A Place In This Life. Chapter Five: I can smell her on your skin.
It's been too long since we checked in with Damian and Erica. Between floods, creeping hives, and burning fevers, I've fallen far behind on my fics. Time to play catch up. So here we go:
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter franchise. The world and all its inhabitants belong to Laurell K. Hamilton. I’ve just borrowed her world for my own, and hopefully your, entertainment. I make no money from this work and discourage any attempts to sue me as being fiscally unrewarding.
Warnings: Legal adults only. Graphic sex, violence, adult themes, vampires and lycanthropes. Read at your own risk.
Authors Note: Ever had a character keep pestering you in the back of your skull until there was nothing to do for it, but sit down and write? Damian may be quiet, but he’s bloody persistent. Enjoy.
Chapter Five: I can smell her on your skin.
Caleb had been right. Someone was looking for them. Noah met them halfway up the stairs. They could still hear voices from the kitchen and the wereleopard looked decidedly uncomfortable.
“Everything all right up here?”
“Just fine.” Caleb brushed by the larger man on his way down.
“Is it?” Noah gave Erica more eye contact than she felt was warranted.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” Caleb had stopped when she’d asked, hadn’t he? She wasn’t sure Noah was buying it, but he didn’t push it. “Let’s go.”
~*~
It was a surprise to discover how far outside of town Anita’s house was. The first ten or fifteen minutes of the drive were spent riding silently in Noah’s Grand Cherokee. Neither man seemed to be in the mood to chat. Or maybe they didn’t want to talk in front of her?
Erica watched the scenery pass by her window, weighing the silence. She sat behind Noah and couldn’t see his expression at all. She could see Caleb’s profile and caught him glancing at her several times, but he didn’t speak. She drummed her fingers on the edge of her window for a few moments, just to break the quiet up.
“I don’t understand why this Richard guy was so angry about me.”
“It wasn’t about you.” Noah’s voice was calm, reassuring. “Don’t worry about it. Micah and Anita will handle it.”
“No. I want to know what’s going on.”
“The Ulfric’s pissed because Anita and Micah were going at it when he showed up. She’s a screamer. If you’d been upstairs, you’d have heard it, too.”
“Caleb.” Noah’s tone was disapproving.
“What? It’s not like you can miss it, living there. Even if she can’t smell, it, she’ll hear it.” Caleb turned as far in his seat as his seatbelt would allow. “Damian tell you about the arduer?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure I understand, but he did.”
“Yeah. Anita’s like some sort of sex vamp. She’s got to have it a couple times a day at least or she starts sucking Damian dry. Nathaniel, too. She and the wolf king got one of those on again, off again things. He didn’t like having to wait for her to finish fucking our Nimir-Raj.”
“Shut up, Caleb.” Noah’s voice had deepened to a growl. “You talk too much.”
“So he got mad at me because he was jealous over her? That doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“It didn’t help that she made him wait while she took a shower and got dressed.” Caleb shot her a grin. “Then you showed up wearing Damian’s shirt and smelling like sex. Easy target, that’s all.”
“Oh.” Erica thought about that for a moment. “You guys really can smell stuff like that, can’t you?”
“Yes, we can.” Noah sighed. “But most of us are polite enough not to say anything about it, Caleb.”
“I was just trying to answer her questions, that’s all. Besides, doesn’t it get to you? Hearing them going at it? Smelling it?”
“I said shut up, Caleb. That’s none of your business.” The Jeep made a sharp turn, harder than Erica thought necessary and it threw Caleb against his seatbelt.
“Hey! Watch it.” Caleb grumbled, turning back around in his seat. “You want to throw me through the windshield, go ahead. I’ll heal. But Erica won’t.”
“Sorry, Erica. You OK back there?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.” She resolved to keep her mouth shut on that subject until they were out of the car, at least. Caleb had a point. “How about turning on the radio?”
“Sure.” Noah flipped on the radio and the discussion ended.
~*~
Erica had harbored some hope that Candace might be out and she could just leave a note for her roommate. But those hopes were dashed the moment they pulled into the space next to Candace’s sensible little blue hatchback. Noah insisted she wait until both he and Caleb climbed out of the Jeep and looked around before letting her out. The sudden change in Noah’s attitude sobered her up. He seemed to be taking his responsibility as a bodyguard much more seriously than she’d taken the possibility that she was in any real danger.
“That’s Candace’s car. So she’s home.” Erica tried to cover her nervousness by digging in the tiny evening bag that Noah had thoughtfully brought with. Or maybe Anita had told him to. She hadn’t asked. Her fingers closed over her keys as she stepped up to the door of the townhouse she shared with Candace. “I was sort of hoping she wouldn’t be.”
“It’s all right.” Caleb eased up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist, plucking the key from her fingers. “You’ve got backup.”
“Caleb. What are you doing?” Erica grabbed for the keys and missed.
“It’s not like the sick thing is going to fly.” Caleb smirked at her. “You don’t look sick to me.”
“Give them back to her, Caleb. You can’t bodyguard her if you’re hanging all over her.”
“Nope. That’s your job.” Caleb pulled her even closer against him. “One look at me and her roommate won’t be worried about vampires or filing missing persons reports.”
“What are you talking about?” Noah stood at the base of the steps leading up to the door, scowling up at the other man.
“I’m exactly the kind of guy women make bad decisions about.” Caleb’s smirk grew into a full grin just as the door to the apartment opened behind them. “Right, Erica?”
“Shit.” Erica, hissed turning back to face her roommate. Candace stood framed in the door, taller than either she or Caleb by at least an inch. Her chin-length blonde hair fell straight around a square-jawed face. Her make up was carefully done, but did little to soften her features. The anger flashing in her brown eyes didn’t help either. She was dressed for work in a coral colored shell and a conservative gray skirt. Damn. They must have caught her on her lunch break.
“What’s going on, here, Erica? Who are these people? Where have you been?”
“Can we do this inside, Candace?” She debated prying Caleb’s arm from around her waist, but decided that would only make matters worse. “I came to pick up some things.”
“Fine. Come in.” The young woman backed away enough to let them enter, her eyes raking over Erica and her companions. Knowing Candace, Noah was probably the only one of the three to pass muster with his button down shirt and conservatively cut hair. Caleb had to remove his arm to get through the door, but he kept a hand on the small of her back and resumed his grip as soon as there was enough room. “Your cat is probably hiding under the couch again.”
“I’ll get her before we leave.”
“You moving out?” Some of Candace’s anger seemed to fade from her expression and she gave Caleb a piercing look. “Lease isn’t up for three months.”
“No. At least I’m not planning on it. But I’ll probably be gone at least a week. Maybe more.” She tried ignore the blush rising in her cheeks and headed toward the living area with Caleb in tow. She settled down on the couch with a sigh, leaning down to trail her fingers beneath the edge in the hopes of coaxing Shadow out.
“You’re in trouble. What happened?” The other girl’s voice hovered between suspicion and concern. “I knew you weren’t sick. You went to that place again.”
“Danse Macabre.” Caleb supplied, leaning back into the cushions and stretching lazily. Noah chose an armchair where he could see both the front and the back doors in the apartment’s open floor plan. He didn’t quite perch on the edge of his seat, but there was a sense of alert waiting. Candace took the remaining chair, folding her hands in her lap and crossing her legs.
“Caleb’s a dancer there.” Erica gave up on trying to lure the cat out and sat up.
“You’re not a vampire.”
“No. I’m really more of a cat person.” Caleb grinned lazily.
“A cat person?”
“Please don’t tease her, Caleb.” Erica sighed. “Not all the dancers are vampires. I told you that.”
“Are you a dancer, too?” Candace shot Noah a doubtful look.
“No. I’m security.”
“For the club?”
“For Erica.”
“For Erica?” Her gaze swung back to Erica. “Since when do you get security? What about that vampire you were seeing? Did he finally turn on you?”
Erica stifled a groan and tried to decide just what and how much she could tell Candace. She shot a glance at Noah, hoping for some guidance.
“No. He didn’t turn on me. In fact, he probably saved my life. I was attacked outside the club. It was vampires, but not ones that worked there.”
“Marshall Blake is looking into it.” Noah added quickly. “There’s not enough evidence yet to swing police protection. They want to keep it quiet until they get some more leads.”
“You aren’t police.”
“No. We’re not.” Caleb reached out to play with a lock of Erica’s hair, twining it around one finger. Erica was caught between shivering at the sensation and cringing under the force of her roommate’s disapproval. He was laying it on way too thick. She found herself wondering if there was enough room under the couch to join Shadow. “But she’s probably safer with us, anyway.”
“Us?” Candace looked from one face to another, the furious working of her brain apparent in her expression. Her gaze came to rest again on Caleb who had slowly drawn the lock of hair back until Erica came with it so that she rested in the curve of his arm.
“The Master of the City owns the club.” Noah leaned forward in his seat, his expression earnest. “He and Marshal Blake aren’t taking any chances with Erica’s safety.”
“The Master of the City? The head vampire?” Candace’s eyes grew larger and swung back toward Noah. “But she was seeing one of the dancers, not the Master.”
“It’s one of those old world vampire customs.” Erica scooted forward until she perched on the edge of the couch. “I’ve been a regular blood donor for Damian for months. And he’s one of the Master’s people…” Erica shrugged, hoping Candace would drop it. She did not feel up to explaining something she wasn’t quite sure she understood herself.
“Erica.” Noah made a point of looking at his watch. “Why don’t you go ahead and start packing? If we’re gone too long, we’ll have to explain our absence to Marshal Blake.” Oops. In other words, it was time to shut up now.
“OK. I’ll make it as quick as I can.” She stood up abruptly and glanced around, hoping for some sign of the cat. “If you see Shadow, try not to spook her. I hate having to drag her out from under the furniture.”
“Sure thing.” Caleb drawled and shifted to sprawl across the couch. With a silent prayer that he wouldn’t push Candace too far, Erica fled upstairs to her bedroom. In just a few minutes, she had pulled out her battered old luggage set and begun filling it up as quickly as possible. She couldn’t help feeling a dreadful sense of finality, as if she’d never be coming back to this room. The feeling was so strong that she was tempted to strip off her old faded bedspread and add it to the largest suitcase. She did take the time to pack all of her jewelry and make up. And to locate her daytime purse.
She was concentrating so hard on trying to get the larger bag zipped shut that she didn’t notice her roommate standing in the doorway until the other girl rapped on the open door with her knuckles. Erica started, whirling around.
“Candace! You startled me.”
“I wanted to talk to you before I took off.”
“OK.” Erica’s stomach sank with dread. This couldn’t be good.
“I don’t know what’s going on here. I’m not sure I want to know.” She stepped into the room and closed the door carefully. Erica noticed that she was running a thick white envelope back and forth between her fingers. “Whatever it is, it looks like you’re in over your head.”
“You’re probably right.” Erica sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’d tell you more, but the Marshal doesn’t want me talking about the investigation.”
“Is he your sugar daddy? Because I don’t think dancers make this much money.”
“No. She’s not. What money?”
“You’re paid up until the lease runs out. Rent plus utilities.” She slapped the envelope nervously against her palm. “And when I asked who was paying, he added another thousand dollars.”
“Which one gave you the money?”
“The security guy.” The envelope slapped again. “I can’t do this, Erica. When the lease is up…”
“I know. I figured.” She sighed heavily. “I’m doing my best to keep you out of it.”
“Your boss has been calling. What do you want me to tell her? I don’t think she’s buying the sick thing either.”
“Um… Tell her I won’t tell you what’s going on, but that you think maybe I’m hiding from a stalker or something. Tell her to call Anita Blake if anyone comes looking for me there, she should already have the number.”
“Are you?”
“I guess. No one’s supposed to know where I’m staying.” Candace frowned at her. “I’m not a prisoner or anything. In fact, the people I’m staying with have been really nice to me.”
“Those guys down there aren’t human are they? Didn’t you say the dancers were either vamps or some sort of were?”
“They’re lycanthropes, yes. Wereleopards, actually.”
“I guessed they must be some sort of cat.” Candace fumbled as if she meant to slip the envelope into a pocket, but the skirt had none. “Look. I know we haven’t exactly been friends, Erica. And this roommate thing isn’t really working out. But if you need help getting out of this…”
“I really do think I’m safest with them right now. Honest. But thanks, Candace. Really. I mean it.”
“OK. I’ve got to get back to work. Lock up when you leave, OK?”
“Will do.”
With that, Candace made her exit, leaving the door open behind her. Erica listened to her footsteps retreating down the stairs. She waited until she heard the front door close before standing back up and returning to her packing. The last thing she pulled from her closet was Shadow’s carrier. Satisfied that she couldn’t fit anything else in her bags, she grabbed the largest one and heaved it off the bed.
The room seemed to wobble around her and the bag landed with a heavy thump, barely missing her toes. Erica swayed on her feet, waiting for the unexpected surge of dizziness to pass. The bag was heavier than she thought, she mused. Catching sight of herself in her bureau mirror, she grimaced. She looked very pale, the purple and green bruising around the bite on her neck standing out vividly. No wonder Candace was worried. She’d never come home with a bite like that before. Damian’s bites were almost surgically neat and clean.
Shaking her head, she grasped the bag again, heaved it carefully from the floor and began to lug it toward the door. She stifled a yelp to find Noah standing on the threshold, frowning at her. She dropped the bag for the second time.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I was just bringing my stuff down.”
“You don’t look fine.” He stepped further into the room and grabbed the larger of the two bags still on the bed before picking up the one she’d dropped. He made it look as easy as if they were stuffed full of marshmallows. “Is this everything?”
“Yeah. Candace is pretty spooked. I packed as much as I had room for, just in case.”
“OK. Come back downstairs. Caleb’s got your cat.” Erica moved, intending to grab the last case, but he shook his head. “Leave that. I’ll get it. I don’t want you passing out on me.”
“I wasn’t going to…”
“Even a lycanthrope would need a day or two to recover from that much blood loss. You’re human.” His voice softened. “Go downstairs and wait with Caleb. I think your cat must be lonely.”
“Why?”
“Just come down. You’ll see.”
Curiosity piqued, Erica followed Noah down the stairs. She couldn’t see much past him, but she could hear an odd rumbling by the time she was halfway down. It sounded for all the world like a very large cat purring. Which, in a manner of speaking, it was. She froze on the bottom tread, hand gripping the handrail tightly as she gaped at the man on the couch. Noah continued on, carrying her bags out the door and closing it behind him.
Caleb was now sprawled full length on his back across the couch, head propped up on one of the throw pillows. The small, smoke gray cat on his chest was currently lavishing affection on him, rubbing cheeks and shoulders against his face. The creature was practically writhing in pleasure under Caleb’s caresses and her higher pitched purring could be heard weaving in and out of his bass rumble. Erica was shocked at the normally skittish cat’s ardent affection. She was almost equally shocked at the expression on Caleb’s face.
Sheer delight gave his face a sort of boyish charm at odds with his usual bad boy attitude. He seemed to be enjoying the cat’s attentions almost as much as Shadow was enjoying his. Not wanting to disturb them, but unable to resist drawing nearer, Erica approached them. Caleb spotted her before she’d moved more than a few steps.
“I think she likes me.”
“What did you do? She normally hides from strangers.”
“I don’t think she believes I’m a stranger.” The cat batted at his hand and he scratched behind one ear obediently. “Maybe I should get a cat. It would be nice to have something warm and soft to curl up with at night.”
“I thought lycanthropes didn’t get along with house pets.”
“More like some of us can’t tell the difference between Fluffy and lunch once we shift.” Caleb sighed and gave the cat a lingering stroke. “But the pard usually meets at Anita’s house for the full moon. Or sometimes we go out with the wolves.”
“Will she be all right at Anita’s place?” Erica’s brow furrowed in concern as she knelt beside the couch and added her caresses to his. The cat immediately stretched out on her side, rolling her head and shoulder against Caleb’s chest in a blatant invitation for more attention. Erica obliged absently.
“She should be. Though I think Damian’s planning on taking you to the Circus for the full moon, anyway. Just lock her in the basement and she’ll be fine.” He gave the cat another lingering stroke. “If Anita says she can’t stay, I’ll keep her at my place for you. You can come visit anytime.”
Erica gave him a measured look, more than half expecting this to be some ploy to get her over to his apartment alone. But he was looking at the cat rather than at her. His expression struck her as a little sad, maybe even lonely. With as close as the pard seemed to be, she couldn’t imagine that any of them could be lonely. But then again, she couldn’t recall seeing the others touch him the way they always seemed to be touching each other. Or even her.
“Sure, Caleb. If Anita says no, I guess that’s fine. She does seem to like you.”
“Cool.” Caleb flashed her a smile and she found herself smiling back.
Their conversation over the cat was interrupted by Noah’s return with the cat carrier and the remainder of Erica’s bags. He left them the job of getting the cat inside her crate while he took the last bag outside. It didn’t take much effort to get the little feline inside, but the mood was spoiled by her plaintive meows and the reproachful look in her blue eyes.
“It’s all right, we’re just going for a ride.” Erica murmured nonsense at the cat while she carried the crate to the Jeep under Noah’s watchful eyes. She was surprised to discover that he’d already collected the food dishes and other things Shadow would need. They were all stowed neatly in a shallow box. So there was nothing left to do but lock up and climb back into the Jeep.
Noah turned the radio back on as soon as he pulled onto the road. Erica suspected Shadow’s continued complaints were getting on his nerves. Or maybe he was trying to avoid a repeat of their previous conversation. Caleb seemed content to be quiet now, fingers tapping on the edge of his window and head bobbing slightly in time with the music. Eventually, the cat quieted.
Erica pondered the things she’d heard. She watched the driver as well as she could from the seat behind him. She wanted to ask more questions and was trying to decide if it was worth annoying Noah to ask. She decided she’d do better to ask someone else about her meeting with the “wolf king”. Maybe Nathaniel. So far he’d answered almost every question she’d asked frankly and completely. But then, there was the money. She should know who was paying her rent, shouldn’t she?
“Noah?” She leaned as far forward as her seatbelt would allow, leaning to get a better look at him.
“What?” He glanced at her in the mirror, his expression neutral.
“Candace said you gave her enough money to pay out my end of the lease. Plus utilities. That’s a lot of money.”
“Not my money.” He shrugged and glanced at her again. “Micah told me to take care of it. I did.”
“Micah doesn’t have that kind of money.” Caleb turned enough in his seat to look at both of them. “His job doesn’t pay that much.”
“I didn’t say it was his money.” Noah shifted in his seat and glanced again in the mirror.
“I just want to know who’s paying for this. This… I’m not even sure if I can keep my job with all this. I don’t know if I can pay it back.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I am worried about it. Candace is worried about it. She works at a bank and I think handing her that much cash probably freaked her out more than my skipping out on the rent would have.”
“Should have let me handle it.” Caleb smirked at Noah. “You’re no good at this sort of thing, Noah.”
“Micah was very clear on who was to handle the money.” Noah’s voice was heavy with warning. “You are not on the list.”
“Fine. Have it your way.” Caleb muttered and looked away for a moment. “You don’t know, do you?”
“It’s either Jean Claude or Damian. Maybe both. What does it matter which one?”
“I don’t know. I’m just not used to anyone spending that much money on me.” Erica frowned and settled back in her seat. “I never asked for it.”
“Get used to it, babe.” Caleb craned around in his seat to grin at her, a spark of mischief in his eyes. “Damian and Jean Claude are old vamps. They don’t think the way we do. I’ve seen Jason wearing suits that cost more than twice what Noah just gave your roommate. He didn’t make that kind of money stripping.”
“Jason is the Master’s pomme de sang, right? He’s a stripper, too?”
“Yup.”
“Vampires are all about appearances, Erica.” Noah was watching her in the rearview mirror enough that she was tempted to tell him to watch the road instead. “If he doesn’t treat you well, he’ll look bad in front of the other vampires. And then that will make Anita and Jean Claude look bad. Anita might not care, but Jean Claude will.”
“So I should ask Damian if I really want to know?”
“That’s where I’d start.”
~*~
Damian woke with the sunset. He lay still a moment, listening to the soft sounds of breathing and of two heartbeats, one slow with sleep, the other too quick and small to be human. Curious, he scented the air. He wrinkled his nose at the mingled scents of woman, cat, and the faint odor of the cat’s box somewhere nearby, the artificial scent meant to mask it failed to fool his sensitive nose. Still, he’d lived with far worse over the centuries.
He crept slowly and quietly from his coffin and gazed around in the dim light of a single lamp. A small collection of bags sat in a neat row near his armoire. In the far corner of the room, on a plastic mat was a dish of food and water. He did not bother to seek out the cat’s box, deducing it was tucked away under the stairs, out of sight.
Erica was curled up on her side, features soft and slack with sleep. She wore an oversized pink tee that covered her from neck to mid-thigh. Curled up against the curve of her back was a small gray ball of fur. Brilliant blue eyes opened to regard him warily as he moved across the room. He stopped, not wishing to spook the animal.
He regarded the girl and the cat silently for a long moment before gliding slowly closer to the bed. The cat watched him and he could hear its tiny heart beating faster. He stopped several feet away and extended an arm to offer the tips of his fingers for the little beast to sniff. He waited patiently for the creature to decide whether he was friend or foe, wondering at himself. To think he should take so much care with this animal simply because it belonged to his pomme de sang made his lip twitch with the beginnings of a wry smile.
After a few curious sniffs, the creature seemed to decide that he was no threat. She stretched lazily, tiny claws flashing before rising to bump her head against his hand. He accepted her silent demand and let his fingers smooth over the velvety fur. He was rewarded by a soft purr. After half a dozen strokes down the length of her spine, the cat decided she’d had enough and jumped from the bed to wander off in the direction of her food dish. Damian snorted softly and eased himself down to sit on the edge of the bed.
Perhaps sensing the loss of the cat’s warmth, the girl rolled over in her sleep, the hem of her shirt creeping up, exposing more of her thighs. He could see now that the front was emblazoned with some cartoon character that he could not name. A black and white cat with a rather sly grin on its features. But it was her face that fascinated him most, smooth and peaceful with sleep, a slight flush where her cheek had been pressed into the pillow. Her hair was coming loose from its plait and his fingers itched to smooth it down.
Erica. The warmth and peace it gave him to find her here on rising surprised him with its depth. As much as he wanted to reach out and touch her, he didn’t wish to disturb her just yet. Just knowing that he could touch her, that she would welcome it, was enough to warm his sluggish blood. The presence of her belongings, of even the little cat and its malodorous box was strangely reassuring.
Was it this girl, this woman that he so looked forward to seeing upon rising? Or had he been so terribly lonely that simply having someone, anyone, was preferable to no one? Anita tolerated him, felt responsible for him, and resisted the pull of the master and servant bond at every turn. No night went by when he did not remember that she would have been free of him if she could. His mistress could not truly hide her feelings and her desires from him without cutting him off completely and risking disaster.
He tried to imagine another of his regulars in Erica’s place. In his room, his bed. Tried to picture hair that was black, or red, or even glittering gold scattered over his pillows. Of bodies taller, slimmer, darker, older, younger. Brown eyes, blue ones, gray ones. But they all faded from his mind’s eye. Less than phantoms before the reality beside him.
He could almost thank the nameless vampires who had foisted this situation upon them all. How long would he have continued to tell himself that his Erica was nothing more than just another client? He’d fooled no one but himself, it seemed. But he hadn’t dared hope that he would have more than the sweet taste of her blood and the press of her body against his on the dance floor.
He reached out to smooth a bit of hair from her cheek and she smiled in her sleep. He was careful not to touch her with the cold flesh of his fingers. She had accepted him and her role as his pomme de sang with such ease. Was there some bit of his life as a vampire that would shock her or frighten her enough to send her away? The idea sent cold fingers of dread through him. Just a few nights of her companionship and he dreaded its loss. What had she done to him?
Nothing. Nothing. Erica had done nothing but offer herself to him. It was his maker. The cold, cruel beauty who took such joy in stripping him of anything that made him feel safe or happy. Stripped away everything but fear and loneliness. He looked again at the sleeping girl and shoved away the well of fearful memories, driving them away with the sweet warmth of her presence.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the faint creak of the door opening and the soft tread of footsteps on the stair. The nervous beat of the intruder’s pulse seemed to tremble on his tongue, waking the predator within. He rose from the bed and stood waiting for the newcomer to make his reluctant way down the stairs.
“Caleb.” The single word was hissed quietly, half in warning. The wereleopard paused at the foot of the stairs, his usual bravado not quite covering his apprehension. “What do you want?”
“I’m your feed for the night.” Brown eyes flicked to the girl on the bed and he eased further into the room. He kept his tone quiet, as if he too did not want to wake the girl. “She almost passed out on us when we took her to get her things. Tried to carry her own bags.”
“There is no one else?” Damian raised an eyebrow. Caleb did not seem much happier about this arrangement than he did.
“I think I pissed Noah off.” Caleb gave a shrug and stopped a few paces away. Damian’s expression darkened. “It’s all right. I’m willing.”
The vampire considered that a moment, then nodded, gesturing for the leopard to approach. He could taste the faint pulse of fear on his tongue as the man placed himself within reach. The brown eyes were a little too wide when they met his. He captured the wereleopard’s mind, took it in a grip just strong enough to keep the man from struggling, but not enough to drown the fear.
Why did he not drive away the fear? Why did he so relish the frantic pounding of the leopard’s heart, the faint tang of nervous sweat on the air? He grasped the other man’s shoulders and turned him about, turned him so that they both faced the bed. He paused, finding Erica’s eyes open, wide with surprise, her lips parted as if she meant to protest.
He wrapped one arm about the smaller man’s torso, pinning both arms. He grasped a handful of the leopard’s curls, tugging sharply enough to wring a grunt of protest from him. He leaned close, close enough that he could almost feel the jumping of Caleb’s pulse against his lips. He kept his gaze on Erica, watching emotion play across her face and breathed deeply.
“I can smell her on your skin.” He pitched his voice low and the leopard gave a small, spasmodic twitch as if he were fighting the compulsion not to struggle. “It clings to you.” Erica’s eyes widened and she moved to the edge of the bed.
“Don’t. It’s OK.” Caleb’s voice was shaky and sounded as if it had taken some effort to speak. Damian didn’t care to hear it and with an effort of will, held him still and silent.
“Damian…I’m sorry. It never occurred to me. I’m not used to…” The girl perched on the edge of the bed; gripping the mattress through the sheets so hard her knuckles shone white. “I thought we agreed that we weren’t going to be…exclusive. I’m yours, Damian. If you say not to, I won’t.”
His concentration must have wavered seeing that his prey shifted nervously in his grasp. He growled, the scent of rich blood just beneath the skin goading him into greater anger.
“Shit.” Caleb muttered. “Shit.” His pulse nearly quivered with greater fear. Damian pressed him even tighter against his chest.
“What are you going to do, Damian? This isn’t like you.” She rose from the bed and the wereleopard actually flinched in the vampire’s grasp.
“Isn’t it?” Damian growled, then closed his eyes, trying to think through the hunger and anger. Where had his control gone? “I am not human and neither is this creature.”
“Please. I’ve had enough scary for one day. Please.”
“What has happened while I slept?” The thought of danger to his Erica helped to clear his mind.
“The Ulfric decided to play big bad wolf this morning.” The wereleopard answered him, but his eyes were for only for the girl.
“I thought he was going to hurt me. Caleb protected me. Everyone looked so… Angry, hungry, scared. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I…smelled like food.” She moved slowly closer. “I needed to stop being scared, so I touched him.” She was blushing now, but she didn’t drop her eyes.
“It’s less than a week until the full moon.” Caleb added and it took a moment for Damian’s mind to process the meaning of his words. He could still feel the wereleopard’s heart beating like a second pulse on his tongue. Still too fast and frantic. A wave of hunger and jealousy made him draw back, ready for a strike. Erica drew in a sharp breath and raised a hand as if she meant to stop him. The wereleopard tensed in his grasp.
“Damian! Don’t…I’m your pomme de sang. Take mine. I’m feeling much better.”
“No. No.” Caleb panted. “Don’t. It’s all right. This is how the monsters do it. He’s going to take some blood and teach me a lesson. He’ll…He’ll be fine once he’s fed.” His tone wasn’t all that convincing. “Besides, a little fear makes everything taste better, right?” His voice rose, getting higher with the edge of anxiety.
Teach him a lesson. What lesson was that? Damian growled and watched Erica’s eyes grow even wider. Was this punishment? Was this what Noah had intended? Had he expected Damian to play upon the lesser cat’s fear? He’d gone mad twice since he’d become Anita’s servant. Of course they feared any sign he had lost his control.
“No. It does not.” He let go of the wereleopard and stepped around him until he could see both the man and the girl at once. He looked from one to the other and shook his head, frowning in frustration. “No. This is not a punishment and I have not gone mad.”
“You need to feed, Damian.” Erica’s voice was careful, soft and reasonable.
“Are you not afraid of me?” Damian matched her tone.
“You won’t hurt me.” She moved closer and touched his arm. When he did not move, she leaned against him, pressing her cheek against his chest. “I trust you.” He raised his eyes to look over her bowed head at the wereleopard. The young man looked anxious and uncertain.
“You can’t, Damian. She needs more time to build her blood up.” He gave a weak smile.
“You are still willing?” One scarlet brow rose in question.
“Yeah. As long as you don’t rip my throat out.” He flashed a brief grin. “Anita would be pissed if you killed me and she wasn’t here to cheer you on.” He caught a hint of pain behind the weak attempt at humor. It was no secret that Caleb was one of the least popular of Anita’s leopards. He was certainly the last one he would have expected to come to Erica’s aid.
“Come.” Damian gently disentangled himself from Erica’s embrace and met the wereleopard’s eyes again. “Come to me, Caleb.” This time when he caught the man’s gaze and took hold of his mind, he held it in a firmer grip. “No pain. No fear.” He murmured. The brown eyes became unfocused, the leopard’s features relaxed into peacefulness and tension drained away from his body. His pulse began to slow.
Caleb crossed the short distance between them and stood passively, waiting. Knowing the effects of a deeper trance, Damian moved behind him. He preferred not to find himself in an intimate embrace with another man in the throes of gaze-induced pleasure. He resumed his previous hold, but this time the wereleopard’s body relaxed against him. Erica watched silently, hands clasped in front of her as if she were physically restraining herself from interfering.
He struck without hesitation, closing his eyes to shut out Erica’s startled reaction. Blood flowed rich and hot and sweet, filling his mouth and flowing down his throat in a flood of life-giving warmth. Caleb shuddered and moaned, tilting his head to give Damian better access and leaning into his body. Damian shifted his grip to support the man’s weight, as he seemed ready to go limp at any moment. He drank and drank, savoring the taste and power of lycanthropic blood. He drank until he was sated. He drank until he could hold no more and only then raised his head, still licking the blood from his lips.
“Damian…” Erica breathed, staring at him with luminous eyes. “Is he all right?”
Caleb rested heavily in his arms, head lolling back against his shoulder, eyes closed, lips parted. He watched as the man licked his lips and drew a deep, shuddering breath. He seemed barely sensible and a new pallor shone through his tan. But his pulse was steady and he breathed easily.
“He will need some time to recover.” The vampire half carried him to the couch. He lowered the man to it with some care. “He will be fine.”
“Fine. I’m fine.” Caleb muttered and his eyes fluttered open briefly. He smiled dreamily at nothing in particular. “Better than fine. Shit. That’s good shit.”
“He sounds stoned.” Erica gave Damian a questioning glance. “How deep did you roll him?”
“Deep enough that he will feel the effects for perhaps an hour.” Damian shrugged. He had paid the man in good kind, putting more effort into making the experience a pleasure than was his habit. He had taken so much blood that he now felt almost drunk with it. He felt good, strong, and powerful. He felt as if he could fly. And of course, he could. “You should dress, we are going out.”
“Where are we going?”
“You will see. But wear something that covers your arms and legs. I do not wish you to get chilled.” He smiled at her confusion, then laughed when she shook her head in exasperation.
“In front of him?” Erica gestured at the wereleopard resting on the couch. Her tone was light, but Damian could see that she was afraid of provoking another bout of jealousy. He resolved at that moment to stifle such impulses, as each time he’d given in to them, he’d been regarded with distrust or even fear. He wished to see neither in her eyes.
“I’ll close my eyes if you want.” Caleb drawled lazily. “Besides, I’ve already seen the show.”
Of course, in the face of such provocation, holding his temper might be easier thought than done. He kept his face smoothly neutral, turning mild eyes toward Erica.
“If he makes you uncomfortable, I will move him so that he may rest somewhere else.” He gave her a small smile. “The lycanthropes are much more casual about nudity than most. It is up to you.” He shrugged.
“It’s all right. He can stay.”
“Do I have to close my eyes?”
“Do what you want, Caleb. I’m getting dressed.”
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter franchise. The world and all its inhabitants belong to Laurell K. Hamilton. I’ve just borrowed her world for my own, and hopefully your, entertainment. I make no money from this work and discourage any attempts to sue me as being fiscally unrewarding.
Warnings: Legal adults only. Graphic sex, violence, adult themes, vampires and lycanthropes. Read at your own risk.
Authors Note: Ever had a character keep pestering you in the back of your skull until there was nothing to do for it, but sit down and write? Damian may be quiet, but he’s bloody persistent. Enjoy.
Chapter Five: I can smell her on your skin.
Caleb had been right. Someone was looking for them. Noah met them halfway up the stairs. They could still hear voices from the kitchen and the wereleopard looked decidedly uncomfortable.
“Everything all right up here?”
“Just fine.” Caleb brushed by the larger man on his way down.
“Is it?” Noah gave Erica more eye contact than she felt was warranted.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” Caleb had stopped when she’d asked, hadn’t he? She wasn’t sure Noah was buying it, but he didn’t push it. “Let’s go.”
~*~
It was a surprise to discover how far outside of town Anita’s house was. The first ten or fifteen minutes of the drive were spent riding silently in Noah’s Grand Cherokee. Neither man seemed to be in the mood to chat. Or maybe they didn’t want to talk in front of her?
Erica watched the scenery pass by her window, weighing the silence. She sat behind Noah and couldn’t see his expression at all. She could see Caleb’s profile and caught him glancing at her several times, but he didn’t speak. She drummed her fingers on the edge of her window for a few moments, just to break the quiet up.
“I don’t understand why this Richard guy was so angry about me.”
“It wasn’t about you.” Noah’s voice was calm, reassuring. “Don’t worry about it. Micah and Anita will handle it.”
“No. I want to know what’s going on.”
“The Ulfric’s pissed because Anita and Micah were going at it when he showed up. She’s a screamer. If you’d been upstairs, you’d have heard it, too.”
“Caleb.” Noah’s tone was disapproving.
“What? It’s not like you can miss it, living there. Even if she can’t smell, it, she’ll hear it.” Caleb turned as far in his seat as his seatbelt would allow. “Damian tell you about the arduer?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure I understand, but he did.”
“Yeah. Anita’s like some sort of sex vamp. She’s got to have it a couple times a day at least or she starts sucking Damian dry. Nathaniel, too. She and the wolf king got one of those on again, off again things. He didn’t like having to wait for her to finish fucking our Nimir-Raj.”
“Shut up, Caleb.” Noah’s voice had deepened to a growl. “You talk too much.”
“So he got mad at me because he was jealous over her? That doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“It didn’t help that she made him wait while she took a shower and got dressed.” Caleb shot her a grin. “Then you showed up wearing Damian’s shirt and smelling like sex. Easy target, that’s all.”
“Oh.” Erica thought about that for a moment. “You guys really can smell stuff like that, can’t you?”
“Yes, we can.” Noah sighed. “But most of us are polite enough not to say anything about it, Caleb.”
“I was just trying to answer her questions, that’s all. Besides, doesn’t it get to you? Hearing them going at it? Smelling it?”
“I said shut up, Caleb. That’s none of your business.” The Jeep made a sharp turn, harder than Erica thought necessary and it threw Caleb against his seatbelt.
“Hey! Watch it.” Caleb grumbled, turning back around in his seat. “You want to throw me through the windshield, go ahead. I’ll heal. But Erica won’t.”
“Sorry, Erica. You OK back there?”
“Yeah. I’m fine.” She resolved to keep her mouth shut on that subject until they were out of the car, at least. Caleb had a point. “How about turning on the radio?”
“Sure.” Noah flipped on the radio and the discussion ended.
~*~
Erica had harbored some hope that Candace might be out and she could just leave a note for her roommate. But those hopes were dashed the moment they pulled into the space next to Candace’s sensible little blue hatchback. Noah insisted she wait until both he and Caleb climbed out of the Jeep and looked around before letting her out. The sudden change in Noah’s attitude sobered her up. He seemed to be taking his responsibility as a bodyguard much more seriously than she’d taken the possibility that she was in any real danger.
“That’s Candace’s car. So she’s home.” Erica tried to cover her nervousness by digging in the tiny evening bag that Noah had thoughtfully brought with. Or maybe Anita had told him to. She hadn’t asked. Her fingers closed over her keys as she stepped up to the door of the townhouse she shared with Candace. “I was sort of hoping she wouldn’t be.”
“It’s all right.” Caleb eased up beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist, plucking the key from her fingers. “You’ve got backup.”
“Caleb. What are you doing?” Erica grabbed for the keys and missed.
“It’s not like the sick thing is going to fly.” Caleb smirked at her. “You don’t look sick to me.”
“Give them back to her, Caleb. You can’t bodyguard her if you’re hanging all over her.”
“Nope. That’s your job.” Caleb pulled her even closer against him. “One look at me and her roommate won’t be worried about vampires or filing missing persons reports.”
“What are you talking about?” Noah stood at the base of the steps leading up to the door, scowling up at the other man.
“I’m exactly the kind of guy women make bad decisions about.” Caleb’s smirk grew into a full grin just as the door to the apartment opened behind them. “Right, Erica?”
“Shit.” Erica, hissed turning back to face her roommate. Candace stood framed in the door, taller than either she or Caleb by at least an inch. Her chin-length blonde hair fell straight around a square-jawed face. Her make up was carefully done, but did little to soften her features. The anger flashing in her brown eyes didn’t help either. She was dressed for work in a coral colored shell and a conservative gray skirt. Damn. They must have caught her on her lunch break.
“What’s going on, here, Erica? Who are these people? Where have you been?”
“Can we do this inside, Candace?” She debated prying Caleb’s arm from around her waist, but decided that would only make matters worse. “I came to pick up some things.”
“Fine. Come in.” The young woman backed away enough to let them enter, her eyes raking over Erica and her companions. Knowing Candace, Noah was probably the only one of the three to pass muster with his button down shirt and conservatively cut hair. Caleb had to remove his arm to get through the door, but he kept a hand on the small of her back and resumed his grip as soon as there was enough room. “Your cat is probably hiding under the couch again.”
“I’ll get her before we leave.”
“You moving out?” Some of Candace’s anger seemed to fade from her expression and she gave Caleb a piercing look. “Lease isn’t up for three months.”
“No. At least I’m not planning on it. But I’ll probably be gone at least a week. Maybe more.” She tried ignore the blush rising in her cheeks and headed toward the living area with Caleb in tow. She settled down on the couch with a sigh, leaning down to trail her fingers beneath the edge in the hopes of coaxing Shadow out.
“You’re in trouble. What happened?” The other girl’s voice hovered between suspicion and concern. “I knew you weren’t sick. You went to that place again.”
“Danse Macabre.” Caleb supplied, leaning back into the cushions and stretching lazily. Noah chose an armchair where he could see both the front and the back doors in the apartment’s open floor plan. He didn’t quite perch on the edge of his seat, but there was a sense of alert waiting. Candace took the remaining chair, folding her hands in her lap and crossing her legs.
“Caleb’s a dancer there.” Erica gave up on trying to lure the cat out and sat up.
“You’re not a vampire.”
“No. I’m really more of a cat person.” Caleb grinned lazily.
“A cat person?”
“Please don’t tease her, Caleb.” Erica sighed. “Not all the dancers are vampires. I told you that.”
“Are you a dancer, too?” Candace shot Noah a doubtful look.
“No. I’m security.”
“For the club?”
“For Erica.”
“For Erica?” Her gaze swung back to Erica. “Since when do you get security? What about that vampire you were seeing? Did he finally turn on you?”
Erica stifled a groan and tried to decide just what and how much she could tell Candace. She shot a glance at Noah, hoping for some guidance.
“No. He didn’t turn on me. In fact, he probably saved my life. I was attacked outside the club. It was vampires, but not ones that worked there.”
“Marshall Blake is looking into it.” Noah added quickly. “There’s not enough evidence yet to swing police protection. They want to keep it quiet until they get some more leads.”
“You aren’t police.”
“No. We’re not.” Caleb reached out to play with a lock of Erica’s hair, twining it around one finger. Erica was caught between shivering at the sensation and cringing under the force of her roommate’s disapproval. He was laying it on way too thick. She found herself wondering if there was enough room under the couch to join Shadow. “But she’s probably safer with us, anyway.”
“Us?” Candace looked from one face to another, the furious working of her brain apparent in her expression. Her gaze came to rest again on Caleb who had slowly drawn the lock of hair back until Erica came with it so that she rested in the curve of his arm.
“The Master of the City owns the club.” Noah leaned forward in his seat, his expression earnest. “He and Marshal Blake aren’t taking any chances with Erica’s safety.”
“The Master of the City? The head vampire?” Candace’s eyes grew larger and swung back toward Noah. “But she was seeing one of the dancers, not the Master.”
“It’s one of those old world vampire customs.” Erica scooted forward until she perched on the edge of the couch. “I’ve been a regular blood donor for Damian for months. And he’s one of the Master’s people…” Erica shrugged, hoping Candace would drop it. She did not feel up to explaining something she wasn’t quite sure she understood herself.
“Erica.” Noah made a point of looking at his watch. “Why don’t you go ahead and start packing? If we’re gone too long, we’ll have to explain our absence to Marshal Blake.” Oops. In other words, it was time to shut up now.
“OK. I’ll make it as quick as I can.” She stood up abruptly and glanced around, hoping for some sign of the cat. “If you see Shadow, try not to spook her. I hate having to drag her out from under the furniture.”
“Sure thing.” Caleb drawled and shifted to sprawl across the couch. With a silent prayer that he wouldn’t push Candace too far, Erica fled upstairs to her bedroom. In just a few minutes, she had pulled out her battered old luggage set and begun filling it up as quickly as possible. She couldn’t help feeling a dreadful sense of finality, as if she’d never be coming back to this room. The feeling was so strong that she was tempted to strip off her old faded bedspread and add it to the largest suitcase. She did take the time to pack all of her jewelry and make up. And to locate her daytime purse.
She was concentrating so hard on trying to get the larger bag zipped shut that she didn’t notice her roommate standing in the doorway until the other girl rapped on the open door with her knuckles. Erica started, whirling around.
“Candace! You startled me.”
“I wanted to talk to you before I took off.”
“OK.” Erica’s stomach sank with dread. This couldn’t be good.
“I don’t know what’s going on here. I’m not sure I want to know.” She stepped into the room and closed the door carefully. Erica noticed that she was running a thick white envelope back and forth between her fingers. “Whatever it is, it looks like you’re in over your head.”
“You’re probably right.” Erica sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’d tell you more, but the Marshal doesn’t want me talking about the investigation.”
“Is he your sugar daddy? Because I don’t think dancers make this much money.”
“No. She’s not. What money?”
“You’re paid up until the lease runs out. Rent plus utilities.” She slapped the envelope nervously against her palm. “And when I asked who was paying, he added another thousand dollars.”
“Which one gave you the money?”
“The security guy.” The envelope slapped again. “I can’t do this, Erica. When the lease is up…”
“I know. I figured.” She sighed heavily. “I’m doing my best to keep you out of it.”
“Your boss has been calling. What do you want me to tell her? I don’t think she’s buying the sick thing either.”
“Um… Tell her I won’t tell you what’s going on, but that you think maybe I’m hiding from a stalker or something. Tell her to call Anita Blake if anyone comes looking for me there, she should already have the number.”
“Are you?”
“I guess. No one’s supposed to know where I’m staying.” Candace frowned at her. “I’m not a prisoner or anything. In fact, the people I’m staying with have been really nice to me.”
“Those guys down there aren’t human are they? Didn’t you say the dancers were either vamps or some sort of were?”
“They’re lycanthropes, yes. Wereleopards, actually.”
“I guessed they must be some sort of cat.” Candace fumbled as if she meant to slip the envelope into a pocket, but the skirt had none. “Look. I know we haven’t exactly been friends, Erica. And this roommate thing isn’t really working out. But if you need help getting out of this…”
“I really do think I’m safest with them right now. Honest. But thanks, Candace. Really. I mean it.”
“OK. I’ve got to get back to work. Lock up when you leave, OK?”
“Will do.”
With that, Candace made her exit, leaving the door open behind her. Erica listened to her footsteps retreating down the stairs. She waited until she heard the front door close before standing back up and returning to her packing. The last thing she pulled from her closet was Shadow’s carrier. Satisfied that she couldn’t fit anything else in her bags, she grabbed the largest one and heaved it off the bed.
The room seemed to wobble around her and the bag landed with a heavy thump, barely missing her toes. Erica swayed on her feet, waiting for the unexpected surge of dizziness to pass. The bag was heavier than she thought, she mused. Catching sight of herself in her bureau mirror, she grimaced. She looked very pale, the purple and green bruising around the bite on her neck standing out vividly. No wonder Candace was worried. She’d never come home with a bite like that before. Damian’s bites were almost surgically neat and clean.
Shaking her head, she grasped the bag again, heaved it carefully from the floor and began to lug it toward the door. She stifled a yelp to find Noah standing on the threshold, frowning at her. She dropped the bag for the second time.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I was just bringing my stuff down.”
“You don’t look fine.” He stepped further into the room and grabbed the larger of the two bags still on the bed before picking up the one she’d dropped. He made it look as easy as if they were stuffed full of marshmallows. “Is this everything?”
“Yeah. Candace is pretty spooked. I packed as much as I had room for, just in case.”
“OK. Come back downstairs. Caleb’s got your cat.” Erica moved, intending to grab the last case, but he shook his head. “Leave that. I’ll get it. I don’t want you passing out on me.”
“I wasn’t going to…”
“Even a lycanthrope would need a day or two to recover from that much blood loss. You’re human.” His voice softened. “Go downstairs and wait with Caleb. I think your cat must be lonely.”
“Why?”
“Just come down. You’ll see.”
Curiosity piqued, Erica followed Noah down the stairs. She couldn’t see much past him, but she could hear an odd rumbling by the time she was halfway down. It sounded for all the world like a very large cat purring. Which, in a manner of speaking, it was. She froze on the bottom tread, hand gripping the handrail tightly as she gaped at the man on the couch. Noah continued on, carrying her bags out the door and closing it behind him.
Caleb was now sprawled full length on his back across the couch, head propped up on one of the throw pillows. The small, smoke gray cat on his chest was currently lavishing affection on him, rubbing cheeks and shoulders against his face. The creature was practically writhing in pleasure under Caleb’s caresses and her higher pitched purring could be heard weaving in and out of his bass rumble. Erica was shocked at the normally skittish cat’s ardent affection. She was almost equally shocked at the expression on Caleb’s face.
Sheer delight gave his face a sort of boyish charm at odds with his usual bad boy attitude. He seemed to be enjoying the cat’s attentions almost as much as Shadow was enjoying his. Not wanting to disturb them, but unable to resist drawing nearer, Erica approached them. Caleb spotted her before she’d moved more than a few steps.
“I think she likes me.”
“What did you do? She normally hides from strangers.”
“I don’t think she believes I’m a stranger.” The cat batted at his hand and he scratched behind one ear obediently. “Maybe I should get a cat. It would be nice to have something warm and soft to curl up with at night.”
“I thought lycanthropes didn’t get along with house pets.”
“More like some of us can’t tell the difference between Fluffy and lunch once we shift.” Caleb sighed and gave the cat a lingering stroke. “But the pard usually meets at Anita’s house for the full moon. Or sometimes we go out with the wolves.”
“Will she be all right at Anita’s place?” Erica’s brow furrowed in concern as she knelt beside the couch and added her caresses to his. The cat immediately stretched out on her side, rolling her head and shoulder against Caleb’s chest in a blatant invitation for more attention. Erica obliged absently.
“She should be. Though I think Damian’s planning on taking you to the Circus for the full moon, anyway. Just lock her in the basement and she’ll be fine.” He gave the cat another lingering stroke. “If Anita says she can’t stay, I’ll keep her at my place for you. You can come visit anytime.”
Erica gave him a measured look, more than half expecting this to be some ploy to get her over to his apartment alone. But he was looking at the cat rather than at her. His expression struck her as a little sad, maybe even lonely. With as close as the pard seemed to be, she couldn’t imagine that any of them could be lonely. But then again, she couldn’t recall seeing the others touch him the way they always seemed to be touching each other. Or even her.
“Sure, Caleb. If Anita says no, I guess that’s fine. She does seem to like you.”
“Cool.” Caleb flashed her a smile and she found herself smiling back.
Their conversation over the cat was interrupted by Noah’s return with the cat carrier and the remainder of Erica’s bags. He left them the job of getting the cat inside her crate while he took the last bag outside. It didn’t take much effort to get the little feline inside, but the mood was spoiled by her plaintive meows and the reproachful look in her blue eyes.
“It’s all right, we’re just going for a ride.” Erica murmured nonsense at the cat while she carried the crate to the Jeep under Noah’s watchful eyes. She was surprised to discover that he’d already collected the food dishes and other things Shadow would need. They were all stowed neatly in a shallow box. So there was nothing left to do but lock up and climb back into the Jeep.
Noah turned the radio back on as soon as he pulled onto the road. Erica suspected Shadow’s continued complaints were getting on his nerves. Or maybe he was trying to avoid a repeat of their previous conversation. Caleb seemed content to be quiet now, fingers tapping on the edge of his window and head bobbing slightly in time with the music. Eventually, the cat quieted.
Erica pondered the things she’d heard. She watched the driver as well as she could from the seat behind him. She wanted to ask more questions and was trying to decide if it was worth annoying Noah to ask. She decided she’d do better to ask someone else about her meeting with the “wolf king”. Maybe Nathaniel. So far he’d answered almost every question she’d asked frankly and completely. But then, there was the money. She should know who was paying her rent, shouldn’t she?
“Noah?” She leaned as far forward as her seatbelt would allow, leaning to get a better look at him.
“What?” He glanced at her in the mirror, his expression neutral.
“Candace said you gave her enough money to pay out my end of the lease. Plus utilities. That’s a lot of money.”
“Not my money.” He shrugged and glanced at her again. “Micah told me to take care of it. I did.”
“Micah doesn’t have that kind of money.” Caleb turned enough in his seat to look at both of them. “His job doesn’t pay that much.”
“I didn’t say it was his money.” Noah shifted in his seat and glanced again in the mirror.
“I just want to know who’s paying for this. This… I’m not even sure if I can keep my job with all this. I don’t know if I can pay it back.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I am worried about it. Candace is worried about it. She works at a bank and I think handing her that much cash probably freaked her out more than my skipping out on the rent would have.”
“Should have let me handle it.” Caleb smirked at Noah. “You’re no good at this sort of thing, Noah.”
“Micah was very clear on who was to handle the money.” Noah’s voice was heavy with warning. “You are not on the list.”
“Fine. Have it your way.” Caleb muttered and looked away for a moment. “You don’t know, do you?”
“It’s either Jean Claude or Damian. Maybe both. What does it matter which one?”
“I don’t know. I’m just not used to anyone spending that much money on me.” Erica frowned and settled back in her seat. “I never asked for it.”
“Get used to it, babe.” Caleb craned around in his seat to grin at her, a spark of mischief in his eyes. “Damian and Jean Claude are old vamps. They don’t think the way we do. I’ve seen Jason wearing suits that cost more than twice what Noah just gave your roommate. He didn’t make that kind of money stripping.”
“Jason is the Master’s pomme de sang, right? He’s a stripper, too?”
“Yup.”
“Vampires are all about appearances, Erica.” Noah was watching her in the rearview mirror enough that she was tempted to tell him to watch the road instead. “If he doesn’t treat you well, he’ll look bad in front of the other vampires. And then that will make Anita and Jean Claude look bad. Anita might not care, but Jean Claude will.”
“So I should ask Damian if I really want to know?”
“That’s where I’d start.”
~*~
Damian woke with the sunset. He lay still a moment, listening to the soft sounds of breathing and of two heartbeats, one slow with sleep, the other too quick and small to be human. Curious, he scented the air. He wrinkled his nose at the mingled scents of woman, cat, and the faint odor of the cat’s box somewhere nearby, the artificial scent meant to mask it failed to fool his sensitive nose. Still, he’d lived with far worse over the centuries.
He crept slowly and quietly from his coffin and gazed around in the dim light of a single lamp. A small collection of bags sat in a neat row near his armoire. In the far corner of the room, on a plastic mat was a dish of food and water. He did not bother to seek out the cat’s box, deducing it was tucked away under the stairs, out of sight.
Erica was curled up on her side, features soft and slack with sleep. She wore an oversized pink tee that covered her from neck to mid-thigh. Curled up against the curve of her back was a small gray ball of fur. Brilliant blue eyes opened to regard him warily as he moved across the room. He stopped, not wishing to spook the animal.
He regarded the girl and the cat silently for a long moment before gliding slowly closer to the bed. The cat watched him and he could hear its tiny heart beating faster. He stopped several feet away and extended an arm to offer the tips of his fingers for the little beast to sniff. He waited patiently for the creature to decide whether he was friend or foe, wondering at himself. To think he should take so much care with this animal simply because it belonged to his pomme de sang made his lip twitch with the beginnings of a wry smile.
After a few curious sniffs, the creature seemed to decide that he was no threat. She stretched lazily, tiny claws flashing before rising to bump her head against his hand. He accepted her silent demand and let his fingers smooth over the velvety fur. He was rewarded by a soft purr. After half a dozen strokes down the length of her spine, the cat decided she’d had enough and jumped from the bed to wander off in the direction of her food dish. Damian snorted softly and eased himself down to sit on the edge of the bed.
Perhaps sensing the loss of the cat’s warmth, the girl rolled over in her sleep, the hem of her shirt creeping up, exposing more of her thighs. He could see now that the front was emblazoned with some cartoon character that he could not name. A black and white cat with a rather sly grin on its features. But it was her face that fascinated him most, smooth and peaceful with sleep, a slight flush where her cheek had been pressed into the pillow. Her hair was coming loose from its plait and his fingers itched to smooth it down.
Erica. The warmth and peace it gave him to find her here on rising surprised him with its depth. As much as he wanted to reach out and touch her, he didn’t wish to disturb her just yet. Just knowing that he could touch her, that she would welcome it, was enough to warm his sluggish blood. The presence of her belongings, of even the little cat and its malodorous box was strangely reassuring.
Was it this girl, this woman that he so looked forward to seeing upon rising? Or had he been so terribly lonely that simply having someone, anyone, was preferable to no one? Anita tolerated him, felt responsible for him, and resisted the pull of the master and servant bond at every turn. No night went by when he did not remember that she would have been free of him if she could. His mistress could not truly hide her feelings and her desires from him without cutting him off completely and risking disaster.
He tried to imagine another of his regulars in Erica’s place. In his room, his bed. Tried to picture hair that was black, or red, or even glittering gold scattered over his pillows. Of bodies taller, slimmer, darker, older, younger. Brown eyes, blue ones, gray ones. But they all faded from his mind’s eye. Less than phantoms before the reality beside him.
He could almost thank the nameless vampires who had foisted this situation upon them all. How long would he have continued to tell himself that his Erica was nothing more than just another client? He’d fooled no one but himself, it seemed. But he hadn’t dared hope that he would have more than the sweet taste of her blood and the press of her body against his on the dance floor.
He reached out to smooth a bit of hair from her cheek and she smiled in her sleep. He was careful not to touch her with the cold flesh of his fingers. She had accepted him and her role as his pomme de sang with such ease. Was there some bit of his life as a vampire that would shock her or frighten her enough to send her away? The idea sent cold fingers of dread through him. Just a few nights of her companionship and he dreaded its loss. What had she done to him?
Nothing. Nothing. Erica had done nothing but offer herself to him. It was his maker. The cold, cruel beauty who took such joy in stripping him of anything that made him feel safe or happy. Stripped away everything but fear and loneliness. He looked again at the sleeping girl and shoved away the well of fearful memories, driving them away with the sweet warmth of her presence.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the faint creak of the door opening and the soft tread of footsteps on the stair. The nervous beat of the intruder’s pulse seemed to tremble on his tongue, waking the predator within. He rose from the bed and stood waiting for the newcomer to make his reluctant way down the stairs.
“Caleb.” The single word was hissed quietly, half in warning. The wereleopard paused at the foot of the stairs, his usual bravado not quite covering his apprehension. “What do you want?”
“I’m your feed for the night.” Brown eyes flicked to the girl on the bed and he eased further into the room. He kept his tone quiet, as if he too did not want to wake the girl. “She almost passed out on us when we took her to get her things. Tried to carry her own bags.”
“There is no one else?” Damian raised an eyebrow. Caleb did not seem much happier about this arrangement than he did.
“I think I pissed Noah off.” Caleb gave a shrug and stopped a few paces away. Damian’s expression darkened. “It’s all right. I’m willing.”
The vampire considered that a moment, then nodded, gesturing for the leopard to approach. He could taste the faint pulse of fear on his tongue as the man placed himself within reach. The brown eyes were a little too wide when they met his. He captured the wereleopard’s mind, took it in a grip just strong enough to keep the man from struggling, but not enough to drown the fear.
Why did he not drive away the fear? Why did he so relish the frantic pounding of the leopard’s heart, the faint tang of nervous sweat on the air? He grasped the other man’s shoulders and turned him about, turned him so that they both faced the bed. He paused, finding Erica’s eyes open, wide with surprise, her lips parted as if she meant to protest.
He wrapped one arm about the smaller man’s torso, pinning both arms. He grasped a handful of the leopard’s curls, tugging sharply enough to wring a grunt of protest from him. He leaned close, close enough that he could almost feel the jumping of Caleb’s pulse against his lips. He kept his gaze on Erica, watching emotion play across her face and breathed deeply.
“I can smell her on your skin.” He pitched his voice low and the leopard gave a small, spasmodic twitch as if he were fighting the compulsion not to struggle. “It clings to you.” Erica’s eyes widened and she moved to the edge of the bed.
“Don’t. It’s OK.” Caleb’s voice was shaky and sounded as if it had taken some effort to speak. Damian didn’t care to hear it and with an effort of will, held him still and silent.
“Damian…I’m sorry. It never occurred to me. I’m not used to…” The girl perched on the edge of the bed; gripping the mattress through the sheets so hard her knuckles shone white. “I thought we agreed that we weren’t going to be…exclusive. I’m yours, Damian. If you say not to, I won’t.”
His concentration must have wavered seeing that his prey shifted nervously in his grasp. He growled, the scent of rich blood just beneath the skin goading him into greater anger.
“Shit.” Caleb muttered. “Shit.” His pulse nearly quivered with greater fear. Damian pressed him even tighter against his chest.
“What are you going to do, Damian? This isn’t like you.” She rose from the bed and the wereleopard actually flinched in the vampire’s grasp.
“Isn’t it?” Damian growled, then closed his eyes, trying to think through the hunger and anger. Where had his control gone? “I am not human and neither is this creature.”
“Please. I’ve had enough scary for one day. Please.”
“What has happened while I slept?” The thought of danger to his Erica helped to clear his mind.
“The Ulfric decided to play big bad wolf this morning.” The wereleopard answered him, but his eyes were for only for the girl.
“I thought he was going to hurt me. Caleb protected me. Everyone looked so… Angry, hungry, scared. I’ve never been so scared in my life. I…smelled like food.” She moved slowly closer. “I needed to stop being scared, so I touched him.” She was blushing now, but she didn’t drop her eyes.
“It’s less than a week until the full moon.” Caleb added and it took a moment for Damian’s mind to process the meaning of his words. He could still feel the wereleopard’s heart beating like a second pulse on his tongue. Still too fast and frantic. A wave of hunger and jealousy made him draw back, ready for a strike. Erica drew in a sharp breath and raised a hand as if she meant to stop him. The wereleopard tensed in his grasp.
“Damian! Don’t…I’m your pomme de sang. Take mine. I’m feeling much better.”
“No. No.” Caleb panted. “Don’t. It’s all right. This is how the monsters do it. He’s going to take some blood and teach me a lesson. He’ll…He’ll be fine once he’s fed.” His tone wasn’t all that convincing. “Besides, a little fear makes everything taste better, right?” His voice rose, getting higher with the edge of anxiety.
Teach him a lesson. What lesson was that? Damian growled and watched Erica’s eyes grow even wider. Was this punishment? Was this what Noah had intended? Had he expected Damian to play upon the lesser cat’s fear? He’d gone mad twice since he’d become Anita’s servant. Of course they feared any sign he had lost his control.
“No. It does not.” He let go of the wereleopard and stepped around him until he could see both the man and the girl at once. He looked from one to the other and shook his head, frowning in frustration. “No. This is not a punishment and I have not gone mad.”
“You need to feed, Damian.” Erica’s voice was careful, soft and reasonable.
“Are you not afraid of me?” Damian matched her tone.
“You won’t hurt me.” She moved closer and touched his arm. When he did not move, she leaned against him, pressing her cheek against his chest. “I trust you.” He raised his eyes to look over her bowed head at the wereleopard. The young man looked anxious and uncertain.
“You can’t, Damian. She needs more time to build her blood up.” He gave a weak smile.
“You are still willing?” One scarlet brow rose in question.
“Yeah. As long as you don’t rip my throat out.” He flashed a brief grin. “Anita would be pissed if you killed me and she wasn’t here to cheer you on.” He caught a hint of pain behind the weak attempt at humor. It was no secret that Caleb was one of the least popular of Anita’s leopards. He was certainly the last one he would have expected to come to Erica’s aid.
“Come.” Damian gently disentangled himself from Erica’s embrace and met the wereleopard’s eyes again. “Come to me, Caleb.” This time when he caught the man’s gaze and took hold of his mind, he held it in a firmer grip. “No pain. No fear.” He murmured. The brown eyes became unfocused, the leopard’s features relaxed into peacefulness and tension drained away from his body. His pulse began to slow.
Caleb crossed the short distance between them and stood passively, waiting. Knowing the effects of a deeper trance, Damian moved behind him. He preferred not to find himself in an intimate embrace with another man in the throes of gaze-induced pleasure. He resumed his previous hold, but this time the wereleopard’s body relaxed against him. Erica watched silently, hands clasped in front of her as if she were physically restraining herself from interfering.
He struck without hesitation, closing his eyes to shut out Erica’s startled reaction. Blood flowed rich and hot and sweet, filling his mouth and flowing down his throat in a flood of life-giving warmth. Caleb shuddered and moaned, tilting his head to give Damian better access and leaning into his body. Damian shifted his grip to support the man’s weight, as he seemed ready to go limp at any moment. He drank and drank, savoring the taste and power of lycanthropic blood. He drank until he was sated. He drank until he could hold no more and only then raised his head, still licking the blood from his lips.
“Damian…” Erica breathed, staring at him with luminous eyes. “Is he all right?”
Caleb rested heavily in his arms, head lolling back against his shoulder, eyes closed, lips parted. He watched as the man licked his lips and drew a deep, shuddering breath. He seemed barely sensible and a new pallor shone through his tan. But his pulse was steady and he breathed easily.
“He will need some time to recover.” The vampire half carried him to the couch. He lowered the man to it with some care. “He will be fine.”
“Fine. I’m fine.” Caleb muttered and his eyes fluttered open briefly. He smiled dreamily at nothing in particular. “Better than fine. Shit. That’s good shit.”
“He sounds stoned.” Erica gave Damian a questioning glance. “How deep did you roll him?”
“Deep enough that he will feel the effects for perhaps an hour.” Damian shrugged. He had paid the man in good kind, putting more effort into making the experience a pleasure than was his habit. He had taken so much blood that he now felt almost drunk with it. He felt good, strong, and powerful. He felt as if he could fly. And of course, he could. “You should dress, we are going out.”
“Where are we going?”
“You will see. But wear something that covers your arms and legs. I do not wish you to get chilled.” He smiled at her confusion, then laughed when she shook her head in exasperation.
“In front of him?” Erica gestured at the wereleopard resting on the couch. Her tone was light, but Damian could see that she was afraid of provoking another bout of jealousy. He resolved at that moment to stifle such impulses, as each time he’d given in to them, he’d been regarded with distrust or even fear. He wished to see neither in her eyes.
“I’ll close my eyes if you want.” Caleb drawled lazily. “Besides, I’ve already seen the show.”
Of course, in the face of such provocation, holding his temper might be easier thought than done. He kept his face smoothly neutral, turning mild eyes toward Erica.
“If he makes you uncomfortable, I will move him so that he may rest somewhere else.” He gave her a small smile. “The lycanthropes are much more casual about nudity than most. It is up to you.” He shrugged.
“It’s all right. He can stay.”
“Do I have to close my eyes?”
“Do what you want, Caleb. I’m getting dressed.”