“My china won’t survive the grandchildren I’m sure.” Hilda gave an exaggerated sigh, and the room fell deadly silent, only for it to be broken by a smash as Dana dropped the plate she was holding. “Oh don’t look at me like that.” Hilda went back to whatever she was doing, and Luke turned to meet Dana’s confused looking gaze.
He closed the gap between them as she crouched to the floor to begin picking up the plate.
“Here, let me.” He waved his hands and watched as his yellow sparks fixed the broken plate in seconds. He was sure that Camille would have sorted it, but she seemed busy whispering to Jesse. Probably the same conversation he and Dana were about to have. She picked up the plate, and he instantly took it from her, placing it on the table with the others.
“I’m sorry, she shouldn’t have said that,” Dana said finally, seeming a little shaken.
“What? About children? They’re an inevitability don’t you think.” His eyes met hers, and he wrapped his arms tight around her after spotting the uncertainty in them.
“I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about them until now.”
“And?” he prompted, really hoping that she’d say she wanted some.
“It’s odd, to go from not interested in the slightest, to being able to picture a family is all.” She shrugged and he nodded. It was slightly odd to realise that, he was having a similar moment himself right now.
“And?” he prompted again, sensing that there was something more.
“And Mum’s been desperate for more of a family since we lost my Dad. She’s always been watching me and Jesse, hoping one of us would find a mate and give her grandchildren. She wants a new purpose I guess, now her mate’s gone.” He could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke and pulled her even closer, resting his chin on the top of her head.
“We can give her that, when you’re ready.” He surprised himself with his words. But one look at the older shifter convinced him that it was what was right. She was smiling, and doting on her children on the outside, but there was something in her eyes that suggested she was missing something.
Luke shuddered, understanding but not comprehending. He’d known Dana for two days, and the thought of losing her terrified him already. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like after being mated for years and having children. He prayed that he’d never have to find out.
10
“So I get to see where you live?” he asked, an arm draped comfortably over her shoulder.
“How else would we choose which to keep and which to live in?” She looked up at him, trying to gauge his reaction, but all she got was a lazy smile.
“Well yes, I suppose that’s true.”
“It doesn’t freak you out?” She was surprised. Though maybe she shouldn’t be. Luke laughed.
“We were talking about children earlier.”
“Briefly,” she interjected.
“Yes, briefly. But we were. Why would where we lived freak me out?”
She frowned. He had a point. Stopping them in their tracks, she skirted around to face him. Looking up into his handsome face and smiling eyes, she saw that he was sincere about it all. He leaned down, a satisfied grin on his face, and gave her the sweetest kiss she’d ever been on the receiving end of. It tasted of love, devotion and the promise of a lifetime ahead of them. They broke apart and stood in silence, just studying each other. She wasn’t breathing heavily, not like when they’d kissed earlier in his bed, but this certainly held the same intensity for her.
“Do you seriously live within walking distance of your childhood home?” he asked after another few moments silence.
“Yes.” He laughed, and she swatted his arm lightly. “Don’t laugh. I needed to make sure Mum was okay.”
“But clear something up for me?” He seemed genuinely intrigued by whatever was plaguing him.
“Hmm?”
“How did you keep Jesse and Millie away from each other for years?”
It was her turn to laugh. “Very careful planning, and knowing that Jesse works away a lot. Though I think he’s going to try and change that now.” She hoped he would anyway, she didn’t imagine that Camille would like it very much if he spent most of the week away.
“That’s some impressive organisational skills you have.” He had a proud look on his face.
“Well I do run a charity remember, I have some practice.”
He laughed again and slipped an arm around her waist, moving them so that they were walking again. “I hadn’t forgotten. Though I do need to ask. How do you afford that?”
“My father taught me to manage my assets so I didn’t have to work. He was good at that.” She surprised herself by answering instantly, it wasn’t something she talked about very often.
“Do you miss him?”
“Every day.” She bit back the tears that always seemed to when she thought about her father. “It’s been years, but not long enough at the same time,” she added after a moment. Maybe she shouldn’t be telling him this yet, but something about it seemed right.
“I’m so sorry Dana, I can’t imagine what that’s like.”
“I’m used to it.” She glanced off to the side until Luke sighed quietly.
“You don’t have to be. If you miss him, you can talk about him. If you need to cry, then you can. Whatever you need.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
They walked in silence after that. She didn’t feel the need to say anything, not with his strong and silent support next to her. She turned him slightly so that they wandered up the path that led to the door of her flat, and it was only then that she started to worry about what he’d think. Her flat was small and probably could be considered pokey. She kept meaning to move into a bigger place, but there was always something else to organise or set up, and the idea kind of got abandoned.
“This is me.” She gestured to the front door while pulling out her keys and biting her lip.
“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, taking the keys from her shaking hands.
“I don’t know.” She was telling the truth. She was concerned about showing him her home, sure, but that didn’t explain the level of uneasiness that she was feeling. Luke slotted the key into the door and turned it, stepping through the frame before her and creating a ball of light with one outstretched hand.
She followed him, bringing her tiger to the surface in case she needed her, but hoping she didn’t. Luke peered around the corner, into her small living space and kitchen, and quickly nodded. She returned it, and split off from him to check her bedroom and bathroom, finding nothing.
She swiftly made her way back to the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Luke, who’d clearly used his magic to turn the lights on. Having a witch around was certainly going to be convenient when she was feeling too lazy to do anything.
“Dana?”
“Hmm,” she sounded into his chest.
“Are those your Dad’s tags?” he asked, and she felt him nod his head in the direction of her kitchen island. She turned, not leaving his arms, and glanced at the side, noticing the tags curled up in a pile.
She reached out, glad that they were stood close enough to the counter for her to reach without leaving the safety of Luke’s arms. She lifted them from the side and held them out in front of her, any doubts about what they were fleeing from her mind.
“Yes, but I wouldn’t have left them there,” she thought aloud.
“Are you sure?” Luke asked.
“Yes. I only take them off when I shower.” She shivered, which was nothing to do with how close Luke was to her. She just couldn’t fathom how the dog tags had made their way from the bathroom to here.
“Is there anything else that looks as if someone else has been here?” he asked softly. She shook her head. Nothing had seemed out of place at all while she’d been looking around.
“It must have been me,” she muttered to herself.
“Do you feel like it was?”
“No,” she
admitted. He frowned. “Let’s just go to bed.” She uncurled herself from his arms, and tugged his hand in the direction of her bedroom, hoping that he’d follow.
11
He listened carefully as Dana showered, wishing he could join her, but knowing that it was a better idea to pay attention to the surroundings in case there really was an intruder. He was inclined to believe that there had been, no way was she mistaken, not with her sense. He knew better than to mess with shifter senses.
He stripped off his clothing, intending to jump in the shower once Dana had finished. They’d spent longer in bed than he’d anticipated this morning, and then he’d gone back to his dark room to finish up and lost track of time. A shower would be welcome.
“Hello Luke,” a somewhat familiar voice said. He turned towards it, conscious that he was just wearing his boxers.
He was a little taken aback to see the leggy redhead from the photo shoot perched on Dana’s bedroom windowsill, swinging her leg back and forth and playing with a small dagger. Sparks raced to Luke’s finger tips ready to defend him if they needed to.
“What are you doing here?” he asked through gritted teeth, subtly positioning himself between the woman and the door through which Dana was. Sure, she was certainly able to protect herself, but he didn’t like the thought of her having to.
“No ‘hi Bianca, you’re looking good today’ then? I’m disappointed.” She leapt gracefully off the window sill and stood upright, revealing a tight fitting leather suit that showed off her model skinny body. Not the kind of woman he wanted in his life.
“Not while you’re an intruder in my home, no.”
“Your home? I was under the impression that this was a shifter’s home, no?” She smirked, clearly pleased with herself.
“What’s mine is hers, and what’s hers is mine,” he said, a low growl rumbling in the base of his throat. That was strange, he’d never made that sound before.
“Oh, you’re one of those.” She smirked, throwing the dagger up and down with a practiced ease that made his blood run cold.
“What are you doing here?” he repeated, hoping that she’d answer this time.
“Maurice says hi.”
“Who the hell is Maurice?” He tried to make it sound like a genuine demand, but failed. From the look on her face, she clearly knew he was faking it too. They both knew that Maurice was the head of the Vampire Council, and had it out for Luke. Or at least, he assumed he did. Luke had been the witness to the staking of one of Maurice’s lackeys, and as such, was enemy number one of the vampires. Well, one vampire and his minions, the others seemed pretty laid back to him.
“We both know you know Luke, so let’s not pretend.”
“And Maurice has sent you to deal with me and not come himself, I’m horrified.” He dropped all attempts of faking ignorance. She wasn’t going to give in.
“Why would he bother himself with a mere witch?” She seemed to sneer down at him, almost as if she didn’t believe he was worth her time either.
“Depends how much he wants rid of me I guess.” Luke let his magic flair, and Bianca’s eyes finally flitted down to look at them, a worried look flitting across her face.
Before he could do anything else, she flitted past him, moving faster than he’d thought possible, even for vampires. She grabbed him around the neck and pulled him to her, the knife she held in her hand grazing his throat. Well, this had gone downhill fast.
“Luke,” Dana half-shouted, causing Bianca’s hand to slip and a trickle of blood to run down Luke’s throat.
“Ahh the tiger arrives.” Bianca laughed coldly. “You’ve always thought you were too good for me, maybe watching me slit your mate’s throat will convince you how wrong you were.”
“And what will that achieve?” Dana asked, looking Luke in the eyes, reassuring him that she knew what she was doing. Or at least, he hoped she did.
“You suffering.”
“You kill him, and you’ll be dead before you take a step away. Is that really worth it?” Dana’s voice hardened as her eyes flickered to start down the vampire, a slight growl slipping from her throat and reminding them all of the powerful beast that lurked inside her.
“Ha, you? I doubt you could hurt a fly. All about saving the animals and all that crap, with your parties and auctions.” Bianca seemed oblivious to the fire that Luke could see in his mates eyes.
“Ask yourself this though? If you kill my mate, what else have I got to live for? I have no children, no dependants. Nothing to lose. So maybe the question should be, would I not do it?” Her voice was cold, and kind of terrifying. If he didn’t have a knife pressed to his throat, he’d either be cowering in fear, or begging at her feet. Probably the latter. Despite the situation, he found the raw power she was emanating only attracted him more.
To Luke’s surprise, Bianca withdrew the knife and took a step backwards, leaving him room to breath. He spun around, sparks crackling on his fingers again, and made ready to protect himself.
But Dana was quicker, and a streak of orange and black barrelled past him, pinning the vampire to the floor. Bianca struggled, the arm with the knife still free, and she slashed at Dana’s front legs. A slight yelp came from the big cat and it was all Luke could do not to turn all of his attention to her, even though he knew that would be a terrible idea.
She swung her large head towards Luke, and the amber eyes that she shared with her human form looked at him, as if urging him to get on with it. Using his magic, he broke one of the chairs he’d seen in the dining room, and summoned the leg to him. Seeing what he had planned, Dana moved swiftly, finally pinning down the vampire’s free arm, but not without sustaining another injury.
The odd growling sound came from Luke’s throat again at the sight of his mate being injured. He moved forward, ducking between the gap Dana’s front legs had left, and held his makeshift stake above Bianca’s heart. Part of him couldn’t believe what he was about to do. The same part that didn’t want to do it at all. But he knew he had to. If not, then she’d just come after them again.
“You don’t have to do this Lucas,” Bianca hissed as if reading his mind. “I can tell Maurice you’re dead, you’ll be left alone.”
“Really?” Luke raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Of course, he’ll believe anything of me.” She fluttered her eyelashes, getting her another growl from Dana, followed by a gnashing of her teeth. Safe to say, his mate wasn’t happy with Bianca’s attempts at flirting.
“Can’t he force you to tell the truth?” he asked after remembering something that Eden, the vampire who’d saved Eliza, had told him about vampires, particularly older ones.
“I -”
“That’s a yes then. Can you seriously promise that we’d be left alone?”
Dana shook her large head, as if trying to tell him to stop already, but he ignored her. Instead, he grabbed his phone from where he’d placed it on the nightstand, and pressed a comforting hand on Dana’s head. She nuzzled into him, showing her support even if she didn’t agree. “I’m sorry Dana. I can’t do it.” She nodded.
He hit call on the one number he promised he’d never use, and waited for three rings before a hazy female voice answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Eden?”
“Yes?” the female vampire answered.
“We’ve got another one.”
The woman sighed, and a faint male mumble in the background followed. She answered in a similar hushed tone before speaking to Luke again. “Okay, we’re on our way.”
12
Dana stayed perched on top of the vampire, a low growl rumbling in her throat. While she wouldn't admit it yet, she was glad Luke hadn't staked Bianca. While it probably still needed doing, she didn't want him to have to live with it. Even knowing that, she snapped her jaw in the direction of the woman's face. After all, what was the point in being in animal form if she couldn't induce fear. Maybe a little sadistic of her, but she'd have to behave once Eden arr
ived. Hopefully the half-vampire, half-shifter wouldn't hold this against Dana, she rather liked having a position on the Council, and didn't want to lose it over one angry moment.
She flinched slightly as a knock sounded on her front door. A now fully clothed Luke, made his way to answer, trailing his hand through her fur and down her body, only losing contact when he reached the tip of her tail, which she swished back and forth absent-mindedly once his hand had left her.
"Through here," Luke said.
"Thanks, Luke. Sorry about this. I thought Maurice had learned after the Todd incident," a familiar voice came. "Do you know who it is?"
"Bianca something? I don't know. Dana will but she can't exactly talk right now." Their voices were getting closer, and Dana made an odd yipping sound to let them know she agreed.
"Ahh, I see," Eden said as she entered the room. Dana swung her head towards the pink haired vampire, nodding it in greeting to her and the man who'd followed in behind her. She was pretty sure his name was Tony, but she barely knew him, especially as rumour had it that he'd inherited none of Eden's shifter powers, but all of her vampiric ones.
"Yes," Luke said softly, but his eyes seemed to focus on the other man.
"Oh, sorry Luke, do you remember Tony?" Eden asked, making her way over to Dana and the prone Bianca as she spoke.
"No."
"Oh, well he nearly died the night I staked Todd." Dana looked at Eden oddly, wondering why she was being so cavalier about someone's near death. "Oh, don't look like that Dana. He's my mate, it turned out alright in the end."
"That it did," Tony said, chuckling as he held a hand out for Luke to shake. "Can't say I expected to meet you while in a room with a tiger, but then a few months ago I wouldn't have believed even myself if I'd said I'd become a vampire and my wife could change into a jackal at will."
The Paranormal Council Complete Series 1-5 Page 24