Once Upon A Midnight

by Stephanie Rowe

  His finger was placed over my lip to quiet me. “That’s enough for today. Now lie down and rest.”

  After a few hours of sleep I felt much better and had plenty of energy, yet Rhett didn't let me get out of the bed until it was time to get ready to go to our appointment at the lab.

  We pulled up to a huge office building around ten 0’clock. There were hundreds upon hundreds of windows that seemed to shine in the moonlight. Some had lights on that we could see from the outside, but most of them were off since it was late and many of the employees had gone home already.

  When we entered the building we were met by a huge, bald security guard sitting behind a desk.

  He stood and came over to meet us. “Can I help you?” His deep voice echoed in the quiet entryway causing Patience to jump a little.

  Rhett stepped in front of me. “We’re here to see to Dr. Chamberlain. We have an appointment to see him.”

  The security guard walked back behind the desk and picked up the phone. He dialed a few numbers and paused for a brief minute before speaking. “Hello Dr. Chamberlain, I have some people down here at the front desk who say they have an appointment to see you.” He then addressed Rhett who was standing across from the burly man. “What’s your name?”

  “Rhett Larson and Caressa Bishop.”

  He announced us to the doctor over the phone and placed it back on its receiver. “Okay, go right up. Take the middle elevator down the hall to the twenty-seventh floor and make a right went you get off. Dr. Chamberlain’s office is the second door on the right.

  We thanked the man. Patience caught up to us and walked along side me.“Do you think he has a girlfriend? I sure would love a piece of that.” She said a little too loudly; her statement could probably be heard three blocks from building.

  I laughed in spite of myself and no matter how much she annoys me; I couldn’t imagine the club without her. “Stop, you’re gonna get us thrown out.”

  “Or, I may get lucky.” She winked at me and glanced behind her to see if the guard was watching her, which he was. She giggled and I pushed her into the elevator.

  Rhett peeked into the doctor’s office as he knocked softly on the door. “Dr. Chamberlain?”

  A middle aged man with short brown hair and a few days worth of stubble walked from behind the desk and stuck out his hand. Rhett shook it and introduced the rest of us to the doctor.

  “Everyone please take a seat.” He pointed to the chairs placed in front of his desk, then sat in his own chair in front of the computer. “How can I help you? I spoke to Ms. Carmichael over the phone; she said you had some concerns about the product we engineered for your company.”

  I nodded but allowed Rhett to take the lead in the conversation, for now. “Yes, there were certain additives that should not have been in the synthetic blood.”

  The doctor shifted in his seat and loosened his tie a bit. He looked visibly nervous about something. I could smell his fear from a mile away. He cleared his throat before he answered Rhett. “Was there?” He glanced at me before turning to his computer screen and began typing. “Let me pull up that information and have a look. Why yes, you’re absolutely right.”

  Rhett lunged forward, banging his hands on the doctor’s desk. “Don’t play games with me Chamberlain. We know you were the one who engineered this specific bath of synthetic blood for us. Why would you change the formula without us asking you to?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking and I certainly don’t like your tone.”The doctor said nervously.

  Rhett grabbed the desk and pushed it so hard it went crashing through the wall. He took hold of the doctor’s lab coat, causing him to lean to the back of the chair. “You are not going to like your head ripped off your body either if you don’t start talking right now.”

  Chamberlain’s eyes went wide at Rhett’s threatening glare and I thought he would pee his pants; he looked that scared. “I was only doing what I was ordered to do.”

  Rhett shook him hard. “I..I don’t know his name. I only know him as The Dark One. He sent two large men into my office a couple of months ago and forced me to engineer a whole different recipe. I was told to give you that batch for the next time Ms. Carmichael ordered. If I didn’t do what he asked those men would have killed me on the spot. They said they’d find out if I hadn’t done what they demanded and hunt me down.”

  “What else do you know about this Dark One?” Rhett demanded as he shook the doctor again.

  “Nothing. I don’t know anything else. He hasn’t contacted me since then.”

  “What do you know about us?” I asked standing up from my chair and walked over to stand by Rhett’s side.

  “I don’t know anything about you. All I know is Ms. Carmichael originally requested the synthetic blood for some club she owns in New York City.”

  I slowly walked behind the doctor’s chair, hovering over him.“I think you’re lying. I think you know more than you’re willing to tell us.”

  “I swear, I don’t know anything.” The doctor looked between Rhett and I, probably hoping we’d believe him and let him go.

  Only there was one special gift I possessed as vampire and that is the ability to tell if someone was lying to me and this man cowering in front of me was lying through his fucking teeth. I reached down and grabbed Chamberlain by the head and forcefully twisted it, breaking his neck in the process.

  Patience leapt up from her chair shocked at what I had done, but she doesn’t scream or yell. She only slid back into her chair with her hand over mouth.

  “Damn it Gia.” Rhett said as he let go of the limp doctor’s body. “Now, we’ll never find out who The Dark One is or what he wants.”

  “He wasn’t going to tell us anyway even if he did know and know that the good doctor is gone whoever this Dark One is will have no choice but to come looking for us himself. Keira see if you can find something on the computer that will tell us anything.”

  Keira walked around the desk and grabbed the back of the chair, leaning it forward, causing Chamberlain’s dead body to fall to the floor with a thump. I gave her an annoyed look. “What? Don’t look at me like that, I have to sit down. Besides you killed him not me.”

  “Hurry up and look before that security guard comes up here please.” I ordered.

  A few minutes of frantic searching, I wondered if Keira would ever be able to find anything. I was about to tell her to give up when she grabbed my hand and pulled me over to view the computer screen. “Look Gia. There’s an encrypted filed here called Bloodsuckers.”

  An eerie feeling had flooded over me as my eyes fell upon the file. “Well, don’t just sit there, click it.”

  Keira opened the file hundreds of other files appeared on the screen. “Oh my God. We can’t go through all these here.”

  “Save them to the memory drive here and send a copy of the files over to the computer at home.” I commanded. “And hurry.”

  “Okay, I’m going as fast as I can. Okay, done.”

  “Good, now erase the whole file.” Right when Keira was about to push the delete button I noticed a file labeled Repopulate. “Wait Keira click that folder there.” She did and what popped up on the screen was utterly mind-blowing. Names upon names of these so called “Bloodsuckers” are listed with the words successful or unsuccessful next to them. At the end of the list is Caressa’s name with the word pending next to hers?

  Keira peered up at me before looking at the monitor again. “What does this mean Gia?”

  “I think it means there are more like us out there we didn’t know about and they are being experimented on. It looks like Caressa was chosen to be next, but I guess I took her spot."

  “What the fuck is going on in here?” The burly guard yelled from the doorway. He glanced down on the floor to where Dr. Carmichael’s lifeless body laid. He ran over to him, dropping to one knee. He placed two fingers on the doctor’s neck feeling for a pulse, but obviously found none. “He’s dead.” He pulled his gun out
the holster and pointed it at each one of us. “None of you fucking move. I’m calling the police.” He backed away from us a few feet; Patience get up out her seat.

  I tried to stop her. If one of us was shot, we’d be fine. We couldn’t die, well, because we were already dead. But, if this fool got spooked and shot Patience by accident it would be fatal. Even though she annoys me to no end, she’s still a part of this family. “Patience don’t move.” She ignored me and lifted her hand, walking over to the guard who was twice her size. I squeezed my eyes shut unable to move. I could definitely get to Patience in time to push her out of the way, but my feet were cemented to the floor.

  “I said don’t move.” The guard yelled again pointing the gun right in Patience’s face, but she still pressed on.

  She slowly reached for the gun and placed her small hand on the guard’s large one. The sparkly gold nail polish she wore shimmered underneath the fluorescent light in the room.I couldn't help but think that this will the one thing I will remember about her as she took her last breath right in front of me.

  The guard didn’t move. He watched Patience’s face as closely as the rest of us were. It was like we were all in some kind of trance. He allowed her to lower his arm and remove the gun from his hand. It dropped to the hard linoleum floor causing me to jump. She took his hand in hers and quietly led him out of the office.

  “What the fuck just happened?” I turned to Rhett and the shocked expression on his face was enough to let me know that he had no idea either.

  Keira leapt out of the chair and grabbed my hand. “Let’s not question it and get the fuck out of here.”

  We sped down the hallway to see Patience coming out of another room alone. We all entered the elevator because Rhett still refused to let me run down the stairs. “Where’s the security guard?” I asked Patience as we descended to the lobby.

  “Let’s just say he won’t be telling anyone we were here.” She said with a wink.

  “Patience what did you do? Did you give him a blow job? Keira said as she elbowed Patience.

  “I’m not telling you my secrets to seducing men.” She responded with a sweet smile.

  “Ah, you did give him a blow job!” Keira yelped in the small space.

  The elevator dinged and we all got out armed with some pretty significant information about what appears to be more of our kind and from that one glance I know there's chance that I will be okay, my baby will be okay. I paused for a second to catch my breath and try and soak in the news.

  Rhett saw that I wasn’t following behind him anymore. He came back to where I was standing. “You okay sweet cheeks? Do you want me to carry you? We have to leave before anyone else shows up.”

  I lowered my hands to my swollen belly and peered up at him. “Rhett, our baby is going to be okay, I just know it.”

  EPILOGUE

  One year later

  “SHE’S BEAUTIFUL, ISN’T “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” I took my little girl into my arms and hugged her close to my chest.

  “Just like her mother.” He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on top of our baby’s head.

  She’s so tiny, so fragile, and so different from the rest of us. Her cream colored skin and dark brown hair were a mirror image of what Rhett looked like before I turned him. She’s not completely human and not completely vampire. She has developed characteristics of both kinds; like Luna.

  We all thought Luna was one of a kind, but apparently she isn’t. Although Luna was special because she wasn’t genetically engineered, we have come to find out there are many, many other female vampires giving birth to babies, well, half-breeds.

  The information we found at the lab that day has been crucial to our investigation and we are getting closer and closer to finding more of our kind, but doing so was not an easy task since others seem to be hiding from the Hunters as well.

  We have not found out who The Dark One is yet. He or she made it a point not to leave a trail leading back to him, or her. Keira worked tirelessly to uncover new information every day. She even hired an IT guy to help her do some more investigating. Of course he doesn’t know why we need this information, but he was the only one willing to help with no questions asked.

  Jesse Cooper, or “Coop” as we all know him by was covered in tattoos and has several piercings on his face. There was one in his eyebrow, one on his lip, and several on his ear. He looked nothing like a nerdy computer guy should look like, but Keira said and I quote, “If I have to be stuck in the office all day doing work, I might as well have a hot guy to stare at to make the view better."That’s Keira, always looking at the bigger picture.

  I was about to put the baby back in her bassinet, Keira walked in with Jesse following behind her. We usually leave the door open unless we want privacy. We have never had a baby in the coven before and the girls love spending time with her.

  Jesse also has a weakness for her. He was already working here when I gave birth to her and in the few months he’s been here he has become a fast friend to us all. He passed Keira on the way in holding out his arms to me. “Where is my beautiful little girl?” Ava looked so small in his big arms, but I know she’s safe with him and so does Rhett.

  “Aren’t you afraid you’ll ruin your bad boy image holding a baby making those cutesy noises at her?" Rhett asked jokingly.

  Jesse looked down at Ava for a fraction of a second, then turned back to Rhett. “Nope.”

  Jesse told us he came from a broken home. His mother died when he was a baby and his father was too busy chasing women to take care of his own son, so he handed him over to children’s services.

  I can’t imagine how someone could do that to their own flesh and blood. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Ava in my life. Having that baby was the best thing that ever happened to me, besides Rhett of course because without him there would be no family for me.

  Keira pleaded behind Jesse. “Can I get a turn holding the baby please?”

  Jesse peered down at Ava sleeping in his arms and looked over his shoulder. “Maybe later.”

  Rhett and I both laughed as we watched him hand the baby over to Keira. We have been so lucky to have so much support surrounding us and I have a really good feeling that Jesse will be a part of the family soon.

  “Is it my turn with the baby yet?” Noah called from the doorway.

  I turned to Rhett as I pointed at Noah. “Doesn’t anyone come to see us anymore?”

  Rhett shrugged and nodded over to the three of them hovering over Ava making cooing noises at her. “I don’t think so.”

  He held out his hand waiting for me to give him mine and of course I do. His smile melted my heart. It has made me beyond happy that I could give him such a beautiful gift that he completely adores.

  Rhett pulled me into his arms, squeezing me lightly. “Maybe Auntie Keira and Uncle Jesse would like to babysit for a while so I can have some time alone with my sweet cheeks.”

  I squeaked when I felt his hand lower to my ass in front of everyone. “Stop Rhett.”

  “That’s not what you said last night. In fact…”

  My hand slammed against his mouth. “Don’t start.”

  “You guys are gross, get a room.” Keira pretended to cover Ava’s ears. “There are little ears here.”

  Rhett interjected. “We do have a room but you’re always in it.”

  They both stuck their tongues out at each other and I was left feeling as if there were more than one child in the room. “Enough you two. Noah where’s Caressa?”

  “She’s in the office finishing up the inventory. She said she would be here soon.”

  “Do you think you and Caressa can take Ava for a while so we can take a nap please?”

  “Sure. We don’t mind.” Noah was about to take the baby from Keira, but she turned around so Noah couldn’t reach the baby.

  “No, I want her.” With Keira pouting Noah couldn't refuse her. He’s such a wuss, a good man, but a wuss.

  Jesse too
k Ava out of Keira’s arms and placed her on his chest. “Yeah, we can take her Gia.”

  “We?” Both Rhett and I said simultaneously while glancing over at Keira and Jesse.

  “Shut up.” Keira grabbed the bag of diapers and a few bottles and began to walk towards the door.

  I was close behind them and pushed all three of them out the door. “Fight over the baby outside and don’t come back for at least three hours.” I slammed the door behind them and could hear them still arguing down the hall over who’s going to take care of the baby for the next few hours.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Rhett closed the distance between us before I even turned around.

  “I’m going to go take a nap.”

  “The Hell you are.” He grabbed my shirt, lifting it over my head, uncovering my bare breasts. His hands slid down my hips, bringing my pants down with them.

  “Rhett what are you doing?”

  “First, I’m going to taste every inch of you. Then I am going to fuck my sweet cheeks up against this door until I hear her scream my name over and over…” He took my nipple in his mouth and bit it hard before letting go with a popping sound. “And over again.”

  My feet were lifted out of the pants that were now pooled on the floor. His tongue slid up my thigh stopping at my swollen clit, making tiny, slow circles over the engorged nerve ending.

  My knees buckled under me as he palmed one of my breasts to hold me in place. With a few hard swipes of his tongue I come undone and was dripping my release as I shuddered against his glorious mouth.My body shattered into a thousand pieces and my voice was barely a whisper. “Rhett.”

  He stood, plunging into me so hard I thought the wood behind me was going to splinter. “I can’t hear you sweet cheeks. Louder.”

  He slammed into me harder and harder until I gave him what he wanted. “God, yes Rhett.”

  “That’s my girl.”

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