Vampires Rule // Colby Brock

|~28~|

Colby Brock
After a little while of slowly slipping in and out of sleep, Lydia gives up on trying to stay awake. She gives me a look then kisses my cheek, slips out of my arm, and leaves the room. I can't help but watch her leave for a second. It's just natural to watch her until I can't anymore.

She's one of the last girls to leave; Tori being the first I think. I haven't been paying much attention. I know that Katrina is still here, though, and Cassie obviously. She won't be sleeping until daylight comes because she's like us.

It takes approximately two minutes for one of them to speak up now that she's gone. I've been waiting for it after she exposed me earlier. "So, brother." Sam starts. "Since when can you resist blood enough to be able to quote 'snuggle' into Lydia's neck?" I stay dead silent and don't even look up from my phone.

"Teasing aside . . . you don't want to bite her?" Brennen asks me. He, I do actually look at. But not for long. I'm not in the mood to talk to them about Lydia or my biting habits. Especially not when I can faintly still hear her heartbeat upstairs. I want to join her, but it's not late enough yet.

Then again, she's lying in my bed . . . probably only wearing a shirt of mine . . . and I'm downstairs . . . fuck that. Without a word, I stand and run with vampire speed out of the garage and up the stairs. I stop beside my bedroom door where I listen close. She's awake still, I know that.

I quietly enter anyways, glancing over at her to see that my predictions are correct. She's lying in my bed wearing only my shirt with her eyes closed. She peeks at me but not for every long before she moves over in the bed to make room. I smile at that. Somehow she knows I'm going to join her.

Once my shirt has been thrown on the floor and I've changed my pants, I slip into the bed with her. She doesn't move even when I pull her by her hips into my body and wrap my arms around her waist. After taking a second to reconsider my next move, I dig my face deep into her neck. The smallest exhale of amusement escapes her.

"Told you."

"Shut up." I whisper to her. I place a couple of kisses on the delicate skin then settle. I won't be asleep for a long time but I'll be comfortable and her scent will be all around me. That's all I need. Right now, tomorrow, the day after that. It's all I need forever.

No one's gonna take it away from me.

**********

Sam Golbach
The next evening, Lydia is at the house again. It's becoming somewhat of a routine and I have no doubt that soon enough, she and Colby will be ready to move onto the next step. And then she'll know the secret. She deserves to know and I honestly believe she'll handle it very well.

In the meantime, she's sitting on Colby's lap with her head resting on his chest and her phone in her hand. He's on his phone too but I see the way he glances at her every few minutes as if he's making sure she's still there. Katrina and I are sitting in a similar fashion but I'm keeping my face close to her neck for her scent to be closer to me. I still haven't fed from her yet but I'm hoping soon she'll be comfortable enough to let me.

Just as I go to place a kiss on Katrina's neck, though, there's a loud knock on the front door. The lack of a new scent or the sound of a heartbeat tells all of us that it's a vampire. I exchange a worried glance with Colby, who loosens his grip on Lydia. She reluctantly moves onto the beanbag, letting him get up and leave the room.

I listen to his footsteps go to the door and then how he opens it. Then his fast movement and growl. Elton and Brennen both leap up and run from the room, which confuses a few of the girls.

"There's a threat here." I whisper to Katrina in a little panic. "Stay in here, you understand?" She nods as I stand up then she moves to the beanbag with Lydia trying not to look worried. The moment I'm through the garage door, I run with speed into the hallway. Colby's not looking so good. By the looks of it, there's a hell of a lot of vervaine that's been thrown on him and he's trying to shake off its effects. Meanwhile, Brennen and Elton are holding a vampire out of the house. I don't recognise her, but I can tell she's very old.

"Don't touch me, you peasants! You don't know who you're messing with." She growls at them. "Touch me again and you start a war." Brennen and Elton stay back but they're still ready to pounce. As the second in command of the clan, I walk in front of Colby.

"You may have just started a war." I tell her. "Attacking our clan leader for no reason." She stares at me, then glances at him, and her features take on an evil glint. She grins and takes some steps back onto the actual driveway.

"I'm not here for the vampires. I'm here for Lydia Drake." Colby instantly growls. He gets to his feet and comes beside me, eyes black. The vampire rolls her eyes with a little giggle. "Yes, I heard about your connection. Don't worry, I don't want to hurt her yet. I want her to know the truth about herself. Tell me, boys. Does she know about the big secret? The truth about this world?" We stay silent. "She will know. And she'll learn what she is." The woman suddenly disappears, leaving us confused and concerned.

In the midst of the moment, the words aren't processing. All I can think about now is getting Katrina away from danger. "We need to get all of the girls upstairs where it's safer for them." I say quickly. A second later, Corey walks into the hallway with Devyn's hand clutched in his.

"Brother, this isn't good. That girl sounded like Annalise. She won't stop until she gets what she wants and she's completely immune to sunlight." He tells us. "If she wants Lydia, she could get her at any moment. At work, at home. She just proved that she doesn't have to come in to- "

"You made your point, Corey." Colby snaps quickly. "She's too strong-willed. She won't just not go to work."

"We can go with her." My eyes flick up at the sound of Katrina's voice and I see her standing with Cassie and Tori. Devyn lets go of Corey's hand to join them and they all look like a cool band of women. But absolutely not. Katrina won't get hurt ever. Not even for Lydia.

"No." I reply immediately.

"We can protect her and each other. It's the best way." Tori pushes.

"Tara will keep her company enough and distracted. She'll never realise what we're doing." Katrina adds.

"And I can keep in the shadows but still be there to protect her." Cassie finally says. I flick my eyes between each of them. Just by the look on Colby's face, he's more than considering doing this. He's made up his mind.

"I have an idea." He mumbles and catches my eye. I want to desperately beg for him not to do this, not to let my soulmate out into the world just to protect his. I understand in a way, but I hate it. "We'll give them all something with vervaine. Vampires won't be able to bite them or compel them." He says slowly, holding my attention.

"But what about us?" Corey asks.

"They can take them off once in a while." Colby replies and shrugs. "We'll get Joey on it. He can make some necklaces or something. It doesn't really matter."

"A ring." Katrina says out of nowhere. We look at her quizzically when she rolls her eyes. "Lydia should have a ring. She wears a bunch of them anyway, right?" Colby pauses for a moment just thinking then slowly shrugs. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and presses a few buttons then runs with speed up the stairs.

"You just want to see him give her a ring, don't you?" Devyn asks in amusement. Katrina grins and her cheeks flush a light pink.

"A little."

"If she accepts it, she'll probably be wearing it all the time though." I say. "She'll come to the house constantly wearing vervaine and it'll effect Colby the most."

"But it'll also affect Colby the most if she dies or gets hurt." Cassie points out for us. "This'll be good for both of them."

I sigh, giving up. They have a very good point and I can't argue with that. He would be destroyed if she died and it hasn't even been that long yet. I can't imagine how he'd feel, mostly because I don't want to imagine. Whatever could happen to him could happen to me and Katrina being gone kills me.

Operation protect Lydia is about to go into overdrive.