Captured Sun (7 page)

"You're in more danger from Mathias than Kerry ever will be from me," he said, stroking Kerry's hair.

"You've watched him long enough to know Mathias won't hurt me, Xavier."

"Not intentionally, no," Xavier said. "But you have to admit his friends are a little more dangerous than my brothers are. And his venom is way more contagious than my virus is. One tiny nick with his teeth and you're a vamp, Mairin. No cure, no turning back. And while furry is for life, it isn't eternity. We age and we die. Vamps don't."

I shuddered. Xavier's assessment was brutal but true. Kerry would never be in the kind of danger I was from Mathias if she were to stay with Xavier and the other panthers. Other than their once a month shape change, the panthers were human. They aged, they lived, and they were able to control themselves. Mathias' family and any other vampires he might know would always be killers in one way or another. They would always be far more dangerous than the panthers. As for Mathias' venom, there were times when I thought of what it would be like to live forever with Mathias. Those dreams were both wonderful and terrible. I knew I would love him for eternity, that there would never be any other man I would love, but I'd had a first hand look at the horror of being a vampire through Mathias' memories. I'd seen what killing had done to him and I didn't know if I could survive it as he had. I also knew I couldn't ask Mathias sacrifice his soul for me.

"He wont even kiss me because he's afraid of infecting me," I admitted.

"Yeah, I'd wondered about that. I've seen how he touches you, Mairin. He is aware of every move he makes, of everything that brings you closer to him. I've never seen anyone be so careful with another human being. It's kind of weird actually."

"I think he's afraid of what might happen if I got hurt and bled near him. The broken ribs last spring weren't a problem because there was no blood, but I saw him at the hospital. The flash of blood in an IV put a look in his eyes I don't think I ever want to see again." I shuddered, remembering the explanation Mathias had given me about why he wouldn't let me give him blood. One drop was all he believed it would take to make him forget himself, to take my life and live an eternity with regret.

"You know something?" Xavier asked. "I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"For not believing you about Mathias being a good guy. I've watched him. I've seen him look out for Kerry as much as he watches over you. He's a better man than I am in some ways. He's accepted an awful lot of shit from the pride without so much as a sharp word before today. I'm sorry I doubted you and him."

The admission had obviously cost Xavier dearly. He continued to stroke Kerry's hair, but wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I don't think he's a better man than you'll be Xavier," I said. "I think he's just had longer to be a man than you have. Give yourself a break, OK?"

"Yeah," he said gruffly.

"Will you tell me more about what your doctor said was the reason for Hector not turning?"

Xavier sighed. "The were virus, no matter what form it is, is the most deadly thing in a were's body. It kills everything else. I haven't had so much as a cold since I was seven."

"That doesn't sound too bad," I said.

"That part isn't bad. There are worse consequences of catching the disease." Xavier shrugged. "Sure, the furry thing is kind of a pain, but that's not even the worst of it. It's the damper it puts on someone's future. The virus kills more than other diseases. Weres can't have kids. The virus kills everything."

I watched the way Xavier ran his fingers through Kerry's hair and I knew the answer to my next question before I asked it. "Did you want kids, Xavier?" I asked. My heart was breaking for him. To have that kind of decision taken from him at such a young age was wrong.

"I never really thought about it before...well before I met Kerry. I mean I'm only sixteen, so I don't need to think about having kids right now anyway, but Kerry makes me wish I could give her kids if she wanted them."

I didn't know what to say. I knew Kerry wanted a lot of things from her life and kids were an eventuality she'd talked about from time to time. "She's only fifteen, Xavier. If it comes to you guys wanting kids later, you'll adopt. I know Kerry won't mind."

"Yeah, she'd love any kid. Hell, she loves me."

"Just don't think that because you can't get my sister pregnant it gives you free reign, okay lover boy?" I smiled to soften the words.

"Yeah, I know. I would never do anything Kerry didn't want to do and she's told me she's not ready. I'll wait my entire life for her if I need to."

"I don't think it'll be that long," I laughed. "Her hormones will kick in before long. Just be as careful with her heart as you are with her health, OK?"

Xavier snapped a salute. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Okay, enough over-protective older sister crap for one night."

"Thank God, I was gonna have to rip off my ears if you were gonna keep going."

"Bite me, kitty."

"Nope," Xavier laughed and Kerry stirred in her sleep. Xavier kissed the top of her head and whispered something to her before Kerry settled again. Watching them made me wonder if I was more dangerous to my family than any of the monsters I seemed to attract.

"I keep thinking I should leave Highland Home," I said softly.

"Why?"

"I'm the magnet, remember. Everything supernatural in a fifty mile radius seems to head straight for me. If I left, you, Kerry, Mom and Tawnya would be safe."

Xavier shook his head. "I don't think so, Maire. I asked Gram about that when the vamp started killing in East Hampton. She said something big was on the way and that we were gonna need your help to stop it. I think if you leave, your family will be in more danger than if you stay."

I sighed. "Did Elise happen to say what was coming?"

"Nope. She's good at that. She can keep a secret like no one else."

I shook my head. Some days the metaphysical mess that was my life was simply overwhelming. I longed for a nice, normal life where I didn't have to worry about killer vampires, love-sick werecats or looming evil. But when I was truly honest with myself I had to admit that without the metaphysical weirdness, I wouldn't have Mathias in my life. For him, I would put up with the rest and thank the Divine for bringing it to me.

"Alfred, my love, why do you make me go to such lengths to see you?"

"You need only call, my queen and I am at your side," Alfred bowed to the lovely red-haired woman who smiled cruelly in return.

"We both know that to be a lie, my child," she said, flicking her eyes to Mathias. "This one pulls you harder than even I do."

"He was yet young and needed me when you last called, my queen. I could not leave him to the tender mercies of the colonial vampires. They had already run him under ground."

"But you ignored my call, Alfred. You hurt me deeply. So deeply I have come to this provincial cesspool to discover what has kept you away from my side."

Serina walked slowly around Mathias, trailing a long finger along his jaw and down his chest. Mathias' jaw clenched, but he did not move. Only someone who knew him well would see how tightly he held to his control. "This one does have a certain appeal," she said. "I must give you that much credit. But what is it that draws you so strongly to him?"

Alfred averted his eyes and said nothing. Serina lifted one lovely brow. "You will answer me," she said, her voice deepening and seeming to echo.

Alfred's face contorted in agony. Serina made no move, but Alfred dropped to his knees and clutched his head. Mathias watched his father's pain for only a moment before speaking.

"Tell her, father. Do not suffer for me."

Alfred trembled, but dropped his hands. Whatever Serina had been doing, she had obviously stopped when Mathias had spoken.

"Ah, a selfless vampire," Serina said, running her hands over Mathias' chest. "Surely that is a rarity, but still not rare enough to account for your lack of allegiance to me, Alfred."

"It is his..." Alfred ground the words out between clenched teeth. "It is his ties to his humanity," he finished.

Serina's smile was chilling. "Yes, I can feel the purity in his soul. But why would ties to cattle make his soul so pure and make his draw so strong for you?"

"I do not know," Alfred spat. "If I did, do you believe I would not have sought ways to disengage him from his obsessions with humans?"

"Hmmm," Serina mused. "I wonder how close his ties to you are, Alfred." Serina held Mathias' face between her palms an kissed him. It was a deep, passionate kiss that Mathias ended as gently and kindly as he could but had obviously tolerated rather than enjoyed. Alfred's face twisted with jealousy as he watched, but for whom?

Serina glanced at Alfred, a cruel smile lifting the corner of her mouth before turning back to Mathias. "Do you not enjoy my kiss, young one?" she asked, tracing Mathias' lips with her fingernail.

Mathias tensed, but did not pull away. "My heart is spoken for," he said.

"Is it? And who has the audacity to speak for what I want?"

Mathias refused to answer. Serina glanced over his shoulder to Alfred. "Is it you, my love?" she asked. "Have you found the joys of Achilles and Patroklos?"

"It is not me, my queen." Bitterness depended Alfred's voice.

"Alfred, no," Mathias cried. "Speak no more."

Serina wrapped her hand around Mathias' throat. Mathias' eyes bulged when Serina squeezed his neck, but he did not move. "He is not yours to order about, boy," she whispered against his ear. "To whom does this one give himself, Alfred?"

"A human," Alfred said.

Serina jerked her head back from Mathias to gaze into his eyes. "A human? You befoul your nature with the love of cattle?"

"We have very different ideas of what befouls our nature, Serina," Mathias said.

"Who is it," she demanded.

Mathias said nothing. Serina's growl made the air tremble around them. "I asked you a question, pup. I expect an answer."

Mathias refused to speak, further infuriating the now trembling vampiress. Her hand flashed up and sliced down, tearing open Mathias' shirt and the flesh beneath it. He didn't flinch, though his jaw tightened, and the flesh began to knit itself back together. Again and again Serina opened the wound until pale lines of scarring remained behind when the flesh had healed.

Alfred watched, agony twisting his handsome face into a gruesome mask. "Enough," Alfred growled. "If he will not tell you, I will. I cannot bear this any longer."

"Alfred, if you have ever loved me, do not do this," Mathias begged. "You know what she will do."

"It is because I love you, because I know what she is capable of, that I do this, Mathias. Did I not promise to ensure Serina would not hurt you? She," he spat the word, "demanded that promise from me and I will fulfill it." Alfred turned to Serina. "It is a human girl in Highland Home," he said. "She has this hold upon him such that I have never seen before."

"Her name, my love," Serina said.

"Mairin Cote," Alfred said.

Mathias' eyes burned with fury. "It is on your head, father," he spat. "I will not forgive this. You may believe you have kept your promise, but you will force me to break mine."

"But you will live to hate me, Mathias. That is what matters," Alfred said.

"So," Serina said. "The young one feels that this human is worth breaking the bond which was strong enough to keep my child from my side. I think I should like to meet her." Serina's smile was that of a feral animal who had scented its prey.

"No!" Mathias exclaimed. "Please, I beg of you to leave her in peace. I will...I will do whatever you wish if you will give me your word that you will leave this place without harming her." Mathias knelt before Serina, his hands raised in supplication.

Serina eyed Mathias like a choice cut of meat. "Anything I wish?" she asked. "Even leave her and Alfred and come with me?"

Mathias' shoulders fell in defeat. "Yes."

"What guarantee do I have that you will not leave me once we are safely away from your human?" Mathias' easy acquiescence had obviously made Serina doubt his sincerity.

"You have my word, as a gentleman and vampire, that so long as no harm comes to her by your hand or your order, I will remain with you."

"An interesting proposition," Serina mused. "I will take you from Alfred, and your love. I will have an eternity of suffering from which to feed, and a lovely boy on which to sate my needs." She looked at Alfred who trembled in the dark alley, anguish plain in his face. "And an eternity in which to gloat that I have what you desire, Alfred. Perhaps when I next send out my call to you, you will come at a run rather than evading me for a century."

Serina raised Mathias from his knees and kissed him again, devouring his lips and clinging to his body. Though pliant, Mathias was obviously detached. An evil glint lit Serina's gaze. "I accept," she said before striking Mathias with such force that he collapsed to his knees before crumbling to the ground.

***

The scream jerked me out of the dream. Xavier's hand on my arm was warm, but far from comforting. It was not the cool, electric touch of Mathias' skin on mine, but something so hot and vital that it burned.

"Mairin, hey, what's wrong?" he asked, worry clouding his green eyes. Kerry may have told him of my dreams, but hearing about them and seeing their affects were completely different things. So often in the first moments after I awakened from my premonitions and night terrors, I was combative and violent. I also needed familiar things to reconnect to. Xavier's over-heated touch when I wanted and needed Mathias' cool hand, made it even harder for me to come back to the present.

I shook my head. I couldn't form words yet. The sight of Mathias crumpled and helpless in the alley still burned before my eyes. But it was the memory of Alfred's betrayal that held my tongue and made me want to claw Xavier's hand off my arm.

"Mairin?" Kerry's voice was high with worry. I held up my hand and she pulled Xavier back. "She needs space, X. Let go of her."

I nodded and then blessed the cool air that replaced Xavier's super-heated touch.