The sincerity in his tone was so thick it was almost tangible. Alice felt emotion welling up inside of her. How long had it been since someone had taken time to care for her?
“I have no hidden agenda,” he told her. “In my long, long life, nothing has ever felt as right as you do. Here. With me.”
Alice had no idea how to respond. She was confused and traumatized from the attack. She didn’t know if she should even trust her mind or her instincts.
“Just let me take care of you,” he said earnestly. “Let me keep you safe.”
Alice simply nodded because it had been a long time since anyone had cared enough about her to even wonder if she was safe.
When she was finally strong enough to take in a small amount of nourishment, her body’s needs came back full force. To her utter embarrassment, Cain even had to help her to the bathroom.So long, dignity.
Alice gripped the edges of the sink, unable to tear her gaze from the stranger staring back at her from the mirror. In the harsh bathroom light, she saw the sunken eyes ringed with shadows, the pallid skin, and the hideous wound marring her neck. It was as if all her previous vibrancy, her very life force, had been sucked out of her in an instant. She supposed, in a way, that’s exactly what had happened. When Claude sank his fangs into her flesh, he hadn’t just taken her blood. He’d taken something much deeper and more vital. Her spirit. Her humanity. Yet Alice didn’t crave blood, at least notyet.Cain assured her she was still human, but that she was also becoming “more.”
“Jeez.” She blew out a breath. Her mind was on repeat, a broken record stuck on the same word:more. Alice had just found out she was some kind of special supernatural healer. Now, she’d been given vampire blood. Did that mean she was going to eventually be a … hybrid-healer-vampire? So that would make her… What? A hampire, a vamhealer? A blood-craving monster that lived only to feed on others while at the same time healing their wounds as she created them? Alice shuddered, squeezing her eyes shut against the swirling darkness of her thoughts. “Quit being dramatic, Alice,” she muttered to herself as she turned on the water and splashed the cold liquid on her face.
She grabbed a towel and patted her skin dry with a groan. Alice smoothed her hair down over the mark, attempting to hide it from view. What Cain said might be true—she was still herself. But therewassomething different, somethingother, inside her. She just couldn’t put her finger on what.
A light knock sounded on the door. “Alice? Are you all right?” Cain’s voice carried through the barrier, and she could hear worry in his tone.
“I’m fine. Just give me a few more minutes.” Or a decade might be better. She had a feeling these were not the types of emotions that were worked through quickly. How did one go back to a normal life after everything she’d learned and experienced? Was it even possible? Did she really want to? Alice shook her head and took a deep breath before blowing it out slowly. Turning away from the mirror, from the ghostly waif reflected there, Alice made herself focus on the simple act of bathing. She scrubbed at her skin as if she could shed this wrongness along with the grime. It was no use. When she finally emerged wrapped in a towel, the desolation clinging to her spirit remained.
Cain’s eyes were heavy with understanding. Wordlessly, he folded her into his embrace, enveloping her in his strength. She sagged against him, soaking up that solid warmth, grateful he didn’t force her to speak when words had deserted her. Alice was tired of being strong on her own. She’d been alone for far too long. Her father was an ass who only thought of himself. Her mother hadn’t been able to stomach being married to an ass, and she hadn’t bothered to take her daughter with her into her new life.
In Cain’s arms, Alice could almost forget the gaping sense of loss inside—the feeling that some vital piece had been cleaved away, stolen by Claude’s vicious attack. Here there was only calm, only the reassurance of Cain’s presence. Not to mention, being with him took her mind off the strange sensations that were beginning to wage a battle inside her body.
As his hold tightened, she knew she couldn’t stay cocooned here forever. There were still problems to be faced. But for a moment, she let the rest of the world fade away as she found solace in his embrace.
“If I could take away your pain, I would in a heartbeat,” he said softly. “I would undo everything that happened.” He paused, and she could feel there was more he wanted to say so she waited. “I’m worried you will fear me simply because I’m a vampire, like Claude. The idea of you being afraid of me is abhorrent.”
Alice pulled back so she could look at his face. She traced the contours with a finger, the high cheek bones and strong jaw. When she got to his lips he closed them, as if hiding his fangs from her. “Show me. Please.”
Slowly, he parted his lips and let her see the sharp teeth. Feeling brave, or simply out of her mind, Alice pressed her thumb gently against one of the incisors. She pushed thoughts of Claude away and thought only of Cain andhistreatment of her. Alice pulled her hand away and then looked him in the eyes. “I’m not afraid of you. And I don’t think I could saythatto any other vampire.”
The week passed and Alice continued to heal physically, but emotionally she felt as fragile as a baby bird. And the feeling pissed her off. Timidity was not a character trait with which she was familiar. And yet she constantly looked over her shoulder, wondering if Claude was going to jump out and yell “Boo” at her.
“You can’t stayin this room forever, no matter how much I like seeing you in my bed,” Cain told her on Friday.Wait. Was it Friday?She shrugged because what did it really matter? “You won’t get stronger if you just lay in bed.”
“I don’t just lay in bed,” she said lifting her chin. “I walk to that chair.” She pointed to the piece of furniture. “And sit. Then I stand and walk to the bathroom and then back to the bed. See? I’m getting plenty of exercise.”
“Cute,” he said dryly. “But that’s not enough. Come join me in the lab. I miss having your sharp tongue to put Willis in his place.” His crooked grin teased her.
“You don’t need my help putting Willis in his place. All you must do is look at him sideways, and he scurries like a mouse.”
Cain walked over to the bed where she sat on the edge. He wrapped both hands around her biceps and pulled her to her feet as if she weighed nothing. Then he cupped her face and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. “You’re stronger than this,” he said firmly. “Don’t let Claude, or any vampire, make you a captive of your own fear.”
She took a deep breath as his words reverberated in her head. Alice had always prided herself on how strong she was. She valued her independence. Was she really going to let Claude take that from her? Finally, she nodded. “Okay.”
His broad smile was beautiful, as if she’d just handed him the most amazing gift. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then took one of her hands, pulling her toward the closet. “Put on some real clothes. Those pajamas might disintegrate because you’ve worn them for so long.”
“They’re the softest ones.” Alice knew he was right. She’d not bothered to change for who knew how many days.
“When you’re done, give them to me so I can burn… err… I mean, wash them.”
“Ha. Ha,” she deadpanned. She closed the closet door in his face and then began the task of picking out something comfortable to wear.
As she venturedout of Cain’s room, reacquainting herself with the facility, people watched her with a curiosity that made her want to hiss at them like an irritated cat. Thankfully, most of the other workers at the facility gave her space, except for Willis. The other scientist had a death wish, or at least that’s what Alice had decided based on his continued annoying behavior.
“How are you feeling now?” he asked for the fifth time in thirty minutes. His constant questions were ceaseless. “Is your mouth dry? Does the idea of human food disgust you? Do your teeth feel sharper? Are you having any …urges?”
