by Emily Bex
"So glad you have recovered and can join me tonight, Don Juan."
Luca knew he would never hear the end of this. He playfully punched her in the arm as they headed outside, and she began to warm up.
“No wonder Shade was worried about me hooking up with mortal women. You know, with the feeders, it’s always one and done. But you mortals, you are like a marathon. I'll be ready next time.”
Kate laughed. “Just think how much she’ll improve your stamina and endurance, warrior. Much more challenging than this ten-mile run.”
As they headed out for their run, it occurred to Kate they were winding down their training and she realized how much she would miss it. Maybe they could continue with this part at least.
Luca gave her a sideways glance as they ran. “So, the female warriors. You are good now?”
“Yeah, I think so. I really like Fee. Olivia is quiet, so I don't really know much about her. It’s just very hard for me to get used to. Not just the female warriors, but females in general. I mean, I know there were so many, so every time I meet a female who has been a part of his life, I always wonder. I try to turn that off, but I'm not very good at it.”
“But that’s all in the past, Kate. Whatever happened before is of no consequence. You know he is totally devoted to you. He was single, not committed to any one female. He was just sowing wild oats.”
Kate looked back at him and nodded. “But five hundred years, that's a lot of oats. Just sayin'. And I know you're right, he’s totally devoted, and I’ve never doubted him. I just need to get over wondering who's 'on the list' every time I meet another woman from his past. I mean, he’s never even inquired about my past, not that it compares.”
“He doesn't inquire because he knows it’s irrelevant now. You’re his now. And he is yours. He knows he doesn’t have to compete for your affections. That’s one thing in our world that I find very different from the mortal world. Our commitment is for eternity, not so much among the mortals. There’s no such thing as divorce among the immortals. We don't trade in our mates when things get rough.”
Kate looked at him with a question in her eyes. “But what if you choose the wrong mate? How can you be so sure?”
Luca looked at her seriously. “The beast helps decide. The beast will recognize our mate regardless of whether they’re mortal or immortal. It’s not a decision any of us take lightly.”
“But Alec… I know he’s not faithful to Rissa, and Shade has confirmed as much.”
Luca sighed. “Master Alec doesn’t live as one of us. He has chosen to reject much that is our culture and heritage. There are others who do the same, but you shouldn’t judge us by his choices.”
“But, you said choice. So, fidelity to a mate is still a choice, not unlike mortals.”
“That’s true, Kate. But there are very strong cultural influences that drive our decisions. Strong covens protect their legacy. It’s complicated because of the feeding, just as Shade had to seek out an alternative to feeding when you were with child. Immortal mates accept this and don’t view it as infidelity because there is no deception and it’s required for survival, so it’s not as black and white as your mortal point of view. And even those vampires, like Master Alec, who have chosen to live an alternative lifestyle don’t hide their actions from their mate. Alec’s beast knows he has chosen this path. His beast would not be drawn to a mate who demands fidelity. There is no deception. Rissa is aware of his indiscretions and she is still his eternal mate. He may seek out others, but he’ll always return to her, unless…” Luca trailed off.
“Unless?”
“We’re still a patriarchal society. The male is dominant and rules in all things. Even those who have chosen an alternative to our values will not accept betrayal from their mate.”
“I don’t understand, Luca. An indiscretion is not betrayal? It feels like a betrayal to me.”
“Aside from the feeding, it does to me as well, and to Shade, I assure you. But to those who have chosen an alternative, the betrayal comes with hidden actions, those not disclosed to your mate, for it implies a divided loyalty.”
“I’m not sure your explanation is making me feel better.”
“You don’t need to concern yourself with the alternative lifestyles. It’s not something Shade will ever choose again. He has explored enough to know what he values.”
She stopped running. “Again? You said again.”
Luca stopped short. “Kate, I’ve said too much.”
“Or perhaps you’ve not said enough.”
Luca sighed heavily. “There was the time with Sabine. It was very dark, and we all worried for him. But he wasn’t mated to her, wouldn’t mate her, and ultimately, rejected all that she offered. His old-world values are ingrained in him, in all of us raised in the Medici coven. In the end, he knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was to remain true to the values and traditions of our culture. To have for himself a mate that was as dedicated to him as he would be to her, not unlike his madre and padre.”
They wrapped up their loop and she began her cool down while Luca set up the weight bench. Her head was filled with their conversation and she wondered if she would ever fully grasp their culture. He put her through her routine of free weights, push-ups, sit-ups, and she let her mind go blank as she counted out the repetitions.
“Ready for the bow?”
“Ready!” As he set up the targets, she pulled the quiver across her shoulders and picked up the crossbow.
He walked back toward her and looked at the old wooden bow in her hands. It was time for an upgrade. “Hold on one second while I run inside.”
Luca went back to the weapons bunker and removed the high-tech steel bow from the wall and carried it out to her.
“Here, little warrior, it’s time for the big leagues.”
He handed her the crossbow that she had chosen from the weapons room on the first night they trained. It was sleek, painted a matte black and included a night laser scope. It was lighter weight than the old bow, but she understood Luca's methods now. He was building strength and technique before letting her take shortcuts with technology. She ran her hands over the sleek surface.
Luca chuckled. “Now that is a warrior move, caressing your weapon. Everything I taught you on the old bow still applies, but you have a scope that will help with the accuracy of your aim. Use the crosshairs in the scope, and the laser beam to line up your target. You still need to compensate for wind and distance. That doesn’t change.”
He stood behind her as he gave her instructions again. “Slow your breathing, slow your heart rate. Feel the wind direction. Feel your enemy... hear him, smell him. Calm your mind. Focus on the target. Block out everything and focus on the target. When you are ready, hold your breath and fire between heartbeats.”
She released the arrow and it hit dead center in the bull’s-eye.
“Excellent, little warrior. Now do it again.”
He watched as she lined up her shot, paused, took a breath and held it, then released the second arrow. It cleanly split the first arrow.
Kate jumped up and down. “Oh my god! Did you see that?”
She dropped the crossbow in her excitement and Luca grabbed it before it hit the ground.
“Did you see that?”
He laughed at her enthusiasm. “I did see that, little warrior. Quite impressive, however, since you could have more than one enemy, I suggest you not throw down your weapon to celebrate so quickly.” He handed the crossbow back to her. “Keep practicing.”
He observed closely as she kept every shot tight inside the bull’s eye, shredding the target until there was nothing left. He replaced the target and had her continue to shoot. She split the arrow several more times before the night ended. It was another one of those times Luca wished master could see her. He had never regretted training her. Not once had he questioned that decision, but he hated that it was hidden from Shade. As they wrapped up for the night, she turned to hand him the crossbow.
> “No, little warrior, that is yours now. You earned it. Put it somewhere safe with the quiver and arrows. A warrior is never without a weapon.”
She looked at him in surprise. “Luca, I am… this is mine? To keep?”
“Be careful with it. And keep it hidden, but yes, yours to keep. Now go, before the sun comes up and we both get in trouble.”
She kissed him on the cheek before leaving, as she carried the crossbow back to the house. When she got to their bedroom, she looked around. This thing was too big for the drawers, plus Shade was always rummaging through drawers. There was no place to hide it in the closet. She finally pushed the crossbow and the quiver filled with arrows under the bed. Wow. What's that feeling? Pride! I feel like I won something really huge. Oh wait, I did. I won Luca's respect. Now I just wish I could tell Shade. Why do I have the feeling he won’t be as happy?
63
Marcello was itching to get out on the dirt bikes. It had been so damn slow at the Dead House, master had decided to cut back and give them some downtime. Hell, none of them complained. They had been split into two teams and were assigned to the Dead House on alternate nights. Tomas was in charge when master stayed home with my lady, and Marcello helped them both out as much as possible. Not like there were any problems. Marcello was happy to see his cousin Luca join them for a night on the bikes. Since Marcello had been here in the States, they had spent little time together. One or the other was always on duty.
Tonight, the two of them decided to head out together. They watched as the others revved up their bikes and took off for the rolling hills. The sky was just beginning to darken, and this was going to be a whole night of bikes and warriors, mud and hell-raising.
Revving his bike, he yelled to Luca, “Your woman has you walking like an old cripple, cousin! You should be able to ride that thing like a pro by now. Catch me if you can!”
Slapping down the visor on his helmet, Marcello took off on the dirt bike, spewing mud and gravel, as he followed the others into the dusky spring evening.
Luca laughed at Marcello’s challenge and jumped on his own dirt bike and charged after him. Luca could hear the angry roar of the other bikes as they headed up the mountain trails, and he quickly caught up to Marcello, passing him, spinning out in front of him, covering Marcello in a spray of dust and dirt.
Marcello laughed loud enough to be heard over the roar of engines as he watched his cousin pass him. He thought to himself, Bring it, brother! It had been raining a lot as the spring weather moved in, leaving the trails soft. He cut through the trees and came out ahead of Luca and laid it down slow, making the spew of mud and water cover him from head to foot. He kept the throttle full out and hoped Luca could keep up. He could hear Luca behind him, but he kept up the speed and took the turns, laying the bike close to the ground, hugging the dirt and it felt damn good to have this machine under his ass pushing the limits.
Luca looked down at his leathers to see them covered in mud. “Fuck!”
Marcello had returned the favor by spattering him in mud and water as he moved down the bike path near the creek bed where the ground was still wet. His wheels caught all mud and he felt the bike lose traction as it started to slide out from under him, and before he knew it, he was flat on his back, with the bike still running on its side. “Fuck! I’ll never hear the end of this wipeout.”
Marcello looked back in time to see Luca wipeout in the muddy creek bed and he threw back his head, laughing. “Yeah, she’s in your head, brother. Thinking about her instead of the machine under your ass.”
Doing a figure eight in the mud, he drove back to Luca, put the kickstand down and took off his helmet, still sitting on the bike and stared at Luca’s muddy ass sprawled in the mud. “Sometimes, I wonder about your ability to be my lady's protector, you damn runt.” He laughed at his cousin.
Luca glared at him. “Don't you worry about my lady. I can protect her just fine.” He stood up and tried to brush some of the mud off his leathers.
Marcello lifted an eyebrow. “You seem a bit touchy about her. I see the way you two look at each other. I’ve been hearing some things about that, cousin. Just a warning. You best be real damn careful about where you’re stepping there. If Shade finds out you got anything going on with his mate, your head will be the last fucking thing I ever see.”
Luca stalked over to Marcello, pulling off his helmet as he walked and got in his face. “What the fuck, man? There is nothing going on with my lady. You know me better than that, what kind of crap are you hearing? Fuck. That's the last thing I need, for Shade to hear something like that.”
Marcello held up his hands. “Back the fuck down, brother.”
Swinging his leg over the bike, Marcello let the bike drop to the ground as he pushed Luca out of his face. “Luca, I meant nothing by it, just a warning. Raven said some of the warriors have seen you two out running. Look, I’m trying to be helpful here. Don’t be getting in my damn face!”
“Fuck, cousin! That's my job. I go where she goes. If she wants to run, then I run with her. And Shade expects that of me. If she goes into town, which doesn't happen often, then I go with her. None of you have ever been protectors. If Shade isn't here, I'm her shadow. If she sleeps and he's not here, then I’m stationed outside her door. You guys don't have a fucking clue. I know your job on the streets. I've worked the streets. But you don't have a clue about mine, so back off.”
Marcello looked hard at Luca. Damn protective of her all right, fucking mortals will screw with your head for sure. Marcello held up his hand.
“I understand, Luca, seriously. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, just finding out how it rolls with you. I like it here, I want to stay around, but that’s up to Shade. I guess you’re here for the long haul, and besides that…” he paused, taking out a cigarette and lighting it up then passing the pack to him. “Sounds to me like you got something holding you here now. I’ve seen your woman, brother. She’s one sweet looking thing. And I have ears as well. Nailed that like a Medici.”
Luca took a cigarette from the pack and lit up. Exhaling, he handed back the pack. It gave him time to cool off before answering. “You know this gig is for life. I'll be here, or wherever Shade goes, for as long as I live. And I've got ears too. I know you and the others think this is a cush job, but it's more complicated than you think. I must stay so close to her it’s impossible not to be aware of every detail of their lives together. What they do, what gets said, what doesn’t get said, and it leaves me in the middle. Not an easy place to be, between a master and his lady. And yes, I do have something here. Not sure where it will go, I think it's too early for me to think too far ahead about it. It confuses me. You know I've only been with feeders before, this whole relationship stuff... just trying to find my way.”
Marcello chuckled and smacked him on the back. “Oh, don’t worry, females not only fuck your body but your mind. I hear you, brother. She will tell you in her own way what she wants, and when she wants it. And because she and my lady are both mortals, they’ll tell each other everything. Not like the feeders, Luca. They never speak to each other about their clients. That’s expulsion from their kind, right there. I know one thing; I wouldn’t want your job. I know it’s the biggest honor, and I think master chose well picking you, but for me, no way in hell. I like being a warrior on the streets. On a serious note, I’m here if you need anything. Just to talk, whatever. Does this woman of yours have any friends who like vampires? Master gave me permission to hunt, and I miss the thrill of the seduction.”
Luca took a deep drag on the cigarette. “Yeah, I wasn't really happy with the feeders here myself, but I never planned on this relationship with a mortal, either. It's getting real serious real fast. She just found out I'm a vamp, so we really haven't talked about her friends. I met her through Ka—my lady. She's friends with my lady.”
Marcello heard the slip and ignored it, but it was as he thought. Luca was getting close to my lady. As her protector, that’s a natural thing, e
specially in this case, since master was gone so much of the time. But still, it made Marcello uneasy that Luca had allowed himself to get so familiar.
“Just take it slow, brother. In general, women are women no matter what country you’re in. But these American women have attitude, tell you upfront just how it will be, and they mean it. Not like at home, that is for sure!”
Luca shook his head. “Dude, I can't talk about Shannon with you like that. She's not just some chick I bang. I know you go from girl to girl without getting attached, but I really like this girl. It's too personal for me.”
“You can’t be serious? Come on, Luca. What the fuck? You haven’t even been out there on the damn playing field. You got a taste of women and you think this is serious? Amateur.”
“Hey, I didn't plan it… it just happened. I mean, from the first time I saw her. I'm trying to take it slow, but she's a challenge, that's for damn sure.”
Marcello lifted his helmet to put it back on as he laughed and winked. “Hell, brother, all women are a challenge. Let’s see what the other nut-bags are up to. Surprised they haven’t rolled in here already looking for us. Let’s go show them a thing or two about riding.”
Luca watched as his cousin took off and he pulled the helmet back on and lifted the bike from the mud. He jumped back on the bike and followed Marcello up the trail. All women are complicated... No shit!
Marcello was taking it slow up the mountain. He could hear the whoops of his brothers and the revving of bikes. Once they peaked the mountain, he saw what all the noise was about and he pulled in line behind the others with Luca right behind him. Warriors were brave. They had no damn fear and mortals would cringe at the shit they did, because they could heal. Revving the bike as fast as it would go, it was Marcello’s turn, and he hit it hard as the bike shot off the edge of the cliff and he jumped to the other side of the cliff. It was like flying on the back of an eagle as he hit the other side road down the mountain, and back up again.
