Wolfblood: The Price of Loss Ch. 06

Valery raised her eyebrows in surprise and couldn't help the few giggles that escaped her at the overtly jealous tone in Vincent's voice as he mentioned his brother. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised in indignation and she tried to stifle the laughter.

"He was the only one around who could help and I didn't know you two are brothers," she said defensively and tried to hold back a smile when Vincent sighed heavily.

"What about your human family?" he asked after a pause.

"What about them?" she responded a little too quickly, noting the defensiveness in her tone but not caring, all humor suddenly fizzling out.

Vincent studied her for a moment longer, his eyes boring into hers before he spoke again.

"Do they know about what happened to you?"

Valery looked away from him and took a deep breath to steady herself; the family that raised her from childhood was long gone and it was always a sore issue when it was brought up. She'd never even had a chance to bury her father and that had hurt like hell as it was after the time that she'd been reported missing and probably dead. Richard had gone with her, both of them in wolf form as they'd watched from a distance while her father's casket was lowered in the ground 2 years after her turning. She'd cried for days after that, heartbreak overwhelming her and had lashed out at Richard and Lyn about the unfairness of the entire situation but they had understood, standing by her even as they maintained that rules were rules. Nicholas had been a toddler at the time and would simply just sit on her bed then, giving her hugs as big as his little chubby arms would allow and ask her to stop crying as he placed light kisses on her face. Valery smiled sadly as the memories flashed through her mind before she looked back at the vampire before her.

"My mother died when I was young, I can barely remember her but my dad...he raised me. He was 65 at the time I was turned and..." she paused, swallowing repeatedly to try and get rid of the lump in her throat. "He died two years after I was officially declared dead...a heart attack. He never knew that I was still alive and while the family that had adopted me in the pack was understanding, I still never got to bury him. It would have raised too many questions...broken the rules of the pack. I never got to say g-goodbye."

She finally broke down, her voice unable to narrate the story anymore and Vincent gathered her in his arms, stroking her hair silently as she tried to gather strength from him. The bond they shared helped root her as she felt his compassion flow through her and the sobs reduced.

"What about you" she asked quietly, grateful that her voice didn't break and wanting to steer the conversation away from her.

Vincent loosened his hold on her and she felt him take a deep breath as he rested his chin on her head.

"Most of my family died a very long time ago; it's only Hector and I left," he said, pausing at the end.

Silence stretched for a while and Valery shifted uncomfortably wondering whether she should continue asking about his life. She'd however just revealed her deepest hurts to him and was feeling vulnerable, it was only fair that he respond in kind. Vincent drew away from her and she turned to look at him, finding his face blank.

"Ask," he said and she shifted in discomfort again.

"Were they vampires too at some point?"

"No, that is still just Hector and I," he responded with a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair. "We originally lived in Ancient Rome and Nero had been Emperor for about 10 years when I was sired."

Valery stiffened as shock flowed through her system; that would make him nearly 2,000 years old! She stared in wonder at Vincent and he looked wearily at her before he turned his gaze to the ground.

"We were happy...at least that's what I remember. My father was one of the advisors in the Emperor's Court, he'd just been appointed and we were...happy. It was me, Hector and then the twins; beautiful twin girls who were about 5 years old at the time. Aelia and Aemilia...so innocent."

There was a deep melancholy flowing down their bond now and she could feel his heartbreak acutely. She shivered at its intensity and moved towards him, sitting next to him and wrapping her hands across his arm in an attempt to lend her own strength back.

"You...you don't have to tell me if it's too-"

"No, I want to tell you. You shared your pain with me, I'd like to share mine with you if you don't mind," he interrupted her, turning to look down into her eyes.

Valery nodded silently and Vincent turned to look at the floor again, sighing deeply.

"Just before I was sired, Hector had disappeared for weeks; he was quite errant at the time and while we were used to his antics, his disappearance was beginning to cause my parents worry. So they came to me, taking me away from my apprenticeship briefly and imploring me to go look for him...I was not pleased."

"What were you studying to become?" Valery asked, realizing she'd interrupted him, a little too late. "Sorry."

"It's alright, I don't mind your questions. I was studying to become a physician. They were long years and I was yet to marry at the age of 32 but I was determined to be of some use in society, though my father had wanted me to take a more political job," Vincent said, a small smile gracing his lips at his last words. "Looking back on it now, I suppose I should be grateful for Hector's wayward manner at the time for he saved my life."

He paused again and Valery let him gather his thoughts quietly this time, not interrupting him as she felt the tension within him increase.

"I searched for him for a few days and finally found him in some rundown and disreputable part of town. It was at night and he was staggering along the street like a drunk, his clothes soiled and torn and a wild look on his face. I was angry and tried to drag him out of there but the strength he had was inhuman...I remember the fear in his eyes as he gripped me and begged me to leave him alone and flee instead but I didn't listen. We argued some more before someone attacked me from behind and I lost consciousness."

"The following days after that were a blur and I don't recall much; I don't even remember how long I was away for before I finally woke to fire burning the building I was laying in and an excessive thirst. I staggered out of the building, trying to get my bearings but the thirst, what I know now was blood-thirst, was impossible to ignore. People were fleeing from the fire in a panic and without thinking, I grabbed a young man and sank my teeth into his neck, drinking his blood and draining him. I realized almost instantly what I had become."

Valery felt the tension in Vincent's body increase and started stroking his arm in a futile attempt to reduce it, not knowing what else she could do at the moment.

"I was disgusted and terrified, so I ran, finally finding a familiar road and moving through the streets only to find that large sections of the city were on fire. I still remember the fear that seized me as I ran towards my parent's house, knowing it was too far away for me to reach it in time but still running. My speed must have manifested then because I finally found myself in front of the house in mere minutes, but it had already burnt to the ground, my parents and the twins no doubt dead underneath the rubble."

"The flames were raging all around me and despite my grief and despair at the moment, the urge to survive was stronger. I raced through the city but at some point my clothes caught flames and I ran towards the Tiber, plunging myself into the river. The flames were extinguished but I didn't know how to swim...I drowned and then woke up after an unprecedented amount of time, fighting to reach the surface but being unable to. I must have drowned a hundred times, occasionally being pushed to the top by some current or rapids and getting burnt by the sun when it was daylight. It was agony."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Valery said, feeling a tear slip down her cheek and reaching to wipe it away as Vincent's tortured emotions flowed unbidden through her. He reached out and wrapped a hand around her, holding her tightly.

"I was fished out at some point by a reclusive old man, deep in the night, when he saw my body flowing down the river...I attacked him and fed from him until he died. Madness flowed through me and the excessive thirst for blood was one that could barely be quenched. I took up residence in the old man's shack and learned to avoid the sun, only going out at night to feed but still not managing to stop before I killed my victims. Over time, I learned that Nero had ordered Rome to be burned, blaming it on the Christians but some people whispered that he'd done so to kill a much greater evil; vampires."

"I drifted in and out of towns in the first few decades, looking for survivors of Rome's fire and finding none that I knew before I finally gave up on trying to find my family. A small group of vampires found me and one of them taught me better control of my thirst and abilities. It was hard trying to stick to a group and after learning what I could from them, I left again, finding my way through different towns and trying to survive. Going through the different cultures was difficult, having to learn things anew every 50 years or so, but I had to survive. I found Hector in what is known as Russia today, around the time I was two centuries old, but that's a story for another day."

Vincent wrapped his hands around her and kissed the top of her head before letting her go.

"So, when did you start being able to walk in the sun?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"It was a measured process; I started it at about the 500 year mark and gradually became able to spend longer amounts of time in the sun. By the time I was a millennium old, I could do it indefinitely."

Valery stared at him, so many questions running through her mind but she battled with them, pushing them down and resisting the urge to cause him remembrance of any more potentially painful memories. They had time, she would ask later. His story really was incredible and she found herself marveling at how resilient he had to be in order to survive such long periods of time, alone and unable to move around in daylight. No wonder vampires were reclusive creatures; she could only just imagine the horror of living such a life and without a mentor, no less.

"You're far too quiet," Vincent said, snapping her out of her reverie and finding him smirking down at her.

"I...uh...I was wondering how you...uh, how you can store 2,000 years worth of memories," Valery said, choosing to ask one of her tamer questions. "How is it that you haven't forgotten things that happened when you were still human?"

"Not 2,000, 1,983 years to be exact; I was 32 when I was sired and I do forget events, my memory is not perfect," Vincent responded with a small frown. "There are decades of some centuries where I can barely remember a single event that happened and can't even recognize the vampires I came across in those periods. What I retain however, are memories of important occurrences, people close to me and those I should be wary of. I seem to also have an uncanny ability to always remember places and names."

Valery watched him give a small shrug at the last sentence and she smiled, feeling warmth going through her as she took in and began to accept the vampire seated next to her. Whatever had happened over the past month was slowly beginning to fade and she was coming to terms with her mate and accepting the fact that she actually liked him. As if he could hear her thoughts, Vincent turned to her with a grin, an eyebrow cocked in amusement.

"So, what now, Valery?" he asked and she smiled, finally deciding that she liked the sound of her name on his lips.

"Well, now I take a shower and we figure this out after breakfast," she responded, unable to resist smiling back at him.

"Hmm, well I already had my breakfast," he countered, his grin growing wider. "Unless of course you'd like me to join you in your shower for more."

Valery's heart rate quickened and she turned away from Vincent, fighting down a blush and forcing a frown of disapproval on her face.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, turning back to give him a half hearted glare.

"You sure? I'd love to show you exactly why vampire matings are rumored to be...intense," Vincent said, the last word coming out in a deeper tone as he leaned towards her.

There was amusement in his eyes but layered with a hunger that she'd seen there moments before he'd almost devoured her earlier and she moved off the bed, standing up to let the beddings fall away from her nude form as she walked away from him. Valery didn't turn back to see the look on his face, but instead grabbed a towel and walked out of the room as quickly as she could, ignoring the chuckle she heard behind her. She was more comfortable around him and it seemed the bond her wolf had forced upon the vampire was working to ensure she accepted him; she felt more drawn to him with every passing minute. They were fully mated and she was growing to like that fact more and more but the sudden intensity of her attraction to him was also a little jarring.

Valery entered the shower and turned the knobs as she reached for the shower gel. Her skin felt heated and sensitive as she passed her hands over it and she gave up trying to get thoroughly clean with her morning shower as thoughts of Vincent's lips and his touch filled her mind. She held back a soft moan and decided against touching herself, knowing that he'd be able to hear her. Her hand moved up to caress the side of her neck as she remembered his fangs sinking in and the fire that had exploded within her at that action. It was strange, either them being fully mated was the cause for her body's reaction or there was something else at play. She remembered the first time he'd fed from her as he'd stroked her to orgasm, it had been intense but there was something different this time. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he'd just bitten her in the exact same spot he'd used all those weeks ago...she'd have to figure it out somehow.

Turning off the shower, Valery wrapped the towel around herself and went back to the bedroom only to find Vincent gone. Feeling a little disappointed, she dried herself and dressed quickly in jeans and a shirt before she walked out and down the stairs.

"No, there are a number of them in the woods. About five if I counted right"

She turned towards the sound of Vincent's voice and followed it to the kitchen, finding him on the phone, leaning against the counter. He'd been using clothes from Hector's section of the closet and while they were almost the same size, Vincent had wider shoulders and she liked the way the shirts always tightened against his chest and arms.

"Yeah, I took care of them but I need them off and identified if possible," she heard him say into the phone before he paused to listen to the other line.

"Ok, sure, thanks," he ended the call as he fixed his eyes on hers.

"What was that about?" she asked, more than a little curious as to whom he'd be making phone calls to.

"The dead wolves on Hector's land. I need them taken care of and that was a friend who said he could help me," Vincent replied as he placed a plate with scrambled eggs and toast on the counter and put a stool beside her so she could sit and have breakfast.

"Police?" she asked, her curiosity piqued even more.

"Yes, actually. Police Commissioner of this region."

"Powerful friends," she muttered in amusement, pulling the plate towards her and accepting the cup of coffee he placed before her. "Thank you."

"You learn how to wield power when you've lived a long time," he said with a chuckle.

Vincent continued to watch her for a few moments longer, his eyes lingering on her lips every time she put something in her mouth, making her flush. She continued eating however, silence flowing for a few minutes before he broke it.

"I have to take you back to your pack, Valery."

She stopped eating and stared at him, her eyes widening in surprise at his statement and the sudden rise of emotions within her. Did he not want her anymore, after all that they'd been through? They were supposed to stay together, why was he taking her back? Valery shifted as she tried to calm her wolf down long enough to get an explanation out of him.

"Why?" she asked, her voice curt.

"I don't want you to get involved in this. There will be an investigation and while select parts of the government know about...the supernatural, I don't want them to find you here and guess your involvement."

His reasoning was sound and the grave look on her face made her wonder if he could feel the emotions roiling through her at that moment, but her wolf was beyond reasoning at that point. Vincent had a point but the animal was not accepting it, agitated at the thought of them being apart from him.

"What about you?" she inquired.

Silence ruled again as Vincent studied her for a few a minute.

"I cannot stay in your wolf pack, Valery," he started, speaking slowing and capturing her eyes with his own. "I will be going back to the house, the one we had the cocktail at."

He looked at her for a while longer as she waited for an explanation from him; something to reassure her that he was as torn up about their separation as she was.

"I'd ask you to come with me, I want you to come with me but...I know about wolves and packs. You need one to survive."

"I can come with you," she said, half whispering and trying to calm down as her heart hammered in her chest. "So long as I maintain my bond with the Alpha and my family, I can come with you..."

Vincent's face slowly broke into a large grin and he moved forward to hold her in an almost bone-crushing hug, laughing softly and kissing the top of her head.

"I didn't know about that; that would be absolutely marvelous. Oh, I keep causing you grief in my folly," he said, still holding her.

Thankfully, her wolf had calmed down in the few seconds it took Vincent to accept her terms, she had to find a way to live at peace with the temperamental animal. He finally loosened his hold on her and she looked up at him, grinning back at his contagious smile. Valery briefly wondered whether she could sink her teeth into the area her wolf had placed the mating bite but was interrupted in her thoughts.

"You'll need to pack," he said and just like that, the mood changed.

Vincent let her go completely and she went back upstairs to pack her few items in one of the small carry-ons she'd seen in Hector's closet, her breakfast forgotten on the kitchen counter. She felt excitement zing through her and wondered at her sudden eagerness. It really felt surreal that a few days ago, she was running away from him and now she was practically throwing herself at him, insisting that she move into his house. Valery paused in her actions, feeling taken aback at the last thought. She hadn't even thought twice as she'd offered to move in with him...this was all getting really strange. Going back to her packing, she remembered Annet and Lyn insisting that she could never fight the mating pull. Annet had insisted that it was impossible because she'd tried to stay away from Jonathan, a little freaked at his intensity and had decided to take a job in another city. She'd been a little light on the details but had said that 3 days after she'd decided to "run away" she'd found herself mated to Jonathan and unable to imagine being away from him.

Valery laughed nervously; perhaps that was what was happening to her, for while she really liked Vincent, she couldn't remember exactly when her outlook on him had changed. That was a little unsettling for her and she'd had just about enough of not being in control.