Isabel and the Werewolf Beast (Vampire Tales #1)

27. Isabel

Chapter twenty-seven

Isabel

D ante?

Why was I drinking from his wrist? The last thing I remember, I was about to sink my fangs into the back of his neck. What was going on? The slow pace of his heart hit me. I released my fangs and shoved his wrist from my mouth. He collapsed on the floor.

“Dante!”

I jumped from the bed and landed by his side. His pulse fluttered weakly so close to death that every cell in my body rejected the idea.

“Isabel, leave him to die. He offered his life for yours,” Lucian said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“Lucian, what’s going on?”

I glanced around the room. My bedroom. Lucian, Maximus, Renee, and three strange humans stood inside it. Nemisis sat on my bedhead watching the room with her beady eyes. How the hell did I get in my bedroom when I was outside? Wait. I touched Dante on the shoulder. Was I corporeal in the castle now?

Lucian’s eyes hardened. “Silas decapitated you.”

“What?” I reeled back on my haunches.

“I found this werewolf with your body, and he gave me an insane story about Silas cursing you. We didn’t believe it but Maximus and the werewolf fetched your head and I healed you.”

His words, while I should address them, weren’t important right now with Dante’s heart growing even fainter.

“Help him,” I said.

“How?” Lucian asked. “You drained him to the point of death.”

“Give him blood,” I yelled.

I’d do it myself but if what he said was true and he’d just healed me from decapitation, then my blood would be useless.

Maximus and Lucian shook their heads.

“We’re too depleted ourselves,” Lucian said. “It took a lot from me to heal you, and Maximus hasn’t fed for the week it took to find your head and return it here.”

“Renee?” I begged.

“I’m not giving a werewolf my blood.” She turned her nose up in the air.

“You.” I pointed at a man under the hypnotic daze of a vampire. “Follow me.”

I hauled Dante’s large body over my shoulder and staggered from the room. If I’d been at full strength, I’d have run with his weight no problem. My vampire family watched me, but no one offered to help. I didn’t blame them. Killing werewolves was what we did. We didn’t save them, but Dante was different. They didn’t understand.

His weight was immense in his half-shifted form, but I made it down the stairs and along the hallway to the west wing that held the infirmary and the instruments I’d need to help him. I dropped Dante on the bed and huffed out a long breath.

“Lay there.” I pointed at the bed beside Dante’s.

The man lay on the bed, and I shoved it closer to Dante. I ran to the cupboards and returned with the instruments needed for a blood transfusion. It was so much easier when you were a vampire. I didn’t even comprehend if this would work but I had to save Dante. He’d saved me. I pricked Dante with the needle and set up the line to the human, then I placed a needle in the human’s arm and watched the red fluid pass through the clear tube into Dante.

“You don’t even know if this will work,” Lucian said, walking into the room.

He looked brighter than before. He must have fed from the other human.

“I have to try. He saved me, Lucian. Multiple times. I owe him.” I placed my hand against Dante’s face letting the fur tickle my palm.

“You like him.” Lucian studied me with his keen eyes.

As my vampire father, he always saw more than most.

“She does,” Maximus said walking into the room looking a lot healthier too.

“I don’t know why,” Renee sneered.

“I do,” Maximus said. “He’s quite likable for a werewolf. ”

They all hovered at the edge of the room unwilling to come closer to the animal we always killed. Were they conflicted about saving him?

“I don’t even remember why we’re meant to kill werewolves,” I said.

“We have our reasons,” Lucian said. “Tell me about Silas and the curse.”

“Silas?” I touched my neck. How had he decapitated me? I’d been too focused on Dante and wanting his blood and more. If vampires could blush, then I probably would be blushing right now recalling how much I’d desired Dante. Still did.

I launched into a description of everything that had happened. They were shocked to discover they’d been trapped in the curse too inside the ballroom with no knowledge of what was happening to me outside in the castle and on the castle grounds. No knowledge they were at an endless ball.

Maximus let out a low whistle. “I wish Dante had killed him when he had him restrained.”

“I’m glad you both got away unscathed,” I said. “Silas is evil.”

“He’s very fixated on you,” Lucian sat in a chair and steepled his hands. “Why?”

“Did I mention he was evil?”

Maximus chuckled. Lucian shot him a glare.

“He wants to become a vampire,” I said. “He wants me too, and I said no.”

“You are quite desirable,” Lucian said. “It’s why I turned you.”

I ducked my chin. Lucian and I had a passionate kiss before he turned me, but since he’d become my vampire father, I’d experienced no attraction for him. I think my human side had seen the allure of the vampire differently and now I was one, he wasn’t as alluring .

“If he’s made two tries for Isabel’s immortal life, another one is coming,” Maximus said.

“Yes,” Lucian said. “The castle isn’t safe.”

“I’m not leaving Dante,” I said.

“Who cares about the werewolf?” Renee said.

“I do.” I crossed my arms over my chest, only now noticing the dried blood over my dress.

“Children,” Lucian said, “there’s no need to argue amongst ourselves.”

“Lucian, this is wrong. We’re told throughout the academy to kill werewolves and now you want us to protect one?” Renee said.

“This is my castle. My choice.” I dropped my arms and stepped toward Renee. I’d expected more from my friend, but this was going against everything we’d ever been taught so I couldn’t blame her for protesting. “If you don’t like it, leave.”

“I will,” she spat. “We were friends but I can’t stand by and see you die because of a werewolf.”

“Why would I die?”

“You almost did,” she shouted, her voice echoing in the infirmary.

“Oh, Renee, it wasn’t the werewolf’s fault, it was Silas’s. Does that mean we should kill all warlocks?”

“No, but—”

“But maybe we shouldn’t kill all werewolves.”

“You raise a point.” Lucian stood and stepped between us. “The professors will want to hear of this. Renee, why don’t you head to the academy and tell them what’s happening here?”

“Gladly.” She sneered. “That dying werewolf stinks.”

She turned her nose up in the air again and stomped out of the room like a petulant child.

I rubbed a hand over my neck scraping away flakes of dried blood. I’d been stuck in stasis again. Missing my head. I’d never lost a limb before. The enormity of the loss sent a surge of emotions through my chest. These were my family. My vampire family, and they’d come to my rescue. Saved me from staying a lifeless corpse with no head for eternity or until whatever Silas had planned came to fruition.

“Thank you for healing me,” I said to Lucian.

“Always.” He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles.

I turned to Maximus. “And thank you for going with Dante to get my head back.”

“I couldn’t leave you like that and I needed him for a distraction.”

I laughed. My vampire family loved me as much as I loved them. I’d thought my best friend would understand my choice but perhaps her love wasn’t as strong as those connected to me by blood. “How long will the blood transfusion take?”

“A few hours,” Lucian said.

“Maximus, can you fetch me some books on warlocks from the library?”

“Sure, what are you looking for?”

“A way to stop Silas.”