Embracing Forever

by K. Aten

  The mottled red of his skin stood in stark contrast to his pale blonde hair. Sarah thought he looked like a boy scout, but he acted like an ass. A dangerous ass. “That human is my sister, and you hurt her when you had her pinned against the wall!” She looked around, noticing for the first time that Annie was missing.

  Louve saw the searching look and reassured her. “I sent Annie into the training room with Jesse and Alain. She was still very much upset.” The Frenchwoman then turned her attention back to the man who had become such a thorn in her side. She let him come to America to work for her as a favor to his uncle. And despite the unfortunate incident below the nightclub when Jesse had been infected, she really had hoped she could help him get his anger under control. She could see now that was never going to be the case. With a brief glance at Keller, she addressed the angry young werewolf. Looking straight into Marcel’s eyes, the petite androgynous Frenchwoman seemed to grow in size as she let her alpha personality have full reign. “What is this? You dare to challenge me, to challenge your Alpha?” Her power wrapped around him, trapping his own inside his skin. It wasn’t so much a chastisement as it was a swat-down. While Marcel was powerful, he was no Alpha and certainly no match for Louve’s age and experience. She shook her head at his look of simmering fury. “I can no longer overlook your behavior, Marcel. You have brought dishonor to my troupe and to my name, and I’m sending you home. You will not speak with my friends again, nor will you go near them. Go pack your bags and I’ll have one month of severance pay waiting for you by the end of the day.”

  The man snarled at her then forcefully shoved his way between Sarah and Keller. Keller looked at Louve. “I’m going to follow a little bit behind him to make sure he heads back toward the house and not anywhere near Jesse and Annie.” She followed the path that Marcel took, leaving Sarah and Louve alone in the locker room.

  The singer didn’t say anything, her mind still reeling from the events of the past twenty minutes, and her own reactions to them. She felt more than a little raw at the discovery that she could carry so much anger inside her. Louve broke the awkward silence. “I am truly sorry, ma belle chanteuse. My continued failures have caused pain to you and your family. How can I make it up to you?”

  Sarah knew the small brunette was sincere, but she was also aware that her words carried more than the meaning of simple reparation. Werewolves and vampires are naturally drawn together. Werewolves emoted an overwhelming amount of energy, and vampires lived to swallow that energy down. Keller had been feeding off sexual energy for centuries and had recently shown Sarah how to do it. However, it was not without risk to one’s self control. Louve had been seeking that ‘socket and plug’ connection for decades, since the death of her vampire lover Catherine. Sarah knew that the Frenchwoman wanted more of the commitment-free nights of passion between the three of them. However, with all that had been going on lately, and with their anger at Marcel, it had not happened in a while.

  She gave Louve a small smile. “Firing Marcel is definitely a step in the right direction. The worst of the damage is permanent though there is nothing we can do about that.” When Louve started to speak, Sarah interrupted her gently. “However, allowing Jesse to come here and train each week helps a lot, so thank you.” Louve stepped closer and reached out a hand. Sarah could feel the energy rise in the room and strengthened her mental shields to prevent another incident like when she first met the she-wolf. Louve had overwhelmed her with power and stolen a kiss the first night they met, and it was only Keller’s intervention that broke the energy that had ensnared Sarah. Needless to say, the singer wasn’t happy when she came out of her stupor and made her displeasure well known with Louve. They’d worked things out since, but the beginning of their acquaintance was rocky.

  Keller returned before Louve could make contact. “Well, he’s gone. But a skinny blonde woman met him as he was heading for the house and I could hear them shouting from the pole barn. She kissed him and then he stalked away. I’m afraid he also tore up your lawn with that muscle car of his when he left. That is definitely not a happy guy.”

  Sarah looked at her curiously. “Who kissed him, did you get a name?”

  “He called her Marie but I don’t know who she is.”

  They turned toward the singer when they heard her growl. “That’s the same bitch that’s been sniffing around Jesse and causing problems for my sister!” Sarah could feel the anger that was simmering just below the surface. The knowledge that the two troublemakers seemed to know each other wasn’t helping to keep her emotions under control.

  Louve looked up in concern. “Oh, what is this? Another one of my people is causing you trouble?” Sarah took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down, and passed on what Annie had told her a few days prior. She mentioned how Marie wouldn’t leave Jesse alone and wasn’t doing a good job of accepting the word no. She also explained that Marie called Annie ‘weak’ to her face and seemed to be prejudiced against the fact that she was human. Louve scowled at the new information. “I know that Marie has a very dominant personality. I will speak with her and let her know that your young wolf is off limits. As is your sister.” Her eyes were sorrowful. “Again, I am so very sorry that my people are causing you problems. I will ask Alain to help keep an eye on them. He is very good at soothing the angry and dissatisfied ones.” She had her reasons for keeping Marcel, despite how much she regretted the decision now. And she thought maybe it was time to explain those reasons to Sarah and Keller. “I can tell you the story of how Marcel came to join my troupe, if you’d like to come up to the house for a drink. Are you interested?”

  Keller glanced at Sarah and the singer shrugged. “I just want to run and check on Annie, and then we can talk. I don’t have any clients until this evening.” Keller nodded and Sarah left the locker room in search of her sister.

  Louve watched the departing woman with curiosity. “How is she doing?”

  “Surprisingly well. She’s finally accepted everything and has been learning all she can to control her new power. While she is no match for me in strength and speed, she has fogged my mind twice.”

  The Frenchwoman looked at her in shock. “Mon Dieu! Seriously?” Keller nodded. “That is unheard of in one so young. Even Catherine, who was a little older than you, could never do that.”

  “I know. Sarah is very strong mentally and she has a creative mind that lets her see her powers in a way I never considered. She also has an enormous amount of control. If it weren’t for that I’m afraid your angry wolf would be dead right now. When she saw Annie get hurt she dropped her shields and got caught in a loop fueled by his rage and her anger.”

  Louve looked at her in shock. “You didn’t warn her that could happen?”

  Keller gave her an angry look in return. “No, I haven’t had the chance. I certainly didn’t think that would be a priority but clearly your wolves are out of control!” Keller was actually surprised that Louve didn’t have a better handle on her people. The Frenchwoman had always been a very good Alpha. Certainly not one that would allow her people to show guests such rude behavior. And she would never have tolerated such disrespect from her troupe members before. Keller wondered what had her friend so distracted that her pack would fall to such delinquency.

  Louve didn’t want Keller to focus on the disarray of her pack members. She knew that she was putting too much of the day-to-day running of things on Alain. She had also been suffering from depression since coming to the United States. Louve had been lonely for a long time and hoped that a fresh start would be good for her. Unfortunately, moving to a new country seemed to only make her more aware of how alone and different she was than those around her. She could not turn to someone in the troupe because she was their leader, their Alpha. She wanted another lover like her Catherine but with the connection that Sarah and Keller shared. And the further she moved forward in life, the more aware she was of that emptiness in her heart. Louve held up her hands in surrender. “Oui, you are right mon ami. I a
m very sorry for that. She is good now though, yes?”

  Keller sighed and ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah, Sarah’s fine. I had to talk her through it. I also warned her to stay well-guarded around wolves.”

  The French woman put a hand to her chest, mock wounded. “Aie, you cut me to the quick, mon ange de sang! Surely you do not want to guard against all of us?” Once again, Louve’s special brand of sensual energy filled the room. But Keller had centuries of experience and rather than let it overwhelm her, she opened herself up and swallowed it all at once. Sadly for the she-wolf, the vampire did not let any of the usual feedback escape to her friend. Keller gave her a little smirk, knowing what the woman was trying to do. Louve’s lips turned to a pout. “You do not play fair; it is rude to take without giving. Your lover would not have been so cruel”

  Keller laughed and then turned serious again. “Consider it a payment for all the trouble your people have caused us. As for Sarah, she would have been overwhelmed and you know it. I won’t let your tricks make things more difficult for her. If she wants us to spend the evening with you again, the choice must be hers alone and not influenced by your lust.”

  Louve gave a single contrite nod. “I understand. But please remember how difficult it is for me, especially with two of you so close. You pull me and I fear I become nothing more than a bitch in heat when you’re near.”

  Sarah walked in to hear the end of Louve’s sentence and laughed. “Oh Louve, we already knew that. Something tells me you have no problems finding someone to share your bed.”

  The small brunette shook her head sadly. “It is not the same.”

  Keller agreed. “No, it’s not.”

  After a few seconds of awkward pause, Louve spoke again. “Come. Now that you’ve checked on ta soeur, we can speak of other things.” They followed Louve to the main house as she rambled about all the updates and changes she had made to the property. They entered through the back door into a large open kitchen. There was another roughhewn trestle table in the dining area, open to an industrial quality gourmet kitchen. As they moved through the house, Sarah thought it had a very European feel to it. It was spacious and bright, with simple décor and comfortable seating. Louve led them through a large pocket door into a den. “I’m going to leave you here for une minute, while I go check on Marcel’s room and make arrangements for his severance pay. I will return shortly.”

  When she was gone, Keller sat next to Sarah on the loveseat. “Are you all right?”

  Sarah glanced at her, slightly confused. “Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Saraaaah.” Keller drew her name out. “You know what I’m talking about. Your reaction to Marcel…do you need to talk about that? I know from experience how frightening it is to be caught in a rage loop.” She paused. “I also know you don’t deal with emotions well.”

  She didn’t get mad at Keller’s assessment because she was well aware of her own shortcomings. Instead, the singer analyzed the feelings swirling in her head. It was frightening, which was exactly why she didn’t want to talk about it. Sarah had a tendency to keep all her fears internalized, shoved down so deep that only her unconscious mind would access them. She had nightmares for years after the death of her parents. Sarah especially didn’t want to talk about it now that she knew Keller had spent time as a trained psychiatrist. No, there was no point in bringing up things that were best forgotten. “I’m fine, I promise. It’s over and done and you’ve told me how to prevent it in the future so we’re all good, okay?”

  Keller didn’t believe her soul mate but she knew that pushing the issue wouldn’t get anywhere with the stubborn singer. Instead she waited a beat and then pointedly changed the subject. “So what do you think about the rest?” She waved her hand around, indicating the room and their situation in general.

  Sarah cocked her head thoughtfully, curious eyes roaming around the room. “I think the house is gorgeous.”

  Keller bumped against her shoulder. “Not about that, about Louve and this situation. All of it.”

  Sarah sighed and leaned back against the cushions. “I’m glad she finally got rid of Marcel, but I don’t trust him. I also don’t trust the fact that he and that Marie are apparently good friends or more. As for Louve, well I know what she wants from us and why. But while I think of our nights together as a fun bit of entertainment, I have to wonder if it’s really good for her. Shouldn’t she be looking for someone she connects with?”

  Keller rested her elbows on her knees. “I know she was deeply in love with Catherine, but I don’t believe they had bonded. They were not soul mates the way you and I are. However, I think her experience with Catherine has left her both lonely and afraid to really look for something more meaningful. It’s a defense mechanism to keep people from getting too close emotionally. And the facts are, there just aren’t many vampires around. That is the bond she is looking for.”

  “Is that your professional opinion, Doctor Keller?”

  Keller smiled at her girlfriend. “It was Doctor Phillips then, and perhaps.”

  Sarah laughed and shook her head. “I can’t believe you never told me that you have a doctorate in psychology!”

  “Yeah, well it’s completely irrelevant now. It was decades ago. My name is long out of circulation not to mention the fact that my age doesn’t fit. I’d have to completely re-educate myself.” She shrugged and made a face, indicating her interest in that particular option. “As for the rest, well I’m open to the occasional night with her. You have to admit, a werewolf does make for a nice snack.” She smiled thinking about the significant amount of energy vampires got when they drank from people with other blood. It was a huge rush and power boost.

  They were interrupted by Louve’s laughter as she reentered the room. The Frenchwoman smiled at Sarah’s look of dismay. “Have no fear, I have heard her say those exact words many times over the years. There is no shame in enjoying a beautiful woman, or two, for whatever the reason.” She sat on a matching chair, adjacent to the loveseat. “I pledged to you a brief history of Marcel and his family.” Remembering her promise of a drink, she stood abruptly and walked to a fully stocked bar on the far side of the room. “What would you like to drink? I can mix something, or I have wine, Blue Moon, and soda.”

  Sarah spoke up. “Blue Moon? What is that?”

  Louve smiled. “Beer. Jules, my sword swallower, is from Michigan and brings back the most wonderful beers. In the summer the brewery has something called Oberon. It is magnifique!”

  Keller raised an eyebrow at the petite brunette. “Since when do you like beer?”

  She got a sly smile in return. “Oh, I’ve definitely expanded my horizons over the years. I will be sure to save you a few bottles the next time he brings some back. Maybe you two can share more drinks with me this summer, hmm?”

  Sarah answered for both of them. “I think if this Oberon is as good as you say, you can count on it. Until then I’ll try the Blue Moon.”

  When Louve looked at Keller, she nodded thinking she’d at least try this new brew. While the vampire had grown to like beer over the past few decades, she was a bit of a beer snob. “I’ll have the same, thank you.”

  Once they all had drinks in hand, two beers and a red wine, Louve began talking in her heavy French accent. “Marcel’s uncle is a very old friend of mine. Before we moved to North America, we both ran in the same circle in Paris. Raph was one of my very best friends for decades.” She paused and looked at Keller. “I was a mess after Catherine died, you remember?”

  Keller nodded. “Yes, and I am truly sorry for that.”

  Louve waved her apology away. “No need for sorry, I do understand. But it was still hard for me. Raphael, he was a good friend and he kept me out of trouble many times. He even saved my life when I was convinced I could go on no more. So you see, I owe him. Unfortunately, the one thing he wanted more than anything else was something I could not give.”

  Seeing the sadness and regret on her face, Sarah spoke up.
“He loved you, didn’t he?”

  “Oiu, he was very much in love with me but I never saw him as more than a friend. Eventually, our friendship was strained because of it, and he decided to leave France for good and go to Quebec. There he eventually met a woman who loved him as much as he loved her. They married and had a brood of sons, and together they all run his farm. His brother, Jean, and Jean’s wife, Adrienne, moved to the farm a few decades ago, so now the farm is truly a family business.”

  Sarah looked confused and peppered Louve with questions. “But how? I mean, weren’t they werewolves? Did they have kids before or after? And are the children werewolves too?”

  Louve laughed, and the energy she emitted crawled up her guest’s spine, eliciting goose bumps and a shivers. “Oh, there are two ways you can become a werewolf. One is through contact with our claws, whether they accidentally pierce your skin or on purpose.” At Sarah’s startled look, she explained. “Some cultures purposely infect others, as part of a ritual. But I will not explain that to you today. The other way is for two infected werewolves to create a child. That child is guaranteed to carry the werewolf gene and will change with the onset of puberty. If only one parent is a werewolf, there is a chance le bébé will be human. Raph and his wife are both werewolves, so all his children were born with the blood. However, his sister-in law is not. She is privy to the secret of us but has no wish to change. Because she is human, her children were not all werewolves. Marcel is their oldest, and he was born human.”

  She paused to sip her wine before continuing with the story. “Raph explained that the boy seemed to take issue with his cousins and some of his siblings who had the gift, while he was always left behind. Raph also had believed that Marcel was never satisfied with the farm life. According to Raph, Marcel begged to be infected his entire life, and it wasn’t until the boy was a man that Jean and Adrienne consented. Raph had concerns that were well-founded. Marcel has issues with his anger, and many times it took both Raph and Jean to keep him from trouble. Eventually, Marcel wanted to leave the farm for a bigger city. Knowing someone would need to keep an eye on him, Raph contacted me with his request.”