Tainted Blood (Book 2)

12. There are Things that Save You

Cornelius and the purple-eyed vampire dragged Olivia away from Kaleb and Virginia's cage. Jason darted the other direction. They pounded against the glass and the doors as the alarms blared. Virginia screamed in fury as neither the glass or door gave way.

"They're going to kill her!" she screamed at Kaleb. She had made his fists bloody by pounding and pulling at the door.

"We'll get out of here. There has to be a way, a failsafe of some sort," Kaleb looked around. Everything was cement, even the ceiling, and no vents.

"Or you could ask your friendly neighborhood vampire," Abel's voice from the doorway scared both of them. From the bridge of his nose, down to the waistline of his pants was wet with blood. They could both feel the power pulsing from him now that he had been restored to full health. Virginia flung herself at him, burying her fangs in his jugular. He nearly fell as her added weight threw him off balance.

She didn't even bother closing his wound for him when she pulled away. She dragged her tongue beneath her fangs, opening a wound there. Her blood mixed freely with Abel's in her mouth, muddying his. She turned and pulled Kaleb into a deep kiss. He stiffened at the taste of blood. She pulled back from the kiss and put a finger on his lips quieting him.

"Swallow," she ordered. He did as he was told and swallowed the mix of ancient and half-breed blood. He shuddered as strength returned to him sevenfold. She didn't wait more than thirty seconds for him to feel the energy pulsing through every muscle. She took off down the hall she last saw her daughter down. The two of them kept up easily. She scented as she led them. They turned a corner to Cain's blood covered back standing over two dead bodies in riot gear.

"Brother," Abel's voice was gentle. Much more gentle than Virginia had ever heard from him. Cain glanced over his shoulder at them, assessing them before he moved. He side-stepped revealing Olivia.

"Look what I found," Cain said. Olivia, visibly shaken and covered in other people's blood, grimaced as tears welled in her eyes.

"Mom?" Virginia slammed into her tiny daughter, enveloping her in strong arms.

"We need to leave, now," Virginia said over Olivia's head. It was distracting, her daughter sobbing into her neck, but not distracting enough to make her forget the very real danger they were in.

"Not yet," Cain growled at her. She knew, well her human half knew, that he didn't mean it in a threatening way. He had shed more blood in a five minute period than he had in centuries, it was bound to bring the animal out of him. But the wolf in her didn't appreciate being questioned when it came to the safety of her child.

"Yes. Now."

"My brother is right," Abel stepped between them, diffusing tension, "These two," he gestured to Kaleb and Olivia, "are too fragile. Find a safe room and let us clear the area."

"I am not fragile," Kaleb snapped.

"You are compared to the three of us," Cain snapped back. If Kaleb had been in wolf form, his ears would have been flat against his skull in that moment. But pulsing with vampire blood, he was braver and more stupid in that moment.

"I'm no different from you."

"Can you take a bullet to the brain and wake up just fine?" Abel asked politely. Kaleb remained silent, "No then. Back down."

"Fine. Clear us a path to freedom. Use our blood bond to find me when you're finished," Virginia said to Abel. The two brothers turned and began their search and destroy mission. Virginia guided Olivia and Kaleb quickly down the halls. They passed an armory, which Kaleb insisted they stop in. Virginia didn't need anything weighing her down if she needed to fight. She had every weapon she needed inside her.