If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

Chapter one
(author’s note….characters belong to LKH…just having fun with all the “what ifs”---BAT)


Another long day at the office. I tossed my suit jacket on the couch and headed to the kitchen for coffee. Washing the dried chicken and goat blood off of myself could wait. I hadn’t even gotten a mug out when the phone rang. And rang. Shit. I’d forgotten to turn the answering machine on again. No choice but to pick up. “Hello?”

“Anita. You’re home.” It was Edward. He sounded relieved. Edward never sounded like anything but a smug bastard at this time of day or night.

“What do you want, Edward?”
He was silent for a moment. “Can we get together and talk face to face?”

“About what?” I did not like the way this conversation was headed. “It’s after four in the morning. What the hell could be so important that you want to talk now?”

“I need your advice…as a friend.”

It was my turn to be silent. Edward needed me as a friend? What was the world coming to? “Can I at least take a shower first?”

If it weren’t Death I was talking to, I’d swear he gave a sigh of relief. “Yes. I’ll be there in an hour. Is that enough time?”

“Yeah.” I had a dark thought. “You always just show up, Edward. Why are you being so considerate? What the hell is going on?”

“I’ll see you soon, Anita.” He hung up, leaving me frowning at the buzzing phone.

As promised there was a knock on my door just after 5am. I took the Browning with me to answer it. Paranoid? Me? “Who is it?”

“Edward.”

I opened the door and stepped back to let him in. His careful mask was in place, but there was a hint of tension around the eyes. “You want coffee?” I asked as he made himself at home on my couch. He shook his head. “So talk to me, Edward. What’s up?”

For what seemed like forever he just sat there and looked at me. Slowly those pale assassin eyes of his turned into normal eyes, scared eyes even. “Anita, I…” He stopped, glanced back toward my bedroom. “Is there anyone else here?”

“No.”

Silence. I was starting to feel nervous. Edward had two facial expressions: blank and kill mode. Anything else was not good. “What, Edward?” I asked a little more gently.

“I may be joining your pard at the next full moon.”
My jaw dropped; I couldn’t help it. “You’ve been infected with lycanthropy, you
mean?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

Edward a were? Irony didn’t even come close. This was plain out wrong. “It can’t be that bad. Maybe you’ll be okay.”

He shook his head. “No. I will not be okay. Look.” Wincing ever so slightly he untucked his shirt and lifted it past his stomach. Claw marks curved from one side of his chest down to vanish into his pants. I leaned closer. There were stitches in all the wounds.

“Shit, Edward. When did this happen?”

“Two days after the last full moon, so about a week ago.”

“How bad were they?” A wound like that was nothing to a non-human. Hell, I could heal something like that in a couple of days. And I wouldn’t even turn furry. I had the vampire marks to thank for that.

He gave me a cold stare. “Not as bad as the ones on my back.” With careful movements he removed his shirt completely. I stood and walked behind him so he wouldn’t have to get up. My stomach lurched when I saw what the shifter had done to him. It was as if they had tried to sharpen their claws on his back. There was hardly an inch of flesh untouched.

It was all I could do to keep my voice steady. “Did they bite a chunk out of your shoulder?” There couldn’t be another explanation for the ragged indent.

“Yes. I was careless. I am never careless,” he said, more to himself than to me. “I had a hit on a shifter out of state. It was supposed to be an easy case. Guy got attacked a few years back and had been killing lycanthropes in his spare time. One of the victim’s relatives wanted him stopped.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“I didn’t realize that he had a partner in crime. The other guy shifted and jumped me after I shot my target. I managed to kill him and drag myself to a nearby house. An ambulance was called and I spend four days in the hospital. Or rather, Ted Forrester did.”

“So it looked like a legal hit,” I said, nodding. “You pleaded self-defense and got released.” I paused, not wanting to ask the big question. “Did they do a blood test, Edward?”

“You know better than anyone that this type of lycanthropy can take a week to show up.” He sighed. “I didn’t want the test. I still don’t. I just…”

We both sat there for a few minutes letting everything sink in.  I took a deep breath. “Is there anything I can do to help? Whatever you need, Edward, I’m here. I’d say I know what you’re going through, but…” The thought hung in the air. But I don’t.

“Remember that one conversation we had,” Edward began, “when you said I’d be one of the only people you’d trust to…take care of things if you got killed?”

“Yeah. You’d be the only one smart enough to take my head.” He just stared at me without speaking again. I was pretty sure I knew what was coming next, but I had to ask anyway. “Jesus, Edward, are you asking me to kill you?”

“Maybe.”

Maybe? Maybe? Fuck. “Edward, talk to me. I’m not sure I could kill you just because you might be a lycanthrope. First of all, you don’t know if you even are contaminated. And being a wereleopard is not the end of the world. I didn’t call you to have you kill me if I’d have ended up being a furball.”

“I’m not you, Anita. I kill the monsters for a living. I sure as hell can’t be one. More than likely I’d end up as some hitter’s next target.” His shoulders drooped ever so slightly. “What kind of life would that be?” he asked softly.

There was too much going through my mind to stay sitting, so I got up and paced the living room. Shit, shit, shit. While it was rational that Edward might get killed anyway if he truly was a shapeshifter now, I couldn’t see myself killing him to put him out of his misery, so to speak. Hell, a few months back when Gregory had accidentally clawed me, I would never have thought of ending my life if I became one of the terminally furry. But then, Edward wasn’t as close to a pard or pack like I was.

“Edward, what do you think the pard would do to me if I did kill you for essentially being one of them? I’m their Nimir-Ra, for crying out loud.” I looked down at him. His face was a blank mask once again. For some reason it made me sad. “It really isn’t the end of the world. Shit happens. That doesn’t mean you have to give up.”

Wrong thing to say. Gone was the almost normal expression. While I watched his face it slowly tensed, his anger and rage finally leaking through. “I thought you would understand, Anita,” he said carefully. “You of all people. I do not want to live life as an animal!” he shouted, getting to his feet, gun pointed at me.

I stood there motionless. I finally began to see the whole picture. “I’m not going to kill you, Edward.” Fighting the urge to scramble for the Browning, I continued. “Maybe if you just take some time, think things over with an open mind. What about Donna and the kids? I know you care about them. Would you really want them to suddenly find out that you were dead, no explanation? The least you could do would be to let them down gently.”

Not what he wanted to hear. Edward turned the gun toward himself. I watched in horror as he pressed the barrel to his temple. “Donna’s husband got killed by a shifter. I really doubt that she and the kids, especially Peter, would be able to accept me as one. It doesn’t work that way, Anita.” His eyes burned like blue fire. “Either you will help me the way I want to be helped or you’ll have one hell of a mess to clean up in a minute.”

“Edward, wait,” I started. “What if you give the whole lycanthrope thing a…trial run? See if it might just be livable. Look at how many other people have survived and adapted. This doesn’t have to be the end, Edward.” I tried to put hope into my eyes.
“Everything could be okay.”

He seemed to consider my words. He nodded slowly. “You’re right. It doesn’t have to be the end. But I think it will be.” Edward held the gun steady to his head and took a deep breath. “Goodbye, Anita. It’s been fun.”

“Edward, NO!”


Chapter two

The gun clicked. The chamber was empty. My heart tried to beat itself out of my chest. A slow smile spread across Edward’s face. “Shall we try that again?” he asked.
“No.” I took a careful step forward. Nothing happened. “Edward, put down the gun.”

He blinked. “Give me a good reason to and I will.”

There had to be something he’d listen to. Logic maybe. “If you shoot yourself here not only will I not be happy, but just think of what the police would say. At least shoot yourself where it won’t create problems for too many people.” I held my breath.

Edward laughed. He fucking laughed. He laughed so hard he cried. “Damn, Anita. Trust you to make me feel guilty about creating more paperwork for you and the cops.” To my relief, he tucked his Beretta back into his waistband. He even walked into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee. When he sat back down it was all I could do to keep from strangling him.

“What the hell was all that?” I demanded. “You do not come into my home, threaten to shoot yourself, and then make yourself a fucking cup of coffee!”

That raised his eyebrow. “I wanted to see how much you really cared,” he said. “I need to know I can trust you to take care of this…problem, should it get out of hand.” Setting down his mug on the table, he leaned forward. “I’m not like you, Anita. I can’t get along with the monsters. I need you to teach me.”

“Or die trying?” I added dryly. “Why the theatrics, Edward? You could have outright asked for my help. You didn’t have to go through all this trouble, really.” I sipped my forgotten coffee. Damn, cold already. Oh well. “So tell me what you want. Exactly what you want.”

“I need to know what being a shifter means. How it affects me. If I’ll be able to carry on with my life with a few slight adjustments. I need,” he stated bluntly, “to know if I can handle it. If I can be one of the monsters for real. You had your brush with that reality. You’re the only one who can help.”

It was exact. I gave him that much. Why couldn’t I know normal people with normal problems? “One of the things about the leopards, at least, is a sense of community.” I began. “They’re like one big family. In fact, they’re closer than family sometimes. That means,” I added, watching his face closely, “that they share everything. Emotions, thoughts. They get touchy-feely sometimes because it’s how they bond.”

“And neither of us is keen on that part,” Edward finished for me. His expression was grim. “That is what bothers me the most, I think.”

“Yeah. You can’t be a secretive bastard anymore.”
That earned me Edward’s patented cold stare. “Which really won’t go over well with my clients. Word gets out that I’m a lycanthrope…” He didn’t need to finish. We both knew he’d probably get hunted down once someone got a whiff of fur. You couldn’t be a monster and hunt them. It was against the bounty hunter code. Something to that effect.

I spread my hands. “What do you want me to do, Edward? Most of the pard is wary of you as it is. Telling then you’ll be joining us won’t help.” I stopped to think. There was no good way to do this. The pard trusted me; they didn’t trust him. That would involve a lot of handholding and maybe even bribes. “First things first. You need to hang around here more if you want everyone to get adjusted to you…and for you to adjust to them.”

“Okay. Do I have to move in or can I pop in from time to time?”

Edward living in the same house as me and the leopards. “You can pop in. They might get suspicious if you made yourself too much at home.”

He nodded. “Not to mention the fuss your…boyfriends would raise.”

I frowned at him. “And who are you referring to when you say boyfriends?”
“The vampire, the wolf, the leopard…take your pick.”

“Keep it up and, carpet be damned, I’ll shoot you.”

“When can I stop by?”

“Changing the subject, Edward?” My hand was itching to go for my gun, but I kept my gaze locked on my guest.

“Anita.” He said it like he knew I wanted to shoot him. He was that good, or he knew me too well. Maybe it was both.

“Fine. Do you want me to be here or are you okay alone with the gang?”
He thought about that for a moment. “It would probably go over better with you here.”

“I agree. I’ll call you when I can get an idea of everyone’s schedule.”

“Okay.” Edward stood. “I’ll let you enjoy your coffee in peace.” He walked toward the door. I stayed seated but turned to watch him. Hand on the knob, he paused. “You can tell them about what happened. Just leave out the part about what I asked you to do.”

I nodded. “Done. See you, Edward.” With that he left.


AS ALWAYS:  characters belong to LKH, I’m having fun…bat

Chapter three

Later after I’d showered and made a fresh pot of coffee, I really thought about everything Edward and I had discussed. Something wasn’t sitting right with me. There was no one more careful than he was on a hit. How could he have been so careless as to let himself get attacked? It didn’t make sense. I guess even Death had his limits.

I heard a key in the lock and I jumped. Silly me to forget that I didn’t live alone anymore. Micah walked in with Nathaniel, Zane, and Cherry in tow. Zane’s hair was a bright crimson this week. And speaking of hair, Nathaniel had cut his. It was still long, much longer than mine, but it no longer fell to his ankles. I’m not sure I would call waist-length manageable though.

“Hi. There’s coffee if anyone wants it,” I told the group. I debated whether or not to have a meeting now. Might as well go for it. “I want to talk to you all when there’s a chance. Something has come up.”

Micah immediately came to my side. “Is everything alright, Anita?” he asked softly. I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down for a quick kiss.

“I’m okay, if that’s what you’re asking. This is more of a pard thing than a personal thing. I think.”  Cups in hand, the other leopards sat in the living room. Cherry and Zane got comfy on the other couch. They were officially dating now.

“What’s going on?” asked Cherry.

I guess we were having the meeting now. “Edward came to see me today,” I started.

“He doesn’t need you as backup again, does he?” Nathaniel looked up at me with those lavender eyes from his seat on the floor.

“No, Nathaniel. He came to talk to me. He…” I stopped, not sure how to go on. “There’s no easy way to say this guys. Edward most likely contracted leopard lycanthropy.”

Silence. Everyone stared at me. They exchanged those little glances that say, “something is afoot.”

“He’s not coming after any of you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I said. “He was out of state when it happened. Believe it or not, he showed up asking for help.” And a promise of death, but that part was mine and Edward’s secret.

“What sort of help exactly?” Micah asked. He looked skeptical. I didn’t blame him.

“He basically wanted to know about pard life. What it’s like. How it affects him and his work. I told him he could hang out here, get to know all of you on a different basis.”

Cherry spoke up. “Do you trust him? How do we know he doesn’t have a hit on a member of the pard and is using this story as a cover?” Zane nodded in agreement.
“After what happened with Chimera, you understand our concern.”

Chimera, alias former bounty hunter Orlando King, had tried to cause chaos within all the local wereanimal groups. I’d killed him, but only after he’d slaughtered some were leaders. It had made everyone more cautious about our friendly neighborhood sociopath.

I looked at Cherry. “I trust him. Besides, I saw the wounds. Something tried to kill him or at least cut him up beyond recognition.” I shrugged. “It’s up to you guys to try to accept him as a lycanthrope. If he is, I’ll do what I can to help. If he’s lying…”

“You’ll kill him.” This from Nathaniel. He knew me well.

“I’d give it my best shot. I won’t stand for anyone trying to hurt my people. Edward included. You’re all under my protection. Don’t ever forget that.”

The meeting pretty much broke up after that. The two lovebirds left, leaving me with Micah and Nathaniel. There was nothing to do but retire for the night. All three of us slept in my bed. It worked out easier for me at least, to feed the arduer when I awoke. I still felt guilty about using Nathaniel as a sex toy, so to speak. Feeding off the Nimir-Raj’s sexual energy didn’t bother me however. We snuggled under the covers with Micah at my back and Nathaniel in front of me. As I fell asleep I wondered what kind of dreams I’d have tonight.

 

Chapter four I dreamed of a chase. Not me being chased by some boogeyman or monster, but the kind of chase Richard’s pack has the night of the full moon. Only I was with my leopards and Edward was there, but it was him we were after. Thankfully, I awoke before we caught him. For once I had to bed to myself. A girl could get used to this. Now that Jean-Claude had showed me how to control the ardeur I didn’t have to have a male body to wake up with. Still, it would’ve been nice to cuddle for a few minutes before I had to get up and face the day. Since it was Sunday I could stay home and relax. I threw on some jeans and a black polo shirt along with jogging socks and my Nikes. After stretching a bit I headed to the kitchen to make coffee. There was a fresh pot waiting for me along with a note on the table. “Anita—Nat and I are out doing some pard business. We’ll see you tonight—Micah.” Great. A day off and the house to myself. Could life get much better? A knock on the door broke the silence. So much for my plans of doing nothing. With a sigh I walked to the door. “Who is it?” “Edward.” I had no choice but to let him in. “You just missed Nathaniel and Micah,” I told him. “Unless you want me to call some of the others up, it’s you and me for now.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. They have to come back here eventually. I don’t mind waiting.” Typical Edward answer. “Okay.” I sat down on one couch and he mirrored me on the other side of the room; arms crossed over my chest, feet crossed at the ankle. Oh, yeah. This was going to be fun. “Well, do you want to talk about anything?” Hey, at least I was trying to be sociable. Another shrug. Apparently he wasn’t feeling very vocal today. I noticed that his right hand was positioned over his holstered gun. Looks like somebody was uneasy. “Did you talk to your people?” he asked finally. “Briefly. I think they need a little more time to let the idea sink in.” “Do you blame them?” I considered. “No. I hate to say it, Edward, but I don’t think they trust you at all. Don’t take it personally. They’re like this with everyone until they get to know them. Hell, I had a hard enough time getting the lycanthropes to tolerate me. Though the leopards were much more accepting than Richard’s wolves.” “I remember.” He should; he was there when one of them actually tried to fight me. This was way back when Marcus was alive and trying to have me assassinated. Ah, the good old days. I was glad Marcus was gone, but having had seen Richard eat him still didn’t sit well with me. “So, Edward,” I started cautiously, “have you had anymore thoughts on this? Have you at least decided to stay alive long enough to give furred life a chance?” He looked at me with neutral eyes. “I’ve thought about things.” I sighed. No more beating around the bush. “Have you accepted the fact that you might be a were? That you might indeed be one of the monsters you’re so fond of hunting? Come on, Edward. Show some feelings here.” “I think I’d be able to handle it a lot better than some people out there.” Great. Not only was he being a jerk, he was treading on thin ice. “So some shifters have a hard time adjusting. Lycanthropy is a major lifestyle change, Edward. It’s not like deciding to get married or change jobs. At least I know you’d never go boyscout on me.” I thought about Richard’s struggle for humanity. I must have been focusing too hard because suddenly I was getting all sorts of visuals from Richard. The marks between us crashed open and I felt him so vividly it was frightening. Richard was in the middle of sex with another woman. More specifically, another shifter. I couldn’t tell what flavor she was in human form. I’d gotten some glimpses before, but this went beyond that. Perhaps the ardeur had something to do with it. The woman underneath my ex-lover writhed and held onto his backside with hands more claws than anything. He pumped furiously into her, pulling a scream from her throat. After one last thrust he shuddered and collapsed. When I came back to myself, Edward was staring at me with alarm. “Anita? What was that?” Edward had glimpsed the ardeur. Now that I focused on it, it flared into a full-blown hunger. I remembered that I had not yet fed it this morning. Shit. Without wanting to I eased forward enough to put my palms flat against the carpet. Suddenly I was seeing all sorts of new possibilities for Edward, none of them good. “Anita?” His hand was on his gun. He stood slowly and looked like he wanted to back away from me but knew it wasn’t a very bright idea. “Stay back, Edward.” I went to all fours. “Don’t come any closer, and whatever you do, don’t touch me.” If I could keep my senses I might be able to get out of this without molesting him. “Would you mind telling me why you look like you’re going to eat me or…fuck me?” Smart man. Hopefully he’d stay that way and heed my warning. He drew his gun finally and pointed it in my general direction. Never before had I thought of Edward the way I was thinking of him now. I swallowed hard. “It’s a side effect of the vampire marks. When Jean-Claude, Richard, and I married the marks, this happened. I’ve inherited Jean-Claude’s ardeur, his incubus, his hunger for lust and sex.” Now I closed my eyes and willed myself into stillness. I was stalking Edward like prey. “I’m still learning to control it.” He nodded, eyes still a bit wide. If anything, it would be fun to tease him later for losing his cool. “So how do you stop it?” “The ardeur needs to be fed. Micah and Nathaniel left while I was still asleep, otherwise we wouldn’t be in this mess now.” “You are not feeding on me.” He pulled back the hammer of his gun. He was giving me a final warning. I opened my eyes and was startled to see that I was only six feet away from him. There was a sound at the door, and it tore a small gasp from me. The door opened and Cherry and Zane walked in. Their laughter died when they saw us.
	Chapter 5 DISCLAIMER: all characters belong to LKH. I’m only having a bit of fun J “Anita.” Cherry’s voice was calm and soothing. The nurse in her was always like that. “What’s wrong?” She and Zane moved slowly into view. Edward didn’t know who to focus on. Neither did I. It took me two tries to get my voice working. “It’s the ardeur, Cherry. I haven’t…fed it today. Richard, he…I…” I just couldn’t find words. Forget talking, I needed to fuck something. Edward broke in. “I insulted Richard and she ended up like this. She said something about the vampire marks. What is going on, the truth?” Out of the corner of my eye I saw Zane moving closer to me. I watched him, forgetting about Edward. Cherry continued speaking to me. “What do you need to get rid of it, Anita? Do you want me to call Micah?” I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter who it is as long as something happens soon. The ardeur is satisfied only by sexual release. I’d hump a couch if it’d work, but I need a living, breathing body.” I was getting impatient; I turned back to Edward. He wasn’t there. I understood. Zane had distracted me so Edward could move out of range. “Where’d he go?” “Bedroom,” Edward called. That left me with two targets, neither of which were at the top of my ‘to do’ list. “Help me, Cherry,” I asked softly. “Just don’t let me get Edward.” She walked toward me and I watched every move. Jean-Claude was going to enjoy this. I could feel here energy swirling around her like an aura. Shifters tended to leak power when they were nervous, which I’m betting Cherry was. God knows I was feeling a bit apprehensive. I got to my knees and waited for her to come to me. I was the only one in the room who’d never been with a woman before. Here’s to new experiences. That first skin-to-skin contact as our hands met brought a warm rush of power. Now it was Cherry I was thinking naughty thoughts about. She was my only focus, besides quieting the damn ardeur. I grasped her outstretched fingers, catching her off guard. If we were going to do this, it was going to get done now. I didn’t want to drag it out any longer than necessary for the sake of the others in the house. Especially Edward. Didn’t want him thinking that this was a normal part of pard life. Who cared what the hell Zane thought at this point. He’d seen me at my worst. I concentrated on the power. My beast rolled through me into Cherry. She closed her eyes, head thrown back. At least one of us was enjoying this. I pulled her forward and down. Our lips met awkwardly. It was enough. That hunger flowed through me painfully, and I tensed all over. Her hands wrapped around my waist to steady us both. The press of bodies excited me. The kiss was no longer awkward but passionate, longing, hungry. “Take over,” I pulled back enough to whisper. As kinky as things got for me at times, I just wasn’t sure what to do. She took the initiative and eased me onto my back. I lay beneath her, submissive for once. Bending over to kiss again, she gently pushed my arms above my head to slide my shirt off. We were about even for clothes now; me in my black lace bra and jeans, Cherry in a leather miniskirt and tank top. Though admittedly the skirt didn’t really count because it had ridden up her legs when she straddled me. She wasn’t wearing panties. It was probably a good thing. My eyes had closed sometime between losing my shirt and realizing how not dressed Cherry was. Her skin was so soft, much smoother than any of the men I knew. I breathed in her scent with the undertone of perfume. I’d have to ask later what it was. Most important, her smell said home like Nathaniel’s did. The ardeur was impatient. I moved my hands to cup her breasts. A sigh escaped her and I took that as an okay to work her tank top over her stomach. With my tongue I went over every inch of exposed skin until she shuddered above me. I still needed more. I fumbled with the clasp of my jeans until she took over the job. With that one move I almost lost my control completely. If Zane hadn’t made a noise I don’t know what I would have done. I glanced over at him and came back to myself. He clutched his arms to his chest, breathing rapidly. Our eyes locked; he took a step forward. “No,” I growled. “This is not an orgy. You can have her when I’m done, but for now she is MINE!” As if to prove my point, I pressed my mouth to Cherry’s like I would eat her alive. I had two hungers fighting within me now. Her nails scratched lightly over my sides. I arched my back with pleasure. This was better. I fought the urge to draw blood and concentrated on finishing what I’d gotten us into. Cherry held my face with one hand. “Anita, is it you or Raina talking?” I had to think. “Anita,” she pressed. I nodded. She sighed. “Let’s finish this, alright?” I nodded again. More kissing, then she traced her fingers around the underwire of my bra. I made little whimpering noises. My body was one big nerve ending pulsing with need. Cherry slid one hand beneath the lace to tease my nipple. The other hand wandered to the top of my panties, hesitating before going any further. “Yes.” My voice was breathy. I was close; the ardeur was helping that. I gasped when her fingers found that spot between my legs. She knew what she was doing, and I spasmed without meaning to. The orgasm was drawn out, pushing my breathing dangerously close to hyperventilation. With a great sigh, it was over. I lay still while Cherry collapsed on top of me. When she raised up her face was flushed, eyes big. “That’s it, Cherry,” I said. “The ardeur is gone. Thank you.” I turned my head to look at Zane. There was a hunger there, and his beast lurked close to the surface. The tip of his tongue ran over his lips. Carefully, Cherry picked herself up and walked over to him. They looked at me questioningly. “I’m okay.” Zane cleared his throat. “Is it okay if we use the guest bedroom downstairs?” he asked. His voice was low, almost a growl, but it was a pure masculine sound. I nodded and waved them off. Hey, it was the least I could do for them. They made a hasty retreat to the basement while I gathered my thoughts. “Is it safe to come out?” I’d forgotten about Edward. “Just a minute.” I quickly redressed. Time to face the music.

Chapter 6
AUTHOR’S NOTE: characters belong to LKH. Don’t blame me for the following installment. My muse is insane. 


Edward made his way out into the living room after giving me plenty of time to get decent. His Beretta was holstered but I knew he was itching to have it out and pointed at me. He had his blank face on, eyes cold, but I could tell that he was shaken. I didn’t blame him. Not taking his gaze away from me, he leaned against the far wall, then winced as he remembered his injuries.

“I’m okay now. You can sit on the couch, Edward,” I told him. Cautiously, he did as I suggested. He motioned to his mouth, then at me. I wiped my hand across my lips and saw the remains of Cherry’s lipstick. Quickly I got up and walked to the kitchen for a napkin. When I sat down again Edward began firing questions at me.

“What is this ardeur? Does it always involve the leopards? What the fuck happened since New Mexico, Anita?” He looked pissed off. Who could blame him. It had been a while since the two of us had compared personal notes.

“Like I said earlier, the vampire marks had to be married again. After getting my aura ripped apart back in Albuquerque, the boys and I had to repair the damage. Unfortunately, it had some side effects.”

“You said you inherited the vampire’s lust for sex.”

I shook my head. “Not quite. It’s not sex, but the lust itself. It just ends up turning into sex most of the time.” I shrugged. “It’s easier that way, usually. The ardeur is something I’ll eventually be able to control. Today was an accident. Micah left before we could…take care of it this morning.”

That earned me a hard stare. “Is that why you’re with the head leopard? For sex?”

This was not going to be pleasant. “No. He’s my Nimir-Raj. It’s hard to explain. His beast and mine get along really well. That’s rare. It’s like an Ulfric and his lupa. They’re a mated pair in the pack and most of the time in real life too.”

“So this brings your total bed partners up to what?” He just wouldn’t leave it alone. Fine.

“I didn’t choose all this, Edward. It chose me. I’m just doing the best I can. It’s more than I can say for you right now.” I glared back at him. For his sake and mine, I hoped his possible lycanthropy was a false alarm. At the rate we were going, somebody, probably me, would end up killing him before the next full moon.

He asked the question I’d been waiting for. “If I end up being a shifter, do you get to fuck me too?”

“Not unless you were a willing participant, but no. So a few of my people help me out controlling the ardeur. Do not turn me into a slut, Edward. This is my problem, not the pard’s. At least I’m honest with them about this.” See, I could hit below the belt as well as he could.

Narrowing his eyes, he crossed his arms and sat without moving an inch. If he wanted a staring contest, he would get one. I was betting my brown eyes were colder than his baby blues could ever get. It was so like a man to get into a pissing contest over everything. I was going to make him regret it.

My Browning was a foot and a half to my left. Could I get to it before he shot me? We were about to find out. I made like I was leaning back to stretch and grabbed for the gun. I rolled to the right and sighted down the barrel at Edward. He hadn’t even gone for his weapon. There was something in his expression that stopped me. He looked regretful, pensive. What the hell? “Edward?”

Before I could think, he darted forward and grabbed the back of my head in his hands. He didn’t bother with my gun. He knew I wouldn’t shoot him now. I almost changed my mind, though, when he leaned forward and kissed me roughly. I pulled back. “Anita,” he said simply. His lips found mine again and I didn’t resist. It must have been the ardeur at work again. There was no other logical explanation. But then, when did logic ever come into play in my life?

I realized with a start that it had been a long time since I’d had this kind of contact with someone who was fully human. No fangs pressed into my lip, no energy played along my spine. The kiss had it’s own power though. His hands were gentle as he ran them through my hair, smoothing it back from my face. I was careful not to touch his wounds. It left few tame areas to handle with us both kneeling. I settled for placing my palms on his thighs, mostly for balance. He broke the kiss and eased back. “I should probably tell you,” he began.

“Tell me what?” It seemed that somebody was always saying that to me. Now the shit would hit the fan.

Edward flashed that Ted Forrester good ol’ boy smile at me. “I’m a single man. Donna called off the engagement.”

My jaw dropped. “Donna called it off? What did you do to make her decide that?” I wanted to know.

“She couldn’t live with the idea that I was a bounty hunter, no matter how legal it was. As much as she hates the monsters, I think she realized that I was one of them.”

“You are not a monster, Edward.” The words were out of my mouth before I had time to think about it. He might not be one now, but he probably would be soon enough. I felt like an ass.

“Maybe you don’t think so, Anita, but you’re less human than me. Donna’s a smart woman. I think she was more concerned about what would happen to the kids than about my feelings.”

It suddenly dawned on me. “That’s why you let yourself get attacked. You were upset. You didn’t care what happened. Jesus.” I needed to get out of here.

Edward just sat there looking at me. “But I did care, Anita. I didn’t get clawed up because I was upset. You know me better than that. I never let things happen that I don’t want to happen.” There was a glint in his eyes that I didn’t like at all.

“What are you talking about?” Please God, I prayed. Don’t let him be hinting at what I thought he was. “Edward.” I fought to keep my voice even and calm. “Please tell me you did not let a shifter attack you on purpose.”

He moved his hand forward to brush a strand of hair from my cheek. “Not just any shifter; a leopard. That was the important part.” He closed his eyes and went to kiss me again I think. I didn’t give him the chance. Fast as I could I crab-walked backwards until I hit the wall. My gun, where was the damn gun? It was a sense of deja vu as Edward crept toward me like I’d done to him earlier. Panic washed over me in a wave. He was out of his goddamn mind.

Chapter 7

Panic washed over me in wave. He was out of his goddamn mind. “Don’t run. I thought you’d appreciate the irony of the situation.”

“What irony?” Zane and Cherry had to come upstairs sometime. Now would be good. Did I dare scream and bring them running?

“You’re too good to fraternize with the humans. The only way to get close to you is to be as inhuman as possible.” He spread his hands. “I figure being a wereleopard would do the job nicely. What’s one more furball in your bed?”

I could not believe what I was hearing. “You want to sleep with me?”

“You’re missing the point, Anita.” Edward took a step toward me and I pressed my back to the wall like I’d go through it. “Remember when I told Olaf that you and I were soulmates? I meant it. I just want to be with you, and this is the only way it would ever work out between us.”

“You call this working? I’m scared shitless right now, Edward. If this is your idea of seducing me you need to get a clue.” Drawing in a breath, I silently counted to ten and tried to formulate a plan. The only thing I could think of was screaming my head off and letting the leopards tear him to pieces.

Now Edward frowned at me. “Why are you scared? I’m not going to hurt you. I love you.”

Shit, shit, shit. I wished it was night so I could try and call up the marks with Jean-Claude. Richard was probably still too preoccupied to help me but I decided to give it a shot. He had his shields up tight.  I’d have to talk my way out of this. “If you got rid of the gun I’d feel a lot safer,” I said.

“Alright.” Making slow movements so as not to spook me further, Edward laid the Beretta on the kitchen counter. “Better?” I gave him a nod. He took that as a cue to keep talking. “Can’t you picture it?” he asked. “Without any of the other men in your life you’d be so much safer. They’re cannon fodder, you know that. Have I ever let you get hurt?”

While he almost had a point, I couldn’t help but argue. “People get hurt. Shit happens. That’s life. What good would adding you to my list of lovers do, Edward? Am I supposed to dump them all for you? I don’t think some of them would like that very much.”

He was close enough now to touch. “If you’d give me a chance to prove myself to you…”

“Prove what? That you’re the better monster?”

“No.” Before I could blink he stepped forward, pressing our bodies together. He was happy to see me. Too bad I couldn’t say the same. “To prove that I’m the better man.” His breath was warm against my face. Lips hovering over mine, he whispered, “A better lover.” I jumped when I felt his hands under my shirt at the waist.

“Edward, stop, please.”

“You heard the lady.” Edward’s head whipped around at Cherry’s words. She stood hands on hips, Zane at her back. Judging by their expressions they must have been listening for a while. The cavalry had come to my rescue; the only trick was keeping them from killing Edward.

“Don’t move, anybody. Edward, explain yourself now or I won’t be responsible for what happens later.” I felt a tiny bit braver with the wereleopards in the room. He flickered his gaze between the two of them and me. He chose me as the lesser of two evils.

“Anita, I just want to be with you. Is that so hard to accept? I’ve listened while you complained about the vampire and the werewolf, even this leopard fellow. Am I the only one who sees that the choices you’ve made are wrong? We are soulmates, Anita. You can’t deny it any longer. Make the right choice this time.” He was so earnest, so sincere it almost made me feel sorry for him. But if he thought I was going to ignore this little display of affection, he was mistaken. I caught Cherry’s eye and shook my head minutely. Zane stayed where he was.

“So that’s the plan, huh, Edward? I choose you and then what? Kill off the other men in my life? Is that your solution? If you can’t fix it, kill it?” I was getting very angry but I couldn’t help it at this point. “Who died and left you in charge of my life?”

His answer was so soft I wasn’t sure I heard him right. “You almost did.”

I threw up my hands in frustration. “You tell me about your fantasy of hunting me, and you get upset when my life is in danger. What the fuck? You can’t have me and kill me too, Edward. It just doesn’t work that way.” I looked into his eyes. Surprisingly they were calm and cool. He seemed to ponder my words, then nodded.

“You’re absolutely right. I can’t do both. There’s no way. It’s your choice then: either you take me into your heart and your bed…or I’ll kill you.” He said it nonchalantly. A chill like ice ran up my spine. He was serious, and I was in deep shit.

“Edward, you’re not going to kill me.” Even I wasn’t convinced. Time to break out the big guns. ”If you try to kill me, what do you think is going to happen to you? My leopards, not to mention Jean-Claude and Richard, will torture you until the next century. The whole if-I-can’t-have-you-no-one-will crap is so overly macho. Think about it. If you care so much about me, could you really live with yourself if you were responsible for my death?” Hopefully that would appeal to his logic, if he had any left.

“I….” He never had a chance to finish. There was a whoosh of air, then his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. Zane stood with what looked like a dartgun in hand. Edward rocked and fell forward, unconscious. I took a deep breath.

“This was supposed to be a surprise present for you,” Zane explained. He handed me the weapon. “It’s a tranquilizer gun loaded with drugs that’ll knock a shifter out for a few minutes.”

I frowned. “What’ll it do to a human?”

Cherry almost seem disappointed when she answered. “He’ll be out for the rest of the day, maybe longer. Anita, what the hell is going on? We could smell your fear from downstairs.”

“I honestly don’t know. You guys left and he got all weird on me. He kissed me, told me he loved me. He wants to be my one and only.” I looked at the knocked-out assassin. “I think he’s under a spell or something. That is so un-Edward.” I remembered something he’d said. “He told me he let a wereleopard attack him on purpose. Could he have set it up for one to claw him bad enough to contaminate but not kill?”

Zane shrugged. “Anything’s possible, but why would he do that willingly? Most people go out of their way to avoid getting lycanthropy, if they can help it. He must really want in your pants bad.” Cherry smacked him on the arm. “Ow.” Dropping to his knees, he took my hand in his and bowed his head. “Forgive me, Nimir-Ra. I meant no disrespect.”

“Get up, Zane.” He did. “Does anyone know how to get hold of Micah?”

They shook their heads. Great. “Okay, I’m going into the bedroom to try and call Richard. Find something to tie him up with.” I gestured to Edward. “Lock him in the basement when you’re done.” The two moved to do take care of things. I had a major bone to pick with a certain Ulfric.

 

Chapter eight

I tried to slow my thoughts, my breathing, before I picked up the phone. This was indirectly Richard’s fault, so I couldn’t really yell at him. Not yet, at least. My focus now was staying safe and making sure Edward wasn’t a ticking time bomb. When I was sure I wasn’t going to chew out my ex-boyfriend, I called him. From the opening of the marks earlier, I knew he was at home. Surely he’d be finished with his, ahem, business by now. Wrong. I got the answering machine.

“Richard, it’s Anita. Call me the second you get this message. It could be a matter of life and death.” I hung up, pissed off. I needed a place to put the insane bounty hunter. I needed bodyguards. No offense to them, but frankly, Cherry and Zane wouldn’t cut it alone. Who else could I call? Jean-Claude and his vampires had hours before they were awake and functional. That left me with few options.

Not twenty minutes later I had the pleasure of Merle’s company. He was the only one of Micah’s pard that I trusted enough to have over. That and he’d been the only one at home. Merle stood at attention, arms crossed in a typical bodyguard pose. Grey eyes tracked my movements as I paced the living room. “Okay, what are we going to do with Edward?” It wasn’t the first time I’d asked.

“I still vote to kill him,” Merle said. It wasn’t the first time he’d answered. If the leopards had been wary of Edward before, now they were downright hostile.

“We can’t kill him until we find out what’s wrong with him.”

“How do we know there is something wrong?” asked Cherry.

I frowned at her. “Something has to be wrong. Edward would never kiss me under any circumstance.”

“Says who?”

“Says me. I know him better than you do.”

Zane muttered under his breath. He looked up to find me glaring at him. He shrugged. “Maybe you don’t know him as well as you thought you did.”

“This is still very un-Edward like.” I had a bad thought. “Maybe he’s been brainwashed.” Resuming my pacing, I continued. “Maybe the guy who trained him got hold of him. Maybe somebody wants me dead again.”

“Again?” Merle made it a question.

“The former Ulfric tried to have me assassinated. Not to mention some of the Council members don’t like me much.” Actually, the Council pretty much hated me. Killing some of them was perhaps not the wisest idea, but it had needed to be done. “We need a plan of action here.”

“We could track down Micah and Nathaniel, bring them back here,” suggested Zane.

“That’s a good idea, but what do we do with Edward?”

The leopards all exchanged glances again. I was going to have to tell them to stop doing that. Cherry spoke up. “He is still drugged and tied up. You’d be okay alone with him until we got back.”

“Oh no.” I shook my head. “You are not leaving me alone with him. What if he develops superhuman strength and comes after me?”

“Anita, he has enough drugs in his bloodstream to keep him unconscious at least another day,” Cherry argued. “Besides, if shooting him doesn’t work, what can we do?”

Reluctantly I agreed to stay at the house while the three of them retrieved the Nimir-Raj. Not long after they left, the events of the day caught up with me. I needed sleep in the worst way. Might as well get it in now while I could. Who knows when I’d get a chance to rest again. Double checking
to make sure Edward was indeed knocked out and tied up, I locked the basement door and headed to my bedroom to sleep. And yes, I took Sigmund with me.


I awoke feeling less than rested. The bedside clock read 9 o’clock. I’d gotten four hours of sleep. Not enough by far, but it would have to do. Yawning, I got up and padded to the bathroom. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and regretted it instantly. There were circles under my eyes so dark they seemed like bruises. My skin was paler than usual. All in all, I looked like shit. I wanted to crawl back under the covers and not get up until things were back to normal, or at least as normal as they ever were.

Dressing in faded jeans, a red tank top, and socks, I dragged myself into the kitchen. I was pissed off at the leopards. It was so generous of them to leave Edward under my watch. It would serve them right if he woke up and killed me. I sighed. I couldn’t blame them. His behavior was so bizarre it’s no wonder they were scared out of their minds. Hell, I’d been ready to pee my pants when he come onto me earlier. If only we could figure out what was wrong with him.

I called Marianne down in Tennessee to see if he could possibly be under some sort of spell. She said she didn’t know of a spell that strong that I wouldn’t have sensed already. She also brought up motivation. For all practical purposes he wasn’t trying to kill me, not outright. Wisely, she advised me to be extra careful who I asked for help. There was no telling who was behind this. I was relieved to hear that it wasn’t magic. I wasn’t ready to deal with a rogue witch just yet.

A thumping sound suddenly came from downstairs. I froze, hand going for the gun that wasn’t there. Had Edward gotten out of his bonds? It was impossible unless he was Harry Houdini. I ran to the bedroom and grabbed the Browning. I picked up the tranquilizer gun for good measure. You could not have enough weapons when dealing with a crazed sociopath. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I put my hand on the basement door. It was quiet below again. I turned the knob, trying not to make any noise. Slowly, I eased the door open and stood listening. Silence. I took the stairs one at a time, ears straining against the lack of sound. Edward came into view, tied to a chair and gagged. He wasn’t moving.

“Edward?” I whispered. A faint groan came from him. I couldn’t tell yet if he was playing possum or not. Caution overruled my fear. The tranquilizer gun pointed at his body, I moved so I could see his face. He opened his eyes as if it were an effort. He tried to talk around the gag, but all that came out was muffled sound. I think he was asking me to remove it. What harm could it do? I bent slowly and eased a hand forward. My hand touched strip of cloth and I worked at the knot. It came loose easily and I tossed it aside. Edward moved his jaw around and coughed.

“Anita.” His voice was scratchy. Probably effects of the drugs in his system. He coughed again. “Why did you tie me up? I wasn’t going to hurt you.”

“How do we know that? You start talking about how you love me and have to have me no matter what. What were we supposed to do? Let you run free and take our chances?”

Grimacing, he tried to move despite his restraints. I tensed, finger tightening on the trigger. “Don’t move, Edward, or I’ll shoot you.”

“Please don’t. I don’t know what’s in those darts but I feel like I died and was brought back.” His eyes widened. “I’m not dead am I? I don’t remember anything after kissing you.”

I frowned at him. “That’s all you remember is kissing me? What about your threat?”

“What threat?”

Okay, he really didn’t remember. I wasn’t about to jog his memory. “Nevermind.” I did not feel like reminding him about the things he’d said. The words “I love you” coming from him would haunt me for the rest of my life. The scene flashed in my head. The feel of his lips on mine, the press of him against me. A shiver ran down my spine. My eyes went wide. The ardeur was awake and hungry. “No, no, no,” I hissed.

Edward stared at me. “No what?” he asked. The look on my face must have told him. “Oh, shit. It’s that….ardeur thing again, isn’t it?” I nodded, struggling to stay where I was, to keep the gun on him. I had a feeling I was fighting a losing battle. “It’s okay, Anita. You can use me.” I shook my head now. “I want you to. Please.”

“No. You’re not yourself, Edward. I am not taking advantage of that.” I clenched my free hand, nails digging into my palm hard enough to draw blood. Bad idea. The coppery smell of my blood only enticed the ardeur further. My breath came in short pants. I don’t know which terrified me more; the fact that I wanted to fuck Edward or the fact that he wanted me to fuck him.

He watched me quietly. Edward was a patient man. I eyed the ropes that bound him. His ankles were tied to the legs of the chair. The rope wrapped around his chest, not trapping his arms to his sides, but his hands I assumed were tied behind his back. I could cut his hands free and he’d still be restrained. Where was a knife? My eyes scanned the room, coming to rest on my zombie-raising kit on the floor near the stairs. There was a machete in there. Overkill, yes, but it would do the job.

The next thing I knew, I had cut the rope on Edward’s hands and stood with the blade at my side. I’d lost the guns along with a few moments of time. There was a light in his eyes I had never seen before. Lust, it was lust. I was willing to bet it was too late to turn back now. I laid the machete down on the floor and licked my lips. The ardeur flared, taking Edward with it.

“Yes.” His voice was rougher now, but it held that undertone of sex to it, not the drugs any longer. His breathing quickened to match mine. He stretched a free hand to touch the edge of my shirt. I was afraid to move any closer yet I took that last step toward him. I stood with my legs touching his. He ran his fingers across my hand and I knew I was lost. The need in me was suddenly so great I could taste it at the back of my throat.

“Edward…” I started. I was aware of the wetness between my legs. I swallowed.

“Shh.” With a sudden movement he grabbed my shirt and pulled me forward, off balance. I ended up on his lap, straddling him. I could feel how excited he was through his jeans and mine. Closing my eyes, I leaned forward to kiss him. Our lips met and it was like a rush of fire coursing through my body. His hands wandered over my back, pressing me to him. He sighed. I pulled back enough to see the eager look on his face. Then I wondered how I was going to get his clothes off without undoing the ropes. I remembered the knife.

“Hold still,” I told him. I reached down and grasped the handle. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Pondering shortly, I started with his shirt. Since it was only a T-shirt, the blade sliced cleanly through. I held the material away from his skin and ripped. I used the knife on the sleeves and collar, working it out from under the rope. Getting his jeans off was a little more challenging. I finally decided to work my way up from the bottom. With the blade facing away from his skin under the leg of the pants, I slit quickly from ankle to knee. It was trickier the rest of the way up, but somehow I managed. When the only thing holding them together was the belt, I cut through that and pulled the cloth off. Edward wasn’t wearing anything now.

I let my gaze rest on a certain piece of his anatomy. He was so erect it looked painful. I didn’t want to delay things any further. I removed my clothing with an urgency I didn’t know was there. Edward gave me not a once but twice over. “Anita.” He held his hands out to me and I stepped into his arms, legs on either side of his. We kissed again, with more passion this time. I explored his mouth with my tongue, nipping gently on his lip. He made a sound halfway between a groan and a sigh. His hands wandered over my buttocks, raising me up. I guided him inside of me carefully, the feeling sheer ecstasy. He was well endowed, Edward was. Hands on his shoulders for balance, I moved my hips, slowly at first, then faster to match the pace of my pounding heart. Straining against his bonds, he arched his back. The movement tilted us backward, then we crashed backward onto the floor.

“Shit!” he yelled as his head hit the cement. I ended up sprawled on him with my breasts dangerously close to his face. The grip of the ardeur momentarily lifted.

“Are you okay?” I asked, raising myself up, hair dangling down around him. He was no longer sheathed inside of me, so I could think.

“Could you please cut me loose?” he asked, eyes pleading. I hurried to do it. Without the chair in his way he stretched his limbs. “Much better.” He looked at me as like a dying man looks at water if he finds it. I knew exactly how he felt. He gave me a hand standing up. We stood facing each other for a second or two. When we came together again, the hunger was back in full force, stronger than I’d ever felt it before. If we didn’t get back to having sex soon, I literally thought I would explode. “Bed,” he breathed into my neck. I tilted my head in the general direction of the spare bedroom. With a swift move, he picked me up and carried me across the cold floor into the other room. He practically flung me onto the bed. I lay on my back peering at him through my hair. He crawled until he was above me, tension singing in the space between our bodies. Suddenly he dropped onto me, calling the power of the lust to the surface.

I cried out. My body craved his touch so badly it almost hurt. His lips caressed my neck and trailed over the hollow of my throat, lingering over the scars on my collarbone. The feel of the roughened skin must have excited him because he pressed himself against my stomach hard. That wasn’t where I wanted to feel him and I tried to tell him, but he silenced me when his mouth found my breast. Using teeth and tongue he teased my nipple until I thought I would lose control right then. Only after he had me writhing did he finally press himself to my wetness. I grasped his shoulders where there weren’t claw marks. He entered me again and didn’t wait to begin pumping his hips, pushing himself into me hard and fast. My spine bowed; I think I said his name.

The ardeur opened my mind to his and a barrage of images washed over me as I reached orgasm. He shouted something and it was the face of Belle Morte that I saw in my mind’s eye. With a final shudder, he collapsed, panting next to me. I couldn’t move. I had glimpsed a thread of power inside Edward that wasn’t his. Suddenly I knew; he was under Belle Morte’s control.

 

Chapter 9

Edward tried to snuggle against me while my thoughts raced. He didn’t know he wasn’t himself; I couldn’t very well kill him now. If he tried this shit while he was back to his cold assassin self, then I’d shoot him. The big question was how did Belle Morte get hold of him without myself or Jean-Claude knowing? Or did Jean-Claude know? I hadn’t talked to him since the day before. Trying hard to ignore the oh-so-warm body pressed into mine, I reached for the phone. Sadly, I knew the numbers for most of the Master vamp’s hideouts. I tried him at the Circus first. Willie McCoy answered.

“Good to hear from ya,” he said. “Word on the streets is that the Council’s representative is coming to town.”

“I hate to break it to you, Willie, but I think they’re here.”

I could hear him swallow. “Whadda ya mean?”

“Can I talk to Jean-Claude, please?”

It must have been the please. Willie put me on hold and the head bloodsucker himself came on the line. “Ma petite, what is wrong?”

His velvety voice sent shivers down my spine even now. I concentrated on not freaking out and started talking. “I think the Council’s flunky is already in town.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

I sighed. Might as well come out and tell him. “Edward’s here, Jean-Claude.” He was silent. “He’s…not himself.”

“Is Death feeling quite alright?” Even over the phone lines the sarcasm was clear.

“No. He’s cuddling with me, for crying out loud. I glimpsed someone else in his mind, Belle Morte to be exact.”

“Please explain, ma petite. How did you see into Edward’s mind?”

“We sort of had sex, and the ardeur allowed me to see into his heart, his mind. I saw her, Jean-Claude. She mind raped him.”

“You had sex with Edward.” He stated it like he was telling me the time. “You have been busy, Anita.”

“He’s not in control of himself! That’s what I’m trying to tell you. He came onto me and the ardeur took over from there. Goddamn it, Jean-Claude, don’t start with me. This is all your fault and Richard’s.”

“How is it Monsieur Zeeman’s fault?”

What the hell was his problem? Didn’t he understand that we had bigger problems then me having had sex with Edward? “Look, Edward’s mind has been taken over by a member of the Council. How else could they do it unless one of them was nearby? They can’t do that from a distance, can they?”

“No, not that I know of.” It was quiet as he seemed to think. “What purpose would the Council have in taking over Edward’s mind, ma petite?”

“To kill me. You should hear him talk. He sounds insane. He told me if he couldn’t have me, no one would, as in he’d kill me if I rejected his advances. Ask Cherry and Zane; they were there. They heard everything he said.”

“And what did he say to get you into bed with him?”

“Stop it, you bastard. If Belle Morte can take him over, what’s to stop her from taking over someone else we know? What if she gets my leopards or your vampires or someone else who could take me out?”

He sighed. “I will contact the Council and see if they have indeed sent their representative. We may be in greater danger than I feared if Musette is in St. Louis and has not yet come to call on me. Though it may be to our advantage that we discovered this…plot now instead of later. It would be best, ma petite, if you came to stay here at the Circus with me for the time being. You would be much safer here than at your home.”

“I agree. But who’s to say everyone there is okay? Can you tell if somebody is being mind-controlled?”

His voice was suddenly stern. “I am not some weak vampire that does not know the minds of those under his protection. You have my word that you will be safe here.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So am I, Anita, so am I.”

“Should I bring Edward with me to the Circus? I can’t just leave him alone like this.”

“I shall send one of my vampires to help you escort him. Please be careful, ma petite.”

“You too.”

We hung up. Glancing down at Edward, I was relieved to see him fast asleep. Carefully, so as not to disturb him, I got out of the bed and grabbed my robe. First order of business was to retrieve my weapons: the Browning and the tranquilizer gun. Getting dressed could wait.

  Ten minutes later I was ready for whoever Jean-Claude was sending over. I paced the living room while I waited. Richard still hadn’t called back. I’d have to remember to try him again when I got to the Circus. There was a knock on the door. My escort had arrived. Just in case it wasn’t, I had the Browning out when I answered the door. “Who’s there?” I called.

“Asher.”

It was indeed him. I stepped back. “Come on in. Did Jean-Claude send just you?”

He tossed his golden hair back with a flick of his head. “Is your friend that out of control that I am not enough to restrain him?”

“Hopefully not, but I was going to shoot him with the tranquilizer again before we left.”

Asher looked confused. “You shot him with tranquilizer, ma cherie?”

“Actually, Zane did, but Edward woke up after awhile.” I shrugged, nodded toward the bedroom. “He’s sleeping, so let’s drug him and get the hell out of here.”

The vampire’s eyebrow raised but he followed me without another word. Edward was indeed still out for the count. He didn’t even move when I pressed the barrel of the gun to his side. I pulled the trigger and the dart released its contents with a sharp hiss. There was an involuntary jump, then Edward was still again. I looked to Asher. “Okay, he’s all yours.”

“Perhaps you would like to have him dressed before we move him,” he said tactfully. He was staring at where the sheet had slipped over Edward’s groin. I turned my head away, embarrassed. “I will do it, if you show me where his clothing is.” I blushed and kept my eyes on the floor. “He has no clothing? What has happened here, ma cherie?”

Avoiding glancing at the man on the bed, I met Asher’s eyes. “Just wrap him in the blanket and get him out of here, Asher.” With that, I walked out of the bedroom. I’d had all of Edward that I’d be able to handle for the rest of my life. I could hear the vampire struggle to comply with my wishes. At last Asher emerged carrying a bundle of assassin over one shoulder. He seemed slightly overwhelmed. I softened. “Asher, I’m sorry. A lot has happened to me in the last couple of days.”

He was gracious. “No need for explaination now. We must first get you to the Circus. Are you packed and ready to go?”

I held up the overnight bag I’d thrown together. It held the Firestar and most of my knives, including the blade that went in the spine sheath down my back. Holding the door open for Asher, I glanced up and down the street. It was empty and quiet. I locked up and followed the vampire to my Jeep. Either he’d gotten dropped off or…he did whatever master vamps did when they wanted to get around fast. I didn’t really care. We laid Edward in the backseat and were on our way.

 

Chapter 10

The drive was very quiet. I think Asher was afraid to talk to me. I didn’t blame him, not really. That and I wasn’t sure how to explain about Edward yet. I had to talk to Jean-Claude first. We pulled up to the deserted Circus. I parked and started toward the entrance, letting the vampire worry about Edward. I raised a hand to knock on the door marked “employees only” and it swung open. Somebody was expecting us. Glancing over my shoulder at Asher, he nodded and we went in. Jason the werewolf stood inside, not grinning for once. There was definitely fear in those blue eyes of his.

“Hi, Anita. What’s going on?” he asked nervously. For Jason to be acting this way, something was up. Suddenly I didn’t want to see Jean-Claude.

“Where is he, Jason?” I tried my best not to be bitchy.

“In his bedroom. He sent me to come and get you.”

“What do we do with Edward?”

Jason shrugged. “Put him in one of the empty bedrooms and lock him in.” Asher moved to do just that.

“Asher,” I called after him.

“Yes, ma cherie?”

“Don’t tell anyone which room he’s in, not until I say it’s okay. I don’t want Jean-Claude to kill him yet.”

With a graceful nod, he resumed his task. I stared at the bundle in his arms. Things were sinking in more and more. I had sex with a man possessed by one of the most dangerous vampires around. A man who let himself get attacked by a lycanthrope. A man who would probably start shooting things as soon as he got his hands on a gun. I swallowed hard. Maybe I could convince him it was all a hallucination caused by the heavy drugs. Yeah, right.

Jean-Claude had his door closed. “Come in,” he called before I even thought about knocking. I couldn’t tell yet from his voice what sort of mood he was in. I was betting he wasn’t jumping for joy. Hand on the knob, I paused to say a quick prayer before I went in. I had enough of my wits about me to notice that he’d redecorated slightly. The room was now red, black, and white. As always, it fit him perfectly and tastefully.

“Good evening, ma petite.” Jean-Claude was sitting on the huge bed surrounded by red silk. He wore one of those frilly white shirts I liked so much. It framed the burn scar on his chest, beautifying the imperfection. It was a good thing I’d fed the ardeur before coming; otherwise we’d be using the bed for more than sitting. He looked scrumptious. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on my breathing. My heartbeat slowed closer to normal. I was as ready for this as I’d ever be.

“Hi, Jean-Claude. I want your word that you won’t do anything to Edward until we find out the whole story.”

His eyebrow raised. “I do love your directness, ma petite. Edward is safe for now. I agree; we must get to the bottom of this…predicament.”

He was agreeing with me. Hopefully that meant he believed me. “Like I told you earlier, I sensed that he’s under vampire mind control. It was Belle Morte I saw, but a vamp under her could be responsible, right?”

“Yes, that is correct. Tell me, did you see anything else that could help us determine who is responsible?”

I shook my head. “No.” Something occurred to me. “Can Belle Morte’s whole line control werecats?”

Jean-Claude frowned slightly, forehead creasing ever so slightly. “I have never thought about it before, but I am sure some may be able to as she is. Why do you ask?”

“Maybe that’s how Edward got clawed up. I know him, Jean-Claude. He’s too careful to get attacked by accident. This was planned very well. I bet if we ask him what hospital he was in, he couldn’t tell us.”


The vampire seemed to ponder this. “And what would the reasoning behind this be? What would an enemy gain by causing Edward to fall in love with you?” I opened my mouth but he waved his hand, cutting me off. “Let me rephrase. What would be gained by having him pursue you so abruptly?”

That stopped me. What point was there in having Edward go head over heels for me? “Maybe they thought he’d get so insanely jealous that he’d kill me?” It was the best I could come up with. I thought harder. “Or maybe whoever did this was hoping I’d kill him. But that doesn’t make sense.”

He sighed. “Let us review what we know. Please tell me from the beginning what has taken place. Start with the first contact you had recently with Edward.”

“He called a couple days ago saying he needed to talk to me. It was late; about four or five in the morning. I told him to come over and that’s when he told me he’d been attacked. He’d been on a hit and gotten surprised by a shifter. You should see his back. There’s hardly any skin untouched.”

“In due time.”

“He was upset, sort of detached almost. He asked me to kill him if he ended up being contaminated.  He wanted to die rather than be a lycanthrope.” I paused. Remembering that part got to me, saddened me. “Being human, if you can call him that, means so much to him. I never realized he was capable of being that emotional. Even as Ted he’s cold, distant.”

Motioning me toward him, Jean-Claude seemed to understand my feelings. “It is not easy to see someone you know not of their own mind, ma petite.” I went and climbed on the bed next to him, resting my head on his shoulder while he smoothed his hand over my hair. “Go on,” he urged gently.

I blew out the breath I didn’t remember breathing. “He had his gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The chamber was empty. I think he knew that I’d do whatever he asked at that point rather than have him shoot himself. We sat down and talked rationally. He agreed to come hang out with the pack during the next few days. After he left I felt uneasy about the whole thing, more than I should have been.”

The vampire nodded. “Something seemed not right to you even then.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Edward’s middle name is careful. No way he could get attacked like that. But some of the leopards came home before I think anymore. Micah, Nathaniel, Zane, and Cherry. I talked with them briefly about the Edward situation. They weren’t too happy, understandably. Then Micah, Nathaniel and I went to bed. Edward came by the next day when I was alone again.”

“Did you find it odd that he only appeared when you were alone?” Jean-Claude interrupted. “It seems to be more than just coincidence.”

“Some of the gang showed up while he was over,” I told him. “And it’s a good thing they did. The ardeur woke when he was over. I almost jumped him.”

“I thought you did that anyway, ma petite,” he said dryly.

I glared at him. “Let me finish, okay? Cherry and Zane walked in before anything happened. Cherry helped me get rid of the ardeur.” Ignoring the look on his face, I continued. “She and Zane went off into the bedroom and left me and Edward in the living room. That’s when he went crazy on me. Saying stuff about how he loved me and he was a better man, or monster, than whoever was already sharing my bed. One of those him or no one moments. Then Zane shot him with the dart.”

“If you could please be a little more specific on what he said, it would help me greatly.”

“He brought up how he’d told one of his backups from New Mexico that I was his soulmate. He said he loved me. That he had to have me no matter what. He had his gun out and pointed at me the whole time, I think. He was cautious but eager to do please me. I talked him out of killing me because the leopards would kill him for it. Then Zane shot him with the tranquilizer. He and Cherry tied Edward up and put him in the basement. They went off to go find Micah and bring him home.”

“They left you, all of them?”

“Yeah. I wish they wouldn’t have.” I buried my face in my hands. “Then it wouldn’t have happened.”

Jean-Claude put an arm around my shoulders. “It is alright, ma petite. It is not entirely your fault. Let us focus on getting Edward back to himself.”

I looked up. “You’re acting way to mellow about this. What gives?” I asked.

“Nothing gives. It is my fault you have the hunger; I cannot blame you for what it makes you do.”

“That’s the thing. I could’ve tried harder to fight it,” I protested. “I should’ve called someone.”

“Ma petite, are you saying part of you wanted to have sex with Edward?”

My mouth dropped open. Was it true? Before I could answer that, Jason burst into the room, panting.

“He’s awake,” Jason gasped.

“Edward’s awake?” I just stared at him. There was no way he could have metabolized the latest dose of
drugs that fast unless………

 

Chapter 11

My mouth dropped open. Was it true? Before I could answer that, Jason burst into the room, panting.

“He’s awake,” Jason gasped.

“Edward’s awake?” I just stared at him. There was no way he could have metabolized the latest dose of drugs that fast unless…

An animal scream came from down the hallway. I felt like I would wet my pants. This was bad, very bad. “Jason, go get the chains from the other room. We must restrain him.” Jean-Claude ordered. The man moved to do so. Fetching my bag, I got out a set of knives and the Firestar. We needed to subdue Edward; not maim him. “Anita.” It was serious for the vampire to use my real name. “Stay here until I call you. I do not want you to get hurt unnecessarily.”  He was out of the room in a flash, moving with that speed that always amazed me. I was left clutching the gun. Sounds of struggle came from the other room, and I was suddenly afraid. Did this mean that Edward was indeed going to be a shifter now? I shuddered at the thought.

“Anita!” It was Jason’s voice, distorted, more growling than anything. He’d probably shifted at least partway to contain the deranged assassin. Knife in hand I ran into the hallway. Edward and Jason were in a standoff, neither one taking eyes off of the other. Jason was in man-wolf form. Next to him Edward looked almost fragile in his nakedness. Then I saw the blade in his hand. I gave a small gasp; it was the six-inch knife I usually wore in my spine sheath. How the hell did he get it? There was no sign of blood yet, so I waited for something to happen.

Edward saw me standing with my knives and my gun, anticipatory look on my face. Using that as a distraction, Jason tackled him around the waist, rolling with him on the floor. I dropped the knives and used both hands to aim the Firestar at the scuffle. “Jason, don’t hurt him,” I cautioned. “Same goes for you, Edward,” I added for good measure. Suddenly Asher appeared with handcuffs. He frowned at the two men.

“I am supposed to break this up?” he commented to no one in particular. The vampires were being awfully calm about this. Silently and efficiently, they reached into the tangle and each grabbed a human limb to haul Edward back. He didn’t struggle while they chained him. Jason, on the other hand, crouched growling until Jean-Claude merely looked at him. Chastised, the man-wolf slunk off into another room. Jean-Claude and Asher held Edward between them like some sort of perverted trophy.

“Now what?” I asked.

“I shall try to break the bond that ties Edward to his controller,” Jean-Claude said. “Asher, please see to Jason.” The blond vamp gave a slight nod and left us. Edward stood unassisted but hung his head. His arms were behind his back, chained heavily. He seemed feral now; his body tense with contained energy. I looked to Jean-Claude expectantly. His eyes had gone drowning midnight blue. “Let us take him into the bedroom.” I was creeped out, but I followed him back into his room. Once inside, he led Edward to the far wall where I noticed for the first time a hook high up above my head. Jean-Claude raised Edward’s bound hands and the chain fit into the hook. I didn’t want to know why the hook was there anymore. Really. A brush of power hit me then from the men. I closed my eyes and once again saw Belle Morte, through Edward’s eyes, I assumed. Her gaze locked with mine in the vision and she lashed out at me with power, but Jean-Claude was there to stop her. As suddenly as she appeared, she was gone in a snap. My eyes opened to see Jean-Claude drawing back from Edward. There was a fresh bite mark on the assassin.

“What the hell did you do?” I yelled at the vampire.

“I have broken the hold my Mistress had on him,” he explained, voice sluggish. He’d gotten a high from the blood. Bastard. “Edward should be back to himself shortly.” Grinning like a contented cat, he held out his hand to me. I shook my head. “Come to me, ma petite. I will not bite.”

“Fuck you.”

He grinned wider. “Ah, that is a better idea.” I glared at him. Usually he wasn’t this direct. I had no sense of the ardeur either, so he was being annoying all on his own.

“Edward is okay now?” I asked shortly. A nod. “Is it safe to unchain him?” Another nod. Rolling my eyes, I went over to undo the chains and get Edward some clothes. Walking over to him, I was overcome with a sense of unease. Head bent still, he was motionless, breathing slowly. I laid a hand on his arm but pulled away like I’d been burned. There was a presence not his own lingering like a fog. Slowly, carefully I brushed my fingertips to his skin and used the marks to sort of feel around in his mind. Whatever was there, it wasn’t Edward. Alarmed, I dropped my hand to my side and backed away from him. I bumped into Jean-Claude. His expression was blank, just this side of drugged. My heart pounded in my chest. “Jean-Claude?”

”Ma petite,” he whispered, lips pulling back enough to show fang. That did it. I bolted from the room, not bothering to find my weapons. Was everyone going insane on me?

“Asher!” I shouted, still running. He stepped out in front of me and I nearly knocked him over. “Jean-Claude’s acting weird. I think Belle Morte got to him too.” Asher’s eyes widened in alarm. “Don’t just stand there! He’s coming after me.” He glanced down the hall. Jean-Claude was standing a few yards away. It seemed like he was swaying slightly, unsteady on his feet. “Asher,” I repeated. He moved closer to the other vampire. I just stared.

“Ma cherie,” he began. “Jean-Claude is of his own mind. He appears to be drugged. Did he drink from Monsieur Edward?”

“Yes.”

“What drugs were used? It should have to be something very strong to subdue a Master as powerful as this one.” Shaking his head, the vamp turned his perfect side to me. “We should put him in his bed to sleep it off. The same for Monsieur Edward.”

I moved to help lead the raven-haired vampire to bed. Edward got to crash on the couch. After a while Asher and I left them to rest. As if it were contagious, Jason dozed in the corner, having snuck in unnoticed. I was tired. I couldn’t take much more of this.  Asher seemed to read my mind. “Come, let us sit in the fireplace room,” he invited. I wasn’t going to say no. He soon had a fire blazing, warming me to the core. I sighed, relaxing into an overstuffed chair. Across from me in another chair, Asher sat gazing at me through a curtain of his lovely hair. Just when I thought we’d broken him of the habit, he’d started doing it again; hiding his scars.

“It’s only me here, Asher,” I said softly. “You don’t need to hide.”

With a practiced toss of his head, he flicked his hair behind him, exposing his whole face. “Is this better?” His tone was neutral. I let my thoughts fill my eyes so he saw. I thought he was gorgeous, imperfections and all. I think it made him more beautiful. He softened and wasn’t so stiff anymore. “Thank you,” he whispered. He sighed then. “If you would please inform me of this…situation we seem to have averted, I would be grateful.”

Where to begin. “How much do you know?” I asked.

“Nothing. I only know that Monsieur Edward was not right earlier and that you needed my help in that.”

“Gee, that’s an understatement.” I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
“I’m not too sure of any of this now, but besides possibly being under Belle Morte’s
control, Edward may be contaminated with leopard lycanthropy.”

There was a moment of silence as Asher seemed to digest this news. I knew he and Jean-Claude were terrified of Belle Morte, and the thought that she was using the most dangerous man we knew as a puppet…well, it wasn’t a good thought. He finally spoke up. “How do you know he has been infected by a lycanthrope? Perhaps it was a story concocted to catch us off guard.” His ice-blue eyes were intense. I think the idea of Edward as a shifter terrified him too. I shook my head. “No, I saw the claw marks. There’s no way that could have been faked. Of course, a real leopard could’ve done him and I wouldn’t know the difference. But you saw him in the hallway; he was like an animal. There’s still something not right with him. I sensed it when I touched him.”

Asher looked grave. “If Monsieur Edward is under the control of Belle Morte or even one of her next in command, we may be in very big trouble. She is not only powerful, but calculating.” He shuddered. “If she is using him, it is for an evil purpose indeed.”

“I don’t get it though. Edward tried to seduce me first, then he tried to kill me. It didn’t seem like a wholehearted attempt. It was more of an afterthought.” I pushed my hair back. Remembering the tryst with Edward gave me a headache. Asher peered at me.

“Are you alright, ma cherie?” he asked me, concern on his face. “You went pale all of a sudden. Would you like a cup of coffee?” When I nodded he stood and walked out of the room to the kitchen, I presumed. He returned a few minutes later with a steaming mug which he placed on the table in front of me.

“Thanks,” I said, grateful. He knew me well enough that I didn’t need to taste the coffee to make sure it was prepared the way I liked. I blew across the top to cool it.  “To answer your question from before, I’m not sure I’m alright.”

“What is wrong?”

He’d find out sooner or later, so I told him. “I had sex with Edward.”

“Oh, my,” was all the vampire could say. I agreed. “Does Jean-Claude know?”

“Yes. He doesn’t seem angry with me about it. It was the ardeur; it hit me while Edward was sweet-talking me.” I frowned. “I wonder if he’ll even remember once this is all over with.”

“Perhaps.” Asher patted the seat next to him. “Come here, ma cherie, and I shall give you what comfort I can.”

I obliged him, moving from my chair to sit on the couch with him. He turned to face me and spoke seriously. “Do not blame yourself for anything that has happened. This is something that goes far beyond you. I believe this may be the Council’s way of…punishing us for past events.”

“But why would messing with Edward be punishing you guys?” I protested. “If they’d sent him to just kill me, I’d understand that. Why he’s suddenly in love with me is puzzling.”

Suddenly Asher’s eyes went wide. “Anita, are you still taking…how do you say…the birth control pills?”

  “No. I’m not sleeping with anyone that could get me pregnant.” A chill ran up my spine.  “Oh, shit,” I hissed.

“My thoughts exactly,” Asher replied.

 

CHAPTER 12

I felt like I was going to faint. I put my head between my knees and concentrated on taking deep breaths. “Anita, are you going to be alright?” came Asher’s voice. He sounded like he was underwater, which meant I was probably going into shock. “Anita? Anita?” Then my world went black.

Eventually I opened my eyes again. The sun shone bright through parted curtains. I had enough sense to know I wasn’t at home. Logical deduction said I was still at the Circus. Daylight meant the vamps were asleep for the day, so it was up to whatever shifters were there to take care of me. I really, really hoped someone had found Micah and Nathaniel. I glanced down at myself and saw I was still dressed. It was always good to wake up unmolested. Slowly I sat and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I got up and made my way into the adjoining bathroom. My curly black hair hung around my shoulders, matching the color of my eyes. Shit. The only time my eyes did that was when there were vampire powers at work. I automatically felt my neck for bite marks. Nothing. Strange, I felt okay, refreshed even. I flipped off the light and left the room. The hallways were deathly quiet, no pun intended. Was I the only one awake?

“Anita, you’re up.” Jason stood at another doorway. He was only wearing jean cut-offs. He hadn’t cut his hair again lately and it hung almost to his shoulders. His sky blue eyes were filled with concern. “It’s almost noon. Asher said you fainted.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Did he tell you why?”

“Not really. He said you just up and passed out. What happened?”

“Let’s say things went from bad to really bad.”

He frowned at me. “What does that mean? I know you didn’t kill Edward. He’s still sleeping.” Jason’s eyes widened. “I didn’t check to make sure he was breathing though.”

“I didn’t kill him,” I sighed, exasperated. Was I going to have to tell everyone what Edward and I did? “You know Edward may be a lycanthrope now?” Jason nodded. “Well, he came to me for advice or whatever, and made a move on me. I think he’s been mind-raped by Belle Morte. Zane shot him with a tranquilizer gun, and put him in the basement. I went to check on him, the ardeur hit me…and we had sex.” I shot Jason a dirty look. “No comments from the peanut gallery; Jean-Claude knows.”

“I didn’t say anything,” said Jason innocently. “Why would this vamp chick want inside Edward’s mind? He didn’t kill you, so what’s the point?”

“Asher thinks she did it to make me vulnerable.”

“So you had sex with him. Big deal.”

I gritted my teeth. “Jason, I’m not on birth control.”

“Oh.” He was silent. “You getting pregnant would not be good,” he said slowly. “But what kind of devious plot is that? It turns out you’re pregnant, you get an abortion, problem solved.” A look of realization seemed to come over him. “You don’t believe in abortion, do you?”

“No. Christianity is against it. Plus I think it’s just morally wrong. And with all the vampire marks and shit, who knows what could happen to me.”

He shook his head. “Anita, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how bad this was. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

“Thanks Jason.”

That conversation killed my day entirely. Jason wandered off to do whatever it was he did. I went to the kitchen to make more coffee. As long as I was there, I decided to have something to eat. There were bagels: I had insisted on Jean-Claude stocking food I ate in case I ever needed to stay there longer than overnight. When my stomach was satisfied with food and beverage, I decided to check on Edward. I found the bedroom he was in. I stood outside the door quietly for a moment, making sure the ardeur wasn’t going to be an issue. I felt nothing but slightly nervous. Inside the huge bedroom, Edward lay among satin sheets and fluffy pillows. He seemed small and insignificant lying there naked and unarmed. I knew better than to think him helpless, though. God knows he’d strangle me barehanded if I did anything to him. His pale blonde hair was mussed from being in a bed for so long. He was settled on him stomach, baring his injuries. The claw marks didn’t seem so bad now. How long had it been since he first came to me about his attack?

He tossed and turned in his sleep. I swear he muttered my name. I walked closer to the bed and leaned over him. Suddenly he grabbed my arm, eyes wide and focused on me. “Anita,” he said. “They’re coming for you.” Edward went still and his arm dropped to his side. I was freaked out. Who was coming for me? The Council? I took a moment to collect myself. It was daytime, I reasoned. The Council couldn’t attack me with the sun up. Right?

“Hey, Anita,” called Jason from down the hall. “There’s someone at the door. Should I answer it?”

“Is there a peephole in the door?” I called back.

“Yes.”

“Answer it, but be careful.” I waited just inside the bedroom door. The sounds of a door opening then closing were followed by soft talking. “Jason?” I called.

“It’s okay. It’s Micah and Nathaniel.”

Thank goodness. I walked out to meet them. Micah actually opened his arms to hug me. I let him. His face was solemn as he eyed me carefully. “Are you alright, Anita? Cherry said that there’s been some trouble. Where’s Edward?”

“No, I’m not alright, but I’ll get to that later. Edward is in the bedroom sleeping. As of right now, I only have a partial idea of what’s going on.”

“How bad are things?” Nathaniel asked.

“I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure the Council is behind it. I think Belle Morte had Edward under mind control.”

“Had?” Micah made it a question.

“Jean-Claude broke her hold over Edward. Hopefully,” I added. “But I’ll have to wait until nightfall to be sure.”

The men exchanged glances. “Anita,” began Micah. “I hate to ask this, but what exactly went on with you and Edward?”

I crinkled my forehead. “What do you mean?”

He sighed. “You smell like sex, Anita.”

Damn him and his superhuman senses. “Okay. Yes, we had sex, but it’s not either of our faults. I was under the influence of the ardeur and Edward’s mind was being manipulated by a very powerful vamp. That’s all there is to it and I don’t want to talk about this anymore!”

Micah held his hands palm out and backed up a step. “I’m concerned about your well-being, Anita. I’m not getting on your case about anything. Nathaniel and I will have someone else fill us in on what we’ve missed.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It’s okay,” Nathaniel said softly. He reached out and rubbed my shoulder. “Do you want to be alone for a while?”

“Not really. All I want to do is curl up in bed and wake up with everything normal.”

“Can I join you if you’re really going to take a nap?” he asked. Now that he mentioned it, I was exhausted. Micah left with Jason to get up to date with the situation. There was a good four hours until nightfall. Nathaniel and I could nap until then. We used Jason’s room. In the small bathroom attached to the main bedroom, I changed into an oversized shirt. The wereleopard stripped down to boxers. If it had been the werewolf, I’d have made him wear more clothing. I trusted Nathaniel to behave himself. Normally I wasn’t too much into cuddling while I tried to sleep, but the day’s events left me uneasy. I spooned against Nathaniel’s back, holding him like I was afraid to let go. He hugged my arms to his chest. The scent of his hair comforted me greatly. I must have fallen asleep; the next time I opened my eyes the room was dark.

“Anita,” called a voice from the darkness. Jean-Claude. “How are you feeling, ma petite?”

I sat up slowly. Nathaniel stirred but stayed sleeping. “I’ll live. Are we having a group meeting now?”

“That would be best.”

Great. “Do you want me to wake him up?”

“Please.”

“Where are we meeting?”

“In the main room.” Silently the vampire left.

“Nathaniel,” I spoke softly. He sighed and rolled over, cuddling against my front. I shook his shoulder none too gently. “Nathaniel!”

“Hmm?” came the sleepy reply.

“Time to get up. Everybody’s in the other room for a discussion. You need to come too.”

He yawned and stretched from fingertips to toes like a giant kitty cat. I got up to dress. I could hear Nathaniel pulling on clothes behind me. We made our way down the hall. I fought the urge to grasp his hand as we walked into the big room. Jean-Claude was there along with Asher, Jason, Cherry, Zane, Micah, Richard, and…

“Edward.” I came to a halt. Nathaniel kept going and settled on the floor at Asher’s feet. “You’re up.”

He gave a slow nod. “I’m up. And according to Jean-Claude, I’m myself again.”

Something in my chest loosened, and I was able to take a deep breath. “Good. How do you feel?”

“Like shit. You?”

“The same. Did you get filled in on everything?”

Jean-Claude frowned at me. “Ma petite, sit, please. Try to be comfortable.”

I snorted but sat in a chair across from Edward. “Comfortable? Yeah right. You have no idea what the hell I’ve been through these last few days.”

“That is why we are all here. To get an understanding of the past days’ events.” Trust Jean-Claude to be so diplomatic.

“Okay. You want the truth and nothing but? Here it is.” I crossed my arms over my chest. Antisocial, me? “Edward calls me, says he needs to talk to me. Turns out he may have to join the pard. He threatens to kill me if I don’t help him. I tell the leopards and they don’t like it. I made out with Cherry. Edward made the moves on me and I threatened to kill him. Then I made out with Edward. Zane shot him with tranquilizers and threw him in the basement. I had sex with Edward. I called you, Jean-Claude. Asher came to take Edward and I here. Edward went nuts. You went nuts. Asher realized the diabolical scheme. I might be pregnant. Which brings us to the now.” I glared at everyone. “Any questions?”

 

Chapter 13


“Any questions?”

The room was so silent I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. Who would be the first to speak? Nobody seemed to want to do it. They exchanged glances, worried looks. Fine. I slumped down in my chair avoiding eye contact with everyone. I felt like shit. Just recapping made me want to start screaming and never stop. God, did I really almost have sex with Cherry? I did have sex with Edward. This was a new record for me. I should start a club; the people who’ve had sex with Anita club. There’d be plenty of members: Jean-Claude, Richard, Micah, Edward; Cherry, Nathaniel and Jason could be honorary members. Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks.

“Anita.” Nathaniel nudged my knees with the top of his head. He’d left his place to sit at my feet. I raised my head enough to meet his lavender eyes. “It’s not your fault.”

“What isn’t?” I sniffled.

“None of this.” He was solemn. “What’s happened was beyond your control. Don’t blame yourself for any of it.”

For some reason that angered me. “And what the fuck would you know about it? You weren’t there. Some comfort you all are.” I stood abruptly and stalked out of the room. Not one of them came after me. Good. I didn’t want to deal with the repercussions of my outburst. I knew I’d been out of line, but I was so out of it, it wasn’t even remotely funny. They’d forgive me. They always did.

What I needed was time alone to think. Trusting the gang to let me be, I went to the bedroom to get my weapons and overnight bag. I saw no one as I exited the Circus and got into my jeep. The drive home was as quiet and peaceful. I was relieved to pull into my driveway and see no other vehicles. The inside of the house was just the way I left it. First things first. I started a pot of coffee and headed for the bathroom. I didn’t even glance at the mirror; I didn’t want to know if my outside matched my inside. A tray of new shampoos and soaps sat on the edge of the tub. It’s been a present from Jean-Claude last week. He knew better than to get bubble bath and such for my place. That sort of thing was more appropriately used at the Circus.

I ran the water just this side of too hot and stripped off my clothing. The Firestar went on the back of the toilet after I locked the door. A girl could never be too careful. I stepped into the steaming shower and relaxed for the first time in days. The water felt wonderful on my tired skin. I fought the urge to scrub myself raw trying to erase my recent sexual escapades. I settled for clean. Why had I stopped the birth control pills? That was the million-dollar question. Logically, since I wasn’t sleeping with Richard anymore, there shouldn’t have been anything to worry about. Micah was “fixed” or so he put it and if a 400-year-old vampire was still virile, I’d eat something icky. Nathaniel was my pomme de sang of sorts but we didn’t have actual intercourse. I would have never thought to stay on the pills just in case. Who knew I’d sleep with Edward?

When I was done beating myself up, I rinsed off and turned off the water. I stood dripping for a moment before reaching for a towel. Suddenly I had the urge to get out of the house. In record time I dressed: black jeans, black polo shirt, jogging socks, black Nikes. Yeah, I was in a great mood. I added my leather jacket to cover the shoulder holster and gun. My shopping list was on the counter, as good an excuse as any to be out. I poured a cup of coffee to go and went. My jeep was one of the only cars on the road at one in the morning. People had better things to do tonight than leave the house, I guessed. I pulled into the nearest 24-hour grocery store. Inside I grabbed one of those little baskets. I got coffee, bagels, milk, bananas, and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. On a whim, I swung by the pharmacy section and eyed the home pregnancy tests. Almost without meaning to, I picked one up and added it to my groceries. In the 10-items or fewer line I read the cover on a tabloid magazine while the checker rang up my purchases.

“Good luck,” she told me as she bagged everything. I looked at her puzzled. “The test. Good luck,” she said. I managed a weak smile. I handed her my money and received my change. “Have a great night now.”
“Yeah. You too.” I gathered my bag and did my best not to run like hell out of there. I don’t remember getting home, which was probably not good. Making sure the door was locked with every lock on it, I put away the food and took the EPT into the bedroom. The instructions said to use the test after you were late or missed your period. It was too soon for me to use it, so I put it in the bathroom for safekeeping. I prayed as hard as I could that I wouldn’t have to actually have to open that box.

For the first time in a long while, I was restless and bored. Too much coffee? Nah. All I really wanted to do was call Ronnie and cry on her shoulder. Granted, this was way beyond what my problems usually were, Ronnie would give me sound advice. She’d make me feel better, less guilty, less dirty. Nathaniel had been right though; none of this was my fault. If our theories were right, the Council was in deep shit with me at least. They had no right to fuck with my life like this. Alright, they did have some right, but nowhere near the level they’d taken the game to. I swore that despite what Jean-Claude said I’d slaughter the first of Belle Morte’s people to step into my sight. Hell, if Edward was up to it we could go after the Council itself. On second thought, maybe not. Wouldn’t want to start a major war. But it would be nice to see them all dead for good. It’d make my life a whole lot easier.

The phone on my nightstand rang and scared me silly. I hoped it was Dolph, needing me to come down to a crime scene.  “Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Nathaniel. I wanted to make sure you hadn’t left.”

“Left where?”

“The country, the planet. You seemed very upset.”

That was an understatement. “I’m still here, Nathaniel. What’s up?”

He blew out a breath. “I think something’s wrong with the vampires. They’re acting stranger than usual.”

Oh, no. “Stranger how?”

Nathaniel seemed to struggle for the right words. “They’re talking in French a lot, and when they talk English, it’s way formal.”

“Who’s they?” I asked.

“Jean-Claude and Asher. None of the other vamps are here.”

“How’s everyone else acting?”

“Edward’s still not Edward. The other weres and I feel like something’s going on.” He cleared his throat and I could hear him talking to someone.

“Nathaniel?” He didn’t answer for a moment and my heart was in my throat.
“I’m here. That was Richard. He wants to know if we can come to your house.”
I sighed. So much for alone time. But if the vampires were creeping everyone out, better to be prepared. “Who all is we?”

“Like I said, me, Jason, Cherry, Zane, Richard, and Micah. Please, Anita?”

“Yes. But aren’t Jean-Claude and Asher going to be suspicious of you all leaving?”

“No. I’ll tell them it’s pard business and that we’re keeping you company for a while.”

“Fine. Get here as soon as you can. Call me if anything happens in the meantime, okay?”

“Okay. Bye.” He hung up. I took a deep breath and prayed that I’d wake up soon from this never-ending nightmare.

 

Chapter 14

After what seemed like forever I heard the noises of people entering the house. “Hello?” called Nathaniel.

“I’m coming.” Feeling grungy, I’d thrown on an oversized t-shirt and sweatpants. I had no one to impress. The gang made themselves as comfortable as they could get in my living room. Cherry and Zane huddled on the loveseat, silently comforting each other. We really needed more women around. I felt overwhelmed by so much testosterone.

Richard spoke first. “So what do we do about what’s wrong with the vampires?” he wanted to know. “We are bound to Jean-Claude.” Like he had to remind me. “How do we know you’re alright?”

I just looked at him. “How do we know you’re alright?” I shot back.  He glared at me. If he wanted a staring contest, fine. My eyes were too cold for him; he looked away first. “Okay. Anyone else have any ideas?”

“Didn’t you say something about Belle Morte?” Jason asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. I saw her in Edward’s mind.”

“Is she powerful enough to take over Edward, Jean-Claude, and Asher?”

“I honestly don’t know,” I said. “But the question is, how did she get Edward in the first place? She’s not in St. Louis, or else somebody would’ve sensed something.” I paused, thinking. “What if her lieutenant, Musette or whatever the hell her name is, came to visit early? Could she do this?”

Apparently, my guess was as good as anyone else’s. The leopards didn’t hang out at the Circus much; neither did Richard. Jason was pretty much just food, and you don’t involve your snacks in vampire politics. If the Council representatives had shown up early, we were in trouble. We wouldn’t be prepared for another few months. It would be just like the Council to do this. With Jean-Claude not himself, I couldn’t really ask if we were allowed to retaliate.

“I’ve cast Belle out of my head before,” I began. “But it took a lot of power to do it.” Jason and Nathaniel nodded. Jean-Claude and Asher had fed on the two when my ardeur caught all of us in its grasp. I’d bit a chunk out of Jason’s neck to get the blood I needed. Not a fun experience. “And Jason acted as our third. We haven’t got a vampire this time to make it work.”

“What about Damian?” asked Nathaniel. “I didn’t see him at the Circus, so maybe Belle or whoever hasn’t gotten to him yet.”

“He’s old, but he’s not that powerful,” I said. “We could try, but I’m not sure what would happen. How do we get him without the other two vampires catching on to our plan?”

Richard frowned at me. “What plan?”

“I’m working on that.”



Two hours and a lot of coffee later, we had a tentative plan of action. Richard, Jason, Micah, and I would return to the Circus. If Damian was still untouched by Belle’s influence, we’d try to use him as our third. If he had been taken over, Richard and I would try to see if the marks were still open between us and Jean-Claude. Our backup plan consisted of the tranquilizer gun, locking the vamps in cross-covered coffins, and praying we didn’t get killed in the process. Then there was still Edward to worry about. I hoped he hadn’t found any weapons, or else we were really screwed.

During the group discussion, motive hadn’t been brought up. As the boys and I drove on the highway in the direction of the Circus, I wondered what the hell was going on. Why would Belle invade Edward? Was she trying to kill me? The harder I thought, the more certain things made sense. Belle’s animal to call was the cat, so she could have had Edward attacked on purpose. It would explain why he was caught off guard. But having him think he was madly in love with me? Since the ardeur ultimately came from Belle Morte, she could trigger mine. Which is probably what she did to make me jump Edward. Why go through all the trouble of a seduction if she wanted me dead?

“Are you okay?” I jumped at Micah’s words. His strange yellow-green eyes peered at me from the passenger seat. It was good Jason was driving; I’d have gotten us into an accident by now. I looked at my Nimir-Raj and sighed.

“I’m trying to figure out why things have happened the way they did. It doesn’t make sense.”

He looked thoughtful. “Perhaps this vampire Belle Morte is trying to cause trouble for the sake of causing trouble. She hasn’t dropped her bomb yet, so there is time to solve the puzzle she has made.”

“She wouldn’t do this just out of fun. She’s a member of the Council,” I explained. “They have ulterior motives for everything. The only thing I can think is that making me sleep with Edward would’ve really pissed off Jean-Claude, but then what?”

“Didn’t someone mention pregnancy?”

I rubbed my hands over my eyes. I was getting frustrated. “What good would me getting pregnant be? Especially if Edward’s the father. He’s human. The baby would be normal.”

“But is he human?”

“It doesn’t matter. Lycanthropy isn’t passed from parent to child unless it’s an inherited type.” I frowned at him. “You should know that, Micah.”

“How do we know what really happened to him? I hate to worry you, Anita, but what if something bad has happened to him?”

“Define bad,” I said. “Edward might be a were. Okay. He’s not a vampire or anything like that. As far as I know he’s one-hundred percent normal.”

“As normal as Edward can get,” quipped Jason. We all glared at him. He put his hands up in a surrender gesture and went back to driving.

Richard put in his two cents. “The downside of you being pregnant is that you’d be extremely vulnerable. If the Council wanted to take out the Triumvirate you’d be easy prey.” He stared at me. “They probably know you well enough to realize that you’d keep the baby, even if you didn’t really want it.” His face held disgust, contempt. “Or are they wrong? All your other morals seem to have gone downhill.”

“Fuck you, Richard.”

“Exactly.”

  “Like you’re perfect,” I retorted, feeling childish. It was always Richard who picked the morality fights, not me, I swear. “Let’s stick to the issues at hand. We don’t know exactly why Belle would want control of Edward. Unless she did it so she could get to Jean-Claude and Asher. But why just them and not every goddamn person at the Circus?”

“They’re powerful vampires,” Micah said. “Think of what they could do if possessed by evil.”

I didn’t want to think of that. I preferred to stick to my delusions. By the time we pulled into the parking lot of the Circus, I was very jumpy. Both wrist sheaths were on, along with the big blade that went down my spine. The Browning was in the shoulder holster; the Firestar at the small of my back. Nathaniel carried my Derringer, since I’d taught him the basics of shooting. Everyone else would just have to wing it.

The employee entrance door opened with my key. Silence enveloped us as we stepped inside. Edward was my main concern. Zane had the tranquilizer gun ready. I went first, gun out. Richard had our backs, being physically the biggest and strongest. A growl trickled from Micah’s furred throat. He’d shifted before we entered. We were prepared for anything.

“Anita.” I whirled, finger hugging the trigger of the gun. Damian stood in a doorway, red hair flowing around his shoulders like a cloak. My heart was in my throat.

“Shit, Damian. Make noise when you move next time.”

He bowed. “Yes, my Mistress.”

“And don’t call me that.”

“Yes…Anita.” He said my name just like he’d said Mistress. Oh, well. He looked at me with those cat-green eyes. “Are you here about Jean-Claude and Asher?”

How did he know? “Yeah, actually. Where are they?”

“In the coffin room. They have been acting rather strangely. I assume you knew this.”

I nodded and remembered to ask about Edward. “Where’s Edward? He hasn’t tried to kill anyone yet, has he?” Damian shook his head. Good. I’d really hate to have to kill Edward without knowing the truth about what the hell was going on. “Okay everyone, here’s the plan. Zane, Jason, Cherry and Nathaniel: try to find Edward and drug him again. Chain him to a wall or something. Richard and Micah, you guys come with me. We’re gonna raise some power.”

 

Chapter 15

“And what of me?” asked Damian.

“You’re gonna try to take Jean-Claude’s place in the triumvirate.” He looked surprised but quickly let his face fall back into neutral lines. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was scared. My group of four headed toward an empty bedroom; any one would do. The room we picked didn’t match the décor of the place. It was plain, if not flat out boring. Fine. Making sure the door was locked, I turned to face the three men. This was gonna be fun.

“So do you actually have to fuck the vampire for this to work?” Richard hissed. It was one of the few times I’d heard him use that harsh of a curse. If he insisted on being an asshole, I’d find a way to do this without him. Micah’s power washed over me in a warm wave. He was, in his own way, trying to calm me down. My beast answered with its own brush of energy. I realized that I really didn’t need Richard to make this work.

I held my hand out to Micah, embraced him. Our power mingled in a warm rush. Damian took my other hand, his power cool in comparison. My breath caught in my throat. Although Damian had a few hundred years on Jean-Claude, he was still impressive in his own way. I concentrated, trying to open the marks between Jean-Claude and myself. Something blocked me; Belle Morte. It would take more that what we were doing to even put a dent in her influence. We needed stronger
magic.

“Blood or sex,” I said. The wereleopard and the vampire exchanged glances. It looks like we’d have blood. Micah pushed his curls away from his neck, eyes closed in anticipation. With one hand caressing the smaller man’s hair, Damian lowered his mouth to Micah’s neck. Only a sharp intake of breath marked the fangs sinking in. The power around us intensified, raising gooseflesh on my arms. I tried again to call to Jean-Claude, and this time was rewarded with a glimpse of him. Belle invaded, pushing the other vampire down into his own subconscious. She smiled sweetly at me.

“We meet again, necromancer.” She sat at what appeared to be a makeup table. Her gaze burned into me through the mirror. “You are very clever to have realized that your beloved was not himself.” I didn’t know who she was referring to, but I let it go.

“With blood and magic, I cast you out,” I told her. I called upon the ability I had
for the dead and I shoved her out of Jean-Claude. Belle shrieked at me, pushing back in a failed effort to retain control of her victims. I felt her presence leave Asher as well. I’d have to check on Edward to be sure he was alright. The raised power left the room in a hushed wind. Richard was standing in the far corner, arms crossed over his chest, eyes a bit wide. He hadn’t known that I could work without him either.

Beside me Micah collapsed with a contented sigh. Two minute puncture wounds bled slightly while Damian ran his tongue over a missed drop of blood on his lip. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. “Does anyone else realize what just happened?” After no one answered, I continued. “I think Micah, Damian and I have forged our own triumvirate.” They all looked at me. “Jean-Claude thinks the leopards are my animal to call. I accidentally made Damian a sort of vampire servant. The pieces finally fell into place when we cast Belle out. The Council,” I said, rolling my eyes, “is going to love this.”

 

Chapter 16

“I’ll go look for Asher and Jean-Claude,” Richard said suddenly. We all looked at him. He walked out in a huff.
“What’s with him?” Zane asked.
“I think he’s jealous,” I said. “But he should be grateful. This might mean that he and I can break free of Jean-Claude.” I thought about that. “Though Micah and Damian and I could be in the same boat then. Damn it.”
“Damn what?” Everyone in the room turned around with a start. Edward stood in the doorway. He was wearing black pants that didn’t look like his. Jason hovered behind him. “Someone needs to fill me in on things,” continued Edward. “Because I have no idea what the hell is going on.”
Where to begin? For starters, I stepped closer to him and reached out with my magic. No sign of the big bad vampire. It was all Edward. Now to check the other vamps. “Give me a minute to check on Jean-Claude and Asher, and then I’ll tell you everything.” He nodded, and I ran off. Damian followed me. I hoped I found the boys before Richard did. If they weren’t back to normal, he’d be in trouble. The red-haired vamp and I entered the main sitting area and found what we were looking for.
“Ma petite,” said Jean-Claude. He held out his arms to me. I glanced at Damian, and he nodded. I walked into the waiting embrace and knew it was him, just him. He laid his cheek atop my hair. “I knew you would save us. Perhaps now the Council will leave us be, after your display of wits and power.”
I pulled back enough to look up at him. “Were you aware of what was going on when Belle was in your head?”
“Oui, I was. So were Asher and Edward. But we were helpless to communicate to you.”
“Why did you come after me when you drank from Edward?”
“Belle took over control of my mind when I got too near him. It took her a few moments to orient herself.”
I started to ask more questions, but it was Asher who stopped me. “Ma cherie, perhaps we should check on Edward. Maybe now he can tell us what had really happened to him these past days.”
“Good idea.” Still holding Jean-Claude’s hand, I started toward the bedroom. The other two followed. Back in the other room, Zane and Cherry appeared to be catching Edward up on how he came to be at the Circus. Jason and Nathaniel lounged on the bed with the still-glowing Micah. There was no sign of Richard. Edward stared at me when I walked in with the vampires in tow. I let go of Jean-Claude’s hand and moved within a few feet of the bed.
“Edward.”
“Anita. Would you mind talking in private, just you and I?”
“If it’s okay with everyone else.”
No one protested, so Edward and I went into another room to talk. As soon as he shut the door, he started firing questions at me. “Why are we all here? What’s been going on for the past week? Who’s Belle Morte?”
I held up a hand. “Whoa, slow down. I’ll answer what I can. We’re here because of the Council. They tried to start shit with us. Actually, they did start shit, and I had to clean it up.” Edward frowned at me. I sighed and continued. “Belle Morte is one of the vamps on the Council. She’s the head of Jean-Claude and Asher’s line. Scary bitch too. She can enter the minds of her children, and she’d gotten into my head before.”
“Because of your ties to Jean-Claude,” Edward said. I nodded.
“I was able to cast her out using power, magic. That’s what just happened here. It seems Belle had invaded not only Asher and Jean-Claude, but you as well.”
“But I don’t have any ties to a vampire.”
“I know. This is what I’m in the dark about. Do you remember going on a hunt within the past two weeks?”
“I…I remember getting a call about a rogue shifter. It was your basic hit. The hiring party checked out. I got on a plane to…wherever…and, I don’t remember.” His shoulders slumped. “Something bad happened, didn’t it? That’s why I don’t remember anything. What happened to me, Anita?”
Where to start? “As far as we can tell,” I began gently, “you were attacked by a wereleopard. That’s what you told us at least. But you were sort of not in control of yourself, so we’re not sure. Something clawed you up good though.”
His face was grim. “I do recall getting attacked, being in a hospital bed. But it’s just snatches of images. Things that don’t make sense.” Edward began pacing the length of the bedroom. “How did this vampire get into my head? I’ve never even heard of her until now. There is no way she could have been behind the hit, is there?” He looked at me, eyes wild. “I checked it out like I do every time I get a call. There was nothing suspicious. Everything was fine.”
“Did you get your target?” I asked quietly. Something told me that I had to go about this with extreme caution.
“Yes. I think I did.” The pacing stopped as he paused to think harder. “I killed my target and then…something hit me from behind. Not human. It was strong. Knocked me out. It bit me.” He touched his shoulder. “It bit me,” he repeated softly.
“Yeah. You’ve got stitches in some of the claw marks. It’s pretty bad.”
“How bad?”
I sighed. “Worse than I’ve ever seen anyone survive.”
“When did I get attacked? How many days ago?”
“Week and a half, close to two. That’s what you said, at least.”
“I see.” Edward was silent for a moment. “Let’s go back to my being mind-raped by the vamp. How are Belle Morte and my attack related?”
“Belle can control the great cats, including wereleopards. She could have had someone waiting to jump you when you killed the other lycanthrope. It’s possible she did arrange the whole hit just to get you.”
“But why?”
“That’s another thing we can’t figure out. Why possess you? The only thing you did was try and kill me.”
That raised his eyebrows. “I tried to kill you?”
“Sort of. But then you got hit with a tranquilizer.”
He frowned at me again. “Who hit me with it?”
“Zane did, but that’s not important right now. Why would Belle want you? Say she did want you to kill me. Why would she have to have you do it? She could’ve just as easily used any of the pard or Jean-Claude’s vampires.”
“I am good at what I do,” he chuckled. I glared at him.
“Not funny. You almost did kill me, Edward.”
“What stopped me? And don’t say the tranquilizer, Anita. The look in your eyes is hiding something.”
Oh, boy. Might as well come right out and say it. “What do you know about the ardeur?”
“Other than it sounds French, nothing.”
“Short version. As a vampire, Jean-Claude has a lust for lust. He feeds off of it like he does blood. It can be an overwhelming need if it’s not controlled. I inherited it from him when he and Richard and I married the marks a few months ago. None of us knew it would happen.”
“So you need to feed off of lust or else, what?” Edward asked.
“There is no or what. If I don’t choose when and how it’s fed, it chooses for me.”
Realization crossed his face. “And it chose me, didn’t it?”
“I’d say it was all the ardeur’s fault, but I’m not sure. You were saying things, Edward. Crazy things.”
“Like what?”
“That you loved me, wanted to be with me, couldn’t live without me. Stuff like that.” I held my breath, fearing his reaction.
“Oh. What exactly does feeding off of lust involve, Anita?”
I squirmed. “In a usual case or in yours?”
“Mine, Anita, mine. What happened?”
“We had sex.”
Silence. The really uncomfortable kind. It lasted a good couple of minutes. I didn’t want to say anything, but I didn’t want him to say anything either. All I really wanted was to erase the past two weeks and start over, changing a few key things. I kept busy watching my feet swing over the carpet.
“I was a willing participant?” he asked carefully.
“What do you mean?”
“Between some strange vampire in my mind and this ardeur shit, how do you know I willingly had sex with you?”
“What are you suggesting, that I raped you? I don’t think so. You were plenty eager and willing to get your hands on me, Edward. Belle may be powerful, but I doubt she could make you do something you really didn’t want to do. There would have been some sign of protest, struggle.”
“How do you know? It wasn’t your mind she was in.”
“You’re right. I don’t know. But I’ve seen vampire mind tricks at work.”
“Then why don’t you know what the hell is going on?”
I was getting pissed off. “Because I don’t! You’re the one who jumped me, not the other way around. Belle must’ve had something to work with to get you to do all that.”
“You’re lying!” Edward backed up until he hit the door. His eyes were wide, his breathing too rapid. “It was all just a bad dream in the hospital. None of it happened. We didn’t have sex. I’m not contaminated. This is a dream. I’m sick.”
Slowly, I slid off the bed and stood facing him. “No, it’s not a dream, Edward. But you’re going to be alright. You’ve been through a lot these past few days. It’s only normal to be shocked.”
“I’m not listening to this.” From seemingly out of nowhere, Edward drew a gun and held up. Not again.
“Edward,” I began.
He held the barrel to his temple. Sweat glistened on his forehead, in his hair. He was practically panting. “Anita, I’m not alright. You know it and I know it. No one could’ve gotten as clawed up as I have and survived…human.” There was a click as he cocked the gun. “I can’t do it.”
The déjà vu was so strong, yet I had a feeling this situation wouldn’t turn out like last time. “Edward, put down the gun. We’ve already been through this once.”
“What do you mean?” His face was puzzled. It gave me the few seconds I needed to draw my gun. I pointed it right at his head. He looked hurt. “Anita.”
“Put it down or I will shoot you.”
Unlike before, Edward didn’t want a mercy killing. He would never let me kill him. Belle didn’t know that but I did.
“And if I don’t?”
“Then you’ll still never know…”

Chapter 17

“Then you’ll still never know…”

“Never know what?”
I squeezed the trigger, a sneeze away from firing. “That’s it, Belle. I’m fed up with you. Get the fuck out of Edward, and this time stay out.”
A low chuckle came from Edward, and goosebumps stood up on my arms. Normally Edward’s laugh didn’t contain so much power, but my skin crawled as he straightened up and smiled coolly at me. “Ma petite, you are good.”
“Do not call me that.”
“As you wish. How did you know I remained in your friend’s mind?”
“Because he wouldn’t react the way he did. You fooled me the first time, but I’m smarter than that. So who do you want dead, Belle? Me or Edward. I still can’t figure it out.”
Edward/Belle took a slow step toward me. I tightened my stance and held my aim steady. “At first I would have been satisfied with your life. Then I thought, why not kill Death? He is almost as much a threat as you are, Executioner. With two major adversaries out of the way, we of the Council may have an easier time taking over this country.”
“You will never rule in America,” I said. “The Masters here would never let you. You’ve got all of Europe and who knows where else. If that doesn’t make you happy, then maybe you need some therapy.”
Belle frowned. “Therapy?”
I shook my head. “Nevermind.” My arms were starting to get tired. “Now be a good little vampire and leave Edward alone. We’re all on to your plan. Give it up already.”
“I will leave on one condition.”
Fighting the urge to say, the hell with it, and shoot her, I sighed. “What’s that?”
His/her eyes were hard, mouth set in a hard line. “When I send my people to visit this fair city, you do not kill any of them. You or your master.”
“Jean-Claude isn’t my master,” I protested.
“As you say. We are getting impatient with you, ma petite.” I glared at her. “Anita. You kill too many whom you should not. One day soon it will get you in a great deal of trouble.”
“And if I promise to leave your entourage alone?”
Belle smiled, and it seemed sincere this time. “Then I will leave in peace. Do we have a deal?”
I thought about it. “Your people will be fine as long as you stick to the guidelines that Jean-Claude has set out. But I want permission to defend myself if needed.”
“Done.”
“Good, now leave.” I hoped she didn’t notice the faint trembling in my arms. There was a backwash of power and I heard her sigh as she departed. Edward staggered and I hurried forward to steady him. “Edward?”
“Anita? What’s going on?”
“It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in on the way to the main room.”

Chapter 18

We walked with me supporting Edward. It meant a lot to me that he was trusting enough to let me help him. In the main room the vamps, wolves, and leopards sat waiting for us. All eyes turned to us. It was unnerving. I could only imagine how Edward felt.
“Belle’s gone for sure this time,” I announced. Jean-Claude nodded. “She didn’t want to let go of Edward, so we came to an agreement.”
“What sort of agreement, ma petite?” asked the dark-haired vampire.
“I told her we’d try our best not to kill any more of the Council or her people, unless it’s self defense. And she has to meet our requirements with whatever people she sends here.”
“Very good. Belle Morte is very persistent when it comes to getting her way in things.”
“So everyone’s okay?” I asked the group. “I don’t have to play exorcist anymore?” They all shook their heads and murmured thanks. “I’m going to brief Edward. Again. Then I’m leaving. Whoever wants to stay can stay; everyone else can go home with me.” That said, I led Edward to one of the sitting rooms where we could have some privacy.
I sank down into one of the overstuffed chairs. He sat stiffly on the room’s couch. Blank mask in place, he watched me with cold eyes. “Alright, Anita. Start explaining.”
“I’ll go over everything that’s happened this week. You can ask questions when I’m done. No interrupting.” He nodded and I began. “You came to me after a cryptic phone call, saying you needed a friend to talk to. We talked. Then you revealed that you’d been attacked by a lycanthrope, a leopard, bad enough to probably be infected. You asked, at gunpoint, to kill you or you’d do it yourself. After calming down, we discussed the options. You left; I talked to the pard. Later you came back, and the ardeur hit. I was able to go after Cherry instead of you. But then you went ape shit, saying you were in love with me and had to be with me. Zane knocked you out with tranquilizer and we tied you up, put you in the basement. Oh, did I mention that you told me you’d gotten attacked on purpose so you would be my leopard?”
“I what?” he asked in disbelief.
“Let me finish. I went to check on you and the ardeur struck again.” I squirmed, uncomfortable with telling him what had happened next. “We…had sex. That’s when I sensed that Belle Morte was in your mind. She’s the head of Jean-Claude and Asher’s bloodline. She is one powerful bitch. I called Jean-Claude and he said to bring you to the Circus. I tranqued you again, and Asher helped me transport you. The vamps and I tried to figure out Belle’s plan. Jean-Claude attempted to break his Master’s control of you, but ended up getting sucked in. So did Asher, but not until later. The weres reconvened at my house and we did some more planning. Ultimately, we ended up back at the Circus. Micah, Damian, and I managed to raise enough power to drive Belle out of the vamps. We thought you were okay too, at first. Then you tried to kill me. Again.” I swear I saw a grin on Edward’s face. “Belle was still controlling you, and I made a deal with her to get her to leave. She left, and that brings us up to date.” I paused to breathe. “Now you can ask questions.”
“Did I get attacked by a lycanthrope or not?”
“You don’t remember?”
He shook his head. “I remember getting a call about a hit. I remember traveling out of state. I even remember killing something. But everything after that is jumbled. I think I was in a warehouse set up like a makeshift hospital. There were a few different people coming and going.”
“I was hoping you would remember everything once you were back to normal. I can ask Jean-Claude if there’s anything we can do to jog your memory. We can also take you to the lycanthrope hospital and have Dr. Lillian give you a blood test.”
“No, I don’t need a test,” he said. “It was just a panther that attacked me. Not a were. I’m not infected.”
Relief washed through me. “Good.”
“Let’s go back to the part where we had sex.”
Shit. “Do you know what the ardeur is?”
‘No.”
“It’s a side effect of the marriage of the marks between me and Jean-Claude. Basically it’s the need for lust, to feed off of it like a vampire would blood. I had the bad luck of inheriting it. I thought I had it under control, but since Belle is master of Jean-Claude and me by default, she can control it as well. She made me go after you. We’re still not sure why. Jason and Asher thought that maybe she was trying to get me pregnant.”
“You’re not, are you?” There was genuine concern on Edward’s face. In fact, he looked a little green.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I bought a pregnancy test to take next week if I need to.”
“I’m still not clear on why I got picked to be possessed by some crazy vampire bitch.”
“Neither is anyone else. The only thing I can think of was that she was trying to get us to kill each other. With Death and the Executioner out of the way, it’d be easier for her to take over St. Louis. Plus she likes to make trouble. I’d say she succeeded.”
Edward frowned. “So that’s it? Everything is back to normal?”
“Yup.”
“I’m not a wereleopard, you’re not pregnant, I’m not in love with you, nobody else is possessed, we’re not going to kill each other…right?”
“That just about sums it up.”
He slowly shook his head. “This has been one fucked-up week,” he said. I agreed.

Chapter 19

Edward and I went to sit with the group for a while. Jean-Claude and Asher promised to keep an eye out for any future signs of trouble from Belle. We still had another couple months until her representative, Musette, was set to arrive. We would be prepared. Richard, Cherry, Zane, Micah, and Nathaniel decided not to stay at the Circus. They took a separate vehicle back to my house. I told them I’d be there later. I wanted one last talk with Edward.
I caught up with him as he was getting ready to shower. “I just have one question.”
“Yes?”
“Things aren’t going to be, well, weird now between us, are they?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Because we had sex?”
“Not just that.” I stared at my feet. “Because of everything that happened. I know it wasn’t you talking or acting. But it’s still kind of unsettling, hearing that kind of stuff from you.”
Edward inhaled, then blew out the breath slowly. “In all actuality, none of it really happened. Let’s just call it what it was, a bad dream. I won’t hold anything against you…if you don’t hold anything against me.”
“Sounds good.” Hesitating, I turned to go. “When are you leaving for home?” I asked.
“Tonight. I’ll catch a cab to the airport.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you around then. Goodbye, Edward.”
“Bye, Anita.”
I left him to his shower. Then I gathered my weapons bag, got in my Jeep, and went home.

Edward crouched low in the bushes, night vision goggles on. The man he had in his sights was unaware of his presence. It was an easy enough job. His target was a gopher for an undead Mafia based in Chicago. The sniper rifle Edward used was loaded with his special ammo: Hornady XTP bullets. The silver hollow points were filled with holy water and mercury, designed to kill on impact, or at least severely maim the vampire.
The sky brightened as clouds drifted to reveal the full moon. Edward fingered the trigger, waiting for the perfect moment. His back started to itch suddenly. It felt like his skin would peel off. Stifling a shout, Edward bent double as his skin rippled on his back. In horror he stared at hands that elongated into claws. Fur flowed over his human form, bones shifting and popping, until a leopard burst fully formed from his body. The animal growled, eyes glowing amber in the moonlit night. It scented the vampire, and began to stalk across the damp grass. Sensing movement, the vampire flunky darted his gaze around. The leopard surprised him from the side, tearing the vampire’s throat out before he could utter a sound. Finished with its kill, Edward the wereleopard set out to hunt for a better meal…

 

End

 

HOME   FANFICTION