36 comments/ 54775 views/ 51 favorites Patrick Ch. 01 By: kalamazoo707 Kevyn Morris sighed as she looked at the stack of books that she needed for school. "Damned rip off!" She muttered as she looked at the anatomy and physiology book that had a sticker price of $150 and that didn't include the cost of the syllabus that cost an additional $30.00. She could've bought the book and syllabus used but she didn't want a book that had other people's markings or highlights. At 33 years old she was going to school for nursing. She had been a nursing assistant for the past 10 years and it was time to make a change. She had thought about going to school before but money was always an issue. Her job at the nursing home had offered to pay all of her tuition and if she agreed to stay for two years when she was finished with school, she wouldn't have to pay it back Kevyn really didn't want to work in a nursing home as a nurse but it was a means to an end and so she accepted the offer. Kevin was a pretty woman her skin dark, her eyes so dark brown they could have been black. Her hair fell just to her shoulders and had never been processed in any way something that she was very proud of. She was about 5'9" tall and while plump, she didn't consider herself fat. She enjoyed sports was a member of the softball team, enjoyed basketball and was an avid football fan. She had been married and divorced by the time she was 30. She had made up her mind IF there was ever someone else, he would have to fill out an application and give three personal references, undergo a lie detector test and a personality test. Lonnie her ex had been a sweet talker with big plans and goals but little ambition to make anything happen. "Come on baby, stick with me and we'll go places!" He would tell her time and time again. Kevyn had been 21 at the time. She had been young, naïve and fell for Lonnie and everything he was selling hook, line and sinker. What ended up happening was that they lived with his parents for the first two years of their marriage and then they found a cheap apartment and moved into it. She thought she was happy because Lonnie kept making promise after promise and he really seemed to be trying. It didn't take long for her to realize that they weren't going anywhere fast and that Lonnie was one of those people who looked like they were doing a lot when in reality he was doing nothing. She stayed until she was 30 and then initiated the divorce proceedings. Lonnie had tried to talk her out of it but she couldn't be persuaded to stay, she wanted much more out of life than living from paycheck to paycheck. She found a job at a nursing home and made enough to afford a cheap efficiency apartment and that's where she lived since the divorce that she had to pay for. It wasn't much but it met her needs and it was home. The nine years that she had spent with Lonnie were a painful lesson that she had no intentions of repeating, men were not a part of her future and the only thing she concerned herself with was getting through school. That she would be thirty-seven by the time she graduated because she had so many prerequisites to take and she had to work but that didn't concern her, the anatomy and physiology classes, the math and the chemistry did; she was awful at science and math had to take high school chemistry twice. Kevyn lugged the heavy book and syllabus up the three flights of stairs to her tiny efficiency and tossed them on the couch that doubled as her bed. She turned on the 13' color television which only had basic cable and headed toward the fridge. There wasn't much there other than left over Chinese food from the night before. It wasn't what she wanted but since she bought the books for her class and paid for the class, she didn't have any spare cash and it would be another week before she was reimbursed for the book and the class. She ate the left over Chinese food not really enjoying it, cleaned up the dishes and was going to watch television but decided to get started on reading the first chapter of the textbook, it couldn't hurt and hopefully it would help. ******* Patrick Sinclaire looked at his lesson plans, he hated the first day of class, he always had. The class would be full of people who were there only because they had to be and not because they wanted to be. He predicted that after the first night, he would lose about ten students because they would figure out that they had to work. By the second class he would lose another ten for the same reason. Of the thirty that he would start with, several of them would come unprepared meaning no text book or syllabus because they either couldn't afford one or both of them. To help those students out, Patrick always purchased ten of the textbooks and syllabi and passed them out to those who needed them. It was something that he had always done much to the ire of his fellow professors. "You make us look like we don't care." was a popular complaint or "not all of us are independently wealthy." was another. On more than one occasion he was asked why he taught if he was wealthy. The reality of it was that he enjoyed it and it was a way for him to face his fear of public speaking. After that first night, he was fine; it was just the initial meeting of thirty strangers that always made his heart pound and his palms sweat. He also had another problem; at least he considered it a problem. Patrick was tall, blue eyed and blond like his brothers Ethan and Martin and the object of many attempted seductions and crushes. Ever since he stopped raping, he had chosen to remain celibate, it was hard at times but he stayed true to his oath. When and if he finally found his mate, he wanted to be able to tell her that he hadn't touched a woman since his last rape which had been several years ago, by his calculations, more than twenty five years ago. The twins, Veronica and Vanessa had been babies and they were now in their twenties. He gave his lesson plan a final look over and was satisfied. The first night of class would be in two days and he was already sweating. ******** Kevyn read the first three pages of the text and she was already frustrated. "Cells and nuclei?" she grumbled as she continued to read the chapter. The more she read, the more nervous she became. This was a "failure is not an option." situation. She had to maintain a "C" in order to have her classes paid for and just by judging from the first few pages, it was going to be hard to do. She closed the book and changed into her night clothes and did her bedtime routine just in case she fell asleep watching television which was usually what happened. Kevyn checked her alarm clock and decided not to set it, she didn't have to be at work until eleven the next night and then she would be off for the next two nights. As she fell asleep she tried to remember what the nucleus of a cell did. ******* First day of class. Kevyn was nervous and excited at the same time. She was finally on her way to making a major change in her life. She made sure that she had her supply of pens, pencils and highlighters and at the spur of the moment; she bought a small tape recorder thinking that it might help if she could listen to the lectures later. She glanced at the clock, she would be early but then she would be able to get a good seat. She was an hour early and chose a seat toward the front of the room but off to the side so that she would have a good view of the whiteboard and that the microphone of her recorder wouldn't be blocked. While she waited, she organized herself and glanced over the first chapter of the book. Over the last two days she had managed to read the first chapter and answer the questions at the end of the chapter and the questions in the syllabus as well. She found herself wishing that she had started with an easier class like English comp first but she had wanted to get the hard ones out of the way and take the easier ones as a break. She wondered it was too late to drop this class and to sign up for an easier one. ******* Patrick loaded his car with the extra textbooks and syllabi and headed toward the school. His heart was pounding and his hands slick with sweat as he thought about meeting thirty new people. He forced himself to take a deep breath and reminded himself that after the first half hour he would be fine. He parked as near the entrance as he could even though he didn't need to, the textbooks and syllabi weighed next to nothing as far as he was concerned but it was all about appearances. A male student happened by and offered to help and Patrick put on a good show of being grateful for the help. The student as it turned out was going to be taking his class. "I'm Josh Phillips, I'm in your class." he said as he took the stack of syllabi from Patrick's car." "Good to meet you." Patrick said meaning it. Josh had just made things a little easier for him; he now only had to face twenty-nine new faces. "Ands again thanks for the help." "No problem." Josh said as they walked to the entrance. ******* Kevyn was soon joined by three other students all female who were dressed as if they were going clubbing instead of to class, she soon found out why. "I heard that he is totally hot." one of the girls said. "Not only that, he's as rich as hell, he's a brother to Ethan Sinclaire you do know who he is don't you?" the second girl asked the first girl. "Oh shit! Really? Well damn, I should have worn a shorter skirt." she replied. Kevyn rolled her eyes but made no comment. She knew who Ethan Sinclaire was, who didn't? And if his brother looked anything like him, then the girls were right but she wasn't here to gawk at Dr. Sinclaire, she was here to learn and to pass this damned class. She went back to looking at her book and only knew that someone had come in by the titters of the girls sitting up front. Kevyn looked up and gasped. "Holy shit!" she thought as she looked at Patrick, "He's gorgeous!" the thought that this class might not be so bad after all crossed her mind as she watched him effortlessly set the stack of books on the table. The girls in the front were trying to attract Patrick's attention by shuffling around in their chairs and became frustrated when he paid them no attention but drew the attention of Josh whom they all except for one ignored. One of the girls finally got up and walked over to Patrick. "Hi, my name is Melissa, I've heard so much about your class." she cooed. Kevyn almost laughed out loud until she realized that Patrick wasn't paying attention to Melissa but was staring directly at her. "Dr. Sinclaire?" Melissa cooed. "What? Oh I'm sorry." Patrick said absently pulling his gaze away from Kevyn. "What were you saying?" "I said that I heard a lot about your class and I'm looking forward to learning from you." Melissa said. "Umm thank you and welcome." Patrick said looking up at Kevyn again this time Melissa's eyes followed where his gaze went and frowned. "So what are we going to talk about tonight?" she asked trying to regain his attention. "What?" Patrick asked wishing that Melissa would go away. He wanted to look at the beautiful black woman sitting off to the side of the room- this was her, he had finally found her, his mate. One of the other girls stood up and went to the desk; it was her turn since Patrick wasn't showing any interest in her friend. "Hello Dr. Sinclaire, I'm Lacy and I'm so happy to be in your class, I registered as soon as I saw it posted." she said offering her hand. Lacy had only marginally more success in holding Patrick's attention, his eyes kept flitting over to Kevyn. "Nice to meet you both now if you will excuse me, I need to get set up for class." Patrick said politely. "Do you need some help?" Melissa asked eagerly. "Oh, sure why don't you put a syllabus with each text book?" Patrick said absently his nerves about the first night of class forgotten as he felt more grounded than he had in years. "It's because of her." he thought to himself as he looked at Kevyn again. Kevyn kept her head down, she didn't know why Patrick kept looking at her but she wished that he would stop, he was making her nervous and not in a bad way. While the girls got the books and syllabi ready, Patrick looked over the list of student names and tried to figure out which was one belonged to her. He was already beginning to feel the excitement at the prospect of the pursuit of his mate and wondered what she was feeling if anything. He could tell that she was tall, how tall he couldn't tell and.... She was nervous, she was feeling something but it could be because she was an older student returning back to school he thought. Patrick wondered just how old she was, surely not more than thirty he thought. He was always bad at guessing ages but she really didn't look more than thirty. From where he stood, he could see her worrying her lower lip and wished that she would look up again so that he could see her face. Patrick knew that she knew that she was being watched and that's why she wouldn't look up at him and he wondered what she was thinking about, was she wondering why he was looking at her so intently instead of the two scantily dressed girls and that's what they were to him girls, in front of him? All too soon, it was time for class to start. "Good evening and welcome to anatomy and physiology I, my name is Dr. Sinclaire" Patrick said with a voice minus the usual nervousness on the first day of class, "and my goal is for each and every one of you is to pass this class with a good understanding of how the human body works. Before we start, I'm going to call out names, please raise your hand so that I can put a face to the name." Patrick deliberately went through all of the female names first becoming perplexed when all that was left were male names. Was she in the wrong class? He wondered as he looked at the list of male names. "Kevyn Morris?" he called out and was shocked to see her raise her hand. He hesitated for just a second before continuing with roll call wondering why someone would give a female what he considered to be a male name. "Alright, once again welcome and please allow me to explain a few things. This is not an easy class so if any of you start having problems, my office hours are listed in the syllabus and it is by appointment only. My email address is also listed so feel free to use it; I do check my email several times a day. Most times any confusion can be cleared up by email, any class cancellations will be posted on the school's website so please don't email me to ask if there will be class on a given night. I have several students that I use as tutors for those of you who feel that you need extra help, so don't hesitate to ask for help. Is there anyone here who doesn't have the textbook and or syllabus?" Patrick asked. There were five students who had neither and three who were missing one or the other. "Come up front here and take what you need and they're yours to keep." Patrick said. When the students were back to their seats, he asked, "How many of you aside from those who didn't have the textbook have read the first chapter?" There was only one other student other than Kevyn who had read ahead. "I know that there's a lot of reading but it's really important that you try to keep up with it. The two who read ahead, Kevyn and .... Curtis are already ahead of the game so good job." Suddenly class was over and Patrick didn't want it to be. He hoped that Kevyn would stop by and say something to him but she didn't. He watched her pack up her things and hurry out of the room like she had some place to be, he fought the urge to follow her and turned his attention to the students who had questions. ****** Kevyn couldn't get out the room soon enough, all through the class she was keenly aware of Patrick looking at her but trying not to, what was that all about she wondered. "Maybe because I'm the oldest one in there other than him" she mumbled as she made her way to the bus stop. The bus arrived a few minutes later. Kevyn got on and made her way to the back and sat down heavily, she had bitten off more than she could chew with this class but she was stuck, the nursing home scheduler had already arranged her schedule to accommodate the class unless there was another class that met on the same night. She decided to check online when she got home. Her laptop and internet was the one pleasure that she allowed herself, the laptop wasn't brand new but it suited her needs and she justified the purchase by telling herself that she would need if for school. Forty five minutes later, Kevyn was on the school's website checking for other classes that she needed that met on Tuesday nights-there were but either they were full or they were classes that she didn't need. She was stuck. ******* Patrick packed up after the class was over as he thought about Kevyn, he wanted to know more about her, and it would help as he planned his next move. "Dr. Sinclaire?" Patrick looked up to see Melissa standing in front of him. "Yes?" "Some of us are going out for dr...." "Thank you but no." Patrick said interrupting her. It was time to stop this before it went any further. "I would suggest that you skip the drink and start preparing for the next class and I don't go drinking with teenagers." He added as he picked up the remaining books and his briefcase before walking away. Melissa stood with her mouth open, no one had ever shut her down like that and it wasn't about to start now. She didn't give a shit about who Patrick was, she wasn't about to be treated like some little girl never mind the fact that she was only nineteen. Patrick frowned as he loaded his car, he would have to watch that one, she was trouble in more ways than one. As soon as he got home, he went online to find out about Kevyn Morris. He read the report out loud. "Thirty-three years old, I was off by a few years." he murmured and then continued reading. "nursing student or planned to be, so she needed to take this class at some point, but why now?" he asked himself thinking the same thing that she had thought earlier, she should have started with a much easier class to get her feet wet but no matter, he would do what he could to help her except for just passing her. That, he wouldn't do no matter who or what she was. His laptop dinged telling him that he had gotten a message, he checked it already knowing what it was, his school email account would be busy almost non-stop for the next hour or so with questions from anxious students, it would calm down within an hour or so. Patrick clicked onto the first email and answered it and then answered the rest in the order that they came in. He wasn't surprised that he got one from Melissa and that he got none from Kevyn. He tapped his desk with his fingers and thought about what he should do and decided to do nothing for the time being, the fates or opportunity would give him a chance to talk to her. ******* Kevyn fell asleep reading chapter 2 of the textbook. One thing was clear, she couldn't study here, she'd be asleep in no time and that just wouldn't do. She got up, made a cup of strong tea and tried to read what she considered to be boring material. Even with the tea, she fell asleep not waking until well after two am stiff and uncomfortable. She took a hot shower and changed into her pajamas planning to head to the library later in the morning. She took the tape recorder out of her bag and turned it on. Kevyn found Patrick's soft baritone oddly soothing as she drifted off to sleep. ******* The week passed quickly for Kevyn and too slowly for Patrick, he couldn't wait until Tuesday to see her again. She struck him as an early bird and decided to show up early himself in the hope of having a word alone with her. Kevyn worked her shifts at the nursing home and was grateful for the refund for the class and for the books, her cupboard was getting bare and her bus pass was about to expire, the money came right on time. Class was tomorrow night and she had read only part of the chapter, the problem was that she worked at night and she just didn't see how she was going to be able to stay awake to read it. It was too early to go to the library and she really didn't have the money to go to breakfast unless she went to the bank first. Patrick Ch. 01 In the end, she went to the bank and then to breakfast at a local family owned restaurant. While she waited for her order, she took out the A&P textbook and reread the answers to the questions at the end of the first chapter. When she reread the syllabus, she saw that Dr. Sinclaire gave pop quizzes. Her first thought was that there would be one tomorrow night; he would want to see who had done the reading which meant she had to get that second chapter read. Kevyn mentally kicked herself for taking such a hard class but sucked it up and formed a plan. She would go to the bus station first and buy her pass, and then she would go to the grocery store before heading home to bed. Her hope was that she would be able to stay awake to read the very dry textbook and answer the questions at the end. ****** "One more night." Patrick thought to himself as he wrote the questions for the pop quiz the next evening. Most of the professors used a test bank to pull their quiz and test questions from but not him. He tried it once and didn't like it finding that the answers to the questions were often wrong or there was more than one right answer. Writing the test himself eliminated the process of deciding whether to toss a question out or not. Of course there was always the student who argued about a question or answer but Patrick always took his questions directly from the text and from time to time he would make a concession if the argument was compelling enough. He finished writing the quiz around eleven, double checked it for content and clarity before printing off thirty copies although he was sure that he wouldn't need that many. He let the students keep the quizzes to use as a study guide and because he wrote new quizzes with each new group of students, he didn't care that they passed them on to the next group. Usually what happened was that most people failed the first pop quiz which always caused an uproar. "This isn't fair! You didn't tell us that you gave pop quizzes!" to which he always responded, "If you had read your syllabus, you would have seen that vital piece of information." After which he would launch into his "you are not children anymore." speech. After that initial quiz, people caught on and at least attempted to be prepared. He wasn't trying to make life difficult and he understood that some of the students did have to work. With that in mind, he had a list of projects that could be done for extra credit. Many students had saved themselves from having to repeat his class because of it and as was all of the other information, it was included in the syllabus. As with all of his past classes, no one would notice it and would call him or email him in a panic asking how to help their grade. Those panicked calls and emails wouldn't start until after midterms. He thought about Kevyn and wondered how she was doing with the reading and in general. He continued to get emails from the other students but still none from her. The emails were mostly mundane questions that he would address with the class as a whole and he emailed everyone telling them that which stopped the stream of questions with the exception of one student, Melissa Hunter. The thought that the girl was going to be trouble resurfaced in Patrick's head. It wasn't that he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to resist her when she got around to trying to seduce him, he wasn't even remotely attracted to her and even if he was, Kevyn trumped her in spades. No, this was a smart girl, she had already noticed him watching Kevyn and he needed to be more careful. ******* Melissa read the brief email that Patrick sent to all of the students and then logged off of her laptop. She was still pissed at the way he had shut her down last week. He had barely looked at her and he called her a teenager to boot! Technically he was right but she would be twenty in two weeks still not old enough to legally drink, but he couldn't call her a teenager then could he? She got up from her desk without looking at the open textbook and walked over to her full length mirror. "How could you not look at and not want this this?" she asked out loud as she examined herself in the mirror. She was a beautiful girl with naturally red hair and green eyes that she could make fill with tears at a moments notice. That ability had gotten her out of many a tight scrape. She palmed her firm breasts and ran her hands down her flat stomach not understanding Patrick's obvious lack of interest. "I'll just have to try harder." she murmured as she turned so that she back faced the mirror and looked back over her shoulder. She went back to her desk, looked at the textbook, sighed and then opened it. Whether she got Dr. Sinclaire into bed or not, she still had to pass this class. ******* Patrick thought about calling Ethan and Martin to let them know that he had found his mate but decided not to. He wanted to keep it to himself for awhile and he didn't want any advice. He wanted to find his way on his own and ask for help if and when he needed it. He also decided not to call his mother for the same reason and because she would start asking him on a daily basis how it was going and when he planned to bring her home. It was stress and pressure that he just didn't want or need. The lesson plan for the next class was already done leaving the rest of Patrick's evening free. Now that he knew that Kevyn existed, the house suddenly seemed larger, colder and lonelier. He wanted her here with him. To pass the time, he began to rearrange the dresser drawers to make room for her things although he had no idea of how much space she would need. The thought that she wouldn't want to be with him never crossed his mind even with all that he needed to tell her. He rearranged the closets next, moving all of his things to one side and then realized that she might not even like this house. "Well, if you don't like this one we'll choose another one." he said out loud as worked to make room for her. By the time he was finished rearranging everything, it was two am. For him the night was still young but he hoped that Kevyn was resting well. He wondered what she did for a living, where she lived, who her friends were and if there was or had been a lover. Then he had another thought, he knew as soon as he saw her who and what she was. Neither Ethan nor Martin recognized their mates until after they raped them, would it have been the same for him if he were still raping? He wondered. He knew that the twins Vanessa and Veronica were working on figuring out that part of the puzzle and would be interested in knowing that he recognized Kevyn immediately but he just wasn't ready to share the knowledge of her. They had only just begun working on the puzzle so it could wait he decided. He was keeping Kevyn to himself for a while longer. Patrick passed the rest of the night by reading and watching movies from his extensive DVD collection. As far as he was concerned, the movies were his only vice that and his own personal movie theater that he had designed and built himself down in the basement. The room could hold twenty people comfortably and had everything that a movie theater would have including a candy counter complete with the candies that were sold at a movie theater. At the end of the semester, he always invited his students here for an evening of movies always erasing the memory of where he lived as they left to go home. He popped in a movie without looking at the title, it didn't matter, they were all good movies. While the movie played, he found himself wishing that Kevyn was sitting next to him and that he was touching her in ways that he could never get away with in a public theater. He felt a tingle between his legs and made himself concentrate on the movie. ******** Kevyn listened to the recorded lecture from the last class and found herself relaxing. The material was stuff created to make one want to fall asleep but it was the voice that was relaxing. She liked the sound of Patrick's voice and cursed herself; "You're too old to be getting a crush on the teacher!" she mumbled and then laughed as she remembered the girls trying to get Dr. Sinclaire to look at them. The laughter stopped when she remembered how he had stared at her. The tape finished playing and she fought the urge to play it again instead she opened the book and read the second chapter. What she was coming to realize was that there was a lot of memorization something that she was good at. By three, she had read the second chapter and answered the questions in the syllabus and at the end of the chapter. One thing was for sure, the next class was going to be an easy peasy one so that she didn't have to wrack her brain so much. She closed the book, got a glass of water and turned on the television. She fell asleep to the drone of the television playing some old western. She woke up around ten, fixed herself a bowl of cereal and read chapter 3 of the A&P book. Her goal was no longer to just pass the class; she wanted to pass it with at least a "B". The higher her grades the better her chances of not being put on the waiting list for the nursing program. She got dressed around four, wearing a tee shirt and a baggy sweatshirt over it and a pair of comfortable jeans and sneakers. She was going to class and not to a party she reminded herself as she looked at her clothes and thought about changing into something nicer. She ran a comb through her hair and then decided to braid it, by five she was out of the door and on her way to class although it didn't start until seven. ******* Patrick waited until six before heading to class, he would arrive forty-five minutes early and if Kevyn didn't show up early, he would just have to bide his time until he could find a way to talk to her without being obvious. He was pleasantly surprised to see Kevyn already in her seat reading through a notebook. "Hello." Patrick said when Kevyn looked up at him. "Hi." she replied and looked back down at her notebook. Patrick wanted to hear more, her voice was soft, melodic making him wonder if she was a singer. "Are you prepared for tonight's lecture?" Patrick asked. "I guess, I read the material if that's what you mean." Kevyn replied. "Good, keep doing that and you'll do fine." He was going to say something else when Melissa came in. She totally ignored Kevyn not seeing her as competition and focused her attention on Patrick. "Hi Dr. Sinclaire." Melissa said with exaggerated cheerfulness. "Hello Miss Hunter." Patrick replied. He always addressed the students as Miss or Mr. and the students were never allowed to address him by his first name, it kept things professional and indicated that there was a line that was not to be crossed. What he was going to do about Kevyn he didn't know yet. "You can call me Melissa or Mel if you like." "Thank you but Miss Hunter will suffice." Patrick replied. Melissa sat down directly in front of Patrick's desk so that he couldn't help but look at her. When he didn't, she fumed and wondered if he wasn't gay. By this time the class room was beginning to fill and just as he had anticipated, there were ten students missing including the two girls who sat in the front row with Melissa last week. "Alright class, pop quiz." Patrick announced. "What?" Melissa asked. "You didn't say anything about a quiz." "I beg to differ." Patrick said as he handed her a quiz. "Did you read your syllabus?" he asked. Melissa glared at him as she took the quiz from him and muttered "not fair." Normally he would have had someone pass the quizzes out but he wanted to get be close to Kevyn if only for a second and made a point of handing her the quiz last. Still standing next to her desk Patrick spoke. "It's just a shirt quiz and we'll grade them after everyone is done. You can keep your quiz after I've recorded your grade and I should tell you that if you pass the quiz on to someone who is going to take this class, it won't do them any good as I write new quizzes for each class. You have fifteen minutes starting.... Now." Patrick stayed where he was for just a moment longer before going to his desk. He now knew what she smelled like and would be able to find her in a room with thousands of people without a problem. Patrick watched as Kevyn chewed on the end of her pencil, made a mark, wrote something and then erased it and started over. "I'm done." Melissa said standing in front of him and obstructing his view of Kevyn. "Have a seat and we'll grade them together." Patrick replied. Ten minutes later, the last pencil was lying down. Kevyn nervously laid her pencil down. Her quiz paper was a mess from erasing so much and then rewriting and erasing again. "This quiz also tells you what my tests are like." Patrick was saying as he looked around the room. His gaze stopped on Kevyn, he could feel her anxiety and cut his speech short. Of the twenty students who took the quiz, only five passed with Kevyn and Melissa being part of the five. Patrick glanced up at Kevyn relieve that she had relaxed. He was also very aware that Melissa Hunter was watching him with a curious expression on her face. "Before you leave, stop by the desk so that I can record your scores." Patrick said and then launched into his lecture on what he considered to be the most difficult body system the endocrine system. "I divided this section in half because in my opinion it's the most difficult of the systems to understand." he said. Melissa kept her eyes glued to Patrick after awhile she began to wonder what he found so interesting on the right side of the room. There was no one up there except for the black woman who sat in the same spot last week and..... "No way!" Melissa thought as she remembered how Patrick stared at the woman last week. True the woman was close to his age and true she was pretty in a very ordinary kind of way but she wasn't beautiful and thin like she was. It was then that Melissa decided that Patrick Sinclaire was going to make love to her no matter what she had to do to make it happen and who knew? He might even fall in love with her and that would make things so much easier. At the end of the class Patrick admonished the class to do their reading and reminded them to stop at the desk so that he could record their quiz score. Kevyn was shocked; she had passed with a 100%. She knew that things would get more difficult but this was a morale booster. The only thing that ticked her off was that she hadn't paid close enough attention to the syllabus to realize that the endocrine system was next. She had wasted time by reading the text in order but at least she had a week to get it done. She packed her backpack and waited for the crowd to thin before she approached Patrick's desk. She liked how he said an encouraging word to those who failed the quiz and how he acknowledged those who had taken the time to prepare. "Miss Morris." Patrick said as he took her quiz. "Well done." "Thanks." Kevyn said softly as she took the paper and hurried away. Melissa was the last student to have her grade recorded. "Well done." Patrick said as he took her paper without looking up at her. "Dr. Sinclaire, some of us are going out ...." "Miss Hunter." Patrick said quietly. "Thank you for your attempts to include me in on your activities but I don't socialize with my students especially those who are young enough to be my sister." Slammed again, Melissa thought as her face burned not with embarrassment but anger. She snatched the paper back from Patrick, grabbed her bag and stomped out. Patrick watched her stomp out and hoped that she would be among the ones who would drop his class during the week. ******** Sister? Melissa fumed. Just how old was he anyway? He didn't look any older than thirty-five and granted that was young for him to be as accomplished as he was with a doctorate in several fields and a PhD in a couple of others but then she thought that he "bought" his degrees. Maybe he was younger than she thought and he looked but the question still remained how was he able to not look at her other than to answer questions or in passing. She thought about how Patrick always seemed to be looking at the black woman and discounted her. The ones who were her true competition dropped out of the class the day after the first class saying that they just didn't want to work that hard so soon. She wanted to send him an email but couldn't come up with a good enough reason. She changed into her Pajamas and began to read, she had been lucky to pass that quiz, she might not be as lucky the next time. ******* Patrick left the classroom right after Melissa. He wanted to know where Kevyn lived and decided to follow her. He put his briefcase in the car, looked around and vanished from where he stood. He waited with her at the bus stop and rode the bus with her until she got off. He looked at the building where she lived and decided that it looked safe enough but even so he didn't want to take any chances. He vanished back to his car, drove it home and went back to Kevyn's building and sat across the street until early morning. While he watched the building, Patrick began to plan how he was going to tell Kevyn about his past. That and not the fact that he was a vampire were going to be the main issue. How did one tell his mate that in a past life that he was a rapist? He wondered. ******* Melissa soon tired of reading the textbook; she couldn't concentrate because she couldn't stop thinking about Patrick and his lack of attention to her. Every other male in the class was drooling over her and he acted as if she was nothing more than a bug on the wall. It was worse than that; a bug would have gotten more of a reaction from him. "There has to be something that will trip his trigger." Melissa murmured to herself and then wondered if Patrick was more intrigued by what he didn't see. Her mother who taught her everything she knew about men told her that there were men like that but Melissa had yet to meet one of those...until now. She revamped her plan, next week she would cover up and see what happened. If that didn't work, she would go to plan B which she hadn't even begun to think about as she had never needed a plan B. She could hear her mother in the hallway talking to her third or was it fourth husband Dean. Patrick Sinclaire was worth more than all of her mother's husbands past and present and future combined. She knew this because she googled the Sinclaire family as soon as she signed up for his class. If she could get him into bed...." ******* Kevyn changed into her pajamas and made herself a cup of tea with the intent of at least trying to read a few pages of the textbook. She had just read the first paragraph when she started to laugh. "You can call me Melissa or Mel if you like." she said in a fairly decent imitation of Melissa's voice and laughed again. She tried to remember if she had ever thrown herself at a man like that and decided not. When she was Melissa's age, she was with Lonnie and wasn't interested in looking at another man. She could hardly wait to see what the girl would try next week. Kevyn closed the book, turned on the television and got ready to sleep unaware that she was being guarded by Patrick. Patrick Ch. 02 Patrick left Kevyn's apartment building just shy of five am with no clear idea of how he was going to get close enough to her to start a relationship and what he was going to do about his not dating students rule. "First things first." Patrick muttered as he vanished from the apartment parking lot into his house. ****** Kevyn woke up, stretched and made her way to her tiny bathroom to wash her face and hands. If she studied now she wouldn't have so much to do tomorrow she reasoned. She had already started reading about the endocrine system and understood why it had been divided into two sections. There were so many hormones to remember and then to remember what their function was on top of that. For a moment Kevyn panicked that she wouldn't be able to remember all of it but then she reminded herself that she had to, her future depended her passing every class. She dressed, ate breakfast and packed her book bag with the intent of going to the library but instead she went to the park, it was much too nice a day to be inside. The park was empty when she got there except for a few joggers and walkers. She looked around until she spotted an area that looked secluded but not too secluded and settled in to study. "Hi." a male voice said distracting her after she had been there for just under a half hour. "Hi." Kevyn replied trying to figure out if she knew the man. "Can I help you with something?" she asked. "No, I just saw you sitting here all alone and thought I'd come over and say hello." The man replied. "My name is Stu, what's yours?" "I don't give out my name to strange men and I'm just leaving, have a nice day." Kevyn said as she began to pack up her belongings. "Come on, you just got here and I just wanted to talk to a beautiful woman." Stu said. "How about a cup of coffee? That's safe enough isn't it? And you don't even have to tell me your name." The man was Lonnie except his name was Stu and she wanted no parts of him. "I appreciate the offer but I don't think that my fiancé would appreciate it, bye." she said as she picked up her book bag and took off before Stu could say anything else to her. She caught the next bus and took it to the library where she was sure she wouldn't be disturbed. She found a seat easily and looked out of the window daydreaming about moving into one of the beachfront condos that she always saw advertised on television. That move was years away but she was determined that it was going to happen, she would stay in her efficiency until she saved enough money to make a hefty down payment and she would be in like flint. ******* Melissa spent the morning looking online for everything that she could find out about Patrick Sinclaire. Unlike her mother she wanted to marry once but in order for that to happen the man had to have megabucks and Patrick fit that requirement. That he was gorgeous was a plus but she would have pursued him even if he had been as ugly as sin. Her one big question was his sexual orientation; she still didn't understand how he could treat her with such indifference. His cock didn't even twitch when he saw her which led to another possibility, maybe it didn't work. Now that would be a waste but she could live with it as long as she got cock from somewhere, whose didn't matter. She hadn't mentioned Patrick to her mother because her mother Linda would try to take over even though she was still married to Dean. It was a marriage that wouldn't last much longer though. Dean was tired of Linda's lavish spending and in a year's time, she had spent over a million of his four million that he had started out with when he and Linda met. Like the others, he would offer her a hefty sum to go away. The amount would be in the neighborhood of a million but then she would be gone and he would still have half of his money. Linda and Melissa would live off of that until Linda found another rich man to sucker into marrying her. Whatever money that wasn't spent sat in the bank for a rainy day and as of yesterday, that account held just over three million dollars. They would spend about half of what they got from Dean to live on until Linda found another rich man and even if they spent all of it, they would still be alright. Melissa was starting to feel the pressure from Linda to find herself a rich man so that she could contribute to what Linda called the "Hunter retirement fund." Melissa had been going out with older rich men ever since she turned eighteen and while she was too young to marry, she accepted all gifts monetary and otherwise. Her own personal account held over 100k and that wasn't counting the jewelry in the safety deposit box. She could find nothing specific on Patrick's sexual preferences but noticed that he had been seen with a number of beautiful women all of them.... "What the fuck?" she muttered as she looked through the pictures. "No wonder he isn't looking at me" she said aloud, all of the women that Patrick had been seen with were black. After she recovered from her initial shock, Melissa's determination to get into Patrick's bed and wallet doubled, she just had to figure out how since she could do nothing about the color of her skin. ****** Patrick spent his day preparing for the next class although it was a week away, it felt as though time slowed and it seemed like eons until the next class. No matter what he did to try to speed it up, it moved no faster even seeming to slow even more. Tonight he was meeting with Ethan and Martin to discuss their progress in eliminating rape sanctioned and otherwise. He was glad for the meeting, it would fill some of the evening hours, after that he would spend the evening with either Ethan's or Marin's family and then come home and watch movies again or go to Kevyn's apartment building to watch over her. ****** Kevyn studied until her rumbling stomach wouldn't let her concentrate anymore. She packed up her books and looked around for the cheapest place to grab lunch which turned out to be taco Del mar which was advertising 49 cent tacos. She bought four of the tacos and a soft drink and sat outside to eat enjoying the warmth of the sun on her back. While she ate, she took out the tape recorder, put in the earphones and listened to the lecture from last week. "Such a nice voice." she whispered and wiggled on the bench as she felt her nipples harden and a faint throb between her legs. ******* Finally, it was Tuesday Patrick dashed out of his house and got to the classroom just after six-fifteen. His hope was that Kevyn would be there early and that he would be able to talk to her. He wasn't disappointed. Kevyn was there and reading through her notes but she didn't look up or acknowledge him in any way. "Fine." Patrick murmured. He laid his briefcase on the table, walked up to the seat next to Kevyn and sat down. She had no real choice but to look at him. "Hi." Patrick said fully aware that she really didn't want to be bothered. "Hi." "How's it going? The reading I mean." Patrick said. "It's hard but I think I'll get it." Kevyn replied. Honey, Patrick thought, her voice sounds like liquid honey and he wanted to hear more. "Is there anything that you don't understand?" he asked. "Umm no, I think I got it." Kevyn repeated. "Dr. Sinclaire?" Melissa called out. Damn it! Patrick thought as he looked up at Melissa and then frowned. What was she playing at now? He wondered as he took in her appearance. Last week she was dressed like a tramp and now she looked like a .... Prim schoolgirl. "Yes Miss Hunter?" Patrick replied politely although he wanted to throttle her. "I don't understand the chapter, could I make an appointment to talk with you about it?" she asked sweetly. Patrick felt Kevyn's eyes on him, waiting to hear his response. "Why don't you stay for a few minutes after class? I'm sure that we'll be able to clear up any confusion in a few minutes." Patrick said and noticed the flash of irritation in her eyes. "Miss Morris, why don't you stay too? You said that you were getting the information, maybe we can both help Miss Hunter." Melissa and Kevyn looked at each other in surprise. "I'm sorry Dr. Sinclaire," Kevyn said, "But I can't stay... I have to take care of my dog." Patrick raised his eyebrows at her and almost laughed at the lie. "I see, what kind of dog do you have?" he asked. "Ummm a... mutt." Kevyn replied scrambling for an answer. "And this mutt, what's his name?" Melissa watched them and became frustrated. It was as if they had forgotten that she was even there. "Spunky." Kevyn said saying the first name to come to mind. "Interesting name." Patrick commented and then turned to a now very angry Melissa. "I can give you five minutes after class, if that doesn't help I'll be more than happy to give you the names of my tutors if you feel that you need one." "No thanks." Melissa said as she sat down, she had lost this round. The class passed quickly with Melissa leaving right afterwards, Patrick stopped her at the door while there were students still there. "Did you understand the material or do you still need help?" Melissa glared at him and walked out. Patrick chuckled as she walked out of the classroom, he knew what her game was and it wasn't going to work. ******* As Kevyn waited for the bus, she wondered why she was almost angry at Melissa's obvious attempt to be alone with Patrick. She was also ticked that he tried to catch her in a lie and even more ticked when she realized that he knew that she was lying. "Spunky?" she muttered, "I couldn't do better than spunky?" ****** After class Patrick drove home and then vanished to Kevyn's apartment building. As he watched the building he started to laugh at her lie and then got an idea but before he acted on it he had to find out what the pet policy was and if she really liked dogs. ****** Melissa went home and slammed her books down. Patrick had paid even less attention to her than the week before and what was up with that black woman? She wondered. While Kevyn was the right color, she didn't look like any of the other black women he had gone out with in the past. Those women were fashion model beautiful and the woman in class wasn't even in the same ball park but still Melissa sensed something between them, a spark that she had failed to ignite in him herself. It was time to go to her mother before whatever was happening between Patrick as she began to call him in private and the woman developed into something that she couldn't be stopped. Melissa found her mother soaking in the Jacuzzi with a glass of wine in one hand and her eyes closed. "Mother?" she called quietly half hoping that she wouldn't be heard. "What is it Melissa?" Linda asked irritated at the interruption, "You know that I don't like to be disturbed when I'm relaxing." "Never mind." Melissa said and started to back away. "You've already disturbed me now what did you want?" "I.... I need some advice." Melissa replied. That got Linda's attention, Melissa hadn't asked for her advice in months. "Who's the man?" she asked. "Patrick Sinclaire." Linda opened her eyes and sat up almost spilling her wine. "Patrick Sinclaire? How and where did you run into Patrick Sinclaire?" Linda asked already seeing dollar signs. "He teaches the A&P class that I'm taking." "He teaches your class? A man as rich as he is works?" Linda asked surprised. "Yes well I guess he likes it." Melissa said now wishing that she hadn't gone to her mother for advice. "What night is this class?" Linda asked. "Tuesdays and the class is full." Melissa lied. "Oh well, so what's the problem?" Linda asked. Linda was quiet for several minutes after Melissa finished telling her about Patrick. "Look at my little girl." Linda cooed, "Going after a big fish!" "Yeah well so far the big fish isn't biting." Melissa grumbled. "Tell me more about the black woman." Linda said. "Like I said, she never says anything in class and she's pretty but not gorgeous, and she's on the chunky side. She comes to class dressed in a tee shirt and jeans and she's close to his age-I think. "Does he get to class early?" Linda asked. "He's there when I get there but so is she. Why?" "He has office hours right?" "Yeah so?" "Make an unscheduled visit, just imagine baby, you land him and we'll be set for life!" Linda said closing her eyes indicating that the discussion was over. Melissa went back to her room and pulled out her syllabus to check Patrick's office hours. The problem was that she didn't know if anyone else made appointments-that was the wild card. ******* The third week of class had arrived before Kevyn knew it. She was almost positive that there would be a pop quiz and she thought that she was ready. According to the syllabus the first big test was going to be in two weeks, the thought made her stomach twist in knots. She forced herself to calm down, she had two weeks to get ready and she was caught up on her reading, She hopped on the bus and went to class with mixed emotions. Watching Melissa throw herself at Patrick was no longer amusing but irritating. That Patrick didn't appear to care for the attention didn't matter, Kevyn wanted to slap Melissa Hunter silly and send her home to mommy. As usual, Kevyn was the first to arrive. She took her seat and set up for class and began to read her notes. This time when Patrick came in, she looked up but didn't speak. She watched him set his briefcase on the desk, walk toward her and sit in the seat next to hers. "How's spunky?" he asked clearly teasing her. "Wh.... Oh he's fine." Kevyn replied remembering the lie. "Good, glad to hear it." Patrick said with a smile that took Kevyn's breath away. "So why is it that you have a male name?" Patrick asked. "Oh, my mom was into names and saw it somewhere." Kevyn said with a shrug indicating that she didn't want to talk anymore but Patrick wasn't going to let her off so easily. "Why did you start with this class instead of something easier to get your feet wet? I checked your files; you haven't been in a classroom since high school." "You looked at my file? Why?" Kevyn asked. "I look at the files of all of my students, it gives me some idea of where they are academically but you didn't answer my question, why did you start with such a difficult class?" "It seemed like a good idea at the time." Kevyn said. "I thought that I would take a hard one and then reward myself with an easy one." Neither Patrick nor Kevyn noticed Melissa watching from the doorway. She didn't miss how close Patrick had moved his seat to Kevyn's, how relaxed he seemed with her and that thousand watt smile that he gave her. Melissa cursed under her breath, she had to find out when he would be alone in his office, but better yet, she needed to find out where he lived. She stepped back from the door and then walked up to it as if she had just gotten there. "Hi Dr. Sinclaire!" she said and completely ignored Kevyn. "Hello Miss Hunter." Patrick greeted as he made his way down to his desk. He noticed that Melissa had gone back to her previous style of dress and ignored it. "Is the reproductive system next?" Melissa asked licking her lips. Patrick didn't look at her when he answered, "If you looked at your syllabus you would know that it isn't." he replied curtly. He really was going to have to do something about her and soon before she got the both of them in trouble. All through class, Melissa kept dropping things on the floor so that she would have to bend down and pick whatever it was up. It took Patrick seconds to realize what she was doing; her top was loose fitting enough that whenever she bent down he could see her breasts including the nipples. "Damn it!" he muttered when he turned to the whiteboard. She was asking for trouble and not just from him, he didn't want her, wasn't even remotely attracted to her but the nipples were one of his most favorite parts of a woman's body and it had been a very long time.... Kevyn watched the display from where she sat and was pissed at the blatant attempt to seduce. She also watched Patrick, he had been able to ignore the girl up until now and the need to protect him surged, she was going to have a talk with the little bitch. For the first time since he found Kevyn, Patrick wanted the class to be over; he had to talk to Ethan or Martin and fast. While he didn't feel the urge to rape, what would happen if he did? Could he stop himself? He thought he could but he wasn't one hundred percent sure. "Go home everyone; I'll see you next week." Patrick said totally forgetting about the pop quiz that he was going to give. The room emptied all except for Melissa, Kevyn and Patrick. Melissa grinned to herself, she had him. Even if he didn't fuck her in bed this would do and she would have something on him. Now if that woman would just leave. Kevyn stayed where she was and waited. Patrick turned around and looked up at her and settled, Melissa no longer affected him or mattered. He wanted to hug and kiss Kevyn because she had unknowingly helped him or did she know? He wondered as their eyes locked. Melissa looked at Patrick and then back at Kevyn- another round lost and she had been so close. Kevyn didn't move until Melissa did leaving Patrick alone in the classroom. ******* Melissa hurried toward the front entrance stopping when she heard a "Hey you." behind her. Kevyn caught up to her and looked her up and down. "How old are you? Seventeen? Eighteen?" Kevyn asked. Melissa was caught off guard Kevyn's direct approach. "None of your business!" Melissa replied. "Maybe not but I don't come here to watch you try to seduce the teacher, you do know what that word means don't you? It means that you little girl are playing with fire and that one of these times you're going to get more than you bargained for so this is what I'm going to suggest, go and play with boys your own age. Oh and by the way, stop dressing like a hooker, it's not sexy it's desperate." Kevyn turned and walked away leaving Melissa flabbergasted and then angry. "This isn't over bitch." Melissa grumbled as she walked to her car. ******* Patrick heard the entire exchange and was awed. Kevyn, his Kevyn had just protected him. He also knew that he wouldn't have raped Melissa, he might have had sex with her and regretted it but it would have been consensual and it would have been another thing that he would have had to explain to Kevyn. Maybe Martin and Ethan had been right when they told him that he should have an occasional bed partner, it might have helped but he just didn't feel right about it and never took their suggestion. But now he was hard and it wasn't for just any woman, it was for Kevyn. He packed up his things and headed toward his car, as soon as he stepped outside, he knew that he was being watched but not by another vampire but by Melissa. He pretended not notice as he got into his car and drove away checking several times to be sure that he wasn't being followed. ****** For Melissa, it had now become very personal, "Just who does that bitch think she is?" Melissa said angrily as she watched Patrick come out of the building. All she needed was for him to fuck her once and she could blackmail him for millions and not be tied down in a marriage. Of course he wouldn't just hand over the money, she was over eighteen so she couldn't use the statutory rape thing but what if... she said that she was pregnant? Or she said that she would accuse him of rape if he didn't pay up? Warning bells clanged in the back of her mind, her mother wouldn't approve of either plan she would tell her that it was too risky and advise her to leave Patrick alone. Melissa knew that she should but also knew that she wouldn't, she had something to prove to herself, to her mother and now that bitch with the man's name. Patrick Ch. 02 ****** "Why did I do that?" Kevyn mumbled under her breath. That girl was right, it wasn't any of her business and Dr. Sinclaire was a grown man, he could take care of himself but still she had been unable to sit and watch Melissa all but drop to her knees and take out.... "You're being so dramatic." she chided herself even as she wondered why she acted like a jealous woman. ***** As soon as Patrick got home, he called Ethan. "Hey are you busy? Can I come over? I have something that I need to talk about." A few minutes later Patrick was sitting in Ethan's living room chatting with Victoria. "What have you been up to?" he asked. "Nothing, its quiet without Nessa and Ronnie here." she replied. Patrick laughed, "What you mean is they're not here for you to torment." Victoria wrinkled her nose at him and then laughed with him. "You look just like your mama you know that?" he asked as he tweaked her nose making her laugh again. "And she's got her mama's brains." Ethan said as he walked in. "Ok baby girl, Uncle Patrick and I need to talk so go help mom, she's baking snickerdoodles." Victoria didn't have to be told twice, she loved helping Katrina in the kitchen especially when snickerdoodles, her favorite cookie were involved. Ethan waited until Victoria was gone before asking Patrick what was going on. "I found her." Patrick said. "Found who... your mate? You found her?" Ethan asked excitedly. He knew that it was a source of frustration for Patrick that he was still alone and he worried for him, both he and Martin did even though they never said anything. "Where did you find her?" Ethan asked. Patrick told Ethan about Kevyn taking his class and how they was finally at the point where they could chat superficially. "Alright," Ethan said, "What else?" Patrick blew out a breath and told him about Melissa. "Did you or do you feel the urge to rape?" was the first question Ethan asked. "No, but tonight, the girl almost stripped in front of the class and I won't lie to you, had Kevyn not been there I would have taken the girl right then and there, no rape would have been involved." Patrick admitted. "But what happens if I do and I can't stop myself? I know that finding one's mate is supposed to help but what if it doesn't" "Then you vanish here or to Martin's as soon as the urge hits and you let us help you." Ethan replied. "You've dealt with other students that have tried to seduce you, what's so different about this girl?" Ethan asked. "The others gave up after being rebuffed once, this girl keeps coming back, she has her own agenda and it involves me specifically. And before you ask, yes she knows who I am and no there's no way I can legitimately get her out of my class. Believe me I've thought about it." "What was Kevyn's reaction to this girl?" "At first, I think she was amused, you have to remember that Kevyn is 33 years old and Melissa is all of twenty so for her it was funny-sort of. By the second week, she was less than amused but tonight, she confronted Melissa without really understanding why. I think she feels the pull toward me which presents another issue, I have never dated one of my students before, during or after the class was over. What do I do about that?" Patrick asked. "First of all, I find it interesting that you knew who and what Kevyn was as soon as you saw her, have you told the girls yet?" Ethan asked. "No, I just wanted some time to enjoy finding her before I said anything, and by the way, you can tell Katrina, Martin and Rachel but not mother, if you do she'll be calling me on a daily basis wondering when I'm going to bring Kevyn home and it's pressure that I don't want or need." Ethan chuckled, "you're right about that, I'll make sure that the others know and that they don't tell mother but back to your issue, you could see her on the nights that you don't have class or you could wait until the class is over." "The last suggestion isn't an option; it's bad enough just seeing her once a week, I don't think that I can wait another thirteen weeks to claim her." Patrick said. "But it may take that long anyway, you can't claim her until she knows everything." Ethan reminded him. "There is that." Patrick conceded. "Ethan, how do I even begin to explain that? How do I tell her what I was, what we were? How do I..." "Patrick, I won't sit here and tell you that it's going to be easy, god only knows that it wasn't easy telling the girls. Kevyn won't understand at first, maybe she'll never understand but you have to show her the man that you are, the man that you've become since then. When the time comes, I know that Katrina and Rachel will be more than happy to talk with her but until then, take your time and get to know your mate." "I have to avoid being alone with Melissa." Patrick said with a sudden flash of insight, "She's going to try to sabotage my relationship with Kevyn." "Have you done a background check on her? Melissa I mean." Ethan asked. "No but it might not be a bad idea." Patrick said. ******* Melissa lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling, what was she going to do first? There were thirteen weeks of class left. She had come out swinging and it had gotten her nowhere so maybe it was time for a retreat, to circle the wagons so to speak and regroup. For the next three to four weeks, she would lie low, let them think that she had given up; it would give her plenty of time to plan her next move. Patrick Ch. 03 The next week, Melissa showed up dressed in a pair of jeans, a respectable shirt and sandals. Patrick noticed but didn't say anything. He didn't believe for one second that the one confrontation with Kevyn was enough to initiate the change in attire and attitude. Nor did he believe that she was through with him, she was still up to no good. Patrick wasn't the only one who didn't believe it; Kevyn watched Melissa and saw through the act. She asked herself the same question she had been asking herself all week, "why do I care?" She had been early as she usually was with Patrick arriving a few minutes after she did. They talked for a few minutes with him always asking about spunky and she continued the lie although she knew that he knew that she was lying. It was almost to the point where it had become a private joke between them. What was different about tonight was that Melissa didn't come in until it was almost time for class to start and she didn't speak to Patrick in her usual attempted seductive tone. "Hi Dr. Sinclaire." she said and sat down. She didn't even grumble when Patrick passed out the pop quiz from the week before. Alarm bells rang in Patrick's head, "yep" he thought, she's up to no good he thought as he passed out the rest of the quizzes handing Kevyn the last quiz with a smile. "Alright, you know the drill, fifteen minutes and we'll grade them when everyone is done." He went back to his desk and looked over the class, there were ten of the original thirty left and these were the ones that would finish the class. He looked up at Kevyn and saw that her pencil was already down and she was chewing her lip, she was anxious he realized and wondered why she was putting so much pressure on herself over a quiz. If she was like this over a quiz, what was she going to be like with the first big test? The quizzes were graded and Patrick began his lecture for the evening noting that Melissa didn't raise her hand once. Patrick laughed to himself; he was old enough that he had fought in wars that Melissa had never even heard of, she was hoping to lull him into a false sense of security. Then he stopped laughing remembering that the week before when that little slip of a girl had indeed almost caught him. At the end of the class, everyone stopped by the desk so that Patrick could record their grades. Melissa was first and out of the door instead of being one of the last and trying to linger. This time Kevyn was last and he found out why, her quiz paper was blank. "Miss Morris, what happened?" "I don't know, I knew it and then I panicked and..." "Kevyn, why are you so stressed over a quiz?" Patrick asked. "I'll do some of the extra credit projects to make it up." Kevyn replied not answering the question. "That's fine but it doesn't answer the question." Patrick replied. "I have to go, Spunky needs to be walked." Kevyn said as she hurried out of the door. Kevyn walked right past Melissa not seeing her as she hurried by. "He called her by her first name!" Melissa fumed as she stomped out. Patrick sat at his desk for a few minutes and then packed up; maybe he needed to do a background check on Kevyn too. ******* Kevyn went home in a funk. She had failed a quiz that she should have easily passed. She knew the answers and they just wouldn't come! On the bus ride home she looked at the quiz and answered every single question without hesitation. She couldn't keep doing this; one quiz wouldn't hurt anything but what if she failed the test? It couldn't happen! She had to pass this class with at least a "C" screw the "B" she thought as she changed into her night clothes. ******** Melissa was in a funk as well, Patrick had called the black woman by her first name but not only that, she heard the concern and care in his voice when he said it. She was tempted to send him an email but didn't, she had to stick to the plan. She had come to another decision, her mother could just go fuck herself, and whatever money she got from Patrick was going into her own personal account. After all, she was the one doing all of the work, that money was hers. After she was done with Patrick, he could go to hell and take the black woman with him for all she cared. Her mother tapped on the door and walked in without invitation. "How's the fishing going?" she asked. "Fine." Melissa replied not offering any other details. "Can I help in anyway?" "No, I've got it under control." Melissa said and closed her eyes willing her mother to leave. "Mel, you're not planning anything stupid are you?" Linda asked. "No mother, now go away I'm tired." "If you can't get him into bed without the threat of blackmail, let him go. It's not worth going to prison for." Melissa didn't reply but turned on her side in effect dismissing her mother. Linda Hunter looked at her daughter and for the first time she was really concerned about her. She had changed since she met Patrick Sinclaire, he was no longer just a mark or a means to an end, and this had become personal. Just how much of this had to do with the black woman Linda didn't know and though it was probably too late to play the concerned mother, she had to try. "Mel, look, let it go and find someone else. I'm worried about you." Melissa turned over and looked at her mother, "since when do you give a damn about me other than to ask how much money I made?" she asked. Linda jumped at the anger in Melissa's voice. "Mel..." "Get out mother." Melissa said turning her back on Linda. Linda left the room and shut the door behind her. Her little girl was playing a very dangerous game and she had tried to warn her. Oh well.... ******* Patrick was concerned about Kevyn but she wasn't in any danger but Melissa was dangerous. What was it about her that she was able to push his buttons? She reminded him of someone but whom? It really didn't matter, he had to stay away from her and he had to get her out of his class. The other class wasn't full, like his, that class had lost several students in the first two weeks, he would send Melissa there. It didn't matter that it met on another night, as a matter of fact that was even better. Patrick logged on to his school email account and sent an email to Melissa. "Miss Hunter, I feel that it is for the best that you no longer attend my class. Dr. Robertson has space in his class and he would be more than happy to have you attend. I am aware that his class meets on Thursdays and I apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you. He and I are following the same lesson plan so there will be no issues there. I wish you the best in your studies. Dr. P. Sinclaire He hit the send button and then sent an email to Kevyn. "Kevyn, I would like to meet with you before the test next week to discuss how I can assist you with your apparent test anxiety. You may either use this email address or call me at this number, 555-1002. Patrick" He hesitated and then sent the email fully aware that he had just crossed the line from instructor into something else just by using their first names and by giving her his cell phone number. He was going after his mate. Since he had the laptop on he decided to do a background check on Melissa Hunter. It was easy to do since one of Ethan's companies was a software company that developed this kind of technology. He had never used it, and until now never had a reason to but the saying "know your enemy" came to mind and that was what Melissa Hunter was-an enemy. While he waited for the program to load Patrick checked to be sure that his cell phone was turned on. Satisfied that it was on and the volume up, he looked at the computer screen, signed in and typed in Melissa's name and waited. He wasn't expecting to find much because she was so young but was surprised when the screen filled with information not just on her but her mother as well. His eyes widened as he read the report out loud. "Linda Hunter aka Linda Johnson aka Linda Phillips currently Linda Monroe." Patrick recounted the last names and thought he understood what was happening. Melissa's mother was on her fourth marriage to a wealthy man; Melissa was the result of the first marriage which ended in divorce after five years. Mr. Hunter had paid his wife the hefty sum of 1.5 million to divorce him. The second marriage was considerably shorter but the payoff was just as big as was the third marriage. She had been married to her current husband for just over a year and Patrick knew what was going to happen if it hadn't already- a divorce with a huge payout. Melissa's mother had raised her to be a monetary predator but this time she had picked the wrong prey, they weren't going to get a dime from him. Patrick checked their financials and saw that they had a joint account with just over three million dollars in it and that Melissa had a personal account with just over 100k. He realized that she was already sleeping with men for money although she preferred to call them gifts. She was nothing more than a high priced call girl and she was only twenty. He now fully understood the game, Melissa knew who he was before signing up for his class and targeted him. If she couldn't get him to marry her, she would settle for blackmail of some kind. "Thank you Kevyn" he murmured when he remembered the night that Melissa upped the stakes by showing her breasts to him during class. He would have given in and he would have paid dearly for it financially, professionally and personally. He shook himself out of his reverie and typed in Kevyn's name. That she had been married and divorced by the time she was thirty surprised him but it explained why she didn't act like she felt drawn to him even though they both knew that she was. There really wasn't much on her, her family lived on the east coast her ex husband Lonnie Morris still lived in the area and was unemployed. Kevyn was a nursing assistant at a nursing home and had been for over ten years. He looked at her high school transcripts, she was one smart cookie with a GPA of 3.9, she could have gotten a scholarship to any college and he wondered why she didn't go. He tucked the questions in the back of his mind to ask her later and then looked at her financials. She had a little money, just enough to cover a months rent and for a small emergency. The temptation to help her financially without her knowledge crossed his mind but he knew that she wouldn't appreciate it. ****** Melissa heard her laptop ding that she had a message but she ignored it thinking that it was one of her friends. It was almost midnight when she finally decided to check her messages. She smiled with excitement when she saw that there was a message from Patrick. She sat down and read the message her smile fading a little more with each line. "Oh fuck no!" she hissed as she reread the message, "This is not happening." She sat at her laptop for a long time before deciding her next move; it was time to go shopping. ******* Kevyn read the email from Patrick with mixed feelings, she was attracted to him and she didn't want to be. She still didn't understand why she felt so protective of him and she sure as hell didn't trust Miss hot to trot. She looked at the message again and debated as to what she should do. She really couldn't afford to fail any test and maybe he would just refer her to one of his tutors. Should she call him or send an email? She wondered and decided to call. Her stomach did a flip as she picked up her cell phone to check her remaining minutes. "You have 10,000 minutes remaining, you must add minutes by...." Kevyn hung up and did the math, 166 hours she figured. One of the things that she was almost fanatical about was making sure that she had plenty of minutes on her pre-paid cell phone. Every payday she added minutes even though she didn't have to for a couple of years "but it never hurts to be prepared" she would say every time she bought minutes. Very few people other than family had her number and now so would Patrick, it made her reconsider the method in which she should contact him and changed her mind. "Dr. Sinclaire, Thanks for the concern but I'll be fine if you'll just email me the names of your tutors, I would appreciate it. Kevyn Morris She sent the email and began reading her notes while she listened to the corresponding lecture and wished that she had called him instead. ******** Patrick read Kevyn's email and was going to call her but there was no number listed on her file. Not ready to give up, he shot off another email. "Kevyn, I really would like to discuss this with you, please call me. Patrick" He sent it before he could change his mind and waited. He heard the alert indicating that he had received a message- Melissa. "Patrick, I know for a fact that you can't make me leave your class without discussing whatever the problem is with me in person. Until that happens I will continue to attend your class. Melissa" Patrick frowned, what in the hell was he going to do about her? Go to her mother? Sure and then he'd have the both of them to deal with. He jumped when his cell phone rang; he looked at the number, didn't recognize it but answered it anyway. "Dr. Sinclaire?" "Kevyn, thank you for calling." Patrick said his heart hammering. "Ummm yeah, you wanted to talk to me?" "Yes, I just wanted to be sure that you were alright." Patrick replied. "I'm fine; I just had a case of nerves." Kevyn replied. "You never answered my question though, why were you so stressed out by one quiz?" Patrick asked. "I just froze is all." Kevyn replied. "Alright, will you be alright for the test? Your email said that you wanted the names of my tutors." "I'll be fine." Kevyn replied not really believing it. "I don't believe you any more than I believed you about spunky." Patrick said in a matter of fact tone. "But be that as it may, you have my number if you need help getting ready for the test. Goodnight Kevyn." ****** Kevyn hung up totally confused, flattered and horny. She was confused because she now understood that Patrick was interested in her and she wondered why, she wasn't the kind of woman that he normally associated with- she had done her homework too, flattered because he was interested and horny because there had been no one since Lonnie and Patrick had a very nice voice that promised..... "Stop it!" she told herself, "Keep your goal in mind! Think about that beachfront condo and leave Dr. Sinclaire to his fashion models!" ******* Tuesday arrived before Kevyn knew it, she had called in sick the night before the test, stayed in and studied all that day and the next until she was satisfied that she knew all of the hormones, their function and everything else that she thought might be on the test. She arrived at the classroom promptly at six and started to go over her notes only looking up when Patrick came in; she surprised herself by speaking first. "Hi." Patrick looked at her for a second and then smiled. "Hello yourself, are you alright?" "I'm fine, thanks." "Nervous?" "A little." Kevyn admitted. "You'll be fine, just take a deep breath and relax." Patrick said as he sat in the chair next to her. Kevyn felt her whole body go hot as if she was having a hot flash but she was too young for that wasn't she? "Are you sure that you're alright?" Patrick asked. "I just need a drink of water, excuse me." Kevyn said as she rushed to the front of the room and out of the door. Patrick watched her leave, his blue eyes glittering. She was his, it was just a matter of time before she wouldn't be able to deny what she was feeling, all he had to do was wait and stay away from Melissa Hunter. As if on cue, Melissa walked into the classroom. She looked up at Patrick, smiled and then winked before sitting down. It was time to end this and if she failed the test then so be it. Patrick looked at the clock, it would be another thirty minutes before class started and Kevyn was still gone. He went to the front of the room and sat on his desk. "Dr...." "Shut up and listen to me." Patrick said cutting her off. "You're playing a very dangerous game; you don't know who I am or what I am capable of. Back off before you get hurt!" Melissa was frightened but only for an instant. She met Patrick's gaze and smiled, "I know exactly who you are." she cooed. "And I know who and what you and your mother are." Patrick snapped. "The both of you are nothing but high priced call girls except that your mother marries the man and then divorces him taking a good bit of his money with her. I'm only going to warn you once more, back off. Leave this class and go to Robertson's and stay the hell away from me and..." He stopped himself; he was going to say Kevyn. "What's wrong Patrick?" Melissa taunted, "You can't handle a real woman?" Patrick froze. "Miss Hunter, leave now." "No, I paid for this class..." "I said get the fuck out of my classroom." he growled. "I'm going to report you for cursing at me." Melissa said as she gathered her things and walked out. ******* Kevyn splashed her face with cold water and then dried it. What was wrong with her? "Patrick Sinclaire is what's wrong with me." She admitted and actually felt a little better. She washed her face again this time rinsing out her mouth before heading back to the room getting there just as Melissa was leaving. Patrick was still sitting on the desk but didn't speak to her when she walked by. It didn't take her long to figure out that something had happened between him and Melissa while she was in the bathroom. She could see that he was angry just from the way that his entire body was tensed. What did the little bitch do this time? "Umm Dr. Sinclaire?" Kevyn called. Patrick slowly looked up at her through a filmy red haze. "Are you alright?" she asked. Patrick could hear the concern in her voice and willed her to say something else, anything; he needed to hear her voice again. Kevyn looked around to see if anyone else had come in. "Patrick?" The red haze began to lighten and the tension began to leave his body but he was scared. He hadn't felt anger like that in over twenty-five years. What was it about that girl that could make him so angry? It wasn't just about what she was or what she was trying to do to him, there was something else about her. Patrick looked at Kevyn and needed to touch her and to be touched if only for a moment. Even though he knew that someone could come in at any moment, Patrick reached for Kevyn, took her hands in his and just held them releasing them only when he heard someone coming down the hall. "Thank you." he murmured to a confused Kevyn. Kevyn went to her seat and numbly sat down fully aware that Patrick was watching her, his expression unreadable. When the rest of the class minus Melissa had arrived, he passed out the tests giving Kevyn's to her last with a weak smile. "You have the entire class time to take the test, take your time and don't second guess yourselves. When you're done you're free to go." Patrick sat down and took out his laptop; he wanted to send an email to Eustace Matthews. He needed to be sure that he wasn't going to be a threat to Kevyn or any other woman for that matter. ******* Melissa stormed out of the building to her car and tried to calm down. No one had ever spoken to her in the way that Patrick had and she didn't like it. But there was something else, for a few seconds it was as if he had become someone else and what did he mean when he told her that she had no idea of what he was capable of? The alarm bells clanged again and she ignored them. Dr. Patrick Sinclaire was going to get a surprise visitor in his office. Tonight. Patrick Ch. 03 She rushed home to get ready; she only had to figure out how to get him to the office. ******* The test was over and Kevyn was a wreck. She had no idea of how she did. Partway through the test she began to panic and started to second guess herself which led to her changing several answers which she had been initially sure were correct. The thought that she had to pass only increased her anxiety. Finally, unable to think she laid her pencil down and closed her eyes. Patrick knew that she was in trouble as soon as she put the pencil down but there was nothing that he could do to help her. He watched as she picked the pencil up and began to finish the test, she was going to have a long week of anxiety waiting for the results of the test. "Listen up." Patrick said. "If anyone wants to wait while I grade the test feel free. As with the quizzes you can keep them to use as a study guide for the mid-terms and finals." His hope was that his announcement would decrease some of Kevyn's anxiety but it seemed to have done the opposite. "Why are you so stressed?" Patrick muttered as he looked at her. He was momentarily distracted by a soft beep on his laptop. "Patrick, Could we meet in your office after your class? I want to run something by you about our teaching plans. I'm on the road and my cell phone is broken, I'll see you in an hour. Robertson" Patrick looked at the message but didn't think too much of it. Robertson was always looking for newer and better material. He had nothing going on after class anyway other than to call Eustace and Ethan. ****** Kevyn waited until last to have her test graded, her heart pounded as Patrick read over her answers and made what seemed like way too many red marks on her paper. When he was finished he leaned back in his chair, she had passed with a "C" but just barely. He could see where she had changed a number of right answers to wrong ones and by his calculations if she hadn't changed any of her answers, she would have gotten a "B". "You passed but barely." Patrick said noting her sigh of relief. "Why did you change so many of your answers? Most of them were right." "I guess I did what you said not to do, I second guessed myself." "I looked at your high school transcripts and yes I look at everyone's." Patrick said. "You graduated with a 3.9 that's impressive but how did you do that if you were this nervous?" "I wasn't always this nervous and I was a lot younger then." "So this is just a case of the back to school nerves?" Patrick asked. "Yes." "Is there anything that I can do to help with that?" Patrick asked as his mind went to the all of the things that he could do to help her relax. Kevyn blushed, her face hot. "No thanks, I've gotta get going..." "I understand, we can't have spunky peeing on the floor now can we?" Patrick teased. "Oh, about that, I'm sorry that I lied." "No worries. Now go home and relax for the rest of the night. Tomorrow is another day." ****** Melissa sat in Patrick's office looking around. It hadn't taken much to bribe the security guard to let her in. A quick peek at her outfit and a crisp 100.00 bill and she was in. She was surprised at how tastefully the office was decorated with its dark wood and heavy shutters that covered the windows. She looked at her watch, by her estimation she had another fifteen minutes or so before Patrick showed up. Another fifteen minutes to change her mind and do as her mother suggested- forget about Patrick Sinclaire but then, she would always wonder if she would have been able to catch him and if he would've been the last man that she would have fucked for money. If she could pull this off, she could leave her mother behind and become... respectable. Ten minutes. Melissa was nervous, she paced the office dressed only in her barely there negligee that showed off her breasts since that's what really seemed to get his attention. Five minutes. "I'm doing this." she said under her breath, what's the absolute worst that could happen? She thought. "He'll call security and kick me out." she answered herself. ****** Patrick packed up his things and headed toward his office fully expecting Robertson to be there. They had the keys to each others office in case one had something that the other didn't. Patrick whistled as he went to his office, touching Kevyn had gone a long way to grounding him and he felt good in spite of what happened with Melissa before class started. He wasn't fooling himself; he still had to figure out what it was about Melissa that triggered the anger so that he could deal with it. He reached into his pocket for the office key and stopped. Someone was in his office and it wasn't Robertson, he smelled like old corn chips. ***** Melissa lay draped over Patrick's desk with her open legs facing toward the door. This was it; this was her ticket away from her mother Melissa thought as the door opened. ****** Patrick set his briefcase just inside the door and then reached to switch on the light. "WHAT THE FUCK?" he screamed when he saw Melissa draped across his desk. Melissa didn't speak but slid the strap of her negligee over her shoulder until a breast was in full view. "Get out of here now before I hurt you!" Patrick whispered. Melissa lowered the other strap missing the flash of Patrick's eyes warning her that she was in big trouble. "GET. THE. FUCK. OUT!" Patrick screamed as the red haze colored his vision. ""ETHAN! MARTIN! ANYBODY!" he called out telepathically. "Patrick?" Ethan answered, "Where are you?" "Office, help me! Hurry!" Martin answered next. "Patrick? What's happening?" "Help me!" he begged even as he began to approach Melissa. "You want to play little one?" he growled as he reached for her. Patrick Ch. 04 Melissa froze, the realization that she was in real trouble had finally hit her. The man reaching for her looked like Patrick Sinclaire but it wasn't. This man was angry and filled with hate- for her; she could feel it radiating from him as a hand reached for her foot. "Answer me; do you still want to play with me?" Patrick growled as he took a leg and pulled her toward him. "I warned you but you didn't listen, it's time to learn to listen." When Melissa was close enough, Patrick took the hem of the barely there negligee and ripped it off. "That's better." he drawled as he looked down at her through the red haze that was deepening. "Dr. Sinclaire, please don't I'm sorry, let me go and I'll drop your class." Melissa begged. "It's much too late for that." Patrick replied coldly. Melissa's eyes widened when she saw the bulge in Patrick's jeans. "Isn't this what you wanted?" he asked leering at her when he saw where she was looking. "Please don't...." "Don't what?" Patrick demanded as he positioned himself between Melissa's legs which she tried frantically to close. Hey eyes widened even more when the button on Patrick's jeans opened and the zipper slid down without him touching them freeing his cock. Patrick looked at Melissa dispassionately; she was now something in which to calm his anger with. He barely felt his jeans slide over his hips as he got ready to ram himself into the sobbing Melissa. "Patrick!" a voice from behind him said. "Let her go!" Patrick stopped just as the tip of his cock touched Melissa's vaginal opening. "She's mine, she wants to play- she wouldn't ...." "Patrick, she's just a stupid little girl, let her go." Martin said gently. "NO!" Patrick said tightening his grip on Melissa's legs and beginning to push inside of her Melissa had never been so frightened in her entire life; she felt hot tears running down the side of her face and knew that if whoever had come into the office didn't stop him, she would be raped. "Patrick." another voice said. "The girl isn't yours; you have a mate, remember?" Both Martin and Ethan moved toward Patrick ready to move in case he didn't stop. "You told me about her, but Martin doesn't know about her yet, tell him her name." Ethan said as he moved closer to Patrick. "I... I don't remember." Patrick replied as he looked down at Melissa and licked his lips, the head of his cock just barely inside of her. "Think Patrick, what's her name?" Ethan asked again now standing beside Patrick. "Tha...." "Shut up!" Ethan hissed when Melissa started to speak. "No, don't shut up." Patrick said as he stroked her leg. "Keep talking." Martin now standing on the other side of Patrick gave Melissa a warning glance but spoke to Patrick. "Patrick, your mate, what's her name?" "I don't remember." Patrick said still stroking Melissa's leg and beginning to push again. "Patrick! Stop!" Ethan said loudly, "What is the name of your mate!?" Patrick stopped stroking Melissa's leg and stopped moving. "She's in your class, try to remember her name." Ethan said his voice softer now that he had Patrick's attention. "I don't have a mate." Patrick replied with some hesitation. "Yes you do, you told me about her the other night." Ethan said. "She's in your class, now think! What is her name!?" Patrick's grip on Melissa's legs loosened as he concentrated on remembering who his mate was. A woman with a man's name he thought, "Kevyn! Her name is Kevyn!" he shouted. His vision cleared and he dropped Melissa's legs as if they were a piece of rank garbage. "That's right, her name is Kevyn." Ethan said as he put an arm around Patrick and edged him away from the desk gently pushed him toward Martin who took him to the other side of the office after giving him a chance to pull up his jeans. Martin put his arms around Patrick and held him as much for comfort as well as control. He could tell that Patrick was still angry and didn't quite trust him. Ethan looked at Melissa, his anger and disgust clear and for just a moment, she thought that Ethan was going to take Patrick's place. "Where are your clothes?" he asked. "I... I didn't... I wore a coat over this." Melissa said as she quickly tried to cover her nakedness with the flimsy material of the negligee. Ethan ignored her soft sobs as he stared at her in disbelief. "You left home wearing that?" Ethan asked incredulous. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Do you even understand how close you came to being hurt? Had we been seconds later, it would have been too late! He was going to hurt you and no amount of money would have compensated for the pain he would have caused you! Where's your damned coat?" Melissa pointed to the couch crying but too afraid to say anything. Ethan glanced back at Martin to make sure that he had a hold of Patrick before moving away from the desk to get the coat. He snatched the coat from the couch and threw it at her. "Cover up." he hissed. "I tried to warn you, I told you to back off! I was going to hurt you! Do you fucking understand what almost happened here?" Patrick asked his throat tight. "I was going to hurt you!" he repeated. Twenty-five years and a life with his mate had almost gone down the drain because of one stupid and greedy little girl who thought that she could obtain a life of ease by fucking a rich man for his money. "I'm sorry!!" Melissa said meaning it. "Tomorrow, you're going to call the school and drop out of his class, you will not take any other classes taught by Patrick. Do you understand me?" Ethan asked. "As a matter of fact, you will steer clear of him, if you see him coming then you go the other way. Got it?" "Y...Yes." Melissa stammered. "Look at me!" Ethan demanded. Melissa looked up at Ethan's flashing blue eyes. "You are going to leave here and go straight home, you will only remember that you were almost raped and the circumstances surrounding the attempted rape meaning you will remember your part in this including how you were dressed, and you will also remember the emotions associated with tonight. Every time you are tempted to do something like this, you will remember this night. You will not remember seeing me or my brothers here and you will not remember who the attempted rapist was. Repeat to me what I have told you." Ethan listened as Melissa repeated the instructions that he had given her and then let her go. She left the office without looking at Patrick or Martin. Martin's hold on Patrick tightened as they watched Melissa walk by; it had been a very close call. ******** Melissa drove home, snuck into her room managing to bypass her mother. She had almost been raped and for what? Money? She was done. She took a shower looking at her legs wondering if she would find bruises. She wasn't surprised to see dark purple bruises where Patrick had held them. She had been so frightened that she hadn't noticed the pain in her legs but now they hurt. Finishing her shower, she dried off, dressed and turned on her laptop. For several minutes she didn't move and then she began to shake as she realized again just how close she had come to being raped and possibly killed. She had never felt such rage and hatred directed at her before and she hoped never to feel it again. She looked at the bruises on her legs; they would serve as a temporary reminder of tonight. She touched a bruise and winced at the pain and gave brief thought of calling the police. If she did that, what would she say? "Officer, I went to seduce this man, what man? I don't know but he tried to rape me, see the bruises? No I don't know what he looks like. What was I doing? I ummm was trying to seduce him but...." The idea of calling the police was discarded. She sat until she stopped shaking and sent an email to Patrick. "Dr. Sinclaire, "I regret that I am no longer able to continue taking your class. Thank you, Melissa Hunter" After sending the email, she logged onto the bank account that she and her mother shared. She sat for a minute debating and then transferred all but five-thousand dollars of the three million plus into an account that her mother didn't know that she had. She only left five-thousand dollars in the joint account because that was the amount that her mother had when she married Mr. Hunter- at least that was the story her mother told her. She then went to her own personal account and transferred the 100k to the same account that she transferred the three million plus into and logged off. Melissa packed a few clothes and the jewelry that she had with her, packed up her laptop and left the house. She would spend the night at a hotel, go to the bank in the morning, empty her safety deposit box and disappear to start a new life. Her mother could go to hell as far as she was concerned; it was partly her fault that tonight even happened. She took a last look around the bedroom before leaving and walked out once again bypassing her mother who was soaking in the Jacuzzi holding a glass of wine. "Good bye bitch." Melissa muttered as she got into her car and drove away. ****** Kevyn looked at the test paper disgusted with herself. She was glad that she passed but she should have done much better than a "C". It would have been different if she hadn't studied but she had and still she just barely passed. Finally she decided to do what Patrick suggested, she was going to take the night off and relax. She changed her clothes and moved the books out of sight so that she wouldn't be tempted to study. She thought about what happened before class, how she felt when Patrick smiled at her, how she felt when Melissa was trying to seduce him, his anger when she came back into the room and the way he held her hands as if they were a lifeline and his heartfelt thank you. What was he thanking her for? She wondered. She could no longer deny that she was attracted to Patrick but she was a little no, very skittish. Being with Lonnie had done that to her and it didn't matter how much money Patrick or any man had, she would never stake her future on the word of a man again. Tomorrow bright and early she would hit the books and get a tutor if she had to. She made herself a cold drink and settled in to watch one of her guilty pleasures, 'mob wives' it was hard to concentrate on the show because she kept thinking about Patrick. ****** Patrick sat on the sofa gulping down his third bottle of water, the anger had always left him parched and it would take three or four more bottles of water before his thirst was quenched. Ethan and Martin sat on either side of him and waited for the meltdown, they knew that he would experience tremendous guilt over his loss of control. While Patrick guzzled down the water, Ethan called Eustace and asked him to meet them at Patrick's house. "It'll take me a couple of hours but I'll be there and Ethan? Don't leave him alone." Neither Ethan nor Martin had any plans of leaving him alone. The memory of their brother Jesse who had committed suicide after killing his mate during an attempted rape weighed on both of their minds. "I was going to rape her." Patrick whispered. "But you didn't, you called for help." Ethan said. "What if that had been Kevyn? What if you weren't here? I would have hurt that girl!" Patrick said miserably. Neither Ethan nor Martin knew what to say, Patrick was right but there was something that none of them understood; once the mate was found, the urge to rape was supposed to be neutralized so why didn't it kicked in? Patrick was shaking, twenty-five years of controlling the anger and a twenty-year old girl destroyed that control in a matter of weeks. What was it about her that she had that kind of power over him? Patrick wondered. No other woman had affected him in that way so what was it about her? His shoulders sagged as he realized that tonight was one more thing that he would have to tell Kevyn about and not just her, Katrina and Rachel. He looked over at Ethan, his face wet with tears and he couldn't speak. He wanted to ask them not to tell, no one needed to know about what almost happened tonight did they? But they did. It was the silence that allowed the rapes to go on for as long as they did. "When you tell Katrina and Rachel about tonight, will you tell them that I'm sorry?" Patrick asked. "We'll deal with that later." Ethan said. "What's important right now is getting you taken care of." "I could have killed her! Ethan, I could have.... Why didn't finding Kevyn help? It's supposed to help isn't it?" Patrick asked. Ethan had no answers but hoped that Eustace would. "What do you need right now?" Ethan asked. "Kevyn... I need to talk to Kevyn." Patrick said softly. He didn't know what he was going to say to her but he needed to hear her voice. ****** 'Mob wives' was half over and Kevyn couldn't remember what happened. Her thoughts kept drifting to Patrick; she wondered what Melissa said or did that made him so angry and why Melissa left class and didn't come back. Her gut told her that something had happened between the two of them and hoped that Patrick kicked Melissa's ass out of his class. The girl was trouble in a big way and if he wasn't careful.... Her cell phone chirping made her jump; she looked at the number and recognized it as Patrick's. "Hello?" "Kevyn? This is Patrick." He didn't; sound right to her but she didn't say anything about it. "Hi." "I just wanted to let you know that someone else will be teaching my class for the next couple of weeks, I have some things that I need to take care of." "Oh, ok... are you alright?" She asked. "No, but I will be." Patrick replied. "Can I ask you a question?" Kevyn asked sure that she was going to overstep her bounds. "Anything." Patrick replied. He sounds so tired Kevyn thought as she listened to Patrick's voice. "Kevyn?" Patrick called. "I'm here; I was thinking that you sound tired." "I'll be alright, what did you want to ask me?" Patrick replied. "Did.... Did something happen between you and Melissa?" ********* As soon as Patrick heard her voice, he felt a sense of relief. He just didn't get it, her touch and voice calmed him so why was Melissa able to get to him? He didn't know what Kevyn wanted to ask him but he wasn't expecting a question about Melissa. "I.... yes but not what you think" he added quickly. "You know what? I'm sorry that I asked, it wasn't and isn't my business." Kevyn replied. Patrick heard the hurt in her voice and closed his eyes. "Kevyn, listen to me, I stopped... I didn't go through with it." She was silent for so long that the only way that he knew that she hadn't hung up was because he could hear her breathing. "Like I said, I'm sorry that I asked." "No, Kevyn, you don't understand." Patrick said. "Sure I do." Kevyn said a little more sharply than she intended. "Young, pretty half naked girl throws herself at the handsome teacher and he can't keep it in his pants, what's not to understand?" "It wasn't like that, at least not entirely, please can I call you later?" Patrick asked and crossed his fingers. "Why? What could we possibly have to talk about? You won't be teaching class and I believe that you have a rule about socializing with students." "Technically, you aren't my student and I like talking to you, Kevyn... please." Patrick heard the plea in his voice and didn't care. He felt Martin's hand on one shoulder and Ethan's on the other offering him support as he waited for Kevyn's answer. ******* Kevyn was surprised to find that she was hurt and angry but even more surprised that Patrick didn't try to deny that something happened. That's what Lonnie would have done and did do and she never believed him, but she believed Patrick. Maybe it was because she had witnessed the attempted seductions and his efforts to put the girl off but whatever the reason, she believed him when he said that he stopped. She knew that he was waiting for her answer and she wanted to say no, she wanted no part of whatever drama Patrick Sinclaire had going on in his life, god only knew that she had had more than her share of drama. But it was that "please" that got her, and she just couldn't make herself say no but she had to know why he chose her. "Why me? You barely know me." "I like you. Will that suffice?" Patrick asked hoping that it would. Kevyn hesitated before answering. "Ok but I work at night and sleep during the day." She could hear the relief in Patrick's voice but didn't understand it. "Thank you! You have no idea of how much this means to me." Patrick said. "Are Tuesday nights alright-after you get out of class I mean?" "I... I guess." Kevyn replied. She had the distinct feeling that somehow things had just changed in some unknown way. "You're sure that you're alright?" she asked. Patrick basked in her concern for him and replied as honestly as he could. "I will be, sleep well tonight." Kevyn hung up and wondered again what it was about Patrick that made her want to protect him. Her next thought was about Melissa, where was the little slut? ******** Melissa checked into a nice hotel under an assumed name and paid using cash. She still couldn't grasp how close she had come to being raped, she had been very, very lucky. In the morning as soon as she emptied her safety deposit box, she was leaving California and never coming back. She had learned her lesson. ******** Eustace was waiting for them when Patrick got home with Martin and Ethan. "You're early." Ethan said as he shook hands with Eustace. "Yes well, I was able to finish up early and thought I'd better get my ass over here." Eustace replied. "How's he doing?" "As well as can be expected, he's angry with himself that he let this woman affect him like that and confused, but then we all are. Why did the anger come if he found his mate?" Ethan asked. "I don't have an answer yet." Eustace admitted. "Let me go talk to him and find out what it was about this girl that pushed his buttons." ****** Patrick stood by the window staring out into the darkness trying to figure out what happened. He didn't seem to hear Eustace come in not acknowledging him until Eustace called his name. "Patrick?" Patrick turned to face Eustace not bothering to hide his tears; they stood facing each other for several minutes until Patrick sat on the floor. "I.... that... that could have been Kevyn! I could have raped and killed my mate and I don't understand how this could have happened if I found her!" Eustace sat on the floor across from Patrick and waited for him to continue. "Twenty-five years and one twenty-year old gold digging bitch manages to bring out the anger. I tried to warn her but she wouldn't stop. What if I try to hurt another woman?" Patrick asked. "First of all, you didn't hurt her. Whether it's because Martin and Ethan came or not is immaterial, you knew that you were in trouble and you called for help and that counts for something." Eustace said. "The first thing we need to do is to decide whether you are a risk to your mate or any other woman. Tell me about this woman, the one you almost raped." Eustace listened as Patrick described the events of past few weeks noting that he left out anything about his mate other than to mention her in passing and he wondered why. "Patrick, when Ethan talked about Katrina, he described her so well that I could have seen her on the street and known who she was, the same with Mason and his mate but you only mention your mate in passing, why is that?" "I don't want to talk about her in the same conversation as that bitch." Patrick replied. "Then let's talk about her separately, tell me about her." Eustace urged. Patrick Ch. 04 For ten minutes Patrick talked about Kevyn, describing her as he saw her. "She has the most beautiful eyes and when she smiles..." Eustace noticed something, when Patrick talked about Kevyn, he relaxed completely. "Now tell me about the one that you called the bitch." Eustace said. As soon as Patrick started to talk about Melissa, his demeanor changed, he became agitated and the red haze began to cloud his vision. "Tell me more about Kevyn." Eustace said. Again, as soon as Patrick started talking about Kevyn, he calmed and this time even Patrick noticed. "What do you think it means?" he asked. "I don't know yet but before we figure that out, I want to figure out why this woman was able to push you to the point of rape." Eustace said. "Tell me something, before things got to this point, was there something about this girl that bothered you?" Patrick thought about it for a few minutes before deciding that there had been, he had pegged her as trouble from the first and that she had reminded him of someone. "She reminded me of someone and I knew that I had to stay away from her." Patrick said. He could feel the anger beginning to rise and in his mind he said Kevyn's name and it receded. That in and of itself told him something, he could never hurt Kevyn, she was what kept him grounded but he needed confirmation. "When Ethan raped it was always the same type of woman." Eustace commented. "They were always white, tall and thin. Martin also had a certain type of woman that he victimized but you never told me about the type of woman that you victimized. Think carefully, is it possible that this woman reminded you of your victims?" Patrick closed his eyes, he remembered the rapes clearly but he had always had problems remembering what his victims looked like whereas Martin and Ethan didn't. He considered it a blessing but maybe it wasn't, if he could have remembered what his victims looked like maybe tonight could have been prevented but he really couldn't remember. "I suppose it's possible but I can't remember what my victims looked like." Patrick replied. "I think that you remembering is important in disabling the mechanism that urges you to rape." Eustace said. "How do I remember?" Patrick asked. ******* Kevyn sat on the couch for a long time, the television show forgotten. She didn't miss the relief in Patrick's voice when she said that he could call her. What was it about him that attracted her? She hadn't been really attracted to anyone since Lonnie and that was just fine with her but now there was Patrick Sinclaire who was everything that Lonnie hadn't been. That he was rich wasn't part of the attraction, money had never been a prerequisite for her, if the man had to flip burgers for a living she wouldn't care just as long as he tried. She changed the channel on the television looking for her other guilty pleasure, 'My name is Earl'. Not finding it she channeled surfed until she found a movie that looked interesting. As with the last television show, she couldn't concentrate. She couldn't stop thinking about Patrick and what could have happened between him and Melissa and got angry again but not so much at Patrick as she was with Melissa. The girl was playing with fire and one day she was going to try to seduce the wrong man and would end up in the obituaries. "Not my problem." She muttered to her self "and neither is Patrick Sinclaire" she added as she turned the television off and settled in to sleep. ****** "Do you remember anything about your past victims?" Eustace asked. He was wishing that they had addressed this when Patrick was in treatment but both of them had decided that it wasn't an issue since he had good control over his emotions and over the years the urge to rape hadn't reared its ugly head until this woman came along. "Not much only that they were small like.... Her" Patrick replied. He didn't even want to say Melissa's name. Thinking about her was bad enough. "What else do you remember?" "I .... They were hookers, all of them were hookers!" "Was this woman a hooker?" Eustace asked. "No, I don't believe so... well she was but not the stand on the street corner type and she dressed like one." "Alright, now let's talk about one of the rapes, the first one since that one will be the one that you're more likely to remember." "Eustace, I don't...." "If you want to ensure that this doesn't happen again, then you have to." Patrick nodded, Eustace was right, he had to do this. "Good, now at the beginning including what happened prior to the rape." Patrick began talking. It was halting at first, he hated remembering those days, the memories always sickened him but he ignored the nausea and kept talking. Eustace didn't stop him until he got to the part where he saw his victim." "Stop." Eustace said. "Try to imagine that you're watching a slide show and look at everything one slide at a time. Tell me what you see." "She's not on the corner but standing in a door way. The light was shining all around her giving her this ethereal look, she could have been an angel she was that beautiful." "Did you feel the urge to rape at that point?" "No, I mean I wanted her but not by force." Patrick said. "Go on." Eustace urged. "As I walked up to her, several other women tried to stop me but I didn't want them, I wanted the angel standing in the doorway." "Stop." Eustace said. "Look at her tell me what she looks like, you had to have looked at her to know that she was beautiful." Patrick swallowed hard; he didn't want to do this. This was where it all began but if he wanted to permanently kill the desire to rape, he had to. He didn't want to take the chance that he would rape someone again but he also didn't want to rape after he and Kevyn mated. He was no longer counting on the fact that he wouldn't rape now that he had found her. "She's small like...the one tonight was and the top of her head just barely reached my chest." "What color are her eyes?" "Gr...green." "What color is her hair?" "Oh god, it's ... red." "Take a breath, you're doing great." Eustace said with uncharacteristic gentleness. Patrick took a shaky breath. "Did she do anything?" Eustace asked after a minute. Patrick was crying again, while he had talked about the rapes, he hadn't dissected one as they were doing now. "She pulled down the bodice of her dress and showed me her breasts.... Eustace, that's what the other one did, she...." "Alright, slow down." Eustace said. "So she showed you her breasts and then what?" "She asked me if I wanted to play with a real woman, Melissa, she did the same things but not in the same order." Not ready to offer an opinion, Eustace took Patrick through another rape and wasn't surprised that the same things happened but not necessarily in the same order. There was actually one instance where the sex started out as consensual but then the woman said something about being a real woman and in Patrick's mind the woman had become one of the hookers that he had raped in the past. "Your victims have several things in common, they were small, red haired and green eyed." Eustace said. "And most of them were prostitutes. For whatever reason, that first rape determined the type of woman that you would rape and her words became your trigger. The woman tonight fit into that mold, you knew that there was something about her but because you couldn't remember what your victims looked like you didn't make the connection and of course she not knowing what you were kept pushing." "But that doesn't make what happened tonight right." Patrick said. "No it doesn't but now we know why it happened." Eustace replied. "Does this mean that it's safe for Kevyn to be around me?" "It's safe." Eustace said. "But." "But what?" Eustace asked. "What aren't you telling me?" Patrick asked. "I'm not sure." Eustace admitted. "Not sure about what? Is Kevyn safe with me or not?" Patrick demanded. "Kevyn is safe with you but I think it's more that you're safe with her." Eustace said. "What are you trying to tell me?" "Kevyn is your stabilizer." Eustace said. "Somehow she grounds you and as long as you remember her, you're alright." "That's good right?" Patrick asked. "It is but there's more." Eustace said. "You need to mate with her and the sooner the better, until you do there's a chance that given the right conditions you could rape again. I'm afraid that this Melissa has woken a sleeping dragon" Patrick felt as if he had been sucker punched, this could not be happening. "What do I do?" he asked frantically. "Stay in touch with your mate, if the urge comes, think about her and then call her." Eustace suggested. They talked for several more minutes before Eustace left. "You still have my emergency number don't you?" Eustace asked. "Yes, I have it." Patrick confirmed. "Good and don't hesitate to use it." "Thanks Eustace." "No problem and Patrick? I think that you should stay with either Martin or Ethan." He had already thought about that and wasn't sure that he was ready to face Katrina or Rachel. ****** Both Martin and Ethan were still there when Eustace left. "How are you doing?" Ethan asked. "Aside from the fact that I could rape again? Just fucking great!" Patrick snapped. "Whoa! What are you talking about?" Martin asked. They listened in shock as Patrick told them what Eustace said. "You can't stay here alone." Ethan said. "You're coming home with me and before you say no I've already talked to Katrina." "What did she say?" Patrick whispered. "She said that you should come home with me." Ethan replied. "And your niece is very anxious to see her favorite uncle." he added knowing that if anything would convince him, that would. "Victoria..." "Doesn't know." Ethan assured him. "Is Katrina really alright with me being there?" Patrick asked. "Patrick, Katrina loves you as does Rachel. They're not blaming you and want to do what they can to help you through this." Ethan said. "But there is one rule that you cannot forget, well two but the first one is the most important one. "Ok." "You cannot come up from behind Katrina without announcing yourself. If you come from outdoors or anywhere in the house and you don't see her, call out her name. If you don't she'll have a flashback, the second thing is this you have to play scrabble and be prepared to lose." "Got it, but scrabble?" Patrick asked. "That's her favorite game and I've only beaten her a handful of times and only because she was distracted." Ethan replied. "Let me get a few things." Patrick said and went to pack. He glanced at the clock; it was just a little past eleven. He found it hard to believe that just a few hours ago he was enjoying his life as a teacher, finding his mate and it had all almost gone to hell. He felt the anger rise, he wanted to find that little bitch and...... "Patrick? Are you alright?" Martin asked. The anger died, he couldn't allow himself to think about Melissa, it would only bring the anger and he would hurt someone. "I'm ok; can you give me a minute?" As soon as Marin left the room, Patrick called Kevyn. ******* She wasn't asleep yet, there were too many thoughts running through her mind and all of them involved Patrick. Kevyn sighed in frustration and turned on the television hoping that it would lull her to sleep and after a few minutes, it had begun to work its magic. She was just about asleep when her phone rang, her initial reaction was panic. Her mother wasn't well and anytime the phone rang late at night, her first thought was that her mother had died. Kevyn answered the phone without checking the caller ID. "Hello?" "Hi it's me Patrick, did I wake you?" "No, I wasn't asleep yet. You sound better." "I'm doing better thanks." Patrick said. "I just wanted to call to wish you a goodnight and to thank you." "You keep thanking me but I don't know what you're thanking me for." Kevyn replied. "You have no idea of how much you've helped me." Patrick said. "Sometime soon I'll explain everything but for now, thank you." Kevyn hung up more confused than she was before. Patrick Ch. 05 Kevyn woke up feeling as if she hadn't slept even though she knew she had. She dragged herself off of the sofa and headed to the bathroom for a shower and then to the tiny kitchen to fix herself a bowl of cereal. Her thoughts ran to Patrick and whatever had happened between him and Melissa, she hoped for his sake that whatever happened hadn't gone beyond a kiss. "He said he stopped." she muttered under her breath as she poured milk over her cereal. She couldn't remember if she left her phone on or off and went to check it relieved to find that she had left it on. "Come on Kevyn," she said out loud, "he's not going to call you." and then she felt an inexplicable sadness at the thought. She pushed the feeling away and ate her breakfast as she decided where she was going to study for the morning. It was another nice day which made the park tempting but then she did have to work tonight and she always like to sleep for a couple of hours before going to work. As she was trying to decide, her cell phone rang, she recognized the number as work. "Hey Kev, this is Lola from staffing, we've seriously screwed up your schedule." "Meaning what?" Kevyn asked. "Meaning that you're off for the next five nights...." "What? That's a serious screw up! I can't afford to miss four shifts!" Kevyn protested. "I know and I'm sorry." Lola said, "But I can do this, you've got a shit load of vacation time-I can authorize vacation pay for you." "That's great but that's straight pay, it doesn't include the night shift differential." Kevyn argued. "I know it doesn't but its better than not being paid at all isn't it?" Lola asked. "I guess." Kevyn conceded, "So when am I on again?" For all practical purposes, she was off for the week, "well, I guess I'll go to the park." she muttered. During the time she was on the phone her cereal had gone to mush, she forced herself to eat it grimacing the entire time; she couldn't afford to just throw it away. Breakfast finished, she decided to pack a snack just in case she stayed past lunch time and then decided to throw something in the crock-pot. She dug around in the small freezer until she located a small roast, she made room on the tiny counter for the crock pot, put the roast in and then mixed in a bowl a can of cream of mushroom soup, a package of onion soup mix and a half a can of cola and poured it over the meat and set it on low. An hour later, she was at the park sitting in the same spot that she sat in the week before. The sun was warm on her back but she loved the feeling and didn't move. She was going over her test when she heard a voice behind her. "Hello." Kevyn turned to see the man who had spoken to her the week before standing behind her. "Hi." "Look, I came on a little too strong last week and I wanted to apologize." "Ok. Thanks." Kevyn said and turned back around. "That offer for coffee still stands." "No thanks." "I could go get it and bring it here." "Look, Stu-that's your name isn't it?" Kevyn asked. "Good memory...." "I'm not interested, I have a fiancé and I know that he wouldn't approve so thanks but no thanks." "It's because I'm white isn't it?" Stu asked. "What? NO! That has nothing to do with it." Kevyn replied. "Then what? Because I don't believe that you have a fiancé." Damn it! Why was it that everyone knew when she was lying? Kevyn wondered. "Alright, here it is, I don't have a fiancé but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not interested. It has nothing whatsoever to do with your skin color but everything to do with that you're a man. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go." Kevyn packed up her things and left without saying goodbye. She counted the money in her wallet and decided to spend the morning in a burger king where she could sit all day as long as she bought coffee or pop and hopefully she would be undisturbed. She also decided that from now on she would avoid the park, seeing the same man two weeks in a row was a little unnerving and it looked like he wasn't going to leave her alone. She went to the counter at the burger king, ordered a coffee and found a quiet corner where she could relax and study. The problem was that she kept thinking about Patrick and every time she did, she tingled all over to the point where it was uncomfortable. She checked her phone several times becoming disgusted with herself, finally she turned the phone off and put it away. Once she did that she was able to buckle down and study stopping only to go to the bathroom and to get a refill on her drink. It was well after four when she left the restaurant and got on the bus to go home. The smell of cooking meat greeted her making her stomach rumble, she changed into her sweats and washed a potato to nuke in the microwave. As she waited, she turned on her phone to see that she had four missed calls. ****** Patrick at up long after everyone else had gone to bed, he couldn't get around the fact that he could still hurt someone, that he had in fact almost hurt someone and would have if Ethan and Martin hadn't gotten there in time. The fact that Melissa pushed his buttons was beside the point, he had lost control and it shouldn't have happened. He realized that he had any number of options that he could have chosen but at that moment none of them were obvious. He wanted to apologize to Melissa but couldn't, she wouldn't remember him as her assailant and he didn't want to waken any memories of him. With nothing else to do, he logged in to his school account to send an email to the class notifying them that he would no longer be teaching the class but to show up anyway. He was surprised to see an email from Melissa and wasn't going to read it until he saw the time stamp. He read the email and then deleted it; she was gone for good he hoped. He also hoped that she learned something although the way it happened he wouldn't have wished on anyone. He sent the email to the other students and then sent one to Kevyn. "Kevyn, Thank you again for agreeing to let me call you, I know that you work tonight but if you have a free minute, could you call me? Patrick" It wasn't quite five in the morning and he wondered if Veronica and Vanessa were still up. As much as he wished that he could forget what happened, they would want to know, it could help them in their research in figuring out why some males knew their mates and why some didn't. He also wanted to know why the bond didn't stop the anger from rising. He picked up the phone and spoke with Vanessa. "Hi Uncle Patrick!" She listened quietly as Patrick described the events of the past few weeks. "Are you alright?" she asked. "I'm... ok, I just don't get it." he said, "I found my mate so why do I still have this anger?" "Is the woman alright?" "Yes, thanks to your dad and your Uncle Martin." "Are you going to be staying at mom and dad's?" "Yes for now anyway." "I think that's a good idea, I'll talk to Veronica and see if we can come over there tonight if you're up to it." Vanessa said. "I want to figure this out so come if you can." Patrick said. "Uncle Patrick?" "Yes?" "I'm glad that you were with it enough to call for help and we love you." "I love you too, I'll see you tonight." Patrick hung up and looked at the time again, Kevyn would be asleep. Instead of calling her like he wanted to do, he began to think about how he was going to explain things to her. The first thing he would tell her was about last night and Melissa since she already knew that something had happened, he was hoping that telling her would give him some indication of how she would react when he told her about his past. He went to his room still thinking of how he would tell her, but there was something else, he had to spend time with her. According to Eustace, Kevyn was his grounder, as long as she was with him he and any green eye red-haired woman would be safe. When they talked he would ask her out for a cup of coffee, it would be a start. Patrick took a long hot shower wishing that it would wash away everything that happened over the past few weeks except for finding Kevyn. Guilt and anger washed over him as he replayed the events of the evening in his mind. He was angry with Melissa but even angrier at himself, "Why didn't I just walk away? Why didn't I....." He stopped himself; the fact of the matter was that he did nothing that he could have done but to be fair he hadn't expected to find Melissa in his office laying on his desk for all practical purposes naked. "Damn it!" Patrick swore as tears of anger and disbelief ran down his face. He was a rapist, would always be but he had banked his hopes that he would never rape again on finding his mate and it hadn't happened. He got out of the shower dried off and went into the bedroom wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. Ethan was sitting in an armchair waiting for him. "How are you holding up?" Patrick shrugged, "not too well if I want to be honest about it, what are you doing up?" he asked. "I wanted to be available to you." Ethan replied. "Katrina..." "Knows and understands." Ethan replied. "Why do you think I knew Kevyn but finding her didn't take away the anger?' Patrick asked. "I have no idea." Ethan replied. "I've already called the girls; they're supposed to come over this evening." Patrick said as he sat down on the bed. "I feel like shit! I should have been able to control myself." "Patrick, it wasn't entirely your fault, you warned her, you tried to get her to drop your class...." "But I should have been able to control myself!" Patrick exclaimed. "Maybe I should quit teaching at least until we have this thing figured out." "What about teaching online?" Ethan suggested. "That's a possibility I suppose." "Patrick, talk to me, you can tell me anything and it won't leave this room." Ethan urged. Patrick hesitated for a moment, "when it was happening, part of me was horrified and wanted to stop but part of me....part of me didn't want to stop, it wanted to teach that .... Girl a lesson and god help me but Ethan, it felt good!" "Why did you call for help?" Ethan asked. "Because as good as it would have felt, it was wrong and no matter what she did to push my buttons; she didn't deserve what was going to happen to her if you and Martin hadn't gotten there." Patrick replied. "And it wouldn't have been worth the guilt that would have come afterwards. I keep thinking about all of the things that I could have done and didn't do. I could have left the office and called security or even left the office and come here but I didn't. How much of not doing any of those things was a conscious decision or shock I don't know." "When you called for us, you were panicked." Ethan said, "It was clear that you were in trouble but I can't tell you if what happened after you called to us was a conscious decision on your part only you can answer that." "I know. It's something that Eustace and I are going to talk about today. I think he's planning to call Mason for some input." "Are you alright with that?" Ethan asked. "I don't care if he calls the president, I just want to understand and deal with what's happening." Patrick said. "Have you spoken to Kevyn this morning?" "No not yet, it's too early but I sent her an email asking her to call me when she had a chance. I want to take her out for a cup of coffee." Patrick replied. Ethan hesitated; he didn't think that it was wise for Patrick to go anywhere alone. "I know that you need and want to see her but I think that someone should go with you. Once you're with her, they can back off and she won't even know that they're there." "This is part of it isn't it? The consequences for being what I am and because of what I've done." Patrick replied. "It is." Ethan confirmed, "And it won't get any easier but remember that you have us to lean on, whatever you need you've got it." "Except that you can't make this whole thing go away." Patrick said Patrick said softly. "I wish that I could." Ethan replied meaning it, "I wish that I could go back and stop it before it had a chance to start but we have to deal with what is. Let me know if you're going out and either I or Martin will go with you." Patrick waited until 10 to call Kevyn and left a message when she didn't pick up. He tried again at eleven, one and then again at three becoming more nervous with each unanswered phone call. What if she changed her mind about talking with him? He wondered and the he wondered what he would do if that were the case, every woman who looked like his victims would be at risk. "Slow down!" he admonished himself, "maybe her phone is off or the battery is dead." he muttered. Just as he was about to call her again, his phone rang. ******* Kevyn listened to the voice messages and noted that in each message, Patrick sounded a little more nervous, it was as if he was afraid that she wouldn't call him back. She checked on the meat in the crock pot, stirred it around and then called Patrick back, he answered on the first ring. "Kevyn? Are you alright?" "I'm fine; I had my phone off so that I could study, what's going on?" "Nothing, I just wanted to talk." Patrick replied. "Are you alright?" Kevyn asked. "I'm ok, I won't be teaching the class for the rest of the semester, I don't know who they're going to get to replace me but if you need any help with getting ready for a test I'll be glad to help you." "Thanks but I think I'll be alright." Kevyn replied. "I know that you work tonight but is there any chance that we could meet for a cup of coffee?" "I.....I'm off until next week." Kevyn replied. "How'd that happen?" "I don't know," Kevyn replied, "some kind of mix up with the schedule." "So how about that cup of coffee?" Patrick asked. "I don't know, I mean you said...." "It's not a date, I just want to have a cup of coffee with you and I am no longer your instructor." Kevyn hesitated. "You can even bring spunky for protection if you like." Patrick said. Kevyn laughed, "Yeah well spunky is unavailable at the moment but ok, I'll meet you for coffee, where and when?" "Is there a place close to where you live?" "Not really unless you want to have coffee at the 'Del Taco' she replied. "That works, how about seven or is that too late for you to be out?" "No that's fine, and it's the 'Del Taco' on Main and Crescent st." "I'll find it, see you soon." Kevyn hung up with very mixed feelings, she was excited, nervous and scared all at the same time, "It's just coffee" she told herself as she popped the potato into the microwave. ******* Patrick breathed a sigh of relief and then became nervous, what was he going to tell her? "The truth" he told himself as he looked at the clock, it was just past five. He called Vanessa back to tell her to come later in the evening as he would be out with Kevyn. "Someone is going with you right?" she asked. "Yes, either your dad or your Uncle Martin is going with me." Patrick replied. "Good." Vanessa said, "What are you going to tell her?" "The truth, I can't and won't lie to her." "I'm glad to hear that although she would know even if you tried to lie to her." "There is that too." Patrick replied. "Have you filled Veronica in?" "Yeah and she sends her love. The lab is almost ready if you want to go over there and set up your space." "My space?" Patrick asked. "Sure, you're a part of this team and you get your own office as well as a place to sleep if you can't get home. The rest of the lab equipment should be here in a day or two but in the meantime we're reading through the files of the vampires who have agreed to be studied." "I really hope we can figure this out." Patrick said. "It's going to take some time but we will." Vanessa assured him. ****** Patrick found Ethan in the kitchen with Katrina and Victoria who were making dinner. "Smells good." Patrick said by way of announcing himself. "Uncle Patrick!" Veronica squealed and ran toward him leaping up into his arms. "Hi pumpkin." Patrick greeted with a kiss on the cheek. "Papa said that you're staying here for a while, I'm glad." "I'm glad that you're glad, what are you making for supper?" "Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread and salad." Victoria replied. "Sounds good, did you make extra for me?" Patrick asked, "You know I might not leave any for you" he teased. "Oh Uncle Patrick!" Victoria replied giggling. Patrick set her down on her feet and looked over at Ethan, "Can we talk for a moment?" "Not before you speak to me!" Katrina said as she dried her hands and walked over to Patrick. "I'm glad that you and the girl are both alright." she said as she pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek. "Katrina.... Thank you, I know that it can't be easy having me here." "You're family and you need us." Katrina replied taking his hand in hers, "and we all love you, now go talk with Ethan supper should be ready in about ten minutes." ****** Six-thirty. Kevyn went through her closet for the third time trying to decide what to wear although all she had was jeans, tee shirts and sweatshirts. She ended up wearing her best pair of jeans with a tee shirt that she had never worn before, her heart pounded as she showered and then dressed. She ran a comb through her hair and took on last look at her self in the mirror before leaving her tiny efficiency. ****** Patrick was already at the restaurant waiting outside for Kevyn to show up. His stomach was in knots not so much because of seeing her but because of what he knew they would talk about. He leaned against the wall not looking at or speaking to anyone; he could see Ethan out of the corner of his eye and relaxed slightly. He spotted Kevyn about half a block away and walked to meet her. "Hi, thanks for coming." he said when he reached her. "Hi and you're welcome." They walked back to the 'Del Taco' in silence neither of them knowing what to say. Patrick led them to a table far in the corner that gave a little privacy and went to get their coffee. Kevyn didn't miss the envious looks she received when she walked in with Patrick nor did she miss the lustful gazes that he got. The idea that anyone would look at him like that angered her and a flash of jealousy followed that anger, the strong emotions startled and frightened her at the same time. When a woman about her age approached Patrick, the need to protect trumped all of the other emotions; she got up from her seat and walked over to where the woman and Patrick stood. "I forgot to tell you that I like a lot of cream in my coffee." she said glaring at the woman who got the picture and walked away. Patrick wasn't attracted to the woman at all but it made him feel good to know that Kevyn was so protective of him. It also confirmed something else; she was drawn to him as much as he was to her. That knowledge went a long ways in calming his nerves. "I didn't ask if you were hungry." Patrick said. "No, I'm good, I ate before I came." Kevyn replied as she mixed the sugar and cream in her coffee. "How's the studying going?" Patrick asked feeling completely at peace for the first time in almost twenty-four hours. "Ok and I can see why you split the endocrine system into two sections." Kevyn replied. "Dr. Sinclaire...." "Patrick." he interrupted. "Ok, Patrick, why are we here?" Her bluntness caught Patrick off guard but it told him that she was a straight shooter. "I wanted to explain about last night." "You don't owe me any explanations." Kevyn said taking a sip of her coffee. "You're both adults and you can do whatever you want." she added. Suddenly the coffee didn't taste so good. Patrick Ch. 05 "Actually, I do." Patrick countered. Kevyn shrugged, "Alright then, explain." Kevyn listened without interruption as Patrick told her about the events of the evening before; she felt her anger at Melissa grow. "So let me get this straight," Kevyn said when Patrick was finished talking, " Melissa and her mommy are a tag team of sorts whose main goal in life is to get wealthy men to either marry them and /or give them money." "Yes." "And Melissa targeted you because of who you are, that's why she took your class." "Yes." "And you offered her no encouragements?" "Kevyn come on! You were there! You even talked to her about it." Patrick said. "But what about online? You broke your own rule with me and called me by my first name and signed off with yours." "I see your point but no, I didn't use either her or my first name in any email communications, you're the only student that I've ever done that with." "She really was in your office almost naked and you turned her down?" Kevyn asked. "Well, something almost happened but I was able to stop-someone came to the office and stopped us." "Who?" "My brothers Ethan and Martin." Patrick replied. "And what if they hadn't come by?" "I..... I wouldn't have been able to stop myself." Patrick admitted. "I also would have felt guilty about it afterwards." Kevyn believed him but there was something that he wasn't telling her. "So where is the little slut?" she asked. "I don't know but she sent me an email saying that she was dropping my class." Patrick replied. "Do you really believe her?" "I'm thinking about teaching online, they've wanted to start an online A&P class for sometime now, maybe I'll volunteer to get it up and running so whether she was sincere or not about dropping my class, it doesn't really matter." Kevyn looked at Patrick, the feeling that he was omitting something important returned but she didn't call him on it, she has the feeling that whatever it was, she wasn't ready to hear it anyway. After they finished their coffee, Patrick insisted on walking her home in spite of her assurances that she would be safe. "I just want to make sure that you get home safely." Kevyn wasn't sure about him knowing where she lived but it was obvious that it was important to him that he see her home and that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. They walked in silence not speaking until they were standing in front of the apartment building. "Thank you again for meeting me." "You're welcome and have a good night." Kevyn said and started to go up the steps. "Kevyn, wait, how about dinner tomorrow night?" "I have to study." 'I'll help you; we can go to the library or to a coffee shop if the library is closed." Patrick replied. "I appreciate the offer but I have to say no, I have to pass this class and as you know, I barely passed the first test." Patrick wasn't about to give up, he loved the feeling of peace that he had with being so close to her. "You still have to eat don't you? My guess is that you're going to study tonight and then all day tomorrow, am I right?" he asked, "and who better to help you study for an A&P class than a A&P instructor?" "Yes but..." "So you'll need a break so have dinner with me, do you like Chinese?" "You don't give up do you?" Kevyn asked. "No, so was that a yes?" Patrick pressed. "Only if you can promise that I'll be home early" "Agreed, I'll come for you at six if that's alright." Patrick said. "That's fine and nothing fancy." Kevyn replied. ******* Vanessa and Veronica were at Ethan's when he and Ethan got home. Patrick hugged and kissed each girl on the cheek before sitting down. "So," Veronica said, "You found your mate." "Yes and for all the good it did me." Patrick replied. "I think that it did help but not in the way you were hoping or thought that it would." Vanessa said, "Part of what stopped you last night was being reminded that you have a mate and how do you feel now that you've been with her?" "You're right, finding her did help but my question is how is it that I knew here when I saw her but I still have the capacity to rape?" Patrick asked. "That's what we're hoping to find out." Veronica replied, "But how do you feel after being with her?" "I feel more at peace than I have in the last twenty -four hours, what are your thoughts?" Patrick asked. "I don't even want to venture a guess especially since we haven't begun our study yet." Veronica replied. "But we're happy that you found her." she added. "We were wondering if you would mind being videotaped while you tell us what happened over the past few weeks." Vanessa said. "If it'll help then tape away but do you mind if Eustace is here when we do it? I'm sure that he'll have some questions and observations that could be helpful." "Actually, that's a good idea." Vanessa replied. "Is Eustace around that we can do this tonight?" Ethan went call Eustace and came back a few minutes later, "He'll be here in an hour, I'll go get the video camera." "Thanks dad." Veronica said. Patrick took a deep breath, it wouldn't be easy retelling what happened especially to his nieces but he would do it, all he had to do was remember Kevyn. ******** Linda finally realized that she hadn't seen or heard from Melissa in the last twenty-four hours and wondered where she was. Her first thought was that she was successful in getting Patrick into bed, her second thought was of how much money Melissa would be able to get out of him and if the money was already in the account. She hummed a happy tune "we're in the money" and logged onto their joint account. While she waited for the information to come up she browsed through a magazine momentarily forgetting about looking at the bank account, the picture of a diamond taking her attention. When she finally looked, she gasped. "This can't be right!" she exclaimed as she stared at the balance. She called the bank fully prepared to scream at whoever answered the phone. Instead she took a deep breath and forced herself to sound pleasant when the phone was picked up. That calm demeanor disappeared when she found out that the money was transferred to another account not associated with their bank and the person wouldn't give the name of the bank. "When was this transaction performed?" she demanded. "Last night?" Linda slammed the phone down and looked at the computer screen, 5,000.00 dollars was all that was left in the account but why that amount? She wondered and then remembered that she told Melissa that she had only 5,000 dollars when she met her father. On a whim, she decided to check the account that Melissa had on the side, Melissa didn't know that she knew about it and until now Linda had never looked at it. "Damn it!" Linda swore when she saw that the account was closed. She looked around trying to decide what to do; her options were limited since she no longer had money. If she stayed, she would have to do as her husband said or else she's be out on her ass, he was already talking about divorce and what he would give her wasn't enough to let her live in the way that she had become accustomed. She went to Melissa's room to see if she had left a note or anything to indicate where she might have gone, finding nothing, she called Melissa's cell phone and received a message that the number was no longer in service. She thought about calling the police but Melissa was an adult and there was no proof that anything had happened to her. It appeared that she had taught her only child too well. Until she decided what her next step was, there was nothing that she could do but pretend to be a good wife and bide her time. ****** Kevyn was comfortably dressed in her sweat pants and tee shirt; she looked at the text book and then the television, the text book won out. She spent the rest of the evening studying deciding to reward herself only after she had finished reading the chapter and answered the questions at the end of it. When she met her goal Kevyn turned on the television and looked for something interesting to watch. As she flipped through the channels she thought about Patrick and wondered why she found it so easy to believe him when he told her about Melissa. She reluctantly admitted that she was excited about seeing him again and felt what she called a hot flash when she admitted it. Once again the feeling that something that was beyond her control was happening and she didn't like it one bit. Patrick Ch. 06 The video taping was over much to Patrick's relief, he felt like a prisoner being interrogated as Veronica and Eustace fired questions at him, all that was missing was the bright light hanging above his head and his hands being tied behind his back. He didn't even bother to ask what they thought, they would only tell him that it was too soon and that they'd call him as soon as they knew anything. Eustace stayed after the girls left and took Patrick aside. "You up to talking?" he asked. "It doesn't matter if I'm up to it or not." Patrick replied, "I want this taken care of." "Good answer." Eustace replied and led the way to Ethan's office. He waited until they were both comfortable and started the session by asking about Kevyn. "How is she?" "She's good, we had coffee tonight." Patrick replied. "Did you tell her about last night?" "I told her everything except that I almost raped Melissa but I think she knows that I didn't tell her everything." Patrick said. "Why do you think that? Did she question you?" "Yes but it was more about what would have happened if Ethan and Martin hadn't come." Patrick hesitated and Eustace waited. "She feels drawn to me." "Is that a problem?" "No, it's just that I need to start thinking about how to tell her everything sooner than I had hoped or planned." Patrick replied. "Tell me about tonight." Eustace said. "Not a whole lot to tell except that when I was with her, I felt cocooned from the world and she's a very jealous and protective woman." Patrick told Eustace about how Kevyn had confronted Melissa one night after class and how she had intervened with the woman at the restaurant. "What I find interesting," Eustace said, "is that she feels the need to protect you as much as you feel the need to protect her. The jealousy is understandable, that's normal mate behavior but for her to step up for you like that.... It intrigues me." "What are you thinking?" Patrick asked. "I don't know yet and I know that you're tired of hearing that but I don't want to say anything until I've had more time to think about it." Patrick gave a dry chuckle, "I have the feeling that I'm going to be hearing that a lot between you and the girls." Eustace smiled, "Probably so." he conceded as he shifted in his chair. Patrick tensed and then relaxed, he knew what was coming and it wouldn't help anything if he was already tensed and nervous. "I want to talk about last night again." Eustace said, "Not so much about what happened but about what was going through your mind as the almost rape was happening, start with when you walked into the office." "I knew that it wasn't Robertson, he has a smell that reminds me of stale corn chips." "But you went in anyway." "Yes but I didn't think that she would be in there, I thought that.... I don't know what I thought." "Go on." "I turned on the lights and there she was on my desk practically naked. I told her to get out but .... She pulled the straps of her..... She..." The red haze and anger began to rise. "Tell me about Kevyn" Eustace said calmly. Patrick took a deep breath. "Kevyn is my mate, she's taking her prerequisites so that she can apply for the nursing program." "What else?" Eustace asked watching Patrick carefully. "She likes sports; she plays on the softball team for her job." "Sounds like your kind of woman." Eustace remarked, "Are you ready to continue?" Patrick nodded. "What was your first thought when you saw the girl?" "That she had to leave and I told her that but she didn't listen." "Then?" "That we were both in trouble.... That I... we needed help so I called for Ethan and Martin." Patrick replied. "I should have left, but I... I was so angry at her. I was alright until she came along and kept pushing me. I'm not saying that I'm innocent, I know that I'm not but why in the hell did she keep pushing me? I tried to warn her." "After you called for Ethan and Martin, what were you thinking?" "I'm not sure that I was thinking." Patrick replied, "All I felt was rage at this girl who in a few weeks almost destroyed me and all of the progress that I thought that I had made. I wanted to teach her a lesson and I wanted to hurt her.... Eustace, it felt good, my touching her and scaring the shit out of her felt good but at the same time, I knew that it was wrong and I knew that I would feel as guilty as hell when it was over but I wouldn't have stopped if Ethan and Martin hadn't come when they did." "Are you telling me that you didn't want to stop?" Eustace asked. There was no judgment in his voice as he asked the question, just a need to know. "Part of me wanted to but part of me didn't, so if you're asking if I had more control than I realized then the answer would have to be yes." Patrick said softly. "I need a drink, call Kevyn and I'll be back in a few minutes." Patrick waited until Eustace was gone before calling Kevyn, he was fairly certain that she would still be up studying and was relieved when she answered the phone. "How's the studying going?" he asked. "Alright, I read the rest of the chapter last night and answered the questions at the end of the chapter." "Good, do you use the disc that comes with the book? Some of the instructors take their test questions from there." "I haven't been but I guess I will now, thanks for the heads up. Did you need something?" "No, I just wanted to say goodnight" he said and hear your voice he thought to himself. "Oh, ok." "You never did say if you liked Chinese food." "Not really." Kevyn replied sensing that he was trying to keep her on the phone." "What kind of food do you like?" Patrick asked now feeling completely calm. "Indian food is good and so is Ethiopian food." "I like both of those, there's an Ethiopian restaurant that I go to sometimes, would you like to go there?" "Sure, that sounds good." Kevyn replied meaning it. "Great, I'll see you tomorrow night at six." Patrick said. They talked for a few more minutes before hanging up, what he really wanted was to keep talking to her but that wasn't possible. "Everything alright?" Eustace asked as he came back into the room. "It's good, we're going out for dinner tomorrow night." "I hope someone is going with you." Eustace said. "I'll ask Ethan and Martin, one of them should be available." "How about me? Gretchen is at some conference for the week so I'm free." "That would be great, thanks." Patrick said, "But you're offering for another reason so spill." "I want to see how the two of you interact with each other; it could provide some valuable information about our mating process as a whole." Eustace replied. "Fine by me just don't scare her off." "She won't even know that I'm there but let's get back to work, you were realizing that you had more control than you thought you did." "Yes and that I had options that part of me didn't want to acknowledge." "Did the thought of your mate cross your mind at all during the incident?" Eustace asked. "No, as a matter of fact Ethan had to remind me that I even had a mate, I couldn't even remember her name without help." "And then once you remembered, the anger decreased?" "Yes, what are you getting at?" Patrick asked. "For one thing, you need to mate with her and the sooner the better and yes I know what I said about slowing the process down but in your case, mating with her will put dragon back to sleep permanently. The second thing is that you are never to go out alone even if it's to meet her, it's not worth the risk that you'll run into someone who will inadvertently trigger the anger." "Eustace you're making me very nervous." "Good, I want you to be, where's this restaurant and what time do I need to be here?" Patrick gave Eustace the information and watched him vanish from where he was sitting. He went to is room to start building the online A&P class. When he called the school they were beyond thrilled when he volunteered to set up the online class, he was glad for the job, it would give him something to do. ******* As soon as Kevyn walked in she kicked off her shoes, changed her clothes and took out her books. She replayed the evening in her mind, what was it about him that she was so attracted to him? She asked herself. "He's honest even though he hiding something, he's not hard to look at, he has a job and .... He makes me think of sex." Kevyn Morris stop it right now!" she said out loud, "You don't need a man!" She added. That was true, she didn't need a man but need and want were two different things weren't they? She didn't need or want Patrick's money but she sure as hell wanted him. She pushed the idea aside, it would do nothing but get her wondering what he looked like naked and..... "Kevyn stop it!" she said again as she pulled out her books top study. She was doing fairly well until Patrick called, she realized that she had used more minutes on her phone in the past day than she had all week. The few minutes that they were on the phone got her thinking again so she gave up studying, took a cold shower and went to bed turning on the television to lull her to sleep. ******* Patrick worked on setting up the online class until four am; he stood up, stretched and hopped in the shower thinking of Kevyn. The whole time that they were at the restaurant he couldn't help but stare at her, he watched her lips as they moved when she talked and wanted to kiss her. As they walked to her apartment, he wanted to put his arm around her and announce that she belonged to him but instead he kept his hands in his pockets, at her apartment he fought the urge to kiss her but maybe tonight he could at least kiss her cheek. He looked down at his erection and tried to ignore it by thinking of anything else but Kevyn. He was gratified to realize that it was her specifically that made him hard and not some woman that he could possibly rape or the thought of rape, it was all her. Patrick took a deep breath as he took his cock in his hand and began to stroke it; he closed his eyes and imagined that Kevyn was in the shower with him. He had just finished washing her hair, her shoulders, back and ass and now she was facing him his cock in her hands slowly stroking up and down then faster and harder until.... He let out a low moan as his semen shot out, hit the shower wall and was washed down the drain. Patrick leaned against the shower wall with his eyes still closed and Kevyn in his mind, he couldn't wait until she was with him for real but until then he would have to be content with the fantasy. ******** Kevyn was asleep when her eyes snapped open, she was burning up, her nipples were hard and she was wet and throbbing between her legs. She had never been one to explore her own body and had never brought herself to orgasm but she knew arousal when she felt it. She couldn't remember dreaming about anything erotic or thinking about anything except..... Patrick. Another blast of heat hit her as soon as she thought about him. "Sweet Jesus, what is it about him?" she murmured as she reached down under the sheet and touched herself through her sweat pants. She gasped when her hand came away wet, she wondered if she hadn't wet herself in her sleep but she knew better, she was aroused. Not knowing what else to do, Kevyn reached into her sweat pants and touched her throbbing clit biting her lip when pleasure ran through her. She rubbed faster and in tight little circles until her hips rose off of the sofa and her body stiffened as the orgasm washed through her. She fell back to sleep not waking until late morning, she frowned when she found that her hand was stuffed down her pants and cupping her mound. She quickly removed her hand, rolled off of the couch and headed for the shower. "That was one hell of a dream." she muttered as she got into the shower. ****** Patrick spent the morning talking to the twins who had watched the video tape several times but were still not ready to give even first impressions. "We need more time but we agree with Eustace, You're safe as long as you're with Kevyn." Veronica said. "You can't even give me a hint?" Patrick asked. "No, not yet but would you be willing to do a PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography) of your brain? We want to do one now and then one after you and Kevyn finally mate to see if there's any differences." "Whatever you need." Patrick replied, "Are you going to have the others do one as well?" "No not everyone, just those who haven't found their mates or haven't mated with them yet and have a history of violence." Veronica replied. "And before I forget, we're taking blood samples too." "When do you want me there?" 'When are you seeing Kevyn again?" Veronica asked. "Tonight, why?" "Do you think that you could swing by before you go? I have a hunch about something." "Do you have a PET Scan machine there?" Patrick asked. "We sure do and you'll be the very first one that we use it on." Veronica replied. "Do you know how to use the thing?" "Of course we do! We both took the training class to learn how to operate it and we both passed with flying colors." "Is five thirty alright? I'm picking Kevyn up at six." "Can we make it five?" Veronica asked. "I'll be there." Patrick hung up the phone wondering what theory the girls had come up with and how soon they would share that theory with him. The rest of the day was spent working on the online A&P class that he had agreed to set up and now teach, he had time to fine tune it since it wouldn't start until next semester but it would be listed in the next semester's catalogue. As the instructor Patrick could decide how many students to take and he decided on six to start with and if it went well more classes and students would be added. ******* Linda sat at the laptop after spending most of the day trying to figure out where Melissa had gone with their money. She had even gone back into what had been Melissa's room looking for anything that might hint at where she had gone. She opened all of the drawers dumping the contents on the floor and sifted through the papers. By the time she was finished, the room looked as though a cyclone had blown through it. "Ungrateful bitch!" Linda snarled as she threw a book across the room, she was stuck here until she could come up with a way to get more money. Her husband had finally laid down the law and taken her credit cards giving her one of those check cards that had a certain amount of money on it. "Three thousand a month is all you get and when it's gone, it's gone so make it last." he told her as she watched him take the credit cards out of her wallet, cut them up and replace them with the check card. "Where's your check book?" he asked digging in her purse until he found it. Linda watched horrified as he called the bank and told them that he would no longer cover any returned checks written on her account and then he made other phone calls effectively cutting her off from any of his money other than what he gave her. "Carl, please!" she begged. "This is the way it's going to be, if you don't like it there's the door." he said and walked out of the den. So much for hiring a private detective Linda thought bitterly. There had to be a way to find out where Melissa went but how? Then it hit her, Patrick Sinclaire, he would have been one of the last people to see Melissa and what if she was still with him? She doubted it, Melissa would have called her to gloat but it was possible. Maybe there was a way that she could get money from him, maybe Melissa wasn't successful in getting him into bed, maybe Melissa wasn't woman enough for him. She did have that little girl appearance although she was quite experienced in bed. Linda picked up the phone called the school and asked for Patrick's office. "I'm sorry but Dr. Sinclaire isn't available for the rest of the semester." the voice on the other end of the line said. "Oh, is there a way that I can reach him?" Linda asked. "I'm sorry but no, he does call in every so often to check for messages if you'd like to leave one." "No thank you and thank you for your help." "Hmmm, Melissa is gone and he's not teaching." Linda mused, "They're not together and he wouldn't need her money even if they were, he's worth millions so what happened?" she murmured to herself. "The little bitch ran off with my money is what happened!" she grumbled under her breath. There had to be a way to capitalize on this and if she did, she could kiss her husband goodbye and live out the rest of her life in luxury. She mentally calculated just how much money she would need in order to do that, five million? Oh hell ten she thought. Now she just had to come up with a plan to get it. ****** Kevyn tried to study until it was time to get ready to go to dinner with Patrick and for the most part was unsuccessful, every time she thought about him, she thought about waking up aroused to the point that she had to relieve herself and she felt warm. That had never happened before not even with Lonnie in the best of times, she had never wanted Lonnie in the way that she wanted Patrick and she just didn't understand it. She finally gave up around four-thirty and turned on the television to kill time before she took her shower before Patrick came, was this a date? She wondered and decided that it wasn't. She didn't know what it was but it wasn't a date but if that was true she asked herself why she was so nervous. ****** Patrick made it to the lab just before five with Eustace not far behind him. While Vanessa and Veronica got ready to do the PET scan he looked into what was his office, it was bare and was waiting for him to decorate. Patrick walked through the office to the room that would be his bedroom if he needed a place to sleep; it came fully equipped with a fridge, microwave and a small stove. Off to one side was the bathroom, it was small but fully functional and already stocked with towels, washcloths and soap. "What do you think?" Vanessa asked from behind him. "I like it although you didn't need to make a space for me." Patrick replied. "Well, it's here if you need it, there's no bed because dad said that you were rather particular about your bed so we're leaving it to you to do what you want." Patrick looked around the bedroom once more before following Vanessa out to the PET scan machine. "Let's do this." he said and got ready. Twenty minutes later, the scan was done. "Well?" Patrick asked. "Everything looks normal" Veronica said, "but I'm wondering what changes occur during anger." "How do you propose.....No way!" Patrick exclaimed when he realized what she was thinking. "Hear me out." Veronica said. "I'm not talking about the anger that makes you want to rape; I'm talking about normal anger." "No." Patrick replied, "What if that normal anger turns into something else and I end up hurting someone? It took both your dad and uncle to keep me from raping that girl." "Yes but...." "No buts, I'm not doing it! I'm sure that out of all of the vampires that you're going to be studying there's someone that has normal anger management problems." Patrick said. "He's right." Eustace said quietly, "Until he has better control of his anger, it's not a good idea." Vanessa and Veronica looked at each other and shrugged, "We do have others that we can use but none of them have your issues. What we wanted to see was if there were any changes in the part of the brain that's responsible for impulse and emotional control, empathy and judgment..." "The prefrontal cortex." Eustace said. "That and the frontal lobe which controls thinking, planning, problem solving, judgment and sexual urges." Vanessa said. Patrick Ch. 06 "I understand what you're trying to do but I can't do it, at least not now." Patrick said, "Maybe once Kevyn and I are closer and I'm more confident in my ability to control myself but even if the others don't have my particular issue you still should be able to get some kind of data from them." "True." Veronica conceded, "Can we get some blood from you?" "Take all that you need." Patrick said as he rolled up his sleeves. By five-forty five, Patrick was in his car with Eustace in the front seat. "I'll wait until you're in the building and I'll meet you over there." ****** Kevyn changed clothes several times; it was a matter of which pair of jeans to wear and with what tee shirt. She had the presence of mind to call the restaurant after asking Patrick for the name but neglecting to ask about the dress code. To her relief, it was casual dress and jeans were perfectly acceptable. She had just finished dressing when she heard the tap on the door. In the three years that she'd lived here no one had ever come to visit. She glanced around checking to make sure that she didn't have a pair of underwear or a bra lying around before she opened the door. "Hi." she greeted nervously. "Hi, are you ready to go?" Patrick asked. "I'm ready." Kevyn replied as she went to grab her jacket. "Are you going to bring your book?" Patrick asked, "I told you that I would help you study after dinner.' "I studied today so that I could relax tonight." Kevyn replied. "Bring it anyway; I may just give you a pop quiz." Patrick teased. Kevyn hesitated but got the book and handed it to Patrick taking care not to touch him, if Patrick noticed he didn't let on. Patrick opened the car door touching Kevyn's back as she got in; she looked around the car somewhat surprised at how sensible it was. "What? Were you expecting a jag or a vette?" he asked half teasing. "No, I mean I didn't know what to expect but this is nice." They arrived at 'Nyala Ethiopian Restaurant' a half hour later. Like 'Del Taco' Kevyn was given jealous glances and Patrick was receiving stares from men and women alike and it wasn't hard to know what they were thinking. The hairs on Kevyn's neck bristled when a woman walked by and "accidentally" bumped Patrick's arm. "Do you like spicy food?" Patrick asked drawing her attention away from the woman who was disappearing into the restroom. "What? Oh, I like spice food but not so spicy that I can't taste the food." Kevyn replied. "How about we order from every category?" Patrick asked. "I've never been here so I'm going to let you order." Kevyn said looking at the menu. Patrick looked at the menu and ordered iced tea for the both of them and one of the Ethiopian beers for himself. He wasn't surprised to find that Kevyn didn't drink. While the server went for their drinks, they decided to order the vegetarian sampler, a meat sampler that included chicken, lamb and beef and finally a mixed seafood surimi that included octopus, shrimp, mussels all cooked in onions, garlic, tomatoes and seasoned red peppers. "We're not going to eat all of that you know." Kevyn said after the server took their order. "You haven't seen me eat." Patrick replied with a grin that made Kevyn's heart speed up. "No but that is a lot of food." she repeated. "Left over's." Patrick said as he took a sip of his beer. "You never did tell me why you were so stressed out by one quiz." Patrick said. "I told you, nerves." Kevyn replied. "Why do I believe that you aren't telling me the entire truth?" Patrick asked. "I don't know." Kevyn replied. "So why does someone with your kind of money work?" "I like what I do and it helps me deal with a little problem that I have .... I'm afraid to speak in public." "'You're kidding!" Kevyn exclaimed. "It's true, the first class is the worst and then it gets better." His sharing that little piece of information made her a little more willing to share. "I can't fail that class if I want to get into the nursing program." "I see, it's the failure is not an option mindset." Patrick said. Kevyn raised her eyebrows. "I have at least one student a semester who's in the same boat." Patrick said answering her unspoken question, "That's why I have so much extra credit available." "Wow an instructor who cares." "I do care and as I said I like what I do in spite of the first day jitters, tell me about yourself, I know that you like sports, and that you want to be a nurse although I don't know what kind, do you have family?" "I don't know what kind of nurse yet, I just want to get through the program first-that's if I get in, I do have family but they don't live close, they're on the east coast." "Do you see them?" Patrick asked. "I haven't been home in over a year, so I'm due but I talk to them a couple of times a week." Kevyn replied as the food reached the table. Patrick watched her as she smiled at the server and thanked him, Patrick liked that she wore no make up letting the natural beauty of her skin show, her lips were bare which he also appreciated, he had never enjoyed kissing when the woman wore lipstick; he thought it too messy. The table was filled with food and Kevyn didn't know where to start. Patrick reached over and took her plate and filled it. "You can keep the eight legged mushrooms." Kevyn said grimacing. "Eight legged..... You mean the octopus?" Patrick asked laughing. "Yeah those." "More for me then." Patrick replied as he took the octopi from her plate and put them on his. During the meal Kevyn made the comment that Patrick seemed like a regular guy. "That's because for the most part I am a regular guy who has likes and dislikes...." "And keeps secrets." Kevyn said not knowing why she said it. Patrick tensed and then forced himself to relax; she couldn't possibly know could she? No, it was just a lucky guess. "What secret do you think I'm keeping?" he asked as he lifted a forkful of food into his mouth. "I don't know." Kevyn admitted as she picked up her own fork and began eating. The subject was dropped much to Patrick's relief as they continued eating. Kevyn was full long before Patrick was and watched amazed as he ate more than ¾ of the food. "How can you eat so much and not be huge?" she asked. "High metabolism." Patrick replied as he finished his beer. "Lucky you." Kevyn replied as she waited for him to finish. She declined the offer of coffee and Patrick paid the bill. He held her chair out for her when she got ready to stand and laid his hand lightly on the small of her back as they left restaurant. Kevyn didn't notice the looks that they generated as they walked out of the restaurant; she was too distracted by the feel of Patrick's hand on her back. Patrick pulled into a coffee shop, grabbed her book and helped her out of the car. "I promised to help you study so let's go." he said holding out his hand. Kevyn took his hand reluctantly as she wondered if he was for real, Lonnie never..... "Stop thinking abut him" she admonished herself, "he was in a class all his own." Her skin tingled where Patrick's hand touched hers and she felt the warmth that she always had whenever she thought about him. Patrick took her drink order and left her to find a place for them to sit, when she looked up, she saw the girl at the counter flirting with him and was irked. She fought the urge to go up to the counter and slap the girl but reminded herself that they weren't seeing each other and that they only had dinner but why did it feel like more than that? She wondered as she watched the girl bat her eyes and heard her giggle. He came back a few minutes later with their drinks and gave her a questioning look, "are you ok?" "I'm fine." she replied a little too quickly. Patrick pretended not to notice and handed her a cup of coffee. For the next hour and a half he grilled her on the hormones and what they did. "You'll be fine as long as you don't get nervous" he said after she answered his last question correctly, "and don't change your answers." he added as an after thought. By eleven they were parked outside of her apartment building. "I had a really nice time, thanks." Kevyn said. "Me too and I wouldn't mind a repeat." Patrick replied. Kevyn was pleased and that surprised her but she hesitated, she had a goal to meet and if she started spending time with Patrick..... "I promise not to keep you away from your studies." "How'd you know what I was thinking?" Kevyn asked. "It's what I would think if I were you." Patrick replied, "I know how important school is to you and I wouldn't do anything to get in the way of you meeting your goals." Kevyn hedged, she wanted to go out with him again but she had to think about her long term goals. "We'll talk later." she said. Patrick got out of the car, helped her out and walked her to her door; he wanted to kiss her but held back he didn't want to give her a reason not to go out with him again. Kevyn looked up at Patrick, he wanted to kiss her, she could tell and she wanted him to. When it became clear that he wasn't going to kiss her, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and she kissed him. Patrick was surprised but got over it quickly; he put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer deepening the kiss. To his surprise, he broke the kiss first. "I'm sorry...." Kevyn started misinterpreting the reason for his stopping the kiss but Patrick stopped her. "Don't be." Patrick said "I enjoyed it and would like to add kissing you to my list of things to repeat with you." "I'd better go." Kevyn said embarrassed by her forwardness and Patrick's admission. "Good night and I'll call you later." Patrick said as Kevyn unlocked her door and slipped inside. Patrick found Eustace waiting in the car when he got there. "I like her, she's good people." he said when Patrick got in. "I'm glad that you approve." Patrick said as he pulled away. ******* Kevyn leaned against the door of her efficiency, what had she been thinking kissing him like that? She worried that he would have the wrong opinion of her; she was nothing like Melissa and hoped he wasn't comparing her to that slut. "Damn!" she cursed as she moved away from the door fanning herself. ***** Patrick drove to Ethan's house feeling happier than he could ever remember being. Of her own volition Kevyn had kissed him, he had the feeling that she wasn't usually so forward and was probably kicking herself but he really had enjoyed the kiss. On a whim he decided to call her and tell her so. "Hi." he greeted when she answered the phone. "Hi, um look I'm usually not so... aggressive and if I was too forward I'm sorry." "Do you know what I was thinking about when we were at the restaurant?" Patrick asked, "I was thinking about kissing you. As a matter of fact, I thought about it last night, you just beat me to it." "I just don't want you to think that I'm anything like Melissa, you know, after your money and all." "Kevyn, you are nothing like Melissa and the thought that you might be after my money never crossed my mind. I just wanted to call and tell you that I really did have a good time tonight and I enjoyed the kiss." Patrick could hear the relief in her voice; she had really been worried about it. He wondered if that was part of the reason why she hedged on seeing him again. "Is that part of the reason why you're not sure about seeing me again?" he asked. Her hesitation answered his question. "That and I really have to get through school." Kevyn replied. "Now that you know that I don't think that you're anything like Melissa will you go out with me again?" Patrick asked. "I..... Ok" Kevyn replied. "Good." Patrick replied, "I know that you want to study tomorrow night and I have some things to do so why don't we talk tomorrow sometime?" He really didn't have anything to do other than meet with Eustace and talk to the girls but he didn't want to rush her. The kiss brought them closer and talking to her was enough to keep him calm even through the sessions with Eustace. Patrick ended the call by wishing Kevyn a good night sleep. He went to his room and took out his laptop and began working on the online course, he found it hard to concentrate but by morning, he had the first draft of the syllabus set up. He asked himself is he wanted to have office hours and decided not to, he could always change his mind later. Once he and Kevyn were mated he would reexamine the decision, instead he would have "office hours" online where he would be available to chat. Satisfied with his progress, he shut the laptop down and got ready for bed. ******** Linda got another nasty surprise from Carl that evening. He came from his office with the credit card bills in his hands. "What in the fuck are you buying?" he shouted. When she didn't answer he continued, "You're paying these bills." "How? I don't have any money!" Linda protested. Carl looked at her for several long minutes. "Part of this is my fault for not stopping this sooner so this is what I'm going to do; I'll pay off the highest ones and leave the smaller ones to you." "But, that's still more money than I have!" "Then get a job." he replied as he went back into his office leaving the door open. Linda heard him on the phone paying off the highest of her credit card bills, even with that she was fifty-thousand in the hole. If she made the minimum payments, it would take her years but if she sold all of her jewelry she would break even and still would be broke except for the five thousand in the bank and the measly three thousand a month from Carl. She had to sell the jewelry that much was clear and she might even have a little left over afterwards but not enough to leave her husband. When she heard Carl leave for his meeting, she logged on to her laptop and did a Google search on the Sinclaires as a whole. They had a combined net worth in the millions hundreds of times over and separately if the reports were to be believed, they were each worth millions. They wouldn't miss a few million she decided, the question was what it would take for her to get money from them. Whatever it was, it had to be well planned out, there was no room for error or she would find herself at worst in prison, at best kicked out of the house with no money. The thought that she was thinking of doing what she advised Melissa not to do crossed her mind but Melissa was three million dollars richer than she was and not on the brink of divorce. First things first she decided, in the morning she would sell her jewelry and pay off the credit card bills and then she would start thinking about how best to take some of the Sinclaire millions. That decided Linda began to hum "we're in the money. Patrick Ch. 07 Kevyn changed into her sweats, brushed her teeth and got ready for bed. She really did have a good time with Patrick and felt much better about the kiss since he called her and told her that he liked it. Also, telling her that he didn't think that she was like Melissa went a long way toward making her feel better about things too. As she flipped on the television she tried to understand why she felt that he needed to be protected, not physically but emotionally. Part of her reaction to the women flirting with him was jealousy- she didn't understand that either but that damned need to protect him really got her. She channel surfed she found a movie that looked boring enough to put her to sleep, she fell asleep still trying to understand what was happening. ****** Patrick turned on his laptop to do some more work on the online class, he felt exhilarated that Kevyn was going to see him again, with each contact he felt a little more in control of himself. He was reading through the syllabus when his phone rang. Thinking that it might be Kevyn, he answered right away. "Hello?" "Uncle Patrick? Hey it's me Veronica. "Hey Ronnie, everything alright?" "Yeah, we were wondering how your date was." "If you want to know how I feel, I feel great but what else do you want?" "We would like to meet Kevyn." "No." "But..." "Veronica, I'm willing to help you and Vanessa figure out this crazy family of ours but I'm not willing to bring Kevyn into it just yet. I'm happier than I have been in years and I want to enjoy it, you'll just have to meet her when we decide that we're to the point where we feel that it's appropriate." "Ok, I just thought I'd ask." Veronica said. "No harm in that." Patrick replied. He didn't ask about doing a repeat PET scan, it would be normal and he didn't want Veronica to try to convince him to do one while he was angry. "Was there something else Veronica?" "No, we'll catch up with you later." Patrick hung up and went back to work he worked until late in the morning and decided to call Kevyn. Kevyn was doing the practice questions on the disc that came with the textbook. "Hi, did I wake you?" Patrick asked. "No, I've been up for awhile studying." Kevyn replied pleased that he had called, "What are you up to?" "I just finished proofreading the syllabus for the online class for the third time and thought I'd take a break and call you." "Do you think that you're going to like teaching online?" Kevyn asked. "I don't know." Patrick replied, "I've never tried it so we'll see." "I thought about taking some of my classes online and decided not to." "Why?" Patrick asked interested and pleased that each time they talked the conversation seemed to flow a bit easier. "I know myself." Kevyn replied, "It would be too easy to put it off and besides I always did like going to school." "So how's the studying going?" "Ok I guess, I'm using the disc like you suggested and I actually like it better than I do the questions in the book." "Good, what are your plans for the evening?" Patrick asked. "I don't know, study I guess and watch some television. Why?" "Would it be too soon to ask you out again?" He knew that he was pushing a little fast but he wanted and needed to be with her. He was surprised when she said yes. "But please no spicy food tonight if we're doing dinner and nothing fancy." "You really are a blue jeans kind of girl aren't you?" "I guess so." Kevyn replied. She didn't tell him that she had never been to a fancy restaurant or that she'd never been to anything that she needed to dress up for. "I like that." Patrick said sincerely, "hey when does softball practice start?" "I don't know yet, I was thinking of not playing this season." "Kevyn you have to have some fun, you can't study all of the time." "But I do work and if softball has to go then it has to go, it's the least of my priorities." "Understood." Patrick replied. "Want to go to the batting cages tonight?" Kevyn sat up, she loved the batting cages but it was an extravagance that she gave up a long time ago. "Really? I would like that!" "Great, I'll see you at six." Patrick said, "And then we can go for something to eat." They hung up each of them feeling good. Kevyn studied until five, took a shower although she was going to be dirty and sweaty by the end of the evening. It didn't bother her to think that Patrick would see her that way, and it was nice to be with someone who shared her love of sports. One of her goals was to someday host a party for each super bowl, World Series and NASCAR championship race there was. Lonnie had hated sports and would whine so much about her watching them that she stopped watching them until she moved into her little efficiency. "Whoa Nellie!" she said to herself when she remembered Lonnie. She hated the fact that she kept remembering him and that she was allowing him to taint what could be a good thing if she would give it a chance, "go to hell Lonnie" she muttered. She dug through her closet for her 'Phillies' baseball cap, her glove, shoes and finally her bat. It was the one thing that she spent good money on and the only bat that she used, a Louisville Slugger that she bought with the proceeds of a tax return two years ago. "Hello baby, come to mama." she crooned to the bat stroking its length, "it's been way too long." Kevyn put on her rattiest pair of jeans and her 'Philadelphia Phillies' jersey and waited for Patrick to come. ****** Patrick dressed in old jeans and a tee shirt, his hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail that he put through the hole at the back of his 'Los Angeles Dodgers' cap. At the last minute he realized that he hadn't asked anyone to go with him. "Fuck!" he swore. He ran down to Ethan's office hoping that he would be free. "Ethan, are you doing anything tonight?" "Other than paperwork? No, Katrina and Victoria are going shopping for the evening, why?' When Patrick told Ethan what he needed, he eagerly agreed. "I want to see this woman, Eustace says she's gorgeous." "She is." Patrick agreed. "Where are we going?" Ethan asked. "To the batting cages at the park." "You're kidding me; you're taking your mate to the batting cages?" Ethan asked. "She loves sports and she plays on her job's softball team." Patrick said proudly. "Wow, a woman who loves sports! Do you think that she could get Katrina interested in football?" Patrick laughed, "Good luck with that." ****** Kevyn jumped when she heard the tap on the door even though she was expecting it. She grabbed her bat and opened the door to Patrick. "Hi." Patrick stared at her; she was in his estimation as sexy as a woman dressed in a slinky gown. "Are you alright?" Kevyn asked. "You look fantastic." Patrick said. "Ummm it's an old jersey and ugly old jeans." Kevyn replied. "Yes but you look .... Are you ready?" he asked abruptly. "Yep, I even have my own bat." "They have bats there." Patrick said. "I know but I like my own." Kevyn replied as she locked the door behind them. Patrick walked behind her watching her ass sway in the old jeans and fought the urge to reach out and touch it, normally he was a breast man but he liked everything about Kevyn's body and hoped to actually see it without clothes in the near future. When he opened the car door for her, he touched her hand and then kissed her temple. Kevyn gave him a curious look but got into the car without saying anything. She felt flushed and her stomach fluttered, she felt much the same way that she did when she was falling in..... Ethan sat in the back seat unseen and watched Patrick and Kevyn together, he agreed with Eustace, she was gorgeous, she wasn't wearing make up and didn't need it; she was a good match for Patrick. He couldn't wait to tell Katrina that he got to play chaperone this time and to give his impressions of Kevyn. ****** Kevyn looked around the park grateful that there were a few batting cages available. "Come on darlin' let's see what you got." Patrick teased after he got back from paying the fees. Kevyn raised her eyebrows, "Was that a challenge I heard?" she asked. "I believe so." Patrick grinned. Ethan was amazed, Patrick could be playful but usually only with Victoria but this woman was bringing out a side of him that Patrick himself probably didn't know existed. He noticed that Kevyn herself was rather laid back but that she could be intense if the need arose. "What position do you play?" Patrick asked. "Pitcher!" she called out as she did warm ups. They were at the cages until closing, Kevyn was tired and sweaty but she felt good, she would be sore in the morning but it would feel good. "You're good!" Patrick said as they walked to the car. "Thanks, so are you... have you ever played pro?" "Nah, I'm a spectator only, what's your favorite sport?" "All of them with the exception of sumo wrestling and horseshoes." Kevyn replied. "Seriously?" "Seriously, you know what one of my goals is?" "Besides being a nurse? No, tell me." Patrick urged. "I would have a party for every super bowl, world series and any other sport championship that came along." "Except for sumo wrestling and horseshoes." Patrick teased. "Except for those, what sports do you like?" "Almost everything except for sumo wrestling and ping pong." Patrick replied. "I love ping pong! I used to be pretty good too." "I like to play but not to watch." Patrick replied, "And that sounded like a challenge." Ethan stood back and watched as Patrick and Kevyn bonded, Patrick was going to be alright, the fates had chosen well for him. ******** Linda paid off the last credit card leaving her 10,000 dollars in addition to the 5,000 dollars that Melissa had left in their account. She still hadn't come up with a plan to get to Patrick and the fact that he didn't have office hour's complicated things. She had already called twice and got the same response. "Dr. Sinclaire isn't in; no I don't know when he'll be in. Yes ma'am, may I take a message? She heard Carl come in and cringed, she breathed easier when she heard him go into his office and close the door. He told her before he left for the day that they needed to talk and that she'd better be home or else there'd be hell to pay. "What now?" she asked herself when he left. Her reprieve lasted only a few minutes, she heard the door to his office open and then heard her name being called. Carl was waiting for her when she got to the den. "Yes?" "Sit down." Carl said his tone very businesslike. Linda sat down and tried to think of what had him so upset. "I went through my accounts and you've spent quite a bit of my money." Linda didn't say anything but her stomach lurched. "By my calculations, you've spent almost two million dollars, no let me correct myself, you've wasted over two million dollars." "Carl I...." "I'm not finished." he interrupted, "for the past two years you've slacked off on almost every party and social engagement that's come up, it stops now. From this point on, you will attend every social event, luncheon, fundraiser; everything you understand?" "But you know that I get my headaches and...." "There's the door." Carl said evenly. When she didn't move he continued, "There is a dinner party tomorrow night and I fully expect you to be ready and to act like you're having a good time even if you're not." Linda sat dumbfounded, Carl had been much more observant than she had realized. "One more thing, you are not to pull one of your I don't feel well schemes, now go get ready for bed." "What? It's only eight o'clock!" Linda exclaimed. "I know what time it is now go get ready for bed, that's something else that's going to change." Carl said and then walked away. Linda watched as the door to his office closed, she had allowed herself to get too comfortable and lax, she honestly believed that Carl didn't care whether she did any of the things that he just mentioned. As far as she was concerned she was now in prison with no way out. It didn't occur to her that Carl was offering her what she wanted and if she made the effort that she could learn to be happy with him. "I have got to get out of here." she murmured as she stood up and headed to their room. ******** "So why aren't you married?" Kevyn asked as they drove to an IHOP for something to eat. "I hadn't met the right woman, what about you? Why haven't you remarried?" "I hadn't really thought about it I guess." Kevyn replied. There was more to it than that but Patrick didn't press, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot and parked. He stopped Kevyn as she was about to get out of the car. "Wait, let me." Kevyn waited for Patrick to open her car door, when he helped her out he took her hand and pulled her into him and kissed her. "I've wanted to kiss you all evening." Kevyn felt a hot flash that she had finally begun to associate with Patrick and kissed him back. Patrick broke the kiss and smiled at her before leading her by her hand into the restaurant. Heads turned when they walked in and eyes watched as they were led to a table. Patrick waited until Kevyn was sitting before sitting down himself. The waitress came over, took their drink orders and stole glances at Patrick whenever she could. She made frequent trips to their table interrupting their conversation with offers of refills and whatever else that she could think of. Finally Kevyn realized that the waitress didn't think that they were together, before she could stop the thought from manifesting, in her mind she screamed "mine!" Patrick was about to take a sip of his drink and froze. He had just been claimed. Kevyn looked at Patrick shocked, "where had that come from?" she wondered as she felt a blast of heat radiate from her body. ""Excuse me." she said and rushed from the table and looked for a bathroom. The bathroom was empty when she went in; she turned the cold water on full blast and washed her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and then washed her face again, this time she let the water run over her wrist before taking a paper towel, wetting it and putting on the nape of her neck. Their waitress came in a few minutes later. "Your boyfriend asked me to come and check on you, are you ok?" she asked with real concern. "Boyfriend?" Kevyn asked. "Yeah, the guy you came in with, if he isn't...." "I'm fine." Kevyn said interrupting the waitress. "Tell him that him that I'll be out in a minute." "Ok, I put a hold on your order when I saw you rush in here, are you sure you're alright?" "I'm fine, really." Kevyn replied. ****** Patrick was stunned, he had never heard of a human female mate claiming her vampire mate but it had just happened. He wondered if he was supposed to accept in some way as the female did and then wondered how he was supposed to do that. He watched as Kevyn took off for the bathroom knowing that she would be confused by what had just happened. The only thing that she would know is that her life had just changed. When she didn't come out after several minutes, Patrick sent their server in after her to make sure that she was alright. While he waited, he accepted Kevyn as his mate by simply saying yes. Whether she felt it or not he didn't know but he himself felt his spirit settle as he realized that there would never be another woman no matter what she looked like or what she said. Kevyn had just put the dragon back to sleep permanently but still he would have a chaperone until he was sure that he was one hundred percent positive. He stood when he saw Kevyn make her way back to their table. "Are you alright?" he asked searching her face. "Yeah, I'm fine... I just... I'm fine." She said as she sat down, grabbed her glass of water and gulped it down. "Is it alright to put your order in?" The waitress asked as she refilled Kevyn's water glass. "Kev?" Patrick asked. "Sure, thanks." After the waitress left, Patrick reached across the table and took her hands in his and said one word. "Yours." Kevyn's mouth went dry, something life changing had just happened between her and Patrick of the two of them only he knew what it was. "Patrick, what's going on here?" Kevyn asked not really sure that she wanted to know. Patrick didn't know how to answer her and this wasn't the place to talk about it even if he did. "This isn't the place for a private conversation and I need some time to figure a few things out." Patrick replied, "Can you give me a few days?" "I guess..." Kevyn replied. "I promise, in a few days I'll explain." Patrick replied. Kevyn was surprised that she wasn't demanding an explanation now but that could change at any time. She was no longer hungry and asked if she could have her sandwich put in a takeout box. Patrick on the other hand had no problems with eating, he felt reborn. Eyes followed them as they walked out of the restaurant but there was a difference, Kevyn didn't care, somehow she knew that Patrick was safe and that he was.... Hers. She shook head trying to clear it; none of this was making sense to her. Patrick felt her confusion and could only assure her that what she was feeling was normal. "Normal?" Kevyn asked, "from the moment I met you my life hasn't been normal." she replied thinking of the hot flashes and the night that she woke up so aroused that she had to relieve herself. "What do you mean?" Patrick asked. "Never mind, could you take me home?" Ethan sat in the back seat and wondered what happened, Kevyn was obviously upset and Patrick was anxious. Kevyn jumped out of the car not bothering to get her bat. Patrick jumped out and ran after her. "Kevyn! Wait!" Patrick caught up to her easily, grabbed her arm and hugged her to him. "I know that you're confused and I owe you an explanations but I need some time to figure out how to tell you some things..." "What things?" Patrick sighed, "Melissa for one...." "You said that nothing happened, did you lie?" "No, I didn't lie I just didn't tell l you everything but you knew that." "I've gotta study." Kevyn said pulling away. Patrick reluctantly let her go and watched her as she ran up the steps into the building. He stood there for a few minutes debating whether he should try to talk to her again. Finally he decided to let it go and he would call her later. "What happened?" Ethan asked when Patrick was back in the car. Patrick didn't respond for so long that Ethan became concerned. "Patrick, what happened?" "She claimed me." Ethan was sure that he heard wrong, "what did you just say?" "Kevyn, she claimed me." "Are you sure? I mean that isn't possible is it?" Ethan asked. "Apparently it is because I felt it the second it happened." "And?" "She ran off into the bathroom and when she came back to the table, I accepted her." "Patrick...." "Don't say it, I know, I put the fucking cart before the horse but why would she claim me?" "I don't know but let's go home and talk about it there." ****** Kevyn stripped and got into the shower, she stood still and let the hot water soothe muscles that were going to hurt like hell in the morning. Kevyn stood in the shower until the water ran cold, she got out, dried off and applied lotion to her skin before putting on what she called her thinking pajamas- bright pink sweat pants with a bright pink top. She then made her favorite comfort food, Microwave popcorn and hot chocolate with marshmallows and turned on the television. It was time to face facts, in a few short weeks, she had fallen or was falling in love with Patrick and from all indications, he felt the same way about her. "Three weeks?" she muttered, "three weeks and what was there to explain? He said nothing happened with that slut." she said out loud and took a sip of her hot chocolate. Patrick Ch. 07 She acknowledged that she felt attracted to and protective of Patrick from almost the first time she saw him "and what is this mine and yours thing?" She asked herself. She wanted and needed some answers. ******* Ethan called Eustace as Patrick drove. "No, he's fine... no nothing happened, well something did happen but not that, see you in a few." Eustace was waiting when they arrived. "I'll leave you to talk." Ethan said, "I want to see what Katrina and Victoria bought." Ethan nodded at Eustace and hurried off, he had missed his girls. As soon as the door closed, Patrick turned to Eustace. "She claimed me." "Not possible." Eustace replied. "Don't tell me it's not fucking possible! I was there!" "Alright, calm down and tell me what happened." Eustace said. Patrick told him about how they spent the evening at the batting cages and how easily they talked and acted around each other. "We went to get something to eat and the waitress was flirting with me, apparently she didn't think that Kevyn and I were a couple which technically we weren't." "Let me guess." Eustace interrupted, "Kevyn didn't like it." "Not at all, but it was more than jealousy, there was an element of protection there too but anyway, I think that the waitress asked me if there was anything else I wanted and I heard Kevyn scream mine. It wasn't an audible scream but one a telepathic one." "Then what happened?" "She kind of freaked, she got up and went into the bathroom, and she was in there for so long that I sent the server in after her." Eustace wasn't convinced. "While she was gone, I wondered if I had to accept her like the human female mates have to accept us and I did it, I just said yes and Eustace, I swear to you that I could feel the dragon as you call it go back to sleep. When she came out, I made sure that she was alright, I took her hands and I said yours." "And?" "And what?" Patrick snapped, "We've accepted each other!" "But she didn't know or understand what she did and she doesn't know about you and your past." "That's true and I have to tell her but how do you explain the feeling that the dragon went back to sleep?" Patrick shot back. "Maybe because it did but we have no way of knowing whether it's permanent...." "Eustace, it is and to prove it, I'm going to do what Veronica wants me to do...." "Patrick..." "I want you, Ethan and Martin to be there in case I'm wrong but I don't think that I am." "We need to have someone who looks like one of your victims and I'm not going to risk a human woman's safety to prove or disprove your point." "Maybe we don't need to.... Just hear me out." Patrick said, "Do you remember what happened whenever we talked about that night? We had to stop and you would ask me about Kevyn or you have me call her." Eustace understood what Patrick was proposing. "And if we wake the dragon again, we either call or talk about Kevyn." "Exactly." Patrick said. "I don't know ...." "Eustace, I want my life back, I don't want to teach online classes because I'm afraid that I'll run into a red-haired, -green-eyed woman who inadvertently says something to trigger the anger. I want to be able to tell Kevyn that there's no chance that I'll rape again, I want to start my life with her; please help me with this." Eustace nodded and mentally crossed his fingers. Patrick had been so sure that finding Kevyn would permanently kill the rage and he had been wrong and he hoped for Patrick's sake that this time he was right. "Alright Patrick but I still think that you should have someone with you for a while even if your theory holds out." "Agreed, when can we do this?" ******* Linda lay next to her now sleeping husband, she had hoped that it would be a quick romp but he had taken one of his little blue pills, which she didn't even know that he had a prescription for. "I just got the prescription filled." he told her when she asked about it. "You're going to start acting like a real wife from now on, if you don't there's the door as I said." Linda rolled over, looked at Carl and wondered why she couldn't be happy with someone like him, he was handsome and had treated both her and Melissa well but she just didn't want to be married to him, she wanted only what he could give her and he had cut that off except for the measly three grand a month. She thought very briefly about murder but quickly abandoned the idea, she was no killer and given everything that Carl had done over the past couple of days she couldn't be sure that he hadn't changed his will. Linda crept out of bed, put on her house robe and went downstairs, she checked to see if Carl had locked his office door and wasn't surprised to find that he had. She sat at her laptop and pulled up the information that she had saved on the Sinclaires. They weren't a very public family she read but they were very generous with their money giving to several charities including one that Carl was on the board of. She frowned and wondered why she hadn't known about Carl's connection to the Sinclaires, "my fault." she muttered as she realized that had she paid more attention and gone to the dinners and parties she would have known. "Thank you darling." she murmured to Carl, he had just inadvertently given her a way to reach the Sinclaires. She looked at the list of committees to see if Ethan Sinclaire's wife was a member of any of them and found her on one; a committee that raised money for homes for emotionally disturbed children. She checked to see if there were others but that was the only one. Linda looked up the charity and read up on it, the subcommittee met weekly while the main committee met once a month, there were no slots open on the committee itself but they were looking for volunteers to help with a fundraising event. While that was all interesting, it didn't get her close to Patrick Sinclaire; it only gave her a way in. Linda logged off of the laptop, leaned back in the chair to weigh her options. ****** Kevyn tossed and turned, when she finally drifted off to sleep she would wake up a few minutes later, look at the clock and then curse. She finally sat up and turned on the lights and then her laptop with the intent of studying until she fell asleep. She remembered that she didn't know who was teaching the class or if syllabus had changed so she logged onto her school email account and was surprised to see two emails, one from Patrick and one from Melissa. She read the one from Patrick first. "Kevyn, I'm sure that you're still probably confused, upset and maybe even angry and for that I'm sorry. I have so much that I need to tell you and I promise you that I will. I have some things to work out first but I'll call you later this evening so that we can set up a time to talk. Yours, Patrick" There it was again, that word "yours". She looked at the timestamp of Melissa's email; it was dated for last night. She almost deleted it but her curiosity got the better of her. "Kevyn, I don't know why I'm sending this but I feel that I should. I know that you don't think much of me and I guess I can understand why. I just wanted to tell you that you were right about me being too young to play with the big boys and I wanted to thank you for being upfront with me to tell me that even though I didn't listen to you at the time. I also want to tell you this and once again I don't know why but watch out for my mom. Melissa Hunter" Kevyn reread the email several times and then sent a reply. "Melissa, Thank you for the e-mail and the warning about your mom, but what am I supposed to be watching out for?" Kevyn" She wasn't surprised when she got a message saying that it was undeliverable. Kevyn looked at the message again and wondered exactly what happened between Melissa and Patrick and what Melissa's mother had to do with anything other than raising her child to be nothing more than a highly paid hooker. She found the information about who would be teaching Patrick's class and noted with relief that the order of the syllabus hadn't changed. She took note of the instructor's name, "Stuart Brinkman." she murmured and then read his bio that had no picture. "Hello, I am pleased to be teaching you for the rest of the semester and unlike my predecessor I have an open door policy as well as an email and phone number that are listed in this email. I will be in the office tomorrow if you want to stop in and say hello, if not, then I will see you in class." Something about the introduction bugged her, maybe it was the snide comment about Patrick she thought as she finished reading the bio. Class would be in a few more days and she would be back to work the day after that and hopefully there wouldn't be anymore screw ups. She popped the disc that came with the book into the slot and waited for it to load, she was asleep before it finished loading. ******* Melissa sent the email to Kevyn confused as to why she was doing but she knew that it was the right thing to do. As far as she knew her mother didn't know Kevyn other than by what she had been told but the need to send the email wouldn't go away until she did it. Then she sent one to Patrick, it consisted of the same warning that she had given Kevyn, she didn't understand it but she had the sense that somehow she had done something wrong and she needed to make amends somehow. He wasn't the man that she had tried to seduce for money, he was her instructor at school hence the confusion as to why she would be warning him about her mother. She sent the email, deleted her school account and put Patrick, Kevyn and her mother out of her mind as she packed up her laptop and left the hotel to head to Northern California. Patrick Ch. 08 Kevyn reread Melissa's email and wondered what it meant. She didn't know Melissa's mother and didn't want to know anyone who would teach their child that it was alright to use their body and looks to get money. Kevyn had the feeling that wherever Melissa was, she wasn't with her mother and hoped that she had learned her lesson which brought up Patrick....again. She looked at the time and wondered if he would still be up, she reread his email and checked the time stamp, two hours ago. Before she could change her mind, she dialed his number. ***** Patrick paced, he wasn't sure if he should call Kevyn or not. She had been pretty shaken up at the restaurant and when he took her home, so shaken that she left her bat in the back seat of the car. He was also filled with uncertainty, what if he was wrong about her claiming him? What if the potential to rape was still there? He had been wrong before and he could be wrong again. "I'm not wrong damn it!" He said as he walked back from the window of his room to the bed, "I can't be wrong this time." he whispered. He forced himself to sit down, immediately stood up and began to pace again. The soft ding of his laptop was the only thing that stopped him from continuing his pacing. Thinking that it might be from Kevyn he opened his school email and frowned. "Shit!" he cursed when he saw it was from Melissa. His anger became confusion when he read the email warning him about her mother, he immediately sent a response back but it bounced right back to him. He reread the email and wondered what Melissa was talking about. Her mother was still married or he assumed she was and even if she wasn't there was no way that he'd go within a mile of her. He tucked the information away for the moment, when he was finished on the email site he would look Linda Hunter up again. The next thing he was curious about was the instructor taking his place. There had been several new hires at the college and the science department was one of them advertising the need for a part time instructor. "Stuart Brinkman" Patrick mused and then read the bio. Immediately he didn't like the man and it had nothing to do with the jibe about office hours, he was also sure that it had nothing to do with the fact that he was a male. On a whim, he used the same program that he had used to get information on Linda and Melissa. Patrick paused, he had thought about Melissa several times in the past few minutes and he felt nothing. There wasn't even a flicker of anger. Although he knew that he was potentially playing with fire, Patrick said Melissa's name six times each time conjuring her face in his mind and.... Nothing. He tried it again this time recalling the events of that night and while he felt guilt there was no anger except the anger at himself for allowing Melissa to push his buttons. The dragon really was asleep. Patrick took a minute to relish the thought; he was free of the curse as he had come to think of it and then continued his search. "Stuart Brinkman- 36 year's old born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, graduated from..... And had moved to the area about a month ago" Patrick read the entire bio and found nothing that would explain his instant dislike of someone that he had never met. In the end he chalked it up to what he decided to call the new mate syndrome; he would probably see every unattached male as a potential rival for Kevyn until he adjusted to being a mate. Next he pulled up Linda Hunter, nothing new was added to the bio and he decided to look for a picture, he wanted to know her when he saw her. It took him several minutes but he found her and gasped, Melissa was the spitting image of her mother, in twenty years this was what Melissa would look like. Patrick could see how the woman was able to get men to marry her and then allow her to take their money, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Once again he paused, he felt absolutely nothing. Tears prickled his eyes as he realized what was happening, he would be able to tell Kevyn that he could and would never rape again. He logged off; part of the nightmare was over. His phone chirped and he answered it right away, he already knew who it was. "Kev....." "What happened between you and that girl?" "I told you what happened." "No, you told me part of what happened and I want to know the rest of it." "Kevyn now isn't the time....." "I got an email from Melissa warning me about her mother, why would she do that if nothing really happened?" Kevyn demanded. "I don't know. I got an email from her telling me the same thing." Patrick replied, I tried to email her back but it bounced." Patrick could hear Kevyn breathing on the other end of the line but waited for her. "Do you think that her mother is going to try to do the same thing?" Kevyn asked her voice softer and calmer. "I really don't know but Kevyn, when I told you that I would tell you everything, I meant it and a lot of it is pretty ugly." "What did you do?" Kevyn asked almost to herself. "I.... I can't and won't do this over the phone." Patrick said making up his mind, "can I come over tonight?" "Is it that bad?" Kevyn asked not knowing what to think. "Yes sweetheart, it's bad." He waited for her response with his fingers crossed; it seemed like an eternity before she replied. "Ok but not here." "I know that you're a little or maybe very scared and confused but I could and would never hurt you and what I have to tell you needs to be told in private." "You're scaring me." Kevyn said. "I know and I don't mean to but we can't talk about this is a public place....wait a minute, can I call you right back?" Patrick asked. "Patrick...." "Five minutes tops I promise." "Okay, I'll be here." Kevyn said. Patrick ran down the stairs and into what was Caesar's, Ethan's cook's quarters. He was about to knock on the door when it opened. "Yes sir?" "Caesar, I have a huge favor to ask. I know that this is short notice....." "What is it that you need?" Caesar interrupted. Patrick explained what he needed while Caesar listened without interrupting. "It is much too late for anything elaborate." Caesar commented. "I don't need anything elaborate, hell I don't care if its beans and franks but can you help me out?" "It would be my pleasure, what time should I expect you and the young lady?" Patrick hugged the old vampire who stiffened and then awkwardly patted him on the back. Patrick vanished from the cook's quarters back up to his room and grabbed his phone. Kevyn answered on the first ring. "Hi, I have a place for us to go." "Ok, where?" Patrick explained about Caesar's restaurant. "You mean he's opening up just for you?" "Not just for me for us and before you ask, jeans are perfectly fine." "I....don't...." "Kevyn, please, you asked me what was going on and I want and need to tell you." "What time?" "Six, our reservations are for seven and if it helps, someone other than Caesar will be there; you just won't see them." 'I'll see you then." Kevyn said and hung up. ******* "What in the hell is going on?" Kevyn asked out loud as she laid her phone down. Several possibilities ran through her mind with killer and rapist at the top of the list but he didn't seem the type-whatever that type was and she believed him when he said that he could and would never hurt her. "Patrick, what did you do?" she whispered. ****** Patrick called Martin next. "Hey are you busy tonight?" "Nope, Rach and the boys are out of town for the week, what's up?" "Ethan and Katrina are out for the night-some fundraising thing and Gretchen just got back home so I was wondering if you could chaperone me tonight." "Absolutely! I want to see this woman, Ethan says she's gorgeous and she loves sports." Martin replied. "Yes to both things, can you be here by quarter til six?" "Sure, where are we going?" "Caesar's, he agreed to a last minute opening.... Yes, see you then." Patrick's stomach began to turn as he tried to imagine Kevyn's reaction, anger definitely but would she be afraid of him? He began to prepare himself for rejection. ******* Linda looked though her closet for a gown to wear to the fundraiser, she wanted to buy a new one but Carl refused. "What the fuck for? You've got a closet full of them and most of them still have the price tags on them." "You went through my things?" Linda asked shocked. "Damn straight I did!" Carl replied, "I wanted to see where two million dollars went." "You can't....." "Excuse me? The hell I can't and be ready by five, I want to get there early." Linda watched as Carl walked away, swore under her breath and resisted the urge to throw something at him. Instead she went back to selecting a gown for the fundraiser. Since it was a black tie affair, she had four to choose from and chose one sure to turn heads, it never hurt to start looking she mused as she sat the dress aside. ****** Katrina hated the fundraisers or rather what was involved in getting ready to go to one. She sighed and looked at the dress that she would be wearing, "It's for the kids" she told herself several times. "Katrina?" Ethan called from outside the door. "I'll be right out." she called back as she gave the dress one more look and wished that she could go wearing a simple sundress and sandals. Actually, she could have and no one would have said a word simply because she was Ethan's wife but she wouldn't, she didn't want to draw any more attention to herself than she had to. Ethan went to his office and left the door open so that she would know where he went and turned on the laptop to check on the status of one of his companies, he had been receiving disturbing reports that money was missing. It angered and disappointed him that one of his employees would steal from him; he had always been a generous employer with an open door/email policy and had helped more than one employee out of a financial bind. He clicked off the screen when he heard Katrina come in. "Hi, what's up?" she asked as he walked in. "Patrick is going to talk to Kevyn tonight." Ethan said pulling her into his lap. "Already?" "He thinks that its time and maybe it is." Ethan replied. "Because she claimed him," Katrina said, "do you think that he's right?" "It doesn't matter what I think but I believe him and just because its never happened before doesn't mean that it can't." "He's not going alone is he?" Katrina asked as she toyed with Ethan's pony tail. "No, Martin is going since we have this fundraiser tonight and Eustace is spending time with Gretchen." "Good but why do I sense that there's something more?" Katrina asked. "I think that Patrick might ask you for a little help." "Did he say that?" "No but it wouldn't surprise me, I just wanted to give you the heads up." "Thanks and by the way, Victoria is looking for you." Katrina said moving off of Ethan's lap. Ethan held her gently but firmly in place. 'Where are you going?" he asked nuzzling her neck. "Apparently no where." Katrina replied. "Mom!" "Or to see what Victoria wants." added kissing him. ****** By three o'clock Kevyn was a nervous wreck, Patrick had called her several times to check on her and to try to calm her but nothing helped, not even when he repeatedly assured her that she would be safe. "I'm not worried about that, why can't you just tell me?" she asked. Patrick hesitated before answering. "A few more hours and you'll know everything and Kevyn? You mean more to me than I can tell you and I can only hope that you can forgive me." "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Kevyn screamed in frustration. "I'll see you soon." Patrick said and hung up. ******* Linda was looking at the dress that she was going to wear when Carl walked in. He took a look at the dress and then at Linda. "Very nice." he commented. "Thank you." Linda replied as she wondered what bomb he was going to drop on her this time. "The bank called." He said, "they informed me that you tried to access my accounts." "I......" "Save it sweetheart." he interrupted, "the only money you have is whatever is in your personal account and the money I give you each month, there is no more money available to you, get used to it." Linda suppressed the urge to scream at him about the injustice of it all. She wanted to tell him that she was his wife and not some business to be managed but she clamped her mouth shut, if she said too much she would be out on her ass and sleeping at a motel 6 in no time flat. "What? Nothing to say?" Carl asked. "No." "Wise choice." he said and walked out. She now understood how he was as successful as he was; he lulled his opponents into a false sense of security and then trapped them. The man that just left the room was not the lax and gullible man she thought that she had married and she realized something else, he was much wealthier than he had let on, he had money that he hadn't allowed her access to, two million dollars was nothing to him but he didn't like being played. "How did I not know this?" she muttered as it dawned on her that she had played this particular game completely wrong. When she researched him she saw the undisclosed net worth tag and ignored it, that should have told her something right then but she and Melissa were dipping into their "retirement" fund more than she liked and Carl had been available. "Shit!" Linda said under her breath. ****** Patrick was beside himself with nerves, he wanted this to be over and done with. Martin had showed up early to offer some moral support. "Patrick you have to calm down...." "Easy for you to say!" Patrick snapped. "No, it isn't." Martin said softly, "Both Ethan and I have been there and he would tell you the same, you have to calm down." Patrick took a breath. "I'm sorry, it's just that I don't want to do this, I don't want to see her face when I tell her what I was, what I am." "Which part of you are you referring to?" Martin asked. "The rapist part of me, I have the feeling that telling her that I'm a vampire is going to be a walk in the park compared to that." "May I make a suggestion?" Martin asked. "I'm all ears." "Tell her about the rapes first and save the vampire part for later." "Alright but tell me why?" "Neither Ethan nor I had any choice but to reveal all of it at once or close together because both Rachel and Katrina got pregnant because of the rapes. Telling them when we did complicated an already complicated situation, you however have the opportunity of giving her time to adjust to one thing before moving onto the next." "That makes sense and Martin? I am sorry that I just snapped at you." Patrick said. "Don't worry about it." Martin said, "I'm just glad that we can be here for you." ******* Five-thirty. Patrick and Martin sat outside of Kevyn's apartment building and talked. "Patrick tonight is going to be one of the hardest things that you've ever done but we're with you, all of us." Patrick nodded; he didn't trust himself to speak. "Rachel sends her love and her best wishes." "Martin..... I don't think that I can do this." Martin laid a hand on Patrick's shoulder, "Yes you can and if you want a life with Kevyn you will." ******** Kevyn was nauseated from nerves; she now wished that they weren't going anywhere to eat. She just wanted to hear about what horrible thing that Patrick did and be done with it. "Maybe it's not that bad." she murmured, "maybe he went to prison for embezzlement or something like that." she added but failed to convince herself. Whatever it was, it involved Melissa and her mother, she just knew it. Patrick was at her door right at six with her bat in his hands. "You left this in the car." he said as he handed it to her. Kevyn took the bat from him, leaned it against the wall and looked up at him. "He's scared." she thought, "He's really scared." The need to comfort and sooth rose along with a flash of heat. Without saying anything she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. "You're shaking." she murmured against his shoulder, her own nerves forgotten. Patrick didn't reply but held her tighter until she wriggled in his arms; he was holding her too tight. He loosened his hold but didn't let her go and when he did it was because he had to. Patrick took Kevyn's hand in his and led her to the car. He opened the door and kissed her temple before helping her in. When he got in He reached over with a shaking hand and took hers. "Patrick, whatever it is you don't have to tell me, I believe you about Melissa and ...." "No Kevyn, I have to tell you everything if I .... I have to tell you but thank you." Martin sat in the back behind Patrick and laid a hand on his shoulder in support. Kevyn had just given Patrick a way out of telling her about the past and he hadn't taken it. "She's very special." Martin said telepathically, "and she's beautiful." Patrick kept his eyes on the road and Kevyn's hand tight in his as he acknowledged Martin. Kevyn didn't know what to think or say so she said nothing, for just a second she thought that she heard someone say something but when she looked over at Patrick, his eyes were on the road and he was nervously chewing his lower lip. Martin jumped; he knew that Kevyn heard him. "Patrick! I think she heard me." he whispered. "What?" "Patrick did you say something?" Kevyn asked. Patrick's eyes left the road long enough to look at her and then they went back to the road. "I..... We're here." he said gratefully. Kevyn looked out of the car window and then rolled it down to listen to the sound of the ocean. Without waiting for Patrick, she got out and walked a short way from the car, closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the waves hitting the beach. Patrick waited in the car for a few minutes before getting out and going to her. "It's beautiful here." She said when he was standing next to her, "can we stay out here?" "I'll tell Caesar." Martin whispered and was gone. "Sure, it's a private beach so we can talk out here if you want." Patrick replied. Kevyn started walking toward the water not stopping until she was at the edge where the waves touched the shore. She kicked off her sandals, rolled the legs of her jeans up and walked into the water and then just stood still. Patrick followed suit and was soon standing next to her with an arm around her. "Whatever it is, tell me." "Kevyn...." "Tell me." She insisted. "Let's sit down somewhere." Patrick suggested with a dry mouth. ******* Katrina straightened the Ethan's bow tie while he squirmed. "Will you hold still?" She laughed. "Let's change clothes, you can wear that yellow sundress and I can wear jeans and a tee shirt." he suggested, he hated dressing up as much as Katrina did. "As much as I love the idea we can't." "Why not? This is your fundraiser, you're the boss and I'm the boss's husband." Ethan replied. "Yes well I think that would fall under abuse of power and all of that but the next fundraiser is going to be informal and something really fun." Katrina replied. "I am so proud of you." he told said as he hugged her tight. "You won't be saying that after I spend ten minutes throwing up after my very short speech." she replied. "I will always be proud of you throwing up or not." Ethan replied, "Now let's go say goodbye to Victoria and get this over with." ****** Linda looked around the room disappointed to see that the men with the exception of either the very old or the very young were with women and wearing wedding bands. The one thing she absolutely wouldn't so was break up a marriage- a fact that she was proud of. All of her husbands had been widowers, divorced or never married with Carl being the latter and what made him what she thought to be an easy mark. Patrick Ch. 08 She didn't understand why Carl had insisted that they be here early, it was another hour until the fundraiser started and the Sinclaire's hadn't even arrived yet. She felt a tap on her shoulder and plastered on a smile before turning around to greet whoever it was. "Linda!" The woman greeted, "Finally we meet!" "I'm sorry but do we know each other?" "Well not personally." the woman replied, "I'm Maryanne Sinclaire Johnston" "I'm sorry....." Linda started to say but was interrupted by Maryanne. "I believe that ......" "There you are!" Carl said putting an arm around Linda. "Maryanne! So nice to see you again." Carl said holding out his free hand. Linda gave Carl a confused look and then looked at Maryanne who she swore eyes just flashed. "You know that I support all of Katrina's charities." Maryanne replied. "Of course but I thought that you and George were on a trip somewhere." "We were but we came back early just for this, aren't you going to introduce me to your lovely.... Wife?" "My apologies! I was just surprised to see you here, where's that husband of yours? Carl asked looking around." "He's talking to Ethan about some problem with one of his companies. Apparently someone is stealing but at any rate, please introduce me to your wife." Linda was confused, how did this woman know her? She had never met any of the Sinclaires personally but this woman while outwardly polite to her didn't like her. Carl made the introductions as Linda smiled politely. When Carl turned away Linda asked Maryanne how they knew each other. Maryanne smiled at her but the smile didn't reach her blue eyes and walked away. Something warned Linda that she should leave and now but she couldn't, Carl wouldn't allow it. She turned when there was a commotion in the front of the room, Ethan and Katrina had just arrived. Linda stared at Ethan open mouthed; the pictures of him were so far off the mark that it wasn't even funny; he made even the most handsome men in the room look like mutts. "If Patrick Sinclaire had even an ounce of his good looks no wonder Melissa went after him." she thought and then she looked at Katrina and wondered how in the hell someone like her had captured someone like Ethan. That he loved her was obvious by the way he looked at and touched her and it wasn't a put on. Maryanne stood next to her second mate George and watched Linda. She found out about the almost rape from Rachel who thought that she knew about it and then she found out about Kevyn from Patrick himself. As soon as he told her she did what Patrick thought she would do. "When can I meet her? What is she like?" she asked, "What does she do?" "This is exactly why I didn't tell you sooner." Patrick replied. Maryanne had backed off but didn't tell him that she knew all about Melissa Hunter and about what almost happened, it would have upset him and that would have served no purpose. Instead she learned what she could about Melissa's mother, after all "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." she told George. "Whatever that bitch has planned ends tonight." she told George as they dressed for the fundraiser. George raised his eyebrows but didn't comment. He knew that Maryanne still felt guilty that she hadn't done more to protect her boys and now that she had an opportunity to help and protect Patrick it was full steam ahead. He didn't even ask what she had planned, he really didn't want to know but he planned to enjoy the show. ******* Patrick led Kevyn to a spot a few hundred yards away from the water and sat down. Kevyn sat next to him and waited for him to start. The fact was, Patrick didn't know where to start, the past? The present? Where? "Just start talking." he heard Martin whisper. Patrick cleared his throat and tried to speak but no sound came out. "Did you go to prison for something?" Kevyn asked. "No, but.... I should have." "Did you embezzle or something like that?" "No, Kevyn.... ." He felt her eyes on him, felt her concern and he wasn't going to do it, she told him that he didn't have to tell her, she said..... "I'm a rapist." Kevyn stared at him thinking that she had heard him wrong. "What?" Patrick took a deep breath. "I... I'm or I was a rapist but...." "You raped women?" "Yes but....." She had already moved away from him. "Melissa, did you rape her? Is that why she was warning you about her mother?" "NO! I didn't rape her, I almost did but I didn't! I swear to you that before her I hadn't even touched another woman!" "How many?" "What?' "How many women did you rape?" "I honestly don't know, but one was too many." "Why aren't you rotting in prison somewhere?" Kevyn asked angrily, "never mind, I forgot who you are and who your family is." she said standing up. "Kevyn wait!" but she had already started walking away. Patrick started to go after her but was stopped by Martin. "Stay here, she needs space, I'll watch after her." and then he vanished. ******* Linda's neck prickled and she looked around the rapidly filling room to see who was watching her but she already knew. Carl took her arm and led her over to Ethan and Katrina for introductions. "Carl! I'm glad that you made it....." Ethan stopped talking and looked at Linda in disbelief. Katrina realizing that something was very wrong took Ethan's hand and gave it a squeeze. 'I'm so sorry." Ethan said, "I just thought I saw a ghost, please introduce me to your wife." The urge to run hit Linda so hard that she felt faint. "Ethan and Katrina Sinclaire this is my wife Linda, sweetheart, this is Ethan and his lovely wife Katrina. They have this fundraiser as well as others every year to raise money for the homes that house emotionally disabled children." Katrina looked from Ethan to Linda and wondered what the problem was. "Hello, it's nice to meet you." Linda said. "You too, thank you for coming." Katrina replied looking at Ethan from the corner of her eye. Trouble. "Linda was thinking about helping on a committee and I know that you have another fundraiser coming up that you need volunteers for." Carl said giving Linda a squeeze. "Of course, I'd be happy to help." she forced herself to say. "Katrina!" Maryanne called from behind Linda. "Maryanne? What are you doing here? I thought that you and George were off sailing the Caribbean!" Katrina said pleasantly surprised and reaching for Maryanne's hand. "We were but something came up and besides, you know that I like to support your causes." Linda really wasn't feeling well and looked for restroom. "Carl, is your wife alright? She looks a little pale." Maryanne said. "I'm alright." Linda insisted. Ethan now had a viselike grip on Katrina's hand, he was angry and she had to find out why. Ethan forced himself to calm down, the last thing he wanted to do was to scare Katrina. "Could you all excuse us for just a moment?" Katrina asked tugging on Ethan's hand. They went off into a corner with her still holding his hand. "Ethan what's wrong?" she asked. "Baby, I'm sorry if I scared you but that woman...." "I'm alright but are you talking about Linda? What about her?" Katrina listened stunned as Ethan told her who Linda was and her relationship to Melissa. "You think that she's here to do what exactly?" "Maybe nothing but that woman taught her child to use her body to lure men into bed for their money! We almost lost Patrick because of her!" Katrina looked at up at him and then over at Linda standing next to her husband still looking pale. "Ethan, does your mother know about Melissa?" "I didn't tell her." he replied, "why?" "I don't know but are you alright?" "I'm fine, thank you baby." They headed back to the group, it was time to start. ******** Kevyn started walking not really caring where she was going. "What is wrong with me?" she asked herself, "I marry a loser and now I'm in love with a rapist! What in the hell is wrong with me?" Martin followed Kevyn closely; he felt for both her and Patrick but was powerless to ease their pain. They would have to work through it like he had to with Rachel and Ethan had to with Katrina. Finally Kevyn sat in the sand and started to cry. She didn't hear Patrick walk up to her and sit beside her, when she realized that he was there she didn't look at him. "Were you planning to rape me too?" Patrick felt like he had been hit by a truck. "God No! I would never hurt you like that!" "But you hurt others so why not me, why did you rape?" "The why is a story all of it's own and I promise to tell it to you but when I told you that I hadn't raped in years that was the truth, when I told you that I hadn't touched a woman until Melissa that was also the truth and if you think about it, you know that I'm not lying." "Are you trying to tell me that you've been celibate until Melissa?" "That's exactly what I'm telling you.... Melissa, there was something about her that pushed me. That's no excuse and I thank god that I didn't hurt her anymore than I did...." "What was it about her?" "She.... She resembled my past victims; it was something that I didn't remember until recently...." "How can you not remember what your victims looked like? You were in their faces and in their bodies! How could you not remember?" Kevyn was crying again, "I don't understand how you could hurt someone like that!" She got up and started walking again without waiting for any explanations. Patrick followed her wanting to touch her but too afraid to. "Kevyn, could you stop for just a minute and let me try to explain?" "Explain what?! That I took a chance and fell in love with you and you're a damned rapist? Sure try to explain my stupidity!" "You love me?" Patrick whispered. Kevyn didn't answer but started walking again. "I love you too!" Patrick called after her but she acted as if she didn't hear. ******** The fundraiser dragged on and Linda was feeling worse by the minute, she was barely paying attention when Katrina made her less than two minute long speech and rushed off to the nearest bathroom with Ethan following her. "She's a brave woman, my daughter -in -law." Maryanne said from behind Linda, "she abhors public speaking hence the short speech. As we speak she's in the bathroom throwing up." "So why does she do it?" Linda asked. "There are some things worth suffering for and for her helping children is worth the fifteen minutes of discomfort that comes after every speech but as we know there's a difference between bravery and stupidity." Maryanne replied. Carl turned to George after watching Maryanne and Linda for a few minutes, "I'm glad that our wives are getting along so well." Without missing a beat, George smiled and replied, "As am I." Linda didn't reply but excused herself to the restroom, gasping in surprise when she found Maryanne in the bathroom before her. "How did you get here before me?" Maryanne gave Linda a cold smile as the door to the bathroom locked. Patrick Ch. 09 Kevyn kept walking, her vision blurred by tears. "How could I have fallen in love with him?" she murmured, "he's a rapist!" She thought about Lonnie, he was a lot of things including lazy and a cheater but he never hurt anyone and then there was Patrick who worked even though he didn't have to and treated her in a way that no man ever had and he was a rapist. She knew that he was following her but she couldn't talk to him, she didn't know what she would say to him even if she had wanted to talk to him. What did one say to someone who confessed doing something as horrible as rape? Kevyn stopped walking. He confessed, he didn't have to tell her but he did, the question was why. She realized that it didn't change the fact that it happened but it did pique her curiosity as to why he didn't keep it to himself. As angry as she was, her curiosity mounted. She turned around to face Patrick; she could tell that he wanted to touch her but after what he had just told her she didn't want him touching her. "Why did you tell me?" she asked. ******* George and Carl continued their conversation with only George being aware of how long the women Maryanne and Linda had been gone. At first he worried that Maryanne would physically harm Linda she had been that angry when she found out about Melissa. That anger grew when she found out about Linda. "The bitch!" she hissed, "its bad enough that she sells herself to men for money but it is an entirely different thing when a child is involved and I don't mean just her daughter!" George remained silent, he knew better than to interrupt. "And she's got her hooks in a good friend of ours to boot!" she added. George wondered if he should either go into the bathroom or send in Katrina but then decided to wait a little longer. ******* Linda stared at Maryanne eyes wide with fright as she sensed that Maryanne was more than capable of physically harming her and there was the matter of how she had beaten her to the bathroom and locked the door without touching it. "I think you must have me confused with someone else." Linda said borrowing a line that she heard in movies. "No I'm very certain that I don't Linda Hunter mother of Melissa Hunter, married four times with the current husband being a very dear friend of my family." Maryanne replied giving Linda a look cold enough to freeze fire. Linda shuddered and took a step backwards. "How do you know me?" she asked as she tried to figure out where she would have run across a Sinclaire because she attended very few of the social events. "As I said, I don't know you personally but I know of you and if you will excuse my French, you've chosen the wrong family to fuck with." Maryanne replied. "I don't know....." "Don't bother with the innocent act." Maryanne interrupted, "it will serve no purpose but to make me even angrier than I already am." "Let me out of here." Linda said her voice shaking. "Not until our business is concluded and how it concludes depends entirely on you." Maryanne replied. ******* Patrick stopped several feet away from Kevyn and waited. He forced himself to look at her face bracing himself for the look of anger and revulsion that he expected to be there. There was anger and confusion but no revulsion and something else, she loved him and she was angered by it because she didn't understand it. "Why did you tell me?" she asked again, "I would have never known." "But I would have." Patrick replied, "I had to tell you, I don't want our relationship to start with a lie." "What relationship?" Kevyn asked, "We went out and we talked, that doesn't mean that we're in a relationship." "We did those things and we kissed and don't you tell me that it didn't mean anything." Patrick said. "Not more than ten minutes ago you told me that you loved me." "Tell me something, do I have the word idiot tattooed across my forehead?" Kevyn asked, "Because it seems like I attract men who aren't good." "Kevyn listen to me, I swear to you that until Melissa I haven't touched a woman in twenty-five years...." Patrick stopped; he was supposed to be in his thirties in human years making it impossible for him to have not touched a woman. He hoped that Kevyn misunderstood him; they weren't anywhere near ready to deal with the non human part of their relationship. "Kevyn, you're not an idiot......" "Then what? Is there something about me that says that I'm easy to fool?" "Kev...." "Before I took your class my life was pretty straight forward, I went to work, I went home and I sure as hell didn't want to be involved with anyone. All I wanted was to go to school get my nursing degree, save money and buy a little condo on the beach and then here you come! I didn't want to fall in live with you or anyone else!" "This isn't your fault." Patrick said, "And Kevyn, I wasn't expecting to find you in my class and I never set out to deceive you. I am the man that you see before you, I didn't use to be this man, I was someone that even now when I think about him I feel ill." "What about the women that you raped? Do you even think about them?" "There isn't a day that I don't remember who and what I am and was." Patrick replied, "Just because I only recently remembered their faces doesn't mean that I don't feel remorse because I do and it's something that I will always pay the consequences for." "Consequences? What consequences?" Kevyn demanded. "You haven't served one day of prison for what you've done! You're out living your life but what about the women that you raped? What about there lives? If you ask me they're the ones who are living with the consequences." Patrick gave his reply a few moment's thought. "You're right, I haven't spent any time in prison at least not prison in the way that you're thinking of but I have been imprisoned in that I have never been free of this and I will never be. The consequences are that I had to tell you what I did and I had to watch the anger, confusion and disappointment on your face, the consequences will never, ever go away. If we work through this and we have children, I will have to tell them about me....." "I don't know if I can get past this." Kevyn said crying again, "I need for you to take me home and I need for you not to call me." "Kevyn...." "Patrick, I know that this was hard for you to do and I can appreciate that but look at it from my point of view, what would you do? So please just take me home and leave me alone." ********* "What do you want from me?" Linda asked. "For starters an explanation." Maryanne said, "I want to know what kind of woman teaches her daughter that it's acceptable to use her body to lure men into her bed and marriage for money." Linda got angry, "It's none of your business!" Maryanne's eyes flashed angrily. "It became my business when your daughter decided to target my son and then this family for financial gain. It became my business when I found out who Carl was married to and that you were stealing from him, it became my business when you taught your daughter that she was nothing more than a way to make money to help you support your life of ease and you didn't teach her to respect herself, her body and others, it became my business when you decided to take advantage of my family." Maryanne had moved just a few feet in front of Linda without Linda being aware of it. "So tell me again that it isn't my business!" ******* Ethan looked around the room for Maryanne but spotted George who was still talking with Carl whose wife was also missing. "Shit!" he cursed as he had an idea of what could be happening. He looked around for Katrina and spotted her talking to one of the biggest contributors to her charity. He moved toward her nodding at those who acknowledged him but not stopping to talk. When he reached Katrina, he politely asked if he could speak to her privately. "Ethan what's wrong?" she asked. "Mother and Linda are missing." Picking up on his sense of urgency, Katrina looked around to confirm that neither woman was in the room. "I thought that you said that she didn't know about Patrick and Melissa." Katrina said as she looked around the room again. "No sweetheart I said that I didn't tell her that doesn't mean that someone else didn't." Ethan said rescanning the room. "Let's find George, he'll know what's going on." ******** Linda didn't have the sense to curb her tongue or the tone of her voice. "Listen to you! You never had to work a fucking day in your life! You don't know what it's like to have to live from week to week never knowing what's going to happen!" "And that's your excuse for prostituting your daughter and yourself?" Maryanne asked, "What about good old fashioned work? Millions do it everyday and millions live from week to week and don't sell their bodies but here is my issue, you didn't marry into money once, you did it four times after taking money from your husbands....." Linda pushed at Maryanne and got ready to slap her. "Go ahead." Maryanne taunted, "It would give me just cause to beat your ass not only for your daughter but my family and the men that you took from." Something in Maryanne's voice gave Linda pause and she lowered her hand. "Now let's talk about my son and this family...." "I don't have to talk with you about anything...." "Silence!" Maryanne hissed her patience at an end, "I am tired of hearing your mouth so you will listen to me! You are a sorry excuse for a woman and a mother! You have taken what was a gift and perverted it and it ends tonight!" Linda tried to speak but couldn't. Maryanne was furious and wanted to do nothing more than rid the world of Linda but there would be consequences. As she contemplated Linda's fate, someone tapped on the bathroom door. "Mother let us in." Ethan said. ******* Patrick wanted to stay until they worked through their issues but Kevyn had taken all that she could handle. She had a valid point, what would he do if the situation was reversed? "Alright sweetheart, let's go." As hard as telling Kevyn about the past had been and as hard as it was to see her hurt Patrick felt a sense of freedom. He had been right not to take her up on the offer not to tell her, it would have eaten at him until he told her anyway. Kevyn didn't speak or look at him as they walked back to the car and Patrick didn't push it. He opened the car door for her without touching her in any way although he was dying to kiss her. Martin sat in the back seat and put a hand on Patrick's shoulder but didn't speak; they would talk after they took Kevyn home. The drive back seemed to be twice as long as the drive to Caesar's and much to Patrick's relief Kevyn while quiet wasn't squished against the door as if she was afraid of him; in fact, she hadn't acted afraid of him at all. Patrick tucked the observation away for when they talked again; he also noticed that she didn't say that she never wanted to see him again. As soon as the car stopped in front of her building Kevyn jumped out without saying a word and ran into the building. Patrick watched her go and made no effort to stop her, as difficult as it was going to be, he wouldn't call her either, he would wait for her to call him. ******** "Mother open the door." Ethan said again his tone firm. When the door didn't open Katrina tried. "Maryanne please open the door, we can deal with Linda together." Several minutes passed before the door unlocked. Ethan and Katrina walked into the bathroom, shut the door and it immediately locked again. Linda looked at them and then back at Maryanne. The urge to run had returned with a vengeance and she would have tried if Ethan and Katrina hadn't been standing in front of the door. "Remove the compulsion." Ethan said. As soon as it was removed Linda started to talk. "She wouldn't let me out of here! She wants to hurt me!" "If she had wanted to hurt you she would have by now." Ethan said coolly. "Where's Carl? He must be looking for me by now." Linda said. "Actually he isn't." Ethan said, "He and George are busy talking about a joint business venture." "What do you people want from me?" Linda asked. "Personally I would like to beat you to within an inch of your life." Maryanne said. "There's been enough violence." Katrina said speaking for the first time. Katrina looked at Linda for a long time before speaking. "Do you have any idea of what almost happened to your daughter because of what you taught her?" "What are you talking about?" Linda asked, "Don't play innocent!" Katrina snapped, "You knew that she was targeting a member of this family for money by using sex and you encouraged it." "Oh you must mean Dr. Sinclaire; I warned her that she should leave him alone." Linda said. "Well she didn't, she showed up at school with next to nothing on in the hopes of seducing Patrick." Ethan said, "She was almost raped." "Raped? By who?" Linda asked for the first time showing concern. "We interrupted before the rape actually occurred." Ethan said. "Oh well then, maybe she'll learn her lesson." Linda replied the concern gone. Katrina could hardly believe what she was hearing. Forgetting what she said about violence, she slapped Linda as hard as she could and then got into her face shaking with anger. "You stupid, stupid woman! We just told you that your daughter was almost raped and that's your response? Have you ever been raped? Do you have any idea of how it feels to be violated like that?" Linda stepped back and rubbed her face. "I'm calling the police and having you arrested for assault!" Katrina took a step back, she really hadn't meant to slap Linda but her cavalier attitude about the almost rape of her daughter was more than she could take. Without taking her eyes from Linda, Katrina looked at Maryanne. "Is it possible to show her what it's like to be violated?" "Yes it is." Maryanne replied. "You are going to see what it's like to be hurt, afterwards you won't remember us being here but you will have a better understanding of what almost happened to your daughter." Maryanne said. "What are you going to do to me?" Linda said backing away, "I'll scream! I'll....." "Silence!" Maryanne said. Katrina turned to Ethan and asked him to leave the bathroom, this was something that she didn't need or want him to see. When he was gone she turned back to Linda. "I don't want to do this but you don't seem to understand what you've done. I could have Maryanne compel you to be a better mother but that ship has already sailed so instead I'm going to ask her to reawaken your conscience if you still have any and to show you what almost happened to your daughter." Katrina said as she took one of Linda's hands in hers. Linda's eyes were wide with terror and tears ran down her cheeks streaking her make up. "I am going to do one more thing." Maryanne said, "You will forget about finding men with money, you will spend the rest of your life being a good wife to Carl and if you should ever see your daughter again, you will tell her how wrong you were." Linda tried to run; she didn't want to be married to Carl or anyone else for that matter. She tried to scream when Maryanne touched her, she screamed in her mind as she saw herself lying on a desk with her legs wide open in a dark office, the negligee that she had on might as well had not been there. Linda watched as the office door opened and a man that she didn't know walked in, she felt terror as the man advanced and spoke to her in a voice filled with rage, hatred and lust as he unfastened hid jeans freeing his cock as they fell over his hips. In her mind she begged the man not to hurt her and felt his cock as he began to enter her, she felt pain on her thighs where the man held her open with a viselike grip. She felt relief as two men came in and stopped the man from raping her and then sent her home. "That is what your daughter experienced because of what you taught her." Maryanne said softly, "That teaching almost destroyed a man who hadn't done such a thing in almost twenty-five years, that teaching almost cost your daughter a great deal of pain and possibly her life. You will remember this every time you think of her and from this moment forth, you will forget about trying to steal from us or anyone else and that includes your husband. From this moment forth you will be a good wife to Carl and if by some chance you manage to break this compulsion, you will live to regret it. Do you understand me?" Maryanne asked her tone cold. "Speak." she commanded, "Do you understand all that I have shown and told you?" "Yes." Linda replied even though part of her was rebelling. "Good, now fix your face and rejoin your husband and know that you will be watched." Maryanne released Linda's hand while Katrina released the other so that she could fix her make up. Linda walked to the sink and dried her eyes, when she looked in the mirror both Katrina and Maryanne were gone. For just a second she thought that she had somehow imagined the whole thing, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and knew that she hadn't. ******** Katrina and Maryanne watched as Linda walked out of the bathroom and looked for Carl. "I didn't want to do that." Katrina whispered. "I know you didn't." Maryanne said hugging her, "But now Patrick can concentrate on his mate and not have to worry about that bitch." ******** George breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Linda walk out of the bathroom; he was beginning to get nervous especially when he saw Ethan without Katrina. He was dying to know what happened and regretted not being able to watch as he had hoped but Maryanne would tell him everything when they got home. ******* Linda spotted Carl and made her way over to him, when she reached him she tugged on his sleeve to get his attention, when she had it she stood on her tiptoes and to his surprise, she kissed him on the cheek. He put an arm around her and hugged her close wondering what got into her and really not caring. The only thing he hoped was that whatever it was, that it would last. ******* Kevyn ran into her efficiency, stripped and took a hot shower crying the whole time. She wanted to turn her phone off but didn't dare because if someone called from home she wanted to hear the phone. She put on her pajamas, turned on the television but couldn't concentrate which meant that trying to study was out of the question. As she stared at the television she wondered how someone like Patrick could rape, she also wondered why none of his victims reported it but then figured that they were all paid off. She replayed the confession over and over in her mind. "Twenty-five years he's been celibate, twenty-five......" Kevyn sat up, "Twenty-five years?" she said aloud, "He can't be much older than I am so ....." Thinking that she must have either misunderstood him or he was quite a bit older than he looked, she let it go. She asked herself same question over and over, "Why did he tell me when he didn't have to?" As she calmed down she had to admit that she knew that he wasn't lying to her but things just weren't adding up. The more she thought about it the more she was sure that he said twenty-five years and the more certain she was that he wasn't much older than she was. Even so she wasn't ready to talk to him and she didn't know when she would be. She lay down and closed her eyes and tried not to think about Patrick. ****** "How are you holding up?" Martin asked. "She doesn't want to hear from me." "That's understandable, she just needs time to process things." Martin replied. "She.... She told me that she loved me." "That's something and she didn't say that she never wanted to see you again did she?" Patrick Ch. 09 "No.... but I want to try to explain the whys and how's." Patrick replied. "I know you do but she isn't ready." Martin said, "This is one of the hard parts, you have to wait for her to be ready and you have to resist the temptation to push." ******* Patrick and Martin were surprised to find Maryanne and George at Ethan and Katrina's when they got back. Maryanne greeted Martin and then Patrick with a hug. "Are you alright?" she asked kissing his cheek. "I've been better but I'll be alright thanks to all of you." Patrick replied. "How'd she take it?" Ethan asked. "Hard but she did tell me that she loves me, I guess I just have to try to be patient and while I wait try to figure out what Melissa's mother is up to." "You don't have to worry about that anymore." Maryanne said. "Why?" Patrick asked. As far as he knew no one had told Maryanne about the almost rape. "Katrina and I handled it; she won't be a problem anymore." "Who told you about her?" Patrick asked. "Rachel but only because she thought that I already knew so don't be angry with her but I do wish that it had come from you." Maryanne said. "I know but I didn't want to burden you with this and I had plenty of help." Patrick said. "Burden? Patrick Sinclaire you are my child and not a burden!" Maryanne exclaimed, "That applies to all of you, grandchildren and mates included! Don't ever keep anything like that from me again, is that understood?" "Yes ma'am." They all said. ******** Kevyn got through her days by studying and talking to her family on the phone. The news about her mother was encouraging; she was doing much better and was actually eating without being prompted. As she had requested, Patrick hadn't called her or even emailed her although she hadn't said that he couldn't. When she wasn't busy studying she spent her time trying to wrap her head around the fact that the man that she had fallen in love with was a rapist. She didn't think that she cried even this much when things were at their worst with Lonnie. Part of it was that she still loved Patrick even though she didn't understand how; she decided that she needed more time. ******** Patrick missed talking to Kevyn and resisted the urge to call her. He looked at his laptop and decided to send her an email; if she didn't want to read it she could delete it. "Kevyn, I know that you don't want to hear from me but I just wanted to let you k now that I am so sorry for everything and that I love you. Whenever you're ready to talk I'll be here. Patrick" He hit the send button and began to fine tune the online class that he would be teaching. ********* Kevyn read the email and almost didn't respond but decided to. "Patrick, I'm alright. I'm still trying to make sense of things and I know that in order to do that we need to talk. I'm not quite ready to do that but I'll let you know when I am. I love you too and that's one of the things that I'm trying to understand. Kevyn." ******* Patrick was reading the syllabus for what had to be the twentieth time when he heard the soft ding that he had gotten an email. His mouth went dry when he saw that it was Kevyn and wondered if she was going to tell him to go to hell. He read and then reread her response, "Thank you god!" he said as he read the email for the fourth time. ******* Tuesday evening came and as usual Kevyn got to class early. As she read through her notes, she kept looking at the door waiting for Patrick to come in, sit next to her and tease her about her nonexistent dog spunky. She missed him she realized and wanted to talk to him to just say hello, it didn't mean that she was ready to go running to him but she just missed him. She pulled out her phone and was about to dial his number when she heard a vaguely familiar voice. "Well if it isn't the pretty lady from the park." Kevyn looked up in shock. "Hi." she said not knowing what else to say. "Hello." Stu replied, "I guess I get to find out your name anyway." he added with a smile. "I.... I guess so." Kevyn replied flustered. "How's the fiancé?" he asked. Kevyn didn't know what to say, if she said that she didn't have a fiancé' he wouldn't leave her alone and then she remembered that he didn't believe her and thought that she wasn't interested in him because he was white. She wondered if Patrick would mind if she claimed him as her boyfriend and then decided that he wouldn't since they did love each other but hadn't worked through their issues. "You know that there's no fiancé but I have started seeing someone since I last saw you." she replied. "Is that a fact?" Stu asked, "Well I still think that you're a very pretty lady and a little competition never hurt anyone." Kevyn was speechless; he had just told her that he wasn't going to leave her alone. "Look, I'm flattered, I really am but I'm taken." "You aren't married or engaged so that makes you fair game, may the best man win." "I don't date my instructors" she tried again, "First time for everything." Stu replied. Kevyn was about to reply when another student walked in and greeted Stu. As Stu talked with the student, he glanced up at Kevyn and winked. "Fuck!" she murmured as she looked away. Her options were very limited; she couldn't change to the Thursday class..... Well she could but the problem was that she worked Wednesday night and she would have to sleep on Thursday losing a study day unless she did all of her studying on Tuesday and Wednesday during the day. The new schedule started in two weeks and maybe she could get her nights off changed but if she couldn't she'd be screwed for the rest of the semester. If she stayed in this class, Stu would be able to contact her by email which he could anyway no matter which class she was in but she would have see him once a week. She wondered how she went from no man to two in three short weeks, except that she didn't have two men she only wanted one and it wasn't Stu. Kevyn felt a blast of heat at the admission that she wanted Patrick and along with that came an intense missing him. She got up, rushed out of the room heading for the nearest water fountain and then the restroom. When she walked back into the classroom she felt Stu's eyes on her, she kept walking to her seat without looking at him. The last student dashed in right when class was going to start. "Evening folks, my name is Stu Brinkman and you can call me Stu. I'm well aware that my predecessor preferred to be called Dr. Sinclaire but I'm not that pretentious. I'm also aware that he had certain office hours and that you had to make an appointment to see him but you could email to your heart's content. Again I'm not that pretentious, I have an open door policy so feel free to drop in. I'm going to call roll just so I can put faces with names. When I call your name stand up and tell me a little about yourself." Kevyn fumed, the need to protect and defend Patrick rose, just who did this man think he was? When he finally got to her name she stood up. "So Kevyn, tell me about yourself." Stu said. "Well, first of all I prefer to be called Miss. Morris and I prefer to call you Dr. Brinkman, it keeps things professional." and then she sat down fully aware that she was being stared at. "As you wish Miss Morris." Stu replied, "I really do enjoy challenges." He added with a smile and a wink as he turned to the rest of the class. Patrick Ch. 10 Kevyn kept her eyes down, she knew that Stu was looking at her, she could feel it. When she knew that there were just a few more minutes of class left she began to pack her things so that she could make a fast getaway. She even took out her cell phone just so she could pretend to be talking to someone thinking that Stu wouldn't be so rude as to interrupt a phone call. But luck wasn't with her, right after making announcements about changes in the syllabus Stu asked Kevyn to stay behind. "Damn!" Kevyn swore under her breath wondering what he could possibly want. She decided to try to make a break for it taking off as soon as it was time. "Miss. Morris? A moment please." Kevyn stopped at the desk to see what Stu wanted. "What happened with the last test?" he asked. "Nerves, I'll do better on the next one." she replied and started to walk away. 'I'm new to the area and I thought that maybe you could show me around." "I don't think that my boyfriend would like that..... Unless he could come along?" Kevyn asked innocently. It had the desired effect. "I was thinking just the two of us, three would be a crowd." Stu replied sourly. "Oh well.... Have a good night." Kevyn said and walked away. As she waited for the bus, Kevyn tried to figure out what she was going to do about class. She didn't want to dodge Stu every week but she didn't want to kill herself for the rest of the semester either. She wondered if there was a class that met during the day on Tuesdays, it was worth checking out. If there wasn't she was stuck, it never occurred to her to call Patrick to tell her about her problem with Stu simply because she was used to handling things on her own and their own relationship hadn't been defined. She debated about what to do during the bus ride home and then decided that all she could do was check the class schedule and go from there. As soon as she got home she changed her clothes and turned on her laptop, while it was going through its thing she made herself a sandwich and poured herself a glass of milk. By the time she was finished fixing her snack, the laptop was ready. She crossed her fingers and pulled up the school catalogue. She went to the sciences section and said a silent prayer. "Please, please...." and nothing. She looked for other days and times and gave up, she was down to two choices, stay where she was or switch to the Thursday night class and have to go to work afterwards which presented its own challenges. Dropping the class was out of the question. "Shit!" she swore under her breath. In the end she decided to stay where she was positive that she could put Stu off until the end of the semester if she kept mentioning her boyfriend or there was always the chance that someone else would catch his eye and that would end the issue-one could hope. Kevyn made herself to eat her now dry sandwich and drink her milk. She looked at the clock and wondered if Patrick was up. ******* Patrick was thinking about Kevyn, he thought of little else since the night he told her that he was a rapist. Other than that one email he hadn't heard from her and it was all that he could do not to call her but he missed her. It was Tuesday and the first class with the new instructor and he wanted to know how it went, he still hadn't shaken the feeling of intense dislike for the man and it was beginning to worry him. For an hour he debated on whether he should call Kevyn or not and then decided on an email. "Kevyn, I hope that you're alright. I've been thinking about you ever since the night we talked but haven't called because I don't want to crowd you. I also wanted to let you know that whatever it was Melissa's mother was up to is no longer an issue; I think that she was trying to figure out a way to extort money from me but at any rate it's a moot point. I know that you had class tonight and I was wondering how it went and what the new guy is like. Take care and I love you. Patrick" He hit send and went back to working on the online class. There was actually no reason why he couldn't take his class back but decided against it. He wasn't sure if Kevyn was ready to see him in any capacity and he didn't want to rock the boat. He went back to working on the online class not expecting to hear from Kevyn. What he was going to do once he had the class set up he didn't know although he was behind in his movie watching, maybe he could get caught up with that but the idea didn't appeal to him, he wanted to host another movie night but with Kevyn at his side. He stood up, stretched and headed to the shower, tomorrow he would move back to his own house. Everyone was satisfied that he was safe to be on his own now that they were convinced that he had been claimed. Vanessa and Veronica hugged him when he went back for the repeat PET scan and not even pictures or talking about Melissa or her mother stirred his anger which made them wonder if the chemical released by being in love neutralized the rage somehow. He didn't know and he didn't care but he understood the importance of their work and wanted to help. He looked at the laptop that the girls gave him and decided that he'd better enter his notes before he got into the shower. Veronica was adamant that he have them done by the end of the week. "Just what am I supposed to be making notes on?" he asked. "Everything that happened since you found Kevyn." Veronica said. "Everything?" Patrick asked. "Alright just the highlights including what happened when you kissed her." "I am so not doing that! " Patrick replied, "That's way too private." "Then generalize." Veronica said. "Uncle Patrick, we appreciate anything that you can do, right Ronnie?" Vanessa asked. "What? Yes, we do appreciate it." Veronica replied sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I just haven't been resting well." Patrick asked if everything was alright and Veronica assured him that it was, he wasn't convinced but she was no longer a child and she knew how to reach him if she wanted to talk. He sighed and sat on the bed and began to put in brief notes about the finding of Kevyn. When he got to the part about the kiss he only said, "I felt myself settle." He was so intent on writing his notes that he didn't hear the phone ring; it was an hour later when he noticed the flashing light indicating that he had a message. "Damn it!" he swore when he saw that Kevyn had called. He didn't bother to listen to the message; he called her back hoping that she was still up. "Hi." she said when she answered the phone. "Hi, I didn't hear the phone." Patrick said relieved to hear her voice, "How are you?" "I could lie and tell you that I'm fine." Kevyn replied, "But I'm not, I'm still trying to understand what you told me and how I can still love you knowing what you did." Patrick whispered silent thanks that she still loved him but things weren't going to be resolved until they talked. "Kevyn we need to talk again." "I know, I just need more time." she replied. "Could we have coffee? We can talk about other things or we could go back to the batting cages, whatever you want but I need and want to see you." Kevyn hesitated and then made up her mind, "Del Taco's open." "Tonight?" Patrick asked. "If it's too....." "I'll see you in thirty minutes!" ******* Kevyn hung up and changed her clothes again, she had surprised herself by offering to meet Patrick, that hadn't been what she was planning to do. The reason for the call was to find out about Melissa's mother and her plans but since they were meeting, she decided to ask Patrick about his past. She also knew that if she asked it would be quid pro quo, he would want to know more about her marriage to Lonnie but she decided that it was only fair. She turned on the television and watched a comedy until Patrick arrived even managing to get so involved with the show that she jumped when Patrick knocked on the door. She turned the television off, grabbed her phone and answered the door. Patrick smiled at her when he saw her when what he wanted to do was kiss her. "Hi." she greeted as she stepped out of the efficiency and locked the door behind her. "Hi." Patrick replied and before he realized what he was doing he had her in his arms and was kissing her. Kevyn tensed and then relaxed returning the kiss, she had missed him but they still had some serious issues to talk about. "I've missed you." Patrick said hugging her. "I've missed you too." Kevyn confessed. Patrick took her hand and led her to the car; he unlocked the door and kissed her temple before he helped her in. He considered it a miracle that she even allowed him to touch her much less kiss her but he was grateful. The Del Taco was almost deserted with most of the customers using the drive through. "Are you hungry?" Patrick asked, "I know I am." "Sure, I like everything here so surprise me and I'll have an orange soda instead of coffee." Patrick came back with a tray filled with what looked like everything on the menu. "I got a little of everything." Patrick said sitting down. "I bet your parent's owned stock at the grocery store." Kevyn said as she watched Patrick pour packets of hot sauce over several tacos. Patrick chuckled, "We did keep the cabinets pretty empty." They ate in silence with Kevyn once again being amazed at how much food Patrick could eat. "Tell me about the new guy." Patrick said as he doused the last of the burritos with hot sauce. Kevyn shrugged, "He's young and kind of a jerk but he's alright I guess." Patrick stopped what he was doing; there was something in Kevyn's voice.... "Did something happen?" He asked. "No, not really." "Not really? What does that mean exactly?" "It means that nothing happened." Kevyn replied. Patrick took a long drink of his soda before responding. "Sweetheart in case you've forgotten, you're a lousy liar." "Damn, I've really got to work on that!" Kevyn mumbled. "So tell me about Stu Brinkman." Kevyn told Patrick about meeting Stu at the park not once but twice. "I didn't know who he was but both times he asked me to go for coffee with him after the second time I stopped going to the park. I saw the email that he sent out but I didn't make the connection until I went to class tonight." Patrick stopped eating, "What did he do to you?" "Nothing, we were in class." Kevyn said. "What did he say to you?" "He recognized me and said something about finding out my name." "And?" Patrick prompted. "He asked me out and I told him that I didn't date my instructors..... Patrick?" "I'm fine, what else?" "I..... I kind of claimed you as my boyfriend." "You did?" Patrick asked surprised but pleased. "Sorry that I used you like that but....." "Did he accept that?" " Patrick...." "Kevyn did he accept that you had a boyfriend?" Patrick asked his tone intense. "No, he said that since we weren't married or engaged and that made me fair game." Patrick tapped his fingers on the table and then changed the subject. "Is it alright for me to start calling you again? After all I am supposed to be your boyfriend." Kevyn hesitated, "I guess but we still have to talk about .... That." "May I ask a question?" "I guess." Kevyn replied. "What happened in your marriage?" "The question should be what didn't happen." Kevyn replied. "Alright, I'll bite." Patrick said, "What didn't happen?" He listened as Kevyn talked about her marriage to Lonnie. "He was full of big plans and ideas which was great but he did nothing to make any of it happen and one day I'd had enough. I was tired of living with his parents and working while he sat at home supposedly working on getting us out of his parent's house and into our own place. So what didn't happen? None of his grand plans, we never got our own place and as a matter of fact he still lives there. It was then that I decided that I was going to be independent and not need a man for support." "You don't want to have to depend on anyone." Patrick commented, "Did he hurt you?" "Hurt me? You mean like hit me? No but he slept around while I was working my ass off so do you see why I didn't want to meet anyone?" "I get it, but Kev it was bound to happen." Patrick said. "I was doing fine until you." Kevyn said with a weak smile. "I wasn't." Patrick said softly, "I didn't start doing better until I met you." There was an uncomfortable silence so once again Patrick changed the subject. "I'm glad that you called." "Tell me what happened with Melissa's mom." Kevyn said not responding to the sentiment. "My mother and sister is what happened." Patrick replied and told her about the fundraiser. "Jeez, remind me not to piss them off." Kevyn remarked. "They would love you." Patrick replied, "Sweetheart, we need to talk so we can get past this." Kevyn hesitated, he was right and putting it off wasn't going to make it go away. "I'm off Sunday thru Tuesday." Kevyn said, "But Patrick the issue isn't how I feel about you do you understand that? Wait maybe it is." she amended. "What you're saying is that you love me and you can't reconcile that with what I was." "That's accurate but Patrick, why did you do it?" Kevyn asked. "It's a very long and complicated story and one that I can't tell you here." Patrick replied, "But I'll tell you everything on Sunday." "Will it be as bad as what you already told me?" "In some ways yes," Patrick replied, "but I've told you the worst about myself and I am so thankful that you stuck around." Patrick took Kevyn home a short while later; he walked her to her door and kissed her. "I love you Kevyn Morris." he said and walked away, he had a visit to make. ******* Stu sat in the living room of his condo channel surfing but his mind was on one Kevyn Morris. He hadn't been able to forget her since the first time he saw her in the park and he had come on much too strong, then luck was with him and he saw her the second time and he made the same mistake and then compounded it by basically accusing her of being a racist . Seeing her in class was a very pleasant surprise and instead of treating her like any other student, he pushed again making her angry. He reminded himself that he had to be careful, he was already let go once after a student file sexual harassment charges against him. The last position that he held, he was given the option to leave or be fired. His father paid the school to seal the records, "Thanks pop." he muttered under his breath. He didn't consider himself to be a bad looking man standing just shy of six feet with dark hair and blue eyes and he was on the thin side. Even so women seemed to find him attractive until he started pushing too hard and too fast and then they went running. Stu threw the remote on the sofa and went to the kitchen still thinking about Kevyn. He wanted her but he needed to slow down but fast was the only speed that he knew. "Does she really have a boyfriend?" he muttered. He knew that she had been lying about the fiancé, she was a poor liar but when she mentioned a boyfriend and asked to bring him along..... It didn't matter, as far as he was concerned if a woman wasn't wearing an engagement or wedding ring they were fair game. The thing was, he really liked Kevyn and the way she stood up to him in class was a turn on leading him to wonder what she would be like in bed. She was bigger than he liked his women but she had something that his usual women didn't have.... Confidence and strength. He felt it when she told him to call her Miss. Morris, he got hard just thinking about it and her but if he wanted to get her into bed he had to slow and soften his approach, she would push as hard as he did. With that in mind he began to plan his seduction of Kevyn. ******* Patrick decided to go back to Ethan's first; he wanted to investigate Stuart Brinkman further before he confronted him. When he got to his room he turned on his laptop and googled Stuart Brinkman. The information matched what was on the search that he did on Ethan's program but he looked deeper, he wanted to know where Stu worked before and if there had been any problems. An hour later he knew all that he wanted and needed to know, Stuart Brinkman was a predator. He fixated on one woman until she either reported him or became unavailable in another way-engaged or married. Fortunately there was no history of violence at least none that was reported but that didn't mean that there couldn't be a first time and that made him a threat as well as a distraction. It was time for a visit. ******* Stu had just finished jacking off thinking about Kevyn and was cleaning himself up when he realized that he wasn't alone. "Hey! How'd you get in here?" He asked quickly covering himself with a pillow. Patrick's eyes blazed, he had gotten there just as Stuart came with Kevyn's name on his lips. "Get some fucking clothes on!" Patrick demanded. "You can't come in here and tell me...." "I said get some fucking clothes on. NOW!" Stu was going to argue until he saw the coldness in Patrick's eyes. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked as he pulled on his shorts and then his tee shirt. "My name is Patrick Sinclaire." It took Stu a moment to register who it was that he was talking to. "What do you want? Is this about the comments about your office hours and how in the hell did you get in here?" "No this has nothing to do with that although it was unprofessional." Patrick replied, "I'm here about Kevin Morris." he added ignoring the question about how he got in. "What about her?" "She's taken." Stu smiled, "by whom? You? She doesn't date her instructors or so she says." "I'm not her instructor." Patrick said glaring at Stu, "but even if I were that doesn't change the fact that she's spoken for and that you are to stay away from her." "Afraid of a little competition?" Stu asked not snidely realizing the danger that he was in. Patrick gave him a cold smile before replying. "It would be well within my rights to beat your ass for jacking off to my woman; actually I would have no problem with killing you." Something in Patrick's tone caught Stu's attention and alerted him to the danger he was in. "How did you get in here?" he asked some of his bravado gone. "It doesn't matter but now you know that I can and will find you if you approach Kevyn again." Patrick replied, "as a matter of fact let's eliminate the chances of that happening; I'm taking my class back." "You can't do that! I signed a contract." "I'll buy out your contract." "No." Stu replied even though he was nervous. He had to keep this job, if he didn't his father would cut him off and he wouldn't see another cent until his father died. Patrick had to admire the man's nerve but it changed nothing. "I know about your past, the sexual harassment allegations and why you were given the option to leave your last job...." "Those records are sealed! How did you get that information?" Stu demanded his fear forgotten. Patrick was tired of talking , it was clear that Stu wasn't going to go away even if he bought out his contract and that he wasn't going to leave Kevyn alone. "Stuart, look at me." Patrick commanded. When Stu looked up at him Patrick spoke. "Kevyn is unavailable to you is that clear?" "Yes." Start answered reluctantly. Patrick strengthened the compulsion when he felt Stu's resistance. "You will finish out the semester without approaching Kevyn with anything except class related issues, is that clear?" "Yes." "You will not jack off with Kevyn in your mind, do you understand?" "Yes." "You will stop pursuing women who tell you no, do you understand?" Patrick Ch. 10 "Yes." "If you go anywhere near Kevyn with the exception of talking to her about class you will regret it, do you understand?" "Yes." "I am leaving now and you won't remember me being here but you will remember the perimeters that we have just discussed." Patrick left leaving a confused Stuart alone on his couch trying to figure out if he had fallen asleep and had a strange dream. ******** Patrick went back to his room and thought about calling Kevyn to tell her that she wouldn't have to worry about Stuart anymore but changed his mind, she would figure it out when she went to class again. What he needed to do was think about Sunday and where they would go, the batting cages, they would go there first and then what? His house? The only way to find out was to ask. Kevyn picked up on the first ring. "Hey." "Hey." Patrick replied, "I was thinking about Sunday and was wondering if you would like to do a couple of hours at the batting cage and then come to my house for dinner." "Yes to the batting cages but I don't know about your house for dinner." "I'm open to suggestions." Patrick replied. "We'll come here." Kevyn said after a brief hesitation. She wanted the home court advantage but Patrick saw it differently, he saw it as a sign of trust that she would allow him into her home. He really hadn't been that surprised that she was nervous about coming to his home and would have been surprised if she had agreed. "We could stop and get take out." he suggested. "I'll throw something in the crock pot." Kevyn replied. "You're going to cook for me?" he asked. "Don't get too excited, it won't be anything fancy." Kevyn replied. "I'm sure that it'll be good whatever it is." Patrick replied. "I've got some studying to do so I'll talk to you later." Kevyn said and hung up. Patrick hung up and got ready to go to his own house, there was no need for him to stay another night now that he knew that he was safe and he had preparations to make just in case by some stroke of good luck Kevyn went home with him. He had just finished packing when Ethan tapped on the door. "Headed out?" "Yes, I need to start getting ready for Kevyn." "We're here if you need anything." Ethan said as he sat on the bed. "I know and thanks for everything but there's something that you want to tell me." "Just take your time is all, you're already ahead of the game in that you know that she loves you." Patrick sat on the bed beside Ethan. "What I had to do was difficult and I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for you and Martin." "It was a very difficult time." Ethan said, "But we survived and you will too. By the way, Katrina and Rachel are open to talking with Kevyn if she wants to talk with them." "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. Are Katrina and the pumpkin around? I want to say goodbye to them." "They're in the kitchen baking snickerdoodles." Ethan replied standing up. Patrick said his goodbyes and headed home to get ready for Kevyn. ****** Kevyn looked in her freezer to see what she had and it wasn't much, a small package of hamburger and a couple of chicken breasts that wouldn't even begin to fill Patrick up. She grabbed a piece of paper and started making a grocery list and planning for Sunday's dinner. Whatever it was it had to be something that she could put in the crock pot since she worked Saturday night. "Pork roast." she muttered, "and I can add the potatoes and carrots with it..... Pie for dessert... and.... Rolls." She finished the list and sat down to study still undecided about class. After thinking about it for a few more minutes she decided to give it another week, maybe Stu had gotten the message that she wasn't interested but if he asked her again about her boyfriend, she would give him Patrick's name since he didn't seem to mind that she used him tonight. It occurred to her that he seemed downright pleased that she had used him, the thing was that it had come so naturally but there were still the rapes to talk about and the fact that she loved him. ******** Saturday night was the longest shift of Kevyn's life, it was the one night that she wished that she could run her ass off just to make it go faster but as luck would have it everyone slept even the confused residents. She tried to take advantage of the quiet night to get ahead of the reading for class but she couldn't concentrate. She checked her phone several times during the night thinking that Patrick might call and was disappointed that he hadn't. By the time her break rolled around she was a bundle of nerves. Patrick answered on the first ring. "Are you alright?" He asked worried. "I'm fine, just nervous I guess." "What can I do to help?" he asked. "I don't think that there's anything that you can do except to explain things." "We could skip the batting cages and just talk." Kevyn considered the suggestion, as much as she needed to know, she needed to work off the nervous energy. "No that's ok but thanks....." "I miss you." Patrick said interrupting her. "Patrick?" "Yes?" "I miss you too." The rest of the shift passed as slowly as the first part of it, when the end finally came Kevyn flew out of the door and ran to the bus stop. It felt like forever before the bus arrived and dropped her off at home where she started stripping as soon as she was in the door and naked by the time she reached the bathroom. Freshly showered and in her pajamas Kevyn got out the crock pot, put in the pork roast, mixed the mushroom soup in with onion soup mix and added a half a can of Pepsi. She peeled the potatoes and carrots lay them on top of the meat and poured the soup mixture on top, covered it and turned the crock pot on low. She cleaned the small counter and got out the ingredients for an apple pie, made the pie adding small pieces of sharp cheddar cheese and put it in the oven after setting the timer on the microwave. While the pie baked, she took out a piece of paper and wrote down all of the questions that she felt that she needed the answers to. ****** Patrick couldn't rest, he resisted the temptation to call Kevyn just in case she was asleep, he only had to wait a few more hours and then he would know where things stood. He wondered what they would do about her job if she agreed to mate with him. He knew how important her independence was to her so he would leave the decision up to her whether she continued working or not and he would encourage her to continue her education. The online class was as ready as it was going to be and he was now wishing that he had taken his class back, he would have to come up with something else to fill his time if Kevyn decided not to see him again but she wouldn't would she? She loved him but that didn't mean that she wanted to be with him. Shit. ***** Kevyn actually fell asleep while the pie was baking; the dinging of the microwave was what woke her up that and the smell of the baking pie reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime at work. She took the pie out of the oven and resisted the temptation to cut the pie, in her opinion the best time to eat pie when was it was fresh out of the oven with a glass of milk or vanilla ice-cream. Instead she made a piece of toast and finished the list of questions that she had for Patrick. ***** Patrick go to Kevyn's apartment early, he couldn't wait any longer to see her as a matter of fact, he didn't want to go to the batting cages, he just wanted everything over with so that they could begin their life together as mates. He stood at her door for several minutes before he knocked. He waited a minute or two and knocked again and was about to knock again when he heard Kevyn's footsteps hurrying to the door. Kevyn grabbed her bat and opened the door to a very anxious Patrick. She put the bat down and invited him in, she wanted to hug him but she didn't. She didn't quite trust herself not to do more than that. "Are you alright?" she asked. "Nervous but otherwise I'm fine." Patrick replied. "Why don't we skip the batting cages?" Kevyn said, "I don't think that I can concentrate anyway, are you hungry?" "Believe it or not as nervous as I am, I'm hungry and whatever you're cooking smells delicious." Patrick replied glad that they were staying in. "Ok have a seat while I finish things up." "Can I help?" Patrick asked as he visualized him and Kevyn making meals together or preparing for one of the championship game parties that she dreamt of having. "No, I've got it." Kevyn replied as she turned on the oven and took the rolls out of the fridge. Patrick sat on the sofa and watched as Kevyn moved around the tiny kitchen noticing that there were no wasted movements as she put the rolls on a cookie sheet and then got down the plates and glasses. Unable to stay put, Patrick stood, went to the kitchen and stood behind Kevyn as close as he could without actually touching her. Kevyn stopped putting the rolls on the tray. "What are you doing?" she asked not moving. "Nothing....yet." Patrick replied as he leaned forward and kissed her neck. A blast of heat seared through Kevyn as her nipples hardened and she felt herself grow moist. "Ummm, you need to go sit down over there." she said and moved from in front of him and turned to face him. "You're sure that you want me to do that?" Patrick asked as he moved closer and put his hands on her hips. "Yes!" she exclaimed and then amended her answer when she saw Patrick's raised eyebrows. "Ok, no but whatever this is goes no further until we've talked so go back over there and stay there until dinner is ready." Patrick grinned at her and moved away, she was right; they had to take care of business first. Twenty minutes later, they were eating dinner on TV trays in the living room. Patrick took a bite of the slow cooked pork with potatoes and pronounced it wonderful. "I'm glad that you like it but save room for dessert, I made an apple pie." "Sounds good." Patrick replied wishing that he was having her for dinner and dessert both. Patrick had actually consumed over half of what was in the crock pot and over half of the pie. "That was delicious!" he said as he ate the last bite of pie from his plate. "I have clean up duty." he said taking their plates. "You don't have to do that." Kevyn protested. Her mother was a firm believer in that company shouldn't be allowed to do dishes or housework of any kind no matter how long they stayed. "Please allow me." Patrick replied, "After all you cooked the meal." "But......" "But nothing, you sit and relax." Patrick said cutting her off. When the dishes were done and the leftovers put in containers and sitting on the counter, Patrick sat next to Kevyn on the couch. For several minutes neither of them spoke. Kevyn reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a folded sheet of notebook paper and handed it to Patrick. "What's this?" he asked. "A list of questions that I want answers to." she replied. Patrick unfolded the paper and scanned the questions noticing that they were arranged by importance with the first question being "why?" "Kevyn, in order to answer the first question I have to tell you about my family." Patrick said. "Are you ready to hear what I have to tell you?" Kevyn hesitated, for just a few fleeting seconds she thought about saying that she didn't want to know, that it didn't matter because she loved him and he obviously wasn't the same man who had raped. She didn't know how she knew that but she knew that it was true. But it would come up again and it was better to find out now then later before she invested even more of herself in this....relationship. "I.... go ahead and tell me." For three hours Patrick talked about his family including how Ethan and Martin met their mates and finally he told her that he and his brothers weren't human. Kevyn stared at him not sure of whether to believe him or not. "Your whole family raped? All of you? "She asked shocked. "The males did." Patrick replied. "I mean..... you.... Jesus Patrick...I... you have to leave." "Kevyn....." "I don't believe this; I don't just fall in love with a rapist but the whole family..... I need time to think about this." The one thing that Patrick noticed was that she didn't say anything about him being a vampire. "Kevyn did you hear what I said about being a vampire?" he asked. "What? Oh... yeah I heard you but I don't care about that! I mean I do but I don't." Patrick had a sense of belief but her acceptance of his vampirism was only part of the battle. "Your brothers they married their victims and had children?" Kevyn asked temporarily forgetting that she had just asked him to leave. "Yes, in both cases the pregnancies resulted from the rapes." "And they're still together?" "Yes, both Ethan and Martin victims are now they are mates." "The women, how.... Mates? You mean wives?" "The two terms are used interchangeably....." "Wait a minute, what am I to you? Am I one of these mates?" Kevyn asked her head spinning. Patrick hesitated; he really hadn't planned on telling her that part of it just yet. He wanted to work through their issues first but since she asked, he couldn't lie. "Yes Kevyn, you are my mate, I knew it from the second I saw you." "The children, do they know?" Kevyn asked. She knew that she was jumping around in her questions but her mind was trying to grasp and understand the information that it was receiving. "Most of them know, Victoria Ethan's youngest is only ten but the twins are in their late twenties and are actually trying to figure out if genetics really are in play....." "Genetics? You mean that they're looking for an excuse for what done." Kevyn snapped. "No, I mean they're looking for a cause so that it can be prevented." Patrick replied calmly. "And then what?" "They've just started their research but Kevyn, I haven't raped anyone in over twenty-five years! Neither have Martin or Ethan. We're trying to reach everyone who needs help, we're trying to stop this." "I really need for you to leave now." she said softly, her head was beginning to hurt. Patrick noted her deer in the headlight look and nodded. "I know I've given you a lot to think about so I'll leave it to you to call me when you're ready to talk again." Kevyn nodded, her throat was tight as they stood up. Much to Patrick's relief she didn't flinch when he touched her and willingly kissed him back when he kissed her. Kevyn walked Patrick to the door, kissed him again and locked it behind him. She leaned against the door for a long time thinking about what she needed and wanted to do. This seemed to be a good time to make that trip back home; her mother's condition was worsening again. Moving from the door she picked up her phone and called the staffing office to tell them that she needed to go home. Then she went online and booked her flight, she had money set aside for the ticket because she knew that she would have to go home at some point. It costs her extra but she made the ticket open ended just in case she decided to stay longer than she planned. She sent an email to Stu explaining her absence from class on Tuesday and logged off. She wondered if she should tell Patrick that she was leaving and why. Part of her didn't want to but she knew that he would worry if she didn't. Instead of calling him she logged back on to her laptop and sent him an email. "Patrick, I need to take some time and think about this. I'm leaving for Pennsylvania in the morning and I don't know when I'll be back. My mother is ill and she probably doesn't have much time left, please don't think that I'm avoiding you....yes I am but it's not because I don't love you it's because I do. I know that I'm not making sense but anyway, I'll call you when I'm back in town. Kevyn" She packed her bags after putting the dinner leftovers in the oven. Even though it was early, she called for a shuttle to take her to the airport. Two hours later she was on her way not realizing that she didn't hit the send button for the email to Patrick. Patrick Ch. 11 As Kevyn sat in the airport waiting for her plane to board she began to question her decision to leave. While it was true that she needed to go home and see her mother because she wasn't doing well, it didn't need to be tonight. "I'm running and I'm using my mom to do it." She mumbled disgusted with herself. She knew that Patrick would have respected her request to be left alone but she needed distance.... So she thought. Her next thought was that she should have called as opposed to sending an email. There was still time before boarding but she had already turned her phone off to save the battery. It would wait until she got to her mothers house. Which reminded her that in her haste to leave she hadn't called anyone to tell them that she was coming but it would have been well after midnight in Pennsylvania? The more she thought about it the more she realized that she had reacted out of what? Fear? No it was more like confusion. She wasn't afraid of Patrick hadn't been even after he told her what he was. "A vampire and a rapist?" she muttered thinking that she really knew how to pick them. The problem as she saw it was that she loved him in spite of what was and that included the rapist. She asked herself if she believed him when he told her that he could and never would rape again because of her, the answer was yes, she believed him. Did she believe that he loved her as deeply as he said he did? She believed that too. She needed to go back and wondered if it was too late to change her mind. Kevyn picked up her backpack and headed toward customer service when her flight was called. She weighed her options, she could just forfeit the ticket but it had been expensive and when she had to go she would be sunk. Kicking herself for her rashness, Kevyn boarded the plane. ******* Patrick wanted to call Kevyn but didn't. She had made it clear that she needed time to think and didn't want to talk to him. Leaving her was becoming more difficult each time that he had to do it and he hoped that tonight was the last time that it would happen. Not knowing what to do with himself, he called Ethan and then Martin to see if they were too busy to meet him somewhere. "Of course not!" Ethan said, "Do you want to come here or meet somewhere?" "Are Katrina and the pumpkin around?" Patrick asked hopefully, seeing Victoria always cheered him up. "They're both home but if we need privacy we can use my office." Ethan replied. "What's Martin up to tonight?" Patrick asked. "Nothing that I know of," Ethan replied. "I think Rach is at some teacher's conference, Patrick what's going on?" "I just want some company is all." Ethan wasn't buying it but didn't say so, "Well come on over! Both Victoria and Katrina will be glad to see you." A few moments later Patrick was receiving hugs and kisses from Victoria. "Uncle Patrick!" she yelled as she ran across the room and leapt up into his arms. 'Hi there pumpkin, how are you?" Patrick asked. "I'm fine but how come you're so sad?" Victoria asked looking into his face. "I'm fine pumpkin but thanks for asking." Patrick replied as he kissed her cheek and set her on her feet. Victoria gave Patrick a look that let him know that she didn't quite believe him and ran off when she heard Katrina calling her name. "She's very intuitive." Ethan replied after Victoria was gone. "I see that.' Patrick replied as he sat down and stretched his long legs in front of him. "So what's happening?" Ethan asked. "Is Martin coming?" "He should be here any time now." Ethan replied. "Then I'll wait." Patrick replied. Martin arrived a few minutes later with a big smile on his face. "You look like the cat that got the canary." Patrick said, "What gives?" "We're pregnant!" Martin exclaimed happily. Both Patrick and Ethan congratulated Martin but the revelation made Patrick miss Kevyn even more. Martin looked at Patrick and realized something was amiss. "Patrick what's happening?" Patrick told them about the evening and how it ended, "she asked me not to contact her." "Did she say that she never wanted to see you again?" Ethan asked. "Well no but she could come to that decision even if she loves me." Patrick replied. "Do you get the feeling that she's thinking along those lines?" Ethan asked. "No.... and I understand her needing the time. I don't know how I would react if I were in her shoes but it's getting harder and harder to leave her. I need and want to be with her and to announce that we're pregnant, I....." "Patrick." Martin said softly, "She hasn't turned you away, she only asks for a little time." Patrick blew out a breath in frustration, "there are times when I really hate this family!" "Both Martin and I have felt the same thing but Patrick, hold on to the fact that she loves you and as you know her confusion is normal. Both Rachel and Katrina struggled with it and to be honest with you I think that on occasion Katrina still does." "What does she do about it?" Patrick asked. "We work through it together but as I said, it doesn't happen very often." Ethan replied, "but when you and Kevyn do talk, listen to her carefully." Patrick found that talking about things made him feel somewhat better but it didn't take away the longing for Kevyn. "Why don't you come home with me?" Martin asked, "Rach is out of town for another couple of days and she'd be glad to see you anyway." Patrick thought about it and decided that it was a good idea. If he went home he would do nothing but stew in his own juices and wasn't sure that he could keep himself from calling Kevyn in spite of her request that he give her time. "I'll meet you there." Patrick said, "I want to go home to get a couple of things." The three brothers sat in silence for a few moments each of them thinking about and missing Jesse the brother who had suicided when he accidentally killed his mate during an attempted rape. "He should be here with us." Patrick said verbalizing what they all were thinking. ********* Kevyn closed her eyes and tried to rest. She felt a combination of guilt, anxiety, confusion and anger. Guilt because she for all practical purposes just ran, anxiety because she realized that she shouldn't have, confusion because she loved Patrick and wanted to be with him but on the other hand he and the males of his family were rapists and angry because she loved him and had to decide what she was going to do about it. Her eyes flew open when she realized three things, she put the leftovers in the oven instead of the fridge, and she couldn't remember pushing the send icon for the email that she was going to send to Patrick and.... She left the laptop at home. It was too late to get off of the plane; it had already begun to taxi down the runway. All she could do now was wait until the layover and call the apartment manager and ask him to go to her apartment to put the food away. He would grumble about it but if she didn't, her apartment would smell horrible by the time she got back but if she told him that he could have the leftovers he would be a happy camper. She had been wavering on whether to call Patrick or not but decided that she'd better especially since she couldn't swear that she sent the email. She had visions of him emailing her and panicking when she didn't reply. It could have waited but her mother didn't have a computer and even if she did there wouldn't be internet access because money was tight and the internet was an unnecessary expense. Her sisters had internet but she would have to find a way to get there which wouldn't be difficult, she could just use her dad's car....if it still ran that is. It seemed to take forever before they reached Phoenix where she would have a two hour layover. Kevyn tried to rush off of the plane but her seat was in the back giving her no choice but to wait. When she was finally in the terminal she looked around for a place to make a phone call. She headed toward a corner and called Patrick first. "Kevyn? Are you alright?" Patrick asked his voice filled with concern and relief. "I... I'm ok I just did something rash without really thinking about it." she replied. "Kevyn, where are you?" Patrick asked as his ears picked up on the background noise of the busy airport. "Didn't you get my email?" she asked. "What email? Where are you?" "I'm at the airport....." "The airport? Kevyn what are you doing?" Patrick asked panicked. "I needed to be away from you and I thought that this would be a good time to see my mom, she's not doing too well and I don't really know how much time she has left." "Baby I'm sorry but why didn't you tell me?" Patrick asked. "I don't know but I only called you now because I couldn't remember if I hit the send icon on the email and I left my laptop at home." "You were in that big of a hurry to get away from me?" Patrick asked softly. "Patrick you have to understand that I don't have a real good history with men and....." "Lonnie was a fucking asshole who didn't know what a good thing he had and Brinkman is just an arrogant idiot who you no longer need to concern yourself about." Patrick said interrupting her. "I know that I and my family have its issues but we're working through them and I can even understand why you felt that you needed space but running away didn't solve anything now did it? Let me ask you something and remember that you can't lie, are you afraid of me?" "NO! If I was afraid of you I wouldn't have let you into my apartment." Kevyn replied heatedly, "The issue is what you and your family were and are and I don't mean the vampirism." "I know how hard this is for you but the fact that we've made significant changes and that we are very vocal about out history should count for something." Patrick replied just as heatedly, "Kevyn do you believe that I love you? That I could and would never do anything to hurt you?" "Yes but..." "Then why are you running away from me?" "I'm not....." "Kevyn." Patrick said his voice low and intense. "I don't really know! I needed space." "I was and am willing to give you all the space and time that you need, you didn't have to run." Patrick said, "Now where are you going?" "Why?" Kevyn asked. "Because I'm coming to you." Kevyn didn't know what to say at first and then she was tempted to agree but then she changed her mind. "Please don't." she whispered, "I'll be home in a few days and we'll talk." "Kevyn...." "I'll call you later." Kevyn said and hung up. She called the apartment manager next and as she thought, he bristled at having to do her a favor but changed his tune when she told him that he could have the leftovers. With the last phone call being made Kevyn looked around for the direction for her gate and headed toward it. She wasn't aware that she was crying until someone asked her if she needed help. "Oh, no but thank you." she said and hurried away to find the nearest bathroom. ******** Patrick looked at his phone and flung it on the couch. "Something wrong?" Martin asked. "I just talked to Kevyn; she's headed out of town to see her mother." "Alright......" Martin said not seeing the problem. "Her mother is ill and not doing well but Kevyn said that she went to get away from me." "She said that?" Martin asked. "Yes and when I asked her where she was going she wouldn't tell me." "Because you were going to go to her weren't you?" Martin asked. "She needs me! Her mother could die...." "Her mother was ill before you found her and if you hadn't found her she would have dealt with her mother's death with her family." Martin said. "I'm her mate!" Patrick protested, "I should be there with her!" "And she knows that, she claimed you but Patrick she needs time and space. She knows that you love her and I have a hunch that you'll be seeing her soon." "I hope that you're right." Patrick replied, "But I have a question for you." "Shoot." Martin said. "Remember when you chaperoned us to Caesar's and you said that you thought that Kevyn could hear you?" "I remember and I haven't a clue what that was about." Martin replied, "Maybe it was a fluke but we won't find out until we're in a position to try it." "I suppose you're right." Patrick replied. Now that he was at Martin's he didn't know if he was any better off than he would have been at home. They played pool and watched a couple of games on the sports channel but he was still restless. He had the nagging feeling that Kevyn was going to need him sometime soon. He took out his laptop and turned it on. While he waited for it to boot up he tried to remember if Kevyn ever said what her maiden name had been but was fairly certain that she had never mentioned it. When he checked her out earlier he didn't look beyond her recent past and her high school transcripts now he was going to look deeper. When the laptop was up and running Patrick pulled up the background check program and typed in Kevyn's name. He started with the present and worked his way backwards. He found out that she was the oldest of seven with the youngest a boy dying at the age of twenty-four. Her father Victor Yancy died three years ago leaving the mother in poor shape financially and now her mother was dying too. He read further hoping to get at least the name of the city where her mother lived so that he could make arrangements to go at a moments notice. "Pittsburgh" he murmured. "It would have to be a big city." he grumbled as he read further looking for any clues as to which section of the city her family lived in. He wondered if the prefix to her cell phone number might be a clue but then he remembered that it was a California number. "What am I thinking?" he asked as he went to the school website, she had to have someone to call in case of emergency and he was sure that it wouldn't be Lonnie. When he found the number, he called it to make sure that it was still a working number breathing a sigh of relief when the answering machine came on. Her job was another possibility as a way to get information on her if the other had failed but he didn't need it. ****** Kevyn washed her face and then wished that she hadn't, she didn't have any lotion to use afterwards. She had always hated the tight feeling her skin got after she took a shower. She hated the feeling enough that she stopped at a gift shop and paid way too much for a small bottle of lotion. She made it to her gait with plenty of time to spare and looked for a seat where she wouldn't be disturbed. Suddenly she was tired, she wanted to be at home on her couch with the small television sitting in front of it with a big bowl of popcorn and a cup of hot chocolate. What she really wished for was for someone to talk to, someone other than Patrick, she needed someone completely impartial but she knew no one. Her sisters were out of the question; they had their own dramas going on and would more than likely try to pull her into it. All of the family drama was part of the reason that she moved away that and she hated the winters. She felt a tingle at the back of her neck and knew what that meant, a migraine was on the way and if she didn't do something soon it would be out of control. She dug through her bag until she found the bottle of generic brand over the counter migraine medicine that she always carried with her. Not wanting to lose her seat, Kevyn took the pills dry and closed her eyes. They hadn't been closed for long when she felt like she was being stared at. She opened her eyes to see a man sitting across from her watching her with a slight smile on his face. "Lovely" she thought to herself as the man continued to openly stare at her. As much as she hated to give up her seat she gathered her things to move. "Please don't leave on my account." he said with an accent that sounded Scottish. The whole thing reminded her too much of Stuart Brinkman and she wanted nothing to do with this man any more than she had him. "It isn't often that I see such a beautiful woman...." "Look, let me stop you right there." she snapped, "I'm sure that you're very nice but I'm not interested, I have a boyfriend." "Then he is a very lucky man and I really didn't mean to upset you." he said, "I just appreciate beauty that is outside of what is normally considered beautiful." he added with a smile. "There you are!" a woman called to the man, "I've been looking all over for you." "I was just talking with this beautiful woman who informs me that she is spoken for." The woman rolled her eyes, "Come on our plane is boarding." Kevyn breathed a sigh of relief when the couple was gone. She put her backpack on the seat next to her hoping to discourage anyone from sitting there. By the time she was on the plane her headache was nothing more than a dull throb. Her next prayer was that whoever she sat next to wasn't a talker but maybe that would be for the best. If the person was a chatter box, it would help her keep her mind off of Patrick and the family drama that she would be facing when she got home. Luck was and wasn't with her. She didn't get one chatter box but two, one on either side of her, she offered to exchange seats with the woman sitting by the aisle but she declined. "Thank you dear but I have to be able to get up to go to the bathroom in a hurry." Kevyn smiled politely as she groaned on the inside and got settled in her seat and took back her desire for someone to chat with. She closed her eyes and hoped that the woman on either side of her would leave her alone but the problem was that they talked around her. "Why don't I sit by the window and you two can visit more easily?" She asked hoping that the woman would agree. "Are you sure that you don't mind?" the woman asked. "Not at all." Kevyn said eagerly and traded seats with the woman. She managed to fall asleep and didn't wake up until they were about to land. She waited until the plane was almost empty before getting off. She walked through the airport to get to baggage claim and then to look for a cab. Normally she would have taken the bus but she was too tired and irritable to wait. On the way to her mother's house she called her sister Juliet. "Kevyn? Where have you been? We've been trying to call you!" "I'm here in Pittsburgh, what's going on?" "Mom's in the hospital." "What happened?" Kevyn asked. "I went over to check on her since Louise was at work and she didn't answer the door or the phone when I called. I used my key and went in and found her on the floor." Kevyn closed her eyes; the headache was coming back with a vengeance. It was turning out to be a good thing that she came after all even though part of the reason had been to get away from Patrick. "Is everyone else there?" Kevyn asked. "Yes.... They don't think that she's going to make it something about a subdural hematoma." "Is she on a vent?" "For now, we're waiting for you to get here." Juliet replied. Kevyn knew what that meant, it meant the same thing three years ago when their father died, she was expected to make all of the decisions and then deal with the fallout if the decision made was one that wasn't liked. After the funeral she had to take a couple of her mother's xanax just so she could relax and go to sleep. To add to the stress as the oldest she was expected to speak on behalf of the family and if their mother died she would be expected to do it again as well as make the decision about the life support. Tears prickled her eyes as she began to mentally plan what needed to be done. The house would go to Louise, it was only fair since she lived there and took care of their mother although Kevyn sent money every payday. Then there would be the matter of going through her things and.... Patrick Ch. 11 Kevyn made herself slow down, her mother wasn't dead yet and maybe she would pull out of it but in her hearts of hearts she knew that this was it. Kevyn took a deep shaky breath and told the cab driver to take her to the hospital. When she got there all of her brothers and sisters were there, when they saw her they began to bombard her with questions before she could even put her bags down. "Everybody please give me a chance....." "You're not thinking about taking her off of the machine are you?" Her brother Gene asked. "I just got here! I don't know what I'm thinking yet." Finally she walked out, she couldn't do this right now, it just was too much to deal with at the moment. She needed a place to sit and regroup. For a brief second Patrick's face flashed in her mind, the thought to call him followed. "I'm just tired." she murmured and she decided that there would be no decisions made tonight. She found the visitor's lounge, plopped down in a chair and put her head in her hands. "Miss Morris?" A voice said. "What now?" Kevyn asked as she looked up. "I'm sorry to bother you, I'm Dr. Berry, and your siblings tell me that you're responsible for the medical decisions for your mother." "I am but I'm exhausted and.... Could we talk tomorrow? Please?" "Certainly, they said that you just arrived from the west coast." "I was on my way that's why they couldn't reach me." Kevyn said. "I know that this is none of my business but do you have someone else that can help you with this?" he asked. "Not really... maybe." "I would suggest that you call them even if it's for moral support." Kevyn thanked him and closed her eyes. He was right but the only person that she knew to call was Patrick. She wasn't close with any of her extended family members and didn't know which one of them would come anyway. She waited until she was alone and dialed Patrick's number. ******** Patrick searched for the phone that he threw on the couch when he heard it ringing answering it as soon as he found it. "Kevyn sweetheart were are you?" Patrick listened as she told him about her mother and that she was the one who would have to make the decision about the life support and would bear the brunt of the anger no matter what she decided. He closed his eyes and listened as she talked, she was exhausted emotionally and physically. "I'm coming." "You don't have to; I just needed to talk to you." "I'm on my way and don't make any decisions until I get there." he replied. "Patrick...." "I'm on my way, hang in there alright?" "Thank you..." "I'll see you soon and Kev? I love you." He didn't give her a chance to respond. He called for Martin and told him where he was going. "Are you sure you should do this?" Martin asked. Patrick stopped what he was doing and looked at Martin, "She called me because she needs me and there is no way in hell I'm letting her do this alone. Even if we have to start over, I would make the same decision now do me a favor and call for the jet." Patrick went home, packed a few things and headed to the kitchen. It had been a few days since he had fed and thought that it might be a good idea to drink a unit or two of blood before he left. He vanished from the kitchen to the airport where the jet was waiting for him. As he waited for the jet to be cleared for takeoff he called Kevyn. "I'm on my way, stay on the phone with me." he urged. He heard someone talking to Kevyn and assumed that it was a family member judging by what he was hearing. "So what you going to do?" the male voice asked. "I don't know yet but I'm on the phone give me a few minutes, ok thanks" "Baby wait for me." Patrick said, "We're taking off now, stay on the phone." "I can't, I have to go, I'll see you when you get here." and then she hung up. ******** Kevyn breathed a sigh of relief, Patrick was coming but in the meantime she still had her family to deal with. She steeled herself and walked in to the room. "Let's go to the waiting room." she said and walked away not giving anyone a chance to argue with her. When everyone was present Kevyn shut the door. "Alright, this is what's going to happen." she said, "I'm not making any decisions tonight and maybe not tomorrow.....' "What?" Juliet exclaimed, "She wouldn't want to live like that and you know it!" "AS I was saying," Kevyn interrupted initially speaking loudly, "I'm not making any decisions tonight and maybe not tomorrow. I want to talk to the doctors and hear what they have to say before I decide anything. Yes you've all told me bits and pieces but I need the entire picture so go home and come back tomorrow evening." "We want to stay." Juliet said. "Go home." Kevyn said firmly. "What about you?" Eva asked. "I'll stay here in case one of the doctors comes in." The truth of it was she didn't want to stay with any of them because if she did they wouldn't leave her alone so that she could sleep which is what she really needed. Kevyn had to get almost rude to get them to go home and when they finally left she sighed in relief when they left. Her migraine was now in full throttle and the headache pills weren't going to help much but it was better than nothing. She took the pills with some juice that one of the nurses got for her and curled up in the recliner and fell asleep. She woke up thirsty and in need of the bathroom and then wondered what time it was because the room was dark. She didn't see Patrick sitting in the corner and he didn't say anything for two reasons, he didn't want to scare her and he just wanted to look at her. He had made to the hospital around four and made his way to the ICU, he had to use mild compulsion to get the nurse to take him to the room. He saw Kevyn curled up on the recliner and asked for a blanket to cover her with. As Patrick waited for the blanket, he saw Kevyn grimacing and realized that she was in pain and wondered where her pain was. He wanted to hold her in his lap with her head resting on his shoulder but didn't wake her. When the blanket came, he covered her and lightly kissed her forehead taking away whatever pain she was feeling. He watched as he grimace faced away and her facial features relaxed. Patrick looked around the room to take in the window situation and was pleased to see that there was only one window. He stepped outside of the room and looked for a nurse or nursing assistant to ask for two more blankets. When he got them he attached them to the window effectively blocking out the sun when it rose. ****** Kevyn picked up her backpack and went into the restroom closing the door behind her. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and grimaced, she looked like shit but thankfully the headache was gone. She splashed her face with cold water, brushed her teeth and then her hair. After thinking about it she changed her clothes wondering if Patrick was really coming. She cursed at herself for not packing her laptop but was thankful that she brought her books. She left the bathroom, leaving her backpack in a corner and went back into the room to see Patrick sitting in her chair. "You really came?" she asked. "I told you that I would be here." Patrick said as he stood up and walked toward her, "I need and want to be here with you; its part of what being mates means." Kevyn couldn't move. Her breath caught as Patrick moved closer to her. "I was coming whether you wanted me here or not, even if it meant that we had to start over." he said as he finally stood within touching distance from her. Kevyn looked up at him but didn't speak; she sensed that he wasn't done. "Now isn't the time or place to talk about our issues but when this is over, we're going to talk through this and I won't let you run again." he said as he put his hands on her hips and pulled her into him. "Do you understand that? I am not letting you get away from me again." Patrick bent down and kissed her, pulling her into his arms for a hug. "Just what in the hell is going on here?" an angry voice demanded. Kevyn jumped, pulled away and turned to face the speaker. Patrick Ch. 12 "Well? What in the hell is going on here and who in the hell is that?" The man demanded angrily. Kevyn couldn't believe her eyes. "What are you doing here?" she asked shocked. Patrick looked at the man wondering who he was as he positioned himself so that he could move Kevyn to safety if he needed to. "I heard about your mother and wanted to pay my respects before I went to work." he replied, his eyes glued on Patrick. "You haven't answered my question, who is that and why are his hands on you?" Kevyn recovered from her shock and spoke again, "Get out!" The man took a step toward Kevyn and Patrick stepped forward pushing her behind him. "I believe that you were asked to leave." Patrick said looking the tall powerfully built man standing in front of him. "Clay, this is a hospital and not the time to deal with your issues!" Kevyn said her head beginning to pound again. "My issues?" Clay asked, "but you're right, this isn't the time or place to talk about it but who is your.... Friend?" "Patrick Sinclaire and who are you?" Patrick asked curtly. "Clayton Robinson." Clay replied just as curtly as Patrick. "Well Mr. Robinson, you've been asked to leave." "I don't think so, I have every right to be here, Gene invited me and we were almost family." Clay said ignoring Patrick. "Clay get out!" Patrick kept his eyes on Clay and moved toward him. "Good morning!" Dr. Berry said from behind Clay, "Is there a problem?" "No, I was just leaving." Clay said glaring at Patrick who returned the glare. "I came in early so that we could talk before your family got here." Dr. Berry said. Grateful for the interruption, Kevyn nodded at him. "I'll see you later." Clay said as he left the room. Kevyn watched Clay leave and felt ill, he was a small part of her life that had almost catastrophic ramifications and until now she had almost but not quite managed to forget about him. She had to wonder who had tipped him off that she was here and she didn't believe for one second that he was here to "pay his respects" as he said. Clay hated hospitals almost to the point of it being a phobia but yet here he was. She knew Patrick was wondering who Clay was but she also knew that for the time being that he wouldn't ask. Dr. Berry led them to a small consultation room and asked if he could speak in front of Patrick. "It's fine." Kevyn said anxious to hear what he had to say. "Alright," Dr. Berry said, "As you know your mother fell and hit her head pretty hard, unfortunately she was down for almost two hours before anyone found her." "That's where the subdural hematoma came from- the fall I mean." Kevyn said. "Correct but she also had a hemorrhagic stroke, we believe that's what caused the fall but at any rate the end result is this, the vent is what's keeping her alive and right now she is still listed as a full code. The question is do you want to change her status and take her off of the vent?" Kevyn's head felt like it was going to blow off of her shoulders. There was going to be hell to pay no matter what she decided. "Are the other doctors in agreement?" she asked. "Yes," Dr. Berry replied, "and if you'd like to speak to them I can see it they're here." "Please, if you could do that it would help." Kevyn replied. Patrick was rubbing Kevyn's back as the doctor talked but his mind was on Clay Robinson, "what is his connection to her?" he asked himself. As soon as the doctor left them alone, he hugged Kevyn and kissed her head. Her headache was back and would keep coming back until she ate and slept. He had already made arrangements at a hotel closet to the hospital and given specific instructions as to what he wanted including fresh flowers and bath oils. He had already decided that she wasn't spending the day here, tonight was going to be stressful enough without having to deal with the lack of sleep. The other doctors came in several minutes after Dr. Berry left and their prognosis mirrored his. "I'm sorry but this is as good as its going to get." Dr. Harmon the neurologist said, "I agree with Dr. Berry, she's only alive because of the life support, her status needs to be changed." "I understand." Kevyn whispered her stomach roiling with nausea. "Have them bring the paperwork to the room and I'll sign it." "Don't you want to discuss this with the rest of your family?" Dr. Harmon asked. "No, I'm aware of their wishes," Kevyn replied, "and they've left it to me to decide but don't turn the machine off yet, I want us all to be here and to have a chance to say goodbye." "Alright, I'll have the paperwork brought to the room." Dr. Harmon said as he stood, "I am sorry for your loss." Kevyn wanted to scream "she's not dead yet!" but didn't instead she thanked the doctor for his time and kindness. She then listened to the cardiologist even though she had made her decision and since he had taken time out of his busy schedule it was the least that she could do. His opinion was the same as the others verifying that she had made the right decision but only one of her family would disagree but the others wouldn't stand against him. As soon as the doctors were gone Kevyn stood up and took off at a run for her mother's room with Patrick following. She flew into the bathroom, dropped down to her knees in front of the toilet and began to dry heave; there was no food for her to throw up as she hadn't eaten since the day before. Patrick followed her in closing the bathroom door behind him, sat on the floor behind her and rubbed her neck and back until the dry heaves eased and the headache was dulled. "You're hired." Kevyn mumbled. "For you there is no charge." Patrick said as he stood up and then helped her up. He turned her around so that she faced him and kissed her forehead vanquishing the rest of the migraine. He reached over and turned on the cold water, wet a washcloth and gently washed Kevyn's face. "Is this part of the mate thing?" she asked. "This is the I love you thing." Patrick replied. "I love you too." Kevyn replied, "You know that right?" "Yes sweetheart I know that." Patrick replied looking down at her. "I have a room reserved for us so you can get some sleep today." "I can't leave....." "Kevyn, your mother isn't going anywhere and you're exhausted." Patrick said, "You need to eat and sleep or else your headache will come back." "If something happens...." "They'll have my cell phone number as well as yours, sweetheart tonight is going to be very difficult, and you need to sleep." Kevyn knew that he was right, she did sleep some but it wasn't a restful sleep and far from long enough. "Alright but I need to be back here by six." "Not a problem." Patrick replied as he kissed her forehead again and picked up her backpack. "You travel light." he commented. "I hadn't planned on being here very long." Kevyn replied sadly as she glanced over at her mother. "She looks so old" Kevyn thought to herself. The papers for the 'do not resuscitate' orders lay on the table. Kevyn swallowed a lump as she read over the papers and then a tear ran down her cheek. She lay the papers down and went over to her mother and sat in the chair next to the bed. She took her mother's cool hand into her warmer one and started to cry. "You've been through so much." she whispered, "I talked to your doctors this morning and you're not going to get any better." Kevyn bit back a sob and continued. "We've talked about this before and I know you wouldn't want to live like this.... I'm going to sign the papers and we'll let you go tonight after everyone has a chance to say goodbye. I'm going to go get some rest... mom, I love you and try to not to worry alright? You were always such a worrier but no more ok? Let me take care of things. Kevyn stood up to walk away and walked into Patrick's arms. ******* "You didn't fucking tell me that she had a man!" Clay hissed into the phone. "She doesn't!" Gene replied. "No? Then tell me who that white dude was that had his hands all over her!" Clay shouted. "What white dude?" "You tell me!" Clay snapped, "I went over there to see her and you know how much I fucking hate hospitals and there they were!" "I said I don't know anything about a white dude!" Gene shouted back, "she didn't say anything to Juliet about anybody coming with her and he wasn't there last night..." "I don't give a fuck!" Clay shouted angrily, "Find out who in the hell he is and get back to me!" ******* Gene slammed the phone down. Kevyn unknowingly had just shot his plans to hell. The fact that no one knew what was going on with her was another indication that she never should have left home. He understood why she left but that didn't make it right. The other thing that stuck in his crawl was that she was in essence the head of the family when he as the oldest male should have been. How many times had his father told him that he "had to be a man" because he was the head of the family? Too many times to count but what happens? When Victor dies, who did he give control to? Kevyn. Now that their mother was dying, who had control? Kevyn and afterwards she would go back to California... she thought. Clay had always had a thing for Kevyn and never hid it even though Kevyn was in a word fat and the object of ridicule from the other students. The teasing and torment continued until Kevyn on a whim tried out for the softball team in her sophomore year and she was damned good! She lost weight and while she would never be fashion model thin, she looked good a fact that Clay and others didn't miss but it was Clay who pursued her like there was no tomorrow until she finally went out with him on one date. After that she would have nothing to do with Clay and to this day no one knew what happened on that date. Whenever it came up she changed the subject until one day she snapped. "Clay Robinson isn't who or what you think he is!" and that's all that she would say. Soon after graduation Kevyn packed, headed to the west coast and came home about once a year. Each time she came home Clay would make a visit to the house and try to convince her to go out to dinner with him and in all of those years he never succeeded. As Gene dressed for work he wondered about how he was going to find out who it was that was with Kevyn. He wondered if the man had introduced himself to Clay and picked up the phone to call him back. "That dude, did he say who he was?" Gene asked. "I don't know! Something Sinclaire is all I know!" Clay said and slammed the phone down. "Well that was helpful." Gene muttered under his breath as he finished dressing for work. ******** Kevyn tearfully signed the papers making their mother a DNR while Patrick held her. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would feel like to have to choose to let a loved one die but Kevyn's pain was palpable as she signed the papers. He held her in his lap as she sat by the bedside for more than an hour holding her mother's hand and saying her goodbyes. Finally she was ready to leave. Patrick gathered their things and led her to the car that was parked in the lowest level of the parking garage. "Wait!" Kevyn exclaimed coming out of her fog, "The sun, won't it hurt you?" "I'll be fine." Patrick replied touched by her concern. "But I thought that you couldn't be out during the day." Kevyn said. "Theoretically that's true but I can be out for a short time and the hotel is close by." Twenty minutes later Kevyn was soaking in the biggest bathtub she had ever seen in her life. The hot water soothed her aching body as the scent of lavender soothed her nerves. The tub had already been filled by the time they got there because Patrick had called ahead. The water had been a little too hot but it hadn't taken much to get it to the perfect temperature. Patrick waited in the other room listening in case she fell asleep in the tub. What he really wanted to do was to climb in behind her and rub her shoulders and wherever else he could reach. He felt his cock twitch at the thought of touching her wet skin and..... Kevyn's cell phone rang interrupting his mental touching of her. Without thinking about it, he answered it. "Kevyn's phone." There was a pause and then a male voice. "Who is this and where's Kevyn?" the voice demanded. Patrick recognized the voice from when he talked with Kevyn the night before. "This is Patrick Sinclaire and Kevyn is indisposed at the moment, may I take a message?" He was speaking to air. ******* "Patrick Sinclaire." Gene mused, "And what was he doing answering Kevyn's phone?" He rushed to work so that he would have a few minutes to spend on the internet, maybe he could find something on this man who seemed to be so interested in his sister. He didn't get as far as the water cooler when he was stopped by the office manager. "Gene, my office." he said. Gene's stomach turned, he knew that he had been skating on thin ice and mostly because of his temper and his need to control. As a result no one wanted to work with him and those that did often filed reports against him. When he they were sitting, the manager spoke. "I got a phone call last night." he said. "The district manager called me at home.... Damn it Gene! What did you say to him?" "Nothing!" Gene replied. "That isn't what he says." The manager replied, "he says that you called him a stupid asshole who wouldn't know a good investment if it fucked him good." Gene closed his eyes, he did say that but only because the man wouldn't listen to and take his suggestion about an investment that would have made them a lot of money and would have given Gene a huge promotion. That promotion would have allowed him to take care of his mother as a son was supposed to, it would have meant that he would have the financial means to move from the tiny one bedroom apartment that he had to move into when his wife Dana divorced him. "I managed to convince him that you were going through a major family thing and he backed off but Gene, this isn't the first time that I've gotten calls about you." "So now what? Are you firing me?" Gene asked his anger rising. "By all rights I should but I won't." The manager said, "But you will take a leave of absence until your family issues are solved and you will contact the company EPS services and talk to someone about your issues. If you don't then I'll have no choice but to let you go." Gene was grateful but still angry. He didn't want time off, he needed to be at work but if he pushed the issue he would be out of a job. He was glad that he had talked to Clay and convinced him to make a huge investment with him all he had to do was to let Clay know whenever Kevyn was in town. Why Clay wouldn't or couldn't give up on Kevyn Gene didn't know and whenever he asked, he was shut down. After promising Dave his manager that he would call the EPS services, Gene went to his office, grabbed his jacket and headed toward home. He wanted to know who this Patrick Sinclaire was and what he was to Kevyn. ********* Kevyn reluctantly got out of the tub not caring how dry her skin was going to be. That had to be the best bath of her entire life. She dried off and found the small bottle of lotion that she bought at the airport and applied it to the parts that she knew would be the driest. She hadn't noticed the lotions at the far end of the counter until she had her pajamas on. "Later." she mumbled as the odor of food hit her nose. While Patrick waited for Kevyn to come out of the bathroom, he decided to find out what he could about Clay Robinson. He knew that Kevyn would tell him about the man but he wanted to know more about him than Kevyn possibly did. "Clayton Robinson." he mused as he entered the name. The problem was that there were easily hundreds of Clayton Robinsons. He would have to wait until Kevyn told him about him. He looked up when he heard Kevyn come out of the bathroom wearing her pajamas. His first thought was that he wanted to take them off of her so he could see what was underneath the second thought that was actually tied with the first thought was of how beautiful she was. He wondered if she realized it and if anyone other than him had used the word beautiful and not pretty to describe her. "Feel better?" he asked as he held out a chair for her. "Much, thanks." Kevyn said as she sat down. One Denver omelet, three pieces of bacon with a side of home fries with onions, two pieces of toast and two large glasses of orange juice later, Kevyn pronounced herself full but sleepy. While she brushed her teeth and rebraided her hair Patrick turned the bed back and changed from jeans into a tee shirt and lounge pants all the while wishing that they were going to bed to make love and not to sleep. He tucked Kevyn in and climbed in behind her pressing tightly against her back. He was hard but made no effort to hide or apologize for it. Kevyn wiggled back against him and as just as he was about to tell her to stop doing that he heard the first soft snore. ******* Gene paid the fee to use the library's computer and chose one as far away from the desk as he could. When he was sure that the librarian was busy he googled Patrick. The more he read, the wider his eyes got. "Oh my god." he breathed. Convinced that he had made a mistake, Gene typed in Patrick's name again and got the same results. The problem was that other than being white, he didn't know what Patrick looked like but if by some slim chance it was the same man; his little sister had hit pay dirt and.... That angered him. Good things always seemed to happen for her without her even trying while he worked his ass off to get to where he was. He didn't care about Patrick's money in the way that most people would have, to him money equaled power and if he had money he would be the one making the family decisions and not Kevyn. It never occurred to him that she had to work two jobs to save the money to buy her plane ticket to California and once she got there she worked as a live-in caretaker in order to have a place to stay and most importantly, she didn't want the job of making the medical decisions for the family. All he had to do was talk to her, it was that simple but he didn't. He chose instead to harbor his resentment and his anger which grew with every good thing that seemed to be happening to everyone else her especially. Had he talked to Kevyn he might have realized that being in her place wasn't all that it seemed. Gene jumped when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the caller ID, it was Clay. "What did you find out?" he asked. "I looked up his name and there's this dude... the one with Kevyn, what did he look like?" "I don't know man! A white dude and the room was dark." Clay snapped. Gene knew what that meant, Clay hadn't been wearing his glasses and without them everything was blurry and he was too much of a pussy to get contacts. "Alright but I won't know anything for sure until later." Gene said, "I'll call you." ******* Kevyn woke up to soft kisses on her face; she moaned and tried to roll over. "Rise and shine sweetheart!" Patrick said pulling the covers back. Kevyn's pajama top was pulled up on one side revealing a dark breast with a large dark nipple. Patrick held in a low moan and fought the urge to take the nipple into his mouth and roll it between his lips. "Kev, come on baby time to get up." He said again. Kevyn slowly opened her eyes, realized that a breast was exposed and quickly pulled down her shirt much to Patrick's disappointment and relief. He handed her a large glass of juice and watched her gulp it down without stopping. A moment later Kevyn jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom, she hadn't made her one nighttime trip into the bathroom and now it was almost a minor emergency. Patrick Ch. 12 By the time she came out dinner had been delivered. As always she was amazed by the amount of food that Patrick could put away and then remembered reading somewhere that Vampires lived on blood. "There are those that live only on blood but my family or I should say our family isn't one of them. We do need blood but only every few days but if we are injured we need more." Patrick replied pleased that she felt comfortable enough to ask questions. For Kevyn, it was more than just interest; she wasn't ready to think about the meeting with her family. It was going to get ugly just like it had with their father. The difference was that Victor Yancy's death was completely unexpected. He had gone to work at his security job and just dropped dead, the cause of death was listed as a massive coronary. That had been three years ago. Kevyn scraped the money together for the flight home and like last night was pounced on by everyone before she could even say hello. They argued with her about everything from whether their father should be considered for organ donation to the color of his underwear. Finally sick of it, Kevyn made the decisions and told them to deal with it. What she didn't know was that Gene was trying to control things from behind the scenes. By the time all was said and done, Victor Yancey's eyes, kidneys and pancreas were harvested to help someone else. The funeral was a nightmare as the siblings tried to plan the service, and once again Gene complicated things by not verbalizing his thoughts but by talking to each sibling with the exception of Kevyn separately. With time growing short, Kevyn made the decisions regarding the service and spoke for the family as the oldest child. After the service was over, Kevyn had to take some of her mothers Ativan to calm her nerves and to sleep and tonight, it would begin again. "Kev, talk to me." Patrick said softly taking her hand in his. "I don't want to do this." she said softly, "I almost...." She told Patrick about her father's death including the fights, having to speak on behalf of the family, the repast dinner, she told him all of it. "And then there's the issue of us." she said weakly. "Is there an us?" Patrick asked. "You're here aren't you?" Kevyn asked, "But let's get through this first." "Agreed but I have a question." Patrick said, "Why is all of this your responsibility? Why aren't you getting any help?" Kevyn shrugged, "when daddy's will stated that I was the executor they all took that as meaning that I made the decisions. I tried to involve them but after a while it was easier to make the decisions myself and take the flack afterwards." "You know that this isn't right, they should be helping you. Patrick asked. Kevyn smiled, "You don't know my family." she replied. Patrick was getting the picture and he didn't like what he saw and tonight things were going to change. "What happened with your father isn't going to happen this time." he told her. "As I said, you don't know them." Kevyn replied. "I don't need to and besides the last time you didn't have me to back you up." Patrick replied. He really didn't care if her family liked him or not, Kevyn was his priority and when this was done, he was taking her home. ******* 5:30 PM Gene was the first one to arrive. He looked around the room taking note of the tables to the back which held refreshments including what looked to be fresh muffins. That was something that he wanted to do but couldn't because of finances. He wondered who provided it because he knew that the hospital didn't provide it- he knew because he tried. None of the rest of them was able to do this unless Kevyn was doing much better in California than he thought but he doubted it, she sent money to their mother every two weeks like clockwork so who.... "Hi Gene." Kevyn said quietly when she walked into the room. "Hello." Gene said rather stiffly. "Where's the man?" he wondered. Kevyn walked over to the bed and kissed their mother's cheek. "So you're going to kill her." Gene said softly but to Kevyn's ears the words sounded loud, abrasive and accusatory. Kevyn bit her tongue; she wasn't going to do this now and then again with the others so she didn't respond. What she was thankful for was that Patrick came and that he made her leave so that she could eat and rest, she was going to need it. Patrick walked in and saw the set of Kevyn's jaw and wondered what had happened in such a short time. "Baby are you alright?" Patrick asked drawing Gene's attention from her to him. Gene looked at Patrick and immediately recognized him. He didn't think about how much money Patrick was worth or even how he could get a part of it, he saw Patrick as a threat to the position that should be his. "Baby?" Patrick called again still watching Gene. "I'm ok." Kevyn replied as she looked from one man to the other. "You buy all of this food?" Gene asked Kevyn. "No, Pa....." "How much do I owe you?" Gene asked Patrick cutting Kevyn off. "You owe me nothing." Patrick replied. "I know what your game is Mr. Patrick Sinclaire." Gene hissed. "Gene!" Kevyn called. "Game? What game would that be?" Patrick asked. "You think that you can come in here flaunting all of your money and take over...." "Gene are you crazy?" Kevyn asked, "Stop acting like a fool!" "You don't tell me how to act!" Gene snapped. He never saw Patrick move and jumped when he realized that Patrick was standing next to him. "This isn't the time or the place to address your insecurities, when all is said and done and you would like to talk with me we can do that but not here and not now." Patrick said his voice low and brooking no nonsense. "And one more thing, from now on you will speak to Kevyn with respect." Patrick stepped away, went to Kevyn and put an arm around her waist. By six everyone had arrived and was eying Patrick but didn't ask who he was. By 6:15 they were sitting in the family waiting room which had been reserved for their use, Kevyn stood up in the middle of the room and explained why she signed the 'do not resuscitate' order. "I talked to all three doctors and they agree that mom isn't going to get better...." "How do we know you did that?" Gene asked, "None of us was with you." "Patri....." "He's not family!" Gene interrupted, "what he says doesn't count." The room was silent as Kevyn debated on her answer. Patrick waited; he would jump in if things got too rough or if Kevyn was in too much distress. "Yeah Kev, who is this guy? " Leon the quietest of the siblings asked. 'I'll tell you who he is!" Gene said hotly, "he's some hotshot with a shit load of money who thinks that he can come in here and tell us what we need to do! For all we know he's the one that made Kevyn sign those papers!" Gene stopped talking, his hope was that Kevyn would get angry enough to give him control and was shocked when it backfired. "You are unbelievable!" Kevyn said, "None of you had the guts to do what needed to be done when dad died and now! You asked me to make the hard choices and I did after none of you would offer even so much as an opinion and now you criticize? Juliet, you know damned well that mom wouldn't want to be hooked up to a machine and get food through a tube in her stomach! But you know what? I'm tired of being the family toilet! After we turn the machine off, we'll each go home, grieve and meet tomorrow evening at the house...." "See what I mean?" Gene asked, "And you never did say who he is." Patrick waited with bated breath, if she introduced him as her significant other the rest would fall into place. Kevyn hadn't thought about how she was going to explain Patrick to her family. When she left home she had sworn to stay away from men and ended up marrying Lonnie and now here was Patrick. "Patrick is.... My, Patrick is my... my...' "Just say it!" Patrick thought, "Just fucking say it!" "Patrick is my significant other so yes he was with me and no he in no way influenced my decision. I listened to each doctor and made the decision based on that." Patrick let out a breath that he wasn't aware that he had been holding and Gene fumed as everyone looked at Kevyn and then Patrick. "So now you know the decision, the doctor is waiting for the call to turn the machine off so if you want to go sit with mom for awhile go ahead." Gene thought to argue against her decision but the room was already emptying out. When Kevyn walked by he stopped her. "I don't agree with this." "I know." Kevyn said and walked away with Patrick's hand on her back. ******** Gene slipped out under the guise of needing fresh air and called Clay. "Hey, that dude you saw with Kevyn? His name is Patrick Sinclaire. Yeah they're together. You want me to do what? Are you out of your fucking mind? I'm not doing that yes but.... You didn't say anything about that!" Gene hung up realizing for first time that Kevyn had been right about one thing, Clay Robinson really wasn't who and what he said he was. ******* By nine all of them had said their goodbyes, some of them more than once. Kevyn went to the nurse's station to let them know to call the doctor. Gene sat in the back of the room and thought about the demand that Clay made of him and pushed it away. Within a few hours his mother would be dead and it was then that he realized that as much as he craved power and control, he was glad that he wasn't the one to make the decision to turn off the machine. Dr. Jones was on call for Dr. Berry that night but he had been informed of the family dynamics and that Kevyn was the one with her head on straight. He walked into the room, glanced around until he spotted the one who he thought was Kevyn but it was Juliet. "That's her over there." Juliet said pointing at Kevyn who was sitting by the bed with Patrick standing protectively over her. "Miss. Morris? Are we ready?" Kevyn took a shaky breath and for just one second she wanted to say "No" but she shook her head yes. She stood up and looked around the room her eyes landing on Gene. His glare seemed to call her a murderer but he said nothing. "We're ready." Kevyn said quietly. Dr. Jones turned off the machine and left the room. The six siblings surrounded the bed with Patrick standing behind Kevyn with his arms securely around her. An hour later the woman who brought seven children into the world was gone. No one spoke but all were in tears as they each said a silent good bye to their mother. One by one they left the room until only Kevyn and Patrick were left. Kevyn kissed the rapidly cooling husk that had once contained her mother and went to fill out the paper work. She and Patrick stayed until the funeral home came to take the body. Kevyn was washed out even though things had gone better than she thought they would but there was still the funeral to go through. All she wanted now was another hot soak in the tub and to crawl into bed and cry. ********* Clay debated about his demand to Gene. After all, if she hadn't said anything after all of this time why would she say anything now? The fact that she was with another man rankled him, he had always imagined the two of them together that was why he had never cared about the teasing when they were kids in school. He had known even then that Kevyn was special and that belief was confirmed every time he saw her. The only thing that marred seeing her was that one thing that she knew about him. The dinner invitations were real, he did want to be with her but he had to assess how much of a threat she was to him The demand was made in anger and hurt and deep down he had hoped that they could still be together even if he had to move to California to do it. It didn't look like that was going to happen if what Gene said was true and the questions became just how far was he willing to go to have a chance with Kevyn and would she continue to keep her mouth shut? After he talked to Gene, Clay put on his glasses and googled Patrick. His eyes widened when he realized who it was that his baby as he considered Kevyn had hooked up with. "Well damn!" Clay muttered as he walked around his penthouse. He was wealthy and Kevyn would want for nothing but he was nowhere near as wealthy as Patrick Sinclaire which prompted a question, why was there no security? Clay poured himself another drink, "what to do?" he asked himself and then decided that his safety came above all else. He wasn't going to rescind his demand; the only change would be that he wouldn't have Gene do it. In his opinion, Gene was a wimp who thought that he could handle power and all that went with it. He picked up the phone. "Puff! I have a job for you but not until after the funeral, yeah I'm sure and make sure that you don't make her hurt, the other one I don't give a rat's ass about." Clay hung up the phone once again questioning his decision, he reminded himself that he didn't' get tot where he was by being indecisive but still it was a damned shame. "I have to do what I have to do." he told himself as he finished his drink and headed toward his bedroom. ******* Gene had a decision to make. No matter how much he felt that he had been wronged, Kevyn was his sister and he loved her. He definitely wasn't going to do what Clay asked but someone else would and if he had to guess it would be Puff. Gene picked up the phone, lay it down and walked away to come back to the phone where he stood staring at it as he argued with himself. Patrick Ch. 13 Kevyn was physically and emotionally drained. It occurred to her that two things happened that night, when her mother died a life ended but when she finally publicly acknowledged what Patrick was to her, a life had begun, theirs; but she was much too tired and sad to think beyond that thought, there was still the funeral to plan and to get through. As soon as the papers were signed Patrick led Kevyn to the car, he would have carried her if she would have let him. The ride back to the hotel was quiet with the exception of Kevyn sniffling in an attempt not to cry anymore. Her mother wouldn't have wanted her to be sad for too long but she missed her, she would miss the Sunday afternoon phone calls while they watched the cooking channel at the same time and talked about how they would change the recipes. The next battle would be over her belongings, "You would thing we're the Ewing's from Dallas with the way you're all arguing over her stuff!" She snapped during her last visit home. After that the subject didn't come up again. The house was going to Louise and she wasn't going to bend on that point. Louise was the one who lived with their mother and spent many a sleepless night sitting up with her after their father had died and if they didn't like it... "Baby, stop thinking ahead." Patrick said holding her hand, "One thing at a time." he added. Kevyn gripped his hand so tightly her fingers were going numb. How had she gotten through her father's funeral alone? She wondered as a tear escaped and ran down her cheek. She missed him too, sometimes more times than others but especially now. She was his girl, she was the one that would rather stay home and watch a ballgame on TV with him than go out with her friends. Tears flowed in earnest when she remembered how her mom used to complain about the two of them hogging the television on Sunday afternoons so that they could watch sports together but yet she kept them in a steady supply of soda and chips while she did her crossword puzzles. It was then that she realized that she had a connection with her parents that the others didn't. That didn't mean that they weren't loved, they were but her relationship with her parents was.... Different. And now they were both gone but hopefully together in heaven or another dimension. That thought gave her a small measure of comfort as did the thought that in a week or two she could go back to California leaving Clay and his secret behind. Suddenly, she wanted it all to be over with; she wanted to start her life with Patrick. The rapes mattered but didn't matter; he was no longer that man. They mattered because they were horrible and they couldn't be discounted but on the other hand they didn't matter in regards to how they felt about each other. She would stake her life on the fact that Patrick couldn't and wouldn't harm another woman like that. Her head had begun to pound again and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, she was so tired. ******** Gene stood staring at the phone his loyalties torn. He asked himself what was it that he owed Clay other than for the sizable investment that he was going to make and came to the realization that he was being used and that the money was his thirty pieces of silver. He then thought about Kevyn, she was his sister and that alone should have trumped any sense of loyalty that he felt toward Clay but yet he was still hesitating. He walked away from the phone confident that whatever was going to happen wouldn't happen until after the funeral. It would give him some time to try to talk Clay out of following through with his plan; if he couldn't get him to change his mind then he had a decision to make. ******** Puff Jefferson held the phone in his hand long after Clay hung up. He just didn't get it; Clay had been in love with Kevyn since grade school even though he had been teased as badly as she had been. He had gotten into more fights and had more detentions than any kid in their class and it was always because he was defending Kevyn. The sad thing was that Kevyn had never returned those feelings even though Clay was the only guy paying her any attention until she lost weight and then they came out of the woodwork. Hell, he wanted a taste of her himself but never acted on it, as far as she was concerned, she belonged to Clay then and she belonged to Clay now. Like Kevyn, Clay never talked about the one date he and Kevyn had. Puff wondered if Clay had gotten impatient with her and tried to force her but he didn't think so, that wasn't Clay's style. He simply was too in love with Kevyn to do that which meant that Kevyn had either seen something or heard something but what? They were on a date and surely Clay wouldn't have..... "He wouldn't have been that stupid would he?" Puff thought to himself, it would explain the orders that he had just gotten but why now? If she had seen or heard something and she hadn't said anything why.... It had to be the man, there could be no other explanation but why not just have the man taken care of? He wondered. Before he did anything, he was going to talk to Clay. Of all of the people who worked with Clay he was the only one that could get him to see reason. He didn't want to hurt Kevyn, the man he didn't care about but Gene too? What in the hell was Clay thinking? ******* Clay lay on the bed totally nude, the hooker that he had hired for the night could have been Kevyn with a few differences; Kevyn's voice was soft and melodic where the woman that had just sucked him off had a loud, tinny almost whinny voice. Kevyn's skin was a deeper, richer tone of brown but in the dark the difference wasn't noticeable. The resemblances were all physical, personality wise this woman in no way resembled Kevyn. "Honey...." "I told you not to say anything!" Clay snapped. Her speaking had just destroyed the illusion that he was in bed with the love of his life and wife Kevyn. The illusion shattered, Clay pushed the woman off of the bed. "Get dressed!" he snarled at the confused woman. He reached for his wallet, threw four one-hundred dollar bills on the floor and got out of bed leaving the woman alone in the bedroom to get dressed. By the time he would be finished with his business the woman would be gone, one of his men dropping her off at whichever corner she chose. He didn't indulge in the use of prostitutes often and when he did it was because Kevyn was somewhere in the vicinity and he couldn't have her. He didn't feel guilty about it, it was what it was but he wished that it was different and maybe it would have been if he hadn't...... He pushed the thought out of his mind; Kevyn had never loved him and never told him or given him any indication that he did. At first he thought it was because she thought that he wouldn't amount to anything but he eventually came to realize through her brother Gene that she simply didn't love him. Gene tried to warn him every time he called to tell him that Kevyn was in town. "Dude, you need to stop, she doesn't care for you like that." Clay would always shut him up choosing to believe that at some point she would change her mind. Now she was fucking some rich white dude. It was over. The love that he felt for her was the only thing that kept him from making the decision that he made, she was no longer his and no longer under his protection. He still loved her, he always would and every woman he would think about marrying would have to measure up to her-an impossible task. But love her or not, her risk to him just rose exponentially, he couldn't trust her not to say anything to her new man if she hadn't already, that's why the both of them had to go. He felt a deep sadness for Kevyn but for Patrick Sinclaire he felt absolutely nothing. ******** Patrick led Kevyn from the car and to the closest elevator holding her tightly against him. When the elevator stopped on their floor they exited not speaking to the people who were waiting to get on. He hurried her to the room and sat her on the bed leaving her long enough to start the bath water running and adding the lavender scented oil to it. When he went back to the room she was sitting in the same spot but she was crying softly and trying not to. She needed to cry and didn't understand her hesitancy to do so. He sat beside her, pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear, "you're safe, it's alright to cry." Kevyn bit back a sob and then slumped against him and sobbed she knew that she was breaking her promise to her mother but she couldn't help it, she needed to cry and deal with her grief before the funeral. Patrick lifted her from the bed and onto his lap and began to gently rock her as she cried. As he rocked her he made a silent promise to her that after this was over, there would be no more pain for her only happiness. When she quieted, he carried her to the bathroom and stripped the both of them with a thought. Still carrying her, Patrick stepped into the tub, sat down and readjusted Kevyn in his lap. His cock hardened as it pressed against her bottom but he ignored it, she needed to be cared for, his own need would wait. "Tell me about your parents." he said softly suspecting that she had never talked to anyone about them in depth. She talked throughout the bath, as Patrick dried her off and carried her back to bed and through the complete head to toe body massage. When she was finished, she was drained but she felt better than she had in a long time. "Thank you." She whispered as she kissed him. Patrick returned the kiss deepening it and then pulling back. He didn't want her to think that he was taking advantage of her in her grief. "Don't stop." Kevyn whispered, "I need you." That was all that he needed to hear. He kissed her again moaning when she offered her tongue to him. His mouth left hers and made a slow trail to her neck down to her shoulder and finally to his first stop on her body. A stiffened nipple that was beckoning him to hurry. "Kev are you sure that you're ready for this?" he asked as he salivated just thinking about her nipple in his mouth. "There's no going back if we do this." There was the briefest of hesitations but her voice was strong when she replied. "I'm sure unless you've...." Kevyn yelped and then moaned when Patrick's warm mouth enveloped her nipple and greedily sucked on it moaning as it became even harder in his mouth. Kevin wrapped some of his hair in her fingers pulling it when his tongue flicked across the tip of her nipple with just the right pressure. Patrick released the nipple and looked at it still glistening from being in his mouth and then paid homage to the neglected one. His hands roamed and touched every place on her body except for one, the space between her legs. Kevyn felt a blast of heat as Patrick's hands explored her and her hands explored him. This is what she had been missing she realized, not just the lovemaking but the feeling of being loved and cared for. Finally Patrick's hand began to drift down her body, lightly touching in some places more firmly in others until it reached her mound. He ran his fingers through the course hair before slipping a finger between the lips and moving them up and down becoming wet with the juices that flowed from her. He took his fingers from her and brought them to his nose and inhaled deeply closing his eyes in pleasure as he took in her scent. Kevyn watched as Patrick inhaled her scent from his fingers and then smiled as he put his fingers in his mouth and tasted her for the first time. "You taste so.... Sweet, I... Kevyn...." Patrick was at a loss for words as he tried to describe what he was feeling at that moment. Nothing that he could think of even remotely came close to what he wanted to say. "Patrick?" Kevyn called softly "I love you too." There it was, those three small words, "I love you and I didn't want our joining to be when you are in much pain... if you want to stop....." "I don't want to stop." Kevyn said and pulled him down for a kiss, "make love to me." she breathed against his lips, "please." Patrick knelt between Kevyn's legs and waited, he wanted to give her every opportunity to change her mind. When it didn't come, he moved forward until the tip of his leaking cock was touching her pulsing clit. Both of them moaned at the contact as Patrick massaged her throbbing nub with the tip of his cock before ever so slowly he entered her. He had to stop several times as he felt the familiar signs that he was going to come. To distract himself as he waited he talked, telling Kevyn over and over again how beautiful she was and how thankful he was that she claimed and accepted him. When he calmed he would continue his slow entrance into her body constantly looking for any sigh that she wanted to stop or that he was hurting her. Finally when he was all the way in, he stopped to enjoy the warm tightness of her around his cock. He began to move so slowly that it was almost imperceptible except for the blazing heat that Kevyn felt from her head to her toes. Patrick grabbed her hands and pulled her up so that he could look into her eyes as he made her his mate for all time. Kevyn closed her eyes as her orgasms neared, "No, please open your eyes." Patrick said softly, "I want you to see how much I love you... are you ready to receive me?" he asked his voice strained as he fought for control. Patrick knew that she was close and he wanted her to climax first. He bit his lip hard enough that he drew blood, "Patrick!" Kevyn screamed as the first orgasm of her mated life washed over her. The moment she screamed his name, Patrick came with his eyes glued to hers both of them crying as their orgasms waned. Kevyn clung to Patrick, she had never felt as loved as she did in that moment, the thought crossed her mind that maybe they shouldn't have done this on the eve of her mother's death but then she realized that this was exactly what her mother would have wanted for her and she let go of the feeling of guilt. "Are you alright?" Patrick asked pushing her back so that he could see her face, "did I hurt you?" "I'm fine, I promise." Kevyn said softly, "so that was it?" she asked. "Unless you want a wedding then the answer is yes, Patrick replied. "This is fine for now." Kevyn replied yawning. Patrick eased her back to the bed and slid out of her looking at his cock which was coated with the combination of their fluids. As he settle her in his arms he decided that wedding or not they were going to wear wedding bands, he wanted there to be no question to anyone that she was taken. "Welcome to our family Kevyn Sinclaire." Patrick murmured against her head. ******** Gene was awake all night trying to decide on what he should do. He kept reminding himself that it was a simple decision but he just couldn't make himself decide. The funeral wouldn't be for another two or three days depending on what Queen Kevyn decided he thought with bitterness and then stopped himself. Getting mad at her wasn't going to help anything. As he showered and changed his clothes he wondered if he shouldn't try to talk to Clay today. He was about to decide when the phone rang. "What time is the family getting together?" Clay asked. "Six but......" "I'll be there." Clay said in a tone that Gene recognized all too well, it was the business man talking. "I don't think that's a good idea." Gene protested. "The meeting going to be at the house?" Clay asked. "Yes but...." "Someone home now?" "Yes but Clay I don't think that you should come, it's a family thing and....' "Is Patrick Sinclaire going to be there?" Clay asked sharply. "I.... I guess so; he's her significant other as she called him." "Is he married to her?" "No..." "Then he isn't family, if I can't be there neither can he." Clay said, "Do you agree?" "Well no because...." "I'll see you at six, food will be delivered by five." Clay hung up before Gene could say anything. Gene knew what Clay was up to, he wanted to see the man who had managed to get into Kevyn's heart and bed. He thought of calling her to warn her but thought better of it; Clay was going to show up anyway. ****** Kevyn spent the first half of the morning on the phone with the funeral home. "What do you mean that she had no insurance?" she asked shocked, "Of course she did! It's with the same company that dad had! Let me call you back." Kevyn called the insurance company next. "When did it lapse?" she asked, "ok, thanks." "Sweetheart let me help." Patrick said taking the phone from her hands. "I can't ask you to do that and besides I have enough saved to pay for it." she replied. "That's the money that you've been saving for your condo." Patrick said. "Yeah well this is more important than that." Kevyn said and reached for the phone. "Kevyn part of being married or mates is knowing that you can depend on someone to be there for you in whatever capacity that you need whether it's as a lover, friend or someone to scream at. I get the feeling that Lonnie was none of those things but I'm not Lonnie, I will never leave you to suffer alone and your family is now mine, let me help." Kevyn blinked back tears, Patrick was right. Lonnie hadn't been any of the things that he had mentioned and he certainly was nothing like him but old habits died hard. "I'll pay for the flowers." She said. "Kevyn... alright." he said giving in when he saw the determination on her face. "Let's call the funeral home back but let's not mention to the family how it was paid for, your brother already has issues with me." An hour later the service was paid for except for the casket and headstone. Patrick gave the funeral director strict instructions that the insurance policy and anything financial was not to be mentioned to the family. "I'll be covering the cost of the services." he said, "yes and thank you." Kevyn had already ordered the flowers which wouldn't cause a problem; she ordered her mother's favorite flowers, roses and carnations. "I'll call you in the morning with the date and time of the services." Kevyn said before hanging up. While she made other calls including to her landlord who surprisingly was sympathetic telling her that she could pay the rent when she returned. Kevyn thanked him profusely and made her next call which was to work. Patrick watched her as she made her calls amazed that the beautiful woman on the phone was really his. He dialed Ethan's number and as he waited for him to pick up wondered where Kevyn would want to live. There was also her school schedule to work out and her job.... "Patrick? Are you alright?" Ethan asked, "We were starting to get worried about you." "I'm fine; I'm in Pittsburgh with Kevyn, her mother died last night." "I'm sorry to hear that, how is she?" "All things considered? She's alright... we mated last night." "You did?" Ethan asked surprised. "Yes and Ethan? It was and she was and is amazing!" "Congratulations!" Ethan said and meaning it, "when can we expect you home?" "I'm not sure yet." Patrick replied, "We have some things to take care of after the service why what's happening?" "The girls are mated as well." Ethan replied. "The girls are mated? Ethan that's wonderful! When's the wedding?" "Two weeks, do you think that you'll be back?" "I hope to be back before then; I want you all to meet Kevyn before a big family gathering like a wedding. "Just keep us posted and is it alright to tell everyone?" "Sure, but tell them not to call until after the service, we've got a rough ride ahead of us." Patrick replied. "Anything that you need help with?" "No, we're good, look I have to go; I'll talk to you soon." Patrick said when he saw that Kevyn was starting to get dressed. Patrick Ch. 13 "What are you doing?" as he approached her. "Getting dressed," she replied not noticing the gleam in his eyes. "We haven't made love yet." Patrick said taking the tee shirt from her hands. "Yes we did," Kevyn said, "before we got up." "That was hours ago." Patrick replied as he pulled her to him by the waistband of her jeans. ******** Gene got to his mother's house early. Louise had already started making room for the food that she knew was coming. Although she never said anything, she didn't like Clay, she never had but when he called to say to make room for food what was she supposed to do? Gene's showing up early was a mixed blessing, he would help her get ready but he would also talk badly about Kevyn and her man would be added to the mix. Louise didn't know who Patrick Sinclaire was but she did know money when she saw it and wondered how Gene was handling it. "You doing alright?" she asked and then wished that she hadn't. "What do you think?" he snapped, "We let her kill mom and now she's got this .....Man who thinks that he can just walk in her and act like king to her queen!" "What is wrong with you?" Louise asked, "She's only doing what we asked her to do and we didn't even ask. She's right when she says that we made her the family toilet...." "Oh I get it!" Gene interrupted, "You're on her side since you're getting the house..." Louise stared at her brother; she had known that he could be petty and jealous she just didn't realize how bad he really was. "You want the house?" she asked heatedly, "is that what this is about because Kevyn is giving me the damned house?" "No....." "You know what? You can have it! I'm sick of the drama and I'm sick of Pittsburgh! After the dust clears I'm going to ask Kevyn about going back with her so take the damned house and I hope that you're happy here." she said slamming down a glass so hard that it shattered cutting her hand. "Shit sis, I'm sorry!" Gene said as he ran for a towel. Juliet arrived a few minutes later and took in the scene. "What happened here?" she asked not seeing that Louise was bleeding at first. When she noticed she gasped, "Let me see." she said dropping her purse on the floor. "Lou you need stitches, that's a pretty deep cut." "I'll be fine." Louise said standing up. "Lou.... " "I'm not going back to that hospital!" She all but screamed. "Alright just calm down." Juliet said softly. "Gene there's a first aide kit in my car go get it please." Gene met the caterer on the way out, "Go on in." he grumbled. He felt responsible for Louise's accident, he hadn't realized just how on edge she was and he with his jealousy and temper had inadvertently pushed her over the edge. Kevyn and Patrick arrived as he was getting the first aide kit from the trunk of Juliet's car. "Who's hurt?" Kevyn asked. "Louise cut her hand....." Kevyn and Patrick took off toward the house leaving Gene talking to the wind. "Lou?" Kevyn called as soon as she was in the house, "what happened?" "I cut my hand on the glass is all, I'm fine." "She needs stitches...." "I am not going back there! Just wrap it up and it'll be fine." Louise said her anxiety level rising. "Let me look at it." Kevyn said removing the towel. "Lou it's pretty deep." "I'm not going!" Louise said crying. Patrick sat next to her, "Louise, may I look at your hand?" "I suppose you used to be a doctor?" Gene asked snidely. "No I wasn't but I was a paramedic at one time." Patrick replied absently as he examined Louise's hand. "I need gauze, antiseptic and Louise it's going to burn like hell, 2x2s or 4x4s or whatever you have and some tape." As Patrick cleansed and dressed the cut he gave the healing process a little boost. "Keep it dry and change it immediately if it gets wet." "Thank you so much! I don't mean to be a baby but I just can't go back there." Louise said. "I understand." Patrick said with a smile. ********* Clay pulled up behind a car that was obviously a rental; it didn't belong to any of the family which meant that it belonged to Patrick Sinclaire. He adjusted his glasses on his face, picked up the huge bouquet of flowers that he bought for Kevyn and then the smaller bouquets he bought for her sisters and headed toward the house. He tapped on the door and walked in before anyone gave permission for him to enter. He looked around the room for Kevyn and made a beeline for her when he saw her. "Kevyn, I'm so sorry for your loss." he said as he presented her with the bouquet of flowers. As he bent down to kiss her cheek he felt rather than heard someone beside him. "Mr. Robinson." Patrick said smoothly, "It was generous of you to provide the food for the evening." "It's my pleasure." Clay replied just as smoothly as Patrick, "I'm sure that Kevyn told you that we go way back, as a matter of fact we went all the way through school together." "It's always nice to meet a friend of Kevyn's." Patrick replied before turning to Kevyn. "Sweetheart, are you ready to start?" Gene watched the interaction between Clay and Patrick with interest. Both men were about the same height and build, if there was a fight, either of them could win but his money was on Clay. Patrick Sinclaire was too much of a pretty boy to be any good in a fight in spite of the bravado that he was showing with Clay. Kevyn watched the two men and decided to end it before it even started. She knew what Clay was up to; he wanted to know exactly where he stood with her which was the same place that he had always stood. Nowhere. "Excuse my manners, "she said as she stood up and took Patrick's hand. "Clay this is Patrick Sinclaire my significant other soon to be husband, Patrick this is Clay Robinson and as he said we go way back starting in grade school. Now can we get started?" Everyone was watching and listening waiting to see what Clay would say or do. Clay was seeing red but hid his anger, not even he would be disrespectful to a family in mourning but after the funeral.... "Alright here's what I've done." Kevyn said, "I've ordered the spray in mom's favorite flowers- red roses and white carnations, the ribbon will say mother on it unless someone has another idea." She waited a few minutes and continued. "I also called Pastor Brown to ask if he would give the sermon and...." "Excuse me Kevyn." Clay said smoothly, "I'm sure that Pastor Brown is a good messenger of god but I can ask Pastor...." "Thank you but Pastor Brown is a friend of the family and he's already accepted." Kevyn said. "When is the service?" Gene asked. "Today is Tuesday so it's Thursday which means that we need to get over the funeral home tomorrow morning." "I picked out her clothes." Louise said softly. "And I have the programs made out." Juliet said, "Barbara called and said that she would be here by tomorrow night." As the planning continued Patrick was very aware that he was being sized up by Clay. He felt the man's anger when Kevyn introduced him as he significant other and future husband but underneath the anger Patrick also sensed another emotion, the man loved Kevyn and always had. The planning of the funeral was over by nine, after hearing people argue for almost an hour, Kevyn put her foot down and said that they would follow the same program that they had used for their father. Patrick noticed that it was always Gene who led the discussions that caused the problem. He looked from Gene to Clay and then back at Gene again realizing that they shared a connection. Once again his gaze rested on Clay who stared at him with hostility in his eyes. Someone was going to die. ******** Puff paced. He was in a quandary over what he should do. In all of his time with Clay he had never second guessed him; he had always done what needed to be done, but this.... It was wrong. He had tried to talk to Clay about it, tried to appeal to the love that he knew that Clay still had for Kevyn but to no avail. "She's a threat!" Clay said his tone sharp. "I don't think so." Puff replied, "She would have told about whatever it is that you're so afraid of by now." "I'm not afraid of anything!" Clay protested. "Then leave her be." Puff advised, "If you leave her alone, she'll leave you alone." But Clay didn't buy it, "What if she tells that rich man of hers?" he asked "then I'm in deep shit and I'm not losing everything because of that night!" "Clay, we're friends right? I mean we've been through it together." Puff said, "Tell me what happened that night, maybe it isn't as bad as you think." "I.... I can't." Clay said and walked away. Puff had to agree with Gene; Clay should have just accepted the fact that Kevyn didn't love him. The other thing that he didn't understand was Gene. How could he choose Clay over his own flesh and blood? As he struggled to understand Gene's decision he understood something else, as long as Clay lived Kevyn wouldn't be left in peace. But could he kill the man that had taken him in and sobered him up when everyone else had given up on him? He didn't know. He could only hope that Clay came to his senses and that he wouldn't have to choose between him and Kevyn. ******* It was well after two before the discussion about their mother's possessions ended. Once again Gene was at the center of the controversy throwing a wrench into the works when things were seemingly solved and once again Kevyn took charge and ended the arguments. "This is the way it's going to happen, we go to the funeral home tomorrow morning or I guess I should say this morning to pick out the casket, come back here and start packing up her stuff, if you see something that you want take it, if more than one of you wants it work it out. I refuse to play King Solomon to a bunch of adults" Kevyn said. "As to the house itself it goes to Louise......" "Why her?" Gene asked," and what about Barbara?" "Mom wanted Lou to have the house and I agree especially since she was responsible..... Patrick wasn't listening; he was watching Clay and not liking what he was seeing. He wished that there was a way that he could be out during the day to keep Kevyn safe but there was no way that he could do it; he had to trust someone else with Kevyn's safety. ******* Clay knew that Patrick was watching him and he didn't care, in a couple of days Patrick Sinclaire and Kevyn..... He was distracted by Gene calling his name. "Clay we have to talk." There was really nothing to talk about but Clay indulged him. The two men slipped outside and walked a short distance away from the house. "What?" Clay asked. "Look, I don't care about him but I'm asking you as a friend to leave Kevyn alone." Clay pretended to take Gene's request under consideration, "Let me think on it." he said and then walked to his car. ******** Kevyn was exhausted. She had run herself ragged trying to get ready for the services. The only real help that she had came from Patrick and Louise. She knew that Louise wanted to talk to her but she had been too busy to find out what she wanted to talk about. Of all of her siblings she was the closest to Louise simply because between the two of them they took care of their mother. When the dust was settled after the funeral, she would pull Louise aside and talk to her. Now the day of the funeral was here. Everything was set to go including where the repast would be held, there wouldn't be too many people there other than the family and the few family members that had bothered to give their condolences. Patrick did all that he could to help her relax including massages and making love to her until he was sure that she would sleep soundly but she was always awake a couple of hours later. He knew that she was nervous about the services, she had to speak but as the time passed he realized that it was something else that was disturbing her and he wondered what it was. "I know that you're grieving and maybe that's why you aren't resting but is there something else bothering you?" Kevyn bit her lip, for the first time she wanted to tell someone about that night with Clay but she wasn't sure if she should. She knew that she was still alive only because Clay had feelings for her but now there was Patrick. If she told him then he would be in danger too and he would want to do something about it. "I'm alright." she replied." just anxious about the service." which was the truth. Patrick stroked her arm and kissed her forehead before speaking. "I told you that part of being mates is to help each other in whatever capacity that's needed. The same goes for trust and safety. I want and need to keep you safe but I can't do that if you won't tell me what it is that you're afraid of." Patrick said, "And you need to know something else, if I have to go into your head to keep you safe I will." "You wouldn't....." "I would." Patrick said firmly. "You say that it's nerves because of the service, I'll buy that but not entirely but Kevyn at some point you're going to have to tell me about Clay." "I never slept with him if that's what you mean." Kevyn said wanting to change the subject. "That isn't what I meant and it wouldn't matter if you did." Patrick replied. "What I do mean is this, he has feelings for you anyone can see that but he also wants to harm you and my question is why?" When Kevyn didn't answer Patrick let the subject drop, she now knew that he knew that there was something she was keeping back from him. ******** Time was running out and Gene still hadn't decided on what to do about Clay and Kevyn. Once again he asked himself why he found the decision so hard to make. He owed Clay Robinson absolutely nothing! Clay hadn't even made the promised investment and now Gene was wondering if he ever meant to and then realized with a certainty that he hadn't. Clay had been using him all of this time as a way to get close to Kevyn and if he wasn't going to give him the investment then everything that Clay promised him was a lie. The thought that he had been used was what tipped the odds in Kevyn's favor. Gene picked up the phone and dialed Kevyn's number and got a busy signal. ********* Puff agonized long and hard over what Clay wanted him to do. If he didn't do it, Clay would get someone who would and then would send that person after him. He thought about trying to talk to Clay again but changed his mind, Clay's mind was made up and he wouldn't change it even if it was the right thing to do. It had to do with Clay's belief that to change one's mind showed weakness. Puff knew something else too, Clay was very wrong about Patrick Sinclaire. He watched him for a short while the evening before and even from where he stood he could see and feel the sheer power that radiated from the man. Patrick Sinclaire was no one to fuck with and that's exactly what they were planning to do. And if they hurt or killed Kevyn and didn't kill him there would be no place that he or Clay could go that they wouldn't be found. The funeral services were in six hours, the planned hit on Kevyn and her man was scheduled for the next night. Clay was strict about not taking a life during a funeral service saying that it was bad karma. ******** Clay looked at the woman who resembled Kevyn. This time he taped her mouth closed so that she wouldn't talk ruining the illusion that he was with Kevyn. A pang of sorrow hit him as the thought about what he wanted done but it couldn't be helped and he wasn't going to change his mind no matter how much he wanted to. He wouldn't survive prison and if Kevyn had to die so that she wouldn't talk then so be it. Patrick he simply didn't like and it wasn't just because he was fucking Kevyn, it was the confidence that he Clay could only hope to emulate. Every time Patrick's blue eyes landed on his own brown ones, Clay had to fight the urge to turn away. He wanted people to feel that anxiety when he looked at them and to some extent they did but Patrick had something that he was lacking in- true power. As he told the woman to get up and get dressed, Clay found himself wishing that he could harness the power that he sensed coming from Patrick for himself. ********* The Funeral The family gathered at the small funeral home for the private viewing before the actual service. Since it was too early for Patrick to be able to attend he hired a car and driver for Kevyn and gave the man explicit orders. "You are not to let her out of your sight for even a moment..." "Does he have to go to the bathroom with me too?" Kevyn asked exasperated. She tried to tell Patrick that she would be fine but he was taking no chances. "He doesn't have to go to the bathroom with you but other than that you have to stay within his line of vision." "Just what do you think is going to happen?" Kevyn asked. "Probably nothing....." "So why the guard?" Kevyn asked. "As I was saying" Patrick said patiently, "probably nothing but I just want to be sure... I don't trust Clay Robinson." "Patrick let me tell you about Clay Robinson, he's very superstitious, he wouldn't so much as drop a candy wrapper in the chapel without thinking that something bad was going to happen to him. A funeral is sacred to him; if you want to keep me safe just take me somewhere where there are back to back funerals." "Maybe. But Luke still goes with you and I'll be there right at six." Patrick said. It was now five thirty and they had all said goodbye several times when the first sympathizer walked in. Clay looked around the small chapel looking for Patrick and was surprised not to see him hovering around Kevyn. He walked toward the casket where Kevyn was standing stroking her mother's hand. She jumped when she felt arms go around her and for just a second she relaxed back against the body behind her and then froze just as Luke seemed to come from nowhere. Kevyn pulled away and then spun around furious that Clay would lay hands on her like that. "I was just giving you a friendly sympathy hug." Clay said ignoring Luke. "Where's your man?" he asked. "Right behind you." Patrick said his rage barely concealed. Clay turned to face Patrick, started to make a retort but instead walked away. He was wrong; he shouldn't have touched Kevyn like that. This was a sacred event and not one to be trifled with as he had just done. He made his way to the back of the chapel, sat down and reached inside of his shirt to pull out the cross that had been his mother's and began to pray that nothing bad happened to him. Patrick pulled Kevyn aside and looked her up and down. "Are you alright?" he asked. "I'm fine he just caught me by surprise." Kevyn replied as she stepped into Patrick's embrace. "Excuse me Kevyn." Juliet said softly "but is it alright to let the others mourners in?" "It's fine." Kevyn replied still holding on Patrick. All she could really think of was going back home to California with Patrick. After this if Gene wanted to make the family decisions he could do it and with her blessing. Patrick led Kevyn to a seat that was next to her sister Louise and sat on the other side of her. He took Kevyn's cold hand in his while she held Lou's hand with her free one. What surprised her was how many people came to the funeral leading her to wonder where these people were when he mother needed a friend just to have a cup of coffee with. It almost nauseated her to hear the sobs coming from people who hadn't spoken to her mother or anyone in her family since her father died. The pastor made stood up front when the time came and began the service. "Here lies a woman of god....." Kevyn wasn't listening; she was trying to formulate what she was going to say. Clay was the furthest thing from her mind, what she knew about him was even further away as she heard the minister call her name. Patrick Ch. 13 "Go on baby." Patrick whispered fully understanding her nervousness. "Just look at me." An hour later the service was over and they were headed to the cemetery. Patrick stood watch over Kevyn and Louise as the minister began the Lord's Prayer. Soon everyone including Patrick was reciting the prayer with him; he held Kevyn's hand in one and Louise's hand in the other as they approached the casket and placed flowers on it. Patrick felt protective of Louise and he wasn't sure of why except that she looked so lost and afraid. "It will be alright." he assured her when they were standing back in their places. Kevyn soon found out why so many came to the service, word had gotten out about where the repast was going to be. People were using her mother's funeral as a way to get a night out at a nice restaurant. She was furious as she heard the murmurings about the food served at the hotel restaurant. "Don't worry about it." Patrick said, "It doesn't matter." ******* Clay repeated his prayer for forgiveness several times and said the Lord's Prayer in earnest but even so, he hadn't changed his mind about Kevyn and Patrick. He headed to the car planning to go to the repast too. Something warned him that he should go home but he pushed the warning aside. The dinner was over by nine with the family and Clay being the last to leave. Gene left a good ten minutes before anyone else in the family followed by Juliet and their brother then Louise then Clay with Patrick and Kevyn bringing up the rear. As soon as they were outside, Patrick tensed and shouted "DOWN!" as he grabbed Kevyn and pulled her into his body as he spun around. The sound of a single gunshot echoed through the silence of the night immediately followed by a cry of deep pain. Patrick Ch. 14 Chapter 14- Before the Funeral Puff agonized and paced for hours before coming to a decision and then he changed his mind once again. He didn't know if he could do what he was thinking of doing. Clay was the closest thing that he had to family and if he did this..... The funeral was just beginning so he still had some time to agonize over his choices. If he killed Clay he would have to leave Pittsburgh and could never return and he would be hunted. He would have to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder as Clay had contacts everywhere. Fortunately money wouldn't be a problem, he wouldn't be able to live as he was now but he wouldn't suffer either. He had already planned for this moment, not the killing of Clay but the moment when he would have to leave at a moment's notice. He had always known that it was going to happen but not under these circumstances. His packed bag sat next to the door of his bedroom, his available cash-$10,000 was in side of his jacket pocket and the rest of his money was sitting safely in a bank account that no one other than himself knew about and it was under a different name. "Am I really going to do this?" he asked himself for the thousandth time, "Is she worth giving up my life for?" Puff closed his eyes and opened them again as he wondered not for the first time what it was that Kevyn knew that Clay that he would want her killed. It was more than that he realized, it was the man and the issue wasn't his race, it was the fact that he had managed to do what Clay hadn't been able to do- obtain Kevyn's love and loyalty. He found himself glad that he kept his romantic endeavors to a minimum even though he wanted nothing more than to find a nice woman to settle down with and to leave this life. He had visions of moving to someplace warm and where he and his wife could sit on the porch in January sipping drinks while people in the east froze their asses off but he had never met that woman, well he had but.... Clay tried to set him up with cousins and sisters of friends but it never went anywhere beyond a first date. It wasn't that they weren't beautiful and intelligent; they just did nothing for him. There was one woman who did and he was considering killing his best friend for her even though she was out of his grasp and always had been. He walked over to the closet, took down a carry on bag and carried it to the bed. After unzipping it he pulled out a 9mm automatic glock and laid it on the bed. He looked at the gun for several long minutes before reaching inside to take out the 9mm regular bullets that he was planning to use instead of the hollow point rounds. Puff sat on the bed and wondered if he just shouldn't just get his get his ass out of dodge but then Kevyn would still be in danger. Clay would just get someone else to do it and he would rather be the one to do it.... "Fuck!" he whispered. He was actually considering doing what Clay ordered, he was really thinking about killing the one person that he knew to be a good person and didn't deserve to die." ******** Gene took one drink and then another followed by another until he began to feel a slight buzz. If he didn't do something, they would be planning another funeral and this one would be his fault. He would also have what he wanted.... Control and what he didn't want, Patrick Sinclaire up his ass. Puff and Clay weren't the only ones who sensed the power that radiated from Patrick, Gene sensed and felt it too and it scared him. That Patrick loved his sister was clear, that he also cared for Louise was just as obvious and he wondered why. He acknowledged that of all of them, Louise was probably the only one without an agenda. She stayed out of the family drama as much as she could instead concentrating on her job and their mother. Even Barb who lived in Connecticut had an agenda even though she tried to hide it. As soon as she heard about Kevyn's rich man she started packing and was out of the door within the hour. Gene blew out a breath and resisted having another drink. It was bad enough that he was slightly buzzed but he would never hear the end of it if he showed up at the funeral drunk. He looked at the program for the services, opened and then flung it across the room when he saw Patrick's name listed as family. His anger rose as he thought about the repast and where it was going to be. Never in his wildest dreams could he have afforded a place like that and here this... this interloper comes and makes him look bad. But still... Kevyn was his sister and she loved the man as much as he loved her and was as protective of Louise as Patrick was growing to be. He hadn't missed the accusatory glance that Kevyn gave him when Patrick was patching up Lou's hand. She always knew when he was involved in something but to her credit she didn't ask about it, but she knew. Gene walked over to a locked cabinet and looked at it for several minutes before taking out the key to unlock it. He looked at the 9mm automatic Glock, closed the cabinet and locked it again. He bought the gun for protection but he hadn't touched it since he took the classes on how to use it. He couldn't believe that he was considering using it now, not on himself but on whom? Clay? Patrick? Kevyn? Who? Against his better judgment Gene mixed himself another drink and downed it in one gulp. If he got caught....he stopped himself, to think along those lines meant that he had decided and he hadn't or had he? Gene sat the glass down and headed for the shower, suddenly he wasn't feeling too well. ******* Clay said one of his many prayers for protection and forgiveness for what he was about to do but it came down his safety. The funeral was a few hours away and he would take the opportunity to say a final goodbye to Kevyn, after tonight he wouldn't see her again until her funeral. The thought saddened him beyond belief but he wouldn't and couldn't change his mind. His heart hurt for the family that they would have to bury another loved one so soon but it couldn't be helped. He wondered how Puff was holding up. He had known for years that Puff harbored feelings for Kevyn but had never acted on them out of respect for him. In the end though, Puff's loyalty to him would win out. He might feel remorse and anger but he would do as he was told. ******** Louise looked around the house where she and her mother passed away so many hours watching the cooking channel. It felt different now and she had no desire to stay here. She meant it when she told Gene that he could have the house, she wanted to leave with nothing but her clothing and a few small trinkets that their mother had given her. She wondered if Kevyn was busy, she really wanted to talk to her about going back with them. As she straightened up the living room and unplugged everything electrical as their mother had done every time she left the house. Louise choked back a sob of fear, pain and loneliness; she was the one other than Kevyn who would miss her the most. As she finished picking up and unplugging things she went to the kitchen thinking about Kevyn. She wondered if she would be as lucky as Kevyn in finding someone to love her. She could care less about money, she just wanted to be cared for and about and she had to get away from Pittsburgh. She made her decision and picked up the phone. ********* Kevyn looked at the outfit that she bought for the service, it hung in the closet next to the dark suit that Patrick had bought to wear. Because her mother wished it, Kevyn's outfit wasn't black but cream colored. Even at her father's funeral her mother refused to let any of them wear black. To her it symbolized a final goodbye whereas the lighter colors symbolized a new beginning. Patrick stood behind her with his arms around her not knowing how to make any of it better. The only consolation was that soon it would be over and he would spend every minute with her as she mourned and then they could move forward. They had a few hours before the funeral and she needed to rest even if she didn't think that she did. "Come on baby, you need to rest." Patrick said as he pulled her toward the bed pulling harder when she resisted. He sat her on the side of the bed and gently pushed her back until she was lying down and then lay down next to her. Kevyn snuggled into him and closed her eyes, he was right, she was exhausted. She was almost asleep when her phone rang. Patrick almost silenced it but thought better of it and answered it. "Ummm is Kevyn there?" a soft shy voice asked. "Louise? It's Patrick, are you alright?" "I.... I just wanted to talk to Kevyn, is she there?" Kevyn took the phone from Patrick and listened for several minutes before saying anything. "Of course you can come back with us! I was planning to ask you but something always got in the way. Yes you can give notice effective immediately. No, don.... Lou, it's alright really. Alright, I'll see you tonight, get some rest." After she hung up, Kevyn realized that she just unilaterally invited Lou to live with them without talking to Patrick about it. "I'm so sorry...." Patrick shushed her, "if you weren't going to ask her I was." "Really?" Kevyn asked surprised. "Really and you never have to ask my permission to have someone stay with us." he replied. "Lou has always been so sensitive." Kevyn said as she settled back into Patrick's arms. "she was always the one that needed to be protected and you have no idea of how hard it was for me to leave her here but I didn't even know what was going to happen once I got to California." "I'm sure that she understood that." Patrick said rubbing her arms. "I know but I think I worried about her almost as much as I did mom. I'm glad that she's going back with us." "I am too, now sleep." ********* After the repast Kevyn was relieved when the service and the repast was over. Her nap had long worn off and all she wanted to do was to finish with her mother's business and leave Pittsburgh. She pulled Lou aside and hugged her. "You're not staying in the house tonight; you're staying at the hotel with us." "I'll be okay at the house." Lou replied. "I know that but we'd like for you to stay with us." Kevyn replied. "I don't have clothes or anything..." "We'll go to the house so you can get some things, come on please? We'll even watch the cooking channel." Kevyn said. "What about Patrick, won't he care?" "It was partly his idea, so will you come?" "He really won't care?" Louise asked. The reality of it was that she didn't want to stay at the house alone and Kevyn's invitation was an unexpected but welcome surprise. "Ask him yourself if you don't believe me." Kevyn said as she looked around for Patrick. It was then that she noticed that Gene was gone but she gave it no thought. Patrick stood off to the side of the room in the clear sight of Clay daring him to approach Kevyn. If Clay noticed he gave no indication of it as he toyed with the cross in his hands. Patrick felt Kevyn's eyes on him and walked over to her putting his arm around her when he reached her. "I was telling Lou that it's perfectly alright with you if she stays at the hotel with us." Kevyn said. "Of course it is! I already have the room next to ours reserved for you." Patrick said smiling at her. Louise was at a loss for words that someone who barely knew her was being so nice to her. "Thank you." she said softly. "You're welcome, "Patrick replied. "Are we ready to go?" ******** Puff sat in his car still undecided about what he was going to do. If he killed Kevyn tonight it would be disobeying the order that it not happen until the day after the funeral so what did that mean? The Glock sat on the seat next to him ready to be used. He took in his surroundings trying to figure out the best vantage point, he had made his decision. He picked up the gun and slipped it into the holster under his jacket and got out of the car taking his time so he didn't attract any attention. He crossed the street and headed toward the hotel and slipped inside. Nodding at the clerk at the front desk Puff made his way to the restaurant where the repast was being held and peeked in. He saw Clay sitting in the back at a table with Gene, Juliet and Barb. Kevyn sat at another table with her man, Louise and Leon with the other tables being filled with people he hadn't seen in years nor did he care to. Puff slipped back outside and sat in a small enclosed area located to the front of the hotel to wait. ******* Gene slipped out a full ten minutes before the rest of the family and Clay did. He made his way to his beat up old car and got in and sat for a moment. He opened the glove box, took out the gun and looked at it; he was really going to shoot someone. His only prayers were that he hit the right person and that he wasn't caught. His hands shook as he checked to make sure that the gun was properly loaded. He wished that he had a drink or something to steady his nerves but then thought that maybe it was just as well that he didn't. He put the gun inside of a pocket that was in the inside of his jacket not realizing how heavy it was until now. He was really going to shoot someone. He walked across the parking lot and stood behind a tree that partially hid him from view and waited. ******* The group stood in the lobby to make plans for the following night. "Be at mom's by six." Kevyn said. "With any luck we can get through her things in one evening if we all chip in and help." Kevyn caught Barbara looking at Patrick and shook her head. She already knew what was going on inside of her sister's head and ignored it. After saying goodnight, Juliet, Leon and Barb left together followed by Clay, Patrick, Kevyn and finally Louise. Patrick froze, grabbed Kevyn and yelled "Down!" as he pulled Kevyn into his body, turned and dropped to the ground reaching out for Louise on the way down. Seconds later the shot came followed by a deep moan of pain. No one moved from where they were not sure if another shot was coming. Kevyn totally unprepared for the tackle felt her breath leave her as Patrick's much bigger and heavier body landed on top of hers. "Baby? Are you alright?" Patrick asked. "I think so... Lou? Lou are you alright?" Kevyn's heart raced when there was no immediate answer; she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Louise's soft voice saying that she was alright. ********* Puff waited until his target came into view. Fortunately the target was walking alone but that could change at any second. "I'm sorry Clay." he said silently as he aimed and pulled the trigger. In his deep concentration he didn't notice that there were some people already on the ground. After he fired the shot, he put the gun away and walked away from the hotel. He could already hear sirens approaching as he made it to his car, he couldn't be seen here. ******* Gene swallowed hard and his hands shook as he held the loaded gun in both hands and waited. He saw Clay walking out alone and thanked his lucky stars that he wouldn't accidentally shoot any of his family. He wondered what was happening when he heard Patrick yell and saw him throw Kevyn to the ground. He heard the gunshot and the moan and wondered where it had come from, he hadn't fired his gun. Not sure of what to do, he ran back to his car, tossed the gun into the back seat and went back to the hotel. By the time he got back everyone was standing except for one person. ****** Patrick stood up, helped Kevyn and then Louise up. "Are either of you hurt?" he asked. "I'm winded but I'm alright." Kevyn replied, "Lou?" "I'm alright too." Patrick looked around relieved to see that none of the Yancy siblings were hurt, which only left Clay. "Go inside and wait for the police." Patrick said as he made his way to Clay who was alive but barely. Whoever shot him was a professional and was aiming to kill. Gene stared at Clay in shock and relief that he hadn't been the one to fire the shot. Patrick looked to see where the wound was and found the entry point at the neck. He looked around but saw no one suspecting that the shooter was already gone. Clay's hands fluttered as if they were looking for something and remembering the cross, Patrick reached inside of Clay's shirt and pulled it out, yanking it so that the chain broke and placed it in Clay's hands. Clay took his last breath just as the police followed by the ambulance arrived. ******* Kevyn watched with mixed feelings, she as sorry that Clay died but she was relieved that he no longer posed a threat to her or any of her family. She wondered who would have shot him and then decided that she really didn't want to know. Carrying Clay's secret around for so many years was plenty. The police interviewed both her and Louise for several minutes before letting them go. After more than three hours they had no suspects. Clay's body was long gone although the evidence that he had been once alive stained the pavement. Eventually everyone was free to go and the police had no suspects at the moment. ******** After the shot, Puff casually walked to his car and drove away. It would only be a matter of time before the police came looking for him once they realized that it was Clay Robinson who had been shot. He headed straight for the airport; his flight for Jamaica was leaving in two hours. As he drove he took a minute to say a silent prayer for Clay and to wish Kevyn well, she was the first and only woman that he had loved enough to kill for. ******* Patrick held Kevyn in his lap while they waited for Louise to pack. Her head rested on his shoulder and her hands in her lap. She knew that Patrick would want to know about her and Clay and there was no real reason not to tell him, he couldn't hurt any of them anymore which was why she had kept her mouth shut for so long. Finally Louise came down the stairs carrying a large suitcase and her laptop that she hadn't used for anything other than games since their father died because they had cut every expense that they deemed unnecessary. An hour later they were back at the hotel. Louise was in her room wanting to relax after what had been a long and traumatic day. Like Kevyn she fell in love with the huge bathtub and gasped when she saw the various oils and lotions that Patrick had her bathroom stocked with. "And please feel free to call room service if you need or want anything or us if you don't want to be alone." Patrick said giving the shy woman a hug. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Lou asked. "Because you're a nice person, you're Kevyn's sister and you're family." Patrick replied. Lou smiled back at him, "Thank you and good night." ******** "Thank you for being so sweet to her." Kevyn said as she hugged him. "I meant every word that I said to her." Patrick replied returning the hug, "now let's get you taken care of." he added as he led her to the bathroom and turned on the water to fill the tub. He poured a generous amount of lavender oil in the water as it filled and began to undress her. "I can do that." Kevyn said even as she sighed with pleasure as Patrick's hands massaged the nape of her neck. "I know you can but I want to check for bruises, I threw you down pretty hard and then I landed on top of you." "I'm fine, really." Kevyn replied, "I was just winded." "I still want to see." Patrick replied as he helped her out of her clothes. "Have I mentioned how beautiful you are?" "A time or two." Kevyn replied blushing. "Is that all?" Patrick teased, "Then I have been remiss in my duties as your mate." "Yes well, there were other things...." "You Kevyn Sinclaire are the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen." Patrick said looking down at her, "that beauty isn't just a physical beauty but an inner one as well. You have handled the events of this week with a grace and courage that makes me proud that you claimed me as your mate. I am and will be proud to introduce you to my family as my mate." Patrick Ch. 14 "I don't know what to say except thank you for waiting for me and for coming. I'm not so sure that I could have done this again without you." "You would have." Patrick replied, "But I'm glad that I was here." Patrick helped her in to the tub and slid in behind her, "relax I won't let you slide under." Kevyn leaned back against Patrick's chest and closed her eyes as he hummed softly in her ear. She felt his hands move lightly up and down her arms as he continued to hum. His hands moved from her arms to her breasts gently massaging and tweaking the nipples until they were hard points beneath his hands. One hand left a breast and made its way down her stomach and between her legs and stopped for just a moment before separating her lips and rubbing. "Let go, I've got you." Patrick crooned and then resumed humming. Kevyn let out a cry that started low in her throat and ended as a scream that she was sure that Louise had to have heard. Patrick waited until she caught her breath before helping her out of the tub and taking her back to the bed. "You need to be taken care of too." Kevyn said and tried to reach for him. "I'm fine; this is for you now close your eyes." Kevyn was asleep before Patrick had finished massaging her arms with oil. ********* Kevyn was awake early and went to check on Louise who was also awake and eating a very late breakfast while watching the food network. She jumped when she saw Kevyn and then gave an embarrassed grin, "I was hungry but I got the cheapest things on the menu." Kevyn smiled back and joined Lou on the bed. "I'm really glad that you're coming with us." she said stealing a piece of bacon off of Lou's plate. "Me too, I hate it here." "Lou, you know that I didn't want to leave you here right? If there was any way....." "Kev, it's alright, I understand and someone had to stay and help mom." The sisters talked for a few more minutes before Kevyn went back to her and Patrick's room. "Everything alright?" he asked. "It's fine, she isn't mad that I had to leave her here." Kevyn replied. "Did you really think that she would be?" Patrick asked. Kevyn shrugged her shoulders, "Louise can be hard to read sometimes so I really didn't know but at any rate, it's all good." Patrick debated on whether he should bring up Clay Robinson. Part of him wanted to get through with everything pertaining to the death of her mother but part of him wanted to be done with Clay Robinson so that when they left, he stayed here. Kevyn was the one who decided the matter. "I need to tell you about Clay." she said nervously. Patrick took her hand and led her to the small sitting room. He didn't want to discuss Clay or anything else negative in the place where they made love. "Take your time." he said taking her hands into his. "You have to understand something," Kevyn began, "Clay.... Clay always made it his mission to protect me even though I didn't want it. The name calling and teasing hurt but that's just the way it was and he got teased a lot because of me. I don't know at what point the decided that he decided that we were supposed to be together as in get married and have children together but I never felt that way about him even when he was the only boy in school who paid any attention to me. I know there were girls who would have jumped at the chance just so that they'd have somebody but that wasn't me, I really didn't care if I had a boyfriend or if I got asked to the prom.... None of it mattered. "You were true to yourself." Patrick said stroking her face. "Whatever." Kevyn replied, "But at any rate, as we grew up if anyone and I mean anyone said anything bad about me they wound up hurt somehow and they would never say that it was Clay that did it. Then Clay started telling everyone that I was his and well can you see where this is going?" she asked. "He became obsessed." Patrick said. "I couldn't go anywhere or do anything without him knowing about it. By the time it had gotten really bad, I had lost a lot of weight from playing softball and other sports. I was so busy that I almost managed to forget about him until the games, he came to every single one of them." "Kevyn, did he hurt you?" Patrick asked his throat tight. "You mean rape me?" Kevyn asked. "No, it was nothing like that- that wasn't Clay's style but some of his friends.... And no, none of them hurt me either." Patrick breathed easier, that was the worst thing that he could have thought of happening to her. "One day I decided that the next time he asked me out that I would go. I thought that maybe he would see that I wasn't the type of girl that he wanted." "Why would you say that?" Patrick asked. "I don't know." Kevyn replied, "I didn't think that I was ugly or anything like that. I was okay with myself but I wasn't the kind of girl that would jump through hoops for a guy and Clay was used to being obeyed. Anyway, he picked me up and said that we were going somewhere to talk which is exactly what I wanted to do. Clay didn't have money, the car he picked me up in belonged to a friend and that didn't matter to me I'm just telling you this so you understand Clay a little better. When we got to Burger King, he found a quiet corner so that we could talk.... Patrick, he thought that I didn't want him because he was poor. He was begging me to give him a chance to prove that he could take care of me in a way befitting a queen and those were his words. Nothing I said convinced him otherwise never mind the fact that we were both eighteen and had graduated from high school that spring." Kevyn's eyes burned as she remembered that night. "After we ate, he said that he wanted to show me something, something told me to say no but he was so hurt when I told him that I just didn't care about him in the same way... so I went with him. He drove us to this old warehouse that had been closed for years and I asked him why we were there. He told me that he wanted to prove to me that he wouldn't always be poor and that if I would only give him time that by the following year we would be living in a new house." Patrick got up and got her a glass of water stopping by the sink to wet a wash cloth. When he sat down he handed her the water and then washed her face when she was finished. "After we got there he told me to wait in the car and that he would only be gone for a few minutes. The few minutes turned into a half hour and I decided to see what was taking so long. I got out of the car and walked in the same direction that Clay had gone in.... They.... Th.... They had a boy hanging from his arms and there was blood from cuts and... he was dead! Clay was holding the knife... I saw him stab the body!" Kevyn was crying but she continued. "He-Clay saw me because he was facing the door, the others were so busy talking that they didn't notice him looking at me. I backed away and got back into the car and waited for Clay to come out. I didn't know what to do! If I would have said anything they would have killed me. If he came to the car and I was gone, he would have had to tell them that I was there and I have no doubts that he would have" "Did Clay threaten you?" Patrick asked. "He didn't have to, his look said it all." Kevyn replied. "The next week I picked up a second job and saved every penny I could and as soon as I had enough money I left and came back only once a year and every year he finds out that I'm here and we do the same song and dance. He invited me to dinner-anywhere I wanted to go so that we could talk." Patrick hugged Kevyn to him. "He was afraid that you would tell someone." Patrick said understanding, "there's no statute of limitation on murder and at the time Clay was legally an adult. Sweetheart he was going to have you killed." "That bullet was meant for me?" "No, it wasn't, someone wanted Clay dead and in doing that removed the threat to you." Patrick said, "Sweetheart I think that we need to call the police and tell them what you know." She didn't want to but knew that Patrick was right; she had kept the secret for far too long. There wasn't a day that went by where she hadn't thought about the family of that boy and as far as she knew his body had never been found. A short time later a detective was sitting in the small room taking Kevyn's statement. "Do you remember where this ware house is?" he asked. "I will never forget it." Kevyn replied and then gave the detective the address. "You know Mrs. Sinclaire, we could have protected you." the detective said. "I know but... I was so scared and what were you going to do? Drive by my house once a night? I know that I should have called even anonymously but he would have known that it was me." Kevyn said. "Did you know any of the other men there?" Kevyn froze, she hadn't thought about them, if they were still around then they knew about Clay being killed. "Kev?" Patrick said touching her hand, "they can't harm you, I won't let them." "I didn't really see their faces, their backs were to me and the only one that saw me was Clay." Kevyn replied. The detective left after asking a few more questions including why Clay was coming after her all of this time and if she had any idea of who would have shot him. "He came after her because of me." Patrick replied, "As to who shot him, we have no idea but I would like to thank the man or woman who did it." he added. Kevyn felt a hundred pounds lighter; she hadn't realized how heavy that secret was until now. That part of her life as over now all that was left was to get through the dividing of their mother's belongings. ******* After he got home Gene drank himself into a stupor. The police asked him if he had any idea as to who would have shot Clay. He told them no but he was almost sure that it was Puff; he was almost as much in love with Kevyn as Clay had been. But whoever it was, Gene hoped that they got away, they had done him a favor when they killed Clay, when it came down to it; he wouldn't have been able to pull the trigger no matter how much he may wanted to. After locking his gun back up, Gene stumbled into his bedroom undressing as he went leaving a trail of clothes behind him. By the time he reached the bed, all he had on was his underwear; he fell into the bed and didn't wake up until the next afternoon. ******* "The last part and then we can leave." Kevyn thought to herself. She and Louise spent the afternoon watching cooking shows while Patrick took care of some business matters. She also took the time to talk to Louise about what she wanted to do with the house. "I don't want it." she said firmly. "Alright but what do you want to do with it?" Kevyn asked. "Let them have it." Louise replied, "They can sell it if they want." "Lou, is it alright if we gave it to Gene? He's the only one without a home and...." "That's fine." Louise said, "I already told him that he could have it...." "What?" Kevyn asked sensing that Louise wanted to change the subject. "I was just wondering how you met Patrick, he's very nice." Kevyn gave Louise the condensed version leaving out the vampirism and the family history of rapes. That was something that she didn't need to know about at least not in this point in time. Patrick left them alone until lunch and then only disturbed them to take their orders for a late lunch. As with breakfast Louise chose the cheapest item on the menu- a salad. "That's all you're going to have?" Patrick asked. "I'm not very hungry." Louise replied. "Are you certain?" Patrick asked, "You can order whatever you want." Reluctantly Louise added a bowl of soup to her order flinching when she saw the price. She stared at Patrick in disbelief as she listened to him order what sounded like the entire menu. Seeing the expression on Lou's face, Kevyn laughed and told Louise that Patrick would indeed eat most if not all that he ordered. "How do you not get fat?" Louise asked. "High metabolism." Patrick replied, "by the way, how's the hand?" "Much better, it doesn't hurt anymore." she replied. After lunch Patrick left the sisters alone to continue their visit but Kevyn was distracted. Something was going on with Patrick, it was nothing that she could pinpoint but he was anxious. "Lou, will you excuse me for a minute?" "Sure, as a matter of fact if you don't mind I'd like to take a nap." Louise replied. ******** Patrick was on the phone when Kevyn went into their suite, he turned toward her when heard her come in. without interrupting his conversation, Patrick held out a hand toward her. He hung up a minute later and hugged Kevyn as he tried to think of the best way to help Ethan from where he was. Ethan was adamant that he not leave Kevyn which he wouldn't have done anyway. Kevyn hugged him back and pulled away from him. "What happened?" she asked. Patrick hesitated, giving her bad news was not the way that he wanted to bring her into the family but there was no help for it. "Let's sit." he said leading her to the sitting room. An hour later Kevyn was completely caught up on what was happening with Patrick's family. "Someone is stalking them?" Kevyn asked. "It's much more than that, he wants to hurt us and before you say it I'm not going." Patrick said, "There's nothing that I can do that isn't already being done and my place is with you." Kevyn tried to talk Patrick into leaving only giving up when he became firm with her. "Kevyn I am not leaving you here alone so stop asking!" Immediately contrite Patrick kissed her, "I'm sorry I snapped but you need to understand that you will always come first. It is the same with all of us, our mates come before anything or anyone else and that will never change so no more talk of me leaving." ******** "Almost." Kevyn thought as she looked around the living room at her siblings. She loved them but they were royal pains in the asses that she couldn't wait to get away from with the exception of Louise. The bickering over what she had considered trinkets had already started and she had already had enough. "Will you all just shut the hell up?" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "This is ridiculous and I've had enough! This is what we're going to do and no one had better open their mouths to complain!" she said looking directly at Gene. The room went silent and she continued, "Now, you all made me executor of mom's estate and let me just take a moment to say that I never wanted any of this." Again she looked at Gene who looked away. "This house and everything in it belongs to Lou, she took care of mom and probably bought at least of half of what's in here." Everyone stared at Kevyn as if she had just grown another head but no one spoke. "So this is what's going to happen." Kevyn continued, "Lou has already decided what happens to the house and everything in it and her decisions are final. If you want to trade, fight or argue it waits until after we're gone." "Louise isn't going to live here?" Barbara asked. "No, I'm going back with Kev and Patrick." Louise said. "You're leaving?" Juliet asked, "But who'll baby sit..." "Not my problem." Louise said quietly feeling proud that she could finally say what she wanted to say every time Juliet begged her to baby sit. "Let's get this show on the road." Kevyn said interrupting. She knew exactly where the conversation was heading just as she knew that she would be approached by at least one of her other siblings about going back to California. Louise stood up and took a folded piece of paper from her pocket. After giving Kevyn a nervous look she began to read from the paper. "I Louise Jenae Yancy give this house and all of its contents with the exception of my personal belongings and the things that mother gave me to Gene Walter Yancy to do with as he wishes." Louise handed the paper to Gene who realized that it was an official document. He looked up to see the remainder of his siblings looking at him expectantly. "Oh shit." he thought as Juliet started bombarding him with questions. ****** Three days later Kevyn, Patrick and Louise were on their way back to California. They stayed long enough to help pack up their mother's clothes and take them to good will while Patrick took care of any outstanding bills of which there were many. As Kevyn had suspected, one of her siblings approached her about going back with them to California. Barb corned her in the kitchen one night as Kevyn was making sandwiches for everyone. "You did good." she said referring to Patrick, "I like him." "Thanks." Kevyn replied her guard already up. "I've always wanted to go out west." Barbara said dropping the hint. "It is beautiful." Kevyn replied as she kept working. "I was thinking....." "No." Kevyn said. "You don't even know what I was going to say!" Barbara said miffed. "Yeah, actually I do and the answer is no." Kevyn said. "Part of the reason why I left was to get away from all of the drama that I call a family. I love you all don't get me wrong but I can't be with you for longer than a visit or a phone call and if I took you back with me...." "You're taking Louise!" Barbara shot back. "Yes I am and do you know why?" Kevyn asked. "Because next to me she was the family toilet. Maybe more so because she lived here and she never complained. Even now all Juliet was concerned about was who was going to baby sit her kids so that she could go out and she wasn't even paying her! Lou didn't and doesn't have an agenda." "But..." "The answer is no and that goes for the rest of them too." Kevyn said ending the discussion. She wasn't surprised when Barbara took what she wanted from the house and was gone the next morning without saying goodbye to anyone. ****** Kevyn looked over at Louise and smiled, she looked so much younger now that she was away from the stress of their family. She would live with them for as long as she wanted to and fortunately, Louise was a night owl too so it wouldn't be unusual for her to see Patrick only in the evenings. During their last night at the hotel Kevyn and Patrick talked about a variety of things including school. "You're going back aren't you?" Patrick asked as they relaxed in the bathtub. "I would like to." Kevyn replied. "Good." Patrick replied, "I want you to do whatever it is that you want to do, what about your job?" "I would like to keep working there at least part time." Kevyn replied and waited for an objection. "Only if you agree to my terms." Patrick replied. "Given what's happening with our family you have a guard with you at all times, it can be a female or male, they can pose as workers I don't care but you're not going anywhere alone, as a matter of fact even I can be with you and no one would know." She started to object and stopped, it would have been pointless. "Agreed but what about you? Are you going back to the classroom or are you going to teach online?" "I think that I'll teach the online class." Patrick replied, "That way I'm always free to protect you myself." Patrick replied playing with her fingers. The subject of children came up. It was something that Kevyn had never given serious thought to; she knew that she definitely hadn't wanted children with Lonnie but Patrick? Definitely. She knew that Patrick would be a good father and she was sure that she would be a good mother as her mother had been. She dozed off with very happy thoughts. ********** "We will be landing in approximately thirty minutes." the pilot announced. Louise was looking out of the window of the jet full of excitement at the prospect of a new life and who knew? Maybe she would meet a nice man like Kevyn did and money wasn't a requirement and maybe she would go to school.... "So many possibilities." She thought to herself as the plane began its descent into Los Angeles. Patrick Ch. 14 ******** An hour later, Kevyn, Patrick and Louise were walking through the airport and to the car that was waiting to take them to Patrick's home now their home as he kept reminding them. In spite of what was happening with their family, Patrick was happy and at peace. He had Kevyn and now a sister in Louise and everything else would fall into place. Patrick Ch. 15 The days after the rescue: By late evening the day after the rescue, Kevyn was beside herself. She didn't know what to do or say to help Patrick. They still hadn't talked about the past and they needed to if only because it so profoundly affected the present and she could see how it could and would affect the future and now there was whatever it was that Patrick was going through to deal with. She knew that Patrick was holding himself personally responsible for what happened because the vampire had been the mate of one of his victims. For several hours, she had been frightened because Patrick had seemed almost suicidal. It wasn't anything that he said but more the way that he acted. He was trying to push her away. When she tried to touch him, he moved away from her, when she tried to talk to him, he walked away. The only thing that got his attention was when he heard her crying. She still hadn't completely grieved over her mother and within hours of returning to California there was another emotional upheaval. "Kev?" "You, Patrick Sinclaire are a jerk!" she yelled at him not caring if the entire household heard her. "Kev, you don't....." "Don't you dare say that I don't understand!" she hissed. "You're right! I don't understand but you won't talk to me. And what about the mates are supposed to rely on each other spiel that you gave me not more than a few days ago? Do you remember telling me that or is this a one sided thing where I'm supposed to spill my guts to you but you get to keep things to yourself? Are you planning to kill yourself?" "What!?" Patrick asked shocked. "You won't let me touch you, you won't talk to me so what in the hell am I supposed to think?" she spat at him. "Oh god... Kevyn, no I'm not going to kill myself." Patrick replied understanding how she could have gotten the idea. "I just didn't want your sympathy and to be honest, I didn't think that you would want to be around me after what happened. I'm sorry that I scared you." "Scared me? Patrick I was beyond scared! I was going to call someone from your family because I didn't know what to do! Look, I don't profess to understand anything of what happened here and that includes that thing with Louise but I do understand this, I love you and as you've told me on more than one occasion, I've got you. I'm not leaving." Patrick could only look at her, she had just addressed one of his biggest fears and she was right, he had to talk to her and not shut her out. He thought that the hard part was over, it wasn't. Telling her his complete family history was going to be the hardest part but she was here and she wasn't leaving. "Is it alright to touch you now?" she asked as she wrapped hr arms around his waist. Patrick didn't reply but wrapped his arms around her and cried. He didn't deserve her any more than Martin deserved Rachel or Ethan deserved Katrina. "Talk to me." Kevyn urged as she rubbed his back, "I promise I won't leave." she repeated. Patrick tightened his hold on her and then released her, "Let's sit outside in the gazebo." He said taking her hand. He didn't want to taint the tranquility of their home by talking about the past there. For once, the house felt like more than a house. It had become a home the minute Kevyn and Louise walked through the door. "Wait, what about Louise? Is she alright?" he asked concerned. "She's confused about a few things but she's alright. Nathan has been talking with her throughout the day and evening." Kevyn replied. "Let's go check on her before we go out to talk." Patrick insisted, "I need to see that she's alright." ********* Louise jumped at the light tap on the door. She had been just as worried about Patrick as Kevyn had been and her assurances that it would be all right had helped only a little. Her heart hurt for him when she felt his pain and despair and wondered what the cause of it was. Even at her worst, her mother hadn't hurt as Patrick was. But it wasn't just Patrick, all of the men of his family carried some collective burden but it was more so with the brothers. Nathan carried a little of the burden to but of all of them Patrick was suffering the most. Even the women seemed to carry some hurt and she wanted to know what it was but would never ask. The one thing that she did notice was that even with the collective feeling of pain there was love. "Come in!" she called. Patrick and Kevyn went into the room and Louise let out a mental sigh of relief. While he was still hurting, the feeling of despair wasn't as intense. "I am so sorry about all of this... are you alright?" Patrick asked as he walked over to Louise and hugged her. "I'm fine but are you?" she asked returning the hug. "I'm going to be alright thanks to your sister and Lou? I really am sorry that your first night was so traumatic and thank you for your help." Patrick replied. "You're welcome and its like you told me, we're family and family helps each other right?" she asked. Later when Kevyn and Patrick left the room, she would have time to think and realized that she really did belong with them. *********** Kevyn and Patrick sat in the gazebo for several minutes before Patrick spoke. "She's special." he said meaning Louise. "She always has been." Kevyn replied, "no one really paid enough attention to her to realize just how special she is." "If my guess is right, I think that changed last night." Patrick replied. He was stalling and he knew that Kevyn knew it. "Kev, before I start telling you everything, will you try to remember something as I tell it?" "What?" "Try to remember that I am no longer that man who raped and hurt women and that I love you." "If I thought for one second that you were that man would I be here? Would I have brought my sister here?" she asked as she took his hands in hers. "I know that this is hard for you and I won't lie, it's going to be hard for me too but if we're going to be together and have babies... you have to tell me and I have to listen. I want you to remember something too, I love you." Patrick took a deep breath and started at the beginning, by three am he wasn't even halfway though. He kept looking over at Kevyn expecting to see revulsion and fear on her face whispering a silent prayer of thanks when he didn't. By five, he had just begun to tell her about his first rape and now that he had started, he wanted to finish it. "I need to finish this but not in the house, we have a gate house in the back, can we go there?" he asked. Kevyn was almost overwhelmed as she listened to the story of Patrick's family but she like him wanted it done so that they could move on. However, she needed a break even if he didn't. "That's fine but I need a break and a little time to process what you've told me so far, can we do that?" "Of course we can." Patrick replied. "The gate house has a fully stocked kitchen and I would love to make you breakfast." "You cook?" Kevyn asked realizing that there was a lot that they didn't know about each other. "I sure do although I haven't in a long time." Patrick said looking at her intently. "What's wrong?" Kevyn asked. "Nothing, I'm just amazed that you're still here." he said kissing her. He would always consider what happened to Veronica his fault and wasn't anything that anyone could say or do that would convince him that it wasn't, not even Kevyn but he added it to the list of things that he would always regret and feel remorse for. He would never tell Kevyn that, he didn't think that she would understand but what he didn't know was that she did. She was already beginning to figure out the mindset of the Sinclaire men, him in particular and was beginning to wonder if he had a 2x4 around somewhere. She watched as he moved around the small kitchen and knew that the storm wasn't over no matter what he said. He was trying to appease her. For the moment, she let it pass but it they were going to talk about it before the day was over. She wondered how the rest of the family was doing especially Veronica. She could see that of the twins, Veronica was more like Patrick in that she would try to suffer through her ordeal alone but Vanessa had the same sensitivity as she did. An hour later, breakfast was over but what alarmed Kevyn was that Patrick ate nowhere the amount of food that she was used to seeing him eat. "You didn't eat much." she commented. "I'm not very hungry.... Are you ready for me to finish this?" It was early evening by the time he had finished telling her everything. "That's all of it." he said softly. Kevyn shook her head, "no one helped you?" she asked. "You're asking the same questions that Katrina did." Patrick asked, "And it's only because of her that laws have been added to protect our children. We also have the equivalent to the human child protective services, again that is because of Katrina. She may be quiet but she's got drive." "What happens to the children after they leave the homes?" Kevyn asked. "Sometimes they are returned to their families but they are carefully monitored. As soon as there is a sign of trouble, someone goes to visit the family and if the problem continues, the child is taken from the home and there are no second chances. Martin, Rachel and Nathan have set up an adoption agency if sorts and some of the children are adopted." "The parents don't fight this?" "Sometimes... I want you to understand that children aren't just yanked out of their homes. Sometimes the problem is lack of education on the part of the family and that education is provided at no cost to them if they can't afford it. If there is a financial need, then that need is met as well. Contrary to popular belief, not all of us are rich and some of us have the same issues as humans." "Patrick, why didn't Ethan stop when he figured out what he was doing was wrong?" Patrick hesitated before answering, "That's something that you'll have to ask him and if you do, he won't lie to you or try to make it out to be more or less than it is." "Why didn't you stop?" "We were all under the impression that it was alright, that it was genetic and that once we found our mates that it would end. I truly didn't realize that it was wrong until Ethan came forward after he raped Katrina and almost lost her and the girls. I went for help and up until Melissa Hunter; I hadn't touched another woman consensually or otherwise since the last rape." There was silence as Kevyn tried to understand the family that she had become a part of, They made her own family seem reasonable. "How do we get past this?" she asked. "We keep talking and you keep asking me the hard questions." Patrick replied. "Patrick, I know what you're doing." Kevyn said. "What do you mean?" Patrick asked. "You're not alright and you know it. You're trying to appease me by pretending otherwise and I don't appreciate it." "Kevyn, that's not true." "Isn't it?" Kevyn shot back, "I guess we'll see won't we?" Without saying another word, she stood up and left the gatehouse leaving Patrick sitting alone. *********** Patrick cleaned up the kitchen before heading back to the house. As much as he wanted to find Kevyn and try to convince her that he was all right, he didn't because she needed time and he wasn't sure that she was completely wrong. He conceded that to some extent that he was trying to protect her from the ugly part of him but a martyr? He didn't think so. He looked at the phone. He hadn't talked to Veronica or anyone else since the rescue. It wasn't that he didn't want to but it would be a reminder of what he had done. It didn't occur to him that the mate of the vampire could have been the victim of any of them Jesse included... in his mind, what happened was completely his fault. "Ronnie I am so sorry." he whispered as he sunk back into despair and not making the call. *********** Kevyn sat in the library at a loss as to what she should do. This whole thing was totally out of her realm of experience and nothing in her life had prepared her for anything like it. She thought about calling Katrina but didn't know if she should. She was new to this world. Did people talk about the problems in their relationships? She wondered. She sighed and rested her head against the back of the chair. Dealing with her siblings had seemed easy compared to this. She was almost sure that Patrick wasn't suicidal and if he had been, it had passed... for now. It was that thought that made her realize that she needed to find him and stay close. She found him sitting in the gazebo with his head in his hands. "Patrick?" He looked up at her, his eyes filled with misery telling her all that she needed to know. He needed more than she could give him. "Hi." he said offering her a weak smile. "I'm sorry that I left you like that... this is all new to me but maybe you should talk to someone from your family." "Sweetheart, I'm fine or I will be, I promise." Patrick assured her as he hugged her. Kevyn wasn't convinced but didn't say anything. She snuggled closer to him and hoped for the best. They sat out in the gazebo until Patrick's stomach started to rumble. "How about I take you and Louise out to dinner?" He asked kissing her. "Ok but have you spoken with your family today?" "No, but I will later." Patrick replied a little too quickly. "You could call before we...." "Later." Patrick said interrupting her, "I'm hungry. Where do you think Louise would like to go?" ************* As it turned out, Louise was already making dinner when they went into the house. "I hope that it's alright, I've always wanted to cook in a kitchen like this." she said sheepishly. "Lou," Patrick said using her pet name, "this is your home so there's no need to be nervous about making use of anything here. What are you cooking by the way? It smells great." "It's really nothing special, just baked chicken with herbs, potatoes and peas." Louise replied. Kevyn laughed when she saw Louise's expression when Patrick heaped a third helping of food on his plate. "Yes, he really eats like that." Kevyn said. Dinner passed quietly but Kevyn kept a watchful eye on Patrick. He showed no signs of the despair that she saw earlier and she breathed a little easier, maybe he was going to be all right. "Patrick?" Louise called softly. "Yes?" "Do you play scrabble or any other word games?" she asked shyly. "I usually play against the computer but that gets boring but if you don't that's ok..." "Lou, its fine and I would love to play." Patrick replied and then looked at Kevyn. "I suppose you like word games too?" he asked. "Guilty." Kevyn replied with a smile as she relaxed even more, he really was going to be alright. The evening was spent playing scrabble and boggle with Louise being the first one to retire to her rooms. "Why didn't she go to college?" Patrick asked and then remembered the financial circumstances that they came from. "If she wants to go, she should... it'll be taken care of." "Lou's big dream is to go to cooking school and to open up her own place." Kevyn said, "But the money was never there. I was going to give her the money that I was saving for my condominium so that she could pay for school. I even started collecting brochures so that she could choose a school once she moved out here." "You're a good big sister." Patrick said. "Not really." Kevyn replied, "I shouldn't have left her back there to take care of mom. I should have found a way to stay or to bring her with me." "You did the best that you could under the circumstances and I don't sense that Louise is angry with you. I think that she understood more than anyone gave her credit for... Kev, do you know what an empath is?" "An empath is someone who can feel what others are feeling." she replied. "That's part of it." Patrick said. "Empathy can come in a variety of strengths ranging from being what people would call being compassionate to actually being able to experience what the other person is feeling and being able to comfort that person with just a touch or a word." "Are you saying that Lou is an empath?" Kevyn asked. "That's exactly what I'm saying and sometimes when they are as strong as Lou is, they need to be cared for emotionally." "And?" "I know that you don't know much about our world but Lou has a mate." "You mean Nathan?" Kevyn asked. "Yes and you cannot talk to her about this, it's for them to work out without interference. It will be up to him when he decides to tell her about us and that includes telling her what we are but it my hunch is right, she already knows that we're different." "Could she tell what you were feeling?" Kevyn asked. Patrick hesitated; he had been deliberately blocking himself not only from Louise but from Kevyn too. She was an empath as well but to a much lesser degree. "Yes because she's been through enough without me adding to it." he replied. "Are you still hiding from me too?" Kevyn asked. "I'm trying not to." Patrick replied. Kevyn wasn't convinced. ************** Kevyn laid on the bed with her eyes closed as Patrick had requested. "Are your eyes still closed?" he asked as he settled on the bed next to her. "Yes, can I open them now?" she asked. "In a minute." Patrick replied as he made a lazy circle around one nipple and then the other smiling as he watched them rise into dark hardened peaks. He bent down, took one of the nipples into his mouth, and began to suck on it as a hand rested on her mound. Kevyn's eyes flew open and then closed again in pleasure as Patrick sucked on her left nipple and slid a finger between the lips of her pussy and began a to move it up and down. He released the nipple from his mouth, took the neglected right one in, and sucked on it a little harder than he had the other. "That feels good." Kevyn breathed. She was getting more comfortable with talking during making love and with making her needs known. It was something that she was never into but Lonnie was and he was what she considered vulgar about it but with Patrick, it didn't feel that way. She trusted him and it hurt to know that he didn't trust her enough to talk to her. "Kev?" Patrick asked, "Baby are you alright?" "I'm fine." she assured him. He resumed the light and then hard sucking on her nipple as he tapped lightly on her clit until it was throbbing. Instinctively, Kevyn opened her legs even wider in invitation for him to do whatever he wanted. Her moans of frustration when he stopped sucking on her nipple was replaced with a moan of surprise and pleasure when Patrick took her swollen and throbbing clit into his mouth and sucked on it taking long hard pulls while he flicked his tongue across it. Kevyn cried out and began to pull on her nipples pushing herself closer to the orgasm that was so close to happening and then it was upon her. She screamed and frantically bucked her hips urging Patrick not to stop. When he did, it was to slide into her and to begin a desperate pounding in and out of her. Kevyn held him as he pounded into her, the feeling that he wasn't all right came back stronger than ever. All she could do now was love him. Patrick came with a moan that was part physical release and emotional pain. He clung to Kevyn, his chest heaving and his heart pounding as he whispered to her how much he loved her. He knew that he was making her nervous but he didn't know how to stop. For the first time since finding her, he regretted it. He felt Kevyn tense beneath him and then push at him. "Get off of me!" she said crying. "Baby? Did I hurt you?" Patrick asked immediately moving off her. "You regret finding me?" she asked jumping out of bed the moment he moved from off top of her. Patrick Ch. 15 "What? No... I" "You just thought it! I heard it!" "Let me explain, you didn't hear all of my..." "You chased me until I agreed to be with you! You got me here.... You know what? Go to hell!" "Kevyn! Wait!" Patrick called out to her but she was already gone. A few minutes later, he heard the door to one of the spare bedrooms slam closed. *********** Kevyn took a hot shower and crawled into bed. She was exhausted emotionally and physically. Too much had taken place in too short a period for the both of them. They both had issues she realized but now, she was too tired to think about it anymore. As she closed her eyes, she thought about how horrible it must have been to find out that the rapes weren't necessary and they had been lied to for centuries. She felt not just for Patrick but the whole family. She also wondered how the raped mates had gotten to the point where they were able to forgive enough that they married and raised children with their rapist. In her mind, that made them stronger women than she could ever dream of being. She missed feeling Patrick pressed against her but she refused to go to him, she didn't want to be with a man who regretted being with her. She finally fell into a fitful sleep with the thought that she should have let him explain in the back of her mind. *********** Louise felt the tension in the house increase and knew the cause or thought she did. Patrick and Kevyn were having problems that would be solved if they just talked to each other. She heard the door of one of the spare bedrooms slam shut, knew that it was Kevyn and resisted the urge to go to her. Whatever the problem was, they had to work it out and besides, she had some things to work out for herself. ********** Patrick lay on his back staring up at the ceiling mentally kicking himself in the ass. He had hurt Kevyn without meaning to. He should have known better than to think what he had been thinking and she had completely misunderstood what he meant. He glanced over at the phone and wondered if Ethan or Martin were up and then decided against calling them. This was his mess and he had to figure out how to clean it up himself, the question was how to go about it. As soon as it was dark enough, he went outside, picked flowers from the yard and put them in a vase. The next thing he did was to cook dinner, place it on a tray and carry it up to the room where Kevyn had been since she left their bedroom earlier in the morning. The door opened without him touching the knob and he went in setting the tray on the dresser by the door. The room was completely dark but his eyes easily adjusted and made out her form in the bed curled on her side and facing away from him. "Kev?" She didn't reply at first but rolled over and looked at him. "What do you want?" she asked she asked after several seconds. "I made dinner." "I don't want it." "Fine, but I need for you to listen to me." Patrick replied. He took her silence as consent, made his way across the room and sat down on the side of the bed. "I hurt you and I'm sorry. I ... all I can think about is that this happened because of what I did. It was bad enough that it was Veronica but that could have been you!" "But it wasn't..." "But it could have been! When you heard that I regretted finding you, it wasn't what you thought I meant. I meant that I hate that I brought you into this, that you would have been safe if I hadn't found you. If there was one like him, then there are others and I have endangered you and Louise both. I don't regret being with you but I do regret the circumstances that I brought you into." "Why do you insist on taking personal responsibility for what happened?" Kevyn asked. "She was one of my victims! That makes it my responsibility and if anything happens to you because of what I've done, I'll never forgive myself." "Have you changed your mind about wanting me here and you're too chicken shit to say it?" Kevyn asked. "I told you that this was forever." Patrick replied. "So now I'm here so that you can keep your word, is that it?" Kevyn asked angrily. "You know, once I caught on to Lonn...." "Don't you even compare me to that bastard!" Patrick interrupted her now as angry as she was. "You're not the only one who can read thoughts!" he snapped. Kevyn's face burned, she hadn't thought about the fact that Patrick could read her. "Unlike him, I love you and I will grant you that I'm really fucking up here but don't you ever, ever doubt that I love you!" "Then why won't you talk to me?" she asked. "Kevyn, I think that we've got two separate issues here that need to be dealt with, Lonnie and this." Patrick sighed, "This is so far from how I envisioned us beginning our lives together. Sweetheart I'm sorry that I yelled at you and I'm sorry that I haven't been talking to you. I've been hurting you although that wasn't my intent. I keep thinking that this is part of the consequences that Ethan and Martin keep talking about, the suffering alone I mean." "But they talk to their mates don't they?" Kevyn asked. "They don't keep things from each other, that's how they make it work and if this is going to work, we've got to trust each other enough to talk." Patrick moved so that he was lying next to Kevyn and put his arms around her, "tell me about Lonnie. I want to know what he did or didn't do to take care of you and I mean everything." "I'm sorry that I compared you to him." Kevyn said quietly. "It's alright, just tell me about him." Patrick urged. At the end of three hours, Patrick had a good idea of what Kevyn's life with Lonnie had been like. Lonnie had expected her to take care of him in everyway possible and had gone outside of the marriage for the things that she wouldn't do. He had expected her to please him orally while refusing to reciprocate going so far as to "gag" when he "tried" the bottom line was that he tried to change her into something that she wasn't and never had been, a subservient woman. "Why did you wait so long to leave?" Patrick asked. "My parents loved each other." Kevyn replied, "There wasn't anything that they wouldn't do for each other and that's what I wanted. They had been married for thirty years when dad died. He never so much as looked at another woman. My mother was his world. When I met Lonnie, I was young, stupid and naïve. He promised me everything that my parents had and well, you know me well enough to know that I'm not a quitter so I hung with it giving him chance after chance until I just couldn't do it any more and so I left." "Lonnie was a fool and he isn't the only one." Patrick said, "I'm making the same mistake that he did, in spite of what I've seen, I keep underestimating your strength and to a degree, you were right about something, I didn't trust you but not because I didn't want to. You've been through so much and I didn't know how much more you could take but at any rate, let's finish with Lonnie. I will never ask you to do anything that I am not willing to do myself and it doesn't matter what it is. I also want you to know that I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. I promise to do my level best to make you as happy as possible. I won't promise you that I won't screw up but I'll try not to, you have my word on that. And there's one more thing, I will never invade your privacy by listening in on your thoughts unless I have no other choice. When I heard you thinking about Lonnie, it was an accident and once again, I'm sorry that I yelled at you like that." Kevyn sat up, "it's alright and I'm sorry that I keep running whenever there's a problem but Patrick, you can't tell me that mates share everything and then pick and choose what you tell me. You carried not only me but also Louise when we were in Pennsylvania and I couldn't have survived last week without you, it's my turn to carry you. So please, talk to me. Tell me why you insist that you're solely responsible for what happened." "I don't know if I can." Patrick replied intertwining her fingers with his. "Try." Kevyn said and then waited. "That woman was someone's mate and I took her from him. I didn't kill her but I might as well have... She took her own life. The reasons why I raped don't matter, what does is that I did it. I never really understood what Ethan and Martin meant when they said that they didn't deserve their mates and now I do. I guess in a way, I was trying to push you away and if you had wanted to go, I wouldn't have stopped you. Another vampire and family almost lost someone because me..." "Stop it!" Kevyn shouted. "Just stop it with the poor me bullshit! You weren't the only one in your family who raped. It was the luck of the draw that the vampire was a mate to one of your victims. And until Victoria relayed the message that you knew the woman, you had no idea of whom we were dealing with. For all you knew, that woman could have been a victim of your dead brother Jesse! I'm not saying that you shouldn't feel guilt because you always will but I am saying that you shouldn't take the entire thing on your shoulders, it's a shared guilt. As far as Veronica and Vanessa, they weren't chosen to get at you. Bradford or whatever the hell is name was had no idea which one of you raped his mate, he was aiming at the Sinclaire family as a whole. It just happened to be Ethan's family that he chose but let's think about that, who is it that publicly announced that he was responsible for anything that happened after he realized that the rapes were wrong? Ethan wasn't it? Who was in the forefront of the stopping the rape campaign? Ethan! Therefore, if he was after anyone, it was Ethan because he by his own admission could have ended the rapes. That doesn't let you or anyone off the hook but the blame isn't entirely yours either. In addition, not only that, that vampire had other options! He didn't have to stalk your family! All he had to do was ask for a meeting but he didn't! He involved innocents when he didn't have to, why didn't he say who he was and demand to meet with the men of the family? His issue was with the men of the family and if you ask me, it was mainly Ethan because he is the one most seen and heard. And speaking of Ethan, why haven't you called him or any of your family for that matter? Oh yes, it's because of guilt that you insist only belongs to you. Patrick Sinclaire, you are a fucking coward! You're too afraid to call your niece and to ask her for forgiveness because it's easier to wallow in self pity..." Kevyn stopped talking realizing that she was sounding anything but sympathetic. "I... I'm sorry... I didn't sound very sympathetic did I?" "No but you told me the truth." Patrick said quietly. "There's this part of me that feels as though I need to suffer through this alone and there's another part of me that is so glad that you're here and recognizes that by not talking to you, I'm hurting not just you but us." "So what happens now?" Kevyn asked, "Do you keep hurting us or do we go through this together?" "I call my family, and we start going through this together." Patrick replied. ************* Victoria was beating Ethan in a game of scrabble when Patrick called. Since she was closest to the phone, she answered it. "Uncle Patrick! Are you alright?" "I'm fine pumpkin, how are you?" "I'm good, I'm beating papa in scrabble." Victoria replied, the pride evident in her voice. "Why am I not surprised?" Patrick asked with a chuckle, "but guess what? Both of your new aunts like scrabble and have already beaten me." "Really? That's cool! The playing scrabble I mean." "I knew what you meant pumpkin." Patrick said laughing. "I want to tell you something else, I am very proud of you. You were very brave in a frightening situation and sweetheart? It wasn't your fault that he took Veronica." "But she went to get me cookies." Victoria replied softly. She couldn't even bring herself to say the name of the cookies. "Yes she did but Victoria, it wasn't your fault." Patrick reiterated, "Alright?" "Okay and Uncle Patrick? I love you.' Victoria replied. "And I love you, is your papa around?" Ethan was on the phone a few minutes later. "Patrick? Are you all right? We were beginning to worry about you." "I'm better... I ... I guess I was feeling too guilty to call." "Katrina was right then." Ethan replied, "She said that you would make what happened your fault when the fault lies with all of us." "Kevyn just gave me a good talking to and pointed that out to me... how are the girls?" "As well as can be expected... you should call Veronica, she's worried about you probably more than the rest of us." Ethan replied. "I'll call her after I'm through with you." "Good and Katrina wants to know when we'll officially meet Kevyn and Louise." "In a few days, I have some serious making up to do." Patrick replied. "Ahh yes, the life of a mated Sinclaire man." Ethan replied chuckling, "call us in a couple of days and we'll have an official welcome to the family dinner." Patrick hung up, looked at Kevyn and dialed Veronica's number. ********* Veronica paced back and forth concerned about Patrick. Of the remaining brothers, he was the most sensitive one. It hadn't really struck her as odd that he hadn't been able to remember what his victims looked like and she was sure that he was beating himself up over her abduction and attempted murder. She had decided that if no one had heard from either him or Kevyn in the next day or so, she was going to call or go over to their house. She heard the phone ring and then Rik's soft voice talking to someone. They were having their own issues and were finally getting to the point where he was letting go of some of the guilt about letting her go into the kitchen alone that night. It was finally sinking in that had it not been her it would have been Vanessa, Katrina or worse yet, Victoria. She still maintained that of all of them, she had been the one best suited to take Bradford on and while the first day or two after it was over were rough, she was all right. The nightmares were already diminishing and she didn't wake up trying to loosen chains that weren't there. "Veronica!" Rik called to her, "telephone!" She sighed in relief when she heard Patrick's voice. "Uncle Patrick? Are you alright?" she asked anxiously. "I'm better but how are you?" "I'm getting there... you do know that this wasn't your fault don't you?" she asked in her typical straightforward manner. "Maybe not personally but collectively." Patrick replied Veronica didn't contradict him, she knew that every male in their family felt the same way and she couldn't deny that they were right. "I understand... how are Kevyn and Louise doing? They were just phenomenal!" "They're good and as I told Victoria, they love scrabble and other word games." Patrick replied. "So when do we get to officially meet them?" "Soon." Patrick replied, "I'll let you know." "Will you thank both of them again for me?" Veronica asked relieved that Patrick seemed to be all right. "I'll do that... Ronnie, you were amazing and I'm glad that you're home unharmed. They talked for a few more minutes and then he called Vanessa. "That wasn't so bad was it?" Kevyn asked when he hung up. "No... you were right and they're all wondering when they will get to meet you and Louise." Patrick replied tightening his arms around her. "I told them in a couple of days... do you think that Louise will be alright alone for a couple of days? There's someplace that I want to take you." "I suppose so but I have to do something about work and class." she replied. "Tomorrow is Sunday and class is on Tuesday, when are you due back at work?" Patrick asked. "Wednesday and I have to take care of my apartment too." "How about this? You call your job on Monday and see what you can do about your schedule. You want to work part time right? You're way behind in the reading for class so we'll work on that together and I'll have someone pack up your apartment." Patrick said. "What about this place that you want to take me to?" "We'll go the next weekend you're off and caught up with school. If you're off on Thursday, we can get together with everyone then. What do you think?" Patrick asked. "I think that it sounds like a plan. Are you going to tell me about this place?" "No it's a surprise. Are we good?" Patrick asked hugging her. "We're good but let's not do this again." Kevyn said. "We have to keep talking or else we'll be miserable." "Agreed, I'm hungry... How about Del taco?" ********** Louise gently closed her door breathing a sigh of relief. The house had settled again and felt the way a home should feel, peaceful. Whatever the issues had been between Kevyn and Patrick seemed to have been resolved at least for the time being. She jumped when her cell phone rang, she knew who it was even before she answered it, and he had been calling her several times a day. "Hello sweetheart." a deep masculine voice said.