Urban Vampire: The bookset 1-3

by Pace, Pepper

  Cyrene ignored me and watched Alexis. “How would that work? We have information to hide not some event…” then she seemed to remember who she was speaking to and her voice lowered. “Master.”

  Alexis strolled to stand before her. “Do you feel me searching your thoughts? Cyrene Asta?” Her eyes widened and I could sense her immediate fear. All Vampires had powers of telepathy but nothing like the power of an Elder, which allowed them to see another’s memories.

  Cyrene lowered her eyes and I could sense her immediate fear. “Yes Master. I feel you.” It was an unpleasant invasion and I always hated it. However I am one of a very few Master level Vampires to have been on the other side of the coin. Due to my blood bond with an Elder I am able to share his memories and the joy of being the one that you love.

  “What would make Malarias look into your head?” Alexis asked her. Cyrene seemed at a loss or else she was just too freaked so I answered for her.

  “He would look if he became suspicious and I … truly don’t see how we would ever be able to completely conceal that we know what we’ve learned-”

  “Then perhaps you should know something that would effect you but not concern him; something that he would have very little interest in should he seek knowledge of your thoughts.”

  “Yes,” Ran spoke, “Because he will know that something is up, unless each and everyone of us can think of something that would preoccupy our memories to stop him from connecting the dots.”

  Tony folded his arms before him. “Or maybe it doesn’t have to be something we make up, at least not completely. Maybe it should be something that has happened but we turn it to benefit our circumstances.” He glanced at Monica and I sensed that they shared a silent communication and with dread I knew what it was. “Maybe we can capitalize on what happened here tonight and weave it around the discovery of Monica and my relationship.” Tony gave me a quick, almost embarrassed look. “We have not announced it officially but Monica and I have been … in a relationship for a few months now.”

  All eyes moved rapidly to Kaniji. She and Tony had not been in a relationship probably longer than I’d been alive, however she considered him to be hers and any woman who dared to capture his attention became the recipient of her wrath. I know that personally.

  After a moment of silence Kaniji spoke. “I think everyone is aware of that Tony. Especially after today’s display.” And this time Kaniji gave me a pointed look and all eyes moved to me including Monica’s. Wow … was I the new Kaniji; attempting to kill anyone that got too close to Tony? I remembered telling Monica that she would never be me. I had accused her of being a cheating back-stabber. The memory truly sickened me, especially her response that I was holding men emotionally hostage. Well for fucks sake, no wonder Paul hated both Tony and Alexis!

  I sank into myself as all eyes remained on me, silently awaiting my consent. “It’s a good plan Tony.” I resisted the urge to remind them all that in truth the battle had nothing to do with Monica being in a relationship with Tony but because she held me back from jumping into Alexis’ and Paul’s battle—but somehow I knew it would sound weak. “The thing that you will all remember is that upon learning that Tony and Monica had been involved in a secret relationship I became enraged letting loose my … Monster. When Tony tried to stop me then Paul’s wolf got involved.” I paused and looked around. “And it took all of the Council to intervene and prevent us from killing each other.” I finished.

  “Excellent.” Cyrene stated. “Mainly because it’s basically true.”

  Kaniji’s expression seemed to say that she would hardly intervene to prevent the death of either me or Monica but she wisely kept her mouth shut.

  Frank gave me a curious look. “You might very well be handed over to Malarias for punishment.”

  “No.” Monica said adamantly. “That won’t happen because that would require me to make a formal complaint against Kim and I won’t do that.” She then looked around, “So are we in agreement?”

  “Wait.” Paul said and Cyrene sighed in exasperation.

  “What now, Werewolf?”

  “I’m not in agreement that my wife is the only one that might face some form of discipline. I want a blood promise. No one will turn my wife into a scapegoat over the events that are occurring.”

  Tony readily agreed which made me feel a little better about the events that had transpired, even if everyone else was a bit more slow in their acceptance of his terms. Good thinking on Paul’s part although I didn’t give him the benefit of seeing my approval. Lets just say that while I understood how he could despise the other men that I’ve loved, I still wasn’t quite ready to give up my anger that he had orchestrated the fight with Alexis and tricked me in the process. However this was not the time nor was it the place and I’m sure that Paul knew that it wasn’t over.

  In the meantime, he was adamant that it be more than an agreement but a blood promise, which is an oath that cannot be broken between Vampires. It required each of us to share our blood, facilitated by a quick bite to our wrists and then sharing it with the others much like the ceremony that initiated us onto the Council. Alexis gave Kaniji a chilly look when she dared to look at him as if his blood was on the table for the offering and she swiftly lowered her eyes. No one took blood from an Elder…well except for someone so blinded by her own lust that she acted without thought of consequences. Yep, that someone would be me.

  ~***~

  It was nearly dawn before we ended our meeting and everyone returned to their rightful homes. The closest we got to talking about my Creature is when we had to come up with a list of trusted human aids that were capable of defending us during the daylight hours. Frank suggested that if we could figure out what my Creature was and where it had come from then maybe each of the Council could learn how to become one. Alexis’ smirk ended that line of thought. He seemed to think that my Creature had little to do with my Neratomay and more to do with my link to Paul. His stare also told me that he had more going on in his head that he wasn’t willing to discuss in front of the others.

  “Monica,” I said before she and Tony left. He dropped his hand from her elbow as she gave me a wary look.

  “Yes, Kim?”

  “I’m sorry about what happened between us, okay?” She nodded. “And I want you to know that it was my monster that attacked and not me.” She studied me closely before nodding again as if searching for the truth in my words. “I should have never said what I did.”

  “I’m not trying to be you,” She said and I felt embarrassed that I’d accused her of such a thing despite the fact that I felt it was true. She dressed in my clothes, she was with my ex and she had managed to get herself on a Master level Council just like I had. Yes, I wasn’t blind but it wasn’t anything that I should have ever accused her of considering my own circumstances. I was married and apparently holding my exes emotionally hostage …

  “Are we good then?” I asked.

  “Of course,” she said with a slight smile, her body seemed to relax. She then leaned in and embraced me and then gave me a light kiss on the cheek. But then she did the strangest thing. Before releasing me she spoke into my head telepathically. “You are my Sire. You are my everything.” And then I felt the brush of her succubus against mine, the sensation causing me a sharp erotic rush.

  When I pulled back from her she turned away and walked to Tony who was waiting and then the both of them disappeared.

  What the--? My succubus had responded to her in a way that seemed as if there had been a magnetic draw between us. I sensed that my little demon would like nothing more than to explore Monica and her succubus because … well because we were alike.

  “Are you okay, babe?” Paul asked.

  I gave him a wry grin. “Yeah. Getting slammed by two super human Beasts is just part of my life.” When he didn’t respond I looked at the only ones remaining in the house; Alexis and my human family. “Look guys, you should get some rest. It’s been a long day and I think we’re going
to have plenty more of them.”

  Karen yawned and then Ran did as well before slapping his hand over his mouth, frowning and appalled at the action. I suppressed a smile because it was really cute. Damn, what would I do without these people? I don’t want to know … I don’t want to have another battle and lose more people that I love. I just couldn’t go through that again.

  When they retreated Paul waited for me but I turned to Alexis and let lose of the hold on my anger for the second time that night. “I need to speak to you two. Now!”

  Alexis’ brow quirked upward in surprise but he did not protest. Paul leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed before him looking as if he hadn’t done a damn thing wrong. I began counting to ten in hopes that the monster wouldn’t appear—but I only made it to three.

  Chapter 11

  “What in the hell is wrong with you two?!” Since they were stranding on opposite sides of the room I had to keep swiveling my head back and forth. “We’re fighting for our lives and you two are acting like teenagers trying to flex your muscles!”

  “You know what is going on better than anyone else,” Alexis replied in a chilly voice. “And therefore you should know that if anyone hurts you then I will hurt them.” His eyes filled with darkness as they turned totally black. “I will not apologize for that. So perhaps,” he placed one hand behind his back which served to curb my anger as I reminded myself that he loved me so he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me with that hand … uh right? “… You should remember that fact whenever you feel the need to engage in deadly sex play.”

  Those words served to completely squash my anger. “I … ” I blew out a resigned breath, “You’re right. I apologize for my part-”

  “Fuck that! You don’t apologize for what we do together--not to him, not to anyone!” Paul pushed off the wall. His eyes were yellow and his hair was nearly standing on end. “As long as you’re my wife we will make love anyway that we choose!”

  Silently I looked from one angry man to the other and I understood the big picture. I was trying to live a ‘normal’ life when I wasn’t normal and I would never be that woman. And obviously my issues created issues in the people that I loved. Who was I to dictate how anyone should act when I wasn’t above reproach?

  “I need to go home now,” I sighed tiredly. I placed my hands on my hips. “You two battle it out or whatever you feel like you need to do.” My attention turned to Alexis. “Just in case you didn’t know … when you hurt someone I love you hurt me.” I saw a look of uncertainty cross his face before it went calm again.

  I turned to Paul. “I won’t soon forget that you would set me up and lie to me just to get your way.”

  He looked completely taken aback. “I never lied-“

  “You did,” I said adamantly. “You made me believe that today was just a need to get rid of pent up emotions when all along you knew that it would drive Alexis crazy. Therefore you used me! You said that you knew that hurting someone I loved would be something I wouldn’t forgive all the while knowing what you were going to do!”

  Paul scrubbed his hands over his face angrily and then swiped back his hair. “I won’t have this discussion with him here!”

  I ignored him and turned back to Alexis. “I can’t blame either of you for the way I looked to my peers tonight. For that I take full responsibility. But consider this, I’m trying to keep us all alive and anything that distracts from that is counterproductive. I suggest you work it out because from this moment on my focus is on staying alive.”

  I turned back to Paul who looked at the floor apparently trying to work through his anger by the way his face went from unhappy, annoyed and then resolute. “I will see you at home.”

  He looked up, intently searching my eyes before he nodded once and then I flashed myself away.

  ~***~

  When I woke up I felt like hell. If I wasn’t a Vampire I would have rolled over and went right back to sleep but since sleep wasn’t sleep but just an absence of life that wasn’t going to happen.

  I looked over in alarm because Paul was sitting up in bed, his back against the headboard. He reached over and took my hand in his. His thumb moved over my ring finger and I realized that my ring wasn’t on. It must have broken when I changed because my finger had been pretty much mangled in the process. Now I could start counting the multitude of aches and pains all over my body. Damnit Tony and Paul … and my monster, and Alexis and the European Vampires! Damn everybody!

  I sat up slowly in bed until my back was against the headboard as well. And then I waited for whatever explanation or excuse he would make.

  “I’m sorry, Kim.” Paul said softly. “You have every right to be disappointed in me. I told you a long time ago that my purpose was to keep you human and I’ve done something to you that Vampires can’t. I lied to you.”

  I frowned sad at his words but glad that he knew that withholding the truth is nothing but a lie. “It’s just … it’s not the words. Do you understand? Lying isn’t just words that come out of your mouth.” I met his eyes. “It’s what you don’t say, like the changes. You never even shared them with me.” I was overcome with emotion that I couldn’t say anything else. It hurt more than I wanted to admit that his new Wolf powers was something that he had concealed from me and it made me question why. Why didn’t he want me to know?

  “Oh, baby, that’s not what happened, I swear it!” He stroked the back of my fingers with his thumb as I searched his eyes. “The Werewolf is doing things that I had no idea it could do. I swear I haven’t discovered some new secret talents. When I learn about them you’re right there with me! Just like the night we had the race in the woods; I had no idea that I could run like a Vampire! I just knew that I intended to catch you at all costs because that’s how badly I wanted you. And last night when I transformed so quickly it was because I had to. It’s like … my Werewolf does whatever it needs to do to keep me one step ahead.”

  As I listened to his words I became afraid. It wasn’t just me that was going through changes but Paul too! Why hadn’t I put that together? “I’m becoming like a Werewolf and you’re becoming like a Vampire,” I said, forgetting about my anger. This trumped any argument that we might be having. This was life-changing business.

  “We’re taking on … characteristics of each other.” He agreed.

  “I cry human tears because you’re human, I get angry and my body turns into a Werewolf-“

  “No,” he shook his head in deep thought. “Not a Werewolf. You don’t look like or smell like one.”

  Now I was especially confused. I presumed that I was becoming like Paul. “What is it then?”

  He ran his hands through unruly hair and absently scratched the stubble on his cheeks. “Whatever it is that you become is driven by rage and it takes over you like a possessed being-“

  I cringed. “You mean like another demon?”

  “No. I think your change is linked to my ability to change but where I was infected by Lycans you are…”

  I laughed mirthlessly. “I’m infected by the undead, a succubus and now some rage monster.”

  He shook his head again. “No. It’s you honey, not something else…you smell like you, okay? When I’m the Wolf or a hybrid I’m adding something else to the person. You’re the same except filled with rage.”

  I digested that information. I didn’t want to claim that rage as all me. That meant that I did attack people I cared for. What if … God, what if I hurt BJ or one of the Ladies?

  “I don’t want this.”

  “We have to figure it out, just like we figured out the succubus.” He sighed. “It means that we have to continue to open our minds and not limit ourselves to what our human side might think is right or wrong. It’s not just you that is no longer completely human … We have to learn to embrace our monsters.” He looked at me as if the idea of it overwhelmed him.

  I leaned forward and kissed him. “Neither of us have been superhuman for long. We deserve a learning cu
rve.”

  His hand came up to cup my face and beautiful emerald green eyes met mine. He stared at me closely before a shadow crossed his face. “I love you so damn much, Kim,” he whispered. “I won’t ever let another take you from me.”

  “Don’t … ”

  “I won’t!” he said adamantly. “I don’t know what agreement you have with that … ” he sighed, “with Alexis, but I don’t intend on going anywhere Kim.”

  My throat worked as the words shriveled in my mouth. Here we are talking about lies and honesty and I had not even told him about my agreement with Alexis. But I didn’t have to. Paul knew me just that well. In shame I looked away but his light touch on my face urged my attention back to him. I met those eyes again and felt myself sinking into the man I loved. There has never been a man who accepted so much from the woman he loved and who asked for nothing in return.

  “You and my daughter are all that matter in this world. Everything I do is to make sure that nothing and no one will ever take you away. When I claim you I want the world to know that you are mine, but that I’m also yours. Nothing and no one comes between that. If Vampires could scent the way that Werewolves do then they would know that you are untouchable just from our mating bite. Alexis knows this on a level that other of your kind don’t. What I did last night was a message, baby. It wasn’t meant to-“

  I placed my finger on his lips not able to bear anymore of what he had to explain to me because I was so fucked that I couldn’t figure it out for myself.

  “I understand.” I then placed my head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat and smelled his masculine human-wolf scent that made me feel wild and alive. I reveled in his heat and felt the sun and the day and the life that I couldn’t quite attain.