Demon in Town (Book 2)

Chapter 10

“Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing, and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.”-Ann Landers.

Chapter 10

-Karen-

“Does it hurt?” I asked.

“No,” Nate didn’t look at me.

Victor went through the portal after compelling my parents to forget everything that ever happened in the house and go to a sound sleep. I knew they would be waking up with the feeling that everything was a nightmare. Mom hadn’t seen anything and that was a comforting factor for me.

Nate was weak and he couldn’t travel through the portal so, Victor left him in my room to gain his energy. He was lying on my bed, speaking nothing but staring at the dark ceiling.

“Can you please not lie?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

I knew it was bad manners to stare at him when he was not wearing any shirt. But I couldn’t help staring at his lean body. His chest was another form of immaculate marble. It was pale and the flawless skin was a fascinating thing to watch. The surprise element was I never knew that Nate had a six-pack on his lean stomach. I mean I never saw him workout when I lived in the mansion.

It had to do something with being a vampire.

“Karen, I’m fine. You don’t have to stress about this.” He said.

I was taken aback. It sounded like a comment influenced by his brother.

“I can see cracks on your skin,” I said. I actually could see them. First, when I had looked at the wound I hadn’t seen it but the cracks started appearing when he tried to enter the portal. Although the healing process had been slowed down and Nate was unable to sit up without groaning, he was still being stupid. “Maybe I can heal them.”

He shifted a little with a loud groan and sat up on my bed. I gulped. Moonlight washed over his pale face. He looked so weak that I was afraid if he would fall back on the bed again. I touched his shoulder and my eyes widened with disbelief. It was colder than ice.

“You better not touch me.” He growled. “You would hate this cold.”

“Nate,” I said softly.

He turned away his face.

“I know Victor always overshadows me with his powers.” Nate began and I shook my head. “I know you like him.”

“I like you no less.” I bit my bottom lip. Did I really like Victor?

When Nate was there, dying on the floor I could think of no one else. I was crying out for him. I wanted to save him at whatever cost. I wanted to push aside Victor and do anything to save Nate. All my life the only boy I had dreamed to be with was Jon. Now that he had made me his sister, this vampire boy was arising some hopes in me.

Nate or Victor wasn’t a replacement for him. They had their own places. And maybe Nate had a higher place than Victor had.

“What’s going on with you two?” I asked. “He told me that you stabbed him. We were supposed to act as a team, weren’t we?”

“I can never be on the same team with Victor. He is not what you think he is.”

“Well, you’re right. I don’t know him. I don’t even know you.” I closed my eyes and sighed. “Then why am I with you?”

“Listen, Karen.” He whispered. “He’s lying to you. He’s lying to us. The only thing that sticks to his personality is being a liar. He isn’t here to protect you.”

“Nate, calm down. You aren’t making any sense and stop talking so fast.” I rubbed his shoulder. There was no way that he would warm up but I still didn’t stop trying. “He saved your life today and saved us in Paris.”

He ran his hands through his dark hair and shook his head violently.

“Why don’t you understand, Karen?” His fangs appeared. Now, was he trying to scare me? “He saved me for some reason. He would probably want me to live in hell rather than die.”

“I think you overrate him as the bad guy.”

“You think he is good?” Nate let out a sardonic laugh. His fangs flashed in the moonlight. “I’ve practically known him my whole life.”

“Maybe he has changed.” I don’t know why I was trying to defend him.

Suddenly he moved fast and took my face in his hands. His icy hands made me shiver but I couldn’t look away from his stone-cold green eyes. They sparkled with so many emotions that I forgot how to breathe.

“You shouldn’t trust him. He will play with your head and heart.” Nate whispered. “And from what I can see right now, he has already done that. You seem to really like him.”

“I don’t know if I like him or not.” I was angry. “I don’t feel for him what I feel for you.”

“You think he is your hero.”

“Hero isn’t the one who has powers.” I shot back.

“You care for him.” His fangs disappeared.

“I care about you too, Nate.” I was shaking.

I may be a badass witch who could fight thousands of werewolves and vampires (okay, that’s too much) but when it came to the matter of heart, I was the same Karen— vulnerable and crazy.

“But do you really mean it?” He asked. His eyes searched my face for answers.

“Yeah, I do,” I whispered.

“Then why do you trust him more than me?” He asked.

I wanted to cry in frustration. Why couldn’t he just understand that I really liked him? Why did I have to choose between him and his brother when I wasn’t even considering them candidates for anything? 

“I—I’m not choosing here, Nate,” I said. My face was numb by his touch. His palms were still tightly pressed to my face’s sides. “You aren’t an option for me.”

“Then prove it.” He said.

“I don’t need to prove it to anyone. When you were lying on the floor, probably counting the last seconds of your life, I was there too. I was watching you wither in pain and I was hoping that somehow I could ease it.” I paused and touched his hand with my own. His loosened the grip on my face and hurt flashed across his face. “I have only cried once in my life as I cried for you today. That was the day when Jon got stitches on his head for…”

Nate leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips.

“You talk too much.” He said with a slight curl of his mouth. Oh, was I attracted to that smile?

“Then don’t let me,” I blurted out.

He kissed me. This time it wasn’t a soft peck.

I closed my eyes and let him kiss me.

There was no compulsion, no magic. This was what I wanted.

His lips were cold but they sent a hot wave of adrenaline through my entire body. His hand moved up to the back of my neck, supporting me as the intensity of the kiss grew. I kissed him back and let him consume me at the same moment. I touched his cold chest and pushed him lightly to his back. I really wanted more of this.

He smiled against my lips and his arms came around me. I felt the room grow colder but ignored the eerie feeling. His mouth moved in the perfect synchronization of mine. He hugged me closer and deepened the kiss.

We kissed slowly and tenderly. There was no haste. Why would there be any rush when we had the whole time in the world?

His cold lips trailed down my neck and I opened my eyes.

I saw someone’s reflection on the headboard.

“Victor,” I gasped.

I moved away from Nate.

Nate’s expression was a cross between hurt and anger. He obviously thought I was moaning Victor’s name during our make-out session. Come on, dude I didn’t kiss you thinking you were Victor. When are you going to have a little faith in me?

I turned around. I took a long breath before speaking.

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked Victor.

I heard Nate let out an ‘oh’.

Victor just stood there without saying anything. I had never seen this guy go speechless. Neither his face held expressions nor did his eyes but his jaw was clearly clenched. There were two blood bags in his hand and he was leaning against the wall.

“Long enough to see you both getting engaged in human activities.” He smirked. It was different. It was the same playful smirk that he always displayed. This was sinister.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Nate said.

“You brought blood,” I stated.

“I thought he would need this.” He threw the bags on the bed. “But I didn’t know he was ready to take the warm blood from you and that too with your consent.”

“You know he would never do that.” I stood up from the bed.

“Take a look at his face. Do you even know how dangerous it is to kiss a vampire when he is weak?” Victor yelled. “How could you be so stupid?”

“See, who is being intelligent.” Nate chuckled mockingly.

“Just drink from the f*****g bag.” Victor glared at him.

“Victor, stop talking to him like that. He is your brother, not one of your vampire servants.” I said. “He didn’t drink my blood, that’s it.”

“He could have.”

“But he didn’t.”

“Did he compel you?” Victor tilted his head and looked in my eyes. His grey eyes narrowed at me. Was he trying to read my mind? “Why can’t I read your mind?”

He couldn’t read my mind? Was that possible?

“What did you do to her?” Victor was in front of Nate in no more than a second.

“I didn’t do anything.” Nate furrowed his brow.

I moved between the two brothers and folded my arms on my chest.

“Did he compel you to kiss him? Did he already drink your blood? Are you alright?” Victor showered the questions on me.

“No, no, and yes,” I said making a face. “For God’s sake, Victor just stop being so desperate. He didn’t forcefully kiss me. When are you going to learn not to be the third wheel?”

He moved back.

He was hurt and I knew it. I realised I had said too much. But where was I wrong? I had just kissed Nate and kissing someone wasn’t a crime. Victor couldn’t stop me from kissing or loving someone. His pointless irritation made me want to slap him but the look on his face made me apologize for what I had said.

“I’m sor—” I started.

“You’re right.” He took some steps back and leaned on the wall again. He licked his lips. “I shouldn’t interfere but I need to tell you something.”

“What?” Nate asked. He had already started to drink from the bag. Guess, he was really very thirsty. He sure had a hell of control not to bite me and suck me dry.

“Did you call Jon when you were attacked?” Victor asked me. His voice held no emotions now.

“I don’t know. I just dialled some number. Yes, it had to be him because I was texting him at that moment. His number should have been there.” I babbled. “How do you know this?”

“I was checking out the surroundings of your house when I found this.” He took out a mobile phone from his jacket’s pocket and handed it to me. “I think it is Jon’s.”

I looked at the mobile phone and nodded.

“Yup, it’s his,” I said.

“The werewolves who attacked you were here in a car. I saw the tire tracks.” He said looking down at my hands. “I have this theory that Jon is gone.”

“What do you mean by he is gone?” I asked in confusion.

“He has been kidnapped by them,” Victor spoke slowly.

I dropped the phone on the floor.