Free The Rise of Vlad (The Seeker Series Book 3) by Ditter Kellen Page B

feet. She was gone. He would never again hold her in his arms, taste her passion, see the fire flash in her amber eyes as she promised retaliation for something he’d done.
    His legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees beside the bed.
    “I’m sorry, Nita,” he whispered, taking hold of her cold hand. “Forgive me.”
    Vlad had no doubt that he was partly responsible for her death. Had he not given her his blood to begin with, her own people would have had no cause to bleed her out.
    Then again, she would have died without it. His blood was the only reason she’d survived being shot.
    A gasp suddenly rent the air, and Nita’s back bowed off the bed.
    Vlad was on his feet in an instant, cupping her face. “Nita? Look at me.”
    Her eyes flew open on command, and Vlad’s breath caught. Her once amber-colored eyes were as black as onyx.
    “Where am I?” she rasped, staring back at him in confusion.
    “You don’t remember what happened?”
    She shook her head, her gaze searching his. “I…”
    Tears sprang to her eyes, pulling at the heartstrings Vlad wasn’t aware he even had.
    She jerked her hands up, turning her wrists from side to side. “How?”
    Vlad noticed with no small amount of relief that the cuts were nearly healed. “It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you are alive.”
    A small indention appeared between her eyes. “You saved me. On that table. I— It was you. The hooded figure.”
    Vlad simply nodded, allowing his hands to drop away.
    Nita pushed up higher against the pillows, forcing him to sit back and face her. “How many died?”
    He shrugged. “Not nearly enough.”
    “Those were my people,” she whispered, blinking back tears.
    The hurt coming from her pissed Vlad off. “They tried to kill you, Nita. No. They did kill you. They do not deserve even one of your tears.”
    The onyx color began to swirl in her eyes, giving way to her normal beautiful amber. Vlad decided not to mention the black he’d seen upon her waking.
    “What is happening to me?” She lifted her hands, turning them left and right.
    “It’s the vampire blood in your veins. I’m assuming that it’s sharpened your vision.”
    “You’ve turned me into what you are?”
    Vlad shook his head. “I don’t think a shifter can become vampire, Nita.”
    “You don’t think?” she exclaimed, continuing to study her hands.
    “To my knowledge, a vampire has never attempted to turn a shifter. Perhaps you have the gifts of both monsters.”
    Nita lifted her gaze to Vlad’s. “Shifters are not monsters. We are born to protect, not harm.
    “My mother,” Nita suddenly gasped, moving to get up. “He’ll hurt my mother.”
    Vlad gently pushed her back against the pillows. “Who will hurt you mother?”
    “Miles Castro. He promised that if I didn’t survive to mate with him, he would make my mom suffer.”
    Castro would die, Vlad silently vowed, brushing Nita’s hair back from her face.
    He fished out his cell from the pocket of his jeans and handed it to her. “Call her. Tell her to meet you at a motel near the edge of town. I’ll send someone to pick her up.”
    Nita’s mouth fell open. “She would never come here, Vlad. She sees you as the enemy.”
    “What about you?” He wasn’t sure why he asked, but the words came out before he could stop them.
    “You’ve saved my life. Twice, and I’m grateful to you for that. But it doesn’t change the fact that you are a vampire.”
    “As are you. In a sense.”
    Nita stilled, staring up at Vlad in defeat. “I can never return home,” she murmured as if the reality of her situation had finally sunk in. “My people would never allow me back in the fold.”
    He didn’t respond.
    With trembling fingers, Nita took the phone from Vlad’s hand. She dialed her mother’s number and brought the cell to her ear.

Chapter Eighteen
     
    Nita held her breath as the phone continued to ring. “Pick up,” she whispered, praying she wasn’t too