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~SUMMONED~
The rising sun warmed his skin as he ran; he inhaled the air and categorized each layer of the scent to search for evidence of his followers. The young boys hadn’t found him yet and with the heavy odor of vampire that was surrounding Mara’s home he didn’t expect them to be making any surprise appearances. He wondered if she knew she was being watched so closely by the vampires. She must have, she was a lot of things but a fool wasn’t one. He pushed himself forward faster as he caught glimpses of a memory, one he wouldn’t delve into. The thing that happened between the two of them was wrong, no matter how he looked at it.
The scent of steak and eggs drew him to the city. A small diner where they still used cast iron cookware and no microwaves. He thought of ordering a meal to go, but decided to enjoy the moment in civilization while it lasted. He didn’t plan on being there for much longer. The place was nothing you’d expect of a place that was home to such delicious smells. There were no soft touches or the homey feel Malcom thought he would find, just stiff chairs and a tough server with Agnes on her nametag.
“What can I get for ya, hun?” She pulled a pin from behind her ear and tapped it on the pad in her hand.
“I’ll take the double steak breakfast combo.” He smiled as he put the menu down on the counter. He hadn’t even sat down yet.
“Oh, we got a hungry one huh?” Agnes stepped back sizing him up. “Yeah, you look like you can handle it. Anything to drink?”
“Orange juice.” He laughed at the forward woman.
“Got ya, have a seat handsome.” She waved her hand at the all but empty diner. “Your choice.”
Malcom took the booth in the back corner to give himself the advantage of seeing any unwanted company rather than letting it sneak up on him. Agnes quickly hit him with a cup of juice and sat a pitcher next to it. “Something tells me you are going to want refills and this old girl’s dogs are howlin’. I’ll be right back with your chow.”
Malcom could do nothing but chuckle at the woman as she moved away from him. 20 minutes later, she returned with his food on three plates and gave him a challenging grin. He nodded in approval and she left him alone.
Halfway through the second steak, he caught the scent of a familiar. One of the idiotic humans who did hard labor in hopes of being turned one day by their vampire boss. You’d think they would give up the hope considering most never were turned. A vampire lackey and a skinny little thing. The boy couldn’t have been more than 18. He entered through the door and spotted Malcom easily. With shaky legs carrying him, he approached with an envelope in his hand. Malcom sat up straight as he sized up the boy.
“A notice, from Duvein.” The boy spoke in a low tone as he handed the black envelope to Malcom. On the front in a bright red font was his name.
“Shit.” Malcom snatched the letter from the boy who left just as quickly and carefully as he had entered. He shoved the rest of his food into his mouth and headed back to Mara’s house. They were going to have to talk and he was already dreading the topic. He already knew how she would react. Letter unopened, he paid for his meal, leaving Agnes a sizable tip and made his exit. He went directly to Mara’s house. The sun was still up but her crypt was sealed from the sun and he didn’t want to wait until it was time for her to wake up. He was impatient, and if he couldn’t sleep, neither could she.
“What the hell?” The startled vampire yelled out as Malcom pulled the sheets from her bed. Mara’s room was as over the top as her personality. He felt like he’d taken a major step back in time. The four-poster bed held up a canopy of lace that hid the woman from view. She had gaudy clawed foot furniture and candles everywhere.
“We have trouble!” Malcom growled at the vampire more out of instinctive response to her bared fangs than anger.
“Excuse me?” She brushed the hair from her face.
“Duvein.”
“What about him? Do I look like I care about his ass?” She rolled her eyes and huffed as she reached for the sheet, but was denied it.
“Look, I know some terrible shit went down between the two of you, but he sent a notice. He is requesting our presence.” He held out the black envelope to her.
“No one requests my presence.” She snatched it from him and ripped it open.
“Which is why we have a problem. Hell, I haven’t even been here more than a few hours and already he has his servant boy handing me papers, which means he was expecting me.”
“What do you think it’s about?”
“Hell, if I know! What I do know, is that we need to figure out how to handle this.”
“And we can’t do that after I get my beauty rest?” The question got her a warning growl from the wolf. “Fine! Just give me a moment please.”
“So, what the hell could he want with us?” Mara thought out loud, as she dressed and snagged a bag of blood to intake. If she wasn’t going to get any sleep, she would need the added fuel.
“You leave any more surprises behind before you left Vamp Ville?”
“Oh, ha-ha. And no, well none that I can think of anyway.” She waved him off. “And what’s to say this has anything to do with me? Your name is the one bleeding on that envelope, not mine.”
“Well, I say we accept the invite but of course go in with caution. This could be a trap.”
“For who?”
“Either of us. Maybe after all this time they have decided to take you down.” He smiled. “I’m just the wolfy distraction.” He teased.
“Yeah, and they wait until I have a badass wolf by my side to do so? I’m sure in your puppy brain that makes perfect sense. Trust me, Duvein isn’t that stupid.” Mara sighed and plopped down on her bed. “Look, this blood isn’t doing it for me. According to this note of his, the meeting isn’t until tonight; let me get some shut eye please.”
“Yeah, okay.” Malcom, though eager to get on top of things, knew that she was right. Mara needed rest and so did he, not that he would be able to quiet his mind as easily as she seemed to be capable of.
Malcom left Mara to herself and retreated to the upstairs bedroom where he would be staying. Funny how she kept it furnished, even cleaned the place. No one had ever stayed there and no one would. Perhaps she still had something good about her. She didn’t want to be alone; she wasn’t as badass as she pretended to be. Malcom didn’t need a tidy room to tell him what he already knew about his old friend.
The night came and this time it was Mara pulling Malcom from his sleep and his dreams of a love lost. Before she woke him, she stood over him watching him closely. Malcom hadn’t changed much in the time since she last saw him. He slept in boxers and nothing else and it was impossible for her to pull her eyes away from the ripped abs, smooth chocolate skin and clean shaven chest and head. Malcom hadn’t ever been a fan of hair. She guessed he got enough of it while in wolf form.
“Still having nightmares, I see.” She said as she finally slapped his leg to wake him.
“What?” He wiped his eyes with his palm and yawned.
“You said her name about 100 times. I couldn’t take it anymore.” Yeah, there was a tint of jealousy in her voice. She could never seem to hide it when it came to Malcom.
“Oh, sorry.”
“How is it that you have yet to come to terms with what has happened? It has been years since...” Mara began her speech but she was cut off by Malcom.
“Since what?” He didn’t want to hear her telling him to get over anything. Not from Mara, the woman who held grudges like Fort Knox!
“Nothing. Look we need to focus and get ourselves prepared. Our little meeting with Duvein is in a couple hours.” She chose to avoid the topic that she knew would only bring on a fight.
“Okay, I will get changed.”
“You do that.” She curled her lips around the sound of her words as she looked on at Malcom. It had been years since she had been around a man, vampire or any kind that really enticed her. The humans she lured to her just didn’t cut the cake. There was one however, a caramel piece of candy that she’d toyed with for quite some time. Even that Hawaiian piece of ass had failed to keep her satisfied. Truth was, in all the years since she’d been with Malcom. She had never experienced such aggression, such heat. He stood from the bed covered in nothing but a pair of worn boxers. Life on the run didn’t allow him much time for shopping. She bit her lip as he bent over in front of her and the band on the grey material began to slip and give her a peek at his ass. Damn Chocolate Daddy! She thought to herself as she watched him. He turned to her and she damn near fell over. Abs of a God flexed as he stretched, covered in that chocolate coating and drove her insane.
“You alright over there?” Malcom chuckled to himself and purposely flexed a bit more. He couldn’t help it; the look on Mara’s face was a priceless one.
“I am fine, just.... fine.” She winked at him, fanned herself and walked out of the room before she lost control of her more primal urges. “I’ll meet you downstairs,” she called back to him before pulling the door shut.
“Still insane,” Malcom laughed to himself.
“I heard that!” Mara called out which only made Malcom laugh louder.
When he returned to the first floor, he was met with the smell of Steak and potatoes. Mara had food delivered for him as she sat down with her glass of wine that wasn’t wine. Yeah, there may have been a splash of the fermented grapes in there to add a bit of kick to the drink but it undeniably held the aroma of blood, the human variety.
“You thought of me, I’m so touched.” Malcom poked at her as he sat across from the leggy vampire at the dining table. She had changed her attire as well and he swallowed hard as she crossed her legs well within his view. She was giving him a bit of payback for the show he’d put on earlier. She knew he could never get enough of her legs. Although, they had never gone there again and repeated that raging night under the moon, they had come close a few times, and it was always because of those legs. He grabbed one of the beers she had sitting on ice and swallowed it whole.
“Well, you know I’m not accustomed to having guests and I damn sure am not about to cook for you.” She winked.
“Oh, please no, I remember that experience. Once was quite enough for me.” He chuckled. Mara had once tried to cook for Malcom, it was a total disaster that left the man with a plate of undercooked meat and a burned combo of vegetables and potatoes. She hadn’t cleaned either of the items properly. Still, in an attempt to make the new vampire happy, he had tried his best to eat the meal. It wasn’t long until the swirling started in the depths of his stomach.
“Whatever, I am a genius in the kitchen.” She laughed at her own lie. Mara was great at many things, cooking was not on that list.
“If you call giving me food poisoning that could take down a bear for a week genius, well then yes, you are a scholar with your culinary skills.”
“Shut up and eat,” she laughed at the memory of her own blunder and the green tint that had shaded his complexion for what was not a week, but two days. Malcom always had a knack for over exaggerating the details.
After a few moments of silence and the devouring of the first steak on Malcom’s plate, Mara decided it was time to get down to business. She would never admit aloud that she was happy to have him back with her, not to be alone anymore. The years in solitary were starting to work her nerves. If would be enough to keep him there forever, she would provide steak and beer for him endlessly. As she watched him, the vague look of relief, happiness that crossed his face, she knew it was a mutual feeling that would never be voiced by either party.
“So, Duvein. Any ideas what he may want with us?” She asked as she polished off her glass of wine spiked blood.
“Well, I am hoping that it’s nothing as petty as payback. He wasn’t all that pleased to find out you were interested in me. Hell, it’s good he didn’t figure out how far things actually went.” Malcom started to cut into the second steak. “Let’s not forget that you’re still pumped up on Abraham so I doubt he is seriously looking for a fight. He is older but you’re stronger and faster.” He popped the thick cut into his mouth.
“The shame of it all for him to have such and irrational jealousy over a beast!” Mara chuckled. “Damn, I wasn’t in love with you. I just thought you were sexy.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” Malcom winked at her with steak sauce dripping down his chin. She handed him a napkin and shook her head at the display. He really was an animal.
“Yeah, well I am pretty sure that has nothing to do with it considering he has already replaced me.” She said with just a hint of bitterness in her voice.
“A replacement for you, I would find that hard to believe.” Malcom winked again as he tossed her the compliment she was so clearly fishing for. She knew from as experience that if the man had food in front of his face, a wink was the highest form of a compliment.
“Oh, you flatter me so.”
“Okay, so I can only assume it’s some dirt going down that neither of us is aware of considering our outcast status. He also mentioned that he wants to meet away from vamp camp, which means no one else is aware of what he’s up to. It also means he is either going to try to cut us a sweet deal or threaten to take us out if we do not provide assistance with whatever ploy he has cooked up.”
“Knowing Duvein as I do, I vote for the second possibility. He isn’t one for offering up prizes. This means we need to go in there on point and prepare for an ambush.” Mara stood and flexed. “It has been a while since I have seen any action.”
“Don’t be too eager to jump to that conclusion or to react to any unsuspected guests. Let’s try to remain level headed until we actually sense a threat.” He picked up his second beer, this time only taking a sip. He didn’t want to get drunk; he would need his senses clear.
“Am I suddenly an amateur on this mission?” Mara looked offended. “I know you are accustomed to those blundering puppies, but don’t mistake me for one of them.”
“I’m just strategizing; it was not intended to offend you, Mara.” The girl still wore her emotions on her sleeve; he would have to remind himself of that. He had to feel her out and tiptoe around certain topics. He was out of practice, but there was a time when it had been second nature to surf the emotional waves of his reluctant vampire friend. As badass as she was, at the end of the day, the woman was still lost and simply trying to find her place in life. He hadn’t had the heart to tell her that she may never find one. At least not in the areas she’d been looking.
“So, are we going in bare or do you want artillery?” Mara changed the topic. She didn’t like the look of pity that flashed through his eyes. She’d seen it there before, her adopted protector always saw her as a lost soul to be guided. She was fine.
“I’m thinking artillery; they will definitely be packing. I don’t want to spend my night dodging bullets and not having a few to pop off myself.” He looked at her knowingly, she wouldn’t have asked if she didn’t have the means to supply.
“Good!” Mara squealed as she skipped off towards her crypt. Malcom followed her and managed to contain his own excitement. Mara always had some exclusive items in her arsenal. He never questioned how she obtained the items though he was sure that it included some form of dirty dealing which was something she excelled at.
“So, what new toys do we have?” Malcom asked as he followed her to the back wall.
“Well,” the grin stretched across her face as she pressed the hidden button along the base of a large picture that depicted a fight between a demon and an angel. The golden frame lifted and slid into the top of the wall and gave them view of a massive collection of high tech firearms.
“Damn, I see you have done some upgrading over the years.”
“Yea baby,” she cracked her knuckles. “A girl’s gotta stay with the times right.”
“So, tell me what we’ve got.”
“Oh, just your standard rifles, machine guns and hand grenades with a bit of that fancy new technology the humans are always cooking up.” She smiled proudly as Malcom drooled over the selection. “They are all equipped with UV rays as well as that liquid sunlight that we thought was made up for the movies! Hard to get your hands on, unless you know the right people. You know I know the right people!”
“Well, I say we load up and head out!” Malcom said as he reached for a semi-automatic that was calling out to him.
The decision was made to carry a light load of ammunition. It was best to appear cautious and not as if they are coming for a fight. Mara also made the decision that they would drive in her day safe SUV. Their meeting wasn’t far from her home, but she didn’t want to take the chance that Duvein would try something low down and keep her caught out in the sunlight. With Abraham’s blood flowing through her, the odds were that she would be able to sustain long enough to return to safety, but the healing process after sunburn was a bitch and one she didn’t want to have to deal with.
The dark mahogany Tahoe with its heavily tinted windows pulled into the clearing where Duvein called for them to meet him. At the opposite end of the field was a vehicle nearly identical to Mara’s but in black. “You ready for this?” She asked her wolf partner as she cut the engine off.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. I had truly hoped that I would never see this fucker again; then again, that is how I felt about you.” He smirked and turned his attention to the vehicle across from them. The heavy doors had just swung open.
“Alright, let’s hit it!” Mara announced as she hopped out of her door.
The two approached Duvein with extreme caution. As expected, he hadn’t come alone. His usual partners in crime, Nigel and Lance stood by his side along with a new person, one who Malcom had yet to encounter. Duvein was a slender man of a pale complexion with short blonde hair. He had fallen in love with the style of the vampires from Underworld and from that point on, he dressed in nothing but leather. Mara still found the look to be ridiculous on the man she had always known to wear nothing less than a suit and tie. She attributed the change to his new love, a bouncy new vampire name Tiffany. Nigel was a laid-back British chap. He had short hair that sat in a curly mess atop his head and wore slacks with a black jacket, simple. Lance was tall, towering above the others. He had a deep brown complexion and looked under-dressed in his button up jeans. Mara loved Lance like he was family, he was a gentle giant and his wife Deidra was a tiny spitfire. She loved the two of them together and only hoped she wouldn’t have to end Lance’s life that night. If anyone was bold enough to break the treaty she had with the vamps, it would be Deidra. You know what they say about a woman scorned. Mara had witnessed Deidra’s wrath before, and for petty crimes against her. If she lost lance, there would be nothing to stop her anger.
“Nice of you to show.” Duvein spoke softly as he looked at Mara ignoring Malcom’s presence entirely.
“Yeah, well I did receive an invitation and all. I didn’t have much more on my day planner for the day.” Mara smiled ruefully.
“Well, all the same, I do appreciate you making the time.” Malcom was already sick of the false formalities being exchanged between to two vampires. It was the same thing every time. They hated each other but still exchanged the silly pleasantries.
“What do you want?” Malcom asked, he had witnessed this dance between the two vampires before and it would have gone on for an eternity if he hadn’t said something. Vampires forget the concept of time considering their apparent limitless lifespan.
“I have a favor to ask of you.” Duvein cocked his head at the wolf. “Obviously.”
“What kind of favor?” Malcom asked through a clinched jaw.
“The kind that could get one or both of you killed.” Duvein smiled brightly displaying his fangs.
“Ah, my kind of favor.” Mara smile and winked at Malcom. “Details please.”
“It is no secret that Vincent, your former Alpha, Malcom, has lost his ever-loving mind.” Duvein spoke with resignation. This was not an issue that Malcom needed to be dealing with right now. He wasn’t alone in that boat.
“Right and what does that have to do with us?” Mara spoke, she was getting antsy and her trigger finger was itching.
“The wolves are on the verge of an all-out war and they will no doubt drag the vampires into it with them. This is not something that I want to happen, for obvious reasons.”
“Why do the vampires have to be brought into this? Let the wolves slaughter each other, why should we care?” Mara questioned and ignored the angry glare she received from Malcom.
“Mara,” Duvein shook his head in disbelief, “as old as you are and you still haven’t learned that there is a balance to everything. We need the wolves around.”
“I do not need anyone, remember, exiled and all. What is at stake for me?”
“For you, not much, but for your friend here,” Duvein looked at Malcom and then motioned to the car. The back, passenger side, door opened and out stepped a fourth guard. With him, a hooded girl, clung to his arm for fear of tripping... Before he could lift the hood from her head, Malcom fell to his knees. He would never forget her scent, even though it was now tainted by the vampire disease that coursed through her veins. The black bag was pulled away and revealed the face of his love. Serene. She looked at him and began to cry but did not move towards him.
“What the hell did you do!” Malcom yelled at Duvein.
“Well, Malcom, I’d like to think that I did you a favor. Is this the way you respond to my saving the love of your life?”
“You didn’t save her, you poisoned her. You made her one of you!” He couldn’t pull his eyes away from Serene. “How?”
“She is one of us now, and the how is a matter of no concern to you. Tell me something,” he walked over to Serene and grabbed her by the hair. She winced and Malcom growled. “Does her current...condition...change how you feel about her? If it does, we can call this meeting to an end and I will terminate her now. It’s not like I need another newborn vampire to watch after.”
“She isn’t new, it’s been years. You have had her all this time?” Mara watched Serene carefully. Serene’s face had aged, just slightly since Mara had last seen her. It was enough to tell that she hadn’t remained human for long after their last encounter.
“Yes, well, it seemed I had a bit of trouble locating her boyfriend, so I had to hold out. A pity you didn’t show up sooner, Malcom.” Duvein ran his hand across her cheek. “We could have prevented these little wrinkles here by her eyes.”
“So, what the hell do you want?” Malcom, still on his knees, growled, as Duvein tightened his grip on Serene’s hair causing her to cry out. Her cries echoed through the night. It took everything the wolf had to keep him from pouncing and attacking the vampire who harmed her.
“It’s simple. Vincent has become a pain in my ass and I need you to relieve me of that pain. Kill him and you can have your sweet Serene back.”
“You still haven’t said what’s in it for me.” Mara spoke when Malcom did nothing.
“Am I to believe you won’t be just eager to help your puppy?” Duvein laughed as he motioned for his men to return to the vehicle. Malcom kept his eyes locked on Serene. He watched the tears flow until her mask was replaced and she was shoved back into the SUV. He was still on his knees consumed by disbelief as they piled into the ride and drove away. He thought he had been prepared for anything, never in his life did he expect this outcome. He had lost Serene once by the hand of his Alpha, his friend and now he was forced to live this hell.
“Come on, we need to go.” Mara said as she peered into the trees. “We have company and they are getting antsy. Something tells me you aren’t up for a fight right now.”
Malcom climbed into the passenger seat and melted into his own silence as he thought of Serene. They had discussed it, time and time again. He wanted to turn her, once she was a werewolf, no one could deny their love. The problem was that Serene wanted children and it was simple, a woman born a wolf could produce offspring, but a woman turned a wolf could not. She wanted to wait until after she had given him two children. Said he needed someone to continue his legacy. That would never happen. Now, to top it off she was transformed into the one thing that his kind was made to hate, to hunt. She was the thing he’s been raised and trained to destroy.
“I’m sorry; I know how you feel about all this. Just tell me what you want to do. You know I’ve got your back.” Mara spoke as she drove from the line of trees onto the main road. She’d let Malcom process the new information before she spoke to him.
“Yeah, I know.” Malcom nodded and stared at the road ahead. It was time he paid a visit to yet another old friend. He had hopes of never needing to, but now he had no choice. He had to go home.
