Reborn: Chapter Sixty Three "Blast from the Past"

Book Cover created in acrylic by the extremely talented @therealpaul

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Chapter Sixty Two

She awoke the following morning and rubbed her eyes against the light that was streaming through the windows of her bedroom. Although she wasn’t suffering from a hangover, her body having rid itself of toxins in the night, her insides felt hollowed out. She recalled what had happened and wanted to cry or scream with frustration.

She decided to go find Jess and demand she explain why she had made those declarations. She ran into Jenna first and asked where her sister was.

"Somewhere with Tyros again," she answered, rolling her eyes.

Anna sighed. She had to find Jared. Had to tell him that Jess was wrong, that she didn't feel that way. But how?

“What’s on your mind?” Jenna asked in concern.

“Nothing, I just…I don’t feel like talking about it.”

“Okay. Let me know when you do.”

To Anna’s relief Michael was gone for the day. She wondered if he had said something to Jess to give her those ideas but found the idea of confronting him difficult.

When Jess finally turned up she was upset. Jenna asked her what was wrong but she shook her head and went straight to her room locking the door. After a long tense moment Anna decided against breaking it down, her friend apparently had problems of her own. Instead she waited until Jenna was distracted by her aunt, pocketed the purple contacts, and slipped out the door.

She blurred to a clothing store and changed her outfit. She chose all black, and covered herself with an oversized black leather jacket. She was determined to find him, and the only place she knew to look was that bar called Stokes. She figured going in disguise would be a wise choice since she still had to worry about others identifying her, but she felt it wouldn't be a particularly good idea to show off her body.

It was still light outside, so encountering a bar full of the "damned" would not be an issue. Unfortunately it was also unlikely that he'd be there, but she still had to try. Maybe she could leave word with the bartender that she was looking for him. She contemplated writing a note then decided against it. As long as the barkeep passed on her inquiry he should come looking for her. She hoped.

There were only a few people in the bar when she arrived, and of course none were him. She went up to the counter and ordered a beer, hunching her shoulders to ward off interest. It didn't work, one of the patrons came to sit beside her instantly.

"Who are you?" he asked and she refrained from answering, keeping her eyes forward. His scent indicated he was a vampire, and she began to nervously reconsider this plan. She signaled the bartender and he came towards her.

"Do you know Jared?"

The barman lifted a brow.

"If you see him could you tell him that Anna is looking for him?"

He stared at her for a moment and nodded.

She got up and started for the door when a hand came down on her arm.

"An American accent? I thought all females resided in England."

She yanked her arm free and continued walking. He followed her outside and she tensed. She couldn't blur with so many people on the street, shit! She scanned up and down for a cab, ready to spring into action if he attempted to touch her again. She could still feel his presence and she snuck a glance at him. His brows were furrowed, and…holy shit she knew him! Paulo, she remembered, the Italian vampire that had hit on her at the rave the night she'd been turned. Her insides tightened with fear and she quickly looked away, ducking her head. Her heart sped up as she imagined him pointing a finger and shouting I KNOW YOU and then relaxed slightly as she recalled her disguise.

From her peripheral she could see him looking at the sky then back at her with an expression of surprise and curiosity. It dawned on her that she was outside in the daylight, an incredibly strange thing for him to see. Shit. She really had to go. She saw a cab coming down the street and hurried to it. Yanking open the door she jumped in and told the driver to "Go".

She glanced out the window and Paulo remained on the sidewalk staring after her. She figured that considering he’d been at the place Jake had taken her he probably drank from humans on a regular basis so it wasn’t likely he could blur after her. That thought made her feel a bit safer. But she was no longer an unknown. Highly unlikely he wouldn't spread the news of what he’d seen.

All she could do now was hope that Jared got her message, or that he came to her anyway.

**

As Jared made his way through the Black Forest in Germany one thing was clear, he had not gone far enough away. Although he felt her presence even less here than in Dublin, all the instinctual mated feelings were a constant. It had been two Goddamned days, why hadn't she broken the bond? What in fuck was this Michael waiting for? He pictured the group of males he had seen, wondering which one was him, fluctuating between the desire to rip off his head and the desire to demand the male release him from this curse.

He wished he could drink himself into a stupor the way she had. Since females were physically weaker, particularly those with her traits, alcohol remained in their system just long enough to accomplish the inebriated state she'd been in. Even if he drank three times as much and as fast, a nice buzz was the best he could hope for.

He shook his head in exasperated anger as he broke through the trees into a small clearing that was home to a cabin made of oak that he'd built several centuries ago. It was one of many isolated places he had in the world, and as he walked through the door he breathed in the familiar scent, but it gave him no solace. He strode across the room and settled into his old worn armchair, gritting his teeth as thoughts of her continued to assail him. Tonight he would hunt for large game and forget about the little lying thief who had torn his carefully maintained world apart.

And if she hadn't released him by sunrise he would get on a plane to Greenland.

Generously created for me by @son-of-satire