Bite Me (Vampire Wardens Resurrection 1)

His lips curve. “You’ll just have to trust me, but really, you should consider this a gift. He’s aligned himself with powerful witches that follow Ivy for him. This allows Grayson to find her without any boundaries created by life or death. He kills her every time she lives. Kill him to kill the cycle.” With that, he uses his ancient powers and simply disappears.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Eli

I don’t have time to process the revelation of Grayson being Ivy’s killer for more than two seconds when I sense Ivy at my back, turning away, running. Rocco takes off running too, but in the other direction, hunting the wolf. Cam stays with me but holds his ground. My focus is on Ivy. I’m in front of her before she gets four steps, catching her arms.

“Let me go,” she says, trying to step around me.

But I don’t let her go and I won’t, not when she’s in danger. I pull her into me and stare down at her. She doesn’t fight me, as if she knows that will get her nowhere. She’s calm. Cool. Angry. Her chin lifts in defiance as her eyes meet mine. “Let me go."

The words are weak when she is not. Anyone else would be melting down right now, but she stands strong and proud, ready to fight. On some level though, she knows I'm not the enemy. I feel it. She feels it.

“Ivy,” I say softly.

“I'm not her.”

I don't argue that point. Not here. Not now.

Instead, I offer her an escape, conflicted by my hope that she will take it and my desperate need for her to stay here with me, present in mind and body, to become mine again. “I can wipe your memories,” I offer, “and none of this will matter anymore. I can compel you to tell the police there was a bear and believe it. But I don’t want to do that. You can’t protect yourself from monsters you don’t know exist.”

“Like you?” she challenges.

I don’t know if she’s ready to hear that answer. “Choose now and I’ll wipe away your memories and you never have to know what I am. Or who I am.”

“Who are you?”

“Choose now,” I press. “Retain your memories or wipe this all away.”

She doesn’t ask about the consequences. She doesn’t refute my ability to do what I say I can do. She simply and firmly says, “I don’t want anything wiped away.”

Relief washes over me, but not guilt. Perhaps Elijah was lying, but everything inside me says he’s not. Grayson hates me beyond reason. So yes, I could spare Ivy this life by hiding her away, protecting her without ever taking her humanity, but that will be her choice after she knows the truth. “Tell the police it was a bear,” I repeat.

“Are they really going to believe that in downtown Denver?”

“They’re already talking about bear sightings on the police scanner. It’s Colorado. Crazier things have happened.”

“Right,” she says. “Fine. I’ll tell them it was a bear and not a werewolf because that’s what it was, wasn’t it?” She doesn’t wait for a response I can’t give her right now, adding, “And I’d sound crazy if I said that, now wouldn’t I? Like this was a stunt for one of my books.”

I study her a moment, and when I’m certain she’s committed to the plan, I release her and eye Cam. Cam dials the police. “It’s Cam Hendrix,” he says, “I’m a state law enforcement consultant. We have a bear mauling. Victim is deceased.” He offers the crossroads as directions and hangs up.

Ivy eyes Jacob where he lays, his throat ripped open, blood pooling around his body far and wide. Hugging herself, she cuts her stare, seeking out mine. “There’s nothing that can be done?” she asks. “I mean, I know he’s dead but—”

“Nothing,” I confirm. “There are many things in this world outside your understanding right now, but dead is still dead.”

“That’s what happened to your Ivy?”

“Yes. That’s what happened to my Ivy.” My lashes lower and then lift to meet hers. “I couldn’t save her, no matter how much I needed to save her.”

We stare at each other, seconds ticking by, a million memories between us that she can’t even embrace or understand. But she feels them present, pulling us together at the same time they try to tear us apart once again.

Sirens shriek loudly, already approaching as police work this area heavily. In this case, it’s the EMS team who head straight to the victim. Next, the police arrive, and Officer Adams who knows me and Cam greets us. He is quick to home in on my shredded shirt and once he confirms I’m uninjured, and we’re all okay, I’m given a new shirt, while mine is to be handed over for evidence. I rip the shredded mess off and I can feel Ivy’s eyes on my body.