by Primo, Jaz
She looked up at him. “Sure, if you like that whole romantic walk in the park sort of thing.”
“You don’t?” he asked with some surprise.
“I never said that,” she demurred.
Her radio suddenly crackled to life with the voice of a tense security guard. “Captain Turner to the west exterior side of the conference center immediately! We’ve got visitors.”
Paige and Ethan moved like a blur as they raced to the other side of the facility.
When they arrived on the scene, four vampire security guards were pointing submachine guns at Caleb and two other vampires whom Paige didn’t recognize. She sensed his anxiety and immediately noticed that his left hand had been recently injured. Her concern for him was quickly superseded by building anger directed towards the two vampires flanking him whose appearance matched his descriptions of the two vampires who had confronted him in Katrina’s backyard, as well as the woman at the Italian restaurant.
“Who are you, and what have you done to Caleb?” Paige demanded. She sensed Ethan’s solid presence beside her.
“It’s okay, Paige,” Caleb reassured her. “It was an accident.”
“We’re here under a flag of truce. We merely need to speak with Alton,” Hakizimana calmly explained.
“If that’s true, then let the young man come over here,” Paige negotiated.
Mara moved closer behind Caleb, gripping the top of his left shoulder in her hand and firmly squeezing.
“Um, I’m kind of guaranteeing their safety,” Caleb tensely countered.
Paige growled, and Mara’s grip immediately lessened, resulting in a sense of relief on Caleb’s face.
“Get Alton out here now,” Paige commanded into her radio, knowing that if Alton came, so would Katrina.
Minutes later, Caleb watched as two figures virtually materialized out of the darkness to stand to the right of Paige. Alton maintained a neutral expression, while Katrina’s was virtually livid, her emerald eyes brightly lit. Between her visage and her red hair shifting in the evening breeze, she looked liked a beautiful demon from hell ready to unleash both fury and brimstone on those around her, and Caleb shivered slightly.
Mara’s eyes widened as she sensed the tension in his body, and she readjusted to a more aggressive stance.
“You rang, Hakizimana?” Alton quipped as he soberly studied the tall vampire.
The tall vampire inclined his head in greeting. “Alton Rutherford, I’ve come to request admittance to your conference.”
Alton’s eyebrows curiously rose. “I see. And what, may I ask, caused you to reconsider my offer of nearly a year ago? An offer you pointedly rejected twice, as I recall.”
“Remarkably, this young man,” the yellow-eyed vampire matter-of-factly replied.
“Really?” Alton incredulously challenged.
Katrina appeared astonished, but said nothing.
“Well, kiddo’s just full of surprises,” Paige whispered.
Alton dismissed the gun-wielding vampires around him with a wave of his hand. They looked at Paige for confirmation, and she curtly assented.
The four vampires shouldered their weapons and quietly slipped back into the night.
“And what, exactly, did Caleb say that piqued your interest?” Katrina demanded. She was quite unhappy to see Mara’s hand on her mate’s shoulder and even more displeased to see his wounded hand and arm. The scent of his blood played in the air between them with each passing breeze.
Hakizimana appeared circumspect for a moment. “He shared some compelling arguments concerning the best interests of those in attendance. And then, of course, there were other perks.”
“Perks?” Alton pressed.
“Um, I may have mentioned that we could comp them for their suites,” Caleb spoke up. “Perhaps one of the larger suites?” he tentatively added.
Paige groaned and tightly pinched the bridge of her nose between the fingers of one hand. Katrina rolled her eyes, and Ethan artfully stifled a laugh.
“I think we can arrange something,” Alton diplomatically offered. “You’re welcome to attend the conference, of course. You may be surprised to discover that I actually appreciate your participation.”
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Hakizimana offered with a slight inclination of his head.
“Are there just the two of you?” Paige guardedly inquired.
“Just Mara and I,” Hakizimana replied. “However, I represent a number of other interested parties,” he added.
“How many?” Katrina asked.
“Close to three dozen, including the two of us,” the tall vampire replied.
Alton was immediately intrigued, and he shot a meaningful glance to Katrina.
“Excellent,” he replied in a self-satisfied tone.
Katrina regarded him suspiciously, but quickly refocused her attention back on Caleb.
“And what of my mate?” she demanded with narrowed eyes.
“Naturally, I remand him back into your custody,” Hakizimana offered, at which Mara released her grip on Caleb’s shoulder.
Katrina crooked her finger at Caleb and wiggled it in a slow, beckoning fashion as she glared at him with a penetrating stare.
He swallowed hard, fleetingly wondering if he didn’t feel more comfortable in Mara’s grasp. Nevertheless, he moved away from the two vampires to within a few feet of Katrina.
“Perhaps we should arrange for your accommodations,” Alton politely suggested to the two visitors with a gesture of his hand towards the conference center.
Hakizimana inclined his head in a gracious manner, and he and Mara followed Alton. Paige cast a curious, yet concerned, glance at Caleb before turning to fall in behind the trio. Ethan quickly surveyed Katrina’s displeased features and looked at Caleb with concern.
“Let’s have a look at those abrasions, Caleb,” he reassuringly suggested and moved towards the young man.
Katrina held up her left hand, insisting, “I think that I’ve got this. Thank you for your concern, Doctor.”
Ethan looked at Caleb, who shrugged.
“Thanks, Doc,” he replied. “But don’t wander too far,” he sheepishly quipped. “I just might need you later by the look of things.”
Katrina cast him a withering expression, though his comment elicited an amused smile from Ethan.
“I’m always a mere call away,” he politely affirmed and turned to walk back towards the conference center.
“Very funny,” Katrina remarked, somewhat relieved that her mate’s sense of humor had returned. “Let me see your arm,” she insisted, reaching out to him.
He stepped forward, extending his left arm to her.
She observed him in a stern manner that might chill a simmering volcano, but gently held his arm in her soft hands as she scrutinized his abrasions.
“Let’s go back to the room, and I’ll seal these,” she suggested.
He nodded with resignation and fell into step beside her as they walked to the hotel. While there was no denying that he was happy to be back safely at the conference site, he was nonetheless concerned about Katrina’s mood.
“I thought I was trying to help, but as with everything lately, all that I managed to do is make you angry,” he lamented.
She looked at the man who had captured her heart, draping one arm around his waist as they walked.
“I realize that you mean well, my love,” she conceded. “You’re so young and full of adventure, but there are moments when you lack the wisdom to make sound decisions. It’s a burden of youth, I’m afraid, and something that will develop with time.”
She only hoped that she could keep him alive long enough for wisdom to set in.
He tried not to feel offended by her critical observations. “Alton seemed quite pleased with the results this evening,” he tentatively ventured.
“But your methods are reckless, occasionally bordering on foolhardy,” she snapped. “You’re going to get yourself killed, Caleb.”
&nbs
p; He winced slightly over her biting admonition while simultaneously struggling to contain his irritation at being scolded almost like a child.
She caught herself before she continued her rant, and instead made a conscious effort to settle her temper as they walked.
Heaven help me, I sound like some horrible, angry bitch, she shamefully realized.
“Look,” she patiently attempted, “this is hard for me. The stakes are escalating, along with the danger, and I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you either,” he blurted, not fully realizing the intensity of his feelings, or their implied double meaning, until that moment. Given Katrina’s lengthy obligations to committee sessions, it already felt as if he had been practically alone on the trip as it was.
She halted in midstride while encircling his waist with her arm and turned to stare into his gentle, pale-blue eyes. For as much as he was a capable young man by human standards, he appeared somewhat vulnerable to her.
“You’re not going to lose me, my love,” she calmly reassured him.
He offered a wan smile, and she bent down to kiss him warmly on the lips. Appreciative for her intimate attentions, he gratefully returned her kiss.
“Honestly, none of this is easy for me, either, and I’m trying my best to adapt to situations as events unfold. I want to prove to you that I can actually handle adversity. I know that you worry about me, and I’d like to promise you that I’ll stay out of trouble, but I just can’t make any guarantees,” he earnestly offered.
She couldn’t help but admire how determined and sincere he sounded. A previous, fanciful thought from earlier that morning gravitated to the forefront of her mind.
“Really? I think I can help with that,” she resolutely remarked. “I’m half-tempted to handcuff you to the bed. Perhaps that will keep you out of trouble.”
“What?” he countered with a wide-eyed expression.
“Just during the day, my love,” she equivocated as she ushered their renewed walk back towards the hotel.
“Um, I think not!” he heatedly challenged while half-heartedly attempting to pull free from her grasp.
She slyly chuckled.
My sense of humor’s still intact too, it seems.
* * * *
Chapter 9: Dark Places
By the following morning, Caleb’s demeanor had improved, and he was feeling more content. His arm had almost fully healed, thanks to liberal use of Katrina’s saliva. Of course, the fact that she had not actually handcuffed him to the bed before she departed for the day’s conference session was also encouraging.
He shaved and dressed with a hopeful feeling as he contemplated what plan Dori would have for their investigation of the mountain shack just outside of town. Then a pang of guilt followed as he recalled Katrina’s concerns from the prior evening. She wouldn’t be happy if she knew what he and Dori were planning.
He wondered if he shouldn’t simply abandon further investigations both for his own welfare and for his mate’s peace of mind.
A knock at his suite’s door interrupted his thoughts, and he pulled a t-shirt over his head on the way to answer it.
Dori’s really early today, he estimated.
As he opened his door, he was surprised to see Paige, once more relegated to her security outfit.
“Morning, Mister Trouble,” she greeted.
She playfully dangled a pair of chrome handcuffs in her left hand at eye level before him.
“Katrina said to drop by,” she slyly added.
“No way!” he challenged, immediately swinging the door closed against her.
At the last second, her hand slapped the door and effortlessly pushed against his full weight to sweep it open again. She slipped into the room, laughing as she closed the door behind her.
“Whoa, tiger,” she offered with a giggle. “Red said that I’d enjoy your reaction, and boy, you sure didn’t disappoint,” she added, sliding the pair of cuffs into her back pants pocket.
His heartbeat raced while slowly stepping backwards and watching her with a wide-eyed expression.
“I thought –”
“Yeah, I figured as much. Red told me about her little threat.”
Her eyes narrowed in a predatory fashion.
“Don’t worry, kiddo,” she assured him in a sultry voice, “If I ever do handcuff you to a bed, I won’t be leaving you alone.”
“Oh really?”
“I’m just sayin’.”
“Well, since you put it that way,” he suggestively countered with a smirk and deliberately reached out to take her by the hand.
I can tease, too.
She felt a momentary charge tingle across her skin as he grasped her hand, and her eyes darted to his. She was surprised how pleasing the thought of sex with him was to her, but was equally unnerved by her silent admission. Her gaze took in how well his t-shirt fit his muscular chest and how his blue jeans hugged his lean waist. Then she caught herself and quickly rotated her hand to grab his wrist.
“Enough kidding around, you perv. Let’s get you some breakfast. Nice healing job on your arm, by the way.”
She pulled him towards the suite door, thankful that she had not succumbed to a fleeting desire that she would later regret.
“Sure,” he agreed while eyeing her suspiciously.
Despite his sense of fidelity to Katrina, he couldn’t help feeling aroused by the fleeting idea of having sex with her. He considered her to be a powerfully attractive woman for whom he cared deeply. And his experience in the vault with her had only increased that sense of affection.
The two proceeded to the main dining room, platonically discussing a host of decidedly safer topics.
* * * *
Katrina sat at the head of the conference table to the right of Alton while appreciating the reactions from a number of vampires around the table as both Hakizimana and Mara secured their respective seats at the opposite end of the room.
The yellow-eyed vampire had quite a reputation among his peers, almost like an ancient celebrity in his own right merely from his longevity. Certainly, he was the eldest vampire in the room, which was saying something with Alton being over eight hundred years old.
While not overly enthusiastic herself, Katrina particularly enjoyed the reactions of both Baldar Dubravko and Dominic Ambrogio over the newest participants. Both vampires seemed beside themselves and were lulled into silent contemplation versus their usual instigation of arguments among attendees.
Wonders never cease, she mused.
“At the risk of seeming obstructive,” Hakizimana politely inquired, “Would it be possible to briefly enumerate the topics at hand?”
“Certainly,” Alton neatly replied.
He proceeded not only to describe the active topics, but briefly recounted the other topics that had been argued into stalemates or had been tabled for later discussion.
Hakizimana briefly commented on the merits of some topics, while diplomatically conceding the difficulties of others. Most surprising to Katrina was how a number of the previously tabled topics garnered renewed life with the seemingly unbiased promptings of the ancient vampire.
Within an hour, a number of formerly reserved or silent attendees were openly discussing the merits of some of the previous agenda topics. It was perhaps the first time since the conference started that free-flowing dialogue was occurring.
“Point of order,” Dubravko abruptly spoke up. “Shouldn’t someone other than the chair recommend that previously tabled topics be revisited for discussion?”
One of Alton’s brows imperiously arched, and he swept the faces in the room for someone to speak up.
Katrina sat up in her chair, meeting Dubravko’s golden-fleck eyes directly.
“I motion that previously tabled topics be reopened for discussion at the discretion of any participants,” she offered. “Who will second?”
Silence reigned for only a few seconds. Then no less than three vampires spoke up simultaneous
ly in support. The final vote resulted in the vast majority of attendees favoring the motion. Dubravko, Ambrogio, and three others were among the only dissenters.
In and of itself, it was a momentous victory for the tone of the conference. Dubravko silently fumed across the table from Katrina, but she merely reflected quiet satisfaction.
Civil dialogue seamlessly resumed as if no interruption had occurred.
* * * *
During breakfast, Paige absently watched Caleb eat while sipping from a Styrofoam cup of warm blood. She was determined not to let her appetite get the better of her in the future, obligations or not. Staring at the young man before her, she couldn’t help thinking about his two-fold accomplishment from the previous evening.
First, he had been able to bring a powerful and elusive vampire to participate in the conference. And second, he had lived through the risky endeavor.
Glancing up from his plate of food, he noticed her staring at him.
“What?” he asked.
“You surprised me last night, kiddo,” she conceded. “Quite a lot, actually.”
“I’m full of surprises sometimes.”
She giggled. “More like full of crap sometimes.”
He cast her a dirty look as he speared a sausage link and bit off one end.
“Actually,” she earnestly whispered, “I’m impressed and proud. I just wish that you wouldn’t –”
“Take so many chances?”
“Yeah,” she grimly agreed as tightness formed in her throat.
His clumsiness is glaring at times. I’d rather he not turn up dead anytime soon.
He was touched to see the depth of caring and concern reflected in her bright blue eyes.
“You and Katrina both,” he quietly noted.
She sipped from her cup, trying to refocus her thoughts on something more constructive. In turn, he concentrated on finishing his pancakes. The remainder of their time together passed relatively quickly and quietly. Yet, there was a sense of contentment between the two of them in just sharing the table together.
Following breakfast, Paige disappeared to pursue a host of requirements placed upon her by the major, leaving Caleb to his own diversions. He strolled through the merchants’ area at one end of the conference facility, absently perusing. Following a call to Dori’s suite but getting no answer, he left voicemail about where she could find him.