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~COMFORT~
Mara kept the drinks coming, the level of whiskey in his glass never dropped below half full. Drown away the sorrows because that was the best way to handle things, right? How the hell was he supposed to handle the idea of Serene living like that? How was he supposed to wrap his mind around the changes in her? He could never be with her; he could never love her the same. It didn’t matter; it was out of the question to allow Duvein to keep her like that, a prisoner. He had to make sure that she was safe, as safe as she could be as a bloodsucker. Mara was rambling on about strategies and the different options they had to try to get close to Vincent, but he was unable to concentrate on the sound of her words. His booze-flooded mind could only seem to find focus on those damn legs! She changed when they returned. Swapped her tight fitted jeans and leather jacket for a blood red summer dress with a split that climbed up the front of her leg and left her toned thigh exposed. His eyes had been trained on the shadow that the remaining fabric left just below her hip. He hadn’t heard her words but he noticed when she stood and walked across the room to him. He noticed how her legs carried her towards him. She stopped in front of him and lifted his face with the tip of her finger bringing his gaze from her hip across her stomach and up to her eyes.
“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?” She asked him and he shook his head no. “You always were a leg man.” She grinned and turned to walk away from him giving him a nice view of her ass. “I guess some things really don’t change.”
He grabbed her wrist and spun her back to him, the shock caused her to drop fang and hiss. “Down girl,” he whispered as he pushed himself to his feet and stood unsteadily in front of her.
“You’re drunk.” She whispered.
“And you care?” He cocked his head to the side and licked his lips in that way he knew caused her legs to tremble and her center to moisten.
“No, not at all, I’m just stating the facts.” Her voice had taken on a shaky quality that stroked Malcom’s ego. He’d gotten to the sultry vampire.
“Well, my thanks to the record keeper.” He smiled. “Strip for me Mara.”
“Excuse me?” He reached across her, grabbed the right strap of her dress, and pulled it. The fabric ripped leaving her small breast exposed. “Hey! I happened to have loved this dress!”
“Well, I suggest you remove it before it ends in a state beyond repair.” He reached for the other strap but her hand stopped his further destruction.
“Don’t play with me puppy,” Mara warned.
“Dammit woman!” He pushed her back with more force than intended and sent her flying across the room, her back landed in the couch where she previously sat with a thud. Without so much as an apology, Malcom crossed the room in a single bound and was on top of her. There was no time for her to save the fabric; he tore through it with his hands freeing her body from the covering. Mara didn’t stop him, she wanted him too badly, she had dreamt about having him again for too many years to ever say no now that he was literally taking possession of her body. She knew it was likely that this would never happen again so she planned to enjoy it. She flipped him onto his back and did some damage of her own to the worn fabric he called a shirt.
“Not the jeans,” he grabbed her hand just before she could tear the fabric at the waistline. “I have a few favorite items of my own.” He lifted his waist beneath her and slid out of the jeans and boxers he wore. Mara made no game of it, the moment he was free she straddled his lap and slid down on top of him. Her panties were pulled to the side to give him entrance to her throbbing core.
“Take me.” She hissed and he growled in return. The couch did not survive the night, the stuffing of the cushions was spread around the floor, and the wooden armrest was shredded by claws that ached to be free but only peeked through in moments of complete and utter aggression. When the sun began to touch the sky, Mara pulled Malcom beneath the ground into her lair to continue. She was a vampire, it took a lot to satiate her, especially when the man between her legs was all wolf.
When Mara awoke from her sleep, she was alone. All signs pointed that Malcom had gone for a run; wolf boy would always have more energy to burn. She let her mind roll over the idea of trying to encourage another round or two, but knew that in his sober mind he would never allow it. He was probably out now trying to dispel the scent of her from his flesh. He was already an outcast about to return to the very people who kicked him from grace, the last thing he needed to add to his list of problems, was to return as a fang banger. Yeah, that would go over smoothly.
Mara didn’t take it to heart because it would be the same way if the tables had been turned. Hell, she had been accused of loving a wolf and that alone was considered one of the greatest sins a vampire could commit. No, she didn’t love him. No, he hadn’t ruined her for all other men. No, she wouldn’t spend eternity hoping for the impossible. None of the above was truth. Yeah, one day she would even believe it for herself.
“So how do we make first contact without the wolf boys attacking us?” Mara loaded her SUV with supplies. When Malcom returned, four hours after Mara woke up alone in her bed, they began packing for the trip. Packing equated to a car full of Mara’s guns and clothing choices. Malcom had the one bag he showed up, minus one shredded shirt.
“There is one ally I still have back home, at least I hope.” Malcom slammed the trunk as Mara closed the back door. Vampires packed heavily, 40% of their load was her emergency supply of blood. He didn’t try to calculate how much of her wardrobe, which filled the back seat, was unnecessary. It would be a pointless argument to have. “An old buddy named Sirus. He was on my side, or at least he seemed to be. He offered to sneak me and Serene out back then. I should have taken him up on that offer.” Malcom couldn’t hide the look of regret. He’d had a chance to keep them both from harm. Running away under the cloak of darkness seemed like the coward’s way. He’d give anything to be able to go back and take that deal.
“Wouldn’t have changed anything. Vincent would have come for the two of you and you know it.” Mara could tell the path his thoughts were taking. She’d expressed to him once before that the outcome would have been the same either way. Vincent would have found them, and he would have killed them both.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Malcom admitted, not that it changed the level of his guilt. What happened to Serene was on him.
“So, Sirus...is he into vamps?” Mara poked at Malcom, she couldn’t help herself.
“What, was I not enough for you?” Malcom chuckled and Mara blushed. She hadn’t expected that response; maybe a gruff look shot her way but never a direct mention. It took him nearly five years the last time.
“Well, I am no fool, it’s been what, 25 years since we last got down, I know I won’t be getting any of you again anytime soon, if ever.” She waited for him to shoot off a witty comeback but he didn’t oblige he simply shook his head and hopped in the passenger seat.
“I assume you are taking the night shift, right?” Malcom called out to her. She straightened her jacket, bit her lip and climbed in behind the wheel. “Wouldn’t want to interrupt your nap time.”
“Do you want to call ahead and let Sirus know we are coming?” She put the key into the ignition and started the engine.
“No need to, he’ll know, if he is still on my side, there is no way he will be able to miss us.” He adjusted the seat so that he could lean back and relax.
“How do you mean?” Mara licked her lips as she watched the movement of his body, the muscles that flexed as he stretched were calling to her.
“We had a system in place, a meeting ground that we agreed to use. I knew I would be exiled and he told me that if I ever needed him, to go to that particular spot under the full moon. Lucky for us that’s only two days’ drive, so our good buddy Duvein won’t be too displeased with our timeline.”
“How far are we from this meeting ground?” Mara shifted the truck into gear as she asked for further clarification of their destination.
“Washington to Houston, I say about a day and a half driving, I figured we could make a few pit-stops. There’s no sense in wearing ourselves out. We don’t know what we are walking into. Better to take our time and walk in fresh, just in case Sirus isn’t there, or he is there but just no longer on my team.”
“Got it.” She tapped her forehead. “Glad to see you’re thinking with a clear head today.”
Malcom dropped his head back on the seat and fell silent. For the first hour, he thought of Serene, for the second hour he thought of the vampire sitting next to him steering the vehicle. For the next hour, and until he drifted to sleep, his thoughts were of Stephanie.
Weeks passed since she had been put on lockdown by her overbearing brother. She was getting more and more infuriated by him and the jerks he placed on guard outside of her bedroom doors. He sent in Fay, a young female wolf, to bring her food and whatever else she requested because he knew his sister would never harm someone so young and innocent. While Fay was there, they spoke. Stephanie braided the long locks of the motherless child while she told her of Vincent’s increasing decent into insanity. It was hard for Stephanie to know that her family was the reason the girl no longer had one.
Vincent had begun training boys as young as 12 for war! This was unheard of and unjust; their pack was dwindling too quickly, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Word of Malcom came to her as well; the boys had found his cabin but he had already abandoned it. They almost caught up to him but he eluded them. He was believed to be further north within the barriers of the vampire territories. If anyone was crazy enough to seek shelter on enemy grounds, it was Malcom. He was also just about the only person she knew who had a chance of surviving such a bold move.
“Sister, you called for me?” Vincent entered her bedroom.
“When the hell are you going to let me out of here?” Stephanie snapped at him.
“You can leave as soon as you learn where your place is.” Vincent’s jaw tightened and he squared his shoulders. He hated when Stephanie yelled at him.
“I know where my place is brother!” Knowing exactly what her temper did to her brother’s nerves, she raised her voice even higher.
“Do you? So why were you with him? Did you think for a second that I wouldn’t be able to smell him all over you?! You found Malcom and yet you didn’t bring him back to me, and you didn’t kill him as you should have! He is an enemy to our people and he should have been put down. Instead, you go to him and do what? Tell me what you said to him.” Vincent, though not fit to be alpha, was a smart man. Stephanie had hoped of keeping her plan secret but knew the odds were that he would find her out. It was a risk she easily determined was worth taking.
“I said nothing.” Stephanie looked away from her brother. “I just wanted to know that he was still okay. I still care for him, Vincent.”
“Don’t lie to me!” He cleared his voice and leveled his tone. “Look, be honest with me and I will let you out of here.”
“Vincent,” she pleaded with her brother. She knew that he would not like the truth.
“I promise sister, just, tell me what he said.” Vincent urged her.
“He said he would never come back.” Her voice dropped, the sorrow in her tone confused the alpha wolf.
“Obviously, he was banned.” He scoffed, but he still felt vindicated in his decision to expel his former friend.
“I asked him to return.” Stephanie admitted. “It was foolish of me to think that he would simply because I asked.”
“You did what?” Vincent yelled. “Who the hell gave you the authority to do that?”
“You need help Vincent, you’re losing it! I thought he could help you.” Stephanie’s plea of concern fell on deaf ears. Vincent turned from her as if to leave but then backhanded her and sent her falling to the floor.
“I need no help, not from you or anyone else! And damn sure not from that traitor!” He turned to the door. “You are never leaving here!” As the door slammed, Stephanie couldn’t help the tears that flooded her face. She feared that she had completely lost the man who was once her protector, her brother. She crawled across the floor to the open window and stared at the moon that was just beginning to touch the sky. What had her life come to? What would happen to her people? Where in the hell was Malcom?
A light tap on her door pulled her from her thoughts of their missing savior. She turned to see the small girl with a tray of food in her hands. There was something off about her appearance. Usually she was bubbly despite how sad the situation was. Fay would appear with a smile on her face, eager to have a new ‘do to sport and show off to her friends when she left. Instead, she walked in a straight path through the room to the small table that sat next to Stephanie. She placed the tray down, caught Stephanie’s gaze and then stared at the small square of paper folded underneath the edge of the plate her steak rested on.
“It’s so nice to see you again Fay.” Stephanie said in her most cheerful voice as she sat next to the tray and put a small piece of the beef in her mouth. She gave the girl a reassuring smile.
“I love to come visit you.” Fay responded lightly understanding the need for the deceptively cheerful tone.
“Your hair still looks so nice; I see you are taking better care of it on your own.” Stephanie compliment was sincere. She was happy that she could make even a tiny difference in the girl’s life.
“Yes, thank you for teaching me.” Fay’s expression turned somber. “My mother never got a chance to.”
“Anytime, as I have told you, if you ever need anything, I’m here for you.” Stephanie pulled the paper out and began to unfold it. On cue, Fay began discussing her braiding technique, rambling on so as not to alert the guards that something was out of sorts. She started in on how she had begun giving the other girls lessons on her new braiding technique as Stephanie read the note.
Change is coming, Vincent will fall. We must get you away before things happen. Be prepared to flee tonight when the moon has begun its decent. There is little time.
-Sirus
Stephanie quickly folded the paper back to its original form and with the BIC lighter she kept in her pocket she set the paper aflame before flushing it down the toilet of the bathroom that connected to her bedroom. It wasn’t long before Fay left, after having transitioned into a real conversation about a boy named Jeremy who she felt she loved but was fearful because he had been called to duty. Stephanie shook her head at the idea of such a young person having to worry over such things. She remembered liking a boy when she was younger. His name was Omar, he had long braids and his skin was the color of almonds. She just knew that he was the one. She was of course incorrect. Still in all, her biggest fear when it came to Omar was that he would like some other girl, or turn out to be gay, which he did! She never had to contemplate his possible death. Stephanie promised Fay she would do all that she could to stop Jeremy from being hurt. She had no idea how she would manage to keep that promise, but she was determined to find a way.
