Chapter One Hundred Forty-three She was dressed up for the first time in a long time. Bryn took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror one last time. Her skirt was fitting tighter than usual. Nothing could be done about that, unfortunately. This was her weight for eternity. Inwardly groaning, she headed for the stairs as she put her earrings on. "Sugar, are you staying here with the kids or heading over to Nate's? It might be easier for you to stay here, rather than packing all of Kat's stuff." She let out a grunt as she reached the bottom of the stairs and Max immediately latched on to her legs. "Hi sweet pea. Are you gonna be a good boy for Daddy?" Max looked up at his mother and blew a raspberry, grinning widely. "That sounds ominous my dear," Anton said as he picked up his son. "We were planning to stay here. Nate said he'd drop Liam by later." Anton leaned over and kissed Bryn on the temple. "Did you and Lindy decide where you're going?" "Not yet. I'm letting her decide. I'm just hungry. I'll eat anywhere." She reached out to smooth down his shirt after Max released it from his fist. "What about you? Do you want me to get something out for you, or maybe bring you something from the restaurant?" "No, I was going to make up some spaghetti for the kids. I'll just snack on that as well." Anton gently urged her towards the door. "You better get going before Kat wakes up. Otherwise it will be another half hour before you can get out the door." She let out a sigh as she looked past him to where Kat was sleeping. She didn't like the idea of leaving the kids behind, no matter how capable Anton was of taking care of them. Grabbing her purse from the table in the foyer, she let him propel her out the door. Then she paused to kiss Max good-bye. "You be a good boy, and stay out of trouble with Liam." She turned her attention to Anton. "I'll bring you some dessert, okay?" "Okay. Something chocolate, my dear." Following her to the door, he waved goodbye. And Max did too, until he realized that it wasn't a game and Mamma wouldn't be coming back right away. He looked up at his daddy, and took a deep breath. "No Max, it's okay, don't--" No such luck for Anton. The child let out an ear piercing wail. Bryn cringed, especially when Kat's cry shortly followed her brother's. She kept walking towards the car, determined not to let them make her cry as well. Climbing inside, she quickly started the car and shut the door. She would buckle her seatbelt after she'd picked up Lindy. For now, she just made a quick get away, pausing only barely to wave at them as she drove past. Anton waited to wince until Bryn was out of sight and then turned back into the house. "It's okay, Max," he said, trying to soothe the boy with a gentle rocking in his arms. "Mama will be home soon," he reassured as he kicking the door shut. "Come on, let's make dinner." He went into the kitchen and placed a still crying Max into his highchair. "Now be a good boy and let me go get your sister," he said after spilling a few cheerios onto the tray. He hoped the food would distract his son long enough to get Kat into the kitchen and settled down. Still howling, Max started dropping his Cheerios on the floor as he kicked his legs in the highchair. Kat was also kicking her legs under the blanket, her face turning red with fury as cried for someone to pick her up. Ducking back into the living room, Anton scooped up Kat out of her travel bed. "I know, kitten," he said, trying to shush her. "Life is such a hardship," he said, bouncing her against his shoulder as he rejoined Max. He winced at the feel of Cheerios crunching under his bare feet, and then a wet tongue licking them. "Petunia, no!" Petunia looked up at him and wagged her tail, then stood with her front feet on the highchair's footrest and began eating the cereal right off of Max's tray. This only made Max all the madder, who turning his howling in to full-fledged screaming. "Petunia, down!" Grabbing her by the collar, he jerked her back and made her drop her forefeet to the ground. "It's okay, Max," he tried to soothe over the din of both children yelling. Now he was starting to wonder if he really was ready to handle this on his own. "Good God," came a voice from behind him. "Whose Cheerios did you piss in?" Anton turned to see Nate standing there with Liam in his arms. Like his father, Liam had an expression of confusion on his face and quickly moved his hands up to cover his ears. "Max's apparently. Kat's just voicing a sympathy vote" Anton responded. "How did Lindy get away without Liam throwing a fit?" Max, spotting his cousin and his uncle, leaned towards the pair. A new note of plaintiveness came into his cries, beseeching them to pick him up and take him away from the Cheerio eating animal. "Liam is just well-behaved," Nate said, smirking. When Anton gave him a glare, he added, "That and she's been standing outside for the last twenty minutes, so the scene was over by the time Bryn showed up." Anton snorted. "Well, any ideas how to get them calmed down?" he asked. He bounced Kat on his hip. "Normally I'm able to soothe them, but I seem to have lost my touch." Nate let Liam slip down to the floor, then grabbed his hand and walked towards Max's highchair. "Looks to me like your cousin could use some help, buddy." Pulling the tray on the chair forward, Nate plucked Max out and bounced him lightly. "Hey, Max. What do you say we sit down with Liam while Dad gets ready?" Crying considerably less since being picked up, Max clung to his shirt and let out a few sniffles. "He just wanted some attention first," Nate told Anton. "Just a little reassurance to let him know you weren't leaving, too." "I see," Anton said, a bit dourly. Instead of pointing out that he had tried to reassure Max without success, he turned his attention to Kat, who was still yelling loudly. In fact, the little girl seemed to be trying to make up for Max's lack of noise. And it took a moment of checking to realize why. "I'll be right back, Nate. Someone needs a fresh diaper." Shaking his head, Nate grabbed Liam's hand and led him over to the couch where he sat down. He placed Max on the floor in front of him, handing the boys a toy to distract them. It seemed to do the trick. Leaning back, he stretched his arms out across the back of the couch. "You makin' dinner?" he called out loudly. "Spaghetti for the kids," Anton called out from by the playpen. He was on his knees, changing Kat's diaper. He made a little phew noise as his nose wrinkled, quickly grabbing for a fresh diaper. "You're welcome to join us if you're hungry." "Sounds good to me." Grabbing the remote control, Nate turned on a game and got comfortable. He wasn't going to tell Anton that he didn't feel like going home to an empty house. Or that eating leftovers by himself made him feel miserable. Instead, he figured he'd take advantage of his brother's company that he'd missed sorely in the past four or five months. Anton glanced over his shoulder at the blare of the TV. He wasn't going to say it just yet, but he was glad that Nate had opted to stay. Neither man had a chance to talk in a one on one situation since he had come home. He then turned his attention back to his daughter. "There, all nice and dry," Anton said, picking up Kat. He stood up and carried her over to Nate. "Could you watch her for a moment?" "Yeah," Nate said, taking the squirming bundle. He looked at her skeptically, not at all used to dealing with little girls. The last time he held her, she bit him. He realized Katerina was staring at him with the same look on her face. And even though he was pretty certain she couldn't see far away very clearly, it looked like she was looking in confusion between him and Anton. "Yeah, I'm a different guy," he said softly. That was about the point when she started crying again. Anton, grabbing the soiled diaper, hurried to the bathroom where the diaper pail was kept. He was rinsing off his hands when he heard Kat let out a wail. "It's okay, kitten," he called out. "Daddy will be right back." He wasn't certain how he'd be able to cook dinner if Kat was crying for him every time he put her down. Hurrying back to Nate, he held out his hands. "Sorry about that Nate. She's got a bit of separation anxiety going on." "Sounds like they both do," Nate murmured, glancing at Max. Although he was now playing happily with Liam, he still had tear tracks drying on his face. "It probably wasn't easy for them in Australia. I can't say that I really blame them." "Yeah," Anton said, hefting Kat into his arms. Now that Daddy was holding her, Kat let out a loud sniff and snuggled close to his chest. Anton stroked his hand over her back thoughtfully. "It wasn't easy on any of us. I was certain the last time I would see Kat and Max was as I was being dragged off to that cell.... Nate half-turned to meet his gaze. He had no idea what to say to that. "I was certain the last time I would see you was when you left for Hawaii." "Same here," Anton said. "Thank God we were both wrong." Nate nodded, then stood up. "You need some help with dinner? I've been known to make a mean spaghetti sauce in my time." Anton nodded as he shifted Kat to rest against one hip. "I'd appreciate it, Nate. Because I have a feeling I'm going to be cooking one handed for a while." Bryn giggled, sipping her wine. "I think we should do this every week. I can't wait to get home and see the look on Anton's face after he's been alone with those kids for three hours. Talk about finally figuring out just what I deal with every day!" Lindy let out a matching snicker and smirk as she signaled the waiter for another glass. "Just don't say that too loudly around Nate. He'll probably say what a great idea and sneak off with you, leaving Liam with me!" "It'd serve you right. I swear, you guys have it so easy at that office. Especially now that Seth is there." Lindy let out an even louder snort. "Are you kidding?" she giggled. "Don't get me wrong. Seth is a good, if a little strange, guy. But half of what Anton is doing now is reassuring employees that we aren't going to implement Seth's latest management idea. And you put him and Vandala in the same room and the temperature drops twenty degrees." Bryn sat up a little straighter, piling more pasta on her fork. "Why?" "Not sure," Lindy said, stabbing a cherry tomato with her fork. "I tried asking Vandala about it once and got her patented glare-of-death. Haven't cornered Seth yet to ask what's going on. All I know is that it seems to be frustrating Alex. I think he wants to slap them both upside the head." "Hmm." Bryn took a bite and chewed, then used her fork to illustrate her point. "You know, I'd always assumed Seth was gay, but what if she somehow had the hots for him and got turned down?" "Or didn't get turned down until after they did the deed." Lindy shrugged as she lifted the forkful of salad to her mouth. "Who knows. And since neither of them are talking, we probably won't ever know for certain." "Well, at any rate, it's nice he has a job now. Even if he is driving you crazy. It's better than him sitting like a lump on your mother's couch." "Yeah, he seems to be adapting to life away from Lilith now." Lindy took another sip of her wine, smiling. It was hard to believe that everything was just about back to normal now. It was almost as if Bryn and Anton hadn't left. And she wasn't certain if she should feel relieved or worried about that. "So tell me something," she said, putting down her glass. "How are you and Anton adapting back into normal life?" "Okay, I guess," Bryn said, shrugging. "It's not exactly been a barrel of laughs. It's...it's a little like walking on eggshells. He says he's okay, and he acts okay, but I'm always worried about doing or saying something that will remind him. I think he was dying to get back to work just to avoid it. It makes me sad. We had made so much progress before...or at least I had. Now it feels like we've slipped backwards." "Well, you have just been through something amazingly traumatic, Bryn. I was a crying wreck, and it wasn't my husband who was threatened." She paused to take a bite of the salad. "You talked to Mulder yet?" Bryn shook her head. "Not yet. I'm a little reluctant. He has enough of his own stuff to worry about. I never even asked to find out how he did with his Transformation. That couldn't have been easy. It's not as if you or Nate had a lot of time to teach him." "We've taken it slowly," Lindy said. "It's been hard to decide what to do about hunting - the easiest way to accomplish that." She tilted her head slightly. "What about you? Has Anton had a chance to teach you anything yet?" Bryn shook her head. "I'm not sure if it's because he doesn't want to, or because he knows I don't want to." She gave Lindy a smile she didn't feel. "With the kids, it feels like the last thing I want to worry about. And the Transformation didn't exactly go the way we were planning. I don't want this to be a big letdown either." "I know what you mean about Transformations not going as planned," Lindy said. "But take learning to hunt slowly. Be sure you're ready for it. I know I wish I had done things differently." She frowned. "And you know, I think in all the confusion, we haven't taught Mulder a thing yet." Bryn set her fork down. "Well, maybe we can learn together." Letting out a breath, she kept her gaze on her hands. "I'm still so depressed, Lindy. And I try hard not to be, because he's there with me and he needs me. But I just hurt inside. I feel like we were robbed of so much, and I don't know how to get past that." Lindy put her fork down as well. "Does Anton know this, Bryn? Because he wouldn't want you to sacrifice your needs for his." She shook her head. "I'm sick of him having to deal with my neurosis all the time. It feels like I'm always the one having problems while he's just fine. I'm sure he gets tired of it, too." She looked up to meet Lindy's gaze. "I was getting better, you know. Before...Justin. I was happy. I felt freaking normal for a change."Ê "Bryn, he almost raped you." Lindy reached over to rest a reassuring hand on her friend's. "I know that I would have freaked out if I had been attacked. And as for Anton, maybe he's only acting fine. Maybe he's just as worried about you, but doesn't want to say anything for fear of upsetting you." "That's just the thing. I don't want him to be worried about me. He has his own trauma to deal with. The last thing I want to do is add to it." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't exactly the conversation you wanted to have over dinner. Why don't you tell me how you've been doing and maybe take my mind off of it?" Knowing that she wouldn't be able to convince her friend otherwise, Lindy changed the subject. "Well, nothing much more than work is going. Although, and I haven't talked to Nate about this yet, I was thinking about looking for my parents again. My biological ones I mean. Although I don't have a clue where to start." Bryn was quiet for a moment as she thought. "Is there any way Walter could help you? He was with the FBI. How do you know your fingerprints were never taken? You know, at the crime scene?" "We tried that. The problem is that fingerprint databases focus on the criminal. Not the victim." Lindy sighed. "And we're not even sure where to start searching. Jess found me in San Jose, but I was brought there. I could have been born somewhere in Canada for all that I know." "What about starting a web site or placing an ad in the newspaper? Maybe a private detective?" Lindy glanced around to make sure that there was no one in earshot. "That's sorta tricky. One of the identifying things about my attacker was that he was a werewolf. I tried to put that in a webpage, and I'll be dismissed as delusional, or the whole thing as a work of fiction." Bryn sighed. "You can't just leave that part out? I wish there was something I could do to help you." "Thanks, Bryn." Lindy picked up her glass of wine and took a sip. Then she lifted her head, a small frown crossing her face. "Maybe we're going at this from the wrong angle," she said. "Maybe I shouldn't start by looking for my parents, but for my attacker. How many pedophile werewolves can there be out there?" Bryn shrugged. "Probably more than you think. But how many of them are now dead at their victim's own hand? Probably not as many as we'd like. You don't know that many werewolves as it is, though. Could you ask Denise?" Lindy opened her mouth and then shut it, her eyes wide. "You know, Bryn, that might work. And I've never thought of asking her before." Bryn smiled. "If nothing else, at least you'll have someone else helping you look." She paused before saying, "What about Marrok? Have you ever thought of asking him? I know he's not anyone's favorite person, but he definitely does owe you a favor or two." Lindy's smile fell away. "The less we have to do with Marrok, the better." She shook her head. "It's favor enough that I let him see his son. I don't want him to think he has that power over me, or that I owe him." Bryn nodded. "Sorry. I guess it was a bad idea." "It's okay," Lindy said with a sheepish smile. "I know I get over defensive when it comes to Marrok. Yes, he's Liam's father and has a right to see him. But I just get this sickening feeling when he looks at me. And..." Lindy's voice dropped. "I think he's in love with me." Bryn wrinkled her nose. "Normally, I'd be flattered by something like that, but not where he's concerned. That would be like...well, let's just not go there." She pushed a shiver-inducing thought of Justinius out of her head. "Now that we're both thoroughly disgusted, shall we order dessert?" "Definitely!" Lindy leaned forward conspiratorially. "In fact, we may have to order two each to make up for this conversation. That or order something double choclately." "How about two double-chocolatey desserts? Cover all bases?" "I like the way you think, Bryn. When she finally drove home, it was early morning and way past the time she expected to be arriving. Yawning, Bryn drove slowly past the house. She frowned when she saw a strange car at the curb and hoped she wasn't about to be encountering an unwantedÊimperialÊguest. Finally pulling in to the driveway, she opened the garage door and drove inside. She smiled when she saw that Anton was already walking out to meet her. Quickly turning off the engine, she opened the door. "Hi there, my sweet prince." She grinned at him as she unbuckled and got out of the car, meeting him with a kiss. "Whose car is that out front? I'm not interrupting you and your secret rendezvous, am I?" "Um, no," he said after returning the kiss, hoping her reaction would be calm. Anton had stepped outside for a moment to get some fresh air, and to see if he could spot Bryn coming in and warn her ahead of time. It had been a relief spotting her coming up the driveway, although he wasn't certain how she would react. "We've got an unexpected guest, my dear. Your mother has come to pay a visit." "Uh oh." She squeezed his arm sympathetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't think she'd show up so soon. Did she come alone?" "Yes, and has absolutely fallen in love with Katerina." Anton put his arm around her as they meandered towards the door. "And she hasn't yelled at me about the fact we didn't call when she was born. But she has given me several dirty looks." Bryn frowned. "Well she better knock that off right now." Squeezing his side, she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Why didn't you call me and tell me she was here? I would have come home earlier." "Because this was the first time you've gone out and had fun with Lindy in a while. And you were probably already on the way home when she arrived." Anton opened the door. "I've already offered to let her spend the day here." "Thank you, sugar." Slipping her shoes off as she walked down the hall, Bryn placed her purse on the table and headed for the living room. "Mom?" "Shh. I'm in here," Bernadette answered from the library. Stopping in the doorway, Bryn watched her mother rocking Katerina in her arms as she paced around the room. "She just fell asleep." "Where's Max?" "Max is down for a nap as well," Anton said. "He was worn out playing with Liam after they ate a big dinner. And Bernadette was telling me how Kat looks like you did at that age, my dear." "Really?" Bryn walked over and looked at Kat, trying to see the resemblance. "Mom, are you hungry? If there isn't any spaghetti left, I can make you something." "I'm just fine. Anton was very helpful. He even brought my bags in the house." Bryn glanced at Anton, wondering just what he really thought about her mother spending time with them. "Are you sure you won't be more comfortable staying at a hotel? I hate the idea of you having to sleep on the couch. And unfortunately, everyone else has their spare rooms filled." "Don't be silly. I'm fine with sleeping on the couch." Bernadette turned to look at her. "You look awfully tired, though. I don't want to be putting you out." Bryn shook her head. "I'm fine. And it will probably be very helpful having you here." Unbuttoning her jacket, she started towards the living room. "Why don't you come out here and tell us how your flight was." "It wasn't anything special. Same old thing. Your brother sends his love." "How is he?" "Working hard. I finally got him to cut back on his hours a bit so I could come out here for a while." "I'll have to give him a call," Anton said. "How are he and the kids doing? I know that things must still be rough for them." "They're making do. Now that Chris is fully recovered, the kids are spending more time with their other grandparents. I keep expecting that maybe John will relax when they're out of the house, but it only makes him work harder. I don't think he likes to be alone...even if I'm there with him. Or maybe because I'm there with him." She let out a sigh, sitting down across from them. "Now that he's got another baby sitter, maybe I'll take a vacation or something. Worked for your father." Bryn winced. "Has anyone heard from him?" "Not in months. You know your father. He never was one to pick up a phone." "He stopped by a few months ago to briefly visit. But other than that we've not heard from him." Anton wished that she would bring up the circumstances around Kat's birth. He wasn't going to volunteer the information. While he could easily answer questions, he wasn't comfortable enough to bring it up on his own. That wound was still too fresh. "That's been happening a lot lately." Bryn sighed. "Mom, I told you I was sorry on the phone. If we could have called you before hand, we would have. But we didn't know we were leaving on such short notice. And once we were there, there wasn't any way for us to call." "I just don't understand why you had to go to Australia in the first place. And surely they have phones there. It's not a backward country." "They didn't have one where we were. It was very remote." She glanced at Anton. "It's a long story. We were helping some friends. And I got in touch with you as soon as I could. I didn't mean to leave you out of anything." Anton could see at once that answer didn't satisfy Bernadette. "To be honest, we weren't able to call you because we weren't allowed to call anyone. Or at least anyone without putting them in danger as well." He took a seat on the couch, and gestured for the women to do the same. "I made a very powerful vampire angry, and we were involved in the repercussions of it when Kat was born. If you'll have a seat, I'll try to explain." Bernadette swallowed heavily, clearly not liking what she was hearing. "Please, explain." Looking at Anton with confusion, Bryn reached for his hand. She wasn't quite sure why he was doing this, but she wasn't about to stop him. With some hesitation, Anton explained the whole situation that they had been put through. He compressed five thousand years of Lilith's rule into a paragraph. Justinius' obsession and attack on Bryn was also fleshed out in as few words as possible. But he made it clear that the penalty for what he did should have been death, and would have been if it hadn't all been masterminded and manipulated by Lilith. It was cathartic to him, a weight lifted off his chest as he spoke of what had happened in Australia. And he couldn't hide the glow of pride in his eyes when he told about Bryn becoming a vampire. "So I do owe you an apology for not calling when Kat was born, or Bryn was Transformed, as I promised you we would. But before we were taken, we were afraid that any attempt at contact would be traced to us, or worse, Lilith would use you to lure us out of hiding. And afterwards, we didn't have a chance to do so safely. I am sorry, though." Her eyes wide, Bernadette stared at Bryn for several long minutes before getting up and carrying Katerina in to the other room. Bryn watched her go in confusion, then turned her gaze to Anton. She was about to say something when her mother returned alone. "You lied to me, Sabryn. You were attacked, almost raped, and then...Transformed? And you lied to me about it!" Her outrage was evident, even though she kept her voice low to keep from waking the kids. "How could you do that to me?" "Mom, it wasn't my place to tell you. This happened to Anton, and I didn't know if he--" "Stop it! The things I just named happened to you, not him. I was sitting there talking to my *vampire* daughter and she never even thought to mention that to me!" Eyes watering, Bryn sat forward, "Mom, I'm sorry." "Now wait one moment," Anton said, sitting forward to match Bryn's pose. "We haven't exactly had the proper chance to tell you until now. Bryn has been dealing with everything - giving birth, being Transformed, almost losing me, watching me recover - since we returned. She's spoken with you for less than half an hour, including this time. In fact, you're only the second person outside our family who knows about her Transformation. The first was the man who helped arrange it, at the risk of his own life. Even Lilith doesn't know." He pulled himself back into the couch, resting a hand protectively on her back. "This isn't the kind of thing you tell people casually, Bernadette. It has to be told face to face and not over a phone wire, or in an email, or on a written page. And you needed to know the why first, so you'd understand why I broke my word about how and when she would be Transformed."Ê Bryn looked at him and gave him a small smile. She reached over to squeeze his leg. "I wouldn't deliberately keep something this big from you unless I had a really good reason, Mom. It wasn't planned at all. And I was decidedly less than pleased by the way things happened myself. I thought that my Transformation would be ideal, and that I would have a chance to inform everyone before hand. But..." She let out a sigh. "I'm not going to apologize for wanting this as badly as I did. I was trying to protect our children. And I didn't want anyoneÊbut AntonÊTransforming me." Sinking down on the couch again, Bernadette stared at her. "You don't look any different to me. I thought the change would be bigger." "Why? You didn't have any idea Anton was a vampire until I told you." Her mother lowered her gaze. "I guess IÊoften had a hard time reconciling that fact as well." "I won't lie and say Bryn is still the same person. This whole experience has changed both of us. But we did not intend to hurt you. If things could have been done differently, we would have waited and Transformed Bryn after telling you. But given the situation we were facing, am I sorry that it happened? No. Not at all." Sitting back, Bryn's mother nodded slowly. "Does this change anything...about your plans, I mean? You said this Lilith woman is going on trial. How can you be sure you're safe?" That was a question that had bedeviled Anton, although he hadn't mentioned it yet. "We don't," he said. "Except that right now sympathy over what happened is strong in our favor. I doubt that anyone would attempt to harm us. And we have... friends who are willing to protect us." "We're just settling here again," Bryn said. "It's going to take a while for things to get back to normal. Anton just went back to work this week. And I'll probably be home with the kids for a few years, if not longer. We'll be okay. You don't have anything to worry about." Bernadette let out a laugh. "That's what mothers do. You ought to know that." She looked them both over carefully. "I guess we're all lucky the Transformation went well." "Yes, we were extremely lucky," Anton said. He hoped that Bernadette would listen to his next suggestion. "I know that this must be a shock to you. But my brother's wife's mother went through something similar when her daughter was Transformed. And I'm certain that Jess would be more than willing to talk to you." "I've met Jess before. I didn't know about her daughter, though. Maybe I will talk to her." "And you can ask me whatever you want, Mom. I'm still the same person. Except for a minor detail. I'll answer anything as honestly as I can. I love you very much. That will never change." The conversation turned from Bryn's Transformation to more pleasant subjects. They spent the next few hours talking about Max and Kat - how Max was coming along with his walking, and how Kat appeared to growing by inches daily. But eventually the sun rose, marking the end of the night. After telling Bernadette to make herself at home and not worry about disturbing their day's sleep, Anton and Bryn retired to their bedroom. Anton gently stroked her back as he shut the door. "I didn't get a chance to ask earlier. How was the dinner with Lindy?" Bryn let out a sigh, starting to strip off her clothes. "It was nice. We'll have to go back to that restaurant some day. It was really good. Oh, and I think I forgot your cake in the car." She shrugged. "It should stay cool enough in the garage. Unless you want me to go get it?" "No. Let it stay in the car." As her blouse peeled off her skin, Anton walked up behind her and brushed her hair to one side. "I'm glad you and Lindy had a good time, my dear," he said, pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck. Reaching back for his hands, Bryn squeezed as she pulled him closer. "I missed you. And I'm sorry you had to be cornered by my mom while I was gone. At least she waited to start asking questions until I got here." "Yeah. I just hope that Jess is able to help her get used to the idea of you being a vampire." His hands slipped down to her waist, a palm lightly resting on either of her hip bones. "I think she was too busy being charmed by Kat and Max to ask questions right away." Leaning her head back against his chest, Bryn slid her hands over his. "Did she say how long she was planning on staying? I didn't even think to ask. And part of me isn't sure I want to know." "She didn't say, and I was too flabbergasted by her appearance to ask," Anton said as his kisses trailed up her neck and around her ear. "I'm certain Nathaniel will be teasing me about that for a long, long time." "He was here? I thought he was just going to drop off Liam and go home." Turning to face him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted up to kiss his mouth. He was warm and his embrace was comforting after dealing with her mother. Leaning in to him, she sucked at his tongue as her hands began pulling his shirt free from his pants. Anton had been about to explain that he had invited Nathaniel to stay for dinner when he found Bryn's mouth firmly attached to his own. And he couldn't be so rude as to break the kiss. So instead he pulled her tighter against him. Warm fingers wandered up her spine to stop at the catch of her bra. While he unhooked the fabric, his hips canted away to give her easier access to the fly of his jeans. Bryn moaned softly, anticipating the touch of his hands on her breasts. Unfastening his jeans, she carefully lowered the zipper and began peeling the tight denim away from his hips. She pulled him tight against her once more as soon as his pants were out of the way, then started to remove his shirt as well. Restless, she tugged him back towards the bed. And Anton followed, stepping out of the jeans now puddled at his feet. His hands continued to smooth up and down her back, the heel of his palm teasingly brushing against the sides of her breast or his fingers lightly caressing the curve of her ass before gliding away. And when the back of her legs hit the mattress, he turned slightly so they fell onto their sides and wriggled comfortably onto the bed. Pressing close to him, Bryn pushed her thigh over his as she shrugged free from her bra. She grabbed his hand and guided it to the zipper on her skirt so he could take it off of her. Kissing him eagerly, she let her hands glide over his chest, her fingers teasing his nipples before pinching them lightly. Anton let out a pleased rumble. The skirt unzipped with a loud noise in the quiet of the room. Now that the fabric around her waist was loose, he slipped a hand underneath it. And his smile grew wider at what he felt, or rather didn't feel there. "My dear, did you forget to put something on this evening?" "No. I just didn't feel like wasting time with taking them off later." Lifting her hips a bit, she opened her legs to encourage him. "You can keep doing that, though. It's not a waste of time at all." "No it isn't. But there are other things I want to do first. Like this." Withdrawing his hand, he slowly started working the skirt over her hips. "And I'm certain there are things you'd like to be doing to me too, my dear." "No, not really." She grinned at him, then giggled when he swatted her butt. "Well, if I really have to..." Pushing his shirt off his shoulders the rest of the way, she dropped it to the floor and then got to work tugging his boxers down as well. He was already sporting an impressive erection that made her thighs quiver. Anton let his hands slip around to her stomach and work slowly upwards. He rolled his hips to help shed his boxers faster. But he moaned and shivered when his hands cupped both full breasts. Letting out a soft groan, he lightly squeezed. Sitting up, Bryn pushed her underwear to the floor along with his boxers. Then she straddled his hips and leaned over to kiss his mouth. She was gentle and observant, making sure he wasn't uncomfortable with the position. Anton squeezed her again lightly. He kissed her back eagerly, pulling her closer and tighter. "Bryn," he whispered softly as he shifted his head to gently nip at her neck. With a soft purr, she settled more heavily against his body and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you for what you said to my mother, by the way. It made me feel good." "It was nothing more than the truth, my dear." He nuzzled her neck again, his fangs brushing her flesh lightly. "We had gone through enough without her thinking we were trying to cut her out of our lives." "I know. But you still made me feel good, protecting me like that. You always take care of me, and I'm very lucky." Turning her face against his neck as well, she kissed him softly before sinking her fangs in to his flesh. Anton let out a soft moan. He arched up into her bite, his hands moving around to cradle her head close. He could feel her sucking softly, the pain overshadowed by and even enhancing the pleasure. "Ah, Bryn," he whispered. "Do you have any idea how good that feels?" Smiling against his skin, she moved her hands around to knead his chest like a cat. Her feet tucked under his knees, her toes lightly tickling him. Tilting her head to the side, she offered him her neck as well, hoping he would return the favor. Anton let out a soft giggle at the feel of her ticklish caresses. Twisting around, he let his lips brush against her neck several times teasingly. His tongue traced a wet circle around one spot, painting a bulls eye. Then his fangs sank in and he let out a moan at the ambrosial taste of her blood. Bryn let out a soft squeak, releasing his neck abruptly only to have a spill of bright red blood trickle towards the bedspread. She quickly followed to lap up the mess, circling her lips around the closing wound. Her eyes closed in bliss as he continued to drink and she couldn't help rubbing her body against his in time with his swallows. Anton's hands slid down to cup her ass. Slowly they started to knead as his hips started moving as well. Groaning, he ground his cock against her belly, slowly inching her further down his body, positioning her as he thrusted. Giggling at the slightly ticklish sensation, Bryn tilted her hips to help him along and let out a long gasp as he pushed inside her. Digging her fingernails in to his biceps, she pushed back hard on his hips. She began moving with him immediately, squeezing him firmly. Anton groaned, releasing her fangs from her neck. He planted his feet flat on the bed and bent his legs so he could more easily thrust into her warm, wet depths. His fingers tightened on her hips as he pumped upwards, trying to pull her further down on his cock. Sitting up more, Bryn braced her hands on either side of his head and let his hands manipulate her. She bit her lip harshly as he plunged deep inside her, a soft whine leaving her mouth as she rocked back towards his thighs. Smiling down at him, she started to reach for his hand but suddenly jumped when a knock sounded on the door. "Kat is awake. Don't worry, I'll get her bottle," Bernadette said. Anton let out a slightly choked noise, pausing mid thrust. It took a moment for him to find his voice. "Thank you, Bernadette," he gasped out. He didn't soften one bit inside of Bryn though. And it wasn't long before he began thrusting again. Still staring at the door, Bryn was frozen. She was still expecting the door to open at any minute, and felt like a naughty teenager who'd snuck her boyfriend in to the house. But the way he was moving couldn't keep her still for long and she turned back to face him, her face still bright red. "God, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack." "Good thing that vampires can't die from heart attacks," Anton said. He pulled her down to kiss her mouth. Similar to Bryn, he had a feeling that he was about to be caught by her mother. But it sent a thrill of excitement through him, encouraging him to thrust harder and faster into her. Whimpering softly, Bryn kissed him harder and rode him faster, ignoring the sound of the bed creaking. [I wonder if she heard that?] She tried not to think about it, and kept moving. If Anton sensed her embarrassment, he gave no sign. If anything, he encouraged her, one hand slowly sliding along her stomach and lightly brushing between her legs. His fingers traced further downward to find her clit and rubbed it in little circles even as he thrust harder and harder into her. Whimpering louder, Bryn spread her legs wider and quivered as he rapidly stroked her. Squeezing him hard, she ground herself on his cock, biting her lip as she got closer to orgasm. He watched with wide eyes as she trembled. But he needed to see her dissolve in pleasure before he could feel his own. Anton added a side to side rocking, churning him inside of her as he sped up his finger. But it was getting to be too painful for him to hold back. Whining, Bryn shook harder and rode him faster still, her thighs shaking hard when she finally started to cum. She let out a loud cry, her head snapping back as she clenched rhythmically around his cock. Pushing down hard on his fingers, she pulled with her hips, eager to take him with her. Anton let out a loud yell as he convulsed beneath her. He arched his head back as he pumped into her, fingers clutching her waist and keeping her firmly seated on him. The muscles in his neck were taut as he bared his throat to her in a moment of supreme bliss. Unable to resist the silent invitation, Bryn leaned closer and licked at his neck, nipping his skin gently, before sinking her fangs in and drinking strongly. Anton let out another gasp, arching again beneath her. Slowly he sank flat against the mattress, his hands moving to caress her shoulders. He let out another soft moan as he felt her suction. "Bryn," he whispered softly. Still continuing to move on him, she sucked lazily as she squeezed his softening cock. She was still incredibly horny, and wasn't sure if it was because of the taste of his blood, or the forbidden feeling that they might be caught at any minute. Anton let out a contented sigh as his hands stroked over her back. "Hey," he said teasingly when he realized she had been drinking from him for a while. "Leave some for me. Especially if you expect me to do a repeat performance this morning." Grinning, Bryn pulled back from his neck and licked her lips. She was still shifting against his hips as she stared down at him. "That was nice, sugar." "Very nice," Anton agreed. And incredibly, he felt himself twitching with interest so soon after an incredible orgasm. "And I'm not quite sure that I'm done just yet." Whether it was the affect of Bryn feeding on him, or the thrill that they could get caught, and practically had been, by Bryn's mother, he wasn't sure. All he knew for certain was that he was going to go with it. She grinned at him. "Let's move up to the pillows at least. Then you can decide just how you want me." He tilted his head back to see that the said pillows were about two feet above his head. "Yes, ma'am." Slowly he felt her withdraw and he rolled over, crawling up the bed. "Why don't you lay down on your back, my dear?" She did as he asked, flopping down on the pillow and reaching for him. She kissed him eagerly as she tugged him close, tangling her legs with his. "I love you, sugar. Missed you tonight." "I missed you too,my dear," Anton said as he settled between her legs. He rested his weight on his elbows so he could look down at her. He bent his head to nibble softly on her collarbone before adding, "And not because your mother arrived or the kids had a fit just before dinner." Bryn smiled to herself. "I heard them crying as I left. They almost made me stay. It's pitiful. They have me wrapped around their fingers." Combing her own fingers through his hair, she kissed his temple. "I see you survived, though." "Just barely. Nate will have many smug stories to tell you about my incompetence at being a father." He crawled a little higher up her body and kissed her forehead. "Fortunately we had them settled down by the time Bernadette arrived." She frowned. "Incompetence? Anton, he only has one kid to deal with, and he's older than ours. Try handing our kids over to Nate some time and let him try to take care of them all by himself. Then we'll see just who's laughing." "Actually, I don't think we had to do that. He got a hint of it when Max spit up on his shirt just after Kat decided her spaghetti looked much better on his head." Bryn grinned. "Good." She wrinkled her nose. "Did she even eat any of it? You cut it up really small, right?" She realized she was practically criticizing him now and immediately said, "I'm sorry. You're not an idiot. Of course you did." "She ate it once I fed it to her," Anton said with a smug grin. He kissed her again lightly. "So what did you and Lindy have to eat?" he asked, letting his hand slide down to cup a curve of her breast. "She had a salad." Bryn shook her head. "I will never understand why people go to restaurants and just order a salad. You can have one of those at home! I, on the other hand, got a really excellent penne pasta with both red and white sauces. It was amazing. Then we both got some chocolate cake...and I managed to keep myself from eating yours on the way home." "Mmmm... that sounds yummy my dear. Almost as yummy as you are." His hips started to lightly rock against hers. "And how shall I reward your self-control, Bryn? Is there anything you're still hungry for at the moment?" "Hmm..." She lifted her legs, rubbing her feet against his calves. "I could think of something very big and filling that I'm still hungry for." "I'm certain that I could give you something that will satisfy you." One hand slid down to caress the back of her thigh and lift her leg higher. "Something like this," he said as his hips wriggled so he sank deep inside of her." Biting her lip, Bryn let out a long sigh and hugged him tightly. She had a smile a mile-wide on her face and it only got more broad as pushed deep within her. Kissing his mouth, she let out a soft purr. "Just what I wanted." Anton closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Me too, my dear." Slowly he started to thrust, savoring the feel of her around him. Letting his weight rest more on his arms, he leaned down to kiss her firmly on her mouth. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, Bryn lifted herself in to his kiss. His warm, soft kisses became more demanding, nipping at her tongue until she frantic to return the gesture. Squeezing his waist with her thighs, she held him close, unwilling to let him go an inch. Groaning softly, Anton tried to rock himself deeper into her warm body. His mouth moved from hers to nip at her chin and the top of her neck as his thrusts became sharper. Shuddering, Bryn lifted her hips to meet his thrusts and push him that much deeper inside her. Her hands scratched down his back to grab his ass, clutching him tightly. "So good, sugar..." His breath was gusting heavily through his nose. One fang lightly scratched against her flesh, releasing a thin line of blood which he eagerly lapped up. His thrusts became even harder and faster then, encouraged on by her hands and her taste. Tilting her head back, Bryn exposed more of her throat to him, eager to let him do anything he wanted. She was tightening around him the faster he moved, her body vibrating as her pleasure grew. He wasn't able to resist. As he pounded her with his hips, his fangs scratched along her skin. And as he felt his orgasm swelling, Anton bit down, shuddering as he tasted her blood. Gasping loudly, Bryn came hard around his fangs and cock, closing her eyes blissfully. She pulled at him with her muscles, eager to pull him in to ecstasy right along with her. And he was already there with her. Anton gave a wet sounding gasp, unwilling to let go of her throat. He continued to shudder his orgasm before resting heavily against her. Slowly his jaws released, and his tongue ran along the healing wounds. Panting, Bryn settled heavily on the mattress and cradled him close. Licking her lips, she turned her head to watch him, her eyelids drooping with fatigue. "Mmm. I think you broke me again." Anton grinned. "Does that mean you want me to be more gentle with my toys from now on?" She thought about it for a moment. "No, I don't think so. I like it when you break me in." "Ride 'em, cowboy." Anton stretched and then snuggled against her. "So is there anything we should do since your mother is here? I can take tomorrow off. I don't think the staff will kill Seth if I'm not around to referee." "I guess we could show her around some. Is there any particular place that you think would be good?" "Well, we could give her the same tour we gave John and the kids." Anton's voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper. "And maybe we can convince her to watch Max and Kat so we could sneak out for dinner together. And I promise you I won't order just a salad." End Chapter One Hundred Forty-three <- Previous Chapter | Home | Next Chapter ->