I mentioned turning into a monster and attacking Tony. He tried to hide his smile of pleasure but couldn’t do it.
“Shit, go ahead and laugh.”
“I’m sorry, Kim. I don’t feel sorry for Tony. If he hasn’t figured you out by now, he never will. Now, you say that you turned into this creature? You weren’t just mad and got hissy-faced and really bulked?”
“No, I really was something different.”
“And the last time it happened was just days ago?” Paul got up and paced. “Do you think it’s linked to my change?”
“I think so, but I just don’t see how. I mean, maybe if we were bound like Alexis and I are, or even like Tony and I are.”
He looked at me. “You’re bound to Alexis and Tony?”
“Yeah, but apparently being bound to multiple people doesn’t really matter. It’s only the first bond that counts. Alexis is my husband, not Tony.”
He didn’t respond but seemed to be thinking. “Okay, so what happened when you got to Spain?”
I glanced at the clock on Paul’s bedside table. It was getting late. I recounted the story as quickly as I could. I left out Alexis and my sexual encounter.
Paul watched me wide-eyed as I recounted what happened during the Barcelona Council meeting. He looked at the wall when I described Esmeralda’s attack on us. He smiled to himself when I described how Alexis crushed them.
His quiet was driving me crazy. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking how cool it will be when you can awake during the day,” he said. “And I’m thinking about how capable you are without all of us surrounding you trying to protect you. I guess I just want to back you up … not lead you. That’s where Tony and I are certainly different. I’m not even going to talk about Alexis because I don’t get that. I think he’s got you under some Vampire spell or something. Alexis is so … I can’t even put a word to it.”
I shrugged. I couldn’t discount what he said. Alexis and I shared the same emotions. Whatever caused them was immaterial because they were still there.
He rolled his eyes, but not as if he was angry. “The sun will be coming up in a bit. Tell me about what happened when you got home. I know it didn’t end in Spain.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” I told him about how my Council had bombarded me and about Esmeralda’s murder.
“As long as Athena’s alive,” Paul said, “then she’ll always be a danger to you. Trouble has a way of always finding you. You’re right. I did come back in the nick of time.”
I smiled. Not that he could do anything to solve the Athena problem, but it felt good to have him to bounce my ideas off of.
I stood and kissed his forehead. “I’m going to bed before the sun rises and catches me unexpectedly.”
Paul stood and pulled me to him. “I missed you, too, Kim.”
“It’s good to have you home.”
He smiled at me. “Like old times. Blue balls and all.”
I gasped and then laughed. Knowing that my lust could flare with little urging, I hurried out of the room and down the stairs. We had talked all night.
It really was like old times.
A Vampire and a Werewolf. It was still hard to believe.
All we needed was Frankenstein’s monster.
~***~
The next evening I awoke anxious to see Paul.
Paul was home, and the empty feeling that I’d had since breaking up with Tony and leaving Alexis in Spain was not as overpowering. Athena didn’t haunt my thoughts, and the Elder Council’s impending investigation didn’t dampen my joy. Paul was back!
I dressed in dark pants and an airbrushed nylon shirt that had a funky print on it. I pulled my hair up and wrapped a multicolored piece of cloth around it. Polished wood hoops and matching bracelet rounded out the ensemble.
Monica told me a long time ago that Vampires didn’t have to brush their teeth because they didn’t get tooth decay, but I’m here to tell you that a diet of blood doesn’t leave the breath very fresh. I have heard that many vamps haven’t bathed in years. But me, I do it all. I take a bath, brush my teeth, and wear deodorant.
I hurried out to find Paul. He was sitting in the family room with the ladies, and it looked as if they were having a party. There were empty plates of food, and the stereo was playing some hard driving rock and roll.
Once again I felt left out having slept during the day and waking so late in the evening. Everyone greeted me happily, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous that I had missed out on all of the catching up.
Paul was lounging on the sectional and sat up when he saw me. His eyes drank me in.
I caught Kat giving Mara a knowing look. I ignored it. I sat in a wingchair, tucking my feet under me.
“Hey,” he said. “I was reading the planner. I never got to sit in on a territorial meeting. I can’t wait.”
We were going to have a busy evening.
“Yeah, we were telling Paul what to expect,” Kat said.
“It’s a lot easier now,” I said.
“Yeah, now that we don’t have to kill someone every day,” Tyler said.
“Yeah, we haven’t had to kill anyone in … what?” I tried to count. “Six, seven weeks?”
“Well,” Mara added in her sexy Latin accent, “we’ve had to kill, but not in the territorial meetings. Usually that happens when we make our house calls. But enough of that. What’s this big secret Paul won’t tell until you were awake?”
I met his eyes. He knew me so well! He smiled in a way that was a thorough turn-on. His lip curled up slightly. I thought I was going to burst. He hadn’t told them about the wolf!
The ladies came to attention and watched me expectantly.
“Thanks for waiting until I was awake,” I said, “but you tell it. It’s your story to tell.”
Paul stood and stroked his chin. “You all know that I went away…mostly because I wanted to become a stronger man. Now that I’ve been sitting here talking to all of you ladies, I realize that I truly didn’t understand. I thought that as the only man I was supposed to be your protector. I’ve … grown a lot since I’ve been away. Even though you don’t need me to protect you, I still don’t think I could have stayed at the mercy of the Vampires. So … I’m back now to tell you that I have achieved my goal.”
Mara said something in Spanish. She didn’t seem too happy about his announcement, either.
“What did you do to yourself?” Karen asked.
“I’m Lycan now,” Paul said.
“Lycan?” Monica said with wide eyes. “A Werewolf?”
Tyler stared at him. “I knew … something.”
“Oh, Paul,” Kat said.
Mara stood. “Look, of all of the supernaturals he could have chosen, he chose the right one.”
“So you’re going to turn into a wolf?” Tyler asked.
“No,” Paul said. “Not a wolf the way you know. I mean, I wouldn’t ever be mistaken for a real wolf.”
“Paul, are you going to be all out of control like in the movies?” Karen asked.
“No, Karen. I won’t hurt any of you.” He looked at all of us. “That’s why I stayed two moons with the Lycan pack so that I could be sure. The pack that made me is different than what you see in the movies.”
“Different?” Karen asked. “How?”
“They don’t change only at the full moon,” Paul said. “And they can stop the change at different levels so when I was with them I’d see men with wolf faces or tails.”
“Paul!” I cried. “You’re going to have a tail?”
“I, um, yeah.”
Karen giggled.
Then everyone started laughing, including me. That seemed to break the tension, and the ladies spent the next few minutes questioning him before Mara tugged at her collar and looked at me.
“You ready, Kim?”
I nodded and stood. The other girls paid us no attention. This was routine, but Paul looked only at me as he continued answering their ques
tions.
Mara swept her long hair to the side and tilted her head. “It’s so nice to have Paul back,” she said.
“I know.”
Mara looked at me as I dropped my teeth.
“Did you want to?” Mara gestured to Paul and stepped away from me. “Paul, you haven’t donated in a while. I think you need it more than …” Mara’s eyes grew wide and she looked from me to Paul “Dear Lord, your creature. Kim, your creature is Paul’s Werewolf!”
“Oh my God!” Tyler exclaimed. “That’s exactly what it is!”
Paul rubbed his hair back. “We talked about that yesterday.” He shook his head. “But how could that be possible?”
“If they were bound,” Monica said, “maybe Paul’s being changed could somehow transfer to Kim if he didn’t block it. But Paul is human. Humans don’t bond. They just turn.”
“We need Julie for this,” Kat said.
I concentrated on her. Julie didn’t wait for me to ask. She just appeared.
“Sorry to bother you, Julie,” I said. “I know we’re supposed to get together later tonight, but we have a situation.”
Julie eyed Paul. She wore black leather pants, combat boots, and an anime T-shirt. Her usually pixy cut hair was spiked, and she wore Goth makeup. The makeup didn’t make her look any older. She still looked like a twelve-year-old only a scary one. We wore all black whenever we had a territorial meeting. The ladies would generally change about an hour before. We kept wardrobes of clothes for that purpose.
“Who is this?” Julie asked.
“I’m Paul, and you’re Julie,” Paul said.
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Julie held out her hand to shake his. Her short nails were painted black.
He took her hand, and she narrowed her eyes.
“You can tell, too, Julie,” Tyler said. “Can’t you?”
“Yes, he’s powerful,” Julie said. She glanced at me while sliding her hand from his.
“Can you tell anything else about him?” I asked.
Julie looked him up and down. “He’s cute.”
Paul blushed. “Likewise.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at him for the first time, which changed her immediately from scary Goth to innocent twelve-year-old.
“I’m a Lycan,” he said.
Julie squinted. “Really? I’ve never met one.” She looked at me.
“Julie, my creature and Paul’s Werewolf,” I said. “Could they be linked?”
Julie wrinkled up her lips. “I think so. But I don’t understand how. If he was Neratomay who had gained some special ability, I could see how he could share it with his bound mate, but only if she were Vampire, too.”
“Humans can’t bond with Vampires?” Paul asked.
“No,” Julie said. “They would just turn.”
Paul frowned. He swept his hands through his hair and cursed under his breath. “Christ almighty. That’s why it was so hard to leave. It’s why we were so connected, so close.“
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
With bright eyes he hurried to me and gripped my arms. “Kim! We’re bound.”
“What are you talking about? There has to be a blood exchange. I’ve never …” I was about to say that I’d never given him blood, but I had.
“To bond with another Vampire you’d have to link,” Karen said. “And you can only do that because you’re drinking each other’s blood at the same time.”
“Oh my God,” I said. I’d almost drained Paul one night. The next evening he was so weak that it scared me. He’d asked me for some of my blood to boost him, and despite my misgivings I’d shared some of my blood with him. He had immediately felt better. But could that have been a blood exchange? I mean, he was drained one night and I gave him my blood the next night, which was mostly his blood in the first place.
“It’s possible,” Julie said. “But Kim, you’d know if you were bound to Paul. It’d be like dying to lose him.”
I closed my eyes and nearly swayed on my feet. “It’s true...” I looked at Monica. “Do you remember when I asked you if it was supposed to hurt like this when a donor left? You said no.”
“But I didn’t know you two were bound,” Monica said.
“I’m the first bond,” Paul said. “Alexis bonded with you the night before your punishment, so mine was first.”
I shook my head. “No, the day of the Council initiation when Kaniji ripped my throat, Alexis and I drank from each other.”
Paul shook his head. “That was just a mutual bite. Every Vampire that sleeps with another would be bound if just delivering bites did it. ” He looked at Julie. “A bond happens when one or the other is drained, am I right?”
Julie nodded.
“Like the night I almost died and you brought me back with your blood,” Paul continued while looking at me.
I fell back into the wingchair.
Paul knelt in front of me. “That means we’re married. Alexis is not your husband. I am.”
CHAPTER 12
The girls left Paul and me alone. I was speechless and completely stunned. The emptiness and confusion that had been a part of my soul for the last week returned.
It hurt to know that Alexis was no longer my husband. It really hurt. I understood how the first bond was the only one that counted, but a bond was still a bond and it hurt me to know that Alexis’ role had changed. I loved him just as much, but I knew that it was different now. Did he love Athena the same way I loved Paul because of their bond? I had never stopped loving Paul in all this time. Did that mean I wouldn’t ever stop being in love with any of the people I had bonded with, including Tony?
Paul took my hands in his and kissed each one of my fingers. “I know you’re shocked. But I’m happy.”
I smiled. “I’m happy that you’re happy.”
“You know, when I left it was the hardest thing I’d ever done,” Paul said. “I knew that I was destined to die the night that the Council punished you. And I knew that if you lived through that punishment you’d hurt even more because of my death. I loved you so much that I couldn’t allow myself to die trying to fight them because I knew how it’d hurt you. I had to do this. I have to be able to protect you.”
“I know and I understand. I do.”
“I love you.”
My heart swelled. “I love you, too.”
“I know.” He stood. “I have some things that I have to do, so I’m going to leave for a while, but I’ll be back before midnight, okay?”
I stood and put my arms around him, and he held me in his arms. “Okay.”
He ran his hands down my sides, and I could feel my legs quiver. He broke the hold, took my hand, and kissed it again. “I’ll be back soon.” He left the room.
I crossed my arms in front of me. It felt so empty without him, and I was suddenly so cold.
“Alexis, I’m sorry,” I whispered.
But there was no response.
~***~
I found the girls in the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” Mara asked.
I nodded. “I think I hurt his feelings.”
“I think … you’ll have plenty of time to make it up to him,” Julie said.
I smiled, we all giggled, and I felt a bit better.
Kat had some fashion books, and we went through them picking out our favorites for her to order. We giggled a lot when we got to the men’s fashions, and I picked out some boxer briefs for Paul. I didn’t want to make the same mistakes his ex-girlfriend Amanda had made by thinking for him, dressing him, and decorating his place. He had been gone for a while, and I figured he’d appreciate a new wardrobe until he could go shopping for himself. I couldn’t help wondering whether he was paying a visit to Amanda. I felt sick at the thought so I put it out of my mind. Why would he be visiting another woman after finding out he was essentially married to me? I was only being stupid.
I took a feeding from Mara then Kat and I told the ladies about the new house.
??
?Wow,” Monica said. “This house looks so much better. Now you’re going to move just when it feels comfortable.”
“Why don’t you just run the house for me?” I asked. “I don’t want to conduct business out of my own home. I want my home to be my private oasis. We can still hold our meetings here.”
“Yeah,” Tyler said. “And the minions are used to this place.”
“Speaking of which, we better start getting ready,” I said. “I want to read some of the case files before the first appointment.”
It was well after ten and not close to meeting time, but I wondered where Paul was. I could feel myself growing unreasonably anxious. I didn’t like the feeling. I wanted to call him through our link … but no. He said he’d be back before midnight.
I changed into black leather pants and kept on the shirt I was wearing. I pulled on a black leather vest with buckles and pockets galore. My hairstyle was too fun for the territorial meetings, so I let it down and applied dark makeup the way Kat had taught me, outlining my eyes in kohl and applying dark red lipstick.
I know it was playacting, but you’d be surprised at how far a little makeup carried us.
I was pulling on boots when I heard a knock on the door. Paul. I could sense him. He poked his head into the bedroom.
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah. I was just …” I gestured to the clothes on my bed.
“Sorry it took so long.”
“It wasn’t too long.” I lied.
He came to me and pulled me into his arms. “I know all this stuff is freaking you out.”
“No. Well, a little. I’m okay now.”
“I wanted to do this my way, not just the Vampire way. So …” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a little black velvet box. It was the kind of box that you always wanted to receive from the man you loved, and just because I was dead didn’t mean my heart didn’t leap in my chest at the sight of it.
I looked at him and then at the box. Oh God. He went down on one knee!
“Kim Russell, would you do me the honor of becoming my best friend, my lover, and my wife?” He opened the box to reveal a white gold ring with a square rock on it. Wow!