Chapter Fifty-four

Anton awoke early the next evening, pressed against Bryn's back. Half asleep, he nuzzled her head, trying to figure out why they were both squeezed over on his side of the bed, and a pile of pillows along the edge of Bryn's side. Raising his head slightly, he saw the baby snuggled between Bryn and the pillows.

[Oh, yeah.] He remembered that they had been watching Liam for the day so Nate and Lindy could cope with the aftereffects of her first feeding. He lowered his head back to the pillow, gently rubbing his hand up and down Bryn's side.

She mumbled something in her sleep, stretched, and then snuggled back against him, her hand on Liam's stomach. Awakened by Bryn's movement, Petunia got up from where she'd slept at Liam's feet. The dog groaned as she stretched her front legs, shook until her ears and tail flopped, then walked over behind Anton and started dutifully licking the side of his face.

He shut his eyes and tried to shield his face with his hands. "Petunia, no," he said softly, trying not to disturb Bryn and Liam. Twisting around, he tried to keep his precarious balance on the edge of the bed.

Her breathing picking up slightly, Bryn tried to turn around and face him, but couldn't manage to move between him and Liam. Blinking, she turned her head and looked him. Still groggy with sleep.

"What did you say?"

"Petunia, no," he repeated, more to the puppy than to Bryn. Teetering on the edge, he reached up to try to push Petunia away from his face, overbalanced, and fell out of bed, landing on his back with a thud. "Ow..."

Petunia stared down at him, her tail wagging, her ears perked in excitement. Thinking he was playing a game, she immediately took the opportunity to bound onto his stomach. He let out a whoosh of air, glaring at the dog as she quickly resumed licking his face.

Pushing the dog aside, Bryn peered over the edge at him and grinned. "I think we need a bigger bed."

He grunted, rubbing his stomach. "We have a king-sized already."

"So maybe we need some of those kiddy railings, so you can't fall off?"

He mock glared at her, standing slowly to exaggerate his wounded dignity. "I guess I should be grateful you didn't make a crack about my 'advanced age.'" He stood up and stretched. "Scoot over, Bryn, and let me back in."

"Somehow I doubt you'll be needing a hip replacement anytime soon." She snickered at the look on his face, then reached over to scoot Liam over some. Once he was snug against the pillows, facing her, she scooted over and patted the space next to her. "How long were you laying on the edge like that? You could've told me to scoot over, you know."

"Not long, I think," he said with a yawn. "I haven't been awake that long." He gently reached out and stroked her hair. "So how did you like sharing our bed with a baby? Something we'll have to get used to."

She shifted around to untangle herself from her nightgown, which had begun trying to constrict her legs somewhere during the night.

"Other than wearing the nightgown, I didn't mind at all. You seem to forget we've already been sharing the bed with two babies." She pointed to her stomach, and then to Petunia who was busily trying to jump her way back onto the bed. "Although, the second is a little more like sharing a bed with Baby Huey."

Anton looked at over at Petunia, who had her forepaws up on the mattress. He reached over and patted her ears. "I worry that we'll not have room in this bed for us when she's full grown." He snuggled back against Bryn, wrapping his arm around her stomach. "Do you have any plans for today, Bryn? It's Saturday, so I don't have to stop by the warehouse."

She looked back at him and gave him a feral grin, then turned over to face him. "In that case, I vote we just stay in bed all day long. We can just lay here and be lazy...unless, of course, we get in the mood for a little action. Which I certainly wouldn't object to at all."

"Neither would I." He leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly. "But are you sure you want to have an audience?" He lifted his head to look significantly at a soundly sleeping Liam.

She glanced back at him. "He's sleeping. Besides, he'll never know if we keep it under the covers. Might be kind of fun to see if we can hide it. Maybe we should make a bet on who moans first?"

He gently reached out and stroked her cheek. "I'll take that bet." He kissed her again, letting his lips linger on hers. Underneath the sheets. he let his hand start to run up and down her arm as his tongue nudged her lips apart.

She let out a soft sigh, sliding her hands across the smooth warm skin of his waist, then down over the silky fabric of his boxers, squeezing his ass and pulling him closer. She shifted her legs against his, deliberately rubbing her thigh higher and higher between his. Sucking lightly on his tongue, she then opened her mouth a bit wider to let him explore to his content.

He grinned, running his tongue over hers as his hands slowly became bolder. Grabbing a fistful of her gown and started to pull it upwards. Her lower half now bare, he slid her back and squeezed her ass.

She was breathing heavily now, whimpering and sliding wantonly against him, but she'd somehow managed not to moan. Although, it had only been a few minutes.

Slipping her hands under the waistband of his boxers, she ran her fingers over his ass, squeezing lightly, and dragged her fingernails up the smooth curves. Relishing the way he clenched his muscles under her touch. She pressed a few more kisses to his lips before pulling back to look at him.

"I like this. It makes me feel like we're doing something naughty. Maybe we should do this in public sometime."

He had to bite his tongue for a moment before he could answer without moaning. "Yeah, I think we will have to." His hands circled over her hips and slid up her stomach, pushing the fabric of her gown even higher. Cupping both breasts, he circled his thumb around the tight nipples before leaning forward to breathe in her ear. "How naughty do you think you can be?"

She gave him a smile. "Hmm...depends on what you have planned. I'm certainly not going to walk around in public naked. But I could see myself wearing a dress and no panties. Or maybe..." She bit her lip to keep from moaning. "Uh...letting you put her fingers in me while driving down the road...and all of the truck drivers passing by c-could see."

"I'm not too sure I like that idea, Bryn." He ran his nose along her neck, pressing his lips against her at random. His hand slid back down her front and slipped between her legs, fingers teasing the inside of her thighs and working upwards. "But then there is something about driving everyone else crazy with jealousy, knowing that they can look, but not touch."

She bit her lip again, sliding her hand around his hip to lightly caress his balls. She skimmed her fingertips across the little hairs there, smirking as he shivered against her. Taking a bolder approach, she cupped him in her hand and lazily rolled his balls in their sac. "So what did you have in mind, Anton? How do you want them to look but not touch?

He bit his lip harder, trying to keep from moaning. Shuddering under her light assault, his hand lightly stroked over her moisture. That was a mistake. "I...ah...was thinking of you wearing a thin lace dress, no bra, no underwear. Something that shows off every curve, something that borders on this side of obscene." He caught his lips in hers, tongue stabbing into her.

The image his words produced, combined with the touch of his fingers sliding over her labia, was too much to bear. She rocked her hips against his hand, kissing him passionately. Her hand slid up to wrap around his cock, stroking the length of it.

"When...do you...want me to do...this?" she asked, between each searching kiss. "Before or...after Max is born?"

He pulled back to look into her eyes. "Both." He felt her jump beneath him, heard her gasp and felt her grip tighten on his cock. He nipped at her neck, licking at her ear lobe. "Roll over, Bryn."

She was shaking as she rolled to her other side and scooting back against him. She swallowed heavily in anticipation, reaching back to resume stroking her fingers over his cock. When he reached his hand under her thigh, lifting it over his, she nearly couldn't contain the sounds building in her throat. She felt him rubbing against her and pushed her ass back against his hips in response.

Breathing heavily, he grabbed his cock. He could feel her moisture coating him as he searched by feel for her entrance. "Guess what, Bryn? You're going to win our bet." Stabbing into her, he let out a heartfelt moan, belatedly worrying he was going to wake Liam.

She let out a moan of her own, low and throaty, then whimpered as he filled her completely. She reached her arm back behind her, over his hip, pulling him close. She tightened around his cock, squeezing him in appreciation. "Oh God, sugar, you feel so good. It's not going to take you long to make me cum."

He was panting, pumping into her with short, sharp strokes. "Not...long...for...me...either." One hand went between her legs again, circling around and over her clit. He buried his nose in the back of her hair, kissing her neck while his other hand stroked over her breasts.

She cried out, pushing her hips back into his thrusts. She slipped one hand between her legs, letting her fingers rub against his balls with every move. Her other hand continued to hold tightly to his hip, her fingernails slightly biting into his skin. She tightened even more around his cock, needing to feel his every little twitch inside her.

He tried to stifle the grunts he was giving with each thrust. She felt like wet silk wrapped impossibly tight around him. He sped up his hands motions, flinching as her touches on his balls became firmer. "Oh God..."

"Ahhhh!" She lifted the hand on his hip up to cup the back of his head, pulling him closer to kiss his mouth. She moaned against his lips, her body jerking as she started to spasm around him. She clamped down tightly on his cock, stopping him in mid-motion.

Unable to thrust forward, or pull back, he trembled in place, spurting deep inside of her. His breath came in harsh gasps as he felt her orgasm continue to pull on his cock. Both were tense and straining against each other, trying to gain that final fraction of closeness. And eventually both sagged back against the mattress, sighing in contentment.

Anton did raise his head to look at Liam. "Looks like he slept through the whole thing."

Panting, Bryn backed into him again, trying her hardest to keep him inside of her. "God...that felt so good." She smiled back at him, somewhat breathless. "I definitely think we need to do that more often." She gently rubbed his balls again, trying to keep him feeling as good as she felt. "I miss waking up and just making love, instead of you having to go to work. Of course, that was back when 'work' was a few feet away."

Anton held still, letting Bryn settle with his softening cock inside her. He gave a low satisfied rumble as he kissed her. "I know, Bryn. But at least now I can leave work at the warehouse, and not have it follow me here." He gently ran his hand over her arm. "And we'll still have the weekends together."

She stretched her arms, then returned her hand to rest on his ass. "I know. And although we can't do much love making then, I know I'll also have you here when Max is born. I just miss that lazy time together. Like this." She pulled his arm tight around her, snuggling into his embrace. "I just hope Nate and Lindy aren't on their way over here already. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll sleep in."

"Hopefully," he agreed, tightening his arm around her. He lifted his head at a soft creak. "Although it sounds like that's not likely." In the quiet of the early evening, he could hear someone coming up the stairs. After a few minutes, there was a knock on their closed bedroom door. "Yes?" Anton said, sighing and pulling away from Bryn to slip his boxers back up over his waist.

"It's me," came Lindy's voice. "May I come in?"

Bryn sighed at the loss of him inside her, but quickly lifted her hips to push her nightgown back down. Once she had, she made sure Anton was also finished.

"Come in, Lindy."

She walked in the door, a little smile on her face as she saw that Liam was on the bed with them. He'd opened his eyes at the sound of her voice, and rolled over onto his stomach, staring at her sleepily. She hurried over and knelt on the bed, picking him up. He snuggled against her, and she sighed with happiness.

"How was he?" she asked.

"Perfect," Bryn said. "He slept almost the entire time."

"I really appreciate you taking care of him. Nate had his hands full with me last night." She pressed her lips to her son's forehead.

Lindy's somber mood caught Anton's attention. "How are you doing, Lindy?"

"I don't know. I'm feeling really guilty in some ways, but not in others. Nate says what I'm going through is normal." She changed the subject, not ready to deal with her emotions in front of either of them. "We're having my family over for dinner/breakfast at seven. Would you like to come?"

"That would be nice," Bryn said. "Then I wouldn't have to cook." She smiled. "Unless, of course, you want us to bring something."

"No, that's not necessary. We'll take care of everything." She pulled Liam higher against her shoulder. "I'd better get back home. Thanks for watching him again."

"You're welcome. See you tonight."

Lindy smiled and headed out the bedroom door, closing it behind her. Petunia, seeing the opportunity, quickly scrambled up on the bed and plopped down in the spot Liam had vacated. Bryn shook her head and rolled onto her back, her gaze roaming over Anton's bare chest.

"The way I see it, we have two options...we could go out and do some shopping for things we need around the house, clothes, plants for the yard, whatever. Or we could take our clothes off and fuck like minks. What do you think?"

He grinned, pulling her down onto his stomach. "I think shopping can wait for a night or two." He pushed her back onto his lap so he could sit up. "Although I'm not exactly sure how a mink fucks."

"Me either, but does it really matter?" She rubbed herself against him, her hands sliding down his arms. "I can imagine them sliding sensuously against each other, nuzzling, rubbing silky fur against soft bellies. Tangling together, their little cries like moans. And when he takes her, he does it with his entire body, trying to crawl inside of her, staying locked inside her as long as he can."

"I think that's something we can manage." He gently started pulling her gown over her head before kissing her neck. "He probably also nips her gently, just marking his territory to keep the other male minks away." His arms went around her back as he gently worried her neck, nibbling and sucking.

"Mmm..." She tilted her head to the side, his teeth rasping against her. Her hands slid over his shoulders, rubbing gently, then down over his chest, her thumbs rolling his nipples. "Don't you think they'll be able to smell his scent on her? When he rubs against her, puts his mouth on her, cums inside her? I think she can smell him all day and night, every time she moves. Like he's still with her, every second."

"He'll make sure of that." His hands slid down to her ass as he began nipping at her shoulders. "He'll have to fuck her for a long time to make sure his scent is all over her." He spread her legs a little wider so her sex was rubbing against the silk of his boxers. "But her scent will be all over him too, driving the other females wild with jealousy."

"Yesss..." She rubbed herself back and forth across the head of his cock, wetting the thin fabric between them. "She gets so excited waiting for him to plunge inside of her, her sex swollen red and damp." Bryn leaned closer to him, her shaky breath against his ear. "She can't wait to feel his big hard cock filling her completely, making her ache. She waits for that moment for hours, dreaming of it, rubbing herself against the nest they've made, leaving the scent of her arousal everywhere."

Anton moaned. His lips traveled down her shoulders. "And when he returns to their nest, he's instantly hard from just her scent." He squeezed her ass, and tilted his chest forward. "And it's all he can do to keep from mounting her immediately. Instead he indulges in a grooming first." Anton's tongue snaked out to circle around her nipple.

She cried out, writhing on top of him. She braced herself with her hand on his shin, but with her trembling she wasn't sure she'd be able to stand it long. She wanted to drag down his boxers and impale herself on him. But she forced herself to wait, still gently rubbing and squeezing his nipples between her fingers, kissing his face, breathing in his scent.

"She wiggles with pleasure, exposing every inch of herself to his lapping tongue." She swallowed heavily. "Oh, God, Anton...that feels so good."

He looked up at her while he suckled on her breasts. His cock throbbed in anticipation as he looked at her flushed skin. "He starts grooming her at the tip of her head, but he quickly works his way down her body, lingering over each nipple. But it's when he gets his tongue between her hind legs is when he goes crazy." He sat up straighter, groaning at the feeling of pressure against his cock. He ran his tongue back up her shoulders and neck to her ear. "Get on your hands and knees, Bryn."

She swallowed heavily, and scrambled off of him. He let out a shivering breath as she got on all fours. Stripping off his boxers, he spread her legs a little wider, and then pushed his tongue into her sex.

She let out a loud moan, tilting her hips forward to open herself more completely to him. Her arms gave way beneath her, and she folded them to rest her head. She twitched with each pass of his tongue over her clit, her thighs trembling violently. After only a few minutes of the delicious torture, she couldn't take anymore. "Uhh, ummph...Anton, fuck me..."

He tore his mouth away from her after one last loving lick. Grabbing her hips, he reared up behind her and speared his cock into her. He let out a loud groan, holding her hips against his groin. "God...Bryn..."

She whimpered, backing into him, locking her ankles over his calves. She lifted herself with her arms extended once more, pushing him even deeper inside her. She could feel her ass nestled against his groin, his hands securely pulling her to him, and she had to admit that it did feel rather animalistic, the way they were making love. Unable to help prolonging the fantasy, she said, "She needs to feel him pounding into her, shoving his way deep inside her...covering her with his body and making her his."

He leaned over her, resting his chest against her back. His arms came down besides her as he started thrusting. "He needs her body to welcome him. He needs to be both possessor and possessed. He rubs every inch he can against her." He rubbed his cheek against the back of her head before kissing her neck with an open mouth.

"Ohhh, yeah..." She turned her head and kissed his arm, lightly nipping at his muscle. The feeling of him wrapped around her, thrusting against her ass, his body heavily covering hers, made her feel so good she wanted to scream. "She backs into him...mmm...needing to feel him against her womb..." She spread her legs a little wider, squealing as his balls slapped against her clit. "She needs to feel him filling her completely, flooding her, making her belly swell with his babies."

He pushed harder and harder into her, shoving her forward on the bed. "And he needs to feel her clamping down on him, needs to feel her wringing his orgasm out of him." His breathing became ragged and rapid as he reached between her legs to rub against her clit. One light touch and he was spurting deep into her. "Bryn!"

She clamped down tightly around him, pressing his fingers harder against her as she rippled into orgasm. She shook with the force of her orgasm, worshipping his cock inside her. She was breathing heavily, whimpering as they both came down from their high. She grabbed his arm and held him in place, unwilling to let him leave her body. Pressing her forehead against his other hand, she licked her lips.

"Sugar..." She rocked back and forth against him, hoping to keep him somewhat hard inside her. "I needed that so much. Need you so much."

He whimpered, giving her another light thrust. Holding his arm firmly around her stomach, he tilted them until they were laying on their sides. "Need you just as badly," he whispered as he spooned even closer to her. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "So that's how mad minks fuck?"

Still squeezing him rhythmically inside her, although lazier than before, she smiled. "Who said anything about being mad? And that's only part of it, sugar. They have to keep at it all day to make sure she's properly exhausted and well bred."

"Well, my dear, they lead a life I'm seriously envious of." He nuzzled the back of her head. "We told Lindy we'd be over for dinner, so will an afternoon of making sure she's well bred be enough? And doesn't her heat last for several days?" he added, licking her earlobe.

She grinned, pulling his arm tighter around her. "Indeed, it does. And an afternoon in bed with the most amazing man in the world sounds like heaven to me." She turned slightly, so she could see him better over her shoulder. "I love you so much, Anton. You've made my whole existence perfect."

He kissed her lips, running his hand over her cheek. "And you have made mine worth living, Bryn."

He loped freely through the woods, his belly full and his need to hunt sated. He returned to the cabin, not his full-time home, but, his sanctuary for the time being.

It was too costly to return to the vineyard just yet--here, less than a mile from their property, he was able to watch over his son. And, if necessary, kill anyone who dared harm him.

The cabin was quiet, smoke drifting from the chimney, and he trotted around to the back, squeezing himself through the large dog door he'd installed for just such an occasion. Once inside, he shook rapidly, flinging stray bits of leaves and twigs from his furry coat. He let out a low groan, stretching, before slowly Changing back into his human self. Although some might've resisted the painful part of the process, the shifting of joints from canine to human, Marrok relished it. The pain reminded him he was alive. And that was a hell of a lot better than some people he could name.

Standing nude in his kitchen, he yawned and let the cool air caress his body. He suddenly wished for a woman to rest with, someone to bury himself in and ease his aching body. But it wasn't worth the effort, or the heartache.

She had been waiting for him to return. Sitting in the living room, she watched through entrance to the kitchen. [Very nice,] she thought to herself. [Once our business is done, perhaps there will be time to play.]

Her spies had noticed this stranger hanging around the property that Nathaniel had purchased. He and Anton, however, were blissfully unaware, both wrapped up in the bitches they had married. Coming by a name had been difficult, but doable. And what information she had discovered let her guess his interest in Nathaniel and that bitch werewolf he couldn't keep his hands off of. Never one to miss an opportunity, she immediately began making plans.

He lifted his head sharply, his nostrils flaring as he sucked in the strange new scent. He turned his head, looking right at her, even as she hid in the shadows. Stalking over to where she stood, either unaware or unconcerned about his own nudity, he grabbed hold of her arms and swung her around, smacking her into the opposite wall. His mouth opened slightly, he inhaled again, then immediately dropped his grip on her.

"Get out of my house," he snarled, taking a step away from her.

"Are you sure you want that?" She tilted her head to one side, but kept her chin forward, covering her neck. "Especially since I can help you regain your son?"

He let out an unamused laugh. "*You*...can help *me*? Who are you, lady? You come into my house and think you can help me--I'm just waiting for you to start your vacuum cleaner demonstration."

"Oh, Marrok." She smiled, noting that he repressed a flinch when she addressed him by his name. "I can help you with so many things. I know you want your son back. I want revenge on Nathaniel and Anton." She stepped forward, into his personal space. "There's no reason we can't work together to achieve our goals. There's no reason we can't well work together." She ran a finger up his chest. "Or play well together either."

"I don't play with corpses. I'm not a necrophiliac." He stepped away from her, opening the door on his wood stove. Tossing another split log inside, he grabbed the metal poker and stirred the coals. He left the door open, the flames flickering orange light on her pale face. "But let's just pretend I'm feeling adventurous for a moment. How exactly are you planning on helping me? This should be good for a laugh."

She bit back her irritation at having her advances spurned. "I have operatives who can go where you can't. Where they work, where they play. You are limited to where you can go as a wolf. And if one of the other werewolves catches your scent, well, how long do you think you'll last against a whole pack and two vampires?"

[Hmm...she has a point.]

"And what's the price? What do you want from me in return?" He sat down in a nearby recliner, his legs lazily spread. "And before you say sex, forget it. I'd rather screw an iceberg."

"Oh, trust me, tormenting Nathaniel will payment in and of itself." She sat down on the couch, letting her eyes drift over him before returning to business. "Just as you can't go certain places, there are certain places I can't go without revealing myself. And the time isn't right for that." She leaned forward, eyes flickering in the semi-darkness of the living room. "But working together, we can achieve our goals so much more easily."

Propping his ankle up on his other knee, he tapped his fingers on his thigh. Despite having a woman staring openly at his naked cock, he wasn't feeling the slightest bit of stirring interest. Even with a woman so beautiful. It didn't really matter if she was Venus herself--she was a vampire, and that was enough to leave him cold.

"Why should I believe anything you say? I don't even know you. What's saying you aren't working for the vampires," he nearly hissed the word, "yourself? Or that you won't turn on me the moment you have a chance?"

"Because if I were working for them, I wouldn't have come here unarmed. I would have brought a silver knife, or a gun loaded with silver bullets and killed you before you stepped foot inside this house." A lascivious grin crossed her face. "You can strip search me if you like."

He wrinkled his nose, his lips pulling away from his teeth. "I'll pass." He didn't say it, at the risk of titillating her further, but he knew he was going to need a shower after this encounter. The idea of dead things crawling across his skin gave him the willies. "Do you have a problem with flies?"

"Flies?"

"Yeah, flies...maggots, ants, the usual things that hang around decaying flesh. I can't say I'd want to hang around me for very long, if I were you. Werewolves are particularly fond of dead, smelly things. For eating, anyway."

Her fangs sharpened at the implied threat. Yet she still couldn't resist the verbal teasing. "I'm sure you'd find me delicious."

His lips curled slightly on the edges. "Especially when I regurgitate you to feed my son."

"Lovely image," Natasha said through a frozen smile. "But you won't have that chance unless we work together." She looked him in the eyes. "So what do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"I don't see why not. I have nothing to lose." [Except, maybe, my sanity.] "Are you planning on telling me who you are, or should I just howl at the moon when I need to get in contact with you?"

She leaned forward. "Natasha Falconieri." She extended her hand, blood red nails gleaming like claws in the moonlight.

Marrok remained seated right where he was. "That tells me very little, Ms. Falconieri...other than you have the same surname as a 14th century saint." He smirked. "How ironic." Rubbing the stubble on his jaw, he said, "What I'm really interested in is *who* you are. I imagine there must be more to you than just vampirism. I'm going to be sorely disappointed if there isn't. Especially since it seems you already know me."

"That is something you'll have to discover for yourself." She stood up. "The night is fleeing, and unfortunately, so must I."

"What a pity." Even he had to smile at that. Standing up, he strolled towards the bedroom, barely pausing before he disappeared inside. "I trust you can find your way out, just like you found your way in. Don't let the dog door hit you on the ass on the way out."

She held her smile frozen in place until she was certain he couldn't see her. [Damn dog!] Spinning on one heel, she strode off through the kitchen, letting the door slam behind her. [Let him think we're working together. He'll find himself on a short leash soon enough!] Her smile grew into something more cruel. [Especially if he wants to see his precious son.]

Silently watching her from the bedroom window, Marrok Deschamps shook his head. "That one's going to be trouble." He reached out blindly for the phone, picking up the cordless and dialing the number with a push of one button. He silently watched Natasha disappear out of sight, then turned his attention to the voice on the other end of the phone. "Let me talk to Viviane," he told the man, then waited for girl to pick up the phone.

When her lovely sing-song voice filled his ear, he closed his eyes in pure bliss. "Hello, princess. How's the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world?"

Nate opened the oven to check on his homemade manicotti, sniffing appreciatively at the rich marinara on top. Everything was bubbling nicely, the cheese on top just starting to brown.

"Lindy!" he yelled loudly, trying to project his voice to the other side of the house.

"What?" she asked, almost right behind him.

Nate jumped slightly, the oven door slamming shut. "You're always sneaking up

on me."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to."

He looked at her pulled-back hair, soft cashmere sweater, and khaki pants, whistling softly. "You look amazing, as always, gorgeous. Where's Liam?"

She smiled. "He's in the living room playing. Is that why you called me out here?"

"No...I was wondering if you'd set the table?"

"Sure." Lindy brushed by Nate and opened one of the overhead cabinets. "Let's see... you me, Anton, Bryn, my parents, Chandra, Amanda and Liam...hope you made enough to feed a small army." She pulled out ten plates and set them on the counter before moving to the cutlery drawer. Nate arched an eyebrow. "You're including Liam?" "For the plates, yeah," Lindy answered as she pulled out eight forks. "We don't want him to feel left out. We'll just put some cereal on the plate for him to eat. Oh, and there is something vegetarian for Amanda, right?"

"There's no meat in any of it. I just hope she eats dairy products, because there's a lot of cheese. But I was thinking of making a salad, too." He paused next to the fridge. "Do you think we should do something about dessert--maybe go buy something?"

"Hmmm...maybe ask Mom to go get something? Or we've got the ice cream in the freezer."

He opened the freezer and pulled out the vanilla ice cream, then looked in the pantry for a moment. With a triumphant "ta da!" he grabbed a package of large chocolate chip cookies.

"We'll make ice cream sandwiches!"

As he walked back to the counter, grinning at his own brilliance, the doorbell rang. He heard a small yap come from the living room and frowned. "Not now...Lind, he's gone wolfy again."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You worry about dinner. I'll worry about Liam." Turning around she walked out into the living room, scooping up her son and resting him on her shoulder. Liam yelped, tail wagging furiously. "Why do you do this, Liam? Do you like scaring your daddy?" She opened the front door and smiled at her family. "Hi."

"Hey there," Jess said. She frowned when she saw Liam. "He Changed? Without it being a full moon"

"Yeah," Lindy said, embarrassed for some reason she couldn't quite name.

"Does he do that a lot?"

"A couple of times now. Usually while chasing after Petunia or Montel. It's easier for him to keep up with them on four legs, apparently."

Jess held out her arms for her grandson, and Lindy handed up over. Still wagging his tail, Liam licked Jess's face enthusiastically. "Well, he certainly is a cute pup."

Nate could hear them entering and called out, "Hey, Amanda...wanna help me make the ice cream sandwiches?"

"Sure." She walked into the kitchen. "Whatcha making for dinner?" she asked as she passed out of sight.

Liam meanwhile squirmed up on Jess's shoulder. Deciding that he'd rather be held by Walter than his grandmother, he crouched and leapt. Walter caught him out of reflex. Tucking the pup closer against him, he looked around. "Are Anton and Bryn coming by also?"

"Yeah, last I heard." She closed the front door behind Alex, and ushered everyone into the living room. "Anyone want something to drink?"

Lindy took everyone's preference, and Jess followed her into the kitchen for help.

"Hello, Nathaniel," she said, patting him on the back.

"Hey, Mom." Directing his next words to both her and Lindy, he said, "I made a drink to have with dinner, so don't hand out big drinks now. And it's not alcoholic, so Bryn and Amanda can have some too."

"Well, whatever you're cooking smells wonderful."

Nate grinned. "I just hope I made enough. I've got two pans full, so we might be okay. Mom, would you mind unwrapping that bread on the counter there and popping it in the oven for a few minutes? And, if Alex, Walter, or Chandra don't mind helping, I also need to get a salad ready."

Jess grabbed the bread and started to pull it from its packaging. "Hear that guys? You're being drafted." As the others trooped into the kitchen, Jess placed the bread in the oven. "How long before this is ready, Nate?"

"Five minutes or so...that's why we're rushing to do the last minute stuff."

"Are we late?"

They all turned at the sound of Anton's voice, seeing him step out of the doorway to the wine cellar, Bryn right behind him. She had her hand interlaced with his, and a curious light in her eyes.

"No, you're not late," Nate said. "But you do have lipstick on your mouth."

Nonchalantly he wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. "So what can I do to make myself useful?"

Nate nodded towards Chandra, who was rinsing off some lettuce in the sink. "You could help her with the salad."

Anton walked over to the sink, grabbing one of the heads of lettuce Chandra had already cleaned. Breaking off the stalk, he started tearing the lettuce into smaller pieces, tossing them into the bowl. "How are you holding up, Chandra?"

"Better," she said, quietly. "I-I've been getting out of the house more. Sort of." She smiled. "It would be a lot easier if my car wasn't a piece of crap. It's weird, though. There's only so much I can do at the mall, you know? Especially now that my bank account is dwindling."

"Well, that's something I wanted to talk to you about." He continued tearing up the lettuce and tossing it in the bowl. "How would you feel about taking over Lindy's job, at least for a little while? I need someone on the dayshift I can trust, and no one is really interested in a management position. What I need is someone who can deal with people, delegate and figure out what are true emergencies I need to be notified. You could even try your hand at assaying, although Lindy can do that at nights."

"Well, I've never really done anything like that before."

"I can teach you what you need to know. I'd be around until you got comfortable with the situation, and after that the employees working around you can handle whatever you can't. Plus, you'd be getting a paycheck again, and benefits."

She was quiet for a moment, staring out the window as she finished rinsing the tomatoes. "Um...can I give you my answer tomorrow?"

"Of course. Take all the time you need." Anton picked up a knife and began slicing the tomatoes. "Not to bring the conversation down, but I assume you haven't heard from him." When she shook her head, he sighed. "He's being a fool of the first water, Chandra. I can't believe he's being so stupid."

"Sadly, I can. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if he was already seeing someone else. One of the owners of a thoroughbred we trained was a divorcee. She was beautiful...and Michael was always staring at her. Even when we were together. Imagine what he'd do now. He doesn't have anyone hovering over his shoulder this time." She shrugged. "The funny thing is, I'm starting to not care anymore. He can do whatever the hell he wants."

He nodded, hearing the hurt and the anger in her voice. Thinking back to when he had found Mack's ex-wife at his home, he realized that Chandra was probably correct to be worried. And if he had done something, he couldn't blame her for wanting to have nothing to do with him "If you need to talk, I'm here, okay?"

She got a wry smile on her face, but it was directed more at the salad than him. "Okay."

"Dinner's ready!"

Chandra grabbed several different bottles of salad dressing, following Anton to the table. Even with the leaf in place, it would be a tight squeeze.

Seeing that Amanda was going to be sitting next to the coffee table to eat, Bryn decided to claim a spot next to her. She set down her drink, then returned to the kitchen to help the others get everything on the table.

Nate moved everything off of the island countertop and brought out the manicotti. "We'll dish up here, since it's hot. Go ahead and dig in."

After a few minutes of general jostling and dishing up the food, Amanda found herself sitting next to Bryn sitting on the couch. She studied the pregnant woman curiously. "Um, Bryn, why aren't you at the table with everyone else?"

She shrugged. "I just thought you might want some company. Besides, the table is full enough as it is. I'm not sure I'd be able to squeeze in my big belly." She leaned over to grab her bread, then winced at the ache in her back. "I can't sit all bent over like this." She carefully slid off the couch and onto the floor, scooting close to their make-shift table. "Ah, much better. You know, I was thinking about going shopping on Monday. Would you want to go with, if I picked you up from school? We could go see a movie?"

"That is if you don't mind being seen with a waddling, pregnant lady," Bryn added.

"I'd like to," Amanda said, sliding to the floor as well. "I don't think I have anything going on after school then." She looked at the plate full of manicotti and toyed with a bite with her fork. "I haven't made many friends yet, and I know Mom, Papa and Dad don't mean to ignore me, but they've been preoccupied lately with Lindy."

Bryn nodded. "And Nate, Chandra, and Liam, I suspect." She took another bite of her bread, chewing and swallowing before saying, "In that case, we'll definitely have to make sure we have fun. Oooh, we could even get our hair and make-up done at a nice salon. Well, your hair anyway. I'm not sure I have enough to work with!"

"I like your hair, Bryn. I think it's cool! Maybe put a little gel in it and spike it." Amanda ran a hand self-consciously through her shoulder length hair. "I'm too chicken to cut my hair that short. I mean I know you didn't have a choice, but I think it looks neat."

"Well, thanks...I'm glad somebody likes it. Personally, I miss my long hair. So I certainly understand why you're afraid to get yours cut off. But that doesn't mean you can't get something done. We might need to ask your mom, though." She glanced over at the table, where everyone was talking amongst themselves. "Was there anything in specific you'd like to do, or buy? I'll be glad to treat you to just about anything."

"I'd say let's go get my navel pierced, but my parents would kill us both." Amanda looked at Bryn a bit shyly. "I know how to draw a little, and I'd love to learn how to paint. Would maybe you help me get set up? Maybe teach me a little?"

"Seriously?" When Amanda nodded, Bryn put her fork down. "Yeah. Of course. It might even help me get back to painting regularly. Was there a certain medium that wanted to focus on, or just everything?"

"Everything you're willing to teach me." She reached over and hugged Bryn tightly. "Thanks so much. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

Hugging her in return, Bryn said, "You're welcome. We can start on Tuesday night. That gives you time to do your homework, have dinner, and we can paint until it's time for you to go to bed."

"Sounds perfect."

By the time everyone had finished with dinner, they were all too stuffed to eat dessert right away. Gathering in the living room, they lounged on the furniture and talked for a while. Bryn, Amanda, and Chandra decided to wash the dishes so Nate wouldn't have to, despite his protests.

Sitting on the couch perpendicular to Anton, Nate leaned over and kept his voice low as he said, "We might have a little bit of an inconvenience heading our way."

"Inconvenience?" Anton kept his voice low as well, keeping an eye on the chess game Walter and Alex seemed absorbed in. "What sort of inconvenience?"

"Apparently, Fox Mulder is a friend of Jess'."

Anton frowned. There were certain humans that the vampire community considered threats and kept tabs on. They were believers who, if proof came into their hands, could reveal the carefully concealed existence of vampires. At the same time, it would be equally dangerous to eliminate them, leading to messy questions about why they disappeared or were found dead under strange circumstances. The recommended procedure was for vampires to avoid these people if at all possible.

Fox Mulder was placed high on that short list.

"Do you have any...suggestions...on how to deal with the situation, Nathaniel?"

Nate let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Are you kidding?" He lowered his voice a bit. "Jess is trying to talk Lindy and me into having him counsel us." He took a long swallow of beer. "I have no clue how we're going to avoid this guy even if we don't take her up on the offer."

"So don't take her up on her offer." Both Nate and Anton looked sharply at Walter, who was still studying the chess board even as he spoke.

"You guys seem to forget that werewolves have keen hearing," Alex said.

Walter finally picked up his queen and moved it. "Checkmate, Alex." He smiled smugly at Alex's quietly voiced 'damn' before turning to look at Anton and Nate. "What exactly is your problem with Fox Mulder?"

Nate frowned. "Oh, nothing. Except maybe that one word from him will expose us. You may be ex-FBI, but I can't say I've ever wanted anything to do with the Feds. Especially not to end up as one of their underground lab rats. And that's if they keep our secret. If the media hears that vampires really do exist, we get to worry about being dragged into the open during full sun and getting cremated in about five seconds flat."

Who's getting dragged out into the sun?" Jess said, coming down the main stairs. She had been putting Liam, now human, down for the night. She brushed by the vampires, gave Alex a brief kiss before settling on Walter's lap. "What's the problem?"

"Fox Mulder may be." Anton leaned forward, meeting her curious gaze. "He's a dangerous man, Jess. He believes in both my kind and yours, and a word from him could bring everything crashing down around us. You'd do well to watch your back around him." Anton frowned. "Is he aware that you are a werewolf?"

Jess let out a full throated laugh. "Yeah, you could say that."

Alex grinned at the vampires' nonplussed reactions. "Jess, you haven't told them?"

The bitch werewolf shook her head. "No. I'm assuming that you haven't either?"

"Told us what?" Anton asked.

Walter shrugged. "I used to be his boss."

Alex grinned. "I used to spy on him."

And Jess bit her lip to try to hide her smile. "And I used to sleep with him. Between the three of us, I think we've got enough blackmail material to keep him quiet."

Nate stared at her aghast, then bit his tongue before he said what was really on his mind. [I wonder if the other two have slept with him, too?]

"So...he knows what you are? And he's okay with that?" When they nodded at both questions, he added, "Well, what about us? Does he know vampires exist already? And is he going to totally freak out if he doesn't?" Jess and Alex looked at Walter, eyebrows arched. "He's been involved in a few cases that possibly involved vampires. He probably believes you exist, although he doesn't have proof."

Jess became serious. "He's known that I'm a werewolf for the last...twenty years almost. He's kept all of our lycanthropy a secret, and we've trusted him with our lives several times. He hasn't betrayed that trust. And I would not put any of your existence at risk."

"I'm not sure about this, Jess," Anton said. He had strong misgivings about the whole situation.

"Do you really think I'd risk Lindy? I wouldn't ask him out here if I didn't trust him implicitly." Jess sighed. "I'll talk to him about my problems, and I can do it without revealing that you are vampires. It'll be tricky, but I think it can be done."

Finished with the dishes, Amanda, Chandra and Bryn all walked into the living room and found places to sit.

Bryn sat down on the floor in front of Anton, leaning against his legs. "I don't think it's going to be that easy to hide it, Jess," she said. "Chandra's staying with you, which means that he'll most likely have to stay with Nate and Lindy. I don't think he'll be fooled when he's 'living' under the same roof."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "Who said he'll be staying here?"

"Oh come on, Alex." Walter said. "You know Mulder. He thinks that we're trying to hide something, he'll be out here every chance he gets."

"May I remind you that we are trying to hide something?" Anton placed a protective hand on Bryn's shoulder.

"Look, I haven't even asked him to come out yet," Jess said. "I'm waiting for him to return a call, which he'll probably do in a day or so. Let's think about it for a little while and then we'll decide what to do. The only problem is that you're not going to be able to hide from him forever."

Bryn placed her hand over Anton's, then twisted to meet his gaze. "She's right. And who knows--maybe having an ally who has the kind of connection he does might really help us. Besides, I'd kind of like to meet him. He sounds like an interesting guy."

He didn't like this idea at all. Still seeking input, Anton looked over at Lindy, who had remained quietly snuggled besides Nathaniel. "And what do you think, Lindy?"

"I trust him. I've known him for years, and while he can be a pain in the ass, he's a good and loyal friend. And I don't think he'd turn us in." She looked over to Walter. "Besides, didn't he email us saying that he'd been kicked out of the FBI finally? Pretty much burnt his bridges behind him when it comes to his connections with the Feds?"

Walter nodded. "He's pissed off too many people in high places. Even if he tried to tell anyone, he'd be discounted as a nut. It's happened to him before."

Jess's eyes went back and forth between Anton and Nate. "Once I explain the situation, he'll keep it quiet. I swear by my sister's grave he will not reveal the existence of vampires to the outside world."

Nate sank back against the couch, putting his arm around Lindy. "I'll leave it up to the rest of you. I don't think I could really judge this guy until I met him, and by then it would be too late to back out. So, I'll trust Lindy's judgment, and yours, and let you do whatever you decide."

Lindy looked at Jess questioningly. The werewolf shrugged her shoulders. "I'll see what he says. I don't want to put anyone at risk, so I'll see if I can get him to promise to keep things a secret before I tell him anything."

Nate nodded, then stood up. "Everybody ready for dessert?"

End Chapter Fifty-four