Page 33 of Silent Stalker
“He didn’t protect you from those needles because if they hadn’t vaccinated you, he would have helped hold you down while Giovanni vaccinated you at home. We’re vampires. We can handle it. You’ll be sleepy and achy tomorrow, but the vaccinations will work immediately, so if you did contract something you were vaccinated for, the vaccine will make sure you don’t stay sick long. It’s one of the benefits of being a vampire. The government pays quite well for vampires to trial vaccinations, too. If a vaccination has certain side effects, it can be detected with magic, as our bodies will reject what would cause the problem. So, a single brood can test a vaccine for effectiveness and side effects. If the vampires reject the vaccine, we know it’s unsafe for regular people. If most vampires accept the vaccine, it’s generally safe but there may be some problems with some people in the population.” Ben cleared his throat. “Humanoids need to wear seatbelts, so you need to move long enough for her to get buckled in, Emerick.”
It amused me that Emerick immediately left my lap so I could put on my seatbelt before reclaiming his throne. “Having a paramedic handle it seems a lot nicer than being held down while being assaulted for resisting.”
“If it makes you feel better, most everyone here is going to be getting poked once we’re at the estate, as we had not come into contact with their blood but we did come in contact with you. It’s been a while since we’ve been vaccinated, so it’s for the best. We’ll bounce back faster than you will, though. We’re older. That said, all three of us will end up moping around the penthouse feeling sorry for ourselves while everyone else works. I might escape, as I was recently vaccinated, but we’ll see what Giovanni says.”
“And the others?” I pointed to the waiting vehicles containing the other members of our brood.
“They will feel sorry for themselves in the comfort of their own homes while a few others in the brood make sure nobody unwanted shows up. It’ll be fine, Pepper. We’re accounting for the possibility of traps. Honestly, I’m starting to think this is just the bastard unloading victims and trying to create problems for other vampires while doing it. There’s enough video footage proving the idiot who’d gotten killed had decided to approach them where they were dumped. The smart people called the police or vampires they knew while staying back.”
“This doesn’t match what you told me about bloodlust, though.”
“You know how people can benefit from adrenaline?” Ben asked.
“Yes, of course. The whole mother lifting the back end of a car to save her baby thing. I mean, I don’t know if a woman can actually do that even with adrenaline, but that’s the theory.”
“It only works if the body is still strong enough to perform the feat needed. Someone who has been cut in half is not going to be lifting a car, no matter how badly they want to. Their body has been too damaged. This is what has happened with these vampires. The one you donated blood to would have died within a few minutes without intervention. Your blood bought him enough time to get bottled blood in, and he’s going to be touch and go for a few days. He’s going to Leanne’s brood. One of her youngest is wired to protect and heal, so they’ll be an excellent match. She is very subservient in nature and hates having to take the lead, but she excels at being a nurse.” Ben checked to make certain I’d put on my seatbelt before pulling out of his spot and easing through the maze of parked vehicles in the cordoned area around Central Park. “Leanne is hoping that his defenseless state will rouse some of her bride’s aggression and protective nature. She’s worryingly docile, so that may work out for the best. What we don’t know is how many of these vampires are new turns. They could be like you, except because they’re male, they would have been much easier to raise.”
I shuddered at the thought of them being turned into a vampire the same way I had been. “They could have just been tossed into some corner while the maker waited to see what would happen, too.”
“Yes. That is a possibility. I question why he wouldn’t have done the same with the women, if it’s the same person. Then again, women do tend to take longer to turn. Men are biologically simpler, and it’s faster to determine if a male will turn. If a fledgling maker was turning vampires and judging women based on how men turn, they may have been abandoned before they had a chance to rise.”
“Why the shallow grave then?”
“Lazy,” Ben admitted.
The urge to pop Jeremy Breckenan in the mouth surged, but I quelled it, huffed, and dug my fingers into Emerick’s fur. “Why do I have a giant cat instead of a man, anyway?”
“I do believe your man is wanting to make it clear you are perfectly capable of handling matters without him offering unwanted advice. There were sufficient witnesses to show you dealing with the problem in a humane and ethical fashion while he admired your work. It’s for appearances. He’ll change back when we get to the penthouse, as he’ll need to deal with his vaccinations. After he’s vaccinated, you’ll both have Wagyu and sulk over the lack of preferred desserts, as there is no sharing of blood until a full day after vaccination.”
Damn it. “No snacks tomorrow?”
No good deed went unpunished.
“You will survive, and it’s good to make certain you can handle time without his blood. If you need a live donor, someone in the brood who hasn’t been vaccinated will handle it, although they’ll bitterly complain over needing to be vaccinated afterwards, I’m sure.”
“It’s just a night. I can handle it. This night’s almost over.” I wrinkled my nose and eyed my arm. “Am I going to heal properly without his delicious blood, though?”
“I think you’ll heal just fine.”
“Well, that’s a disappointment.”
Ben chuckled. “You’ll survive.”
“But will I? Will I, Ben?” I waved my injured arm. “Teach me not to use my arm as a tool of teeth control in the future, please.”
“Honestly, once you learn how to control another vampire with your blood, it’s a solid tactic for live captures. I was quite pleased to see you do that, because it means you don’t have an aversion to a little pain in a combat situation. We need to refine what you’re doing, but you did fine. Next time, you might even pull that off with no injuries to yourself, but you went in expecting one thing and got a completely different kind of opponent. But that’s often the most dangerous opponent to fight against. Expectations can be lethal.”
“In more ways than one,” I agreed.
“Don’t be hard on yourself. You’re learning, and this mess is proving to be a surprise to even the oldest of us. This goes far beyond what we allow when broods war against each other, and believe me when I say whoever is behind this will pay a steep price for their sins.”
Chaosin the form of a courier greeted us upon our return to the Lowrance estate. We delayed meeting with the man long enough to head to the penthouse to get cleaned up. While Ben distracted me by removing my bandage and checking on my arm, Emerick transformed back to human, joining in the bloody festivities.
“You’re going to need stitches,” Emerick announced, pointing at where I’d been used as a chew toy. “Wrap it up until I’m done with that blasted courier, and then Giovanni will handle it. Ben, keep an eye on her.”
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t wander off until Giovanni stitches her up.”
Once Emerick left to go to the reception and speak to the courier, the Italian doctor swooped in with his medical bag in hand. “Now that he’s out of the way for a few minutes, let’s get this over with. Pepper, I’m going to give you enough drugs you’re going to feel no pain for the rest of the night straight into tomorrow night, which will make the vaccination response easier to cope with. Once I’m done drugging you, I’ll stitch you up, give you enough blood to let you recover, and have Emerick put you to bed. Unlike you, he won’t enjoy any drugs.”
