lips, but it hurt too much to smile. His beautiful eyes
shone with worry.
“You’re here.”
“Of course I’m here, love. Nothing could
keep me away. You know that.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.” Pierce rested his
head on the bed for a moment. When he looked back up at me, there
was a look of fear on his face like I’d never seen before. “I saw
you,” he whispered.
My eyes widened. “What did you see?”
“Two men fighting in the middle of the road.
One threw your car in the quarry lake.”
I didn’t know what to say so I asked, “How
did I get here?”
Pierce smiled like I should have already
known the answer. “I called 911.”
“Hold my hand.”
“Of course.” His touch made me feel safe and
I drifted back to sleep.
Someone was speaking French as I came out of
the stupor of the pain medication. Roman sat beside the bed, an old
book propped against his crossed legs. He closed the book he was
reading and smiled.
“LeKrista.”
I turned my head and smiled back the best I
could.
“I am so sorry,” he began. “I underestimated
his strength and ability. I failed to protect you as I should
have.”
“You should have told me who he was when I
asked.”
“I should have protected you better.” He
came to stand beside me. His furrowed brow matched the pain I saw
in his eyes and he took my hand. “Please, I cannot change what has
happened, but I can take some of your pain. Please.”
“Fine,” I told him, “but you owe me some
answers.”
“Ask me anything. I will answer.”
“What are you?” I asked.
“LeKrista.” He sounded like he was going to
chastise me. “What I am... I fear I will lose you when you find
out.” He shook his head and sighed. “LeKrista, I’m a vampire.”
I shook my head vigorously so the pain would
keep me from going into shock. “There’s no way,” I whispered.
“Vampires don’t exist.”
“On the contrary, my dear. We are very much
in existence. We just prefer to keep it a secret.”
I knew my face was a mask of disbelief that
I didn’t try to hide from him.
“Give me your hand.”
I offered it without thinking and he lifted
one finger to his parted lips. They were soft and warm and there
was something so sensual about the act. My finger slid over his
lips into his mouth, across his teeth until I felt the point of one
very sharp canine. My eyes widened in surprise and I gasped when it
pricked me. I jumped
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