Wilder, J. C. - Shadow Dweller 3

by Shameless(lit)

  Erihn whined and Renault made a sound as if he were laughing. Erihn glared at the massive panther and bared her teeth with a snarl.

  Fayne grabbed her jaw and pulled her face back to him. "None of that, my kitten. Renault could eat you for dinner, though he won't get the chance."

  Renault snorted as if he disagreed.

  Fayne ignored him. "Erihn, close your eyes." He grinned as she obediently closed them. "See the flame in your mind's eye? Now step into it and let it surround you."

  For a few seconds, nothing happened, and then beneath his hands, she began to change. Within seconds, he held her human chin in his hand.

  "Fayne..." Her voice trembled. "I was so scared."

  He wrapped an arm around her and tugged her into his side. "It's okay now, Erihn."

  She gulped. "I didn't think I could get back, and you'd have to buy me a big litter box and a giant mouse to play with and..."

  Fayne heard a sound suspiciously like laughter. He looked over to see Renault snorting. If he'd been in human form, he'd have been rolling on the floor. Erihn scowled at the panther.

  "It's not funny!" she snapped.

  Renault continued to laugh and Erihn lunged to her feet.

  "Damn you!" She took off after the cat. Renault hopped to his feet and, with a strangled growl, ran for the dining room. His tail grazed a priceless Chinese vase. It tilted before it hit the floor and shattered.

  Fayne shook his head and hugged his son closer. Max made an inarticulate sound and snuggled deeper into his shoulder. He sighed, leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Edward was gone and they were all safe. For the most part.

  His heart clenched with the thought of Bliss. His friend died trying to save the life of his child. He hugged Max tighter, then winced as something hit the floor and shattered in the kitchen. The bill was growing and Jennifer wouldn't be happy to find her house ravaged.

  Renault came flying around the corner, panic on his face. Fayne laughed to see one of the most dangerous were-cats of them all in full retreat. Renault's nails scraped over the tiles as he leapt over both he and Max, landing in the living room with a thud. He darted behind a chair, then peered over the arm, waiting for Erihn to arrive. She didn't appear.

  "Fayne?" Erihn's voice sounded from the kitchen.

  "Yes, my love."

  "I'm naked."

  Fayne laughed. "Yes, my love, you're naked."

  "Can you get me some clothes?"

  "No." He said contentedly

  "F-f-fayne!" She shrieked.

  "Nope, not moving. I'm injured, remember?" Fayne looked at the sleeping child in his arms. His life was complete. He had his son in his arms, his best friend by his side-make that cowering in the living room-and a naked woman in the kitchen.

  What else could he possibly want?

  * * *

  Chapter 12

  What a totally unbelievable day.

  Erihn wrapped her arms around her waist as she stared out the bedroom window. The full moon painted the sleeping valley in an unearthly silvery glow. Her newly sharpened preternatural senses picked up motion and life previously unseen as nocturnal creatures moved about in the darkness. A heightened awareness of her altered world and her own body ran under her skin like an electrical charge.

  It was both exhilarating and terrifying.

  She glanced over her shoulder at Fayne who lay asleep in the bed, his breathing deep and even. In the dim room, she could pick out every beloved feature of his face.

  She turned back to the darkened window. Even now, standing in the tainted sanctuary of Jennifer's house, she couldn't believe the events of the past twenty- four hours.

  Reinforcements had arrived shortly after midnight. Val, Mac, Shai, Jennifer and a tall foreboding man by the name of Alexandre had swooped down on the house and made order from chaos. The women had immediately taken Fayne for several hours to cleanse his wounds. Even now she could still hear his strangled screams as they'd doused him in something Mac had laughingly called Vampire- Be-Gone. According to Val, it was used to cleanse vampire bites and an incredibly painful experience.

  The men had taken Edward's body to the meadow at the top of the mountain. After erecting a hasty wooden pyre, they'd placed his body on top and everyone had gathered for an informal hearing of sorts.

  Erihn had stood off to one side with Max in her arms, feeling like Alice when the little girl had fallen down the rabbit hole. She closed her eyes and the images flickered in her mind like a macabre slide show.

  The sword had still protruded from Edward's chest as he lay on the roughly constructed pyre, the evening moon glinting off the polished steel. Tiki-style torches had been lit to illuminate the gruesome spectacle about to take place.

  The men had taken up positions around the corpse, one on each side and at the foot and head. Jennifer and Shai had stood apart from her, watching her warily, yet daring to come no closer. Erihn scowled at the thought of her friends. Her best friend Shai was one of them? A vampire? What about Jennifer? If Shai was one, what did that make her?

  Erihn swallowed the taste of betrayal lying thick in her mouth.

  The image of Alexandre stepping forward, a small leather book in his hands, replaced the picture of Jennifer and Shai huddled together. His words still rang in her ears.

  "The vampire known as Edward is no more. Once a member of the Council of Elders, he has broken the law of nine by committing treason against the Council. For the act of treachery, I hereby sentence Edward to one hundred years in the pit. For the act of murdering the vampire known as Bliss, a crime outlawed centuries ago, there is only one possible restitution--death."

  Images of Mac leaping onto the pyre, his feet planted on either side of the vampire, entered her mind. He'd removed the sword with a nauseating sucking sound. Erihn cringed as she replayed the way the body had jerked as Mac had freed the sword before offering it to Alexandre.

  Val had then retrieved one of the torches and dropped it into the bed of kindling. Treated with gasoline, the debris had gone up with a whoosh. Through the leaping flames, Erihn had seen Alexandre raise the sword over his head, the flickering light playing on the deadly blade as Max had tensed in her arms. Raising one hand, she'd pressed his face into her neck, his breath warm against her skin.

  With one mighty blow, the vampire known as Edward was no more.

  Erihn blinked, the images fading as the familiar bedroom reasserted itself.

  Erihn shifted, the sensation of her jeans sliding over her skin entrancing her. She scratched her nails on the cotton, the grating sound playing in her ears as shivers of awareness crept up her spine.

  Fascinating.

  Her new senses intrigued her. Everything was clearer, her sense of smell much sharper. The world around her was bright and alive as it had never been before. She detected the minutest sounds and could hear when someone approached, as someone was now trying.

  Erihn concentrated on the approaching footsteps, muffled by the carpet. She closed her eyes and inhaled. The scent of wood smoke and something not easily defined reached her nose.

  Val.

  She felt him pause in the doorway, his gaze slipping over her as awareness slithered across her skin. She opened her eyes, her gaze unerringly meeting his.

  Val was a vampire. Even now, she found it hard to believe vampires existed, let alone that she'd known one for the past ten years. It was almost beyond her comprehension. Regardless of whether or not she believed, the reality was looking at her straight in the face.

  Since becoming a were-cat, she'd learned vampires had an interesting energy that emanated from their bodies. Sort of cool and understated like the hum of a low voltage wire. Constant, waiting to leap into action at a moment's notice.

  Simply fascinating.

  She noted the caution in his gaze.

  He smiled. "You have everyone half-frightened."

  "Only half?" She asked, marveling at her own cool tone.

  "Well, we don't frighten easi
ly," he amended.

  "Maybe you should." She turned away from his compelling eyes and looked out the window once again. She tensed when she heard his heavy tread on the carpeting as he approached her.

  "Did Miles get away with the diary?" She asked, desperate to keep him from bringing up anything painful. She was so on edge she didn't know if she'd burst into tears or flame at this point.

  "Unfortunately, he did."

  "I'm sorry he stole your property. You were nice enough to let me borrow it, and then..."

  "We have bigger problems than the loss of the book. We'll get it back sooner or later. There was a blurb on the news about Daniels' body being found. It appears he did kill his wife before coming after you."

  Erihn bit her lip, her eyes closing at the thought of the woman dying so needlessly She wasn't sure she could ever write again after this.

  "Both Jennifer and Shai are upset they couldn't tell you sooner." His voice was soft.

  "I don't know why they couldn't, it isn't as if they're mute. They made the decision to not tell me, it's as simple as that." She couldn't mask the bitterness in her voice.

  He laid his hands on her shoulders. The cool strength of his touch steadied her even as she acknowledged that, in his own way, he'd also betrayed her. She fought the desire to lean against his chest and accept his embrace.

  "What would you have said to them?"

  She ignored the question. "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "It isn't something that just comes up in conversation, Erihn." Val said.

  "Why didn't they tell me?" Her anger blossomed as she pulled away and turned to face him. "They were supposed to be my friends, yet they hid this from me."

  "Erihn," Val shook his head. "We aren't talking about telling someone about an engagement or a broken leg. You're talking about an entire world most mortals can't comprehend. What would you have said if Shai told you she was a vampire? What would you have said if Shai told you her lover was a vampire?"

  Tears stung her eyes as she gave in to her anger. "That isn't the point," she snapped. "All of you," she waved her hand about as if to indicate the occupants of the house, "treated me as if I were a child. It wasn't your decision to make. This is my life we're talking about. None of you had the right to do this to me."

  He nodded. "You're right. We had no right to deceive you, but you have to put yourself in our shoes for a minute. This isn't something be easily explained. Things are happening that you know nothing about, and we all felt it was better to keep everyone in the dark. We were trying to keep you safe."

  "We see how well that worked," Erihn shot back.

  Val sighed. "I can see you aren't in the mood to listen. However, after you think about it and decide you might want to forgive us, we'll be waiting for you. We all love you very much and we're all sorry we lied to you."

  She turned away as her tears spilled over. As far as she was concerned, there was no excuse for lying. None. They were her best friends in the world, now they were just the latest additions in a long line of people who'd betrayed her. She clenched her jaw and stared blindly into the darkness.

  He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple. She refused to allow herself to acknowledge him. As he walked away, she heard the sound of Max's childish voice in the downstairs hallway. Jennifer's response sounded along with his, their laughter mingling as it trod upon her raw nerves.

  Fayne was awakened by the sound of Erihn's voice as she argued with Val. Now he watched her as she stared into the night. Leaning against the window frame, loneliness cloaked her body like a blanket as tears streamed down her cheeks. His heart ached at the sight of her pain.

  He could only hope he didn't cause her any more pain and she didn't hate him for turning her into a were-cat. Would she walk away from him? There was no way she couldn't feel betrayed by both Jennifer and Shai. Erihn held both of them very close to her heart and to learn they'd deliberately kept her in the dark would be viewed as the ultimate betrayal of her friendship.

  He closed his eyes, quietly taking stock of his injuries. His neck ached. Vampire bites were difficult to heal, even for a were-cat blessed with the ability to heal quickly from most wounds. He raised a hand and rubbed the bandage lightly, resisting the urge to claw at the marks beneath it. His shoulder ached from the sword wound, but within twenty-four hours, that would heal.

  He heard Max's voice as he laughed with Jennifer downstairs and he smiled. Luckily, Max had suffered no ill affects from his ordeal. At least none that they'd seen so far.

  "You should leave that alone."

  Fayne's eyes flew open at the soft words, his hand dropping from the bandage. Erihn stared at him, her gaze piercing him through the gloom of the room. Exhaustion battled with wariness in her damp gaze.

  He cleared his throat. "How do you feel?"

  "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Her tone was wry. "I feel like I've been bitten by a were-cat."

  He flinched. "I can't begin to tell you how..."

  "If you're going to tell me you're sorry, don't." Her voice was sad and not a little bit unsure. "You can't begin to understand how I feel."

  "You're right."

  "Just answer one question. Is there any way to reverse this? Can I become human again?"

  "You're still human."

  "I don't know many humans who get furry once a month." Her tone turned sharp, angry.

  "True. But there are..."

  "Don't you dare!" she snapped.

  Fayne blinked as Erihn suddenly evaporated into her cat form. Her jeans and simple cotton shirt looked ludicrous on her feline shape.

  He couldn't prevent himself from smiling as she kicked the jeans off with a snarl. "You need to learn to control your abilities, or you'll embarrass yourself in public."

  Erihn-cat glared at him.

  He sighed. "I wish there were some magical explanation I could give you. I wish I could go back and start all over again, but I can't."

  He rolled out of bed, wincing as his wounds screamed in protest. "No one can make time reverse. The bottom line is that we have to move on from here." He stretched warily, alert for new pains in his body.

  "I know you're angry and you have every right to be. You could have been killed yesterday, not only by Ivan, but by Edward. It wasn't fair to keep you in the dark, but what else could we have done?" He ran a hand through his hair, wincing as he pulled his shoulder again. He let his hand drop. "I tried to tell you what I was, but you didn't believe me. What was I supposed to do?"

  Erihn made a grumbling sound as if that wasn't her concern. She hooked one claw through her shirt and tore it down the front.

  "I knew Edward was coming and I knew you were in danger, but I just couldn't let you go. I couldn't send you away. I found myself wanting just a few more minutes, just a few more hours." He shook his head. "That need could have cost you your life."

  Erihn sat, her eyes narrowed as she contemplated that bit of information.

  "I think I fell in love with you the moment I saw you." Fayne lowered himself into a chair near her. "I saw you walk across the room at The Brew House and I knew that was it. I just didn't know then it would be permanent."

  Erihn made an odd sniffing sound and he could almost swear she was crying.

  "All my life I've been alone and I've liked it that way. I never had the desire to stay with a woman, to mate with her. Never have I wanted to take care of a woman, to hold her in my arms and remain faithful to her." He paused, making sure he had her full attention. "Until now."

  Erihn glanced away, but not before he saw her beautiful amber eyes shimmer with tears. She sniffed again and padded toward the bathroom, disappearing through the door.

  He sighed. "How long will you stay mad at me?"

  Silence.

  "A week?"

  More silence.

  "A month?"

  Nada.

  "I love you, Erihn. I want to marry you."

  There was a thud as if something had hit the floor.

&n
bsp; "Say something. I know you heard me."

  "I love you. I don't know why, but I do." Her voice drifted through the door, soft and unsure.

  His heart swelled. She loved him.

  "But I don't want to marry you."

  Fayne sat there, stunned. She didn't want to marry him? How could she not want to marry him? He scowled.

  "Why don't you want to marry me?" he demanded.

  "Why would I?" She shot back. "You lied to me. You neglected to tell me about your son. You were deliberately secretive, and you could have gotten me killed. Hmm...why should I want to marry you again?"

  "You love my son," he snapped.

  Erihn's voice softened. "Yes, I do, but I won't marry to acquire a child."

  "You love me," he accused.

  She laughed. "Yeah, and look where that got me. I'll turn furry every month for the rest of my life, however long that might be. I'll have to battle fleas, and I can't have any more catnip tea. I have to worry about hairballs, and did I mention that I'm allergic to cats? Not to mention the fact you accused me of using you for research."

  Erihn sauntered into the doorway; naked as the day she was born. His words caught in his throat. Her hair, with its new cut, curled gently about her face, drawing attention away from her scars and to her eyes, filled with amber fire.

  Fayne swallowed audibly. "I know, I was wrong to do that. I should've known you wouldn't use anyone like that."

  "You believe me?"

  He caught the tinge of relief in her tone. He nodded.

  "Good. Shame on you, then." Erihn smiled. "Now, on to the next matter. Now that I'm a were-cat, I find I have certain desires I might want to explore."

  Fayne froze. He knew exactly what desires she was talking about. Female were-cats were endowed with the same abilities as the male of the species, and the desire to mate was only one of them. Another trait was the females, when prowling, were irresistible to human males. She could have any man she wanted.

  He growled. Over his dead body. "You'll marry me," he ground out.