Any characters
you recognize belong to Sherrilyn Kenyon or Laurell K. Hamilton. I’m just doing
this for fun. This is rated PG-13 to be safe.
I was so busy
getting back into the swing of things that I didn't notice the weeks hurriedly
slipping by. I was in a routine. Mitch had changed my hours to nine at night
until six in the morning. It was still a long night but it kept me out of
trouble, sort of anyway. He also had decided that I needed an extra day off, so
Sundays and Mondays I was free.
Roan and Kendra had started dating. He was worried that I would be upset. Why I
had no idea. Mouse and I were friends. That worked best for us. Callie and I
had started spending more time together. I wasn't sure that was good. She didn't like that I spent a lot of my off
time in the District with Luna and Asher. She wouldn't understand the whole
bond thing and I didn't want to try to explain something I wasn't sure I completely
understood myself.
So yeah, I looked at the calendar one afternoon and realized it was June
already. Irish had moved out of the
house, said he felt more comfortable at his brothers. That was not a problem.
It wasn't like we liked each other and he sure as hell wasn't paying the rent.
One Sunday night, it was so clear that you could see forever. Kendra, Roan,
Callie and I all met up in the hills to use Kendra's telescope. Kendra had made
some snacks and I brought some wine along with glasses. We had been there a
couple of hours when I took out the wine and immediately discovered I was an
airhead. No corkscrew. I stood there with this bottle of Chablis in my hand
cursing. Roan took the bottle, pulled a Swiss army knife from his pocket and
sure enough there was a corkscrew. He opened the bottle of wine while telling
me what other wonderful features the knife had.
I shook my head. “Jeeze mine only has one. It's
stabbing mode.” Kendra laughed at that.
Callie turned to me. “You stab a lot of people?”
”I wouldn't call them people,” Roan muttered.
”What would you call them then?” Callie asked.
”Hey Mouse! What's in the basket? Cheese?” I teased feeling a change of subject
would be good about now.
She nodded, “As a matter of fact and some oatmeal cookies.”
I grinned. “Mmmmmmmmmm oatmeal cookies. Gahrhrhrhhh.” Roan fell over laughing. Kendra and Callie
were both in fits. “Hey
that's my best Homer Simpson.”
When he could stop laughing my roommate told me, “You need more practice
hunter.”
I grinned. Callie
gasped. “What?” I asked.
”You are a vampire,” she said.
I bristled. “I am not. Take that back.”
”They're natural. He was born with them,” Mouse explained.
The other woman shook her head. “No one is born with fangs.”
”I was,” I told her before turning to Mouse. “Anyway, oatmeal cookies?”
The female were nodded. “Baked today.”
After awhile Callie started complaining that she was cold, so I decided to take
her home. I walked her down to the car then had to turn back to go after my
jacket.
”Thanks for the assist Mouse,” I kissed her cheek. “You guys have a good night.”
She smiled at me. “Thanks Nathan.”
”You okay,” Roan asked. I nodded and started down the hill just as the horn
sounded. My roommate told me, “Looks like tattoo queen is in a rush.”
I sighed. “She's in for a rude awakening. I'm taking her home.”
As I started down the hill, I heard the tires squeal. I had left the engine
running when I went to get my jacket. When I reached the lot, my car was gone.
I stood there mouth open hoping she was joking. Ten minutes later there was no
sign of her.
I started walking
toward town. I didn't want to ruin Roan and Kendra's evening because Callie was
throwing a tantrum. It was a warm night and I'd get back home before sunup. At
least I hoped so. I had walked maybe fifteen minutes when a car pulled up beside
me. The window slid down to reveal the Nimir Raj himself. We both stared at one another a few seconds.
”Why are you walking? Where's your car,” He asked.
I just shook my head. “It's a long story.”
”Get in.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Is that an order?”
”Yes it is.” He grinned. I opened the passenger door and slid into the seat. I
closed the door and buckled the seat belt. “So spill it.”
I told him the whole story. After listening carefully, he started laughing.
Once he had finished laughing at my expense, we decided to go to Guilty
Pleasures for a drink. Even for a Sunday it was a good size crowd. We went in
the employees’ door past a group of women waiting for the dancers to depart. I
had put on my dark glasses so as not to spook anybody. Micah didn't see the need, but I did
especially since Callie had started giving me grief about how dark they were. As
soon as we entered the building, I felt Asher. I almost fell down the freaking
stairs.
Micah grabbed hold
of my arm to steady me. “Asher?” I nodded. “You'll get used to it. If you were
a true pomme, it would be even harder.”
I nodded. “Let's go get that drink.”
We sat at the bar talking about a lot of different things. We both turned
toward the stage when
”Is it true that the female shifters in your world can give birth,” he asked.
”Yeah, all of them can but there's a catch.”
He raised a brow so
I told him the story of King Lycon and the curse the
Fates put on his offspring, one with a human heart the other with an animal heart.
He was firing questions at me when my cell rang. I took it out of my jacket pocket
and checked the number. I didn't recognize it, so I didn't answer it. There was a large whoop from the crowd.
Looking up, I saw Nathaniel was down to his g-string.
I turned to the Nimir Raj.
“
Micah nodded sadly.
“The shift aborts the fetus. Has in some cases killed the mother as well.”
”Damn. That's not fair.” He just
shrugged. “So what were you doing so far out of town?”
”I took a couple of people home from the coalition meeting,” he explained.
”How's that going?”
He sighed. “Some days are harder than others.”
”I can imagine,” I said nodding. I suddenly caught the scent of fall. I took a
deep breath, inhaling through my nose. “Luna.”
We both turned to see her walking toward us. She wore black jeans and a dark
red baby doll tee. Her dark hair was down around her shoulders. I couldn't help
but smile. The corner of her mouth twitched.
Then she narrowed
her eyes on Micah. “Why are you here without guards?”
”Nathan is my guard for tonight,” he grinned. “I thought you were working.”
”I am,” she added as she turned to me.
”Oh God. Now what have I done?”
She shook her head at me. “Actually you're the victim.”
I was confused. “I am?”
”Did you let someone borrow your car,” she questioned me.
”Not exactly,” I hedged. She quirked a brow so I explained. “Callie threw a
tantrum and took it, decided I needed some exercise. Why? Oh Jesus! She wrecked it! Is she okay?”
She shrugged. “The officers that stopped her for doing 110 on the freeway also arrested
her because she had no proof you let her have the car.”
”She's in jail,” I asked.
The cop shook her head. “The station's lawyer bailed her out. She couldn't
reach you.
I suddenly had a really bad headache.
”How did you know he was here?” Micah asked his leopard.
”Asher,” she explained.
Micah's cell rang.
He answered it, walking a little away.
”How pissed was she?”
She grinned. “I heard something about castrating you but the lawyer pointed out
that she did have your car and was speeding.”
I shook my head. “I think that I'm going to just join the priesthood.”
Micah sat back down.
“Can I come too?”
I smiled at him. “Sure, I know someone that could hide us.”
He chuckled as Luna
asked, “Let me guess, Anita wants you to come home?”
He shrugged, “Told her I'm giving Nathaniel a ride.”
Rides, damn, it just occurred to me. Turning to the female cat I asked, “So
um... where is my car?”
”Impounded,” She told me then walked away, disappearing through the employee’s
only door.
“Great,” I sighed.
”I will provide transport until the authorities release your vehicle,” Jean
Claude assured me. He laid his hands on my shoulders and leaned down to whisper.
“I am sure that Asher would enjoy your company.”
“I was thinking about asking Micah to give me a ride,” I told him.
The mayor was quick to disagree. “Nonsense, there are plenty of rooms at the Circus.
I promise not to... molest you.” He grinned then headed in the same direction
as Luna.
Shaking my head, I told Micah, “Yeah that monastery is looking better and better.”
He laughed. “Can I ask a question?”
”Of course,” the leopard shrugged.
”I know I can sense Luna because of the bond with Asher.” He nodded. “But why
can I sense you?” He almost choked on
his drink. “Not supposed to, am I?”
He hedged. ”Sense me how?”
”You're in my head sometimes. Like a rush of energy. I have dreams. I know how
you were changed. I felt you die.”
Micah was silent for a long time. I was about to apologize for bringing it up, when
his eyes got wide for an instant.
He gasped. “It must have been the fight. I did scratch you.”
I grimaced at the memory. “Scratch me? You shoved your claws into my gut.”
”You bit me,” he said in his own defense.
”You two are worse than Anita and Richard,” Nathaniel said from nearby. We both
turned to stare at him. “Um, are you here to give me a ride?”
”Yes,” his Nimir Raj nodded
before turning back to me. “I thought you couldn't be infected?”
I shrugged. “That's what I was told but then Luna bit me too.” He frowned as I
added, “but then again, Richard's pack clawed the hell out of me.”
The diminutive leader gave me an odd stare. “You haven't had any dreams about
the pack?”
I shook my head. “Nope, did have one about Blake shooting me out of the sky but
then she doesn't like me.”
”Maybe you should give her a chance,” my stripper friend offered. I stared at
him like he was nuts. He shrugged.
Micah looked from his leopard to me. “Maybe you should have Maggie check you
out. She's done some sleep experiments.”
”No offense, but I don't think I want to spend anymore time in the infirmary.”
I told them.
”Maggie wouldn't hurt you,” Nathaniel sounded surprised I would refuse. Didn’t
he remember my last visit there?
I sighed. “Anyway I
think I'm going to call a cab and head home.”
The Nimir Raj tried to stop
me. “We need to find out what's happening to you, why you’re so connected to
us, especially if you can't be infected.”
”I'm becoming too saturated in this world. I'm not even sure if I can go back
to mine or if I even want to.” I threw
some money on the bar and stood to go. I better get home before Blake sends the
Mounties.”
I started for the
door when I heard Asher whisper in my head. “Come to me, mon
chasseur.”
It caused me to
shiver. “Shit.” I turned round and headed for the employee’s door. “How the
hell does he do that?”
”Centuries of practice,” Micah sighed as I passed by.