Page 5 of Blood Lost

Chapter 5

Declan

Relief washed over me that the girl wasn’t upset at being turned into a vampire. There were a lot of humans who would have been pissed and preferred death in the way I do. When she kissed me, it caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure how to react. Then she admitted that she didn’t even know her own name. There was no way to tell if that was because I had turned her or if she’d had amnesia before she’d been shot.

I couldn’t continue to make out with her when neither of us knew who she was. When I pulled away from her kiss, the look on her face nearly melted me. It wasn’t fair to her for us to get involved if she had someone else. And with her beauty, it would be difficult to believe she was single. For my peace of mind, I needed to wait until she at least knew who she was before I decided to make a move on her. I wanted her so badly I almost couldn’t stop myself. But she needed me to help her through the transition. To do that, I needed to remain in control. I wasn’t sure how long I’d last, but I was certainly going to try. Besides, maybe I would get lucky, and she would decide she wanted me instead of whoever she’d been with before.

Okay, Dec, you can’t dwell on what could be. This girl needed me to help her survive. After all, I was responsible for her now. “What if we focus on something else for a while and see if you remember anything without trying too hard?” I flipped on the stereo and let the music play low enough to talk still but loud enough that we could hear it. Music was my comfort, which was why there were stereos in every hospital room. It was important to me, and I played it anytime I could. Her face lit up as if she recognized the song.

Watching her finally sense something she remembered made me smile. She hopped up and danced around the room, singing along with the music. The transformation was almost as intense as her change from dying human to vampire. I almost panicked when she stopped suddenly and stared at me. “What’s wrong?” I was at her side in less than a heartbeat. She threw her arms around me and kissed me again.

“Declan! I remember!” She pulled me close and pressed her lips to mine. When she pulled away, she bounced up and down with excitement. “My name. I remember my name! It’s Delilah.” I smiled at her revelation as her face fell.

“What is it, Delilah?” Her name felt strange on my lips. I’d been thinking of her as my heart since I found her. “Can you tell me, Mo chroí?”

“I can’t remember anything else. No last name, not where I’m from or who my family is.”

The tears in her eyes tore through me to my soul. She stopped for a second, then looked up at me. “What is it that you called me?”

“Mo chroí?” I asked, even though I knew what she meant and what she would ask next. I wondered what her reaction would be. “It means my heart.” I pulled her into my arms and held her, unsure if she would be upset by the pet name.

“Oh. It’s beautiful.” Pink crossed her cheeks, and she turned her head away from me. I wanted to go back to the moment when she kissed me. Every part of me longed to pull her close and keep her safe while taking my time pleasuring every inch of her body. I wanted to ask why she’d turned away, but I was terrified that I had crossed a line. I’d never been brave enough to call a girl that before. I’d been thinking it, and somehow, it just slipped out.

“Are you sure we didn’t know each other before?” She turned her face back to mine, her lips a whisper away. Her brown eyes looked almost amber since the change. I fought the urge to pull her close and kiss her again. She didn’t give me a choice, backing away for a moment before wrapping her arms around my neck and jumping on me. Her lips were on mine just as her legs closed around my waist. I was lost the moment her lips touched mine. No matter if it was wrong or not, I couldn’t deny her. I would take whatever she offered and give her anything she wanted. This was dangerous, I knew, but I couldn’t stop myself. I would burn the world down just to see her smile.

“What about your family?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking. It didn’t matter how badly I wanted her; I wouldn’t take advantage of the situation.

“Well, I’m a vampire now. It’s probably better if they think that I’m dead. Unless vampires live in the open, and that’s just something I’ve forgotten too?” Pain seized her expression while she waited for my response.

“No, you could never tell them what you are. You’re right; it’s probably better if they think you’re dead. Unfortunately, you can’t remember your last name. We could leak a news story about your body being found so they would have closure.” I kept trying to come up with a way to help her.

I tapped a button on the stereo remote to change the song. Distracted, I glanced at my hand for a moment. The remote had the Strain Industries logo on it. That by itself wasn’t an epiphany; Strain was the biggest manufacturer of stereos and computers in the country. A grin spread across my face as I realized that there might be a way to help Delilah after all. Eli Strain was well known for being a tech genius. There was no doubt in my mind that he could help me find out who Delilah was so her family could have closure.

I picked her up and twirled her around to the music. Her laughter lifted my spirits almost as much as the idea had. I couldn’t tell her yet because I didn’t want to get her hopes up if there was nothing he could do. I would schedule a meeting and discuss it with him as soon as he was available.

“Why don’t we get out of here? We can get you settled into your own apartment, and you won’t feel so much like you’re trapped.” I figured she would get restless being cooped up in the hospital wing of my headquarters.

Delilah looked up at me, and her smile faded. “I guess it would be too much to think I could stay with you.” I never wanted to see that look on her face again. It was as if she had confessed her love, and I had turned her away. My heart hurt. She started to pull away from me, but I tightened my grip.

“If that’s what will make you comfortable, of course, you can stay with me. You’ll have your own room, though, in case you want privacy or need time alone. Given the situation, that’s probably a better idea than turning you loose as a new vamp.” My suggestion was a hit. Delilah started dancing around again, and her smile returned. I was thrilled that she felt comfortable with me but still wondered if I was making a mistake.

I left Delilah in the hospital room to find Stephanie. I knew she would try to talk me out of it, but my mind was made up. I found Steph in her office. “Hey, Steph, can we talk?”

She gestured to the empty chair across from her desk. I closed the door before sitting down. “You’re making a mistake.” The words came out of her before I could explain what I was thinking.

“What makes you so certain you know what I’m thinking?” I cocked an eyebrow at her and smiled. The stoic look I got in return was an indication that she knew me way too well. “And just why shouldn’t I let her stay with me? She seems scared. She will for sure need supervision. It’s a win-win situation.”

Steph smirked. “I knew it. You’re already in love with her. It’s clouding your judgment. Dec, you have to think about what’s best for the whole community, not just yourself. It’s a bad idea.” She paused to look at me. “That said, if this is your choice, I’ll stand by you. Be aware, when it all goes tits up, I will be the first to say I told you so.”

“Delilah will be thrilled. I appreciate your support, and I expect nothing less from you, my friend.” I stood up to walk to the door. I knew that she was busy, and I didn’t want to keep Delilah waiting.

“Wait, Delilah? Is that her name? Did she finally remember who she is? I need to get in there and run some tests.” Steph stood up and rushed around the desk. I turned to face her while blocking her exit. “Get out of my way, Dec.”

I shook my head. “No. No tests. Give her time to settle in; then, you can ask if she wants to be subjected to all of that. And if she says no, you’ll accept it and leave her alone about it. Understood?” The look I gave her would have withered nearly anyone else. Steph stood her ground. She wasn’t afraid of me.

“Fine,” she sighed. “I’ll wait. But I’m going on record here. This is a mistake, and you will regret it.” Steph turned and stomped back behind her desk before flopping in her chair. She was pissed at me and wanted to make sure that I knew it.

“Noted.” I turned and walked out the door, making sure to close it carefully. She had been on the verge of pushing me too far, but I refused to take it out on her. I knew that Steph wanted to help. She had a habit of going too far too fast, and I didn’t want that to upset Delilah.

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