Mia brewed a pot of coffee. She needed something to keep her awake, and her mind was numb. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. She’d seen people lose their shit before, but Cole made everyone else look like amateurs. What had tormented him for so long?
When the phone rang, Mia she snatched it from its cradle.
“Cole?”
“Do I sound like a man?” Cynthia’s voice was refreshing to hear.
“Cyn? Is everything okay? It’s eleven p.m.”
“I have something that I’ve wanted to tell you, and you have been so preoccupied lately that I haven’t had the chance.”
“Well, what is it?” Mia asked, sliding down on the couch and thumbing its seam.
“I want to tell you in person.”
“I can see you tomorrow, but you have to come here,” Mia said and turned her head as the coffee pot beeped in the background.
“Yeah, okay. See you then, BFF.”
Mia clicked the off button and laid the phone in her lap.
Her mom was coming for a visit in the morning and then Cynthia in the afternoon. This would be a good distraction for her, since she couldn’t get Cole out of her mind. Why? She didn’t know enough about Cole, yet he consumed most of her waking thoughts.
Walking to the sliding glass doors, she put her fingers into the notch to slide it open and paused. She could still see him—it was as if his image had been burned, leaving an impression on her patio, leaning against the glass. As she slid the door open, the memory of that night, when he sat here as she melted down inside, came back to her, vividly. She stepped out onto the balcony. A beautiful night breeze blew through her hair, lifting the strands off her neck. She closed her eyes and thought of Cole. She couldn’t pull her mind away from him. Even when he wasn’t near, she felt him. As much as she fought him, she felt sad. The loneliness she had buried deep down inside her for years had surfaced. As the strands of her hair stroked her neck, she felt his fingers on her skin. He was so gentle and deadly. Yes, deadly.
***
The coffee was useless, and the bed called to her. The sheets cooled her skin as she slipped under them. After pulling the covers to her neck, she hugged her extra pillow and turned on her side. The last thing she saw before surrendering to sleep was Cole’s face filled with rage. She pushed away his image, and let the drums beat in his place.
This time she felt empowered over the dream, and pushed it forward to where she left off. More Indians surrounded her, chanting louder than ever before. Only one voice was clear in her head. She struggled to see whose voice was so close to her ear. Almost there…
The familiar rapping on the door slammed her thoughts back into reality. Can’t these people let me sleep? She kicked her legs like a child and slapped the mattress with her hands as she yelled toward the door.
“Hold on!” Snatching the clock from the nightstand, she focused her hazy eyes on the time, then slammed it back down. It’s nine a.m. already?
Her sleepy legs tripped over the rug by the door as she cracked it open, peering through the small slit. “Hey, Mama. Come in.” She leaned out into the hallway, searching for Gonela. Hmm, that’s odd.
“He’s in his car. He said he’d come back when we’re done.”
“Who?”
“The detective out front. You have some of that sweet tea that I like, the kind that tastes like your grandma’s?” her mom asked as she pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and looked around the apartment.
Mia always kept a little tea in her place, just in case her mom stopped by. Her face lit up with a smile. “Of course, I do. I’m going to make some coffee for myself and freshen up real quick.” When she returned to the table, her mother was staring blankly at the empty chair in front of her.
“What have you discovered about yourself, my dear?” She always had a knack of knowing what Mia was going to say, before she said it.
The steam from her coffee danced in the air as she lifted the cup to her lips. “I think I moved Cole through the air when he was in a levitated state. I pulled him to me, and there have been some other minor things. He thinks you have the answers for me.” She told her almost everything that had happened—well, mostly what happened—the other night with Cole. She left out the part of her trying to pleasure herself. Not that she was afraid to tell her mom. She was afraid of the response. Her mother has always been very open with her about everything.
Her mom took a minute to collect her thoughts. “Well, I didn’t think your mind was that powerful, but if you pulled him over to you, then it is.” She took a sip of tea, holding the liquid in her mouth before swallowing.
“What are you talking about?”
“Stop looking at me like I need to be wrapped in a straight jacket. You weren’t named Miakoda for nothing. You have a calling, Mia, and the Native-American blood running through your veins is powerful.” Sharon added another spoonful of sugar to her tea and clanked the ice against the glass as she stirred it. “There are some powerful Indians in our family tree. A witch doctor, as well as a medicine doctor, is in your blood. That’s all I know.” She stopped, letting it sink in before she continued.
“What are you trying to say, Mom? That, what? I have powers?” Mia rolled her eyes.
“Yes, Mia, that’s what I’m saying. You have the power of the moon. You can control water, the power over someone’s emotional state.” Sharon’s eyes lit up. “The moon moves the tides. Mia, can you imagine the power that the moon holds? You have that power, Miakoda!”
Mia’s head shook in disbelief as her mom continued. “You can influence psychic energies—drive sane people psychotic and do worse for those who are already. Oh, and you can call forth and control night creatures. You are very special, Mia.”
Mia’s jaw dropped as she tried hard to wrap her brain around what she was hearing. She held up her hand. “Whoa. Hold up. Night creatures? What, like, raccoons?”
Her mom sat back in the chair and tapped her fingers on the table. She stared at her and inhaled a deep breath. “Mia, there is a lot more out there besides vampires. I’ve been trying to tell you for years, but you block it out.”
“Yeah, like the time you called the airport to see if they had any special planes in the air because you swore there was an alien spaceship over the neighbor’s house?” Her eyes rolled along with her sarcastic tone.
Her mom narrowed her eyes and stood abruptly. “Until you come to terms with it, Mia, I can’t help you. No one can. Try to control your temper and concentrate. You’ll see your power come forth. Believe in it, Mia, and you will see it surface. Embrace it. I’m going now. You’re a downer.” Sharon gave her a slanted smile.
“Gee, thanks, Mom.” They both smiled as Mia walked her to the door.
Her mom paused at the top of the stairs and looked back at Mia. Her loving eyes held her daughter’s, and then her lips drew into a tight line. She waved her hand in the air to dismiss the words she wanted to say. “It’s pointless to tell you anything, you’re just gonna’ have to figure this out on your own.” She turned and quickly descended the stairs.
Mia leaned against the open door until she heard the metal gate shut behind her. Her mom’s visit was shorter than she expected. Now she needed a distraction until Cynthia arrived.
A couple of hours of cleaning did the trick, and now she actually had time to use her bathtub. She turned the water until it was steamy hot, just like she liked it—hot enough to see her skin turn red. She leaned back and closed her eyes, enjoying the sweat beading on her body. Gliding her hands on the rim of the tub, she sank deeper into the water. Her mind drifted to the people in her life. She thought about her mom’s words and about what Al had said. But mostly, she thought about Cole. She tried hard to place her feelings for him. It seemed like lately everyone was telling her to relax and focus. She felt relaxed, right now.
Let’s try this. What should I focus on? She kept her eyes closed and visualized Cole—his strong features and handsome face were pleasing. Just the thought of him sent her body into a shiver. Her hands itched to slip down between her legs and make the ache go away. Years of pent-up aggression bubbled inside her, combined with the brief encounters with Cole. That only intensified the urges brewing inside, urges she thought she had buried deep within her. Years had passed, and not once had she craved a man or missed anything about sex. Now, she found her mind constantly straying to him, craving his touch. Damn. There went her concentration.
Mia struggled with her emotions for him, and she knew she had to make a decision—end it or give herself to him. She spoke into the empty air as if she were confiding in an old friend. “I don’t think I could ever let him bite me, especially after today. He was the scariest thing I have ever seen in my life. I can’t imagine what he looks like before he bites someone and feeds on them.”
Her body tensed with the visual, and she shook away the images. Breathing deeply, she tried to focus once again. When her mind locked onto his image, his appearance became clearer. Drawing back from Cole’s face, his body came into view. Her expression softened as she watched him sleeping. More deep breaths… Hold on to it.
Mia felt a wave of pain sliver up from him. He was hurting, even in his sleep. She concentrated hard, pulling her focus back and resting it on his handsome face. Deep breaths, Mia. She visualized getting closer… closer, until she could bend down and lightly place a kiss on his lips.
My lips.
They were soft, inviting and felt so good. She allowed herself to linger, pressing harder as her hunger grew. Tiny bites of electricity rolled over her tongue as she slipped it inside and her hands slid down between her legs. A low moan escaped her.
Cole’s eyelids flew open and stared directly into hers. Holy shit! Water spilled over the edge of the tub and splashed onto the floor as she jerked herself from the vision, her fingers flying to her mouth. She felt the energy from Cole still prickling the surface of her skin. Did that just happen for real?
She jumped at the knock on the door. Grabbing her wrap, she fastened it around her waist as she hurried to the door, her face still flushed as she opened it. “Hey, Cyn. Come on in. I need to get dressed. Lock all the locks behind you.” Her voice was almost threatening.
Cynthia’s head cocked back as she looked at her. “Aren’t you a little paranoid these days?”
Oh, you have no idea.
“Why haven’t you been to work, Mia?”
Mia pulled her shirt down and jumped on the couch next to Cynthia. “It’s a long story.” She waved her hand in the air to dismiss her question as she turned sideways and crossed her legs.
Cynthia’s lips tightened. She narrowed her eyes and stared at her with suspicion. “Well, aren’t you lucky that I have time for a long story? What’s up with you? Does it have to do with the cop? You know, the one you know you want to be with, but for some reason you have decided to torture yourself… and for the rest of your life you will be alone, because you won’t let yourself fall in love…”
It went deeper than that, but Cynthia was a hopeless romantic. She thought everything was roses. That was what happened when your boyfriend wasn’t a vampire, and you could actually worry about things like picking out a china pattern.
But no, not me. She had to worry about being bitten from her un-dead boyfriend. She rubbed her hands together. Her emotions were coming to a head. If Cynthia only knew why she couldn’t let herself love Cole, she wouldn’t press.
For Cole, feeding while having sex was the ultimate pleasure, and she couldn’t bring herself to let him bite her. It would be like telling a regular guy “Hey, I love you, but I’m never giving you head.” In Mia’s experience, that man will eventually go find someone that will shine his pole—even if he loves you. Cole needed blood. He needed to bite people, and it wasn’t fair to him if she accepted him now and couldn’t give him what he needed later.
All her thoughts compiled into a big ball of emotion and hit her head on. Her face turned red as she struggled to hold it in, and then the dam broke allowing tears to stream down her face.
Cynthia reached out and wrapped her arms around Mia. “Oh, my God. What is it? You never cry. It’s him, isn’t it?”
Mia stared at her hands in her lap. That was all she’d been doing—crying. She hated it. Mia wasn’t this weak person she’d turned into. Her voice stuck in her throat so she nodded her head in agreement.
“Mia, do you love him? You need to be honest with yourself.” Cynthia grabbed tissues from the end table, and Mia accepted them as an uncontrollable sob escaped her.
“Yes… I do.” Her guarded heart knew the answer, and now she admitted what she’d been denying. Mia knew she had fallen quick, and she didn’t know much about Cole, but he already had her heart. It scared her to death.
Cynthia grabbed her and rocked back and forth. “Then what’s the problem? And you better not get snot on my shirt girl, it’s Coach.”
Mia burst out in laughter. She looked at Cynthia’s shirt and laughed even harder. Cynthia was a walking advertisement for Coach, all the way down to her wristlet.
“We’re just different; it will never work.”
Cynthia drew her head back in a clockwise motion. “I’m a white woman in love with a hot, black islander. Who you gonna tell you’re different to, please,” she said, in a mocking tone.
“Cyn, there are things I can’t tell you right now. I’m sorry. I would love to tell you everything, and I really need to tell you everything, but I can’t.”
“Are you in some kind of trouble?” Cynthia’s face pinched with concern.
If you consider being wanted by vampires, trouble, then yes. Mia couldn’t lie. Lying one of the worst qualities to have. She’d have to distort the facts. “Yes, a little trouble. There was an incident at the store the other night, and the cops think the guys might be back.” Mia’s gaze flicked down to Cynthia’s phone as it rang.
Cynthia danced to the ring tone before she answered it. “Hey, baby. Nothing. Talking to Mia.” She tilted the phone away from her mouth. “Kevin says, ‘Hi.’”
Mia waved at the phone, then got up to give them privacy, making her way into the bathroom. I can’t believe I just admitted to myself that I love Cole. Can I satisfy him? Would he really be okay with a no biting relationship? She splashed water on her face and returned to the living room.
Cynthia gathered her things and headed toward the door. “I’m sorry, he got off early, and he’s home. I need to go get me some play.” Her excited tone caused Mia to laugh and shake her head.
“No problem. I’m a big downer anyway. Oh, wait. What did you want to tell me?”
“Um, it was nothing. I’ll tell you later.”
Mia was alone once again, and she sat on the couch for hours lost in her thoughts as the sun began to set. She craved fresh air, and stepped outside, her hands sliding along the railing of the balcony as the wind stroked her skin. The moon shone in the sky. Even in the remaining daylight, a bright aura circled the orb and Mia stared at it as if it was a long lost relative.
I have some kind of connection to the moon. Like I don’t feel weird enough without this knowledge. She should just sign-up with the circus and be done with it.
Looking down, Mia scanned the area and saw Detective Gonela’s car. He must be lurking around somewhere because Cynthia didn’t mention him being in the hallway.
The last of the sun’s light vanished, and Mia stayed on the balcony, waiting, hoping to see Cole. For an hour, Mia peered into the darkness. The chill of the iron chair soaked into her skin, making her remote thoughts more focused. Mia felt confused. With her identity lost, it was time to fire up the computer and do some research.
Mia researched everything her mom and Al had told her and Google overloaded with information. She rubbed the dull aches that throbbed in her eyes and tried to focus on the computer’s clock. Three a.m. glared at her. She’d managed to occupy her mind, and made a mental note to do the same tomorrow as she slipped into bed for the night, exhausted.