Just barely visible over the skyline, harsh flames leaped heavenward from the direction of distant Montrose Street.
Chapter 22
Colleen made it home with twenty minutes to go before sunset. She found Jeremy on the sofa absorbed in a textbook and dinner not even started. That’s right, she recalled, his classes had started again yesterday. “Hi, honey. I’m home.”
“Huh? Already?” Jeremy let the book hit the floor while he leaped up to greet her. After a hurried kiss, he glanced at the window. “What time is it?”
“Settle down. I’m not hungry, and Wallace can wait for once. He’s going to wait anyway while I show him our surprise.” She winced a little at the twinge said surprise gave her back when Jeremy’s arm brushed against it.
He quickly let her go. “It still stings?” he asked.
“A little. I thought vampires healed fast.”
“It’s pretty big. Anyway, it’s only been a couple of hours. Mine hurt for days.” He kissed her again, this time taking more care in where he placed his arms. “How’d work go?”
“If they like what they see at the end of the week, I get to go full time. The hard part’s staying awake in the early afternoon. It really hits me hard around lunchtime.”
“The kids take naps, don’t they? Nap with ’em.”
“I wish I could, but we’re not allowed. Maybe I can take my break then. If not, I’ll just stay part time until my body adjusts.”
“You sure you’re okay with this?”
She tried to make her shrug look casual. “Day care’s a lot like the preschool. Some of the children are way younger, that’s all. And it’s a lot closer to home.”
And Norelle wasn’t at Colleen’s new job, sidling around her, watching Colleen and especially Colleen’s mouth with that awful wariness in her eyes. Nor would these new children remember that other Miss Colly who had smiled more often and more widely.
Her thoughts did not touch Jeremy’s as they did Wallace’s, but somehow he always knew what troubled her. He hugged her again, mindful of her sore shoulder.
“She’ll forgive you,” Jeremy said. “She was your closest friend. She’ll be your friend again. Just give her time. Is she still getting counseling from Gus?”
“I guess. We didn’t talk much, my last day.” Colleen swallowed her bitterness and switched the subject. “I held a baby today.”
He brightened. “Yeah?”
“I was almost afraid to. Predator, helpless…you know. But nothing happened. She fell asleep in my arms. She was just the sweetest little thing. The scrapes from the playground don’t do anything, either. Sometimes I salivate a little. That’s it. Mostly I want to protect them.”
“Told you so.” He steered them both into the kitchen. “They’re your flock. You’re the queen bat of the day care.”
“Gee, thanks. You’re such a comfort.”
“Hey, if it works, don’t argue with it. Eggs or waffles?”
“Waffles.” Colleen went to the refrigerator, took out the labeled thermos, and took a swallow. She still hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask Wallace where or how he got it. She considered herself lucky she only seemed to require a single swallow every couple of days. It quieted that deadly little grumble in her stomach. The taste, though, put Pepto-Bismol to shame.
“Hey,” Jeremy warned. “No ruining your appetite.”
“Not a problem.” Colleen replaced the thermos. She stood by the kitchen table and watched Jeremy get out the waffle mix along with some bacon for Wallace. Somewhere along the way she’d lost her taste for meat. Perhaps it had something to do with mental images of animal fangs ripping into flesh. Maybe in time she’d get over it.
“I can’t turn anybody, can I?” she asked, suddenly.
“Probably not. You’d have to be a full vamp for that.” He paused with a mixing bowl in his hand. “Why? Got somebody in mind?”
“Not exactly. I’ve been thinking, though. They used vampire blood to change the women genetically. I wonder if it gave them vampire characteristics as well? Not the teeth or blood-drinking or anything, but the other stuff.”
He regarded her with a touch of suspicion. “Such as?”
“Longer life. I don’t think I’ll live forever, but my system’s moving at a slower pace now. If I stop and concentrate, I can even feel it sometimes. I wonder if my blood would work the same way?” She hesitated before she added, “On you.”
Jeremy frowned. “I don’t want to be a vampire. I’m happy just to take care of you.”
“I know.” She got up, circled the table, and pressed herself against his willing body. “Wallace is terrified of losing you. You’re already drinking his blood. It’s what, a swallow every couple of months? If I added mine, too, it might work. It might slow your system down, maybe just enough. You wouldn’t have to leave us so soon.” She stretched upward to kiss him. “We could still grow old together, just very, very slowly.”
“That would be nice,” he murmured into her hair. “Except…”
“Except?”
His expression soured. “I hate how it tastes.”
Colleen matched his look. “Tell me about it. Maybe if we mix it with something? Orange juice? Or gin.”
“No gin.” He shook his head vehemently. “Not now. You know better than that.”
“Sorry. Slip of the tongue. I’ve been experimenting with fruit smoothies.”
“You’ve been using my kitchen behind my back? Shame on—”
He broke off in mid-scold. His eyes picked up that special glow meant only for her and one other. “Wallace is up.”
Colleen giggled. “Places.”
When Wallace appeared at the kitchen, he found Colleen seated at the table and Jeremy standing beside her chair. Both beamed at him. Colleen was topless. Wallace smirked. “Would you look at this. Breakfast on the go.”
“We’ve got all night for breakfast,” Colleen said. “We want to show you something first.”
“I can see it from here. Scarecrow, I could see yours better if you drop your pants.”
“In a minute,” Colleen said, ignoring Jeremy’s snort. “First tell me what you think of this.”
She slewed around on the chair to display her naked back. Wallace stepped over for a closer look. “You got a tat.”
“I figured I’d better, if I want to be part of the flock. I had to put it on my shoulder. There wasn’t room on my arm.”
Wallace nodded. She watched his eyes trace the outline of her new tattoo, a bust of a beautiful woman with a tall crown, holding a magic wand. She’d thought she might have to explain it, but he got it at once. “Glinda.”
“You’ve already got a Dorothy. There aren’t that many other options.”
“I dunno, a winged monkey would really look hot on your ass.”
“Forget it. This stings bad enough.”
Wallace looked expectantly at Jeremy. “No chance in hell,” Jeremy said.
“Party pooper. Can we strip him now?”
“Don’t you want breakfast first?”
“Far as I’m concerned, that is breakfast.”
“Forget it,” Jeremy said. “I’ve got an early class tomorrow.”
“And you promised me a hunt,” Colleen added.
“Shit. Outflanked again.” Wallace yanked out a chair and dropped onto it, signaling defeat. “C’mon, there’s three of us now. What happened to the nonstop sex?”
“It stopped.” Jeremy held up two bottles. “Strawberry or maple?”
* * * *
After breakfast, Jeremy returned to his textbook, and a grumbling Wallace took Colleen out to the car. “We’re going to hit LA tonight,” he said. “If you can pinpoint a bat in those crowds, we’ll know you’re ready for the big time.”
Colleen climbed into the passenger seat and sat with her hands knotted over her belly. “Finding them is one thing. I don’t think I’ll ever make it past that.”
“You sure? You can stop a bat dead in his tracks with your mind. You co
uld be the best damn slayer in the state. In the world, maybe.”
“Maybe I could kill one with my mind, too. That kind of power scares me. Lebec’s gone. His scheme is finished, and I don’t need to be afraid of vampires anymore. I’m happy with that.”
“Jesus.” Wallace slid in behind the wheel. “You sound like Scarecrow. You used to be me, and now you’re him. What the hell happened to you?”
She bared her fangs. “I got dangerous.”
“I stand corrected. You’re still me.” His smirk appeared. “Do I need to be scared of you?”
“Maybe. Maybe we have other things we need to be more afraid of.”
“Jesus H. Christ on a trampoline.” Wallace rested his arms on the steering wheel. “We’re going to have a ‘talk,’ aren’t we?”
“It’ll be quick, I promise. I went to see Annie the other day, and she examined me. I don’t dare go to a regular doctor.”
He slanted look at her. “And?”
“And it looks like our theories were right. I’m mostly human. Human enough to…” She swallowed. “Reproduce. At the same time I’m just enough vampire that I wouldn’t be fertile with humans.” The hands on her belly tightened. “All I wanted my whole life was to have children. Whether that’s me or something the vampires implanted in me, I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t matter. I know I’ll never feel complete until I have a child of my own.”
“So what’s stopping you? Scarecrow’d go for that in a second. If ever a man was born to be a mom—”
“Do you ever listen to anybody? Jeremy can’t help me. He’s human. The father will have to be a vampire.”
Darn stubborn man, she thought. He knew exactly what she was saying. She could tell because he refused to let her hear what he was thinking. Colleen wasn’t the only one who’d felt compelled to practice mental defenses.
“It wouldn’t be human,” he finally said. “Between you and me, we’ve cornered the market on vampire genetics.”
“I know. That’s what’s been holding me back. On the other hand, I’m still mostly human, and your diet makes you, well, pretty close. There’s a chance…oh hell. Should I even try? Would that be fair to a child? It could be—”
Wallace closed his hand over hers. “It’ll be ours,” he said. “No matter what. It’ll have your eyes.”
“Your eyes.”
“Okay, my eyes, but your nose. Definitely your smile. And it’ll have a heartbeat, I promise.” He ran his tongue over his fangs. “Nursing’s gonna be a bitch. Better go for bottles.”
Colleen smiled. “We’ll work it out. We have time.”
“There’s never time. Trust me. I’ve been through this before.” He pressed his mouth to hers for a long, loving kiss. “I’d love to go through it again.”
She sighed her relief against his breathless mouth. Her hands kept his pressed against her belly. “Thank you. I know I should have asked first, but, well, things happen.”
Being male, Wallace needed time to work it through. She waited with womanly patience. She heard the enormous thump of his undead heart as it banged against his ribs. Guess we won’t make it to LA tonight, she thought, just before he crushed her against him.
* * * *
The door crashed open, nearly slammed off its hinges. Jeremy looked up from his textbook and regarded Wallace mildly. “Back already?”
“You son of a bitch! How long have you known?”
“Since I drove Colleen over to Annie’s. I held her hand during the exam.” He coolly flipped a page. “Told you to use a condom.”
The next instant, he found himself flat on his back on the sofa with Wallace on top of him. The textbook went flying. “And neither of you could be bothered to let me in on it? I should rip you into—hey, stop giggling. I’m threatening your life here.”
Colleen blurred into the house and hauled Wallace back. Her own strength still surprised her. This time it surprised him. “Stop it. I asked him to keep it quiet until I could tell you.”
“Back off, sweetheart. I need to punish my slave.”
“You leave my nanny alone.”
“Your what?”
“Do you mind?” Jeremy said. “I wanted to finish that chapter.”
“No. Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to strip off all your clothes and march your ass upstairs, where I’m going to fuck you senseless. And then,” he added with a growl for Colleen, “it’ll be your turn.”
“Or,” Colleen said with a glint in her eye, “I could practice my vampire control techniques and make you helpless. Then we could take turns pleasuring you until you scream for mercy.”
Wallace eyed her nervously. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Jeremy shoved himself out from under Wallace. “That’s it,” he said. He started for the stairs. “When you two are done, I’ll be waiting upstairs.” Halfway up the steps, he paused and threw a grin back over his shoulder. “Naked.”
The vampire and the half-vampire charged him. Laughing, Jeremy dashed up the steps.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pat Cunningham was born in New Jersey and grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, where she still resides. After working a series of jobs that includes typesetter, proofreader, newspaper writer/editor, office worker, and Census taker, she’s ready to settle down and see if she can make a go of this writing thing. She finds cable TV to be a good source of ideas as well as an excellent time waster.
Also by Pat Cunningham
BookStrand Mainstream: Coyote Moon
BookStrand Mainstream: Best of Breed
BookStrand Mainstream: A London Werewolf in America
Siren Classic ManLove: Bad Boys
Siren Classic ManLove: Belonging
Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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Cunningham, Pat - Legacy [Sequel to Belonging] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 28
