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Bloodbond

By: Inaira



Candles dance in the wind that breezes in through the open doors that lead onto the back deck from the bedroom. He stands before you, his eyes staring down at you with love and hunger. Glancing around, you take in the elegance of the room, admiring the time and effort put into creating the perfect evening. He moves to take you in his arms, pressing you close to his body as he dips his head down to take your mouth in a passionate kiss, his tongue tracing your lips. He pulls back to look at you, his teeth gleaming in the light from the candles. 

Scooping you up into his arms, he carrys you softly to the bed, laying you gently on the white satin sheets. Looking up at him with complete loyalty in your gaze, you writhe on the covers, your body on fire as you remember his embrace. Slowly he removes his clothes, his body rock hard and his cock twitching in the coolness of the room. Looming above you, he reaches down and with a quick jerk, he rips your dress in two, spilling your firm breasts into the air, where your nipples pucker up as the wind caresses them. His blue eyes flashing with desire, he leans down and takes a firm nipple in his mouth, sucking hard has his hands continue to remove your clothing.

Your arms come up to encircle his neck, your fingers slipping into his hair, pressing his head and mouth to your breast, your breath becoming ragged as you growl and lick your teeth. Waves of hot pleasure rack your body as your pussy gets wet, your hips pressing closer to his body, seaking out his throbbing cock. He begins to plant soft wet kisses up your chest, moving to nuzzle your neck as he licks and kisses his way across the soft skin below your chin. Rocking his hips slowly, his cock begins to tease your swollen clit, nudging into your folds for a moment before retreating, drawing a gasp from your lips. He grazes his teeth along your jaw, making you shiver as your legs wrap around his waist, pressing his cock closer to your pussy.

Pulling back, he gazes deeply into your eyes, passion like fire in his. He whispers to you softly, "I want to make you my own.....my mate...."

A deep sigh escapes you, your body melting against his with your answer, "Take my, my Lord....I am yours...."

Growling softly, he kisses you hard, his tongue invading your mouth, searching out your own tongue. Wrapping his hands into your hair, he holds you tight so you can't escape, causing you pain, and yet you welcome the pain. His teeth nip at your lip, drawing a trickle of blood that he sucks away, your body aching for his caress, his love. He moves his kisses back to your neck, seeking out the perfect spot for his timeless kiss. Finding the soft spot along your neck, he pulls back, looking at you with love as he bares his teeth. Pressing his hips downward, his cock rubs against your pussy, the tip dipping into your wetness. 

With one hard thrust of his teeth and cock, he invades your body, his hard cock pressed deep into your softness, his teeth breaking your skin. Your body stiffens, your back arching up to press your slick pussy harder against his throbbing member. Pleasure washes over your body as he sucks at your blood hungrily, his mouth greedy on your neck. Slipping his hands beneath you, he grabs your ass roughly, lifting your body up as he drinks deep of your blood. Thrusting deep, his rock hard cock pounds into your pussy, making slick wet sounds as your juices flow. You moan loudly, your fingers interwined in his thick dark hair, pressing his teeth deeping into your neck, offering yourself completely. 

Slowing his pace, he finally lifts his head from your neck, licking at the wound until your blood slows down, and soon stops flowing entirely. He looks into your eyes, his face flushed with your blood, droplets dripping from his mouth. He whispers softly to you, "With this blood, you are mine, body and mind." Slipping a hand from under you, he lifts it up and offers his wrist to your mouth. 

Slipping your fingers from his hair, you caress his wrist with your tongue, the warm scent of his blood spiking your desire. As he continues to pump his thick cock in and out of you, you gently break his skin and begin drink of his blood. Like a warm blast, his blood hits your tongue, burning a fire down your throat like strong whiskey. You close your eyes in ecstacy, tightening your legs around his waist as you feel his love for you flow from his wrist. He growls harshly, his hips pounding his cock deep into you. Breathing hard, you begin to suck at his wrist passionately, his blood filling your body in every way. As you near orgasm, you slow down your feeding, pulling your teeth from his wrist before lapping the blood that pools at his wounds. Soon the blood slows, and then quites flowing all together. You lift your head and look deep into his eyes before softly whispering, "With this blood, you are mine.......body....and mind."

Closing his eyes, your new master growls, "With this, the circle is complete, the bond created. What has been created tonight can not be broken by any mortal or vampire. My life is yours...Yours is mine."

He leans his head down and kisses you deeply, the taste your blood on his lips. Lifting you almost out of the bed, he drives his cock deep into your pussy as you scream out his name, your orgasm building. You can feel his balls slamming your ass as his cock almost splits you into. Suddenly, as you begin to shudder with pleasure, you feel his balls tighten before spewing his thick semen deep into your body. As he pumps his cum deep into you, you scream, your body shuddering as you cum hard.

He pumps his now softening member in and out of you a few more times before collapsing on top of you, the smell of sex, sweat and blood thick in the air. He caresses your cheek as he kisses you softly, your master, your love.

BloodBorne Ch. 01



Nights like this really did annoy the shit out of him. Jameson's ramblings did help things a bit, but nothing changed the fact that he wasn't quite himself. And that annoyed him. He'd left the manor in the modest Mercedes Benz SLR -- modest for him, anyway. It was a lot less flamboyant than his 2010 Aston Martin DB9 and with the top down, he was given an almost majestic view of the cloudless sky. The stars shimmered like diamonds, and nearly distracted from the fact that the moon was nowhere to be seen. He leaned back in his seat to watch them as his brother went on and on about his latest retail finds. While he couldn't care any less about sofas and drapes, the sound of Jameson's voice distracted him from the inner turmoil threatening to snap his already thin membrane of control.

"Did you head what I said?"

Of course he heard. He just didn't think his brother's words merited a comment.

"Liam."

"I'm right fucking here." He let out a frustrated breath at Jameson's knowing laugh. "You're talking loud enough for the goddamned island to hear."

"Considering it's rainy season here in Martinique, that's doubtful."

Liam grunted in agreement when he heard the rumble of thunder through the phone receiver. He shifted and cursed when his Bluetooth earpiece nearly fell from his ear. "Charisma likes the house?" The house their half-demon brother, Andraemalek bought his love, Nadia. She'd been gone nearly two years now. And every day felt as if he'd just seen her lifeless body for the first time. Death was never a light thing; Liam had known plenty of people who'd died in the past, but never had he loved any of them. Nadia was his sister, his friend. She cared about him despite his abrasive personality. She was one of the kindest people he'd ever known. And now she was dead. Logic told him to move on and concentrate on his ever-evolving family. But that was almost impossible to do when everything reminded him of her; the sparkling stars twinkled similarly to the way her eyes did when they watched game shows together. Quite frequently he'd walked into the kitchen to find his brother Alexis consuming refrigerated peanut butter cups -- Nadia's favorite treat. It was bad enough that he didn't do well with pain; he didn't need any constant reminders of his turmoil.

"Liam."

"I'm right fucking here! Shit!"

"How should I know that? You're unusually quiet."

"I'm tired," Liam sighed, "I took down three Tovacht demons."

"Solo?" Jameson didn't like that bit of news at all. Tovacht demons were known for spitting a fatal acid that burned through titanium in seconds. While Liam's abilities of healing others also have him regenerative traits, Jameson knew that he'd be hard pressed to survive Tovacht spit. "Liam, how many times-"

"Calm the fuck down. I'm fine."

"This is why I can't leave you by yourself."

"I'm still a-fucking-live, aren't I?" Liam resisted the urge to smile at his brother's overdrawn breath. "Where is Charisma?" He asked to change the topic.

"She's decided that meditation is the best method of controlling her abilities."

Liam laughed sardonically as he said, "I'm amazed you let that woman carry on with her crazy human beliefs." Conquering one's abilities came with practice, not meditation. Charisma was a fool to believe otherwise.

"If she thinks it'll work..."

"Oh for fuck's sake, grow some balls and tell her how shit really is in our line of work."

"I'd rather be nice and let her figure it out on her own."

"And waste precious time while you're at it."

"Be nice."

Liam sighed at the critique, hating that his brother was partially right. "She's your woman." He almost smiled at Jameson's laugh, knowing that the particular pitch of the reaction meant that his brother wholeheartedly agreed with his comment. Charisma was Jameson's woman; how he chose to deal with her silly human beliefs was his business. "You should get back to island life," Liam remarked after hearing the thunder in the background once more. He didn't mention that the sound only served to remind him of Nadia. Had things been different, she'd be on the island, facing the heart of the storm. He thought over Jameson's command to be nice and realized that he'd made a grave mistake never telling Nadia how much he valued her. He shouldn't have yelled at her as much as he had; Liam knew that he scared her at first; he scared most women, but Nadia should have been an exception. She was his sister. His friend. He should have been nicer.

"Liam?"

"What?"

"You ok, man? You keep fading out."

"I'm fine," Liam snapped. A second later, he ended the call and let his head fall back against the head rest. Jameson wouldn't call back; he knew that Liam rarely ended a call with a proper farewell. Liam was happy about that; with the thoughts rolling through his mind, he was in a fouler mood than usual. "Fucking Nadia," he murmured. It killed him that he hadn't moved passed the mourning stage. He wondered if he ever would; as it was, her death kept him from bonding with his other female family members. The situation wasn't fair, but it was the only way to keep from having to mourn anyone else. When he thought about it, Liam realized that it probably was a good thing that he wasn't nicer to Nadia; had he been, they would have been even closer. The pain would have then been unbearable.

A glimmer in the distance prompted Liam to lift his head. He focused on the tree line leading to the nearby park, waiting for what was to come. At the cold sizzle that shot down his spine, he sat up straight. A demon was near. The tree branches shifted and parted and soon, a gang of demons disappeared. From the distance, they looked like large apes. Tovacht demons. Shit, they'd come to finish him off. Liam searched the area, not looking for any humans, but for any weapons that would aid him in the upcoming fight. The ability to heal meant he didn't have a defensive power to hold the demons off. He had to depend on hand-to-hand combat, which wouldn't be a problem if the growing swarm of demons was manageable. "Fuck," he muttered. He couldn't stay and wait to be ambushed, but it wasn't in him to run. He was a fighter; he'd have to die fighting.

Liam clenched his gloved hands into fists as he prepared himself to get out of his car to fight, but stopped when he realized that not one of the demons approaching were Tovacht. Different breeds, even ones currently at war all walked together. Mordecai, Prygorians, and even Shakna demons all walked together before turning left in unison. Liam allowed his gaze to follow their path, and it was then that he realized that they were headed toward the abandoned part of town. In a second, he realized what was going on. There were very few instances in which demons willingly gathered together. Memories of another gathering that took place long ago flooded his mind; potent colors nearly blinded his vision. The scent of old blood filled his nostrils, forcing his stomach to turn. The image of a fight came to him, and he felt his stomach churn hotly at the memory of a vicious blow that should have killed. Liam groaned as the memories intensified; he heard the shouts much too close to his ear as the bloodthirsty crowd watched on, screaming for more.

Liam forced himself out of his thoughts as he took a calming breath. Underground demon fights. They never did sit well with him. He sat back and rested his head against the headrest. A part of him wanted to go back to the manor, to shut himself away from reality. That was the great thing about living in the technological age; he didn't have to be surrounded by a room filled with people to have any social interaction. Video games hooked to the internet, which made it possible for him to seek the solitude of his room while at the same time winning countless rounds of whatever game he played. Liam liked to win. It was the very reason he never walked away from a challenge.

He knew that he shouldn't have, but Liam quickly got out of the car to follow the group of demons toward the old glass factory. He felt his step falter for a moment; the last time he'd been here, an ambush was to take place. He and his brothers planned and calculated every move they would make to defeat the notorious Order of Zebulon when they threatened Nadia's life. Liam groaned as he pushed his memories of Nadia aside. 

Demons littered the grounds around the building, clumped in small groups. They most likely placed bets on the night's fights, he surmised as he walked through them to the entrance. The factory looked a lot different from the last time he was here. Where there were once old line machines, there was now a large red ring with various splatters of blood. Broken glass windows had been blackened and the walls seemed stripped of any furnishings. The stench of spilt demon blood mixed with the molding smell of an old, rotting building. The mixture was very reminiscent of the scent rotting mice corpses gave off. There were more demons grouped inside; various shades and types of skin that would terrorize the most hardened of human criminals dotted through the room like a Monet painting. Lighting had been added to illuminate the makeshift ring while at the same time darkened the corners of the room for those demons sensitive to light. There was a video crew slowly walking around, most likely sending a live feed of the evening's event to international demons. Liam shook his head slowly at the realization that the members of the film crew were human. They didn't know that the ultimate goal of demon-kind was to integrate themselves into the human society before wiping them out.

The lights flickered a moment before an ominous bell sounded. They used bells now, Liam noticed, and not the longhorn. The demons from outside crammed themselves inside the factory, fighting for a good view of the ring. Liam chose to remain in the outskirts, on an old steel plated box for height. He was given a fantastic view of the ring and patiently waited for what was to come. The stench of a nearby demon made his stomach cramp uncomfortably. Automon demons. Their smell was comparable to rotting fish and stale vomit. Their boil-covered lime green skin wasn't any better. Liam shuddered in disgust as the Automon demon stepped closer to get a view of the ring. At the same time, Liam's cell phone sounded, signaling a text message. He flipped the phone open and grunted at seeing his brother Draco's name.

Where you at, bro?

While he was temped to ignore the question, Liam replied:

Dymos. Be back at the manor in a while.

Liam knew how his brother would react to the news and because of that, he turned his cell phone off. He wasn't in the mod to be lectured on his actions twice in one night. He was quite sure Jameson was on the phone with their bother Alexis, the silent leader of the family. He wouldn't be silent once Liam walked into the manor, that was certain.

"Human versus Wantalon!"

The resounding cheer that went through the crowd pulled Liam out of his thoughts. He blinked when the lighting focused on the ring became brighter. It took him a minute to adjust, but once he did, Liam almost shouted in anger. A young boy, no older than a teenager, stood in the center of the ring, adjusting the fingerless leather gloves on his small and skinny hands. The boy was tall and gangly, a fact emphasized by his long neck. There was a red tattoo on the back of his scrawny neck; from his vantage point, Liam was able to make out the letter X. Interesting. He was too far to see the young boy's face, but he knew a strong angular face when he saw one, especially when it was highlighted by closely cropped, but shaggy black hair that curved in angles over his forehead. The boy flexed his thin but muscular arms as a warm up for the fight. Liam shook his head at the simple black sleeveless shirt and cargo pants the young idiot wore. Dymos' required thick sturdy clothing that protected the skin as much as possible. The thought brought Liam back to the memories he'd had in the car. He remembered the other human boy preparing himself for a fight, the anxiety on his young face as he tried to tap into his limited bravery. If only that young boy knew what he was in for...

The skinny little shit in the ring grinned cynically when the large Wantalon demon walked into the ring. At nearly eight feet tall and four feet in shoulder breadth, the demon was a menacing opponent. Crimson skin covered in black hairs similar to peach fuzz had a slightly acidic sebum that burned flesh. At least the boy wore gloves -- even if they were fingerless. The two opponents sized each other up as they waited for the signal to fight. Around them, the surrounding demons continued to place bets. They probably figured that the fight was one-sided and could easily make a few thousand dollars. Liam focused his attention on the boy, silently hoping that the child knew what he was doing. Demon fights were a serious thing, much too serious for a boy that young.

The lights focused on the ring brightened as the other lights in the factory faded, signaling the ready for the fight. Soon, another bell would sound and the blood would splatter. A part of Liam wanted to leave; he knew what would happen once the fight started. Either an opponent forfeited or died. The possibility of that young boy losing his life... It wasn't as if he could stop the fight; too many demons had money, lots of money riding on the outcome of the fight. Liam would have been an even bigger fool than usual if he tried to play the hero. The fight had to go on, and that second part of him, the bloodthirsty portion of his soul had to see how the battle would end. Could this little slip of a human defend himself?

A gong sounded, indicating the imminent answer to Liam's internal question. He watched as the opponents circled each other, measuring, calculating the perfect first strike. The Wantalon demon let out a battle cry a split second before plunging into its attack. Long black claws swiped at the light-footed boy and missed their mark. The demon roared in rage and doubled its efforts, swiping at the boy with both hands in a steady rhythm. The boy seemed to know exactly what the Wantalon would do next; he dipped and dodged all moves, managing to strike several blows to the demon's face. Liam smiled inwardly as the crowd erupted in both shouts of support and anger. His smile faded, however, when the demon managed to grab the boy in a fierce double-armed grip meant to squeeze the life out of him. For some odd reason, Liam was hopeful that the boy would win. There was something about him he identified with; Liam wasn't particularly sure what it was, but he knew that there was a similarity, an arrogance that brought on an unspoken and anonymous camaraderie. "Slip out," he quietly urged, "Slip out of the fucking hold. Yes." The boy shifted just enough to elbow the demon in the face. The move gave him the room he needed to break free of the grip and roundhouse the demon back. A deafening cheer resounded throughout the factory as the battle intensified. Light jab. Right hook. Side swipe. Each side landed vicious blows to the opponent. It wasn't long before the boy's tender human flesh was broken. Small rivers of blood coated olive skin. His lip was split, but he never stopped attacking. Harsh, guttural cries spewed forth as his uppercut connected, throwing the Wantalon backward. Liam nodded in approval as the boy waited for the demon to shake the blow off. Never kick an opponent when he's down. Always win fairly.

The Wantalon jump-kicked itself up and rushed forward, its intent to take the boy down. The boy waited to jump to the side and unfortunately waited too long; the demon managed to grab hold of his left leg and pulled him back. The boy shifted and kicked back with his right foot trying to shake the demon off. The demon only pulled him backward, shifting the brawl to the blood-splattered ground. Cheers intensified as the crowd moved forward to get a better view. Liam's view wasn't hindered and he was easily able to see the boy grab the Wantalon in a leg-lock. From there, the demon elbowed backward, striking the boy in his face and ribs. The boy fought to grab hold of the Wantalon's neck while at the same time trying to avoid blows. Liam had to stop himself from unconsciously moving as if in the fight. He was rooting for the piece of shit kid; he was a good fighter. But he needed training; the strength of his blows weren't quite there yet and his defense was weak. Unprotected.

It didn't surprise Liam when the boy finally got his arm around the Wantalon's neck. Classic sleeper hold. He held on for dear life as the demon thrashed and bucked to get out of the hold. Nothing worked and soon, amidst the raging uproar of the crowd, the Wantalon was taken down. The boy's chest rose and fell harshly as he sucked in large gulps of air. He remained still for a moment before his arms and legs fell away from the demon's body. The boy ignored the noise from the crowd as he gained his feet and wiped the small river of blood flowing from his lip. Without even a glance at the crown, he walked toward the bet table, grabbed what Liam assumed was the pot from the bet he'd placed on himself, and walked out.

Liam felt himself smiling at the boy's arrogance, especially when he only looked at the group of Dickindron demons that stood in his way. The green scaly skinned killers didn't seem particularly pleased that a tiny blip of a human male could win a fight against a Wantalon. Things like this happened at demon fights, Liam knew; there was always the better that believed that the fight had been fixed. Had he not been an experienced fighter, Liam probably would have believed it as well. Unless the kid was really good at cheating. But he'd seen the flaws in the fight, the blows the boy had to take. From what he'd seen, the boy won fairly. The arrogance wafting off the little shit was amazing as he walked out of the factory. Liam almost laughed at the shock on the Dickindron demons' faces but stopped when they followed behind. "Mind your fucking business, Liam," he muttered. What happened next was between the boy and the demons. Liam glanced around the open space, at the disappointed demons that had lost money, the triumphant ones happy to have won money or whatever they'd bet. At the ring, the next fight was set to start, but he couldn't see the opponents as he'd moved from his vantage point. He looked toward the exit, and a nagging feeling gnawed at his stomach. Instinct never led him astray, so he navigated through the crowd to get outside. Everything seemed fine; demons walked in and out of the building, carrying on conversations amongst each other. A fiery-headed Mordecai demon caught his eye and for a split second, a vision of Nadia's face flashed before him. Liam turned away from the painful image, only to spot the group of Dickindron demons surrounding the young boy. Because of the distance, he couldn't hear the words spoken, but he knew a tense situation when he saw one. Through a space between the demons, he saw the look of pure rage pouring off the young boy. Liam knew what would happen next and because of that, he slowly approached.

"How many fucking times do I have to tell you jerk-off demons that I didn't steal your goddamned money?"

Liam was almost surprised by the vehemence in the boy's tone. He sounded younger than he looked; there was a semi-masculine husk to his voice, but it didn't seem as tough as he acted. The boy had a strong rectangular face, but there was a softness about his features, as if he hadn't yet hit sixteen. Light brown eyes narrowed dangerously as they eyed the slowly advancing demons. He flexed his skinny arms, displaying the muscle he'd developed. How young was this kid?

"The Wantalon should have won," one of the demons said.

"Don't blame me if it was a shitty fighter," the boy defended.




BloodBorne Ch. 01



"You are not strong enough."

"Fuck you. You don't know me." The boy fisted his hands as his temper intensified.

Liam continued to approach, unsure of how to step in. Hell, he should have gone home at this point; this was none of his business. But he hated seeing such a young child have to fend for himself against such a group of demons. There was a vulnerability in those brown eyes, a fear Liam knew well. The boy had something to lose.

Liam was only a few feet away when the attack started. One moment the boy was yelling and the next, he was launched backward as one of the Dickindron demons punched him back. Shock kept him on the ground for only a moment before he kicked himself up and resumed his role as a fighter. The boy didn't waste a second of opportunity as he stepped forward to deliver a right hook to the nearest demon. The other demons wasted no time jumping into the fight. A particularly large Dickindron demon on the left tried to connect a right hook, but the boy had quick reflexes; he grabbed the arm aimed at him and pulled the demon forward. At the same time, he pulled a long dagger from the demon's waistband and quickly spun into the opponent. A second later, the demon's blood coated the boy's back as he thrust the blade into its neck. An ear-piercing yell sounded as the other demons rushed forward. The sound pulled Liam out of his shocked stupor. He spurred forward to help and grabbed two demons by the scruff of their necks. He pulled them back, knocking their heads together in the process, then kicked back a third demon that rushed after him. Liam threw the two unconscious demons to the side a second before knocking his wrists together. The action caused his protractible wrist blades to shoot out in time to slice open the neck of the demon he kicked back. He heard shouts from a forming crowd and cursed inwardly at the attention that had been attracted. He continued to fight, forcing his way toward the young boy who showed no mercy as he used the demon knife to slice through every single one of the group that tried to attack.

Liam spun around to strike when he felt hands on his back. Momentary shock made him pause as he looked up into the bruised face of the Wantalon demon the young boy fought inside. The demon's focus was the boy and Liam was sure that it wanted the chance to take him down. He was proved wrong when the Wantalon viciously snapped the necks of the two demons poised to attack the young boy's back. If Liam was confused by the Wantalon's actions, he was given clarity the second the demon quickly shifted forms to a tall man. Tribal markings on his face and arms identified him as a Magori demon, demons known for their shape-shifting abilities. Abilities Wantalon demons did not possess.

The little shit really did cheat.

There was no time to yell about the fight he'd been thrust into; Liam continued to fight the demons surrounding him and the boy. He uppercut a particularly fierce Dickindron using his wrist blades to pierce the bottom of the demon's chin. Death was instant.

The boy's shout of pain forced Liam to turn right and watch a Dickindron demon pull an identical blade to the one the boy held out of the child's shoulder. An unbelievable wave of rage shot through Liam as he rushed forward. One roundhouse and a wrist blade to accent a hard back arm swing had the demon clutching its neck as it died. The Magori demon stepped in to fight back two more of the demons. He fought bare handed and ignored the slices that connected with his flesh. His goal seemed to be focused on getting to the boy. His goal also left him open. With an aggravated growl, Liam pushed harder to protect the Magori's back. Three demons would have killed the Magori had Liam not stepped in. "Mind your fucking surroundings!" he shouted to the absentminded fighter. The warning only served to distract the Magori; he turned away from the fight to look toward Liam and it was then that a predatory Dickindron demon shoved its blade deep inside the fighter's chest. There was a still moment of shock as realization of what was happening hit the young boy. In a matter of seconds, the naive excitement that brightened the boy's eyes faded and was replaced by a dark rage too advanced for his young age. A malicious fighter emerged, viciously slaughtering the remainder of the demons that had joined the fight Liam continued to help, but the shock of the boy's radical change made him slack. The remainder of the fight was quick, and once he was sure that there was nothing else to kill, Liam rushed forward, grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him through the throng of spectators to his car. "What in the fuck were you thinking, cheating at a Dymos?" He barely looked around as he opened the car door and shoved the boy inside. There was no telling how many more demons were around, ready to tear them to shreds and Liam was not in the mood for round three. He was quick to get into the driver's side of the car and get moving. "Are you just dumb or stupid? Those Dickindron demons had every right to try to skin you alive. Don't you know what would have happened if I wasn't there to save your stupid ass? What if it was a Rotma demon? Or a Treveon?" Liam shook his head as he pictures the fight with the two vicious demon breeds. The kid wouldn't have had a chance.

Liam glanced over to the boy and frowned at the quiet wide-eyed passenger. "Hey." There was no response. Wonderful; the idiot child was in shock. "Hey, kid." Nothing. Liam growled in frustration as he stopped at a red light. It was times like this he wished he smoked; he needed something to ease the tension knotting his stomach. Yelling wouldn't help; they boy remained seemingly catatonic. This would have been the perfect time to have his brother Caleb on hand; his ability of telepathy would have afforded a look into the boy's mind. "I'm not going to keep driving you around until you snap out of it, so you'd better start talking." Liam sighed when there was no audible response but he did lift a brow when the boy quietly turned his head to look at him. The agony in those brown eyes caused an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What's your name?" Liam didn't expect an answer and wasn't given one.

What the hell was he supposed to do? Liam grunted in frustration as he continued to drive. "Can you at least tell me where you live?" The last thing he wanted was to chauffer a catatonic child around town all night. He stared at the quiet streets of the suburban part of town, at the simple houses filled with people ignorant to the kind of life he lead. Those people wouldn't survive a minute in his life. He'd probably be bored to tears in theirs. "I'm not fucking driving until you say something to me." He glanced at the boy in time to see the flash of rage in his eyes. At least the little shit wasn't completely catatonic.

There was only one thing to do. With another frustrated grunt, Liam spun the car around and headed toward the only logical place to take the boy. Fortunately, it wasn't a long drive from this particular part of town. The boy shifted his attention to the quiet streets; Liam figured he'd never seen the affluent sector of town. What else was there to be expected; humans that participated in Dymos' never came from well-off families. The fights were quick money, even if it did mean certain death in most cases. Whatever money was won went to whatever vices competitors had. In the boy's case, his vice had to be clothing; custom leather pants, not cargos as Liam originally thought, did not come cheap. Neither did imported fighting boots. This boy wasn't the amateur Liam thought he was.

He was simply a cheater.

"I can't believe you'd fucking cheat," Liam mumbled, "I risked my ass for you." There was still no answer and the frustration that rushed over him made him push down on the gas. As much as he wanted to relieve himself of the burden the boy put on him, he couldn't leave the child on his own. Within a half hour, he had his car parked and sat back in his seat. This wasn't what he was looking for when he decided to look in on the Dymos. He'd get one hell of a lecture for that; another for ignoring his brother, one more for joining a fight that wasn't his concern and countless more for bringing the little shit home. "Fuck it." He was already screwed. He might as well get it over with.

Liam was quick to exit the car and walk around to the passenger side. The boy was in a deep sleep, a result of the protection spell put on the grounds to keep enemies at bay. He didn't bother to wake the boy, merely opened the door and lifted him out. It was easier this way. Liam quickly carried the sleeping boy inside and through the empty kitchen, then down the hall. Quiet murmurs led him to the solarium, the normal location of his brothers at this time of night. Seated in the high-backed chair near the blazing fireplace was Alexis, the unspoken head of the family. He only raised a brow at the sight of Liam and his guest and closed the book he held in his hands. 

"What did you do this time?"

Liam only narrowed his eyes at Draco, the outspoken brother seated on the chaise. Instead of answering, he moved toward the chaise and placed the bruised and bleeding boy on it. Draco was quick to move and aided in repositioning the boy's body.

"What happened?" Alexis asked.

Liam crouched beside the chaise as he pulled off his gloves. "I went to a Dymos. The kid fought a Wantalon."

"And won?" Draco asked. He was amazed that a skinny boy could defeat such a demon.

"Yes, he won." Liam took the boy's hands in his and allowed his healing abilities to take over. He felt the rush of power go over him and through his hands before flowing into the boy's body. "Dickindron demons cornered him outside and accused him of cheating."

"Did he?" Alexis asked.

"What do you think?" Liam replied. His brothers remained silent, allowing him the opportunity to concentrate on his work. It took a few minutes, but finally, he'd managed to heal the wounds and bruises. A weakened breath later, he looked down at the child and nodded in satisfaction at seeing the color return to his olive skin.

"He has some balls," Draco murmured. He stared down at the boy and appreciated the fine lines that sculpted the angular face. A strong face. "You actually helped him?"

"Don't ask me why."

"What are you going to do with him?"

"Fuck if I know, Drake." Liam stood and crossed his arms over his chest. He moved to stand beside the fireplace to distance himself from the situation. "Wait for him to wake up and take him home."

"Simple enough," Draco said on a shrug.

Liam glanced at Alexis, who seemed transfixed with the boy's arm. It was then that Liam noticed the nearly flesh colored marks that marred his skin. "What the fuck is that?"

"I've seen that mark before." The intricate series of semicircles covering the skin of the boy's arm from shoulder to wrist almost looked like a maze. At just a shade darker than the boy's skin, each semicircle bled into another, interlocking in a pattern too complex for even the most talented tattoo artists.

"Where, Lex?"

"I can't place it."

"Well that's just fucking nice," Liam mumbled, "It probably doesn't even mean anything. Just a stupid mark on a stupid child."

"You don't even know him," Draco defended.

"Thanks."

The men shifted their attention to the chaise where the boy struggled to sit up, muttering every Spanish profanity known to man. Liam was tempted to step forward and help, but told himself that the child could take care of himself.

"Where the fuck is this place?"

"Oh, so now you can speak." Liam shook his head slowly, ignoring the way the boy cautiously rubbed the back of his neck. The little shit didn't even look scared; not that he had reason to be, but Liam figured that waking in a strange place would put anyone on the defensive. He looked at the boy closely, noticing his slow reaction to his surroundings. The boy looked around the modestly lavish room and for a moment seemed as if he wondered if he was dreaming. It was entirely possible considering the fact that he'd probably never seen such wealth before. He was good at masking his true feelings, Liam noticed, and went so far as to study his brothers closely. At Draco's odd stare, the boy only raised a brow. When their eyes made contact, Liam was surprised to find that he identified with an unspoken secret in the boy's brown eyes. It was almost as if his thoughts were on the brink being revealed, but were held back and only seen in his eyes. Those were the eyes of a fighter, a survivor. The eyes of purpose.

It was difficult for Liam to mask his surprise at the dangerous scowl the little shit gave Alexis. Who did the little asshole think he was? Had anyone other than his brother received that look, Liam might have smiled like a proud father. But it was his brother, and he wouldn't stand for it. "Fix your fucking face." He narrowed his eyes when the boy shifted that scathing glare at him and quickly stepped forward, ready to show the little prick how to respect his hosts.

"Liam, back down," Alexis calmly ordered. He continued to stare at the boy's arm, ignorant to the angry glares shot his way. "I've seen those marks before." He shifted his focus to the surprised brown eyes that still somehow managed to glare and simply raised a brow in reaction. "You are no ordinary human."

"You don't know shit about me."

Liam watched as the boy shot up. His eyes darted around the room, searching for the quickest exit. The panic in his young eyes didn't seem in character with what he knew about the piece of shit so far. "I know that you need to sit the fuck back down before I make you." Liam almost laughed in shock when the boy actually seemed willing to make him follow through with his threat. The dare in the boy's eyes was admirable.

"Liam, can't you see that-" Alexis shifted his shocked eyes to the boy as realization seeped in. "You're Esmali."

"What the fuck is that?" Liam asked. While he'd been alive for centuries, there was still much about the paranormal world he did not know, mostly because he couldn't be bothered to sit and read as Alexis always did.

Alexis stared at the boy for a long moment before simply saying, "The Esmali are a huge umbrella of guardians. Which sect do you belong to?"

"If you don't know, you don't need to know, Scarface." The man's, Alexis' brow quirked again, which caused the sickle-shaped mark on the side of his face to tighten. The serious set to his face seemed permanent, almost scary in its intensity. The disarray of his brown-black hair did nothing to take away from the tone of his aura, but it did enhance a straight nose and semi-thin lips. He had a nice goatee and mustache that made him seem European in a way, but at the same time made him look the part of a western cowboy. Alexis also had an odd skin tone; while not pale, he couldn't be called tan either. 

"We kind of do," Draco replied. He stepped closer to Alexis as move to remain physically relevant in the conversation.

"Say's who, baldy?" The reaction was priceless; his black eyes went wide with shock as he unconsciously ran a hand over his bare head. The nostrils of his thick nose flared and his lips thinned in a pensive line. The feature only emphasized his cream-and-coffee skin as he stared. He looked very different from the one called Liam who had bright red hair and very pale skin. "Why don't you take a picture? It lasts longer."

"Says three members of The Brethren," Liam answered. He almost smiled at the disbelieving look the boy shot him. Yes, it was time the arrogant little bastard realized that he was with giants.

"You're the infamous Brethren?" The redhead's bright blue eyes gleamed in pride. "The half High Council demon fighters that make things that go bump in the night shit their pants?" Liam nodded and his strong, square shaped face seemed to glow happily at the recognition. He needed that perfect nose of his punched in. After shifting focus to stare at the three men in the room for a few moments, only one thing could be said. "Well, that's just disappointing."

"Excuse me?" Liam murmured dangerously.

"I mean the biggest of the bad is supposed to shit bricks when you're around. I don't see why."

"You don't see why?" Liam knew that he was flushed with anger. How could he not be when the little- "Well how about I show you why you little dumb-ass, can't-win-a-fight-fairly, piece-of-shit little boy!"

"You really don't want to fuck with me, right now, Carrot Top."

Liam ignored the slow and calculating way the boy stood up from his seat. He was ready to lunge. Good. The asshole needed to learn a lesson. "While I am not a fan of ruining my own work, I am going to enjoy beating the shit out of you."

"Liam, dude, he's a kid," Drake protested. A very rude and curious kid, but a kid nonetheless.

"A spanking's just not going to cut it." He matched the boy's threatening step forward, ready to engage in the impending battle.

"Enough!" Alexis quickly took control of the tense situation by stepping between Liam and the boy. "You know better," he said to Liam.

"The son of a bitch-"

"I have a name and it's neither 'piece of shit' nor 'son of a bitch,' Cabrón."

"It should be," Liam said with a grin. As much as he wanted to pummel the child, he couldn't help but appreciate his nerve.

"Fuck off, Caspar."

Alexis held up his hand for silence before Liam could reply. "What is your name?"

"Xan."

"Well met. I am Alexis."

"Yeah."

"I'm Draco," Drake said as he stepped forward. "But you can call me Drake"

"What I'll call you is 'eyeless' if you keep staring at me like that."

"Like what?" Drake asked innocently.

"Don't play with me."

"Xan, I'm sure you're already familiar with-"

"Liam. Yea, stalkerazzi over there said his name already. Listen, are we done here? I have someone waiting for me at home."

"Liam will drive you."

"I'd rather crawl through poison coated glass shards."

Alexis only turned his head enough to stare into defiant brown eyes. Xan was determined to win, but no one was immune to Alexis' deep stare. No one. Alexis fixed the child with a harrowing gaze, searching for the moment when he could take no more. It didn't take long for him to get his way.

"Fine, he can take me home. But if he comes back dead, you have no one to blame but yourself."

Liam shook his head in exasperation as he waited for Draco to stop laughing. He motioned toward the exit and waited for Xan to pass him before saying, "That little shit's death is on your hands."

"You could have left it to the Dickindron demons."

"I'd like to get back home before I go grey."

Liam grumbled low in his chest as he stormed out of the solarium. He'd be happy to have the little bastard out of his hair. This night served him right for going to the Dymos. "I should've just gone home," he said as he stormed into the garage and into his car. He would have been spared this headache of a boy. He didn't bother to glance over to the passenger seat; it might lead to Xan saying something that would start another argument. And with Alexis far enough away...

Liam slowly shook his head as he started the car. ___________________________________

So I'm back - kind of. This installment still isn't completed but I thought it would be unfair to keep you guys waiting any longer. As always, your votes and comments make my little world go round.



BloodBorne Ch. 02



"Why in the hell did you cheat anyway?" Liam asked as he took a left turn onto Park Street. He'd been driving in silence for a few minutes, just the right amount of time it took for the effects of the protection spell to wear off. The second Xan yawned and stretched in the passenger seat, Liam took matters into his own hands. "What, you're so desperate for a few bucks that you have to lie to get it?"

"What's it to you?" Xan replied. This was not the type of conversation a person had with a complete stranger, especially when that stranger was a demon-hunting prick. There were more important things to worry about.

"Your idiocy means nothing to me. But at least have the decency to be honest about your shit."

"An asshole with morals. What do you know?"

"At least my morals keep my friends alive." That wasn't entirely true. Nadia was proof of that. Liam tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he tried to fight the memories of her from dominating his thoughts. He looked over at Xan's profile, at the way his young chin trembled and let out a frustrated breath. It wasn't the best idea to mention a fallen friend as he did only hours after his death, but Liam had never been the one to exercise tact. "What was the Magori's name?" Xan didn't answer him. Hell, Xan didn't even bother to glance in his direction. It was like the first drive all over again. "How long were you two friends? How long have you been running the scam?" Long minutes passed, and still, there was nothing. Liam sighed as he looked out the window. They'd returned to the residential area of town and would soon reach Main Street; the epicenter of supernatural activity. "Shit," he gasped as he slammed on the breaks. He hadn't noticed the red light or the random group of teenagers crossing the street. Liam shifted to look at Xan and noticed that he swallowed rapidly; he was trying to keep tears at bay. Based on the tears brimming in his eyes, his efforts were useless. "Look, kid, people die. And never at the best time. It sucks now, but-"

"Could you just fucking drive the goddamned car?"

The obvious hitch in Xan's voice forced Liam to obey. He glanced at Xan again and felt a surge of pride at the determined look on the boy's face. Not one of those tears brimming fell, and it was because of the bravery the kid had in spades. As the light turned green, Liam pulled off and said, "I'm not psychic. Where am I going?"

Xan grunted to mask any emotion felt before saying, "Just stay on Main Street until it turns into Company. Think you can handle that?"

"If you weren't such a pain in the ass, I might like you, kid."

"At least one of us feels that way."

At the comment, Liam had to smile. "You really are a piece of shit." Damn, but the kid had balls. Anyone else would have been careful to keep from igniting his wrath, but Xan all but threw respect out of the window. Liam had to admit that the child reminded him so much of his younger self. It was no wonder he felt an odd sense of connection. Xan was almost like the younger brother he wished he'd had before finding out about his brothers. Roycelyn, his father and one of the five members of the High Council, didn't see fit to inform his bastard sons about each other until it was too late. They were fully grown men, strangers to each other and outcasts who had to learn to control their abilities on their own. Liam shook his head as he drove, remembering the happy look on his father's face as he made introductions. The day he met his brothers was also the day he learned who his father was; his mother had refused to tell him. He'd recognized Roycelyn's face from town. The rage that washed over him was unbelievable; had it not been for Andraemalek's arrival...

Liam shook himself out of his thoughts when Xan instructed him to take a left turn. They'd driven into Gainseville, the only neighboring town as violently driven as the warehouse district. A very shabby scene was what he was presented with; litter-filled streets, broken down houses and dozens of stray animals wandering in packs. "This is where you live?"

"Third house from the corner right there."

Liam pulled the car up in front of the specified house and felt his brows furrow at the sight of the lone girl sitting on the questionable steps. She rested her chin on her knees, leaving her unbound mass of hair to flank her thin angular face.

"I told her to stay inside," Xan muttered.

Liam exited the car a split second after Xan and watched as the young girl stood up to embrace Xan. Christ, she couldn't have been any older than eleven based on her small stature. And that idiot boy left her alone? In this neighborhood? "What the fuck..."

Xan crouched low to look the girl in the eyes before saying, "Xion, I told you to never come outside at night if I'm not home."

"I was waiting for you. I couldn't sleep," Xion replied. Her gaze shifted from Xan to the large, angry looking man who approached. "Where is Pogue?"

Xan had to fight the tears threatening to fall at Pogue's name. "Why don't we go inside and we'll talk about it."

A flash of painful recognition glittered in Xion's eyes as she shivered. "Pogue's not coming back."

"No baby, he's not."

The combination of the night's events, the dreary danger of the neighborhood and the small innocent child set Liam's blood to a boil. He stormed forward and grabbed Xan's arm, forcing the boy to stand up. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He shoved the boy into the house and pulled Xion inside before he continued his tirade. "You mean to tell me that you have subjected-" He glanced at the terrified but curious girl and immediately saw similarities in appearance, "your sister to the shit you do? You go off and cheat and get your friend murdered while she's fucking left to fend for herself?!?"

"This is none of your goddamned-"

"You shut the fuck up right now little boy." Liam took three steps forward as he sneered down into Xan's enraged face. "She is your responsibility. Yours. You don't get to go off into the sunset to cheat at demonic fights when you're all that she has." He glanced around at the sparsely furnished living room, the mouse traps scattered around and narrowed his eyes. "Not that you're doing much to protect her anyway. Maybe I should have let those Dickindron demons kill you. The system sucks, but at least she wouldn't be in this shit-hole of a home." Liam's head whipped to the side as the force of Xan's punch pushed him backward. He wiped his bloody lip with the sleeve of his shirt as he watched the idiot boy's color deepen from a small blush to a full out flush of anger.

"Get out. Get the fuck out of my house!" Xan held a hand out and waited for Xion to move forward. The little girl tried to remain calm, but it was easy to see that she was close to falling apart.

"What the fuck kind of brother are you?"

"Get. The fuck. Out."

"No please... Stay. I'd like to see what happens next."

The attention in the room shifted to the lone man propped against the far wall. His pure, crystal blue eyes glittered with impending menace, a point emphasized by his oval face and slow grin. "Sherlaine," Liam muttered. Instant memories of their last encounter blasted to the forefront of his mind, forcing him to surge forward to attack the white-blonde haired intruder. He should have known better considering the fact that Sherlaine was a powerful demon with the ability to teleport from one location to another, an ability that he used the second Liam got too close. Liam heard himself growl at Sherlaine's condescending laugh. He whipped around and nearly staggered at the sight of Xan engaging Sherlaine in battle. Xion was the only smart person in the room; she ran to hide in one of the back rooms. This wasn't the first time she'd been in this type of situation. The rage that overwhelmed Liam pushed him forward to join the fight. He ran forward with an arm raised to strike but stopped when he saw the amused quirk of Sherlaine's mouth. The bastard demon was toying with Xan, testing his ability and searching for weaknesses. With an angry battle cry, Liam side-kicked Sherlaine hard, throwing the demon sideways. Xan followed through with the move and added another kick, tossing Sherlaine through the already unstable counter that separated the kitchen from the front room. Both Xan and Liam ran forward to continue the attack and Sherlaine eagerly gained his feet. A sharp kick to Xan's midsection had the boy flying into the wall and gagging. Liam sprung into the battle, throwing and landing punches to Sherlaine's face and midsection. With a quick snap, his wrist blades protracted and a second later was embedded in the bastard's heart. A burst of light shot out of Sherlaine's body and shifted into glittering puffs of dust that slowly floated in the air. Liam took a moment to calm his rage before he turned to watch Xan struggle to stand. "Stupid, irresponsible boy!" He charged forward in order to leer down at the bruised child. "What would you have done if I wasn't here?"

Xan struggled to take a proper breath before saying, "I would have managed." It hurt to breathe. Shit, the demon was pretty bad ass. "Xion!"

Liam stepped forward and yanked Xan up to stand and watched as the stupid human stumbled forward to comfort a red-faced Xion. Tears streamed down the little girl's face and she shook to the point of convulsions. She remained silent as she threw herself into Xan's arms, but that didn't stop Liam from taking an aggravated breath. "Sherlaine is only dead for now." When Xan only looked at him curiously, he continued, "He comes back from the dead. And he will return for what he came for once he does." As he placed his hand on his hips and looked around the shambling house, he said, "Pack your shit. You're coming with me."

"Hell no," Xan protested with narrowed eyes. "I have Xion to think of."

"Which is why you're going to trust me when I tell you that my brothers and I are the only hope you have to stay alive." If Sherlaine was involved, someone was going to die. Liam had learned that lesson the hard way. "You have five minutes. Pack only what you need."

There was something about Liam's tone of voice that made Xan heed his words. "Xi, I want you to get your emergency bag and your toothbrush."

Liam felt his brow furrow at the gentle command. While he appreciated the fact that they had an escape plan, he didn't like that these two young children had to live with their feet half out the door. He shook his head slowly as the two quickly shuffled through the house to gather their sparse belongings. The task only took five minutes, and within seven, they were placed safely in his car while he sped back to the manor. What the hell was Sherlaine up to? And why was Xan involved? The sound of a mental can opening had Liam glancing over at Xan, who deftly counted several wads of cash. Cash, one of the roots of evil. Had Sherlaine placed a hefty bet on the fight tonight? The idea wasn't farfetched. Even demons had to find ways to make it in the human world. "I hope you learned your fucking lesson."

"Excuse me?"

"Did you really think that your cheating wouldn't piss off the high rolling demons?"

"Are we back to that?" Xan asked as they rushed out of the house and to the car.

Liam waited until they were situated in the car before he spoke. "Fuck yes we are. In just one night you've gotten one person killed, me almost harmed, and God knows what to you and the kid."

"Don't talk about my sister, pendeho."

"Xan, be nice."

Liam glanced over at the wide brown eyes of the child sitting on her brother's lap. She seemed to have calmed down slightly, as evidence of the less intense flush of her skin. Liam wondered how much she'd been through in her short years. She turned to stare out the window with an almost solemn look on her face, and for a moment, he wanted to reach over and take her hand. No child should ever wear such a look.

"What the hell for, Xi? I won't stand for this jerk trying to make me feel like shit." Xan shifted to look at Liam and with narrowed eyes said, "And stop cursing in front of her."

The random order almost made him forget that he was supposed to be angry. Almost. "You have a lot of mouth for a kid your age."

"Xan, why does he keep-"

"Let him think what he wants, Xi. He says I'm a cheater, so I'm a cheater. He says I'm young enough to still be breast feeding, well... I'm a fucking infant."

"Didn't you just give me shit about cursing in front of her?"

"I'm not in the mood, Caspar."

"Xan, it's not nice to be rude to someone helping us."

There was a moment of silence as Xion's words resonated in the car. Liam glanced over once more and was quite stunned to find the child's intense gaze centered on him. There was a world of wisdom in those young eyes, wisdom she should not have been exposed to. "At least I'll like one of you while this mess gets settled." He looked at Xan when the little bastard grunted in response. Liam decided to remain silent as he drove back to the manor. There were new changes to consider, and not one clue as to why. Sherlaine was back in the picture, which only meant that heaps of trouble on the horizon. Fantastic; just when life was getting dull.

It wasn't until he cut the engine that Liam realized that he'd returned to the manor. He looked around the vast garage, at the cars parked inside, and sighed at the fact that the little shit of a boy asleep beside him had irrevocably changed his life. He sighed in resignation as he walked around the car and opened the passenger door to retrieve Xion. The young one certainly needed her rest, especially after what she'd just witnessed.

Liam's attention shifted to the large golden dog that pushed its head against his thigh. Curious amber eyes stared up at him before shifting to the car. "Long story, Euan. Want to give me a hand?" He didn't bother to watch as the dog shifted to the golden-haired form of his brother. "Grab the kid while I heal the other one." Liam hadn't forgotten about the injuries Sherlaine inflicted on Xan. As he placed a hand on the door, he looked at Xan, at the incredibly strong but stupid boy who was obviously determined to support his younger sister. While Liam understood, he couldn't agree with the method. There were other ways, better ways to support a child.

He grunted as he watched Euan lift Xion into his arms and removed his gloves to set about healing Xan. He closed his eyes to concentrate, and this round of healing was much easier, primarily due to the fact that the boy was asleep. Such pride and arrogance for his young years.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Liam took a deep breath before opening his eyes. Xan wore a wary expression, one that both confused and infuriated him. Instead of saying anything, Liam only stood up and walked toward the entrance to the house. He grunted in satisfaction when he heard Xan follow behind and went straight to the solarium where he was sure Alexis waited. True to form, his monosyllabic brother sat in his usual seat as he watched a very nude Euan staring down at Xion. "You really think the child should be seeing your naked ass when she comes to?"

Euan only looked from Laim to the wide-eyed guest lagging behind before shifting back to canine form.

"What's the kid doing back?" Draco asked.

"Sherlaine," Liam replied as he moved to stand next to the fireplace. "Need I say more?" The stunned silence that shot through the room made Liam nod cynically. He quickly relayed the events leading to his return to the manor, occasionally glaring at Xan when the child tried to interrupt.

"You're going to stop looking at me like that," Xan warned.

"Or what?" Liam challenged. His eyes narrowed when Xan took a threatening step forward. "You ungrateful, shoddy-"

"Liam, back down," Alexis commanded. He remained in his seat as he watched his brother with Xan. It was obvious the newcomer had no fear of him, no matter how much Liam tried to use intimidation tactics. "It is not wise to escalate this."

Xan only stared at Liam while saying, "I've fought jerk-offs bigger than this one." Draco's snicker wasn't a distraction; it was motivation to keep speaking. "And I won. No need to be afraid of Caspar over here."

Draco frowned as he asked, "Why do you keep calling Liam 'Caspar'?" Asshole, he understood; jerk-off even. But why would Xan continue to call his brother such a random name?

From the entryway, Xan glanced at Draco and ignored the curious stare that was becoming his trademark and said, "Look at him; he'd so damned pale that I can see the faint color of his veins and not all the lights are on in here." Xan shifted annoyed eyes to Liam before continuing, "Hey jackass, ever heard of this thing called the sun?" A laugh almost slipped out at the shock and fury that contorted Liam face. It was almost amazing to see a redhead become so flushed. "Get on that."

Alexis watched Liam and his new ward stare at each other and felt the corner of his mouth quirk up in a smile. He'd always wondered how his brother would react to someone with a similar abrasive personality. As much as he would have liked to continue observing, there was much to be done. "Liam, you seem certain that Sherlaine wants money."

"It makes sense considering this little shit's cheating ways."

"Then he should have been at all the other Dymos' I rigged." Xan stepped into the room to look at Xion and was happy to see that she was still asleep. The large dog -- no, man who'd shifted into a dog, sitting vigil at Xion's side would have been an issue if not for his protective stance beside her. "Look, it's not easy raising an eight-year-old on your own, especially when she's in private school and I have to make sure she has what she needs. We live where we do because no one thinks about breaking into a shit-tastic house. No one finds it weird that I leave late at night and don't come back for hours. No questions mean that I don't have to lie or talk about super secret demon fights that leave me with bruises so bad, they take weeks to heal."

"What about your parents?" Draco asked.

"What parents?" Xan asked on a cynical laugh. "Neither one of us knows who our fathers are and our mother died when she was one."

"How?" Alexis asked.

"Protecting us." Xan shifted to look at the fireplace as a ball of pain formed. It wasn't easy thinking about that fateful day. So much had changed since then. "I was always a good fighter. I had to be if you saw where Xion and I lived before. I went to my first Dymos at sixteen and won when I was pushed in the ring. I haven't looked back since."

"And the Magori?"

Xan glared at Liam before replying, "Pogue and I met a year later. He needed a partner and I needed more money."

Liam felt his eyebrow quirk at that. So the cheating wasn't the kid's idea. He felt a modicum of relief at that; he didn't like the thought of protecting a cheater. Now that he knew the reasons behind it, he couldn't fault Xan. He prepared to say something to the boy but stopped at the staggering look of pain in his brown eyes. A child who'd had become an adult too soon. "How old are you?"

"Old enough."

"You're sure that Sherlaine is after Xan because of a rigged fight?"

"No," Liam replied, "But it's the only explanation I could come up with." He narrowed his eyes speculatively at Xan. There was much about the kid they didn't know, and any number of those things could have dealt with Sherlaine.

"Don't look at me like that. Tonight was the first night I'd ever seen that guy."

"That you know of," Liam replied.

"He's not the type of guy you forget seeing."

Liam had to admit that Xan had a point there., Sherlaine was an imposing figure; there was no doubt that any human would recognize his face. "You can't go back to that shit hole you call a home."

"Which became obvious the second you told me and my sister to pack some shit." Xan looked over at Xion's sleeping form and frowned at the tell-tale facial twitching. "I need to get her to a bed."




BloodBorne Ch. 02



"Xion can stay in Giles' room and you-"

"Xion stays with me," Xan said to Alexis. While appreciative of their hospitality, there was no way in hell Xion was staying in a room by herself. At least this was happening during the summer; Xion didn't have to miss school.

"Very well," Alexis said. He looked at his brothers who didn't seem to have any objection, and nodded toward Liam. "Liam will show-"

"What the fuck, Lex?"

"Liam will show you the way," Alexis repeated. His voice was forceful, authoritative.

Liam groaned in frustration before moving to Xion and lifting her in his arms. He didn't bother to look at Xan or even make sure he followed behind. He simply marched toward the steps and took them two at a time.

"Could you be more mindful of what you're doing?" Xan fought the urge to grab for Xion for fear of causing Liam to drop her. The man looked to be on the war path, which was fine -- as long as Xion was out of his arms.

"Could you shut the fuck up for five minutes?"

"Listen, asshole-"

"No, you listen." Liam turned at the top of the staircase to look down at the insolent child foolish enough to think he could stand up to him. "You are the one in trouble. Your ass is on the line. You need my help. Start acting like it."

"Just as soon as you get that stick shoved up your ass out."

Yet again, Liam could only be impressed by the boy's gall. "I really should kick you down the fucking stairs."

"Promises, promises. You going to stand there and threaten me all fucking night or are you going to show me to my room so that I can get my sister settled?"

Just as Liam was about to say something to put Xan in his place, Xion squirmed in his arms. He shifted her and gently patted her back to soothe her and became satisfied when she instantly relaxed. He glanced at Xan and frowned at his shocked expression.

"Who'd have thought," Xan murmured.

Liam only turned and continued walking. He frowned again as he realized that he had a growing respect for the boy, and it wasn't only because he was brave enough to stand up to him. Massive amounts of strength were needed to do the things Xan did. Liam remained quiet as he led the way to Giles' room but became slightly disappointed when Xan said nothing to prick his temper. It wasn't often that he met anyone who could take him on.

Xan couldn't say anything as the impossible wealth of the house was silencing. The hall's rich crème walls were adorned with intricate oil paintings and antique tapestries. The marble floor was covered with what Xan thought was an Aisan rug that fit the atmosphere of the hall nicely. Bronze chandeliers hung from the arched ceiling and made the hall look like the ceiling of an old church. Various pieces of art covered randomly placed tables. The place looked like a museum. It wasn't possible to even dream about such wealth. Xan didn't want to look inside when Liam opened the bedroom door. Not like there was any choice; Liam pushed his way into the room to place Xion on the bed. "I'll get our bags in the morning."

"Don't worry about it." Liam quickly walked out of the room and stood just outside of the entryway. Xan looked up at him with expectant eyes, almost as if daring him to say something. "Get some sleep. There's much to get done in the next twenty-four hours."

"No shit."

"Don't you ever get tired of the attitude problem?" Liam could only stare blankly at the door that was abruptly shut in his face. The nerve of that little son of a bitch. He was tempted to storm in and beat some respect into the insolent boy, but he was only able to smile at Xan's gall. He turned on his heels and walked back to his brothers, shaking his head as he fought the urge to laugh. In less than twelve hours he'd been argued with, insulted, and nearly attacked by the same person he now had to protect. How did shit like that happen? Yes, the life he led meant that crazy and unbelievable things happened. But this...

As he shuffled down the stairs, Liam happened to glance down and stopped as he looked at his hands. Pale, porcelain fingers led to paler palms. He turned his hands over and stared at the blue-tinted veins etched beneath his skin. He'd always been on the pale side, but he'd never been so bad. He needed to start going out during daylight hours again. "Son of a bitch," he mumbled. He was actually listening to the little shit. On a sigh, Liam continued his descent down the stairs and stormed into the solarium where his brothers sat waiting. They all focused their attention on him. It was obvious that they waited for him to address the issue at hand. Liam took his place near the fireplace before speaking. "Obviously, I have no fucking clue what Sherlaine wants." 

"Which is why they're here," Draco replied. He steepled his hands beneath his chin as he stared at the blazing fire his brother stood next to. "You know he never reveals his agenda until the last possible minute."

Liam nodded silently as memories flew to the forefront of his mind. Sherlaine had a specific mode of operation, and it was imperative that they figure out what it as before anyone else died. "The child has something he wants."

"What makes you think Xion-"

"No, not Xion," Liam interrupted. Draco would think that he referred to her. "Her jerk-off brother."

"Liam, dude, he'd hardly a kid."

"But they need our protection nonetheless," Alexis cut in. He sat forward in his seat regarding his brothers. "Whatever Sherlaine is up to is obviously a threat. He'll hit hard, and most likely fast."

"At least we know he's back in the picture," Draco commented. That bit of shock value was now lost.

"Now it's all a matter of getting him out of it before Xan gets hurt."

Upstairs, Xan carefully paced the length of the moonlit room, desperately trying to keep things together. Pogue was dead. Xion was ripped out of the only home they'd known and now they both had to rely on a group of brothers Xan wasn't very confident in. Mierda! How exactly were they planning on getting rid of this Sherlaine character? Obviously, they had to find out what he wanted first. Then the ball could get rolling.

Xan perched on the window seat and wondered if Sherlaine was the reason for Pogue's death or if it was a result of their cheating. Xan hoped it was the first. To think that their stupid idea... The horrible lump forming had Xan swallowing hard. Pogue was dead. Cut down right outside the fight they'd rigged. Xan wanted to take it back. Xan needed to take it back. There was no one else in the world like Pogue. No one-

Xan heard the hard, choking breaths and started to get up. A moment later, the realization that the sounds were internal hit. Unbelievable pain formed from deep within and emanated throughout Xan's shaking body. Hot, burning tears streamed as gut wrenching sobs took over. What was expected now? How would life go on without Pogue? Xan wrapped shaking arms around weak knees that were tucked to the chest and buried a tear-streaked face within them. Silence was needed; Xion didn't need to wake up to this. She had to be protected. A glance at her sleeping form told Xan that it was still safe to mourn, safe to let the pain out. "I'm sorry Pogue. So sorry."

Xan rocked back and forth in a move of self-comfort as a plan began to form. Pogue would be avenged. Even if it wasn't Sherlaine's doing, every living Dickindron demon would pay for what happened at the Dymos. If it was the last thing Xan ever did, they would all pay.

But for tonight, right now, Pogue would be mourned.

* * * * *

Haunting blue eyes probed and searched, sending shivers of fear. Malicious intent was behind those eyes. The thunderous pounding of a heartbeat raised anxiety, shooting bolts of fear through the dark void that was impossible to ignore. A pleased laugh laced with malevolence cut through the deafening thud of the racing pulse. One word, full of promise and foreboding indicated the trouble to come.

"Soon."

Xan jumped up and nearly fell off of the window seat. A foot slammed onto the ground to maintain balance. The harsh light of the sun streaming through the window gave Xan the opportunity to survey the room. There was appeal in the olive green walls, especially considering the fact that the only thing adorning them was a simple wall sconce. There wasn't much furniture in the large room, simply a bed, an armoire and the night tables perched on either side of the bed. An expansive rug was set on the ground at the foot of the bed and somehow made the room look balanced. There was a very Zen feeling about that rug. A modest ceiling fan rotated slowly, ventilating the room. A simple bathroom was nestled behind the door next to the closet. The craving for a hot shower consumed Xan. A quick glance at the bed made it obvious that Xion wasn't in the room. In her place was a sheet of paper with one of her obscure drawings. Xan walked to the bed to pick up the sheet of paper and couldn't help but smile at the simple downward arrow strategically placed beside a series of zig-zagging lines formed to look like a staircase. "Downstairs." Apparently the simple word wasn't enough. Xan was tempted to storm downstairs to find her, but couldn't ignore the call of a shower. Five minutes wouldn't hurt anyone. In and out, and the Xion would be checked on.

Decision made, Xan quickly stripped, throwing last night's ensemble on the bed. Less than a minute later, a blazing shower was turned on and almost burning water soothed slightly sore muscles. Memories of the nightmare sent shocks of fear tingling down Xan's spine. What was that about? It felt so real, so... terrifying. Those eyes were just so...

Xan grabbed the bar of unscented soap and quickly washed in an effort to ward off the haunting memories of the dream. Shaking hands placed the bar of soap on the holder before comfort was sought in the hot stream of the shower. Time was being wasted, Xan realized and soon, the calming shower was ended. As the knobs controlling water flow squealed to a stop, there was a faint tapping sound. "Someone really needs to check this thing... Oh hell." No towel. Xan peered through the glass shower after wiping some steam off, hoping that there was at least one useable towel around. Of course, there was no towel present in the black and while tiled bathroom. At least the floor was something to look at; the checkered pattern gave the room a sense of whimsy and balanced out the plain look of the white walls. "Air dry it is." A sigh escorted Xan out of the shower and bathroom. The feel of the plush carpet that went from the bathroom to the bedroom drew attention. There were no patterns, but it was nice and it matched the rug nicely.

"Holy fuck."

Xan snapped to attention at the sight of Liam standing at the door with the two emergency bags shoved into the car last night. With narrowed eyes, Xan watched as Liam's eyes went from the clothes strewn across the bed and back. His face went from ghostly pale to flushed red at what he saw. "You ever heard of waiting to be told to come in? Probably not, considering the fact that you don't understand the meaning of knocking."

Liam watched in horror as Xan placed frustrated hands on scarred hips. Hips that concealed a startling surprise. His eyes traveled up a long and firm torso, corded with delicate muscles that accentuated moderately pert lumps that obviously weren't masculine. Liam focused his gaze on Xan's expectant face before moving back to the bed. Shirt, pants, no underwear, and bandages. Only, they weren't bandages. "You wanted to keep them down."

"What in the fuck are you talking about?"

Liam's attention snapped back to Xan, who'd shifted to cross arms over the chest he'd regarded. As much as he hated to believe it, there was no denying the truth standing right in front of him. "You're a woman."



BloodBorne Ch. 03



"Seen enough?" Xan relaxed her posture to stare at a very stunned Liam. His blue eyes were wide with shock as they traveled up and down the length of her body. She wasn't a shy woman, having shared a bedroom and bathroom with Pogue for many years, but the intensity of Liam's stare made her anxious. A slow churning in her stomach made her cross her arms over her chest as she narrowed her eyes. As evidence by the two bags in his hands, he'd come to deliver the clothing left in his car. They hung limply at his sides as he continued to stare dumbly. Xan had to take control of the situation; she walked forward and tried to take the bags from him. His grip didn't lessen so she tugged harder to rip the bags from his steely grasp. Still, he did not let go. "Give me the fucking bags, Caspar."

"Why didn't you tell us what you are?" Liam hadn't meant to direct the question to her breasts, but he couldn't help himself. They were just so... nice. Pert, firm, and covered with creamy bronzed skin. Holy fuck, she was hot. No wonder he thought she was a boy; though she barely had any womanly curves, Xan's body was tight and toned and corded with sexy feminine muscles developed from her time demon fighting. The horrible scars on her skin didn't distract from her appeal; if anything, those scars enhanced the look of her body. He liked the way her muscles flexed and moved when she tried to take her bags from him. Strange pulses of heat coursed through his body and settled uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach. "What the fuck?"

Xan steeled her feet on the ground as she used all of her strength to pull the bags from Liam's hands. It took two tugs, but she managed to take them from him. "Figured you already knew considering I'm Esmali." When Liam only continued to stare at her, this time curiously as he seemed to consider her words, she asked, "What, Scarface never told you that only females are Esmali?" When he only shook his head, she rolled her eyes heavenward. "Figures. Why would a man want to point out another reason why you need us more than we need you? Estúpido." She turned to place the bags on the bed and quickly opened hers to find something to wear. The door closed, and she looked over to find Liam leaning against it. He wasn't leaving. Perfect. Xan steeled herself against the shiver that went down her spine at that ice blue stare of his. To distract herself, she turned back to her bag and sifted through until she found underwear; simple black panties and a sports bra that held her down adequately. As she pulled up her panties, she said, "What does my gender have to do with anything, anyway? You're helping me and my sister. Great. Thanks. We'll repay you one day." She glanced over in time to watch his eyebrow rise at her tirade before she slipped into the sports bra. "But I fail to see what my being female has to do with anything." Xan glanced over at him once more and allowed herself to give him a thorough once over. Her heart rate accelerated the second her eyes skimmed his hips. "Based on the raging hard-on trying to bust through your cargos right now, maybe it's a good thing I kept my mouth shut." The fact that the normally enraged man remained silent was not lost on Xan. Liam seemed content to watch her dress, even though his expression continued to dance from curiosity to disbelief. After a few minutes of unbearable silence, Xan allowed herself to become livid. "Why don't you get the fuck out and share the great news?"

The command was enough to snap Liam out of his trance. He remained silent as he left the room and headed back downstairs. Xan was a woman. A fucking female. As if the piece of shit wasn't enough trouble... She just had to be incredibly enticing, didn't she? Now that he'd seen her, he understood a lot more about her. She didn't look like a young boy on the verge of manhood; her slightly androgynous looks seemed more feminine now that he'd seen her without the armor of men's clothing. "Holy fuck," Liam muttered. He couldn't get the image of her naked body out of his mind. While he understood her reasons, he couldn't seem to agree with her decision to mask her appearance. She was fucking gorgeous!

No, he wasn't supposed to think of her like this. Xan was a piece of shit little bastard who didn't know the meaning of respect. She needed help with Sherlaine and after that, both she and her sister would be gone. There was no use in dwelling on the drops of water glistening in the light as they coated-

"Son of a fucking bitch!" Liam ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where he knew his brothers waited. Alexis sat at the center island, his main focus the morning news. Draco stood in front of the stove scrambling eggs -- no doubt for their guests. Euan, who chose to appear in avian form, sat perched on top of the refrigerator. "Why in the fuck didn't you tell me?" Liam shouted at Alexis.

"Tell you what?" Draco asked causally. As he was used to Liam's outbursts, he felt no need to panic.

Liam paid no mind to Draco's question and instead focused his anger on his silent brother. "I fucking walked in on her naked standing there like nothing was wrong, telling me that you already know."

"Wait, you walked in on Xion naked?" Draco asked.

"No, her sister." Liam glanced at Draco and Euan as they glanced at each other in shock.

"You mean Xan? Xan's a chick?"

Liam nodded in answer to Draco's question.

Draco calmly put down the spatula he used to scramble the eggs before bowing his head in silence for a moment. "Thank God, I'm not gay."

"Oh, for fuck's sake!"

"Getting pissy isn't going to change the situation," Alexis murmured. As he calmly turned off the television, he opted to keep from looking at Liam to spare himself Liam's angry glare.

"I do not get pissy."

Alexis said nothing to the comment as he stared toward the entryway. "Xion's in the solarium so keep it down."

"Why didn't you tell us she was female?"

"Why am I always the one who gets yelled at?"

"Because you know all of this shit and you don't say anything." Liam planted his hands on his hips, fully ready to engage in battle. "You always wait until the last possible moment-"

"In all fairness, bro," Draco interrupted, "The guy speaks about as often as you're in a good mood."

"You still should have fucking said something," Liam directed to Alexis.

"Euan knew," was Alexis' simple reply.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Euan, who seemed unconcerned that the blame had been shifted to him. He looked at his brothers and blinked once before turning his back to them.

"Maybe if the rest of you kept up with your ancient history instead of playing video games and chasing women around, you would have known that Xan was a woman too."

"He's still on that?" Xan slowly shook her head as she walked into the kitchen. The way Liam turned to look at her made her stomach churn again, but she ignored the feeling. "What's for breakfast?" She asked Draco. His stare she could deal with; it was more playful and flirty and not as intense as his brother's. This was the first time she'd been in the kitchen for more than a few moments, and now that she had the time to study it, she wasn't very surprised by what she saw. Rich chestnut wood cupboards were accented by black marble countertops. Stainless steel appliances covered a small percentage of the countertops, but somehow enhanced the sophistication of the room. The floors were marble as well, and shone brightly underneath the fluorescent ceiling lights. There was a beautiful center island covered with bowls of fruit and a tiny wilting flower arrangement that was no doubt the work of a woman no longer in residence. Alexis seemed unaffected by it, even though he sat on one of the tall stools placed in front of the island.

"Scrambled eggs," Draco replied. Now that he knew that Xan was female, it was easier to pinpoint her more feminine facial features. "Xion said that you make it for her every morning."

"Only because she hates cereal." She moved to the center island and sat down next to Alexis who nodded a greeting to her. "What's up?" she asked him.

"Why pretend to be a male?" Draco asked as he transferred the eggs to a plate.

"Don't have to worry about fighting off any rapists. Dymos' aren't exactly female friendly."

"No worries here. I am extremely female friendly."

"Don't fucking think about it," Liam warned. He ignored Draco's shocked expression as he focused his attention on Xan. He didn't like the thought of anyone flirting with her. That didn't mean he wanted to; he simply didn't like watching his brother throw himself at her. "Concentrate on breakfast, Gordon Ramsey."

"Jeez, he's just having a polite conversation," Xan defended, "I know the concept is foreign to you, but you don't have to be this bad of an asshole."

"Don't worry about me, sugar," Draco placated, "I'm more than used to Liam's attitude."

"That doesn't mean that he should give you shit because your mother raised you right." There was a sudden tension in the room that made her nervous. The bulk of it came from Liam and the second she saw the pained expression on his face, she knew that she'd said the wrong thing. It almost looked as if he wanted to throttle her, but at the same time, he looked incredibly sad. Alexis and Draco's obvious removal from the conversation didn't make the situation any easier. Rather than try to remedy the situation, Xan simply stood up and walked out of the room.

"Xan's in the solarium," Draco called after her.

Xan raised a hand in thanks as she made the right turn that took her to the solarium. She chose not to dwell on the awkwardness of what happened in the kitchen, but it backfired on her; her thoughts went back to her reveal as a female and the strange reaction she had to Liam. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was wildly attracted to the asshole. He had a strong personality, the kind that challenged her and made her hate him. He wasn't the most gorgeous man on the planet, but there was something about the way he looked at her that knocked her off center. None of the other brothers had that affect on her. Not even Pogue, with his wild and dark looks, made her stomach churn. "So not good," she muttered.

"What's not good?"

Xan shook herself out of her thoughts as she walked into the solarium. She'd forgotten about Xion's exceptional hearing. "Nothing, kid." She sat down on the ground next to her sister, who seemed engrossed in her sketch of the person dominating her thoughts. She wasn't going to get a break from him today. "Why him?"

"I already drew everyone else."

Xan looked beyond her sister's small body to the row of sketches lying beside her. She was impressed by the portrait of Alexis sitting in the chair near the fireplace reading a book. He seemed very aware of Xion's presence in the sketch, but he remained in tune with the book in his hands. Xion had a very distinct way of drawing; the pattern of her strokes and smudges could have been mistaken for an advanced artist, but there was always a kink in her lines, a signature that set her apart from everyone else. "When did you do this?"

"When I woke up. Lexi says that I have a heavy hand but I have potential."

"He said that?"

Xion nodded as she said, "He showed me his drawings."

"Alexis can draw?"

"Yes."

Xan remained quiet as she looked at the other pictures her sister drew. Draco on the phone. A large cougar- Euan no doubt- sleeping near the base of the staircase. All of them extremely still, but full of life. She glanced at the portrait of Liam and felt her stomach churn hotly again as she looked at the intensity of his eyes. Even as a sketch, he was able to get to her. "Not bad, kid."

"What's not bad?" Liam stopped at the entryway when Xan shifted to look at him. He couldn't stop picturing her naked body. His hands itched as he looked at her, and he knew that if he didn't stop staring, something bad would happen.

"I am drawing your picture," Xion announced in a sing-song voice.

Shocked by the news, Liam walked forward to look at Xion's work. Sure enough, it was a picture of him sitting in front of the solarium window staring at what looked like the sunrise. That was no surprise; Liam was usually awake before sunrise and took solace in the calm of the solarium. He'd heard when Xion walked into the room, but he hadn't acknowledged her presence, hoping to have that moment alone before his brothers came downstairs. He wasn't aware that she'd taken the time to start her portrait of him; when he'd finally left his spot at the window, Alexis had taken his place at his chair and she'd focused her attention on him. What surprised him now was the fact that Xion drew him smiling. "Why am I smiling?"

"Because that's how the story goes."

"What story?"

"Xion makes up stories when she sketches to explain her visions," Xan explained.

Liam crouched next to Xion as he asked, "What's the story?"

"The sunrise makes you happy because no one has made you yell yet."

He almost laughed at the near accuracy of his temperament. Sunrise usually was the calmest part of his day because he was able to concentrate on the beauty of nature and not on the daily reminders he didn't want to face. "Is that right?"

"Yes," Xion responded as she lightly shaded her sketch, "You're not so mean in the morning."

Xan glanced at Liam and felt her brows rise at his surprised expression. She figured he was the type to have heard everything, especially considering his age. There had to have been a time when he wasn't such an infuriating asshole. "Well, you did a good job, babe," she praised. "You made him look good."

"You think I look good?" Liam asked.

"In the picture, you do," Xan replied as she brought her attention back to Xion's work.

He ignored the unspoken insult as he said, "But that picture is of me. By extension, you think I look good."

"Why are you fishing for a compliment?"

He had no idea, but he did like the fact that she'd seen though his nonsense. "Why do you care?" The warning glint in her eyes made him want to smile; her temper was even worse than his. While he hated it and still wanted to choke her when she let her temper flare, he could only appreciate the fact that she had no problem standing up to him. Even when he thought that she was a boy, he commended that trait about her.

"Why do you?" Xan didn't care that he wanted her to compliment him. What she did care about was the fat that her stomach was in knots. Did he have to sit so close to her? It was as if he knew the effect he had on her. And it wasn't just this morning; from the moment she'd first laid eyes on him at the Dymos, standing almost separated from the crowd, she'd been affected by him. Hell, he'd almost cost her the fight; she'd been distracted by his presence and had Pogue not focused her...

Xan frowned as she fought the pain that came with her friend's memory. He didn't deserve to die so young. He wasn't supposed to die at all. Her best friend was gone.

"You have to eat something."

Xan shook herself out of her thoughts and brought her attention to Liam. His focus was Xion, who seemed unwilling to move from her spot on the floor. Xan sympathized; it was always a battle to pull the child from her drawings once she got started. "How much longer until you finish?"

"I don't know; I don't feel finished."

Which meant that she'd be at it all day. Xion refused to finish a sketch until she felt there was nothing left to perfect. She'd once gone a full day without eating because she refused to break her concentration. "I'm giving you another hour before I take all of this away."

"She needs to eat now," Liam argued. It wasn't healthy for a child to starve herself for the sake of a stupid picture. "You can't make allowances."

"Don't tell me how to raise my sister." If there was one thing Xan hated with a passion, it was being criticized about the way she cared for Xion. Her methods weren't conventional, but her sister was always well fed, had clothes on her back, remained polite and soft spoken, and always excelled in school. Xion knew that she was loved and protected. She didn't want for anything. "You don't know shit about-"

"I know that letting her choose when she eats is a slippery slope to other shoddy decisions."

"Shoddy?" Xan quickly gained her feet for the sheer pleasure of having the advantage of height. "Shoddy? This coming from the little asshole that could. Don't sit there and tell me how to care for my sister. Concentrate on your own family."

He didn't like her tone at all. Liam made sure to gain his feet before speaking. "You really have a lot of fucking nerve, talking to me like that. Ever heard of not biting the fucking hand that feeds your dumb ass?"

"How many goddamned times do I have to tell you to keep your language clean in front of her?" Xan glanced at her sister and was pleased to see that she was too engrossed in her sketch to care about what was happening. One small blessing that came with her obsessions. "And as for your stupid need to remind me that we are under your protection, don't bother. We may be up shit's creek, but Xion and I can take care of ourselves."

"You've been doing so well thus far."

"You know what? Que te jodan."

He was getting very annoyed with the Spanish insults. "Is that what you said to the Magori every time he tried to watch your back?"

"Hijo de puta!" Xan shouted. Rage got the best of her and she wasn't able to stop herself from walking to him to get in his face. "You have no right to bring him up! You knew nothing about us! Don't think for a second-"

"Oh, but I do think," Liam said in a low, menacing tone. He didn't like the way she talked about the friend, the way she referred to them as "us", as if they were some kind of item. More than that, he didn't like the fact that he cared so much. He was supposed to regard her as nothing more than a pain in the ass that he had to protect. "You put your stupid need for an adrenaline rush over the welfare of your sister and your friend. And that you haven't opened your eyes and gotten your shit together when it comes to her..." Liam looked over at Xion and felt his stomach knot uncomfortably at the terrified look in her young eyes. Her face was flushed with anxiety and her gaze darted from him to her sister. Practicality urged him to end the argument, but pride and anger got the best of him. "It only tells me that the best thing you could ever do is give the kid up to child protective services." Liam knew the second the words escaped his mouth that he shouldn't have said that. Pure uncontrollable rage contorted Xan's face; her olive-toned skin became red and blotted and her eyes blazed with obvious bloodlust. Beneath the rage was pain, a pain that left him with a bad taste in his mouth. He'd hurt her, possibly more than he'd ever hurt anyone. And there was nothing he could say to take it back.

At least she knew what he really thought about her. Lying, cheating unfit guardian to a slowly damaged and possibly anorexic child. Good; now she knew that the stupid feelings forming inside her were nothing more than female intuition. He was an asshole and a first class son of a bitch. Nothing was going to change that. "It's almost hilarious, how much of a judgmental prick you are." She ignored the surprised look that crossed his face as she turned on her heels to leave. It was then that she noticed Alexis and Draco standing in the entryway, observing the incident before them. She should have turned to check on Xion, as she did not fare well with raised voices, but Xan knew that she'd let her emotions get the best of her if she did. She couldn't afford to show weakness. Not now. With her chin held high, Xan strode from the room, grateful that Alexis and Draco parted to allow her room to pass.

"Liam, dude," Draco said with a shake of his head, "you need to stop doing that."




BloodBorne Ch. 03



"Being honest?"

"Being a pri-" Draco stopped himself in just enough time. Xion looked panicked and sad; the last thing she needed was another person spouting off insults. "Being yourself."

"That is not how you treat a charge," Alexis admonished. "She's been through enough."

"Yea, as always, I'm the fucking bad guy." Liam shook his head as she remembered Xion was in the room. Hell, he was fucking up everywhere today.

"Go fix it," Alexis commanded, "The last thing we need is to protect someone who becomes a problem because she hates you too much."

"Fuck that," Liam muttered. Though he was the one who messed up, he wasn't about to apologize. "She'll get over it."

"I'm not going to ask again," Alexis warned.

"You didn't ask the first fucking time."

"Dude," Draco said.

"Fine, fine!" Liam angrily shouted. "I'll go play nice." With a shake of his head, he stalked out of the room. This was exactly what he needed; who didn't want to deal with someone like Xan?

* * * * *

In the quiet, moonlit room, the air was still and dank. A small, dark spot on the ground slowly grew, swallowing the damaged wood. Like a growing shadow, the spot increased in size, slowly oozing a thick substance as slick as oil, but thicker than molasses. It pushed through the floorboards, much like body lotion through a sieve; slow and clumping, eating through the free space of the damaged floor. The substance grew to the size of a fetal-positioned adult before it thickened even more, taking on the physical characteristics of cooling tar. It began to bubble and boil, and soon, piercing structures formed to push out of the cloying substance. Shards of opaque and cracked material fused together and soon, a small bone was formed. More material formed and pushed through, only to fuse and form more bone. Dozens continued to fuse and the bones began to merge. The substance on the ground shifted from midnight to a deep crimson; boiling, congealing, viscous blood. The bones soon created a full grown skeleton; it lay supine and still. 

The boiling, blood-like substance moved and shifted to cover the skeleton. A thick coating covered the bone as it continued to boil. A low, soft whine filled the room as the boiling substance began to sizzle dangerously. The skeleton trembled and shook as the layer of substance thickened and dried on it, only for more of the viscous material on the ground to shift and cover the skeleton. The cycle continued until only a trace amount of the substance covered the floor. Sounds, no longer soft in nature, projected through the dark room, harsh and tortured as desperation bounced off the dank walls. The air grew thicker with hot, humid air, a reaction from the happenings on the ground. Dried remnants flaked off the newly formed red, tender musculature that gradually grew to cover the bones and vital organs forming inside. 

Every new, fresh nerve exposed to the sharp edges of the dried substance screamed in protest, forcing the tortured cries to increase in volume. Still, the viscous layer continued to cover the writhing body, only to dry and continue the unbearable agony. Shaking hands scratched at burning bits of newly formed flesh; the tender blisters and raw skin did not hinder the mission. Angry red tender skin clung to the floor as the body tried to escape the grasp of the pain holing it down and a new, fresh, agonized scream was emitted when the fine layer of skin remained fused to the floor when the body rolled over. Rivulets of blood rained down a battered back. The pain was unbearable as sharp, prickling stings bombarded the senses with the emergence of fine hairs as sharp as needles from the still raw skin. The cloying scent of burning and decaying flesh forced a disgusted gag. Any other form of movement was virtually impossible as every muscle trembled viciously beneath the tender skin that tore from strain. The torn skin did not heal itself, and remnants from the dried substance seeped within the open wounds to create a constant burning.

A dizzy head lifted. Blue eyes blinked back the harsh light of the moon. A battered, shaky breath escaped and bled into a more guttural, feral pant. The breath of a wounded animal. Long, excruciating minutes of torture passed before the pain ebbed to a throb. As shining blonde hair continued to grow from the body's head and rest against tender shoulders, the body began to tremble. Green, misty waves wafted off the contours of the skin, creating electrical surges in the air that seemed to pop off every single molecule of water trapped in the atmosphere. As the electricity intensified, the pain continued to lessen. Memories of a life past and ended rushed through, both strengthening and enraging. Slow, deliberate movements pulled the body up to stand and a quick glance at the bare window granted a rugged reflection. But those blue eyes didn't see its image; no, it saw the determined fighter plunging wrist blades into its chest.

"Ah fuck, not again."

Wobbly legs carried the shaking body to the lone stool in the corner. On it rested a set of clothes. Beside the stool was a tiny refrigerator that was immediately opened to reveal dozens of blood bags. Thirst and feral needed demanded the blood; the body made quick work of using its teeth to tear into them and moan at the sensation of the thick liquid coating its insides. Pulses of heat shot everywhere and eyes closed in sweet ecstasy. A rush of energy relieved whatever pain was left. There was no longer any discomfort. The clothing on the stool was soon put to use, covering the pink flesh that had become rejuvenated by the recent meal.

Rebirth.

It was always a bitch and a half.

* * * * *

Liam had a good mind to leave Xan to herself to lick her wounds but had been ordered by Alexis to set things straight. Hell, she needed some time to reflect on the way she was living her life. His words were harsh, but they were true; Xan had a child to consider, and her needs should have come first. At this point, it didn't even matter; there was a bigger situation to contend with, and Xan's cooperation was beneficial to solving their problems.

What about his problems? Sure, he didn't go around picking fights with demons or even get himself hunted by Sherlaine, but he did have his own issues to deal with. He was still mourning Nadia and had to deal with the ramifications of moving on. There was also his personal life - hell, what personal life? Unless there was a big bad to fight, Liam sat on his ass all day, playing video games with his internet friends. He really should have lived for situations like this, and he would have... if only the person he set out to protect wasn't such a pain in the ass.

He didn't bother to knock as he opened the door to Xan's room. A momentary flash of her naked body made him pause. Shit, he really needed to get a hold of that. Yes, he saw her naked, and yes, he liked what he saw. Too much. But he wasn't going to let it be a distraction any longer. It was time to get down to business. Liam took a steadying breath to calm himself before taking a step into the room. Xan stood in the center, silently working through several martial arts exercises. She looked extremely peaceful and her movements were much like a dancer's in the way her positions transitioned into each other. Xan was focused; she seemed to be in a trance-like state, which told him that she'd somehow found some sort of Zen. Damn, she was sexy even when doing something as menial as... what the hell was she doing to tai chi? "Your form is shit."

Xan paused in her transition as she let out a tired breath. As much as she would have loved to go another round, she really wasn't in the mood to waste the last of her patience on the person who'd robbed her of the majority of it in the first place. "Thank you, Mr. Miyagi."

He almost smiled at that. "If you're going to train, you have to do it right."

"Is this the part where you take me under your wing and we have a tender 'Karate Kid' moment?" She shook her head cynically as she dropped her stance. Apparently she couldn't even relax in peace. "Do I look like Hillary Swank to you?"

Liam tilted his head in though as he stared at Xan. He waited until she quirked an eyebrow in irritation before he said, "Hillary Swank, no. Ralph Macchio on the other hand..." He felt an intense surge of satisfaction at seeing the enraged glint flash in her eyes. She was even sexier when she was pissed. "Maybe in his younger years. You do have the skin tone and hairstyle."

"Que te jodan." Fuck you.

Oh how he wished. "We have a fitness room."

"Where?" Xan placed her hands on her hips in anger when Liam only turned on his heel and walked out of the room. "Do I look like fucking dog?"

"Are you coming or not?"

God how she wanted to rip his eyeballs out! She begrudgingly followed, but kept a wide distance between them, which probably wasn't the best idea. From her vantage point, she was able to appreciate the breadth of his shoulders and the strength they seemed to exude. They tapered down to a narrow waist and what had to be buns etched by Michelangelo himself. Mierda, his swagger screamed sex and that bright copper hair of his...

Xan shook herself out of her outrageous thoughts. What the hell was wrong with her? The man was an asshole and a world-class prick. Keeping Xion safe was the main goal, not her oddly activated libido. She focused on the twists and turns she had to make to get to their destination; she didn't want to have to ask him the way after this. The last thing she needed was to come off as some female with no sense of direction.

It took less than five minutes to get to the room and Xan was very happy that she'd learned of it. This was better than a high class gym. The room wasn't as large as any of the other rooms she'd seen, but the space was used ingeniously. To the left of the entryway, adjacent to the wall rested a weight rack that looked shiny, but well worn. Various weight machines were spread out throughout the room and there was a weird contraption to the right of the doorway; it looked like the frame to a telephone booth and inside it was a simple metal bar anchored a foot from the top of the frame. There were also hanging straps and for a second she thought of an ancient torture device... Or at least some kinky sex box. She wouldn't put it past these men; they had to get their kicks somewhere. The oak floors were glossy, which made her wonder if the room ever had any kind of traffic. Probably not considering the fact that the treadmill toward the back of the room had a lot of marks on the belt. "Nice digs." Not that she should expect anything less from a house like this. 

Liam wasn't in the mood to chit-chat. "On the mat."

"Excuse me?"

Liam took his time approaching the woman who'd quickly become the bane of his existence. He liked the sassy tilt of her hips as she looked at him, and that pissed him off. "Did you finally choke on all that back talk?"

"In your dreams, cabron." An uncomfortable knot formed in her stomach when he stood directly in front of her. The tips of his sneakers touched hers, and she had to tilt her head back to look at him. She never noticed the silver chips in his eyes, or the impossibly long lashes that framed them. His scent, very earthy, and a little bit like lemon, wafted toward her. Her heart raced, her palms began to sweat, and an unfamiliar heat began to spread through her lower abdomen. She needed to take a step back, but wouldn't dare let him know that he had an affect on her. She had to stop looking at his eyes.

Xan nearly choked on a gasp when her gaze traveled down to his mouth. Meirda, that was a bad idea. Liam's lips were pink despite the hard line of his mouth. She wanted to touch them, to feel them against hers. She wanted-

"What the fuck are you looking at?"

The exasperated tone of his voice immediately annoyed her. She wanted to kiss him in thanks. "Nothing special, pendeho."

Liam kept himself from smiling. He knew that she'd been staring at his mouth and the light flush that took over her face as she unconsciously licked her lips nearly made him pull her in for a taste of those full lips. She was lucky that he wasn't his brothers and had no intention of bringing his work home - sexually, anyway. It didn't matter how much he wanted her. "Get on the mat."

Xan frowned as she took a step back. His nearness was having too much of an effect on her. A quick glance around the room revealed a large blue protection mat in the back corner of the room. She chose to wordlessly obey his orders. Once on the center of the mat, she turned to look at him. "Happy now?"

"Delirious." Liam followed her onto the mat before raising his hands into a defensive stance. "Hands up."

"You want to fight me?"

"I want to improve your skills."

"Excuse me?"

He wasn't about to tell her that she was one of the very few women he'd ever found himself impressed with, especially when it came to self defense. Nadia wasn't much of a fighter, but she did do pretty well with cookware as a weapon - "If you want to call yourself a fighter, you'd better fight like one."

"Hold on just-"

"You can hold your own at a Dymos when you're up against your friend," he almost winced at the flash of pain in her eyes, "but demons like Sherlaine only let you hit them because they want you weak when they destroy you." He threw a slow punch, knowing that she would instinctively move to block it, and took hold of her arm when she did. "Drop the shoulder and tighten your arm like this." He continued to hold onto her hand while he moved her arm to complete the block. "This is when you follow through with the strike to the chest."

Xan nodded as she forgot about everything else and concentrated on her lesson. Liam continued to feign attacks only to stop and correct her defensive moves. Luckily she was a quick study and only had to be shown a move twice before moving on to the next. In no time, she'd improved her defensive fighting.

Liam was impressed by her quick grasp of his lesson and decided to mover her to offensive attacks, her strong point. And strong she was. Xan launched constant attacks, searching for a weak spot to dismantle his defenses. "Good," he encouraged when she adapted to his style and attempted a jumping back kick. "The best thing you can ever do in a fight is adapt to your opponent."

"It helps that you're predictable." He was the furthest thing from predictable, but she wasn't about to inflate his ego.

"Now you've got some mouth."

"I'm not stupid enough to piss a teacher off during a lesson."

"No, just stupid." The remark earned him a smack to the head that made him laugh. Based on the lack of force behind the strike, he knew that she was a willing participant in the verbal combat they'd begun. He continued to feign attacks, testing her retention of his teachings and gradually pushed harder to advance her skill. He liked the way her body moved and without the band holding her breasts down; the pert orbs bounced mouthwateringly. There was also a fine layer of sweat on her skin that seemed to sparkle beneath the bright lights.

"My eyes are up here." Xan made the remark as she shoved him backward. He was too close; the heat permeating off his large body threw her off and made her want to press herself against him. She didn't like that. Anger washed over her and pushed her to intensify their sparring. Liam hadn't expected the change and took a long moment to adjust to the transition. "Don't slow down on me now, old man."

"Don't flatter yourself, baby."

She didn't like the warm fuzzy feeling that came with the word. Annoyance welled within her once more and she pushed even harder, changing her tactics. She figured that if she concentrated on getting a blow in, then she wouldn't have to worry about the enraging feelings flowing through her. Xan threw a series of punches that Liam managed to block but the amazed look that took over his face made her feel better. "Where's the bad attitude now?"

"Don't test me, little girl." Liam blocked a particularly vicious sideswipe before pushing forward to counter the move with a back kick. As he'd expected, she jumped backward, giving him the opportunity to sweep his feet across the ground. Of course, she'd jumped up to avoid his leg, but that was what he wanted; he grabbed Xan's leg and pulled her down on the ground with him, his intention getting on her stomach so that he could pin her down. But Xan was a bit of a master of wrestling as well; she twisted out of his hold and wrapped her leg around his waist as she put her weight into rolling them over. In moments, she had him on his back. The intimacy of the position wasn't lost on Liam; his body was quick to react to the pressure of her pelvis on his lower abdomen. He had to use the power of his legs to flip them over before she moved the wrong way and felt her obvious effect on him. "What now?" he panted down at her. The flush on her face made him groan inwardly as a very special part of his anatomy began to throb.

Xan narrowed her eyes when she saw the cold glint in Liam's eyes. He wasn't angry, based on the semi-relaxed state of his face. He certainly wasn't happy either. A man like him wasn't capable of feeling that emotion. But that glint made her stomach grumble oddly. She twisted to elbow him in the face and gasped indignantly when he only shifted before pinning her arms over her head. Before she could think to use them, he pinned her legs as well and just like that, the weight of his body expertly held her down. The sides of Liam's mouth quirked up in a victorious smile and those silver chips in his eyes made her forge to breathe. 

Dios! The man was hypnotizing. She stared into his eyes for a long minute, noting the way they darkened as his pupils dilated. There was a change in that look, one the warned and excited her at the same time. Xan found it difficult to fill her lungs with air when she realized that he was slowly leaning down to kiss her. His warm and surprisingly sweet breath brushed across her face. She felt herself leaning up to meet him halfway despite the fact that her mind screamed at her to stop. She gasped in surprise when his tongue slowly brushed over her bottom lip. Heat shot through her body to pool between her legs, forcing her to emit a small moan at the sensation. He was teasing her and testing her limits. Her job was to stop this nonsense. But as he licked her bottom lip a second time, she was only able to touch the tip of her tongue to his experimentally. Liam groaned and shifted his weight, covering her flush with the heat of his body. Warmth permeated through their clothing to seep into every cell of her body like a heady drug. She thrummed with a familiar, but unidentifiable sensation that made her swallow nervously.

"Xan!"

Liam was quick to roll off Xan's body as her panicked sister shot into the room, Draco and Alexis on her heels. She grabbed and pulled on her hair, shaking her head as if she fought to remove some horrible image from her mind. Xan had her in her arms in moments, and murmured calming words to the child in their native Spanish. Xan continued to shake wildly while her eyes stared off beyond her sister, seemingly trapped in some sort of hallucination.

"What the fuck happened?" Liam demanded of his brothers.

"No clue," Draco replied, "One minute she's in the kitchen eating eggs and chatting Lexi's ear off, and next thing you know, she's shaking and screaming bloody murder. Scared the crap out of me when she took off running."

"She seemed to know exactly where she was going," Alexis remarked.

"Xion, baby," Xan pulled her sister closer and gently rubbed her tiny hands. "Come back to me. Look at me." The gentle command was repeated twice more before Xion's eyes began to focus. "That's it, honey. Look at me. Look at my eyes."




BloodBorne Ch. 03



Liam frowned as he watched the scene in front of him. Xan was incredibly calm and soothing during Xion's obvious panic attack, which meant that this wasn't something new. "Is she all right?" If he thought his abilities would help, he would have rushed to the child in a heartbeat. But this seemed to be a mental thing, and once again, he wished his brother Caleb was home. He didn't like the useless feeling weighing him down.

Xan didn't answer Liam's question as her main concern was calming Xion. The child was beet red in anxiety and covered in a thin layer of sweat as she shook uncontrollably. There was only one reason for this and before that reason could be dealt with, Xion had to be cared for. "You're safe. You're fine. I'm here." She pulled Xion's head onto her shoulder and rubbed her back until she began to relax. "That's it. Just listen to my voice." It took a few more minutes, but finally she'd calmed down enough to take a proper breath. "You better?" Xion only nodded against her before turning her head to expose her ear. Xan immediately took to the task of rubbing the tiny organ, the only method of completely calming the child after one of her episodes.

"What just happened?" Draco asked in amazement.

"Someone forgot to take her medicine this morning."

"Medicine?" Alexis asked.

"Xion has anxiety disorder," Xan explained as she continued to comfort her sister. "The doctors have managed to control it with meds, but only if we're consistent."

"Why didn't you make sure she took it?" Liam asked accusingly.

"Now is not the time to piss me off," Xan warned. She focused her attention on her sister, who'd taken to staring at her sheepishly. "Why didn't you take your meds, Xi?"

"I forgot to grab it," the child confessed. She'd been too busy thinking about the big man in her house to remember to grab the pills when she went for her emergency bag.

Mierda, it was at the house. "Why didn't you say anything, babe? You know what just one day of not taking your pills will do." What just happened was proof of that. "And let me guess, you didn't put the back-up bottle in your bag like I told you to." She sighed heavily when Xion only shook her head. She'd lectured her sister countless times about the importance of the back-up bottle. Time and time again, the child didn't listen and would go so far as to take the emergency bottle out of the bag when she couldn't find the one meant for use at home. "I have to go back to the house," she directed to the men.

"Out of the question," Liam objected. There no telling what waited for them in that ramshackle house. He wasn't taking any chances.

"She's just going to get worse without them," Xan said matter-of-factly.

"We'll go," Alexis announced.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Liam shouted. He expelled an exasperated breath when Xion tensed as his tone of voice. He hadn't meant to upset the already fragile child. "There is no way in hell I am letting her-"

"I never said she was going," Alexis calmly stated. "We'll get the medication and anything else you think you need."

Xan nodded her consent as she moved to stand. She adjusted Xion in her arms and happened to glance at Draco's odd facial expression before asking, "What?"

"I'm wondering how she managed to find you." Draco was sure that the child never ventured so far into the manor, meaning she should still be screaming like a maniac as she tore through the rooms looking for her sister.

"I don't know," Xan replied, "Xi and I have always been able to find each other."

"Almost like you and Roman," Alexis commented. Draco and his twin brother were nearly inseparable and usually had an uncanny ability of finding each other when needed. It didn't surprise Alexis that there were others who had the same connection.

"Yes, but that's only because our powers are stronger when we're together," Draco reasoned.

"This is what happens when you expose an innocent child to a world you have no business being part of," Liam mumbled.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Xion has been like this since before I started participating in Dymos'. So you can take your unfounded accusations and shove 'em." Xan shook her head in anger as she stormed out of the room. And to think, she was going to let him kiss her.

"We leave in ten minutes," Alexis announced. The sooner they got the errand over with, the better. "Drake, see if you can call our contact at Linked Pharmaceuticals for refills in case we need them." He could have just asked Xan what her sister's medication was, but he wanted to look at the dosage prescribed first.

"Will do," Draco agreed as he walked out of the room.

"What did I tell you about being nice to her?" Alexis asked Liam.

"Fuck off, Lex," Liam replied. He was prepared to be extra nice to Xan before life rudely butted in. He sighed at the memory of their near kiss. Her lips were soft and supple, even more than he'd imagined. The way her face flushed told him just how much she wanted him to follow through with his move to kiss her. Hell, he would have done more than that if given a chance. "I'm driving."

* * * * *

It was silent in the house as the men stood at the entrance. Furniture had been torn and turned over. Shards of glass coated the stained floors. It was obvious that the already threadbare house had been ransacked. "Sherlaine," Liam grumbled. The son of a bitch was back and obviously determined to find what he wanted. The house wasn't this bad when he'd carted Xan and her sister off.

"Man, this place is depressing," Draco murmured as he looked around. "How did they live like this?" There wasn't much furniture adorning the small house and based on the fact that everything had been torn apart and overturned, they weren't the first ones there.

"It is not our place to judge," Alexis chastised. He glanced around the tumultuous room and took a breath. The poverty of the house brought him back to a time he'd worked hard to forget. "They live like this by choice?"

"Xan said herself that no one asks questions in a neighborhood like this." Liam kicked a random mouse trap that had been moved at some point in the past few days.

"Why would they?" Draco asked, "The people in this neighborhood most likely have their own problems to deal with."

Liam didn't have a moment to nod his agreement as Alexis walked toward the back of the house. He bent to the task of rifling through the broken objects on the floor, furious at the conditions Xan volunteered to live in. While he understood her need to care for Xion, there were other ways to do it. Demon fighting was just too... hard. It made her too hard. Liam did enjoy the fact that she stood up to him without fear and gave as good as she got, he sensed a sensitivity she'd been conditioned to ignore. She deserved better than that. Xan needed reasons to smile and laugh outside of her sister. She needed-

Liam stopped when he stepped on the broken glass on the floor. He looked down without thinking and frowned at the odd mixture of colors peering through the debris. He crouched and gingerly picked through the glass to reveal an old, slightly wrinkled photograph. Two fresh faces smiled at the mystery photographer; one, a bright-eyed child with shiny black hair tamed into two pigtails and the other, a mature and sedate woman who could not hide the weight of the world in her smile. The woman had a hand on a very distended belly, a belly that housed a now quiet little girl with an anxiety disorder. She had Xion's eyes, but her face was sculpted to match the little girl in the photo. Had this woman ever known a moment like this? Had she ever been given a simple moment of naive innocence?

Liam looked back at the young girl in the photo, and young and expressive Xan. She almost looked like another person; her younger self was happy and unaware of the life she was to live. There were no defenses, no anger or resentment. She was simply a girl taking a picture with her mother. Liam flipped the photo over, minding to keep from damaging the brittle edges and gently fingered the simple comment on the yellowing surface. Xandra and mom, first day of spring.

"Xan's name is Xandra?"

Liam glanced over at Draco, who'd busied himself with rifling through the kitchen cabinets. Drake barely looked at him, but he rarely did when spying on others. "Looks like."

"I like it. Makes her less scary."

Liam half smiled as he turned the picture over once more and ran a finger over the bright smiling face of the little girl he wished to know.

"What do you think they were looking for?"

Liam didn't have to ask who Draco referred to. "Obviously something valuable."

"You mean something to tip the scales to the side of evil."

Liam only said, "It's enough to piss me the fuck off. Can't they keep this shit to one crazy plot a decade?"

"Yea, like we'd really be that lucky."

"Find anything?" Both Liam and Draco shook their heads in answer to Alexis' question. They both stared at him however, as he lugged what looked to be a large pile of clothes bundled in a large bed sheet. "They don't have any suitcases."

"Find the meds?" Liam nodded in relief when Alexis shook a small orange bottle in answer. As he stood upright, he slid Xan's photo into his back pocket. "Let's get the fuck out of here before someone else comes." There was no argument as all three men headed for the door. Liam made a mental note to convince Xan to find a better house and a better life once this was over.



BloodBorne Ch. 04



Xan was waiting for them when they'd returned from their errand. She sat in Alexis' chair in the solarium, anxiously chewing her nail to the quick and unconsciously shaking her foot. "Did you get it?"

Alexis nodded as he stepped forward to hand her the bundle of clothes he'd packed. He said nothing to her behavior and only turned to walk out of the room.

"Where is Xion?" Draco asked. He fought hard to control his emotions as he noticed that Alexis' eyes became slightly brighter. No wonder he'd turned away from Xan. "Is she all right?"

"She's taking a nap," Xan replied as she gripped the pill bottle in her hands. She lightly shook the bottle and knew that she only had enough for roughly two weeks. With luck, this very inconvenient situation would be resolved by then. "I managed to calm her down."

"Why didn't you make sure she took her meds when she's supposed to?" Liam asked. Seeing the state of that damned ramshackle house quickly ignited his short fuse, and reminded him of a past he did not want to remember. It also sparked a protectiveness that was quickly becoming a problem. "What the hell kind of-"

"You are really starting to piss me off with this shit," Xan softly murmured. Her tone of voice was menacing and held the promise of violence if provoked any further. "Xion is nine years old and I am raising her to defend and think for herself. She's been taking her own pill since she was six and I trust her completely."

"She isn't the one who should be trusted," Liam retorted. The second he spoke the hurtful words, he took an involuntary step back; Xan's face reddened dangerously and she shot up out of her seat. Her intent was clear and had Draco not been there to hold her back, she would have attacked and landed a few serious blows before he had to the sense to defend himself. Smug satisfaction made him say, "Is there anything remotely feminine about you?" The bitch actually snarled at him as she fought to break free of his brother's hold.

"Calm down," Alexis soothed in Spanish. He'd returned to the room to aid Draco in restraining her. He continued to whisper calming words to her and was soon able to keep the wild beast inside of her from making minced meat out of his brother.

Xan took several aggravated breaths before yanking her arms out of Alexis and Draco's holds. It wasn't very often she was ready to murder a human hybrid, but this time, she'd been pushed close enough to the edge to not think about the repercussions of her actions. "If I gave a flying fuck about what you think, I'd lie and say yes."

The comment left Liam speechless. An amazing feat. Another scathing remark would have easily put her in her place, but the glint of hurt in her eyes at his comment kept him quiet. He was making a lot of allowances for the woman, more than she deserved. Liam had to stop that; Xan had a lot of learning to do, and he wasn't helping anyone by allowing her to think that he would hold her hand through everything.

"Are you making any kind of progress on this whole Shirley situation?" Xan expelled one last calming breath before retrieving the items Alexis had brought home for her. In her rage, she'd absently thrown them on the floor. "I'd like to know when my sister and I can get the hell out of here."

"Tired of us already?" Draco asked.

"No, I actually like you. You make it a point to speak from time to time and when you do, you don't piss me off."

"So you don't mind me staring?"

"I'm used to it," Xan allowed. She shifted her attention to Liam, who had yet to answer her. "You going to answer my question before I turn sixty or should I start planning my funeral now?"

"It is not an easy question to answer," Alexis answered.

"See what I mean?" Xan asked Draco. At his understanding smile, she shook her head in near disgust. Men were supposed to be the simple sex, the easy, straight-to-the-point species. Not these men, apparently. "He's a demon. Find the right weapon or spell, and vanquish the fuck out of him."

"There's no real way to kill a demon like Sherliane," Alexis said.

"What the fuck kind of answer is that? What kind of demon is he?"

The growing agitation in Xan's tone of voice prompted Draco to step in and mediate. "We don't really know."

"You don't know?" she repeated. "The baddest of the badass demon hunters ever known are seriously standing here telling me that there is basically nothing that can be done?"

"Now we didn't-"

"No, Draco. If you can't kill him, why in the fuck am I here?"

"So that you don't end up like Nadia."

Though there was a touch of sadness in Liam's voice when he spoke, Xan wasn't in the mood to calm down. "Who in the fuck is Nadia?" A tense silence filled the room as she looked around at all three of the men. Not one of them made eye contact and Alexis went as far as to simply walk out of the room again. "Who is Nadia?" she asked again.

"I'll leave you two to talk this one over," Draco meekly replied.

Xan watched Draco walk out f the room before she looked at Liam. It was quite obvious that this Nadia person was important. For Sherlaine to be a part of what happened to her meant that she and Xion were in for a rough time. "Say something, God damn it!"

Liam took a moment to fight the ball of pain growing in his stomach. The pain was just as intense, just as turbulent as the day he'd realized that she'd died. "Nadia was our sister."

Xan was not expecting that answer. "And Sherlaine killed her?"

Liam shook his head as he said, "No. But he played a part in her death." Bitter resentment welled within him as he recalled the fateful moment he saw Nadia's lifeless body. It had been after a bitter brawl to save Charisma's life, a brawl that happened to be the result of Sherlaine's aid in kidnapping both women. His brother Jameson had been forced to choose between Nadia and Charisma and because the choice had been too hard for him, Nadia sacrificed her life to save the ones she loved. "Sherlaine has the ability to come back to life. We know this because each of us have killed him at one time or another."

He loved Nadia as much as she loved Xion. Xan couldn't be angry at him after the pain that rimmed his seemingly impartial eyes. "I'm sorry you lost her. I can see that you loved her every much."

"She was one of a handful of women who cared about me without having anything to gain." Liam didn't know why he said that. Maybe it was the sudden softening of compassion in her eyes that pulled at him. Or maybe it was having the objective ear to listen to him. Whatever the reason, he wasn't sorry he shared.

"Only a handful?"

"Yes. Nadia, Charisma -- even though she's afraid of me, Patricia, my brother Lindsay's mother, Alauria, Lindsay's wife, and Lindsay's mother, may she rest in peace." A smile lit the corner of his mouth as he remembered the two matronly figures on his list. He made a mental note to call Patricia, as it had been a few weeks since their last conversation. She would inevitably call to chastise him.

"What about your mother?"

"Ivelda never thought that way."

The immediate darkening of his eyes told Xan that he and his mother hadn't been on good terms. She should have let the subject drop, but it was hard to imagine anyone having a tense relationship with their mother, especially after being raised by a mother who gave her life to protect her. "I'm sorry your mother-"

"She wasn't my mother."

"But you just said..."

The confused look that took over her face made his growing anger dissipate. Xan wasn't trying to annoy him; she simply wanted to know. "Ivelda was the woman who bore me. The term 'mother' implies that she gave a shit about me outside of what I could do for her." The surprised look in Xan's eyes gave him an odd sense of comfort. It almost felt as if she cared about him. "If Ivelda gave a shit about anyone, it was only herself."

The shattering statement broke her heart. To see such a strong man struggle to hide his pain and anger... Her heart urged her to reach out to him. "Liam..."

"You should get your stuff upstairs." He didn't wait for her to answer; Liam simply turned on his heel and walked toward the exit. "And make sure Xion takes her pill."

* * * * *

The illusion of starlight illuminated the large cold chamber. Save the billions of tiny bursts of pale gold light and the large symbol on the ground, the windowless room was bare. The deafening silence bounced off the walls, creating an eerie atmosphere that made the hair on the back of one's neck to stand on end. The air began to sizzle and pop as the center of the symbol on the ground, a septagram, slowly illuminated. Soft blue light permeated through the squared center, gradually rising in brightness to create a tall, narrow box of shimmering luminosity. A faint shadow began to fill the box, gradually darkening and dominating the space. Within seconds, flesh materialized and a sharp burst of light filled the room. A strong voice began to chant and old, ancient language that forced the twinkling lights to still in the air and brighten to blinding proportions.

Heat began to dominate the room and the chanting grew in volume. "I am Sherlaine, the chosen. I command ye gates, open." A knife was pulled out of his pocket and with one determined slash, the flesh of his palm was carved open. Sherlaine winced at the sting that came from the wound then nodded in satisfaction as his blood flowed freely. "Payment for passage. I command ye gates, open!" 

A burst of red light shot though the room, enveloping Sherlaine's tense body. Blinding pain invaded every cell, almost breaking his concentration. He continued his ancient chanting, weakening as the dark forces he called on drained him of his blood. Those tiny twinkling lights became unstable and one by one, they charged toward him, creating a swarm of burning energy. Power surged through him, taking more than he was able to give. "OPEN!"

The red light intensified and a fierce gust of wind swept through the chamber. Agonizing pain ripped through Sherlaine, forcing a tortured cry from his lips. All too soon, the room went still and he dropped to his knees as he panted for breath. "Fuck."

"I told you that you weren't powerful enough to do it on your own."

Sherliane glared up at the sinewy figure that stalked toward him. Tall and willowy, the figure seemed to float in her emerald robes. The robes enhanced the moss color of her eyes and contrasted with the silver-blonde hair that flowed to the waist. Smug arrogance contorted delicate, pixie-like features that belied the menacing power inside. "Saveena, now is not the time."

Saveena continued to approach Sherlaine in his weakened state. "I warned you this would happen."

"You did not."

"So I told you that you weren't ready for this simply to hear myself speak."

"Saveena..."

Delicate, long fingered hands rested on an impossibly small waist. "I am no soul-sucking Mordecai demon, Sherlaine." She watched he slowly gained his feet to give a glare as sharp as razor blades. "You must listen when I advise."

"I see no need to listen when there is no reason behind a warning."

"Shall I show you what I witnessed when they denied your request?"

Sherlaine shook his head at the invitation. He was still feeling the effects of living through the ritual. He didn't like failure, but he knew when to shut his mouth and listen. "What, pray tell, do you suggest?"

"It is not impossible to get what you want."

"But?"

Saveena paused for effect before saying, "But your methods push you to failure."

"You have not answered my question."

"Your goal is to open a door, a locked door, is it not?"

"That's a simple way to put it."

With a simple wave of the hand, hundreds of twinkling lights illuminated the room once more. "And what do all locked doors need in order to be opened?"

Sherlaine nodded once in understanding.

* * * * *

The sight that beheld Liam when he walked into the solarium was not one he expected. Xion, fresh from her nap, and happily calm, lay prone on the floor, sketching his brothers and Xan as they conversed. Her long pigtails lay like dark thick ropes on either side of her small body. She was engrossed in shading, he realized; her small hand furiously shot from side to side in a tight formation as she filled the sheet of paper with the charcoal hue. As Liam approached, he saw that she worked on Alexis' likeness as he sat on his chair. Liam looked up at his brother, who steepled his hands beneath his chin; a clear sign that he was extremely interested in what he was being told. Draco took point at his usual spot near the window and stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Euan was present as well, and chose to lie near the unused fireplace in cougar form. His tail thumped lazily against the floor.

Liam saved Xan for last. She sat causally on the settee with one leg crossed over the other -- the most feminine thing he'd ever seen her do since their initial meeting. She had one arm draped over the back and her hand occasionally moved to emphasize a point she made as she spoke. There was a bit of sunlight filtering through the window and it brushed over her skin so gently; she'd never looked so soft, even with the contrast of her short spiky hair. 

And then he focused enough to hear what she was saying.

"Oh man, my first Dymos was sick. I was sixteen and they put me up against a Kitron demon that only had one eye."

A Kitron demon? With short, stout bodies topped with overly large heads to accommodate four saucer-like eyes, they weren't extremely difficult to vanquish. But against once so young, they were deadly.

"How did you defeat him?" Alexis asked.

"Well, at first, I fought him like I'd fight any other pendeho I'd run into in the street, but I was getting some serious ass handed to me." She chuckled as her mind went back to the terror she felt at the fight. She'd been out of her element and the shouts from the on-looking crowd intimidated her. "He got me down on the ground and had me in a sleeper. I was fading fast."

"Was this before or after you learned how to wiggle out of a hold?" Liam asked insolently. Oddly enough, he didn't like the fact that she'd been sharing her stories without him present to hear them.

"Before," Xan answered. She'd been too engrossed in her memories to notice his usual attitude. "So I'm on the ground, stars are floating in my eyes and it's getting black."

"What did you do?" Draco asked excitedly.

"I poked his eye out." There was a long moment of silence as the men took on her confession. Then Draco began to laugh uproariously. "After that, there was nothing left for me to do."

"Damn, I like you," Draco laughed.

"Right back at'cha," Xan replied with a smile.

That simple moment of camaraderie set Liam's blood on fire. "You'd think someone who fights the way you so would know better."

"I was sixteen," Xan said with a hard voice, "I didn't know what I was doing back then. I had sense enough to remember what my mother taught me in the event some jerk tried to rape me."

This was the first time she'd mentioned her mother since they'd met. "What else did she teach you?" Liam asked. He was convinced she'd have something smart to say and oddly enough, the prospect excited him.

"Not much. She died when I was fifteen." Xan glanced over at Xion, who'd stopped sketching at the mention of their mother. Her brown eyes held a sad curiosity as she was nothing but a toddler the fateful day they became orphans.

"How did it happen?" Alexis asked.

Xan wondered if she should retell such a story. As it was, Xion didn't know yet; until now, she didn't know much about the world her sister lived in. But things had changed drastically, and Xion deserved to learn the truth. "She'd just put Xion to bed and I was finishing up a history report for school. There was this loud crash and my mom screamed for me to watch over Xion, who'd started screaming. I ran toward her room and saw my mom fighting this big grayish-yellow demon with huge black horns and bright red eyes. I'd stopped because I'd never seen anything like it before. It had huge, sharp teeth and this thick greenish goo rolling out of the side of its mouth."

"A Laureate demon," Alexis murmured, "They're bred to sense and abduct powerful children to make slaves."

"I didn't learn that until much later," Xan said sadly. She hadn't broken eye contact with Xion, who'd now shifted to a relaxed lotus position. Her sketching had been forgotten.

"What happened next?" Dacro asked.

"I watched them fight. I'd never seen my mother move that fast before. I mean, she was the one who taught me most of what I know, but she was like something out of a kung fu movie. She noticed me standing there and screamed at me to get Xion and run. I ran to Xion's room and picked her up, but my mom forgot that it was a straight drop to the ground from her window. My room had the back porch projection to jump down onto. So we couldn't leave. I ran into the closet and hid with Xi. She always stopped crying when I held her." Xan swallowed the painful lump forming in her throat at the emotions that came with her memories. "Somehow the demon made it into the room and was headed straight for us. She followed it in and they fought like crazy. She had some kind of sword in her hand and she stabbed it in the chest. But it managed to bite her shoulder before it died."

"Laureate saliva is a deadly neurotoxin," Alexis commented.

"As she lay there dying, I brought Xion to her. I kept begging her to get up so that we could go. But she only shook her head and made me promise to remember the stories and protect Xion. She died holding each of our hands."

Liam felt his stomach twist at the despair in Xan's eyes. It was too much for someone that young to take. No wonder she was so hard and unbending. He wanted to reach out and hold her, to take her pain within himself so that she could be free to live her life without worry.

"What stories?" Xion asked. She didn't know how to feel knowing how she'd lost her mother, but she was comforted by the fact that her sister didn't break her promise.

"The stories about where we come from, kid. The stories of the Esmali."

"Will you tell me?"

"We have a library with all the information you want," Alexis invited.

"Can we go now?"

Alexis knew that Xan needed a moment to calm down after that emotional story. He silently stood and held his hand out to Xion, who eagerly took it. Together they headed to the library.

Liam didn't want to admit that he was on the verge of rage; not because of the injustice done to Xan, but because she'd shared her stories about herself with his brothers. No, he didn't care if she bonded with his brothers, but he wanted her to share her life with him first. After all, he'd shared a bit about Ivelda...

Xan looked over at Liam when a warm sensation washed over her. Sure enough, he stared at her with an indecipherable look that burned her to her core. Those silver-blue eyes of his made her stomach quiver and her palms began to sweat at the intensity of his stare. A part of her wanted to go to him while another wanted to run. Sizzling electricity shot through her and she began to throb uncontrollably at the juncture of her thighs. Her heartbeat went insane, threatening to burst through her chest. But she couldn't look away.

"So it's been you and Xion since you were fifteen?" Draco asked.

"What?" Uh, yea," Xan said. She felt her cheeks heat and her tempter flared. Hijo de puta! How did he do this to her? Angry at the effect Liam had on her, she sharply turned her head away. "Us against the world."

"That's how Roman and I felt before we met our brothers," Draco replied, "We'd only had each other from the day we turned twelve until then."

Liam felt rage take over at the unconscious moment of familiarity shared between Xan and his brother. His rage forced him to do the only thing he could think of. "It's no wonder you're such a pain in the ass now. How did your precious Pogue ever tolerate your docile nature?" Liam felt his gut twist at the momentary flash of despair that glittered in her eyes. He'd forgotten that she'd known the pain of the loss of a good friend. He was tempted to take back the remark because she was vulnerable. Heaven knew that he never made things easier for the woman; if anything, he expected her to be even tougher than she already was. It was the only way to survive in his world.




BloodBorne Ch. 04



His world? He meant the paranormal world, didn't he? Of course he did; there was no use in thinking of a future with any woman. Liam had witnessed firsthand what love did to a person; he hadn't seen his heartbroken brother in over year because of it. He wasn't in the mood to have his life complicated by a woman, least of all one like Xan.

"Jesus Christ, you're an asshole!" Xan shot up out of her seat. Just when she thought that the feelings in her stomach when he was near meant something, she was made the fool. She had to stop giving him more chances to redeem himself. She was stupid to think that someone like him was capable of being anything other than a world class prick.

"It's part of my fucking charm. Get used to it."

It was better to let him have the last word because if she reacted now, World War III would begin. With a disgusted shake of the head, Xan stood up and walked out of the room, determined to put as much space as possible between them. She didn't want to explain the redhead's death to Alexis.

Draco watched the exchange in amused surprise and grinned when Xan spouted off a litany of Spanish profanities that should have made him seek the Holy Spirit. She and his hot headed brother knew how to push each other's buttons, that much was obvious. The sparks between them could set rages of fires. Knowing Liam, however, they'd only end up killing each other. Either way, it wasn't his business. He waited until Xan left the room before saying, "Although I never think it's a good idea to piss a woman off, Liam, dude, I encourage you to keep her at a level seven."

"Yeah?"

"Hell yea. She's smoking hot when she's pissed.

Though Draco's usual one-liners annoyed him, Liam had to smile at the comment. The flush that took over her face and the angry glint in her eyes set his loins on fire. Xan was incredibly hot when she was upset.

It was one of the reasons he ticked her off all the time. He was aware of the fact that he would have to make peace with her before Alexis found out about their latest battle. The last thing he needed was another lecture. Liam huffed out a breath before turning on his heel to find her. He figured the walk to whatever room she hid in would calm her down enough to give him room to put them on speaking terms again. Either that or find the artillery chamber. She did have it in her to kill the fuck out of him. Damn, the woman sure had balls.

It didn't take Liam very long to find Xan. The door to her room was left open, an occurrence that only took place when the room was vacant. Since she only knew of two rooms upstairs, he quickly continued on to the home gym, checking the artillery room on his way. The weapons room was thankfully empty, which meant she had to be in the gym. As he suspected, she was there, unsuccessfully venting her frustrations on the punching bag hanging just behind the dumbbell rack. He knew the exact moment she realized he'd walked in; her movements went from practiced and controlled to jerky in unnecessary aggressiveness. Her form also went out of the window and while he was glad that he was able to bring forth such a passionate reaction from her, Liam didn't like that her concentration and form had gone to shit. "You're dropping that left arm too much."

Xan expelled a frustrated breath at Liam's criticism. She was still livid about their latest argument, but that didn't seem to dispel that uncomfortable cramping that formed in her stomach whenever he was around. She hated that he was able to throw her off the way he did. Maybe if he was like Draco, and didn't piss her off every five seconds...

No, that would have made matters worse. To actually like him as a person would make it that much harder to hate his guts when he went out of his way to make her life a living hell. Liam had to be the way he was; that callous, standoffish attitude reminded her to keep her guard up. Not that her guard was doing much of anything; he did almost kiss her not twenty feet from where she stood pummeling the crap out of the punching bag. Worst part; she wanted him to. Badly. Xan forced herself to ignore him, to simply imagine that he was the punching bag and that he was getting the beat down he deserved. She smirked at the thought.

Liam wondered what the hell she was thinking about. A sudden light flickered in her eyes as she went after the punching bag and her form worsened even more. He didn't like that she ignored him. Self control kept him from acting on his childish impulses and so he stood and watched her, admiring the lines of her body as she moved. The way the hem of her shirt rode up to expose the hard yet feminine cords of her abs made him focus on the lower half of her lithe body. Xan half turned and he admired her tight bottom. She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt of that. If only she could manage to keep him from acting like a vindictive twelve-year-old whenever they were in the same room... "You have to keep moving. You'd never stand in one spot when fighting someone, would you?"

Did he have to comment on every little thing she did? Xan paused a moment to glare at him. The casual way Liam leaned against the doorframe irritated her. He looked so... sexy. His eyes moved over the length of her body and she was aware of the fact that he mentally undressed her. A shiver went down her spine. Mierda! She seriously had to get away from him before-

"I think it's time I give you another lesson."

"Go to hell," she retorted as he sauntered into the room. There was something different in the way he walked. His stride wasn't full of purpose or hurry; no, this was the walk of a man who wanted to dominate, to seduce. 

This was not good.

"If you're going to keep fucking up your form, I'm going to keep teaching you until you get it right. You'd actually be a good fighter if you weren't..." He looked her over, searching for the perfect description.

"A chick?" Xan placed her hands on her hips in anger. "You trying to say that women can't be good fighters?" She let out a frustrated growl when he only walked toward the floor mat. He stared at her expectantly and it was obvious that he wasn't going to feed into the argument she was trying to provoke. It was difficult to decide if that annoyed her or flattered her; this was, after all, the first time he wasn't going out of his way to upset her. Against her better judgment, she followed him onto the mat and fought hard to ignore the familiar sensation taking over the lower half of her abdomen. "Ok, Miyagi; what now?"

Liam would have smiled at the comment if he hadn't been distracted by the sudden flush of her skin. He'd never noticed how the tension around her eyes lessened when he unnerved her. It was also a bit of a struggle for her to make eye contact. He liked that; she never had a problem looking his brothers in the eyes, which only meant that he was the only one who affected her. What about the Magori? He'd lived with Xan for years. It was more than possible that they were more than friends. It didn't matter; he was part of her life now, and as long as she lived under his roof, no other man would be more than a friend to her. He would be the only one.

Xan found herself tilting her head in confusion when he suddenly scowled. What the hell was he thinking about? "Are you going to answer my question before I turn sixty?"

His only response was to crouch into a defensive stance. He watched her brow quirk upward a scant second before she rushed forward to attack. Because her fighting style was predictable to him, Liam knew that she would begin with a right hook. It was easy to dodge the move and counter with a light kick to her bottom. Her outraged squeal made him laugh, and he continued to vocalize his amusement when she tried to tackle him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her upside-down, only to protect their fall when she landed a painfully accurate blow to the juncture of his thighs. Liam groaned in pain and frustration, but managed to cushion her fall. Unfortunately for her, they landed in quite the precarious position, with their groins pressed into the others' face. It was a good thing she'd probably made a eunuch out of him; her face already was plastered against a part of his anatomy that created a very awkward situation. He did like having that round and firm bottom of hers pressed against his face though; if only they were both naked...

Xan made quick work of rolling off of Liam. Her first instinct was to punch him in the face for the way they landed, but the way he held his groin told her that she'd inflicted enough pain. Served him right. "I should kick your fucking face in for that."

"You were the one who tried to tackle me. Don't get pissed at me for defending myself, baby."

"Don't call me baby, asshole."

"Oh I love it when you sweet talk me."

Xan paused in shock. Did he actually joke? He knew how to play around? The odd flutter in her stomach made her stand up to create space between them. She liked it better when they were yelling at each other; at least then she knew what to expect. She watched as he rudely rubbed the pain out of his groin and felt her skin heat in reaction. Xan wasn't embarrassed; not by the rubbing anyway. It was the fact that she liked it that mortified her. "Why the hell would you flip me over anyway?"

He knew what she was really asking. As he stood up, Liam shrugged and said, "Seemed like a good idea at the time." The crimson tinge taking over her face told him that she did not approve of his answer. "You retained your last lesson very well. Just work on that left arm."

"Whatever."

"What's wrong with you?"

Like she would ever tell him that the way he was talking to her made her think of impossible things. Why the hell wasn't he arguing with her? "Nothing is wrong with me. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

The tone of her voice alone should have enraged him. Had it been anyone else, he would have been shouting loud enough to wake the dead. But because it was her, he couldn't seem to be anything but pleased. "I like a woman who can keep up with me."

The flutter in her stomach became a full on cramp at the smile that took over his face. This was too much. "Can we get back to fighting? I'm getting bored."

"You sure you can handle any more?"

"From you? Absolutely."

"Oh yea?" Liam grinned.

"Yes. You're not that great of a fighter."

Liam's smile faded at her words. "What?"

"I didn't stutter." Xan turned her back on him as she continued her tirade, "Sure you're one mean son of a bitch and yes, you can throw a good punch, but you're mechanical. Too focused on showing off the fact that you can fight."

"Are you seriously criticizing...?" He was too appalled to continue the question.

The quiet rage in his voice made her sigh in relief. "I've been taking it easy on you from the start." He actually flushed. The redhead standing in front of her turned so red, it was almost comical. The look of betrayal in his eyes made her look away from him. Sure, being criticized was enough to upset anyone, but there was no need to look as if she killed his dog. Guilt slowly crept upon her, and then the need to set things right became overwhelming. "Liam..." There wasn't a chance to say anything. A quick shake of the head was the only response she received before he quietly stormed passed the overly large golden dog seated just inside the doorway and out of the room. She signed in resignation. So this is what it must have felt like whenever she stormed out on him.

Xan dropped down onto the mat and stared up at the ceiling as she replayed the past twenty minutes in her head. Something was seriously wrong with her if she really felt guilty about causing him to storm out of the room. She had to get a grip on herself; she was here for protection and once all threats had been eliminated, she would leave. Her primary focus had to be Xion. Second to that was figuring out where she and her sister would live once this was all over.

The appearance of a large dog's face hovering over hers made Xan laugh. "Is this how you usually say hello?" She watched as the canine features shifted to the perfection of Euan's pale oval face. His amber eyes looked like gold in this light, and the ends of his long golden hair tickled the tip of her nose as he hovered over her. "How much did you see?"

Euan stared at her for a long moment before he spoke. "Liam is different from the rest of us."

"No kidding," she snorted.

"You don't understand." He sat back on his heels when she leaned up and placed her weight on her elbows. "His life wasn't easy before he met us. The things he was taught..."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I was raised to lead and care for those who could not care for themselves. You were raised to protect your sister."

Xan sensed the direction the conversation was headed. "Was he raised to suffer or something?" Euan didn't answer, which only made her think that she was closer to the truth than he wanted her to be. "Well, what is it?"

"Warriors have only one thing to rely on."

It only took a second for her to catch his meaning. "Ah, shit." He nodded in confirmation and she felt her stomach drop in unease. "Fighting is everything to him isn't it?"

"He believes that worth is based on his ability to defend and disarm."

"So when he trained me to fight better..."

"He was telling you that he regards you differently. You mean more to him than you think."

"You mean..." He wasn't really telling her that he liked her, was he? "But he can't really..."

"The better Liam fights, the more worthy of import he is."

"So my saying that I've been taking it easy..."

"Tells him that you find him weak and unworthy of anything you give him."

Mierda... How in the hell was she supposed to fix this? And why in the holy name of God did she think she should? She sat up and ignored the fact that Euan sat before her completely nude. While he was a fine specimen of a man, he didn't arouse her or make her feel crazy things she didn't want to admit to. He reminded her of Pogue, and the easy way they were able to share space without complication. "You mean to tell me that I actually hurt the brute's feelings?"

"You two are too busy trying to one-up each other, that you're forgetting to take it easy."

"Take what easy?" Euan only smiled at her, a reaction that made her suck her teeth in exasperation. "Do any of you men know how to give a straight fucking answer?"

"When we want to."

"Why are you telling me to take it easy, Euan? What does that even mean?"

"It means that you are not simply someone for him to protect. He is not simply someone to protect you."

"You have the wrong idea, buddy." Xan hoped her face didn't flush at his words. Her heart beat furiously, which only told her that his words held truth, whether or not she wanted to admit it. Liam wasn't the type she needed to settle down with. He was too rugged and worn, the wounded animal too wild to trust anyone. He was too much like her. "Listen, I don't know what house you're living in but in this one, the only thing between your brother and me is dislike. Massive amounts of dislike."

"You're sure about that?"

"There is nothing going on, Euan!"

He only nodded at her emphatic denial before saying, "Part of my ability is empathy."

"You mean you can feel what people around you feel."

"People and animals," Euan qualified.

Made sense considering he turned into animals at will. "Ok, so you can feel things normal people can't."

He ignored the veiled insult as he said, "I can feel what you feel, and I felt what went through both of you just now." The flush that took over her cheeks made him nod. She understood where he was headed. "You two can fight as much as you want. Call him all the names you think of."

"Euan..."

He shook his head to silence her. "Treat him as badly as you wish. Lie to yourself if it makes you feel better. At the end of the day, I'll always know exactly what you feel for him."

What the hell was she supposed to say to that? Xan stared at Euan blankly, silently hoping that he would shift back to animal form and leave. This wasn't the type of conversation she was hoping to have. She had to go make amends with Liam now. She had to look him in the eyes knowing that there really was something brewing between them. Well, that didn't mean she had to play into it. This was an easy problem to solve; she simply wouldn't speak to him any more than she had to. Her inconvenient feelings would fade and this conversation would become a distant memory.

Euan kept himself from smiling at the conflicting emotions rolling through Xan. It was apparent that she didn't want to have feelings for his abrasive brother. He didn't blame her; Liam wasn't an easy person to deal with, even on his best days. "You two are more alike than you care to admit."

That didn't help matters, not that she would have said anything. Xan remained silent as she watched Euan shift into an owl before flying out of the room. A part of her wanted to follow him, just so that she could punch him in the face. He was some kind of a sick individual, forcing her to confront the reason behind her reactions when around Liam. She still had to talk to the redheaded bastard, a task that wouldn't be easy now that she was forced to admit to herself that she liked him. "Might as well get it over with," she muttered as she stood up. The sooner she finished this, the sooner she could retreat to her room to think things over.

Xan walked out of the room hesitantly; she was unsure about which way to go, and even less sure of her decision to speak to Liam. Something told her to go left, the complete opposite direction she was familiar with. She followed her instinct; the house wasn't made to harm, which meant that she didn't have to worry about traps. The only trepidation she felt came with the thought of having to face Liam. Xan trudged on though, barely glancing at the décor of the hallway. She did notice that the carpet was blue, as opposed to the opulent red of the main walkway, and the chandeliers were made of sparkling silver. She had to shake her head at the blatant wealth of the men. At least they didn't seem spoiled; on the contrary, each of the brothers she'd encountered seemed level headed and didn't mind that she came from nothing. There was no sign of snobbishness when they addressed her. They did not make her feel inferior.

The sounds of guns blasting off, followed by Liam's very familiar litany of profanities told Xan that she was indeed on the right path to finding him. She walked to the end of the hall and paused at the partially opened door. She looked through the crack and was able to make out three different ball pong machines, as well as a Dance, Dance Revolution console. This was obviously an in-home arcade, no doubt fully equipped with nothing but the best games ever created. There was a shelf filled with board games and based on the flashes of light bouncing on them, there was one hell of a television screen on the other side of the room. Xan toed the door open just enough to slip her head in and found Liam perched on a plush chair in front of a projector screen of movie theater proportions. He was playing some sort of armed forces game, and based on the harsh way he screamed, he was one of many players.

"Jay, what the fuck are you doing?!? You call that shooting! Mother fuck you!!!"

Xan almost laughed at the passionate way he threw his hands up in frustration. He wore a set of headphones, making her unsure of whether or not he could hear her. She took the chance that he couldn't and slowly entered the room.

"Left flank! Left flank! Cover your ass, Jay! What the fuck are you doing in here? No, Jay, I'm not talking to you."

Xan let out a steady breath as she prepared for what was to come. The animosity in Liam's voice was thick and made her heart race. She was nervous, she realized, and she did not like that one bit. "I just wanted to say... I wanted to tell you..."




BloodBorne Ch. 04



"Spit it out already."

"I didn't mean to imply that you're weak or something." She looked down at the highly polished floor as her face flushed. "I'm sorry."

"Yes, you are."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm tagging out of the game guys. Will resume play soon." Liam powered down his game system and switched to a random television channel before addressing Xan's question. "I said you're sorry," he said as he pulled off his headphones.

"You're calling me a sorry individual?"

"Isn't that what I just said?

She placed her hands on her hips as she tried to process the conversation. "I come in here and go out of my fucking way to apologize for being an ass, something you have yet to do, and the only thing you can think to do is insult me?" The last bit of her tirade came out as a shout as her body shook with fury. "You're a real fucking piece of work, did you know that?"

"Are you done yet? You're starting to get on my last nerve."

"Hijo de puta!"

"I never did know anyone who had the power to irritate the shit out of me in less than five minutes. And then I met you." Liam did not turn in his seat, knowing that if he did, she would surely see the apprehension in his gaze. He needed to be alone, to get over the feelings coursing through him when he was around her. Having Xan in his presence only made things worse. "Shouldn't you be off in a corner mourning your precious Magori?"

"You leave Pogue out of this." Her voice dropped to a whisper in her effort to keep from ripping his head off.

"What kind of a person are you anyway, following me around like a little puppy bitch, when the man you've lived with for years just died?" Liam's stomach knotted uncomfortably at the sounds of her harsh breathing. He'd gone too far with that one, farther than she'd gone with her mistaken insult. As much as he wanted to take that back, he couldn't; what was said, was said. He could only wait for the consequences that would come. It was better that she was upset; she'd storm out and leave him to remind himself that his duties came before his wants.

Xan wasn't aware of the tears that streamed down her face until she tasted the salt that seeped in to her mouth from the corner of her lips. "I don't even know why I try. Coming here was a mistake." She turned to leave but stopped at the words that flew out of his mouth.

"Making mistakes is your only true talent in this world."

She stood rooted in place for long moments, disbelief rolling over her in waves. Her hands trembled, her vision began to blur. Xan was positive that she'd burst into flame, she was so livid. A slow perusal of the back end of the room revealed a table covered with various remote controls. She stared at them for a moment, urging herself to calm down before she did something she would regret. Her body seemed to rebel, however; before she could stop herself, she'd walked to the table, picked up one of the remotes and hurled it at the back of his head. She made her mark but his shout of fury wasn't enough to sate her bloodlust; she threw three more at him. The first made contact with the center of his back as he stood up, the second he caught, and the third struck the center of his chest.

"What the fuck?!?" Liam dodged the arsenal of remote controls as he rushed toward her. He ignored the litany of profanities she screamed at him in both English and Spanish and groaned harshly when she landed a right hook to his jaw. The woman was beyond livid and was ready to kill him. The wild look in her eyes indicated that he wasn't getting out of this without a scratch. Liam blocked all of her moves, but it felt as if she'd landed each blow; the rage in her eyes couldn't mask her pain and embarrassment. His gut wrenched at that knowledge that he'd caused that pain. He gasped when she managed to get her thumb into the pressure point just behind his jaw. Shit, she fought dirty. Liam grabbed both of her arms and pinned them behind her, at he same time wedging his legs between hers so that she could not land another blow to his groin. He pressed her against the table, dodging her efforts to bite his face. Waiting for her to calm down was the only option; he was too close to her now to trust that she wouldn't continue her attack.

"Let me go you fucking prick!" Xan struggled against him, enraged at his unbreakable hold on her. She was quickly running out of energy and was already panting for breath. 

"Stop fighting me." He pressed his body against hers, using his weight as an added restraint. Horrible idea; Liam was immediately aware of the pert orbs of her breasts against his chest and the way they pressed against him when she shifted. She was flushed from her struggles, and a fine sheen of sweat covered her exposed skin. His groin began to swell in response and he knew the second she felt it as well; she immediately froze. Liam focused his attention on Xan's wide eyes before moving to her parted lips. She licked her lips nervously, an unconscious move that prompted him to press more of his body onto hers.

Xan was suddenly unsure of how to feel. She still wanted to kill Liam, but at the same time, that damned feeling in the pit of her stomach had returned. It didn't help that his body was pressed so closely to hers and that she could feel the heat of his erection even through their clothing. She shifted back into a half-sitting position on the table, but the move only served to intensify the intimacy of their position. It was a fight to hold still; the way his groin fit against hers made her want to wiggle closer. There was a heat building between her thighs and it made her shiver. He was leaning closer again, his intent clear. The heat intensified and inched upwards until it hummed through every cell of her body. No, she hated him right now. She couldn't be feeling this. He couldn't -- 

Christ, his scent was overwhelmingly intoxicating. Xan couldn't stop herself from leaning closer to inhale more of him. She gasped when he suddenly leaned forward to kiss her; his lips were hot and demanding, slanting over hers again and again. Shock kept her from pushing him away, and all too soon, she became too consumed in the sensations coursing through her to care about anything else. She kissed Liam back, moaning as his tongue invaded her mouth. His fingers dug into her hips and it was then that she realized that he'd freed her hands. Instead of pushing him away, she pulled him closer, slowly sliding her hands upward from his strong back to the nape of his neck where she fisted her fingers in his hair. She couldn't stop herself from sucking on his tongue or moving her chest against his when her breasts began to ache.

Liam groaned at the raw passion emanating off of Xan. Her body trembled against his. He liked that. He liked the way she tasted even more; sweet like honey, but tart and incredibly addicting. Her tongue moved against his sensuously, and he couldn't stop himself from moving his hands from her hips to underneath her shirt. Her nipples were hard beneath her sports bra. She shivered when he brushed the pads of his thumbs against them. Liam groaned again when her hips instinctively rolled forward and rubbed against his encased member. He couldn't stop himself from slipping a hand into her pants. It was easy to find the source of her heat and at the first touch of her sweet nectar coating his fingers, he lost all control.

Xan gasped in pleasure at the sweet friction his fingers created. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck, kissing a blazing trail of passion over her skin. She moved with him and against him, falling into the intensity of his touch. He increased the pressure of his ministrations; she tightened her hold on his hair in response. "Ah, Jesus."

He said nothing, only moved his fingers faster over her. Xan's moans and whimpers made him ache and throb with renewed desire, and it wasn't long before he moved his hips against hers. He'd long stopped his exploration of her nipples and moved his unoccupied hand to the fastenings of her pants. It only took moments for him to get them undone, and he quickly dug his fingers into the waistband to pull them down.

"Wait, wait." Xan tensed as he tugged on her clothing. This was getting too heavy. She pushed him away and was glad that he did not go against her wishes. He deliberately dragged his fingers away from her core, stealing a moan from her. The fire in her loins throbbed when he stared at her as he licked his fingers clean. "Dios..."

Liam smiled at the way she panted and fought for breath. Their adverse feelings forgotten, he took a step back and watched her refasten her pants. "Why'd you stop me?"

"Because I hate you."

"You have a very interesting way of showing it."

Interesting indeed. Xan moved away from the table as she said, "That was not smart. It won't happen again."

"You sure about that?" Liam was sure that if he touched her again, there wouldn't be any stopping anything that happened between them.

She didn't like the smirk on his face. Xan knew that it meant that he didn't take her words seriously. She also knew that he knew that she was putty in his hands. "Yes, I'm sure. It won't be happening again."

Liam smiled at the boast. "We'll see."

"We'll see? We'll see?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You know what? It'll be a cold day in hell before you touch me again."

Liam grunted in response as he considered the desperation behind her words. Was she terrified of the way he acted or the way she responded? Neither answer mattered; he knew what he wanted, and he wasn't going to stop until he got it. He'd worry about their constant fighting later. "I'll be sure to bring my parka."



BloodBorne Ch. 05



Liam was still smiling as he walked toward the kitchen. The mix of bewilderment and rage that contorted Xan's face after their interlude was one that he was sure to remember. After his last comment to her, she only pushed him away before walking out of the room. When he thought about it, Liam should have called her retreat a run; she was out of the room in less than ten seconds, tugging on the hem of her shirt on the way. It was then that they both realized that the door was wide open; any of his brothers could have walked by and saw the end result of their clashing personalities. Liam didn't care, but he knew that Xan would have been mortified; he wasn't sure if he should have been pleased or upset by that.

He had no idea what was going on between him and the fiery woman; as it was, he was barely doing any work in solving the problem that was Sherlaine. That only meant that his brothers took on more responsibility in their search for answers. Part of him didn't care; Liam was curious about the progression of his odd relationship with Xan. When he wasn't busy hating the ground she walked on and letting her know it, he wanted to know her. He wondered what her life was like and how she managed to keep herself together after all that had happened to her. He wanted her to confide in him, to depend on him above all others. He wanted her to forget about the Magori; he didn't know the dynamics of their relationship, but that didn't stop him from feeling as if he was competing with a ghost. Once Liam succeeded, then he would consider the deeper meaning of his attraction to her.

Liam rounded a corner and grunted when the lower half of his body knocked into something. It took him only seconds to realize that he'd run into Xion, and by the harsh flush that took over her tear-streaked face, he knew why. As he crouched, he dodged a panicked fist that flew toward his face and pulled the child to him in a tight hug. He remembered reading that pressure on the body helped autistic children when they had panic attacks and figured the method would work on Xion as well. "Listen to my voice, Xion," he soothed. Liam tightened his hold on her and managed to reach around to massage her ear the way he'd observed Xan in the workout room. Xion shook uncontrollably in his arms as she continued to fight his hold. She repeatedly cried out for her sister and pushed as his chest, but Liam held fast, rubbing her back until she began to relax. It felt as if hours passed before she began to take deeper breaths. "That's it, just breathe. It's all right; I'm here."

Xion felt awkward being engulfed in Liam's arms, but the heat of his body soothed her. She wished Xan was here, but that didn't negate the fact that he did a very good job at calming her down. The way he rubbed her back was a bit painful, but it was still worked in making her feel better. "Where is Xan?"

He wasn't about to tell a nine-year-old that her sister was probably off taking a cold shower because he made her hot enough to combust. "She's somewhere in the house. All better now?" Liam gave her a pat on the back when she slowly nodded. Her tiny body continued to tremble, but she was able to stand on her own without leaning into him. "I'll take you back to your room." Before she could say anything, he swept her up into his arms and carried her back to the room she shared with Xan. Her sister wasn't in there, which he figured since Xion ran passed the room in the search for her sister. He placed her on the bed and sat down on the edge, as he was unsure of the intelligence of leaving her on her own. "Did you forget to take your medication again?"

"No, I took it this morning."

Of course she did; Xan would have made sure of it. "Maybe you just need a few more days before it really starts to work." Xion only shrugged, which successfully made him uncomfortable unable to think of anything adult to say. "What's it like?"

"When I get scared?"

If that was what she wanted to call it. "Yes. What happens?"

Xion stared off into space for a few minutes before she spoke. "I get dizzy and I don't feel good."

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like I'm going to throw up and my skin feels strange." She paused for a moment, searching for the right description of her symptoms. "Like when your foot is waking up when you sit the wrong way."

"A tingly feeling."

Xan nodded before she continued. "And then I see them."

"See who?"

"I don't know."

Liam expected her to go on explaining her experience, but Xion remained silent and focused her attention on the far wall. "Talk to me, Xion."

"I don't know what I see. Sometimes different places. Dark places that scare me. Sometimes I see things. Demons I think."

"How do you know they are demons?"

"Xan doesn't know that I could hear her and Pogue talking some nights."

So it was entirely possible that deep-seeded fear of her sister's extracurricular activities was the root of Xion's panic disorder. It made sense; the child was too young to be exposed to the life they lived. While Liam was tempted to become enraged on the child's behalf, he couldn't completely blame Xan. She was doing what she could to provide for her sister and when living in a time where jobs were hard to come by for people lacking an education, she had to take any opportunity available to make money. Liam made a mental note to talk to Xan before the day was out. That was if he saw her, anyway; she might avoid him until the end of the week. "When I was your age, I used to have bad dreams all the time."

"What kind of bad dreams?"

"I used to see scary things too. I used to try to stay awake all night so that I wouldn't have to be scared in the dark."

There was something in the way he spoke that prompted Xion to listen closely to what he said. It didn't help that it was hard to believe that someone like him could be afraid of anything. "You had nightmares?"

"Oh yea," Liam replied with a far off smile, "Sometimes I would wake up so scared that I would hide under the bed." Not because of bad dreams, but that wasn't something the kid needed to know.

"How did you make it stop?"

"It took a long time, but I learned that the scary things I saw couldn't hurt me when I pretended I was somewhere else."

At that Xion sat up. "Where?"

"Anywhere," Liam answered with a simple shrug. "Someplace far away where I was safe and didn't have to worry about scary things."

"Like the park?"

Not quite. "Something like that. After a while, I didn't get scared anymore."

"Because you went to your happy place."

"Because I went to my happy place." He ran a hand over the back of her head in a show of comfort as he said, "It takes a lot of practice, but once you think of where you want to go and what it would be like, you can chase those bad visions away."

"I'm going to start right now." Xion closed her eyes and thought hard of the one place that made her happy. Greenery emerged in her mind's eye and soon an empty meadow became filled with climbing structures, swing sets and club houses for her to play in.  

Liam sighed at the concentration that contorted Xion's face. She was so focused on her thoughts that she did not realize that she'd grabbed his hand in a near death grip. The simple show of her lack of physical comfort tore at his heart and yet again, he couldn't decide if he wanted to pity or hate her sister for her lax judgment of Xion's needs. Xan's responsibilities for Xion's physical being continued to conflict with the child's need for emotional nurturing, which no doubt resulted in her random fits of mental instability. Changes would have to be made in both of their lives and those changes needed to start now.

Liam hadn't realized that he'd lost himself in his mind until Xion poked his shoulder with her tiny finger. "Were you thinking about your happy place too?"

"Not really. I'm not the one who was scared."

Xion nodded quietly. "Will you take me to the library?"

"Alexis didn't show you how to get there?"

"He did, but he doesn't talk very much."

Liam allowed himself to smile at the half insult. "No, he doesn't."

"Well, I was reading those books he told me about and every time I asked him to explain something to me, he wouldn't tell me anything."

Which probably meant that the information was either too advanced for Xion's young years or had to be interpreted by her when the time was right. "And you think that I can help you?"

"You tell the truth, even if it's not so nice all the time."

A child who knew how to hit a nail on the head. "You're more observant than I realized."

Xion only smiled as she said, "Draco lied when he said you're a mean mother-" she stopped when Liam placed a large hand over her mouth.

"Mind your language," Liam admonished. Finally, he understood Xan's command to censor himself when she was around. Xion was a quiet child, but she learned by watching. He had to have a serious talk with his brother later on. "You sure you're better?" At her nod, he stood up and held a hand out to her. "Let's see what we can find in the library."

* * * * *

Sherlaine writhed on the ground as the consequences of his latest attempt at portal opening failed. As he lay on the ground gasping for breath he cursed himself. The pain was more unbearable than the first time he tried to open the portal door. He was weakened far more than he would have liked; had any of his enemies come upon him now, he would have had to endure the pain that came with rebirth. As much as this currently sucked, he preferred it to rebirth. "Saveena," he gasped.

Saveena's tall, sinewy figure misted into the room, holding a silver chalice encrusted with emeralds. She swirled the cup in her elegant hand slowly and walked forward to stand in front of Sherlaine's decrepit form. "Listening doesn't seem to be one of your strong suits."

"Saveena, now is not the time."

"When is the time?" She crouched in front of him and pulled his head up to look at her. As she tipped the contents of the chalice into his mouth, she slowly shook her head. "I told you that you were not powerful enough to do this on your own. You need a key."

He waited until he'd downed the contents of the chalice before he spoke. "I thought I found one. A Garreon demon."

"I thought the High Council captured them all."

"There were some that went into hiding when the learned that they were to be cross-bred with vampires." Sherlaine slowly sat up to test his strength before standing up. He was still dizzy and didn't trust walking yet, but he would be damned if he allowed himself to remain on his back in front of Saveena. "I thought their abilities of time-jumping would help."

Saveena thought his words over for a long moment before she spoke. "You had the right idea, but as you can see, you were wrong."

"Why do I suddenly think you've known the answer to this problem of mine from the beginning?

"Because I have." She smiled slowly at the dangerous flash that brightened his blue eyes. "I am here to advise you, Sherlaine. Therefore I cannot give you the answers."

"So you'll stand back and watch me fail again and again?"

"No, I will advise you and when you refuse to listen to me and fail, I shall remind you why it is you should listen to me when I speak."

She was one lucky demon; had he been at full strength, he would have wasted no time getting what he wanted before he killed her. But Sherlaine was a practical man; if she wanted to play games, he would allow it. For now. "So advise me, great Saveena. What did I do wrong?"

"You are looking to open a door to another realm."

"Yes, we have gone over this repeatedly."

She fixed him with a look as she raised a hand for silence. This was the problem with dealing with upper-level demons; they all thought they could do everything on their own. "I told you that you needed a key to open this door and to my surprise, you found one that could have worked."

"Obviously-"

"If only you bothered to remember that you are looking to jump through realms and not through time. You found a key, Sherlaine, but you found the wrong one."

At the new information, Sherlaine teleported them out of the ritual chamber and into a medieval sitting room that had a blazing fire in the hearth. They were seated on plush velvet chairs that faced each other with two wine glasses filled with fresh blood hovering in front of them. "Enlighten me," he commanded.

"You must think of portal realms as hotel rooms." Saveena paused to take a drink from her goblet before she continued. "Each room has a different lock, and thus, a different key."

"So I'm to track down and try every potential key until I find the right one?"

"Not necessarily."

To say that he was aggravated with the direction of the conversation was an understatement. "Saveena, what should this hotel room key analogy mean to me then?"

"Absolutely nothing if you manage to get your hands on a master key."

Finally, a bit of information he could use. "There is one powerful enough to open any portal?" Saveena nodded slowly, which prompted him to move to sit on the edge of his seat. "How do I find it?"

"You've already found it, Sherlaine. You simply need to acquire it."

Sherlaine sat back as he let her words sink in. He'd found what he was looking for, but The Brethren had stepped in and ruined everything as they usually did. It was time he stopped looking for alternate options. He had to get his hands on the key.

But he had to get rid of those annoying brothers first.

* * * * *

"Xion, you're spilling." Xan watched as her sister moved quickly to center the sieve she held over the large glass bowl as she prepared the gazpacho they would have for dinner. While it was customary for her to sit and watch while dinner was prepared, Xion felt the need to help. Xan figured it had something to do with the panic attack she had earlier. Her sister was having a lot of them these days, even with the medication pumping through her system. Whether it was the stress of their current situation or the change of environment, one thing was clear; they needed to solve this problem of theirs before things got any worse. "Use the spoon to help the soup go through the sieve faster." 

Cooking seemed to help calm her sister down, Xan was happy to observe. Xion concentrated on her task, but she did find the time to tell her about the information she'd learned about their ancestry. Apparently they were the descendants of human/demon hybrids, bred specifically for strength and agility. Women were preferred as they were able to bring high levels of intuition into their duties. Men, while strong, had a tendency to become overly volatile and impetuous - traits that eventually forced the elders of the Esmali to send male children to foreign lands, lands dominated by men. These male descendants, who named themselves Spartans, used their abilities to gain the power and respect they were stripped of when they were cast out of the Esmali. Male and female Esmali converged for only three reasons; to visit their female family members, to breed with non-familial Esmali, and to retrieve all male children produced during breeding. 

As generations progressed, genetics came into play; while there were many Esmali who carried the desired traits of their specific job descriptions, there were few who were born with average human strength and agility. While these few were not cast out of their homes (as the Esmali were hesitant to abandon their females), they were never selected to partake in the activities of the supernatural world. As time went on, these "normal" descendants took it upon themselves to create a society that allowed them the use of their training without the burden of their human strength. This new society focused on cunning and the ideals of familial loyalty. They did not cast out their male children, and did not keep them from the privileges of their lineage. These human women, who took on the title of Amazon, were quick to become one of the fiercest clans to ever exist.

Heavy family tree. Xan wasn't sure which bit of the story was most unbelievable; that she was the descendant of demons, or that she was a distant cousin of Amazons and Spartans. No wonder she was addicted to the movie 300. Sure, then men were ridiculously hot, and the movie was a wild distortion of the actual story, but she'd always been fascinated by the Spartan way of life. "What else did you learn about our history?" she asked when Xion became too quiet.

"There is more than one kind of Esmali," Xion replied as she stirred the Gaspacho in the bowl. She set the sieve in the sink and grabbed a knife from one of the drawers to cut the bread left on the counter. 

"How many kinds?"

"Lots. Some protect regular people and some protect other demons." Xion frowned when her sister plucked the knife from her hands. "I can cut the bread."

"I know you can kid, but you're still shaky from your last panic attack."

Xion shuddered at the memory of the frightening images that overloaded her senses. "Some of them protected treasure or really powerful weapons. I can't remember the real name for it but I think that one is you."

Xan paused in her task of cutting the bread and half turned to glance at her sister. "You think I'm supposed to protect treasure?"

"Or a really powerful weapon," Xion stated on a nod. She walked over to the stove where Xan had left the Paella she'd been preparing. As she plucked a bit of green pepper off of the paella, she asked, "Where do they get all this stuff?"

"I guess they had the young ones of the newest generations memorize the stories before a really smart person decided to start writing everything down."

Xion laughed as she said, "No! Where do Liam and Alexis and Draco get all of this stuff?"

"You mean the food?"

"And the pots and pans and stuff."

"Well, kid, when you have a lot of money, I guess you can get whatever you want, even if you don't need it sometimes."

"And leave it to sit around."

"I guess so." Xan remained quiet as she deftly halved each of the bread slices. She wouldn't show it, but it hurt her to see her sister in such awe of simple things. The way she looked at the shining silver pots hanging from the rack above the center island almost made her regret her financial decisions. Dymos' were a lucrative business, especially for winners. Xan and Pogue decided early on to only bet what they could afford to lose, which meant that at the end of each fight they rigged, they were looking at an easy thirty thousand reward. But that was slashed ten percent because of the betting fee created by the host of the fights. Cost was further slashed in half after their shares were divvied out. After that came budgeting the costs of living plus expenses of Xion's medications and doctor visits. Not to mention the very expensive private school she was enrolled in to ensure a safe, normal and successful future. Add in the money used to keep social workers from taking Xion from her, and there wasn't much left to put into the bank account Xan created to ensure Xion's financial independence. 

Shiny pots and pans were out of the question.

Well not really, considering she and Pogue left everything to each other in the event one of them died. All of his worldly possessions were now hers and Xion's, which meant that the balance of his bank account would be transferred to Xion's account, sans the annual cost of living on their own. Xan was also going to need to figure out how the hell she would make money from now on. Either she started training hardcore to ensure victory at the demon fights she participated in, or she find someone else to cheat with. Life would become a lot easier once Xion was in college. "Turn the burner off before the paella burns."

Xion complied with the request before moving to slather garlic oil over the bread halves. "Xan, do you think about mommy?"




BloodBorne Ch. 05



Xan hid her surprise at the question. "All the time, kid."

"I wish I could remember her."

What the hell was she supposed to say to that? "She loved you very much. Remember, she died protecting us."

"How come you don't really talk about her?"

Xan had to think about that for a second. She did miss their mother dearly and thought about her every day, but it never occurred to her to mention her. The pain of her death was still fresh; she could still smell the Laureate blood. "I guess I just didn't want to deal with the tough questions."

"Like what?"

"Like what happened the night she died."

"But I know that now."

"Yes, you do."

"So maybe you could tell me about the good stuff."

"You got it." Xan smiled at the victorious gleam in her sister's eyes as she gave the paella one last stir. She watched Xion place the bread halves into the oven before turning to watch Alexis, Liam and Draco walk into the kitchen. It was amazing how the three men could be related. Draco had a bit of a jovial bounce to his stride; it almost seemed as if he would start skipping at any moment. Alexis on the other hand; his gait was strong and purposeful. This one didn't make a move unless he had a reason. Xan should have figured that by now; the man only spoke when he had a question or something to say. 

She took her time shifting her gaze to Liam. Her insides were still churning from their moment in the game room. He looked as if absolutely nothing happened. Same annoying scowl, same arrogant air around. Except... His walk was different. He'd gone from elephant stomps to a slower, easy gait. His body held an arousing fluidity to it's movements that made her mouth water. Shit, she still wanted him.

"Something smells awfully good," Draco remarked. He moved to pick at the paella but only laughed merrily when Xan swatted his hand away. "Oh come on, just a taste."

"You can taste it when it's on your own plate." Xan accepted the dished Xion handed to her before placing them in front of the seats docked at the island. She waited for the men to sit down and watched as her sister placed soup bowls on top of their plates. "Do you want to serve the Gazpacho?" Xion's answer was to lift the large bowl she'd prepared before serving everyone. Xan smiled at the scene in front of her as she sat down; she may not have known much about the men of this particular family, but she knew acceptance when she saw it.

The meal would have been perfect had it not been for the fact that Alexis continued to stare at her arm. While Xan knew that the man was fascinated by the marks, she found it odd that he concentrated on them and not the person who wore them. It wasn't as if she purposely had them tattooed on; the morning after her mother died, the marks began to appear and darken until they'd taken over her entire arm. "You did good, kid," she said. Xion beamed at the praise as she struggled to pull her chair closer to the center island. Liam came to her aid; he used his foot to shove the chair forward, never pausing in his motions to eat. The bulk of the meal was silent, which didn't seem to bother anyone except for Draco who'd explained that he was unused to having a meal without his twin.

"So Xion and I have been here for quite a while and have yet to hear anything about how this situation we're in is going to be handled."

"We thought it would have been easier to find Sherlaine," Draco replied, "It seems that our favorite un-killable demon has learned a few of our tracking tricks. He doesn't even have minions we can beat the answers out of. What kind of big bad doesn't have minions?"

Xan almost smiled at the outburst. "So what do we do? Xi and I can't stay here forever."

"Like we'd be stupid enough to keep you that long," Liam grumbled. He was in pain. The very sight of Xan made him ache with need. His jeans were suddenly too tight. There was only one cure for this sudden bout of algia, and he didn't think his brothers would appreciate his throwing her down on the island and-

"Don't start," Xan warned. "I didn't ask for any of this so stop acting like it's my fault."

"Why don't we all take a step back-"

Xan interrupted Draco's attempt at peacekeeping by saying, "If I could, I'd track down this Sherlaine character and find a way to get rid of him myself."

"Sorry sweetpea, but Sherlaine belongs to me."

At the declaration, everyone in the room turned toward the back entrance that led to the garage to find an impossibly large demon with dark blue and black stripes covering the expanse of its skin. Dark eyes bore into everyone in the room and narrowed suspiciously when Xion emitted a blood-curdling scream only seconds before bolting out of the room. 

"For fuck's sake!" Liam roared as he stood up. He only had a second to reach out and restrain Xan as she moved to attack the demon standing in the kitchen with an incredibly bored look on its face. "He's not a threat."

"The fuck he is!" Xan shouted. She moved to attack again but this time was stopped by Liam and Draco. "I will fight the both of you to get to it."

"Maybe you should have come in wearing your human face." Alexis commented. "The child has panic disorder, brought on by her exposure to demons."

"Hell."

Xan watched in amazement as the demon instantly shimmered out of the room. She turned to the men who all seemed uncaring about the fact that there was an evil being in the house. "Well it's no fucking wonder you sons of bitches can't find this Sherlaine character. You're too busy letting demons in and out of this place."

"He's our brother," Draco explained.

At that Xan had to sit down. "What?"

"Big Daddy Royce got it on with a demon and out popped Drae."

"Big Daddy Royce?"

"It's what I call our father," Draco replied. "Twelve kids from eleven different women. He was a pimp."

"Twelve that we know of," Liam cut in. "How would we know if there aren't any other bastards walking around?"

"The Council would have sent them here. They are the ones who started this whole thing, you know."

"I'm not usually one to step in a sibling squabble, but what in the fuck are you talking about?" Xan asked.

"You know the High Council?" Draco asked her.

"Yeah. The four beings that are the end-all-be-all."

"Ok, well there used to be five of them. Our father, Roycelyn, was one of them until he came up with the bright idea to create an army. So he comes down to earth, knocks up ten women and nine months later, my brothers and I pop out."

"But that only counts as eleven," Xan murmured.

"The old man wasn't only into human women," Liam answered, "He knocked up a demon princess and out popped Andrae. The rest of the Council found out that he mixed the bloodline instead of only thinning it out and they banished him. Left the rest of us to pay for his mistakes."

"And here I thought my family had issues."

Draco smiled at the remark before he said, "Moral of the story; D.'s cool. He's probably talking to your sister right now." He turned to Alexis and said, "One hell of a homecoming."

"What does that mean?" Xan asked.

"He hasn't been home in almost two years," Draco said.

"Why?"

"He lost the person he loved most in this world," Alexis answered.

"Heavy stuff."

"You haven't even heard the half of it," Draco murmured.

Just then Xion and Drae walked into the room hand-in-hand, as if they'd known each other for years. Xan was shocked; the man who'd walked into the room looked nothing like a demon; he was still ridiculously large but his toffee colored skin looked very soft; almost like a newborn's. His square-shaped face was nothing but sharp angles that were emphasized by his thick, dark eyebrows and black eyes. His nose was not overly large, but it was slightly crooked, an obvious sign of a break sometime in his past. This man was also bald, but it looked good on him. This was the second time Xan had ever found a demon attractive. Andrae placed Xion on the seat she'd abandoned before slapping hands with his brothers. "So what's this about Sherlaine?"

"He's up to his old tricks," Draco replied.

"Is that why the Limani's here?"

"Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter?" Drae asked. "Limani: the elite branch of the Esmali utilized to protect powerful items and weapons from those who would abuse them."

"See Xan, I told you!" Xion exclaimed happily. She turned to Drae as she said, "I read about that in the history books Alexis showed me, Andrae."

"And Poindexter didn't think it was important to tell you that?" Andrae asked as he stared at his silent brother. "Still up to the same shit, I see."

"Is that why you're always staring at my arm?" Xan asked.

Alexis only shrugged.

Xan turned to Andrae as she asked, "What else can you tell me about these Luminati?"

"Limani," Andrae emphasized the name to help her remember the correct title, "are pretty bad ass hybrids. All of the Esmali are, considering they are my distant cousins."

"WHAT?"

Andrae ignored Xan's outburst as he said, "The history books tell you that you're part demon. What they don't tell you is that you are part Belial demon. I am half Belial and since there has been a lot of interbreeding within the clan, you and I are cousins. Very distant, but cousins nonetheless."

"Wow," Xion whispered.

"How long are you here?" Alexis asked Andrae.

"I thought to come here to get my blade back, but it seems that I have a reason to stay a little while longer."

"You're OK staying here?" Draco asked. He knew that his brother had a hard time being near anything that reminded him of Nadia. The majority of her clothes had been given away, but there were still personal items littered throughout the house and in his room. Staying here would not be easy.

"I'll deal," was Andrae's only reply. "So Sherlaine. Since the Limani-"

"The Limani's name is Xan," Liam interrupted.

Xan watched as the two men stared at each other for long moments having what could only be perceived as a conversation with their eyes. Neither man blinked, but it was obvious that they were communicating something extremely serious.

Andrae was the first to break the silence. "Just don't make the same mistakes I did."

"I won't," Liam assured, "its done when this is done."

Andrae only nodded before getting back to the subject at hand. "As I was saying; since Xan is here, I'm going to guess that she has something very powerful that Sherliane wants."

"Yes. He ransacked her home trying to find it, "Alexis answered.

"Any luck tracking him?"

"He seems to have our moves figured out," Draco said with a disappointed shake of his head.

"And let me guess; you have no intention of pulling him out of hiding?"

"They're too young," Alexis said.

"Of course they are," Andrae said as he rolled his eyes heavenward.

"Xi, let's go upstairs and get you washed up."

"But the dishes..."

Xan looked over to Liam who began to shake his head, but stopped at the pleading look in her eyes. "All right fine; I'll clean the fucking dishes."

"How many times..." Xan stopped herself from getting to another argument in front of Liam's family. She walked Xion out of the kitchen and toward their room.

"I'm surprised you haven't had sex with her yet," Andrae commented. 

"Now is not the time for this," Alexis admonished.

"Kind of hard to ignore since I can smell the desire pooling of him," Andraw replied.

"I really fucking hate that you can smell emotions," Liam muttered. He knew his face was flushing. He could feel it.

"She wants to have sex with you too."

"Andrae..." Liam warned.

"It's obvious that wanting her is fucking with your ability to find Sherlaine Get in, get off, and get yourself back in the game."

For the first time in his life, Liam had no idea how to react to his brother's attitude.

"I'm not saying you should use Xan as bait per se. Take her someplace accessible to demons but at the same time can be controlled by us. I'll get Sherlaine's scent and I'll be able to track him wherever he goes. The Blade of Abraxis will be in his heart by the end of the week."

"It's not a sound plan," Alexis said.

"But it's the only one we've got."

* * * * *

At nearly four in the morning, the last place Liam expected to find Xan was on the dining room terrace that overlooked the garden. Her forearms were braced on the metal railing and her head was tilted upward as she looked at the stars. He couldn't stop himself from staring at the line of her body, at the long delicate neck covered with soft supple skin, or the tank top that should have looked overly masculine on her considering they were made for men. Her legs were crossed casually and the angle of her stance forced her to contract her body inward in order to brace her back on the railing. Though her face was partially cast in shadow, she was a vision.

"You going to stand there all night and stare at me or are you going to say something?"

He almost smiled at her acerbic tone. Liam walked onto the balcony and mimicked her stance, facing the garden instead of the house. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Same as you, it seems." Adrenaline was pumping through her veins. The second she felt his presence, every muscle in Xan's body tensed and readied for what was to come. Her senses kicked into overdrive; his subtle scent inflamed her and the very innocent brush of his arm against hers sent her libido into overdrive. She wanted to mold her body into his, to melt into him. She didn't even care that she hated him most of the time; to have his hands all over her body seemed the only thing in the world she could think of. To distract herself, she lowered her head just enough to stare into the dining room. Her vantage point gave her a sufficient view of the way the white trimmings and ceilings accented the red walls. There was a large mahogany dining table resting over a large Asian rug and above it hung an iron chandelier that looked to have actual candles in it. The silver displayed in the curio cabinet gleamed in the moonlight and actually shot small balls of light over the liquor on the opposite cabinet. Paintings decorated the walls, but Xan wasn't sure what they were of; most likely something from the renaissance era worth millions of dollars.

Oh, to be rich.

"Is this where you always come when you can't sleep?"

Liam focused his attention on the rose bushes that lined the perimeter of the garden as he said, "does it matter?"

She wanted to say yes, but as there was no reason behind that answer other than the fact that his presence set her blood to a boil, she remained silent. "It's funny how the things you expect to remain constant in life are the very things that always change." She glanced at his profile and the gentle way the faint breeze brushed over his short hair. It took every ounce of self control to keep from throwing him on the ground and ravaging him. "If some random stranger came up to me two weeks ago and said that Pogue would be dead now, or even that I might be dead next week because some demon wants something I didn't even know I had until now, I would have laughed in his face. After I punched it, anyway."

"Does everything always have to be violence and anger with you?"

If it wasn't for the quiet and introspective tone to his voice, Xan would have gone into a rage. But there was something in his question that immediately alerted her to the fact that he wasn't directing it to just her. "I'm going to have to throw that question back at you, Captain Belligerent." He only smiled at her comment as he continued to stare out at the garden. For a moment, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she realized that something was wrong. Or perhaps he was waiting for her to answer the question. "It's easier to be this way. People don't fuck with a person they think won't hesitate to kick their ass."

A mentality he knew quite well. Where Liam came from, being tough wasn't enough. People had to have fear put in their hearts for a person to gain respect. The only way to do that... "You know, I wasn't always so much of an asshole. There was a time in my life where I actually got along with people. Well, certain people anyway."

"What was her name?"

Liam looked over at Xan and felt his chest constrict at the tender look in her eyes. She'd never looked at him like this before. It was as if she saw the little boy hiding behind the enraged man. No one, not even Nadia, had ever been able to see so deeply into him. "You're sure it was a woman?"

"It's always a woman's fault. She breaks your heart and scars you for life or something like that. At least that's what I hear."

"In this case, what you've heard is only half right." He couldn't bear to look at her as memories that tormented him for centuries dominated his mind. "I didn't have an easy childhood. I don't think there is a hell out there that's worse than what I've had to live through. The things Ivelda forced me to do..." Liam's stomach contracted painfully as the past he fought to suppress ignited within him.

Xan felt her hands shake in fury on his behalf. "You mean she..." She couldn't even finish the question. She didn't think she was ready for the answer.

"No, Ivelda was never kind enough to whore me out. Being forced into child prostitution would have been a wonderful vacation from the life I lead." He took a deep breath to calm himself. Nausea was threatening to double him over and he was sure that Xan would never look at him the same after this. While he knew that there was no reason to exercise such candor, he didn't want to stop. Liam had never spoken to anyone about his past; what his brothers knew they'd learned through research. And even then, it was never the whole truth. "I won't go into details but I didn't have the balls to leave until I was fifteen and it took me two weeks to realize that if I didn't want to starve to death, I would have to keep doing the very thing that made me run away in the first place."

"Liam, what did she-"

"I am a prime example of nature winning out over nurture. My past is why I'm the asshole who gets off on making everyone else's life a living hell." He ventured a glance at her and felt relief wash over him at the concerned look in her eyes. There was no pity, only the kind gaze of someone who wanted to listen to what he had to say. "You are a product of nurture. You're mother loved you enough to die for you. I understand how you want to look in public, but I've seen you with your sister. I'm looking at you right now. Don't pretend. Not with me."

The weight of his words nearly knocked her off her feet. She wasn't sure if he was asking her to be herself or to see past the mask he refused to remove. Either way, he was asking for something deeper. Something real. He was asking her to accept the difficult truths in her life. Xan wasn't sure how to react to this; there was no denying the magnetism that seduced her. But was physical. Chemical. It was only attraction. 

So why did she want more than a physical connection? Why did she suddenly crave more?

She looked down at their hands when she felt his thumb brush over her fingertips. A gentle hum rippled through her body. She closed her as she let it tingle with in her. "What's your angle, Liam? Why are you suddenly Mr. Sensitive and not picking a fight with me?"

He took his time answering, choosing to run his hand over the length of her arm before gently cupping her neck. Liam ran his thumb over the erratic pulse that made him smile. He wished he had the power to freeze time; there was an ominous feeling that someone would walk in and interrupt them at any moment. As it was, their time was limited; this would be over once Sherlaine was permanently dead. Every moment counted. "As much as I enjoy pissing you off, maybe I wanted you to see that I'm not so bad."

Mission accomplished. "Why?"




BloodBorne Ch. 05



While he did enjoy the tender moment they shared, Liam couldn't resist the temptation. "Something tells me that it would be more enjoyable all around if we weren't threatening each other."

"What would be more enjoyable?"

"Sex."

It took a moment for his words to sink in, but once they did, rage washed over Xan like a bucket of ice water. "Are you fucking kidding me?!?" She shoved him backward and advanced. "You said all that stuff to get me into bed? All that shit was a fucking line?"

"Not all of it." He dodged the fist aimed for his face as he spun out to stand behind her. "Calm the fuck down, woman."

"I will not!" Xan swung again, determined to get one good hit in before the night was out. "I'm not some two-bit slut at a random bar you can run game on you sick son of a bitch!" She managed to get hold of the collar of his shirt and moved to head-butt him but only gasped in frustration when she was slammed against the brick wall. Her face flushed when she realized that his body was pressed against hers. The last time they were this close... "Get off me."

"No."

"I really fucking hate you."

"You and the rest of the world." Before she could spit out an acidic insult, Liam crushed his lips to hers. He moaned at her surprised and outraged gasp, increasing the pressure of his body on hers. He continued to move his lips over hers, coaxing her to relax enough to enjoy his touch. When he felt her fingers fist in his hair, he expected her to yank his head backward. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised when she only angled it to deepen their kiss.

She would hate herself in the morning, Xan decided. There was plenty of time to hate herself for giving into him. Right now, she would kiss him back, uncaring that she wanted nothing more than to beat him with a hot poker. She moaned in surprise when she felt the heat of his hands on her breasts. How did he get his hands up her shirt so quickly? Xan stopped caring the second the pads of his thumbs brushed over the hard peaks. She moaned as shocks of electricity shot downward through her body. His tongue slid into her mouth just as one of his hands found a home within her pants and underwear. Pride told her to stop him, to push him away before he proved her wrong, but as his fingers brushed over the wet folds of her sex, she was only able to widen her legs to accommodate him. It was good that she was pressed against the wall; her legs were shaking from the intense pleasure taking over her and she could do nothing more than hold onto him for dear life. As his lips moved to the side of her neck, his finger dipped within her core, wrenching a lust filled moan from her.

"Fuck you're so hot and wet for me," Liam moaned. It felt as if the honey walls of her center were sucking his finger deeper inside. Hot pulses rippled around the digit as he moved it inside her. He wanted nothing more than to sink his aching member inside. "You're going clench on my cock like that, aren't you?"

"Ah, mierda," she moaned as she felt something in the pit of her stomach begin to stretch. Her body was beginning to shake. It was becoming too difficult to breathe. All that mattered was that he kept going. "Don't stop."

Liam increased the pace of his movements as he licked and sucked on her neck. "Yes, I can feel you tightening. You're going to come for me, aren't you?" She only moaned as her hips began to move against his hand. "That's it baby. Use it. Come for me." Xan tightened her grip on him as her moans began to increase in volume. Liam kissed her again and used his tongue to mimic the actions of his finger. He used the palm of his hands to rub against the tiny bit of flesh that would drive her wild and was quickly rewarded by the muffled moan that came with her orgasm. He groaned as she spasmed and clenched around his finger. Precious drops of her honey coated his hand as he continued to soothe and heighten the pleasure that exploded within her. He would have loved nothing more than to take her right there on the balcony, but he couldn't; she wasn't ready yet.

Xan panted against his mouth as she struggled to calm her racing heart. Holy shit, what did he just do to her? Her head was spinning and she was suddenly very weak. Little shocks of heat continued to shoot through her shaking body. A moan escaped her as Liam slowly pulled his hands from her pants, dragging his flesh against the sensitive area. She couldn't watch as he licked his fingers clean; her eyelids were suddenly too heavy. It took what seemed like years to regain the strength to stand on her own. She said nothing as he adjusted her clothing, but felt her heart flutter when he placed a tender kiss on her cheek. Seconds later, he walked away, leaving her immobilized on the balcony.



BloodBorne Ch. 06



"Xan, wake up."

Xan grudgingly opened one eye and stared at her sister for a long moment before she said, "What is it? Do you need something?"

"No."

Xan sighed as she closed her eyes and turned over to get back to sleep. "Go downstairs and get some breakfast then."

"It's afternoon, Xan."

Not already. "Damn." Xan sat up, inwardly cursing as fatigue weighed her body down. Her eyes closed again and the softness of the bed called to her to go back to sleep. She didn't get to bed until well after sunrise; after her interlude with Liam on the balcony, it had taken her body a long time to simmer down. While he'd given her one hell of an orgasm, her body remained hungry for him. She wasn't able to trust her feet to take her to the proper room once she'd regained mobility in her legs. So she stayed on the balcony and waited, letting the faint breeze cool the fire in her veins. And once she was back in the safety of her room, she took an ice-cold shower in an effort to clear the erotic memories replaying in her mind. "All right, I'm up."

"Alexis says we're leaving in ten minutes."

What the hell? "What do you mean we're leaving?" They were getting kicked out? The danger hadn't been taken care of. How the hell was she supposed to keep Xion safe when super demon was on the loose? "Fucking Liam," she muttered. Of course they were getting kicked out; the son of a bitch didn't want her around after last night. Unbelievable son of a bitch... He really thought that he could just use her and throw her out without another thought.

He had another thing coming.

Xan threw the blankets off her as she walked to the bathroom. "I'll be downstairs in a few minutes. Wait for me there." She didn't wait for her sister to respond; she slammed the bathroom door shut and rushed through her morning rituals, thinking of the perfect way to castrate the red-headed asshole before his brothers stopped her. He had to have put Alexis up to this; there was no other reason for him to suddenly decide that she and Xion had to leave. Xan wasn't sure if she was more angry or hurt. It didn't really matter either way; Liam not only pretended to be a sensitive and caring man to get into her pants, but he found it acceptable to cast her out like week-old trash once he got what he wanted from her. Asshole.

And to think, she was starting to warm up to the thought of sleeping with him.

Xan continued to spit vicious insults at the man who'd succeeded in ruining her day as she quickly dressed and ran down the stairs. He was in for it now, that stupid piece of shit. She stormed into the kitchen and went straight to Liam, who as usual, had a scowl she wanted to punch off his face. "You really are a pathetic piece of shit."

"What the fuck?" The last thing Liam expected when he woke up this morning was to have the obviously insane woman jumping down his throat.

"Oh so now you want to forget about your hand being down my pants last night?" She shoved him backward when he only narrowed his eyes in confusion. "If you regret it, that's fine, because I can guarantee that I wasted my time on you. But did you really have to hide behind brother Silent Bob to get me to leave?"

It took a moment for realization to dawn before Liam's face contorted in rage. "You think I asked my brother to kick you out?" He barely glanced at Xion as she quietly walked out of the room. His hands balled into fists and for a moment, he wished he wasn't against hitting women. Xan was in need of some serious sense beaten into her.

"Well, it was he who told my sister to inform me that we were leaving in ten minutes."

"Yes," Alexis said from his spot near the refrigerator, "We're leaving in a few minutes."

Xan looked from Alexis, who calmly snacked on a peanut butter cup to Draco, who had turned pink from his effort to keep from laughing, to Andrae, who showed no outward emotion at all. "You meant all of us." Andrae only raised his brow as he slightly nodded yes to her statement. Humiliation washed over her and she was sure that she was now beet red. She'd just made one hell of a scene in front of his brothers, who all now looked at her as if they probably should leave her to Sherlaine. Of course Alexis meant the population of the house. Liam had simply driven past the line of sanity.

The weight of her accusation wasn't lost on Liam. "What the fuck kind of man do you think I am?" he shouted. He was beyond livid; that she really thought that he was cowardly enough to cast her out after last night... "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Obviously a lot since you're the only man I know of who could drive an otherwise sane female into a blithering lunatic of a woman!" Her head was suddenly pounding. Embarrassment kept her from looking at anyone but Liam. She wanted to kill him, but she'd done enough damage for one day. "Just let me know when we're leaving." Xan turned to leave muttering in Spanish as she went.

"You didn't eat," Draco called out.

"I'm not fucking hungry."

The kitchen remained silent for a few moments as the men processed what they'd just witnessed. Draco rubbed a hand on his head as he said, "Liam, dude, you probably shouldn't have sex with her."

"What the fuck, Drake?" Liam turned to his brother and was surprised to find the contemplative look on the otherwise jovial man. "Mind your fucking business."

"I'm just saying, man. She looks like she has preying mantis syndrome."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Draco paused for a moment before saying, "You have sex with her and I guarantee she'll bite your head off and eat it as a post coital snack."

Liam grimaced at the graphic mental image. "You have issues."

"Not as big as yours," Andrae said. While he didn't particularly care about what his brothers did and with whom, he actually agreed with Draco. "Xan is about as sensitive as they come. She wasn't pissed at the thought of being kicked out."

"Were you not just here?" Liam asked incredulously.

"Yes, and what I saw was a woman who was under the impression that you used her. If there is one thing I learned about human females, it's that you need to treat them like the next demon you have to kill. Always cover your ass."

Liam remained silent as he thought about his brother's words. Normally he would have had something acidic in nature to say, but considering the fact that Nadia was the only female contact his brother had had before she died, he would have started a dangerous fight. He'd had about enough of that for one day. "Any bright ideas on what I should do now?" No one answered his question, confirming a long standing belief that he was related to a bunch of idiots. He looked over at Alexis, whose eyes were slightly crinkled in merriment and asked, "Can we get this done?"

Alexis nodded and led his brothers out of the kitchen. He then allowed Andrae to take the lead and within minutes they were standing in front of Xan and Xion who'd taken refuge in their room. Xion seemed content to sketch the view from their window while Xan paced the length of the room. Her face was still flushed, but Alexis wasn't sure if it was due to anger or humiliation. "We're leaving."

Xion looked up from her work and asked, "Where are we going?"

"The cemetery," Andrae replied.

"Why the hell are we going there?"

"A visit to your mother's grave has been long overdue."

Xan looked at Andrae as if he'd gone as insane as she felt. "Uh, my mother's buried two thousand miles from here."

"Not a problem. Now let's go." 

Xan watched as the men huddled together so that they could get a hand on Andrae. "I guess we're not walking out the front door..." She motioned to Xion to take hold of the man's hand before she placed hers on his forearm. Before she had enough time to draw a proper breath, they were standing inside an ornate mausoleum. Very little light filtered through, but Xan was able to make out the lone stone coffin placed in the center of the structure. "Nope, no front doors."

Alexis took the lead and motioned everyone out of the mausoleum. The sun had begun its descent here, meaning they had little time to put Andrae's radical plan into effect. He walked to the headstone they sought and quickly showed his respects to the fallen warrior resting in front of them:





BloodBorne Ch. 06



"Someone needs to catch me up on what is going on," Roman stated. "Obviously Sherlaine is back and is after the older one?" He glanced at Xan who was in the process of yawning loudly. She nodded tiredly at him and he glanced at Liam, who'd boldly ran his hand over the expanse of her back as a show of comfort.

"They're kind of a thing," Draco said as he observed his brother.

"Interesting. So what do they want from her? She doesn't have any abilities does she?"

"She's Esmali," Andrae informed him. "Limani to be exact."

Roman nodded thoughtfully before asking, "So what are you protecting?"

"A key," Xan said on another yawn. She was aware of the tense moment of silence after she spoke, but the fatigue bogging down on her eradicated her need to care.

"What key?" Liam asked.

"I don't know. I heard one of them say it." Xan rested her head on Liam's shoulder and yawned again. "A key to what?"

"Take her to bed," Alexis ordered. There was no use in getting any answers from Xan in her present condition. "We can go through this again later."

Liam looked at Andrae who still carried Xion, fully prepared to take care of the sisters himself. His brother looked more than comfortable holding the child however, and it almost seemed as if the half demon had been a parent to her from birth. For a moment, Liam was reminded of Nadia and her intense desire to have children. The High Council forbade her and Andrae from the blessing of breeding, claiming that they had to pass individual tests to prove that their relationship would not threaten The Brethren. And now Nadia was dead, and his brother would never have children. Andrae only wanted Nadia's children. "You got her?" When his brother nodded, Liam took Xan upstairs. His initial thought was to take her to the room she shared with her sister, but he'd turned in the opposite direction and took her to his room instead. Watching her fight with Sherliane and knowing how close he'd come to losing her gave him an intense need to keep her to himself for a while, to keep her close. This wasn't protectiveness he was feeling, no; this was something more, something deeper. Xan was more than capable of protecting herself; he'd seen her skills and had even helped to improve them. No, the urge inside of him was fierce and consuming. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

It was scary as hell.

Liam sighed as he placed Xan on his bed and nearly hated the fact that he liked seeing her surrounded by the blankets that held his scent. Because she was pretty much asleep on her feet, she didn't care about the fact that his bed wasn't made. This actually made for better sleeping as he didn't have to worry about turning the bed down before he set her in it. Liam gently dropped her onto the bed, making sure to keep her feet off until he could take her shoes off. Once the simple task was completed, he arranged the blankets over her, careful not to stare too long. Becoming distracted by the peaceful look on her face was not the best idea. On a shaky breath, he turned to walk out of the room.

"Liam?"

He turned sharply at the weak sound of her voice. "You've been awake this whole time?"

"Off and on."

"You need to sleep." He walked to the bed and stared down at her. He couldn't decide if he was annoyed or amused by how hard she fought the sleep taking over her. The second she reached for his hand, he found himself feeling anything but annoyed or amused. Warmth spread throughout his body, nearly overwhelming him with the sensation. "Xan, what are you..."

"I don't want you to go." She weakly tugged on his hand until he gave in and sat down beside her. "Stay."

The warmth became a pleasant burning that churned in his stomach. "Until you fall asleep?" When she shook her head, he stared at the mesmerizing angles of her face. Her skin was oddly flushed, a possible effect of her battle with fatigue. She continued to hold onto his hand, an obvious sign of her stubbornness. He had to admit that he liked this new vulnerable side to her, so much so that he could not find it within himself to force her to go to bed angry. He'd stay and wait for the effects of his abilities to wear off, allowing himself the opportunity to soak in the very well hidden feminine side of her personality. As he held onto her hand, Liam toed off his boots and settled himself beside her. Xan still held onto his hand, which made it impossible for him to adjust the blankets around himself. "Let go of my hand."

"You'll leave," she said on a yawn.

She really did not know what she was saying, he realized with a grin. "I'm not going anywhere." The simple statement seemed to placate her enough to let go of his hand. The second he'd adjusted himself onto his back, however, she rolled herself into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder and placing her hand directly over his heart. A rush of happiness washed over Liam, both confusing and comforting him as he lay beside her. Her body was warm against his and fit perfectly. Her gentle, even breath brushed against his chin as he stared down at her. 

He was mesmerized by the angles of her face, at the gentle way her lips parted in sleep. An overwhelming sense of happiness washed over him, and he was nearly undone by the sensation. As much as he wanted to become enraged, he was only comforted by the feeling. Liam shifted and turned onto his side and possessively pulled her into his arms, throwing an arm around her waist. Her light feminine scent made him sigh in contentment. Impossible thoughts ran through his mind; thoughts of passionate fights followed by passionate sex, thoughts fighting and training together, thoughts of a life with her. What was supposed to be a simple attraction to the insolent woman had somehow turned into something much too strong for him to ignore.

And as he drifted off into an unexpected sleep, he found himself smiling.

* * * * *

Xan didn't have to open her eyes to know that she wasn't in her room. Everything was different; the feel of the mattress, the angle of the sunlight in her face, and even the warmth of the room. One inhalation was enough to know that she was in his room. A vague memory of being taken to bed made her groan inwardly. Had she really asked him to stay? Xan opened one eye and groaned again at the sight of Liam sleeping beside her. She wondered if his lashes had always been so long, and at just a shade darker than his hair, it was no wonder the brilliance of his eyes mesmerized her. Even in sleep he wore that annoying look that aggravated her. But damn, he was beautiful. If only he remained this tolerable all the time.

Xan sighed again when she realized she did not want to move. It was nice lying next to him, enveloping herself in nearly everything that was him. The conflicting emotions rolling through her were nearly overwhelming. How was it possible to severely dislike a man she didn't know how to stay away from? Yes, there was some sort of intense connection between them and she couldn't deny that she was attracted to him. But that wouldn't get them anywhere, especially with the threat of Sherlaine hanging over them. Once the bastard was gone, she and Xion would have no choice but to go on with their lives, which probably meant that she would never see him again. Logic told her to let it go, to ignore the feelings she had for him because she needed a level head. But as she looked at him, the only thing she seemed to want was to lie with him forever. With Liam, she didn't feel so alone. With Liam, she wasn't just the young guardian demon fighter who'd lost her only friend in the world. 

"You planning on laying there and starting at me for the rest of your life, or are you going to open up your mouth and tell me what's bothering you?"

She should have figured the man was awake. "Rat bastard." She knew she should have kept up pretenses and got out of bed, but there was no use in lying to herself; she wanted to be here. "Nothing is bothering me."

"Liar." Laim kept his eyes closed as he reveled in the feeling of sharing his space with Xan. He'd never experienced such intimacy before and where he once figured that he would have hated being in such a relaxed state with a woman, he had to admit that he only wanted to get closer to her. This was the first time he'd ever slept for more than two hours at a time; sleep was never an easy thing for him, yet another reason for his constant abrasiveness. He liked sleeping next to her. A little too much. "What were you thinking about?"

"Why are you so angry all the time?" She hadn't expected to ask that question, but the rigidity of his face as he feigned sleep made her curious about his past. She was always curious, but this was the first time she was determined to get an answer. "What happened?" He tensed beside her, a sure sign that she should drop the subject, but it was because of the tenseness and the obvious discomfort with the subject, that she knew he had to talk to her. This had to be one of the stupidest ideas she'd ever come up with, she mused as she reached over to trail the tips of her fingers over his cheeks. Her only excuse was that she wanted to know him as no other person had ever known him. Liam told her that night on the balcony that his brothers didn't know the full story about his past. Even she knew that he'd kept it bottled up for too long. She was determined to be the one he confided in. "Talk to me, Liam."

His first instinct was to yell, to get her out of his face. She had no business asking about his past, about what made him the way he was. She was nothing but an insolent shit of a woman who didn't know when or even how to keep her mouth shut. "Why?" 

"Because I want you to know that you can trust me, even if you want to kill me all the time."

He should have yelled, should have told her to go back to the depths of hell she came from, but as his body hummed from her light touch, he couldn't find the voice to deny her. "I always knew that I was different from the other children in my village. I would watch as their mothers coddled and fussed over them and wonder why the simple sight of me disgusted my mother. Unless she needed something from me, I never existed to her."

"What do you mean?"

"Ivelda was the most beautiful woman any man had ever seen, but she never married. No man would have a woman who'd had a child out of marriage. She blamed her social standing on me and made it her duty in life to punish me in any way she could; there were days when I had to steal if I wanted to eat. Well, the days I managed to get out of the cage she locked me in to keep out of her way. So while I spent the bulk of my days picking locks or stealing, she had to fend for herself, working hard labor to make sure she had clothes on her back."

Xan frowned at the statement. "What about the clothes on your back?"

"My only friend at the time, a boy a few years older than me, was kind enough to give me the clothes he no longer needed. He also helped me out of the cage most of the time. He died suddenly when I turned twelve." Liam took a breath as he paused, preparing himself for the deeper insights into his past. "The year I turned twelve was also the year I learned why my mother hated me so much.

"She'd found herself a lover, a mean son of a bitch name Emregon who drank all day and saw fit to make sure I remembered what a piece of shit I was. He didn't care that I looked years older at the time; he knew that the naive little redhead boy so desperate for his mother's approval would do anything if it meant getting into her good graces. He went as far as to make her tell me that I was to endure whatever he put me though because it would prove my devotion to her."

"She allowed him to abuse you?"

"It was better than him abusing her, right? And besides, I was the pain in the ass son who was a waste of space."

"But you loved her."

"And did what she asked." He sighed as he rolled onto his back, keeping his eyes closed to keep from having to look at her. "One night he got particularly drunk and beat me so viciously that I could barely breathe. Both he and Ivelda left me there to die. I can still remember the way they planned on getting rid of my body; like I was some stray dog that died in their yard."

Xan felt her blood heat dangerously. What the hell kind of mother would let such a thing happen to her own child? She wished she could travel back in time and beat the crap out of the woman. Ivelda didn't deserve a son like Liam; even at his worst, he was too good for her. "They buried you alive?"

Liam shook his head as he said, "I was completely healed by morning. I came into power during the night." He let out a cynical snort as he said, "Emregon thought I'd sold my soul to a demon to live so he brought it upon himself to kill me. Beat the shit out of me every day for weeks. I realize now that he was scared; how did you get rid of a child who couldn't die? But Emregon was a persistent son of a bitch; tried several times. I once woke up with a knife in my chest. Fucker tried to kill me while I was passed out from a beating. Much to his everlasting frustration, I lived. It wasn't long before he decided there was a better use for me.

"I was forced into my first Dymos two months later. Got the shit kicked out of me by a Compolion demon. I can still remember how deep its claws went into me each time it swung. I squealed like a tortured pig. But it didn't stop; you know how those fights are."

"No one leaves the ring until one is dead or near it."

"And I was the idiot who kept getting up to find a way out of the ring. Ivelda was there watching. Hoping that the fight would be the end of me. I thought that if I ran to her and begged enough, she would take me home."

"But it kept beating you."

"Until it was too tired to hit anymore. And that's when I realized the rules of the game. I killed it the second I had a chance." Liam cleared his throat as he fought back the swell of emotion threatening to take over him. It pained him to talk about his childhood, but the more he shared with Xan, the more he seemed to cope with the issues he fought to repress. She'd taken hold of his hand while he spoke and the simple act of comfort was enough to begin the healing stitches that would mend the broken parts of his soul. It was her touch that gave him the motivation to keep talking. "I won the prize money and one look at Emregon and I knew that he would never lay a hand on me again. He'd never have to; the demons would take care of that for him until the right one got rid of me for good."

"Why didn't you say no?"

"The night I won that fight was the first night she'd ever smiled at me. I knew right then that if I kept winning, she'd accept me and give me what I needed most.

"So I kept fighting. Eventually I learned how to defend myself instead of waiting for the opponent to get too tired to keep going. Soon enough I was well known in the and had the respect of some pretty serious demons."

"But not your mother."

Liam remained quiet for a moment as he thought over Xan's comment. "I was nothing more than her meal ticket out of poverty. If I lost a fight, I wasn't allowed back home until I won the next one."

"You didn't leave?"

"With what money? Whatever I won, Emregon kept. I never saw a cent. He figured that they were owed for the care they'd given me. For their generosity.

"I fought for eight years before a merchant who I'd seen countless times as a child befriended me and showed me the idiocy of my ways, how foolish I was to become a slave to someone who never loved me. Who hated me because I was the constant reminder of what she couldn't have. I left home just after my twentieth birthday, demon fighting to make enough money to survive on my own. My only friends were the demons I circulated with; they usually died within a week or two of befriending me. I figured it was a fitting punishment for walking away from Ivelda. But I accepted the punishment; it's amazing how much self worth a person discovers when he isn't constantly being fed a range of insults that suggests otherwise. I'd decided to keep fighting until the fighting killed me. There was nothing I did better.

Around my twenty-third birthday, that same merchant asked me to meet him about a very lucrative arrangement he wanted me to try. I had nothing else going on at the time so I agreed to see what he was about. I go to this field in the middle of nowhere and there are eight other men standing there. The first thing I can think of is a royal rumble where the winner takes all. I'm getting ready to do what I have to do and the merchant shows up with these two young looking twins. He starts in on this speech about how we all came from homes with no fathers and how he was there to reveal our influential purposes in life."

At that, Xan sat up. "You mean to tell me..."

"Yes, the merchant I'd trusted, who'd known everything about what I'd gone through and did nothing about it, was none other than Roycelyn, daddy fucking dearest. It was time for his progenies to become his generals so I had to stop the childish demon fights and the making unsuitable friends."

She gasped in horror at the implication of his words. "He's the reason you had no friends."

"Royce felt that the adversity of loss and abuse would turn me into one hell of a merciless and blood thirsty general." Liam opened his eyes and looked at the concern plastered on Xan's face. He'd expected pity or better yet, amusement. But there was nothing but that touching concern that made him tighten his hold on her hand. In her concern he found strength, and in that strength there was a healing that eased the painful tightness in his chest. "I'm so mean because I never had parents growing up. Neither Royce nor Ivelda saw me as a child. I was a tool; nothing more than a common attack dog trained to do their bidding. And I did it because I believed it was the only way to get what I needed."

"Praise and acceptance."

Liam nodded solemnly and turned his head to face away from her. He wasn't comfortable with letting her see his face when he was so vulnerable. He couldn't give her a weapon to use against him. "I barely trust my own brothers on a good day because I am convinced that everyone around me only wants what I can do."

"Piss people off?" she asked to lighten the mood.

He smiled at the comment. "I'm nothing more than an attack dog, Xan. Nobody wants me around unless they need something killed. I have no real friends outside of my brothers because I don't want anyone else to die for knowing me. I push people away because I don't want to give them the power to hurt me." A ball of pain settled in the pit of his stomach as he realized that he made a mistake telling her the truth of his past. He'd revealed too much, showed her too much of himself. "You can get the fuck out now."

As much as she wanted to take the bait and get into a massive blowout with him, she knew that the move was counterproductive. He deserved her compassion and understanding. Not her malice. "No." 

"I said get out."

"I said no."

"God fucking damn it, Xan, I don't-" He stopped when she placed her hand over his mouth. He turned to look at her with the intention of shoving her out of his room himself, but stopped when she spontaneously leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his left temple. She followed the move with a kiss to his right temple. His lips brushed against her neck as she loomed over him and his heart jumped in reaction. So did his cock. "Xan..."

"I'm not going to lie to you, Liam; I do want something from you." She increased the pressure of her hand on his mouth when he moved to argue. "I want you to shut up and let me kiss you." A satisfied grunt accompanied her smile as she stared into his surprised eyes. As she slowly removed her hand from his mouth, she leaned down and kissed him softly, gently brushing her lips over his. He remained motionless beneath her, but she didn't mind; instead she increased the pressure of her lips on his. Soon, he began to respond and moved his mouth against hers. Xan placed a hand on his chest and moaned at the feel of his heartbeat against her open palm. She moaned again when he cupped the back of her head with his hand and tilted it to deepen their kiss. Within moments, their tongues moved together, both tasting and teasing the other. Heat swelled with her as her body flattened against his. Liam's other hand moved to her bottom, gripping and squeezing the flesh deliciously as he plundered the cavern of her mouth. She squirmed against him helplessly, gasping as he rolled them over. The pressure of his body on hers overwhelmed and overheated her, making her hungry for more. Xan fisted her fingers in his hair as he moved his lips to the sensitive skin on her neck. Coils of heat and delicious pressure pooled to the juncture of her thighs, forcing her to move restlessly beneath him. A part of her told her that they should stop, that they were going too far much too quickly, but as his hand moved to the sensitive mound of her breast, the only thought running through her mind was that she would die if he ended the wonderful torture.




BloodBorne Ch. 06



Liam felt his head swim at the sweet scent of her skin. Though she used the soap in his brother's room, he was able to detect the light feminine scent that drove him insane. Need made him lick the column of her throat as he palmed her breast. Her hands were on his skin, and it was then that he realized that she'd managed to pull his shirt up to his armpits. He stopped just long enough to pull the barrier from his skin. His skin grew hot as her hands roamed over his back. She couldn't stop touching him, he realized with a moan; her strong hands went from his back to his chest, tickling the sprinkle of chest hair. "Shit," he gaped; her thumbs grazed over the sensitive flesh of his nipples. 

Liam continued to concentrate on teasing the skin on her neck as she toyed with his body. He was hard and throbbing within the confines of his clothing. Within minutes, he'd pulled off her shirt and sports bra and groaned at the sight of her small pert breasts heaving as she panted for breath. The taut peaks of her delicate orbs were dark with arousal. Delectable inches of caramel skin made his mouth water. Soft satiny flesh electrified his senses as he ran his hands over her. Liam looked up at her when he heard her soft gasp and found himself transfixed by her misty brown eyes. Xan was flushed with passion and he knew that if he delved into her pants, he would find her slick with wetness. Instead of letting his animalistic urges take hold of him, he lowered his bare chest onto hers.

Xan gasped in wonder as the heat of his body inflamed hers. She wrapped her arms around him and moaned into his mouth as he kissed her. Hot consuming passion welled within her and soon, her fingers dug into the skin of his back, silently begging for more. Her plea was answered when he wedged his knee between her thighs and settled his hips against hers. Desperate heat collected between her thighs when she felt the engorged member trapped within his pants. Her hips moved against his, both easing and increasing the pressure in her core; she wasn't sure if she should push him off or pull him closer. A burst of pleasure erupted inside her when his teeth nipped at her nipples. "Ah, dios," she moaned. His teeth pinched and pulled the sensitive flesh before he soothed the aching peak with his tongue. He moved from one breast to the other, teasing and tormenting her to a feverish pitch. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Xan knew that she moaned incoherent words in both English and Spanish; she didn't care. All that mattered was that he never stopped. "Liam."

The sound of his name on her lips made him look up. Xan's face was flushed and tight with desire, her breath escaping in hot short bursts out of her mouth. He watched as she leaned up and frantically reached for the waistband of his pants. An involuntary laugh shot out of his mouth as she fumbled with the fastenings. He placed his hands on hers and searched her gaze deeply when she looked up at him questioningly. "Are you sure you want this?"

"God yes," she replied as she returned to her mission. Xan stopped again when he pulled her chin up with his finger. Liam's eyes were serious and penetrating as he regarded her, an air of hesitation hidden in his blue eyes. "I want this, Liam. Don't stop." He relented, unfastening his pants as she watched. Her eyes widened at the sight of the trail of ginger hair that led to the waistband of his underwear. With one impatient tug, she bared his body down to the knees. His thick and extremely red member stood proudly before her, ripping an involuntary gasp from her. Compared to his pale skin and even the copper hair of his groin, his cock was a deliciously startling sight to behold. Veins pulsed beneath the taught flesh, forcing the thick rod to jump ever so slightly. "Yes," she hissed as she watched a small stream of clear dew flow from the tiny opening at the velvet head.

Liam groaned at the hungry look that contorted her features as he stared at her. There was something innocent and shy hidden beneath the animalistic and arousingly vulgar looks in her eyes. She reached out to touch him, making him gasp at the prefect pressure she applied to her movements. He was nearly blinded from the pleasure that rippled through him. It only took him seconds to remove the rest of her clothing. Once she was bared to him, he plunged his fingers within the sweet cavern between her legs. Xan hissed as he pressed within. Liam groaned at the tightness surrounding his fingers but stopped at her unconscious wince. "Did I hurt you?"

Xan shook her head as she moaned, squirming against him. "It's ok. Keep going." She lay back to allow him more access to her body, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. There was some discomfort, but pleasure was quickly overriding it, making her moan at every single one of his movements. "Keep going," she moaned when he shifted, allowing a deeper invasion. She felt her eyes screw shut as she fell into the intense sensations coursing through her body. "Liam, yes."

While he liked the way she moaned and writhed beneath him, there was still a hint of a wince on her face. She was tighter than he remembered, but that could have been a result of her nervousness; she was after all, nude and spread open before him. He easily shifted onto his elbows and kissed a burning trail down the cords of her stomach. Within moments, his mouth took over the movements of his fingers, soothing the pain he'd caused. The sweet taste of her nectar drove him to take more from her; he pulled at the stiff little button between her slick folds moaning at the way she bucked and squirmed. 

She continued to moan as he licked and sucked at her, bringing her closer to the climax ready to take over her body. He felt her begin to tighten and quickly moved to cover her body with his. They both reached for his aching cock. Liam moaned as she used it to pull him closer. He took his time, trailing the sensitive tip over her slick folds. Her heat was maddening; it took all of the self control in his body to keep from viciously plunging into her. He continued the deliberate torture, only stopping when she pulled him down for consuming kisses that made his head swim.

"Push it in," Xan commanded in a hoarse whisper. She was on edge and tense with need; his mindless teasing pushed her passed any sort of reason. When she felt the pressure that came with his invasion, she gasped in surprise; he was bigger than she'd anticipated. Liam continued to rock within her at a snail's pace, and when she opened her eyes, she found him staring at her intently, his face flushed in what she assumed was concentration. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her higher onto his folded legs, allowing him a deep penetration that sparked white-hot bolts of pleasure to shoot through her.

Fuck she was tight. Liam fought the animal urges swirling within him as he continued to pace himself. Her body seemed to refuse to loosen around him and as she pulsed around him, he felt himself being pulled closer to the point of no return. There was still a bit of a wince on her face; had he been able to, he would have stopped. He wanted to reposition them, to angle himself in a way that would make this last longer and make their mating more comfortable for her. But he couldn't; not only was he trapped by the pants and underwear still anchored around his thighs, but Xan had once again pulled him toward her for another mind-blowing kiss. Her tongue invaded his mouth, mimicking his movements within her. 

God, her moans and whimpers we like a drug in his veins, forcing him to increase his movements for more. Somewhere in the back of his head he could have sworn that he groaned out a curse that prompted her to moan her appreciation of it. Liam wasn't sure; he was too busy trying to keep himself from exploding before she did. He pulled her legs up and moaned when he sank even deeper within her. Xan called out to God in her native tongue, wrapping her legs around his waist as she did. She pulled his lower lip between her teeth just as her nails dug into his back. The pain of her unconscious injury inflamed the pleasure within him. His control slipped, and soon, his thrusts were quick and forceful.

Xan could barely breathe for moaning at the intensity of their joining. Every cell of her body tingled and tensed. An unbearable but wonderful sort of pressure pooled between her legs and before she had a moment to orient herself, an unbelievable burst of sensation exploded through her. She held onto Liam as she shook and panted, completely aware that his movements had become savage, both heightening and extending the pleasure pulsing through her. 

"Oh fuck!" she heard him gasp. A second later, she felt his release as he shuddered above her. It was difficult to breathe; every inhalation seemed to over-stimulate every cell in her brain. She moaned, half in protest and half in greed when he placed gentle kisses along the column of her neck. Her body continued to tingle as she ran her hands over the expanse of his back. This was nice, she noticed, most likely because it was apparent that the only time he rarely spoke was during sex. "So there is a way to shut you up." She smiled when he laughed against her neck.

Liam took his time rolling off her, but made sure to pull her into his arms as he did. His legs were still confined in his clothes, making it near impossible to move, but he wasn't inclined to remedy the problem. His only concern was the amazing woman lying in his arms complacently. He was almost afraid to speak for ruining the moment, but she needed to know that she was protected. "You're not pregnant."

"Wasn't aware you moonlight as a gynecologist."

He smiled at the joke. "No, I meant that there is no way you could have gotten pregnant. Royce gave us all the ability to control conception. You won't get pregnant unless I will it."

Xan leaned up onto an elbow to look at him. She watched as he looked at her naked body as she asked, "But what if a woman desperately wants your baby, for the right reasons?"

He'd never considered this. It was true that there would be women who would want to bear the child of a man as powerful as he and his brothers; it was one of the core reasons for Royce's decision to pass on the ability. Nadia wanted children, and had Andrae not had the power to stop it, it was possible that their children could have kept her alive. "I guess she's out of luck."

"That sucks." She tilted her head in thought as he continued to stare at her. "So what happens if you want a baby and she doesn't?"

Liam wasn't aware of the fact that he'd been expecting an angry reaction from her. What woman, good or bad, could live with knowing that she had even less control than any average woman at having a child? He made a mental note to ask Charisma or Alauria about this. "Since that's never happened, I can't give you an honest answer. My only guess is that there has to be some kind of want on both sides for it to occur."

Xan nodded in acceptance to his explanation. "Still sounds kind of one sided." She smiled ruefully when he only shrugged. "Good news for me though. I think just about every woman wants to know her first time won't get spoiled by the thought of babies."

At her words, Liam's eyes shot up to hers. "What do you mean, first time?" She only gave him a confused stare which prompted him to ask, "You meant your first time with me."

"Well, yea, that too." She followed him when he bolted upright into a sitting position. "What?"

"You were a virgin?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. Didn't you know?"

"Obviously not," he replied angrily. "You didn't feel like a virgin." Technically, that was a lie; she was extremely tight and that slight wince on her face was certainly explained. "It's supposed to hurt for you."

"Well it wasn't all cupcakes and sunshine in the beginning," she retorted. "Are you talking about the hymen or something?" At his slight nod, she felt her face grow warm. "I use tampons religiously and they have been known to damage that particular bit of anatomy."

Liam ignored her blush. Why the hell couldn't she have done that when they started messing around? "You were a virgin?"

"You say that like it's a big deal."

It was one hell of a big deal and it aggravated him that she didn't see that. "You didn't act like a virgin just then."

"And how exactly is a virgin supposed to act?"

The half mocking, half shocked expression on her face did nothing to soothe him. Since he'd never been with a virgin, he didn't know how to answer her challenge. "I don't fucking know... Virginly."

"Oh, yes, that really explains it for me. Thanks bunches. I'll know exactly what to do next time."

At that, Liam leapt off the bed, slamming into the wall as he tried to recover his balance. "There isn't going to be a next time."

Now she was getting angry. "Why the fuck not?"

"I don't take virgins to my bed."

"Thanks, Captain Stupid," she said as she pulled herself up onto her knees, "But considering what happened a few minutes ago, not only have you just perjured yourself, but you've made this ridiculous conversation a non-issue."

She had him there and he knew it. "A little fucking warning would have been nice."

"Yes, because what I really wanted to do in a house of strange men was shout from the rooftops my untouched condition. What would you have preferred, Liam, a blindingly white 'V' pinned to my chest?" She could have sworn she saw a hint of a nod. Just like that, her blood began to boil. "You know you really are fucking amazing." In the space of five minutes, the memory of her first sexual experience was forever tarnished. "Only you would know how to ruin a moment like this."

Her face burned red from what he was sure was anger and he felt unbridled remorse at her comment. His reaction wasn't her fault; he knew that he was overreacting. But that didn't change the fact that by doing absolutely nothing, she'd changed everything. "You didn't run to hide yourself when I saw you naked."

"I'm not shy by nature. I have a good body and I know it."

It was perfect, actually, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "Pogue..."

"Was a good friend that I lived with. Yeah, he saw me naked and I saw him naked, and sure, sometimes we shared the shower when there wasn't enough hot water or one of us was running late." Based on the flush of anger that took over his face, she realized that she shouldn't have revealed that much. "Ok, yes, I get it. He and I were not your typical Will and Grace - well of course not, Will was gay. Scratch that," she said with a shake of the head. "We weren't your typical Dawson and Joey-"

"They slept together!"

She almost laughed as she said, "We'll get to how in the hell you know that in a minute. And anyway, they weren't each others' first. But the point is that though he and I were tight as hell, there wasn't anything remotely sexual between the two of us."

"Could have fooled me."

"Oh, so all of a sudden because there are people in this world that I trust enough to share a shower with, now I'm some kind of whore who'll sleep with anyone who can take care of me?"

He understood the error of his ways the second he saw the tears brimming in her eyes. He watched as she jumped off the bed. Within seconds her panties were back on. "Xan, I didn't mean it like that."

"Could have fooled me!" she threw back at him. With untamed raged bubbling beneath the surface of her patience, she pulled her pants back on. She heard him adjusting his clothes and for a moment felt a wave of disgust; he couldn't even take his pants off for her. "Un-fucking-believable," she muttered. "Pendeho." She'd found her sports bra and roughly pulled it on, spinning in a circle to find her shirt. 

Liam easily found his clothes and was stuffing his feet into his boots when she'd yanked her shirt out from underneath one of the pillows. She continued to mutter and curse at him; he felt lower than the demon vermin he killed knowing that he'd hurt her and ruined one of the most important moments of her life. He walked around the bed to where she searched for her shoes and grabbed hold of her shoulders. As expected, she tried to knock him down with a right hook, but he easily blocked the move by turning her and pressing his chest into her back, keeping a firm grip on her forearms. "Stop trying to hurt me."

"Why? It's all you ever do to me."

The hitch in her voice turned his stomach to lead. She'd stopped trying to hit him and instead stood impassively; he was sure that he'd unintentionally defeated her. "Xan, I didn't mean... What I said... It wasn't supposed to...I'm sorry."

She tensed at the words. Did he really just apologize? "You're what?"

"Don't make me say it again." 

Xan broke free of his hold and turned to look at him. He was still flushed, but refused to make eye contact. He actually looked remorseful. "Why are you sorry?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you this time. Hearing that you were a virgin surprised-"

"Scared," she corrected, "My being a virgin scared you."

He nodded agreement as he placed his hands in his pockets. "I didn't mean it when I said I wouldn't have sex with you again."

"Of course you didn't. You're a man, aren't you?" She felt the side of her mouth twitch when he chuckled. With a heavy sigh, she sat on the edge of the bed. "What the hell do we do now?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You told your brother that this is done when Sherlaine is done." She ignored the surprised look on his face and only said, "I'm not an idiot, Liam." Rolling her eyes heavenward, she continued, "There's no way that this can work, even for the short amount of time I'm here."

Her words were like a hot poker scrambling his insides. "I don't care."

"So you don't care that the only time we aren't arguing or trying to kill each other is when we're having sex?"

Well, when she put it that way... "Every relationship has its issues."

"That's just it, Liam. There is no relationship. Whatever this just became is done the second you get rid of Sherlaine."

The enormity of her words hit like a freight train. That she was so ready to give up when they'd barely even started both amazed and angered him. He was Liam fucking Royce. While he did make it a habit of scaring women to keep them at bay, he did actually like them. Rebellion was quick to take over. "How in the fuck can you say that? We just had sex."

"And not five minutes later, you pretty much implied that I was a whore." She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I won't lie; I do have some sort of feeling for you. You're hot, with easily the best ass I've ever seen on a man. And as annoying as it is sometimes, I like the way I feel when I'm around you, when I don't want to kill you, anyway." The hopeful look in his eye tore at her. "But I don't know if it'll be anything more than odd moments of nice."

"I don't know either. But I want to find out." Logic told him to let it go, to let her have her way. Causal sex with a hot as lava female was nearly every man's wet dream. She was giving him the opportunity of no-strings sex. But as he looked at her, he realized that there was no denying the fact that he wanted something more than a casual fling from her. He was her first; he wanted to be her last. There was no use in denying the fact that he was never going to be able to simply watch her walk away from him. Not after everything they'd been through. 

Yes, they were always at each other's throats and yes, they hated each other more than they liked each other, but he was done turning his back on what he felt for her. He was ready to accept the complicated, pain in the ass, gut wrenching feelings he realized were the reasons for his brothers' changes. Liam wasn't stupid enough to think that he was in love; he wasn't sure he even knew that emotion existed. But he was in deep like and appreciation for the woman sitting on his bed. "Look, I barely like you on my very best day." Her brows shot up in response and he couldn't stop the smile from taking over his face. "I'm not asking you to marry me. I'm telling you to give me a shot."




BloodBorne Ch. 07



"He was looking for you, Xan."

Those six words haunted her as she desperately tried to concentrate on the sporadic conversation she had with Xion. Only it was nearly impossible to have any kind of conversation with anyone when those words were hanging over her head. There were too many variables to consider; she was Limani. She was meant to protect, not be protected. Why in the hell would she be this infernal key Sherlaine wanted?

"There's nothing she'd protect better."

Well that certainly wasn't true. She'd die before she let anything happen to Xion. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't fight tooth and nail to get herself out of a dire situation. And based on what she'd learned of what happened to keys like herself, she'd have no other choice; after hearing Alexis' outrageous hypothesis, she'd ripped the book in his lap out of his grasp and furiously read through the pages he'd marked with a paperclip. She ignored Liam's furious shouts of denial, searching for something, anything that would tear Alexis' theory to shreds. What she'd found however, was that Keys were amazingly valuable, as they were able to create bridges between dimensions. 

And there were a lot of dimensions; not all had been uncovered. But there certainly were a few descriptions; a real life planet of the apes, dimensions filled with plant life so dangerous, a person prayed for a human-sized venus fly trap, and even a dimension dominated by flesh eating maggots that spit venom. What bothered her more than the possibility of flesh eating maggots was the fact that a hefty price was required if a portal was expected to open. As it was only humans who were gifted with the ability to create the bridges, the price was blood. The blood of the Key. How much blood, she wasn't sure; one account she'd read mentioned a goblet full. Another required the entire contents of the body. It depended on the portal to be opened; the more complex the dimension, the higher the price. That meant an increase in blood.

"I like this book. Do you think Alexis will let me play outside?"

Xan looked over at Xion, who'd paused in her intent reading of Bridge to Terabithia to ask her question. This had to be one of the rare occasions in which she was grateful to the silent leader; without his extensive collection of books, there would have been nothing to keep Xion's interest; her sketching would only get her so far before she felt the need to act like a normal eight-year-old. "That's a good question. But from what I know about Alexis, he'll probably just look at you before he shakes his head." Xan was able to imagine the scenario quite clearly; while it was clear that he was fond of Xion, he wouldn't allow her anywhere near the front door. Not after what happened at the cemetery. "It might actually be a better idea for all of us to stay in here for a bit."

"But why? It's going to get boring."

Somehow Xan doubted it. There were too many rooms in the house and too many things going on; even the person with the most severe case of ADD would remain entertained. "Let's make a deal; you read your book, and when you finish it, we'll find something spectacular to do."

Xion furrowed her tiny brow suspiciously. "Like what?"

"Well I can tell you now that there is a secret room in the house filled with nothing but video games. I'm thinking that once you give your brain cells a nice work out, we can kill them with mindless hours of Spyro." Xan hoped Liam had that game; there was no way in hell she was about to allow her sister to play war games. She smiled when Xion hastily returned to her book.

Xan glanced out of the window as a faint feeling of containment sizzled through her. Before this mess with Sherlaine, she was able to live a life she was comfortable with; she took care of her sister, spent time with her best and only friend and fought a few times a month to ensure her Xion's future financial stability. There were no worries about unknown demons who wanted to drain her of her blood to set other, worse demons free from one of those very scary dimensions.

She wondered how much blood was needed to open the portal. Self preservation told her it was a reasonable sacrifice to simply give Sherlaine the blood he needed - provided it was an amount she was comfortable sacrificing. After all, she'd been chosen as the key (she'd also read that the High Council chose specific humans they deemed strong enough to carry the ability). A pint or two wasn't so bad; she'd simply up her B vitamins and beet intake for a week or two. 

But did she really want to be the reason some horrible event took place? This Zaide was put away for a reason and she was quite sure the only thing he had on the brain (provided the dimension he was trapped in allowed critical thinking) was revenge. She wasn't sure she could deal with being the reason any of Liam's brothers were killed. And if something happened to Liam...

He'd left her alone since the meeting in the solarium. Xan was sure it was because of the fact that she'd gone to great lengths to avoid him. Xion hadn't left her side, primarily because she kept them locked in their bedroom. Xan figured that Alexis had his brothers doing research that would allow them to develop strategies that would finally rid the world of Sherlaine. She still sensed his eyes on her, felt his touch. There was an emptiness within her she fought to ignore; missing Liam was not the smartest idea. But she did, and she didn't know how to deal with it. Xan hadn't decided on the path she wanted to take with him. Was it even smart to involve herself with a man who fought demons for a living? Considering her current profession, that was a stupid question. She had the choice to leave it all behind. He didn't. Liam said himself that the High Council employed him and his brothers to fight and kill demons as payment for their father's transgressions. His only way out was death.

That didn't seem to stop him from wanting a shot at a relationship with her. Dios he was stupid. What sort of relationship did he expect them to have when there was the threat of death over his head on a daily basis? Not death by demon, but death by a pissed off girlfriend. And there was Xion to consider; she was already fragile. She didn't need any more panic attacks due to random demon attacks.

Xan jumped when the large golden owl perched itself outside the window. It stared at her intently and she stared back, amazed that Euan could not simply knock on her door. She reached over to open the window and got it halfway opened before she realized that he clutched a note. The moment she took it from him, he flew away, leaving her to frown after him. With a shake of the head she opened the folded note and read the simple note from Alexis instructing her to go downstairs. While she wanted to become upset by the extreme lengths the man took to summon her downstairs, she appreciated his blatant attempt at maintaining her space and privacy. Either that or he probably thought she wanted to punch him in the face for adding another complication to her life. "All right kid, break time," Xan announced as she stood up and moved toward the door. "You need a snack."

"I'm not hungry."

"That's fine. You can keep me company then." Xan held out her hand and waited for her sister to take it before leading her out of their bedroom. She still couldn't get over the wealth of the house as she walked through the hallways; the carpet alone had to be worth a few hundred thousand. She shook her head as she trudged on, determined to focus on the mysterious reason behind her extravagant summons.

There were voices coming from the kitchen, one of which was distinctly female. Curiosity pushed Xan to hurry to the kitchen, where she found a new, ridiculously handsome man standing next to a pretty woman whose face was slightly flushed. Based on the protective way he kept an arm around her shoulder, she assumed that they were a pair. One look at the third finger of their left hands confirmed her suspicions. Xan moved her gaze to their faces; the woman, she noticed, was on the taller side, with the kind of figure that should have graced the advertisements for plus sized lingerie. Pretty dark brown eyes shone under the attention of the men who surrounded her; they looked compellingly slanted when she titled her oval face in thought. Xan found the dimple in her chin endearing when she smiled. The woman brushed a sepia colored hand over the expanse of one of her arms before she glanced at the man standing beside her.

And what a formidable looking man he was.

Under the fluorescent lights, his red hair looked more like maroon. Xan wondered how long it took to mix the exact color at the salon. It was a nice color though, especially since he chose to wear it on the longer side, framing his long, angular face. Thick sable eyebrows slashed over startling green eyes. He was a looker, all right, and it was a good thing she only had eyes for Liam; the woman would have had worries otherwise.

"Xan, this is our brother Lindsay and his wife, Alauria."

Xan blinked as Alexis' words cut through her thoughts. She then realized that Lindsay and Alauria stared at her expectantly, as if there was something witty or memorable she was supposed to say. "What's up?" she murmured. Alauria stepped forward to take hold of her hand and Xan gasped at the shock that went through her body at their touch. 

"Sorry," Alauria said, "I still haven't quite gotten the hang of controlling that ability."

"Oh, so you're a paranormal too?"

"You could say that," Lindsay replied. He did not bother to step forward to take hold of her hand but stared at her. She looked very much like a boy, he noticed, but it was obvious that she was female. She wore a long sleeved shirt, making it impossible for him to see the markings his brother described. "Lex has told us a lot about you."

"I find that hard to believe considering he only says five words an hour." Xan glanced over at the quiet man and could have sworn that she saw the side of his mouth quirk up in a smile.

"He rarely speaks verbally," Lindsay said, "Quite the savvy texter, though."

"Bullshit," Liam countered, "He never sends me a text message." Outside of the random instant message or phone call, Alexis only spoke to Liam directly. The fact that they were one of the few brothers who stayed at the manor regularly did nothing to lessen Liam's annoyance.

"Sucks to be you," Lindsay said on a shrug. He turned back to Xan, whose brow was furrowed in thought. "Sherlaine, huh? When do we kill him?"

"As soon as Andrae's temper cools," Roman said. He leaned against the refrigerator, quietly regarding the new members to their private council. "He and Lex got into it."

"Is he all right?" Lindsay asked.

"He'll be fine," Alexis murmured from the kitchen island. "But his issues are not why you are here."

Xan barely noticed Xion seating herself at the island next to Alexis as she watched Lindsay and his wife. They seemed very in tune with one another, moving around each other like their own personal solar system. If she moved, he shifted, and vice versa. A living representation of consuming, life-changing love. She glanced over at Liam, who used that penetrating gaze of his to look straight into her soul. Did he know her thoughts, she wondered. "Uh, so you guys are here to sit around and make plans like the rest of them?"

Lindsay looked from Xan to Liam, who looked to be having some sort of conversation with their eyes. She'd ignited his brother's temper, but it seemed to be what she wanted; there was a glitter of relief in her brown eyes. "My brothers like to strategize, Xan. It's the only way to defeat a demon like Sherlaine."

"Do you know what kind of demon he is? Because no one else seems to."

"My guess is that he's some kind of Mordecai hybrid."

Xan turned her attention to Lindsay and felt her face flush at the knowing look he gave her. She had a bit of a thing for redheads, she noticed; Lindsay was the only other brother she faced who made her uneasy on her feet. She didn't even have an urge to give him lip. "You mean those human looking demons that drink blood like vampires do?" She'd fought a couple of those demons in the past. Strong fighters, but clumsy if not properly trained. If Sherlaine truly was one of them, if he was part of the clan, she had more to worry about. "Is that why he wants my blood? If he drinks it then he becomes the key or something?"

"He wouldn't want that kind of vulnerability," Alexis said. He pulled Xion's chair toward the island as she struggled to wiggle closer.

"For the record," Draco interrupted, "The only reason Mordecai drink the blood is because it's the fastest way to get to the soul, the real meat of their basic diet."

"What else is he mixed with?" asked Xan. Lindsay only shrugged, which meant that he had no clue what else Sherlaine could be. That was great. "So what's your strategy?"

"I have none yet," Lindsay replied, "But Alauria could be quite helpful, as long as she stays safe." The tail end of his statement was directed toward Alexis, who inclined his head in a silent acknowledgement of the command. "She can mimic powers that are around her."

"And what does that have to do with this situation? No offence," Xan murmured to Alauria, "But he's just said that he doesn't want you in the thick of it."

"We're pretty sure she can use her abilities as some sort of alarm system," Roman answered. "If she starts doing something none of us can do, then we'll know there's an unfriendly around."

"Doesn't that only work if were not around the house?"

"The protective enchantments around the house have been breached before," Alexis said.

Xan looked at him incredulously as she asked, "So you're saying that you think he's going to try to come here? In this house?" There was an infuriating silence that made her look at her sister. "You mean to tell me that I've been keeping my baby sister here when there is a possibility that she wasn't even safe? Why in the fuck didn't you take us someplace else?"

"This is the safest house we own."

"Oh, that's really comforting, Alexis," she railed, "I'll sleep like a fucking baby tonight."

"Calm down, warrior princess," Draco soothed. "We're not going to let anything happen to any of-"

"Lindsay, we're going to need your connections to strengthen our defenses," Alexis said as he abruptly stood. With a glance to his brothers, he said, "Chamber in the east wing. Ten minutes."

Xan frowned as she watched Alexis walk out of the room. Draco and Roman followed, each giving her an apologetic look that seemed to magnify her fury. Lindsay gave his wife a kiss before exiting, leaving her with Liam and Alauria. It was then that she noticed that Euan wasn't present. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room; Liam continued to stare at her while Xion stared off after the men who left the room. Xan looked at everything but the people in the room with her for fear that her sudden rage would explode.

"Hi there," Alauria said as she stepped toward Xion. "I'm Alauria. What's your name?"

"Xion."

"Hi Xion. Why don't you and I take a trip to the music room and I can play some music for you?"

"You can play an instrument?"

Alauria nodded as she said, "I teach people how to play the piano. I can teach you a little bit if you'd like." She held out a hand in invitation as she waited for an answer.

Xion glanced toward her sister. At her nod of approval, she jumped down from her seat and took hold of Alauria's hand. "I like to draw."

"You'll have to show me some of your work..."

Xan felt a warm smile dominate her face as she watched her sister walk away with Alauria. While her first instinct would have been to threaten the woman's life to ensure Xion's safety, there was comfort in knowing that Alauria had abilities; if the house went under attack, Xion would be protected. The same thing couldn't be said for her; Liam remained in the room. "Shouldn't you be with your brothers?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Based on the flush that took over her face, she knew exactly what he was talking about. Liam moved closer to her and quickly became annoyed when she took a hasty step back. "You've been avoiding me, locking yourself in your room with your sister and only coming out when you know that there is no chance of you being alone with me." It bothered him that she'd become the skittish kitten. Sure, he'd ruined the memory of her first time, but he would have at least liked to have the opportunity to set things right. He'd become accustomed to seeing her everyday, to talking to her one-on-one. "I want to know why."

"Since when is it a crime to spend time with my sister?" Her stomach flipped when he stepped closer, but she stood her ground, refusing to give him an ounce of power over her. "Get your head out of your ass and get a life."

He felt his face heat as his anger rose. "Don't bullshit me, little girl. We fucked and all of a sudden-"

"We fucked? We fucked?" Xan fisted her hands at her sides to keep from lashing out at him. "That's what you want to call it?"

"That's what it was." Liam's eyes narrowed curiously when her face reddened even more. So she had no problem avoiding the issue, but was ready to pitch a fit at what he called it. "You fuck someone you have no intension talking to ever again. Sounds like you, so that's what I call it."

"You really are a piece of work."

"Same to you, kid."

"I'm not a kid."

"Then stop fucking acting like one and tell me why you've been avoiding me."

She let out a frustrated breath as she stared at him. "Fine. Yes, I have been avoiding you." She held up a hand when he moved to interrupt her. "But it's only because you're asking me to give you something I'm not sure I should."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"It means that while you know what you want from me, a relationship," she muttered with animosity, "I can't say that I want the same. My reasons still stand."

"Don't you think you should crack open the egg before making the omelet?" To say that he did not like what he was hearing was an understatement. Liam never really cared about rejection, but there was something about hearing Xan deny him that twisted his gut painfully. As it was, there'd been an emptiness inside him these past few days from not being with her. But how did he tell her that when they never had a moment alone? Better yet, how did he show her that he was serious about giving them an honest try? 

"Why do you want this so badly?"

"Why don't you?"

"I told you why, Liam. What kind of relationship are we supposed to have when the only time we aren't fighting or ready to kill each other is when we're having sex?"

"A pretty damned pleasurable one." He smiled when she laughed at the statement. That right there was proof that they could make it work. "Look, I'm not asking you to marry me, woman."

"You'd be stupid if you did."

"Yeah, yeah." He shook his head in exasperation as he tried to reason with her. "Just give me a shot, all right. I like you."

While she felt her insides bubble pleasantly at the admission, she refused to let him know his words affected her. "You like me?"

"I fucked you, didn't I?"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Xan turned to storm out of the kitchen and let out an angry breath when he blocked her path. "Word to the wise, asshole; you want a girl to like you, don't call your stealing her virginity a fuck."

"You're the one who's acting like it. I'm fucking trying to give you something here."

"Other than the aneurysm building in my brain?" Her eyes narrowed when the side of his mouth quirked up in a small smile. "I don't want what you're offering me."

"Like hell you do." Before she had a moment to react, he pulled her into his arms and captured her lips in a hot, powerful kiss that had her clinging to him in seconds. Liam moaned when Xan fisted her fingers in his hair. She moved against him restlessly; her nipples were sensual pebbles straining against her shirt. They inflamed his loins and caused him to plunge his tongue into her hot sweet mouth. Her gasp of pleasure pushed him to thrust his tongue into the hot cavern rhythmically. It wasn't long before he had her pressed against the island, clutching him like a lifeline. Liam's cock was hot and heavy, ready to bury itself deeply within her depths. The memory of her tight heat around him pulled a groan out of him. He gripped her hips tightly as he ground at against them. Xan was hot for him, he knew, and he intensified her desire by increasing the pressure of his body on hers. He'd take her right now if there wasn't the risk of any of the family walking in on them. Whipped cream would taste amazing on her skin...




BloodBorne Ch. 07



Xan knew things would go too far if she didn't stop him. "Enough," she gasped as she tore her mouth from his. She placed a shaky hand on her chest to calm herself. The ferocity of her heartbeat both amazed and amused her. The man certainly knew how to make her lose her resolve.

"Now tell me that you don't want me."

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Frustration clouded her judgment as she realized that his touch affected her more than she cared to admit. "Liam, stop. I don't want to do this, all right?"

"Yes, you do, Xan."

She did, but she couldn't afford to admit that. "Well, maybe two-minute fucks aren't my idea of a good time." The rage that colored his face would have made her take a cautious step back if the island wasn't behind her.

"You and I both know that it was a lot fucking longer than two minutes," Liam said as he took a threatening step forward. He couldn't decide if he should throttle her or kiss her again but he did know that he would not allow her callous attitude. "And you enjoyed yourself. Thoroughly." Her unconscious flinch gave him a small bit of satisfaction. "Don't fucking lie to me."

"Don't tell me what to do, you self-serving son of a bitch!" The involuntary gasp made Xan close her eyes in shame. She turned toward the doorway and somehow wasn't surprised to see everyone but her sister standing there. How much had they seen? Did it even matter? Once again, she was completely humiliated. "Asshole!" Without thinking, she lashed out and kicked Liam hard in the shin before storming out of the kitchen. Luckily, the small crowd parted to accommodate her dramatic exit.

From his spot near the door, Draco laughed knowingly. "And here I thought finding the love of your life would have mellowed you out a bit."

* * * * *

Sherlaine was annoyed. As he paced the length of his hall, he almost laughed at the outcome of his brilliant plan. Of course the infernal Brethren would have been with the human. It couldn't have been one or two, could it? That certainly would have helped the idiot demons he had in under his employ. Their sheer numbers alone should have been sufficient enough to take down a small army. "I want their heads on a pike!" he shouted. Though there was no one in the room with him, he knew that he was heard; the sound of frenzied running told him as much.

Now he had to think of a new brilliant plan. Good luck with that, he mocked. With the Brethren breathing down his neck, it would be near impossible to get his hands on the woman. He only knew one person who had the ability to breach their protective shields, but he was currently banished to another dimension. Not that it would have mattered; Zaide was able to breach force fields -- provided he could see them. Knowing the Brethren, they also had masking spells on their safe houses. They could be in the building next door and he would never know.

"Did you capture the woman?"

Sherlaine paused mid-step at the sound of Saveena's voice. "Does it look like I have her?" Her condescending laugh sparked annoyance within him. Had he not been in need of her services, he would have drained that sinewy body of hers of every drop of blood.

"It seems your trackers have led you on."

"No, Saveena, they did not." He resumed his pacing as he spoke; it was the only way to keep from ripping the mocking expression off her face. "They were able to lead me to her in minutes."

"But she is not here."

"Because she is under the protection of the Brethren!" One of the back windows shattered from the force of his anger, but he ignored it; he was too busy pacing to care. "How am I to drain her if I cannot get my hands on her?"

Saveena walked forward to sit on the high-backed chair near the fireplace. She enjoyed watching him panic; it was rare to find a demon as controlled as Sherlaine in such a state. "You are aware that you do not need to drain her."

Sherlaine stopped pacing at the statement. "You mean to tell me that I could have had one of those idiot hench-demons scratch her and that would have worked?"

"You'd need a little more blood than that, but yes, that is the basic theory behind it." Saveena gasped at the invisible ring that tightened around her neck threateningly. "Sherlaine..."

"I want answers, Saveena, not a runaround. Now tell me what I need to know." A wave of satisfaction rolled over him at the sight of panic on her face.

"A vial full," she gasped as she desperately scratched at her throat. "A vial full during the ritual will open the door of your choosing." She gasped as her airwaves were suddenly opened. As she panted for breath, she glanced at Sherlaine. She remained silent as she watched him resume his pacing, formulating a plan to get what he wanted. "How will you get the blood?"

"By capturing the woman of course," Sherlaine looked over at her and laughed at her shocked expression. "Did you really think I would simply let her go, knowing the potency of her blood?" With a wave of his hand, he repaired the damage done to the blown out window and said, "No, a woman so valuable must be mine."

"But what will you do when the reason behind your mission wants her for himself?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Surely you don't believe that every demon who's heard about Zaide thinks you would not do everything in your power to set him free."

Sherlaine stood and looked at the demon as she sat warily on his chair. He laughed as he regarded her; she refused to make eye contact, which told him that she not only accused him of plotting a rescue mission, but she needed proof that her accusations were true. "My reasons for opening the portal are none of your concern, Saveena." He glanced down at the fresh scars on his arm, the scars that came from the woman as she tried to fight him off. "All you need to know is that my efforts will rid us all of the Brethren permanently." He smiled as he fingered the pink marks.

Finally, a break.

* * * * *

"Come here you worthless dog!"

There was nowhere to run; he'd been cornered. He pressed himself against the wall, hoping he wouldn't be seen if he made himself small enough. He prayed to the gods for protection as he crouched low in the corner. If he found him, if he got his hands on him, there would be hell to pay. He'd noticed the missing loaf of bread and knew who took it.

"Where are you? Come here!"

He crawled beneath the table, hoping that the wine would wear off before he was found. Based on the many goblets consumed, he'd have to spend the night hiding. The doors were locked; there wasn't enough time to escape, even if he made it to the only escape route. So he hid, knowing that he was much too large for his age, that it was only a matter of time before the gods ignored his pleas and sent him to his fate. He prayed he had more time.

"Think you can hide from me!"

He gasped in fear and surprise as a large hand gripped his ankle painfully. He tried to hold on to the table leg, but he'd been pulled too quickly; he only managed to scrape his nails against the wooden leg, splintering the tips of his fingers in the process.

He wasn't fully exposed before the first blow met its target. He screamed in agony as the blows kept coming; kicks to his back and legs, worsening the bruises that already lined the contours of his skin. There was no stopping him once he started; he simply brought his arms up to protect his head and waited for the pain to end. Soon enough, he would have been beaten enough to fall into the blackness that soothed him.

The kicks stopped and for a moment, he thought the gods took mercy. But then he heard the scraping of the small spiked club as it was dragged across the floor. "No!" he screamed as he tried to crawl away. The pain searing the very heart of him was forgotten as he desperately fought for sanctuary. He didn't make it very far; his ankle was seized once more and he was dragged into the middle of the room. "Please! I was hungry!"

"So you eat my food!"

He screamed in agony as the club came down hard against his back. He felt every sharp end pierce his skin. Like small stabs of a hot blade, the club battered his tender skin again and again.

"You aren't worth the dirt I shit on you filthy animal! You eat what I give you when I give it to you!"

"I told you to finish expanding the cage before he took anything else."

The sound of the melodic voice froze him in place. This was the first time she'd ever spoken during a beating. This was the first time she'd stayed to watch. Why didn't she stop it? Why didn't she protect him? He reached toward the sound of her voice, hoping that she would be his saving grace. "Please, make him stop..."

"How dare you address me!" she spat at him.

"How dare you address me!" she spat at him.

He cried out when she added a kick of her own. His nose snapped clear in half, gushing hot blood all over the hem of her skirt.

"Dirty animal!" she screamed as she kicked him again.

"Please," he continued to beg. The blows came from both sides; hot pokers piercing his skin on one side and agonizing strikes on the other. The darkness was approaching, but not nearly fast enough to end the torture. "Please. Mother, please..."

"I told you not to call me that!"

Blinding pain shot through his head as she grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the floor. She repeated the action again and again; bursts of light floated in front of him. He was losing feeling in his body. Would this be the beating that finally killed him?

"Ivelda, you must not kill him! We need him!"

Though he could not see, he heard her jump back, panting as she shook the hem of her dress. "Yes. Yes, Emregon, you're right. We need him for the fight." She skirted her way around him and pushed his tormentor away. "He will heal in the night."

He heard her kneel beside him and through the haze of blackness taking over him, felt her lean in close. He tried to call out to her, to plead for her healing touch, but the darkness was too heavy. He was falling fast, much too fast to save himself. Forgive me, mother. Forgive my selfishness. He groaned as he fought to speak.

"He will heal, Ivelda, and when he does, he will make amends for his thievery."

"Yes," Ivelda agreed. "He will win and we will shower ourselves in riches. Like the good dog he is, he will obey. Or we will cage him until he starves to death."

Liam jerked awake, reaching for the other side of the bed as he did. He felt around for her, hoping that she would be near him, but the empty side of the bed was cold. Lonely. He sighed and rolled onto his back, fighting to ignore both the emptiness inside of him, and the angry pounding of his heart. He was alone. With a sigh, he sat upright and threw his legs over the side of the bed. He then rested his head in his hands; the nightmares always ruined his nights. There would be no sleeping after this; how could there be; he'd just relived one of the most brutal beatings of his life.

Liam fisted his fingers in his hair as he expelled a tired breath. The room was dark, and while that darkness would have once calmed him enough to push passed the emptiness inside him, it only enhanced the pain inside him. It was like a balloon; filling and expanding as hot waves of loneliness seeped within him. He didn't like it. He didn't want to be alone.

He wanted her with him.

Liam wasn't sure if she'd accept him, but he had to try. He didn't bother to put a shirt on; he figured no one else would be awake; nor would they care that he only wore a pair of boxer briefs. He wasted no time leaving the room and navigating the dark halls that led to her sanctuary. With every step, the balloon of loneliness inside him deflated until there was only the shell of the man who desperately needed the light of the woman he desired. Liam stood outside her door, unsure of how to proceed. For all he knew, she could have been asleep. He couldn't burst in and drag her out of bed; Xion was with her and Xan would surely wake the entire manor with her mad ranting. What good could she do for him then?

Against his better judgment, Liam lightly rapped on the door. A second later, he cursed himself for his stupidity. She'd deny him and after knowing the long night he had ahead, he didn't want to face the rejection. He turned to walk back to his room, muttering under his breath. He was some kind of an idiot, going to the one person in the world who'd throw mud in his face. "You really are a worthless piece of shit," he grumbled to himself. And he was; he was an asshole and a piece of shit. Nothing would change that.

"Liam?"

He whipped around at the confused whisper that came from behind. He watched as she scratched her messy hair while slowly closing the door behind her. Though she only wore an extremely oversized t-shirt and men's boxers, she was a sight to behold, especially with the flush of sleep on her cheeks.

"I thought I heard something." She crossed her arms over her chest as she padded toward him. "What the hell are you doing outside of my room," she frowned when she was given a clear view of him, "in your underwear?"

Liam met her halfway and stood quietly in front of her. In the semi-darkness of the hall, her eyes looked like black orbs, slowly sucking his soul within their depths. Her light scent wafted to him, and he was renewed. When had she become so much to him? When in the hell had she broken through his defenses and embedded herself within every cell of his being? He was never going to find the taproot of her hold on him, and the fact that he didn't care suddenly angered him. It wasn't fair; she had this unbelievable hold on him and he had to pull teeth to simply get her to admit that she wanted him. "Why in the fuck did I save you that night?"

"Excuse me?"

"I was fucking fine before you came along. My life was shit, but hey, guess what, I was fucking used to it. I wasn't expecting anything more than killing some dumb-ass demons. I was perfectly fine being alone. But no, you have to come along and fucking cheat at that Dymos and get me involved. And now I can't fucking get rid of you if I tried." She was too shocked to retaliate, he was happy to see, and her silence pushed him to continue his tirade. "You were right all along; you are the worst fucking thing that ever happened to me."

"I'm what?" She couldn't ignore the agony that ripped through her at his words. Had she pushed him so far away that he wanted nothing to do with her? The simple possibility that she had filled her with panic. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She'd been so stupid. "Liam, I..."

"You're brash, you curse just as much as I do, there is nearly nothing feminine about you, and if I chose you, there wouldn't be one moment of peace in my life." He shook his head in disgust as he picked at her qualities. He couldn't help himself; he was hurting and wanted her to feel his pain. He wanted her to know what her constant rejections felt like.

Xan hated that she was too hurt to become angry. "Why are you saying all of this?" Why was he making it his life's work to rip her to shreds? She may have deserved the anger, but his cutting words were another story.

"Because, Xan, you're the last thing I should want, but that doesn't stop me from needing you. And only you." He cupped the back of her long neck with his hand as he rested his forehead against hers. "Infuriating personality and all." 

She almost laughed in relief. He wasn't telling her to go to hell. He was actually making a case for himself, and while she hated to admit it, he'd finally won her over. She could deny him no more. "Congratulations. Not only are you an asshole, but you're a stupid asshole."

Liam ignored the insult and said, "I need you, Xan. I need your callousness, I need that annoying glint in your eyes when you yell at me." He felt the tension in his chest ease when she laughed softly. He couldn't stop himself from kissing her tenderly; she needed to understand. "I need your strength and your fearlessness. I need the way you keep me in line." He kissed her again and sighed as she melted him into him. "I need the way you make me feel, even when you piss me off. I need you to need me the way that I need you, Xan." 

Though her heart raced dangerously, she embraced the elation coursing through her. "Liam..." She wanted to assure him, to convince him that she'd stopped running, but no words came; he'd left her speechless. With that simple little speech, he'd touched not only her heart, but the very depths of her soul. With that simple little speech, he'd made her fall in love with him. 

Her soft sigh told him everything he needed to know. With one last kiss, he pulled her against him, reveling at the sound of her breathing against his ear. "Come to bed with me, Xan." 

God, how she wanted to. "Xion..." Her sister would have another panic attack if she woke up alone. 

"I'll walk you back in the morning. Just come with me." He ended any protest she could have given with another soft kiss that completely disarmed her. "Please." There was a moment of silence as she contemplated his words. For a moment, Liam was sure that his words had no effect on her and that she would leave him in the hall. He silently prepared himself for it and came to the decision that he would not come to her again. He would leave her alone.

But then the most amazing thing happened; she leaned up and kissed him, taking his hand in the process. She wasn't leaving him. With a sigh of relief, he led her toward his room. They said nothing as they walked down the hall. Her hold on his hand tightened as they approached his room and he smiled at her shaky breaths. She was either nervous or excited, both feelings that coursed through him as he walked with her. When they entered his room, he closed the door behind them and turned to look at her. She focused on only him, enslaving him with her deep brown gaze once more. 

Liam wasted no time; he pulled her into his arms and felt her pulse pounding over her skin. He paved a burning path of kisses along the column of her throat up to her ear, taking the sensitive lobe between his teeth to tug gently. She shivered at his touch and leaned into him as his lips moved to the sharp but delicate line of her jaw. Soon, his lips captured hers again and he tightened his hold on her, tilting her head back as he angled his head to probe deeper. His assault was slow and deliberate, and soon, she was clinging to him desperately, moving her tongue along his. She gasped when his fingers bit into her hips, and Liam felt a change in her; her kisses became frenzied and she pressed herself harder against him, almost pushing him into the door. The hard pebbles of her nipples rubbed against his chest, and though her t-shirt created a temporary barrier between them, his stomach still cramped in anticipation.

His hands were all over her; her hips, the curve of her bottom, her face. Then his hands weren't on her at all and Xan let out a frustrated breath when he pulled away from her. She would have protested had he not practically ripped her shirt off her body a second later. The cool air of the room combined with the hot look Liam appraised her with sent shivers down her spine. She felt her breasts swell, and a dull ache began to form within them. She shuddered when he reached out to cup them; the heat from his hands both eased and increased the ache. Bolts of pleasure shot down her stomach and pooled between her thighs. 

Xan wanted to close her eyes and fall into the pleasure building within her body, but she couldn't look away from Liam's intense stare. She leaned into his touch, placing her hands on his strong shoulders for support. A sigh escaped her when he kissed her again. She gave him a puzzled look when he abruptly pulled away. "Liam-" Her unspoken question was answered when he dropped to his knees in front of her, pulling down the boxers as he did. She stepped out of them and stood proudly before him, keeping her hands on his shoulders simply because she was unsure of what to do with them.




BloodBorne Ch. 07



Liam stared at the taught lines of her abdomen as he knelt before her. He noticed the tremble that came with her breaths before moving his gaze to the slight flare of her hips that led to strong but womanly thighs. He moaned as he looked at the black curls that covered her center, then slowly parted them. Even in the dim light, he saw the drops of nectar that coated her. Her musky scent wafted to him, pushing his control to the limit. Liam placed his hands on her hips and flicked his tongue across the button hidden between her silken folds. He felt her tighten her grip on his shoulders as she moaned in surprise and pleasure. He ran his tongue again, adding a pressure that allowed him access to her coated channel. 

When her knees, buckled, he deftly shifted so that she leaned against the door. Liam didn't wait until she'd situated herself; he pressed his mouth onto her mound and snaked his tongue along her dripping opening. He drove his tongue in deeper when her hips shot forward, scraping the buds of his tongue along her pleasure button. 

"Ah, Dios, don't sop," she begged. Her plea was quickly rewarded with a deeper probe of his tongue before she was slowly filled with a thick finger. She gasped harshly as he stroked her. Her knees buckled again when he added a second finger. The tight fit of him wreaked havoc on her senses. Her stomach muscles and scalp tightened dangerously and her body was in a small amount of pain from the tenseness locking her limbs into place. 

He increased the pace of his ministrations as he clamped his lips around her sensitive bud. Without warning, her body exploded in a series of convulsions that made her cry out. Waves of white hot pleasure crashed over her. She lost all sense of time and feeling. It felt as if she hadn't taken a proper breath in years, her chest was so tight. Xan hadn't even realized she'd closed her eyes until she opened them and found herself staring at the ceiling. Apparently he'd carried her to the bed. Had she passed out?

She moved to rest her weight on her elbows and was able to watch Liam peel his underwear off. Damn, he was a magnificent sight. Her eyes traced a hot line of seemingly cinnamon hair from his navel to the copper hair of his groin. Even in the barely lit room, the color was bold and inviting. His cock was hard and bobbed slightly as it throbbed; it became redder as she stared at it and when he shifted, she was able to make out the thin stream of clear dew seeping from the velvet head. A hot wave of desire washed over him as she stared at the pulsing member jutting proudly toward her. She looked up at his face and smiled at his arrogant look.

Liam climbed onto the bed, placing one knee between her thighs. He hovered above her for a moment, staring down into her captivating brown eyes. She reached up and placed her hands on his hips, pulling him down against her. He complied and crushed his lips against hers in a dominating kiss. Liam moaned as her hands moved restlessly along the lines of his body. The moan quickly became a gasp when she boldly reached between them to wrap her hand around his throbbing member. "Fuck yeah," he groaned against her mouth. 

She gripped him tightly and squeezed, making him shudder. "Move your hand," he instructed, "Like this," he placed his hand over hers, and together they stroked his aching cock. He groaned again and thrust his tongue into her mouth. He became restless and in one quick move, he sat up and straddled her thigh, placing his knee against her slick center. Liam looked down at their hands as they moved over him for only a second before he moved his hands to her breasts. He massaged the pert mounds and teased the hard peaks as she worked his cock. He groaned harshly when her hand moved faster; the sweet, torturous moments made him buck and grind against her. He moved a hand down to the hot tunnel pressed against his knee and deftly slipped his fingers inside, matching the pace of her ministrations. In moments, they were panting and writhing against each other, desperately close to the edge. "Tell me you want this."

Xan nodded desperately as she moaned, "yes."

"Tell me," he commanded as his fingers probed deeper.

Her eyes screwed shut when a burst of pleasure rippled through her. "Yes, yes, I want this." She gripped his thigh with her free hand as she arched her back. She felt him shift once more and gasped in anticipation when he lifted her legs to wrap around his waist. He slowly ran the velvet head of his member against her opening and she shuddered in response, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Xan buried her face in his neck as he pushed into her. Her lips parted in a moan before moving to his ear. He tortured her with his invasion, inching within her depths at a maddening pace. His grunts and groans only heightened her desperation and soon, she grabbed hold of his hips and pulled him against her. Liam thrust deep in response, filling her almost painfully. She moaned at the tight fit of him then pulled his mouth to hers as he slowly began to move. Slow, grinding thrusts made her pant and cling to him. Her body was on fire as he ground and mashed against her, pushing her closer to the end her body screamed for. Just as she mentally screamed at him to move faster, his hips began to slam against hers. "Yes!" she gasped, "yeah."

Liam groaned harshly as he fought his climax. She was so tight around him, so hot. With every move, she pulled him closer to the edge until he dangled dangerously off the ledge. She clung to him and bit the side of his neck as she moaned in pleasure. His body was tight with the need to come but he held on, determined to get her there first. Xan lifted her head higher and they both cursed as he sank deeper within her depths. Her high pitched gasp snapped his control; Liam thrust within her ferociously, forcing her to gasp with each slap of his hips against hers. Her cries and pleas to never stop shattered any hope of his holding on until she exploded. 

His vision went white as he felt his sac tingle. The sensation spread to his cock then to the rest of his body. He was lost. "Oh fuck... Oh fuck!" he shouted at the first delicious contraction of her silken walls around him. He felt her orgasm before he heard her cry out. Liam's body jerked and tensed as his essence shot out of him. He pushed in deeper as his hips continued to move against her. It seemed as if forever passed before he collapsed on top of her. He loved the way she panted against his ear and laughed softly when she shuddered again.

Xan hissed as he slowly withdrew from her. She kept her eyes closed and lay still, spent from the intensity of their lovemaking. She smiled at the realization that this was better than their first time. Would it always get better? She wanted to ask him, but refused to come off the ignorant virgin. That fact that he knew that he was her only lover was enough. She sighed when he pulled her into his arms and rested her head on his chest. "That was amazing," she murmured.

"Was that an actual compliment?" Liam laughed when she bit him playfully. "Yes, it was. You'll be the death of me yet." He smiled when she laughed. He was sure she thought he was making a joke about their constant fighting. It was better that he didn't correct her. At this point, the less they said, the better. 

He felt her fall asleep; her body relaxed completely as her breathing evened out. Liam smiled to himself as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. Lying with her in his arms, he was full. The pain, the emptiness, everything that made him a miserable shit of a man disappeared. She'd cleansed him with her touch, renewed him with her acceptance. There was comfort in knowing that she wanted the man, not the fighter. She cared about Liam, not a member of the Brethren. For the first time in his life, Liam felt purpose. He wasn't alone, nor was he a miserable shell of a man.

For the first time, he was happy.



BloodBorne Ch. 08



Xan let out a frustrated sigh as she watched Xion stare out the window. Her sister had been become very quiet and introverted the past few days. Xan knew why; little Xion wasn't used to being confined indoors. While the sheer size of the manor was more than enough to keep anyone from getting antsy, Xion thrived when she was able to go outside. Before this mess with Sherlaine started, they took long walks at least twice a week and went on small outings every weekend. Xan made sure her sister socialized and saw as much of the outside world as she could. With this situation, there was no hope of a walk or even a small trip to the flea market. Xion was quickly becoming a depressed child and Xan refused to have it.

She would have spoken to any of the many brothers inhabiting the house, but it seemed that with Lindsay and Alauria's arrival, their plans against Sherlaine kicked into high gear, making it near impossible for her to get any of the brothers alone. That wasn't completely true; she'd spent every nigh this week with Liam, and it seemed that every night was better than the last. They didn't do much talking, which probably was good given their propensity to enrage each other, but when they did speak, they shared stories about their most epic battles, trading tactics and comparing battle scars. 

Well, she showed him hers, and he pointed out the areas that would have been severely marked had not had extraordinary healing abilities. They'd only made love one time since the night she gave into him; there seemed to be a need to simply be together, especially since they did not have any time to even greet one another during the day. Xan preferred things this way; there was no pressure to make things serious between them, but there was a budding anticipation in the pit of her stomach when Xion fell asleep. 

Xion. Xan looked over at her sister and felt her heart sink at the longing look in the child's eyes as she stared out of the window. Her depression seemed to mount with each day; where Xion once sought refuge in the expansive library, she now refused to leave their room, claiming that she was tired and wanted to sleep. Getting her to go to the kitchen was an ongoing battle; she also claimed that she wasn't hungry. Xan didn't think much of it at first, but when her sister stopped drawing, she knew that she had to take matters into her own hands. "I'll be right back," she told Xion. Moments later, she'd rushed out of the room and down to the solarium, the brothers' regular meeting room.

She stopped short at the sight of Alauria sitting between Liam and Lindsay. A wave of anger washed over her and for a moment, and she had to decide what made her angrier; a female's presence in the top secret meeting or the fact that the woman sat next to Liam. The general consensus was that females feared him. But yet, here this beautiful, talented, sweet woman sat next to him as if he were the most docile man to ever live. A mental bitch-slap reminded her that Alauria was married and most likely sat near Liam because it was the only spot near her husband available. But that didn't calm her anger. "How come Alauria gets to sit in on your meetings?"

"If we are to make use of her abilities-"

"I have abilities too," Xan insolently interrupted. She didn't look at Alexis, knowing that he would fix her with one of those stares that made her tense uneasily.

"Can you willingly take on the ability of any supernatural around you and use said ability against them?" Lindsay asked impatiently. When she only stared at him with wide eyes, he shook his head and said, "Obviously not the abilities we need."

"Watch your fucking mouth when you talk to her," Liam defended. If there was anyone in the room who would make her feel like an idiot, it would be him. "Xan, the less you know, the better."

"What does that mean?" She asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

Draco cleared his throat nervously before saying, "We have a history of accidentally getting our charges kidnapped. Accidentally," he emphasized when Xan's face reddened.

"Seriously, Drake? This is what you decide to tell the woman?" Andrae grumbled as he shimmered into the room. He stared at Alauria for a moment and studied her, completely ignoring the look Lindsay gave him. She matched his stare valiantly, he noticed, and completely surprised him by giving him a smile. "Lindsay's woman."

"Lindsay's brother." Alauria replied. She quickly adjusted herself after Lindsay hauled her up against her side. "I'd introduce myself, but as you can see, Lindsay is feeling unnecessarily possessive."

"Can we get back to the point here?" Xan yelled. "First you tell me that you don't know what Sherlaine is so you don't know how to kill him. Then you pretty much make it clear that you're going to sit on your asses and read books all fucking day until you get some kind of a clue on how to get him off my ass. Next comes the real sweet piece of news that this house isn't completely protected from all the big bad out there so you need a human alarm system to make sure nobody makes a milkshake out of my blood. Now you're telling me that the people you protect get 'accidentally kidnapped?'"

"Xan, calm down, there is no need to-" 

"Don't even, Roman! You're all grown ass men with fuck knows how many years of experience. I have a kid to take care of. I can't afford to get 'accidentally' kidnapped!'"

"And this is precisely why you are not to sit in any of our meetings."

"Fuck your stupid meetings and fuck this!" She turned to walk out of the room ignoring the uproar she'd caused amongst the brothers, and frowned when she walked into an invisible wall. "What the fuck..."

"I'm sorry, Xan, but I don't like it when you get angry."

Xan took her time turning to face everyone before she said, "Well you seem to be the only fucking one because everyone else has said or done some fucking thing to piss me off. You know, I came down here to ask if it was possible to let Xion out for a few hours because she's cooped up and getting fucking depressed and goddammit, kids her age need to fucking breathe and not only do I find out that I can't take her out because of the fucking dangers, but I can't really depend on this fucking place because it isn't fucking safe either!" She let out a frustrated breath as she brought a hand up to cup her forehead. Her face was hot and she knew that she was excessively flushed. "When are you going to figure out how to get rid of him?" she asked in a calmer voice. 

"Just as soon as you stop dropping so many F-bombs," Alexis declared. He ignored the surprised and incredulous stares shot at him as he said, "It's not becoming on a woman of your status."

Xan was tempted to tell him where to shove his status, but that stare of his stopped her from saying anything. Instead, she looked at Roman's concerned face, knowing that his was the only one she could take. His goatee was immaculate, she noticed. "Can I go now?"

"It seems as if Xion isn't the only one who needs to get out," Andrae said as he leaned a shoulder against the wall. "It won't be a bad idea to let them out someplace public for a while."

"No fucking way," Liam ground out. He shot up out of his seat and started toward Xan in a move to protect her. "Remember what happened the last time we let them out?"

"So you'd rather her start shouting like a madwoman every five minutes? How is that going to help anything?"

"I said no," Liam repeated. He looked over at Xan, who stood shocked at Andrae's defense for her sanity. "You're staying here."

"It's not much safer here than out there," Andrae argued.

"But at least we can control what fucking happens here," Liam snapped.

"You and I both know that's not true." There was a tense moment of silence as Andrae and Liam stared at each other. It was obvious to everyone in the room that they were in the middle of a silent conversation that merged into a battle of wills. "Take her someplace public, Liam, during the daylight hours. We'll all be there to watch them both."

"Xion really needs this," Xan pleaded before Liam could argue. His face reddened as he looked at her, a clear indication that he wanted to beat the crap out of someone, namely Andrae. "Please," she asked simply to ensure his compliance.

How in the fuck was he supposed to say no after that? "Fine. But if anything, any-fucking-thing happens, I'll beat the shit out of both of you on top of it."

"The mall in Amberly seems like a good enough place to go," Draco volunteered, "Close enough to get there quickly, crowded enough that we can control the situation if Sherlaine has real balls."

"This is such a fucking bad idea," Liam muttered.

"Get yourself and Xion ready," Alexis ordered Xan. "We leave in twenty minutes." He watched Xan rush out of the room and waited until she was out of ear shot before saying, "We all know what's going to happen the second we set foot in that mall. But it's better than waiting for him to come here."

"I'll keep next to her," Liam said.

"We'll keep next to Xion," Roman volunteered.

"You're staying here," Lindsay ordered Alauria.

"But I can help."

"You're. Staying. Here." Lindsay repeated. His tone left no room for argument and he sighed in satisfaction when she crossed her arms over her chest angrily.

Liam refused to listen to anything else. He stormed out of the solarium and toward his room, both enraged and anxious at the fact that he was putting Xan in danger once more. He knew Andrae's motivation; bait as irresistible as a key that could open any paranormal portal would bring anyone out of hiding. But did they really have to use her? Euan was out busting his animal ass getting as much information as he could from his contacts. Surely they could have waited just a bit longer. He had to admit he was thinking selfishly; the longer they took to resolve the situation, the more time he spent with Xan. Thinking about having to watch her walk away shredded his insides; he couldn't let her go. Not yet.

He groaned inwardly as strapped on his retractable wrist blades and hid them beneath the sleeves of his shirt. What kind of demon fighter was he to be more concerned about the fate of their relationship than her life? There was no relationship if she was dead. But then again, there was a chance that there would be no relationship once they got rid of Sherlaine. As he looked at the bed, the same bed they'd shared nightly, Liam knew that he was in for one hell of an uphill battle. So this was the bullshit his brothers went through with their women.

Why in the fuck did he get himself into this?

Liam all but ran from his room as he rushed to join his brothers in the garage. They were taking Alexis' rarely used Lexus LX570, which made sense considering eight bodies needed to fit into the vehicle. Lindsay took point in the passenger seat next to Alexis while the twins flanked Xion behind them. Liam wasn't happy to see that Andrae sat next to Xan; hell, he didn't like it when any man sat next to her, distant cousin or not. Grudgingly, he took his place and felt his anger fade when Xan moved closer to him. He said nothing and did not even acknowledge the action, but he did move the slightest bit closer to her when Alexis started his truck.

The short ride to the shopping center was silent as the brothers thought it best to keep the females asleep during the ride. Liam didn't quite understand the precautionary method; they were about to give Sherlaine free reign to Xan with this foolish outing. But of course, no one wanted to listen to him; they never did. Andrae was convinced that Xan and Xion needed "room to breathe" -- whatever the hell that meant. It would have been much simpler to simply tie them on leashes and let them run around the garden. Liam smiled inwardly at the mental image he'd given himself. A second later, he glared at Andrae; he knew exactly what his shit brother was up to and he did not like the half breed's plan one bit.

It wasn't as if he could bring up any kind of argument; they were already in the car and searching for a parking spot near one of the back entrances. There were a number of cars in the lot, Liam wasn't happy to see. "This is a bad fucking idea."

"She's got all of us, bro," Draco assured, "We won't let anything happen."

Liam wasn't so sure about that. He watched the twins wake Xion as he roughly shook Xan awake. "Get up. We're here."

"This is how you treat your woman?" Andrae asked with a raised eyebrow.

Liam grumbled as he shook her again. He almost laughed at the dazed look in her eyes, but remembered what was to come. His brothers had already exited the truck, leaving them inside and he took the opportunity to place a small kiss on her lips. "Be on your guard," he warned, "Just because there are a lot of humans here, doesn't mean you're safe."

"But I am safe," Xan countered. She pushed at him to move so that she could exit the truck but stopped when he did not budge. The questioning look in his eyes made her say, "I'm with you right?"

"Yes."

"So I'm safe. Can we go now?" She shook her head when she caught his slow smile at her remark. The rest of the group was nearly at the entrance, she noticed, so she ran to catch up to them. "How long will we be here?"

"As long as we have to be," Andrae replied.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you, walking away from me like that," Liam said angrily. He grabbed hold of Xan's arm to keep her from straying too far from him again.

"I was catching up with everyone else," she defended. "Calm the fuck down. I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh there's a Play Palace!" Xion announced excitedly. She immediately looked over at Alexis, knowing that he had final say on every decision made.

"Go ahead," he said with a small nod. He shook his head when the twins each told hold of one of her tiny hands as they discussed which arcade games they would play. They were worse than children sometimes, those two.

"You think they have DDR?" Xan asked Liam. She knew that he was a video game freak and figured this would have been the perfect opportunity for them to bond over something that wasn't sad or sexual. "I've never played it but I hear its fun."

"Do I seem like the type of person who would play a game that forces me to dance?"

Xan looked down the long hall toward Play Palace and back to him. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"I like you," Andrae said with an appreciative grunt.

Liam released his hold on Xan to shove his brother away from her. He laughed when the shove was returned and continued his pseudo battle with Andrae as they walked. He noticed Alexis shake his head in apparent exasperation, but this was nothing out of the ordinary; serious Lex didn't know the meaning of the term play-fight. His idea of bonding was discussing the great demon wars that affected human society.

Xan frowned when an odd feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't a sick feeling or even a nervous one; there was a simple sensation, as if she'd swallowed a magnet, and there was a large piece of metal nearby she couldn't ignore. She relaxed her stride as she tried to fight the sensation, but it only became stronger, turning her legs to sludge. She wanted to say something, but her tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth. So she stopped walking for a moment, hoping the odd feeling coming over her would lessen. Something inside of her wanted to break away from the group and go left. But she was supposed to go straight; Play Palace was just down the hall. No, she wouldn't deviate. 

Xan was aware of the random shoppers who looked at her strangely as they passed by. She didn't care; she was too busy trying to get her tongue unglued from the roof of her mouth. The sensation only intensified, and as she willed her legs to move, she continued to try to make a sound. Instead, her legs continued on their own accord, veering her left. Panic began to well within her and dread washed over her as she looked at Sherlaine's smiling face.

Why the hell hadn't anyone noticed that she was deviating?!? Draco and Roman were too involved in their video conversation to notice that she was leaving. Liam and Andrae were still trying to beat the shit out of each other, while Alexis and Lindsay... well, who knew what the hell they were up to.

This was the best protection detail ever.

Her heart felt as if it would explode as she continued to near Sherlaine. His smile widened as she approached. If he wasn't an evil son of a bitch who wanted to bleed her dry, she'd find him attractive, especially with that dimple in his cheek. But she felt the raw, dark power that emanated off of him. The shoppers did as well; every single human who passed by him stared at the man standing so casually in front of the home appliance store. Again, she willed herself to stop walking, but her body screamed at her; a bolt of white-hot pain shot through her and she would have screamed in agony had she been able to sleep. The arrogant grin that took over his face told her that he was responsible for what was happening to her. Bastard.

Xan had to have been twenty feet away from him when a small black doorway began to form next to Sherlaine. Based on the fact that none of the other shoppers seemed to notice its appearance, she had to take a guess and say that her blood was working some kind of magic. Sherlaine noticed it; his grin became a laugh as the portal expanded and he clapped his hands together in victory. You are mine now, a voice in her head declared. Only, it wasn't her voice. The panic inside her made breathing difficult; in the back of her mind, she heard the strain behind her efforts to breathe. You don't have to fear me, Xandra. I will not hurt you. No, only bleed her to death. As you can see, your blood was not used to open the door beside me. No fear, sweeting.

Yeah... No fear at all.

Sherlaine laughed again, and she became aware of the fact the he could hear her thoughts. How in the hell... You have spilled my blood, Xandra. We have a small connection now. I will always know what you think. Wonderful. Fucking wonderful. Yes, Xandra, it is.

Fury rolled through her as she continued to approach. When the distance between them neared ten feet, she noticed his lips moving in some sort of silent chant. So this was why she couldn't move. She watched as she pulled a knife out of his pocket. Fear replaced fury and for a moment, she was sure that he was going to bleed her dry in the middle of the mall. But he didn't; he brought the knife to the palm of his hand and drew a neat line across the white flesh. Xan expected blood to flow free, but instead a pale yellow mist floated out of his palm and toward her. Instead of hitting her in the chest or on her forehead, the mist floated around her like a predatory animal, searching for a point of weakness or entry. It never touched her, but she kept an eye on it as she continued her approach. Before she had a moment to blink, Sherlaine was standing in front of her and reaching for her hand. A second later, she was shot sideways by an invisible force and rolled off a metal bench. 

Xan groaned at the pain caused by the impact and a second later, fumbled to catch Xion as she was thrown out of the way. When the hell did her sister get close enough to get thrown? Xan shot up off the floor and pulled her sister behind her, prepared to do everything possible to defend Xion. There was no defense necessary, however; the second the brothers got close enough to engage in battle, Sherliane shimmered out of the mall. 

"What the fuck," Liam muttered. He looked over at Xan, who stood bewildered, then to the shoppers in the mall who seemed oblivious to what was about to happen. "Why didn't you say anything, Xan?"

It took her a moment to realize that she could speak. "Don't you think I would have said something if I could?" She took hold of Xion's hand and walked toward the exit determined to get her back to the semi-safety of the manor. "We're going home."




BloodBorne Ch. 08



"I'll take you," Andrae said. He took hold of their hands and teleported them to the manor before wordlessly teleporting out.

Xan brought Xion to the kitchen and nearly jumped out of her skin at seeing Alauria cooking dinner. "I forgot you were here."

"That tends to happen," Alauria replied. "Are you ladies hungry?"

"I could eat a little something," Xan replied. She sat down at the island with her sister, shaken by what almost happened. She was nearly kidnapped by Sherliane. Again. What the hell was she still doing with the brothers if they weren't going to do anything to keep things like this from happening? She was no longer sure if it was a great idea to pursue her relationship with Liam; her feelings seemed to keep her from thinking clearly.

"Are you all right?"

Xan looked over at Alexis who'd taken a seat at the island next to Xion. So involved in her thoughts had she been, that she did not realize the brothers had returned. "I'm fine. What the hell happened back there?" She stopped when she was pulled into Liam's arms. There wasn't a moment to ask what the hell he was doing as he mechanically ran his hands over her body, checking for wounds of any kind. "I'm fine!" she shouted when his hands moved too close to the cleft of her thighs. There was only so much she would allow in front of his family and Xion.

"I thought he would have had some sort of attack planed," Andrae murmured thoughtfully as he leaned against the refrigerator. "Attempted kidnapping is sort of bland considering his style of attack."

"You mean to tell me that you knew he would try again?" Xan asked.

"I told you not to go," Liam said in response. He glared at Andrae as he'd learned that his brother knew that Sherlaine was in the shopping center. He'd kept them all distracted while Xan was left to fend for herself. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yea, I'll live."

"Dinner's ready," Alauria announced. She placed a small plate of baked chicken and rice in front of Xion and waited for the twins to take their share before she served everyone else. Andrae declined, as did Liam, but Lindsay and Alexis accepted the meal.  

Xan remained quiet as she ate, but kept an eye on her sister. Xion didn't seem traumatized. If anything, she looked rather bored. "You ok, kid?" Her sister only nodded solemnly, a clear indication that she was, in fact, not all right. "You're sad that we didn't get to go to Play Palace."

Xion nodded as she picked at her plate of food. "Stupid demons."

"Here, here!" Lindsay proclaimed.

Xan had to smile at the gesture and felt a great deal of affection for the twins when they told Xion that they would take her to the game room once she finished her dinner. This prompted her sister to nearly inhale her food.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Alexis asked.

Xan realized that he spoke to her and glanced at her hand. It looked fine to her. "Nothing. Why?"

"You've been scratching it for the past five minutes."

"No I haven't."

"You've been scratching it since you got back," Alauria countered. 

Xan frowned at the news and glanced at her hand again, only to see that she was indeed using her nails to scratch her palm while her other hand was occupied holding her fork. "It's probably nothing." She continued to eat her dinner, unaware that everyone stared at her. The remainder of the meal was passed silently, primarily because everyone was too preoccupied watching Xion stuff her tiny mouth with food. Once she finished her meal, the twins kept their promise and took her upstairs to the game room. Afterward, Alexis retreated to the solarium, informing Lindsay that he was to do the dishes. Lindsay had no problem with this; he simply threw every dirty dish in the trash and said that he would order a new set over the internet the next morning. Xan laughed at Alauria's reaction, especially when she incredulously asked if that was why they continually had new dishes at their house. She watched them argue until they left the kitchen, wondering why it was married couples bickered over the weirdest things.

"Are you ready to go upstairs?"

She looked over at Liam and felt her heart swell at knowing that he waited for her to finish her dinner. "Don't you think I should check on Xion first?"

"She's got the twins, she'll be fine." Liam took hold of her hand and led her toward his room. He was still angry at what happened at the shopping center, but conceded the fact that things could have gone a lot worse. They'd thwarted Sherlaine before it was too late and they now knew that they could not let Xan out of the house again. Well, he'd already known that, but hopefully his shit-for-brains brothers finally got the message. 

Once they entered his room, the both took their shoes off and climbed onto his bed. Xan tried to lie on her back, but he wouldn't have it; he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. He couldn't shake the terror that tore through him when he realized she broke away from the group. Andrae, traitorous brother that he was, made sure to keep him distracted the second he realized Sherlaine was in the mall. He still needed to kill the half breed for that. Liam made a vow to keep an eye on Xan from now on; his brothers thought that putting her life in danger would have shown them a weakness to use against Sherlaine. Instead, it only seemed to make him smarter and more daring; there was no one else he knew of who would have tried to kidnap Xan in public during daylight hours.

Xan must have been exhausted; within minutes, he heard the deep even breathing that came with sleep. He'd come to treasure these moments; though they hadn't been intimate in what he considered forever, he enjoyed their moments of closeness. They were a beautiful reminder that he wasn't as alone as he though he was. Xan cared about him and he was quickly coming to realize that he would walk through the fires of hell for her. Who'd have thought that this impossible woman would have become his world?

Liam shook his head in amusement as he remembered the night they met. How stupid was he to think that she was a boy? Staring at her now, there wasn't anything physically male about her. She had a strong jaw, but it was softly rounded, and the delicate slope of her nose was anything but masculine. Her body was toned but curvy; she fit perfectly against him. This woman had become his every thought, even when she decided to play the irritating lunatic. She was everything he could ever desire in a woman. He would never let Sherlaine get his hands on her.

There was no way in hell he was going to let her die on him.

* * * * *

A burning, throbbing sensation concentrated at the base of her neck forced Xan out of the sleep-induced haze she'd long ago fallen into. It was dark and she was slightly disoriented; had it not been for Liam's deep, grumbling snore, she would not have known where she was. As she disentangled herself from his arms, she stumbled out of bed. She was thirsty and every passing second only seemed to increase the burning in her throat. She didn't bother to search for shoes; the intense need to get downstairs overshadowed any other thought. Even the fact that her vision was still hazed from exhaustion didn't stop her from walking out of the room. Her stride was purposeful and there was only one moment of hesitation as her mind wandered to concern for her sister. Xan wanted to check on her because she'd never allowed her sister to go to bed without her there, but the burning in her throat only focused her mind on quenching her thirst. She was quick to descend the stairs and quietly walked into the kitchen, ignoring Lindsay and Andrae as they sat at the island.

"You all right there, cousin?" Andrae asked blandly. While he was curious about her reasons for being out of bed in the middle of the night, he was concerned with how long her particular task would take. He'd been absorbed in an intense conversation with his brother, one he would have rather kept between the two of them. He watched as Xan greedily consumed two glasses of tap water before clumsily dropping the cup in the sink. She simply stood there for a minute afterward, staring off into space and slowly blinking as if about to fall asleep on her feet. "Xan?"

Lindsay raised both brows speculatively when Xan only turned to look at them before shuffling out of the room. "I'd say she was sleepwalking, but Liam would have mentioned that." He kept his eyes on her as she walked toward the exit and frowned when she turned right out of the kitchen. "Where the hell is she going?" The staircase leading back to Liam's room was on the left. "The solarium?" He stood and followed Andrae out of the kitchen, intent on finding the reason behind her odd behavior. When Xan walked passed the solarium, however, the hairs on the back of his head stood on end. "Xan? This is not good."

Andrae nodded in agreement as he watched Xan walk toward the hidden front door he was sure Liam never revealed. He grabbed her shoulders to keep her from grabbing the door and attempting to step outside and found himself blocking a right hook instead. He stepped back in shock, but quickly shifted to defense as she continued her attack. As much as Andrae would have loved to fight back and show her exactly who she was trying to take down, he remembered Liam and his attachment to the suddenly crazy human. He blocked every single one of her attacks, but as he looked at her face, he realized that she still wore the dazed expression. "Want to give me a hand, Lindsay?"

"You seem like you're doing fine on your own." Lindsay shrugged innocently when his brother shot him a murderous look. "Well grab onto her or hold her down."

"Easy to say when you aren't the one she is trying to kill," Andrae shot back. He caught hold of her wrist and spun her into him so that he could restrain her hands in front of her. She said nothing during this ordeal, but she did fight like a wild animal. While she struggled in his hold, he pulled her back toward the kitchen. He glanced at Lindsay, who found it oddly prudent to send a text message. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's not like we have some kind of bat signal, D. I'm sending the guys a text message so that we don't wake Alauria or the kid." He shifted his attention from his cell phone to a struggling Xan and Andrae held her down. "Maybe I should have told them to bring some rope."

"I seriously hate you right now," Andrae growled when Xan delivered a kick that nearly made him a eunuch.

"I can shock her."

"You can get the fuck out of my way."

The brothers turned as Liam stormed into the room. The murderous look in the redhead's eyes had them on the defensive, ready to fight him if it meant keeping Xan under control. "Before you start bitching, you should know that she went after us first." Andrae growled again when she managed to bite his forearm.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Liam asked. He pushed Andrae aside and quickly took over the task of holding Xan down when she made another move to attack his brother. "Xan stop it." He heard the twins walk in with Alexis but ignored them as he held her down. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"The stench of the Belial demon offends me."

The room fell silent at Xan's words. Her head was bowed and she spoke in a low menacing tone, but it was obvious to all in the room that the person speaking to them was not Xan. "Ah fuck," Liam mumbled. He glanced back at Roman and waited until he received his brother's nod before quickly stepping back. As he'd suspected, Xan lunged forward to escape but was stopped when she slammed into an invisible wall.

"She's boxed in." Roman assured.

The men stepped back to look at the woman as she smiled evilly at them. There was a glint in her eye and she continued to kick at the invisible wall. "You will not be able to keep her much longer," she said.

"I'm going to skin you alive," Liam growled at Andrae. As much as he wanted to tear his risk taking brother apart, he had to think about Xan and the ordeal she was going through. "Xan? Xan, you have to fight this."

"I'm sorry, Xan isn't in right now. Please leave a brief message and she will get back to you once I am done with her."

"You son of a bitch!" Liam roared. Had it not been Xan's body he was dealing with, he would have easily choked some answers out of the body. He turned to look at Alexis, who seemed too busy sending a text message to bother with the situation. "Are you fucking happy?"

"Based on the excitement on his face when he realized I was here, I'd say he was thrilled."

"Shut the fuck up."

"And then you're going to choke answers out of me if I stay quiet."

Liam glanced at his brothers as they continued to stare at Xan. This was nice; Xan was possessed and their mortal enemy could read their thoughts.

"No, just yours. And she's not possessed; I'm simply borrowing her body for a while. I thought you'd be up for a little chat." 

"What is she talking about?" Roman asked

Liam's blood boiled at the sly grin he was given. "The next time I kill you, I'll make sure you stay dead, Sherliane." Xan's body shifted into a relaxed, friendly position and her head tilted in mocking thought. Liam realized that he needed to contain his thoughts and feelings; there was no telling what the bastard would do to her when he realized his innermost thoughts. 

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there, Liam."

The way his name came off her lips, with such amused derision, set his blood on fire. Liam had to remind himself that though he spoke to Sherlaine, he was looking at Xan. 

"You're girlfriend certainly is the potty mouth. She's screaming things I've never even heard before, and, well, beings as old as us have heard just about everything." The silence seemed to amuse Sherliane as he stared out at the men in the room. As much as he hated being in a woman's body this particular way, he was enjoying himself. "Tell me; were you the one to teach her such low behavior? You can't honestly expect a woman of her caliber to get any respect when she speaks like a low class whore."

"What do you want, Sherliane?" Alexis asked. He didn't bother to look up from his task of typing furiously into his cell phone.

"I've often dreamed of killing every single one of you and trust me when I say that I'm the kind of man who makes his dreams come true. To get to the point, I want her."

"That's never going to fucking happen," Liam said through clenched teeth.

"If you say so. But tell me this; you and I are both connected to this woman in very different ways. How well are you going to sleep at night when I can simply... take over whenever I please? What will you do when you are making love to her body and in reality, and quite literally, I am the one fucking with you?"

Had it not been for the invisible cage Roman had up around Xan's body, Liam would have forgotten himself and done something unforgivable. Lindsay and Draco pulled him back, a difficult task considering the power of his rage.

"It is quite simple; give me the woman and I'll let you return to your pathetic, inconsequential lives. Otherwise, prepare yourself for my impatience." 

Andrae took a warning step forward, almost daring Sherlaine to take his threats to the next level. The look he was given make him narrow his eyes.

"It really is a shame I never got to kill you. What was the Daemis' name? Natalie? Namibia? No, that's a country."

"Stand down, Andrae," Alexis warned when his brother moved to rush Xan's body.

"She looked quite delicious. Pity she was drained before I could get to her."

"Drae, no!" Liam shouted as his brother shifted to his demonic form. Andrae was incredibly volatile when in his natural state; Liam feared that he was wild enough to break through Roman's barrier and kill Xan. Since he was still held back by Draco and Lindsay, he had no choice but to shout at Andrae to stand down. "Will one of you fucking do something?!?" He shouted at Roman and Alexis.

"I'm a bit busy keeping this shield up right now," Roman replied.

Alexis only watched curiously.

"What's all the yelling - holy crap a demon!"

"Alauria, it's not a demon, its D. Now go upstairs and lock the door," Lindsay ordered.

She didn't listen and walked into the kitchen to stand next to Alexis. She said nothing when he shifted to stand half in front of her. "What is going on? What's wrong with Xan and why is your brother trying to kill her?"

"Another one? This house is a regular harem."

"Alauria..." Lindsay warned. 

"I like this one... She smells..." Xan's body sniffed the air greedily for a moment. "Utterly appetizing. I want her blood all over me."

"I swear to God Alauria if you do not go upstairs right now..."

"I really am enjoying myself. I think I'll stay a while."

"Help is on the way, but won't be here for a few hours. Can you keep that shield up?" Alexis directed to Roman.

"I'm good."

Alexis took a seat at the island and stared at the smiling face of Sherliane. He could not call it Xan; she was trapped somewhere in the recesses of her mind. As soon as she was freed, he'd regard her differently. "So we wait. You three think you can keep it cool?" The answer he received was Liam's huff of breath before taking a seat next to him. Andrae slowly shifted to human, but remained hear Xan's body. Once everyone was settled, they kept their focus on Xan's body. It tried to speak again but Draco used his ability of lentation to slow the movements of its mouth down. They only had to deal with a series of drawn out notes before it stopped speaking. There was only silence as the weight of what they were dealing with sunk in. No one spoke; they didn't want to encourage it to speak again. So they waited, each man lost in thought as they regarded the figure trapped in front of them.

Hours blended into each other until finally, the garage door flung open to reveal the aid Alexis called for. The blonde with short, almost spiked hair was frantic, his misty green eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets as they took in the situation in front him. He closed his eyes for a moment as he took in the information he was passed, piecing everything he'd missed together. "So that's Sherlaine in there."

"If he decided to stick around after Drake essentially glued his mouth shut," Andrae said. 

"D. I 'm sorry about-"

"Now isn't the time, Caleb," Andrae ground out. He pointed his chin towards Xan's body as he said, "We're not sure how deep the link goes."

"Whose bright idea was it to get her close enough to be linked in the first place?"

"That would be brother number demon," Draco answered. He watched as Caleb walked around the invisible shield Roman still kept up, searching for a point of entry. "Rome, I see where I can get in, but I'm going to need you to take the shield down."

"We should tie her up first," Lindsay commented. When everyone turned to look at him incredulously, he shrugged and said, "I wouldn't want her to attack him while he's trying to fix her." He knew everyone saw the validity of his point once Alexis nodded. "Roman, can you concentrate a band around her and the chair?"

"I can do one better and simply tighten the force field around her to keep her locked to the chair. The only part of her exposed will be her head."

"Do it," Alexis ordered.

The brothers watched as Xan's body squirmed against the tightening of its invisible restraint. Once her head was accessible, Caleb held his hands on either side of her head. The room was silent, save for Xan's occasional grunt. She eventually quieted, and it was apparent that Caleb was able to use his powers of telepathy to enter her mind. Both figures remained still for countless minutes, falling into a co-conscious trance. In a few minutes, Caleb's lips moved in a silent chat that caused Xan's body to jerk in reaction. Liam stepped forward to interfere, but stopped when Lindsay held him back




BloodBorne Ch. 08



Small pops of energy began to form around the entranced pair, increasing and decreasing volume in waves. Caleb's hands shook from obvious strain while Xan continued to jerk. The pops of energy swelled until finally, Caleb stepped back, panting for breath. Xan slumped forward, asleep from the strain of his work.

"What did you do to her?" Liam demanded as he rushed toward Xan. She was so pale; if not for her steady breath, he would have surely thought she was dead. 

"Good news; she wasn't possessed," Caleb panted. He walked to the sink to splash cold water on his face and to hide the effects of his work from his brothers. "Sherlaine used some pretty crafty magic to hijack a part of her subconscious. I was able to sever the link." He looked over at Lindsay and stared at him for a moment before saying, "Seriously? You've got a virtually unkillable demon to deal with and the only thing you can seem to think about is your wife's mouth on your pecker?"

"What's the bad news?" Andrae asked to keep Lindsay from answering the question

"Through their link I was able to get a glimpse of what goes on in that fucked up head of his." Caleb leaned against the sink as he crossed his arms over his chest. He glanced over at Alexis and frowned before saying, "How many times must I tell you that just because I can hear the thoughts of others that I am not cosmically one with them?" A disgusted wince and a groan of protest directed at Lindsay made him say "Quit it, would you? Great, now I know what your wife's vagina looks like. Thanks. Thanks a lot, dirtbag." He looked at the twins, who laughed uproariously and murmured, "You'd think Slade was here."

"What's the bad news?" Andrae repeated in exasperation. Xan was slowly awakening and he wanted the information relayed before she was cognizant enough to retain it. 

"There was an army. Too much for us to take down on our own."

"Formed or forming?" Alexis asked.

"I couldn't tell you. But it's epic."

"Why in the fuck can't I move?"

"There's our girl," Draco announced with a smile. "You good?" he asked her.

"Just peachy." Her head swam unpleasantly and she felt as if she would get sick at any moment. The feel of Liam's fingers in her hair did nothing to make her feel better, but that didn't mean she wanted him to stop. "What happened?"

"Sherlaine connected his mind to yours and used that connection to try to get you to leave the manor."

Xan glared daggers at Andrae at the information. "Thank you so much, cuz. Please let me repay you by bashing your head in with a baseball bat."

"I like her," Caleb, said with a smile. He walked to Xan and crouched in front of her, smiling at her mental images of beating Andrae. "You know, you aren't the first person to take her sweet time thinking about doing D. serious harm."

"And she won't be the last," Liam grumbled. He glared at his brother before shifting his attention to Roman. "I think you can free her now."

Xan sighed happily when she was able to move once more. She looked into Caleb's kind but mischievous eyes as she asked, "So you were the one doing all that mumbo-jumbo in my head?"

"Part of it. A friend of mine gave me the chant to use in situations like yours. You'll experience memories you've never had before. It's a side effect of the connection."

"Oh well then maybe this friend of yours has an idea on how to kill Sherlaine because none of your brothers seem to."

"Xan..." Alexis warned.

"What? You're seriously going to stand there and catch feelings off me telling the truth?" She paused for a moment as a random image came to her. "Did you see the man?" When Caleb only stared at her curiously, she continued, "I don't know. Maybe this is that memory thing you were telling me about. There's a room filled with a shit-load of demons."

"The army," Caleb said with a nod.

"Then you saw him."

"Saw who?" Liam asked.

"The man," Xan insisted. "Blonde hair, kind of like his," she said as she looked at Caleb, "tall, walks like a stick-up-the-butt-aristocrat." She stopped to focus on the image of the man in her head, trying to find any distinguishing marks to identify him, closing her eyes to get a better picture. "He's... He's got scary eyes. Black, with flecks of red in them." She opened her eyes when Andrae cursed angrily. "What is it? Do you know who he is?"

"Yes, we know who he is," Roman said quietly.

Xan expected further information, but somehow wasn't surprised when everyone remained silent. "Well? Who the fuck is he?"

"Zaide," the men all said at once.

She looked at Alexis, who seemed to be waiting for her to make eye contact. "So you were right. Sherlaine wants to use me to set Zaide free." No one answered her and it seemed that the confirmation of their earlier suspicions only made the situation graver. "Ok so we try a transfusion. Somebody go out and get some O neg. and sick it in my arm. We'll drain my blood from my body and then get rid of it. Problem solved."

"It's not that easy," Andrae said.

"Why the fuck not?" Xan demanded.

"Your blood is so powerful that it has the potential to convert any other blood that comes into contact with it. Essentially we'd be bleeding you for nothing."

"Ok fine. Take a vial of my blood and send it to Sherliane with a note and a Christmas card. We'll deal with anything else that comes out of it later."

"You really want the weight of what happens once he opens portals on your head?" Liam asked. He understood her urgency and the irrationality that came along with it. They still had to think practically however; the only real way out of the situation was to kill Sherliane.

"Maybe you should think about beating the crap out of D. some more," Caleb suggested. As he reached out to take hold of her hand he said, "After all, this is all-" 

Liam shouted as a swell of energy burst between Xan and his brother, propelling them both backward several feet. He was knocked backward as well, and hit the wall. He quickly gained his feet and bypassed Xan, who'd been caught by Andrae to check on Caleb, who lay unmoving near the stove. He checked for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief at finding one. "He's alive." Liam placed his hands on his brother, allowing his ability to surge through his hands and into Caleb's body. While the heat in his hands indicated the strength of his power, Caleb did not wake. He stopped and slapped Caleb hard across the face. Still there was no movement. "He's in a coma."

"Move him upstairs," Alexis said as he glared at Andrae. He followed the twins and Liam after they lifted his limp body off the floor and simply barked one order at Andrae and Lindsay. "Make sure she's all right."



BloodBorne Ch. 09



There was a light in the dark that pulled at her to approach. There was something beautiful about the light; it shone blue in the daylight, and as she approached, Xan smiled at the flecks of silver that floated within the beam of light. Immediately her thoughts went to Liam and the glitter in his eyes when he looked at her. Her stomach warmed pleasantly at the thought of seeing him. With hope, they wouldn't get into another row, which only meant that only one scenario was possible. The thought alone made her tremble in anticipation.

The sight of the crow flying up above made Xan frown. Since when did crows fly overhead in these parts? But as she looked around at the barren meadow surrounding her, she realized that she didn't know what these parts were. The area was pleasant enough; the sun warmed her and there was a subtle breeze that pleasantly bushed over the tiny hairs on her skin. Wait a minute. Wasn't it just dark? How in the hell was it daylight already? Still the blue light flashed brilliantly in the distance, even brighter than in the dark, calling her. She scratched her head in confusion as she spun in a circle. There was nothing around for miles save that blue light. Where was everyone? Shouldn't they have been keeping an eye on her? She was after all, a very valuable human.

She made a mental note to talk to the brothers the second she saw them again.

With a sigh, she headed toward the light, sure that it would take her to some sort of civilization. With hope, someone would have a phone and she could call for a ride to... to... Apparently to nowhere; she didn't know the address to the manor, nor did she have anyone's phone number. Well, this was just lovely. As she walked, Xan sighed wistfully. There was a scent of lilac in the air that reminded her of her mother. For a moment, sadness washed over her and she had to take a few deep breaths to keep from having a small emotional breakdown. It was actually surprising she hadn't had one yet, she mused; in just a few weeks, she'd been through more emotional trauma than many people did in their entire lifetime.

The crow came back, flying dangerously low over her head. While she wasn't afraid of birds, there was something oddly creepy about this one. She walked faster, finding a strange sense of safety in the blue light ahead. It was definitely because the light reminded her of Liam's eyes. She frowned when the sunshine began to burn her skin. Strange; the sunrays only seemed to intensify when she thought of the surly man. Couldn't be some kind of coincidence; she'd been in the paranormal world too long to believe otherwise. 

She was approaching something, she realized with relief. A topiary of some kind. As she could only see the head, she could only guess that it was a bird of some kind. One of the larger breeds. A crane, maybe? Xan shook her head as she continued to walk. Hopefully this wouldn't become some real life, modernized version of The Birds. Her mind could only take so much.

There seemed to be a hedge of some kind behind the topiary. As she increased the speed of her walk, Xan realized that the hedge was in actuality some kind of wall. She was definitely close to civilization. She approached slowly, unsure of what would come out to face her. Her defenses were up; she balled her hands into fists and focused her mind on the possible fight ahead. The crow began to scream and she looked behind her to follow its movement. It was then she noticed wall of darkness quickly approaching her. In the dark was a fierce wind that howled in the distance. 

To hell with this.

Xan ran forward, barely noticing the fact that the hedge/wall went on in either direction for miles. She only saw the opening in the center and the possibility of safety. She ran in and stopped just at the entrance and cursed in frustration. A maze. A fucking maze. Xan turned to leave, but found that the wall had closed in on itself, locking her in. There was no way out.

What the hell did she get herself into?

While she wanted to call out, something told her that the best strategy was to keep quiet. She was in a maze, which only meant that she had to find the center to get out. Hopefully, anyway. As far as she knew, she was the only person for miles. She took a hesitant step forward, half expecting some sort of demon to rush out at her, and took a calm breath when nothing happened. She continued on, turning left and going deeper into the maze. Xan looked up, hoping for some sort of sign that said "Center of Maze This Way". She only sighed when she saw the blue light. While it was comforting to know that the light was somewhere in the maze, it did nothing to calm her; she still had to walk through the thing.

Xan kept herself together as she navigated through the maze. It was simple enough to get through; the twists and turns did confuse her, but she figured she was halfway through to getting to the center. The crow still screamed in the distance, but the darkness that forced her inside the maze seemed barred from coming in. All that was left was for her to get to the center and get the hell out of here.

Then she would be able to get her hands on the brothers to beat the daylights out of them.

Hadn't she been through enough? She was just semi possessed by... The maze began to tremble dangerously, making her stumble. At the end of the path in front of her, green mist began to materialize, and around it, brilliant pops of energy swirled. Xan wanted to move, wanted to run, but there was something keeping her in place. She watched in horror as a body began to form in the mist. Swathed in red, the figure approached her slowly. Fear gripped her as she realized that Sherlaine was the mastermind of whatever devious plan that took place.

"Finally, a place where we can be alone."

Xan didn't dare speak; she had a feeling that he would use whatever she said against her in some weird ploy to get her to do what he wanted. 

"I'm not going to hurt you, Xan."

Yea, and she turned blue every other Sunday for kicks. Xan frowned when she realized she was able to take a step back. She retreated slowly as Sherlaine easily approached. He smiled politely at her and held a hand up in what she assumed was a friendly gesture. The move forced a sizzle of fear down her spine. Her mind screamed for him to go away, to leave her alone. 

"I can't do that, Xandra."

Even the sound of her birth name on his tongue made her stomach knot in fear.

"I want to strike a bargain with you."

Yea, like she'd really do that.

Sherlaine's blue eyes glittered in amusement as she continued to retreat from him. "I don't want to kill you. You are too valuable a creature to destroy."

"And I'm supposed to let you bleed me and let out one of the greatest evils known to man?"

"If you mean Zaide, I can assure you that he doesn't want to rule the world."

"No, just kill the people I've come to care about."

"There is a lot of history you don't know about, Xandra. Zaide had no choice but to do what he had to, to survive."

"And my choice is what? To let you? To give you the opportunity to turn my already crappy life into complete shit?" She shook her head violently as she continued to step back. She glanced over his head and realized that she wasn't that far from the blue light. If she could just get passed him... "I will not be the reason your boss kills all those innocent people."

"Your valiance is quite admirable. You're quite the valuable asset."

"I won't let you bleed me, Sherliane."

"Which brings us back to my offer." Sherlaine clasped his hands behind his back as he regarded Xan. He stopped his slow advance on her, ever watchful of the emotions playing on her face. "What if I told you that I could ensure the safety of the Brethren?" 

"I'd tell you that you're full of shit."

"You'd be justified in that assumption. But listen to me, Xandra. I am the only hope you have of keeping them alive."

"I'll take my chances."

"And your sister."

"Hijo de puta you stay the fuck away from my sister."

"I will not let any harm come to them if you give me your word to come with me."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll keep you here, locked inside your mind. I will haunt you and break you until you are nothing more than a shell of a human." The shock and fear that contorted her face caused a wave of desire to ripple through him. "Make your choice, Xandra."

She didn't have to think about it; she ran and backtracked through the maze, hoping to find a fork she'd neglected to consider. She ran through, panting for breath as she desperately fought to get to the center of the maze. Xan turned a corner and stopped short when Sherlaine simply walked through the hedge/wall that would have forced her to make a left turn. She quickly turned on her heel and back tracked again, finding another route to get her to the center of the maze. 

Her heart pounded in her chest; she heard nothing but the rush of blood through her veins as she ran. Xan knew that if she stood still, she'd shake uncontrollably. Anxiety pushed her toward her goal, forcing her to ignore the burn in her lungs and the stitch in her side. She refused to let him run her life. She refused to be made a prisoner wherever she was.

Xan realized he was toying with her the third time he forced her off course. He was letting her know that he could do this forever, that unlike her, he was not running out of breath. She stopped for a moment, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She looked at the wall of greenery in front of her, and experimentally touched it. It felt like concrete. There went any plan of pushing through the shrubbery to save time.

The sound of Sherlaine's laugh pushed her to keep going, to keep running. She was closer to the center, closer to the blue that reminded her of Liam's eyes. Just a little further and she'd make it. Sherlaine's laughter trailed behind her and her stomach turned to lead. He knew that she was almost there, that she was just a few turns away from escaping him. Sherlaine could have stopped her if he wanted to, but as he was preoccupied with toying with her, he let her go on. It wasn't until she'd reached the center of the maze and saw the bright blue doorway just feet ahead that he materialized in front of her. "You are more resourceful than I'd originally thought, Xandra."

"Yea, well, there's no fucking way in hell I'll ever willingly come to you." She slowly sidestepped, hoping he'd yammer on again and give her the opportunity to run for the door.

"Then I will have to keep you here until you change your mind."

Xan laughed despite the fear coursing through her. If she didn't make it to the door, she was done. "You can't have my blood if I'm stuck here."

"No, but who would protect your loved ones if you were gone?"

"I'll kill you before you get the chance!" White hot rage unlike any she'd ever known coursed through her. Xan shook from the force of it and had to force herself to concentrate on the demon in front of her before she gave into the haze. In her rage, she felt her marked arm begin to burn and tingle. She rushed toward him, bloodlust driving her to insanity. She threw a right hook, knowing that somehow, it was what he expected. When Sherlaine moved to block the move, she grabbed hold of his arm with her left hand. A surge of power she'd never felt before shot through her marked arm, and it was with that power that she was able to fling him sideways. Shock made her stand still as she realized that he weighed no more than a blip of air. Her power, however, clearly affected him, as he was visibly winded by the throw. It was when he started to rise that she bolted for the door.

Xan was tired and it seemed as if the door was quickly shrinking as she ran toward it. She realized that she wouldn't make it, and it seemed that the extreme fear of imprisonment caused another power surge, this time in her legs. She leapt for the door, using that newfound power to shoot her forward. Xan landed hard in front of the doorway, winded as she was facedown. She groaned harshly and grabbed the doorjamb of the doorway, thankful that it stopped shrinking the second she touched it. She pulled and dragged herself through it, unsure of what would happen if she gained her feet. Halfway through, she cried out when Sherlaine took hold of her leg. His hold on her was painful and his anger was strong enough to drag her backward. Xan held onto the doorframe with every bit of strength in her body, fighting to pull herself through. She was right there; she just had to get her legs through.

"I like you Xandra, I really do, but you have to understand that I will not give up without a fight. I will have you."

Her stomach clenched in fear when he pulled her back further. The surge of power reverberated through her legs once more and she kicked back, breaking his old on her. She heard his shout in protest but didn't bother to look back. She pulled herself through the doorway and tumbled through blackness, falling. Xan screamed as she plummeted; she was blinded by darkness and the only thing she felt was the rush of air on her body as she continued to fall. Maybe this wasn't the way out.

Maybe this was Sherlaine's plan all along.

"No!" Xan shot upright as she held her chest. Her heart was about to burst out of her chest, but the only thing that concerned her was the fact that she was somehow in Liam's bed. She looked around the room, at the familiar surroundings and the unmistakable scent of him, and felt more fear. Was she really in his room or was she trapped someplace else? She jumped when the door opened and stared at Liam with wide eyes as he walked in.

"What's wrong?" 

"Where am I?"

"My bedroom."

She looked around the room, unsure of what to believe. "Where'd Sherlaine go?"

"Hell, if I had my way."

The response gave her a small sense of security. Only Liam would give an answer like that. She placed a hand on her head and let out a shaky breath as she tried to make sense of what happened. Had she been dreaming? She had to have been; she was still in the manor. But if she had been, then it only meant... No, impossible. If Sherlaine was still in her mind, he would have only possessed her again. Why mess with her if he had more fun messing with the brothers?

"Xan?" Liam walked forward and sat on the edge of the bed. She seemed disoriented and confused. Her hand shook as she smoothed it over her face. "What happened?"

"Bad dream, I guess."

"Are you ok?" He stiffened in surprise when she launched herself into his arms. He held her tightly, running his hands over her back. Liam had seen her vulnerable before, but never like this; she clutched him to her, placing her hands on his body in a way that suggested she wanted to ensure he was real. "Xan, what did you dream about?"

"I-" she stopped when Lindsay appeared in the doorway. "What happened? How is your brother? Did he wake up?"

"No, we're going to try now," Lindsay replied, "We just wanted to make sure you were all right before we tried anything."

"I..." She knew she should have said something, but it seemed as if helping their brother was more important. She could tell them what she dreamt of later. "Is it ok if I come too?" Liam's answer was to help her off the bed before leading her to his brother's room. The three remained silent as they walked down the hall. It wasn't a far walk to Caleb's room at all, and Xan was amazed by the fact that his room did not have a real door. Though the room was filled with men and Alauria, she was amazed by the look of Caleb's room. For moment, she thought that the walls were white but upon closer inspection, she realized that they were a pale grey, set off by the black furniture of the room. Simple black and white photographs adorned the walls. Straight ahead, Caleb's overlarge bed rested between two narrow, wall length windows. To the left, Alexis sat perched on a chair, twiddling his thumbs over his cell phone. The twins stood on either side of the large armoire perched on the right side of the room. They both stared at the tan rug set at the foot of the bed. The room was quite simple and would have been her ideal haven had it not had the heavy emotions running through everyone.

It was a peaceful environment, one that seemed fitting considering the current circumstances. Xan remained glued to the entrance to the room and watched the brothers as they gathered around Caleb. Lindsay walked to Alauria and placed a tender kiss on the top of her head before looking to Alexis. "What's going on?" Xan asked.

"We're going to see if we can use Alauria to wake him."

"Is that even smart? You don't think she'd..." Xan broke off when Alauria shook her head at her. 

"She'll be fine," Alexis assured. He nodded to Alauria, a signal to begin.

Xan watched in apprehension as Alauria positioned herself on the edge of Caleb's bed. She placed her hands on either side of his head, and there was a moment of silence as everyone watched her work. Xan was anxious; she hoped that the same fate didn't befall the woman brave enough to help. At the same time, she was hopeful that this would work. Endless minutes passed as everyone watched Alauria fight to mimic Caleb's powers and for a moment, Xan was sure something would happen; there seemed to be a small surge of energy pulsating through the room. Though Alauria's back was to her, she shook ever so slightly. 

Xan held her breath as she silently prayed for this to work. It had to work; had it not been for her weak mind, Sherlaine would not have gotten in and would not have put Caleb in a cosmic coma. Common sense told her that it wasn't practical for her to blame herself; if anything, she should have blamed Andrae, her wonderful distant cousin, as he knew what he was getting them into. But then again, she'd been the one to ask to leave the protection of the house. Had she hardened her heart and found another way to make her sister happy, none of this would have happened. 

Yes, this was in part, her fault.

"It's not working," Alauria whispered.

Xan expelled the breath she held. She didn't know how long the brothers worked to save Caleb, and she didn't care; there had to be some way to bring him back. She looked at the men in the room, watched as Lindsay escorted his weary wife out of the room and just knew that they were screwed. Short of help from Jesus Christ himself, there was nothing they could do. Xan wasn't stupid enough to say that though; the brothers were tense enough. "What do we do now?"

"We wait for Lindsay to come back," Roman replied. He moved forward to adjust the pillows beneath Caleb's head before adding, "We've already tried every trick western medicine has to offer. They only managed to give him a couple of seizures that have only made him worse."

"So why wait for Lindsay?" Xan leaned into Liam as he gently ran a hand over her back. Something about the atmosphere of the room seemed to remind her that she was still tired. A veil of fatigue settled over her, but she fought it off; she had to be awake and aware of everything that happened. She still hadn't told the brothers about her dream and feared that she would have another equally frightening encounter with Sherlaine if she fell asleep. While he couldn't control her body anymore, it was terrifying to know that he could still communicate with her through her dreams.

"We want to try some light shock therapy," Alexis answered. He remained seated in the corner of the room, observing as he rolled his cell phone in his hands. Xan noticed that through his normal stoic expression, there was an air of despair in his eyes. The weight of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks; through everything, Alexis had been the one brother to have no outward reaction to whatever they faced. To see the sadness in his eyes now...




BloodBorne Ch. 09



Lindsay returned to the room with a pained expression on his face. Quite obviously, the thought of shocking his brother did not appeal to him. "Are you sure that would even work?" Xan asked.

"The general idea is to 'reset' the electrical charges in his brain," Lindsay replied. 

"But what does that have to with him being in a coma?"

"We have no idea," Lindsay replied, "But it's worth a shot." He walked to the bed and placed his hands on either side of Caleb's head. After taking a deep breath, he sent a shockwave through his brother. Caleb's body jumped in response before settling awkwardly. Lindsay shocked him again, using a higher voltage. The bed shook from the intensity of it, causing Lindsay to grunt warily. Still, nothing happened. "Fuck. Liam, I need you."

Xan watched as Liam walked toward his brothers. Through a gap between them, she saw the burn marks that came from Lindsay's contact on Caleb's head. She hissed in reaction to the deep red welts on his skin. It was a good thing he was in a coma.

Liam switched places with Lindsay and quickly set about healing his brother. He was worried, and while his initial reaction was to lash out in response, he could do nothing more than watch in shock as things collapsed around him. His consolation would have been the fact that Xan was safe, but at what price?

Xan sighed tiredly as she leaned against the doorframe. Fatigue was weighing her down, but no, she would not sleep. Not until everyone else did. She snapped to attention has Alexis stormed out of the room, his thumbs furiously pressing on the keys of his phone. Who was there left to text? Surely not another telepath.

"Xandra, I will not be ignored."

She blinked in surprise as she looked around. Roman had taken Alexis' spot in the corner while Draco sat on the edge of the bed. They seemed to be having some odd non-verbal conversation with each other. Lindsay and Liam hovered over Caleb, whispering feverishly to each other. How long had she dozed off? She readjusted herself against the doorframe, causing herself discomfort as her shoulder dug into the wood. Good; if she was uncomfortable, she wouldn't fall asleep.

"I will wait as long as it takes, Xandra."

"Don't call me that. And get out of my dreams."

"I want you to come to me."

"I already told you no. So get the fuck out."

Sherlaine's deep rumble of a laugh penetrated every corner of her mind, causing a wave of terror to run through her. "Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"Us? Dear Xandra, I want you, and you alone. I've already promised you the safety of the men you live with. But only if you come quietly."

"You know I won't do that. I won't choose between them and the innocent people you hurt."

Again, there was the rumbling laughter. "Who is innocent these days?"

She had a scathing comeback ready, but all thoughts of retaliation ended the second an image of Xion's limp body covered in blood. Sherlaine stood over her, smiling as he wiped blood from his mouth. The horror of the image made her stomach lurch. "You stay away from her!"

"I will do what I have to do to get what I want."

"She has nothing to do with this."

"She'll have everything to do with this if you do not come to me, Xan. I do not have to see her to take her from you."

Xan's heart seized at the threat. What the hell was she supposed to do? It was one thing when he threatened grown men who could take care of themselves, but a nine-year-old child? Indecision cramped her stomach as she weighed the ramifications of his threat. If she said no and walked away from his offer, the brothers as well as her sister were in danger of suffering Sherlaine's wrath. At the same time, if she gave in and willingly went to him, she was putting the world in danger. There was no telling the hell Zaide would unleash once he returned. Xan wondered if she could live with the guilt that came with the deaths of the innocent people caught in the crossfire. Sherlaine at least had the decency to take his anger out on those who stood in his way. Zaide was a completely different story.

"Make your decision, Xandra. Come willingly or force me to take everything from you."

The ultimatum steeled her resolve. No one backed her in a corner. No one. "Fuck off and die, cabron."

Sherlaine sighed as he took in her words. "My patience has ended and you have been warned. What happens next is on your head."

"Que te jod-" Xan jumped at the firm hand placed on her shoulder. She looked up into Liam's concerned face before silently looking around the room. Each of the brothers present stared at her expectantly, as if she was to make an important announcement.

"I've never met anyone who could fall asleep standing," Draco murmured. He cocked his head at her curiously before saying, "Do you always speak Spanish in your sleep?"

"She doesn't sleep talk period," Liam answered. He watched the way her eyes darkened just as her skin took on a light flush. "What's going on, Xan?"

She took a step away from him to collect herself before speaking. It wasn't easy being the center of attention, she realized, especially when she knew that the news she was going to relay wasn't good. "I wanted to wait until later to tell you..."

"Tell me what?" The nervous, fidgeting Xan standing in front of him was new to Liam. While he did enjoy seeing a completely different side to her, he did not like that he was learning of it now. "What is it?"

"When I was sleeping earlier, I had a dream. I don't really remember all of it, but there was a maze. And Sherlaine was there." Liam's grumbled curse made her wince. "He uh, he tried to make a deal with me."

"Come quietly or everyone you love dies," Roman supplied. "Typical bad guy ultimatum," he continued when she nodded.

"Yes, but it was really weird; we were fighting and something happened to me."

"Did he hurt you?" Liam asked.

"No, I hurt him." She looked at the confused faces of the brothers, pleased to see that no one was angry with her for remaining quiet as long as she did. "Some kind of energy went through my arm and my body. It's how I got away." 

"Sounds to me like you tapped into your demon ancestry."

Xan blinked as Andrae shimmered into the room. She hadn't realized he wasn't in the room when they'd tried to heal Caleb. "But I'm human," she argued.

"Ninety-nine percent human, yes." Andrae agreed. He moved toward the bed to check on Caleb before saying, "But you're the descendant of a human-demon hybrid. I'm surprised you've never been able to do it before now."

"So you mean I have powers or something?"

"Something," Andrae answered, "Belial's are known for extreme strength. If I'm not careful, a simple pat on the back could result in a broken spine."

So something good did come out of that horrible dream. "So it's possible that I could take him down?"

"Don't get cocky, cousin. You only have the ability to hold your own against him, once you find your trigger, anyway."

Xan nodded as she turned to Liam. "When I fell asleep just now, he was back. He said that he was out of patience and what happened next was my fault."

"Nothing is your fault," Lindsay said.

She wished she could believe that. "I don't know anymore. I feel like maybe I should just-"

"Don't you fucking dare," Liam warned. "Don't you give up now."

"Why not?" She cried out. Retreating to the ornate hallway, she backed out slowly. "He's made it quite clear that he won't stop until he gets what he wants. He's already possessed me, put your brother in a coma, and now is making it impossible for me to get any sleep. How much longer before shit really hits the fan?"

"It already has."

Xan whirled around to find Alexis approaching from the far end of the hall. With him, a petite raven-haired woman walked slowly, occasionally raising a hand as if touching an invisible object that hovered in the air. The woman walked straight to Xan and sniffed the air around her. "What the hell are you doing?" She looked at Alexis and said, "What is she doing?"

"There is dark magick around this one," the woman declared. She walked a small circle around Xan before looking to Alexis. "It is good that you called me."

"Who is this?" Xan asked.

"I am Arianna."

"Arianna is the very powerful sorceress who put up the protection spells around the manor," Roman added. He smiled down at the small woman before moving out of her way as she continued to walk.

"So what is she doing here?" Xan asked. She watched as Arianna walked into Caleb's room and frowned when the door closed behind her. No one touched it. "You really think she'll bring him back?"

"She's the only shot we have," Alexis murmured. He cast an angry glare at Andrae before stalking down the hall.



BloodBorne Ch. 10



"The tea can help you with that."

Xan screwed her face in disgust at Arianna's offer. "I don't drink tea, especially one that has goat urine in it."

"The mixture will help you clear your mind and allow you to sleep without fear of unwanted visitors."

"As appreciative as I am, I'll pass." Xan took a step back, cursing herself for her random decision to talk to the sorceress. Arianna had been at the manor for only a few hours and in that time, she'd not only reinforced the protective enchantments that kept the house covered, but had also seen each of the brothers individually. Xan didn't know why, but she did notice that each of them seemed substantially calmer afterward. That was the reason for her reason to seek council from her regarding her dreams. She never expected goat urine to be the answer. 

"That's fine," Arianna conceded. "But if you change your mind..."

Xan was tempted to speak her mind, but the fact that she stood in front of a powerful sorceress kept her from doing anything more than inclining her head. She glanced toward the end of the hall when Alauria approached. Her eyes were a bit glassy, a clear sign that she'd only woken up a few minutes ago. She stared at Arianna curiously as she approached, but remained silent. "Alauria, this is-"

"You are Lindsay's life mate."

Alauria nodded slowly at the description. She stared down at Arianna, unsure of what to say.

"I am Arianna. Come talk with me."

Xan wanted to laugh at the near panicked look on Alauria's face, but decided to play nice. "It's ok. She's here to help Caleb."

"As well as the rest of you," Arianna added. She placed a hand on Alauria's arm and led her away from the hall, toward the room she'd retreated to with the brothers.

The second she left, Xan felt an unnerving cold wash over her. Immediately she longed for the sorceress' presence, going so far as to begin to follow after her. Common sense made her stop herself from intruding on her time with Alauria and instead, went into Caleb's room. She felt a sense of comfort at feeling the raw power that bounced off the walls. It was as if Arianna was in the room with them.

Xan approached the bed slowly, and for a minute, she asked herself why she was being so careful. Caleb was in a coma; he couldn't hear her stomping around. His color was a little better, she noticed. Or was this a case of wishful thinking? She touched her fingertips to his forehead, checking for any sign of fever. While his skin was warm to the touch, he felt fine. "Caleb? I don't know if you can hear me, but you have to come back to us. Your brothers need you." And she needed to stop feeling guilty. Yes, this was Sherlaine's doing, but that didn't change the fact that it was contact with her body that put him in the coma. "Please come back."

"He will return when he is ready," Arianna said from the doorway. 

Xan turned to face her, slightly embarrassed at being caught. She stepped away from Caleb and approached the sorceress, feeling warmth spread through her. Yes, this was the comfort she needed. "You seem so sure."

"Walk with me, Xan. You seem like you might need a glass of warm milk."

"Just plain milk, right?"

Arianna only smiled as she led Xan out of the room. The walk to the kitchen was a quick one, primarily because Arianna preferred speed-walking. Neither woman was shocked to see the brothers situated there in silence.

"How is he doing?" Roman asked.

"His color looks a little better," Xan replied.

"Where is Alauria?" Lindsay asked anxiously.

"She was feeling a little sick after I spoke with her," Arianna replied. At Lindsay's dangerous look, she added, "She is fine. No worries."

"There'd better not be."

Xan walked to Liam and leaned against his back as he sat next to Alexis at the island. While she liked the way he reached behind to take hold of her hand, she had to admit that she would have preferred the comfort that came from being near Arianna. She watched the sorceress closely as she went about preparing that glass of warm milk. There was a fluidity to the tiny woman's movements, a grace that would have made many a professional dancer envious. Intrigued by the woman, Xan continued to study her. Arianna kept her hair coiled in a tight bun; it brought the focus to her large hazel eyes that almost seemed to take over her face. The flowing squirts swished around her legs as she walked through the kitchen. 

"Where are you going?"

Xan blinked and looked back toward Liam. She hadn't realized that she'd started walking away from him. He cradled her hand in his, stroking the back of his hand with his thumb. A shiver of pleasure coursed through her arm and down her body. Her skin warmed in embarrassment when she glanced at Alexis; there was a small uplift to his lips. Was he pleased to see her with his brother or amused by her embarrassment, she wondered.

"Xan."

She looked at Liam's concerned face and forced herself to concentrate on him. "Sorry, I guess I spaced out."

"Was it Sherlaine again?"

"Impossible," Arianna answered from the far end of the room, "He may have access to her mind, but he would be foolish to abuse the power."

Xan did not like the sound of that. "What the hell does that mean?" She ignored the comfort that came with the sorceress' approach as she accepted her cup of milk.

"There are limits to the way he uses the connection," Arianna answered. She allowed Alexis to assist her onto one of the island chairs as she continued her explanation. "Sherlaine is a very powerful demon. He can be compared to a remote control; he dictates the way a piece of machinery works, but you are the battery. A very limited battery. Too many uses between charges will render the remote useless."

"So what you're saying is that though he might want to have me walking around trying to kill people, he can't?" Xan felt a small spark of hope. It was possible that if she kept herself exhausted, Sherlaine wouldn't be able to take advantage of their connection. "There's a loophole?"

"A small one," Arianna answered. She placed a hand on Xan's and encouraged her to drink her milk. "Until we can completely sever the link, he will always know your thoughts."

Which meant he would know anything she was told. Xan sighed dejectedly as she placed her cup down. "I can't be here."

"What?" Liam fought the urge to shout his denial as she stepped back. What did she mean, she couldn't be at the manor? "What the fuck are you talking about?

"Liam, if Sherlaine and I are still connected, that means he knows everything I know. Which becomes everything you let slip in front of me."

"So we don't tell you anything. Problem solved." The furious pounding of his heart made his legs weak. Liam was nauseous; the mere thought of separating from Xan wasn't an option. "You're not leaving."

"Don't tell me what to do." Xan looked to Alexis for help. He was the levelheaded brother, the brother who saw the sense in everything argued. "Fine. Don't tell me anything. But do you really think it's a smart idea to keep me around when it's clear he can take over my body basically whenever he chooses? Can you honestly tell me that you have the time and the recourses to sit here and watch me twenty-four-seven?" While she expected his infuriating silence, she knew that in this case, there was no right answer for Alexis; if he agreed with her, he caused a rift with Liam. If he agreed with Liam, everyone in the house was in danger because of him. She took his silence as a validation of her argument. "That's what I thought."

"Xan, you can't control everything."

"I know, Arianna, but I can try. I'll do what it takes to keep you guys safe. This isn't just about me anymore."

"No, it's not about you anymore," Liam agreed, "Where the fuck would you go? The second you leave, you're as good as his."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"What the fuck, Xan?!?" Was she so opposed to being with him that she was willing to get herself killed? "If this is about us-"

"Oh, get your head out of your fucking ass for five goddamned minutes, Liam," Xan interrupted, "You think I want to leave my sister? You think I want to leave you? The last thing I want to is abandon my sister and dump her on you and your brothers, but it's better than the alternative, don't you think?" The silence was deafening as her words sank in. What could anyone say? She had a point and everyone knew it. "I need to go before it's too late."

"Where will you go?" Arianna asked.

"I don't know."

"Walk with me," the small woman commanded as she exited her seat. She led Xan out of the room and up the stairs, silent as she reflected on the situation at hand. As they approached Caleb's room, she turned to look up at Xan. "You have gone through much suffering. Death is all around you."

Xan had to force herself to concentrate as Arianna spoke to her. Waves of comforting pleasure wafted over her, compelling her to step closer to the sorceress. "My best friend died recently. He was trying to protect me." It was odd; if she even thought of Pogue at any other time, Xan became choked with grief. With Arianna, however, she felt cocooned in what could only be described as bliss. The tiny woman sure did pack a wallop of power. "What are you doing to me?" She watched as Arianna walked into Caleb's room and followed her inside. 

Alauria sat vigil next to the comatose man, gently washing his face with a damp cloth. "He looks like he's doing a little bit better," she murmured as she brushed the cloth over his neck.

Xan followed Arianna to the bed. Caleb looked the same to her, but she said nothing; Alauria seemed proud of her involvement in his supposed improvement. She looked exhausted, however, and that worried Xan. "Maybe you should get some sleep."

"I tried, but I couldn't. I figured I would be more useful here rather than tossing and turning in bed. Lindsay will probably have an aneurysm, but he'll survive."

"Never have I met a group of men more overprotective than the Brethren." Arianna stated.

"They've lost a lot during their lives." Xan smiled wistfully at the knowing nods the women gave her. She identified with the brothers; had she met them under different circumstances, she would have definitely considered them more family than guardians.

"So have you," Arianna murmured. She walked to stand beside Alauria and quickly checked over Caleb. "I sense something within him. An awareness."

"Like he can hear us?" Alauria asked.

"Yes... and no." Arianna bent over Caleb and placed her hand over his chest. A surge of energy shot through the room when she touched him. "He is alone, but he is not."

"Did Sherlaine get to him?" Xan asked. She wrung her hands together as she watched.

"There is something more powerful than Sherlaine keeping him where he is." Arianna straightened and looked at both women as she said, "He is safe from all of this. When the time is right, he will return to us."

"What the fuck is that?" Xan grumbled. Was Caleb purposely remaining in a coma? Was that even possible?

"You must rest," Arianna said to Alauria, "You are no good to anyone like this."

"Like what?"

The three women looked toward the door as the brothers walked into the room. Lindsay looked furious as he stormed in. Unfortunately for his wife, his attention was focused on her. There were no words spoken as he lifted her into his arms before storming out of the room.

Xan was tempted to laugh at the scene in front of her, but the severity of the situation kept her from doing anything. She felt the bliss that came with Arianna's power weaken and instinctively took a step closer to her. Warmth washed over her and she sighed; this was what she needed. This was what made the guilt for Caleb's condition fade.

"Has he made any progress?" Alexis asked.

"None that would bring him back anytime soon."

Liam looked at Arianna incredulously as he asked, "what the fuck does that mean?" As much as he wanted to intimidate the woman in front of him, Liam knew better than to prick her temper. The last thing anyone needed was for him to develop a severe case of leprosy. His gaze flickered to Xan, who'd slowly inched her way closer to Arianna. "Xan, what the fuck are you doing?" It looked as if she wanted to smell the smaller woman's hair.

Xan blinked in surprise as she realized the lack of space between her and the sorceress. "My bad; your mojo is pretty overwhelming." She blushed at the smile Arianna gave her and took a small step back.

"Arianna's power does take some getting used to," Roman admitted, "Drake couldn't stay away from her the day we first met."

"I remember having to dodge the both of you those many years ago."

"It's only natural that you would want to be near her, Xan," Alexis interrupted. He was in no mood to rehash old memories while his brother remained in a coma. "There is a natural cloud of power around beings like Arianna. I'm surprised you haven't glued yourself to her yet."

Xan's face felt as if it was on fire. Though she didn't do anything wrong or unnatural, she couldn't shake her embarrassment. Instinct told her to take a step back, to prevent any chance of more ridicule, but her legs wouldn't cooperate. "I should go check on Xi."

"She's fine," Liam replied, "She was sleeping the last time I checked on her."

"Your aura has changed," Arianna said. She took hold of Xan's hands and brought them to her lips.

Xan watched Arianna work and gasped as a rush of oppressing heat shot through her. She wanted to pull her hands away as they were on the verge of burning, but her body remained frozen. The room went black; she wasn't sure if she was blinded or if she simply closed her eyes; it was difficult to tell. There were voices in the distance and she could have sworn that she heard Liam's muffled profanities. Weightlessness gripped her body; Xan didn't feel secure on her own feet. She became lightheaded and had it not been for the hold Arianna had on her hands, she would have become lost. It felt as if she would faint at any moment.

Xan wasn't comfortable with this new vulnerability; Sherlaine could have taken over her body r thoughts at any moment. How was she supposed to fight him when se wasn't steady on her feet? 

A ripple of fear coursed through her at the prospect of Sherlaine returning. Would she be able to activate her abilities if he did? Would she be able to keep everyone in the room safe? Because she had no answers, she forced herself to move. With a sharp tug, she pulled her hands from Arianna's. The connection between them broken, she pitched backward and would have fallen had Liam not been behind her.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

Xan would have loved nothing more than to answer him, but her body shook with such force that she was unable to do anything more than stare blankly as Alexis cradled Arianna in his arms. Thankfully, she wasn't in a coma, but her skin was pale and her hands also shook as she reached up to touch the silent brother's face.

"Xan, goddamn it, answer me."

Xan looked up and found Draco and Roman hovering around her expectantly as Liam gently lowered her onto the floor. She was sure they waited for her to verify her identity; they'd have to restrain her otherwise. She tried to speak but her tongue felt heavy, leaden. Soft gurgles escaped as she fought to speak. Xan reached out, uncaring of who took hold of her hands and blinked in surprise when Andrae materialized in front of her. She latched onto his black t-shirt, staring into his eyes as he crouched in front of her. She felt the sparks of Liam's power easing through her; it was then that she realized that the leaden feeling in her mouth came from the fact that she'd bitten her tongue.

"Is she all right? I only wanted to run a calming spell." Arianna asked.

"She'll be fine," Andrae assured.

Xan took deep breaths in order to calm her shuddering body. She was aware of Liam's hands running small, gentle circles over the expanse of her back. The rush of blood roaring in her ears nearly drowned out any other sounds in the room. "I'm okay." The words were spoken slowly; she was fatigued but refused to give into the need to sleep; she still feared a cameo from Sherlaine. "Is Arianna all right?"

"I'm fine, child."

"No you aren't," Liam refuted, "It's clear to see that the spell backfired on you." Which scared the living daylights out of him. What would have happened if the spell put the sorceress in a coma? Or worse yet, what would he have done if something happened to Xan? They'd come too far now to lose her to a simple spell. "Are you in any pain? Do you have any wounds?"

"She's fine," Alexis answered.

Xan allowed Andrae and Liam to help her to her feet before walking to Arianna on shaky legs. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you'd get hurt."

"There is no need to apologize, Xan," Arianna replied, "No one knows how these spells will work." She moved to take hold of her hands again but was quickly pulled back by Alexis. "I'm fine. Just a little weak."

Liam watched as Alexis helped Arianna to a seat. Xan followed nervously, no doubt worried that she somehow broke the small woman. He expelled a weary breath; had it really only been twelve hours since the incident at the mall? It seemed as if weeks had passed. Hell, it felt as if years had passed since then; the fatigue wearing him down was enough to make him lose his grasp on time.

"Is he any better?" Andrae asked him.

As much as Liam wanted to rail at his brother for his role in the situation, he did not have the energy. "He's still alive. That's all we can ask for now." He watched Lindsay walk into the room and pull the twins and Alexis to him and Andrae. Xan moved toward Arianna, who seemed stronger though she remained pale. While the women conversed quietly, he focused his attention on his brothers. "I don't know what the fuck just happened, but we can't let that little episode have a rerun."

"It might have just been a fluke," Roman surmised, "Some residual juju from whatever happened with Caleb."

"No more spells when she is around," Alexis announced. He shook his head slowly as he stared at his brothers. "We can't afford to have something else happen."

"Are we even sure he's gone?" Draco asked.

"Not completely," Andrae responded, "Based on the fact that he's invading her dreams, there's still some kind of connection there. She can't be trusted."

"Maybe now you'll understand the wisdom behind her words in the kitchen."

"What words, Lex?" Lindsay asked.

A sharp sound near the women forced the brothers to turn toward them. Arianna, levitating a foot off the ground, kept her hands outstretched as she quietly chanted. Horror washed over them as they watched Xan slowly fall to the floor. Seconds later, an invisible wave pushed them backward into each other. They watched as Arianna's eyes darkened to black pools. "This is not good," Draco murmured moments before the sorceress opened her mouth and emitted a silent scream that chilled them to the cores of their souls. White hot pain exploded in their heads, forcing them on their knees. Liam fought to crawl to Xan's limp body, but the pain in his head quickly spread throughout the rest of his body. A quick glance at his brothers confirmed his suspicion that he was not the only one in pain. He wanted to scream, wanted to let the rage in his veins take control, but the pain so intense, so unbelievably unbearable, that black spots began to form in front of him. Fear gripped him; if he passed out, there was no one to watch over Xan. What would happen if Xion or Alauria walked into the room?

What the hell was Arianna doing? She was supposed to be on their side, but there she was, hovering while she worked a spell to incapacitate everyone. Liam didn't care that she was Alexis' trusted friend; the second he was able to, he was going to kill the tiny woman. Not only had she done something to Xan, but she'd put his brothers in danger.




BloodBorne Ch. 10



The dull thuds that came with collapsing bodies clued Liam in to the fact that his brothers succumbed to Arianna's chants. He fought against the darkness overtaking him, but the overwhelming pain that radiated through his body rendered the fight useless. Liam's last thought before succumbing to the darkness was his silent prayer that Xion remained asleep.

* * * * *

Xan didn't have to open her eyes to know that she was in Sherlaine's world once more. She took a deep breath to calm herself and listened for any familiar noises in order to find her way out. There were no sounds, but there was an oppressing shudder that rippled through her. She remained still, waiting for the inevitable.

She wondered if the brothers and Arianna were all right. The last thing she remembered was standing in front of the sorceress as she regained her strength. The tiny woman calmly reassured Xan that she was fine and that she only needed one of her restorative teas to heal. Xan, ready to argue about the alleged benefits of teas laced with lord knew what kind of animal urine, opened her mouth just seconds before a sharp pain in her head made her gasp. Things went black after that, and she was now trapped in one of Sherlaine's purgatories. 

Distant footsteps made her body tense; Xan focused on channeling her power in the event she had to fight once more. She remained still and evened her breathing. If Sherlaine thought that she was still unconscious, she might be able to get the upper hand.

"We are in your mind, Xandra. You cannot manipulate me."

There went that thought. She experimentally opened one eye and was shocked at seeing the dense canopy of trees above her. Further inspection revealed a small meadow in the middle of a thick forest. The seasons were changing in this world; dark greens slowly transitioned to yellow and orange and leaves randomly broke free from the trees to drift around them. Xan sat up, blinking at the deep red chaise she'd been placed on. Sherlaine sat in a large gold chair that could have doubled as a throne, one leg crossed over the other, and his elbows perched on the armrests. His hands were steepled in front off him; he spent his time widening and narrowing the space between his fingers as he watched her. His hair was unbound and floated around his face and shoulders aristocratically, making him appear both less and more lethal than she knew he was. It was his eyes, Xan decided, his eyes were orbs of blue ice; unfeeling and cold as he regarded her.

She decided to get straight to the point. "You couldn't have just waited until I'd fallen asleep again?"

"I found it prudent to illustrate the seriousness of my words."

And she found it prudent to kick his ass again.

Sherlaine laughed as he sat forward in his seat, "I learn from my mistakes, Xandra. We won't be playing that game again."

"You shouldn't have played games to begin with. I told you no several times. What makes you think I'll change my mind now?"

"I thought you wanted to keep the young one safe."

A tremor of fear went through Xan as she stared at the demon in front of her. "You can't touch her from here."

"I can't at this precise moment. But the witch can."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Watch your language." He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to defy his command. "There was a reason that calming incantation didn't work. There was a reason you felt that pain in your head."

"No."

"Did you really think a simple incantation from the mind reader would get rid of me? You are mine, Xandra. The sooner you accept this, the safer the child will be."

"You told me you would leave her out of this."

"I only make offers once. I offered, you declined."

"You're lying." What the hell was she supposed to do? Now that he'd made it clear that their connection wasn't severed, she had no choice but to do what he said, especially if what he said was true. She doubted it was, but there was no real way to prove his words unless she tested him, and she couldn't afford to take the chance.

"My ultimatum stands, Xandra; do as I say or suffer the consequences."

"Hurting the people I care about is the fastest way to a 'fuck off and die.'" Xan clutched her neck when her oxygen supply was promptly cut off. Fear shot through her as she felt pressure on her chest. Had his patience worn so thin that he was now willing to kill her?

"What did I say about your language?" Sherlaine took advantage of her forced silence as he continued to voice his demands. "Arianna is now tied to me. She is my puppet; I pull her strings. I know you're thinking that she is a powerful witch, and she is; one of the most powerful I've ever come across. But every mind has a doorway. One just has to know how to breach it. You gave me my opportunity the second she worked that incantation on you."

Xan sucked in a deep breath as her airways were reopened. "You're connected to her too?" she gasped.

"In a sense, yes. I used her incantation to link her mind to yours and since I'm now part of you..."

"You're sick."

"No Xandra, I'm determined. There is a difference." He adjusted himself in his seat and fingered an orange leaf that landed on his leg. "I will not hesitate to take everything you love from you. Maybe I should; if you have nothing to live for, you have no need for your foolish nobility."

"You wouldn't." Xan gasped when a vision of Caleb's room filled her mind. She looked around the room, at the limp bodies of the brothers at the far end of room and gasped in horror. Her gaze moved to the floor, where the image of her limp body made her cry out in rage.

"As you can see through the witch, your precious Brethren is vulnerable. It would not take much for me to destroy them now."

Xan, no, Arianna, looked around the room and stopped at the site of the small pocket knife on the bedside table. She walked toward it and lifted the weapon in her small hands before turning to look at the men once more. "No," Xan whispered as she, no, Arianna, advanced on the nearest body. It was Lindsay. Didn't he just get married? Dios, his wife was only down the hall! "No!" Xan shouted as the knife surged toward his chest. "Stop! Stop." She fought against the panic that gripped her as she remained rooted to her seat. "What do you want me to do?" The scene in front of her disappeared and as she focused on Sherlaine, Xan calmed herself.

"It's simple, Xandra; You will come to me."

"I can't do that."

"Then why bother to stop me?" Sherlaine had to admit; he'd never faced another like the woman in front of him. Claiming her would be remarkably sweet.

"That's not what I meant ass-" Xan stopped at the small seize in her lungs. "There are spells; enchantments on the house to keep anyone other than them from getting in or out. There is also the fact that I have no idea how to get to you."

"You will allow me to take over your body once more and lead you to me." He stood up and placed his hands behind his back as he said, "As for the enchantments, well, there is a witch in residence, is there not?"

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Why?"

Xan hated to concede defeat, but there were no other cards to play, not if she expected to minimize the bloodshed. "Because if you are, I'd like a few minutes to say goodbye to my sister before I leave." 

Sherlaine was tempted to lie, to punish her for pushing his limits of patience and understanding. It was in his nature to instill fear and submission. But there was something about the woman in front of him that changed his mind. "I like you, Xandra. You are a rare creature, one too rare to destroy."

"Will you still give me time to say goodbye to her?" She sighed in relief when he nodded acquiesce. "And the others?"

"That will depend on you, Xandra. Behave, and you just might save their lives."

Slavery without visible chains. Just the kind of life she wanted to lead. "Fine." She stood to keep from craning her neck up at him and crossed her arms over her chest. Her marked arm tingled uncomfortably, as if it knew she'd made a horrible mistake. It was probably right. Because she had no other choice, she had to go against her gut. "I won't run. You have my word."



BloodBorne Ch. 11



"Liam, wake up."

The sharp slap that came from a small hand made Liam groan. Who the hell was hitting him? Why was he even asking? There was only one person alive brave and stupid enough to put her hands on him. "I swear on the old man's head, Xan, if you hit me again-"

"If you open your eyes and look at who she is, you'll clearly see that she is my woman, not yours."

Liam's eyes snapped open at the sound of Lindsay's voice. There was a rasp behind his words, a clear sign that his patience had run thin. Liam noticed that every single one of his brothers were sprawled out on the floor. Draco and Roman remained unconscious while Alauria applied the same slapping method to wake Alexis. "What the fuck happened?" He looked around the room, checking for blood or any sign of need of his abilities. There were none. Instead there was an emptiness that scared him. "Where are Arianna and Xan?" Liam didn't wait for an answer before staggering to his feet. It felt as if he'd had too much to drink.

"Did we go on a bender last night?"

Liam looked over at Draco as he struggled to sit up. There was a small cut on his cheek, but it wasn't serious enough to warrant healing. "Where the fuck is Xan?" Liam asked again.

"I don't know," Alauria replied, "You were the only ones in here when I walked in." She walked to her husband and leaned into his protective embrace. "Arianna isn't around either."

"That's because she was behind this," Alexis declared. He looked at his family, at each look of confusion cast at him and shook his head in disgust as he explained. "Don't you remember? The levitation? The black eyes?"

"That sounds familiar," Roman said. He placed a hand on the back of his neck to rub out the tension that had built from his awkward position on the floor. "Xan was standing next to her and then she started-"

"That voodoo mumbo-jumbo," Draco finished. He snapped his fingers when complete recollection came to him. "She started levitating and then we blacked out."

"I trusted her," Alexis angrily muttered, "I allowed this to happen."

"Don't blame yourself," Draco comforted, "How the hell were we supposed to know she was one of the bad guys?"

"Why are you so convinced that she is?" Alauria asked.

Andrae scowled at the woman a second before saying, "You weren't even here when it went down. Don't be so quick to defend her."

"Don't be so quick to blame her," Alauria asserted. She glanced at the brothers in the room, uncaring about their sympathetic and incredulous looks. "What makes you think Xan wasn't responsible?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Liam roared. He refused to believe that Xan had anything to do with what happened. Xan was the target, not an accomplice. He would know if she had anything to do with this.

"Watch your tone with her," Lindsay warned. He felt the shudder that went through Alauria at Liam's shout and immediately took offense.

Liam shook his head in defiance. "She doesn't even fucking know Xan."

"Do you?" Lindsay countered, "It's been what, a month?"

"Don't fucking start with me."

Lindsay would have taken a step forward had Alauria not held him back. Instead, he pushed her behind him, an unconscious move to shield her from his brother's temper. "You started this the second you raised your voice to my wife."

"Stop fighting," Alauria interjected. She stepped out from behind Liam and faced him head on despite her discomfort. "I never said that Xan was responsible, Liam."

"You just fucking said-"

"Yes, I know what I said. If you'd let me finish, you'd be singing a different tune."

Liam remained silent for a moment, waiting for the woman to finish her thought. It was bad enough that he was ready to kill someone, even his brother if it came to it, but he refused to let anyone malign Xan. When another minute passed in silence he said, "Well?"

"What I was trying to say was that maybe it was Xan, but not Xan." She looked at her husband and continued at his encouraging nod. "What if Sherliane acted through her?"

"Cale severed the link," Roman refuted.

"What if he only wanted you to think he did? What if he was waiting for the perfect moment to strike where it hurt most?"

"Xan was having the dreams," Andrae reminded.

"This is my fault," Alexis repeated, "I should have never brought Arianna into this."

"Lexi, you didn't know," Roman consoled, "None of us did. Lex!" He cried out for his brother as the silent leader stormed out of the room. "Damn, he's no good to us like this."

"What the hell do we do now?" Lindsay asked.

"Search the house. There has to be a something somewhere." Liam felt it was his responsibility to take over the lead until Alexis came to terms with the severity of their situation. "Drake, Rome, search the ground floor. Lindsay, go take care of your woman. Get her out of here if you need to. D., I need you to check on Xion while I take this floor."

"Why do I get the kid?"

"Because I fucking said so." He would never admit to the fact that his brother was far better with the child than he was. Liam was fond of Xion, yes, but there was something about his brother that seemed to work wonders with her. "Would you just do it?"

"Fine," Andrae murmured before shimmering out of the room.

Liam watched Lindsay lead Alauria out of the room before checking on Caleb. His brother seemed paler than before, but he no worse for wear. Was Xan all right? Was she hurt or simply pissing the shit out of someone? As he walked out of the room, he hoped she was somewhere in the house. Instinct told him that she wasn't, but he had to hold on hope. If Sherlaine truly did find a way to get her out of the house, she could have been anywhere in the world. She could have been in the underworld. 

Liam checked three rooms before panic truly began to set in. How was he supposed to cope with the danger she no doubt faced? Sherlaine was irritatingly polite, but that out of place character trait only seemed to add to the danger that was him. Was he torturing her? Was he bleeding her, getting what he needed to wreak havoc on the world? Liam knew that the demon wouldn't kill her, but that didn't mean that he couldn't make her wish for death.

The door to the weaponry room was slightly ajar. Liam's heart rate accelerated in fear as he approached. He toed the door open and quickly surveyed the visible areas of the room before stepping in. He'd only taken five steps into the room before the dark area permeating through the room stopped him cold. Arianna was in the room and he wondered weather or not one of the room's weapons was imbedded in her small body.

Liam walked to her body and sighed in relief at seeing that like him and his brothers earlier, she was only unconscious. He lifted Arianna into his arms and continued to search for Xan. He came across Alexis on his way to the workout room and handed the sorceress to his incredulous brother and walked on. Liam didn't want to admit to himself that Xan wasn't in the house, that somehow, she'd found a way past the enchantments and left. Or maybe she was taken. It was difficult to decide which scenario was true when he wasn't sure who was in control. 

"She's not anywhere downstairs," Roman announced as he walked into the game room. He'd observed Liam for a few moments before speaking, shocked at the empty desolation that shadowed him. Liam was known for his dark personality and temper, but this... this was something Roman had never seen before. "Any luck up here?"

"No, she's gone."

"We'll find her, Liam."

Liam turned to look at his brother and had it not been for the hopeful look on his face, he would have given him some choice words. "The question is how."

"We'll figure it out. We always do."

"Yeah, but at what fucking price?"

Roman looked behind him to make sure they were the only ones in the room before he said, "She's not Nadia, Liam."

The name alone sent a jolt of fear down his spine. "I won't let that happen." He refused to let her die.

"None of us will."

Liam was sure his brother meant that, but it wasn't on Roman or any of his brothers to ensure Xan's livelihood. It was on him, his responsibility to take care of her. He'd failed her this one time, but he refused to fail her again. He'd find her and then he'd kill Sherlaine for good. It was time that son of a bitch demon vanished from their lives.

* * * * *

It felt as if she was floating. There wasn't anything solid around her, no soft mattress, no hard walls, and no patches of grass. She was surrounded by black, but she figured it was because her eyes were closed. She wasn't trapped in her mind again, no; when Sherlaine took over, the sensation was comparable to being locked in a small room lined with one- way mirrors; she could see out, but no one could see in.

But this was different; she was warm, she was floating, and she had a wonderful fuzzy feeling drifting through her. Fear wasn't much of an option when she considered the sensations coursing through her body. It really was a shame that this was simply the calm before the storm.

"It's time to wake, Xandra."

She groaned defiantly, uncaring of the consequences of her actions. The floating continued for a few more moments before she felt the plush fabric associated with an extravagant duvet beneath her. So she literally was floating.

"Xandra, we have work to do."

She remained still, hoping he would leave her alone a while longer. She had to think of a plan to not only keep the demon out of her mind, but to keep her blood in her body and prevent a possible apocalypse. Her air supply was promptly cut off, and Xan reflexively reached for her neck. She convulsed as her lungs seized, desperate for oxygen. Xan's eyes flew open, only to find Sherlaine hovering over her with a knowing smile on his face. His blue eye sparkled dangerously as he slowly ran his fingertips along the length of her marked arm. She gurgled; from the lack of air or indignation at being touched by him, she could not decide.

"If you're done rebelling, I'd like to get to it." Sherlaine watched her struggle and writhe on the bed as her body begged for oxygen. Exhilaration coursed through him at the tremble of fear that went through her. He would have loved nothing more than to sink his teeth into her tender flesh, to taste the nectar her pulsing veins promised, but her blood was too valuable. Too dangerous. To take one drop of her blood would put him in a vulnerable position he could not afford. He opened her airwaves and watched as she sucked in a lung full of air. "Remember your place."

Xan would have loved nothing better than to tell him where he could stick his place, but the reminder of her situation kept her quiet. She took a moment to glace around her surroundings, almost impressed by the luxury that dripped from ever corner of the room. Rich burgundies and gold adorned the walls in both silk wallpaper and sconces. Sheer drapes in teal, blue and deep purple softened the fluorescent lights that threatened harshness. Xan noticed that there were no windows in the room. Nor were there any doors. Save the pile of large plush pillows on the carpeted floor, the only furniture in the room was the bed she lay on. "I want you out of my head. For good."

"And here I thought you enjoyed my company."

"Out." Xan cried out at the severe burn that coursed through her body. Starting at the tips of her toes and rolling upwards, it seared through her and stopped at her head. It felt as if her head would explode. A swollen, stretched sensation made her grab her head in an effort to keep her skin from ripping open. "What are you doing to me?" she shouted. She screamed again when the sensation comparable to pulling a large object out of a gaping wound gripped her. Her ears, nose and mouth felt jammed. The burn passed through the openings, searing her to her core. The pain intensified to unspeakable proportions before slowly fading to a dull throb that shot through every cell of her body. Xan hadn't realized she'd screwed her eyes closed until they opened at Sherlaine's command. She watched in amazement as the yellow mist she'd encountered at the mall floated above her before seeping into the demon.

"See how easy it is to be accommodating?"

Had she the strength or even the voice to speak, she would have given him the piece of her mind she usually saved for Liam. She lay back on the bed, panting for breath, waiting for the pain to fade completely. "What did you do to me?"

"I removed a part of myself from you."

"So we weren't linked?"

Sherlaine laughed merrily at her question. "You believed what I wanted you to believe." He casually sat down on the edge of the bed, turning toward her so that he had a perfect view of her face as they spoke. "If you all believed that I simply linked our minds, something I would never do by the way, and if I remained patient and laid in wait, then I had the means to gather all of the information I could."

There was much about what he said that brought several questions to the forefront of her mind. Xan decided to tackle the questions one at a time. "Why would you never link our minds?"

"Once a link is made, it is difficult to break the bond." He held his hand up to stop her when she began to speak. "It is difficult to break the bond because once the link is made, our subconscious' begin to blend together, making it increasingly difficult to separate over time." Sherliane smiled glibly as he said, "As entertaining as your mind is, Xandra, I have no desire to be part of it until your years expire."

"You mean you don't want me to know your deepest, darkest secrets." Like how to kill him, she thought. For the first time, she almost wished that they were linked. Not only would she have a means to kill him, but she would have learned his plan concerning the man she saw in her vision. His smile told her everything she needed to know. 

Sherlaine casually crossed one leg over the other as he regarded the woman in front of him. She'd shifted to rest her back against the headboard as she watched him closely. There was a spark of recognition in her eyes and not one ounce of the earlier fear he found enticing. "There are certain things I prefer to keep to myself."

"What did you want to learn about us?"

"Interesting choice of words." He expected her to say something smart, as was her penchant when she felt cornered, but was surprised when she only stared at him critically. "I learned everything I could, Xandra. Even when you thought you were in control, I was there, listening and learning far more than I thought possible."

"You went through a lot of trouble to bring him back."

"Bring who back?"

"The blood-sucking son of a bitch you worked for." At the mix of confusion and amusement that lit his eyes, she continued, "You've been trying to bring Zaide back since he was taken from you." His soft laugh took her by surprise. "What?"

"The last thing I want is to bring that man back."

"What?"

The incredulous look in her eyes made him smile. "If you were concerned about him, you do not have to be."

"So you weren't planning on letting him out?"

"I only wanted you to think that I was."

Relief washed over Xan in waves. Knowing that she wouldn't be responsible for releasing the one demon Liam and his brothers loathed the most. Zaide killed Andrae's woman and terrorized the family. She did wonder his plans for her once he was released, unsure if he would be as civil as Sherliane. The simple thought of Zaide terrified her. "So what are you trying to release?" Sherliane only smiled at her, that glib smile that held many secrets that made fear slide down her spine. That smile told her all she needed to know. That smile told her that Zaide would have been a lesser evil compared to what he had planned. 

Sherlaine stood and clasped his hands behind his back. He watched the dull flush take over her face, satisfied that her fear had returned. Eagerness made his stomach clench as anticipation rose within him. "You need to conserve your strength, Xandra. We have much to do."

She watched as he began to teleport out of the room and realized that there were still questions she needed answered. "Wait. What about me?"

"I do suppose you need provisions and entertainment." Sherliane smiled as he continued to shimmer out of the room. "I'll have things brought to you shortly."

Shortly was in actuality thirty seconds. Xan barely had time to emit a tired sigh before a large plasma screen television appeared in the far corner of the room. Beside it, a large buffet style table materialized, covered with trays of food. Pizza, pasta, steak and many other kinds of food littered the tabletop. She wished for a bottle of whiskey; nothing would be better than the total oblivion that came with extreme intoxication. Sherlaine probably knew this; why would he allow her to drink when he needed her blood clear of all impurities?

She decided to pick at the food in front of her. Xan wasn't particularly hungry, but she needed all of the energy she could conserve. Knowing what she did about Sherlaine, she wouldn't have much to spare once he was done. She delicately gnawed on a piece of grilled chicken and turned on the television. Under normal circumstances, she would have enjoyed watching the kickboxing match that aired, but the match only reminded her of Dymos matches, which only reminded her of Pogue. He would have hated Liam and most likely would have fought him on countless occasions. Not that she blamed him; as much as she fought with the man, it was a miracle either one of them still lived.

Pogue would have gotten along with the twins and her cousins. His personality mirrored Draco's while his outward demeanor matched that of Alexis. The mix created one hell of a dry sense of humor that shocked everyone around him.

Xan didn't fight the wave of emotion that came over her at the memory of her friend. What she wouldn't do to hear him yell at her for the mess she was in because of course it was her fault that she was the key to world destruction. He'd fix her with those hazel eyes of his and tell her that she was a fool for getting herself into trouble yet again. Then he'd sit her down and tell her that everything would be all right because together they would find a way to fix it. Even if he had to shift to look like her, he'd do everything he could to fix it for her and Xion.

Xan didn't wipe the tears that fell freely from her eyes. This was the first time in countless days that she'd properly been able to mourn the loss of her friend. This was the first time she'd truly felt alone. Emptiness welled inside her chest as the memory of his passing came to her. She hadn't wanted to go to that Dymos; she'd nearly begged Pogue to change his mind about participating, but like Alexis, he'd only fixed her with a look that suggested she argue no more. 

And so they went to the Dymos that fundamentally changed her life. No Pogue, no fighting, and definitely no freedom. She was nothing but a tool now, a means to a bloody, apocalyptic end. If she was a braver woman, she would have taken the coward's way out.

Xan glanced at the table, at the small paring knife lodged within the small honeyed ham and pulled it out of the meat before she thought better of it. The blade was sharp, sharp enough to break open her tender flesh with just the smallest bit of pressure. She ran the pad of her thumb over the sharp edge of the blade as she asked herself if she was brave enough to do it. Or would it have been foolish of her? Would Sherlaine keep his word if she thwarted him or would he unleash his anger on the Brethren and Xion? 

"It would be very foolish of you to do what I think you are considering, Xandra."

Xan whirled toward the sound of Sherlaine's voice, wincing as her hand closed over the blade of the knife. She ignored the burn that came with the piercing of the skin and tried to keep her hand still to keep the demon from seeing the damage. "It's called knocking. Try it sometime."




BloodBorne Ch. 11



Sherlaine laughed as he approached Xan. Food seemed to be a restorative to her, but he did not like the look of that knife in her hand when he entered the room. The contemplation was clear on her face; from what he knew about her, she wouldn't hesitate to take her own life. He could not allow that to happen. "I'll be taking that knife from you." He raised a brow when she hastily tossed it on the ground some feet away. "That wasn't polite, now was it?"

Xan said nothing as she balled her wounded hand in a fist and hitched it on her hip. "What are you doing back here?"

"I thought we would discuss our arrangement."

"Yes, like I have an actual say in what happens."

"Yet I only brought you here when you agreed to come."

"Bull-fucking-shit." She advanced on him, mindful to keep her wounded hand on her hip. "I never had a choice, not when you consistently threw blackmail in my face."

"I suppose you have a point."

"You suppose..." Xan shook her head furiously as she walked around the demon that seriously asked for her to give him a sound kick to the shins. "Fucking asshole."

"Watch your language."

"You watch your language." She paced the length of the room, muttering in Spanish as she glared at him. The interested quirk of his eyebrow inflamed her temper. On a curse, she threw her hands akimbo. "What is it you want then?"

"Once I start the ritual..." Sherlaine stopped when a small wave of energy began to swirl throughout the room. The energy grew in intensity until the room began to shudder around them. He looked over at Xan, at the horrified look in her eyes as her gaze traveled from her bloody hand to the spot of blood on the floor. As he looked at the spot, it began to darken; the darkness spread and lifted, opening a small round portal that hovered just a few feet over the floor. A distant, sharp sound came from inside the portal and grew louder as the opening widened. He smiled, anticipating the entrance of a fierce being shooting into the room.

Xan watched in horror as the portal continued to grow. It became the size of a door length mirror, stretching and increasing the volume of the noise that came from it. A familiar tumbling noise accompanied the screech-like sound; something or someone was falling. She was tempted to hide behind Sherlaine; whatever it was sounded as if it was badass enough to take the demon down. Her problems could be solved.

The newcomer flew out of the opening in a tumble of white cloth and black-brown hair. It was a small bundle of a being, and at the first look of the small foot that protruded from beneath the white covering, Xan felt dread. The dread only intensified when a tiny hand pulled the cloth away, revealing the stunned brown eyes of the last person Xan wanted to see. 

Sherlaine began to laugh quietly, amazed at the gift he'd been given. It wasn't a boon that would aid him in his work, but as he watched the tiny figure suck on a delicate index finger, he knew that his plans would be interrupted no more. He had the means to destroy everything that stood in his way.

"Come to me, Xion," Xan whispered. She was sure a heart attack was imminent; her chest constricted painfully and her heart rate was dangerously high. She watched her sister disentangle herself from the blankets that covered her before she walked forward to take hold of her hand. "What are you doing here, kid?"

"You brought her here, Xandra," Sherlaine answered. He crossed his arms in front of himself as he regarded to the sisters in front of him. "This removes the need for a test run, thus, saving us some time." He smiled as Xan glared at him and glanced at the tiny figure that stared up at him in amazement. "Something tells me that things are about to get really interesting."

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Another "boring" chapter? Some would say so. I say there is a method to my maddness.