Stefan turned to face me, approaching me cautiously. He knelt beside of me, his eyes sweeping over me, visually examining me. He was covered in Derek’s blood, matting his blond hair and staining his handsome face. He glanced down at Anna in my arms, exhaling a deep breath.
“You have to save her, Stefan. Anna…she doesn’t deserve to die like this.” I blurted out. I could hear the anguish in my voice.
“Josephine, please do not ask me to turn her,” Stefan reached to touch my cheek and I pulled away, refusing to let him lay a hand on me. A rare look of hurt flashed across his face before he promptly buried it. In its place, his handsome features arranged into a stony mask.
“Please. I can’t let her die like this. Please,” I pleaded with him, rocking Anna gently. “I’d do it if I could but I can’t. Please, Stefan. Please.”
“Vackra, you do not understand what you are asking me to do. Is this a life she would want for herself? She knows nothing of our existence,” Stefan reasoned. “It may be much too late to save her.”
Still holding Anna, I reached out to grab his hand with mine. His blue eyes were piercing as I met his stare. “I don’t know if she would want this, Stefan. This should be me here on this floor dying. Not her. Please, Stefan. I’m begging you to save her.”
He squeezed my hand and his broad shoulders sagged. “I can deny you nothing.”
Stefan sighed in defeat and took Anna from me. He held her in his arms, his fangs sinking into her neck. He drank from her, stopping to slice open his wrist with his teeth. He placed his bloody wrist against her lips and watched as his blood trickled into her mouth.
His wound healed and he carried her into the living room, gently placing her limp body on the couch. He stood over her, simply staring at her prone form.
“It is done.”
Scrambling to my feet, I rushed into the living room where I launched myself at his chest. I didn’t care about the blood or the gore. I just wanted to feel him against me, to know that he was here with me.
“Is she going to make it? Did it work?” I mumbled against him.
“We will find out in two days. She may have been too far gone for me to save her.” Stefan reminded me. He wrapped his arms around me, his fingers stroking over my hair.
“Thank you, Stefan. I was so scared. I thought I’d never see you…”
“Never say those words,” Stefan interrupted me. “You made me a promise.”
“I know. I love you.”
Stefan placed his head against mine as I gave into my tears. I cried for Anna, for my mother and for the happiness I felt to be at Stefan’s side and to be able to tell him I loved him.
Without moving, Stefan stared barking out commands to Lukas, his voice clipped and sharp. “Lukas, go to Anna’s home. Pack as much of her personal belongings as possible and grab her passport. Got to her place of employment and force your will on all of her co-workers there. Tell them Anna decided to return to the US. Call Nigel. Make sure to tell him that my favorite bird stopped singing today. He will send someone to take care of this mess for me.”
For once, Lukas had no smart remark or witty response. He inclined his head and dashed from the house, his phone already at his ear.
Stefan reluctantly released me from his arms as he blurred into action. He also began making phone calls, pacing the floor. His words and steps were too fast to follow. My eyes moved from watching Stefan’s dizzying pace to drift over the pile of ash scattered across the floor, raising to take in the blood that was splattered against the ivory walls of the kitchen. Not knowing what else to do, I sat down beside Anna, taking her cold, lifeless hand in mine.
I knew she couldn’t hear me, and I could only hope the magic of Stefan’s blood would save her now. “I did what I thought was best, Anna. I hope you don’t hate me for this. I couldn’t let you die. Not like that.”
Stefan stopped to rest his hand on my shoulder, rubbing my shoulder in comfort. He was still on the phone but his voice had slowed to a normal pace. “We need to delay our take off time by two hours. Something unexpected happened and you need to make the necessary changes to the itinerary.” He ended the call without saying a goodbye and closed his eyes, attempting to run his fingers through the dried blood in his hair.
“Stefan, I’m sorry. I…”
He shook his head and held up his hand to stop my words. “Vackra, I only wanted to turn one other person in my life. You.” He let out a resigned sigh. “Plans change. Anna will have to adjust to this life and she may not be happy if and when she awakes. You must prepare yourself for that.”