My Protector

by Alanea Alder

  "Are you in transition?" She watched his face carefully.

  He nodded and opened his eyes. "How did you know?"

  "I was raised in Noctem Falls."

  "Then you know that you need to stay away." He turned his scarlet eyes to her. She flinched. There was barely anything human in that gaze. She looked towards the door but her animal began to protest. This was her mate, it was her responsibility to take care of him.

  He gave an anguished cry and doubled up, wrapping his arms around his torso. He shook his head and when he turned to look at her, his eyes flicked from red back to grey.

  "Please go! I don't want to hurt you!" he gasped as she watched the muscles under his skin shift and tremble. It was then that she realized how much pain he was in. He was experiencing blood depravation on top of transition. There was no way she could walk away and leave him writhing in pain. She stepped closer.

  "Let me help."

  He shook his head. "Please!" he begged.

  "No. You're my mate, it is my right and my duty to feed you. I offer all of myself to you," she recited the words that she had heard so many times amongst the couples growing up. To be able to feed your mate was a gift.

  "You won't hurt me and I can't stand to see you in so much agony. Please feed." She placed a hand on his back. His head turned and he stared at her his eyes shifting from grey back to red.

  "I'll try to be gentle," he whispered. He rose up, slowly unwinding his arms. When he stood to his full height he was trembling and near exhaustion. She could see that he was literally fighting to remain lucid.

  He took her in his arms and for a moment simply stood there with her cheek against his chest. She inhaled taking his scent deep in her lungs. She would never get enough of him. With every breath his scent was getting ingrained on her soul. He lowered their bodies slowly to the rug and tilted her head to one side. He ran his tongue down the column of her neck and she shivered. She had expected him to strike like a starved animal, yet even at his most desperate, he was taking time to ensure that she felt as little pain as possible.

  When he began to nip and nibble behind her ear she sighed as her body coiled in expectation. His arms tightened before he sank his fangs deep in her neck.

  She had expected pain, but there was very little, just a quick pinch then a flood of pleasure. He held her as if she were the most precious thing in the world as he drank deeply. She could feel his restraint as he took slow, measured sips. Each pull of his lips sent jolts through her body, it felt as if he were licking and caressing her nipples and clit from the inside. Panting, she thrust her hips against him trying to find relief. She felt his lips curve against her neck and he brought his thigh up between her legs. The second his firm muscles hit her throbbing flesh she cried out and ground against him chasing the pleasure that stayed just out of reach. When his hand reached down to brush against her tightened nipples, she exploded crying out. Wave after wave of pleasure cascaded through her. She felt the swirling darkness begin to take her. Smiling she let go. The last thing she remembered was his gentle kiss against her neck.

  *****

  "Are you certain she is well?"

  "She's fine."

  "I could have killed her."

  "She's a shifter. It would take more than a blood donation to kill her." The male voice sounded amused.

  "Listen to Adam, my friend. He doesn't know much, but he does know about healing," another male voice spoke.

  Elizabeth blinked and focused on the voices. Of the three, her mate's voice was the sexiest. She froze. Her mate? That's right she had found her mate.

  "Ha ha. Very funny, Aiden. Be nice or I'll figure out a way to put Meryn on a caffeine IV drip."

  "Gods no!"

  Elizabeth smiled. "That actually sounds good right about now." She sat up to face the men. Two of them towered over her mate and looked enough alike she assumed they were related. Instantly her mate was at her side running a gentle hand over her hair.

  "How do you feel, zain'ka moya?" he asked.

  "What's zain'ka?"

  He leaned in and whispered against her neck. "My sunshine or rabbit. I thought it fitting."

  His warm breath against her neck sent renewed shivers through her body.

  The two men behind Gavriel cleared their throats. Gavriel stood and kissed her forehead.

  "Elizabeth, I know it may be belated but I am Gavriel Ambrosios. May I introduce to the Unit Commander Aiden McKenzie and his brother Adam McKenzie. Adam runs the clinic for the unit warriors. Gentleman, I finally have the pleasure of introducing my mate. Elizabeth Monroe." Gavriel brought her hand up and kissed it.

  "I'm glad she made it to Lycaonia in one piece. Thrice welcome Elizabeth, you couldn't ask for a better mate." Aiden gave a courtly bow. Adam smiled and waved.

  She looked at Adam. "You're the doctor?"

  "Yes, I am," he replied.

  "You and I will be great friends. I am constantly tripping or falling, or tripping then falling over things." She turned to Gavriel when he groaned and covered his face with his other hand. He looked at her, a pained expression on his face.

  "So what I saw in my dreams was your everyday life, not just the terrifying moments?" he asked.

  "I'm not sure what you saw, but I do get hurt on a fairly regular basis."

  "Did you fall out of an office window?"

  "Yes."

  "Did you fall down the sewer ladder?"

  "Yes, that was equal parts painful, humiliating and disgusting." She shuddered.

  "How did you manage to live to adulthood?"

  "That's a question for my father. I'm sure he could give you an entire dissertation about my childhood." She grinned up at him.

  "I may just have to ask him," he murmured.

  "Elizabeth are you well enough to leave? My mate was curious about you." Aiden said.

  She nodded and gently pulled her hand from Gavriel's. Reluctantly he let go. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and went to hop off but her right leg became tangled in the blankets. If it weren't for Gavriel's reflexes, she would have spilled onto the floor. Aiden and Adam stared at her open mouthed, Gavriel paled.

  "I'm okay, really." She stood and smoothed out her clothes.

  "Okay then. I'll drive." Aiden held up his keys.

  Gavriel kept a hand on her lower back as they said goodbye to Adam and walked out to the parking lot.

  "Do you all live together?" Elizabeth asked once they were on the road.

  "Yes, all of the Alpha Unit members live together," Aiden confirmed.

  "Even your mate?"

  "Meryn has made some changes recently." Gavriel had yet to let her hand go. It was as if he had to be touching her.

  "She just couldn't stand to be away from me," Aiden said puffing his chest out. Elizabeth looked over to her mate who just shrugged.

  "What is Meryn like?"

  Gavriel shook his head. "Meryn cannot be described, only experienced."

  "Now I'm really curious."

  "She's one of kind," Aiden said proudly.

  "She sure is. I can't wait for the two of you to meet," Gavriel said.

  Aiden laughed.

  Elizabeth smiled but felt a sense of foreboding, she couldn't be that bad. Could she?

  *****

  "Meryn, this is my mate, Elizabeth Monroe. Elizabeth, this is Meryn, Aiden's mate."

  "Is she the unbalanced one?" a voice asked.

  Elizabeth watched as spiky brown hair slowly began to pop up from behind the back of the chair, inch by inch until a pair of bright green eyes watched them unblinkingly.

  "What does she mean 'the unbalanced one' and is she alright?" Elizabeth asked, edging behind her mate. Gavriel raised an eyebrow at Meryn. She popped back down disappearing behind the back of the chair, only to reemerge standing at its side. She stared down at the floor.

  A handsome man in Japanese style dress stepped forward. "Perhaps some tea?"

  Meryn nodded. "Thank you Ryuu, that'd be great." Ryuu bowed an
d left towards what Elizabeth assumed was their kitchen.

  "I hate to leave the two of you and the guaranteed entertainment that is sure to take place as you get to know one another, but Aiden and I need to discuss some things. I'd also like to give you some space to take everything in. Things have been moving quickly." Gavriel's eyes were filled with concern when he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "I'll be down the hall in Aiden's office, okay?"

  Elizabeth nodded, he was already being considerate of her. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Everything felt surreal right now. Maybe some girl talk was exactly what she needed.

  "Okay."

  "Meryn, be good," Aiden said walking away with Gavriel.

  Meryn rolled her eyes. "I'm always good." She turned to Elizabeth "So. Do you know anything about dead bodies?"

  So much for girl talk.

  Elizabeth blinked and glared at Gavriel's back as he walked away with a chuckling Aiden. Darn that man, he knew this woman was crazy when he left her here. She turned back to the tiny human.

  "No, not really. Why?"

  "I'm trying to compare the damage done to the women killed by that psycho stalker to famous human serial killers to see if I can determine why they were killed, you know, establish a pattern."

  "Ahh." Elizabeth couldn't make sense of this human at all.

  "So. What kind of paranormal are you?" Meryn sat down on the couch cross-legged pulling a laptop in front of her.

  Elizabeth walked over and sat down in one of the room's chairs.

  "I'm a lepus curpaeums."

  Meryn nodded. "So you're a bunny."

  "I'm a lepus curpaeums..."

  "A bunny. That's cool." Meryn turned back to her laptop.

  "What did you mean when you said 'unbalanced one'?" Elizabeth asked, giving up on the bunny comment. She had a feeling it wouldn't do any good to argue with this woman.

  Meryn looked up and winced. "Gavriel dreamt about you before you got here. He said you were either mentally retarded or had a severe inner ear imbalance. He broke two of the stress balls I gave him worrying about you."

  "I see."

  Mental note; Kick mate's ass later.

  "He's really nice, so don't hold it against him. He's had a rough couple weeks. He's been trapped inside with me for a month and not once did he make me feel awkward or like I was a nuisance. He was patient and has been explaining paranormal society to me and telling me stories." Meryn rambled.

  Elizabeth smiled. If her mate had been trapped inside during his transition with this woman for a month and hadn't lost his temper, he might be a saint.

  "How long has he been in transition?" Elizabeth asked.

  Meryn eyed her carefully. "He doesn't want people knowing."

  "Meryn, I figured it out on my own, I was raised around vampires. Besides, I'm his mate, normal rules don't apply to me."

  Meryn sighed. "I think he's going on two months."

  Elizabeth gasped.

  Meryn's eyes widened. "What?"

  "What do you know about vampiric transitions?" Elizabeth asked as her stomach churned.

  "Not much, just that he needs more blood than normal and that at the end he 'levels up' like in a video game."

  Elizabeth nodded. "Vampires don't age, but that doesn't mean that they don't change. Everything in this world changes. Vampires go through two different types of transition. One based on their age, usually at the five hundred year mark and then every thousand years or so. Within the age transitions the one thousand and five thousand year changes are the hardest."

  "The second type of transition is one based on need. Those are the most brutal, since it's dire circumstances dictating the changes and not the natural course of events. My Uncle Magnus went through a need-based transition before I was born. They still talk about it in Noctem Falls, he became unstable as his body gained the strength and power he would need to become an Elder."

  "Both of these transitions are influenced by age; the older the vampire, the longer the transition, the longer the transition, the stronger they become. Unfortunately, the longer the transition, the more dangerous they become, not only for the vampire, but also for those around him."

  Meryn opened her mouth then closed it. She stayed quiet a moment then looked up at her. "So if Gavriel has been in transition for nearly two months, he is probably going through that five thousand year transition and a need-based transition since ferals are going bat shit crazy, then what?"

  Elizabeth swallowed hard and leaned back in her chair. "Then we could possibly be living with the most dangerous creature on earth, at least until his transition is over."

  Meryn grinned. "That is so cool. Gavriel was badass before, but now, he's like Chernobyl badass."

  Elizabeth looked at her and blinked. "You're not scared at all are you?"

  Meryn shook her head. "He's surly and grumpy now, but when I first met him when his transition was just starting he was charming. He's always been nice to me."

  "I kind of like him grumpy," Elizabeth admitted.

  "Aiden is like that, I know what you mean," Meryn said running a finger along her laptop skin.

  Elizabeth stared at the blue Tardis and smiled. "I like your laptop skin."

  Meryn's eyes narrowed. "Do you know the Doctor?"

  "Of course."

  "Who was the first Doctor?" Meryn asked eyeing her with suspicion.

  "William Hartnell. Why?" Elizabeth asked confused.

  Meryn let out a breath of relief. "Some people 'say' they love the Doctor, but then when I ask them, 'Who was the first Doctor?' they say Eccleston and I want to scream. You pass." Meryn beamed at her.

  She has to be the cutest little thing.

  "You're adorable. I'll let you in on a secret. I'm old enough honey, that I watched Doctor Who when it originally aired. My family was visiting London at the time and I became instantly hooked." Elizabeth almost laughed out loud at the reverent expression on Meryn's face.

  "That is so fucking cool!" Meryn exclaimed.

  Elizabeth laughed. She had never met anyone quite as open and guileless as Meryn. She was childlike and refreshing. "I've been a sci-fi fanatic as long as it's been around."

  "I tried to talk Aiden into going to DragonCon but he said no, that it would be a 'logistical nightmare'." Meryn made air quotes.

  "I'll take you next year. I have a standing reservation at a hotel downtown for DragonCon. I can show you the secrets of the Con that most tourists never see." Elizabeth offered.

  "No fucking way! I love you!" Meryn bounced in her seat.

  Elizabeth had never before met anyone who liked the things she did. In Noctem Falls, science fiction was considered immature or ridiculous. She found herself sharing Meryn's enthusiasm.

  "So what do you all do around here to keep from losing your minds? Colton was going to take me into the city, but somehow I don't think that is going to happen now." Elizabeth propped her feet up on the ottoman.

  "I'm an internet security expert..."

  "Hacker," Elizabeth interrupted.

  Meryn nodded, grinning. "I've been working with Adair, that's Aiden's brother who runs the training academy in the city. I'm trying to convince him and the council that it would be more beneficial to assign the trainees to units for more hands-on training than to leave them languishing at the academy until an opening pops up. If my proposal goes through, all thirty of the current trainees will be assigned out to the units here in Lycaonia and Adair and his trainers can start on the next batch. If it's successful here, they will adopt it in the other three cities effectively tripling the defense force. They're supposed to be making a decision either today or tomorrow," Meryn explained.

  "That's actually a very good idea." Elizabeth frowned and wondered why they hadn't done this earlier.

  "Don't sound so shocked," Meryn mumbled.

  Elizabeth chuckled. "Sorry I didn't mean to imply you weren't intelligent, it's just that it makes so much sense I was wondering why we haven't adopted this prac
tice before now."

  "Oh. That's easy. That's because nobody around here likes change. I swear they wouldn't change their underwear if they didn't have to. Everything is tradition, tradition, tradition. Most of them have forgotten why they originally decided to do things a certain way. A lot of practices need to be hauled into the twenty-first century," Meryn said sounding thoroughly disgusted.

  "Tell me about it. I was raised in Noctem Falls, they practically worship the Victorian era there. I still get stares when I wear jeans around the city when I visit my dad."

  Meryn's eyes widened. "You were raised in Noctem Falls? I so want to go there. I heard that the vampires carved their city into the cliff face of a deep canyon."

  Elizabeth nodded. "I distinctly remember the first time my father took me outside to play. Noctem Falls is actually an underground city. It's a network of caves and caverns deep in the earth."

  "Like the dwarves in Lord of the Rings?" Meryn whispered.

  "Actually, that's a very close representation of Noctem Falls. But instead of dwarves, there are vampires."

  "Now I don't know which city I want to visit first. I thought for sure that I wanted to go to Éire Danu first, but now Noctem Falls sounds magical." Meryn chewed on her lower lip.

  "Not just anyone can visit Éire Danu. The fae are very protective of their city," Elizabeth warned.

  Meryn waved a hand in front of her. "I was invited by their queen. Elder Vi'Ailean is the younger brother of her consort. The Elder likes me." She grinned at her.

  Elizabeth blinked. Meryn had already secured an invitation to Éire Danu and by the queen herself? She shook her head. She thought moving to Lycaonia would be boring, just a place to lay low until she could return to the human world without someone figuring out that she could survive a nose dive out of an office building window. She eyed the peculiar little human with renewed interest.

  "Denka, your tea." The man that Meryn had called Ryuu carried a tray into the room. Immediately Elizabeth's nose picked up on the faint smell of jasmine.

  "Thank you. Ryuu, have you met Elizabeth yet? She's the one that Gavriel has been dreaming about. She'll be moving in," Meryn said introducing them.