Betrayal: The Unforgiven Read online

  She pressed the accelerator to the floor. One hundred twenty miles per hour was about all she could get out of this old car that shook like a train barreling down the tracks. It was obvious she wouldn’t make it home in time. The only option now was to pull over and find shelter. The forest was full of caves and crevices. She could also find refuge in the shade of the trees, but she’d have to run through the field to get there.

  She pulled the car off the road and into a short ditch. She shut off the engine. Crackles from heat under the car’s hood sent a chill over her. Dim sunlight crept across the dashboard of the car.

  Black eyes blue, hair blonde, maybe the sun wouldn't burn. Maybe she was immune. Now wasn’t a good time to test this theory, but she had no other choice.

  She gripped the leather steering wheel tight. Light touched her fingers. Pain spread up her hands and through her arms. Anna jerked back and yelped. Her flesh caught fire and smoke filled the car with a horrid stench. Tears sprung to her eyes as she bolted from the car to find shelter.

  Her skin boiled in the light. Like a ghost through timeless flames, she sprinted through a field of scorched trees toward the hillside. Blisters formed as fire rose from her pores. Her shrill scream echoed against the rocky crag as her flesh blackened.

  This was it. The end of her life and the child she carried. Body throbbing, she fell to her knees and sobbed, pulling strands of hair from her charred scalp.

  “Help me!” Her throat felt like sandpaper. “Guide my eyes before my sight is gone.”

  She hadn’t a clue who she spoke to. God? The devil? Or maybe she prayed to her protective angel who had refused to acknowledge her since she’d turned into this dark being. Whomever it was it answered by guiding her gaze to a small enclosure at the base of the hillside.

  There! Go now before we die!

  Anna rose to her scalded feet and stumbled for the shadows. Black embers floated around her. She ducked inside the cave as full sunlight peeked overtop of the mountain.

  She fell to her side and sobbed, praying she healed as Tristan did. And if she could not heal, she pleaded for her estranged angel to take her away.

  Chapter Four

  Tristan balled his hands as he paced the bedroom. He'd come home before sunrise to find Anna gone. She'd left no note, no incline to where she'd run off to. He could sense she wasn't far from here, but something was wrong.

  Awful thoughts had tormented him the entire day. A vamp had come in the house and realized she wasn’t like them. They’d tortured her—let her burn in sunlight. If they’d taken her to the council, the elders would’ve ripped her apart and studied her to see why her body refused full transformation. They’d have come for him too.

  He’d been with the elders most of the night. Something else had happened. He ran his hands over his head. Where the hell was she? Anguish passed through the link between them. Her pain was too immense to pinpoint her location. She was alone. Frightened. She prayed for help. She begged to die.

  This was like the premonition he’d had at the meeting, but different. Whatever Anna was going through was happening now. There was nothing he could do but wait until night arrived.

  He tossed his fist against the wall. Pieces of stone crumbled to the floor next to her cloak. Fuck this. It didn’t matter if the sun hadn’t set. He had to find her now.

  He tossed the dark garment over his shoulders. He draped the hood over his head. As he strode down the hall toward the front door, he tied the cloth around him.

  Eyes shut tightly he swept the curtain in the living room back. The light burned his hands. He'd have to move swiftly through the setting sun, relying on his link with Anna to guide him. If he opened his eyes, he'd go blind. If she was in trouble, he'd need his sight to fight whatever evil had taken her and get them home.

  He stepped out onto the sunlit porch then took off down the path. His skin smoldered. Didn’t matter how painful this was, he’d endure it to find her. He stayed close to the highway as he headed north. He fell to the shadows of the trees in the forest. It was cooler in the shade. Although he could still sense sunlight, nightfall was coming. It wouldn’t be much longer and he’d be able to look around.

  He knelt on one knee and concentrated on their connection. The link between them was fading. He clenched his jaw. If she could just hear his thoughts, she could guide him to her.

  “Come on, Anna. Where are you?”

  The trees creaked in the wind. A dog barked in the distance. Seagulls screeched above the ocean waves. Voices in a nearby house caught his attention, but none were hers.

  Desperation tore through him. There had to be some kind of sign as to where she was. If she would just make one sound.

  “Hello?” A man's voice echoed through a cave. “Are you okay, miss?”

  Tristan took off through the trees at speeds he didn’t know he was capable of. He didn’t care if anyone saw him, as long as he reached Anna before some stranger realized what she was.

  ***

  Anna jolted awake. A man’s voice had called out. She opened her eyes, but everything was black. Had night come already? Where was she?

  She touched her throbbing temple and her memory came back. Sunrise had caught up to her on her way home from Jack's. Her entire body burned. The scent of human blood—her blood was all around her. If her eyesight would return, she could see her way out of here and go home.

  A light rustle came from the entrance of the cave. "Tristan?" Her throat burned. She choked on her breath.

  "Hey." The stranger’s voice drew near. "I saw your car parked in the ditch on the side of the road. The door was wide open. Found your jacket in the field and thought maybe you'd run into some trouble."

  This man was a stranger, a human with a strong heartbeat. Light musk wafted into her nostrils. He was fresh—young. Her stomach growled. This was the first time in weeks she’d craved blood. If the man didn’t leave, there was no telling what she’d do. To kill him and drink in his essence would be heaven. To taste him on her tongue would satisfy her appetite and send her into a state of bliss. Then she’d heal.

  Do it. The demon’s voice spoke in her mind. Kill him. Drink him in. Only then will we heal.

  No! Anna moved away from the man who wedged his way into the cave. She shoved her back against the jagged wall. Sharp rocks pierced her skin and she cried out in pain. Tears touched her burning face.

  “Are you okay?” the man asked.

  “Go away. Please.” The words gurgled in her raw throat. “Leave me alone.”

  Kill him.

  “Holy shit!” The man gasped. “Honey, we need to get you to the hospital.”

  She tried to focus on his face, but all she saw was black. Stuck in the shadows, too scared to move, and in unbelievable pain, she held her body against the wall.

  “Just please leave,” she cried out.

  His footsteps moved away. “I’ll be back with water and a blanket.”

  She had to find the strength to get out of the cave before he returned. If the paramedics came, they'd take her to the hospital. The doctors would find out what she was. The Elders would put her to death. And Tristan would most likely suffer the same fate.

  “What have I done?”

  She traced her blistered forearm with charred fingers. Tears welled in her sweltering eyes. She’d been reckless, playing a dangerous game with her life and the child inside her. She couldn't let Tristan see her like this, but there was no other way out.

  “Tristan, I need you.”

  You know what we need.

  “No. I won’t kill this man.” Anna shook her head. No matter how much the demon begged, she wouldn’t give in.

  A shadow crept over her. A small amount of light blurred in her eyes as she reached for the shadowy figure standing in the doorway to the cave. As soon as she caught her breath, she’d make a break for it. No way would she murder this man who tried to help her.

  A deep growl sent a chill over her stinging skin. Tristan. He caught hold of her wr
ist and jerked her to her feet. He pulled her into his arms, wrapped a blanket around her, and then leapt off the ground.

  His grip was tight. She cringed from the pain. If only he’d drop her to the rocks below. Her suffering would end. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she prayed for salvation. It came, but not in the way of death.

  Tristan shoved her down on the living room floor of their house. On her hands and knees before the fireplace, she bowed her head. He couldn't see her. Not like this. It wasn’t the fear of how he’d react to her appearance, but it was anger in her heart. None of this would’ve happened if he’d stayed with her.

  “Where have you been?” By the growl of his voice, it was a demand not a question.

  Fuck him. He doesn’t need to know we went to see Jack.

  Anna hid beneath the cloak as he paced before her. “I went to the city.”

  “Why?”

  Nauseated, she shook her head. She couldn’t tell him she went to see Jack. He wouldn't understand. “I had my reasons.”

  “You will tell me!”

  Shaken by his outburst, she lifted her gaze. His eyes shined the brightest of red. Sharp daggers out, he waited for her answer. At least she could see now. She could touch him to calm his demon, but she barely had enough strength to keep from collapsing to the floor.

  “I needed time to myself.” Anger took over the fear she’d felt a moment ago. How dare he shout at her when this was his fault. Everything is his fault. "You go off every night and leave me alone. I just wanted to be somewhere that mattered."

  “You will not leave this house again.”

  “I am not your prisoner.” She stood. Desperate not to fall back into the floor, she used the couch as a crutch. “I will do what I want."

  Afraid to look down at her ruined body, she held her gaze to his. The red in his eyes faded to black. His rigid pose crumbled as she limped past him with slow, unstable steps. It was difficult to breathe. The room spun. When Tristan’s hand touched her shoulder, she collapsed in his arms.

  He carried her down the hall to the bedroom. "What have you done?" He lay her down on the bed. This was the first time he’d touched her in weeks without his human traits coming out.

  "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

  “You will mend. You must.”

  “Tristan.” She gasped for breath. Her chest hurt. Death was inevitable. “I don’t think I’m going to heal.”

  “You have to. Anna…please…”

  “I’m scared,” she whispered. Darkness swirled through her. He called her name several times as everything around her faded.

  Chapter Five

  Anna woke to the sound of voices coming from the living room. Lying still on the bed, she tried to hear their conversation. Garbled talk. A man laughed familiar and loud. Gerard. A flower scent, strong and overly-doused, played on a woman’s skin. Edith Lillian.

  The black haired succubus was one of Gerard's victims from the nineteen sixties. She used to be a bodyguard for one of the top mob families in New York. Gerard had convinced her to leave humanity behind and take a security job for the collective. She’d killed rogue vampires as well as humans who hunted their kind for sport.

  The woman was evil right down to the bone. She was also hot and heavy for Tristan.

  Vampire women were typical when it came to males. Advertise it. Flaunt it. Whatever sexual desires they had, they gave it away freely. Didn’t matter if the male was taken or not, they'd push until they got what they wanted or died trying. This desperate tramp had pined after Tristan for months.

  Anna rose in bed and leaned back on her palms. Edith flirted with Tristan right in front of her. Although he ignored Edith’s advances, he’d also never put a stop to it.

  “Light me up, babe.” Edith’s seductive voice sent globes of fire through Anna.

  Tristan flicked his lighter. Anna’s muscles tensed. She had a mind to kick the woman’s ass, or at least get in one good punch before Edith knocked her out cold.

  Anna slid off the bed and hurried across the room toward the door. As she reached for the knob, she stopped to look in the mirror above the dresser.

  Blue eyes stared back. Her skin was clear, perfect and pale as if nothing had happened. Tristan had dressed her in her favorite violet gown—the one he’d bought for her birthday last January. She only wore it on special occasions. This was definitely a special day.

  A smile crept across her face as she gathered her silky black strands to the side to inspect the roots of her hair. Strange there wasn’t a trace of blonde. Maybe it had something to do with the healing process she’d gone through.

  The door to the room opened. Tristan's reflection peered at her in the mirror. The half grin on his handsome face sent her heart to her throat. Excited to show him she was better, she turned to greet him.

  “You're awake.” Tristan spoke in a low voice. He closed the door behind him.

  “Look at me." She bounced on her toes then twirled once. "I heal slower than you, but...I am healed.”

  Little emotion stirred in his midnight eyes. “We have much to discuss about why you left the house. But we will have to talk later. The gathering is tonight, and I am to oversee it.”

  She scoffed. He didn’t share in her joy. He didn’t even seem to care that she was alive and feeling better than she had in a long time. She bit back profanities as she stalked to the closet. Hands shaking, she pulled the chain hanging from the ceiling and the light flickered on.

  In a tank top and skirt, and a leather jacket that matched high black boots, she’d blend in with the crowd at the gathering tonight. She pulled the outfit off the hanger and tossed it on the bed. Under his glare, she went to the bathroom to put in her contacts. Tristan followed her in.

  Arms crossed over his chest, he watched in the mirror as she applied her black eyes. With straight lips, jaw clenching and unclenching, he had something to say. Or maybe he waited for an apology for what happened this morning. Not that she had anything to apologize for, but if it made him feel better.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was going to the city, but you were so wrapped up in...whatever it is you do at night with Gerard. I didn’t want to bother you.”

  “You are staying home tonight.”

  Her heart dived as she turned to face him. "You promised we would explore the camp this time. Together. You can’t go back on your word."

  “It is not up for discussion.”

  “I don’t want to spend another night here alone.” He turned to leave, but she caught his wrist. She placed her hands on his chest then shoved him back against the wall. She pressed her body firmly to his and gazed into his eyes. “I know you’re upset with me," she whispered. "But I need to go with you. I should be standing beside you, not...her.”

  He leaned close, close enough to steal a kiss. She cupped his cheek. Color blended through his pale face. His eyes, those ice blue eyes, sparkled in the light as he stared at her. Beautiful.

  His rose-colored lips parted and he drew in a quick breath. "This is why you cannot come with me. It is too dangerous."

  "Please, Tristan. I need to be with you.” She breathed into his mouth. She licked his tongue then kissed his lips. His body shuddered as she dragged her fingers down his abdomen. “Be with me.”

  He caught her hands then lowered them to her sides. “I cannot do this with you right now.” When he let go, his ashen skin returned. Ice blue eyes faded to black as he backed toward the bedroom door.

  “I swear I’ll stay beside you. I won’t move or speak to anyone.” She reached for him again, but he stepped away. “Don’t leave.”

  “We will talk more when I return.”

  He shut the door on his way out. Anna fell to her knees. Edith gave a short laugh through her nose. The woman had heard everything. Anna could almost see the woman’s cat-like eyes roll.

  The bitch deserves to die. Kill her.

  The front door closed. The house grew silent.

  Anna’s heart ached. Tristan had le
ft her alone again. He couldn’t even tell her he loved her or reassure her that everything would be all right. Maybe he was tired of being with someone who couldn’t go outside. A burden he was afraid to touch. Maybe his love for her had faded into pity.

  He pities us.

  The thought burrowed inside her gut. Anger tore through her as she took off her gown and tossed it on the bed. Holding back tears, she dressed in the outfit she’d laid out for the night.

  Fuck him. It doesn’t matter what he said. We’re free to do what we want.

  Anna shuddered. The voice inside her head was right. She wasn’t a prisoner. She could do whatever she wanted. Go where she wanted. Nobody had the right to tell her different.

  It was settled. She would go against Tristan’s wishes to teach him a lesson. No longer would she be ordered around or refused.

  The gatherings happened once every six months. Vampires got together in different locations throughout the world to celebrate the night. She may not look or feel like one of them, but she had died and come back with a demon inside her—a demon she couldn’t silence any longer.

  The meeting was at the beach tonight, in the cove not far from the house. The last time she went, she was forced to stand beside Tristan the entire time. He’d forbidden her to speak to anyone unless they spoke first. Most vampires were friendly, welcoming her to their kind. Then there were those who refused to acknowledge her as she stood beside her maker, silent, out of respect for him.

  The council labeled her ‘newly found’ while Tristan was made into an Elder. Since she was his property, only with his permission could she speak with others. He'd promised she could socialize during their next outing, which was tonight. And she’d be damned if he didn’t make good on his word.

  ***

  A crowd of people stood near a bonfire that burned high and bright at the base of the rocky cliff of the cove. They’d gathered around to witness the new Elder come in to take over the celebration. Some glared. Others smiled and bowed, but they all parted in waves to let him and Gerard pass through.