Chapter Seventy-one The emergency Council meeting was over. It had been about a story that was about to be published, one that sounded a little too close to the truth about the existence of vampires. They had discussed the possibility that a vampire had given information to a human, or had even written the book. Most people would pass it off as an interesting work of fiction, but if a person who truly believed ran across it, the results could be disastrous. He didn't want to think about that at this moment. He would be seeing Bryn soon. Anton had missed her more than he believed possible. Unable to wait any longer, he dialed his cell phone and waited for her to pick up. "H'lo?" She stifled a yawn, barely. "Did I wake you?" "No--Hi! I was hoping you'd call. I missed the sound of your voice...all of you." He could hear the bed creaking as she moved around. "How was the meeting? Where are you? Better yet, when are you coming home?" "I should be home shortly. This evening, actually. I'll tell you about the meeting when I get there." He couldn't help but smile when he heard her voice. "I missed you so much, my dear. I wasn't able to get any sleep at all on the flight up, and found it hard to concentrate during the meeting. All I could do was think about how much I missed being beside you." There was a short silence, followed by her considerably happier-sounding voice. "Oh sugar, I love you so much. I couldn't sleep either. Every time I'd get anywhere close to dozing off, I'd reach out for you and find nothing but empty space. I haven't even done much tonight. I got up to get something to eat, but I brought it back here and crawled into bed again. Even Petunia seems depressed...but she didn't mind laying on your side of the bed when I called her over to warm me up." Another silence, and he could almost hear the volume of her bright smile. "I can't wait until you get home. I may not stop kissing you all night long." "I know I won't. I may end up not getting any sleep when I get home either. I'll be too busy kissing you. I'm going to pull you into my arms and our bed and spend an hour kissing your lips and your face before I move on to anything else. I'll stroke your hair and revel in its softness. I'm going to spend all night reacquainting myself with your touch and your taste." "Mmm. I can't wait. I want to feel your arms around me, the way your skin is so warm against mine. I don't know if I'd ever be able to wear a nightgown in bed with you...I love the way your naked body feels against mine. And the way you smell. I laid my head on your pillow just to breathe in your scent all day long. Now I want to pull you so close to me, to breathe you in like a drug. I'm already so completely addicted to you." "You are pretty addicting yourself, my dear. I was lost the first time we kissed. And my desire grows stronger and stronger each day." His voice dropped lower, his breathing grew heavier. "It's almost impossible for me to keep my hands off of you, my dear. I can almost feel your skin beneath my fingers right now. Your skin is so soft, your hair so silky. And your body so responsive." She let out a soft sigh, sounding suspiciously like a moan. "I wish your hands were on me right now. You always know how to make me feel good. Sugar, where are you right now? Do you have any privacy? I want you." "I'm alone, Bryn. You can be as explicit, and as loud, as you want." He licked his suddenly dry lips. "At the risk of sounding clichˇ, what are you wearing?" A giggle greeted his question. "What do you think, sugar?" He pitched his voice low and sensual. "I think you're not wearing a stitch. I think you're laying spread across our bed, naked, ripe for the taking. You're waiting for me to run my hand up your stomach to tease your breasts as I kiss your lips, my tongue just barely flicking against yours." "Ohh, yes..." Her breathing sped up, catching slightly as she slid her palm across her breasts. "Feels so good, sugar." She couldn't help but pinch at her nipple, drawing it into a hard peak, before rolling it under her fingertips. Her lips parted slightly, her tongue sliding slowly across her bottom lip. "I love the way you kiss me." "And I do kiss you, long and deep, the way you kiss me. I suck on your tongue for a while then I lick across your cheeks to nibble on your earlobes." He paused to take a deep breath, and unbutton the top of his jeans. "And while I kiss you, I slip my hands down your body to cup your breasts, teasing your nipples. I bet they're already erect, waiting for me to mouth and nip them." He also pulled his shirt free from his jeans, starting to unbutton it as well. He was starting to feel unreasonably warm, thinking about Bryn. She moaned softly, cradling the phone between her ear and her shoulder. Rubbing her breasts with both hands, she said, "They are, Anton. They feel so full, almost achy, and I squeal when you suck my nipple into your mouth." Her breath shuddering past the receiver, she propped her legs up and open, feeling her thighs quiver in anticipation. "Your mouth on me is just about the best thing I've ever felt. I'm getting so wet just thinking about it." He shuddered, sighing softly into the phone. "I can taste you now, Bryn. I want to pull on your nipples with my mouth. I can smell you getting wetter. I love your scent, Bryn. Sometimes all I have to do is get a whiff of your perfume and I get a raging hardon. And right now, all I want to do is grab your hips, lay between your thighs, and press my lips to your sex." He pinched his nipples lightly before gently undoing his jeans further. He didn't want to cum just yet. "God, yes..." Laying her head back against the pillow, she could barely hang on to the phone anymore. Instead, she dropped it next to her ear and hoped she'd still be able to hear him. Her hand slid down and around her stomach, gently combing through her pubic hair, before slipping down to tease open the folds of her sex. So aroused, they nearly blossomed apart like the petals of a flower. She let out a soft groan as her fingertip slid over her clit, then slowly circled the wet opening of her sex. "Mmm, Anton..." Breathing heavily, he opened the bedroom door a crack further to watch her. He had been dropped off about fifteen minutes ago, and had decided on the ride up to tease Bryn a bit, to watch her stroke herself to orgasm before letting her know he was home. But watching her fingertip disappear into her glistening opening made him decide then and there to change his plans. He pulled off his shirt, and took off his shoes, jeans and boxers. Waiting for her eyes to drift shut, he then slipped inside the room and walked across the floor. Breathing heavily in anticipation, he climbed onto the bed and swiftly moved her hand out of the way so he could lick her. She shrieked loudly, immediately sitting up and trying to scoot away from him. But he grabbed her hips and pulled her back within reach, she was so stunned she followed willingly...and when he pushed his tongue inside of her once more, she shuddered heavily, rippling into an immediate, powerful orgasm. Shaking from head to toe, she let her head fall back on her shoulders until the tremors passed. Meeting his gaze, she could only stare at him for a moment, still bewildered, until suddenly lunging for him and wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders. "God, you scared me to death--but I absolutely loved it!" He tried to kiss her and talk at the same time. "Didn't...mean...to...frighten...you." He pulled her tight against his body, rubbing his erection against her hip. "Meant...to...surprise...you...afterwards...but...couldn't...wait." He groaned and gave a sharp thrust as Bryn grabbed his cock, stroking along the length of it. "Oh God! Bryn!" He felt a pulse he couldn't begin to control, and came in her hand. She gave him a small smile, continuing to stroke him gently. With a lingering kiss to his mouth, she held his gaze...then lifted her hand and slowly started licking away his pungent semen. She moaned softly, being very thorough, enjoying the expression on his face as he watched her. Once all of the remains were gone, she pulled herself tight against him again and kissed him deeply. He kissed her in return, his hands moving up and down her back. He snuggled closer to her, enjoying the play of her muscles under soft skin. When their kiss broke, he pressed his lips to her forehead, happy to be back. "Forgive me for not telling you I was already home?" She nodded. "I'm just glad you're here." She kissed his collarbone, sliding her hands down to squeeze his ass. "I missed you so much, my love." Leaning into him, she breathed in the scent of his skin, like she'd been wanting to all day. "Will you lay down with me? I want to hold you and kiss you until our lips are sore." Anton ran the back of his index finger down her cheek. He smiled at her lazily, happy now to be back in her presence. "I could think of nothing I'd rather do more." She grinned, hurrying to push the blankets out of the way, holding his hand the entire time. Scooting under the covers, she tugged him along with her, waiting until he was settled, and then tucking the blankets over both of them. Nestling close, she wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Mmm...so much better." She reached up to kiss him, rubbing his jaw with her thumb. "If I wasn't so excited to see you, I could probably sleep like a baby right now." "So could I, my dear." He cradled her head in his hands, running his thumb along her cheek and jaw. "All I could think about when I came home was how much I wanted to do this. He bent down and kissed her, nudging her lips apart to stroke her tongue. Then he pulled her lower lip between his and began sucking. Nearly purring, she pulled on his upper lip in turn, gently sucking with the same rhythm, sliding her fingers up and down his back. Reaching his neck, she slid her fingers into his hair, loving the smoothness of his short locks. Her legs slid over and between his, her feet lightly massaging his calves. He moaned his approval. Still nibbling on her lip, his hand slid down to cup her breast, gently brushing his thumb back and forth over her nipple. It had been less than 24 hours, but it felt mulch longer. His other hand slid down to grasp her ass, squeezing lightly. She let out a gasp against his mouth, arching into his touch. Taking a cue from him, she pulled away from the kiss, giving him a little smirk, before sliding down further on the bed. She nibbled a trail down his neck, across his collarbones, and finally onto his chest. She opened her mouth over his nipple, worrying it with her tongue, lightly nipping at it, then sucking it between her lips and tugging on it. He purred, his hands cupping her head now, holding her head tight to his chest. His breathing became heavier as he slid his leg between hers, rubbing their thighs together as he ran the ball of his foot up and down the calf of her legs. Arching over her, he kissed the top of her head, and then gently twined a lock of her short hair through his fingers. After a few lingering kisses, she gave his other nipple the same loving treatment. She carefully scratched her fingernails down his back and over his ass, barely skimming his flesh, but it had the desired effect, nevertheless. She smiled to herself as she felt his ass clench, then relax, as she started massaging his muscles. Closing her eyes, she concentrated more fully on pampering his nipples. Enjoying the light rumbles deep in his chest. He arched his hips towards her, moaning softly as Bryn's tongue explored his chest. This was he missed - not the sex per se, but being able to reach over and run his hand along her side. To be able to smell her hair. To touch her at will. He smiled, his grin getting wider as Bryn sucked at his body harder. [Just once,] he wished [I want her to leave a hickey that won't heal immediately.] She bit down on his flesh, not quite breaking the skin, nursing at him like a small child. Her fingers slid up his arm, grasping his tricep tightly and suddenly pulling herself up to kiss his mouth. Passionately claiming his mouth, she kissed him deeply, tangling her tongue with his, pressing their lips tightly together. Both of her hands grabbed his shoulders, pulling herself hard against him. He held her tightly as well, kissing her with equal intensity. His hand slid down her back and paused at her ass to squeeze lightly. Moaning in anticipation, he slipped his fingers along the crease of her ass, stroking her perineum. She whimpered, rocking back and forth against his fingers. After a moment or two, she pulled away from the kissing, panting for air, and met his gaze. She stared into his dilated eyes, gently stroking his jaw with her thumb. "You make me so happy. I can't believe how much better I feel, now that you're home. I missed you so much it hurt." "I missed you too, my dear. I wanted to be by your side all the time that I was gone. And now that I'm back, it'll take a crowbar to get me away." He kissed her mouth and then her neck. "Roll over, Bryn." Moaning at the loss of contact when she pulled away, he waited for her to resettle. Plastering himself against her back, he positioned his cock and pushed inside of her. She gasped, reaching back to grab his ass with both hands. Locking her legs together with his, she held him in place, not allowing him to move even a centimeter, as she enjoyed the feeling of his body meshed with hers. Whimpering, she let her sex play over the length of his cock, sucking and pulling, wrapping around him like a fist. He groaned, pulling her tighter against his body. He bit his lip, trying not to cum as she continued to spasm around him. Slowly he started kissing the back of her neck, nipping lightly. The hand beneath her side started to tease at her nipples, as he gripped her tightly with the other. Pushing back against him, she let out a soft sigh as he started to move inside her. She lightened her grip on his ass, enjoying the movement of his muscles beneath his skin. Moaning softly, she clutched the arm he held around her, pulling it tighter around her body. He continued to thrust, smiling as her hand gripped his ass tighter. Breathing heavily, he slid his fingers between her legs and rubbed at her clit. He nibbled at her ear, groaning softly. "Missed this," he whispered. "Missed you." She opened up her legs wider, giving him more access, whimpering as his touch grew firmer. She wriggled back against him, moving into his thrusts. "Mmm...Anton." Sliding the hand on his ass down a bit further, she lightly stroked his perineum, her fingers just skimming his anus and then moving back to the spot just beneath his balls. "Mine. Missed my sugar." Anton groaned, pushing harder into her as he rubbed her clit harder. "God, Bryn!" He started trembling as she began spasming around his cock. He cried out, cumming hard, feeling as if his orgasm was being wrung out of him. She squealed as he filled her completely, rippling around his cock. Shaking, she settled back against him, the back of her head resting against his forehead. Panting, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I can't believe the things you do to me. You have me so completely wrapped around your finger." She turned, looking at him over her shoulder. "I love you so much, Anton. So very, very much." He kissed her gently, pressing their foreheads together. "I love you too, my dear. And as to who is wrapped around whom's finger, I'd say that you've got me equally wrapped around yours." He stretched against her, nuzzling her cheek. She turned over to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's getting to be that time of year, my dear sugar." She grinned at him, then kissed him briefly. "What are your plans for tomorrow? Because I think we need to start our Christmas shopping...first for decorations, and then for the presents themselves." Anton nodded, rubbing his leg against hers. "I have to stop in the office and see if there's anything pressing. Other than that, no plans." He kissed her temple, unable to get his fill of touching her. "Heard anything from Nathaniel and Lindy, or the werewolves? Any word on how Jess is doing?" She shook her head. "I haven't heard anything from them, and Amanda isn't going to be over again until Monday. I guess I'll ask her then if haven't talked to anyone else before that." She rubbed her hands up and down his back, leaning closer to kiss his chest. "Amanda has really made a lot of progress on her painting. I'm proud of her. I'm going to have to get my butt in gear or she'll be in San Francisco galleries before I am." "Well, it's good that she's doing so well. We should probably check in with Lindy and Nathaniel tomorrow." He stroked her cheek. "Do you want me to contact some people about getting your work in galleries? Or would you rather I kept out of it?" She smiled at him. "I'm very touched that you're willing to help me. Thank you. I don't know if I'd have the ambition to do it all myself. I'd get too nervous and give up too easily." She kissed him again, nuzzling his nose with hers. "You're so sweet to me. It's no wonder I call you sugar." She gave him another kiss, this one longer. "I love you, love you, love you." Anton grinned, kissing her back. "I love you too, my dear." He stretched against her. "I don't know about you, but I haven't eaten yet. How about we go downstairs and see what's in the refrigerator?" "Sounds perfect, sugar." She used a small hand trowel to pull out the large rocks, widening the hole she'd dug. The earth was cold and slightly wet, but she lined the bottom of the hole with wadded up newspaper, dry kindling, and moss. The log came next, only one, because she wasn't expecting it to burn too long. Standing up, Jess stretched her back and glanced at the house. She was well aware that both Alex and Walter were watching her, but they respectfully left her alone. She had to do this by herself, to get rid of the shadow following her forever. Tossing the trowel to the ground, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the wallet. She still handled it gingerly, as if afraid of being contaminated by it. Reaching into her other pocket, Jess pulled out a book of matches. She looked long and hard at the wallet, the matches, and the log. Torching it, and the memories, seemed to be the right thing to do. But this didn't feel completely right. She frowned, brows furrowed, trying to figure out why. She stood there for five minutes, thinking. Then she spun on her heel and started walking to Nate and Lindy's home. It was well after sunset, so they would be awake. She walked up the porch and knocked on the door. She heard laughter inside, followed by Liam's excited squeal. Footsteps soon sounded in the foyer and she looked up as the door opened. Smiling, Lindy gave her a surprised look. "Mom. Hi. Um...come on in." "Is this a bad time?" "Oh, no. I just...well, I was wondering why you're here." She lowered her voice a bit, closing the door behind Jess. "Is this about Jake?" "Yeah, sorta." Jess shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I need to talk to Nate. Is he around?" "Yeah, I'll get him." Lindy started to walk away, but turned back to her mother. "Mom, if you're going to tell him that he's done something wrong, don't bother. He's beating himself up enough without you adding to it." Jess shook her head. "Not what I intend at all, Lindy. I just want...to show him something." Lindy took a deep breath, then nodded her head towards the living room. "He's in here. Why don't you come talk to him." "I'll just wait for him here, okay?" "Okay." Wondering just what her mother had in mind, Lindy walked back to the living room. Sitting on the floor, Nate was trying to tempt Liam into taking a step or two...using a chocolate bar as bait. Shaking her head, Lindy sat down on the arm of the couch. "Mom's here...she wants to talk to you." Suddenly at full attention, Nate shook his head. His voice was a whisper when I said, "I'm not ready to deal with that, Lind." "She's not going to yell at you. She just said she was going to show you something." He let out a heavy sigh. Breaking off a piece of chocolate, he handed it over to Liam and patted the boy on the head as he stood up. "Here," he said, giving Lindy the rest of the candy bar, before walking to the foyer to find out what Jess wanted. Jess was standing by the door, waiting a bit nervously. She couldn't quite look him in the eye. "Hey, there. I...ah... need some help, and I'd like yours." "Help with what?" he asked warily. Jess put her hand on the door. "Come with me." She walked outside, with him following, and lead him back to the small fire pit she had dug out earlier. He stared in confusion at the hole in the ground. "You want me to help you build a fire?" She shook her head, showing him the wallet. Nate swallowed heavily, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Why am I out here, Jess? This is none of my business." "Yes it is." She turned to face him. "It became your business when you became part of this family." Her head dropped, and she couldn't look him in the eyes. "You didn't have to do this, Nate. I had Alex and Walter convinced that it didn't bother me any more. Hell, I had me almost convinced he didn't bother me any more. Obviously, I was wrong." "I have to apologize for the other night. My only excuse was that I was in shock to have this literally tossed into my lap. I don't want you to think that I'm angry with you for what you've done. Because nothing could be farther from the truth. I am so grateful for what you did, and a bit awed that you felt it necessary to hunt him down and kill him. I am so proud of you, Nate. Thank you." She held up the book of matches. "So do you want to light this fire, or shall I?" He squeezed his eyes shut, shaken by her statements. And very grateful that she wasn't disappointed in him. He couldn't help the moisture in his eyes as he looked up at her. Taking the book of matches from her, he scratched one across the back until it lit a flame. Breathing in the smoky scent, he handed the lit match back to her. "You do it, Mom." She crouched by the kindling and carefully lit the fire. She waited for the wood to light and then stood up. Unable to stall any longer, she looked at the wallet, and then at the fire. "I'm not going to do this any more," she whispered, addressing the flames. "I'm not going to stay slave to the fear or the pain any longer." She tossed the wallet on the flames in an underhanded lob. "Burn in hell, Jacob Farnsworth. And you and your memory bother me no more." Nate felt his chest fill, pride making him want to say a few choice words of his own. Instead he reached out his hand to touch her shoulder, offering a bit of comfort to her. Her face crumpled as she felt his touch, and she let out a soft sob. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, resting his chin on top of her head, lightly rocking her in place. Jess put her arms around him, squeezing him tight. She sobbed against him for a moment and then looked back at the flames. She could smell the leather start to scorch and the fumes from the plastic. Tears were still falling from her eyes, but she felt more at peace than she had for long time. Nate walked back into the house nearly thirty minutes later, smiling as Liam hurriedly crawled towards him. Shutting the door, he bent down and picked up his son, giving him a big kiss on the cheek, and saying, "You need to do that walking, buddy. Then you can terrorize Mommy on two feet." "I heard that," Lindy said, from the living room. Smiling, Nate set Liam down on his feet, and holding his hands, walked him back into the other room to see her. "Liam wants to know what we're going to do about dinner, Mommy." Lindy checked the timer for the chicken in the oven. "Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes." She reached down and ticked Liam, making him squeal. The grin on her face dimmed when she realized that Nate had been crying sometime earlier that evening. "Nate, what happened? Did Mom say something?" Letting go of Liam's hands, he shook his head. He walked over to sit on the couch, pulling Lindy closer to sit on his lap. He rested his feet on the coffee table, smiling as Liam used his grip on the edge to get closer. "Mom said something, but it wasn't anything bad. She told me she was proud of me." He gave her a small smile as she raised her eyebrows. "Then she lit the fire she'd built, and burned Jake Farnsworth's wallet." She gave him a small smile as well. "Good. I'm glad that she's finally able to let go. And I'm glad that you," she leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "Were able to help her." She snuggled against his chest, keeping an eye on Liam as Montel sauntered into the room. "So you going to tell me what she said? Or is that a state secret?" "She said that she wasn't going to let him hurt her anymore...that he could burn in hell." He buried his nose in her hair and breathed in deeply. "I was very proud of her. I think she's going to be much happier now, even if she thought she already was." "Yeah. Now if we could only get her to let go of her guilt over her sister..." Lindy sighed and snuggled closer to Nate. She watched Liam reach out and pat Montel, the cat bouncing slightly under the force of Liam's strokes. "How about you?" You going to be happy now that you know she's not mad about what you did?" "Happier than I was," he said, honestly. "I think it might take a while for the worry to go away completely." He leaned closer and kissed her cheek. "I used to think Anton was a fool for holding on to grudges so long. I guess I'm not any better." Lindy leaned against him. "I know you've been hurt before, Nate. But that's not going to happen to you now. Not with my family, and not with me." She ran her fingers through his hair, her nails lightly scratching his scalp. "I get afraid sometimes, Nate. Afraid that you think we're going to push you away, so you do it first." She sighed, not certain if she should say more. He scooted down on the couch, sinking further into the pillow, pulling her along with him. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt you. It was just something I learned a long time ago, as a defense, and...sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it. Other times, it feels like I need to be slapped out of it." He tightened his arms around her, burying his face in her hair. "I need you, so much. I don't know what I'd do without you." "You'll never find out," she reassured. She pressed her cheek to Nate's forehead. "I love you so much, and I'll fight tooth and nail before I let you leave." She glanced over to Liam who was staring at them, aware that they were upset. He let go of the table and leaned towards his parents, thinking about moving towards them, but not certain about taking a step without holding on to a support. "Nate, look at Liam." He lifted his head slightly, meeting Liam's gaze. Those big blue eyes were nearly saucers as he gauged the distance between them. "Come on, buddy," Nate whispered, "you can do it." Lifting up his foot, Liam prepared to take a step...only to fall backwards and land squarely on his butt. Stunned and frustrated, he took one look at his parents and started wailing. "Awww...it's okay, Liam." Lindy got off Nate's lap and scooped him up in his arms. Cuddling Liam tight to her, she returned to Nate's lap and settled down again. "You're getting so big." Nate stroked Liam's hair, tucking both his child and his wife closely to him. "Getting a little too big if you ask me. I'd rather he stayed this size forever. Then we won't have to worry about teaching him to drive. Of course, we could always get him one of those little kid Jeeps." He yawned, covering his mouth. "Jeez, I feel exhausted. Just think how Jess must feel right about now." "I know," Lindy said. She gently stroked Liam's head. "We're lucky in one way. Right now at least we only have to go through it once. My poor parents finished with me only to have to start with Manda. But then, they're probably still worrying about me." She thought about that for a moment and then sighed. "Just think about the fact that we'll be doing that forever, especially if he decides to be Transformed. He rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not think about that, thank you." Leaning his head back, he stared at the ceiling. "Part of me almost hopes he won't want to be Transformed...not with all of the crap he'll have to get used to. But then I think about what it would be like if he died of old age, and it just makes me sick with grief." He shook his head, rubbing the lines on his forehead. "Have you ever had any thoughts...you know, premonitions, about what Liam will be like when he grows up?" Lindy shook her head, biting her lower lip. "No. I haven't seen anything. Nothing since I was Transformed. But I didn't see everything that happened to us, or that often. Maybe something once a year. I didn't know if it was related to being a werewolf or not." She closed her eyes, leaning more against Nate as Liam tried to stand up in her lap. "I don't know if I could handle seeing something about him, Nate. Knowing that it was coming, but not able to do anything about it." "Nothing's set it stone, Lind. *If* you saw something bad, we'd definitely do something about it. Believe me." This had to be one of the more difficult hunts in his long existence. Anton, Lindy, and Nate were stalking the same prey. And none of them had any luck so far. Their victim had been far more canny than Anton would have given her credit for. He had thought that he would just be able to approach from behind and latch on to her neck before anything could be done. But he had been thrown off almost right away. And the second time, and the third time. Frustrated, he hissed quietly through bared fangs. His prey turned around and looked at him benignly. And mooed. Sitting on Whiskey's back, watching from a discrete distance, Bryn bit her lip to stifle a rolling giggle. She'd wondered what on earth was taking so long...it seemed as if the three vampires had left hours ago for the pasture. Deciding to go check it out for herself, she slapped a saddle on her horse's back, climbed up on the stall wall, and stretched with an ungainly grace to pull herself on the mare's back. She'd only been watching them for a few minutes, but she could discern the problem right away. At this rate, they'd run the entire length of their 50 plus acres all for nothing. Lindy also growled in quiet frustration. Had she been a werewolf, she would have slaughtered this cow within two minutes. However, the limitations of a human shape were becoming quickly obvious. And they also wanted to leave the cow, one of five head they had purchased, alive. "So, anyone got any bright ideas?" Bryn nudged the horse towards them, having to use a little more coaxing than usual. Whiskey could smell the aggression in the air, and wasn't at all thrilled about facing it head on. "One of you could ride back to the barn and get some rope. Or at least something to hobble the cow." "Good idea," Anton said. The three vampires had encircled the cow so it couldn't move off. And at this moment, she seemed content to graze. "Ah, Bryn, my dear, would you mind horribly getting the rope?" She arched an eyebrow, her expression unmistakably telling him 'You owe me one'. Scooting back in the saddle and pushing her coat into her lap, so as not to smack her belly against the pommel, she turned Whiskey around and started a slow gallop towards the barn. Once she was there, it took her nearly another fifteen minutes to carefully get off the horse, find the rope, and then hurry back to climb on again. Out of breath, she decided not to worry about riding back herself. Calling Jess on the phone from the barn, she asked her to hurry over so she could take them the rope herself. Jess sauntered into the barn, patting Lily hello when the mare whickered at her. "Hey, Bryn. You want me to help you back into the saddle and follow me? Or do you want me to ride back out?" "No, you go ahead and go." She adjusted her pants, grimacing slightly. "Just a few minutes of riding and I'm already hurting. I'll just have Anton give me the details when he gets home. He owes me a nice massage anyway," she said, grinning. "Gotcha. Where are they? North pasture?" She grinned back at Bryn when she nodded. She got into the saddle and turned Whiskey towards the exit of the barn. "I'll compare notes with you tomorrow to see if he told you everything. See you later." Putting her heels to the horse, she galloped off in the direction Bryn had indicated. It was a good five minute ride to find the vampires. She let the horse guide her for the most part, and the strong smell of the cow keep her on course. She found the situation pretty much the same as when Bryn had left. The grazing cow keeping her eye on three surrounding vampires. "Somebody wanted a rope?" Anton looked a bit surprised that it was Jess riding. "Where's Bryn?" "She's was a bit too sore to come back. Walked off muttering something about 'mother of all back rubs.' Now which of you gets the rope?" Nate snickered at Anton, then held his hand up to catch the rope which Jess tossed in his direction. Waiting for the other two to creep a bit closer, to keep the cow from getting too much further away, he made a quick slip knot with the rope. Carefully, while the cow was distracted, he looped the rope around the cow's neck and held on tightly when she tried to run. "Lind, come here," he said, waiting until she did. He had her hold the cow steady, up high on its neck, then bent down to grab the cow's front foot. With a quick series of loops around both the cow's neck and foot, tight enough to keep the ropes from slipping off and yet loose enough so the cow could breathe, he quickly hobbled the animal. "There. All set." "Where'd you learn to do that?" Lindy asked, amazed. "Ask me later, and I'll tell you about the time I spent with the cowboys." Anton approached cautiously from right, the side with the hoof in the air. The cow mooed in panic, but couldn't move without overbalancing and falling. Eyes glowing and fangs extended, he checked one last time that he was in a spot where he couldn't be kicked. Hunger building to a crescendo, he bit into the cow's neck, clinging as she tried to bolt. But almost immediately he released, spitting out his mouthful of hair. "Ugh! Remind me to bring a razor next time." Lindy giggled. "Maybe we should've done it like they did on Survivor, and just open up an artery until we got a pitcher of blood." "How do you propose we open up an artery, Lind?" "On the show, they used a bow and arrow." Looking slightly green at the prospect, Nate continued holding on to the cow. "Unless you want Jess to run back and get a razor, this is it. Either suck it up or pass it on to someone else." "Don't bother." Jess reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a disposable razor. "I thought you might be needing this when Bryn called." She tossed it in Anton's direction. He caught the pink, plastic razor with ease. "And why didn't you give this to me earlier?" Jess grinned. "And miss the expression on your face when you bit in? I think not. Oh, and I'll talk to my brother about getting one of those things they use to hold cattle still while they examine them. Should do the trick so we don't have to repeat this next time." Turning to the cow, Anton shaved off a spot about three by three inches square. Patting the cow to reassure it, he bit in again, this time his fangs finding their mark. Ignoring the panicked noise the cow made, he drank. A few minutes later, he pulled away. "Next," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Gesturing Lindy forward, Nate decided to wait until the other two were finished before taking his turn. He couldn't say he was exactly looking forward to biting into the cow. Drinking from a human, who was rapidly losing blood as well as consciousness long before he was dead, was much less traumatic...at least to the victim. [All right, to me too.] Drinking from a live being, knowing that they were scared, confused, and had to run away in panic once it was all over, was considerably more daunting. At least that was how it seemed to him. Yet as Lindy hurried over and fed herself, he didn't think she quite saw it the same way. Lindy gently patted the cow, hoping to ease its fears. Trying to aim for the marks Anton had already made, she pierced the cow's neck a second time. For her, it was little different from hunting as a werewolf. As she drank, she thought a quiet thank you to the animal for giving her blood so that a human wouldn't die. And the cow would be well taken care of, her health carefully monitored. Eventually she had her fill and stepped back from the animal. The cow was breathing heavily, but looked otherwise unharmed. "Your turn, Nate." "You know, I have the perfect name for this cow," he said, trading places with Lindy. "Sangria." Lindy grinned and Anton shook his head in amusement. Giving the cow a few scratches between the ears, Nate knelt down to the same spot the others had drank from and sucked deeply. [I never thought I'd be sucking a cow,] he thought to himself, nearly laughing at the thought. [Especially not in front of three other people. I'm a public cow sucker.] Jess, seeing the vampires had things in hand, waved goodbye while Nate was still drinking. She rode off in the direction of the barn, chuckling to herself all the way. Anton watched Nate feed, mixed feelings going through him. Like Nate, he wasn't fully comfortable with causing distress to the animal. Nor the fact that it would probably bolt from then in fear. Unlike some he could name, Anton didn't like to cause terror from those he fed on, unless it was in revenge. All he could do was make sure the cows they had purchased would be well fed and cared for, and hope that it made up for the fear and pain they were forced to inflict to stay alive. Finished drinking, Nate pressed his sleeve to the wound until it stopped bleeding. Then, he carefully untied the cow's leg and sent the animal on its way. The cow took a few steps, still stunned and unsure of whether it would be recaptured or not, then hurriedly trotted off to rejoin its herd. "She doesn't look too much worse for wear. Although she'll have to explain that embarrassing bald spot when she reaches her boyfriend again." Lindy giggled while Anton shook his head. "Let's get back inside. I don't know about the two of you, but I'm ready to get back inside where it's warm. And leave these poor cattle to recover on their own." Nate put his arm around Lindy, leading her towards the houses. "I don't know about you, but I think I'm starting to experience a little post-cattle bliss. It's udderly amazing. I mean a totally moo-ving experience." Lindy and Anton glanced at each other before both rolling their eyes. "Nathaniel, anyone ever tell you that you're full of bull?" It was a little less than a week later when she made the discovery. Walking out in early evening to feed the horses, Bryn paused slightly when she noticed Mack's truck parked just inside the huge double doors of the barn. She didn't think much of it--Mack had promised to take a look at her horses when he got the chance, to determine the best way to train the colts. She hadn't thought he would stop by without letting her know, but given his argument with Anton the last time they'd seen him, she wasn't completely surprised. Wasn't surprised until she realized that Mack hadn't come to see the horses at all. The sudden hard thud against the wall of the tack room startled her. Walking over to see if something had fallen, she stopped in the doorway, her mouth hanging open, and stared in amazement. Passionately pawing at each other, her shirt half off and his jeans unbuttoned, Mack and Chandra were wildly kissing each other against the wall. Or at least they were until they noticed her gaping at them. Pushing Mack away from her, Chandra straightened her shirt and glared at him. "Get off me, you asshole." Glaring back, Mack fastened his jeans. "Bitch," he spat out and pushed past Bryn. "I'll come back later on and check on your horses tomorrow, Bryn." Without a backwards glance at Chandra, although his face was slightly flushed, he started towards his truck. Feeling slightly embarrassed herself, although not sure why, Bryn tried to get his attention. "Mack! Will you please call Anton? He's been trying to get a hold of you." He gave a noncommittal wave of his hand, started the truck, slammed the door behind him, and sped out of the barn. Eyebrow raised, Bryn turned on the balls of her feet. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" Chandra sighed, slumping against the door frame. "Yes, thank God." "That's a good thing?" "A very good thing." Walking back into the tack room, Chandra started picking up the brushes that had fallen to the floor. "I'd hate to think how much further that could've gone if you hadn't walked in." "Am I missing something? A few seconds ago, you were all over each other, and then the next second you were practically spitting venom." "We were having an argument." [Could've fooled me,] Bryn thought, but she didn't say it. "I made the mistake of coming out here when he was looking at your horses. I was kind of hoping he'd have his little ditz with him, but he didn't; God, I would've really loved to sock her in the face." She took a deep breath, calming both her body and her speech down a notch. "Anyway, when I saw she wasn't here, I decided to ignore him...to pretend I had a legitimate reason to be out her. But he called me on it. And it pissed me off." "Who pissed you off?" Jess walked into the barn, having seen a car that she didn't recognize pull out of it. She looked from Bryn to Chandra, taking in her slightly guilty expression. "Was Mack here?" "Yeah," Chandra said. "Oh," Jess said. "And how did things go?" she asked, although she already had an idea. "I'm sure you must've heard part of what I said. It went shitty. And I'm glad he's gone." "Glad she stopped kissing him," Bryn said, wryly. Jess's eyebrows rose. "You kissed him?" "It was an impulse! A lot of times when we used to fight, we'd end up tearing each other's clothes off. Old habits are hard to break." Bryn hid her smile by dipping her head. "Anyway, he stood there and accused me of wanting to come talk to him--of needing to confront him. He told me...the bastard told me to my face that he never slept with that girl. He's such a scum-sucking liar. I know what happened. He forgets I can read his mind. I told him to go to hell, and he wouldn't stop arguing with me, and then...and then he was kissing me." "With his pants unbuttoned?" Chandra glared at Bryn, but the irritation didn't last. Her voice lowered, almost becoming a whisper, and she wrung her hands together as if ashamed. "He wanted me. I could feel it...I mean, of course I could feel *it*, but I could feel his emotions, too. He wanted me, and for once in a long time he wasn't thinking about dog breath or kissing wolves, or bestial sex. He wanted me for me. And it felt good." "I know what you mean, Chandra. Hell, I've been there." Jess nodded, sitting down on a handy bale of hay. "But you've got to be careful. He might be thinking about you at this moment, but what about afterwards? I had a human boyfriend who said he was okay with it, and he wasn't." She gave her a small shrug of her shoulders. "But you know him better than I do, so you're in a better situation to make decisions, if you think clearly." "That's why I'm glad he left. I obviously wasn't thinking clearly at all. How could I kiss him after he flaunted his twelve-year-old whore in my face?" She squeezed her eyes closed, swallowing heavily. "It makes me sick to even think about it. He's not worth my time." Opening her eyes to meet Jess's gaze, she said, "I think I'm going to have to find my own place to live pretty soon. I can't keep running into him here. It hurts too much--" "But why did you come out here, Chandra," Bryn interrupted, "to beat up that girl, or laugh in his face? Either way, you ran into him deliberately." "I don't know. I just--I don't know." "I think you better do some soul searching, Chandra," Jess said, gently. "If you want to move out, if you feel you're ready, that's fine. I'd say you're adapting to being a werewolf well. I don't think you're quite ready to go to Boston, but if you want to go, I won't stop you. But you may need to stay and confront these feelings. Running away from them won't do you any good." "I'm not so sure dealing with them will be any good for me, either." End Chapter Seventy-one <- Previous Chapter | Home | Next Chapter ->