Pulse. Part 16

He was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, bound and gagged. They swiftly untied it.

"No a don't!" Stuart said, as they removed the gag, but it was too late.

"Nice to see you two again," said a voice from behind them, as smooth as satin. Octavius stood in the doorway, flanked by armed guards. On his finger was Jaegar's old ring. "And of course, my darling Kalina."

"I'm not your darling," said Kalina.

"Not yet, perhaps," said Octavius, smiling. "But soon you will be. And, I hope, your choice in that matter is gradually becoming clearer. Guards!"

The guards rushed at them, and soon Kalina, Stuart and Jaegar found themselves fending off what felt like a never-ending swarm of vampires. They tried fighting, but were clearly outnumbered. She felt arms close about her shoulders, pinning her arms to her sides, and she stopped.

"Let's stop the resistance, shall we?" Octavius whispered into her ear. "You know how it's going to end. Now, tell me, which of these two fine brothers will get your blood?" He laughed. "Not that it matters..."

Kalina pushed him away with all her strength, pulled out a stake, and drove it into his chest.

Instead of collapsing to the floor, he only laughed. "You missed," he said. "By half an inch, but you missed nonetheless. Feisty, aren't you? I like that fighting spirit, but your technique can be improved. It must have been Stuart who taught you how to fight; Stuart's always been the weaker one."

Stuart glowered, thrusting his stake into another vampire.

"Stand down, men. I will deal with these two rebels myself."

In a flash he rushed to Stuart and Jaegar, picking them up easily a one with each hand, and throwing them across the room.

"Don't you want to see what a real vampire can do?"

Well over six feet seven inches, he stood towering over them.

"Make your choice now a Kalina. Or I shall make it for you. And then neither vampire shall survive...."

chapter 20.

Kalina looked from Stuart to Jaegar, and then back at Stuart again. How could she decide? It was too soon a she had already felt, in the weeks since she had first met Stuart and Jaegar, that she had been running through twin storms a two hurricanes of emotion that had left her drained, left her soaked and exhausted. These two vampires a she owed her life to them; they had both loved her, for they had both loved Aaron, and they had both done their duty to Aaron in protecting her, in giving their lives for her. They had struggled against their temptations a for her blood and her body alike a in order to keep her safe. Coming to love Stuart had been easy. He had been so gentle, so earnest, his honesty underlying that steely strength of self-denial she had seen so often in him. He reminded her of Aaron, yet he was the version she wished Aaron would have become, had he lived. Had Stuart loved Maeve, too? She remembered his grat.i.tude as Stuart had looked up at Maeve following a feeding a but she couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't overreacted, if she hadn't gone too far in her jealousy. Had she been angry, after all, because Maeve was allowed to partic.i.p.ate in acts denied her a that Stuart had worked so hard to protect her from himself? She didn't agree with what he had done, of course, but as she stared into his deep hazel eyes she found herself unable to deny that he had meant well, that everything he had done he had done out of love for her. And yet Jaegar! She had despised him when she first met him a despised his c.o.c.ksure arrogance and his blithe surety that she would come to love him after all. Had he been right? Their rivalry, their wordplay and fighting had turned slowly into something else a their pa.s.sion slowly morphing into grudging respect, and then finally to something like...

And after what had happened last night...

No, she couldn't think about that now.

"I can't decide," she said at last. Stuart and Jaegar both looked up at her, dumbstruck.

Octavius laughed. "Young love," he said at last. "So confusing."

Kalina stared. Why was he making her decide a why was he testing her like this? If all he wanted was to be the most powerful vampire in the world, he could have easily taken her against her will, sucked her blood immediately, without this charade of pretense. But...he was trying to see if she loved either of them a to see if her heart was already taken. Why?

There was only one answer. He wanted her love. Not for her own sake, but for what was running in her veins.

"You should know, Octavius," she said, her voice trembling. "What about Drusilla?"

"What about Drusilla?" Octavius said, only a note too harshly.

"Weren't you in love with her once? Enough to be betrothed a right? Enough to go back to her, after you'd turned, to try and show her what you were, to see if she would still love you...but she killed herself. To avoid the pain. To avoid the shame. How terrible for you."

"It was necessary," said Octavius.

"And why not take me right away? Why try to court me a why try to make me decide who I love...to choose...unless you miss her so much, unless you despise your vampire self so much...to be with Drusilla again, to be able to feel her arms a warm a encircling around you, holding her in your arms. You say vampires don't experience love. But...surely you're the most romantic creatures of all?" She knew she wasn't being very clear, but she had to talk it through, make sense of it, get to Octavius.

"What are you talking about?"

"Searching for centuries a for a cure to your own condition, a cure that will somehow bring you back to the humanity you've lost, for a woman long since dead."

"That has nothing to do with..."

"Why look for Life's Blood? The virgin with the magic potion that will make it all right again? Unless..."

"Silence!" Octavius thundered.

Kalina thought harder. "It's a pity I'm not the one you're looking for."

"Nonsense a Aaron was a winemaker, with the finest nose in all the vampire kingdom. He could smell any blood."

"Except when he was drunk on Vampire Wine, which he was, most of the time. A small price to pay for keeping his innocence."

He leaned into her and inhaled her smell. "Delicious," he said. "Like no other. Your blood is indeed a rarity."

"But is it Life's Blood? Have you ever smelled a carrier? Do you know what she smells like?" She put her hand on her hip. It was now or never. "Plus, didn't you say that the carrier is supposed to be a virgin?"

She looked him up and down, trying to see if he bought it. Stuart and Jaegar were looking at her with something between shock and astonishment. He waved away the guards. "I wish to speak with Miss Kalina alone," said Octavius. "Bring her to my room. I will speak to her in private."

She had gotten to him. The last thing he wanted was for her to reveal his desire for humanity before the guards. If he did not drink from her, they would take it as weakness. And if he drank from her a and if she was not a virgin a how could he be sure his chances for humanity wouldn't be dashed...there was only one way to find out for sure.

She smiled to herself. She was almost getting good at lying. But would she be able to see the plan through...?

"Take the Greystone brothers into the bas.e.m.e.nt," said Octavius. "I have plans for them."

epilogue.

The guards led Stuart and Jaegar down a dark, dank hallway.

All things considered, Jaegar thought, biting his lip, it was probably better than a sunny one.

The guards led them to an edge of the bas.e.m.e.nt, where iron cuffs hung welded from the walls. The guards thrust the brothers into the cuffs and left, their footsteps echoing as they walked away.

"Well done," said Stuart, when they had gone, his voice dripping with irony. "I see you've managed to do what you've always done."

"Oh, it was inevitable," said Jaegar, trying to keep his voice far lighter and more airy than he felt. "I've always been good with women." Somehow the charade masked his terror.

"She's the one, Jaegar!" Stuart hissed. "You knew a you knew I loved her..."

"Did you?" Jaegar leaned against the wall. "Or did you just love what was in her veins?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"You heard her yourself a she can't be the carrier. For very...interesting reasons. I am sorry about that, dear brother a but I'm afraid I've rather spoiled your gift!

Do you still want her a now that her love won't make you human again? Because I can promise you, I do..."

"How dare..." Stuart began, but his voice was cut off by a cry in the dark.

"Stuart?" the voice was weak, but they recognized it immediately. "Jaegar? Thank G.o.d you're here."

Their heads whipped round to the corner, where they could see a figure crouching in the darkness.

They spoke in unison.

"Aaron?"

PULSE continues in Book 2 of PULSE.

Life's Blood (PULSE, #2).

October 2010 From Bestselling Author.

Kailin Gow Comes PULSE Book 2 Life's Blood.

Just when her relations.h.i.+p with Stuart and Jaegar seems complicated enough, there are more vampires in the peaceful wine country town of Rutherford. Amidst the growing danger to her and everyone she loves, a proposition is given to Kalina which would change her life forever. Wicked Woods By Kailin Gow.

Briony had to move to Wicked Woods, Ma.s.sachusetts to live with her Great Aunt Sophie after her family disappears on vacation. The woods at the edge of Aunt Sophie's inn are filled with secrets and inhabitants both seductive and deadly. Among them is a beautiful boy name Fallon who saves her one night in the woods. As Briony gets closer to Fallon, she learns he has a secret, as do most of the residents of Wicked Woods...

The Stoker Sisters.

By Kailin Gow.

Two sisters... Born during the time of Jane Austen... Set to marry for advancement, but escaped their fates by becoming vampires. Now vampires in the 21st century, hunted by a sect of rogue hunters, the sisters meet a mysterious boy who holds the key to their destinies.

BITTER FROST.

All her life, Breena had always dreamed about fairies as though she lived amongst them... beautiful fairies living amongst mortals and living in Feyland. In her dreams, he was always there a the breathtakingly handsome but dangerous Winter Prince, Kian, who is her intended. Then she sees Kian, who seems intent on finding her and carrying her off to Feyland. If she is his intended, why does he seem to hate her and want her dead? And her best friend Logan has suddenly become protective. Things are getting strange...

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