Chapter Thirteen: Raid Vaziri
Present day
Outskirts of Albemarle, NC
Pulling off the main road and onto a wide gritted driveway, Raid expected to see a huge structure hidden beyond the trees. He soon realized that was not the case as the car parked up near a small house with grey slatted cladding, white sash windows, a deep porch supported by six white beams, and a steep gable roof. Darkness had fallen and the trees were casting shadows over the house, but it still didn't look like it could have more than two bedrooms. The idea of bunking up with the boys didn't appeal to him. Hell, the idea of bunking up with Adam especially didn't appeal to him. They hadn't shared a room since they were kids, after Raid's father left and he and his mother had to live with Adam's family for six months. Living in close quarters they were as different as night and day, which was very nearly literal, considering Raid was a night owl and Adam was an early riser. He wondered how long they'd have to stay there.
"This is... erm, cosy," he commented as he got out of the car.
Phoenix pulled a couple of large duffel bags from the trunk, then put a hand on Raid's shoulder and pointed to the floor above the porch. "That's only the weapons room up there."
"It's spelled to look smaller than it is," Stef explained, "and it's warded from witches."
"Great," Adam said dryly, moving swiftly towards the entrance. "Let's just get in and start unscrambling my brain." Phoenix jogged up behind him, taking out the keys and opening the door.
As soon as the others had entered, Raid took Stef by the hand, bringing her to a stop on the porch. He actually didn't mean to take her hand – he was going for her wrist – and he certainly didn't mean to instinctively curl his fingers between hers. Out from the car, away from the insane day he'd just had, this was his first opportunity to really see her. From the curious but patient expression on her face, her brown eyes flickering over his features, it seemed she felt the same way. She appeared exactly how he'd left her. Same intimate, upward gaze that made him weak at the knees. Same warm, smooth skin he'd always wanted to run his fingers over. Taking a step closer to her, he could smell the same jasmine and orange blossom perfume on her long, chocolate-coloured hair.
But there was something different about Stef that was driving Raid crazy. She still looked eighteen and yet she held herself beyond her years. She was firm, not letting her guard down, even around him. She knew she had upset him by compelling him to leave, and she was protecting herself, waiting for the repercussions. Though what repercussions was she expecting? Did she expect him to argue with her, to say he'd never forgive her, that he never wants to see her again? If it were anyone but her, maybe that's how he would feel. But he was so fucking excited to remember her – to remember how he felt about her – that the only damn repercussions he wanted to give her involved picking her up and taking her into the nearest bedroom.
Then Raid had to remember he couldn't. She'd never found out how he felt about her. Within twenty-four hours of nearly confessing to her how much he loved her, she had compelled him to leave. She had carried on without him, while he had to be made to forget her because he damn well wouldn't have given her up otherwise. And now there's this prophecy that she's going to fall in love with someone from the ritual? Well, it certainly wasn't going to be him, was it? What did he overhear Stef saying to Gabe? "I die, you die"? Meaning Gabe was the vampire who turned her? Of course he was, the suave, elegant bastard, dripping money and protective daddy-figure vibes. Why wouldn't she fall for someone like that?
Actually, fuck it, he did feel like an argument.
"You compelled me to forget you," he said to her accusingly, dropping her hand.
Stef almost seemed to relax, having anticipated this discussion. "I did it to protect you."
"No, that's why you compelled Adam," Raid replied. "Why did you compel me?"
"Because you were in danger either way, okay? If Cristian had found out the truth, he would have killed you."
The truth? Did Stef know Raid was in love with her? That's the only truth she could be talking about. That was it, wasn't it? She'd realized that night that he was about to confess how he felt and she was figuratively – and literally – saved by the bell the moment her father called her. Raid shook his head, chuckling to himself. What. An. Idiot. Well, if she knew, she was going to damn well confess she knew. He took a step towards her. "Say it."
She took a step backwards and Raid followed. Another step and her back hit a porch beam. "Say what?"
"Tell me the truth. The truth that would have angered Cristian, just don't insult me by saying he would have killed me."
"He is a witch, you know."
"So am I," Raid reminded her. "What truth? Say it."
Stef tightened her resolve. The real truth? Cristian found out that Stef had feelings for Raid, which she had to then compel Cristian to forget after he threatened to kill him for it. There was another truth though. This one she could tell him. This one he already knew. "I fed on you. When I ran from the hospital after the ritual and you found me again, I fed on you, Raid!"
Raid did an absolutely piss-poor job of supressing a smile at the memory. "You did," he nodded, surprised but glad she brought it up.
"I shouldn't have done that, even if it had never felt the way it had, but – damn it, Raid – I know everything about vampires and it wasn't supposed to make me feel that way!" Stef covered her face with her hands, reliving the shame.
Raid had to admit, he was really enjoying the fact that she was reliving it, even if she was extremely embarrassed about it. Ever since getting his memories back, the hug-turned-feeding-turned-orgasm moment had lived at the forefront ever since. He had found Stef after the ritual, the transition complete, sitting on the trunk of a random car in the hospital parking lot, looking edgy as hell. Apparently Cristian had paid her a visit and she had broken up with him, as she said she would. So of course Raid was going to comfort her. Of course he was going to hug her. Little did he know that the hug would result in her sobbing into his neck, then biting into his neck, then orgasming loudly into his neck. Little did she know, it had the exact same reaction on him, but, terrified she would have stopped, terrified she would have unwrapped her arms from around his neck and legs from around his waist, he had muffled his own orgasm into her shoulder, ground his teeth into potentially expensive dental work, and gripped the trunk of the car so tightly it was possible he left finger dents on it. He could still remember the feeling of her tilting her hips into him, grinding into him, seeking more as she came. He could still remember the sudden look of mortification she gave him, still panting from the aftershocks, his blood upon her lips – which he had wanted to kiss so badly – right before she did a fucking vamp-speed disappearing act and left him alone in the parking lot with a lot of questions and an ungodly amount of jizz in his pants.
"I'd never done anything like that before, never felt anything like that before." Stef threw her hands away from her face, realization suddenly hitting her. "Raid, I could have killed you!"
Raid flattened his grin, considering this. "I could think of worse ways to go..."
"Take this seriously!" Stef whacked him on the arm. "You needed to leave. I put you in danger. I didn't think I could control myself –"
"– around me?" Raid interrupted. "You didn't think you could control yourself around me?"
Stef sighed, looking up into his eyes, a spark of understanding in them. He was right. The worst part though? She wasn't entirely sure if she still could. "I'm so sorry, and I promise," she said as much to herself than Raid, "that it will never happen again."
Raid felt his disappointment punch him in the guts. "Right," he nodded.
Phoenix then appeared at the door. "Are you two coming in, or should I just design a banner saying 'Stefanie Salvatore Hiding Here'?"
Stef huffed and headed into the house. "Phoenix, you're so paranoid."
"What you call 'paranoid', I call 'cautious'," he responded, stepping aside at the doorway for both her and Raid to pass him. He closed the door with relief, then caught up with Raid, offering him a sweeping tour of the home. "Okay, so you are currently in the ridiculously underutilized entrance hall," he said, arms wide as he continued forward. "I suggested an aquarium; Gabe refused. Anyway, to your left is the stairs to the mezzanine overlooking the living area, bedrooms, and weapons room. Gym to your right; can't describe it as I've clearly never used one." He took two steps down into the large room ahead. "Living area. If it's not solid wood or veneer, it's not allowed here, hence no TV. The kitchen is to the right. Beyond the dining area to the left is a bar and library, both built exclusively for Stef, though Gabe hides her smut in the lower cabinets because he's strictly a classics guy."
There was the sound of the front door closing. "Literary fiction, but not necessarily classics," Gabe said, coming up behind them.
"How did you get here so quickly?" Stef asked.
Gabe shot a judgemental look at Phoenix. "I didn't stop halfway for cheeseburgers."
"Where's Zara?" she continued asking.
"She took a detour to pick up some blood bags. We might be here a while, and you need to recover your strength. Talking of which..." he began, strolling into the living area, sitting down on one of the three large, leather Chesterfield sofas that were situated around the fireplace. "...there's a gift by the door for you in the meantime." He gestured for Raid and Phoenix to join him while Stef returned to the hall. He looked at Adam, who was seated in front of him. "I will have to undo Stef's compulsion on you."
Having expected Zara for this task, Adam appeared nervous, "What does that involve?"
"He has to gaze into your eyes," Phoenix said huskily.
Adam was suddenly prepared to wait. "I think I'd prefer Zara to do that."
The four of them were then distracted by Stef, who was making her way into the living area, carrying a brown and white rabbit in her arms, its head upon her shoulder, cooing softly at it like it was a baby. She turned towards the kitchen when Gabe raised his voice at her, stopping her in her tracks.
"Stefanie, what are you doing?"
Looking as wide-eyed and innocent as the rabbit, Stef responded, "I'm going to find some food for Bon-Bon."
Gabe stood up, aggravated. "You named it?! Stefanie, that's supposed to be your dinner!"
Stef's expression momentarily went blank. Nope, that concept definitely didn't register. "Now it's my new bunny wabbit!" she instead declared happily, turning on her heels and heading into the kitchen.
Gabe charged after her. "Stefanie, if you're not prepared to kill it then I'll do it myself." He didn't last long in the kitchen however, as she generated an invisible force that thrust him back into the living room so powerfully that he fell down, his back skidding along the floor until he came to a halt on the other side of the room. Gabe avoided eye contact with the others as he then picked himself up, dusted off his clothes, and returned to the sofas. "Well, I guess she likes her new bunny wabbit."
Stef bounced back into the room, now carrying both the rabbit and a stick of celery, and sat down on the sofa facing the fireplace. With the hugest smile, she popped Bon-Bon down next to her while she quickly removed her boots and propped her legs up on the seat, making a quick grab towards the bunny before she got away. Placing Bon-Bon on her lap, Stef fed her the celery, speaking to her in a baby tone, "You hungry, Bon-Bon? Uncle Gabe has a big old vegetable allotment in the backyard, you want to go out there and have an all-you-can-eat buffet? Of course you do, cutie pie."
"Excuse me?" Gabe blurted, his eyebrows shooting up at the audacity.
Phoenix shuffled closer to Gabe, then nudged him, whispering, "Leave her alone. Look at her. How long's it been since you've seen her this happy?"
Overhearing, Raid couldn't take his focus off of Stef's genuinely huge smile as she stroked the rabbit. Even he couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled like that. It was beautiful and infectious; a playful and innocent depiction of someone who saw life through rose-tinted glasses and hadn't a care in the world. Someone who might have been Stef in a world away from vampires and witches. Despite himself, even Gabe joined the others in smiling at her joy.
Stef raised her eyes from Bon-Bon, her smile turning into a frown at the unexpected audience. "What the hell are you four bozos grinning at?" she sneered.
"Aaaand... she's back," Phoenix declared as Stef took Bon-Bon towards the patio doors and let her outside. "That was nice while it lasted."
Gabe checked a message on his phone. "The witches have warded all the hospitals closest to Atlanta from entrance to vampires. Zara's having to go further afield. She won't be here until morning." He looked at Adam. "You prepared to wait that long?"
Adam leaned forward in his seat, directly facing Gabe. "Fuck it, let's get this done now."
Gabe nodded, stared into his eyes, and said, "You will remember everything Stefanie compelled you to forget..."
