by Honor James
“I fucking should hope so,” he said, shuddering. “Damned things are creepy when they are all brainless and stupid, but smart ones. Fuck me, I’d barricade myself in a cellar and never come out. Fuck the world and the people, every man, woman and Ahnjel for themselves I say.”
The characters were plotting a rescue and trying to decide the best way. From the side looks of the camera, in place of a lead actor, she knew he was planning to grab a car and go after the actress. “Think he plans on ditching them to go after her or will he tell them?”
“Oh thank heavens that they are not real because that would be plain terrifying,” Luna whispered. “You are too funny,” she added with a grin. “You wouldn’t leave me to battle for myself, admit it. You wouldn’t leave me anymore than I would leave you.”
“Hell no,” he snorted, shooting her a look. “I’d throw you over my shoulder, shoot a bunch and then run off with you. Volker I’d leave behind to tend to them as we raced to safety. Trust me, a pissed-off Vhampire protecting a mate, fucking scary shit. Way worse than any zombie could be. Hell, way worse than any of the movies your people made depicting them. I should warn you, he loves watching the vampire movies, tickles him absolutely pink to sit there and just howl at the shit Hollywood has so horribly wrong.”
That had her laughing and she shook her head. “I shouldn’t make this admission but I love watching movies. I love sitting here in your lap watching the television. I would very much like to do this often with the two of you, if you both wouldn’t mind that is?”
“You’ll get no arguments from me. No, you morons, don’t do that.” He waved a hand at the TV. “Why? Why must they separate and lessen their chances of a successful mission? Especially when they all have ulterior motives for getting to the leading lady first. Damn it all to hell and back again, this is a bad plan you idiots.”
Luna liked this, it was fun to watch him watching television. “You are very animated,” she told him happily. “When you are watching something or doing something. I like it. A lot. This is another thing I like about watching TV with you,” she said and then laid her head on his chest again so that she could simply relax and watch television.
“And you just met me, wait until you have to put up with this for a while.” He chuckled. The characters on screen were in a lot of trouble. One group of three were barricaded in a store and looking for a way to get around the zombies after them. Another group of four were stuck on a roof picking zombies off as quickly as they could. One of the lead actors was with another female, holding hands and racing ahead of a mob of zombies right for another mob’s worth. And the sneaky soldier was racing through the city streets, crashing the large truck like vehicle into other vehicles to take out zombies as he occasionally shot at them through the open window.
“Is it bad that I’m rooting for the zombies?” she asked with a laugh. “I know that’s terrible, but I really am rooting for the zombies because all they want to do is eat. Right?” she asked with a smirk. “Are all movies like this?” she asked as she jumped here and there. “Where you root for the bad guys from time to time?”
“Some definitely are, others you are rooting for the good guys,” he said. Throwing up his hand he made a disgusted sound as another of the good guys was picked off. This one was soon buried under a pile of hungry zombies.
She was giggling. “Oh god. That’s too funny.” She snickered, then nearly gagged when it looked like a part of the man’s intestines was tossed out. “Oh heavens. Are they always so graphic?” She turned her face into the curve of his neck. “Gross. Just plain, gross.”
“On occasion, but not always. This is a rated-R movie, for gore, violence and a few other things I didn’t really catch in the warnings. Seriously? Oh Gods, why don’t you just lie down for them instead of running if you’re going to be that much of an idiot!”
Luna was laughing her ass off. She couldn’t help herself. “Wait, let’s see if one of them will trip. I’m sure that they will trip. That’s too funny, to watch them as they run because you wait for one of them to trip.” At least in this movie it seemed.
“They probably will, over themselves,” he muttered, sounding pretty damn disgusted with the actors. Shaking his head he mumbled about the foibles of humans for a minute as the scene changed to the soldier. He was sneaking through a building. “Where the fuck is he?”
Luna frowned and looked back to the TV. “How odd. It’s like he has his own agenda. I wonder why.” Now she was getting into this movie. She leaned forward right along with him. “Oh look,” she whispered. “What’s he doing?” He was opening some kind of box. Odd.
“No friggin’ clue,” he muttered. Glancing at him she saw he was frowning. “What the hell is that?” he murmured.
“Likely an explosive device,” Volker’s voice came from behind them. And, she wasn’t sure, but Kristjan may have beat her out by a decibel or two in the shrieks they both let loose.
“You motherfucker,” Kristjan said, hand pressed to his chest. “You don’t sneak up on someone during a horror movie!”
Luna snickered and shook her head. “Hey there.” She reached her hand out to Volker. “Come watch the movie with us. It’s my first. I’ve never been able to watch movies because of frying electronics.” When Volker placed his hand in hers she sighed and relaxed even more. “That feels so right. Having both of you touching me at once. I like it. A lot.”
“You two are very loud,” he said. Shifting the hold on her hand he came around the end of the sofa and sat at her back. “What the hell are you…oh. Killer Zombie Apocalypse 6, good movie,” he muttered. Slouching down he leaned into her and she could feel his head resting on her upper back.
Luna felt herself relaxing and smiled. “Well Kris was able to read my back. Do you want to know what it says?” She squeezed Volker’s hand and pulled it around so that his arm was wrapped around her middle. “It’s life changing,” she admitted.
“You’re a Spiryte princess,” he murmured, sounding half asleep.
“Told you he could read minds,” Kristjan muttered, making a face only she could see.
“Didn’t have to,” Volker said. “Her mind is screaming the information at me from the moment she brought it up. I don’t even have to try a little, it’s actually a refreshing change. Though, if I was fully awake, I’d have likely had to try a bit.”
Luna laughed and shook her head. “Even when I’m not talking I’m telling you guys everything about me. I’m telling you all my needs, wants and desires. You poor men. I feel for you. Having me as a mate, someone that can’t seem to hold her tongue around you. Poor guys.”
“Keep telling you,” Kristjan said. “You are a blessing, Luna. You are not any trouble and being with you isn’t any sort of trial. You are great and you like the same movies we do so that’s even better. We like you as you are, try and remember that will you please?”
“I will keep that in mind,” Luna told him with a smile. “And I really do like this movie. I don’t know what other movies I might like since I fry out electronics, but so far I really do like this one so it’s more than possible I will enjoy every movie that the two of you enjoy.”
“I doubt you’ll like every movie we do,” Volker said, sounding closer to sleep than before. “Kristjan’s got some seriously whacked out tastes when it comes to films. The zombies and explosion ones, okay, but the musicals just baffle my mind.”
“Musicals?” She was so lost on so many things. “What is that? Is that like singing in the movies or something?” She giggled then. “I can see a serial killer singing about the kills he makes. That would be a good movie, is that what a musical is?”
“In a manner of speaking. A musical is either a movie that’s based off a Broadway play or where they have turned what might have been a half decent movie into a bunch of singing and dancing around. At least he doesn’t watch the ones that are the teenagers full of angst and hormonal trouble crap.”
“Oh heavens. Okay I’m not so sure that I co
uld get behind one of those. Sorry,” Luna admitted. “If it were killers, singing and killing, I might be able to do that but not, yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “And me, good lord you are both going to think that I’m a homicidal maniac as much as I talk about killers and stuff.”
“You are not a homicidal maniac,” Kristjan said. “At least you’re the cutest one I’ve ever come across if you are. But I truly don’t think you are. Very honest and to the point, absolutely. Psychotic killing material, meh, not so much.”
“Good point. I would have to see blood if I were a killer and then I would pass out. I don’t think that would be a good point for a killer would it? I would be captured with the first killing, at least.”
“There are ways to kill without ever spilling a drop of blood,” Volker said, adding his ever-so-helpful two cents apparently.
“Says the Vhampire.” Kristjan rolled his eyes at her. “They just suck everyone dry and there literally isn’t any blood left.”
Luna wasn’t sure who was more shocked by the smack Volker landed on the back of Kristjan’s head. Her for the speed it was delivered or Kristjan who likely assumed, much like she had, that he was too tired to bother.
“Don’t be a moron. Most women serial killers kill their victims by poisoning them. No blood,” Volker said in that same lazy sounding tone.
“Well either that or they kill them after coitus with ice picks.” When both of them looked her way she shrugged. “I read books. Like real books. Remember datapads don’t work for me so I have a huge collection of novels and there have been all kinds of women killing in some pretty vicious and bloody ways.”
“I’m not so sure about letting you anywhere near an ice pick now,” Kristjan said, in a perfectly deadpan tone, his face giving nothing away. “And I think we’ll need to strip search you each and every night, just for safeties sake.”
“Well darn, here I went and gave out my whole game plan.” She did however snicker and add. “Although now it’s only gotten better since you will both be strip-searching me. That part I look forward to. A lot.”
Volker snorted and just shook his head. “Your heroine is about to die,” he commented. Shifting around he laid his head down on the opposite arm from where she and Kristjan were sitting. “And I think your hero’s about to be the one to kill her.”
She shrugged. “She deserves it for the way that she’s been acting. Oh, wait, seriously?” she asked and turned her attention back to the movie. “Why would he kill her? What would the point be? I mean it’s supposed to be humans vs. zombies, right?”
“Don’t listen to Volker,” Kristjan advised as they both leaned closer to the TV. “Soldier boy won’t shoot her. Fuck her, absolutely, but he won’t shoot her. He’s had plans for her from the moment this whole fiasco started and not a one of them work if she’s dead.”
“Unless he’s into that kind of thing. I think it’s called necrophilia and it’s totally gross.” When they both gave her shocked looks again she blushed. “The books that I’ve read have had some pretty wickedly ugly and weird things in them. Very.”
“We are going to need to see any and all books you read from this point forward. Some of that you should not be reading, ever,” Volker muttered. Laying his head back down on the sofa arm he tugged the throw from the back of the sofa over his head and let out a sigh.
“Do you need to go back to bed?” she asked the lump under the blanket. “If so I promise that Kris and I will be quieter from here out. I hate that you spent your night holding me in your lap and didn’t rest at all and now by me talking with Kris you aren’t resting. I really don’t like this. At all.”
What she got for a reply wasn’t exactly decipherable. Looking to Kristjan he shrugged slightly. “He said he’s fine there. This way if I get overly loud again he’s close enough to deck me and then he can go back to sleep immediately after. He really does know me too well.” He grinned.
“I like that,” Luna stated with a grin. “That you both know each other so well. I like that, I like how that feels too. Being here between you both and the heat for both of your bodies keeping me warm. I like it a whole lot.”
“You could always wiggle under the blanket with Volker,” Kristjan said, a grin on his face. Not sure if she should trust that grin she eyed him and then Volker’s form. “What? He wouldn’t hurt you, please,” he snorted. “But I’ve heard he’s cuddler. Like a big, heavy-duty cuddler.”
That had her grinning and so she moved from Kris’s arms and to Volker. Sneaking under the blanket with him she turned her back to his front and looked over her shoulder. “So are you going to snuggle with me?” she teased, knowing that the Vhampire had heard every word that Kris had said.
He cracked an eyelid open enough to peer at her. Then he shut it and slid an arm around her middle. Tugging her back closer to him he moved the hair from her neck and pressed his nose to her skin. She could feel each of his breaths over her skin as he held her close.
Luna sighed and closed her eyes. “I could get used to this,” she whispered and stroked her hand over his arm slowly, gently. She was held up close to a man that made her feel all kinds of safe, someone that she didn’t shock. Yep, she liked it. A lot.
“Shh,” he whispered. “Sleeping here,” he added. She could feel the curve of his lips on her shoulder and assumed he was grinning. He gave her another little squeeze before his arm loosened and he nestled in closer to her.
Luna just grinned and sighed. This was contentment, this was peace. She could get used to things like this. She could become very used to having one or the other of the men holding her close like this. It was with that thought in mind that she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Eight
Volker shot them both dark looks as he shook his head. What? It was boring waiting around in the dead of night to sneak into a super secure warehouse where literally every piece of information the AEDA had was stored. It was a thousand times more secure than the old Fort Knox, lessons were learned there, and it looked much more foreboding than any of the prisons, past tense or current.
He, unlike her and Kristjan, just stood there, unmoving and like a shadow. A part of the night. Her and her Ahnjel were fidgeting, couldn’t be helped, it was a little chilly and it was just so fucking boring! As in tears were about to abound from the sheer boredom being felt.
Volker moved suddenly, faster than she could process, but her brain was so damned bored it wasn’t ready for that kind of movement. He was in an open doorway talking to someone and then turned to look at them. She could actually see him rolling his eyes before he jerked his chin.
“I think he wants us to actually move this time,” Kristjan muttered.
“Okay, so where are we moving to?” Luna asked and then saw the person in the doorway. She moved in a bit closer to Kristjan, she couldn’t help herself. Slipping her hand into his she gave it a squeeze. She was terrified, she didn’t care who knew it. She had someone who wanted her dead, had a past that was somehow hidden deep down for some reason, and worked for the men and women who had hidden her. Why wouldn’t she be scared shitless?
“Door, we’re going in,” he said. Squeezing her fingers in turn he led her across the space and up the short set of stairs. Nodding to the woman he let Luna slide through the door and followed right on her heels. Volker was already inside and looking up and down the hall, his eyes landing on her briefly and he gave her a small smile.
Luna moved with them into the warehouse and reached out for Volker’s hand as well. She was feeling nervous, and she honestly didn’t want to fry out the entire warehouse. That would just be all around bad, so she held onto her men, needed their touches to keep her grounded. So to speak.
Volker slid his thumb over her knuckles gently, the movement very soothing. Kristjan would, occasionally, just give her fingers a little squeeze. Both were on alert and watchful of everything. There really weren’t any people in there, just the woman who had let them in. Which was odd. Or seemed to be to her.
When they stopped before a massive desk with holographic computer monitors on it she stepped in closer to her mates. They hadn’t formed the bond with sex and blood, but they were hers all the same. She spoke up first. “Hi.”
When the woman grinned at Luna she realized that she was gorgeous. She had perfectly straight and white teeth, she didn’t think that she was a sugar addict with teeth like that. Then the woman spoke. “So do you have my candies?” She looked from man to man, “You know the deal, me no breaky into highly classified files without some goodies to get me through all of this. And yes, the files on Luna Black have been classified like out the wazoo.”
“You peeked at the files already?” Volker asked.
“You shouldn’t have said that, Charlene,” Kristjan muttered.
“Doesn’t matter, he can’t read me anyway,” the woman smiled, in a taunting manner.
Volker just lifted a brow and gave her a tiny, are you sure, smile. The woman was looking a little more nervous all of a sudden though and shifting foot to foot. Volker tugged the backpack off his shoulder and handed it over to her.
Unzipping the bag she looked in and let out an orgasmic moan. “Holy shit, you must have cleaned him out of all his stock. This way, don’t touch nothing!” she warned, each giving them an evil eye before she turned and moved quickly up the hall.
Luna looked up at Kris and frowned. “Why would the files about me be classified? I’m a nobody.”
There was a snort heard from ahead of them and the woman turned, walking backward and said, “Oh honey you are so far from a nobody it’s not even freaking damn funny. The shit will hit the proverbial fan when they find out that you’ve mated.” She added with a shrug and took them into a room with more computers.
Sitting down she keyed up some files and then turned to look at the trio again. “Are you sure you want to see this?” she asked quietly. “I mean seriously, you have to be sure because you won’t be able to forget this again when you learn it.”
