Scent of Salvation

Chapter Thirty–Seven

With a racing heart, Susan clung to her chair, afraid if she let go she’d make a fool of herself by attacking Benic, a vampire ten times stronger and faster.

“Separating you from Sorin is a tragedy I would have avoided but I doubt he would have agreed to sit quietly while I study your reaction to the virus.” Benic leaned against his lab table, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not a cruel person. I have good reason to do this.”

The conniving trickster sounded sincere. Then again, all professional liars did. “Let me go. You’ve infected me already.” She jumped to her feet and ran for the exit.

Benic blocked her way using his supernatural speed once more. “Not yet. You’ll die without my help.”

“You bastard.” Her heart shattered into sharp shards. She’d probably never see Sorin again. “This is wrong. You’ve violated me on a cellular level.” She gazed at her diseased body. “Most people died from the virus. What makes you think I won’t?” A sob choked her last word.

“We’ve made advances since that time. Come…” He supported her by the elbow. “I’ve had my servants make a comfortable bed for you to recover on. No need to—”

She yanked her arm from his grasp.

“—make this unpleasant.”

“How are you so sure I’ll become vampire and not a shifter?”

“As the disease spread worldwide the virus mutated. Different continents begot changes matching the strains. Europa vampires, Aphreka cat shifters, North Amerigo wolf shifters, Rossiya yetis, South Amerigo incubus, Ch’in dragons—”

“Dragons?” She couldn’t sort through the tangle of emotions knotting her thoughts. “Australia?” Her voice sounded faint even to her own ears.

“You must mean Astralaya. Selkies. Merpeople have settled all the oceans.” Benic gave her a small smile. “You’ll have all eternity to explore this world and solve its mysteries as a vampire.”

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “You know about virus mutation?” Medieval housing with more advanced science than she’d assumed. How the hell did they miss inventing electricity? “I—I can’t figure out how you can know about microscopes and genetics…and—and not other things.”

“I don’t know what other things you hint at, but since we’ve existed blood has always held a fascination for my people.”

A thin layer of sweat covered her skin. She wanted to smack herself in the forehead and kick-start her brain. Of course, hematology would be a vampire hobby, dumbass. Shivers ran through her limbs.

“You look pale. Maybe you should lie down.”

“This is happening too fast. I just drank your—your blood.” She fought nausea as her stomach went squishy. “The virus needs time to incubate before I should show symptoms.” Wobbling, she grasped the edge of the table before she fell on her ass.

“You know much about viruses?” Benic slipped his iron-strong arm around her waist and guided her to the cot by the wall.

“Of course I do.” She took a walk down the green mile as she approached the bed. Her hopes for the future faded with each step. Would she wake as Susan, if at all? A tear slid from the corner of her eye.

“The antibodies you produce will be your salvation.” He laid her against the pillows and wiped her cheeks dry. “No need of these. You received a concentrated dose of the virus in your wine but I will boost your immunity. You will survive.” He brushed loose strands of hair from her face. “You have to.”

She turned away from him, betrayal a bitter comfort. How could the world population change so drastically? From Benic’s legends it sounded as if humans transformed overnight. A latent gene? Maybe the mutation was already present and the virus triggered the cells to regenerate quickly, activating changes.

Presto chango, those who survived the infection awoke non-human.

Cramps assaulted her legs and she curled into a ball. Either way, something of her would die today. “If you’re going to help me, better do it soon.”

“We’ve made great advances in medicine since the plague. Boosting your immunity will increase the chances of your survival.” He frowned and touched her chin. “I’m sorry for the pain. I can’t risk mixing medicines in your system.”

“Bastard.” She rubbed her calves as sweat trickled off her forehead.

Benic grabbed a cloth and wiped it. “I’m prepared to stay with you. I’m not evil, Susan. I wish you’d believe that. I’m desperate.”

“For what?” she shouted. The absurdity of everything shattered her sanity. She’d traveled dimensions to be transformed into a vampire.

He stared at the window and cleared his throat. The sun was setting the sky on fire as it slid behind the horizon. “I am part of an endangered species. Vampires never could breed like the other races. The longer the life span, the more infertile the people. Only one out of ten vampires born is female.”

The cramps grew worse but she could care less as the meaning of what he told her dawned. “I’m for breeding?” She rolled onto her back, ready for the nightmare to end.

“Shh…” Benic wiped her forehead again. “Not like some animal. A wife. A cherished, pampered and worshipped wife.” The cloth traveled down her cheek and under her chin, where his hand guided her face toward his.

“Your wife.” So hell on Eorthe really did exist. She groaned and closed her eyes.

“I’d never force you—”

“But you’d infect me against my will.”

“I couldn’t take the chance you’d say no. It’s too important.” He rose and backed away. “Take another vampire as a mate. As long as you have children…” His voice went hoarse and he turned toward the lab table. “I need to prepare the medicine.”

Benic handled a delicate glass vial where he would mix the concentrated essences of herbs and the adrenal hormones of a rare shark he’d discovered off the tip of South Amerigo. He’d spent a day preparing the ingredients for the immunity-boosting drug so all would be ready for when he brought Susan home.

He had hoped once she comprehended his motives for violating all his ethics, she’d comply. He was a fool and could have handled that better. She’d never agree to be the mother of his children now. The forgotten glass vial in his fist creaked. He was desperate—he’d had no choice. Susan was the first glimpse of hope he’d seen in what felt like ages.

Grinding his teeth, careful not to chip a fang, he set the expensive vessel back on the laboratory table. He grabbed a flask of strong-smelling liquid then measured some into a beaker sitting over an open flame. It had to be sterilized before he could inject Susan.

“A good dose of this should increase your white blood cells as well. Your body will be well-armed to fight the virus enough to survive the infection.”

Susan lay quiet on the cot. Fever raged through her body. Her gaze never left him though, her hatred palpable on his skin. His heart grew heavier and would settle in his feet soon. Too late for regrets; he’d crossed a line he never thought possible and would accept any consequences.

Among vampire society, females were the highest commodity. Not just any male mated. All marriages were arranged, contracted and paid for in full before the bride was even introduced in person. As far as he knew only two females lived in North Amerigo. The Duchess of Paoro and the Princess of New Swanton were guarded twenty-four hours a day.

All the others resided in the old world. Europa was a much safer place for raising a family than the wilds of the west. Benic had petitioned for a wife but his role as a shifter enforcer made him an undesirable candidate.

Once, a very long time ago, a female had answered his request, but her family had intervened and ended the correspondence.

He glanced at Susan. A whole world of humans who could be potential mates existed. He drew up the medicine using a large metallic syringe and needle. That’s if his theory was right. The thick fluid in the syringe needed to cool before he could inject her. “At this rate, the transformation shouldn’t take long.”

“There are so many things that can go wrong. I’m human. What if I react to the medicine?” Even ill, Susan’s mind was still active. She’d be such a great addition to the species.

Wiping her forehead with the cool cloth again, he settled on the edge of the cot. “One problem at a time.”

“Fuck.” She rolled, turning her back to him.

Staring at the wall, he wished he could visit Kele. Wished he could change her to vampire instead of Susan. She probably was awake now and confused. Angry. Yes, she’d be furious. He should visit her and explain. Glancing at Susan’s back, he knew Kele wouldn’t accept his reasoning any more than Susan had.

What was he going to do with the female shifter? He had hoped Kele would come willingly. She had assented but under conditions he couldn’t agree to. Maybe with time she’d learn to love him as Inacio had.

Unlike his people, he did care about the proud wolf shifter race of these new lands. He’d fought against the movement to drive the race into extinction. His people saw the wolf shifters as too wild to tame, unlike the felines. Pack loyalty was the strongest in the world of any shifters. He had proved those vampires wrong. Wolf shifter loyalties could be swayed as those living within his castle and others had proven.

The tribes may hate their reservations but at least they lived.

First, he needed to bring salvation to the vampires. Susan had built one gateway machine. With the right resources, she could build another. Then no male would have to die unmated.

He poured a glass of cool water and rolled Susan over on her back. “Drink. You need it.” He supported her as he brought it to her lips.

She gulped the glass empty.

“More?” He laid her against the pillow. The neck of her dress twisted, exposing her shoulder. “What’s this?” He fingered a fresh wound. “A bite?” The glass he held shattered on the floor. “From what?”

“Not a what, a who.” She stared at the ceiling.

“Sorin?” He hadn’t intended to shout but this wrecked everything. “When?”

She frowned and rubbed the offending mark. “Last night.”

“You let him mark you after a few days? You barely know him. Is this crazy behavior common among humans?” At some point in his rant, he’d started pacing along her cot. Stopping, he ran his hands over his short curls and gave them a good tug. “I can’t believe this.” Why couldn’t the fates sway his way for once? He’d worked so hard for a family and when it was within his grasp something had to go wrong. Always…

Susan covered the mark with her dress and raised a thin eyebrow. “Are you done?”

He tossed himself in a chair and finished the wine bottle with a few long swigs. “He probably infected you with that bite.” He watched her face for comprehension to sink in.

Her eyes widened after a moment as the implications dawned on her. “Oh.” She licked her lips. “I guess we have a new problem.”

He slammed his hand on the table so hard the wine bottle fell and rolled off, breaking on impact with the stone floor. “I should have examined a fresh sample of your blood prior to infecting you. Careless.”

“Would that have stopped you?”

“If you were already infected? Of course, I’m not trying to kill you.” He shook his head and stared at the ceiling, praying for divine intervention from a god he didn’t believe in.

Susan shivered visibly on the cot. Sweat beaded on her exposed skin, and she appeared very flushed.

“Your fever is worse than I expected. You can allow your body to fight both strains of the virus on its own or you can allow me to give you the medicine I’ve prepared.”

“What will happen?”

He shrugged. “After that bite, who knows?”