Page 25 of By The Moon

Jerome needed a plan. Something that would make Skylar come into the room. Something that meant he would have no choice but to enter the room and check on Jerome. Maybe hewas sick because of the drugs Skylar had given him. That could potentially work.

“Skylar,” he shouted feebly. He needed Skylar to hear him, but also hear that he wasn’t well or was weak. “Skylar. I feel ill. My head hurts. I feel sick. What did you give me? I have allergies.” Allergies? Well, if it got the vampire inside the room with Jerome, he’d say anything.

There was movement outside. Jerome could see the shadow under the door and moved into a kneeling position, bent over and holding his stomach. He groaned as the door opened, then cried out when Skylar punched him. Jerome didn’t have time to defend himself before Skylar dragged him from the room by his hair. Jerome grabbed Skylar’s hands, trying to get himself free. At the same time, he tried to get his feet under himself so he could stand and walk, but Skylar moved fast.

Jerome was aware of entering a new room and then being picked up and thrown onto a mattress. Skylar leapt the distance and punched him again. As Jerome lay disoriented, Skylar yanked his arm above his head and cuffed it to the wall. Twisting as he sat up, Jerome pulled on the cuff then stared at Skylar who now stood by the door.

“Why are you doing this?”

“He won’t find you here. You’re all alone now.”

Skylar left the room and Jerome slumped on the mattress. What the hell? Skylar had kidnapped him over Louis? Didn’t Skylar know they were mates? Louis had assured him no one interfered with mates, how important they were, how cared for. So why had Skylar taken him? Was he jealous of Jerome? Or was he jealous of Louis?

Louis?

Jerome waited but there was still nothing. How long before the drug left his system, and would Skylar drug him again? He didn’t have an answer but he knew he had to fight no matterwhat. He wouldn’t be a victim to some vampire he’d just met. Louis had waited for him, let him grow up, and had told him everything before they’d mated. Skylar wanted something and so he’d done this instead of talking to him or Louis.

Jerome shook his head. Why was he trying to figure the nutjob out? He barely knew Skylar, so he had no idea why he’d done what he had. All he knew was that he could be in danger. Was more than likely in danger, and he couldn’t reach the one person who meant more to him than anyone else in his life.

The door suddenly swung open and Skylar leapt on the bed, causing Jerome to be jostled and the cuff to dig into his skin. He stared at Jerome intently and Jerome stared back. He wasn’t backing down and showing any fear to this vampire.

“Pathetic human,” Skylar whispered, sending shivers of alarm through Jerome. “No one will find you here. I can do whatever I want to you and no one would know.”

“They’d know when you went to work. They’d scent me on you.”

“Would they?” Skylar smiled but it wasn’t friendly. “Good thing we aren’t at my house. I can go there, shower and change and no one would be the wiser that I’d spent time with you.” Skylar looked down Jerome’s naked body. “I can see why he would be attracted to you.”

Jerome resisted the urge to cover himself. Staring defiantly at Skylar, he muttered, “He likes it too.”

Skylar’s hand whipped out so fast, Jerome didn’t see it coming. He felt it, though. The hard slap to the face had him gasping in shock and pain. “Feisty. I’m going to enjoy breaking you.”

“Louis will find me.”

“How? He has no idea where you are, and I know you can’t communicate with him.” Skylar chuckled. “I took care of thatstraight away.” Jumping off the bed, Skylar waved. “See you soon.”

Jerome watched the door slam shut then stared at the cuff, searching for a weak link. It was clear Skylar thought very little of him because he was human, and that could work to his advantage. The cuff was hard, thick leather but there was some stitching that Jerome could pick at.

He clearly was supposed to be here for some time, so Jerome breathed deeply, calming himself. Staring at the cuff, he dug his nails into the leather around one of the stitches so he could get underneath it and hopefully loosen it enough so he could break the stitch. Then he would move to the next one. It would take some time, but it was clear he had plenty of that and it kept him busy and kept his mind off where he was.

As soon as the drugs wore off he would reach out to Louis, though going by what Skylar had said he was aware they could talk telepathically. Jerome knew Skylar would have to drug him again before the ones he had already been given were expelled from his system. It was simply a matter of when.

If only he knew what time it was, then he could figure out how long the drugs were in his system for. Without knowing that, Jerome wouldn’t be able to figure out how long to delay taking food or water. He could feasibly manage two to three days without water but he was certain Skylar would force him to drink before then. That’s if he was still alive.

No, he had to keep Jerome alive because if he died Louis would know. He’d feel it through their bond and then he too would die.

So Jerome was kind of formulating a plan with what little he knew, which was better than nothing. He wasn’t going to sit there and do nothing. He was going to do everything in his power to escape the cuff or reach out to Louis. No, he was not going to be an easy victim. Not Jerome. His parents didn’t raisehim that way, and he knew Louis would be searching for him. They always talked to each other, and by now it had been several hours, so Louis would know something was wrong.

Jerome was certain about that. Certain about Louis. The vampire hadn’t waited years for Jerome to grow up to then not be concerned when they couldn’t communicate. Louis always stayed in touch, even if it was to ask how his day was going or to tell him how proud he was. Louis would search for him and when he found him, he would come for him. Jerome actually felt a small amount of sympathy for Skylar.

If Skylar knew Louis as well as he believed he did then he would also know the kind of vampire he was. Jerome relaxed slightly. He still had to survive the next few hours or days before Louis found him, but he knew Louis would. Louis would save him.

Chapter Eleven

Louis stood outside Skylar’s home, noticing how dark it was. No one was home, or if they were they were keeping the lights off. Kelvin stood to his right, Gray to his left, and it was Gray who spoke. “Gives the impression no one is home, but we don’t need lights on to see.”

Kelvin walked up the short path and knocked on the door. Louis scanned the area, seeing other homes with lights on, cars in the driveway. It was a predominantly human neighborhood, and not one where most vampires lived. Vampires tended to live close together, formed their own community. It kept them safe, being close to their own kind.

Kelvin knocked again and looked at Louis and Gray. Gray nodded then disappeared and Louis knew he was searching the rear of the property. When no one answered again, Kelvin checked the street then worked his magic to open the front door.

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