Incompatible Means (Completed)

Chapter 12

When I came to the second time I was tied to the same chair as previously but it had been moved downstairs and put in the middle of Roderick's living room. The room was silent, I didn't waste time pretending this time. I knew Roderick would be close by, he would have surely heard the change in my breathing the moment I woke. Looking around the room I saw Tex and Mr. Serious to the side close to the stairs, both looked quite grumpy. Tex had scattered bruising around his neck while Mr. Serious hosted an impressive lump on his forehead from where the gun had hit him. Meeting Tex's eyes, I shrugged as if to tell him, "I had to try". His expression didn't soften.

Two other guards were stationed on the other side of the room by the patio doors, they were two of the three that had been downstairs.

"Which one of you darted me?" Neither guard answered, their expressions didn't change but I did notice them both tighten their grip on the weapons pointed at me. I had definitely not made any new friends. For a moment I worried if my attempt at escape would make whatever was coming next worse. Fortunately, I didn't have long to ponder that as I saw Roderick descend the stairs. As my heart tried to burst out of my chest I wondered where the other two vampires I had seen him enter with were.

As he entered the living room I averted my eyes to the pristine white carpet.

"What is the meaning of this? I told you to put her in the chair, I said nothing of restraints," his anger was almost a physical slap in the room, I was pretty sure his anger was directed at me but the men still cowered.

"She has already tried to escape sir, we felt it prudent to restrain her," said Mr. Serious.

"I assigned five men to watch her. Are you saying that five of you would fail to keep her in this room?" Though his anger was subsiding I didn't relax. My body was taut with tension, harming myself more with my stress than the actual restraints.

"Sir, she ain't human," came Tex's drawl filled mildly with embarrassment and perhaps awe. I couldn't tell without looking to be sure though. Of course, the werewolf would say that he'd have to tuck tail the rest of his extended life if he'd been bested by a human female.

"Untie her," Roderick said.

"Sir, I will have to advise against that. She moves fast and has already made one attempt on your life." Mr. Serious stated firmly.

A primordial growl thundered through the room. "A fact I am well aware of, do you not think James? Untie her!" Hearing him approach I forced myself to release most of the tension in my body, taking a deep breath I watched him through lowered lashes. His face surely told me that if I tried anything again it would not be a dart this time, but he was wasting the look I knew there was no chance of escape now that the vampires were awake.

That didn't stop me from smiling at him though, it was not a nice smile. He jerked back, pausing a moment before taking a knife out. There was a moment that I saw him consider plunging the knife into me but it passed quickly and he proceeded to cut all the zip ties. Although my wrists were sore I refrained from rubbing them, simply laying them in my lap. James put away his knife but remained next to me as another guard from the patio door moved to flank him on my other side. Stupid boys.

Finally, I lifted my head fully to see Roderick. Upon inspection, I saw no evidence of my actions the night before, no scar or even redness from having his head nearly taken off. Wearing a white dress shirt and charcoal dress slacks, I could smell the scent of clean linen with his signature sandalwood, he was a picture of perfection until I met his eyes. They were cold and empty, not even anger reflected in their deep blue depths. Sitting up straighter, I schooled my features to match his in emptiness, and keeping eye contact I waited for him to speak.

Before he could I saw a flash of movement on the stairs as Blondie entered the room, giving everything and everyone a calculating look. When her eyes settled on me her fangs flashed as she let out a scream like a banshee and flew through the air towards me.

In a matter of only a few seconds, I reached down to James' holster, unlatched the holster guard, and grabbed his sidearm. At the same time, Roderick turned, grabbing Blondie by the throat and off the ground, thus stopping her from reaching me. By the time Roderick was finished though, I already had the gun pointed at the vamp's head, cocked and ready.

"God. Damn. It." James fumed. "How the hell did she get that out so fast? I've only seen vampires move that fast."

"Told you, she ain't human," Tex said with laughter in his voice.

"Well she isn't a vampire either, the sunlight didn't stop her at all earlier," James said defensively.

"Silence," Roderick commanded. Then looked over his shoulder to me still holding the gun at the raging vampire. His expression showed nothing. "Put down the gun. She will not harm you."

I looked into his eyes a moment, regardless of Roderick's feelings towards me after trying to kill him I knew if he didn't want me harmed yet I wouldn't be. Flipping the safety on the gun I handed it, but first, back to James. Though way more pissed than he was before, he quietly returned it to his holster.

"You cannot let her live Roderick. She tried to kill you, if you do not kill her you will look weak," Blondie spit out while still in Roderick's grasp, though no longer dangling above the ground. Still void of emotion I simply stared at her, I couldn't blame the vamp for her anger, she obviously still had serious feelings for Roderick.

"Since you are unable to control yourself Rakel, you will remove yourself," Roderick stated flatly, then released her turning back to me, effectively dismissing her.

Shock infused Rakel's face. "I will stay, I am your second."

"Yet you are not acting as such."

Roderick didn't catch her hurt look as he turned to speak to a second vampire who had entered without my notice.

"Marko, escort Rakel to the main house." At Roderick's command, Marko gave a small nod.

Rakel shot me a scathing look. While most everyone in the room was not my biggest fan, she wanted me dead the most. Rakel shook off Marko's arm and stomped out of the room with Marko following, Roderick watched impassively. It was becoming strange to see him so expressionless, in the short time that I had known him he always seemed open with what he was feeling. Ugh. What a stupid thought, it was surely just part of the game he played to find willing blood donors. Well, willing enough, even if they didn't know exactly what they were signing up for. Distracted from those musings I watched yet another vampire descend the stairs. Dressed in an impeccable grey business suit I could see his caramel coloring, his hair was buzzed short but I knew it would tightly curl were it to grow out even a little. As he walked into the room he was facing Roderick so I was only able to observe his profile, even though his mixed heritage was obvious the blend of his features made him look quite exotic. While he quietly conversed with Roderick I had some instinctual need to see all of him. When he turned to face me I stopped breathing, the most intense pale grey-green eyes met mine with an all too familiar laugh in their depths.

"You!" I yelled, barely aware I was moving towards him until two guards locked onto my arms. "I'll kill you for what you did to her, you parasite."