by P. S. Power
He trusted her to know what she was doing. He could tell she didn't mean him harm, but also didn't think he'd agree to do this if he knew what would happen. In that, he knew, she underestimated his desperation right now.
They kept drinking until her wrist closed. She bit it open a second time and said, “Again, quickly!”
They kept this up for a long time, so long that it became dark where they were. At least a few hours. Finally she stopped and pulled her mouth away from his neck. He almost instantly dropped her wrist, which closed again in a few moments.
“We are one now. My power is yours and yours mine. At least in theory. You probably won't be able to run at superhuman speeds or lift small cars, I won't gain the ability to walk the lines on my own either, unfortunately, but my energy will buoy yours and vice versa. You'll need to eat more, probably, but you shouldn't get tired or need to sleep. I may not actually need to feed any more. Also, the sun won't be even a small problem for me now, I think. It itched a little before.”
Her arms around him, she kissed him.
“Of course, if you die, so do I and vice versa, but we're both old enough to avoid dying most of the time, I hope. It's a risk, but not a huge one, if we're both careful.”
Fingers intertwined with hers they moved back through the line, to the Frozen YoGurt shop. When they walked in Keane stood, manning the front. He looked at them both and smiled, then did a double take.
“Well! Congratulations then! Decided to make it official and all. I can't say I saw this coming... How do you both feel? Is it different?” He eyed them, clearly interested.
Claire spoke first, "Life...Keane, it flows through me. I feel strong and fast. I don't know if that's real or not, but that's the sense of things. Like I can do anything."
Zack took a few deep breaths and started adding qi to his Shadow's pattern, allowing it to grow for a moment.
She looked at him wide-eyed and exclaimed, “My god! What is that? I feel, fantastic!”
"Energy. I'm gathering it from around me, and I guess you get some of that too. There are some other things to try as well, just so we aren't surprised later."
He tried a few of the things he knew how to do. When he hid himself, as if from Demons, he became invisible to Keane, but not Claire, they discovered. He felt like he had as much energy as normal to him, maybe slightly more.
Keane looked at her and nodded, “Okay, so we need to introduce him to the others. They need to understand that you're taken now and what's happened. My god this is huge. We need a party. Don't worry, everyone will stay in line, a third of us already know and like you, Zack. So no one will challenge you. If they do, hit them in the head with that thing you did to that man's arm. It won't kill them, that would take wood through the heart, the center really, not the organ, or chopping off their heads. I really don't think it will be a problem though. When should I set it up?”
He literally danced to the phone as if to dial. These dance moves were different than what he used at the club, looking like something out of an old movie to Zack.
“Wait, wait!” Claire laughed at his antics. “How about after Christmas? We have plans and need to let some of the others, the non-Vampire others, know what we did. This isn't about power though, we both have that, it just extends Zack's range a bit, in that he shouldn't have to sleep. We need to see what the effects are before we tell everyone. You'll need to watch the home fires for a time, since I won't be there for a couple of days. Is that all right with you?”
The male Vampire grinned and swore that everything would run smoothly if he had to run all of them through a wood chipper to make it happen. He said this solemnly, like he had just taken and oath.
Zack's stomach growled.
Claire grinned at him, seeming more pleased than seemed normal for her.
"We should get you food. Quickly."
Merri brought it to them with only a phone call, literally running down the hallway in her cute little dress and white apron.
After the first heaping plateful, he nodded, "I'm going to need more, I'm afraid."
It took three full plates of food to just stop the hunger.
His Vampire girl seemed impressed, for some strange reason.
“That will probably calm down soon. Right now your body is speeding up a bit, restructuring and healing faster. Who knows what else. If you died right now, at least if you were a regular person, you'd become a Vampire. I don't know if you actually would though, being so different. This way though, you should gain a lot of the benefits without a lot of the drawbacks, eventually at least. This will take some time to develop, I think. There are no real rules here.”
Hilda looked out of the gym and saw him, waving him over. Zack saw her through the walls of the entire place. He kissed Claire and told her he had to go, and asked her to check on Kaitlyn if she didn't mind.
“Certainly, I'll wait for you there, or... you have an appointment with Patty next? I'll meet you there. I don't want to be apart from you right now, not for too long at least.” Her head bowed a little and she looked up at him shyly. “This is all kind of new to me. Almost no one ever does this. You have to be really powerful and if the Human dies, you do too. But you're already among the long lived, and have proven yourself in battle...”
He kissed her again, and she kissed him back.
Hilda and Lars put him through his paces solidly. He hadn't gotten super strength out of the deal it seemed, but he felt good afterward, with no soreness or fatigue.
He showered and Hilda came in with him. They just washed, though they did scrub each other's backs and played a little bit, poking at each other gently, which seemed the Trolleinkein fashion for such things.
Clean, he dressed quickly and went to Beautiful Plus. Claire stood just outside the store, talking to Libby. The Bat girl greeted him when he walked up by hugging him and giving him a kiss. Claire stood with her arm around Libby's waist.
“Oh, Libby... I forgot to ask you! I don't know if you have other plans, but you're expected for Christmas at our place. Everyone will be there. I can't promise it'll be fun, but I can't see why it won't be.”
She nodded. “Good. I'd have felt bad about crashing your party. Now I won't have to. I was worried for a bit there, wondering if I had done something wrong...”
They reassured her with hugs and apologies.
Saying they'd see her later, both of them headed in to see Patty.
When she realized that Claire wanted to sit in, she actually perked up, counter to Zack's expectations.
“Good, I want to cover positions one through seven today. With you here we can do it with full penetration. I'll get you some lube, hold on.”
Claire leaned over and explained that, with Vampires, since they didn't provide their own, it tended to be wise to use some form of lubrication. Biology and friction and all that, she whispered.
“Um, this is a little awkward, since I usually don't ask, but would it be all right if I fed while you two make love? I'm famished. I hope we can all adjust to the new drain. Most of us are putting on new lovers and I'm scattering the schedule as much as I can, but I have to let the others go first. Any hardship should be mine alone if possible.”
They said they didn't mind.
After all, they reasoned, they were all in this together now.
Chapter thirty-seven
Everyone went home with him at nine, including Kaitlyn and Patty, since they both wanted to meet Val's mother. Zack didn't think it would be a problem, but called Val first to make certain.
“Oh, good! Yes, please bring them. Mom wants to meet everyone.”
He wondered if they should take food or something, but Merri wouldn't hear of it. She insisted that guests at her house would eat a home cooked meal and want for nothing. When Patty pointed out that Courtney would also need Humans for some parts of that, Merri, instead of being stymied asked Zack if Troy had any friends that wanted to sleep with a beautiful woman? They all laughed, except Merri, who thought it a goo
d idea. It seemed that she felt a real cultural imperative to provide for a special guest and that small considerations like probity were definitely second place to being a good hostess.
Libby said that she might take a turn, if her mother looked anything like Val.
Merri pulled out a small writing pad and made note of this, which made Libby laugh.
They all had to be back at the Mall at midnight, so this would have to be a quick visit, which everyone also knew. No one had any good ideas about what to do with Courtney while they were all gone though.
Everyone went in, in a single large group. Val and her mother sat on the back portion of the wrap around sofa, near the center, where they seemed to be talking cozily, and drinking cups of hot chocolate. The scent of it made Zack's mouth water a bit.
Troy sat in his room at the computer, with his door open a crack. He got up having heard them enter and gestured at Zack with a shrug.
"Valerie asked me to stay in my room and not bug them until you got here. Like I'm not a perfect gentleman with girl's parents? Worse she did it before her mother even got here. I'm a bit insulted I think." His grin said that he was playing though, and so did his Shadow.
To Zack she looked like most of the Alede women; pretty, seductive, and graceful. They even looked graceful sitting down, which was hard to do. She had blonde hair, like her daughter, high cheekbones and all the kinds of things you expect on good looking people. As a plus the Alede wore comfortable looking jeans and had her hair pulled back, to get it out of the way, instead of some carefully arranged manner. That said a lot about her. For one thing, it spoke of understanding what a hassle traveling could be on a plane.
As with all of the Alede, it seemed eerie to think that this woman could be the mother of the one sitting next to her. If anything you might guess Val to be her slightly older sister, mainly due to the clothes she wore.
“Everyone's here!” Valerie climbed gracefully to her feet, so she could walk to meet everyone. She sat her cocoa on the table without an audible click, at least he couldn't hear anything, and approached them. He noticed that she introduced them in an interesting order.
She brought Kaitlyn forward first, then Libby. She carefully avoided contact with both of them while she spoke. Next came Hilda, who she put an arm around and squeezed once, releasing quickly. She did the same with Merri, though she held on slightly longer. She kissed Troy on the lips and did the same with Betty.
Zack realized that this gave information to Courtney without anything being said. The first two weren't touched so 'don't approach for sex' seemed to be the message. Hilda got a quick hug, signifying friend, but not someone to sleep with. Merri the same... but possibly with some cuddling mixed in? So basically saying they were all off-limits.
Troy and Betty got a kiss each, on the lips. Signifying that they were fair game? He asked Val's Shadow, who told him that he had gotten it more or less correct.
She actually bowed to Patty though, and held it while speaking.
“Mom, this is Patricia Swanson, my boss, the head of the Northwest Attribute at Underwood, Director of Operations and Ambassador.”
Courtney stood up and gave her a hug.
“Thank you for taking care of my daughter. She's said amazing things about you.” She sounded younger than Val did too, and a lot less serious, though it didn't show in her actions, which were perfect.
“This is Claire Hawthorn, Prime Public liaison officer and Ambassador Potentate of the S'ethuli, at Underwood.”
Another hug came in, this one longer by nearly double.
“So nice to meet you! I've seen some of your work, we must talk about the industry and how it's changed, or not changed. Have you thought about returning?”
“Not at present. My other duties keep me too busy for it now. I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you though. I was surprised to learn Valerie's mother was Courtney Moore.”
Zack looked over to see that Kaitlyn and Troy looked odd. Everyone else seemed normal, but their Shadows kept saying, Oh my god! It's her! It's her!
Then they listed all their worries, faults, and concerns about themselves.
Kaitlyn kept herself tightly controlled. Zack had lifted most of the compulsion already, except that she had to keep sexual impulses locked down tight at all times for now.
Val, took his hand and stepped forward, no hesitation in the step, but it had a measured cadence that seemed formal and studied to him.
“Mom, this is Zachary Hartley.” No title for him, which made sense as he didn't have any, except maybe store clerk.
Courtney's eyes popped open wide, giving her a 'deer in the headlights' look for a moment.
“As in Hartley, Hartley? The Hartley?” She questioned her daughter, Kaitlyn looked at Patty and said, “See, mom? I told you everyone just called him Hartley other places. No one uses the whole Mr. Hartley thing. That's so old fashioned.”
Val's mom moved in and hugged him, then kissed him for good measure, taking his hand and not letting go while she spoke to him.
“I didn't think I'd get a chance to meet you! Everyone knows you work out of Underwood and now Lesser Shia too. I just assumed that your people would protect you from riffraff like me. Wow! Just wow! So... are you single? If not, would you like to have an affair?” She gushed at him like a schoolgirl meeting a rock star for about a minute. When she stopped he gave her a hug, his go to move with Alede these days, and most women, if he knew them well enough. So far it seemed to work out okay.
“Call me Zack.” It seemed to him that he might want Val to try and explain everything to her, instead of answering her questions and possibly saying the wrong thing.
She kept holding his hand and drew him to the sofa behind her, asking more questions about him and the things he had done than he thought anyone that didn't know him would have, or might even know to ask.
At a loss for words he looked around, everyone stood beaming.
“Courtney, everyone here already knows me. I think they're all waiting to hear about you. We can talk later if you like though?” His voice sounded soft and pleasant, even to him, the words didn't have the hard edges he normally used. He wondered if this might be because of that thing, the bond, with Claire? He'd have to watch for things like that, he guessed. It made sense that someone with her people skills would be gentler in situations like this than he was.
She regaled them all with tales of her life as an actress, including the picture she currently worked on, which turned out to be science fiction, not romance or drama as he would have guessed. She'd come up to visit because they had a two-week break in shooting due to Christmas and the fact that most actors suddenly started to suck if you made them work the major holidays.
After listening to her for a few minutes, he found himself nearly doubled over with hunger. He didn't want to ruin everyone's fun, but he had to get some food it seemed.
Attempting subtlety he asked if anyone else felt hungry and most of the hands in the room went up. Merri ran to the kitchen, actually moving fast enough to blur a little, like superheroes do in children's shows.
She returned carrying large portions of bread, crackers and various cheeses in baskets, with plates and napkins, to hold people over until real food could be prepared.
They all talked while they waited, Zack wishing he could help her, but knowing he'd only be in the way if he tried. Courtney kept looking at him in wonder for some reason. Kaitlyn did too, and then would look quickly back at the movie star.
He found that he could ignore the hunger, though it took concentration to do it. Luckily, Merri worked some kind of kitchen magic of her own and had everything ready in about twenty minutes. They didn't have a big enough table, so they ate casually, sitting around the living room. Merri's glowing Shadow self felt mortified, but no one else even noticed. Courtney actually thought it seemed homey and nice.
Over dinner they explained that there had been some trouble at the Mall and a meeting was being held to discuss it. Not having a better
idea what to do with Courtney, they offered up Betty and Troy as entertainment.
Libby pouted a little, but they told her that she would have to be at the meeting like everyone else, the rules required it.
“Don't worry, Libby, I'm in town for several days, I'm sure we can arrange to hang out. Tomorrow perhaps?”
Zack had an idea, he hoped it wasn't over stepping any boundaries with Val though.
“Would you... like to go shopping tomorrow? Maybe, if people can be spared from work, several of you can go? Merri definitely needs a break. She works so hard all the time, and Libby, possibly Hilda?”
Val knew what he meant and her Shadow cheered at the idea, though she didn't want to go on the actual trip, having something else planned.
Hilda went on alert at the thought. She didn't want to be around the woman for long periods, due to her aggressive pheromone profile, but it wouldn't do to let Val's mom go unguarded either. Libby, her inner self confirmed, had a great heart, but wouldn't be of any more use in a real fight than a Human woman would. Not without obvious weapons that would be off-putting to the older Succubus at least.
Courtney considered it silently. Paparazzi were an actual issue in her life now, and she didn't want to lead her Human fans to the Mall. She knew she'd catch flak for that if she did. Maybe they meant going somewhere else though, they probably had real shopping here too, most places did. Her inner self debated this all quickly.
“Um, where would we be going?” Her concern, he knew, had much more to do with not offending him than the shopping itself.
“Well, anywhere you'd like of course, but most people seem to like Lesser Shia for the shopping. I'll be in and out of there all day, so I can drop you all off and pick you up a few hours later – if that's good for you?”
