by Terri Lane
“Yes, though I wanted to go over our blood bank territories. We’ve lost two to Hunter patrols. We’ll have to start going farther out in order to collect blood. That, or let our people go out looking for hikers again,” she said.
“Certainly not. The woods are more dangerous than the blood banks. If we must send our runners farther out, then we will have to do so,” I said. Alexis nodded.
“We’ve also been contacted by the Vancouver Coven. They’ve lost nearly all staked blood banks. They’re requesting permission to collect blood from our staked locations,” she said.
“Permission is granted. Send them our collection schedules and request the aid of a few of their fastest runners. They should be willing to help us find blood stores free of Hunter presence,” I said. Our Washington neighbors were only fifteen minutes away, so sharing blood banks was hardly an issue. I walked over to my old mahogany desk and found the declaration of offspring documents sitting on it.
“It will take me forever to settle on a name for him…” I murmured. My hand found my belly. Already I felt a bump between my hips.
“Well, you have six months to come up with it,” Alexis said. I almost snorted. I didn’t know where I’d be come six months’ time. I wasn’t even certain I’d live six more months what with the Hunter’s saturating our region.
“If that’s all for now Alexis?” I said, dismissing her.
“I will return when word from Vancouver Coven comes back,” she said. I nodded and watched her leave the office. When the door shut behind her, I pulled out my cell phone and called Kai.
“There you are, I was getting worried you didn’t make it back safe,” he answered. Even flustered sounding, his voice brought me a certain calm that steadied the unease caused by my time with Alexis.
“Oh, I made it back fine. I simply had some…things to tend to at the house when I returned,” I said.
“I hope everything’s okay? You didn’t get in trouble?” he asked.
“If I were to ‘get in trouble’ it would be with myself as I head up the coven. I just had to speak with my second, so to speak, on a few matters of the coven,” I said.
“So, everything is fine for now?” he asked.
“Yes, everything is fine for now,” I said with a chuckle. “When will we meet?” I asked. I couldn’t help the touch of yearning in my voice.
“Tomorrow, during daylight hours if you’re not too tired?” he asked.
“I won’t be,” I said. “Tomorrow it is.”
“I’ll be at the apartment around ten. I have an early patrol I can’t skip out on. It’s in semi-dangerous territory,” he said.
“Please, be careful,” I said.
“Of course…so do you want to stay on the phone through the night like teenagers, or do you have business to tend to?” he asked, with a light chuckle.
“I have to make myself seen throughout the house. I’ve been absent lately, I need to keep the gossip fielded,” I said.
“I don’t care how lame this might sound, but I’ll be counting the hours until I see you again,” he said. It was ridiculously silly and overused, but it brought a grin to my face nonetheless.
“That is a manic thing to do. I’d like to return to a sane mate rather than an unhinged one,” I joked.
“Mate huh?” he asked. I heard the smile in his voice, so didn’t doubt myself.
“Yes…after all I am pregnant,” I murmured.
“Well, dearest mate of mine, don’t let me keep you,” he said. When we ended the call, I couldn’t keep the smile from my face.
*
Kai’s secret apartment was warm and welcoming. It was decorated in masculine blues and complementing sandy tones. His furniture was modern and inviting and the studio was quite spacious. It had a full modern kitchen, wide living space, and the bedroom area was tucked away to the far left of the living/dining/kitchen area. He also had a splendid view of Portland.
“Kai…your family is well off?” I asked.
“Yeah. My great grandfather started a bourbon distillery that’s pretty successful now. Much of the preservation and organization of the wolves in this region is due to my family’s wealth and our continuing leadership of the packs,” he said.
“You have two legacies…both you’d be walking away from?” I asked.
“No, just the one. I have my own trust, separate from the pack. Stuff my father can’t touch. I can do whatever I want with the money and I have. Hopefully Kai Craft Beer will be a household brand a couple generations down the line,” he said with a grin.
“What is the name of your family’s bourbon?” I asked.
“Wolfsbane…” he said, smiling. I’d heard of the name. It was quite a successful brand.
“When you tell me things like this…I wonder if I’m taking you from your destiny,” I said. Kai took my hand and led me to the couch.
“You and our baby is part of my destiny. Who knows what else the future has in store for me, for you, and for us,” he said. “I want to be with you. It’s something I’m choosing on my own. Or else we’d be here making very different arrangements,” he said.
“So, what arrangements are we making?” I asked.
“Plans to leave. Montreal is peaceful as far as Hunter activity. The major Canadian coven is on Vancouver Island. The major packs up there live in Ontario and Alberta,” he said.
“What about your Kai’s Craft Beer?” I asked. He chuckled and took my hand in his.
“Kai Craft Beer,” he corrected. “And I can make beer anywhere. I haven’t built a full blown brewery; not yet, anyway,” he added. I smiled at him, I liked that he crafted beer, and I liked that he came from a bourbon family. We vampires are strong believers in preserving family names and wealth. Yet, Kai, a werewolf, had his own ‘old money’ and was willing to leave his family’s name for our own small family.
“Montreal. I like Quebec,” I said.
“They’ve got nice places to live there too. We don’t have to live right smack in the center of the city to be safe,” he said.
“It sounds as if you’ve done a lot of research,” I said.
“Well I had to do something apart from count the hours until we could be together. So I found us a selection of places to choose from. I can make the call whenever, and we’ll have a place to live. Then we move in,” he said.
“Just like that? We just pick a place and a date and then leave?” I asked. My head was starting to swim, either from fatigue or anxiety. Possibly both.
“I think that’s the best option,” he said.
I took a deep breath and stood up. I didn’t know why I assumed standing would slow the spinning that started while I was sitting down. Of course, it only made it worse.
“Sophia?” Kai stood quickly and wrapped an arm around my waist. “What’s wrong? Do you feel alright?” he asked.
“I need you…I haven’t had any blood,” I said faintly. I’d forgotten to drink the night before and Porter said I should have two glasses each day; about 14 ounces. In the four-day period since I found out, I’d only had one full glass of blood. Kai sat me back down and pulled me into his lap. He offered me his wrist, but my eyes were on the thick vein in his neck.
“Can I…take from there?” I asked. My vision was beginning to blur as thirst took over me.
“You don’t have to ask,” he breathed. I struck his vein and moaned as the sweet spice of his blood leapt to my tongue. Kai’s hands tightened on my waist as I moved slightly to straddle him. His blood saturated me with much needed energy and warmth, always warmth from him. When I felt I’d had enough, I licked the puncture wound to heal it, and leaned back.
“How come you’re still behind on feeding?” he asked, his voice hoarse. I felt his erection pressed insistently against my core.
“I’ve had an odd few days so I’ve been…forgetting,” I said, growing breathless. “Your blood is better for the baby anyways,” I added. Kai’s hands tightened on my waist as I made to get off of him.
“It is?” he asked.
“Pregnant vampires must drink also for their growing child. What better blood for it than their father’s?” I said.
“Well then we better leave fast. He should get every drop of nourishment he needs,” Kai said. My giggle soon turned into a moan, because he’d leaned forward and pulled my skin between his teeth. I cupped my fingers around his neck with one hand and ground against the bulge in his pants. He slid his hands underneath my blouse and splayed his fingers across my naked back. In seemingly one motion, he rocked me back against the couch cushions, so that he was on top of me. His lips found mine and he delved his tongue into my mouth. I felt as if I’d burn from the inside out.
I tore at his clothes, getting them off one way or another. Mine followed his to the ground. Kai kissed my nipples, then nipped the skin of my breasts until my entire body tingled. He hoisted himself up on one arm and used his other hand to cup my sex. His thumb rubbed against my clitoris until my back arched and my cries of pleasure filled our ears. Just before I could orgasm, he thrust into me hard. The jolt of intense pleasure and heat made me feel as if I’d melted into the couch. We were wrapped up in this seeming ball of fire for most of the day.
*
“I think…perhaps you should drink water,” I told him. Kai was stretching after getting out of bed, still beautifully naked. I stretched onto my side and watched him search through his bureau for new clothes to wear.
“Is it weird that you pop up in every other thought I have? But you’re right here; you haven’t even gone back yet,” he said. I searched his gaze for what I hoped he’d say next. I knew we both felt the power of our connection, but I wanted him to tell me he loved me.
“I blame it on whatever that just was,” I sighed. I turned onto my back to face the ceiling. He wouldn’t say it yet.
“Intense…that was just intense,” he chuckled.
“We didn’t even accomplish the true reason I came here,” I said.
“We still have time to talk things through,” he said. “Let me grab my computer.” I studied him as he pulled on a white t-shirt and briefs, then pulled his hair up into a bun, and walked to the coffee table to grab his laptop. His movements were lithe; no doubt a residual from his wolf nature.
“I already have money…in overseas locations in case you were wondering. We won’t have a problem with money ever,” I said. Kai chuckled.
“Well then…before you look at the houses I lined up, when do you want to leave Portland and…everything?” he asked. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“Other than a family Kai, what will we be building?” I asked.
“We have time to figure it out,” he said. I looked over at him as he climbed back into bed. He pressed a warm kiss to my belly before settling back against the headboard.
“I’ve never had to play at a human life before,” I murmured.
“How long can you play at a ‘vampire’ life?” he asked, there was a slight challenge in his voice. “I mean don’t you ever get bored seeing to the same things over and over?” he asked. “If it’s not petty battles with wolves, it’s war against hunters. Otherwise, what? You sit kept in your castles governing each other and tending to your ‘bloodlines’ like…I don’t know, ant farms,” he said. I sat up and leveled my gaze on his.
“And your kind live so much better? Constant infighting and disorganization driving packs so far apart your numbers can’t help but to be low. No wonder you’re so eager to leave it all behind,” I shot back. “I’ve lived centuries before you and I’ll live centuries after. After you die and our child is grown I’ll have nothing. I’ll be just an outcast,” I said.
“You’ll have our child and maybe even a couple more. With all the free time and energy, you’ll have, who knows? Maybe you can build up some brand-new empire where wolves and vampires live in harmony and hybrids are the knights of our world to combat the Hunters.”
I drew one of the blankets around my shoulders and lifted my knees to my chest. “I think…perhaps we should look at houses another day,” I said.
“Sophia, I just don’t want you to be scared to go live a new life with me. I want you and I want our baby,” he said.
“I want our baby Kai…I’m just afraid of being—” I couldn’t finish my sentence. I was afraid of being without him. Because even though he sat arm’s length away from me, I worried that he was not in this forever...
*
“Sophia…” Kai called me back, but I’d already dressed and was ready to leave.
“We’ll talk another time,” I said. I opened the door and left the apartment. The truth of things was that I’d outlive him for at least a century. I had my pure blood to thank for that. Wolves lived three to four times longer than humans and vampires outlasted them by often two centuries. It would be me and our child without him for a long time. We wouldn’t be the happy family he was so looking forward to. At least not as far as I could see it.
I’d never felt as I did when I was with Kai and I knew I wouldn’t feel as such with anyone else. The thought of being without him was arresting. But I did fear leaving my coven for good, forsaking the only family I knew. There’d be no fall back. I’d be leaving for good, and truly on my own.
“Sophia!”
I turned around to see Kai quickly striding down the hall. We ignored the opening elevator doors and he tugged on my hand, pulling me back to the apartment.
“Kai…I really don’t feel like discussing things further today,” I said, near exasperated.
“I don’t want you going back to that house and convincing yourself to stay,” he said. “Talk to me, what are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that I’m about to give up on security and order. That I’ll gain a passionate love that will leave me behind one day. I’m thinking about having a hybrid child and falling in love with him too. And that we’ll never have to stop keeping one eye open for fear of all our deaths.”
“I know it’s asking a lot for you to give up almost everything you’ve ever known. But if you know you want to give birth to our baby and that you want to be not just in his life, but mine too, then I think your choice is already made,” he said.
“I simply need time to come to terms with it,” I said.
“No, no time. Who knows…with this war we may not have very long to choose to get the hell out of dodge,” he said.
“Kai, I need time to process. You must give me that,” I said. He did not reply, and took a deep breath.
“Okay,” he said finally. His expression was stony, but he didn’t say or do anything further. So, I left.
When I returned to the house, it was nearly eight in the evening. I’d slipped in just before most vampires started their days. I felt strange; my body was completely energized yet mentally, I felt exhausted. My bedroom was quiet and comfortingly familiar. Kai was right, vampires were creatures of sometimes terminal habit. I hadn’t realized how hard it would be to give up my coven…to excommunicate myself as it were. But perhaps Kai was right. Maybe we could build an all-new era of peace and coexistence in the world of vampires and werewolves. Or at the very least I should let myself experience what it would be like to have a family…and a love that would stay with me even after he was gone. Many had written, sung, and acted out the worthiness of love over all else life can offer. Though the vampires had structure and a culture, we often lacked passion. Apathy was a side effect of our long lives and careful preservation of our ways.
“Sophia?” called Alexis. She knocked on the door and waited for my reply.
“Come in,” I said. I’d changed into acceptable vampire attire; black tights accompanied by a dark blue blouse. Alexis stepped into the room and a flash of relief crossed her features as she saw me pulling on a pair of boots. They were for fashion more than function.
“Sorry to bother you so early, but I have word from the Vancouver coven,” she said.
“Oh good, let’s hear it,” I said.
“Well first—during th
e day we lost two more of our staked blood banks. We’re down to only two and we need at least four to keep the coven fed and able to remain within the house until the Hunter situation is taken care of,” she said. “That being said, the Vancouver coven is lending us a full team of their fighters in order to gain back some ground,” she said.
“When will they get here?” I asked.
“Tonight. They’ll arrive in just another hour.”
“Well then, let’s go gather a team before the others arrive,” I said. Alexis followed me out.
“You won’t be leading any fighting parties, correct?” she asked. I glanced at her and found she was expressing some genuine concern.
“No, I’ll send Case and Nathaniel,” I told her.
“Very well. So have you thought of a name yet?” she asked.
“I’ve decided to…decide when the child is born. How can I name it if I don’t know what he looks like?” I said.
“You think it will be a boy?” she asked. I simply shrugged.
We found both Case and Nathaniel on the way to the gym. They were dressed for sparring.
“Good evening Sophia, Alexis,” they greeted us.
“Sorry to stunt your plans, but we need you both to pull a team together. I’m sure you’re aware of the blood bank losses,” I said.
“Certainly, we can have two groups of seven pulled together at a moment’s notice,” Case said.
“Very well, you’ll both need to be ready to go in an hour. We’ll be receiving a fighting team from the Vancouver coven then. They’ll help us regain some of our banks,” I told them. They inclined their heads and went to gather fighters.
“Will you be joining either of the fighting parties?” Alexis asked me.
“No…why would I? We have plenty capable vampires going,” I said.
“Well, you’ve been absent a lot lately…” she said. I rolled my eyes.
“Please, if you have a question as to my whereabouts, just ask. Don’t fish, it makes you seem less cunning than I think you are,” I said. Alexis smirked and pressed her lips together to try to hide it. “You’ll be running this coven soon. Most likely once after my child is born. You know how to delegate and handle various situations. But vampires get bored, and with that comes a great capacity for scheming. These vipers are your family, but if they sense any weakness they’ll attempt to swipe your footing right out from under you,” I said.
