Just One Bite »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

SEVENTEEN

SEVENTEEN

2nd January 2014.

"Treacherous conditions over the past few weeks for the Midlands, especially Northamptonshire, and there are no signs of it stopping any time soon. Emergency supplies..."

Seventeen days Ashley and Damon had been unconscious. Seventeen days the snowstorm had brought Northamptonshire to a near standstill. Of course they had to give a little leeway or they'd have people starving to death. The police and many other – public, private and charity – services were trying as hard as they could to get people to a safe place – especially the elderly, disabled, and ill – and to give those that weren't in as much trouble more food to survive. For a moment, Jayden wondered how many people had died from the cold, wet weather or starvation. Of course, humans could survive on only water for several weeks. Not that Jayden wanted that to happen. But they could. If they were healthy.

"Jayden?" Kayline's voice came to him like a lifeline.

He didn't know what made him do it, but – being careful of the glass of blood that she had in her hands – Jayden pulled Kayline to him and hugged her as hard as he could. Surprised, it took a moment for Kayline to react, but when she did, she sighed and wrapped her arms around him. Snuggled into him. He would have thought for warmth, but vampyre's didn't care for warmth. It wasn't something they needed.

Looking at the glass that Kayline held, Jayden grimaced. How did she survive on bag blood all the time? She should find a mate to exchange blood with. Blood from the source was much better and healthier for a vampyre. But the thought of Kayline taking blood from another of their species made a strange jealously rear it's ugly head. Jayden shook his head, he had no right to feel jealous. She wasn't his. And she deserved better.

Looking out the second floor window that he'd been staring out of for the past several hours showed that nothing had changed. Everything was still white and grey with a splash of green and brown here and there, but there wasn't much colour. The snow covered everything. They'd stopped the snowstorm several times, mainly to let Rikky and Dee rest. And to let the humans have a chance at surviving. Like now, while Rikky slept, so did the snow. It was calm and motionless, like a thousand crushed crystals.

"We need to stop the snowstorm, Jayden."

They had, but he knew what she meant. "When she wakes."

"Jayden," Kayline said in a slight scolding voice as she pulled away. The urge to pull her back nearly snapped Jayden, but he let her pull away. He wouldn't force her. "Jayden, it's not fair on the dracan. Or the humans."

"And what about Damon? What are we going to tell his parents?"

Kayline sighed and laid her head back against Jayden's shoulder. It would have been perfect if Kayline didn't have a frown on her face.

"Well, finally," Rose said, appearing from around the corner where the stairs were set.

"What?" Jayden asked.

"Or not," Rose shrugged and before their original and her mate had fallen unconscious, it would have made a necklace blink in the light, but Rose hadn't worn one of her necklaces since Ashley and Damon had fallen asleep. Was it out of respect? Or was the fear tiring her? "Anyway, you can just say that Damon went missing and you'd all been searching for him over Christmas. And you couldn't phone them because of the snowstorm."

"Do you think that it will work?"

"Can you think of anything else?"

"That he was killed."