The Vampire SEAL Collection, page 43
“While that is true, your scream hurt my eardrums.”
Now I was afraid. I didn’t remember getting that upset. I thought I was more nervous than anything. Suddenly my inner devil poked me in the brain.
“I know what might help, but I don’t…want you to get mad. Okay?”
He cocked his head to one side.
“Dad, please don’t get mad. Promise?” I grabbed his hand.
“I promise.”
“Let me see Ben. I just want to talk to him.”
He tightened his grip on my hand and I flinched. We stood together in silence, his power climbing up the Richter scale.
“You…promised,” I said, trying not to voice the pain shooting up my arm. “Again, there’s nothing going on between me and Ben. He helped me get through my shock that vampires existed and kept me from going crazy while Sam was missing. I just want to talk to him.”
I couldn’t read his thoughts, but I didn’t have to. The pitter-patter of his heartbeat changed, rising to a loud thud in my ears. Not to mention the pain he was inflicting on my hand. At any second the bones in my hand were going to break.
“I can’t allow it. You’re under Counsel’s orders. Heck, I’m under Counsel’s orders.”
I yanked my hand from his. “What’s the big deal?”
“Do you hear yourself? Big deal? You haven’t come to terms with what you are yet. This is exactly why I” —he pointed to his chest— “can’t allow it. Until you learn you’re not human anymore, you’re dangerous around humans. Your mind is still thinking human, but I can assure you, your vampire instincts are far from it.”
Maybe he was right. At times, I didn’t want to believe I was a vampire. I truly didn’t know how to accept who I was or what I was now. How could I? So many things had changed in such a short time. How could I process all of it? As a human I had been trying to find my way in life. Sure, I had been trapped in places and situations I hated to think about, but I didn’t know if my life as a vampire was any better than my life as a human yet. At least as a human, if I attacked someone it would have been in self-defense. As a vampire it would be for my sustenance—for their blood; a vast difference from my humanity.
“So you’re never going to let me be around humans?”
He stared out of the window, as if he were carefully considering his answer, then turned and looked down. “We’ll see.”
I narrowed my gaze. “I hate this life,” I said, tears welling up.
“Jo, I value my job and my position within the government. I also told you I don’t want to lose you again. What you’re asking jeopardizes all of what I worked hard for. I will not and cannot allow you to see any human right now—especially Ben, a young man you may have feelings for.”
I let out a deep sigh. Did I have feelings for Ben? I wasn’t sure.
“This conversation is over. I don’t want to hear another word about Ben or humans. Let’s go see your brother.” Dad turned toward the door.
I huffed and followed him. I didn’t want to push my luck anymore today. Besides, it was barely late afternoon and I wanted to crawl into my bed and go to sleep. A part of me wished I wouldn’t wake up until all this Counsel stuff was over.
Webb was standing outside, apparently waiting for us. Did that mean he had heard every word we said? He had to have with his vampire ears. I raked my gaze up and down his tall frame as he peered at me through his mile-long eyelashes. I wanted to laugh, even though my heart flipped a few times and my stomach followed. I wasn’t allowed to see a human guy I might have feelings for, but I could be around a deadly vampire one.
The absurdity of this life was probably going to kill me before my father or the Plutariums had the chance.
7
The pad of his foot struck the side of my face. My neck bounced back and then forward, as if I were a punching bag.
“Easy!” I reached up and placed my hand on my left cheek.
“Pay attention, Jo,” Sam snapped. “You need to learn this.”
I’d been in some kind of funk for the past couple of days. Too much had happened on Saturday. Images of seeing Ben, Sam in a hospital bed, and Neil Foster, and the knockout dragged-out argument with my father had shut my brain down. A mirthless feeling seeped in and I didn’t even want to leave the confines of my bedroom.
Sam dragged me out this morning and coaxed me into sparring with him. He had recovered quickly, and he was back to his old self after only two days.
Once Sam had rested, Dad slapped him with the Mason Inquisition. He fired twenty questions at Sam until he finally spilled the beans and told Dad he’d drunk a few boxes of blood. Sam had said he did it more from curiosity than hunger.
I’d been surprised Dad didn’t just try to read his mind. When I asked him why he didn’t, he responded with several reasons.
“While that’s the easy way out, I want to build trust with both of you,” he’d explained. “You’re easier to read because I don’t have to touch you, but your brother requires more effort from me. Besides, I don’t like reading minds. There are a lot of sick people in this world and I don’t care to subject myself to their vile thoughts. And the vampire government has placed restrictions on me. It seems a couple of senators in the human government had complained and became suspicious when I knew things I shouldn’t have. So I don’t engage in the act unless there’s a dire need to.”
I’d never thought about the ramifications of reading someone else’s mind. I guess it would be kind of creepy to know another’s thoughts, especially if they were crude or sick ones.
Still, I was curious as to why he was always reading my mind.
“For some reason, I have a hard time shutting out your thoughts,” Dad had said. “I believe it’s because we have a strong connection.”
Sam snapped his fingers. “Earth to sis?”
I blinked. “What?”
“Focus.”
“I’m just not good at fighting,” I replied.
“Stop complaining,” Sam said. “Let’s go again. Ready your stance. Bend your knees slightly.”
I wanted to lie down on the floor, curl up and go to sleep. The entire room was covered in thick gym-like mats and the softness of them kept calling my name. All I needed was a pillow.
“You need to take that sweatshirt off. It’s slowing you down.”
I laughed. My brother stood in the center of the room bare-chested and barefooted, with sweatpants covering his lower half. Sometimes I thought that if my brother had his way, he’d walk around naked. I erased the thought immediately—not an image I cared to think about. A small section of his jet-black hair had been pulled back from the crown into a ponytail with the remainder of his hair spilling over his shoulders. It seemed he was ready to expend some energy. Anyone looking at him wouldn’t even know he had been in a light coma two days ago.
I walked over to the water cooler and grabbed a cup of water. I kicked off my sneakers and removed my sweatshirt. I decided to get into the mood, or else I had a feeling Sam was going to force me into one neither of us would like.
I sat on a chair, folding my sweatshirt when Olivia walked in. Olivia Brock was the only female Jupiter Sentinel and the only female SEAL. Her brown hair was tied back into a long French braid and her soft brown eyes glistened beneath the overhead light. I had seen her fight against other vampires and admired her for her toughness.
Sam did a double take as she removed her jacket.
“I’m here to work with both of you,” she said, placing her jacket on one of the chairs.
“Close your mouth, Sam. You’re gawking.” I slapped him on the arm.
“Okay, Jo. You first. Front and center, please.”
I rose and joined her in the middle of the room. Mirrors lined the two sidewalls, while chairs and benches lined the other two. I glanced in the mirror and caught a glimpse of Sam still gawking at Olivia as she flipped the waistband of her yoga pants over then tied the string into a knot. I studied him as his gaze traveled up from her waist, over her six-pack abs, to her chest, which was covered in a sports bra, then back down. My eyes widened as his forest green eyes lost their color and his fangs descended. Uh-oh. What did that mean? Was Olivia giving off—oh, what did Mr. Bale in health class call it? Some type of pheromone —was that it? A chemical that an animal releases to attract their prey or mate. Was that how vampires detected their prey?
Oh my! My brother had a death wish.
I guess it was the first time in my life I’d noticed Sam looking at a female. He’d never once in my presence or at any time expressed interest in a girl, at least not to me. I imagined he and Ben probably talked about girls. Heck, girls followed Ben like a swarm of bees. Or had they been following Sam too?
Before I knew what was happening, Olivia had Sam by his throat, shoving him against the mirrors. His head hit the back with a thud.
“Has no one ever taught you manners?” she said. “I guess not considering…it’s rude to stare. Tuck in your emotions, Sam. Are we clear?” Then she released her grip and Sam fell to the floor.
He sat against the mirrors, not moving. I couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed or shocked or both. His eyes were no longer vampire-black, thank God. I dropped my gaze as Olivia returned to the middle of the room. She gave off a small amount of electricity, making my skin tingle. If Sam wasn’t embarrassed, I sure was.
“Better yet, Sam, join us,” she commanded.
Sam stood up, adjusted his sweatpants and walked over to stand next to me.
“Let’s sit down. I want to go over some basics of fighting. Your father wants both of you to be prepared to at least protect yourself. Despite the fact you’re vampires, your strength will not keep you from getting hurt or killed. After I explain the basics, we’ll practice some moves and regroup tomorrow. We only have an hour. Jo, your dad wants to see you in his office when we’re done here.”
What did he want now? I’d been in my room for the last two days, so I hadn’t done anything to piss him off. Sure, I was still upset he wouldn’t let me talk with Ben, but I tried to work out my frustrations by sleeping a lot.
The three of us sat on the floor, legs folded underneath us, forearms resting on the inside of our thighs.
“I’ve been training with Tripp,” Sam said. “Jo needs to learn more.”
“Sword training is not the same. You need to learn how to fight the old fashioned way—with your body. You’re in no way an expert and won’t be for a while. You’ll listen and learn whether it’s with me or Tripp or any other Sentinel. Are we clear?”
Sam stared at her with a blank expression. Was he changing into his Mr. Angry Personality? Silence gave way to my thudding heartbeat, waiting for the vibrating tension in the room to stop.
I nudged Sam with my elbow, hoping he would acknowledge her.
He nodded.
“A yes is expected,” she said.
“Yes, your majesty,” Sam said in a sinister tone.
What was it between them? She did babysit him the night the Plutariums escaped. Did something happen that night? Either way, the tension in the room was going to suffocate me by the end of the session.
“I’ve heard about you, Sam,” Olivia said. “Your attitude and anger issues are well noted around here. It would benefit you to polish up on your manners and reel in those inner demons you have picking at you. The vampire society is one that doesn’t tolerate outbursts, rudeness and selfishness.”
If I had to hear another person tell me about manners in this world I was going to puke. While she was directing her comments toward Sam, it was hardly giving me a warm and fuzzy, especially with the first day of school looming. Were the teachers going to be even stricter about manners than these military people?
“Now that we’ve wasted a good bit of time,” she said, glaring at Sam, “I’d like to begin with the three components of the art of a fighting. Strength. Skill. Strategy.
“Strength is extremely important. This is the one component that is essential in fighting. You’ll build strength through exercise.
“Skill is the moves you learn. How you block, move, turn your body, punch, et cetera. Those two components will require physical training, agility training and using your brain to put it all together. And we’ll get started on some basic strength exercises in a bit.
“The last one is strategy, which is my specialty. Strategy is knowing your enemy, your opponent. Knowing how to anticipate your enemy’s moves, the way he may think and what his strengths and weaknesses are. Strategizing before you walk into a battle is critical.”
When Olivia spoke, the timbre of her voice was commanding but gentle. I admired her for her dedication to the military. I didn’t know much about how she became a Sentinel, but any woman who made it this far in a SEAL program had to be tough, and I wanted to learn more from her.
For the next hour, Olivia demonstrated several positions that would help in defending against an attacker—how to position our arms, how to protect our face and stomach from an opponent’s blow, and how to breathe so panic didn’t set in. Then, before we practiced any moves, she made us do one hundred push-ups, sit-ups and squats. By the time I was finished I wanted to pass out and was beginning to think that maybe I had ingested some of the endotoxin. While I struggled with the basic exercises, Sam blew through them as if someone had given him fifty cups of coffee. Were vampires supposed to be that energetic? If so, I had missed the mark.
“Jo, stand up,” Olivia commanded.
I threw back my head then rose from the mat.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you so tired?” she asked.
I scratched the back of my head when Sam slapped me on the arm.
“What was that for?” I asked, drawing my eyebrows together.
He slapped me again. The room disappeared for a brief second. I glanced in the mirror as the room came into focus. A lucent shade of violet glinted off the mirror. It was the first time I had seen my eyes violet. I walked up to the mirror and stared at myself.
“Why do her eyes change to violet?” Olivia asked.
“I don’t know. My sister is weird,” Sam said.
I blinked a few times. My reflection had me mesmerized. It was odd looking at myself with purple streaks running through my hair and a pair of violet orbs to match.
Sam stalked up to me. “Come on. We only have a few minutes left.”
“So? I’m done,” I said, tracing the scar on my left cheek.
“Oh no you’re not,” he said. Then he pushed me and my head hit the mirror.
At that moment, my eyes started glowing. I spun around, extended my right fist and punched him in the face. He flew back, hitting the bank of mirrors on the opposite side of the room.
Whoa! What just happened? Was that me?
I barely had time to process my sudden burst of energy when Sam pitched forward and tackled me to the mat, knocking the wind out of me.
“Where did that come from?” he asked, rubbing his jaw.
I inhaled a few times, trying to get the air back into my lungs.
“Get…off…me.” I barely squeaked out the words.
He jumped up.
I glared at him as I rose. I turned my head slightly, looking in the mirror. It was still me. My eyes were still in their vampire violet and my lovely, creepy fangs had decided to make an appearance. I adjusted my vision.
Olivia joined us on the mat. “Before you two continue, a couple of pointers.”
Who said we were going to continue? I didn’t want to do this, but I could feel the adrenaline snaking through me, and my energy level rose.
“I’m done for today,” I said.
“No. We’re doing this, sis.”
Olivia looked at me. “You get to kick your brother’s ass. If not, I’ll gladly stand in,” she said, glowering at my brother. “Now, clear your head. I want you to use your senses, be aware of your surroundings. See if you can anticipate Sam’s moves. Fighting is like dancing. Your opponent moves, you move. It doesn’t matter how you move just keep moving. Which leads me to the second point. Footwork is so crucial. You must stay on the balls of your feet. The minute you plant your entire foot on the mat, you’re toast.” She looked at Sam, then me. “Keep it civil for your first time.”
Sam bounced on his feet, moving his head from side to side. “Give me your best shot, sis.”
Olivia resumed her position on the sidelines.
Sam circled around me, looking all stealthy and animalistic as though he were a wolf sizing up his prey.
“You going to move or just stand there?” he barked.
I turned to face him and he jumped in the air, rotated his left fist and swung. I ducked under his arm, twirled and jumped backwards.
“Good,” Olivia called out.
Sam froze, one eyebrow cocked, staring at me.
I narrowed my eyes. “You really want to beat up your only sister?”
He waved his hand. “Come on. I’m getting bored.”
I let out a breath and Sam pounced. He scissor kicked, landing a crushing blow to my stomach. Air rushed past me as I catapulted, landing against the non-mirrored wall. My back hit with a thud, cracking the sheetrock. In one fluid motion, I slid down to a crouching position then leapt at Sam without thinking. It was as if a beast inside of me took over. I tackled him to the ground. He grabbed my arms and pushed. My arms buckled and he flipped me. In a nanosecond he was on top of me with my wrists pinned to the mat.
“Not bad,” he said. “But—”
“But nothing.” I raised both my legs and rocked, using my upper chest to propel him off me. He flew backwards as I stood up. I might be weaker than him, but the spikes of adrenaline sure did help.
We met in the middle of the mat, doing that dancing thing Olivia just explained.
“Watch him, Jo. Don’t let him out of your sight,” Olivia instructed from the sidelines.
Girl power. Cool. I have a coach.
Sam smirked and rolled his eyes.
“You don’t have a chance, sis.”
“You’re mighty cocky, aren’t you?”
In a blur, he jabbed his right fist, hitting me square in the jaw.
