The Highest Stakes

Tyler manages to push her off, "I just wanted to tell them not to look for me, my Dad is a cop. If I didn't say anything, he would have tried to find me. He's like Liam Neeson."

He goes out into the bedroom, suddenly she's in front of him. He looks at her, "Kira, get over it. Nothing is going to happen...shouldn't you be focused on the humans, not my parents thousands of miles away!"

"I'm going out..." He heads out the door and outside, heading to a car he's allowed to use.

Kira understood Tyler. She truly did. But lately she felt as if she'd been living under a microscope where Julian and the other vampires were concerned, and anything he did reflected on her ability to turn him into the vampire she'd promised them he could be. She'd never taken such a giant leap of faith before, and so far it was coming back to bite her in the ass at every turn.

Therefore, she was mad.

"We're not finished," she snarled, but he'd already climbed into the car. Infuriated even further by his disregard for her command, she leaped into the passenger side and slammed the door shut. "Drive or not, but we're talking."

Tyler drives off and looks at her, "Talk about what? How you owe me a new phone? You worry too much, my parents will were going to back off but then you smashed my phone! You made it look even more suspicious...and what the fuck is up with this car?"

The car suddenly stalls and comes to a stop, they are on the side of a country road. Tyler gets out and looks under the hood, looks at her "You gave me the crap car..didn't you?"

Kira was almost positive that the car belonged to the human Julian had killed the week before. It wasn't exactly safe sitting here, but it also wasn't smart to simply take it out where it could be seen by others. Before she could answer, to smack some sense into him, to do something, she heard a ruffle from somewhere in the trees.

Tyler was still rambling on about the car when Kira tackled him from behind and pulled him to the ground just as a stake shot out through the darkness and sailed through the window.

"Fuck," she cursed, looking around herself before standing again and pulling Tyler up by the back of his neck. "Run. Now!"

Tyler didn't argue and they both took off, using their vampire speed. "Is there anything around here...?" He started to ask but suddenly she stopped, he did as well. She looked around and jetted off in another direction, in which he followed.

Their was a cabin, they were miles and miles away from the mansion. They get into the cabin, clearly it was owned by the vampires but she still pushed him to the wall, hand on his mouth for him to keep quiet, to make absolutely sure they had gotten away.

Kira kept her hand firmly pressed against Tyler's mouth, letting not a sound escape from his lips. His brown eyes, wide with fright and his chest rising and falling heaving against hers, gave her all she needed. He acted reckless, but this fear, this living, breathing and very real nightmare surrounding them said all he needed to say aloud: he didn't want to die. He wanted to survive. He wanted to see this through. And now, with the sounds of the humans stomping past the cabin, shouting out commands to run this way and that, their weapons cocked and loaded, he understood the threat for what it was. The humans meant business in their mission to eradicate their species, and the vampires had to be just as serious about keeping themselves thriving.

She shared a look with him, an arched brow as her gaze pierced into his, and pressed against him tighter when he nearly lost his footing. The beam of a flashlight shone through an old, dusty window, mere inches from their shadows. Kira grabbed him by the throat, pulled him into her and crouched, bringing him with her and watched as the light replaced the space where they'd only just been standing.

Tyler follows her commands, as they hear more footsteps. He keeps his focus on her and all, as she looked back at him.

Finally, the noise was disappearing. He looked back at her, as he was sitting on the floor by now, crouched against the wall. He looks at her, about to speak but she just forces his lips closed with her fingers.

Kira waited for what felt like hours, Tyler's lips clamped shut between her fingers, her palm cupping his chin, and he didn't so much as blink the entire time. Neither did.

They listened as the humans retreated into the distance, then sat in silence until the coast was clear. Kira let out a shaky breath and her head slumped forward in relief, her tired body folding in on itself. Tyler was alive. They were okay.

It wasn't until she felt the warmth of his chest against her forehead that she realized she'd leaned into him. At first she thought to pull away, but then his hands slowly and steadily lifted around her and wrapped around her back, and she relished that small bit of comfort. Ever the strong fighter with all the confidence in the world, no one thought of such a gesture. No one dared try it. It wasn't Kira. It was something totally and completely human. At this point in time, with the world falling to shit around her, she missed it. She missed it more than anything.

He looks at her and all, breaking apart from her. He stands up and helps her stand as well, "You did great...I don't know what I would have done, if you didn't come after me...."

He keeps his attention on her, if it wasn't for her, he would be dead. He always would be, she really meant a lot to him but he knows she would never be his, Julian did make him aware of that.

Kira took a step back and smoothed a hand through her hair, suddenly feeling overexposed beneath the weight of Tyler's heavy stare. Gone was the warmth of his chest and the comfort of his embrace, and so back was her cold exterior. She turned back around and looked through the dirt-smeared window for the clearest exit possible.

"I do," she answered for him, her toughness back full force. "You'd be dead."

After mapping out a mental map of the direction in which they'd come and the best way out, she stepped toward the door. "Let's go."

It was a chilly day in Germany but Tyler didn't notice, he was naked under his sheets with Alexa. She was annoying but what's a guy to do when he's lonely? The weather made it look very dark outside, as it was also raining.

Out of nowhere, the door bell rang and he sat up, as did Alexa. He could hear Julian answer it and the next voice, he couldn't believe it, sounded like his mother.

Julian stood at the doorway, staring at the two middle-aged humans standing on the top step. The man had grayed hair, the build of someone who wasn't a stranger to physical labor, his eyes a muted blue. Beside him stood a rather attractive woman about his age, her hair long and brown, the color matching that of her eyes. She had high cheekbones, a thin frame, a good head shorter than the man at her right, and she wore a summer dress that screamed understated elegance.

They didn't look like they were from around here, but any human had him suspicious. Perhaps the Germans were recruiting from other countries now, too.

Julian narrowed his eyes as he appraised them. He decided to test that one question at the forefront of his mind. "Was wollt ihr?"

The two exchanged a glance, the woman shuffling anxiously on her feet, but before the man could answer, she spoke first. "Um... Forgive me. Do you happen to... Sprechen Sie..." She licked her lips and paused, trying to conjure up any German she knew. It was quite adorable.

"English?" Julian cut in with a smile, glad that he'd been correct. These humans were a little too lost and bumbling to be the enemy. "I do."

The woman visibly relaxed. Julian wasn't exactly putting off any threatening vibes, but he had a tendency to make people uncomfortable. Something about his unwavering stare and the intensity he radiated, Kira once told him. "We're looking for our son," she continued on, reaching down to her side to take her husband's hand and give it a squeeze. "Tyler Montgomery. I'm Elaine, his mother." She nudged her husband's side. "This is his father, John."

Well, fuck.

"We tracked a call he made," John explained, his eyes narrowed, and Julian would have bet anything at that moment that the man was a cop. He had that suspicious, authoritative way about him. "This looks to be the address he placed it from. There's nothing else around here for miles."

Julian tried to swallow his anger, but god fucking dammit. The kid. Of course. As if on cue, he heard footsteps sounding out behind him. He didn't need to turn to know it was Tyler. His parents' expressions told him enough.

Tyler was about to explain to Julian but didn't even get a word out, before his mother tackled him and started yelling at him.

"You have any idea..the stress you put your father through Tyler!" She breaks off, smacking his arm. This way definitely embarrassing, as Julian smirked watching this interaction. "We went to find the apartment you had with Anya..."

"Look, I know...I have a lot to tell you, Anya and I broke up." He started to say, his mother once again hugged him, saying her poor baby was heartbroken.

"Let me...take you out to dinner, I'll discuss the rest." Tyler said, but was stopped as Julian had something to say.

"Nonsense!" Tyler bellowed jovially, a smile he hoped was inviting stretched across his face. "We have lovely guests here, family of our dear friend Tyler's, and we will treat them as such."

Kira had wandered into the room a moment before to watch the exchange, and she stood silently, taking it all in. Julian gave her a nod and she returned it with a roll of her eyes. He crossed the room and took Elaine's hand into his own, lifting it to his lips to place a gentle kiss on the back. Her cheeks blushed a deep pink at his gesture. He spoke to Tyler without facing him, his eyes instead boring into his mother's. "Tyler, you never told me your mother was so... delectable."

He could have refrained from making such a comment, but it wasn't in his nature. Tyler's lips thinned into one straight line, anger distorting his features. Julian ignored him and moved his gaze to John's. "Please, the both of you, stay. It would be a pleasure to have you."

Tyler escorted his parents into the living room for the time being, they all sat down and were given tea or coffee.

His mother looks at him,"This is a huge place..."

"It's a dorm...everyone is a student here." Tyler explains, the parents seem to buy this and about to ask more, when Alexa pops in. She's dressed nicely and appropriate, she hurries in and shakes their hands, "It is so nice to meet you, most of my boyfriends parents are dead..."

She sits next to Tyler and rests her hand on his thigh.

Julian took Kira by the hand and led her into the kitchen. "I thought you told me the phone situation was handled," he whispered angrily.

"Apparently it wasn't," Kira snapped. "His family was going to be an issue sooner or later. I'll see to it that the moment they walk away from here, they'll have no memory of anything."

They were interrupted by Abel, who strode into the room with a grin on his face. "I'm assuming the humans won't want blood bags for dinner. What do you suggest?"

Julian spun around and crossed his arms. He thought for a moment, pushing his fury aside. This could be fun, he admitted to himself. He could annoy the hell out of Tyler, if nothing else. "Was Ivan not a chef in his human years?"

Upon hearing his name, Ivan appeared at Abel's back. "Yes, over two centuries ago," he answered pointedly. "I'm a little rusty."

Julian fixed his glare on the younger vampire. "Go out. Buy something. Prepare it."

Ivan grunted in response and left the room. Julian turned back to Kira and plastered on a smile fit for a snake, then looped his arm through Kira's. "Let us bond with the humans."

Kira bit her tongue and let Julian lead her into the living room. All eyes met theirs the moment they entered.

"I hope your drinks are striking your fancy," Julian said in greeting, sitting down across from Tyler and the humans. "If not, there's always a nice supply of liquor to choose from."

Alexa has her hands all over Tyler, as his parents look at Julian. His dad mentions, "You look a little older...to be a student."

Tyler glances to Julian, "He..owns the house, and rents it out to us." He says quickly, before Julian can say anything.

His mother looks at Tyler,"Well, at least we know you're safe...how is school going?"

Tyler looks at her,"It's...great, I'll be back one second." He gets up and goes to grab a blood bag, lying about this life he was supposed to have, was not easy. Suddenly Kira is next to him, he rolls his eyes," I didn't think they would come all the way over here, next time let me finish my phone conversation."

He looks at her. Alexa can be heard talking about great Tyler is.

Kira crossed her arms and leaned against the kitchen counter. "There should never have been an answered call," she replied. "You could have gone to me and asked what to do. You didn't think about what this could mean. You're never going to age, you'll never fall sick or give them grandchildren, and you expect a lie to work. Eventually they would have to find out, and in this case, ignorance is bliss. It would be better, more painful but better, to believe you were dead."

Her gaze wandered past Tyler toward the living room again. "I truly hate that this has to happen, Tyler. Believe me, I do. But you've no idea the danger they'll face if they find out about you."

He looks at her,"So, what are you suggesting?...You know I am there only kid."

Kira swallowed thickly. "I know," she replied, her voice softening to a whisper. "I know, Tyler."

She took a step closer, then another, until they were mere inches apart. "You must think not of their heartache but of what could happen if they were to know the truth. They cannot be here. They cannot know this life." She stared into his eyes, searching for understanding. "You have to make them forget."

Tyler looks at her, he finishes his blood and has nothing else to say. He walks off and back into the room, until finally it's dinner and they are seated in a massive dining room. The parents are impressed.

Food is put down and Tyler looks at it, this is the first time he has eaten human food since being turned and glances to Kira but drinks some wine instead, his parents dig in and are pleased with it.

"When are you visiting home Tyler?" His mother asks, Tyler was just trying a green bean and it tastes horrible, but he swallows it and lies through his teeth the entire dinner with his folks.

Finally, he smells something. He looks around the table and sees a cut on his mothers finger. His mom doesn't even notice she did it but Tyler locks his eyes on it.

All at once, the heads of every vampire around the table lifted. They were all too disciplined, too controlled to do a thing, but the table got quiet. All eyes were on Tyler.

Kira saw what was happening, the way Tyler stiffened and his eyes darkened and his nostrils flared, and she pushed away from the table. "Please excuse us, Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery," she said politely as she stood, patting Tyler on the shoulder. "Tyler and I were going to put the finishing touches on the dessert."

Tyler was still staring at the cut on his mother's finger, the small welling of blood that was enough to turn a calm vampire into a beast. Kira tightened her grip on his shoulder and practically yanked him out of his seat. She led him away from the table, ignoring his parents' curious gazes as they left the room.

The moment they were in the privacy of the kitchen, Kira backed Tyler into the refrigerator and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Tyler," she whispered. "Calm down."

Tyler wanted to sink his teeth, just how he did with Anya. He looks at Kira, he manages to calm down looking at her and she eventually lets him go, he finally nods,"I'm doing it now..."

He walks back out and asks for his parents to join him, in the living room. They follow him and he looks at them, "Thank you for coming to see me..., but we didn't see each other. You found out I was dead, a tragic accident. You found out from the police here and went back home. You are going to mourn me but eventually move to Florida, like you always wanted."

His parents look at him, he tells them to leave and they do. They pile their way out and Tyler stands there, Kira is now in the room but he goes upstairs to his bed room and shuts the door, wanting to be left alone.

Kira let Tyler have his time alone. He needed it. The moment he'd retreated to his bedroom, she'd gone back to her study to do research on the evasive Jessica who'd turned him. Each day she got a little closer to discovering where the vampire was hiding. He needed her death to bring him some sort of closure. Perhaps vengeance wouldn't bring him happiness, but to mete out something deserved to the woman who had taken everything... it would help.

The next day, she drank her fill from a blood bag, turning down the services of Malin and the other blood whores Julian was so fond of, and made her way to Tyler's room. Alexa sat on the edge of his bed, per usual, scantily clad, as if anything she had to offer would help him through the depression of never seeing his family again. Kira raged at the sight of her.

"Geh weg," she hissed, and Alexa eased herself out of the room with a small wave in Tyler's direction. He had his face buried in a book and she wondered just how much of it he was truly taking in. He hadn't flipped to a new page for some time now. Kira closed the door behind her and sat down next to him.

"You asked about the first person I killed as a vampire," she began. It wasn't a comfortable subject in the least, but somehow she felt he needed to connect on some level. To know that his losses did not belong to him and him alone. To know that as vampires, the entire race had felt the pain of another's death at some point. Most had seen their entire families falling to death as mortals.

"My husband, Viktor... He was a great man. He worked hard to support us. He was so loving, so positive. I loved him more than anything, Tyler." He sat up slowly and set the book down at his side. His eyes never strayed from hers. "He came down with the measles. It was hard to watch. It was happening everywhere, and we didn't have the doctors that we had today. No treatments. It was in the middle of winter, crops were dying, it was cold. So cold. He didn't stand a chance."

She swallowed and skipped over the rest of the story. The rest that was too hard to tell. "I was too weak to lay him to rest. The ground was too hard. I had to... I had to wait. A man stopped by. Sergej. He'd been courting me long before I married Viktor. I always politely declined. He was a sweet man, but my heart didn't belong with him. That day he'd heard the news and he'd come to help. Not to court me or to step on any toes. He genuinely wanted to help me bury my husband." She folded her hands in her lap and picked at the ends of her nails. "He helped. Tyler, he was relentless. He wouldn't stop until the job was done. He was so kind."

She looked up and met his gaze. "Not long after he left, I met Julian. I wasn't taken with him. It was too soon. But there was something about him. He was so well put together. He didn't fit in with the rest of us. We were starving, we were sick, and here was this pale, beautiful man with not a care in the world. He took one look at me and gave me a proposal I couldn't refuse. I was so tired of life, of being sad and losing the people I loved, and he promised me strength and happiness and a way to move past it all. He turned me that night. I begged him to.

"The next evening, I had packed my things. I was moving in with him, he said, and I would never have to worry about money again. He was going to show up soon to take me where he was staying. But Sergej... He showed up at my door. He was checking up. His wife had baked me something, I don't really remember what. All I knew was that I was different, and Tyler, I was so hungry. This man, this man who had done so much for me, whom I'd known since I was a child, and I only saw him as a meal. The next thing I knew, I was on him. He was dead.

"I was a mess after that. Julian did what he could to help. And he did help. But it took me a while. I won't lie, Tyler, sometimes I still think about it. It's a part of who I am, no matter how long ago it was. But do I hate myself for it now? No. It fades, Tyler. It all fades."

Tyler looks at her and listened to her closely, "I appreciate you telling me...I'm fine, this sulking and moping isn't me either but I honestly don't know what to do?"