by Robin Roseau
I never saw the newest vampire move. I wasn't really paying much attention to her. But she was at one side of the room, and then suddenly she was in front of the male vampire, lifting him from the ground in one hand.
I stopped fighting the cage and looked up.
"Why is she in a cage?" the vampire screamed. "I need her help, you imbecile! Do you think she is going to offer to help me after you bring her to me like this?"
"You told me to bring her," the male said. "I brought her." He managed to say that in spite of dangling from his neck. He didn't even struggle with her, although he had both hands on her wrist, perhaps helping to support his weight. "You do not reward failure, and I did not want to risk a refusal. You didn't say how to bring her and you didn't say why you needed her, so I made sure she came."
The female screamed and threw him across the room. The male slammed into the wall but then immediately was standing, waiting.
Lara couldn't have thrown me one handed like that, and if she had been thrown that way, she wouldn't have bounced to her feet so quickly.
I was so screwed.
"Get out of here, both of you," the female spat. "But Kristian, if she refuses to help, you will suffer."
"Yes, Mistress," he said calmly. A moment later, both the original vampires were gone. I hadn't seen them leave.
I turned back to the remaining vampire and spat my anger at her. She crouched down in front of me, and we stared at each other.
"You have my deepest apologies, Ms. Burns," she said. "This was not how I intended your arrival."
I wasn't sure I believed her, but I knew I was outclassed physically. My only chance out of this was to outfox her. I lay down with my head between my feet, not saying anything.
"I am not sure I believe that is acceptance of my apology," she said.
It wasn't, but I wasn't going to do anything to confirm her suspicions.
"This is my fault," she said. "Kristian was right. I did not tell him how to bring you here, only to bring you here. My mind was on other things, which I would like to explain to you shortly." She paused, studying me. "I am going to carry you into my bedroom," she said. "I will set out some clothes for you then open your cage. The only exit from my bedroom is through this room. I will wait for you. I will tell you, I know you are very fast for a were, but I am much, much faster than you are. Do you understand what I am saying?"
I chuffed quietly at her.
"I believe that is a sound of agreement. If so, please make that sound again." So I chuffed once more.
With that, she picked up the cage. I lay quietly. There was nothing to be gained through insolence at this point. She carried me into the next room, and I looked around. It was clearly a bedroom, but the door was very, very thick and I thought perhaps it could be bolted from the inside. She set me down in the middle of the room then stepped away for a moment then turned back to me and crouched down.
"I understand you are very petite," she said. "If that is true, make that sound again."
I chuffed at her.
"I am five-foot-four," she said. "Are you smaller than I am?"
I chuffed.
"All right. My clothing will be loose on you, but it will have to do. I will set out a few choices on the bed, and you may choose from amongst them. I do not have shoes that are likely to fit you, but I presume you can go bare for a conversation."
I said nothing but watched her as she moved around the room. She collected clothes from a dresser, laying them on the bed, then more from her closet. She turned to me and crouched down again.
"I suspect you are very angry. I will apologize again when you emerge. I will allow you to call your mate and assure her of your health, and then we will discuss why I need you. You may be considering other options, but this is your best choice. When we are done talking, you may leave, if you wish. You have my word."
I wasn't sure whether her word meant anything, but I wasn't going to tell her that.
"Do you understand?" I chuffed.
She didn't bother opening the locks. She reached out and crushed them, one after another. I stared at the wreckage.
I didn't think Lara could have done that, and this vampire did it casually.
Finally, she opened the door, leaving it hanging wide.
"I'll wait for you in the next room. I hope you will be polite." She stood up, stepped across the room, and closed the bedroom door behind her.
I couldn't hear a thing through the door. It was the most soundproofed door I had ever seen.
I slipped out of the cage and made a quick scout of the room, still as fox. I found no other exits, not even an air vent. I decided a vampire probably had no need of fresh air. I found nothing that was readily apparent as a weapon, and I had severe doubts I could have beaten her regardless of what weapon I might find.
The vampires were far, far faster than I was.
I shifted into human form and made another patrol of the room, although I didn't make any trouble. I decided the only thing that interested me at that point was my freedom.
I was terribly afraid, which far drowned out my anger.
Finally I investigated my choices on her bed. She offered me undies, two different bras, a skirt and blouse, a pair of slacks, and a bathrobe. The bras weren't going to do me any good, and I ignored them. I decided I wanted loose clothing I could shift out of. I pulled on a pair of the undies and decided they would do. I grabbed a short-sleeved white blouse and a wrap-around skirt. Everything was too big, but it would do for now.
It wasn't the first time I had worn someone else's clothing that was too big; if I could make my way in some of Lara's clothing, I could wear these.
I took a big breath and stepped from the room.
The vampire turned and looked at me. We stared at each other from across the room, perhaps twenty feet separating us. I studied her for a moment, then looked around the room. It was some sort of sitting room with sofas and chairs. There were two other exits. I eyed both of them.
"You wouldn't make it, Ms. Burns," said the vampire.
"What do I call you?"
"I believe for now I would prefer if you referred to me simply as Mistress."
I studied her. "Fine," I said. "Mistress. I believe you offered to allow a phone call."
"I will allow you to assure your mate you are safe. I would ask you not to do anything that would precipitate a war. It would not be good for the Madison pack. I will also not allow you to describe me in any detail. Attempts to do so will result in the termination of the phone call."
"I understand," I told her. I held my emotions in check. "What do you want with me?"
"I will explain after you have made the phone call."
"If I decline to help you, will you release me?"
"Yes. I will return you to Madison. I will not allow you to know where you have been taken. I do not want a war."
"Phone?"
She crossed the room to me, walking normally, and held out a cell phone. I took it from her.
"Are you not concerned this can be traced?" I asked her.
"No."
"Are you going to limit the length of my call?"
"If you do not offer too much information, and do not spend hours talking to your mate, no, I will not limit the length. The call cannot be traced."
"If I do not reach my mate on my first call."
"Ms. Burns, please call your pack however you wish."
I had made a point of memorizing several phone numbers. I punched in the pack hotline. It rang three times before I heard Gia's voice. "Hello," she said.
"Don't say a word," I said. "It's Michaela. Answer my questions with yes or no. Are you alone?"
"No."
"Are the right people there with you?"
"Yes."
"Is your sister okay?"
"Yes."
I breathed a sigh of relief. "Is your boss there?"
"Yes."
"Put the call on mute, tell her who this is, then let me speak to her."
>
The call went silent for only a few seconds, then I heard Elisabeth's voice. "Michaela."
"I didn't run."
"I know."
The vampire was watching me. I stared at her for a minute.
"Where are you?" Elisabeth asked.
"I'm not allowed to tell you," I said. "I am unhurt and have been assured I will remain that way. This wasn't the fault of my security detail."
"I know," she said. "No one here is in trouble. Well, you and Serena are, but let's not worry about that right now. Are there demands?"
"I have been told that I was not invited here the way the boss here would have preferred," I replied. "It seems my help is desired. It has not yet been explained why."
"What do you need from us right now?" Elisabeth asked.
"I'm going to put you on mute for a moment, Elisabeth. Hang on." I pulled the phone away and muted it, turning it to face the vampire so she could clearly see it was muted.
"Can you hear both sides of the conversation?"
She nodded.
"I have been very careful."
"You have."
"If I share more information, will you terminate the call?"
"They undoubtedly know you were taken by vampires. Is that what you wanted to tell them?"
"Yes."
"Go ahead. Do not describe me, and I would prefer if you do not share my gender."
I turned the phone back to me and unmuted it. "Elisabeth, what is the werewolf relationship to vampires?"
"It depends upon the pack. To the best of my knowledge, there are none living in Wisconsin, so our pack has little to do with them. The packs in other territories are frequently subservient to them."
"Is there anything else I should know?"
"Probably quite a bit, but I don't know that much myself," she said. "I'm sorry."
I looked at the vampire. "When can they expect my next call?"
"An hour."
"Elisabeth, I am told you can expect another call in an hour."
"Why did you use this line?"
"It always gets answered. I wasn't sure you would answer an unknown caller. May I speak with Lara?"
The pause was brief. "Michaela," she said, and I knew I was loved.
"Lara. I'm fine."
"Be smart, Little Fox," she said. "Come home to me. I need you."
"My original captors were not very polite," I said. "Their boss so far has been more accommodating and has expressed regret. Has someone assured my security detail I am safe?"
"They're both right here," she said.
"I have to go. I love you, Lara. And tell everyone standing there I love them, too. Give my security detail hugs for me."
"I will. Be smart, Little Fox. Now is not the time for an emotional reaction. Be smart and come home to me."
"I will, Lara."
I took a breath and ended the call, holding the phone back to the vampire. We studied each other for a moment. I tried to keep the hostility from my eyes.
"I apologize for my odor," I said eventually. "I've had a bad evening."
"I am deeply sorry for that. I accept responsibility, but it was not my intent for you to be taken from your home in a cage. I had meant an invitation."
"A firm invitation?"
"If you would not come to visit me, then I would have asked for a telephone conversation. But I do not care to conduct business by phone, especially not sensitive business. We would have negotiated an in person meeting."
"Would I have had the option of saying 'no'?"
"I would have found inducement to change your mind."
"A threat?"
"Would it have taken a threat to convince you to meet with me?"
"I am not always the one who makes these decisions," I said. "It is unlikely my alpha would have allowed me to come to you, but we could have arranged for you to come to us. Would that have been possible?"
"I would have preferred for you to come here, but if we could not have come to an agreement, then I would have flown to you, if offered an invitation."
I watched her, but I realized there was no way I could tell if she was lying to me.
"Well," I said, "I am here. Perhaps we should attempt to start fresh." I paused. "The wolves would complain about my scent."
"If it bothers you, you may shower," she said, "but there is no need on my account."
"Then perhaps you can tell me what you want, and if I need time to consider your request, I may ask for an opportunity to freshen up."
"Yes," she said. "Do you have other needs before we begin? And what would you like for refreshments?"
"Water or hot tea would be nice, and yes, a brief break would be good."
"Very good. Ms. Burns, you will not escape my home. Please do not attempt to do so. I swear, I will release you when we have completed our conversation. As you say, you are here. We may as well discuss why."
I thought carefully before speaking. "I am not given to breaking promises."
"Neither am I."
"What assurances will you offer me?" I asked her, "If I agree to enter into these conversations in good faith?"
She paused. "If you agree to engage in these conversations honestly, and then choose to not assist me, I will return you to your home in your current condition, more or less."
"What does that mean?"
"I will cloud your memory of this evening so that you cannot identify me. As I said, I do not want a war. You will suffer no undue damage, although I will be required to take a very small amount of your blood. You will be right as rain when your mate takes you into her arms, which would be later today."
"It is after midnight?"
"Yes."
"Will I also forget events from prior to my meeting with your associates?"
"Perhaps," she said. "But this is not a wholesale slaughter of your memories."
"There were events from earlier in the evening I should relay to my alpha. At the very least, I would want her to know I could no longer remember them."
"I will allow you another conversation if we can agree on what will be discussed."
"All right. And if I agree to help you?"
"Then of course, I also will not harm you. I will require a slightly larger sample of your blood for reasons I will explain at that time."
"How large?"
"A glass," she replied. "Not enough to weaken you."
"You will make no threat against my family or the Madison wolves?"
"I will make no threats designed to secure your cooperation. However, if you betray me, that is another story."
"Will I be allowed to discuss your request with my alpha?"
"Of course, but not necessarily all the details until you have agreed to assist me."
"You are not looking for war."
"No, I am not looking for war."
"Neither are we," I replied. "War weakens both sides. If you treat me as you have indicated, then I will overlook the abrupt manner of my arrival."
She smiled. "I would like to hear the rest of your promises."
"I agree to enter into an honest discussion and will listen to your request. If I find a clear opportunity to escape that seems to offer better odds than believing you, I will take it. I will not pursue bad opportunities at this time."
"Prudent," she said after a moment. "Come with me and we shall see to your most immediate needs." She turned and gestured to one of the doors, and I thought it was different than the one by which I had been carried in. We stepped forward together, and the vampire opened the doors, gesturing for me to proceed before her.
So far, everything had been impeccably decorated. The walls in the corridors were of a lustrous wood. Lighting was subdued, but sufficient. I had seen no windows, but as I believed we were underground, that made sense.
We stepped forward into a short corridor, took a turn to the left, and then she gestured to another door.
"This is a bathroom," she said. "Will you be long?"
"Only a few minutes," I said. "
I will be brief."
She nodded, and I stepped past her into the bathroom. It was quite elegant, with marble floors and a large, marble tub in the corner. There was a walk-in shower, a double sink, and an ornate mirror hanging over the sink.
I thought the layout of her home was quite unexpected, but I couldn't fault the decor.
I made use of the facilities then took a few minutes to clean up a little. My hair was in disarray, but I only made a minor effort to tame it. I would need a lot more time and attention than I wanted to devote to it right now. I stared at my reflection for another moment, took a large breath, then returned to the hallway. The vampire was still waiting for me.
"Thank you," I told her.
"You are welcome. Come. There are refreshments waiting for you back in my sitting room."
She turned on her heel, leading the way, and I followed along.
"And are your needs satisfied?" I asked.
"Earlier," she said. "Your blood is safe, Ms. Burns."
She led the way into her sitting room. She gestured to an arrangement of furniture. There was a pitcher of water and a tall glass sitting on a tray along with a tea pot and cup.
"It is herbal tea," she said. "I hope that is all right."
"Yes," I said. "Thank you."
She gestured, and I took one of the seats.
"Please serve yourself," she said.
"Nothing for you?"
"No, thank you," she replied.
I poured a cup of tea then leaned back in the chair, cradling the cup under my nose. It smelled good and was calming. After a moment, I took a sip and told her it was lovely.
"I have a task," she said. "I do not know exactly how long it would take you. It may only consume a day or two, or it could be somewhat longer than that."
"Why me?"
"I need you to meet with an individual. I need someone who is exceedingly capable but neither vampire nor wolf."
"Nor human?"
"I do not believe a human could complete this task."
"You are speaking carefully."
"I do not wish to tell you more than necessary if you intend to deny my request. The more I tell you, the more I must make you forget if you will not aid me."
"What is the level of danger?"
"Moderate."
"What does that mean?"
"There is risk. If you are as good as the rumors about you suggest, you will have little trouble."