Embracing Forever

by K. Aten

  The move served to do more than simply bring them closer together physically. It had done a lot to get Sarah past her fear of relationships. They had their comfortable routines, but they also reveled in their passionate nights and all those moments of humor in between that were the telltale signs of a solid connection. Staring at the revolving plate of the microwave prompted Sarah’s moment of introspection. She smiled at the how afraid she had been before she fully committed to the mystery that was Nobel Keller. Her thoughts were thoroughly derailed by the familiar Pavlovian ding. It took very little time before they found themselves shoveling in food like starving wolves. Sarah moaned as the first taste of Mongolian beef hit her tongue.

  Keller watched her with a lust-filled gaze and felt things tighten once again. “Stop that.”

  “What? It tastes delicious! And you can’t tell me you’re wound up again already.”

  Keller laughed. “Did that really just come out of your mouth? Do you know me at all? Everything you do winds me up.” She paused for a second, then made a face and amended her statement. “Okay, so not everything.”

  Sarah growled in return. “It was one time! It’s not my fault you didn’t own a plunger!” Keller laughed at her girlfriend’s bright red blush. The remainder of dinner was had in companionable silence until they both decided to speak at once.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something—”

  “So, Annie talked me into another gig—”

  They both stopped and laughed until Keller waved the singer on. “You go ahead. What did Annie talk you into?”

  Sarah looked carefully at her lover and she knew instantly that she had killed the lighthearted connection that had been set in the bedroom. She suddenly had doubts about picking up extra things to do with her already full schedule. They had been struggling to find time together lately, with their contrasting work schedules. It wasn’t so bad until Sarah started seriously writing the music for her new album, and her client load doubled. She knew how much Keller missed her when she put in long days, and Keller worked the occasional long night. But now she’d committed to Annie, and there was no way out of that without leaving her sister in a bind. “She asked me to play in one of the open time slots at Pride this year. I know it’s probably going to be sunny as usual, but I should be okay, right?”

  Keller felt a flash of irritation that she quickly tamped down before Sarah could feel it through their bond. She wasn’t happy at adding another task that would take time from them, but in all reality Sarah was doing it for her. Annie was her employee, and filling gigs for the upcoming Pride festival was part of her job as assistant manager of Voodoo Pony. Officially, she was supposed to submit all the performers to the Pride committee for approval, but they had pretty much given the younger woman carte blanche. It was hardly surprising after Annie worked so hard to make the Sip and Chug spotlight such a huge success. So Keller only had herself to blame. She should have foreseen Annie asking Sarah to play. Well shit.

  Instead of saying everything that tumbled through her head though, she merely smiled. “I think that’s great, and you should be fine for a little bit. Based on every Pride festival I’ve seen, the bar will be packed after and we’ll both feed well that night.” The vampire thought for a second before adding another suggestion. “You should also see if you can play a live gig before then, so you can get a feel of what it will be like with all that additional feedback.” It was another thing added to Sarah’s already too full schedule but it was also something that Keller thought she would need before performing at something as large as the Columbus Pride celebration was supposed to be.

  Unfortunately for Keller, Sarah had felt that initial flash of irritation and regretted saying yes to her sister. She set her fork down, focusing on her lover’s displeasure and completely forgetting about the bar manager’s suggestion at the end. “You’re mad, aren’t you?”

  Keller was startled. She was always surprised at how far along her lover was in the development of her mental powers. When it came to strong emotions, there really wasn’t much she could hide from her anymore. Seeing the sad look on Sarah’s face, she tried to explain. “I’m not mad, merely a little unhappy. And it’s not about the Pride festival, it’s about our lack of time together overall. Actually, this is what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to run something by you, to see what you think.”

  Sarah looked at her with slight apprehension. “What is it?”

  “Well, I know we’ve been struggling to find the time to be together. And while that is completely normal for most couples because they don’t have any other choice, I realized that I do have a choice. I’ve grown bored with my work managing The Merge, and I’m ready to take on something new. What would you think if I quit my job there and helped you with your career?” Seeing the incredulous look on her girlfriend’s face, she added, “Or, I could be a professional dog walker and I’d use Duke as a reference for my skills.”

  “You really want to quit working at The Merge? Seriously?” Keller nodded. “So what can you do? I mean, what are you trained for?”

  The bar manager laughed at Sarah’s reaction. “Well, I can do a lot actually. I’ve had a long time to pick up skills. I can fly planes, I’ve fought in wars disguised as a man, I can play a few different music instruments as you know, I’ve managed a variety of businesses, and I got a doctorate in psychology back in the eighties.”

  Sarah’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding me, right?” When Keller shook her head no, Sarah mumbled under her breath. “Jesus.” A myriad of things went through the singer’s head. Some days it seemed hard to believe that her lover was something as fantastical as a vampire. Hell, it was hard to believe that she herself was also! But then there were days when Keller would bring up something that happened a century ago as if it were merely another memory, or she’d pull out some previously unknown talent. It was days like those that really hit home how different she was from everyone else; how different they both were. She took a minute to compose her thoughts then asked the most important question. “What do you want to do?”

  Keller reached over and took Sarah’s hand. “I want to be with you; that is all that’s important to me. I’ll admit that I’ve been a little restless lately. I really enjoy traveling and living in new places, but I understand if you’re not ready to leave Columbus yet. You’ve got Annie and your career here. But eventually we will have to move on when it becomes obvious that we’re not aging. And I just want you to know that I’ve got a lot of options for us when that time comes. I have a handful of properties in Europe, just as many in the United States, and a couple more scattered around. I’ve learned to make the fact that I have to move on into a joy of rediscovery, rather than a sorrow of loss. We can reinvent ourselves over and over, and explore every little thing you’ve ever wanted to learn.” As the words left her mouth, Keller was acutely aware that Sarah knew intimately about the sorrows of loss. In some ways, the death of Sarah’s parents would make it a little easier to move on when the time finally came. Soul mates or not though, if they were going to stroll happily into the long future, they would have to do it together.

  Not letting go of her lover’s hand, Sarah sat back in her chair. “Wow. I guess I’ve been so busy with immediate life and all the changes we’ve been going through lately that I never took the time to look at the big picture. So you’re saying that instead of stressing about the choice between being a private music instructor and opening my own recording studio, I can have both? I could do one until I tire of it, then move on to the next in a different city.”

  Keller grinned. “Yes, that’s exactly it! It’s whatever you want to do, love. And I’ll help you in any way I can.”

  Sarah smiled tenderly, and lifted the smaller woman’s hands to her lips for a gentle kiss. “Thank you. Now, what are you going to do?”

  The bar manager released her hand and started eating again. Between bites of food, she laid out her plan. “Well, I think I’m going to give Joanne Markham my
notice and tell her I’ll stay until Pride. That should give her plenty of time to find a replacement. As for Annie, I’m certain she’ll be fine no matter what. She’s very talented, and any manager coming in is going to realize that he or she has a gold mine running the Voodoo Pony. She’s made quite a name for herself in a short amount of time.”

  “So have you. I just wish…” Sarah trailed off, unsure how to put her disjointed thoughts into words.

  After a minute of deep thought, Keller prompted her. “You wish what?”

  Sarah shook her head. “After all we’ve been through, I just wish we could start someplace new, all four of us. It’s too bad there isn’t something that would utilize all of our skills.”

  Keller snorted and started laughing. “What, you mean something that would keep a manager and jack of all trades busy, and occupy a musician, a band promoter, and a computer geek guru? I think you already know what would work, should the time ever come when all four of us want to move on.”

  Sarah nodded. “Did I ever tell you that having a recording studio was one of the options I considered when I returned from touring? I didn’t choose it because it seemed like a lot of work to take on by myself. But you do have a really good point. Maybe it’s something we should bring up the next time we see the girls.” She suddenly remembered her other promise to Annie. “Which reminds me, I told Annie we’d go check on Jesse’s training this weekend, out at Louve’s farmhouse. One of Louve’s people has been causing trouble between them, and I still don’t trust that Marcel. So we can bring it up to them then. Okay?”

  “Yeah, that sounds fine. I’m not working this weekend, which is probably a good thing. It’ll give my office furniture budget a little break.”

  Sarah cracked up laughing, and began clearing the table. “You broke another chair again, didn’t you?” Keller gave her an embarrassed smile before picking up her own plate and carrying it toward the kitchen. Sarah’s laughter followed her through the condo.

  Chapter Two

  DESPITE KELLER’S BOREDOM with her professional life, and Sarah’s busy schedule, the weekend rolled around fast. Saturday found the two women driving north on I-71, heading for Louve’s farmhouse. It was situated on about twenty acres, east of Alum Creek Lake. The edge of her wooded property ended where the woods around the lake began. It provided plenty of land for her people to hunt and run off excess energy. As Keller’s midnight blue Audi started up the long driveway, the women got their first good look at the place Keller’s old friend called home. Louve was an old acquaintance from decades before; she had been married to the woman who had infected Keller with the vampire virus. Eventually Catherine, Louve’s late wife, went crazy and started killing children. Keller was forced to end her suffering when Louve asked for help.

  Now Louve was manager and part owner of a circus-themed nightclub that was located in an old gothic church in downtown Columbus. It had become one of the most popular nightclubs in Ohio. They had a standing invitation to come out and train with Louve’s people, but the past few months had been a little strained. They had spent a few no-strings nights of passion with the small Frenchwoman, but Keller and Sarah were still unhappy with Louve’s decision to continue employing the man who had attacked Annie’s girlfriend. Jesse recovered of course, but will suffer a lifetime of side effects. The nerdy younger woman seemed to take it in stride though, declaring that being a werewolf was kind of cool. However, Keller and both the Colby sisters had seen the pain Jesse had gone through at the beginning.

  As Keller followed the dirt drive back, Sarah noted the large three-story white farmhouse that was beautifully shaded by trees and sported a wraparound porch. The shutters were deep red, as was the front door. Next to the house was a three car garage in the same color scheme and behind that a shed. At the back of the cleared area, near the tree line, there was a huge pole barn. That was where the drive ended. Keller parked next to Jesse’s car, and they made their way inside. The door entered into a good size lounge area with a large flat screen TV on the wall, couches, and a kitchenette complete with trestle table and chairs. The rec area also featured a ping-pong table, a foosball table, and a pool table. One door was open and led to what looked like an office. Upon inspection, the other door led into a large locker room. That was the door they took. They paused just inside the locker room when they heard someone yell.

  “Stop! Get your hands off me!”

  Sarah looked at Keller in panic. “That’s Annie!” Faster than a blur, the women ran toward the younger woman’s angry voice. When they rounded the corner into the shower area, they saw Annie pinned against the wall near the showers by the large and menacing figure of Marcel. Sarah yelled at him. “Let her go!”

  Surprised by the interruption, he let go of Annie’s wrists just in time to be grabbed and slammed into the concrete floor by a very pissed off Keller. Anger seemed to boil out of the man so Keller slammed his head into the ground twice more to knock him out. They certainly didn’t want a werewolf with a temper and known self-control issues to turn furry with Annie in the room. She looked at Annie, who was busy rubbing her wrists. “Are you okay, A?”

  The younger woman grimaced. “Yeah, just a little bruised. Thanks, Keller.” She glanced at her sister, who was strangely quiet. Sarah was staring at Marcel wearing a look of rage. Her fists were clenched and breathing was ragged. Concerned, Annie went to her. “Sarah?” She could feel her sister’s arm trembling beneath her hand.

  Keller’s head jerked up at the strange note to Annie’s voice, and she noticed the interaction as well as the state of her lover. “Shit!” She immediately understood the problem. Sarah was caught in an emotional loop that was linked to Marcel. She immediately pulled the taller woman away from the unconscious Marcel and sent wave after wave of positive emotion through their bond. Between that and the feel of Keller’s arms around her, Sarah slowly snapped out of her rigid anger. Keller looked at Annie. “Go find Louve, please. Something needs to be done about him. We will keep an eye on Marcel until she gets here.” Once Annie was gone, Keller turned Sarah’s face away from the prone man so she could look in her eyes. Being very reflective of her moods, Sarah’s green eyes were dull and stormy with anger. Keller tried to soothe her with voice and gentle touches. “Hey, it’s okay. He’s not going to hurt anyone, it’s okay.”

  When their eyes met, Sarah took a shuddering breath and a look of dismay came over her face. “Oh my God, I wanted to kill him!” She started to tremble again for a completely different reason. “I could have killed him, couldn’t I? What’s wrong with me? I’ve never felt like that before!” Her sudden lack of emotional control terrified her. She’d never been so completely taken over by anything. That, coupled with the fear for her sister, had her nerves jangling.

  Keller led them both over to a nearby bench where they could still keep an eye on the man who had caused them so many problems over the past few months. “Sarah, listen to me. In much the same way your change has increased your physical and mental strength, it has also made you a lot more receptive to the strong emotions of others. Because werewolves emote so much more than humans, you were caught in an emotional loop with Marcel. It was your anger that made the connection, but it was his rage that continued to fuel yours. I really didn’t think we would encounter something like this or I would have warned you. I’m so sorry.”

  Still shaken from the experience, the singer did her best to move on. “How do I prevent that in the future?”

  Keller regarded her silently, aware that the taller woman was trying to push the incident behind her. “All we can really do is be diligent with our shields when being confronted by an emotional situation. I suspect you dropped all of your protective walls the moment you saw Annie in danger and your own anger just invited his in. So to speak.”

  Sarah ran her hand through her dark hair and blew out a breath. It was a habit that she had unconsciously picked up from her lover. She tried to downplay her initial terror and still shaking hands with humor. “Jesus, may
be I should be taking those meditation and yoga classes with Jesse!” She couldn’t help looking worriedly toward the man who was still prone on the concrete a few yards away. “I wanted to kill him, and it took everything I had to merely stand still and not move. Could I have actually killed him?”

  The bar manager followed her gaze and noticed the subtle signs that the French-Canadian was starting to come around. She turned blue eyes toward her lover. “While they are very fast, and extremely strong, werewolves are no match for us unless we’ve been severely drained. You saw what I did in just a few seconds. I fear that if your rage had taken complete hold of you, he would be dead right now.” Though the words were not what Sarah wanted to hear, she nodded in acceptance of the statement. Peering at her for a few more seconds, Keller abruptly stood. “Now, keep your thoughts well-guarded. I want to make sure he doesn’t get away or do something stupid before Louve gets here.”

  Louve came rushing in just as Marcel was getting to his feet. He snarled and made like he was going to lunge at Keller, but she stopped him with a mere look. Even an angry werewolf knew when he was looking into the face of his potential death. The petite brunette walked straight up to the bloodied man demanding answers with her heavy French accent. “What is going on here? What have you done now, Marcel?”

  Marcel’s handsome face turned red in anger at being singled out like a naughty boy. He scowled at his boss. “Your pet vampire attacked me when I was having a discussion with the little human.” He stepped toward the small woman in challenge.