Kyla was astonished. She didn’t know how to react. This was a wild story.
Shit, my whole life is a wild story.“Him?” she asked.
"Hmm?”
“Family?” she clarified, “You said you brought me to him. To who?”
“Your brother.”
“I knew I had siblings. I just knew it! I knew from things Adrian said and things my father wouldn’t say. Where is he? How much younger than me is he?”
Tristan blew out a long breath and took one of her hands in both of his and squeezed, “He’s your twin, baby. You have other siblings besides. But your twin brother is downstairs in a hospital bed.”
Kyla’s jaw dropped and she blinked a few times.
Tristan kissed her forehead and gave her hand another squeeze.
“Is he okay? Is he hurt because of me?”
“Because of you?”
“Because he gave me his blood?”
“No, princess. He’s been in a coma for nearly two years. He’s spent most of his life in that compound. Adrian did something medically to him and he hasn’t woken up since. There’s more but it can wait until tomorrow. I’ll take you to him tomorrow and you can see him and talk to Sasha and hear the rest. Can we sleep?”
“Oh…kay…” she frowned.
“Be right back.” He grabbed his plate, her plate, and left the room.
Kyla got up and stepped across the hall to the bathroom, used the facilities, and looked in the mirror. She stared, dumbfounded.
Turned to a vampire but failed. Almost died. Drank Tristan’s blood and came back. Twin brother?
Whoa.
She wondered what his name was. What he looked like. What he was like. Dear in the headlights or what?
Panic spiked in her gut and chest simultaneously but it wasn’t her own panic; it was Tristan’s. She heard him holler, “Kyla!”
Thrumming revved up inside her veins and her heart began to race.
She opened the bathroom door, “I’m here!”
He was there, looking relieved. He looked rough, like he’d seen a ghost.
“It’s okay, I’m here.” She put her hand on his chest. His heart was racing, giving her palpitations, too.
He leaned against the wall and took a big breath. The panic was still rolling off him in waves. He settled down and nodded. She pulled him close. He buried his face in her neck.
Suddenly Sam was there. Sasha was there, too.
“It’s all okay,” Kyla said, “We’re good. Hi Sam.”
“Welcome back, love.” He smiled.
Tristan straightened but didn’t let go of her.
“Thanks. Hi Sasha. Nice to meet you. Thank you for your help. Thank you so so much.”
“A pleasure, Kyla. We’ve already met. Several times. But I’m thinking that’s a story for tomorrow.”
“You’d be thinking right,” Tristan said, “I’ve spent some time catching Kyla up some but there’s a lot so the rest of it’s for tomorrow.”
“Right,” Sasha smiled, “Sleep well.”
“Where is he?” Tristan asked Sam.
“Boathouse; tied, gagged, and still daggered,” Sam gave him a smirk, “And somehow he might’ve gotten a black eye and a split lip.” Sam shrugged with a sheepish grin.
Tristan looked to Sasha, “You found all what I brought back?”
“I did. It’s all refrigerated and / or down in the lab. We can go over it tomorrow. Why is he here, Tristan?” Her expression was grim.
“We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Um…alright,” Sasha was stressed.
“You don’t have to worry about him going off and then making a plan to bulldoze in here and ruin what you’ve built. He’s not leaving here alive.”
Chills shot up Kyla’s spine. Sasha winced.
“Night all,” Sam said and headed down the hall.
“Thank you. Both of you,” Tristan said softly.
“My pleasure. Truly,” Sasha told him.
“Ditto,” Sam called over his shoulder, “The least we could do.”
“’Night,” Kyla said.
Tristan led her back into the bedroom and they curled up together on the bed. He threw the blankets over them and let out a long breath and put his head on her chest on top of her heart. She put her hands in his hair and kissed the top of his head.
“Am I crushing you?” he asked, his voice a whisper.
“Not at all.” She kept caressing his head with one hand and put her arm around his back.
“Hold me tight,” he ordered.
She did.
“Tighter,” he demanded.
“Mr. Bossy Pants,” she said but complied.
It didn’t take long until she heard his breath even out. Surprisingly, despite all the sleeping she’d been doing, she yawned and it didn’t take long for her to pass out, too.-9-Claudio was wearing goggles and his fangs were out. He was at her throat, ripping it with his teeth. And then Tristan hauled him off and ripped his head off. Literally. Tristan went black-eyed and gray hulk on him and separated his head from his shoulders as if it was nothing more than a piece of cotton. But then she saw Liam’s face as his fangs got closer to her and she could feel her blood spilling out of her own throat, could smell it, could hear it dripping onto the floor. Drip, drip, drip… as Liam’s huge fanged mouth closed in on her.