by Emily Bex
Taking a deep breath, Rissa composed herself. “Oh, Kate, it sounds horrible. I’m sure Shade is busy, so if you need me to come by, I’d love to sit with you or bring you anything you might need. And I’m sure you’ll take the pills. I know I’d do anything to protect my child. Maybe you should think of taking more, just to be on the safe side. They certainly can’t hurt, and can only help the baby. I’m so excited for you and can’t wait until the baby arrives. I’d love to give you a baby shower. Wouldn’t that be so much fun?”
“A shower sounds wonderful, Rissa. I’m really more excited about this baby than my voice conveys, I'm just so tired, and I sleep so much.”
“Oh sweetie, I can totally understand. Look, perhaps I’ll stop by later in the week for a visit, and we can discuss some shower ideas and make some plans. I’ll call you before I come over. I don’t have my schedule book with me at the moment. Now get some rest, and don’t forget those pills. If you need anything, my sweet friend, I’m but a phone call away. I must dash, I have an appointment and if I’m late, it makes me late the entire day, working girl, you know.”
“That would be great, Rissa, I look forward to seeing you.”
Kate ended the call and laid on the bed thinking. Since she’d been with Shade, she’d really cut herself off from her mortal family and friends, making only brief contact by phone, making excuses for why she couldn’t see them. She did miss having girlfriends, she really missed Shannon, and seeing Rissa would be good for her. Kate’s experience with female vamps had not been the greatest. First, Sabine tried to kill her, and then this feeder was climbing Shade like a demon from hell. Rissa had been her only immortal girlfriend, and they were never that close during college. And the pills, Rissa said take more. Kate wondered if she should take more. She tried to calculate how long the supply would last before the next doctor visit, but she was so tired she drifted back into a deep sleep, the cell phone still in her hand.
Rissa finished up her hair and got dressed, and all she could do was smile. Oh, this is going to be so much fun to watch naive Kate, and her poor dead baby. You can bet your mousey ass I will be there this week. Your ‘dearest friend’ will come calling, bearing gifts, and more pills. And I’ll convince you to sneak extra pills because you’ll want to save that thing inside you, but you won’t be successful, and daddy will be rewarding his baby girl soon.
***
Alec had a few minutes between bills being read on the floor, so he slipped out to the corridor to give Shade a call. It was a late-night session in Congress. He’d been pre-occupied with work lately, but he really needed to understand what was going on, if there was a rival coven moving into D.C. The phone rang several times and went to voicemail.
Are you fucking kidding me? He left his angry message on Shade’s phone. “Shade, let me make one thing clear. When I call, you answer. I don't ever want to hear a fucking voicemail message again. Now call me back, so we can set up some time to discuss this coven.”
He ended the call and missed the days of handheld phones when he could slam down the receiver. He was ready to put his fist through a wall, but there were too many mortals around him, so he swallowed his anger, for now.
81
Kate laid in this bed yet another day. Gi brought meal trays, watched her take the pills and then left the tray behind. She picked at the food, eating what she could, but continued to throw most of it in the toilet. She slept a deep dreamless sleep, and then she slept some more. In the evening, she heard Shade enter the room. She felt him, felt his love and concern and the light touch of his hand. His voice was sweet music to her ears. “Ti amo, mi amore." Did she answer? She’s sure she answered, but she was already falling back asleep. She awakened hours later to see a single red rose on the white sheets beside her, and his simple note. ‘Ti amo.’ Lover...pull me out of this black hole, I’m not sure I can climb out on my own.
Shade walked to the closed bedroom door and stood outside, listening. He could hear nothing but dead silence. He hated that sound. She was inside, and he missed his bubbly, chatty bel. Slowly opening the door, he saw her lying in the bed. He could tell she hadn’t moved since the last time he checked on her, and she looked weak. Walking closer, he could barely take the pain that went through him. She looked even paler than before. Gently lifting her hand, she didn’t move and for one second, he felt panic race through him, and then she turned her head slightly toward him.
“Kate, wake up please. I am worried. You look very...not yourself. What can I do to help?”
“I don't need anything, Gi has been most attentive. And I did as you asked. I’ve been in bed all day.”
She started to sit up. She needed to show him she was okay. She knew how much he worried.
He watched her sit up and could tell she was trying to hide her pain. Reaching out, he helped her and fluffed up some pillows behind her back.
“Well, you look very pale and weak to me. Did you eat, take your pills?”
“I ate everything. Gi brings my meals, and my pills. You can ask him. I cleaned my plate.”
He tried not to show his concern. “Well, that is good you are eating. You don’t need to lose any weight. You should be gaining now.”
“I talked to Rissa on the phone, she was sorry about the whole thing with the feeder, and just wanted to check on me. She said she might stop by this week. So, be nice, lover, please?”
He smirked at the mention of Rissa. “Rissa, huh? Well, not sure I want her ass back in this house so soon, but I understand if you want some company. Her mate is my boss, so be cautious what you discuss. He already mentioned Rissa informed him of the incident, she is his mate, and she will not hide anything from him. Keep that in mind, please.”
“I never discuss our lives with her. She’s trying to figure out who your feeder is. I promise you, what happens between us remains private.”
Shade growled low. “Nosy is what she is! Never discuss Luca with her. You need to protect him as much as he protects you. She need not know a damn thing about him. Not just the feeding but anything.”
Sighing, he held her in his arms. “Bel, I don’t want to seem unreasonable. I don’t want to come off like a hard ass to you.”
She relished the feel of his arms around her. She had felt so bad today, the pleasure of his arms supporting her felt so delicious, she allowed herself to melt against him. “Luca is my family too. I’d never discuss the personal issues of our family. She wants to plan a baby shower. And I never see you as mean. You’re my protective warrior.”
“Then lay here in your protective warrior’s arms and fall asleep. I won’t be going out tonight, I promise you, and if you wake, I will be right here.”
He lay down next to her, cuddling her onto his chest. He felt her relax into him and fall asleep. “That’s it, rest. I’m right here with you.”
He waited until she was sleeping soundly, then slid her off his chest and onto the bed, pulling the blankets around her. Getting down to his office, he saw his phone blinking and already knew he had to deal with Alec or all hell would break loose. Dialing into his voicemail, the message Alec left was abrupt, and his tone was...deadly.
Shaking his head, his anger rose up. So, Alec was finally worried about a coven after all this time, and now he wanted to talk? Right! Let me get right on that. Slamming his fist down on the desk, he grabbed his smokes and walked out onto the patio and paced, lighting up a cigarette. He needed to get his anger under control before he returned the call, knowing he couldn’t let his anger out on Alec or he’d pay the price. He finally calmed down and walked back in to return his call.
82
Alec wrapped up his interview with the press under the impressive dome of the Capital, and then headed back to his office, checking his cell to see if Shade returned his call. The whole day had passed, and he was ready to get out of there for the night. Fuck! Nothing! Who the fuck does he think he is? As soon as he got in his office and closed the door, he dialed his cell again, angrily pacing.
Shade heard the phone just as he was returning from outside and grabbed the cell off the desk as his ass hit his chair. He didn’t have to look to see who it was, Alec was one impatient fucker, and everything happened on his schedule. “Shade, here.”
Alec could barely repress his anger. “First of all, when I call, I expect an immediate pickup, so keep your phone on you at all times, and I mean all times. Don't take a fucking piss without your phone, got it? And second of all, if, by some stroke of dumb luck, you happen to miss a call and I leave a voicemail, I expect an immediate response. Is anything about that message unclear?”
Shade propped his feet on the desk and let him ramble. “Well, let me see if I have this straight. Rissa marches in to my house, bringing the feeder from fucking hell. I’ve got a pregnant mate, who doesn’t need that kind of aggravation and is sick as a fucking dog from those pills. But I’ll drop everything for your fucking problems.”
Suppressing his annoyance, Alec responded, “Curb that attitude with me, warrior. You know Rissa was just trying to help, and it's not my fucking problem you got a mortal pregnant, so I don't want to hear about any fucking issues with your mate. What have you found out about the rogues? Do we have another coven moving in? Or was this an isolated incident? What do your instincts tell you?”
Shade leaned his head back on the chair. It was just as he thought. Alec didn’t give a fucking thought to anything until it might actually threaten his ass.
“This looks like some new coven, possibly called Aries. The two rogues I found concern me. What the hell are they after? How many more are there? I have had your warriors scouting every night, and I personally keep close tabs in your immediate area. My instincts tell me this won’t be good. I have no other leads, I have never heard of this damn Aries coven before. What the hell do you know about them?”
“Aries...never heard of them. I'll put out some feelers, see if anyone has heard anything. Do you have a feel for the size of this coven?” He paced the floor of his office. This could be nothing.
Shade scoffed. “No, not at this point, but I’ve got warriors in every hot spot in town. They keep a lid on everything, and we have begun to sniff out some strange blood, but no trouble. If they have tattoos, it’s a fucking serious problem, it means they are organized, which is why I can’t understand why I never heard of them before. The rogues I found were damn young, perhaps they are recruiting, and you know as well as I do, young rogue vampires are one dangerous breed.”
Alec continued pacing the floor. “I’m well aware, warrior, well aware. If they blow my cover, expose me...it’s over for all of us. I can't emphasize enough how important it is you get a handle on this. And listen, I know you have some shit going on. Rissa has kept me informed, but you have to stay in the game here. You can't allow yourself to be distracted. If I go down, we all go down.”
Sighing loudly, Shade slid his hand through his hair. “None of us can be exposed, and you don’t have to remind me. I have one hell of a lot to lose as well. I got this. I will take their lowlife asses out, one by one, and it won’t be pretty. But here is what I will lay on the table. You have a few good warriors, all mercenaries. Most of them know their shit but they lack discipline. If this situation escalates beyond what your boys can handle, I’m bringing in my own warriors and you can bet your ass, this city will rock to its core when I let them loose. We don’t play games. We are true warriors, you want death, you came to the dealer, brother.”
Alec stopped pacing as he shoved his hand in his pocket. “Let me be clear. I want this coven gone at all costs! Whatever it takes, and the bloodier the better. That sends a message, if you know what I mean. Keep me informed. I want to know what you see, what you hear. Don't think any detail is too small. There’s too much at risk here. Okay, well I have a heavy calendar, and I was on my way home for the night so, I need to run. Talk again soon.”
“Keep me in the loop as well, Alec. Respect me. You need me to take this fucking coven out of here.”
Hanging up, Shade closed his eyes. Fuck, he will drive me mad! He had enough to worry about, but war and warriors was like breathing to him and until something happened, Alec’s ass could sit and wait. Getting up, he headed back upstairs to check on bel, this damn house was so quiet lately, he couldn’t stand it.
83
Rissa teleported to the Bel Rosso estate, and before walking to the door, she took the pills out of her coat pocket and slid them into her purse. That damn manservant would take her coat and she wanted these pills handy. And just as she predicted, he took her coat and asked her to sit and wait for the master.
Shade was getting ready to go back upstairs and check on bel, when he picked up her scent. Gi appeared and announced he had left Miss Benneteau in the living room, waiting to see Kate. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the living room to see her sitting like a damn queen on her throne, with a basket of baby things. Maybe this was a good idea, perhaps it would cheer up Kate.
“Welcome back, Rissa.”
Rissa looked up as he entered, thinking he looked ravaged, like he hadn’t fed or rested in months. Wait until Alec hears this. She stood and smiled timidly. It’s show time, Rissa!
“Shade, thank you. I know this is awkward, but I come with good intentions. I wanted to visit with Kate. I know she isn’t feeling well, but I brought her a small gift, hoping to cheer her up.” She smiled sweetly. “And of course, I insist on giving her a proper baby shower, so I hope planning that will lighten her mood.” While she was speaking, she heard Alec in her head, and he knew she was at Bel Rosso.
“My devious darling, I’m so happy you decided to speed along this process. It’s quite possible the only person in this world more devious than me, is you. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. You are a woman after my own heart.”
Rissa responded to him, “Alec, you should see your warrior. He looks a bit worse for wear, but I have the pills, and am about to see the mortal.”
Alec huffed. “I don't need a warrior who’s looking ‘worse for wear’ my darling, so get this fucking thing over with, quickly.”
“Your wish is my command. There’s nothing I want more than for this to be over. I’ll fill you in when I return home, my wicked vampire.”
Shade was watching her closely. He thought she was being uncharacteristically sweet, or maybe he was just too damn tired. “Rissa, let’s get one thing clear. She is not well, she does nothing but sleep. I want no trouble. I want her to stay in that bed. If you are clear on that, I will take you up to her.”
As Rissa agreed, he led her upstairs and gently opened the door. “Mi amore, you have some company, are you up for that?”
Kate heard his voice, and it pulled her up from the darkness. She sat up in bed as he entered. “Company? Oh, Rissa. Yes, I remember you said you were coming. Yes, come in.”
Walking in with Rissa trailing behind him, he leaned down and kissed her softly, whispering in her ear, “Ti amo, mi amore, I’ll be close by if you need me. Don’t overdo it, please.”
Helping her sit upright, he fluffed the pillows behind her and tucked a stray strand of crimson behind her ear. “Not too much fun, bel. You need your rest.”
He closed the door behind him and returned to his office, keeping his senses tuned to Kate. He would feel if she was becoming upset.
Rissa could see things were worse than she thought, and it could not have made her happier. It wouldn’t be long now. She watched the warrior mooning over Kate, and it only convinced her that the thing growing inside her had to go, and fast. She took a good look at Kate and knew it wouldn’t be long. She looked like death warmed over and Rissa had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “Oh, my dear Kate, you look so ill. Good heavens, I had no idea it was this serious with you.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Rissa softly rubbed Kate’s arm as she plastered a look of concern on her face.
“Rissa, I'm glad you stopped by. I'm afraid I won't be much company though, I feel even weaker since our phone call. A
ll I do is sleep, if you can call it sleep. I'm really not eating much. I have downplayed that with Shade, he’s already so worried.”
“Oh Kate, he loves you so much, he’s so caring and loving. You are lucky to have such a strong, caring mate. And you should keep downplaying your sickness. No need to make him worry needlessly. I mean just look at him, already in such a state of concern for you and the baby, but don’t you worry, sweetheart.”
Sliding her hand down Kate’s cheek, Rissa felt how cold her face was, how sunken her eyes appeared, and it almost made her grin thinking about what was to come, once that dead thing flushed from her. Rissa lowered her voice to a whisper. “I brought you more pills.”
She put her finger to her pursed lips. “Shh, he’ll hear your thoughts, don’t think about it.”
Slipping her hand into her purse, she quickly pressed the bottle of extra pills into Kate’s hand. “Hide them, and make sure you take them in between your current dosage. We want that baby strong, just like his daddy.”
Kate seemed surprised when Rissa pushed the bottle into her hand. “Rissa, do you think I should? This whole pregnancy, I just don't know what to expect. But if you think it will help. If it will help the baby then by all means, I’ll take them. Put them in the drawer of the nightstand please, and I’ll take them in between meals when no one is here. They can't hurt, right? I mean, they’re only supplements. I'm already sleeping most of the time anyway.”