Black Heart by Evernight Publishing Read Free Book Online Page B

pulled into
Raynor’ s
crowded driveway. SUVs were parked chaotically; he spied Edward’s
black Lincoln Navigator. He tried to tamp down his annoyance that
this gathering was called without his express permission. He would
have to crack some heads, figuratively if not literally.
    Edward waited for him at the
door. His looks were decidedly British. In fact, Deegan liked to
tease Edward since the late Sixties that he looked like Michael
Caine in Alfie , even called him Alfie for a few years. Standing close to
six feet-six, Edward had the distinction of being the tallest
member of the clan. His body packed with the musculature of a
Viking warrior. He had the coloring as well, pale, blond with large
expressive clear blue eyes, a long blade of a nose, full lips and
permanently arched eyebrows. A young Michael Caine all the
way.
    “ I can feel your annoyance,
Deegan. We would have contacted you sooner, but Raynor said you
were not to be disturbed until this afternoon,” Edward
interjected.
    Deegan strode past him into the foyer.
Edward followed, closing the door behind him.
    “ An antidote, Edward?
Truly?”
    “ We have done nothing. We
awaited your arrival. Raynor and Tristan insisted on it.” Edward
ran his hand through his wavy blond hair. “I am not sure it will be
effective. Raynor has his hopes up, perhaps too high. We have tried
so many times before and failed. I fear this attempt will also not
succeed.”
    Edward led Deegan into
Raynor’ s
large study. He immediately walked over to his son Tristan. He’d
shaved off the goatee and had his long hair cut. It barely touched
his shoulders now. The men grasped forearms tightly in affection.
He had not seen Tristan for a few weeks; he did not realized how
much he missed him until now. He tamped down his overly sentimental
thoughts, as he often did.
    “ Katrina is well?”
    Tristan smiled, his sharply handsome
features softening at the mention of his mate.
    “ Very much so. Her belongings
arrive in a few days. We are engaged.”
    Deegan did not hold back this time and
gave his only son a brief, but affectionate hug. Stepping back, he
looked at Tristan. He looked happy, relaxed and content. A man in
love.
    “ I am pleased for you both. We
will talk more at a later time. Come, let’s attend Raynor. I am
sure he is near to crawling out of his skin.”
    The men climbed the narrow stairs to the
attic room where Raynor waited with the comatose, bedridden Laura.
Deegan felt a good deal of trepidation about this whole thing,
though he was not sure why. They walked into the room. Raynor sat
on the edge of the bed stroking Laura’s pallid face in loving
fondness. Deegan had not seen Raynor look so expectant, so joyous.
For his sake, Deegan hoped it would all work out.
    Edward moved toward the bed, unhooking the
IV from Laura, and prepared her arm for the injection. Raynor
backed away and stood near Deegan. The room was eerily silent,
except for the air conditioning unit humming softly
overhead.
    “ We will try fifty
cc’ s first,
see if there is any reaction, then if not, I will try fifty more,”
Edward’s deep voice intoned.
    After a few moments, Laura moaned. The men
were frozen in place; they could not believe it, after all this
time and after decades of suspended Twilight slumber. Laura lifted
her head as if trying to get a focus on her surroundings. No one
spoke or dared move.
    Slowly , with great effort, Laura sat
upright and looked at Raynor. For a few brief moments, her eyes
seemed to soften. She recognized him, and love radiated from her
gaze. But as quickly as that look emerged it disappeared. What
replaced that affectionate look was dark—dead. Lifeless. Madness.
Laura growled and hissed like a wild animal, and drool fell from
her bared fangs.
    She literally began to foam at
the mouth. She leapt from the bed and in a flash jumped Raynor, her
fangs tearing at his neck in a frenzied assault. Raynor stood stationary in
shock and didn’t fight off the attack. Blood