B Positive by Jewel Killian

Thirty-Three

Two days to the incursion (and to pound town)

Wednesday I wokein my bed with no idea how I got there. The last thing I remembered was falling in a heap on top of Julian.

I reached to get my phone, but the pain in my shoulder stopped me dead. “Ouch!” I screeched as fire seared up and down my arm, and not the nice, spicy kind of fire.

I checked the wound, expecting to see gruesome torn flesh and bone for as much as it hurt, but the only outward signs that anything had happened were two tiny fang marks.

“Jeez. It could at least look as bad as it hurts.”

I hopped in the shower and let the warm water work out the soreness in the surrounding muscles. After I’d dried and dressed in a loose T-shirt to hide the puncture wounds, and put my wet hair in a braid, I checked my phone, surprised to find an early morning message from Julian.

It’s common to lose consciousness after the marking.Soreness is a side effect but it should dissipate in a few hours. Good luck with the safes. I’ll see you tonight. Two more days.

Two more days until the incursion and since we’d done the mark at midnight on Wednesday that meant we couldn’t do the final stage until midnight on Friday. So, two days for that as well.

Two dayswas all I sent back to him before I sent a text to Sunny asking if she was free for breakfast.

Are you kidding me? Not only am I free, I’m salivating for all of last night’s details. Get down here!

I smiled at my phone and ran to the great room.

Sunny, in a beautiful yellow sundress that matched her name and her bright smile perfectly, handed me a matching yellow Starbucks cup. “I’m so sorry I had to avoid you, Eden.”

I held a hand up as I took a long, slow pull of decadent, perfectly warmed blood. “I don’t want to rehash that, Sun. I understand why it happened the way it did, and that’s all I want to say about it.”

Sunny nodded and we both sat on the sofa, helping ourselves to poached eggs and fruit salad.

After a few minutes, Sunny finally asked what she’d been wanting to. “Well? How was it? Can I see the mark? I’m probably never going to be a full vampire, let alone have a mate, so please just let me experience this vicariously through you.”

I pulled down the neck of my shirt, showing Sunny the tiny punctures.

“That’s it? I expected—”

“More? Same. Especially considering how much the bitch hurts.” I rolled my shoulder around, flexing the muscles, hoping to work out the stiffness.

“Okay, so the mark isn’t all the impressive but was the actual marking good? I hear it’s supposed to be super carnal and physical.”

I nodded, spooning a bit of egg onto a triangle of toast. “It was definitely both of those. Basically, Julian and I threw each other across the room until my fangs popped out and I bit him.”

“Where’d you bite him?” she asked, eyes wide and round.

“Right pec.”

Sunny nodded approvingly. “Good choice. If it were me, I probably would have bitten my mate’s dick.”

“Sunny!”

“What?” She eyed me innocently. “That way anytime he looks at it he knows who it belongs to.”

“Sunny!!”

She giggled and popped a grape in her mouth.

We chatted through the rest of our meal about what she was wearing to the incursion—strapless Dior dress with strappy Chanel heels—and all the things she still needed to do before Friday.

It sounded like a lot. “Sun, if you need to work through your meals, I get it. You don’t have to keep taking time out of your day for me.”

Sunny glared at me. “First of all, I eat whether the king likes it or not. And secondly, I like our meals together. They’re about the only thing keeping me sane leading up to the incursion.”

I gave her a big, warm smile. “Okay. I’ll see you for lunch, then.” And I set off for the basement.

Safes.

So many goddamn safes.

I was so sick of goddamn safes!

But the goal was to make it through all of them once and then double back to hone in on the new guys. And I’d already done the first part.

Now on to the second.

I kicked the first one of the day and got to work.

When lunch finally rolled around, Sunny brought it down to the basement, saying she had to eat and run and didn’t want to waste time.

Apparently there was another hiccup with the caterer that she had to attend to.

“Maybe it’s time you found a new caterer,” I offered.

“Yeah, I would, but they’re literally the only vamp-staffed company in the cove. And they know it, so they’re dicking me around.”

“Want me to show ’em who’s boss?” I asked jokingly.

“If only. I’ve got it, I just don’t like it,” she said and polished off the rest of her takeout curry.

We chatted a little while longer before Sunny scooped everything up and headed back upstairs to handle the caterers.

The afternoon was a slog.

Even the time spent working with B seemed to pass painfully slow.

At least he said I was progressing nicely.

And, back to the safes.

I hated safes. They were the bane of my existence. Safes could suck a dick for all I cared.

But eventually I found a groove and soon enough my buzzing pocket had me shooting out of the basement and to my room for a shower.

I checked the message halfway up the metal stairs.

As much as I’d like a repeat of last night, I think it’s safer if we skip tonight’s rendezvous. I can’t promise to keep my hands off you and I won’t risk our bond. Not when we’ve come so close, Eden. I hope you understand.

The metal railing bent beneath my fingers as I bellowed my frustration to the drop ceiling.

And when did you come to this decision?I jabbed out the message, shocked I didn’t break the screen when I hit send.

That’s not important.

It absolutely is! If you decided it this morning, I would have adjusted my expectations for the day. But telling me moments before we’re supposed to meet is the same as leaving me sitting alone in a restaurant.

Dick.

I see your point. I apologize. I’ll adjust my behavior in the future.

I chucked my phone at the basement door.

Then I ran up the rest of the steps to make sure I hadn’t actually broken it and tucked it in my pocket. The heavy-duty case was earning its keep lately.

Looked like it was safe-town for Eden for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Thursday.

One day until the incursion.

I checked my phone. Nine a.m., and no messages from anyone. Not even Jaxson.

I needed to call him.

I also needed to talk to Julian about whether Jaxson was going to come to the incursion or not.

But first things first. Morning routine, and then breakfast with Sunny.

“He was really upset that he messed up last night,” Sunny said as she sat next to me and handed me a Starbys cup.

I closed my eyes, and took a breath. “I don’t want to talk about that or him, Sunny.”

“Got it. How are you doing with the safes?”

“Ugh, safes. Don’t remind me. I can’t believe I ever thought I was some kind of safe expert before. Seriously, if I ever have to look at another safe after this bullshit is over, it will be too soon.” I sipped on the warm blood and moved on. “What about you? Any luck with the caterers?”

“Yes, but I had to pull out my big guns. They fell right in line after that.”

“Big guns?”

Sunny only smiled at me. “I’ll never tell.”

The only thing getting me through the safes now was hate.

I was hate-cracking them.

But, as silly as it sounded, it worked and by the time Sunny came down with lunch, I’d made it through three-quarters of the new safes.

“You seem in better spirits,” Sunny said, sitting at the metal work table.

I took the blood she offered. “Appearances are deceiving, Sun.”

“Well, you look more rested, anyway.”

I supposed that was a good thing. I just couldn’t wait for the waiting to be over with. Less than twelve hours and I could see Julian.

“Honestly, as lame as it sounds, I think being away from Julian screws up my mood.”

“It’s not lame, Eden. It’s the way the mating bond works. You’re supposed to crave each other’s company to build the bond.”

“Where I’m from, girls who can’t function without their man are definitely lame.”

“Yeah? Well, where I’m from people who are lucky enough to find a mate to bond with cherish it for the honor it is,” she said in a sharp tone I hadn’t heard from her before.

My gaze flew up to meet hers. “Is everything okay, Sun?”

She nodded. “Yes. It’s strange to hear you complain about a thing so many vampires wish they could experience.”

“Okay, you win. I’ll complain less and appreciate more. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Aside from that, are you holding up okay?”

Sunny speared me with an intense stare, one she probably saved for caterers and witches, before her posture deflated. “Honestly, Eden, I have no clue. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to face Titus. I’m just doing my best to stay busy and not think about it.”

Girl, same.

I chewed on my cheek before asking the question that had been drilling me in the back of the head the last five days. “I need you to tell me worst case, what happens if Titus finds that diamond.”

Sunny swallowed audibly before straightening her back and giving me the full weight of her gaze. “If Titus’s people find the Tzarina’s Diamond, then Titus will absorb Laurel Cove into his territory and walk back any changes King Julian made that he doesn’t like.”

I nodded, motioning for her to continue.

“Which means Titus will steal the wolves human form by subjugating the witches once more. He will have every made vampire in the cove executed, right after he beheads you and King Julian.” Sunny took a deep, steading breath. “And if he doesn’t kill me outright, he’ll drag me back where I belong. In his tower.” Sunny’s lip disappeared between her teeth.

“You know that’s not where you belong, right?”

She shrugged, green eyes rimmed in unshed tears. “My family is one of the longest lines of pure vampires left, so in his mind, I do. And it’s exactly what he’ll do if we don’t hold our own.”

I took her hands in mine. “I won’t let him win, Sun. I promise.”

We finished lunch and I was able to make my way through three more safes by the time B came for my lesson. Before he’d even reached the last step I drilled him with questions.

“How many people are guarding the safe in my studio?” I should have allocated my time better. I should have reinforced my safe and not dicked around with the new ones. Not that Julian would have let me leave to do that.

I took some solace in the fact that I’d done exactly as Julian had asked, worked the safes and learned everything I could. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that all this time, I’d been focusing on the wrong thing.

B’s training wouldn’t let him appear surprised by my barking question. He stood at attention and answered me. “Seven of my guys are guarding your studio.”

“Seven? You can hardly fit two people in that place.”

“True. But we covertly relocated the residents on that floor to a hotel. I’ve got my guys in every unit. They’ve been there since the second the king bought the building.”

“Even Jaxson’s?”

B nodded.

I paced the length of the basement, finger tapping against my chin. “What about my safe? Did you fortify it? It’s a good model but playing dirty with aftermarket booby traps won’t hurt.”

B relaxed his stance. “We did. We also had decoy safes installed in every unit of the building. All with their own booby traps.”

“Nice. I wouldn’t have thought of that one.”

“Eh, you would have. You’re just not used to having so many resources at your disposal. Anything else, Ms. Vaughn?”

“Oh, Eden is fine, B. But I think you’ve successfully eased my nerves for the moment. Thank you.”

“Anytime. Ready for the lesson?”

I nodded, straightened up and let him poke and prod at my shielding.

“Very nice. I can’t sense a thing coming from you.”

I heaved out a sigh of relief. “Does that mean Titus won’t be able to scent me. Won’t know I’m made and not born?”

B’s brows furrowed, gray eyes darkening to a flinty metal. “Titus will definitely be able to scent you through your shielding, Eden. Any vampire as old as him would. But you’ve got the mate bond to trick his senses, plus that storehouse of raw strength if things go sideways.”

I leveled a raw stare at him. “B, if things go sideways, we’re all dead. No amount of shielding or strength is going to help.”

B stepped toward me, picked me up by the tops of my arms and lifted me off the ground until our gazes were level. “I’m not letting anyone get anywhere near that diamond, Eden. And the king isn’t going to let anything happen to you, okay?”

“It’s not me I’m worried about, B.”

He set me down and patted me on the head, which normally I’d throw hands about, but B’s gesture was more sweet than condescending. “First incursions are the worst. I spent most of mine in the bathroom horkin’ out my dinner. A lot is riding on this. But a lot of people are working to make sure we come out on top, or at the very least, at a stalemate.

I gave him a slow nod. “What else should I be doing or prepping?”

“You’ve done it all, Eden. You’ve worked the safes, figured out your vamp powers, and from what I hear at the office cooler,” he put finger quotes around that bit, “you’re set to seal the mate bond in place. There’s nothing else you can do.”

“Are you sure?” I asked as he was heading up the stairs.

“Positive, Eden. This time tomorrow, you’ll be laughing about how boring it was.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I said.

B chuckled. “Make sure you get some rest. And hydrate.” He grinned at me and closed the basement door.

Had B just made a sex joke?