Riding the Storm

by Candace Blevins

  “Yes, but I’m not taking you there. If you want to talk then I suggest you begin talking, and, I go by Kendra now, as I’m sure you’ve been told.”

  “I’ve changed, too, Kendra. It’s been more than a thousand years for both of us. I know we may have changed so much we can’t make it work now, but I still felt something when we hugged.” His eyes looked serious, sad. “I still want you, and I’d like to take the time to get to know you again, see if we are still compatible. We were once planning to marry, Kendra. What if there is still something to build on?”

  “Norris, just go home and deal with your own Master, and then work on negotiating whatever you can with Abbott. Once upon a time, I took great pleasure skirting the rules, and you and I got along great. But now I’m one of the people in charge, responsible for enforcing the rules and keeping some order amongst our people. I’ve grown and changed, and I can’t imagine how a relationship with you could possibly work.”

  “Okay, Kendra, but... the moon is almost new. What about a night flight together? For the sake of old times? We still have time before dawn.”

  After sharing just that with Eric tonight, she didn’t want to do it again with Norris. “No, but I’ll spend some time with you since you’re here for the rest of the night with Abbott’s permission. We have a nice garden area outside, let’s go into the night air and talk.”

  Kendra kept a few feet between them, and Norris didn’t push to keep her closer. They walked the gardens and then sat in a seating area, in separate chairs. She found out he was working off Broadway as a dancer — he’d had to start his own theater in order to do it, and no one who knew him as a dancer realized he owned the theater, but it was the only way to be sure all rehearsals and shows would take place at night. The director only knew the theater owner had wanted to hand pick a few people, and Norris was one of the dancers he’d specifically wanted.

  Norris was an incredible dancer and entertainer, and she was happy for him. When they went inside thirty minutes before dawn, he took her into his arms and kissed her, and she let him, though she kept a tight lock on her emotions and thoughts. She felt Norris trying to share his, but whatever bond they’d once had, he could no longer share if she didn’t let him in.

  Kendra was indeed more powerful than him, now, and Norris had to keep the kiss sweet and tender, as he was no longer strong enough metaphysically to dominate her. However, the kiss still told her this was the same Norris she’d once loved, and the chemistry was there. She sighed inwardly and reminded herself he had a life in New York, and her life was here. Not to mention, she couldn’t see Norris ever choosing to submit to anyone sexually.

  When the kiss ended she took a step back, unsure of what to say, and he asked, “Are you seeing anyone, my love?”

  Kendra wasn’t exactly sure how to answer, but she knew her housemates could hear, so she answered for their benefit. “I’m grooming a human companion, at the moment.”

  “Be safe, then, and as soon as I fix things with Marco, I’ll see what I need to do to convince The Abbott to allow me back in his territory. I’m sorry for the way I came, and I won’t make the same mistake again.”

  Kendra wished Eric hadn’t been so clear they weren’t exclusive, because then she’d have had a reason to not kiss Norris goodbye — and their final kiss practically made her come undone.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kendra had an email from Eric when she awakened, asking if they could make arrangements to tell Ranger what she was, noting it was going to be hard to explain why she was only around at night, and why she didn’t eat with them.

  Eric was the one who’d need to be told about the existence of werewolves, and she’d have to get the local Alpha’s permission before telling him. Not to mention, she couldn’t tell him about Ranger, specifically, no matter what. Only Ranger could tell his own secret.

  With a sigh, she replied to the email, saying since Ranger would only be in town a few days, it might be better for her to just stay away, to cut down on questions.

  Thirty minutes later she felt the buzzing vibration she’d get when someone bound to her was considering telling the secret. She followed it, knowing where it would lead before she tracked its origin.

  Since Kendra didn’t have a mind link with Eric and couldn’t warn him without phoning him, she let Abbott know what was going on and asked him to let Eric know he was treading on dangerous ground.

  And then it hit her. Eric was just another form of the bad boy she used to be attracted to. The danger element was different, as he got his jollies by hang gliding and parachuting instead of breaking laws and rules, but the need to defy society’s norms was still there, as was the need for the thrill of an adventure, the jolt of adrenaline. Damn, maybe she hadn’t outgrown her bad boy fascination, after all.

  She also realized she didn’t have anything to do tonight, and decided to take a trip to The Library and check on progress.

  As she was pulling out of the driveway her cellphone rang, it was Eric. “I didn’t tell him anything, I was just thinking in my head that if I let him test the game for me it might be obvious to him what you are. As I was telling him the storyline, I considered how he might figure things out, since he’s so suspicious of you. I wasn’t going to tell him.”

  “You were laying the foundation for him to figure it out. It’s like Abbott said, the binding keeps you from telling in any way — even by dropping clues and hints. Look, if Ranger’s going to be here long term, we’ll figure something out, but he said he’d be here less than a week. Please trust me not to intentionally put you in a position to keep an impossible secret.”

  “Okay, I just really wish I could talk to him about… everything.”

  “I’m sorry, Eric. Abbott will say it’s out of the question unless Ranger moves here. Okay?”

  He sighed as he said, “Okay. I thought I might take him to TBC tonight for some pool, want to join us?”

  “Sure. I’m going to run downtown and check on The Library, and then I’ll come back to TBC.”

  As she hung up, Kendra wondered if Eric would ever feel comfortable allowing her to bind him enough for a mind link. She hadn’t liked having to ask Abbott to talk to him, but she’d also known a phone call right then would’ve put Ranger on edge, because he’d have heard both sides of the conversation with his supernatural hearing. As it stood right now, Ranger didn’t know whether Eric knew she was a vampire, but if she’d called him, he’d have known. For now, she was playing her cards close to her chest and giving the werewolf as little information as she could get away with.

  If she were honest with herself, she also wanted the mind link with Eric because she was so used to having it with people she was intimate with, and she missed the connection. However, Eric had asked her not to do anything else metaphysical, and she would honor his request.

  She shook her head as she drove, reconsidering her decision to stay away from Norris. Perhaps she should’ve taken him up on his offer to visit New York. He was less likely to break her heart than Eric, and Norris had almost undone her with their last kiss.

  An hour and a half later she pulled into TBC, pleased with the way The Library was coming together. The sight of Eric’s Range Rover in the parking lot made her all warm and fuzzy inside, and she chided herself for her emotions. She needed to keep a little more distance, so she wouldn’t get hurt so bad if he decided he couldn’t deal with the realities of a relationship with a vampire.

  She smelled him as she walked in the door, and her gaze followed the spicy sent of testosterone and sunshine. He was leaned over the table, lining up his shot, so fluid, graceful, strong, and confident. She was suddenly ravenous, so she only gave him a quick peck on the lips, and told him she wanted to go in the back and check on things, and would return in about ten minutes.

  Kendra went straight to the vampire room and ordered eight ounces of blood. She drank it quickly, and then downed a double-shot of bourbon before getting a bourbon on the rocks and heading back out to Eric
and Ranger, to watch them finish their game.

  “Do you play?” Ranger asked as he racked the balls after beating Eric.

  “I can hold my own.”

  Eric handed her his cue, and she motioned for Ranger to break as Eric pulled her a few steps away, wrapped his arms around her, and put his mouth to her ear to ask, “You fed after you got here, didn’t you?”

  She glanced at Ranger, wondering if he’d heard. The music was loud, and there were a lot of people, so it was a toss-up.

  Either way, she needed to answer Eric. She was surprised he could already tell, as most human partners and companions took months to learn someone enough to tell when they’d recently fed. “Yes, and I’m impressed you’ve learned so quickly how to tell.”

  “Who did you feed on? I was here, you could have fed on me.”

  Was he jealous? Or did he just want the experience? She put her hand on his arm, gave it a small squeeze. “We have bagged blood in the back. I poured some in a glass and drank it. I didn’t feed on anyone — not like you’re thinking, anyway.”

  “Oh. You have blood stashed at all the bars? The health department would have a fit.”

  Kendra laughed. “No, just the ones that employ a lot of vampires, and the health department will never know.”

  Kendra walked back towards Ranger and smiled at him. “Go ahead and break, let’s see what you’ve got.”

  She couldn’t tell by his look whether he’d been able to hear their conversation. She had a feeling he hadn’t broke because he was trying, though.

  Kendra played a good game, but Ranger won. While Eric and Ranger were playing the next game, Kendra heard a disturbance and looked across the room to see two girls arguing. The bouncer was paying attention, but she knew Mike would have trouble if the girls started fighting, as he wasn’t good at restraining girls so they couldn’t hurt him — he was always too gentle with them.

  Mike headed towards them, using the right voice and words to try to calm the situation, but it wasn’t working. When one of the girls jumped the other, Kendra headed over to help, arriving as one of them clocked Mike in the jaw. When he grabbed her to restrain her, the girl’s boyfriend jumped in as well, and Kendra told Mike to handle the boyfriend as she grabbed the girls.

  Within a few seconds she was twisting an arm behind the back of both girls, forcing them both to bend forward, unable to do anything else.

  After a bit of a scuffle Mike had the boyfriend handled in a similar fashion, and the rest of their party had decided to stay out of it.

  Kendra told the group, “We aren’t throwing all of you out, just these three, but if they rode with any of you then you’re pretty much obligated to get them out of here. The options are to leave quietly, or we call the police and press charges.”

  She tried hard not to roll her eyes as the group decided who was staying and who was leaving, and then she walked both girls out, their arms still held high on their back. When they started fussing again, she twisted their arms a little more, and they shut up.

  Mike stood with her and watched the cars pull out of the parking lot, and then the two went back inside.

  When Kendra returned, Eric was trying to explain to Ranger how Kendra was used to working as a bouncer, and perhaps this was why she’d been able to take Ranger down the other night. Ranger glanced at her, and Kendra was almost certain Ranger had figured out Eric knew she was a vampire.

  “Eric,” she said as she neared, “don’t try to soothe his ego. I had the element of surprise, it isn’t likely I’d be able to take him again. Finish your game, and try to beat him this time so I can play you.”

  She pinged Abbott, and when he responded, she asked him, What did you find out about Ranger from Aaron?

  Top level guy. Aaron couldn’t tell me what Ranger had done for the government, but said he pays him nearly as much as Nathan, which means Ranger has serious skills, contacts, or both.

  We should probably ask Randall for permission to tell Eric about werewolves, so we can let Eric know Ranger is aware of what I am.

  Since he’s one of Aaron’s guys and isn’t a member of the local pack, we can do it with Aaron present, and won’t technically need Randall.

  Can you set it up?

  I’ll see what I can do.

  Kendra played Eric in the next game of pool and beat him, which meant she got to play Ranger again. She decided to let Ranger win, so he was playing a game with Eric when Abbott walked in with Aaron and Nathan.

  Kendra saw them first and said, “Aaron, Nathan, it’s good to see both of you. It’s been a long time.”

  Aaron hugged her and said, “It’s good to see you as well, lovely as always. Is there somewhere we can take Eric and Ranger to talk?”

  Abbott stepped forward and offered his hand to Ranger. “I’m Abbott Hamilton, I own the place and have an office in the back. Why don’t we let Eric finish your game with Kendra while the rest of us have a chat in private?”

  Ranger gave Kendra an appraising look before answering Abbott, and as the group walked away, Eric asked, “They’re going to tell him?”

  “I assume, but I don’t know. Let’s finish the game.”

  Five minutes later, Abbott was in her head.

  Ranger doesn’t want Eric to know he’s a werewolf. The official story will be we’ve told Ranger what you are. If Eric asks about why the other two men were here, you’ll say they know of the existence of vampires, and since Ranger knew them, I figured it would be easier if they were present when Ranger found out. Give us another five minutes so it’ll seem we had enough time to do the binding, and then bring Eric back.

  As soon as they walked in Abbott’s office, Ranger stood and faced Eric. “You’re dating a vampire, Eric? Have you thought this through?”

  “Yeah, I have.” Eric reached for Kendra’s hand as he said, “She’s still a person, Ranger, and I care about her.”

  “You care about a bloodsucking vampire? Really? Can you hear yourself? Does she bite you? Drink your blood?”

  Kendra’s temper didn’t flare often, and if Ranger had been human and saying this, it wouldn’t have bothered her. However, coming from a werewolf? Someone also not human? She wanted to pummel him. Instead, she told him, “Those are personal questions, Ranger, and none of your business.”

  “You know what I am to him. I have a right to try to talk sense into my flesh and blood.”

  The rules about outing people were pretty specific, and the consequences dire, but in this instance, Kendra saw a way to manipulate Ranger into outing himself as supernatural. Ordinarily, she respected people’s privacy, but he wasn’t going to stand there and slam her for being a vampire when he was a fucking werewolf.

  So, she stepped forward and took a swing at him, knowing his instincts would kick in before he considered the ramifications of fighting her in front of Eric. She moved slow enough Eric would be able to keep track of what was going on, and would give Ranger time to react.

  The werewolf didn’t disappoint, and he reached up to catch her fist as he swung with his other arm. Kendra ducked and swept his legs, but he jumped and managed to stay on his feet as Kendra aimed to punch through his stomach.

  Ranger sailed eight feet through the air and hit the wall as Aaron and Abbott stepped between them to be sure the fight was over.

  Kendra held her hands up and took a few steps back, smiling at Ranger as he glared at her.

  “Ummm, Ranger?” Eric asked. “I’ve seen you in the sun, and I know you eat food, so you can’t be a vampire, but I don’t think a human could’ve done what you just did, or still be breathing after that punch.” Eric looked to Kendra and asked, “Can someone explain what I just saw?”

  The entire room looked to Ranger, as he was the only one in the room with the authority to explain.

  Clever, Abbott told her telepathically, but she didn’t respond.

  The room was silent for a solid minute, and Eric asked again, “What just happened?”

  He was looking at Kendra, a
nd she chose her words carefully. “I told you my secrets, Eric. That’s all I’m at liberty to share.”

  “You did that on purpose,” Ranger growled. “I could have your ass for this.”

  “Lost my temper and took a swing? Nothing purposeful about it, Ranger. I apologize for losing my cool — it’s a rare occurrence, but you managed to push my buttons.”

  Ranger sat heavily on a chair, looked at Aaron, and said, “Since I’m here with Randall’s permission, one of you should be the one to tell him.”

  Nathan raised his eyebrows and said, “To be clear, you’re saying you’ve changed your mind and wish for us to divulge your secret?”

  Ranger nodded and said, “Yes.”

  Aaron looked to Eric and said, “What we’re about to tell you will fall under the binding Abbott put on you.”

  Eric nodded, and Aaron continued. “If vampires exist, it probably doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to realize other mythological beings are also real. Your uncle is a werewolf.”

  Ranger took over with the explanations from there, and Kendra sat in the background and let the two of them talk. Aaron, Abbott, and Nathan left about fifteen minutes into the discussion, as their presence was no longer needed.

  * * * *

  Kendra and Eric rode back to his yacht in her car so they could talk while Ranger drove Eric’s Range Rover.

  “Kendra, I have to be honest, tonight almost made me freak and need to think again, but it has nothing to do with you, just with the idea of what else might be out there that I don’t know about.” He shook his head, rubbed his eyes. He was mentally and emotionally exhausted, and Kendra’s stomach sank into her gut. Was learning about werewolves the last straw for him?

  “Anyway,” he continued, “my point is, I’m not going to pull away from you. In fact, I think it might be better if I tell you how much you mean to me. Ranger’s leaving tomorrow, and I’d like you to come to the yacht tomorrow evening and do whatever you need, so you and I can talk in our heads. And... I guess I need to know exactly what options there are? Is that the next step, or the last one? Are there other things beyond? Things you haven’t told me about?”