Page 30 of Taken

“We should get going,” I said. “We probably don’t want to be here when the rest of your clan shows up after dark.” As we were about to walk out the door, I turned to my father and asked. “Have you ever killed anyone?”

I wasn’t sure if it was a stupid question. Alexander promised he wasn’t the one killing those in East Greenwich but was he like Dorian? A vampire who had done everything he could to keep himself from drinking from humans?? It was their nature to do it; to them, it wasn’t wrong.

“Yes,” he admitted.

My heart sank. “Oh,” was all I could say.

“Look, you lose much of your humanity when your soul is taken from you. Some more than others. I met a woman, and we thought we were in love,” Alexander said.

My jaw dropped. My father had killed someone he cared about.

“She told me I could drink from her, so I did, but I couldn’t stop for some reason. I’ve always been able to stop, but not with her. By the time I was able to will myself to let go, she was on the brink of death. What I didn’t know was that she also was married. Her husband came home at that moment, so I laid her down and ran out of the house. Before I fled, I watched through the window as she slipped away in his arms.”

“Oh, my God, Dad. I’m so sorry.”

Alexander shook his head. “She was able to speak with him right before she passed. I hoped whatever they said to each other brought him comfort and her peace before she died. I’ve carried that guilt for over 8 years.”

I grabbed his hand and squeezed. “You have your soul back now,” I reminded him. “You’re a different person. Live the life you should have always had before they took it from you.”

He smiled back, and those were our last words before we left the club and drove to his place in Newport. My plan was to hide out there until I was ready to face Caleb and the rest of the coven again. My father and I had a lot to catch up on, too, and I needed to get a grip on my powers. I wasn’t sure what was happening to me, but it was scary, and I didn’t want to lose control anymore, especially with those I cared for.

CHAPTER 13

Caleb

I HADN’T SEEN much of Melissa in the last three weeks since Mercy went to stay with her father. I didn’t know how to reach out to her aside from a couple of text messages. I was avoiding her, and I knew it hurt.

Tonight, there was desperation in Melissa’s voice as she stood at the doorstep, asking me to have her stay over and let me hold her until morning. She knew I was still upset over Mercy’s choice to distance herself from the coven, and I was letting it affect my and Melissa’s relationship.

I didn’t want that.

That wasn’t what either of us wanted. Instead, we fucked out the anger and frustration we both had felt since Mercy had destroyed her office. I admit I didn’t defend Melissa when it happened; my only concern was ensuring Mercy was okay. Naturally, Melissa blamed me for that, but it wasn’t as if I had condoned Mercy’s behavior, either.

Despite our lack of sleep, we started the morning early, as she had to stop in the office to work for a few hours, and I needed to train with the coven.

When she entered the kitchen, she eyed the coffee I had brewed and poured herself a mug.

Melissa carried a notebook and reading glasses, putting them on to review the notes in front of her.

“The homeless man, Ned,” she started, “had been dead for over twenty-four hours before they found his body. This means Ned was killed before Alexander became human again, Caleb. Mercy’s father could have done it. We haven’t had a body bitten by a vampire come in since.”

The timingwastoo perfect, and now Mercy was alone with her father at his place. I tried to shake the thought and hoped we weren’t wrong to let her go and be out of reach of me and the coven. But then again, he did live here in Newport. I could swing by in the morning and secretly check on them.

Maybe even convince her to get the fuck out of there.

I placed my hand under Melissa’s arm and stroked the top of her skin while she put the notebook down, removed her glasses, and bit her bottom lip. Melissa’s wanton gaze pierced me like a needle, and I could feel desire bubbling in my chest.

Melissa and I have talked off and on for the last few months, and though I knew Mercy wouldn’t give her heart to me, a part of me felt like I was cheating on her. I held back with Melissa, never fully giving her everything I should have. Up until now, it was only sex, but she and I both wanted more.

Melissa was stunning with her golden-brown eyes that matched her hair; those long, tight curls falling to the center of her back. It’s what drew me to her in the first place. Her hair was like exquisite bronze caught in firelight. Almost every inch of her skin was covered with ink, from vibrant green vines to dragons, starting at the tip of her shoulder and reaching down to her wrist in a perfect sleeve. When Melissa wore her work outfit, no trace of the beautiful art was seen, but when she was undressed, her body was a living inked masterpiece.

Looks aside, she was the only other person I could talk to about anything outside of the coven, and I didn’t feel like I had to calm her down from the fear my life would potentially bring her.

The one thing I couldn’t tell her was that I still felt something for Mercy, and I couldn’t promise it would go away anytime soon. I wouldn’t tell her about what happened three weeks ago at The Black Horse. Absolutely not. I felt guilty about it, but Mercy hadn’t called me since I told her I was letting her go, not even a fucking text. It was what I wanted, so I had to lie in that bed.

According to Leah, whohadheard from her, she was still staying at Alexander’s place here in Newport.

Did the farewell kiss freak her out?

---