Chapter Forty-six It was still early in the afternoon when the doorbell rang. Unfamiliar with the strange chime, Bryn looked up from the box she'd just started unpacking and then slowly made her way towards the door. She'd only been awake for ten minutes or so, and hadn't even had time to put her wig on. She paused at the bottom of the stairs, wondering if she should take the time to get it. Deciding against it, she walked over and opened the small grate on the door, looking through the scrolled ironwork, and saw her parents standing before her. Frowning with a mix of confusion and disappointment, she opened the door. "Hi. How did you guys get in? The front gate has security codes." "That's a nice welcome," her mother said. "May we come in?" "Um, sure." She stepped away from the door, allowing them inside, then quickly closed it behind them to keep the sunlight out. "Anton's still sleeping." She crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm surprised you're here. I thought the intercom would sound if we had visitors." "It did. You must've still been asleep. We asked Lindy's parents to let us in instead." "Oh." She felt marginally better, knowing that the security system did work. "Make yourselves comfortable. I'll go get Anton." She walked back upstairs to the bedroom. Anton was still sprawled across their bed, snoring softly. She leaned over and gently shook him. "Wake up, sleepyhead." Anton woke up mid-snore. "Huh, Bryn? Is it sunset?" "No, sugar. My parents are here." Anton sat up and blinked. "Okay. Give me about five minutes to get presentable, and I'll be down." "I can tell them it's too early if you want to go back to sleep." He yawned, the sound echoing in the room. "No, it's okay. I'll be down." She sat down on the bed and gave him a good morning kiss to wake him up. It certainly did the trick...unfortunately not in the way she'd intended. "Sorry," she said, softly, glancing down at his erection. She gave him a little grin before getting up and walking back towards the double doors "Is that my shirt?" She glanced back at him over her shoulder. "My favorite one. Maybe later I'll let you have it back." With that, she hurried back down the stairs. He smiled, watching her retreat out of their bedroom. Climbing out of bed, he stretched and walked over to the dresser, trying to remember if they unpacked their clothes earlier. Fortunately, it appeared that Bryn had, and he pulled on his boxers, jeans and a T-shirt. Moving to the front of the dresser mirror to comb his hair, he noticed Bryn's wig was still resting on the Styrofoam head. Deciding to forego shoes, he padded down the hallway and downstairs to the living room. Instead of sitting on the couch, both of her parents were seated on the stools in the kitchen, watching as Bryn made a pot of coffee. "Your brother left yesterday for Baltimore. Although he really didn't want to. I think he worries about you a lot," Bernadette said. Bryn frowned. "Why?" "Well, you're all the way across the country and will be having a baby in a few months. I imagine he wishes you were closer to home." "I am home," she said, smiling as Anton walked into the room. "Hello, Anton," Bernadette said. Steven nodded in acknowledgement, but otherwise remained silent. "Good evening Bernadette, Steven," Anton said. He took one of the other stools on the other side of the counter in the center of the kitchen. "What brings you by?" Bryn's mother looked pointedly at Steven, her eyebrow arched, waiting for him to speak. He cleared his throat. "We'll be heading home soon, as well. Tonight, actually. And...we, I wanted to clear up some things before we left." His voice was much calmer than the last time they'd spoken--in fact, calmer than Anton had ever heard him. Even on the night they'd met, Steven had been somewhat anxious to meet his daughter's fiancé. "First of all, I want to apologize--again--for my behavior over the past week. It's been unforgivably harsh and rude, and I'm sorry for that." Bryn paused in the middle of pouring coffee and glanced at Anton. Anton nodded. "I accept your apology, Steven. It's a situation I've been in been in before, and I can't say that yours is an uncommon reaction. But some people never get over that first reaction." He watched Bryn pass out the steaming mugs and accepted his before pulling her against his side. She leaned closer and kissed his cheek, rubbing her hand over his back. They smiled at each other, and before she moved to set down the coffeepot, she noticed both of her parents watching them, and then look at each other. [This can't be good.] Taking a deep breath, she said, "I would offer you guys something else, but this is all we have unpacked. We're going to have to go shopping later tonight." "This is fine," Steven said, then returned his attention back to Anton. "Thank you for your patience. Bennie and I have spent a lot of time talking about this, probably not enough but I guess it will have to do for now." He swallowed heavily. "I guess the rambling point I'm trying to make is that it's obvious you love my daughter and she loves you. And that's what really matters. I admit I still have issues...but I'll do my best to resolve those on my own and treat you like a decent human being, figuratively speaking." He could feel Bryn tense at his last words, but he squeezed her a little tighter, trying to soothe her and remind her that technically, he wasn't human any longer. "That is all I ask for. If there is anything I can do to assist you, please, don't be afraid to ask." "I just...I think we'd like to be notified immediately if either of you, or your brother's family, is put in danger...or revealed. We'll provide whatever help that we can." He swallowed heavily. "And we'd definitely like to spend more time with both of you, and our grandchild, before Sabryn is..." He couldn't seem to say the words. "Made into a vampire." Anton nodded. He knew that was a hard truth for Sabryn's father to face. "We can do that, right, my dear?" She nodded, trying to smile but not quite able to. She was still waiting for the outburst. Wondering just when her father would start insulting Anton again. She leaned heavier against him, feeling slightly light-headed. It wasn't quite as bad as it got before she fainted, but it wore her out all the same. She wasn't sure if it was relief or something else. Anton looked down at Bryn, sensing the change almost immediately. 'Are you okay, my dear?" She managed a small smile for him. "I'm okay." He raised an eyebrow, not quite believing her. "I just need to sit down. Can we move this into the living room?" "Sure." After everyone got up and moved towards the living room, setting their coffee down, Bryn settled on to the couch next to Anton and leaned her head back. "Better now?" She nodded, giving him a half-smile. Her father leaned forward, taking a Polaroid picture out of his pocket. "I've already told Anton about part of this, as a surprise for your wedding. But this is the rest of it, which is for your birthday." He passed the picture across the table. Bryn took the picture as Anton handed it to her, looking curiously at the black foal prancing around a field. "What--is this Whiskey's baby?" Steven nodded. "He still needs a name. When you get some fenced areas built here, I'll be sending him to you, along with Whiskey and Moonshine." "All of them?" she asked, excitedly. At his nod, she turned and looked at Anton. "You knew about this?" Anton nodded, not certain if he was about to be chewed out for keeping it a secret. "Steven told me at the reception, but asked me to keep it a secret until the foal was born." She recognized the cautious look on his face and smiled at him, resting her hand on his thigh. Turning her attention back to her father, she said, "Thank you. I don't even know what to say." "Thank you is good enough. I know you'll take good care of them." They made small talk for nearly another hour, discussing when the fences would be built, how they liked their new home. They gave her parents a tour of the house. Bryn almost got the feeling that they were a bit hurt at not being invited to live on the property as well, but she did her best to explain that the move had been Nathaniel's idea and his invitation. When it was time for her parents to leave, she awkwardly hugged both of them, promising to keep in touch, and watched warily as her father shook Anton's hand. When her mother asked him for a hug, she wasn't sure whether she was still dreaming or not. Anton also wasn't sure if he was dreaming also as he hugged her. From all of Bryn's descriptions and their brief first meeting, he had expected the opposite reaction - Bryn's father being accepting and her mother protesting the relationship. Apparently there was a lot more going on than Bryn was aware of. But there would be time enough to puzzle over that later. "Are you sure we can't drive you to the airport?" "No, no," Bernadette said. "We need to return the rental car anyway. But thank you for the offer." Anton and Bryn followed them out to the driveway, saying goodbye one last time and waving as Steven started the car and reversed on to the blacktop road leading to the gates. After they'd disappeared through the gates beyond, Bryn let out a deep sigh of relief. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted now. What do you say we go back upstairs?" "That sounds good, my dear." Anton put an arm around her waist and started guiding her back inside and up the stairs, letting the door shut behind them. "So what did you think of that, Bryn?" She shook her head. "Definitely weird...but I don't think we've heard the last word on the subject. My parents can hold on to things for years. Luckily, they'll be on the other side of the country so we won't have to listen to it." Once they reached the bedroom, she hurried over and hopped into his side of the bed, snuggling down into the blankets, not even giving him a choice. Grinning at him from her little cocoon, she said, "What did you think of it?" He grinned back at her before laying down on her half of the bed. He propped his head up on one hand, rolling to his side to look at her. "I think your parents are still in shock, and haven't come to full terms with what I am. I think that you're right that we haven't heard the end of this, but not the way you mean it. And I think that I'm going to have to buy a lot more shirts if you're going to start wearing mine on a regular basis." He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. She gave him an impish grin before lowering her hands beneath the covers. She squirmed around for a minute or two before tugging the shirt off of her shoulders and handing it to him. "I told you I'd let you have it back. Although, it might be fun to take you shopping anyway. Dressing you up like my own Ken doll...but with better clothing." "Oh...so that's all I am to you," he said with a grin. "A plaything." He snuggled against her and put his arms around her. "You should be glad that I'm not a giant Ken doll, my dear, because then I wouldn't be..." Still holding her firmly, he rolled over so she was now sitting on his groin. "...Anatomically correct." She let out a soft laugh, shifting her hips back and forth. "That *would* be a shame. Then you'd have to hang around with tall blonds with perfect bodies and...wait a minute, you already do that." She leaned over him, teasing his cotton-covered chest with her naked breasts. "I thought Barbie was always supposed to get Ken in the end?" "Not this time, my dear. Unless you start wearing Cerise's wig." He wiggled his hips, making her squirm. His arms gently came around her shoulders to hold her firmly against his chest as he kissed her. Licking at her lips, his hands slid down her bare back and under the shorts she was wearing. She gasped, bucking her hips against his, making him gasp as well. She smiled at him before meeting his lips again. Meanwhile, her hands slid down his torso to tug at the hem of his T-shirt, pulling it up and out of the way, then finally off altogether. She moaned at the feel of his hot skin against hers, her nipples tightening, both of her necklaces caught between them as she attacked his mouth. He kissed back voraciously, hands trying to work her shorts down her legs without moving away from her mouth. Growling softly in frustration, he pushed her off his chest, taking a moment to caress her breasts. He climbed off the bed, and then pulled her shorts off her legs. With an evil grin, he grabbed her hips and pulled her towards the end of the bed, until her legs were dangling off it. Still smirking, he stood up to full height, he stripped his jeans and underwear off, taking the opportunity to stretch as well. She let out a low moan at the loss of contact and spread her legs wantonly before him. Her feet hooked behind his calves, trying to pull him forward, to no avail. He was taking his sweet time teasing her, and it was driving her crazy. She arched her back, squirming against the bed. "Please?" She licked her lips. "Fuck me?" Staring at her mouth, he said, "I'd thought you'd never ask." Seeing that she was a little low for what he had in mind, he grabbed a pillow and slipped it under her hips. Stepping in closer between her spread legs, he leaned forward over her stomach, breathing heavily already. Anton hissed with pleasure as the head of his cock rubbed against her wet sex. He shifted his hips back and forth, searching for her entrance by feel. She whimpered and lifted her hips, impaling herself on his hard cock. She tilted her head back, letting out a sharp cry as he sank deep inside of her. She kept her neck bared to him, almost as if silently begging him to take her, her rapid pulse just visible near her jaw. "Please...Anton..." He closed his eyes, trying not to think about how easy it would be to sink his fangs into her neck. Taking a breath to center himself, he slowly began to thrust. He groaned at how tight she was, how she gripped him so firmly, making it so he was barely able to pull out of her. Leaning forward and supporting his weight on one arm, he reached over to rub her breasts, circling the darkened areolas with his thumb. She kept her mouth open, letting moans and cries escape her at will. She rocked her hips as much as she could in counter-rhythm to his thrusts, her ankles hooking behind thighs, pulling at him with every withdrawal. Her hands gripped his forearms, fingernails biting into his skin. Breathing heavily, she managed to mutter, "More, sugar, I need more pressure." Anton moaned softly, leaning further forward over her, trying to give her what she needed. Trying not to put too much weight on Bryn's stomach, he stroked his cock forcefully in and out of her. "God, Bryn!" With his weight on his arms, he wasn't able to touch where they were joined. He hoped that his lunges would be enough. She spread her legs wider, squealing as his efforts made him hit the very spot she'd needed him to. She bowed her back, thrusting her breasts forward, tightening even more around him as her orgasm hit her. She let out a shocked cry that echoed in the room, her face flushing with intense heat as the waves swept over her. She was gripping him so tightly, he could barely move. He threw his head back and gave a hoarse yell as he came, flooding her. Panting heavily, he hovered above her, panting, eyes shut as his body shook with release. Slowly he sank down on the bed beside her, still trying to catch his breath. She rolled onto her side facing him, her eyes closed as she calmed down. She was beginning to feel even more drowsy than before, but she didn't want to move. Scooting a bit closer to him, she let his body heat keep her warm. Lazily murmuring, she said, "I don't know about you, but I thought that was pretty damned good for a Ken doll." He chuckled lightly. "You did pretty good yourself, Barbie." He grabbed a sheet and pulled it over their bodies. He nuzzled her neck lightly before kissing her cheek. "So what do you say - forward the alarm another hour or head back downstairs and start unpacking?" "Mmm...the alarm, 'cause I'm not moving. I'm not even sure if I'm going to move in an hour. Although, it might be nice to be under the covers and not have my legs dangling on the floor." She smiled sweetly at him. Getting Bryn's hint, he got up out of the bed. Gently, he pulled her back up to the head of the bed and reset the alarm for an hour later. After tucking Bryn back under the covers, he lay down beside her. She immediately curled up beside him, but her eyes opened after a few seconds. "Anton, have you seen Petunia?" "I think she slipped outside while we were saying goodbye to your parents." Anton yawned. "She'll be back when she gets hungry." "Okay." But if either of them had looked out their window, they would have seen Petunia at the edge of the woods, a tall man scratching her ears as his gaze traveled thoughtfully between all three houses. He gave a soft sound of amusement as the puppy leaned down and chewed on the toe of his boot. It had been ridiculously easy to get past their so-called security fencing. Hell, even their guard dog liked him. Sniffing at his hand, the scent familiar to her, the dog merely leaned further against his leg and groaned in delight as he petted her. His voice almost gravelly, he whispered, "This is going to be easier than I thought." He rubbed her ears. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?" "Nate, we're supposed to be unpacking...don't leave me to do this on my own!" "Cool your jets, babe," he called out, halfway down the stairs. "The front gate is buzzing." He trotted the rest of the way down the stairs, sliding across the foyer in his sock feet. He grinned at his own Risky Business-esque move, then quickly backpedaled to the intercom. "Yeah?" The female voice coming through the speaker was familiar. "Some weird guy told me he wanted a cleansing today. Is this the right place?" He laughed. "Come on up, Zen. Second house you see." He pushed the security button to open the gate, turning with a grin on his face to see Lindy standing on the stairs. With her arms crossed and her eyebrow arched, she didn't look pleased. "What?" "Who was that?" "An old friend coming up for a visit," he said, walking towards her. "She's going to wash you?" "No..." His grin widened, and he reached out to grab her around the waist. "Lind, baby, are you jealous?" "Maybe," she sniffed. "And maybe I'm just a territorial bitch." Lindy grinned, but Nate's question hit just a little too close to home for her comfort. "Zen? Is this your witch friend told me about?" "Yes, and she's going to give the house a spiritual cleansing. She's not washing me." He laughed at the little glare she gave him. "You better check on Liam...we need to unpack that gate we bought for the stairs." "I'll go see what he's doing." As she headed back up the stairs, she heard him step out the door...and couldn't help but wonder if he'd just given her a distraction so he could meet the woman by himself. Growling inwardly, she walked into the bedroom and grabbed Liam from where he was playing with her boxed sweaters. "Come on, Liam...let's go see what 'Zen' thinks of daddy's new wife and child." Liam looked up at Lindy and made a rude noise, sticking his tongue out. "Yeah, Liam, you said it." She tickled him, making him giggle as she lifted him out of the box. "Come on, Liam. The sooner we meet her, the sooner it's over with." Walking downstairs, she could see Nathaniel standing outside the open front door. Through the window beside it, she could see a later model white Toyota Celica parked next to her BMW. A tall woman in a black suit and heels got out of the car. When Nate hugged her hello, she couldn't quite repress her growl. As if that weren't bad enough, the brunette squeezed him even tighter, lifting her feet off the ground until he was nearly supporting her weight. Lindy took a step closer to biting the woman's head off before regaining control of her emotions. Once back on her feet, 'Zen' and Nathaniel talked animatedly. She gestured her hand around at the house and the property, obviously commenting on how nice it was. [Keep dreamin', lady...it's all mine.] Both still smiling, they started back towards the house and Lindy quickly backed away from the door. Trying to look nonchalant as she stood in the foyer. That sentiment went to hell when she spotted the big red lip-prints on her husband's cheek. She took a deep breath, mentally reciting the Gettysburg Address to school her face into calmness. She couldn't help but grimace a little, smiling stiffly as Nathaniel brought this... this... woman into their home. Not waiting for him to introduce her, Lindy stepped forward, almost knocking Nate out of the way. "Hi. You must be Zen. I'm Lindy, Nathaniel's wife, and this is our son, Liam." The woman smiled. This beautiful, awesome, and totally hate-able smile. She was gorgeous, from her porcelain sculpted face, to her big brown doe-eyes. Nearly as tall as Nathaniel, thin, busty. She wasn't even wearing a shirt under that suit jacket. Lindy smiled back, wondering if she looked anything like a snarling wolf baring its fangs. Zen didn't seem to notice. "Lindy, how nice to meet you," she said, utterly friendly as she firmly shook her hand. Lindy was nearly pulled off her feet by the brief grip, and it annoyed her to no end. "I'm Zenobia. And what a darling little boy! He's so sweet!" The woman leaned closer, cooing at their son, and Lindy knew—-she knew--the moment was coming. "May I hold him?" "Of course you can!" Nathaniel said, oblivious to Lindy's stiff body language. Biting the inside of her lip, she had no choice but to release Liam into Zenobia's arms. She bit back a smile, expecting for Liam to begin crying at the strange human's scent. Liam, however, didn't seem inclined to cooperate. He babbled at Zen, perfectly happy to be held and be the center of attention. [Traitor!] Lindy thought, not certain if she directed it to Liam or Nate. She wondered if this was how Bryn felt the first time she saw her with Anton. Zenobia talked and babbled to Liam, tickling him until he squealed with giggles. "He is gorgeous, Nathaniel. I'm so jealous. Almost makes me want to have a family." She was quiet, pretending to be thinking hard. "Nah, I'm having too much as it is. Most of my male clients are repeat customers." Lindy arched an eyebrow, but kept her smile frozen in place. "Male clients?" [Repeat customers? Exactly *what* is she selling?] "Oh, Nathaniel hasn't told you? My, what you must be thinking!" She reached out and smacked Nate on the arm, and then gently rubbed the spot as if it was sore. Lindy's eyes narrowed. "I do love metaphysical practices, but my paying job is as a massage therapist. Actually, your husband used to help me practice when I was in school." She giggled a silly, girly laugh. "I think I might've made him more tense than I ever did relaxed." "He never told me that." [I'm going to have to have a long talk with Nathaniel later.] She was more than a little put out at these little details about his 'friend.' Not to mention how she was always touching him, and he wasn't objecting. "You said something about metaphysical practices?" "Oh, of course. I'm a very spiritual person, although not in the way most people would use the word. I'm talking more about sensory perception, leaving the physical body and becoming one with the universe. I believe meditation and spiritual travel is a big part of massage therapy. I often have clients ask me to hypnotize them before I get started. I can't say if I'm any good at it or not, but they seem to relax a lot more. I use a lot of nature sounds, aromatherapy, colored light dances, and crystals. It's all very healing for the mind and soul. If you'd like, I'd be glad to offer you a massage some time. I keep a portable table in my trunk." "No, that's not necessary, thanks." She looked over at Nate. "So, you're going to be 'cleansing' the houses? Is there anything you need us to do, or are you ready to start?" [Cause the sooner you're done, the sooner you're out of here.] "Oh, well...yes, I should get started. The sooner the malevolence leaves this space, the better." Lindy couldn't help but wonder if that was a jab at her attitude. If it was, Zenobia kept smiling cheerfully. Handing the baby over to Nathaniel, she reached for the small black handbag hanging from her shoulder. "Is there somewhere I can get set up? The kitchen, maybe?" "Sure," Nate said, leading the way. Lindy followed behind Zenobia, rolling her eyes at the perfect sway of her hips, the way her elegant mahogany curls bounced with every step she took, the slenderness of her tiny waist. She had to fight to keep from growling. Stopping just inside the kitchen, Nate said, "Here we are." "All right. I'll get ready...the two of you can just go back to what you were doing if you'd like. I won't need you for a few minutes yet." It didn't surprise Lindy a bit when Nate pulled out a stool and plopped himself down on it. Biting back a sigh, she also grabbed a stool and also sat down. There was no way she'd leave her husband and that woman alone together. "So what exactly will you be doing?" Zenobia gave a little smirk. "That's top secret." She laughed a bit, making Nathaniel smile. Lindy wanted to kick him under the counter. "Actually, it's not a complicated process at all. It's a technique known as Smudging. I'll be burning some sage, lavender, and cedar, using the smoke to chase away evil energies." It sounded like a bunch of malarkey, but Lindy watched quietly and Zen pulled the components out of her purse. First she set a large seashell on the counter, it's center very bright pink and shiny. Then with several small plastic bags, she placed a small amount of the dried ingredients into the shell. "First, I'll be lighting these and giving the smoke to the four winds. I know it might sound odd, but it acts as a blessing to the house. Next, I'll go room by room and blow the smoke into every corner with a feather. It's very cleansing, both to the home and to its occupants." She lit the dry materials until a considerable flame grew, then gently blew out the fire. With a large brown feather she'd taken out of her purse, she fanned the embers until the smoke rose in a slender column. She closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths, remaining quiet. Then she opened her eyes and smiled. "Would you like me to clear your energy first, Lindy?" Lindy glanced at Nate, who was watching her reaction intently. "Okay," she said a bit hesitantly. "What do I need to do?" Zenobia stood up. "Just get off the chair and I'll take care of the rest." Feeling more than a little silly, she stood up. Zen picked up the feather and the smoldering shell. Starting at the top of Lindy's head and working downwards, Zenobia wafted the smoke over the front of her. She watched, fighting against her curiosity as Zen asked her to lift first her right foot, and then her left foot, smoke being blown over the balls of both feet. Then Zen began moving her way up the back of her legs. Lindy didn't feel like any 'negative energy' was being cleared. What she did feel was a strong desire to sneeze. Once Zenobia was done, Lindy stepped away and wiped her watering eyes, then watched silently as the woman did the same to Liam while Nate held him, and then Nate himself. She seemed to take extra time with Nathaniel, whether because of his height or something else Lindy wasn't sure. "All right, now I'll work on the rest of the house. Does your family know I'll be paying them a visit, too?" "I'll give them a call," Nate said. They watched silently as Zen finished with the kitchen, then moved into the living room. Almost excitedly, Nate turned to Lindy and said, "So what do you think of her? Isn't this great?" "It's...uh...interesting, Nate." She took Liam from him, trying to use the baby as a distraction. "Where exactly did you meet her?" He smiled. "At the library. I was working on translations, and she was looking for a book on folklore. We got to talking, found out we had a lot in common, and the rest is history. We used to spend a lot of time together, but that was before she moved to Oregon. Now it's even hard to get together once a year." "Uh huh." At this point, Lindy thought the two of them getting together once a century was far too often. "Why don't you give my parents a call, and I'll go let Bryn and Anton know that she's coming." "Okay, gorgeous." While Nate headed towards the phone, Lindy, still holding Liam, walked out of the kitchen and out the front door. Once outside, she took a deep breath, trying to get her emotions under control. Trotting swiftly, she almost ran over to Anton and Bryn's home, wanting to warn Bryn about Zenobia. When she knocked on the door, she heard a faint "it's open" come from inside and quickly stepped into the house. She winced when she practically slammed the door behind her. She didn't even take the time to admire their new home, which she'd never seen from the inside. Marching into the kitchen where Bryn was unpacking boxes, she set Liam on the counter and held him there while she took a seat at the island. "What's up?" Bryn asked, barely turning to acknowledge her. "You might want to go upstairs and put your wig on." That got her attention. Narrowing her eyes, Bryn cautiously asked, "Why?" "Remember how Nate said he had a friend he wanted to bless the houses?" "Yeah, a shaman right?" "Yeah, a shaman *and* a massage therapist." Lindy leaned one elbow on the counter, resting her cheek against her fist. "Well, she's here." Bryn grinned. "Let me guess, she's got warts and rode in on a broomstick." "No, her Celica's parked outside my house, and she's got flawless skin. A real looker. You might want to blindfold Anton." Bryn grimaced, crossing her eyes to look at the bright red zit starting on her nose. Looking back at Lindy, she muttered, "This is just fabulous. Maybe we can lure him down into the tunnel and then lock all of the exit doors. She'd never even know he'd been here." "Don't think I haven't thought about it." Lindy sighed, covering her eyes with her fingers. "She's pretty, she's smart, she's friendly, she's sweet, she adores Liam, and I hate her guts." She parted her fingers and looked through them to Bryn. "Is that how you felt about me the first time we met?" "Yup...except for the pretty and smart part." She grinned at her friend, until Lindy tossed a measuring cup at her head. Dodging, Bryn laughed. "Well think of it this way...she'll be gone soon. I'm stuck with you for all eternity. And with my husband, who adores you. I'm still jealous of you." "Jealous of me?" Lindy looked up in shock. "Bryn, he chose to be with you. You're having his child. Why are you jealous of me?" She looked away, taking a deep breath. "Because you're his best friend. He's told me before that I am, but it just doesn't sound the same as when he's talking about you. I think...well, it's just not the same. I'm the person he sleeps with. Not the person he really confides in." Lindy sighed. "You know what we talk about ever since he found you? Work. That's it. Who we need to hire, who needs to be promoted, why the time cards are late, where are we going to buy the next batch of supplies from. Really glamorous conversations you're more than welcome to." She shook her head. "It's just because you've both been busy for a while. Look, it's not a horribly big deal. I'll just live with it. I'm just trying to tell you what it sounds like to me...and he says your name differently. He perks up and his whole face brightens whenever someone so much as mentions your name." "Bryn, are you sure you're not talking about how he acts around you?" She glanced out the kitchen door. She could see Nate and Zenobia heading up the path towards the house. "Brace yourself Bryn, here they come." "Fabulous." She stepped around the counter and headed towards the living room. "I suppose I should open the door now. Maybe I'll get lucky and Anton won't even hear them." "Good luck. She's going to smudge the whole house." "She's going to do what to my house?" "You'll see." Bryn shook her head, then hurried to the door to quietly open it. She let out a sigh of relief when the door didn't make a sound, but, the minute Nate and his friend spotted her, it didn't matter anyway. "You must be Sabryn," the woman said, her voice abnormally loud. Or maybe that was just Bryn's perception. "It's very nice to meet you." She shook her hand briskly, nearly ripping Bryn's arm out of the socket before quickly stepping back once more. "I trust you know why I'm here?" "Uh, yeah..." "Great, let's get started then!" Bryn watched both of them walk by, feeling like an ugly bald shrew bowing before the queen. Lindy hadn't been exaggerating. The woman was practically perfect-- polite, friendly, beautiful beyond words. She was beginning to think she could feel her morning sickness returning. Lindy shared a knowing look with Bryn, slightly comforted that Bryn was having the same thoughts and reactions that she did. She was curious as to what Anton's reaction would be, and what Bryn's reaction to him would be. She noticed that Bryn didn't bother to call him downstairs. Curiously watching from the living room, Bryn crossed her arms as Zenobia set up the shell and feather system again. Lindy couldn't help but smirk at the look on her face. She appeared to be somewhere between disgust, bafflement and annoyance. By the time both of them heard footsteps on the stairs, it was already too late. Anton had heard voices while he had been upstairs. Curious as to why he hadn't been called down, he started for the stairway. When he reached the landing and stepped into the living room, he noticed that Nate and Lindy had arrived, as well as a stranger who was carrying some sort of seashell and doing something with a feather to the smoke rising from it. [Must be the shaman that Nathaniel mentioned earlier.] Not certain if he should disturb her work, he caught Bryn's stare and raised an eyebrow, waiting for someone to introduce him. Bryn didn't appear to have any inclination of doing so. She merely leaned against the back of the couch, crossed her arms, and tucked one ankle behind the other. He noticed that her eyes narrowed slightly every time the woman turned towards them...and then he noticed that Lindy was doing the same. Biting back a smile, he decided he'd better introduce himself. Before he could take even two steps in her direction, the tall brunette turned and smiled brightly at him. He could almost hear the growls coming from the two other women in the room. Extending her hand, Nathaniel's friend said, "Hello, I'm Zenobia Skye. You must be the master of the house." He shook her hand briefly and gave her a small, polite smile, aware that his wife's eyes were on him. "Anton Rudenko. And please, don't let me disturb your ceremony. Do continue on." He walked over to stand beside Bryn and watch, curious, but well aware of the undercurrent of jealousy in the room, one that Nathaniel seemed oblivious to. Anton sidled up to Bryn, and tried to take one of her hands. She gave him a sideways glance, arching her eyebrow, before softly smiling at him and slipping her hand into his. She threaded their fingers together, squeezing his hand. She knew he was aware of the situation, and felt relieved that he understood. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she quietly murmured, "I love you, booger." "I love you too, my dear." He watched as Zenobia blew smoke into each of the corners of the room. "Is she going to do this in every room of the house?" he murmured quietly. She shrugged. "I think so...although I'm not all that sure I should be breathing in so much smoke. Maybe I should go outside for a while. I'll go see what Petunia is up to." As if she could hear their conversation from across the room, Zenobia said, "I'll need to clear your energy before you go anywhere. Otherwise, you'll bring it back into a clean house when you come back." Anton saw Lindy roll her eyes at that pronouncement. If Zenobia had 'cleared her energy' before she came over, it clearly hadn't worked. He looked at Bryn. "Do you want to do it now or later, my dear?" "Now, I guess." She walked into the kitchen, waiting nervously as Zenobia came over to her. In a calming voice, the woman reminded her, "This will only work if you're willing. If you're resistant, or don't trust me, if won't help you." Bryn couldn't help but glance at Lindy after those words, biting back her smirk. She stood quietly while Zenobia fanned the smoke over her, lifting her feet when she was told, trying not to breathe in too much. As soon as she was done, Bryn stepped back and waved the smoke away from her face, coughing a bit. "I guess I'll be outside. Lindy...did you want to come with me?" "Sure," she said almost a little too quickly. Both women headed off outside. Once standing out on the porch, Lindy sighed. "Okay, Bryn, am I overreacting or not? Why am I acting like such a jealous bitch?" "Probably because Nathaniel keeps looking at her like a piece of birthday cake," Bryn muttered. "To tell you the truth, I'm not all that comfortable leaving the house myself. Anton knew exactly what I was thinking, so he was able to contain his reaction to her if he felt the need. Whether or not he did, I'm not entirely sure about." Lindy, still scowling, followed Bryn behind the house and towards the woods. "But am I overreacting?" "Maybe a little." Bryn looked over at her as she walked. "I know Nate loves you. You know that, too. Obviously he does if he's going to Transform you. But that doesn't mean he's going to stop looking at other women or getting turned on by them. And it doesn't stop him from being a man--we both know where most of their logic lies. I guess it just depends on much you trust him to control his impulses. I don't know Nate the way you know Anton. I can't really judge him fairly." "I trust him, Bryn. Or at least I think I do." She looked up at the stars as if seeking guidance. "Sometimes I forget that he's had other lovers, other relationships. I think there's a bit more between him and Zenobia that he's told me." She sighed. "I'm sorry I wasn't more sympathetic to you when you were going through this with Anton." "That was an entirely different situation, Lindy. I was trying to cope with dead people." "But they were women he still loved." "And he still does. But we both had to accept that no matter how much he does love them and misses them, he has a different life now. One he's committed to. Just like Nate. I don't think he'd ever want to do something that would hurt you. If he does have feelings for her, they're internal. He'd do everything he could to keep you from seeing them and being hurt by them. I'm sure he doesn't even realize that you're hurt by them anyway, because he doesn't know you see right through him. Maybe you should talk to him about it?" "He doesn't like to talk about his past, Bryn. I think he's ashamed of it." One corner of her mouth curled down into a frown. "And he was telling me that he thinks *I* should have some counseling...oh my God." She let her head fall back and her mouth open. "What, Lindy?" "He talked about maybe me being counseled by a friend of his. What do you want to bet *she's* who he had in mind?" Bryn couldn't help but giggle. "That should be an interesting session. You in stony silence, and her politely talking while fanning smoke all over the room." She paused for a moment to call out to Petunia, frowning when she didn't hear or see anything in return. "If Petunia's smart, she's waiting until the smoke blows over." She laughed, even as Lindy smacked her on the arm. Lindy couldn't fight the smile creeping over her face. "I'll bet she's hiding out over at Mom's right now. And that's something I can't wait to see - Mom's reaction to Zenobia." She puffed out her cheeks and blew the air out. "I guess we better go back in there and see if she's set fire to the place yet." "No thanks...I'd rather Max not be born with a smoker's cough, thank you. You can go ahead and go back, though. I'll just take a short walk and then I'll head home." "Okay. Just try not to get your aura too dirty. You wouldn't want her to have to smudge the house again." "God forbid! See you later." She watched as Lindy turned around and started back in the house. Smiling and shaking her head slightly, she started off towards the woods. Wandering in and out of the trees, she called and whistled for Petunia. Feeling a set of eyes on her back, she spun around, expecting to see her puppy sitting there, wagging her tail. Only no one was there. She shivered a bit more, heading through the woods. She still couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, but every time she glanced backwards, she didn't see anyone. She could only stand about five minutes more of feeling unnerved before she started heading back to the house. She was about fifty feet from the house when she heard something moving low and fast towards her from behind. Heart pounding, she poised herself to run even as she glanced over her shoulder. The flopping brown ears and bobbing tail sent relief rushing through her. She knelt down in the grass, waiting for Petunia to come to her. True to her nature, Petunia slowed down and lazily wandered for the last few feet. "You naughty girl...what have you been doing out here?" Tail wagging, Petunia snuffled and licked Bryn's hand. "You're filthy! Looks like Daddy gets to give you a bath." Bryn smiled to herself, then frowned slightly as she noticed the twig sticking out of the side of the dog's collar. "How did you get this in here? You're such a mess. Come on, let's get you inside. Zenobia will probably want to blow some smoke up your ass." Achoo! Jess sneezed, eyes watering. She wondered how she let Nathaniel talk her into smudging the house. They were going to be smelling the smoke for weeks. She had also noticed both Alex and Walter paying more attention to Zenobia than she liked, but that was an issue to be dealt with later on. What was on her mind at the moment was Lindy's mood. Her eldest daughter had arrived with Nathaniel and Zen, and had silently watched the whole performance. Lindy's eyes had never strayed too far from one or the other, and her expression never altered that much. Jess knew her well enough that when her face went immobile, she was upset about something. And from the way Nate was acting around Zenobia, she had a good idea what. As Nathaniel and Zenobia stepped outside, Jess turned to Lindy. "Okay, you going to tell me what's wrong or are you going to shoot daggers out of your eyes at them all night?" Lindy was silent as she stepped over to the couch and laid Liam down on the cushion. The sleeping boy stirred for a second or two before yawning and settling back down with his butt in the air. Walking back to the kitchen, Lindy sat down. "Do I really have to tell you what's wrong? Isn't it obvious?" "I want to hear it from you, Lindy." "He hasn't stopped staring at her since she got here. He's said maybe seven words to me, total. I wouldn't be surprised if he still thought I was faithfully following them around right now. I've become invisible." "So, start being visible." Jess looked out to the front porch. "He's your husband, Lindy. You've got to be willing to be assertive." Lindy blinked at her mother, a bit surprised by what she said. "What do you mean? Change and attack her?" "No, Lindy. I mean you need to let Nate know that you're not happy and why. You can't expect him to know that your upset and not why. Talk to him about her." "That's a lot easier said than done. For one thing, she's always around. And I think he likes it that way. He's not afraid to talk to her about the past, but he certainly doesn't want to talk to me about it. Whenever I ask him about other women in his life, he finds some way to change the subject or blow me off." "I didn't say it was going to be easy, Lindy. It wasn't easy when I had to talk to Alex about his past either. Or Walter for that matter. Literally had to tie them down." She placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Lindy, hon, there's going to be things in his past that you don't like. And if you keep it bottled up, if you keep grinning and bearing it, it will eat you up inside. And as much as you love him, he's not worth that. No one is." She squeezed her shoulder, trying to soften her harsh words. "So tell him what you're feeling, Lindy. I'm sure he doesn't even realize that you're hurting." Lindy didn't have a chance to respond before they both heard the sound of the front door opening. She opened her mouth to tell her to stay put, but Jess shook her head before she got the words out. "Talk to him," she said urgently, in a low voice, then walked out of the kitchen through the opposite door. Nate was all smiles as he walked over to where she sat. "Hey, baby." He kissed her on the top of the head before dropping his bombshell. "Zen's flight doesn't leave until tomorrow afternoon, so I told her she could stay in our guest room upstairs. That cool with you?" She wanted to say no, it wasn't. But that's not what came out of her mouth. "I guess so, Nate." "Great!" Nate sounded like a ten year old who had just been told he could have his first sleep over. "I'll tell her to bring her stuff in." Lindy shook her head after Nate was out the door. "What the hell am I doing?" she whispered to herself. Bryn sat on the bench at the foot of the bed, drying off a freshly washed and very sweet-smelling Petunia, while Anton dug through the boxes for the rest of her transfusion equipment. It would've been much easier if she already drank blood--Anton and Nate had been existing on ampoules for almost two weeks. Ever since her accident, anyway. The blood was in ready supply, neatly arranged in their brand new refrigerator. Finding the needles was another story. "Zenobia was very pretty," Bryn said, conversationally, rubbing the dog's ears with a towel. "I certainly wish I could fit into a suit like that." She looked out from under her eyelashes, trying to see if Anton was paying any attention to her. "I think Lindy was even a bit jealous of her. Of course, with the way Nate was staring at her, I don't blame Lindy a bit." "Nathaniel is playing with fire, my dear." He continued to rummage through the box, frowning as he pulled various knickknacks out of it. "Lindy is more than a little bit jealous. I could see that clearly. I don't particularly want to be at ground zero when that fight starts." He pulled out one last package and smiled. "Found them." He stood up and dusted off his knees before heading over to the bed. Hanging the unit of blood, he placed the needle on one end of the IV. "Ready, my dear?" "As ready as I'll ever be." She tossed the wet towel to the floor, shaking her head as Petunia snorted and rolled over onto her back. The dog looked like a muppet with her jowls hanging upside down like wings. Bryn patted her soft little belly while Anton pushed her sleeve out of the way. "Do you think she has a reason to be jealous? I don't want to think he'd ever cheat on her...but physically doing so and mentally doing it are two different things. What if, in his head, he does want to?" She wanted to ask if he ever had fantasies like that about beautiful women, but she didn't think she could do so without offending him. "Would he cheat on her?" Anton thought about it for a moment. "If you had asked me that question six months ago, my answer would have been yes. Now, I'm sure he wouldn't." He knew he was treading on sensitive ground, that Bryn would probably apply some of this to him by extension, but she deserved an honest answer. "Most men, even those in a committed relationship, when they see a beautiful woman, wonder for split second what it would be like to sleep with her. They wouldn't be male if they didn't. But the difference is that most of them only think about it for that second and then move on. It doesn't mean that they love their mates any less." "Well, it looked to me like he thought about it for more than a second." She winced as he stuck the needle into her flesh and then taped it into place. She settled back against the pillows on the bed, lying her arm flat while the transfusion worked its magic. Looking into his eyes, she said, "What did you think it would be like to sleep with her. Would it be exciting? And be honest, I promise I won't get mad at you." He looked back in her eyes. "Yes, I did think of it for that split second. I did wonder what it would be like if I could have a fantasy with her. But then I thought why do I need a fantasy with her when reality with you is so much better than a fantasy could ever be?" Bryn rolled her eyes. "You're going to make me need insulin shots, too. And no side-stepping the question. I asked what you thought it would be like, not whether or not you did. I already knew you did. You can't hide from me when you're feeling guilty--you're a terrible liar." Anton threw up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, guilty as charged." He sat down on the bed. "Yes, I did wonder what she would be like. In my experience, it's hard to tell by their personality. I'm not sure what kind of lover Zenobia would be, and to be honest, not really interested in finding out." Bryn smiled and said, in a really obnoxious Southern accent, "Aw, sugar, you're so sweeeet!" She giggled at the look on his face. Sobering back to her normal voice, she asked, "Seriously, you couldn't tell? What about me--could you tell what kind of lover I'd be? Before I told you I was a virgin, that is?" She traced her fingertips up and down the inside of his thigh. "And what kind of lover am I, anyway?" "A very talented one." He pressed his lips against her forehead. "I knew that you were either very inexperienced, or someone had hurt you, but until you said you were a virgin, no, I didn't know. I knew I'd have to take things slowly and let you get used to the feelings, but I certainly didn't expect you to go down on me without any coaxing." He gently stroked her cheek. "You're adventurous in bed, my dear. Something I didn't expect from the shy woman who fled from me the first time she saw me." She smiled, turning her head to kiss his palm. "I learned from an excellent teacher. You let me do whatever I wanted, and I wasn't used to that much freedom. It was exciting. You've always been so generous and patient. I couldn't help but want to try everything with you." She rubbed her cheek against his palm, holding his hand in place with hers. "And I love you so much, I want to experience everything you can give me." He ran his thumb along her cheek. "We will, Bryn, my dear. I'll teach you everything I know. And," he added with a devilish grin. "I'm sure you'll teach me a trick or two." After everyone was smudged, including Chandra and Zen herself, plus both Petunia and Montel, Nate and Zenobia relaxed in the living room, catching up on old times. Lindy listened in for as long as she could stand, then finally picked up Liam and excused herself from the room. She walked to the master bedroom, set Liam on the bed, and angrily resumed unpacking boxes. It was nearly two hours later when Nate finally wandered into the room. She didn't pay him any attention as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Zen's all settled in. She said to tell you 'good night.' She's going to sleep now." He was silent for a moment, and she could feel him staring at the back of her head. "You've been awfully quiet all night. What's up, Lind?" "What's wrong?" She snorted. "Nothing, other than the both of you can't seem to keep your hands off of each other." She turned around to glare at Nate. "Exactly *what* was your relationship with her?" End Chapter <- Previous Chapter | Home | Next Chapter ->