Prima

Chapter Eleven

The front gates to Daedalus’s estate hung open. He didn’t pause in his race home. His worst fears were becoming reality.

Again.

Sugar…

He roared as he stormed through the broken front doors. Everyone would know of his arrival and either face him or flee.

Vampires stood in his home. Strangers. Those who followed a traitor. He didn’t have Clementine to point out those who might be loyal to him, so he took Pallas’s advice and killed them all. Like his brother had said, if they were loyal, they shouldn't be here.

Not bothering with wooden stakes, he tore heads from shoulders of the first idiots to attack. He didn’t care about finesse. All he wanted was to rescue Sugar.

The sweet scent of her blood drifted in the air, and a black hole of despair ruptured in his chest. He couldn’t move. It hurt too much.

Someone grabbed his arm, and he tossed them out the window. Following her scent, he arrived at the library alone. All those in his way were dead. He stepped over the threshold and focused on the back of a male hovering over someone on the stairs. The slow beat of Sugar’s heart stuttering to a halt reached Daedalus’s ears. Blonde curls lay across the steps, under the vampire feeding.

The muscles in his chest contracted into burning knots, and the chandelier hanging from the center of the room rattled from his hoarse roar. He sped across the room, wrenching Sugar’s assailant off her, and heard him hit the opposite wall of the library.

Pale skin splattered with scarlet blood filled his vision. He gathered Sugar in his arms and stumbled down the stairs only to melt to his knees. She weighed nothing, but he couldn't move.

Bending over her motionless body, he rocked. “No, no, no.” He’d failed her again. She was supposed to live to a ripe old age. They were going to watch Eric and Spice’s pups grow up. Spoil them rotten. Maybe travel, if Sugar recovered enough strength.

“I couldn’t save her.” Pallas spoke, his voice cracking.

Daedalus jerked his head from resting on her chest. In his delirium to reach Sugar, he hadn’t noticed his brother pinned to the floor by thick metal and wood splinters. Stephen lay under the table, unconscious not far from him, but it appeared Pallas had taken the brunt of the explosion’s damage.

Pallas opened his eyes. “They used weapons I’m not familiar with.” It hadn’t occurred to Daedalus that Pallas wouldn’t know much about bombs or guns.

His hands shook as he set Sugar on the floor and brushed the hair from her face. She hadn’t wanted to become a vampire, and he hadn’t possessed the ability to do it. Nosferatu couldn’t change females into vampires. They always died in the process.

When he’d offered Clementine a home in the brownstone, it was for more than her safety. He wanted a regular vampire he trusted at hand in case Sugar changed her mind. But like a fool, he’d left Clementine on the other side of the city with the shifters. She was too young to race here in time to save Sugar.

Weak moans came from the attacker. His limbs twitched as he regained consciousness.

Hope crept from under the shattered pieces of Daedalus’s heart. He had a regular vampire at hand after all. Striding toward him, he dragged the traitor’s semi-awake body across the floor to Sugar.

Pallas plucked a long splinter from his gut with a tortured groan. “Son of a bitch, I forgot how much wood burns.”

“You’re lucky none of them struck your black heart.” Daedalus settled the vampire next to Sugar and exposed his wrist.

“What are you doing?” The alarm in Pallas’s voice surprised Daedalus.

He gave Pallas a sharp look. “I’m saving her. Something you should have done.” Using his fangs, Daedalus sliced across the vampire’s wrist and allowed the blood to drip into Sugar’s mouth.

Only a few minutes had passed since Sugar’s heart had stopped. It shouldn’t be too late.

“She’ll never forgive you.” Pallas grunted between words while he struggled with the splinter buried through his shoulder into the floor under him.

“I’ll have eternity to make it up to her.” He milked the vampire’s wrist, filling Sugar’s mouth, then massaged her throat to assist the flow into her body. “Come on.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d made a vampire. He never had the patience to care for fledglings and passed those he’d made to other caretakers.

Sugar would be different. She was the only thing that mattered. Pal Robi Inc. could rot, and the council could go to hell.

He glared at Pallas. “What am I doing wrong?”

“Do you want my list in alphabetical order or in order of priority?” Pallas panted as he twisted the splinter loose in his shoulder.

Jumping to his feet, Daedalus stomped to his brother and made short work of yanking the remaining splinters from his body before gripping his throat. “Help me, or I’ll hang you from this roof by your intestines to watch the sunrise.” Daedalus’s fangs elongated and pierced his lip.

Pallas rested his hands on the one around his throat. “You’re doing it right. Just need to wait for it to work.” His eyes moved to something behind his shoulder. “And not allow the vampire you’re using for this to escape.”

Daedalus dropped his brother and spun.

The little traitor was crawling to the door on his stomach. This was not happening.

“Get back here.” The snap of his voice sent the vampire into convulsions of cowering. “You’ve a blood price to pay for your bad behavior.” Daedalus punched him unconscious once more and dragged his body back to Sugar.

Exposing the other wrist for a fresh cut, he hesitated. Something appeared different. He stared at Sugar.

Her chest rose.

“Yes.” He couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face. It was working. Slicing the vampire’s wrist, he repeated the process. “Drink, baby.”

She swallowed, and her eyelashes fluttered open. Dazed, she drank as if in a trance.

“That’s it.” Unable to resist touching her, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You’re doing great.” He had almost lost her forever. The ache in his chest eased while the anxiety of her reaction grew. How would he explain?

Footfalls filled his empty house.

He twisted to face the Vasi invading his library.

Sam led the group in shifter form. His gaze moved from him to Sugar feeding from the dying vampire. He shifted to his human form.

“No.” His shout sounded like a howl while his body finished the change.