by Pepper Pace
He looked away. “We better get dressed. We’ll need to get back to the house to get cleaned up.”
He left me in the bathroom.
The ride back home was quiet and tense. I wouldn’t put on the blouse because the blood would have ruined it. Paul put his shirt on me and carefully placed my jacket on me since my arm was a bit stiff.
When we got back to the house he mumbled something about taking a shower then he went up to his room.
Dejectedly I soaked in a hot bath. I was sore from our lovemaking but still felt the tingly after-glow and wanted to make love to Paul again. Instead I sighed. I ducked my head under water and stayed there until the water cooled.
I had to dress for the Council. I decided on a Chanel power suit. It was sexy yet sophisticated and the skirt was cut just above my knee. I put on sheer nylons and heels then I pulled my damp hair back into a bun. Pearl earrings and coral lipstick rounded everything out. Since I was dressed in Chanel I spritzed myself in Chanel # 5 perfume.
Paul was still upstairs when I came out of the bathroom. It wasn’t even midnight yet but it seemed that Paul and my evening was going to be cut short.
With a sigh I flashed myself to Karen’s front door. I never invaded the privacy of my ladies so I knocked and waited for her to invite me in.
Karen oohed and aahed at the way I was dressed. “You always show them up at those Council meetings. Now that you’re not constantly hiding your scars you’re really going to wow them.”
She was wearing lounging pajamas and actually had on feathered slippers. Karen lived in a condo that was modern but comfortable. She had one bedroom and no space for any friends or families to sleep over. She valued her privacy and her free time. When we weren’t dealing with some Vampire business Karen liked to read, watch old movies, and every once in a while spend time with her long time ‘FWB: friend with benefits.’
I’d met him before. Karen had told him that we were cousins and I played along. Karen was one drop dead sister. Her petite body was naturally voluptuous and her dark brown skin was flawless.
She was alone and listening to some Jill Scott and sipping wine. I remembered back when I used to do that. I collapsed on her all white couch, obviously looking the way I was feeling.
“What’s wrong?” She picked up her glass and sipped the pale fluid.
“Paul can’t control his wolf; at least not fully.”
“Oh no. Did he hurt you?”
“He pushed me the other day, after I tried to feed from him. He said the wolf didn’t like to feel dominated.” I sighed. “Then tonight he bit my shoulder during lovemaking.”
Karen waved her hand at me, dismissively. “Vampires bite each other during lovemaking all the time. I don’t know how many times Johan bit me and I can’t heal half as fast as you can.”
“The difference between what Vampires do and what Paul did is that he couldn’t control himself.”
“He’s new, right?”
I nodded.
“Maybe it’s like with Vampires. Maybe he needs time with his pack to learn the essentials.” I thought about her words.
He had said that they really wanted him to revitalize their blood, it was their agreement to change him. Yet here he is two months later.
“Shit. I think thats it! Paul came home too soon. He wasn’t ready. And I think he ran away from his pack.”
“I don’t know anything about werewolves. I didn’t even think they were real. But maybe Paul needs to join a local pack, if one exists around here.”
I looked at her with interest. “That’s an idea. He’s really torn up about his lack of control.”
“Well, Mara would be the one to ask about it. She knows a lot about all of that stuff.”
“Karen,” I smiled. “You have made my day.” I stood up and offered her a hand up. “I need to get back. Tonight we have Letrelle and Carmine battling it out. The Council meeting will probably run long.”
Karen set her glass of wine down on the table then she took my hand and stood. “I’m getting tipsy. Ronnie and I went to a dinner club and saw this stand up comic. Girl, he was off the hook.”
“Well you get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another hectic night. After I feed, do you want me to give you a fitful sleep suggestion?”
“No your bite will do that on its own.”
I placed my hand on her shoulder. She being so much smaller then me, I had to lean forward in order to bite her.
I put up my wall absently. It was such a matter of course I barely had to think about it. I worried though, about my own Creature and my need for meat. Let’s just say that I didn’t want to mess up and not only give in to lust but give into some latent desire to rip and eat!
After I fed I helped Karen to bed and then made sure the house was locked up. Then it was time for me to go home and talk to Paul about my thoughts.
Sensing Paul in the office I reappeared there. He was watching me as I appeared. His wolf could sense my approach before I even materialized. He was sitting behind my desk with a number of legal looking documents in front of him. He was all showered and cleaned wearing a black button down shirt and black leather jacket.
His eyes traveled over me. “Did you feed?”
“Yes. What are you doing?”
He hesitated. “Uhm…these are the closing papers for the house. Did you…want me to sign them?”
I sat on the edge of the desk. “Did you want to keep looking? I thought you liked it.” He picked up a pen without comment and signed. “Paul, are you sure you want to do this? I can buy it-”
He swept his hair back anxiously. “No, I want to do this for you.”
For me? This was supposed to be for us.
I walked behind him and massaged his shoulders. Damn he was tight! He sighed.
“How’s your shoulder?” His voice was barely a whisper.
I stopped rubbing him to shrug my shoulder out of the jacket. He turned to watch me. I bared the flesh there to show him that the bite was scabbed over and healing nicely.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“You don’t have to tell me. I can see it in your eyes and hear it in your voice. Tonight is like…our honeymoon. And instead of being in each others arms we’re tiptoeing around each other.” His eyes were suddenly even sadder than before. He stood up and looked past me.
“I’m going to start driving over-“
“Already? But it’s so early-”
“I know.” He interrupted. “But I need to think.”
He was almost out the door when a dawning realization hit me. Paul wanted to think about leaving.
I was at his side in a movement that was faster then the speed of light. I gripped his arm and he looked at my hand on him and then he looked at me.
“You’re thinking about leaving me, aren’t you?” I asked stiffly
His adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I think it would be for the best if I went away for a whil-”
I smacked him hard enough to break a human’s neck! He touched his cheek as if I had done little more then tap him.
“You bastard. You Goddamn, Bastard!” I was so mad that I was trembling. “Am I a game to you?!” Paul pierced his lips together and he looked at the floor. “Don’t you know how hard it was when you left?!” When he didn’t answer I threw my hands up and stepped back. “If you want to leave then leave.” I shook my head and walked out the door.
I felt his hand grip my arm. He pulled me to him. “Come here, Kim. I’m not going to leave you, Baby.” He wrapped his arms around me as I stood stiffly against him. “I’m never going to leave you.” He kissed my forehead and the top of my hair and the bridge of my nose and my anger slowly melted. “I’m sorry.” He murmured against my temple. “I love you.”
I brought my hands up and I held on to him.
I felt tears slipping down my cheek. Quickly I swiped them away because I didn’t want to be that woman that cries whenever a man does something stupid and thoughtless. I gas
ped when I looked at my wet fingers.
Paul lifted my chin and looked down into my face. With his thumb he touched one of my tears. His mouth gaped open.
My tears were clear; no longer blood.
“What’s happening to me?” I croaked.
He examined his wet finger. “I don’t know.”
I think we were both thinking the same thing but not wanting to jinx it by saying it out loud. Could it be possible that a Vampire dead over a year could become…human again?
CHAPTER 13
Paul swiped away my tears and kissed me. “What’s happening to me?”
He shook his head. “We’ll figure this out; the meat the tears, your Creature, we’ll figure it all out. But baby…I want you to know that the last thing I ever thought I’d do was to hurt you. When I was with the others I didn’t have any feelings of aggression toward them.”
My body stiffened and he shook his head quickly. “I never had sex with a Were. I haven’t made love in over a year.”
I looked at him surprised.
He shrugged sheepishly, appearing embarrassed. “I knew that I wanted to wait for you.” He released me and went back to the desk and began straightening up documents nervously. Damnit…he’d waited for me and I hadn’t…
“Paul,” I began quietly. “There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about you. To be in love with more then one man is really a fucked up thing. When I’m with Tony I’m haunted by Alexis and missing you. When I’m with Alexis I’m worried about Tony and you.”
He watched me. “And now that you’re with me? What are you thinking about the others?” I thought about how to explain it. “Kim,” he added quickly. “I know you’re not going to instantly stop having feelings for the others. I didn’t expect that. And I know that you are…more than just a human. I can’t have human expectations when we have a superhuman relationship. Your succubus means that there will always be passion and desire whenever you feed. But more then that I think it means that you love those that surround you with so much intensity.”
Paul rubbed his chin and seemed to think hard about his next words. “I’m human and I only want one woman. That’s it. You’re succubus and you want…three men.” He shrugged dispassionately. “I have to deal with that if I want to be married to you. And I want to be married to you more then anything in the world.”
I rubbed my arms uneasily. “But I do want a monogamous relationship, too-”
Paul shook his head. “Kim…it doesn’t matter, okay? I’ve felt the succubus. What we want may not matter.”
I looked at him wide eyed. “And you’re okay with that?”
Paul just watched me openly. “Yes, as long as I’m your husband and I’m the first in your life. If the succubus causes you to…slip,” his gaze wavered then he refocused on me, “just don’t fall in love. I don’t think I can deal with another love in your life.”
“I don’t either.”
He looked at one document and picked it up. “Mara brought over our marriage license.” He looked at me with wide grey eyes. “Monica’s a notary. Should we wake her up and sign it now?”
I came to him and put my arms around his waist, leaning in to him comfortably. “It’s not very late. She shouldn’t be asleep.”
His arms wrapped around me loosely. “Are you sure that you want to do this?”
Was that his fear? That I would feel that I was stuck with him!
“It’s already done. And yes. I want to make it legal.” I kissed him. He closed his eyes and kissed me back tenderly.
Paul lifted his head and frowned. He seemed to be listening for something. Then I heard it to; footsteps at the front porch.
Paul released me and started out of the room for the door. “Are you expecting anyone?” He asked as I followed him.
“No, but it’s probably one of the girls-” The doorbell rang which blew that theory. They never needed to ring. Each of them had their own keys.
Paul looked at his watch as he continued towards the front door. “It’s almost 1:00. You get guests this time of night?”
“No.” I kept up with his long stride. “Not unless it’s a meeting day, and those are always scheduled.”
Without looking at me he brushed me back with his arm. “Let me answer it. You’re getting a security camera ASAP!”
I let him lead but I was still two steps behind him. The doorbell rang again more urgently and Paul looked out the peephole. He just stood frozen, staring at God only knew what.
“Who is it?” I finally asked.
He seemed to remember I was there and he glanced at me over his shoulder.
His face had gone pale.
“Back up,” he pointed to a spot across the room. “Over there. Hurry!”
I did what he said, too curious to be offended at his command. It better not be Amanda. That was his ex. She had slapped me the first time she’d shown up at my doorstep looking for Paul. That was her one and only freebie. Vampire or not Amanda would get her ass whipped if she came up in here with trouble!
Paul opened the door and stood there silently. I couldn’t see who was on the stoop because of where I was standing.
Monica came to the top of the stairs to see who had rang. Her long blond hair was pulled up at the top of her head in a ponytail and she was wearing capris and a sleeveless silk blouse. She was about to leave when she saw that Paul had the door but something made her pause and watch.
Paul finally opened the door wide and allowed whoever was on the porch to enter. He still hadn’t said a word.
A tall, thin man entered wearing a black, wide brimmed hat. The brim was so wide that I couldn’t see his face. He was wearing a trench coat and it was so odd. Who the hell wore trench coats these days?! And who was it?
“Paul.” The man said simply. I could see his face then and it scared me. Not much scared me these days but the sight of that man’s face did it for me.
Whoever he was he was severely deformed. His face was covered in coarse black and grey hair and his eyes were squinted and too close to his nose. That nose wasn’t human. That nose was the snout of a canine.
He was a Werewolf…but not Lon Chaney or even Michael Jackson from Thriller. This man was surely deformed.
Monica inhaled sharply. The man glanced up at her but hadn’t yet seen me. His eyes took on a look of interest before he concentrated on Paul again.
“Did you think we would not find you?” His accent was so heavy that I had a hard time understanding him.
“That’s…exactly what I thought.” Paul crossed his arms over his chest. “Who else is here?”
“Many.” The man responded.
I could hear the inherent threat, even with the accent.
“Well…you made a long trip for nothing. I’m home. And I’m staying.”
“You owe us a debt. We’ve come to collect.”
“Paul?” I said.
He glanced at me willing me to stay back. But now the other was looking at me. He appraised me, then he looked at Paul.
“You may bring your women. But you will come.”
“Yosef, I’m sorry for the lie. But I’m not going back there. I needed the Lycan blood to protect my family; here.”
Yosef stepped to the side and three more men entered the house. They looked around curiously, impressed. Each of them were less deformed then Yosef but still not normal in any sense of the word.
“Shit…” Monica cursed under her breath. I could hear her because I was Vampire and I’m sure they could because they were Weres.
“Kim,” she said urgently. “There are three cars out there and at least twelve other werewolves in the yard.”
One of the new Weres watched Monica with open desire. I glared at him. Another leered at me, not impressed by my expression.
Paul was shaking his head. “I’m not going back with you. You take me against my will I’ll just come right back.”
The four of them laughed. “We need your seed.” This time a darker shorte
r man spoke. His English was much better. He didn’t have the hair on his face but he had the long snout and sharp teeth and his eyes were close together also. Damn, they were ugly…”We don’t need your willingness. It’s all the same to us if we keep you chained in a cellar until our women have their way with you.” He stroked his crotch while watching Monica. “You can bring your women. They can have our babies and make us more human again.”
Monica stared at me a question. I looked at Paul. Vampires can’t bear children and if they didn’t know that…
“They don’t know?”
Paul shook his head. “I couldn’t tell, remember? Even if I had wanted to, I couldn’t.” The blood bond.
Yosef looked from one to the other us. “The brown one speaks in code. We’ll have all of you. You’ve shown that you can not be trusted…but your blood is strong…stronger then we’ve ever seen. But these two are strong, too. I can feel it. We will have you all.”
I cleared my throat. “Yosef, is it? If you want my blood in order to refresh your inbred family then I’m sorry, it won’t happen. I can’t have babies because I’m dead.”
Yosef dismissed me either because he thought I was talking slang, or he just didn’t care.
They moved once again to the side and this time there were a dozen men in my entrance way. They were communicating in some hidden way and we were quietly being ambushed.
“It can be easy, or it can be…difficult.” A different man spoke. He was tall but shaped strangely beneath his clothes. I believed that his body was more wolf than human. His face, while still ugly was at least human.
I didn’t like being dismissed so easily by Yosef. “Okay,” I spoke again. “I don’t think you understand. You want to know why Paul’s blood is so strong?” My voice was firm although no one was paying attention to me. “Because he’s my blood donor and I’m a Vampire. So, you can’t have him because…he was mine first.”
The room grew quiet and all eyes were on me. The werewolves suddenly began to laugh. Those that couldn’t understand what I was saying gave a translation for the others, and then they laughed too.