by P. Mattern
“Much prettier,” Jaxon agreed, kissing her again on her generous rose colored lips. “Unmatched by any other female talent in town. You are wicked hawt lady!”
Rosalie smiled a satisfied smile as she lay encircled by Jaxon’s arm. “Nice to know,” she mused. Then added,”Do you think she and Absolam are doing it yet?”
“Probably not yet. Mitzi doesn’t give him overmuch privacy since Cory ran off. I’m sure he and Natalie take advantage of every moment of privacy they have though.”
“Why don’t they meet in the woods like we did? Or do it in the horse barn?” Rosie wondered aloud, basking in the afterglow of Jaxon’s steadily improving lovemaking.
Jaxon considered that, then said ”I bet they’ve thought of that but the truth is Ab is practically under house arrest since Cory left. Cass and Mitzi are kind of smothering him with their overprotective vibe at the moment. It’s not only about losing one of their sons…the whole thing about the Great Upheaval has everyone on edge. What have your parents said about it Rose?”
Rosalie’s perfect brow buckled slightly in thought.
“Only that we are leaving with the Nobles and the others, refugeeing West . My parents are great friends with Dante Febere, the Mage that lives in the Marble City you know. He would probably let us stay there.”
Jaxon was so amazed that he sat up automatically.
“SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!” he blurted,” You guys have an “in” with Dante Febere? Marble City is sort of vampire Hollywood, with a very elite and limited population. Did Dante really tell your parents that you guys could stay there?”
Rosie giggled at him.”Of course,” she answered, ” And not just MY family! He is an old family friend, kind of the ‘godparent’ for Natalie and I. He is an important Teacher, Prescient and Mage. He’s the only Mage that has his OWN kingdom that he can materialize in both our dimension, inbetween dimensions and also the 11th dimension when he wants it to. He’s a unique energy. Kind of like Yaya Wiscievisc!”
“That is supercool Rosie, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t crave an introduction once we travel there. He’s sort of an idol of mine, Dante Febere. I told Fress that I would LOVE to apprentice to a powerful Mage. It woud be my dream to learn at the feet of the Great One.”
Byron had been among the last of the vamps to move to the Farm. He knew that Alexiandra and her parents had settled there three days previously. He and Alexiandra had had their last ‘training’ session just before the move, and Byron had become addicted to Alexiandra’s dominatix persona.
Other times when they were together she seemed like any other silly and playful young woman. Byron’s yearning for her had only increased . He had dragged his feet moving to the Farmhouse because he though being close to Alexiandra without being able to have the physical contact that he craved would be sheer torture.
He was right.
Dr. Caligare and his wife, although courteous and polite toward Byron, obviously considered him an unsuitable match for their niece. His reputation was a problem, as was his lowborn history, along with his lack of education and refinement. There was a cultural gap between himself and Alexiandra that Byron had always recognized, but dismissed because of their mutual respect and wonderful chemistry.
Byron had discussed his concerns that her guardians would never accept him as a suitable match for their niece with Lexi. Lexi had assured him that she would be making her own choices in relationships and that the approval of her aunt and uncle, while something she hoped for, would not impact any possible future that she and Byron might have.
Byron wasn’t so sure. He thought Lexi’s guardian’s lack of approval could be a huge factor in their relationship. He was especially disappointed because he admired Dr, Caligare and would have given anything for the doctor’s approval. Unlike most of the V-net population that considered him a hero and a celebrity, the Caligares didn’t seem impressed. Byron wasn’t sure how to court their approval. He had always done well in school with little effort as a child, but had dropped out when he ran away from home, making him clearly the least educated of their V-net social circle. Additionally, Byron had almost no desire to return to scholastic studies. Or even modeling, which he had been moderately successful at. He thought it unfair that his obvious love for and devotion to Alexiandra wasn’t enough to garner the Caligare’s approval by itself. Yet he was at a loss as to how to improve their opinion of him.
Alexiandra had rocked his world and changed his life, Byron reflected.
There were those in the V-net that also looked down upon Castor Noble, but that was different.
Cass was loud and crude and would scrap at a moment’s notice, but everyone also knew that he was an academic ; intelligent and educated and a department co-chair at Indiana-Purdue University. Byron has no such credentials, and the truth was, even though he was well able to earn his own degrees, he felt no inclination to do so. He was content to be wingman for the Noble brothers in all their ventures. And the vast sum of money Adrastos had originally paid him to procure Mitzi(although his assignment had been hidden from even himself when Adrastos ‘infected’ him with a demon to accomplish that act), was more than enough to embolden him to ask for Alexiandra’s hand, when that day should come. He had a small fortune squirreled away, and was rich in his own right.
He felt pretty good about that. Even Lexi’s kinfolk couldn’t question his ability to support her.
In the meantime he was putting together solar powered drones that the group would take with them on their resettlement journey. Cass said that the drones were their best bet for security surveillance and would give them an aerial view of their surroundings wherever they traveled.
Byron was also quite the archer. Mitzi had , at Cass’s request, referred Byron to Fallon Lunel for archery training. Byron was a dead shot and he and Mitzi , who was also a natural at the defensive sport, loved to compete with each other. They had developed a strong friendship bond ever since Byron had facilitated Mitzi’s escape from Faquier Hall several months previously and they thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company.
Mitzi was also Byron’s ‘go to girl’ for relationship advice. Byron had taken all of Mitzi’s counseling seriously and it had paid off in a wonderful way. He and Lexi’s relationship had blossomed and continued to be the most amazing relationship that Byron had ever experienced with a female energy.
Byron and Lexi had experienced several flavors of intimacy without actually consummating their affection for each other by making love. Byron had come to see the wisdom in taking his time in a love affair, and his ardor for Alexiandra had only increased.
He resolved to find a way to improve his standing with Lexi’s guardians. He was planning to be an opportunist in the best possible sense and was sure that he would find a way to get on, and remain on, their good side.
The humans began coming at daylight. They came in cars, vans, SUVs…on motorcycles and on foot. A few came on horseback from neighboring farms. They came in family groups of two and threes, and larger organizational groups of a dozen or more. Approaching bodies dotted the hillsides coming onto the Noble property. The humans brought their elderly, their youthful and middle aged, their babes in arms.
They came…and they kept coming.
As she stood outside on the hill that sheltered the underground farmhouse wrapped in a cloak and shaded her eyes from the riotously bright morning sunrise, Mitzi had the sense of being present at a historic moment. Being a vampire, especially a thrice-bitten she had supernaturally keen vision and could see them coming over the frost slicked hills of the meadows. They had been cautioned to stay off the roads as much as possible, although a few too strident bus and minivan loads had come by way of the road. Cass had made sure large tents, not unlike the voluminous tents at the medieval faire where he and Mitzi had first met, were set up with seating and hot coffee and other drinks and breakfast items. These were being quickly filled, as shy but hopeful looking family groups entered them with the few earthly treasures they could
carry.
Mitzi, who hadn’t uttered a prayer to anyone but Sam since she had been Turned, felt moved to pray, looking heavenward as she did so. She had an epiphany that, because her prayers were for the humans, that they would be heard. She prayed for the safety of the families, for the strength and wellness and fortitude for them to make the journey to safety. She prayed that they would be protected and hidden from their enemies as they made the journey West.
Inside herself she felt invigorated , excited to face a new beginning, and more than all that, grateful. She had her two beautiful sons with her and also Cass, the most loving life partner that she could ever have imagined.
Sometimes, with a pang in her mother’s heart, she thought of Cory. Even though he had made a choice to live with his father Adrastos, she still loved him. Mitzi also had a prescient sense that he still loved her, and missed her also.
But Mitzi was had a practical bent and was not shy about facing realities. Coriander had made an adult choice, and life had continued on .
And now she had the new baby that was coming to think about.
From behind her she heard the crunching of boots tramping across the hoarfrost and before she could turn around felt Cass’s muscular arms encircle her. She turned her face for a kiss, and he nuzzled the back of her neck, saying, ”Our day of departure has come at last Mrs. Noble. I trust you are well enough to travel.”
As he finished speaking his hands drifted downwards to caress her belly, which was just barely showing the signs of her pregnancy.
“I feel wonderful,” she told him, turning around so that he might look into her eyes and see that it was true. “As wonderful as it has been to live in the underground farmhouse, I don’t care about any of the material things . As long as I have my family and friends I am happy.”
Chuckling, Cass bent down to press his lips against Mitzi’s forehead.
“You’ll miss your huge bed, I am sure.” He said.”But whenever we arrive at our destination I can build you one if I need to. I still have a skills set for that left over from my human life in the 1800’s.We might be living a simpler life, but I will make you and the new baby comfortable, my love. I promise.”
“When are we leaving Cass? So many humans…more than I ever imagined.”
“There are nearly 600 of them,” Cass confirmed, ”But about 100 have already elected to stay with Balik and the Cavedwellers. Byron will be taking them south and then catch up with the rest of us on our journey west. We are going to stagger our departure times for every group of 100 or so. There will be a lot of running back and forth at first between groups to coordinate things, but we have enough basic supplies and have already shipped and placed crates of other necessities, especially things that the humans will require, to different ‘rest stops’ that we have planned along the way. Even though it’s essentially winter time we will be doing some camping out. We will have groups of v-net vamps to stay with , and they will be looking out for us and our human companions. We are pretty well organized, and I, Castor Noble, am personally STOKED!”
Mitzi had to laugh at Cass’s enthusiasm.
“Admit it, Cass, you are enjoying this!” she said, smiling up at him.
“Of course I am,” he agreed, ”I’m a dude that originally grew up in the 19th century. It’s like the wild west all over again. And it’s a guy thing…adventure, danger, exploration…not surprisingly I’m digging it.”
“I feel good about the trip too,” Mitzi said, ”New beginnings are always good. And we are taking everyone we love and hold dear WITH us. It’s like the Love Caravan!”
Cass pulled her closely against him again.
“We will be fine,” he said. “All of us. We’re doing the smart thing. We not only will survive, but thrive.”
“…And on that note…” he added, “I want coffee, and I’d like you to retire to the farmhouse if you will, Mrs. Noble. There will be a lot of people milling around and you’re pretty short and I don’t want to lose you in the shuffle. Plus, I might be taking a break in about a half hour and I might want to visit you in your chambers for a ‘bon voyage’ assignation.”
Mitzi smirked,”Might?”
Rosalie and Jaxon had managed to get away from the confused flurry of activities surrounding the impending departure to ‘take a walk’. At least that’s what her parents thought that they were doing. They had promised not be more than a half hour.
It was cold enough so that they could see their breath forming frosty vaporous trails as they walked. As soon as they were deeply enough into the forest that they couldn’t be seen, Jaxon whipped off his heavy cloak and threw it on the ground at the base of a huge oak tree.
“Milady,” he said gesturing.
Rosie jumped into his arms and he picked her up easily, as they kissed hungrily, and laid her down upon his cloak. She was wearing a long dress of thin suede material that laced up the front, and boots for the journey. Jaxon hoped that underneath all her fine attire she had decided to go commando.
He wasn’t disappointed, and after loosening his belt and unzipping his pants with Rosie’s assistance, he was inside of her in an instant, their bodies moving against each other pleasurably and seamlessly.
He felt the heels of her boots digging into his back as he rode her, and the sensation excited him past the point of reason.
She arched her back the way she always did as she was climaxing, and he rode the wave of pleasure with her, saying,”Yes, baby, yes Rosie, all for you, all for you.”
Afterwards as they sat up, not sure of how much time had elapsed, he remembered her breasts.
“I have to look at you one more time.” He said, loosening the ribbons that were keeping the front of her dress closed.”I have to say goodbye to each of them in turn, because this may be the last time we are together like this for awhile.”
Rosie leaned back against the tree and felt Jaxon’s tender mouth on her, tugging at her, bringing her to life.
“I knew they’d be perfect,” he confessed,” Even before you let me see them for the first time. I always knew.”
Rosalie felt sexual aftershocks course through her body as Jaxon touched her. She reflected that Jaxon’s lovemaking couldn’t be improved upon, it was everything she had ever imagined lovemaking with a male energy could be. Even when they were rushed, he always took his time with her and included foreplay, a main course, and also tender afterplay.
Jaxon hadn’t been her first lover. But he was so incredible that she wanted him to be her last.
The couple weren’t so far into the woods that they didn’t hear a commotion starting up outside of the foliage. Quickly Rosalie st up and redid her laces as Jaxon gave her a last hurried kiss.
As they stepped out of the foliage the scene that appeared before them didn’t make sense at first. Cass and Lux were holding two men, presumably human, apart from each other as they screamed epithets. A woman with long dark hair wearing a long grey coat stood to the side, with her arms around a young boy of 7 or 8. Cass was shouting and Ian seemed to be talking to the woman.
They were still staring as Fressenda ran toward them.
“Jaxon and Rosalie where have you been? We’ve all been frantically looking for you! Please come with me into the Farmhouse and no more ventures outside until we ALL leave! Now!”she finished with an authoritative tone that Fress did not generally use.
As Fress escorted them below ground, Jaxon cast a look over his shoulder. He noticed that Dr. Caligare had joined the group and a crowd that had gathered was starting to shout things as well. Jaxon looked at Fress with his eyebrows raised.
Fress sighed.
“A woman showed up today with her small son…who had been chipped. This has upset humans and vampires alike because it is a breach of security and has potential for disrupting our exodus. The woman refuses to leave, and her boyfriend is defending her because many of the humans want to force her off the property and prevent her from trying to follow us. It is a serious situation because there is a rea
l potential for violence here. We’re trying to figure out the best way to handle it.”
Rosie’s mouth fell open.”Why would the mother do that? Jeopardize the entire group? And how did her son come to be chipped when she herself is not?”
“It was an unfortunate circumstance. The mother was at work and the CDC squad was sent into the neighborhood where her son’s daycare is located. It must have been her worst fear…and it happened. And she is, as any mother would be, just devastated.”
“Still selfish,” Jaxon pronounced, agreeing with Rosie, his eyes narrowing, ”Putting her son’s welfare ahead of everyone else’s…”
Fressenda placed her hand on Jaxon’s shoulder. She noted with satisfaction that she had to reach up to do it now, since Jaxon had grown several inches.
“You’ve never been a mother Jaxon,” she told him gently,
”You can’t begin to know, I’m afraid.”
Fressenda turned to go back outside and Jaxon looked around him. The house was filled to the rafters with vampires, everyone he knew seemed to be present , even those he barely knew as acquaintances, and he was starting to feel claustrophobic. He was about to suggest that he and Rosalie find someplace indoors to get away to like the indoor hydroponic gardens when the main door of the Farmhouse swung inward with force and a dark haired woman and her child, surrounded by an entourage of vampires, hurtled into the house.
“MAKE WAY, MAKE WAY!” Cass was shouting, as he , Lux, Orry and Pierre pressed through the crowded rooms and headed straight for the Infirmary. Dr, Caligare, his crown of brilliantly white hair shining, brought up the rear of the entourage. After the group cleared the doorway of the Infirmary Jaxon heard the thick double bolted doors lock into place.
“What are they doing now?” Rosalie wondered.
Jaxon turned to her.”It looks like they are going to attempt to remove the chip from the little guy’s hand. I’m sure this will be a first for Dr. Caligare, because this time it’s a human, and a child at that.. So the next sound you hear will be an explosion. The explosion will either signal that the operation was successful, and the chip was removed—or it will mean that we just lost our only physician for the V-net population , and maybe part of my extended family as well.”