“I’m Marlon, and this is my mate, Blake,” Marlon said.
“Bonded,” he murmured, and Marlon nodded. “I’ll help you.”
“It’s not necessary,” Marlon said and wiped his mouth before standing and moving closer to me.
“There are more dangers in this world than the world you left behind,” Elias said.
“What of the world you’re from?” Marlon said.
“Yes, vampires are always more willing to fight than listen,” Elias said and glanced at me. “I’ll tell you my story, but right now we need to go if you want to find the vampire you’re hunting and avoid burning up.”
Marlon didn’t look convinced, but something told me we could trust Elias. I took Marlon’s hand and squeezed it, making him look at me. “Not all vampires want to destroy us,” I said and hoped like hell it was true.
Twenty-Two
Marlon
After we’d finished feeding, we led the small vampire back to Blake’s truck. He was small, but I knew not to trust any vampires. Our strength had nothing to do with size, and he’d already proven he could overpower me. It had to do with age, and looking at this wee one, I felt the power radiate off him. “Don’t worry so much. If I’d wanted to destroy you, you’d be lying in the forest missing your head,” he said and pulled his lips back from his teeth.
“No vampire can be trusted. Including me,” I finally said.
“You’re right, but I’m willing to help you. And since you’ve been buried the past century, and your mate is a newborn, I’d say I’m your best chance at finding the vampire you’re searching for.”
“Josiah,” I said.
“That does not matter. Can you feel his blood?”
“Yes, he’s moving away from us to the north but he’s not so far that I cannot sense him.” It was strange. When other vampires had spoken about the bond with their mate, most of them savored the fact they could feel the connection that was sealed with their blood, but I had not been responsible for changing Josiah, and I did not want to be connected to him in any way. “Is there a way to break the connection?”
The little vampire stared at me for far too long. It would be so easy to believe he was nothing more than an innocent child.
“Your mate does not trust me,” he said to Blake.
“I’ll trust no vampire again,” I said and showed my teeth.
“Marlon, if he can help us, we should let him,” Blake said, making the wee one grin.
“You should listen to this one. He’s smart,” he said with a grin full of innocence and childhood mischief. I knew it was all a lie. “The connection will end when he no longer exists.”
I savored that moment so much a growl escaped me just at the thought.
“Elias, Marlon’s my mate, and I won’t tolerate you trying to get him to fight,” Blake said, and stood between the two of us.
“We should go. If your vampire has enough of a head start, he could make it to Canada before we leave Oregon,” Elias said as the three of us stood beside the truck. “If youreallywant to catch him, we can.”
“I will catch him.” I said.
“To destroy him,” Elias said. “It means nothing to me. He’s one more vampire who will end up exposing us all by living the life of an animal rather than finding a way that doesn’t.”
Blake opened the door to the truck, and the three of us climbed inside with the little vampire between the two of us. I ignored the fact that he was closer to my mate than me. His discomfort at being in a confined area with two vampires hung thick in the air. Blake started the truck and drove back to the main road. “So, what’s your story, Elias?” Blake asked.
“I’ll tell you, but first a question. When were you created?” he asked me.
“Long ago.”
“How long ago?”
“Sometime in the year 1300,” I answered without looking at him. “Why does it matter?”
