As my thoughts ran rapidly with that paralyzing fear, I felt something warm grasp my hand. Pulled halfway from those thoughts, I looked down to find Mel’s hand over mine. My eyes raised to meet hers. Her sympathetic gaze let me know that my fear was written all over my face. I never got to experience this warmth from someone before.
It was nice.
She squeezed my hand gently. “He won’t hurt you. Any of you.”
I snorted at her empty promise. What would she do against a vampire? Against him? She held my gaze in hers. Those stormy eyes were filled with a fierce determination that let me know that even if she couldn’t defeat Lucien, she would not go down without a fight. She would fight for us. Practically strangers and yet she would risk her life for a promise—for us.
“Why?”
“We’re friends, remember?” Mel quipped before standing up straighter. “Friends protect each other. So, Ipromise he will not hurt any of you as long as I’m around. I’ve never broken a promise and I don’t plan to start.”
I knew that she didn’t stand a chance against my brother, but her promise made the threat of his arrival lessen. Ambrose’s presence ruined the moment we shared with his normal bored tone directed towards Mel with a hint of iciness that he mastered through imitating Lucien.
“You are but a mere mortal, Melinda Hardgrave. Lucien could have your heart removed from your chest before you let out a breath. He’s fierce, cunning, calculating and above all else he is the most powerful member of our coven. Do you still intend to keep your promise knowing all of that?” Ambrose fired in her direction.
He wasn’t wrong but the venomous tone he used was unnecessary against someone that was not an enemy. Unfazed by his tone, Mel walked over to Ambrose with no waver in her movements as she confidently strutted over to him.
“Your words will do nothing to deter me. Lucien may be powerful in your world, but this is my world. Here in the mundane world we have a thing called “home turf advantage”. He is out of his element while I am in mine,” Mel said. She drove her point in further and further with each step she took. “I’ve killed pigs, rabbits, squirrels, chickens and deer. I’ve even skinned and cooked them. I’m not as weak as you think I am. Nor do I cower at the sight of blood or death.”
Erie let out a breath as her eyes held a newfound respect for the human before us. My gaze echoed hers and when I looked towards Ambrose, he held the same. Melinda had officially gained the mutual respect of all of us, even if it was purely out of sympathy for the moronic hole she had dug for herself. She would definitely be a match for Lucien, but not if it came to a fight. His strength and speed far surpassed hers. Although, hedefinitely would have to work hard if he wanted to wear down her conviction.
“Very well. I cannot help you, but I support you.”
She wrapped him in a hug, taking us all by surprise. Ambrose stood there rigid with his gold eyes wide. Mel hugged him harder after a couple beats passed. “If you don’t hug back I will only squeeze harder.” With a roll of his eyes, he wrapped his arms around her.
“Humans are strange," he muttered, but for the first time in a while, his voice held no malice. It seemed almost as if he was genuinely touched by her actions.
“I think this human is growing on you,” she replied before pulling away and turning to face Erie. “Erie, where did you and Lucien part ways?”
“Um, I think we were at the town line near a fishing spot and some giant tree that looked like a sycamore from my science books," Erie answered with her nose scrunched in concentration as she recalled the location. Mel nodded before looking at me. Seeing her intentions through her gaze, I sped in front of her. My hands gripped her arms, trying to drive the point home that she can’t do this now.
“Isa, it will just be a conversation. Besides, I doubt vampires are immune to this,” she spoke before pulling out a device from her pocket. “I never run without having some form of protection. Especially because I run mostly while it’s dark.”
The device crackled with electricity while a cruel smile turned her lips. Something about this device made her happy and it was slightly startling for me.
“What is that?”
“A taser.”
Ambrose snatched it from her hands, turning it over to analyze it. “It’s so small. I doubt it can do much against one of us.” To prove his point, he touched the end to his arm beforepressing the button Mel had to initiate the electrical current. His body began convulsing as his hand remained stuck in its position with the taser before he fell to the ground, unconscious. Erie gasped, running to her twin. Looking at the device, she took it and delivered a few more quick shocks to her brother. Each time earned a new twitch and groan of pain from the unconscious vampire.
“I love this. I need one of these when Ambrose gets on my nerves," she giggled with glee before shocking her brother a fifth time. “Can I have this one?”
“I have more at home, but let me take this one and I will bring one next time. ”
Erie handed the device back with a pout. “You’re a lot smarter than the humans in Shadowhaven. Granted, they are mostly donors or indentured servants.”
“Donors? Like blood donors?”
Erie nodded before sitting on her brother with a yawn. “Yeah, they get paid really good money to offer themselves to our vampiric diet. Purebloods like ourselves can eat normal food, but occasionally we need to consume human blood to keep our strength as well as fuel the magic we possess. The Unseelies Lucien loves use them for pleasure, chaos or whatever will satiate their demented diet. At least, that’s what he says.”
“Sounds like a real winner," Mel muttered under her breath. The two of us laughed as we echoed her thoughts. Lucien was not a crown jewel, but he was powerful enough that no one kept him in check. As I eyed Mel, I wondered what life might be like for us if she was able to keep him in check. Unfortunately, she was mundane and Lucien would hardly allow donors to speak to him so there was no way of finding out.
“What do you plan to do? I mean, are you just going to shock him?”
Mel did a tricky flip with the taser, slipping it into her pocket before joking, “If he doesn’t see reason then I will make him see stars.”
“Be careful. Call us and we can be there in seconds.”
