Chapter One Hundred Three

When she'd awoken that evening, things hadn't felt quite so dire. It felt good to have her belly full, to be warm and secure in Anton's embrace, and to have her arms around her sweet baby. And although she was very tempted to call in sick for her new job, she got up and got dressed along with her husband. She wore something more casual today, brushed cotton tan jeans, along with a petite hunter green peasant-style top. She felt a lot more comfortable than she had in the suit--she had been relieved that Mr. Steel approved.

Now, rearranging her new office, she was starting to feel better about her surroundings. She'd brought her painting of Anton's silhouette, on the beach in Santa Cruz. It looked at home on the wall, just like his picture did on her desk. She'd loaded an image of Max and Petunia on her computer's desktop. Now, with ways to remind herself that she was safe, she could finally relax. In two hours, she would be meeting with some of the local artists and couldn't help but be a bit nervous. Even if she didn't end up keeping her job at the gallery, these were the people she wanted to make a good impression with. They were, amazingly, her peers.

Unable to wait to tell Bryn the news, Anton decided to surprise her. He got a few odd looks as he walked into the unopened gallery, but the receptionist pointed out which office belonged to his wife. He walked over briskly to the door and knocked on it as he leaned against the jamb. "May I come in?"

Bryn turned, her face lighting up as she saw him. She smiled brightly, nodding. "Absolutely!" Walking over to meet him, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed him soundly. "I'm so glad you're here. I was getting a little stir crazy. Technically, I'm supposed to be installing software, but I got bored. Besides, it pretty much takes care of itself after a while." Pulling him towards her desk, she glanced at the walls around them. "So, what do you think? It's kind of bare in here, so far, but I'm hoping to bring more of my paintings in tomorrow. Now I just need to figure out which ones to put in here, and what is good enough to display out there."

"It looks good here, Bryn. Did you want to bring in mine as a companion piece?" He didn't wait for her to answer before continuing. "I've got some good news, my dear. I just spoke with the investigator in charge of the drug case. The business has been officially cleared. They will be keeping an eye on a few employees, but officially we are off the hook."

She stopped and stared at him. "You're kidding?" As he shook his head, she let out a squeal and nearly hopped into his arms. Hugging him tightly and kissing him repeatedly, she couldn't stop smiling. "Oh, I'm so happy for you! I mean, I knew it would happen sooner or later, but I was worried it would take longer. You must be so relieved." Pulling back slightly, she met his gaze. He didn't look quite as jubilant as she thought he would. "Are you all right?"

"Lindy and I had a disagreement about a few of the recommendations that the detective suggested I follow." Anton took a deep breath. That wasn't the complete reason, and he couldn't hold it back from her. "I'm just having a hard time believing that it's turning out okay. The moment Lindy called, I was certain that something would go wrong, and I'd have to give it up." His voice was shaking. "Or even worse, that somehow vampires would be discovered and that would be the end of it for all of us."

Releasing him, Bryn silently stepped over to the door and closed it. Once they had privacy, she led him over to sit in her chair, directing him to sit down so she could settle on to his lap. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly. "I'm sorry, sugar. I didn't realize just how much stress this put on you." Turning her head, she kissed his temple. "I wish I'd been here for you. I hate that you had to go through this alone, my love. I know you're going to say that I was needed in Baltimore, but the fact is I was needed here, too. And I promise you I'll never let anything like that happen again. I will always be here for you." Cupping his jaw with both hands, she gently kissed him. "Sugar, please don't hold back. Just let your emotions out. Right now, all I want to do is hold you."

He trembled, twitching against her. Anton rested his head on her shoulder, nose pressed against her neck. Slowly tears of relief began leaking out of his eyes. He held her tight, being held tightly in return, and softly cried out everything he had been holding inside for the last two weeks. In her office, where anyone could walk in unannounced, and he didn't care as long as he was in his wife's arms.

Blinking, she swallowed down the grief she felt on his behalf. She knew it would've crushed him to lose his business. But exposing himself and the rest of the vampires was far more disturbing and dangerous. They'd been lucky. She hadn't truly realized that she could've lost her husband, her son, and her friends. Holding in her own tears, she whispered, "It's okay, sugar. It's over now. You're safe, and you're not going to lose anything. We're okay. I'll always be here for you. I promise."

Anton's tears stopped after a few minutes, but he stayed pressed against her neck. Eventually he lifted his head and kissed her lightly. "Thank you, my dear." He caught her hand and held it to his cheek when she tried to wipe away the tear tracks. It had felt good to finally let it out and be comforted. "I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner to celebrate the good news. I know a nice Italian place down the street."

Bryn nodded, sweeping her thumbs under his eyes. "That sounds nice." She wasn't about to let him brush her off so quickly, though. "Are you sure you're okay? I don't want you to hold things back from me like that. Or if you don't want to tell me, tell someone. It's not good for you to worry so much." She tried to lighten the mood. "You'll end up like me."

Anton gave her a weak smile. He shouldn't have held something so important back from her. She had the right to know the risks they were taking. "I'm sorry, my dear. I'll not hold anything back from you any more." He kissed her forehead. "Please forgive me."

"I know you like to protect me, and I appreciate that. But I do want to know when you're hurting...you never know if I might be able to help." Kissing his forehead in return, she said, "I'll always forgive you." Slipping off his lap, she reached for his hand. "I should go tell Mr. Steel that we're leaving. Would you like to meet him?"

"Certainly." Anton let her slip off his lap and then stood up. He was curious about the man who hired Bryn. Walking over to the office door, he opened it. "After you, my dear." Grabbing her hand as she passed, he allowed himself to be be tugged down the hallway towards the office door.

Bryn swallowed heavily, but smiled as he settled his hand on her back. As foreign as this place felt to her, she didn't worry now that he was here. Anton had a way of always making her feel at ease. As she lead the way down the hallway, she gave polite smiles to a few of the other employees. Knocking on Justin Steel's open door, Bryn waited until he met her gaze. "Hi. If you're not busy, I'd like to introduce you to my husband before we go to dinner."

Although he paused, his gaze flickering to Anton, Mr. Steel nodded and stood up. He walked around his desk to greet them.

"Mr. Steel, this is my husband, Anton Rudenko." She looked back at Anton, beaming. "And Anton, this is Justin Steel, the owner of Nepenthe."

Anton and Justin offered each other their hands almost simultaneously. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rudenko."

"And you, Mr. Steel," Anton said giving him a firm handshake. "Bryn has been telling me how much she enjoys working here."

Although her gaze slid to his, Bryn stifled the urge to giggle.

"And we enjoy having her here. I've never seen anyone take to this job so quickly. Your wife is a talented woman."

Bryn's smile grew wider. "Thank you, very much. I should wait until we're officially open for business to make my own assessment, though." Trying to calm down a bit, she took a deep breath. "Anton was just admiring my office. I'm sure he could give you a correct estimate on the age of every antique piece we have here. You should see our home some time...it's almost a museum!" She bit her lip, realizing she'd pretty much invited the man over to their house. But instead of making a fool out of herself by calling attention to it, she wisely kept her mouth shut.

Justin smiled. "I may have to avail myself on your services sometime, Mr. Rudenko. Most of the artwork we deal with is modern, but there are the occasional older pieces that pass through our hands."

"Of course," Anton said. "Please do not hesitate to call." There was something about this man that was nagging at the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite place it. Perhaps it was a twinge of jealousy because a handsome man was complimenting his wife. "If you will excuse us, I was going to take Bryn out to dinner now."

"Of course," Justin said. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rudenko."

"Likewise," Anton said as he and Bryn turned to go.

Bryn smiled back at her boss. "I should be back within the hour."

"Take your time."

Lacing her fingers with Anton's, Bryn let him lead her out of the office and down the hall. She waited until they'd walked through the gallery and were outside before saying, "Well, what do you think? I'm still a little uncomfortable around him. I have no clue whether he wants me to call him Justin or Mr. Steel, so I'm sticking to formalities for now. He actually hasn't been around very much...I see him about half of the time I'm there. One of the other girls, McKenna, says he doesn't come in during the day at all, so I'm not really sure what he does. Maybe he's still working out the financing. Anyway, he seems nice, but he doesn't really talk a lot. It was nice to get to show you off for a change, instead of you introducing me to everyone." She paused to look up at him. "Well, what do you think?"

Anton grinned at her. "He does seem impressed by your work, my dear." His hand slipped from hers to circle around her waist. "But you said that someone said that he's not in during the day? Interesting." He guided her out of the the building and down the sidewalk. "And you do have a beautiful place to work." He didn't know if she'd be comfortable with his next question, since last night she had called her works doodles. But he wanted to know. "Has there been any discussion about putting your artwork up for sale?"

She nodded. "He wants me to go through my stuff this weekend and see what I'd like to bring in. About four or five pieces for now, but more if they get a lot of attention--which he thinks they will. Let's hope he's right, because just the thought makes me nervous." She hugged his waist with her left arm, breathing in his scent. "I do like it there, I guess, but I miss Max so much and can't wait to see him when I get home. I really wish I could just take him to work with me, but I don't think that would ever fly." Glancing left and right at a crosswalk, she was quiet for about a second until they started to cross the street. "I feel a bit better today. Do you think last night was just some big anxiety attack because of what's been happening lately, or am I really losing it?"

"I think it might have been brought on by stress, my dear." They passed by some late night tourists heading towards the downtown section where the clubs were. "But it doesn't mean that it's an issue that we can ignore." He paused before the entrance of the restaurant so he could look into her eyes. "I want you to be happy, Bryn. I want you to be secure in yourself. But most importantly, I want you to love yourself just as much as I do. And I will help you to do so in whatever way I can."

She pressed her lips together, her eyes feeling large and oddly vulnerable. "Thank you. I'm sorry if I've been difficult lately. There are just so many changes happening at once, and it's really overwhelming." Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her forehead to his chest. "I'm so lucky to have you. You keep me grounded. And I know I should probably have more counseling soon, but I wanted you to know that you have a large effect on me, too." Looking at him, she took a deep breath. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me."

The sarcastic part of him wanted to say if a vampire was the best thing that ever happened to her, she needed more help than he could give. It wasn't an insult towards her, but a somewhat wry sense of humor coming into play. He bit his tongue, not sure she'd understand the joke. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, my dear. You always have been, and you always will be." He bent down and brushed his lips across hers before kissing her deeply.

Humming with pleasure, Bryn stood up on her toes to return his affection. She wished they could go home and enjoy each other, instead of staying in the city for the rest of her shift. But she kept the idea to herself, choosing to enjoy the moment instead. Enjoying the way he squeezed her even tighter. Smiling up at him, she said, "Let's go eat. I want some tiramisu."

"If it is tiramisu you want, then tiramisu you shall have." Anton opened the door, with a flourish and a half bow. "After you, my dear."

Nate sank down on the couch, his body going limp, total exhaustion making his eyelids droop. It was tiring enough to care for Liam on most days, but having Max there as well made him understand why some housewives went mad. The baby had cried for hours after Anton dropped him off. He'd debated calling his brother back and telling him to pick up his son, but he decided to stick it out. Whenever he finally got the boy to fall asleep, Liam would wake him again with his loud antics. Finally, the were both asleep, and there was peace and quiet in the house. Closing his eyes, Nate turned up the volume on the baby monitor and decided to catch a small nap himself.

And he was just about asleep...when Lindy walked in the door. Jumping in surprise, Nate gave her a groggy stare. "Why are you home so early?"

"You don't have to sound so disappointed."

"Sorry, I'm just confused." He pushed himself off the couch, walked over to where she stood, and waited until she'd put away her coat to hug her hello. "You don't have to go back?"

She shook her head, sighing. "I took the rest of the night off. I thought maybe you could cheer me up."

He kissed her softly, holding her close. "What's the matter, baby? C'mon, let's go sit down."

Lindy went over to the couch, not straying from Nate's arms. She plopped down with a sigh when she hit the cushions. "We had a meeting with the detectives at work. They've cleared the business, as well as me and Anton from any personal involvement."

"That's great news, baby!"

"But," Lindy continued, "they haven't ruled out an individual working there. So they suggested that we perform background checks on all the employees. Anton's told Alex to go ahead and get started." She sighed again. "He could have just let Vandala do it instead of getting the employees riled up about us invading their privacy."

Settling down next to her, he turned towards the length of the couch, lifted her legs, and settled his on the cushions. Lying down, he pulled her down with him. Rubbing her back. "Don't you think they're suspicious of each other at this point? If I were one of the employees, I'd feel a hell of a lot safer if the person were caught and gotten rid of. No matter what I had to do to make that happen. A little privacy invasion is a lot more tolerable than going to jail for someone else's mistakes."

She leaned her head back against the couch. "So would I. But unless this is handled just right, there's going to be a lot of bad feeling at work. Besides, Alex said Vandala's probably already run background checks, so I don't see why we have to do it again."

"You told me you don't even trust Vandala...maybe Anton doesn't, either. Look, unless you want to start a big fight with Anton--which could last for years, knowing him--there's nothing you can do about it, so you might as well let it go. There's no point in letting it stress you out like this."

Lindy let out a loud sigh. "I guess you're right. It just seems so unnecessary though. And what if everyone's wrong and an employee isn't involved?" She reached over and stroked the back of her fingers over his cheek. "I'm sorry Nate. I didn't mean to come home and dump all over you. How was your day?"

He groaned, his head thumping on the arm of the couch. "I'd rather talk about your day."

"Why? Was Liam a menace?"

"That's kind of a given these days. Then there's Max, who has done more crying than anything else here. He just got to sleep again, and blessedly Liam was already asleep, so I think we've got at least twenty minutes of silence...unless we're too loud. Wanna help me make dinner?"

"Sure," she said, standing up and offering Nate her hand. As she pulled him to his feet, Lindy heard a knock at the door. "How about you go make dinner and I'll answer the door?" She kissed Nate on the cheek and then walked over to the front door and opened it. "Bryn? It's so good to see you! Welcome home!"

Bryn gave her a small smile. "Thank you." She was certainly more subdued than usual. She stepped into the foyer and was immediately pulled into Lindy's embrace. And although she remained a bit stiff at first, she soon relaxed and hugged the other woman in return. "I'm here to pick up Max. I hope he wasn't too much trouble today. He's going through his fearful stage...won't let anyone but me and Anton hold him."

"Nate was just telling me that he was crying a lot today. Not that Liam was a perfect angel either." She led Bryn into the hall and towards the stairway. "I want to apologize that I haven't seen you sooner. The same night you came back I had a counseling session. Ended up discussing a dream that was really a repressed memory. I just wasn't up to seeing anyone then."

Worried about Max crying all day, Bryn almost didn't hear Lindy's words. Turning her head, she frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. And I wouldn't have expected you to come over that day, anyway. I needed to wind down and spent time with Anton. I've felt so bad about not being here during the investigation." She swallowed, readjusting her purse on her shoulder as they climbed the stairs. "I think that fiasco would be tiring enough--I can't imagine having to deal with a repressed memory, too. Are you all right?"

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," Lindy said. She pushed open the half closed door to their bedroom. "I found out that what I thought about my mother wasn't true. Not Jess, but my biological mother, I mean," she explained. "She tried to save me, but was killed by the werewolf who took me. It was a lot of emotions to sort through." She looked at Max sleeping and smiled. "So did Anton tell you the good news?"

Bryn walked over and carefully sat down on the bed, lightly stroking Max's back. He slept on, fist curled by his mouth, snuggled up like a bug under his flannel blanket. Looking up at Lindy, she said, "Yes, he did. It's wonderful news." She tried to form a smile, but remembered Anton's emotions. Not to mention that she was still stuck on what Lindy had said. "She tried to save you? I thought you couldn't even remember who she was? That you thought she gave you away."

"I couldn't consciously remember anything about her, and my abuser just told me that she traded me for a fix of drugs. But I did remember her, in my dreams." She sat down near Bryn and swallowed. It was still tough for her to talk about. "I don't know her name or anything like that, but I know she tried to stop him when he broke into our apartment, and she was killed." Lindy looked down at her clasped hands. "And all this time I blamed her for giving me up."

"Weren't you, like, four years old? I don't remember anything from being four. I really don't think you could be expected to remember if she was a good mother or not--especially after being traumatized like you were. That guy was a dick to the millionth degree, he had you brainwashed--and you knew you'd get in trouble if you didn't do something he said. So why wouldn't you believe what he told you? If you ask me, you're lucky he didn't try to convince you he was your father."

Lindy shivered at that thought. "You're right. I just feel stupid for not having figured that out myself." She smiled at Bryn. "Thanks for reminding me of that. I tend to forget it and blame myself." She wanted to change the subject before she got depressed. "So how's the new job going?"

Bryn sighed, looking down at Max. "I really like it there...but I don't like what it's doing to Max. If I had known that he was crying all day, I would've come straight home." Unable to stand it anymore, she slid her purse to the floor and picked up her son. Although he squirmed a bit and opened his eyes, he quickly grew groggy again as he settled against her shoulder, wrapping his fingers around the strap on her dress. She kissed him on top of his silky hair. "I wish there was some way I could take him with me. I really like being around all of that art, and most of the artists. Plus, my boss said I'll be able to show my own paintings there. But I worry that maybe this is too soon. I don't want to miss any important moments with my son."

Lindy shrugged her shoulders. "I know what you mean, Bryn. I love my job, but sometimes it's hard to come home and hear Nate talking about the little things Liam's done. But then it's also hard to be cooped up here all day too, as much as I love my son and husband. I guess the key is finding a balance, which I'm not sure I have done yet."

"I wish I could ask Mr. Steel for some kind of day care at the gallery, but I don't think he'd go for it. Besides, I've asked for a lot already. I guess things will probably settle down when the gallery is actually open, so I don't have to stay longer than I'm supposed to." Looking down, she realized that Max hadn't fallen back to sleep after all. Her voice immediately becoming more animated, Bryn said, "Hi there, sweet pea!" She grinned when he looked up at her. "I was beginning to think you were ignoring me. But I'm sure glad you're not. I've missed you so much, Maxim. I thought about you all day long."

Lindy smiled at her. "I guess you and Max should be getting home." She reached over and squeezed Bryn's hand. "Do you want to get together for lunch later on this week? I don't want to interfere with your work, but I would like to check out the gallery."

"Oh. Okay." She thought about telling Lindy that she could see the gallery any time she wanted, and didn't need to wait until she was working there, but she didn't. "I guess Thursday would be best. Would you mind Anton coming along, or did you want it to be just us?"

"I was thinking it could be just you and me. Sort of a girls night out." Lindy reached over and patted Max on the back. "I could bring along Liam and Max so you could see them for a while if you like."

Bryn looked up to meet her gaze at that offer, almost as if she were a small child who'd just been offered candy. "That would be really nice. Thank you." Giving Max a small squeeze, Bryn hefted him higher on her chest as she reached for her purse and stood. "I should go. I think I'm going to make something nice for dessert. We technically already had dinner, but I'm still hungry." Grabbing Max's diaper bag, she slung it over her shoulder and picked up the carrier. She was starting to feel like a hotel porter.

"Please tell Nate that I really appreciate him taking care of Max. Hopefully he won't have to do that too many times. Max tolerates being with your mom at this point, because she seems to know exactly what he's upset about." Meeting Lindy's gaze, Bryn said, "I hope her car is okay now. It was just an oil change, right?"

"Yeah. It just took the mechanic a lot longer than she thought it would." Looked looked at Max. "I think he only wants to be around you and Anton. He's stubborn, just like his daddy."

Bryn managed a small smile, albeit a very brief one. "He's gotten much better at not being so stubborn all the time. I don't really mind it so much, most of the time, but at least he's trying. I think my husband and the Anton you know are two very different people. You'd be surprised. He constantly takes my breath away, without even trying...and no I don't mean that in any sort of sexual way. He's..." She couldn't help the emotion in her voice. "He's a very, very special man."

Lindy nodded. "I understand. I feel the same way about Nate. I know a lot of people look at him and see a spoiled brat, or an immature immortal, but when I look at him, I see a wonderful father and husband. Someone I feel blessed to have in my life." She looked over at Max who was waving his fists, trying to get his mother's attention. "I guess you better get this little love bug home and fed," she said, rubbing Max's tummy.

Bryn nodded, kissing his forehead. "He's probably starving. He hates formula." Carefully navigating the stairs, she moved slowly until she reached the foyer. Then she paused so Lindy could open the door for her. "I guess I'll see you Thursday, then. Good night, Lindy."

"Good night, Bryn." She closed the door after her friend and then went off in search of Nate. Seeing him frying some hamburger for the spaghetti sauce that was boiling, she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Have I mentioned how much I love you lately?"

Nate considered it for a moment, his head tilted to the side. "Nope. I think the last time was," he paused, looking at his watch, "five hours, twelve minutes, and, oh...about forty-eight seconds ago. Not nearly lately in my book, in fact I'm long over due."

"Shame on me," Lindy said. "I love you very, very much, Nathaniel Adrik. And I don't want you to ever forget it."

When she walked into his office, her clothing was more casual--a black t-shirt and matching jeans. But she still managed to look classy and professional. Her hair was once held back in a ponytail, hanging straight as a razor down her back. She didn't wear very much make-up, but she didn't need to. A little gloss on her lips accented the beauty she already possessed. Arms behind her back in a military-like pose, she stood before Anton's desk and waited to be acknowledged.

"Vandala, please have a seat."

"I would prefer to stand, if you don't mind, sir."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "All right. What do you have...to report?" The words sounded awkward coming out of his mouth, as if he were addressing a junior officer. But in a way, he supposed he was.

"After my initial investigation, I was able to isolate three unusual discrepancies in your employees' records. I placed each of the individuals under surveillance while at the warehouse, and later followed up with a brief--but unnoticed--visit to each of their homes. I have since ruled out one of the suspects. The other two, however, are almost certainly plants infiltrating your business and sent to spy on you. I am not completely certain which, if either of them, is responsible for the drug trafficking in your recent shipment."

That wasn't the news Anton wanted to hear. "So there may still be unknown agents out there involved. Or are you of the opinion that Natasha was not involved in this drug incident and the delivery is just a coincidence?"

"I would prefer not to answer one way or the other, sir."

"I understand. What is your recommendation at this point? To fire these two individuals and potentially tip our hand, or to let them continue working under covert observation?"

"Allowing the individuals to remain would mean risking additional sabotage, putting not only your company and reputation but your very existence in danger. On the other hand, letting these employees go may cause panic and loss of confidence in your remaining staff. The decision is yours, sir, but my own recommendation would be to weed out the offenders before a more devastating loss can occur."

Anton nodded. That had been his thoughts as well, and it only confirmed his decision when he heard her speak. The details of how it would be handled would be decided when he heard who the people were. "And who are the employees in question? And I'm assuming you have evidence?"

When she finally removed her hands from behind her back, he saw that she was holding two employee files, each one with various notes attached to the front by a large clip. "The evidence is not entirely conclusive at this point, but strong enough to warrant your attention. Before considering further action, questioning both of these individuals might set your mind at ease."

With that, she set the folders down in front of him. He wasn't exactly surprised to George's name written there. The second individual, however, left him breathless. He found himself staring, breathless, at the employee file of someone he'd always trusted.

Chandra Bailey.

"Chandra? My best friend's ex-girlfriend?" Anton shook his head in denial. "I've known her for years. She'd never do something like this." He picked up the folder and started reading the notes. "Why? Why would she do something like this?"

"I can only tell you that it appears her involvement is fairly recent. Within the past two months. She was already working for you before her activity began. It could be that she was approached by someone whose offer was too enticing to resist." She cleared her throat, unable to keep from feeling sympathetic towards him. "In any case, she has been close to you for a long while. She lives one house over, and may be a threat to your wife and child. The implications of her involvement may be far more serious than you can imagine."

"Yes, yes, of course," he said with an air of resignation. Now what was he to do? Confront her directly? Speak to the werewolves? He had to come up with a plan quickly. "Have you told Alex yet? And are George and Chandra aware of each other?"

"No, to both questions. I wanted to come to you first, because of the gravity of the situation. If you wish, I could speak to Alex tomorrow. Or you may do so yourself. I don't think he suspects her himself...or at least he hasn't told me as much."

"I see." It made a sick sense in a way for someone so close to home to be her spy. There had been servants of his in the past he had discovered were in her employ, and had been dealt with. But this time it was different. This time there was Mack to consider. "I will discuss this with Alex. Continue to observe them for the moment. I will inform you when I am ready to make a move."

"Of course." Vandala turned to go, taking brisk steps towards the door. She stopped just inside the room. "For what it's worth, sir, I'm sorry it had to come to this. My delay in revealing the suspects came as a result of my hoping she wasn't truly involved. You have my deepest sympathy."

Anton nodded, not paying particular attention to when Vandala left the room. Instead he stared down blankly at the folders. He'd deal with George soon enough. Or possibly not fire him at all, but use him for disinformation. Chandra was another matter entirely though. His mind was swimming with questions. [How am I going to tell Mac? Why didn't the werewolves pick up on something wrong sooner? How am I going to confront her? And most importantly how am I keep Bryn and Max safe?]

Sabryn was lounging lazily on the couch when she heard the garage door begin to rise. Pulling the blanket to the side, she cast a quick glance at Max to make sure he was still sleeping. Standing, she padded across the floor with bare feet, and headed for the hallway. She'd felt decadent and shameless ever since she'd put Max to sleep and quietly headed upstairs--shedding her dress and undergarments. Now as she stood there naked, her hair loose around her shoulders, she was decidedly aroused. Warm air coursed through the house but she had goose bumps on her flesh, and her nipples were as hard as rocks. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he walked in the door.

Anton had spent most of the evening in a pensive mood since he spoke with Vandala. His mind worried the problem of Chandra and George like a terrier worrying a rat. Deciding he needed to discuss the situation with Bryn before making a move, he got out of the car and walked towards the door to the house. He just had to figure out a way to broach the subject without frightening her.

When he opened the door and saw how she had chosen to greet him, his jaw dropped. He looked her up and down appreciatively. "How do you know just what I need to see without me even saying a word, my dear?" he said as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

She smiled against his mouth, then lifted up on her toes to kiss him more fully. Wrapping her arms around him, she slid her hands down to squeeze his ass and press herself tighter against him. "I thought this...was what you...always needed to see?" Keeping one hand on his ass, she reached up to begin unbuttoning his shirt, caressing the smooth skin she uncovered, teasing his left nipple with her fingers.

Anton purred under her touch. "But I especially do tonight. Shhh..." He covered her mouth with his fingers when she started to ask why. "I'll tell you afterwards," he said, stroking her lips. "Right now, I just want you."

She opened her mouth and licked his fingers, grabbing his wrist as she sucked the digits into her mouth. Still unbuttoning his shirt, she lightly stroked his stomach, giggling softly around his fingers as he flinched away from the ticklish touch. Moving her mouth up and down on his fingers, she watched his expression as she actively sucked him. As soon as his shirt was hanging open, she grabbed the waist of his slacks and pulled him with her towards the living room.

Anton followed willingly, his free hand slipping down to cup her ass. Once in the living room, he started nudging her with his hips, guiding her not towards the couch, but against one of the walls. Pushing her against the wall, he pinned her and started kissing her mouth as he cupped her breast, squeezing the soft flesh.

A heavy shiver ran through her as she was pinned to the wall. She whimpered, gripping his shirt tightly as he kissed her, quickly unfastening his slacks, before pushing her hand inside. Gripping him through the silk of his boxers, she gently stroked his hard cock back and forth, delighting in the moment when his hips began moving in response. "Want you...mmm."

"Want you toooo..." he moaned. He had meant to draw this out, to make this a teasing session, but his need was too great. Pushing her hand away, he shoved his slacks and boxers down until they puddled around his ankles. Grabbing her waist, he lifted her up and stabbed is cock inside her hot, wet sex. "Yeahhh..."

She let out a loud cry, gripping his shoulders, and squirmed to adjust to his abrupt invasion. Her weight slid her down the entire length of his cock, and she squeezed it convulsively as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She was shaking as she laid her chin on his shoulder, overcome with excitement, but as she gripped his shoulders from behind, she didn't waste a second in starting to move. Rocking her hips, she shifted him continuously inside her. Mouth open, she bit his shoulder to anchor herself.

"Ahhh!" He hadn't expected to be bitten, but he wasn't objecting. His hips pumped into her sex eagerly, slamming her harder against the wall. "God, Bryn. You're so beautiful..." She felt hot and tight around his cock. "So sexy," he purred when she tightened around him. He dipped his head slightly so he could lap at the small scar on her neck.

She released his shoulder and tilted her head to the side, allowing him as much room as possible. She began tightening her sex every time he pushed inside her, making him work for it. "Uhh uh umm...you feel so good. Daydreams never compare...to the real thing."

His eyes shut in concentration, feeling her tighten on him. This was just what he needed. Raw sex to reassure him that she was there. There would be time for tenderness and comforting later on, after he told her. But right now there was nothing but the sticky slap of flesh pressing together. Moaning, he reached down between her legs and started rubbing her clit in rapid circles.

Bryn squealed, moving her hips, trying to get away from the intense touch, but his fingers followed her every move. Between his slick finger and the rapid thrusting of his hips, she couldn't make herself last any longer. Throwing her head back, she cried out as she started to spasm around his cock. Hips still moving, she squeezed his cock tightly, rippling along the length of him.

His hand tightened on her ass strong enough to leave a bruise. He let out an almost pained grunt as he exploded inside her sex. Anton kept his hips moving, riding out his and her orgasms, trying to wring that last bit of pleasure out for both of them.

Eventually his hips stopped moving, but he didn't back away from the wall. He kept her pinned there, resting his forehead against hers, catching his breath. All his worries seemed far away at the moment as he stood there, just enjoying being with his wife.

Panting, she gave him a few more gentle squeezes. She didn't want it to be over so fast. Given how wet she was, she wasn't surprised when he slipped out of her. But she couldn't help moving her hips, wanting more. After a minute or so, she stopped her restless movements and lay limply against him. "I should greet you this way every day."

"Yes you should," he said with a grin. "Although it would make for interesting conversation when I bring guests home." He hugged her tight against body. He needed to feel her against him, to be reassured that she was all right and safe.

Bryn let out a soft giggle and pressed her lips to his forehead. "I loved that look on your face when you walked in the door. That expression always make me melt." She pulled back a bit and kissed the bridge of his nose. "Though, it isn't always sexual. Sometimes you look at me like I'm a priceless Roman antiquity." Caressing his cheek, she tilted his head up and kissed his mouth. Sucking lightly on his lower lip. "Mmm...and then there's the way you're looking at me now--like you have several times tonight--which clearly tells me that you're haunted by something. And it's not one of those benevolent ghosts." Swallowing, she looked him squarely in the eye. "So are you going to tell me what's been bugging you, long before you even walked in the door?"

"Yes," Anton said, returning her look with one of his own. "I had decided to tell you when I came home. I just got distracted," he added with a smirk. But he quickly grew serious again. Shifting his weight slightly, he lowered her legs to the floor. "There is something we need to discuss. Something serious," he said, toeing off his shoes and kicking his slacks and boxers off his legs.

She didn't like the sound of that at all. The two worst things she could think of, that he would need to talk to her about, he'd said he would never do. So at least she felt marginally better. Still, there were a million other worries and it was hard to pin down just one. "Okay...did you want to sit on the couch, or go upstairs and get into bed?"

Anton gently stroked her hair. "Let's go upstairs. And let's bring Max too if he's awake. I want you both with me." He wanted to see, to touch his son, to know that he was okay. Arm around her waist, he guided her towards the playcrib.

Although he was still sleeping, Bryn reached down and picked up Max anyway, his blanket tucked around him, and handed him over to Anton. Grunting softly, waved his fist once before slumping against his daddy's chest and falling back to sleep. Bryn couldn't help but smile. "I think he was threatening you to let him sleep."

Stepping towards the stairs, she waited for him to follow.

He followed Bryn and quickly caught up with her by the time they had reached the upstairs landing. Side by side, they walked to the bedroom. He pressed his lips to Max's forehead as Bryn turned down the bed and slipped between the sheets. He sat on the bed and swung his legs under the blankets that Bryn held up for him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He finally decided that there was no way to sugarcoat the news. "Vandala gave me the names of two employees who are most likely working for Natasha."

Bryn looked up at him, eyes wide. "Who?"

"George and...Chandra."

She sat up straight in bed, twisting to face him. "You're serious? And she has proof?"

"Not concrete proof...but I doubt Chandra was calling Natasha for baking tips."

Shellshocked, Bryn stared at him for a minute. Then she abruptly threw the sheets to the side and bolted out of bed. Heading for the closet to hurriedly get dressed.

"Bryn, wait!" He started to get out of bed, still holding a sleeping Max. "I know you want to go over there and beat the hell out of her. I'm still considering doing that myself. But I don't want to risk something happening to you or Max. And we need to do this carefully."

She was about to yell at him that she could hold her own in fight, thank you very much...but she suddenly realized this was a werewolf she was talking about, and her last encounter with one of those hadn't been at all victorious. Standing in the middle of the room, nostrils flaring, she let out a heavy sigh. "Then just what the hell are we supposed to do? Because I don't imagine anything *careful* in shooting her repeatedly with silver bullets!"

"Don't you think I want to drain her dry? Suck the life out of her?" Anton looked down when Max made a whimpering noise, and he rocked the baby against his chest. "I'll keep the silver bullets as an option, but I want to talk to the other werewolves first. See how much of a physical threat she is when we confront her. And, yes Bryn, we will be confronting her together."

Bryn deflated a bit, wiping a hand over her face. Staring at him for a moment, she wandered back to the bed and crawled under the covers, reaching for him. Tugging him closer, she nestled against him once more. "I just don't believe this. I mean, I never was exactly close friends with her, but I thought I knew her better than this. I can't even imagine what you must thinking."

"I don't know what to do, Bryn." He gently started to stroke her hair. "I don't know how to tell Mack. I'm not exactly sure how to confront Chandra. And I don't want to risk you or Max getting hurt." His voice hardened. "But like hell I'm going to stand by and let her get away with it."

"Don't worry about me and Max. I'll take care of that. You just concentrate on getting her the hell out of here. God, I wish I could--" She sighed heavily, trying to calm herself down. Turning slightly to face him, she settled her hand on his stomach. "I'm sorry, Anton. It was bad enough that you had to worry about losing your business all this time, but this. She has got one hell of a lot of nerve...and she better pray she doesn't need to come over here for a cup of sugar!"

"I second that emotion, my dear." He leaned forward to kiss Bryn on the forehead. "The only thing I don't understand is that Jess mentioned that Chandra was talking about moving to Boston again. If she's spying on us, what does that gain her?"

Bryn shrugged, still scowling. "Maybe she's at least smart enough to know that we're all going to want to kill her! Although, if she were smarter, she'd go somewhere else...like Nairobi or Peru. Somewhere we'd never even think to look for her. Like Natasha did."

"Except that Natasha is supposed to be under Lilith's observation." Anton sighed. "I want to talk to Alex before we make any moves. I don't want to have to deal with the pack unwittingly coming to her defense." He frowned, snuggling closer to Bryn. "And I'm curious why none of them picked up on this earlier."

She scooted closer as well, resting her cheek against his shoulder and tucking the blankets up high around them. Looking at Max, nestled on Anton's chest and oblivious to the drama around him, she felt another irrational surge all of anger. All of this time, Chandra had been so close to their son. *Natasha* had been so close to their son...without them even suspecting a thing. There was no telling what she'd could've accomplished, given a little more time. "Lilith has to know about this. If she doesn't already, I'd be very glad to tell her myself. She said the next time Natasha made a move, it would be the end. And I can't wait to see that bitch impaled."

Anton nodded. "The only thing more satisfying than watching Lilith perform the execution would be doing it myself." He looked over at the phone. "I'm sure that Vandala is making reports to her directly." He didn't mention that she was probably making reports about him, Bryn, and Max too. "But do you want to call her now?"

She hesitated, not exactly thrilled about talking to Lilith. The empress, with her youthful beauty, reminded her of spoiled teenager. It was only her cultured speech that reminded Bryn she was almost older than the dinosaurs. Still, with Natasha looming so close, through Chandra's guise, she wasn't taking any chances. "Yes. Call her. Let's get it over with. And I don't care who she is, we're bitching her out for not knowing what Natasha's been doing!"

Anton picked up the phone, and hesitated. He wouldn't put it past Natasha to have Chandra place a wiretap on their phones. If he called, he'd be tipping Natasha off that he was aware of her activities. "No," he said, putting the phone back down. "I don't trust that our calls aren't being eavesdropped on. We'll let Vandala report first and find out if she's aware of any monitoring going on."

Bryn sank further down the bed, pulling the covers over her head. Her voice muffled, she said, "I can't believe this! Now we have to worry about our phones? What's to say she's not watching us when we have sex? There could be a camera under here with me for all we know." She paused, actually lifting the sheets to look around before diving under them again. Burrowing for cover. "I hate her. I rue the day you ever met Natasha. And I hope one day she meets a disease that can affect even vampires, something nasty like Ebola or Marburg, and she dies a disgusting, gooey, painful death! And a permanent one this time!"

Anton sat and thought for a moment. "The hell with it," he growled. He picked up the phone and wrapped an arm around Bryn to reassure her.

Bryn peeked out from under the covers. "What are you doing?"

Anton held up one finger as the phone rang. "Alex? It's Anton. Would you, Jess and Walter mind coming over?" He listened for a moment. "Yes, I know it's late, but it's important. Okay. See you in five minutes." He hung up the phone and then peeked under the covers. "They're on their way. I guess we should get dressed."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "I don't know how you're going to tell them. She's practically family to them, now. Manda looks up to her. It's going to be very difficult." Crawling out from under the blankets, she flopped on her pillow. "Are you sure it wouldn't be better to confront Chandra on our own? Maybe scare her off, so Jess and the others never really know why she left?"

"You think they wouldn't ask us if we knew why? And then smell the lie on us?" Anton shook his head as he stood up. "We need to tell them." He walked over to the dresser and grabbed a pair of sweats for both of them. He tossed one set in Bryn's direction. "I think we should talk to them, show them Vandala's evidence, before we talk to Nate and Lindy."

Bryn made a face as she pulled his long sweatpants over her bare legs. Yards of fabric later, she tugged the cuffs over her feet. She'd been hoping they could spend the rest of the night alone together, but he was right. The werewolves needed to know what was happening right under their noses. "Wouldn't you think they would have suspected something? If their senses are so keen, why were they fooled right along with the rest of us?" Braless, she pulled on the oversized sweatshirt as well. "It makes me wonder if we're not making a mistake. I just can't see Chandra being so...evil."

"That's why I want to talk to them." Anton pulled on his shirt as well. He picked up Max in one arm and offered Bryn his hand. "Come on. Let's get downstairs and over with."

They walked downstairs hand in hand, reaching downstairs in time to hear the door from the tunnel shut. The three werewolves looked still half asleep. "So what did you call us over for, Anton?" Jess asked with a yawn.

Anton gave Max to Bryn before he handed the folder to Alex. "Vandala's found two spies for Natasha working for me. I need your opinion on how to handle one."

Settling down on the couch, Bryn laid Max against her chest and patted the spot next to her for Jess to sit down. The mother werewolf looked disheveled, and Bryn wrinkled her nose in sympathy. She'd probably been sleeping. By the way Walter yawned, it looked like he might've been, too. She wasn't so sure about Alex, though. She couldn't imagine the man ever slept.

The former spy sat down on the arm of the couch, looking first over George's file. He didn't look particularly surprised. Yet when he opened the second folder, his gaze flew to Anton's face immediately. "What is this?"

"Vandala's report," was Anton's even response. "My first reaction was disbelief also. She is...was my best friend's girlfriend."

"What?" Unceremoniously, Jess grabbed the report and started scanning over it, flipping over pages rapidly. She pause on one particular page. Something clicked into place from her expression "Oh God, I'm an idiot!"

"Jess?" Walter asked as she handed him the report.

"The other day I walked in on Chandra talking on the phone to someone. The moment she realized I was there, she hung up and smelled nervous. I thought she might have met someone and was feeling guilty about being caught. But it happens the same time as this," she stabbed her finger in the center of the page, "phone call."

Breathless, Bryn met Anton's gaze and frowned. He looked and most likely felt utterly betrayed. Her chest squeezed, and she wanted to so badly to hold him. Yet she felt he might not accept the comfort at the moment. Not with his focus elsewhere. Looking back to the others, she said, "We were wondering if you had seen or smelled anything. This is so out of nowhere. It scares me to think of what else might be going on unnoticed."

Jess looked sickened by the prospect as well. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think that..."

Walter nodded. "How do you want to handle this? And do Lindy and Nathaniel know?"

Anton shook his head. "I haven't told them yet. We don't want to tip off Chandra just yet. And I have no idea how I'm going to tell Mack." His voice hardened. "As for what I want to do, if it were up to me only, she would be dead for this."

"Anton..." Bryn said, softly, almost chidingly, "we don't even know what she's done." She saw him scowl at her, and hurried to explain herself. "I know I wanted to get rid of her just as much as you do, but think about it--all we really have proof of is that she's been in contact with the home where Natasha is staying. That doesn't mean for sure she was talking with Natasha. I'm sure Lilith has guards on the premises to make sure that bitch stays put. How do we know Chandra wasn't just checking up on her? Of course it sounds far more suspicious than that, but has she ever shown even the slightest bit of treachery before? No."

She knew he'd probably think she was nuts for defending the woman, but she couldn't help but hope for a simpler explanation. One that didn't make them all look like trusting idiots.

"She's right," Alex said. "All we know for certain is that she's been in contact with someone where Natasha is staying."

"Then we confront her tomorrow," Jess said. "If it's something completely innocent, we'll explain that she really needs to let us know."

"And if she's not innocent?" Walter asked.

"We deal with it." Anton answered.

His eyes were flaming. For once in a long time, the sight made Bryn a bit nervous. "When tomorrow?" She glanced at the clock. "She'll be headed to the warehouse for work in about six hours. I'm guessing that's the last place you want her to go."

"In five hours, then, before she goes," Anton said. "But first we need to talk to Lindy and Nathaniel." He sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "I wonder if I should talk to Mack first though."

Alex shrugged. "Depends. How do you think he'll take it?"

"That's what I'm not sure of."

"You may not want to tell him until you know for sure. Although, there's always the chance he might want to confront her himself. Which might or might not be a good idea--I don't think she'll stick around for long if this," he said, holding up the folder, "is true. I wouldn't let her if she tried."

"Agreed." Anton rubbed the sides of his nose, attempting to calm down. He felt the flicker die out of his eyes finally. "Tell her that I need to talk to her face to face before she goes to work. Bring her over here, but let's have Amanda babysit Max and Liam - we don't want them around in case this goes bad."

"Do you really think it will go bad?" Bryn asked.

It was Jess who answered. "She's a werewolf, Bryn. She may not like violence, but it is part of our animal nature. If her back's to a wall, no telling what she's capable of."

Bryn paled. She suddenly had the urge to get out of there, along with the children. She'd take Anton, too, if she thought he would go. But unlike her, he could defend himself in a violent situation. Against a werewolf--possibly a whole pack of them fighting, with a trio of vampires tossed in--she was mincemeat. Yet, if there were a choice between fleeing and supporting Anton, she'd stand her ground. She wasn't about to let him face this alone.

Anton slipped a hand into hers, sensing her unease as he stood next to her. Alex looked over at Jess sharply. "I don't think it will go that way. Not with all of us against her. That would be suicidal."

Walter nodded. "Let's go home and try to get some sleep. We'll come and get the kids about half an hour before Chandra shows up."

Anton nodded. "In a few hours then." He didn't bother to wish them a good rest as they got up to leave. Nobody would be sleeping before this confrontation.

Bryn stood up as they moved to leave, waving good-bye. She swallowed as they disappeared around the corner, turning back to face Anton. "I guess I should take Max up to his room. At least one of us should get some sleep tonight. I'll get his monitor and I'll be right back."

Anton gently stroked Max's back. "We left it in our bedroom, my dear. Let's at least head up there and lay down at least. I doubt we'll get any sleep either." Wrapping an arm around her waist, they both started upstairs.

Once in Max's room, Anton bent down to kiss his son goodnight before Bryn did the same. When she put him down and patted him one last time, Anton pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips to her forehead. "It's going to be okay, Bryn," he whispered.

She gave him a half-smile and hugged him. "I thought I was supposed to be saying that to you." Blinking up at him, she took a deep breath. "I didn't realize how angry you were. I mean, I felt really angry too, and I did say I wanted to kill her--but I never actually meant it. It scared me a little to hear you say that."

"Do I want to kill her? Yes," Anton said in a matter of fact tone. "Will I kill her?" He shrugged his shoulders. "When it comes down to it, I doubt I'll be able to, unless she threatens you." He kissed her lips lightly. "That doesn't mean I won't be very angry when we confront her."

Ducking her head slightly, Bryn pressed her cheek to his chest and took a deep breath. Sometimes listening to him talk of his bloodlust was oddly sexy. This wasn't one of those times. Grabbing his hand, she pulled him along behind her as she walked towards their bedroom. "I'm going to crawl beneath the covers, sweats and all. It's easier than having to get dressed again later. Besides, it's cold in here."

"Okay, my dear." He let her pull him to the bedroom and towards the bed. Stepping in front of her, he pulled back the covers. "After you, Bryn." When she laid down, he tucked her in under the comforter. Deciding it would be too hot for both, Anton stripped off his sweats and then crawled into bed beside her.

She settled into her usual space next to him, tucked under his arm with her head on his chest, thigh tossed over his, and arms around his waist. Although she wanted to comfort him, she couldn't think of what to say. Everything sounded cliched in her head. "What are you going to say to her? I mean...are you just going to come out and say it, or try to get her to implicate herself?"

"I don't know, Bryn. I just don't know." Anton sighed as he started caressing her side. "I don't know a way to get her to implicate herself. It looks like I'll have to just come out and say it. And I have no idea how I'm going to tell Mack about this."

"I don't think you should say a word until she's gone. If he reacts badly, there would be less chance of him doing something stupid." Rubbing her hand across his stomach, she looked up to meet his gaze. "I want you to do whatever you think is right, whether I like it or not. I'll support you in whatever decision you make. I just wish there was some way I could make this all go away for you."

Anton smiled down at her tenderly. "Thank you, my dear. I wish I could make this go away for you as well." He snuggled down so he could kiss her lightly. "Do you want to try to get some sleep, Bryn? The next few hours aren't going to be fun." He didn't mention that he didn't think he'd be able to get any sleep.

"Only if you try, too. And I don't just mean closing your eyes. You actually have to try to shut off that voice in your head and sleep." She poked him lightly in the ribs. "'Cause you know I sleep light, and if I feel you tossing around I'm gonna wake up and keep poking you just like this." She did it again. "Over and over again."

Anton arched an eyebrow. "Is that a fact? In that case, I shall have to make sure I'm comfortable." Moving too quickly for her to squirm away, he rolled over so she was pinned beneath him, wrists held back by his hands. She was soft as a feather mattress under him. He settled his head on her shoulder, forehead pressed against the side of her neck. "Now I could fall asleep like this, my dear."

Although she tried to look annoyed, it didn't work very well. Shaking her head, she pushed her legs out from beneath him and let him settle between her thighs. She was a bit more comfortable now, and certainly felt more secure. Finding the right position for her head, she closed her eyes. "If you aren't going to let go of my arms, it's going to be awfully hard to wrap them around you."

With a self-satisfied smirk, Anton let go of her wrists, wrapping his arms around her as she did the same. He kissed her neck lightly, rubbing his nose along her jaw. "This better, my dear?" he murmured against her skin.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Much...except that now I'm too hot with these sweats on. Any suggestions?"

Anton appeared to think about it for a few minutes. "We could always turn on the air conditioner."

Instead of laughing, she pushed her hands between them and started trying to shove him off of her. Using all of her strength. Yet with such an awkward position, and with his huge frame, she couldn't get any leverage. Groaning loudly, she gave it one last try before smacking his shoulder. "Get off me! You...you oaf!"

He could almost hear Brinley's voice when she called him an oaf. Anton chuckled and rolled off of her, just like she asked. But he held onto her, pulling her on top of him. Giving in to her earlier request, he started working her sweatshirt up and over her head.

Sitting up, Bryn grunted and struggled free of the inverted shirt. Hair disheveled, skin flushed, she locked her thighs around his hips and sat down firmly in front of his groin. "Ha! Now what are you going to, hot shot?" She grinned at him in triumph, crossing her arms. "You're stuck. I may not move all day."

"You make it sound like that's a bad thing, my dear." Anton stretched his arms above his head and then folded them to pillow his head. He knew what she was doing - trying to distract him from the upcoming confrontation. And he loved her for it. He wiggled a little from side to side, drawing attention to his groin. "Are you sure you don't want to move forward a few inches?"

"No, I'm quite comfortable, thank you. You, on the other hand, don't appear to be. I wonder if that will get better or worse?" Yawning, she stretched her own arms above her head, the action lifting her breasts and elongating her torso. With a gentle roll of her hips, she settled her hands on his chest, close together, deliberately squeezing her breasts between her arms. "I feel like I've just found my own six-foot, four-inch love toy."

His eyes stayed locked on her chest, his mouth suddenly dry. "Only because you have." He would let her do anything to him eagerly. He tried to push his legs up, to scoot her forward just a bit, but he couldn't get any leverage.

Trying to hide her smile, she let her head fall forward...which only brought her gaze in direct line with his growing cock. "You know, I always was a fickle little girl. Sometimes I'd play with a toy for months and then out of the blue I just wasn't interested anymore." Lifting her head, she stared into his eyes. "How am I supposed to know if this one is even worth my time? Only the really fun toys get my attention these days."

"You won't really know until you play with it a while," Anton said with a grin. "But I can promise that you will enjoy it." Stretching his hands above his head again, he grabbed onto the headboard. He wiggled slightly underneath her, spread out on display for her only.

"Is that so?" She reached down with one hand, circling the base of his cock with his thumb and forefinger. Merely holding him, she could feel him stiffen further in her grip. "Looks a little wobbly to me." Turning her head this way and that, she examined him closely. "Although it is awfully big. Thing is, I'm not so sure what I should do with it. Just how does one play with a toy like this?"

"However you want." He couldn't help but try to arch his hip underneath her. "I know your mother probably discouraged you from putting your toys in your mouth when you were a child, but *I* won't discourage you." He squirmed in her hands again. "In fact, I'll downright encourage you."

She couldn't help grinning at that. Lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, she said, "I never really did listen to my mom when she said that. I used to put my toys in my mouth all the time. And for the longest time she never knew...until the day she punished me for all of the bite marks."

"I see." Although he would heal quickly, Anton had no interest in being bitten there. "Are you sure you want to get teeth marks there, my dear? I have a feeling you'll want to be able to play with this toy for a long, long time."

[You haven't been modest a day in your life, have you?] Bryn thought. Leaning down, she settled her forearms on the bed and brought her mouth just centimeters from the head of his cock. When she spoke, the heat of her breath surrounded him and her lips grazed his skin. "Are you sure about that? I mean, what's in it for me? From where I'm sitting, it looks like the toy is going to be the only one having any fun."

"Well, if you sat forward a few inches, I could assure you that the toy wouldn't be the only one having fun." He squirmed one more time in his hand. He was fully erect now, and a bead of precum had formed at the reddened tip. He winked at her, trying to keep up the playful banter. "You'll never know until you try."

Bryn pretended to consider it for a while, lazily stroking her hand up the length of his cock and stopping just below the head. Then, casually, she scooted back a bit more and crawled off of his legs. Settling down next to him, on her back, she yawned again. "I would...but I'm getting pretty tired now, and I'm afraid I just lost interest."

Anton rolled over onto his side, and then eased himself onto her. "Oh I can assure you that you won't lose interest." His cock was quivering with eagerness to get inside of her. "Of course, you can let me do all the work if you're afraid of getting bored."

She fought to keep from wiggling beneath him and giving away her arousal. Although she wished the fabric between them was gone and he was thrusting powerfully inside her, she wasn't about to give in so easily. Swallowing, she stared up at him. "Well, if you really want to...but do you mind if I sleep through it? I'll try to keep from snoring."

"Please do," Anton said as he started to tug down her sweatpants. "Of course, to make sure I don't hear anything, I could always do this." He tossed away the pants and laid back down on her, pressing his lips to hers. He kissed her deeply, his tongue eagerly thrusting into her mouth much like his cock wanted to her sex.

"Mmmph!" She wanted to smack him. He always figured out a way to win, and it drove her crazy--in more ways than one. Dodging his tongue, she didn't let him provoke her. She didn't suck on him or lick him or explore his mouth in return. When it quickly became obvious that he wouldn't deterred by her lack of action, she did the only think he gave her as a choice.

She bit him.

Anton let out a yelp and pulled away, more surprised than hurt. He pulled back rapidly and sat up, hand coming to his mouth. It came away without a trace of blood, but it still had been a shock to him. "I don't believe you just did that, Bryn."

She hated that feeling--whenever she went over the line and did something stupid. When she felt ashamed of herself. Flushed red and unable to meet his gaze, she stared at his mouth instead. Although she was sure she hadn't drawn blood--his eyes would've fired already if he had--she knew it must've hurt. Now the game wasn't fun anymore. Quietly, she said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was a stupid thing to do."

"It's okay, my dear. I was more surprised that you did it. It wasn't something I was expecting." Anton gently stroked her face, trying to reassure her. "It didn't hurt, no damage done. It was just a surprise, that's all."

She sniffed, meeting his gaze. "I ruined it. We were having fun and I messed it up. I didn't--I wanted to feel like I'd won. No matter what the outcome was." She shook her head. "Now I just feel stupid."

"Bryn," he said softly, laying down beside her. "You did not mess it up. You've never bitten me before, so I was a bit surprised. And as for you winning," he glanced down at his groin. "You got me stone hard, despite my worries about this coming evening, and I still am. And you know me. When I'm this horny, I'll do anything you ask."

She turned and kissed him for that, a small sob of relief coming out of her mouth, so thankful for the way he loved her. No matter what she did, he always forgave her...and usually made her feel like an angel in the process. Holding on to him tightly, she caressed the side of his face as she worshipped his mouth. She wrapped her legs around him once again, pulling him on top of her. Wanting everything he had to give her.

Anton resumed kissing her without hesitation as he settled between her legs. His hands caressed her head, neck, and shoulders. She worried about being addicted to sex, but didn't seem to realize that he needed her just as badly. Like right now. Pushing upright, he guided her legs over his shoulders and then pushed his cock inside of her.

Shuddering heavily, she cried out as he filled her. His heat, size, and power drugged her, making her body writhe and quiver. She squeezed him tightly inside her, lifting her hips, pushing him as deeply inside her as she could. When he grabbed her hips and started to move, her mouth dropped open. "Mmm...you feel so good. I've wanted this since the last time we were lying in bed."

Anton grinned down at her, adding the little twist to his hips that he knew always drove her wild. "You feel wonderful, my dear. So hot...so wet... almost like a sauna." Scooping up her ass, he kept a slow and steady pace going, one which they could both enjoy for a while.

Whimpering, she watched him sliding in and out of her. It felt so good to be stretched by him, to have her sensitive tissues rubbed briskly and firmly. Her nipples and clit were almost painfully erect, begging to be touched. She enjoyed the way her whole body jolted with the impact of every thrust, how his hands clutched her ass. The familiarity of every sensation was never boring, and always addictive. Every drive of his hips made her want more and more.

Eyes closed to better concentrate on the sensations, he leaned forward, resting his weight on his right forearm. His free left hand began rubbing up and down the length of her torso, stopping to pluck at her nipples and then slipping down to rub at her clit. Back and forth it traveled, wishing he could feel her everywhere at once.

Tossing her head, Bryn groaned. There was no way she could've bent in half like that if he weren't on top of her. The pleasure/pain it produced was mind-numbing. Her sex contracted around him with every stroke of his fingers, her thighs quivering constantly.

Anton continued to stroke and thrust, intending to drive her to the heights of pleasure. "You are so beautiful, Bryn" He ducked his head down to kiss her neck and cheek. Groaning himself, he could feel his balls lifting tighter against his body. Determinedly, he stroked her clit in rapid circles, wanting her orgasm to push him over the edge.

Bryn squealed, her legs spreading wide until her calves slid off his shoulders and onto his forearms. She arched her back, trying to shove her hips closer. Moaning almost constantly, she braced her hands on the headboard above her, feeling her breasts bounce with every thrust, her body shaking with need. Tightening down on his cock, she slid a hand down to open her sex further, bringing his touches in firmer contact with her clit, until...

"Oh ohh! Anton!"

She was squeezing him so tight it was almost impossible to pull out of her. Arching as he pushed deeper, he let out a yell. "Sabryn!" His jaw fell slack and his whole body shook. Panting, he drew back slightly so he could sink against Bryn, body limply laying against hers. Softly he kissed her lips repeatedly. "Love you so much, Bryn."

Slowly lowering her legs down his body, she groaned, lazily meeting his kisses with her own. Panting softly, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "I love you, too." Exhausted, she let her head fall back to the pillow. "Mmm...I could definitely fall asleep now. I love sleeping this way. I don't even need any blankets."

He kissed her temple, lips lingering on her skin. "Go to sleep now, Bryn. Let's both get some rest" He snuggled against Bryn. "We'll need to let Nathaniel and Lindy know what is going on before we confront Chandra. They'll probably want to be involved."

Her eyes opened slowly and she let out a loud groan. "Did you have to mention her? The whole idea of this was to take our minds off of it for a while." She sighed. "Well, that settles it. We're just going to have to do it all over again."

Anton gave her a devilish grin. "What makes you think that wasn't part of my plan, my dear?"

End Chapter One Hundred Three