by Audra Hart
CHAPTER 6 - RED EYED FRIEND
Luca gives himself over to his natural instincts to hunt. He’s only been stalking this range for eight months, but soon he will have to start ranging farther away before the balance of wildlife is disrupted. As he searches for scent of his prey, his nostrils burn with the sweet and spicy scent of one of his own kind. It’s a familiar scent, a female he remembers as Vee. That’s probably not her real name but it’s the only one he has ever known her by. She’s been leaving an obvious trail. Luca surmises she wants him to seek her out. “Dammit! I didn’t want to waste any time tonight,” he mutters to himself.
Luca finds a rocky ledge to sit on. Plops down and then calls out quietly, “Vee! If you want to see me just get on with it.” Five seconds later, she’s sitting beside him.
“What’s up ole blue eyes?” her little girl’s voice rings out. “You sure are getting loud in your old age. I’ve been listening to you thrash around for several minutes.”
“Not much ole red…” he chuckles, “I am in a hurry tonight. How about you? Man, you are a mess kiddo.” He takes a quick inventory of her appearance. She is as pretty and feline-like as ever, but something is different. Her clothes are torn and dirty, her wild red mane of riotous curls is tangled with leaves and other forest debris. Her manner is agitated, her eyes flicking from side to side. Her eyes look sorrowful and angry, and her irises are a very dull and dark crimson, she has not been feeding regularly. “Hey, you aren’t hunting your preferred quarry in my territory are you?” he demands.
“No, no Lucian. I wouldn’t do that. I promised you ages ago that I wouldn’t do that. Usually when we, I mean I, pick up your scent I just find another spot. Being a nomad keeps me flexible, you know. I am not pinned down to one territory like you often are.”
“Good. Thanks for respecting my wishes,” he grunts. “Why are you looking for me then? And where is that sadistic bastard you chose for a mate?”
“My mate is ashes,” she hisses. “That’s why I was looking for you.”
“Wait a minute, kiddo. Didn’t I make it clear I am not available to that kind of friendship?
“Yes Lucian, of course you did. Take it easy. I quit lusting after you ages ago.” She giggles with that little girl giggle he recalls. “But I was wondering if you were having to hunt down your little Spell Weaver again.”
“I’ve found her,” he beams happily.
“Has she remembered everything yet?” Vee quips. “I’ve never understood the attraction for you. Don’t you get tired of having to search her out over and over? And then you have to go through all that nonsense just to get her to remember you? It would be a tiresome game for me to play. Especially since after all of that effort, she will just die on you again.”
Her words are like a fist in the gut, but he ignores it and answers her questions. “Not yet, but she’s getting there, the memories are just with in her reach. Besides, it’s not tiresome. I get to watch the woman I love fall in love with me over and over again. I might as well make the best out of things I can’t control.” After a pause he asks, “What do you want from me? What are you looking for?”
“Revenge! That’s what I am looking for,” she hisses. “A northern coven of yellow eyes took my mate out just cause he was sniffing after a little pet human of theirs. They burned him over a little doe eyed girl, a walking bag of blood. One of them seemed unnaturally attached to her, like he had taken her on as mate. So I figure I will take her out, and then he will know the pain he caused me. And a vamp who is also a Spell Weaver would be mighty handy when trying to take on a coven of that size. You interested?”
Lucian shakes his head slowly. “No, sorry. I am pretty busy right now. But I think you know I wouldn’t help anyway. Why did you ask me?”
“Cause I am running out of ideas,” she seethes. “Damn Lucian, I can’t get at her on my own. There are too many… complications in the way. I have even thought about creating an army… but I am scared of pissin’ off the Italians.”
“You should be afraid of that. Don’t do it, Vee. An army is the worst idea. It is far too dangerous. The UCI will stop you if the Italians don’t. You know that. Get on with it, find another mate. Maybe this time you can find one that actually has feelings for you and doesn’t just use your special set of skills in his little sadistic games.”
“Oh hell, Lucian, what do you know about it?” she demands. “You got your little Spell Weaver, and everyone stays clear of you cause of your freakish skill set. Dammit!” She chuckles, “Well, almost everyone. I heard that coven around Dallas gave you fits.” Her eyes sparkle with amusement. “I heard it took you nearly fifteen years to shake Anton and his coven mates. Why didn’t you just wipe them out? I know you are strong enough to do it.”
“I am sorry Vee, but you know why I can‘t help you. It’s the same reason I didn’t take Anton out. I just won’t do it. I won’t ever kill if I can keep from it. It’s nothing against you. You were a good friend to us back in the day. You know that right?” When she nods, he asks another question that occurs to him, “If you think vampires and humans are an unnatural mix, how come you don’t object to my little Spell Weaver as you call her?”
“She’s not supposed to be just a human. Right? You and her both were immortals back in the day, just minding your own business. Then that ancient vamp and his witch poked their noses in. I figure it’s not your fault, it’s not even her fault. You guys are just making the best out what you have, just like you said earlier. I can respect that. Besides, I like your woman. She’s strong and funny as hell.”
Luca chuckles as he remembers his mate and Vee becoming fairly close at one time. “Thanks Vee. I appreciate that. “I know that everyone doesn’t see it that way,” he admits, thinking of Anton and others of their kind.
“Screw ‘em!” she hisses venomously.
“Hey, Vee, you know that I would help if someone was after you and you weren’t on this vendetta, right?”
“Yeah, I know that ole blue eyes. Don’t beat yourself up. I’ll be fine.” She plants a tiny kiss on his forehead and vanishes into the night.
Luca knows in his heart he will never see his friend again. Belatedly, it occurs to him that he should have asked if she had come across the witch lately. But now he has to get on with his hunt. He has already lost too much precious time.
CHAPTER 7 - A DAY IN BED, JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
When Lucian enters his home at dawn he is overwhelmed by the scent of his beloved’s blood. “Good thing I came across a pair of does,” he grunts to himself. “My Morna is just so sweet and spicy. Her smell has saturated everything in here.” If he had a working heart it would be racing as his need for her rises to a fever pitch. He is up the stairs in a second, he stops to remove his hiking boots and stores them in the entryway closet. Another second later, finds him standing beside his bed. He bends down and kisses her forehead. “I’ve missed you so much my little tasty morsel,” he whispers.
She turns her head slightly and opens one eye. “You sound like you want to eat me for breakfast,” she croaks.
Lucian feels like he’s been torn asunder by her words. “Oh God please help me… part of me wants that very thing!” he silently acknowledges and begs for strength. “Of course, I do my little Morna, but only if you don’t go back to sleep. I will join you in a minute,” he whispers in her ear before nuzzling her neck.
She’s already drifted back to sleep, but murmurs, “Hurry back.”
Lucian grabs a clean set of clothes out of his dresser then heads for the bathroom. He peels off his socks and tosses them in the hamper. Knowing he needs to wash the scent of blood and the redheaded vamp from his body. Even though she is a human, Morna has always been incredibly sensitive the scents of his world. If she caught a whiff of any of this it would only confuse and possibly scare the hell out of her before she can get her memories back.
He strips quickly out of his jeans and tee shirt, tosses them into the hamper, and then steps into the showe
r stall. Turning the water to the hottest setting. He vigorously scrubs from head to toe using the “scent-away” hunter’s wash solution. He can’t help but chuckle to himself. A vamp must have invented this stuff because it really works.
After turning the water off, he steps out and vigorously towels his body and hair dry. Grabbing his clean clothes he hastily dresses. He uses the towel to dry out the stall, and floor before he picks up his discarded clothes, and tosses everything in the hamper. He turns for his bedroom door but stops dead in his tracks. The doorway to his bedroom appears to be shimmering faintly, like a mirage in the desert. He smiles happily. “Good Morning, Morna!”
The shimmering vibrates crazily for two seconds then fades, revealing Deidra standing in the doorway with a look of deep concentration on her face. Her demeanor changes to mild confusion, and then deep embarrassment in a split second. “Uh… sorry. I shouldn’t have been watching you,” she stammers, looking very much like a child caught with an empty bag of forbidden cookies immediately before dinnertime.
Lucian walks casually over to her, and plants a chaste kiss on her lips. “Why not, love?” he asks huskily. “We don’t have any secrets, do we? I saw you last night, and you saw me this morning. Tit for tat, so to speak.” He grins happily at his memories of last night and his lame pun.
“Maybe not secrets,” she breathes, “but the least I could do is have a few manners, and not ogle at you like a lecherous old perv. Sorry.” When she finishes speaking she turns to walk back into the bedroom. Lucian catches her by the elbow, stopping her retreat.
“Morna, if you feel guilty about it I can always return the favor sometime,” he chuckles softly knowing he’s already done it more times than he cares to admit.
Morna crosses her arms in front of her body. She has a very confused look on her face. Lucian reaches out to soothe the lines in her forehead with his fingertips. And then he encircles her body in his arms, glad his body is still heated from the very hot shower. “What’s bothering you about this, baby? It‘s not a big deal. I like that you saw me without my clothes. And honestly, I really enjoyed seeing you that way.”
“The way things have changed so quickly between us. I mean… last week I only saw you as a nice guy, kind of a kid even. Just a friend, you know? I mean yeah, I was really attracted to you, but I don’t think there are many women who aren’t attracted to you. And then all the sudden I am looking at you like you are my lover! We have never even talked about any of this. I just started taking liberties with you. Lucian, I feel like a cradle robber or something,” she whispers uncertainly.
“Well, you certainly aren’t a cradle robber because I am not a kid as you put it. I am a full grown man, it just took you a while to see it, Morna. I’ve seen you as my lover for ages. Don’t you realize that?” He tilts her head back slightly, kisses her lips gently, and then gives her that lopsided grin she loves.
“Uh, okay... but I can’t help feeling confused when I do things like I have been doing the past twenty-four hours. Can you understand what I am saying?” she entreats.
“I guess, baby,” he soothes. “But it’s really not a big deal. Don’t dwell on it. I was planning on joining you in bed, but you are up now. So what’s the plan? Back to bed or do we start our day? It’s only 6:30 you know.”
“Let me use the human necessary, then I will go get my planner. I don’t know the plan until I see it. The crash really did a job on my memory and organization skills,” she admits quietly.
“Sounds good,” he says before he rubs her back gently a few times, then kisses the top of her head. “There’s a new toothbrush and such for you on the vanity. I’ll go start your coffee and get your planner out of your bag. Meet you in the kitchen or in the bedroom?” he asks.
“Either’s fine with me,” she mumbles as she walks over to the bathroom vanity. She hears the bathroom door close quietly as he leaves. “Odd,” she thinks, “he doesn’t mind me watching him, but he gives me privacy.” She shrugs and then looks in the mirror. Her hair looks like a dust mop on steroids and her skin is so pale today the jagged scar running down the left side of her face looks angry and red. “You are a regular sleeping beauty, Deidra ole gal.”
She makes a face at her reflection and then goes about her morning routine. When she steps out of the shower, he is waiting with a fluffy towel. She chuckles because she knows the only reason he’s there waiting for her is to make her feel better about her lapse in manners earlier. Her heart races as he uses the towel to dry her body, planting random kisses along her sensitive flesh. By the time he helps her into the robe from behind and wraps his arms along with the robe around her, she is nearly panting. He stands there embracing her for several sweet moments before he kisses her neck and nuzzles her, inhaling deeply.
He pulls his face back with what she can only call a sigh of regret and murmurs; “Your coffee is on the vanity, and your planner and computer are on the bed. Meet you there!” He winks at her before he sails out of the bathroom.
She walks over to the vanity absentmindedly to pick up her coffee. She takes a few sips, and then notices a hairbrush, blow dryer and straightening iron on the vanity top. She looks around and sees the tube of anti-frizz cream and a can of hairspray also on the counter. There’s also an emerald green pair of panties with a matching bra laid out on the countertop. “Now those things definitely weren’t there earlier,” she mumbles to herself.
“No they weren’t. I stopped and bought them on my way home this morning. I hope you don’t mind,” he calls from the bedroom.
“Thanks,” she whispers.
“You’re welcome,” he laughs.
She hurriedly tames her crazy hair and then brushes her teeth again. She puts on the bra and panties, but she’s not surprised in the least that they fit perfectly. As an afterthought, she reaches down and rubs her legs. Damn, I should have shaved yesterday. I wonder if I have any lotion in my bag? She wonders to herself. And then she notices a bottle of the same kind of lotion she uses at home. She shrugs at the coincidence and moisturizes quickly and puts the robe back on.
She walks back into the bedroom to find him stretched out on the far side of the bed with his hands behind his head. She takes a deep breath to try to calm her racing heart at the sight of him. His eyes are closed and he almost looks like he is asleep, but she knows he isn‘t.
He is wearing the pajama pants from the night before, but now he isn’t wearing a shirt. Her eyes hungrily devour the planes and contours of his bare chest and shoulders. Her planner and computer are resting on the bed near his crossed feet, but she completely ignores them. Her heart skips a beat because she thinks that he looks like a male model in one of those designer cologne ads or something. He opens one eye to look at her enquiringly. “Aren’t you planning to join me?” he says as reaches out and casually pats the bed beside him. Deidra wants to crawl into bed with him, to kiss and caress every part of him. She stands rooted in place, nervously licking her lips.
His next words bring her back sharply from her fantasy. “There’s food and more coffee on the tray.” Then he closes his eye again and begins humming softly. It’s a Spell Weaver’s song for inducing peace and tranquility. Deidra thinks that the tune sounds familiar, but she just can’t place it. Oh well, not a big deal. She shrugs at her forgetfulness, it’s nothing new for her to find a piece of music vaguely familiar and not be able to recall it.
She fills the coffee cup from the insulated pitcher, grabs the small bowl of fruit and climbs gingerly onto the bed. When she reaches for the planner, he tells her to eat first. She looks at him and isn’t surprised to see his eyes are still closed. “Have you already eaten?” she asks.
“Yes, before I came home,” he answers casually, with small smile on his lips. Dee feels like there’s some private joke that she’s missing out on, but let’s the feeling pass. When he opens his eyes and sits up fluidly he gracefully assumes the same cross legged pose from last night.
She’s eating the fruit and reaches for a pi
ece of dry toast and Swiss cheese from the tray when a thought occurs to her. “How come we never eat meals together?” she asks.
“I don’t know,” he shrugs as he swipes a strawberry from the bowl and pops it into his mouth. He chews slowly and swallows. Then he leans over to kiss her leisurely. The touch of his lips send a shock of heat and desire through her body to pool wetness in her core. The taste of the strawberry on his lips and his scent coming from his slightly open mouth leave her breathless and on fire. He pulls away and gives her his lopsided grin. She turns and puts the food back on the tray beside the bed, suddenly she is no longer hungry for food.
As she turns back to face him, she is surprised to discover that he has moved to her side of the bed. How can he be that fast? I didn’t even feel him move.
His legs are folded under him, and he‘s facing her as scoots to the foot of the bed. He reaches out and gently grabs her calves and slowly drags her down the bed toward him. The robe rides up exposing the gem tone panties and her soft belly all the way above the navel. He growls playfully and then smiles carnally. Their eyes lock and hold. He’s asking permission. Her tentative smile is all the permission he needs.
He drags his hands down to her feet, rubs them gently for a few seconds. Slowly, torturously he moves his splayed ice cold fingers up the length of her legs, leaving trails of fire in his wake. Holding her in place with his eyes. When his hands reach her hips, he drops his face to the front of the panties. She draws a ragged breath as he plants a kiss at the apex of her thighs. He inhales deeply then growls, a deep, purely primal sound that wakes something equally primitive inside her. All the while he’s holding her gaze with his unblinking, ridiculously beautiful, now bright blue eyes. Morna realizes that she has been holding her breath again and exhales in a huff of air.