Chapter One Hundred Thirty-four November began somberly, much like the previous months, but an even more serious problem kept them from dwelling in depression for too long. Lilith's Imperial guard was nosing around Anton's business, checking his bank accounts for activity, and being a general thorn in their sides. Although the Nepenthe gallery had been closed in Justin's absence--or Justinius's absence--the place was constantly lit up to all hours of the night while the Imperial guard searched for clues to his disappearance. And to Bryn's as well. All of it was making Nate more than a little nervous...and he'd decided they needed to take a pro-active stance before it was too late. Lindy sighed heavily as she carried the coffee cups from the counter to their table. Because there was so much activity by the Imperial guard around their home, they had elected to meet with Anton's advocate at the Starbucks closest to their home. The advocate was supposed to speak for Anton in absentia, to stand before the Council and try to plead his case. Although Lindy thought it was all just a show. It was clear that Lilith had already made up her mind about Anton's innocence and extenuating circumstances. Mostly that Anton wasn't and there were no extenuating circumstances. Handing Nate his latte, she sat down at the table and took a sip, barely tasting it. "So when is he supposed to arrive?" "Soon, I hope." Nate also took a sip of his coffee, feeling it burn down his throat. He coughed softly. "I wonder how this works. If he has to keep things confidential like a lawyer, or if it's just a free for all. Because I don't know that I like lying to the person who might be our only hope." "I do hope you aren't planning on lying to me. Because that would make my job infinitely harder." The dark haired man stepped up to the table and offered his hand to Lindy and Nate in turn. "Hadrian Celanto, member of the Grand Council. I've been assigned as North American Council Advocate to Anton Rudenko," he explained as he took a seat. Nate had the grace to blush as he shook the vampire's hand. "We were just wondering how this works. Do we get confidentiality, or is that pretty much out of question?" Hadrian nodded. "I'll try to keep everything between us strictly that. Between us. But I will be up front with you. Lilith will be trying to get any and all information from me." Lindy exhaled heavily. "And are you going to tell her?" Hadrian shook his head. "I'm going to try not to. The Council has been hearing rumors, and there is some sympathy for Anton. But, it's a very quietly expressed sympathy, given Lilith's beliefs that she should be the only vampire allowed to kill other vampires." He looked from Nate to Lindy again. "So can you tell me what happened?" Nate glanced at Lindy, uncertain if he should trust the man. After all, he'd said he'd "try" not to tell Lilith, not that he definitely wouldn't. "Anton is gone. He took his family and left. We don't know why." Hadrian crossed his arms over his chest. "You're putting me in a damn difficult position, Mr. Adr... Rudenko," Hadrian corrected himself. "For all I know, this is all an elaborate setup for Lilith to test my loyalty. It wouldn't be the first time she's made these sort of arrangements. So we're going to have to start trusting each other, or your brother is a dead man. No pun intended." Nate reached across the table and took Lindy's hand before acknowledging Hadrian's words. "Justinius is dead," he said, in a much quieter voice. "He attacked my brother's pregnant wife, tried to rape her, and was stopped. Now Anton is the one who's going to pay the price, just for protecting his family." Hadrian looked in their eyes. "And this is the absolute truth?" "I saw the bruises on Bryn's body," Lindy said. "And my parents smelled the truth on Anton." "None of which we can use as proof. The Grand Council wouldn't accept a werewolf's testimony, and unless you have pictures of Bryn's wounds, they won't accept that either." He looked down at the reflection on the table seeking inspiration. "Do you have any other evidence?" Nate shook his head. "We never found the surveillance tape. He kept it at a remote location." He looked Hadrian in the eye. "But I know my brother. He's a peaceful man. He doesn't attack unless he has to. He doesn't even feed on humans anymore. We drink cows' blood. There is not one reason why he would do this without being provoked." "I don't doubt it," Hadrian said. "But you have to understand that Lilith won't spin it that way. I won't lie. We have a long hard fight ahead of us." Lindy blinked. "Then you'll help us?" Hadrian nodded. "I'll do everything I can," he said as he leaned forward. "Now tell me everything you know, starting from the beginning when Mrs. Rudenko first met Justinius." It had taken may weeks to go through all of Justinius' phone records. Now Jess and Walter were down to a handful of numbers that they couldn't cross reference to any of the businesses related to the Nepthene. Jess made a face as she clicked the cordless phone off. "Well, I think I know where Justinius got his blood. He ordered it out. That was an escort service," she said as she scratched a phone number off the list. Walter cleared his throat, making a face. "Add to that a couple of sex chat lines and you've got yourself quite a frustrated sex addict. It's no wonder he ended up forcing himself on someone." Jess shivered and let out a choking noise of disgust. Then she looked down at the list. "Well, this might be interesting. It's an international phone number," she said as she picked up the phone again. Taking a deep breath she dialed, wondering if this was going to be a sex line in French or German as she heard someone pick up. "Hello?" "Seth Christos." Shocked by the familiar name, Jess almost hung up the phone. Surely it had to be a wrong number. "Hello? You've reached the Secretary of the Empire." Jess glanced at Walter, clearly startled. But she had the presence of mind at least to hit the speaker button on the phone's base. "Mr. Christos, I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Jessica Leahs. I'm here with Walter Skinner. We met last year at the Gathering. We... have a question for you that we would appreciate an answer to." There was a moment of silence as Seth tried to place their names. And probably tried to figure out how in the world they'd gotten a hold of his number. "Of course, Ms. Leahs, Mr. Skinner. What can I do for you?" Jess took a deep breath and continued. There were more tactful ways to ask it, but she was painfully aware that time was an all too precious commodity in short supply. Dancing around the issue wasn't a luxury they could afford. "I know you're very much aware of the Rudenko's situation. Can you explain to me why your phone number is on a list of calls that Justinius frequently made?" "He--I--I'm sure you realize that is not a question I can answer. Lilith uses this telephone line for personal business that I am not privy to." He took a deep sigh, then spoke with a much quieter voice. "Can you tell me just how often he made these calls?" Walter had already been thinking along those lines. "Fifty-six times in the last month alone. Once early evening local time, and once near sunrise." The pattern was clear. "It seems that he was checking in with someone." Jess' eyes went wide as the puzzle piece fitted into place about the same time it did for Walter. "Oh God, no..." "Let's not jump to conclusions," Seth said, even though he sounded worried himself. "Lilith does have a lot of lovers, and it would not be abnormal for one to call her several times a day. Nor would it be strange if he was doing some sort of business for her. Yet...I can't imagine what that would be. And in light of circumstances, it doesn't seem likely." Jess and Walter shared a doubtful look. Jess bit her lower lip, not certain how far Seth could be trusted, and Walter's expression echoed that uncertainty. "We would greatly appreciate it if you could discretely look into this for us, Mr. Christos. The quicker we can explain why they were in contact, the sooner we can get this figured out." He was quiet for a moment before finally saying, "I'll see what I can do. It won't be easy. I'm rarely out of her sight, and she keeps me very busy. But I'll find out what I can. I will call you. Please don't call this number again. I can't guarantee it will be me who answers." "We won't," Jess agreed There was no reason now that the phone number had been confirmed. "I know we've put you in a very difficult position, Mr. Christos. But we do appreciate you looking into this. Thank you." "Don't thank me yet. There's a very good chance you won't like what I find." They tried to make the holiday as normal as possible, but the tropical location just made everything feel weird. The cook made a traditional turkey with all of the trimmings. They even had a pumpkin pie. But eating their meal out on the porch, with the soft glow of the sunset over the ocean beyond and the warmth of the day served to remind them how far from home they were. Trying her best to put a smile on her face, Bryn looked at Anton and reached for his hand. "I'm happy you're here with me." Anton raised her hand to his lips. "I'm happy that you're here with me too, my dear." He brushed his lips across the back of her hand. And he was, although part of him wished that the rest of his family could be there with them. And from the expression on Alex's face, he was thinking something along the same lines. Bryn looked to Alex and couldn't help the wave of sadness that washed over her. She wished he could go home. He'd done enough for them, and didn't deserve to have to be away from his family for so long. "Alex...when will you be going home? I bet your family misses you very much." "Not until after Kat's born," Alex responded, looking out over the porch at the surrounding field. "Anne should be coming out in a few weeks. I'll go home with her." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a phone and handed it to Bryn. "I thought you'd might like to talk to Nate and Lindy, since it's a holiday. Or your family, Bryn. This phone line is scrambled five times, so don't worry about anyone tracing it back here." She swallowed heavily. "Don't you want to speak to them first? Or maybe you, Anton? He's your brother, after all." Anton stared at the phone, shocked by Alex's generous gift. With a shaky hand he took the phone. "What about your family?" he asked the werewolf. Alex shrugged. "I'll talk to them later. Go on," he gestured with a wave of his hand. Taking a deep breath, Anton dialed Nate's phone number, hoping that his brother was at his home and not at the werewolves' place. And the phone rang three times before a male voice answered. "Nate? It's Anton. Happy Thanksgiving." "Anton?" Nate sounded shocked, but pleasantly surprised. "Lindy, it's Anton!" he yelled out, before returning to the phone. "Happy Thanksgiving! You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice right now." He could feel his eyes misting up as he heard his brother's voice. "It's good to hear your voice too, Nathaniel. How's everything going? How are you and Lindy doing? And Liam," he added, looking at his son. "Liam must be growing like a weed now." "He is," Nate said, sounding emotional. "And talking nonstop. He's a riot. We've been taking him on horseback rides. Mack still comes to work with your horses twice a week. He's asked about you quite a few times. I haven't told him the truth. I wasn't sure if you wanted me to." He had been so wrapped up in his worries about Bryn and Nathaniel's family he hadn't considered about his friends. "Tell him as much of the truth as you can without causing his life to be in danger." His voice was tinged with sadness. "I wish I could see all of you so badly." "I know. Me too. But we'll be okay. And I'm glad you were able to call. You're not putting yourself in any danger, are you? I don't want you risking yourself for us." "No," Anton said. "Alex told us that we should be okay." He could hear in the background Lindy's voice. "Nate, why don't we let Bryn and Lindy talk for a little bit? I'm not sure how long we can stay on the line." "Okay. I miss you, Anton...and I love you very much. I hope you know that. It will never change." "I do, Nathaniel. And I love you too," Anton said. "And hopefully one day we'll be able to do this face to face." Choking up and unable to say anything more, he handed the phone over to Bryn. He then reached for Max, pulling him out of the high chair and into his lap, cuddling the boy close. Blinking away sadness, Bryn rubbed his back as she took the phone, leaning against his side as she lifted the receiver to her ear. "Hello?" "Bryn?" Lindy's voice was a mixture of surprise, joy, and sadness. "Oh God, it is so good to hear your voice." The tears in her voice could clearly be heard. "How are you doing? How is Max and Anton and Kat?" "We're good. Or as good as can be expected. We miss you guys a lot." She felt her eyes welling with tears that she couldn't pass off as hormones. "Especially now that Christmas is coming. I'm really hoping that Kat gets here early so you can have your dad home for the holidays." Lindy let out a audible sob. "I told myself I wasn't going to cry," she said. There was a sense of relief as well, because she had seen no visions about this time. And she was assuming that it was a good thing. "I'm hoping we're able to get this settled soon. It may be a vain hope, but we are speaking to an Advocate to see what can be done." "An Advocate?" she asked, looking at Anton. "What can they do?" "Like a lawyer for the defense," Lindy said. "It's another council member, someone from the Grand Council. Hadrian Celanto is his name." She took a deep breath. "I'm not sure if it will do any good. Lilith seems to have her mind firmly made up." "Hadrian. We know him. He sits in at North American council meetings. I never knew that was why, though. What has he said? Or more importantly, what have you told him?" "We told him the truth. How much good that's going to do I'm not sure." Lindy took another deep breath. "Mom and Walter think they have found something, but they're still researching it." "What do you mean? What have they found?" She realized she was starting to sound slightly hysterical. "Maybe you should be telling this to Anton." "It's okay, Bryn," Lindy said. "It's something to do with some phone calls. They aren't really saying much. Afraid of getting our hopes up too high, I think." Anton, still rocking Max on his lap, cocked his head at Bryn, wondering what they were talking about. He could see Alex out of the corner of his eye, tapping on his watch. "It's not okay," Bryn said, not blaming her. "It's his life. It's *our* life. And I want to know what's going on. I hate sitting here, helpless to do anything. I feel so useless." "I know, Bryn. So do I." Lindy sighed. "I miss you, and I know Liam misses Max and Petunia. I want my best friend to come home." "Me too. I'm sorry, but I have to go. I wish I could stay on the line for hours, but I don't want to risk it. Just know that we love you all very much, and miss you. And we think about you all the time. And we're very grateful for everything you're doing for us." "I know. I don't want to risk it either. Tell Anton I'm sorry I didn't talk to him," Lindy said. "I'll talk to Mom and see if I can get her to give us some more details. We love all of you so much." "We'll see you soon," Bryn said, refusing to say good-bye as she hung up the phone. Handing the cellular back to Alex, she got up from the table and headed back inside, needing a moment to compose herself. With a glance at Alex, Anton stood up and followed Bryn inside, cradling Max close to his chest. A tear traced down his cheek despite his attempt to keep his emotions in check. But his concern at this moment was for his wife. "Bryn? Are you okay?" Wiping her eyes dry, Bryn let out a heavy sigh as they just kept leaking. "I think so. It just made me even more depressed than I already was. It reminded me that we can't be there. Or with my family." She bit her lip and drew closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "But they're working as hard as they can to get us home." Anton wrapped his free arm around her tightly, pressing his lips against her hair. "And hopefully we'll be able to go home soon." It was reassuring to hear that Nate and Lindy were taking steps to aid to that end. Not that he had expected them to sit on their collective hands. "But maybe we won't. I don't think it's safe to get our hopes up. We might have to find somewhere else to hide out once Kat is born." Anton gently rocked her back and forth. "I know, my dear. And we need to make plans for that. We have to keep a realistic viewpoint. But we still can hope," he whispered in her ear. She almost told him that hoping was futile, but she knew it was one thing he could still cling to and didn't dare dash his hopes. Hugging him tighter, she pressed her lips to his cheek. "I'm glad you got to talk to your brother." "And I'm glad you talked to Lindy," Anton said, an arm tightening around her. "I know you miss her." He didn't want to offer any more possibly false hopes. Especially since in all reality, once Kat was born, they would disappear and break off the tenuous contact they had through Alex. "I miss you, too, Anton. I know you're trying really hard to put on a brave front for me, but this changed you. And I'm sorry that had to happen. I wish we could have stayed like we were." "I wish we could too, my dear," Anton said, stroking his hand up and down her back. "But I don't want you to think for a moment that any of this is your fault." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. She shook her head. "Every bit of this is my fault, Anton. If I hadn't gone for that stupid job, none of this ever would have happened. Justin never would have been close to me, you wouldn't have had to defend me, and you never would have killed him. We wouldn't be here. We'd be safe at home, happily oblivious to any of this hell." Anton frowned at her. "And if I hadn't brought you to San Francisco, you wouldn't have taken that job. We can carry this all the way back to Santa Cruz if we want. You wouldn't blame me for that, and I'm not going to blame you for it either." "Because it's not the same thing at all, and you know it. We both made the decision for me to move to San Francisco. But I made the decision to take the job, not you. And even if that weren't enough, I could have quit much earlier than I did. Or I could have worked for you at the warehouse like we originally planned." "And you would have been absolutely miserable there, my dear." He raised a finger to her lips, hushing her protest before she could make it. "You loved that job at the gallery, my dear. And because you did, it was the right choice to make." Grasping his hand, she said, "I never would have been as miserable there as I am here." He had no answer to that. All Anton could do was shift Max to one hip and pull her close. "I'm sorry, my dear. This isn't the life I ever intended for you." It hadn't been her intention to make him feel worse than he already did, and she mentally chastised herself. "I'm just feeling homesick. I'll be better tomorrow, most likely. I didn't mean to freak out on you." She looked up to meet his gaze. "Forgive me for being a lump?" "There's nothing to forgive, my dear." Anton kissed her forehead again, and then on her lips. Then he pulled back just enough to speak. "I think I hear that pumpkin pie out there calling our names. Shall we go put it out of its misery?" She nodded, smiling softly. Leaning over to kiss Max's cheek, she then took Anton's hand and followed him back to the table. If there was any place to be on the run, at least they had chosen a beautiful place. As soon as it was safe for Anton to leave the house, they walked out the back door and down to the private beach. The sand beneath his bare feet was still warm from the sun. One arm around Bryn's waist and the other holding Max, he watched Petunia race up ahead of them, chasing waves. He squeezed Bryn lightly, a small smile on his face. "Mmm, I could stay in this heat forever...I just wish it was back home instead of here," Bryn said, smiling as well. "Not that I'm complaining about the view. It is spectacular. I guess I'd be okay if we could have our family here with us instead." "Yeah. I bet they'd be surprised to see how much Max has grown," he said as the boy reached downwards. Kneeling for a second, he placed his son in the sand. Max giggled as Petunia came up and licked his face with a slobbery tongue. "Probably as much as we'd be surprised by how much Liam has grown." Bryn nodded. "I wonder if those two would even remember each other." Letting out a sigh, she sat down next to Max and grew quiet. It seemed like every topic they discussed always led back to her feeling homesick and depressed. Determined not to dwell there, she patted the sand next to her. "Sit down. You're too tall. I'll break my neck trying to look up at you." Anton lowered himself to the beach, and then scooted behind Bryn, framing her with his long legs. Brushing her hair to one side, he leaned forward to kiss just below her earlobe. Both hands came to rest on either side of her stomach lightly. "It's hard to believe that Kat will be here soon." She nodded, leaning back against him, her head resting on his shoulder. Lacing their fingers together, she relaxed in his arms like she could nowhere else. "We have a hard time chasing this little munchkin around the house. Imagine when we have two of them." She watched how patient Petunia was as Max grabbed hold of her collar and used her to pull himself to his feet. The dog then licked his face and stood still as he played with her ears. "At least we have Petunia to help baby-sit." "Yeah. Poor puppy. She's going to have a breakdown with two babies tugging on her ears." Anton gently kissed Bryn's temple. His arms tightened around her stomach. "And then poor Max is going to be in for a shock when he realizes that the world doesn't revolve around him." "Awww. Poor baby. He'll be crushed. We'll have to make sure he's extra spoiled so he doesn't feel left out." Grinning, Bryn leaned back and kissed Anton's cheek. "I know that won't be too hard for us." Anton arched one eyebrow playfully. "Do you mean to tell me that we spoil our son, my dear?" She smirked at him. "He has more toys now than I can ever remember having. And that's not because my parents were stingy, either." "Just checking, my dear." He rubbed his cheek against hers. The heat of the day's sun was slowly radiating off the sand, keeping them nice and warm. He tilted his head back and looked up. "Look at the sky, my dear. It's amazing how many stars are out." "It's beautiful. I don't think--Oh, sugar, what's he got in his hand? He's trying to suck on it." "Uh oh! No Max! Why don't you give me that?" Leaning over he reached for the baby and took the item from his son's fist. "Looks like a seashell, my dear." He pulled Max into a group snuggle, wishing they could stay like this for eternity. Smooching Max's cheek, Bryn said, "Not everything pretty tastes good, sweet pea. Except your dad. He tastes pretty good to me." Anton chuckled as the boy laughed as if he understood his mother. "And you taste pretty good to me too, my dear." He looked up and down the shoreline. "Bryn, can you seen where Petunia's got to?" Leaning forward, she looked in both directions as well and frowned. "Oh God...I hope she hasn't gone near the road." Not as graceful as she once was, she looked back at Anton. "Will you try to find her?" "Cover your ears, my dear." Raising two fingers to his lips, Anton whistled sharply. And was rewarded with a bark. After a few seconds, Petunia came trotting up, tail wagging. "You naughty girl. You're not supposed to wander off like that." That said, Bryn reached out and petted the dog. "Jeez. That would have been all we'd need...a lost or injured dog. Or worse." "Bite your tongue, my dear." Anton reached over and gave Petunia a firm pat on her shoulder. "Because we don't want to be calling bad luck down on us," he said in a singsong voice. "No we don't." Bryn laughed softly. "You're a little nutty, you know? But that's okay, 'cause we love ya. Huh, Max?" Oblivious, Max reached once more for the sea shell Anton had discarded. Shaking her head, Bryn snatched his hand back. "You've got a one track mind, Maxim." "He gets that from his parents," Anton said, pushing the shell and a tempting looking rock out of Max's reach. "Only we've chosen to obsess about and suck on each other," he added with a mischievous grin. Bryn giggled, blushing lightly. "You're lucky he has no clue what you're talking about. Ten or fifteen years from now, he'll be bitching and moaning if we even look at each other suggestively." Anton chuckled, turning a light shade of pink. "Well, there goes about eighty percent of our conversations." Leaning closer, she pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. "You're so cute when you blush. You make me want to act like a fool just so I can see it again." Anton smiled and kissed her again. "We might want to save that for when we're alone. Then I'll blush for you all that you want." "Mmm. Maybe I can make you blush on all four cheeks at the same time." Anton smiled brightly. "I'm going to keep you to that promise, my dear." Although she was as round as a beach ball, she felt sassy with her hair up in a high ponytail and one of his ties around her neck. Crawling on to the bed, she surveyed her prey with mirthful eyes. Tied to the bed by both arms, but resting on his knees, he made the perfect target with his butt sticking out. "Now, I do believe there was a certain promise you were going to hold me to..." Anton wiggled his ass, not so much to entice Bryn as to relieve the pressure on his knees. "Yes, there is that promise, my dear. But in this position it's going to be hard to for me to hold anything." "Don't worry. I'll do the holding for you." She smiled sweetly at him. Moving around behind him, she kissed his neck and fit her body against his back, lightly squeezing her belly between them. Just like she'd said, her hand moved down to hold his firming erection, lightly pumping it in her fist. Anton let out a moan, his hips automatically starting to move his cock in and out of her hand. "Yeah, I'd say you have the situation well in hand." He turned his head to watch her, to capture every smile. "And how do you plan to go about making the rest of me turn pink?" "You'll just have to wait and see, won'tcha?" Smooching his cheek, she released her hold on him and slid her hand around to his back. Bryn lightly raked her fingernails down his back, enjoying the little shiver it gave him. Then she began to massage his shoulders and neck, moving lower every so often, until she spontaneously slapped him on the ass and gave him a little grin. Anton grinned back at Bryn. He gave little moans and groans as she worked out knots in his shoulders. And then let out a loud yelp as her hands slapped his ass. "Well, I think you're well on the way to turning those cheeks pink!" She giggled. "What about the other ones? What can I do to make those pink?" Anton grinned, noticing that her cheeks were brightening. "Well, you can always try to embarrass me somehow." He wasn't about to tell her that he'd turn from pink and go straight to red if she tickled him. "The only real way I know to embarrass you is to compliment just how adorably cute you are. And how sexy you look with your ass in the air, just begging for attention." He could feel a light flush of blood creeping up his cheeks. "Well, it seems that you are off to a good start, my dear." He wiggled his butt a little, trying to draw her attention back to it. Bryn laughed, caressing his ass as she leaned closer to his ear. "And how I just want to eat you up like a piece of candy. To suck on you until you melt in my mouth. Then keep coming back for more and more." Anton let out a loud moan as her fingers massaged the muscle. "And is there anything else you would like to suck on?" Anton asked, his cheeks growing brighter pink. "Everything. I want to suck on you everywhere. From your ears to your toes. Until you can't take it anymore..." Whack! Anton let out a loud yelp and jumped forward, tugging on his bonds. "Yeah, I'd definitely say my cheeks are pink now, my dear." Grinning madly, she latched on to his earlobe and tugged, sucking firmly as her hands took turns landing more blows on his cheeks. They weren't terribly painful, just enough to sting, but definitely were turning his cheeks pink. Releasing his earlobe with a pop, she murmured, "And what would you like to do to me, sugar?" He was breathing heavily, as he tried to catch sight of Bryn. His ass was stinging, and if the heat he felt off of it was any indication, he was glowing a bright pink. As was the cheeks on his face. Licking his lips hungrily, he spoke. "I want you to pin you down and fuck you senseless. I want to lick you until you're dry," he purred. Her breath caught as she stared at him. Shivering lightly, she leaned further forward and began untying his wrists, cautiously watching what he would do as soon as he was free. Anton sat up, rubbing his wrists to make certain that there was still circulation in his fingertips. Moving slowly, he reached for her hands, pulling her close and into a deep kiss. Lips pressed together, he lowered her to the bed. "Now... where to begin," he mused. "So many delicious choices." Bryn smiled at him, combing her fingers through his hair. "You could start down here," she said, slowly moving her hand down and dragging her fingers over her sex, "and I'll do the same. Then when you're ready for more, all you have to do is turn around." "Whatever you would like, my dear." slowly he crawled down Bryn's body, fingers rubbing against her sweet spots as he moved. You mean starting like this, my dear?" he whispered and then ran his tongue along the insides of her thighs. His fingers lightly combed through her pubic hair. "Yeah...perfect." She couldn't help lifting her hips and her head to watch him. Meanwhile, his hips were rubbing insistently against her, his cock brushing her breasts. Grinning, she reached up and grabbed it, kissing him repeatedly with an open mouth. Anton let out a loud moan as he spread the lips of her sex apart. He inhaled deeply and let out a long shiver. "You smell absolutely mouthwatering, my dear. Good enough to eat." And putting his words into action, he lowered his head and gave the length of her sex a loving swipe of his tongue. "Ohhhhh..." Eyes slipping closed, Bryn spread her legs wider to give him plenty of room to maneuver. Pulling his cock in to her mouth, she began licking lazy circles around the rim while her hands played with her balls. He smelled delicious as well, and she felt like she were drowning in her senses. Anton's breath came in short, sharp gusts as he lapped at her. Stroking the insides of her thighs teasingly, he let one finger brush against her sex, just barely dipping inside while his tongue circled her clit. He intended to make this last a long time, but with how she was teasing him as well, Anton didn't think it would be an option for much longer. Releasing a high-pitched squeal, she pushed her hips up toward his mouth and squeezed his head with her thighs. His cock was steadily leaking precum and tasted wonderful. She felt a bit like she was sucking at a straw. Wrapping her lips tightly around the head of his cock, she drilled her tongue in to the slit at the tip. Anton let out a loud moan, his tongue flicking more firmly on her clit. He shivered as his hips twitched, driving himself deeper into her mouth. Trying to fight the urge to cum, which he knew was a losing battle, he drilled his tongue deep inside of her sex as his hands tightened on her. Panting, Bryn let him slide out of her mouth with a pop and rubbed her cheek against his erection. "I want you, sugar. Roll over on your back." Reluctantly, Anton pulled away from Bryn. Following her instructions, he rolled over onto his back beside her, arms and legs splayed out. His erection rested heavily against his belly, twitching as if seeking where Bryn's mouth had gone. "Like this, my dear?" She nodded, whimpering softly as she climbed to her hands and knees, straddling him. Grasping his cock, she centered herself over him and slowly accepted his length inside her. He was large and the stretching he gave her was almost painful now that she was so far along in her pregnancy. Biting her lip, she felt him pressing against her cervix and her bladder, and had to lift her hips just to relieve some of the pressure. Anton's hands went to her waist, squeezing her hipbones before sliding over her stomach. Planting his feet flat against the mattress, he pushed upwards. "God, Bryn," he whispered as she squeezed him tightly. He looked up at her face, love, lust and awe mixed in his gaze. Leaning forward, she settled her upper body on to his chest, finding the position more comfortable. She pressed her face to his neck, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and rocked her body back and forth on top of him. Her toes curled under his bent knees and she kissed his skin repeatedly. He arched beneath her, working his hips against her body. Anton's hands tightened on her as he raised his head. It took a little creative positioning, but he managed to catch her lips with his. Eagerly he kissed her, sucking at her tongue and whatever flesh he could. He tried to concentrate on not cumming, but it was becoming harder not to. Moaning in to his mouth, Bryn squeezed him even tighter inside her as she started to ripple around him. Her muscles clenched and released him rapidly, and she shuddered on top of him, lightly nipping his tongue. Bryn may have not had the fangs of a vampire, but the feel of her teeth on his flesh had the same effect. Anton clutched her tighter as he gave a mighty shove and managed to lift his hips off of the mattress. Shaking hard beneath her, Anton let out a soft cry as he came hard deep inside of her. Bryn squeaked, digging her fingernails in to his biceps, and pressed her forehead to his. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as he slowly settled back to the bed. Releasing a frustrated groan, she quietly said, "It's starting to hurt. I won't be able to have you as deep for very much longer." "Not until after Kat is born," he reassured. Anton kissed her forehead softly as he rubbed his hand in small circles on her stomach. "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better, my dear?" She shook her head, rolling on to her side next to him. "No, I just feel like a big watermelon. I want her to come out already. I don't remember being this achy with Max. My back hurts all the time now." Anton made a soft sympathetic noise. "Let me rub it for you." One hand slipped over her side to rub at the base of her spine. "Hopefully Kat will be born safely once Dr. Anne gets here." She let out a hiss as he found a particularly sensitive spot. "Ow, careful." "Sorry." His touch became lighter around that muscle knot. "That better?" he asked as he brushed his lips against her forehead. She nodded, arching her back. "Much. Thank you." Leaning closer, she kissed his mouth. "It still doesn't feel like Thanksgiving. It's too warm. I'm used to freezing my butt off this time of year." "I know." Anton tilted his head to one side. "If it would help you believe, I could go get a tray of ice cubes and dump them in the bed." She let out a soft laugh. "No thanks. Although, some ice cream might do the trick. Maybe we should go raid the freezer?" "Sounds good, my dear." Though it was with a bit of reluctance that he climbed out of the bed and grabbed his robe. Once he was decently covered, he helped Bryn out of the bed and held her robe for her. Snuggling in to the robe, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his chest. "I love you, sugar. You always do everything you can to make me feel better. And I appreciate it very much." "I love you too, my dear." Anton softly kissed the top of her head. His hands rested on either side of her stomach, lightly caressing. "And I love you too, Kat. I can't wait to meet you." He wasn't looking forward to this at all. But it was his duty as Advocate to find any information that he could that might help Anton defense. And when he found out that Vandala had been working security for the Rudenkos, he knew he had to talk with her and find out what information she knew. He just hoped that his ex-wife was in a mood to talk to him. Vandala paused at the guard's station, looking out the door to the warehouse parking lot. Her gaze narrowed and she let out a deep sigh. Almost before Hadrian got to the door, she said, "What do you want now?" Yup, he thought with a mental sigh. She was just happy to see him as he was her. "Official business, Vandala," Hadrian said. He glanced at a few employees that were looking at him with curious expressions. "Is there a private place we can go talk?" Clearly put-out by the idea, Vandala turned to the others. "Some privacy, please?" She watched as the other guards left the area, then plopped down in one of the vacated chairs. Putting her feet up on the desk, she said, "I suppose this is about Anton." "Yes." Hadrian sat down, pulling up a chair to the other side of the desk. "Nathaniel Rudenko has retained my services as Advocate, and I'm doing research into the situation." "I wanted to know what you knew about the situation," Hadrian put up his hands. "I'm here trying to save a man I believe had every right to do what he did from the death penalty, Vandala. I need to know what you knew when he disappeared." "All I knew was that he believed his wife's life was in danger. He added extra security to his own building to make sure she felt safe when she visited. He hired a body guard to protect her. And if he left, and took Alex Krycek with him...he had good reason to." Hadrian pursed his lips. "Did you know that Justinius was in the area? As far as I can tell, no one seemed aware of that fact." "I knew there was a man named Justin Steel. I never saw him, so I didn't make the connection." "And when Anton and his family disappeared, what did you do? Did you immediately report it to Lilith?" Vandala smiled. "No. I delayed telling her as long as I could." Hadrian smiled as well. And he could well imagine Lilith's reaction "And why are you still here? I would have thought that Lilith would have pulled you from here to aid in the hunt." "I don't know. Maybe she doesn't trust me. Can't say that I care. I wouldn't have helped her anyway. You know how I feel about Lilith. There's only one reason I 'work' for her...because it's the easiest way to bring her down." "I know." It was what had led to their eventual breakup. He had taken the position on the Council, which Vandala took as a betrayal. "Off the record, Vandala. This is smelling like a set up. Do you think that she's involved?" "Of course I do." "But do you have any proof?" "No. Unfortunately. But there are those close to Anton who are working on it. You might want to talk to them." "I already am." Hadrian looked into her eyes. "If you do find anything, come across any clue no matter how small, will you please inform me?" She blinked at him, as if considering it. "Yes. If it helps Anton, I'll do anything." "Thank you." He knew that she would, that she was professional enough not to let their past get in the way, but needed to hear her say it all the same. "If it's true, and Lilith is behind this...are you staying in the Council?" Hadrian thought about it for several seconds. "Yes," he said. "Because someone will have to see that it doesn't remain hidden in the shadows and that she is brought to justice. Vandala rolled her eyes. "Very predictable, Hadrian. Always riding the sinking ship down to the bottom. You never give up...even when it kills you." The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Are you surprised? I stayed married to you, didn't I?" "Exactly. Talk about beating a dead horse." "I wasn't the one who left, Vandala. I wasn't the one who initiated divorce proceedings." "I know. You didn't have the balls. And if you ever stand up to Lilith, I'll fall over from shock." "Some of us are just a little more subtle about it Vandala. We saw first hand what happened when someone blatantly stood up to Lilith and the price he paid." Irritated, Vandala stood up and started gathering up old papers. "Are you finished, then? I have other things I could be doing." "I guess we're finished, then." Hadrian reluctantly stood and there was genuine regret in his voice. "I'll keep you informed of anything that I learn." "I'll be waiting by the phone." "I'll see myself out then." Hadrian turned slowly walked out of the office. At least the meeting had gone slightly better than he had hoped for. And though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he regretted the nasty turn the conversation took at the end. End ChapterOne Hundred Thirty-four <- Previous Chapter | Home | Next Chapter ->