Cassie Alexander - Bloodshifted

Its been a long ride, hasnt it? And yet theres still a little further left to go. I need to acknowledge, as always, my husband Paul, whose support means more to me each passing dayI could not have written this book without him. And my alpha reader, Daniel, whose encouragement has always kept me on my toes and pressing on. Id like to thank Rose Hilliard, my editor, who makes all of my books vastly better than they would have been otherwise, and Michelle Brower, my agent, without whom I would have no books out at all.

Other people I owe a debt of gratitude for being patient with me while I paced, stared off into space, or who listened to me figure things out on GChat or Twitter are: Rachel Swirsky, Barry Deutsch, Cory Skerry, Sam Schreiber, Deirdre Saoirse Moen, and Brittany Maresh.

After five books, my real-life friends deserve another round: Violet, Char, Jocelyn, Marra, Melissa, Corinna, thanks for listening and caring and giving me a life to have outside of books and writing.

And last but in no way leastthe girls on my shift deserve one last shout-out. Nightshift rules, dayshift drools. I love you all.

We were alive.

It didnt matter that I was blindfolded and being kidnapped by vampires, as long as my child and I were still alive.

Right?

We just have to get through the next eight months, baby. The car I was sitting in shifted gears. I felt it speed up and knew each mile was carrying me farther away from everything I knew and everyone I loved. My past was spooling out behind me like a ribbon and I didnt know if Id be able to catch the end of it before it ran out.

If Anna was smart, shed made Asher go back with her on the next flight home. I imagined him looking out a plane window at the same blackness I saw inside my blindfold, wondering if hed done all he could, if thered been another way. I wanted to touch him again so badly I ached.

I reached up for the necklace hed given me instead. The vampire sitting beside me growled in warning, and I carefully set my hand back down.

Eight months was longer than Asher and Id even been dating. But when Id found out I was pregnant everything felt rightup until the cruise ship wed been on had been taken over by a madman whod released a parasite designed to ensure the death of everyone on board.

Wed had to fight for our lives, and Id gotten infected. By the time our life raft was found, I was dying. Asher and I had already watched the parasite take down an entire ship, so we knew there was no cure. Except for vampire blood, the supernatural cure-all. Anna had called in a long-distance favor to save me and the other survivors when she realized shed never make it across country in time. Unfortunately, the vampire blood came with an actual vampire, Raven, and had the side effect of binding me to him forever afterward, completely under his control, like a chained dog.

Which was why I was currently racing away from Asher and the dream of our future lifebecause now, not that long after treating daytimers back at floor Y4, Id been forced to become one.

My job was to get through my pregnancy in one piece. Once I had the baby it would be safe for Anna to change me into a vampire too. Then Id be free of Raven, and back with Asher. I just had to make it eight more months. I didnt know how I would manage to be a wife or a mother as a vampire afterward, but Id be free, and it would be enough. When I was back with Asher, we could work everything else out somehow. I had to believe we couldbecause eight months being enslaved to a strange vampire without thinking I had a semblance of a life to go back to would kill me.

I slid my arms across my stomach to hug myself, and my right hand found the cool metal of the seat-belt buckle.

You cant escape. A fact, stated by my now-Master, Raven. He was driving, and his accomplice Wolf was sitting beside me in the backseat. I kept my hand on the buckle in a small act of defiance. But the truth was that if he ordered me to let go of it, Id have to. Or if he told me to open the door and throw myself out onto the open road, Id have to do that too. Id survive itAnna had told me Id be almost invulnerable for a time, as Raven had given me so much blood to heal me that hed taken me to the edge of turning me himself, enough to give me the beginnings of fangsbut it would still probably hurt.

Id been hurting for so long that being well now was strange. My last days on the Maraschino had been punctuated by painmorning sickness, a black eye, a dislocated shoulder, the parasitic infection thatd taken most of the other cruise passengers lives, then being stranded on a life raft for days with no water or food. It was ironic to finally feel whole just as everything in my life was becoming irrevocably fucked.

By now my family would know that the Maraschino had sunk with everyone on board. Thered never be any safe way to explain what had happened and how Id survived, much less the vampire blood thing. It would be kinder to just let them think I was dead, and that was an ache not even blood could fix.

Thinking about my mom, that she wouldnt ever get to meet her grandsonthe velvet bag Wolf had blindfolded me with suddenly felt too tight. My heartbeat sped up before I could control it and I knew the vampires would know

Cold fingers pressed against mine on the buckle. Apparently my captors werent convinced I wouldnt try something stupid. Maybe they knew me better than I did. Wolf chuckled as he pried my fingers off. He ran his hand underneath the sash across my chest, yanking it tight, touching far too much of me along the way. Safety first, he warned sarcastically.

I stayed absolutely still, like a rabbit when a hawk passes overhead. He noticed that too, and I could feel the contour of the seat beside me shift as he leaned even nearer.

Stay scared, he whispered. Servants last longer when theyre scared.

I twisted my head away from him and toward the window. He laughed as though hed just made the most amazing jokeand I realized he was laughing at me. The ice of my fear dissipated, thawed by my rising anger, and my heartbeat slowed, becoming deliberate.

If I died, it would kill Asher. Id promised him Id survivethat we both would. Anything we have to do, baby, well do it.

Fear makes servants more eager to please, doesnt it, Wolf? Raven chided from the front seat. His voice rumbled over both of us with power, giving me a chill.

Yes, Sire, Wolf agreed, returning to his own side of the seat. I felt the car downshift and take a left-hand turn. I didnt know where were going but I knew for sure wed be there by dawn.

Raven raced the night. I could feel us swoop around other cars on the road, taking turns at speed. Id started off trying to memorize things, as if I could bread-crumb trail my way back to my old life, when I realized we were going in circles, probably more to make sure that we werent being followed than to trick me. But we were slowing now, making turns more frequentlywed reached civilization, wherever that was.

Then the car slowed drastically and descended, and I realized a parking garage belowground made sense for vampires. We wheeled sharply to the left and came to a precise stop as Raven hit the brakes and shifted into PARK.

Home sweet home, Raven said. He got out of the car, slamming the door behind himself.

Wolf exited the vehicle as well. I sat still, waiting, until I was startled by a knock at the window to my right. You can open up your own door.

I felt blindly for the door handle and opened it. Id been sitting next to an unlocked door this whole time. Had theyd been hoping Id run? How foolish had I been to not even try? But there was nowhere I could go that Raven couldnt find meanother one of the perks of being his daytimer. I fought not to grind my teeth.