Taken in the Night

by Tara Fox Hall

  “Can I help you?”

  “My daughter stepped in dog poop, and we had to toss out her shoes and socks,” I replied. “We need to buy more.”

  “We can’t let her try on shoes without her wearing socks.”

  “Then bring us socks, and we’ll purchase them first,” Danial said pointedly. “Now.”

  Danial bought Elle ten pairs of shoes and socks. She wore the sneakers she liked best, and the rest he arranged to have shipped to my house. Then we quickly looked at clothes, and he bought her ten outfits, mostly jeans and sweaters, plus underwear and a winter jacket. Again, he had everything shipped to my house except what Elle wore. She picked out the colors herself, favoring blue and green as her father had.

  After leaving the store, we stopped at the food court for a late lunch. Danial, of course, did not order any food. I waited for Elle to ask about that, but she didn’t.

  Even at ten p.m., many people were out and about. As we ate, it became apparent some were staring at us.

  “Why are they watching us, Mom?” Elle said, eating her second hamburger.

  I looked to Danial, not sure of what to say. The three of us together were eye-catching, to say nothing of the scar on my neck that no matter what I covered it with would never look like anything other than a bite mark.

  “They are watching us because we are beautiful, Elle,” he said, looking at her lovingly. “People like to look at beautiful things.”

  “I am beautiful?” Elle said. “Like this?”

  “You are the most beautiful, next to your mom,” he said with emotion, gazing at her. Then he met my eyes, inclining his head slightly. “I need to excuse myself for a bit.”

  He was likely starving. He would have to leave the mall and the video surveillance to do what he needed to do.

  “Elle, come with me,” I said, holding out my hand. “We’re going to look at toys. Grab our plates and we’ll toss them out.”

  “What about Danial?” Elle said immediately, looking from him to me.

  “He will catch up to us,” I said, taking her hand. “He has to go eat.”

  ‘Why didn’t he eat with us?” she said, as I dumped the trash in the nearby bin.

  “He needs other special food,” I said, “but he’ll find us, in an hour or so.”

  She came with me, but watched Danial walk away from us with a little fear in her eyes.

  * * * *

  Danial caught up to us an hour later in the toy store. Elle had been worried about him and ran to him as soon as she saw him.

  He hugged her. “I told you I’d be back soon.”

  Elle’s eyes widened as she drew back from him. “You smell of—”

  “Elle, what did I say?” I said sharply.

  She came close and whispered. “He smells of blood, fresh blood.” She was scared, but the smell of blood had excited her, too, being part cougar.

  Sigh, oy vey, and every other expression of angst. Time to explain vampires. “You know how we need food to live?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Danial needs it to live,” I said. “He can’t eat food like you and me.”

  “Will he take, um, mine?” she said hesitantly.

  “No,” I said, kissing her, “but he will take mine from time to time. You don’t have to worry, it’s okay.”

  She looked dubious.

  “I give it to him willingly. He enjoys taking it from me,” I said. “Understand?”

  “I guess,” she said. “Does it hurt you?”

  “Not the way he does it,” I said, giving Danial eyes over Elle’s head. “Now which toy do you want?”

  Danial interceded. “She means which ones, Elle. Let’s get a cart.” He then proceeded to buy Elle at least twenty new toys. She kept her favorite—a stuffed cougar—with her, and he sent the rest to my house.

  “You’re going to spoil her,” I said to him in a half-serious tone as we walked outside.

  “Good,” he said, putting his arm around me. “I tried to spoil you, but you wouldn’t let me.”

  “Maybe I will this time,” I said quietly, leaning into him.

  He looked over at me, considering, but didn’t say anything. The drive home was also quiet; Elle’s throat was sore from talking so much, and Danial and I were relieved to have a few moments with no questions. All too soon, we arrived home.

  Danial walked us to the door. “I have to go, Sar, but I’ll come back in a few days if that's okay.”

  “What about, um, what we talked about?” I said pointedly. I wanted to know if he had meant what he had said to me last night, but felt uncomfortable asking him to take care of Elle and me, especially in front of her.

  He opened his wallet and handed me a card. It was a black MasterCard with my name and his on it and the emblem of his company, with “Solutions, Inc.” written across the side. “I got these last year. We never used them, but they’re still good. Use it for whatever you need. There is no limit.”

  “Danial, thank you, but I didn’t mean that,” I said, flushing.

  “I meant everything I said downstairs,” Danial said, taking me in his arms. “Give me two weeks to build onto my home. Elle needs a room of her own, furniture, and a tutor.”

  “Do me a favor,” I said, “buy a new bed.”

  Danial looked pained, but nodded. I kissed him to soften my words, and he pulled me close, his tongue slipping inside my mouth quickly. I broke the kiss and gave him a look of chastisement.

  “I’ll be back in a few days.” He grinned at me widely. “Maybe sooner.”

  I was struck again by how happy he was as he swung Elle up into his arms to hug her good-bye. A few seconds later, he drove off.

  We went indoors, where I started a fire to warm us. As I did, I showed Elle the procedures. Danial was right; now she was in human form, there was a lot she needed to learn.

  After taking care of my pets, Elle and I got ready for bed. We’d forgotten to get any pajamas for her, so I gave her one of my T-shirts, and put on a nightgown myself. I put her in my bed because I didn’t think she should be alone in the cellar. It seemed wrong to have her curl up with the dogs in human form. She was asleep when her head hit the pillow. I fell asleep beside her soon after.

  I awoke the next morning to her already wide-awake and bouncing, talking loudly about breakfast. I gave her tired eyes, but got up. She took a shower by herself, likely mostly for Danial. Halfway through, she got soap in her eyes and began screaming. Rushing in, I helped her rinse it out. As she dressed, I started a fire and saw to the pets.

  “Mom, I’m hungry.”

  I rubbed my eyes, already exhausted and wished Danial was here. “That’s next.”

  “Mom, are you going to shower?”

  “No,” I replied. “I’ll wait. Let’s eat. We have a lot of work to do today.”

  An hour later, she and I brought over more wood. For being as small and young as she was, she was quite strong. We got two loads of wood and stacked them in the basement. Then she helped me bring more wood upstairs.

  She was ravenous by lunch, eating an entire small chicken I had roasted, while I had a sandwich. After lunch, she took a nap. I slept too, as I was exhausted myself. Elle was back up at three p.m., when her clothes and toys were delivered. She spent the rest of the afternoon playing as I napped on the couch, after finding room for her clothes in my closet.

  Danial called that night to say the construction had started. “How much space should I add?”

  “Why not two rooms, one for Elle and one for pet stuff? You don’t have an attic and your cellar is full. We’ll need storage space and living space, as well as litter box space, reluctant as I am to mention that.”

  “I’ll make sure there is enough room for everything,” he answered, pleased. “And everyone.”

  Sudden worry about how happy he was acting made me distance myself. “Your purchases arrived. Elle’s been having a great time.”

  “Good. I look forward to seeing you both tomorrow night. I’ve ch
ecked into hiring a tutor for Elle. I should have news tomorrow.”

  “Isn’t it a little early for that?” I said, leery. “She’s only a few months old.”

  “She needs schooling, Sar, especially at the rate she’s growing.”

  “I agree about her being tutored instead of in public school. She might change in front of someone, but isn’t she too young?”

  “No. This tutor comes recommended by a were-family I know. There won’t be problems. He will live here on my property and stay in the fox compound.”

  “Okay, then. Come by when you want to tomorrow. We’ll be here.”

  “I will,” he said happily “take care, both of you.”

  I sat down Elle after dinner and told her we would be moving soon. “We are going to live with Danial. I know it’s not home—”

  “Good,” she said, smiling hugely. “I like him.”

  Well, that had been easy. “You’ll have your own room, a place for your clothes and your toys and books. There will also be a person coming most days to teach you things, like I just taught you about starting the fire yesterday. There is a lot for you to learn about the world.”

  “So long as Danial is there,” she said flatly.

  “Yes,” I said with relief. “He will be.”

  Later, as she slept beside me, worry again ate at me. Was I doing the right thing, running to Danial? Sure, it made a bad situation easy, but was it the best thing for Elle?

  I told myself it was, then rolled over, and went to sleep.

  * * * *

  The next day, I gritted my teeth and took Elle to see my parents. I’d kept her existence hidden from them, not wanting them to meet her until she was in human form. Now that she was, it was time for the insurmountable task of breaking the news I both had Theo’s daughter and she and I were going to move in with Danial.

  The first part was easy: my mother loved Elle at first sight. When they went for a walk, I broke the news to my stepfather.

  “I’m moving in with Danial, Stepfather Dear. Elle needs a father figure in her life.”

  “This is more than Elle, it’s because you’ve given up on Theo,” Chris said.

  “I guess I have,” I said sadly. “Danial chased down every lead It’s been four months now. I can’t pretend anymore that he’s going to walk through my door if I just keep waiting.”

  “It also means you and Danial are involved again. He cheated on you before. Can you trust him?”

  “Yes,” I said slowly. “We are being honest with each other like we should have been a year ago. What happened last time was my fault, too.”

  “Honestly, I think you shouldn’t do it, Sarelle,” Chris replied. “Your mother and I are always here for you. Call us if you need us.” He hugged me. “Can I take Elle fishing?” he said, hopeful. “Theo and I only went that one time.”

  I laughed. “Of course, if she wants to go.”

  “You’re sure this is best for Elle?”

  “Elle needs a man in her life, and Danial wants to be that man. You should see the way he is with her—”

  “What?” my mother screeched. “Don’t tell me you are back with Danial. Are you insane?”

  “Mom, I love him—”

  “You loved Theo, too. Danial didn’t just cheat on you Sar, he hit you once, remember? This is a mistake and you know it.”

  “It’s not a mistake,” I said angrily. “It’s what’s best for Elle.”

  “You are disgracing Theo’s memory,” she said nastily. “Danial is scum, and he’ll never be good enough for you. Do you really need a man that badly in your bed?

  Elle was in the next room and, with her extraordinary hearing abilities, she was hearing all of this. “Mom, I’m doing this with your support or without it!”

  “It’s without then,” she said, glaring at me.

  “We’ll be leaving,” I said frostily.

  “Please don’t say bad things about Danial, Grandma.”

  My mother and I turned. Elle stood there behind her, tears in her eyes. I scooped her up in my arms and we left.

  She was silent all the way home. When we got home, I sat her down on the couch.

  “I’m sorry you heard all those things your grandma said, Elle.”

  “Were they true?” she said softly.

  I took a deep breath and let it out. “Do you know what ‘cheat’ means?”

  “Yes. You sang a song to me often about that. Did you smash up Danial’s truck like in the song?”

  I stifled my amusement. “No, I didn’t. Do you understand what ‘jealousy’ is?”

  “It’s what the woman who sings the song feels. She wants what she thinks is hers and is mad someone else has it.”

  God, she was so smart. I sighed and stroked her hair. “Danial was jealous. He cheated because of it. After, he regretted cheating. Do you understand ‘regret’?”

  “He was sorry?” she offered.

  “More than that, he wished he could go back and choose not to do what he did.”

  “Why was he jealous?” She gave me a hard stare.

  I was just as pinned by her gaze as I had been by Theo’s. “Because I’d fallen in love with your father.” That was a lie. It had been Terian who’d made Danial jealous, but I didn’t want her to think there was anything between Terian and me because there hadn’t been, not like that.

  “I think he was right to be jealous,” Elle said angrily.

  “Danial was wrong to do what he did.” I put my head in my hands and sighed. “I was wrong for what I did. We were both to blame.”

  “Did he hit you?” she said softly. “Hurt you?”

  “Yes,” I said agitatedly, remembering.

  “What happened then?’ She looked, afraid.

  “Your father and Danial fought. Your father won, and he and I left.”

  “Theo beat up Danial?” She was incredulous.

  I only had the one picture of Theo, the one in my wallet. I took it out, and showed it to her as I had so many times when she was a cougar. “Your father was strong and fast.”

  She hugged me hard, tears on her face. “If he was so strong and fast, how could he have been killed?”

  “The truth is we don’t know,” I said, hugging her back. “He went out to protect you and me, and he didn’t come back. He loved us. He would have come back if he could have.”

  “So he might be alive?” she said, both hopeful and worried.

  “Sweetheart, if he could have, he would have come back,” I said, taking a deep breath. “He must be dead.” I looked at her and kissed her forehead. “Remember he loved you, Elle. There was nothing he wouldn’t have done for you.”

  * * * *

  After Elle was in bed, I made a call to Terian’s cell, breaking the news of Danial to him. I hadn’t seen him much in the last few months, but we’d talked on the phone. I wanted to tell him I was moving and give him Danial’s number.

  His reaction was as expected. “Sar, are you insane?” he yelled at me. “You are going back to that vampire after all Theo and I did to help you get free of him?”

  “I didn’t expect you to approve, but I still love him. Besides, this is best for Elle.”

  “Is it really?” he said sarcastically. “You’ll be wearing a collar before you know it.”

  “I already am,” I said flatly, “but that was my choice. You don’t have to worry.”

  I’d put it back on the night Danial had told me construction had started. It had gone on easily, and the familiarity of it soothed me, just as if Danial’s arms had been around me.

  Terian swore. “I’m already worried you’re his slave.”

  “I can take it off at will,” I retorted. “Stop having hysterics.”

  “Are you going to give him your oath?” Terian said in a strangled voice.

  “No. Danial wants me to live with him until Elle is grown. There aren’t any promises between us.”

  “He’s agreeing to that only because he believes Theo to be dead. You’ve got to know t
hat.”

  “Part of me still hopes Theo is alive, but he would never have stayed away so long, Terian. He would have left a trail of bodies to get back to us.”

  “I believe that, too,” Terian said heavily.

  “How is Sundown?” I said after a while.

  “We broke up yesterday.” Terian began sobbing.

  “I’m sorry,” I said sadly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Sar, it was terrible. I asked her to marry me, and she looked at me like I was crazy. She said there was no way she’d be my wife. She said she could feel the evil inside me. She left and doesn’t return my calls.”

  Bitch. Self-righteous, bloodless, heartless bitch. “Then she didn’t deserve to be with you. You’re a good person, not evil.”

  “I’m tired of being alone. Some of what I said just now is jealousy, that you always seem to have someone, and I don’t—”

  I had a thought of pure genius suddenly. “Terian, come and work for Danial. He needs someone to replace Theo, someone to watch out for us. He said he was going to look into—”

  “Sar, I don’t know much about weapons—”

  “You know sorcery, enough to protect us, and you aren’t a novice with guns or knives. I remember you fighting Danial more than a year ago.”

  “Danial might be my ally now, but he was jealous of you and me before. Is he going to want me around you that much?”

  I knew when he said that, he was interested in the job. “Go with me tomorrow night, and we’ll ask him. It can’t hurt.”

  * * * *

  The next night, I drove Terian to see Danial. Elle came as well.

  “I should have driven,” he grumbled ten minutes into the journey.

  I ignored him and kept driving the speed limit. I’d called Danial before we showed up and explained why I was coming to see him. He’d been dubious, but had agreed to see Terian.

  When we arrived, Cia came to take Elle to the werefox compound. Terian, Danial, and I went into Danial’s great room and sat down, Terian and Danial faced each other, and I was off to the side. I couldn’t help remembering the last time we’d been here and everything that had happened. Maybe they were thinking about that, too.