17 comments/ 22164 views/ 27 favorites SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 01 By: mokkelke SIW : Adam O'Neill Here we are with the next part of the SIW Chronicles. I'm giving a bit of warning, part of this will be hard to read. It involves a kidnapping, drugging, abuse and rape of a person. It part of Bronwille's past and thus included in the story, if you don't want to read this, that is perfectly understandable. In this case just skip the story "Broken Bones". The story "Broken Bones" was written especially for SIW and the wonderful person that wrote this is CedarNeedle. I owe her a huge thank you for providing something that is so emotional and heart wrenching to read and experience. Many thanks go out to all those in The Guild for their support and feedback, those on Twitter for keeping the drive alive. Special thanks go out to Mikothebaby for being a fast, kind and caring editor. I am going to try and do my best and have a chapter up each week. I have a few ready and hopefully I get back into writing easily. Mokkelke Chapter One : The Past. Adam was restless, his wolf agitated. Yet again she'd slammed the door in his face. When he called her an hour later, hoping she had cooled down by then, she again didn't pick up, letting him go to voicemail once more. He left by now, his few familiar words, "Bronwille, can you please talk to me? Just let me know you're alright." Then he always had to bite his tongue to stop himself from adding "I love you". Two months had passed since the attack on Bronwille in the alley next to "The Viper". At first he called twice every day, then once a day, then every other day. Now he called on Monday and Friday. Not once had she answered his calls, not once had she talked to him when he stood in front of her door. He was starting to lose all hope that she would get better. Every minute he wasn't needed in his tavern, he spent watching over her, making sure, well hoping was more like it, that she's ok. It was only because of Mia that he knew she was doing somewhat ok. "She gets by," was the usual answer he got from Mia every time he saw her. The staff at his tavern avoided him like the plague, where as they normally always stopped by his kitchen for a little chat before and after their shift. At first he was fine, then he started being silent and now he was nearly losing it with his mate refusing to acknowledge he even existed. The only ones brave enough to meet his temper were the Alpha's and Beta's of his own pack and the Whelan brothers and their mates. He grumbled, cursed and growled as he battled with all the pots and pans on his tiny stove. He felt like trashing the place, not caring if anything was left whole or not. "Hey, Mister Grumpy, I see you're at it again?" a sweet voice said behind him. Suddenly part of his tension disappeared. Mia always had that effect on him. "Hi sunshine. Sorry for the mood. How are you doing?" he asked, grabbing a towel to wipe off his hands as he turned towards Mia. "I'm just peachy. This morning sickness is finally giving up ruining my day. Guess I don't have to ask how you're doing. I could hear the trashing all the way up front," Mia said. Adam shrugged his shoulders. He was aware his behavior wasn't normal but he had no clue how to solve this whole situation with Bronwille. "Adam, we got to do something. This is becoming unbearable for you, not to mention those around you and your customers." "What do you want me to do then? She doesn't answer her phone, at least not for me. When I'm at her door she doesn't even open it. She doesn't even talk back. It's driving me up a wall. I understand she needs her time and I'm willing to give her that, but I'm slowly going insane here because she can't even bring herself to say just a simple 'Yes, I'm fine' or 'No, leave me alone'," he spoke heatedly rattling more pans on the stove in front of him. "I'm so sorry she's making you feel like this. You know she isn't doing it intentionally, right?" Mia asked. That question resulted in Adam slamming down a pan with so much force the contents spilled over the sides. "Of course I know, but I don't have to like it that my mate thinks she has to deal with this on her own. I'd move heaven and earth to make that hurt go away, if only she would let me. It's driving me and my wolf insane. We want to be there for her, but she isn't letting us in," Adam said in a hurt voice. Finally calming down a little he sighed as he turned around facing Mia. "I don't know what I can do to get through to her without scaring her shitless. You got any options?" Adam asked with a hint of hope in his eyes. "I have an idea that might help you understand how she copes with everything. Here take this," Mia said as she handed him a tiny piece of paper. "Go to that site and look for the name I wrote down. You know she works mainly as an editor but whenever she's troubled she writes. I'm going to plead the fifth if she ever finds out how you got this. She barely admitted it to us that it was her. Read her bio page and maybe that can spark a little something to help you along," she added in a mysterious tone. "And why is it you tell me this now and not sooner?" Adam snapped. Defiantly, he turned his back to her and started cleaning up the mess he had made. Sadly, he only made it worse by his brisk movements caused by the barely constrained frustration that was now building up inside of him, replacing the anger he'd felt before. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you," he spoke softly, facing her again. Looking at the tiny piece of paper, "So what is the meaning of this?" he said as he waved it briefly in front of Mia. "At some level she trusts you; or else she wouldn't have allowed you to care for her those first few days. Her way of dealing with everything is to write, write and write some more. I checked her bio this morning and she put up something new. The first time it took her two whole years to get back. It was eighteen months before she started writing something down, now she's put something up after two months. "That proves she's starting to come around. If I may suggest, read 'Broken Bones' first before you read anything else, even her new submission. Keep that for last," Mia explained. "And well, we don't want you walking around all grumpy and growling at everybody. I thought providing this will help you as well, maybe you can find another way to get through to her instead of getting her door smacked in your face every time." Turning around, he threw the washcloth over his shoulder and leaned against the counter. The chef's coat was a tight fight, not hiding his muscular build at all. The seams almost looked like they were tearing up when he crossed his arms. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to scare her anymore then she already is. I know of that first attack and that it was a close call. But how is me reading her stories going to help either of us? You know I'd do anything for her, just as Chris will for you and the babe and Nick for Fran. I know she went through hell and back. I've seen my share of misery over time. Fact is we don't even know what she saw, if she saw anything at all. I just want to hold her, soothe her, care for her," he spoke softly. The anguish was clear on his face now. "Oh Adam, I feel for you," Mia said as she walked up and hugged him. Close contact always soothed a wolf, not the same level of soothing a mate could provide, but soothing nonetheless. Loosely he circled his arms around her, letting his wolf relax from the comforting touch. He took a few moments for himself, letting Mia's words get through to him. Trying to understand what she really wanted him to do. "So you think if I read her story and her new submission, I may find a way to get through to her?" he asked wearily. Mia looked up at him, "I'm sure of it. Once you read her bio, you'll put things together," Standing on tip toes she planted a quick kiss on his unshaved cheek, "I'm sure you'll figure it out, grumpy." Stepping back she turned around to walk out of his kitchen. At the last minute she turned and smiled, "Though I do suggest a shave next time you go to her, she's got delicate skin." Adam chuckled at her remark, "Point taken. Now get back to Chris before he barges in and decides to decimate me for hogging his mate. I'll bring out the usual in a bit." "You know he's no match for me," Mia smirked before she darted out of his sight. Her smirk turned into a wide smile as she heard his laughter follow her. Do me proud Adam. Bron needs you more than she's willing to admit. Now I just hope Bron forgives me for telling her little secret. Later in the evening, when he had locked up his tavern, he went upstairs to his flat and turned on his ancient computer. He gave it enough time to load up while he went for a quick shower, washing off all the sweat and hoping it would invigorate him. After drying himself, he just put on a pair of sweatpants, not giving a damn if he went commando underneath. He pulled off the cap of the bottle of beer and sat down in front of his computer. He looked at the tiny piece of paper with the nice clear handwriting of Mia on it. Taking one large sip of his beer, he placed it next to the screen. Slowly he typed in the address and waited for it to load. The layout of the site was clean, nothing frilly as he expected in the first place. Not wanting to waste too much time, he entered her pen name in the search box and just a few moments later her bio page opened in front of him. Most of her boxes were blank. She was between twenty-four and thirty, was single but not looking and her two hobbies were reading and writing. At the bottom of her page there was a button tagged "volunteer editor", it picked his curiosity but he was more interested in her writings now. He made a mental note to check it out later. Clicking her story page he noticed several stories listed under her penname. Checking the options he let them show in order they were submitted. All her entries were short stories. She'd submitted a few before "Broken Bones", a handful after and then her last submission dated a few days back. The cursor of his mouse hovered above the story Mia had told him to read first. Reaching for his beer, he took another big sip. As it made its way through his body, he built up enough courage to press that tiny button and waited, again, for her story to load. Maybe I should invest in a new computer, this constant waiting is nuts! he scolded himself. Then he started reading: * * * * * * * * Broken Bones By RedB Prologue: How does one compare broken bones to a broken spirit? Which one is worse? It's difficult to answer. But bones heal, memories never go away. Chapter 1: The call of a large black crow screeching caught Amelia's attention as she kneeled in her garden, preparing to plant the spring flowers she'd recently bought at the nursery and had delivered to her house so she didn't have to leave. Gardening was the only activity she enjoyed doing outdoors and these brief moments were nirvana for her when she was brave enough to step outside. As her pale green eyes took in the larger black bird, which by the way was staring at her in an ominous fashion. She contemplated whether this was an omen or just a natural appearance. The thing cawed at her again, demanding attention. "Are you here for more than a bug crow?" Amelia teased, but flinched as the bird answered her with a chirp. "Well then, if you are here to remind me, then riddle me this -- what is more painful? Broken bones or a broken spirit?" The crow tilted its head to the side as if it thought through her question and then made a sound that was eerily close to "spirit". Amelia freaked out, dropping the hand shovel she'd been holding so the spade sliced through the soft tilled soil and sat there ignored. "Oh my God," she moaned and scrambled frantically to her feet to escape the black reminder. Black as the mark on her soul, that no matter what she did, it seemed to keep coming back to haunt her. Like that crow. Like the memories. Inside, Amelia ran to the sink and gripped the cold porcelain rim, closing her eyes to blot out the recollections that pushed on her mind. Memories she didn't want to dreg up. A soft ticking drew her out of the battle and when she opened her eyes she came face to face with the damn crow sitting just outside her kitchen window watching her. He tapped the glass once again with his large glossy beak before returning to the eerie evaluation with its little black beady eye. "Go away," she moaned, cringing at the weakness in her own voice. "I don't want this. Just go away." The crow shook its head and tapped the glass again. "Just go away." Too late. Phantom hands reached from behind and cupped her breasts in a painful remembrance of her ordeal. She twirled around in a panic trying to evade her own mind, but those hands followed. Amelia felt her panic rise as her heart picked up a rapid rate as she ran towards the bedroom, diving into the bed and throwing the covers over her head. "Just go away," she begged, this time to the memories. "I don't want to remember this!" Outside the crow called again as he flew around her house. That sound was enough to tip the balance and Amelia tumbled into her trance, relapsing back into the shattered state after the attack. Her mind shut down and her body went into survival mode. Just like before, there was no one here to help her, only her own self-preservation to claw her way back out. ~ ~ ~ ~ She'd been late leaving work one night, trying to get a few last minute reports completed so she could sleep in tomorrow instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to finish. Working for a large marketing firm didn't give her much chance to sleep in very often, so she took what she could when she could. The dim lights of the parking lot, some flickering insistently, sent parts of the lot into darkness for a few clicks of the clock and caused her to pause. Her Honda Accord was parked in the darkest part of the lot and right next to this windowless white van she didn't recognize. Looking back inside, she knew she was one of the last to leave the building and contemplated asking Justin to walk her out, but changed her mind. He was weaker than she was, so what was the point in that? His tall lanky frame would do nothing but give her mental security, so she stepped out into the cold night and walked towards her vehicle with key in hand. The van was parked on the driver's side of her car, giving her the idea of entering in through the passenger door and sliding over once she was in. She chose that option and was about to insert the key into the lock when a powerful force thrust her against the passenger door and pinned her there. "Thought you were being clever, did'ya?" The deep male voice whispered against the shell of her ear and sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn't move. "Don't think of screaming either," the press of a sharp point against her rib cage highlighted the need to remain quiet. "Good girlie. We've been waiting for you, you know. You made our life easier by working late tonight, so now we're going for a ride. And remember," he pressed the sharp point more firmly into her ribs, "no screaming." Because her body was effectively pinned to the car with her chest being smashed against the windows, she could barely turn her head to see her attacker. What did get her attention was the metallic sound of the van door opening and two more men, both wearing ski masks staring back. "She's got tits for sure, that should make our play time more enjoyable," one called out. The other one punched the speaker before looking in Amelia and her attacker's direction with cold blue eyes, "Come on fucker; let's get going." The pressure lifted from her body and she found herself numbly dragged towards the van. The last thing her eyes saw as the van door closed was her purse sitting on top her car with the contents spilling out like vomit. A small can of pepper spray barely visible, but useless. As the driver put the van into reverse, the large man who'd grabbed her squatted down inches from her face where she crouched in the back, trying to curl into a small little ball. Her body was shaking so badly from her trembling that it appeared she was cold. Through her trembling, she tried to make out any features of her attacker from behind the black ski mask, but all she could discern was his cold, calculated brown eyes that in this light looked black. But there was something about his voice. "So, here's the deal, chickie. I want into this gang and you're my ticket. Don't fight me and I will let you live. Fight me and you'll never see the light of day once I'm done with you. Understood?' Amelia didn't reply. Her long brown hair was still covering one eye where it had come loose from the clip, but she still remained silent and motionless. She left the hair where it was. "First things first, clothes are not allowed where we're going, so let's get you prepped. Once we arrive, you'll be cleaned up and prepared for my initiation. Plain and simple, I will reward you with a few orgasms if you don't fight the process, so remember that as you're being cleaned up," he lifted his knife, "Now strip." He used the tip of a hunting knife to indicate her jacket. That roused her, "Now?" "Yup." Her terrorized eyes swept through the van and counted that including the driver, there were three men here. "You're taking too long," he leaned closer, "Remember, don't fight me, chickie and I consider this fighting me." Amelia swallowed working through her options, but obviously this took too long for a blinding pain shot through her mind as his fist slammed into the side of her head knocking her onto her side. "Strike one," he said coldly just before his knife sliced through the thin silk of her suit jacket. The sounds of ripping fabric followed as he shredded first the jacket, then the silk blouse and skirt exposing the matching bra and panty set. Amelia recovered from her stunned state and fought back finally. She lashed out with her legs and kicked the bastard in the balls sending him reeling backwards grabbing the juncture between his legs. Her attacker, who she dubbed Giant, kicked out with his own heavy boot and slammed into her ribs, knocking the wind out of her. If that didn't break a rib, she'd be surprised. The freezing cold of the metal flooring in the van helped clear her head and focus back on the situation. "Bitch," Giant snarled. "What do you want with me!" she yelled once she found her breath again. Giant was recovering too, though. He now leaned against the barren wall of the van as he continued to grip his balls. "You'll see. That wasn't nice, chickie. No kindness for you here on out. I need my jewels tonight and that pissed me off. Don't," he loomed dangerously close in motion so swift it startled her, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath, "do that that again." "Fuck you," she spat a glob of spit into his face and again blinding pain as he punched her again. "Fuck you back, bitch. And I will, multiple times, you'll see." He slumped back against the van wall while he wiped the spit off his face using the back of his hand. The mask prevented him from removing it all, but he did the best he could do. Outside of the pain shooting from his balls, he was enjoying this little feisty reaction, because he wanted a fight. He wanted a good show to demonstrate he was right for this gang. Choosing a weak or submissive bitch would have worked against him. His dick flared to life at the thought of fucking her hard while she tried to get away. That pressure in his jeans further aroused him, so he stroked himself right in front of her, "This is all for you, chickie. Rock hard and throbbing." SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 01 She paled at hearing his words. Her eyes traveled to the visible bulge and that further caused her to panic. No one saw her being taken and no one would know to report her missing. Not until tomorrow when people started arriving for work and seeing her purse and car would someone think to call in a missing persons report. She was alone and she felt the biting fear that she was probably going to die after this was all over. "I see you finally understand," he sneered from behind his ski mask. "I picked you because you are a loner. You don't have friends and you don't have anyone who gives a flying fuck about you in this town. You're mine now, bitch. So start acting the part and get undressed. Now." Amelia gulped twice before she sat up and looked down at her tattered clothing, or what remained of them. He'd pretty much shredded her suit and so she slowly removed what was left and sat there in just her bra and bikini underwear. He eyed her lewdly, "I took you for a tease, Amelia, and thought you'd wear a thong. You strut your hot cunt for the rest of the world, but don't let anyone near enough to see between those hot legs of yours." The use of her name jolted her violently. Her heart sank well into her stomach when she heard it spoken off this man's lips. Suddenly, she knew who he was and it caused her to sink lower into a state of despair. Giant started laughing the moment recognition bloomed in her eyes. "How's it going, sweetheart." "How?" she moaned. "How could you do this to me?" Rubin was a man from work who started with her company six months back and had slowly worked under her protective barrier that kept people at arms distance. She'd miscalculated with him...trusted him...and now this. Making friends had always been hard, but he'd promised her he'd never bring her harm and slowly over time, he'd earned her trust. "Easy. You're my ticket, so I used you. Simple, I want something more but I get a bonus in this deal because I've wanted to fuck you senseless for months." "But you, but you said—," "—I said shit. I said absolutely nothing," he leaned closer and pulled the mask off, showing his smooth face and dimpled chin. Ruffling his sandy blond hair and then smoothing it back in that awfully familiar fashion had Amelia cursing to herself that she'd ever found him charming at all. "Why?" her voice cracked, still unable to comprehend what was happening as the shock started to make her mind numb and her body useless. "I spotted you at work immediately. All I had to do was seek out the one woman who always ate lunch alone, took breaks alone and left alone. Darling, that is you. Hell, I bet you fuck yourself alone." Rubin sneered as his eyes roamed rudely up and down her scantily clad body, "But not for long. Tonight I fuck you and hard." She leaned back, covered her breasts with her crossed arms and closed her eyes. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be happening. It couldn't be...she jumped when his hand gripped her chin and tilted her head up breaking her private chant to make all this go away. "Keep your eyes open." The van slowed and turned onto a dirt road throwing both her and Rubin around in the back until he had her pinned to the floor looming over her body. He laughed crudely when he took advantage of their predicament and pressed between her legs with his rock hard cock. "Nice." "Fuck off." "Soon. Many times." The driver and the other man turned back right when Rubin kissed her hard, pressing his lips roughly against her struggling face and smashing her head back into the floor. She turned into a hell cat in that moment and fought with a strength she didn't know she had, raking her nails down the front on his face, drawing blood. Rubin slapped her hard, causing spots to flash behind her eyes before he did it again and again until Amelia was stunned still. But she wasn't through. When Rubin was starting to relax enough to check his wounds, wiping the blood off and cursing silently, Amelia struck out and kicked him hard in the balls again and then kicked out again when he leaned forward in pain, colliding with his face breaking his nose immediately. Blood splashed across her bare skin and splattered down the front of his shirt. This sent Rubin into a freakish rage as he sat there for a moment holding his bleeding nose watching her. She could see the heat burning behind those eyes and regretted her actions immediately. "You fucking bitch!" Rubin roared and pounced on her smashing her head back against the floor in one smooth motion, knocking her unconscious immediately. The last thing she saw was his feral face as he bore down upon her frightened self and then nothing. * * * * * * * * Adam leaned back as he pinched the bridge of his nose. If what he had just read was what had happened to her... Suddenly standing up, his chair fell abruptly to the side by the sheer power trapped inside of his body. His wolf was angry, it wanted blood, and it wanted revenge for what had been done to its mate. Grabbing for the beer he emptied it in one go, hoping it would numb his senses just a little bit. Breathing heavily he tried calming down his wolf but failed. The familiar snapping of bones reached his ears and a few seconds later his wolf stood in the middle of the living room. Growling. Pacing back and forth. More growling. Grabbing one of the large cushions, his wolf started shaking the offensive thing as if it were its prey. Little pieces of the stuffing were flying all over the place. Only when the wolf noticed nothing was flying around anymore did he release the empty cushion and calmed a little bit, having expressed his anger for this situation he was in. He felt his human side fighting for control and reluctantly gave in. Adam swallowed hard, sitting in the middle of his room. He took in the results of his wolf's little outburst. The anger and rage was still bubbling inside of him but his heart also wept for her. Rationally he knew he couldn't have prevented what happened to her that time but he cursed himself for not staying with her when she left "The Viper". He got up again and a rage came over him. He kicked his chair to the other end of the room, shattering it against the wall. Agitated and angry he called Chris, letting him know he'd be running on their land near the lake. He needed fresh air and he needed it fast! + + + + He wasn't able to shake the anger off of him. Four laps around the lake and he didn't calm down at all. Crouching down he drank some of the ice cold lake water. Adam shook his head as he felt it go down. Still the rage and anger rippled through him and before he knew what he was doing he jumped into the water. His wolf didn't agree with this course of action and forced his human form to appear. Gulping down a big swallow of water, he quickly resurfaced and coughed up the water he accidentally swallowed. Silently he cursed his wolf but he was surprised that his temper had cooled down as well. Feeling the cold take over, he quickly swam to the shore and climbed out. Much to his surprise he saw Mia standing there with a towel in hand. "Chris told me you'd be running here. I'm assuming you read a certain something?" Mia explained herself being where she was. "Just the first chapter. I couldn't bring myself to open the next one. I was this close to losing it," Adam answered, holding his index finger and thumb close together. Accepting the towel, he dried himself quickly, before wrapping it around his waist, covering up his nakedness. "Come sit with me for a little bit," Mia told him, patting the spot next to where she sat down. They both stared into the distance for a while, just enjoying the quietness between them. Fiddling with a corner of the towel, Adam finally broke the silence when he asked, "How accurate is her story, Mia?" "She never told us what really happened, but when I checked up on her I could read some of her dreams." Mia reached for Adam's hand and gave it a good squeeze before she spoke again. "It's as accurate as it can be, apart from the changed names. When I looked at her dreams it was only bits and pieces. Only when I read her story did those pieces fall into place." Adam's anger reappeared. His eyes took on a golden shade as his wolf battled him for control. A growl was already emanating from his chest and he was showing the telltale signs of an upcoming shift. "Get a grip on it Adam. You won't be of any help to her if you lose it this easily. I thought a former SEAL had more self-control?" Mia said putting him straight. Taking a few deep breaths, he relaxed again. Mia was right. He couldn't act like this every time the attack was mentioned. He felt Mia squeezing his hand reassuringly again, this time he returned the gesture. "You're right, as always. Why didn't I find you first?" He smiled down at her, released her hand and pulled her in for a friendly hug. "Now you're being silly," Mia chided him. "Maybe, but I bet you're giving Chris a serious run around? Or at least I hope you are. Don't make things too easy on him." Mia just smiled as he made that statement. "Why don't you go home now and get some sleep? I'm sure the rest of the story will prove to be even harder. Don't overdo the reading and control your anger. Remember she has dealt with it. The current attack only brought back the memories and she's coping thanks to you. She only has to realize and accept that little fact. You'll have to earn her trust from scratch." "Yeah, think I'll do that. I'll wait a day or two before reading the next. I have to give myself some time to process all of this too. Just tell me this, did the ones that hurt her ever got caught?" Adam asked. "I'm afraid not. She didn't even press charges. She packed up everything, sent in her letter of resignation and went off the radar, so to speak. She came back home to us. She looked like a ghost when she arrived, but she refused to open up to any of us. We only found out by accident what happened when one of us glanced over her laptop screen one day. "We looked it up, read it all and decided to let things be. At the same time we tried to make sure she didn't bury herself in her apartment and when we did go out we always stayed in a group so she was never alone. Just the last six months she really was getting back to her former self. We still kept an eye on her, but over time we were convinced she was starting to manage being alone in a crowd again," Mia told. "If only I had known," Adam said defeated, "I would never have left her alone. I'm such an idiot!" "You listen to me! You are not an idiot!" Mia emphasized each word as she poked his bare chest. "You did nothing wrong. You saved her from the assault getting out of hand. You had your revenge on her attackers. We all stopped this from happening again. This attack has got nothing to do with her past, it only brings it back and she'll need time to work it out of her system. "Just as you will need time to read her story and come to terms with what has happened to her. I hate to say it, but the best thing you can do right now is back off and let her be. I gave you that link for a reason, not just to read her story, but to give you a back door to her very soul," Mia spoke lively. "What are you saying then?" "What she writes are her true feelings. She holds nothing back. She puts it out there on the Net for everybody to read. Reach out to her there, get to know her better. For all I care write a damn story yourself." Adam laughed at her last words. "Me writing a story, you're joking, right?" "I was, but now I think of it, maybe that isn't such a bad idea at all. You could tell her your side of the story, bare everything to her with words, not with actions," she pondered as she tapped her chin. "How am I gonna write anything?" Adam said as he got up. "I can't write for shit." "She's part of the volunteer editor program. That is your way in." Turning his back to Mia, he gazed upon the other side of the lake, hoping to find some kind of answer there. Can I write something that would interest her? Or at least make her realize I'd do anything for her? Let her know how I feel about everything, how angry it makes me and how lost I am for failing her? Question after question rolled through his mind. Finally deciding on what to do he turned back to Mia. "Do you need a ride home?" he asked, more out of politeness as he was well aware that she just had to teleport to be back at her home in a heartbeat. "I'd like that. Make it a long one, the little one is craving ice cream and Chris refuses to drive me to town to get some," she answered with a smile on her face and gently rubbing her slightly protruding belly. "That's the least I can do. Come on, I'm parked close by, I'm sure you can manage a five minute walk?" he teased as he reached out his hand to help her up. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid!" she said with mock anger. After a quiet drive into town, Adam decided to treat her to some ice cream instead of dropping her off at the store. "I'm not taking no for an answer. Just let Chris know and tell him I'll drop you off right on his front step. I don't want him going all loony on me for dropping of his pregnant mate in a store with no ride home," he said stopping her protests well in advance. "Fine, fine. You owe me a big ice cream then!" "You take the biggest you can handle," he said while he parked his car. Getting out, he rushed to the other side, opening the door for her. Mia rolled her eyes at his gentleman-like behavior and giggled when he stood next to her presenting her his arm. Looping hers around it they went to the nearest ice cream shop. Later that evening he dropped her off at her house, just like he promised Chris, who stood waiting on the porch of their newly built house. "Remember what I've said. Use this backdoor to her soul," Mia whispered before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, stepping back and walking into Chris' arms. "Hope you had a good run?" Chris asked. "So, so, until Mia showed up. She's a wise one, you better hold on to her," Adam said as he winked at Chris. "I'm planning on that, rest assured," came Chris' amused reply. "Guess I'll see you around, it's time for bed now," Adam said while he turned around to go back to his truck. "See you later mate," Chris said. + + + + Back at home, Adam stripped of his clothes and took another shower. Everything Mia had said was whirling in his mind. His temper threatened to resurface but he managed to reel it in every time. Sitting on his bed in just a pair of sweatpants, he looked down at the empty notepad in his lap. Then his eyes traveled towards the many crumpled up pieces of paper, all filled with failed attempts of writing down his feelings. With a grunt he tossed everything on the ground and crawled under the sheets, hoping to get some sleep. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 02 SIW : Adam O'Neill It's Sunday again as I submit the second chapter. Again I want to warn you up front that parts will be hard to read and if you want to skip them you'll have to skip "Broken Bones". Once more a huge thank you goes to CedarNeedle for creating such a tale, it wasn't easy. There is another contribution in this chapter, "Halos and Thorns", this was kindly provided by our dear JazCullen. As always many thanks to my loyal proofreaders and the guild for their ongoing support and big kudos for Mikothebaby for her editorial contribution, you rock! Without further ado : chapter two. Enjoy the read. Mokkelke Chapter Two : Opening the Door to the Soul. As an early riser, Adam always woke when the first warm sun rays of the day tickled his feet. Only today, he wished he could crawl back under his warm sheets. He grunted as he slowly turned onto his back and kicked away the sheets. Swinging his legs over the bed side, his feet landed on the notepad he tossed on the ground the night before. His eyes traveled over the crumpled up pieces of paper filled with failed attempts. He kicked a few of them away. Rubbing over the short stubble of hair on the top of his head, he stood up and went for a shower. Standing under the scalding hot water, he leaned his head against the side, letting the warmth of the water massage the stiffness out of his joints. When he got home after dropping of Mia, he had tried to pen down his feelings, give them a direction. Those failed attempts lay as evidence on his bedroom floor. He had gone through all stages of anger, frustration, rage, defeat and sorrow. He even had felt helpless because there was little to nothing he could do. Mulling over Mia's words, he tried to understand what she was trying to say to him without being too blunt about it. Suddenly he remembered the volunteer editor program he had found on the bottom of her page. Mia, you really are a little witch, he thought as he realized what she had tried to do. It wouldn't matter if his poem sucked, he could ask her for help. Somehow he didn't like that. He would have to open up that conversation. He wanted her genuine interest, her curiosity. A plan started to form in his mind. He smiled as things started to look brighter. Sure it was going to take time and a lot of it, but if it meant he could get her to trust him, he was more than willing to give her that time. Drying off quickly, he dressed, started up his old piece of crap and went to make himself some breakfast. He placed his filled plate on the kitchen table. Wanting it to cool down a little bit, he went to his bedroom, made up his bed and gathered the crumpled pieces of paper and took them with him to the kitchen. Spreading them out, he tried his best to flatten them out again. On most pieces there were only a few words, some appearing on more than one paper, those he tossed away. Scanning through the other ones he did see a sentence here or there that felt raw and true to himself, short phrases that reflected how he felt about what happened to Bron. Some even told of how he felt after some of his Black OPS when he was a SEAL. He hid those feelings well, but maybe it was time he dealt with his own demons as well. Cleaning up the kitchen, he gathered the pieces of paper that had some potential and placed them next to his computer that oddly enough decided to start up without many problems. Making a mental note to himself he wanted to get a new one and would have to go into town for that later on. He clicked on the bookmark that would send him straight to her profile, he read up on the volunteer editor program she signed up for. It said he was the one that had to initiate first contact if he wanted her editing skills. Adam started out with making a profile for himself and book marking her as one of his favorites. He'd chosen Atlas as his writer nick. He literally would carry the world for her if she'd let him. Smiling to himself, he was convinced he had the right nick. With that settled he went back to the first chapter of "Broken Bones" and opened up the comment box. Staring at the screen for a long time he wasn't entirely sure what he should write without giving away he knew what was written there was more real than any reader could phantom. #This is a very nerve wrecking story to read. Especially when the girl finds out the guy that kidnapped her is a co-worker she was drawn too. The torment and hurt he's causing her is making my blood boil with anger and makes me want to punch him. I know it's just a story, but it feels like a personal one. I'm almost dreading reading the rest, but I will read it. I need to know if the girl will make it.# Looking over his comment a few times, he hit the submit button. Looking over the help forums of the site, he took a peek at the poetry department and found a few helpful posts that would aid him to get started with his own. He felt a bit overwhelmed. What some people considered poetry and how others would criticize almost everything a person wrote wracked his nerves. Making up his mind, he decided to just read a few posts; this definitely wasn't the place to ask for genuine help. Closing everything, he got ready to go downstairs and open up. Once everything for the breakfast routine was settled, he'd go on his daily round of getting groceries for lunch and dinner. He smiled. He just loved to work with food, he always had. Instinctively he knew what would go well together and he experimented a lot. Doing his best to push back Bron's tale, he started his working day. For the first time he felt that he had a shot at sorting out the situation that was created all those weeks ago. The next thing he decided was that he wouldn't contact Bron anymore, his wolf didn't really agree with that, but after some explaining, his animal understood and relented. It would take a while before their mate would come to them willingly and he understood his human was going to have to do the majority of the work to make that happen. + + + + Tossing and turning, she jerked upright in a sudden move, making her head spin. Looking around she calmed down, seeing she was in her own flat, in her own bed. Breathing heavily and her sudden awakening told her she had had that same nightmare again. With longing in her eyes she looked at the pillow next to hers. Though she had changed the sheets regularly she couldn't, no wouldn't change the pillow casing. It smelled like him, the only way she was letting him be close. When the nightmares became too bad she switched pillows, breathing in the faint smell of him. It soothed her. Yes, she felt weak that she relied on it to calm her down, but something deep inside of her made her do this. She couldn't quite explain it to herself. It was the same instinct that kept her picking up the phone and opening the door. Seeing him, hearing him, was all she could handle right now, she was afraid that if she would talk to him and start a real conversation, that things would fall apart. So every time he called, she soaked up his warm voice, like a flower soaking up the warm rays of the sun, and every time he came by she took in his rough looks, secretly wanting to cuddle close and be in his strong safe arms again. Over time the calls and visits lessened, making her a bit sad. Now it was just a call on Mondays and a visit on Fridays. Looking at the calendar she saw it was Wednesday. Two more days, then I can see him again she reasoned with herself. With a grunt she got out of bed and dragged herself to her bathroom to take her morning shower. Turning on her laptop, she put together a quick breakfast. With a bowl of cereal in her lap and her laptop in front of her on the coffee table, she checked her e-mail. She was surprised to see she had a new comment on her BB story. Knowing just how close to home it was she always dreaded reading comments the people made on that particular one. Clicking the short link she went straight to the comment. It was a short one. She couldn't really make much of it, just that the person, "Atlas", seemed very touched by it. Normally she'd reply to all comments, but this time she decided to wait a little, wanting to see if he or she would read the rest and if he would keep feeling the same about her "story". Doing a quick check on his profile she saw he only registered today and only had one favorite, her. She frowned, it felt a bit odd. Going over Atlas' comment once more she told herself there was nothing creepy in there and that the reader probably just did a random search and made an account so as not to comment anonymously. Bron actually preferred those with an account, it was easier to send them a thank you-note. Over time she even made a few friends, thought all correspondence was done under their forum name. It gave her a feeling of being wanted, but at the same time she was never pushed to tell more than she was willing to tell. Once BB had posted, her email box was working overtime. At first she took the time to reply to each single mail, but once the majority turned out to be people wanting to know more about the rest of the girl, she started using a pre made message, stating there would never be a sequel to that story and it was of no use to keep asking for it. As time went by those requests lessened and eventually stopped. Every now and then did she get a new comment, but it was rare these days. That's why seeing the new comment today surprised her a bit. Deciding it was a fluke she went back to the other new comments on her other stories. When she started submitting, so many years ago, she barely got a comment and now, today, she spent a fair amount of time just replying to all the e-mails. On top of that she does some editing for quite a few people and some proofreading for others. It's what she loved doing and for that she didn't have to leave her home. Everything was sent to her via email. She counted her blessings that when she moved back here she found a job as part time editor for a small firm. They usually catered to unknown talent who liked to self-publish their work but still want the professional back up. Admittedly, there were some gems out there, some, in her opinion, better than those big mainstream writers that have the big publishers pushing them for a next book and promotions all over the country. Her daily emails done, she pushed aside her laptop and turned on the TV. Zapping through the channels nothing major was going on, so she switched to her favorite news channel to get up to date on what was happening in the world. Sighing, she quickly zapped away. Again all they were reporting about was a war here, a war there, some attack here and a bomb over there. Sometimes she wondered why people couldn't just get along, that color or belief didn't matter much at the end of the day when you had to bury your child, spouse or friend. Flicking off the television, she went back to her laptop and checked her to do list. Oddly enough there wasn't much to do. She had a few pieces to read and one or two she had to edit. It was enough to fill her morning with some reading and her afternoon with some editing. Checking her work account she found it empty. That happened more or less. The firm worked with a few people. There were times she was swamped with work and other times she could focus fully on her own writing and private edits. Setting aside her laptop, she wanted to do some little chores around the flat before diving into her little gem pool, as she lovingly called the stories she proofread for others. Putting things back where they belonged, which was never much; she made quick work of grabbing a few dry biscuits and a big glass of milk before dropping herself in her big two person couch. Balancing her laptop on her knees, she dragged the coffee table closer so she'd have her biscuits within reach. She just loved to nibble on things as she read. She did it without even knowing. Always being surprised her little bowl was empty after grabbing in it a few times and finding nothing left. Going through her emails, she picked the oldest one that was marked "to be read" and opened the attached file and started reading. Hoping that working on something would ease her mind and make her focus on something else. She made it through the days, but images of her past and recent attack popped up whenever she least expected. Reading and editing helped her escape reality and divulge herself in made up worlds. * * * * * * * * Halos and Thorns. By McJazzerson. Rafal glared at the woman before him, feeling some decidedly non-angelic thoughts. He detested it when his rotation fell at the same time as hers. Give him any other demon to have to spar with and he was fine but no, he always ended up with Super Bitch! It was enough to test his faith in the Almighty, which invariably left him setting himself a personal penance for at least a century after his rotation ended. It had been eons since he'd had to put up with her so he knew he should be thankful of that at least. It still didn't stop him wanting to gnash his teeth in utter frustration as his eyes roamed over her slinky body draped in a red silk dress. She was badness and temptation in one seductive package. She knew what she was doing too. The way she sprawled herself sensually on the table before him, one strap of her dress falling lazily from her shoulder as she fanned her straight black tresses away from her neck. It was all artificially designed to tempt him. The twinkle in her jade green eyes sparkled as she silently laughed at him. A trap designed to capture a fallen angel. "What is it the humans say? If the wind changes your face will stick that way? You won't be such a pretty little thing to look at if the wind changes right now, Rafal." Even her voice was as sexy as sin; low, husky, like a whispered caress over his skin. She was laughing at him and it was only serving to increase his irritation. He took a deep breath and imagined the soft tinkling waterfall close to his home, the breeze rustling the leaves in the large oak tree outside his library window. Instantly he felt a sense of serenity wash over him and his expression cleared. "Bugger!" Nadiela cursed sitting up abruptly. Her full red lips formed a petulant pout as she examined the angel before her. She'd almost had him for a moment. Just a few seconds more and he would have been unable to resist her lure and she would have won their game. Now she would have to wait forever to catch him so weakened again. He was her favorite angel, she had to admit that. His long silky mane gave the appearance of liquid gold flowing around his sharp angular features. His eyes and wings mirrored his hair. Little flecks of chocolate brown danced in the gold of his eyes when he was annoyed. She loved seeing that, knowing she was getting to him. He was tall and leanly muscled, his body hard and unyielding. She ached to press herself against him, to rub herself all over him until he snapped and took her in a violent surge of passion. The demon blew out a long breath and smiled impishly. There was no point kidding herself, she wanted to do that to most men, angels or not. Still it would be a coup to seduce Rafal, just because he called her Super Bitch if nothing else. As if the stupid angel didn't know she was aware of what he'd labeled her. She was a first grade demon after all. Demons didn't come any higher than her. Apart from the Master that was. "I'm bored," she sighed huskily. "You're no fun to play with, Rafal. Jerome was much more easy prey. He kissed me." She smirked as she remembered the pretty angel with his vivid blue wings and matching hair. He had been so easy to tempt, it almost hadn't been fun doing so. But just knowing she had gotten the upper hand over the angel had been enough for her. "He has to do a thousand years of penance for that kiss," Rafal said serenely. "Frankly I was amazed you lowered yourself, Nadiela. It's not like you to be so easy." His face remained as serene as his voice despite that fact he was laughing inside at the flash of outrage in her eyes. Score another one for him. Maybe if he was able to best the demon then Jerome would get a reprieve from his penance. "Now that's not very gentlemanly of you to call me easy, angel boy. You'd better watch out I don't tempt you to the dark side. You'd make a lovely demon." She purred the words out, leaning back on her arms and thrusting her pert breasts in his direction. "You'd have to start on the bottom rung of the ladder I grant you and that would mean you'd be too low down for me to play with. But just knowing there was one less angel in Heaven would be worth losing the opportunity of seeing your pretty face again." It took everything he had not to roll his eyes in resignation. The demon really had to be bored if she was being so blatantly obvious with her seduction techniques. If she'd acted like this in front of Jerome even he would have had the stamina to withstand her many charms. "Try it on someone else, Nadiela. You're starting to make me feel bored too." An irritated snort sounded and then she sighed dramatically. "Oh, very well. Let's get on with the task." She grabbed the pitcher of water on the table and tipped it into the gold charger beside it until a very fine layer covered the bottom. "Male or female?" It was his turn to snort. "Male. Obviously." He waved his hand gracefully as the water shimmered and then pointed when it centered on an average looking man in his mid-twenties. "Him." "He is so...ordinary," Nadiela's forehead wrinkled with disgust as she all but spat the last word out as if it was tainted. For such a supremely beautiful people, angels picked the ugliest humans to associate themselves with. Just looking at the man was enough to make her shudder. It was her turn and she arched her hand gracefully across the water, finding an exceptionally attractive young woman of similar age to the man. "Her." Neither of them commented on the fact the man's coloring closely resembled Rafal's. Or that the woman actually resembled Nadiela in more than just coloring. "Until the stroke of midnight on Valentine's Night," they said together. Their hands touched in agreement, his sending a wave of serenity through the demon's body, hers sending a pulse of red hot lust through his. The gold of Rafal's eyes turned chocolate brown as sparks of silver danced in the jade of Nadiela's. For a second their hands fused as they fought to overcome the others defenses, and then they released their touch, both sighing inwardly that they'd escaped each other relatively unscathed. It was down to the humans now. That was where the game would be played out. * * * * * * * * Bron smiled as she closed the file. This was a good start to a nice story and she'd be sure to let Jazz know that. She liked how it almost seemed that the demon would get her way, but then Rafal reverted back to his home and snapped out of it. Sworn enemies, their interaction was nice and fun to read. Tamping down her reaction, she made sure to let the writer know she'd be thrilled to read the next one and added more of her comments before sending it off. Looking at the clock she saw it was nearing noon. Lunch break she thought as she went back to her kitchen to raid her cupboards and fridge. Putting a lot of things on the counter she put together a very thick sandwich. Chuckling, she wondered how she was going to fit it in her mouth. Sitting down at the table, she slowly devoured the whole sandwich. Not a crumb was left on her plate as she placed it in her dishwasher. The rest of her afternoon she spent doing some edits on several pieces. Switching from one to the other, knowing if she focused on one she'd get caught up in the story. In the end that cost her more time to get them done. For her it worked perfectly to work through a page of one story and then switching to another. This way she worked through several stories at the same time. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 02 For dinner she called the Chinese down the road. Normally they don't deliver at home, but since it was so nearby, they always made an exception for her. After cleaning up the dishes and paper cups she tidied up the kitchen and turned on the dishwasher. The rest of the evening was spent with her second passion next to writing, old movies. She simply adored those old Humphrey Bogart movies, the classic "Casablanca" being her all-time favorite. She saw it at least once a month and it never got old watching it time after time. In this particular one, it was the conflict that she found to be a driving force. But Bron liked all kinds of old movies, even "My Fair Lady", with the late Audrey Hepburn. She loved the actress in "Tiffany's". Watching all the glorious movies, from times long gone, helped her forget reality. It helped her relax and let her escape. There were times she even danced along, pretending to be the lead actress as she twirled around her living room, humming along to the music of the movie. Tonight she wanted a movie to lift her spirits and make her laugh. Going through her vast collection of DVD's she picked the one she had in mind and turned it on. With a smile on her face she got sucked into the move once more, and then her favorite song came along. Knowing her neighbors weren't home at the moment she began to sing along until she was out of breath. Time after time she sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and danced around her couch. She laughed, if people would see her now they would deem her insane and mad as a hatter. Without a care in the world she danced to the cheerful tunes of one of the most famous Mary Poppins' songs. Smiling she remembered all her failed attempts on getting the word correct. It had her tongue in a twist so many times she lost count. Once she knew it, it rolled out without effort, time after time, faster and faster. Out of breath she fell back on the couch as she focused back onto the movie, a wide smile on her face. As the movie came to its end, she quickly tidied up and got ready for bed. Holding back a sigh, she prepared for another night of tossing and turning until Mister Sandman got the better of her once more. + + + + After another day of battling every little pot and pan in his kitchen, Adam stomped back upstairs. He cursed himself knowing how short and snappy he had been to his personnel. If things weren't going to change pretty quick he was sure he'd be looking for new employees soon enough. He knew what lay at the base of his behavior and he really had hoped that learning all these new things about Bronwille would help ease his wolf. Sadly it didn't. His wolf was still as antsy as ever, even more so now that they had read part of what happened to her. To some extent, he dreaded reading the rest, but he knew he had to, he needed to know. Turning on the slowpoke of a computer, he went into his bathroom. Stripping off his clothes, he was naked by the time he reached his bathroom, turned on the water and didn't even wait for the water to get warm. Stepping under the cold stream he stood there hoping the icy touches would have a soothing effect on his hot skin. Biting his lips, he fought against the shivers until the water turned warmer. It all didn't have any effect on him. He slapped the wall in front of him out of frustration. Reaching out for his soap he quickly lathered himself up, washing away the grime of the day. He felt his muscles tense and relax as he rinsed the soapy bubbles off his broad shoulders. Watching below him, he followed the bubbles as they disappeared into the drain. He really had to get himself together if he wanted to make this work. Countless discussions with his wolf only left him more and more agitated because his wolf wanted revenge for what had been done to their mate. Adam had hoped last night he had gotten through to his wolf, but the continuous pacing he felt inside his mind during the day proved otherwise. Turning the taps he waited until the water turned searing hot, maybe that could ease some of the tension that build up in his muscles. With a growl he turned them off when it proved useless. Stepping out the shower he pulled a clean towel out of the closet and dried himself quickly, then wrapped the towel around his waist. Checking the computer, he was glad to see it finally booted up. Clicking on a few menus made him go to Bronwille's profile and he already selected her second chapter to "Broken Bones". * * * * * * * * Broken Bones Chapter Two By RedB "You fucked up, Rubin. She's not waking up and Chief wants to begin. You know what this means asshole. If you don't do this, you're not in." Amelia's head hurt as she came around but didn't recognize the voice that was speaking. She couldn't quite open her eyes yet, but she knew she was out of the van by the fact she was laying on some sort of bed with her legs restrained spread eagle. "I know, but fuck she pissed me off." Amelia didn't move or alert them that she was barely awake. Someone was moving between her legs now, but she remained still. "Fuck. Why does she wax herself if she won't let anyone down there?" Rubin commented at her neatly waxed pussy leaving a little stripe of hair. Obviously he was close by, but she didn't move. "Look at that cunt. Damn I know how to choose them. I bet she's as tight as tight can be. Damn." The other man laughed and clanked a bottle or something before taking a drink, "Once you're done, I want a go. With a clit like that; I bet she cums quick." "You can have sloppy seconds all you want. First things first," his husky voice growled as he watched the woman between Amelia's legs finish waxing her smooth and removing every trace of hair from her lips "You done honey?" "Rubin, you're a prick. Do you want it smooth or shall I leave some stubble for you to get a road rash?" a woman shot back. Just then there was a burning pain as the woman ripped the wax peel off, taking away another swatch of hair. "Fuck that looks like it hurts," the other man winged. "Keep bothering me and I'll show you, asshole," the woman commented as she applied another section of hot wax. "Easy sweetheart, I'll be good," he teased and backed farther into the room. Amelia gritted her teeth preparing for the next removal and ended up passing out again when the woman decided to remove a larger section than before. Rubin watched as Kathy removed the rest of the hair. It took three more applications of wax, but it was now done and she smoothed the skin with a solution similar to after shave. "There. Wanna try it out? I love freshly waxed skin. It always feels incredible to me. Hell, I'm even tempted to take a lick just to feel it." She was removing her gloves and putting her tools away on the tray where the hot wax was heating. Rubin felt his cock jump at the offer and shoved her out of the way. "Fuck yeah." He claimed the medical chair and wheeled closer to Amelia's spread legs and looked up at her slack face to see if she'd come round yet. She was out cold. He fucked up by smashing her head, but damn if she didn't piss him off. Maybe he could rouse her now with a little soft licking. Only one way to find out. Taking a deep breath, breathing in her scent, Rubin released a low growl before licking her from rosebud to clit and back, dipping his tongue within the smooth lips of her cunt. "Damn," he mumbled and licked her again, this time stopping at her clit where he suckled her body roughly. Amelia felt liquid fire between her legs and moaned. Confused she rolled her head from side to side; enjoying whatever was happening to her body but had no comprehension of what was causing it. A warm tingling sensation began to build within her and she felt as if she were going to explode. The pressure stopped suddenly. "Fuck if he's not right, that bastard. She's a hot little bitch ready to explode," Rubin mumbled before he latched back to her clit and sucked hard, using his teeth to send her body into a state of over stimulation and then over the brink of an orgasm. Amelia cried out arching her back as her body exploded while his tongue tirelessly flicked her body until she came again hard on the heels of her first release. "Hot damn," he breathed against her freshly waxed lips, giving her a gentle kiss before leaning back. "That is going to be awesome to hit once I get moving." Amelia was partially coherent how and looked groggily between her legs and found Rubin grinning like a fool as he evaluated her body. His mouth was slick with both her release and his spit, but he didn't do a single thing to wipe it away. As she watched with growing apprehension, Rubin looked up at someone, asking a question that sent a cold finger of fear to develop in the base of her gut. "Can I insert the plug?" A trampy looking blonde approached, shrugging, "I don't care. Here," she handed him a device that looked like a rubber arrowhead with a base. "Make sure it's in there or you'll not have fun later. This one will stretch her out enough for that cock of yours to fit without ripping her wide open." "Excellent," he grinned. "So, when this is all over, do I get to fuck you too?" he teased. "Dude, if you get in, you can have me anytime you wish. I've seen that cock of yours." "I know how to use it too," he cooed but his attention was back on Amelia suddenly. "But, first things first, I need to finish what I started and get Chief's blessing." "Go to it big boy. I'm not going anywhere." Rubin grunted in response and pushed that thing inside Amelia's sensitive pussy, coating it with a good layer of her juices. It felt good in her body and that was when she realized something was wrong. She shouldn't be enjoying this! The woman laughed, "Looks like your toy is awake and is rolling now. I gave her a little extra of the drug to make sure you have a good ride, Rubin. I like you and want you around longer." He looked up and found Amelia watching him closely. "Ah, you're right. Welcome back Amelia, darling. I think you're going to like what I'm about to do, so take a deep breath, chickie." Her forehead burrowed in confusion before he took the plug and pressed it against her rose bud and pushed. Amelia screamed and tried to move away but her legs had been tied to the table preventing her from moving. Whatever he was doing burned something fierce as the thing pushed farther and farther into her body. "Stop! It hurts!" Amelia mumbled but he only pushed harder, not giving her quarter. "Not yet. gotta get this in there before I can take you out to the gang. Everyone's waiting." He shoved harder and the plug made it past her gripping sphincter and was practically sucked in her rectum and rested against her skin snug as snug can be. "Owe! Take it out!" she cried and thrashed her head as the burning consumed her. "Not a chance, chickie. Pretty soon, that's going to be my dick, so I suggest you get used to it." She moaned loudly as the pain continued to burn, but whatever they'd given her kicked in and her world began to spin and swirl. "She's fully rolling now, dude. Better get on with it," the woman stated. "It's a pity you messed her face up so soon, though. It would have been something to see your cum dripping off her pristine cheek. Somehow, her swollen eye is ruining the effect." "I know. I lost my temper. Damn bitch cat scratched my face." A throaty laugh followed, "Adds character. Now go." Amelia felt the ties on her legs release and immediately collapsed onto the table now that her legs were no longer tied into position. But she didn't get to rest long before Rubin picked her up and practically tossed her over his shoulder. "Careful of that plug you asshole!" the woman called after him. "Why? I can just shove it back in," he snickered and blew through the swinging doors of the barn they were in and strutted towards the table in the middle of the room. All around men and women lounged around, doing drugs or drinking while they waited. He scanned the room once and smirked as he counted ten naked women already getting the shit pounded out of them. "Fuck, I love this place." Amelia mumbled as her body flopped uselessly against his back and then grunted when he nearly tossed her to the table so she laid chest down, legs dangling over the side. "This is the one?" a new strong male voice said as he approached. Rubin was just checking the plug and had to push it back in before he turned around. "Yeah, this is her." "Took you long enough. She must be some cold bitch to hold out this long." "Well, yeah, but damn is it going to be fun to crack this nut hard. She's been teasing me for months with this tight ass of hers," Rubin said as he smacked her cheek hard causing her to whimper. "You know it's not just the sex right? You have to do what I say and do everything to my satisfaction." this new man asked. "Yeah, yeah. I know." Amelia cringed thinking what else could they possibly do to her other than kill her and right now, she wished they would do it quickly. "Start with a good pipe cleaning and I'll be watching, so do it right, Rubin. After all this, it'd be a shame to deny you now." "Fuck off and go sit down," Rubin growled pulling down his pants while he walked to the front of the table where Amelia's head dangled over the small table. He gripped a fist full of brown hair and yanked her head up roughly. "I need to be cleaned before I stick my dick anywhere. Open up, chickie." While he talked, he'd been stroking his thickening dick so it was rock hard and placed it against her lips but she turned away. Rubin yanked her head back and snapped her neck earning a whimper. "No biting." And then he thrust his cock into her mouth as far as he could before she struggled against the invasion, gagging as he thrust again this time down her throat. He laughed as she violently gagged as his thick cock fucked the shit out of her mouth. In and out, in and out he pumped her face closing his eyes to ignore her tears as his own euphoria climbed. All he could think about was how fucking good her mouth felt and sensed his balls begin to tingle as he pumped faster and harder into her clenching throat. "Fuck that feels good," he growled and thrust again this time holding it deep in her throat as his hips jerked once, twice and then he hollered as he released wave after wave of hot cum down her throat. Amelia gagged as the salty fluid filled her mouth and felt it slide down her throat in large globs. When he finally pulled out, he shot one last load against her gasping mouth and laughed when it slid down her half open lips to drip onto the table. She spat out whatever was remaining in her mouth in addition to the excess saliva from the ordeal. He let her head drop to the table and walked behind her again, slapping her ass hard. "That was nice, but it's time to begin the games, chickie." Leaving his fly open and his pants hanging around his hips, he turned to meet the smirking face of the man Chief, the one he needed to impress. At his nod, Rubin puffed up. "The chase," Chief called out. Rubin smacked her ass again in anticipation. "You see, I'm a fair guy Amelia, so I'll give you a chance to get away between each round. If you can make it to the door before I get you, you can go free. But if not, well I get to fuck you however I see fit." Rubin tapped the plug in her ass to make sure it was secured and then stepped back. "You first chance begins now." Amelia spat the remaining cum from her mouth before she struggled to roll over and look around the surreal room for the first time. They were in a barn that obviously had been abandoned with the only remaining items left behind were rotting bales of hay. Draped over different mounds, were blankets and naked bodies, some in positions that would have made her blush if she weren't in a situation that meant her life or death. "Run sugar." Rubin's voice taunted her out of her evaluation and launched her into a staggering run/crawl towards the door but it was useless. Whatever they'd given her, rendered her legs rubber and her mind mush. Her vision swam with swirls of color from the candles and lanterns that had been set around the barn. "Oh yeah! Keep crawling bitch 'cause that's hot!" Rubin taunted from a few feet behind her. People on all sides cheered and cat called as she pathetically crawled towards the door but knew she wasn't going to make it. Rubin stalked behind and around her laughing at her weak attempt at an escape. When she got near the outer ring of spectators, the sole of his thick biker boot slammed into her back pinning her to squirm on the dirt floor while he stood over her. "Gotcha." "No!" Amelia screamed and tried to get away, and he let her for a few feet before his kick had her rolling into a ball clutching her ribs that she knew were broken. Bits of hay entered her mouth as she lay there gasping for breath as he stalked towards her. When she looked up, the only thing she saw was his engorged dick as it stood out of his pants, ready for another go at her. * * * * * * * * Adam howled. His wolf was in agony. Standing up he paced his living room. His anger was radiating around him. He wanted to smash something, reading what they had done to her tore him up inside. Sadly, the coffee table was in his path and with as much force he could muster, he kicked it away. Magazines flew through the living room, the glass top shattered as his boot connected with it. With a mournful howl he sagged down onto his knees, not caring that the glass was cutting him. He couldn't understand how a human being could be this cruel, using another as a toy or pet. It reminded him of his time in 'Nam. There weren't really females at the fore front back then, but they mostly filled a medical position. They were told always to stay in the camps, never venture out alone. More than once it happened that one of the females disappeared and was found several days later. Clothes ripped and cuts and bruises all over their bodies. When asked what happened they weren't able to form one coherent sentence. Even back then, Adam was struggling with that part of the war. The human females, strong as some are, they were still weak compared to a female were. On those occasions he tried to get closer to them, sniff them, track down those who assaulted and raped the women. He made damn sure they couldn't repeat the same thing with other people. Sometimes when he found the groups, they were abusing a next victim already. It was hard for him then. He had to get that person out first before being able to shift and deal with those men. Luckily most of the time, the woman was passed out or blindfolded. Closing his eyes, he tried his best to shut out those images. Nobody should be privy to such behavior and attacks. Concentrating on his breathing, he did his best to calm down and reign in his wolf. That's when he noticed the blood pooling around his knees and the glassy mess around him. Not caring about his nudity, he pulled the towel from around his waist and dabbed his knees with it. Using his agility, he made a big jump, avoiding the rest of the shattered glass and went to the bathroom. He rinsed of the blood and removed the tiny pieces of glass imbedded in his skin. Once he was satisfied there weren't any pieces left behind, he disinfected the larger wounds and then just sat there for a few minutes. Letting his wolf do most of the work, he could practically see the wounds closing up neatly, and having disinfected them made them not leave any scarring behind. Most werewolves didn't care about a scar or two, damn he had plenty himself. But he had found out by accident that if you made sure the wound was clean, it healed up faster and the scarring was kept to a minimum. Satisfied the wounds were healed enough; he got up and pulled another pair of jeans from his closet. He even remembered to put on some running shoes before going back to his messy living room. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 02 Taking in the damage, he scolded himself for losing his temper, no matter how valid the reasons were. He had to learn to control this better, especially when he was close to Bronwille. With a sigh, followed by a grunt, he pulled a broom from the pantry and started cleaning up the mess he made. Seems I can add a new coffee table to my shopping list, he thought once he was done putting everything back in order. Going back to his computer, he took a deep breath. Deep down, he didn't want to continue reading; sure he would lose his temper again. He also knew he had to sit this out. He had to know what happened to her. At the back of his mind he was already storing details of her attack, names and places. He just knew he couldn't let those men get away with this. Adam's eyes fixed themselves on the screen again as he continued reading. One paragraph and he was already cringing again at what she went through. * * * * * * * * "My turn again. You lose this round." Rubin took hold of her hair and dragged her back to the table where he tossed her back up, this time on her back. "I want you to watch as I fuck that tight cunt of yours. God knows only plastic has been up there for years, so let's reacquaint it the feeling of a hot dick, shall we?" Lights swirled again, and a fog clouded her mind. All she could make out were shapes moving around them as he forced her legs open and waited for his next order. "Spank it, Rubin. But..." he paused, "Casey here needs a cleaning, so she can suck while you screw." With that Rubin laughed and pushed her backwards so her head dangled upside down from the table. "I can share," and he wasted no time and rammed hard into her tight hole and let out an animalistic roar at how fucking tight she was. Hell, she'd probably never really been fucked before this and so he felt a chauvinistic pride that he was showing her what it felt like to be properly fucked for the first time. Casey approached with his dick out and didn't hesitate inserting it in her gasping mouth and started humping hard as Rubin humped the other end. It was a rhythmic motion that they created, one pushing while the other pulled back. Together they used her roughly and ignored her tears and horrific gagging sounds as Casey pushed deeper and deeper into her throat. Rubin had finally gotten his entire shaft embedded in her tight pussy and thanked the two orgasms from earlier for she was slick and slimy. He frigged her clit a few times slapping it and the tweaking it until she couldn't ignore the urges of her body. He kept it up and watched as Amelia cried out a tortured sound with a cock stuffed down her throat as her body shattered around his shaft that was slapping against her freshly waxed skin. The sensation of her scream sent Casey over the edge and he pulled out in time to shower her with his release. Pumping the last few drops from his cock he laughed as the goo splattered and dripped down her chin and onto her collar bone where it pooled while Rubin continued to pump her hard. Amelia was still flying from her orgasm and felt the second one approaching fast. He'd started to smack the plug that was in her ass between thrusts and the sensation of being stuffed with his dick and the thing up there was enough to have her cascading into another wild climax. "That's it sugar. Scream," Rubin growled and picked up his tempo until their skin was slapping loudly and her pussy was making slurping sounds as he slipped in and out of her at a mind numbing pace. When she fell apart for a third time, Rubin grunted as he came for the second time into her lovely virginal hole. He pumped and pumped until he knew he couldn't take it any longer and then pulled out. "Hell, you are fucking amazing," he panted and staggered backwards to catch his breath. A woman approached with a beer which is gulped down in three long swallows and smashed the bottle against the wall. Chief plucked a woman off his own cock and whistled, "Chase her again," and then shoved back into the woman's mouth while he watched. The man literally lounged there, watching the play out while he had woman after woman suck his dick. When Rubin nodded after receiving the order, all he could think about was he wanted to be Chief. He wanted this kind of control. Rubin wiped his mouth using the back his hand and turned back to Amelia, "You heard the man. Run." Sore and tired, scared mostly, Amelia rolled from the table and cried out when her broken ribs protested the motion. But she inched her way towards the door. Rubin was being more cruel than before and let her get just about to the threshold before he grabbed a hold of her legs and dragged her through the dirt back towards the center and then released her to watch as she crawled hysterically towards the doorway once more. The room exploded with noise and at least fifty gang members screamed out encouragement, some placing bets if she'd make it as far again before Rubin dragged her back to do it all over again. Four times he did this until he delivered another numbing kick that literally stole the very breath from her lungs before she collapsed back into the straw praying for death. Why wouldn't he just let her die? Why? Rubin was not done with her, that's was why. He lifted her limp body and carried her back to the table where he laid her on her back and leaned over her, smiling. "Gotcha." "Wait," Chief called. "I want to see a little screaming this time. Arouse her first and then toy with her a bit." He was lounging in the pile of blankets after his own orgasm and just sat there with his dick limp against his leg. He was in no hurry to rush this event, so he looked on as Rubin finished his initiation. "You want screaming?" Rubin said looking back to a terrified Amelia, "I can do that. I need a water bottle first." One flew across the room where he caught it in his large fist and the open the lid, taking a sip before he rammed in up inside her pussy, lifting her ass so the contents emptied inside her. Then he let the fluid drain out, cleaning her cunt of his release, using his own recently discarded shirt to wipe her pussy down for his next attack. Without hesitation, he dove in and devoured her again, this time using more force, nipping her lips and clit to the point she was crying out in pain until the pleasure of the moment claimed her. He kept her on the brink of pain and pleasure for quite some time until she was practically begging for him to finish. He finally smacked the plug and sucked hard, sending her into a violent shaking climax due to the sexual torment he'd kept her hovering in for what felt like an hour. Satisfied, he staggered back, pushing his sweaty hair off his forehead. "Was that enough or you want another?" he asked Chief who was getting another blow job while he watched. "Another, but first give her a little pain. I enjoy both types of screams." "You got it." For the next half hour, Rubin tortured Amelia until she was a babbling wreck, begging for him to just end her life. But he only laughed and kept her on the edge of consciousness but wouldn't let her drop over into oblivion. He'd beaten nearly every inch of her flawless body until she was covered in welts, bruises and had uncountable scratches from the whip he'd constructed from an hold horse brush he'd found earlier. "The other kind, now Rubin," purred Chief as he lounged watching. This was an excellent show indeed. This kid was proving to be ingenious with his tools and couldn't wait to see what he'd do next. So Rubin dutifully dined on Amelia again, this time achieving a new level of sexual torment for he could almost feel her body tensing for the release but when he ceased his attentions and she whimpered for him to finish, he only laughed. Again and again he did this to her, tormenting her body to the point it didn't know whether the orgasm would be painful or pleasurable. She screamed a sound of absolute violence when he finally allowed her shatter, and the motion of her arching back jarred the three broken ribs from his earlier endeavor. Not to mention she was near blinded from his tortures from before so she could barely see anything as her eyes swelled shut. "Do you think she could play chase one more time? It is so amusing to see her scamper and crawl in the dirt, not to mention I lost the last bet and want a chance to break even," Chief called out. "What say you, Amelia? How much do you want to live?" She didn't need another prompt and rolled off the table but couldn't move farther than a few feet before he broke another rib that sounded loudly when it cracked. "You suck at this game, chickie." This time, when he flopped her back onto the table, he made sure she was face down with her ass and legs dangling over the side. "Dude," he called out to a guy standing at her head, "Do me a favor and hold her arms. She's dead weight right now." "Excellent," the stoned man said and stepped forward to stretch out her arms so she was pulled tight. Rubin's grin was truly wicked as he pulled the plug from her ass and tossed it aside. Someone knew what was coming and placed a bottle of oil on the table which he greedily snagged and dripped a generous amount down the valley of her butt cheeks and then coated his dick. "Fuck this is going to feel good," he murmured before he pressed his throbbing tip to her relaxed opening and pushed in, feeling the sucking pop as his cap crested the muscle. "Fuck," he groaned and pushed another inch inside. Amelia screamed like nothing before and prayed to whatever god was listening to just end her life now. But no salvation came. Instead, Rubin slide another inch of his thick cock inside her ass, whispering rude comments as he did so. When he was about half way in, he paused and slapped her cheek hard. He repeated this a few times until her skin tingled, "Ready for the ride sugar?" Amelia was breathless and on the verge of passing out. She didn't have the energy to reply so instead closed her eyes as Rubin slammed all the way in bottoming out against her enflamed skin. He pulled out and thrust back in hard, cackling when she grunted. After a few minutes of fucking her hard, he reached below and flicked at her clit. He orchestrated his masturbation with his pumping motion so she was mindless in pleasure before long. But he wouldn't let her crash over the edge. No, he was being wicked again and brought her to the brink and then stopped, letting her mew her frustration that she wanted to cum. Ten times he did this until she was crying both from pain of his invasion, her broken bones and spirit and equally from her pleasure. He was using both to shatter what was left of her mind. And then he let her fly only to fall hard into her release that nearly choked the living life out of her as she crashed back to the land of living. But she wouldn't know what that was like because her body gave out at that moment and she passed out cold on the table. * * * * * * * * His wolf howled and wanted out. He couldn't bear knowing the abuse his mate had to endure. Trying to gather his last bit of sanity before his fury took over he once more called Chris letting him know he'd be running in their forest. Not bothering putting on a shirt, he grabbed his black biker jacket from the door hook and ran downstairs, taking three, four steps at a time. Uncaring about any speed limitations he rode his Moto Guzzi with a vengeance. Barely in time, he stripped before his wolf took over. To be continued... Don't forget to vote and comment. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 03 The usual applies. Many thanks to Evilsnoman and Nulli for the proofing eye, Mikothebaby, for her super-duper edit skills and The Guild for their continuous support. In this chapter also the concluding part to "Broken Bones", nothing "bad" happening so no disclaimer needed for it this time. Cedar you rocked with this short tale, no words can describe how grateful I am for providing something so dark and utterly gut-wrenching, but also so very fitting to this story and her past. A second thanks goes to Evilsnoman for crafting such an emotional poem, only praise about that one sweetie! Enough with the thank-you's now and I'll let you get on with reading this, so far still, weekly update! Mokkelke Chapter Three : Soul Searching and Planning. Adam was running at full speed, low branches hitting his sides, his snout. He didn't care, he just needed to get rid of this anger. This helplessness he felt after reading each paragraph of Bron's story. He had seen a lot of things in his lifetime, but he couldn't understand that a human being could do this to another and gloat about it. He growled at his phantom enemy, wanting revenge, wanting to get even. At the same time, a lot of his own phantoms came back to the surface. Things Adam hoped he would have learned to put behind him. Sadly that was not the case. Reading her story had opened up his Pandora's Box of feelings he would have rather kept buried, preferably even forgotten. Faces flashed before his eyes, men he lost, most due to the enemy, and one that he was to blame for. Sitting at the lake he howled his grief and pain for those he lost, he howled for those he couldn't help. Slowly he was changing back into the person he used to be. His wolf stopped him, for once being the saner one. We need our mate, then all will be well, his wolf kept telling him over and over again until he started to calm down. Shifting to human form he sat down and stared into the distance, taking in his surroundings. He counted himself very lucky knowing the Whelan brothers and he sure appreciated them allowing him to run on their lands. Not many packs would allow that. Two out of the three are mated now; one already had a little one on the way. Thinking about them had momentarily shifted his attention away from his anger. Bron sprung forward in his mind. Closing his eyes he took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to stay calm. He counted to ten, once, twice. Only after the fifth time, did he trust himself enough to bring forth what he had read in her second chapter. The pain, the abuse, the humiliation ... it was hard for him to give this a place but he had to, for Bron's sake as well as his own. Little by little he went over her story and picked out details he was sure would be of use. No matter what she had to tell in her third and last chapter, no way that he was going to let things be as they were or had been. No way was he going to be able to let that scum get away with what they did to his Bron. He had to admire her for her strength, it was no easy feat working through the ordeal she was forced through and doing it on her own. Maybe she didn't realize it but she was strong, stronger then she gave herself credit for. Thinking back to what Mia had told him, strengthened his beliefs. Finally getting a grip on his emotions he knew he had to read the rest. He needed to know what happened. Shifting back to wolf, he then let out one long howl, calling out for his mate; letting her now he was here. He quickly turned and raced back to his bike, glad to find his clothes still next to it. Haphazardly he put them on and made a quick bike ride home. When he entered his flat, he smiled when he saw his computer was still turned on. Adam sat down, opened her story page and sat there. His wolf was still pacing, he hadn't settled down completely. He contemplated waiting to read this last part, but he knew that would only be stalling the inevitable. Better to get this over with so he knew everything. Not really everything, but what she wanted to share. As he opened the third chapter, he noticed it wasn't as long as the other two. He felt a bit relieved. Adam was sure if he was forced to read another chapter like the other two, he would completely loose it. After reading the first paragraph he let out his breath he didn't knew he was holding back. Focused he read the ending of "Broken Bones". * * * * * * * * Broken Bones Chapter Three By RedB Amelia woke to a very bright light and a pounding headache. For a moment she feared this was another torture device that Rubin had thought up until a soft, warm hand touched her face. "Shhh, you're safe now sweetie. It's all right. You're safe." Amelia couldn't open her eyes, and when her shaking hand raised up to explore why, she felt that both of them were swollen shut and so was her trembling lip that her fingers traced on its way back to the bed. "Wh-appened to ee," she mumbled through her swollen lips. "You don't remember?" the nurse asked. "Wh-am I?" "Mt. Cloud Hospital. Three days ago a van pulled up and dumped you on the door steps of the emergency room. You had no ID and no clothes. Not to mention you were near death from whatever it was they did to you. Thankfully, you'd been drugged so you probably didn't feel much of the pain." Amelia stifled a cry as the memories flooded back through her mind, causing her to want to curl into a ball, but the pain from every inch of her body was enough to keep her motionless. The woman pressed a button and the IV unit by the bed beeped as the morphine drip kicked in. "There you go, darling. That should help. Let me get the police officer whose been waiting for you to wake up. Maybe you can describe the men who did this to you." "Nah, nah nah," she moaned, "No more," she tried to say but the nurse was already gone. Moments later a man arrived in a crisp blue police uniform and as he approached, his eyes said it all. She was a mess and he pitied her. "Miss? I'm Officer Moore. Can you tell me your name?" "Amelia Rice." "Do know what happened to you?" he asked as he assumed a chair near the bed and kept his voice low because he could see her wincing from the sound of his voice. "Yes," she moaned and prayed he'd go away. Being around a man, any man for that matter at the moment was near panic inducing. "Do you know who did this to you?" "Don't 'member" she mumbled. "Miss, we can't help you unless you help us. What is his name?" Amelia looked away and cringed. Luckily, she'd never told Rubin where she lived and always met him in public locations, but she was terrified he'd find her if she talked. So Amelia kept her silence. The cop sighed seeing her hesitation, "Listen, I know this is not the best time to be asking you, so I will leave my card with the nurses. If you change your mind and wish to press charges, you call me, all right?" Amelia kept her eyes trained on the opposite wall and began counting the dots in the wall paper to keep from answering his question. "I'll wait for your call, Miss Rice. No one should get away with this treatment. I'll be there when you're ready to talk." She waited until the door clicked shut before she let her tears fall. She should have told him. She should have screamed Rubin's name so loud it rattled the walls. But she knew that would only bring him back. So she kept her own council and waited while her body healed enough for her to go home. Co-workers from work had finally heard about her situation and flowers started arriving and a few female work friends stopped by see how she was doing. It was shallow really, because they weren't really there for her, only doing what was polite. She didn't talk much and endured their visits, but she did learn one thing -- Rubin had quit. He up and walked out the day after her disappearance and no one had seen him since. That should have given her peace, but all it did was make her watch over her shoulder that he could show up at any time. A week flew by and she finally was released home. There was no one to pick her up and so she ended up calling that cop that left his card with the nurses and he gladly came to give her a ride. "Ready to talk yet Miss Rice?" She dipped her head to hide her eyes, "No, Officer Moore. I'm not." "Just tell me this," he challenged at a stop light. His torso turned partially to her and he smiled, "Was it the 3 Checker Gang?" "3 Checker?" She'd never heard that name before. He studied her for a moment and surveyed her reaction for any false sincerity, finding nothing. "You'd know them if it were them. They party hard, have zero respect for women and enjoy all acts of torture. You'd be the first woman to get away from them alive, and if you are, I'd dearly love to get the fucking bastards. But I'd need your help." The only woman to get out alive. "I'm sorry, I don't remember much," she said meekly and looked away. Officer Moore snorted, "I could protect you, you know. Place you in protective services. Make it so they could never touch you, Miss Rice." "No, you couldn't. I'm sorry. I don't remember anything to help you." He'd finally arrived at her place and helped her inside where he lingered for too long before he got the hint and left her alone. He pinned his card and his personal number to her wall and left with a worried glance. She was curled up on the couch and didn't even acknowledge him when he shut the door behind him. + + + + An insistent tapping lulled her out of her memories. It was urgent and forceful and really, really annoying. When she rolled her head to the side of her bed towards the window, she saw that crow sitting on a branch watching her. It was creepy but the thing really looked like it was trying to help her. When she smiled at it, showing the bird she was all right, it stopped pecking the glass and cawed loudly, watching her with that black beady eye. "I'm back. Thank you." It sounded again and hopped back and forth on the branch. "You're freaking me out, crow. I know I'm broken, but you can't put me back together. You can't." The crow screeched and suddenly flew off the branch and out of sight, "Finally," but the sound of the mail man jolted her for a moment. So that was what scared the bird off. It had been three months since the attack and she just couldn't face work or any people at all, so she had taken a leave of absence and sequestered herself in her own home. She'd fended off worried calls from her childhood friends whom lived far away and drowned in her own misery. Three months and her broken bones had healed, but her broken spirit had not. She was terrified of men and of strangers. After allowing Rubin in, she vowed never again. She'd learned what people were really made of and it was nothing pretty and nice. No, she's learned to distrust and fear their ugliness instead and chose to keep to herself. But a strange black creature made her a friend today and at least the crow couldn't hurt her. Once the mail man left, she checked that all was clear and then she collected her mail. In the box was a typical stack of bills and one crisp white envelope that looked like a thank you card. "Weird," Amelia commented when she looked at the return address, A P.O. Box in the next town over. "Who is sending me card?" When she ripped it open, her heart dropped. The bills she'd been holding dropped unnoticed to the ground as her eyes read and re-read the words scribbled on the thank you card enclosed. Thanks for the ride, chickie. I made it in, so maybe, if you're good, we'll come back for round two! Amelia's hand was shaking so hard that she nearly dropped the card. "Oh God, they know where I live!" Above her head the crow called and she swore it sounded like leave so she ran back inside, and panicked. She spun in circles in her room, living room and kitchen trying to decide what to do. Her eyes kept drifting to picture she had in a fancy frame on her desk of her closet friends -- the ones who were always there for her. The only ones she trusted. They were safe. They would keep her safe. Amelia knew what she had to do. Packing only what she could fit in her car and leaving a note for the rest to be donated for her landlord, Amelia sat in the front seat of her car and took one last look at the home she'd made for herself and cried. The crow was poised on the roof watching, and she waved good-bye and threw the car into reverse, it finally flew away. * * * * * * * * Adam sat silently behind his computer, just staring at the screen, lost for words, drained and overwhelmed by all kinds of emotions at the same time. She never reported them, those vile pitiful excuses of human beings got away with what they did to her. By the look of things they had gotten away with a lot more over time. The sole survivor, no wonder she didn't want to risk her life. At least she came home to be with her friends. Now he knew everything he would make sure she'd be safe. Never again should his mate feel worried, scared, or anything like that. Never again. Then he cursed as he knew he had already failed her. She was attacked again, under his care. Mia's reasoning words still lingered in his mind and deep down he knew Mia was right. Though that didn't mean he had to agree and think everything was just all right. It never should have happened and it would be a long time before he would accept there wasn't much he could have done. Staring at the screen in front of him he tried to think of something to say, to let her know he understood, but he couldn't find the right words. All he wanted to do right now was rip apart those that had hurt her. Not just that "Rubin" person, but that whole gang. Letting out a defeated sight, he closed the browser. He needed a bit more time before he would be able to post a descent reply. Right now it would only be one laced with anger and that is certainly not the emotion he wanted to portray towards Bronwille. Shutting down the computer, he then went to bed. His night was restless as her story plagued his mind. Adam was glad it was morning so he could immerse himself in his daily routines of opening up the tavern and getting the breakfast routine underway. By lunchtime his temper was leaning close toward being permanently annoyed at everything that went wrong. He never was this clumsy. He burned food, dropped pans with baked eggs and bacon. Making a mental note, he knew that this morning about half the meals were given away for free because of all of his fuck ups. Realizing he couldn't keep this up he called in his evening chef and asked him to work a double shift, with extra pay. When the apparently "young" boy, who actually was one of the younglings in his pack, arrived, he patted him on the back, said a well meant "thank you" and disappeared up stairs. After grabbing a beer he sat down on his couch and drained the bottle in one go. He shook his head to get rid of the bad vibe he had since he'd woken up. This can't keep going on like this. I'm going slowly mad like this. How can I get through to her? What do I reply to her story? Leaning back he rested his head on the backside of the couch, closing his eyes. Bronwille, I wish you were here. I'd keep you close and safe. I'd make sure you'd never have to worry again. Never have to look back. Be free to go where you want. He wanted her to have peace of mind, just as he had. All though he had to admit, reading her story had stirred his own demons. His life as a soldier had made it so he'd seen his fair share of misery, pain, and abuse. He had lost close ones in his unit. One face came forward, a face he'd never forget. With a loud thud he put the empty bottle of beer on the coffee table before he started pacing in his living room. Almost half a century had passed since that time and he was convinced he had finally moved on. Reading her story and the emotions it provoked from his wolf and himself just brought everything back. If he was honest with himself, he could understand why she chose to deal with things in this way. Also remembering Mia's words, he stopped pacing and went to his bedroom. Entering, he looked around to where he possibly could have left the notepad from the night before. With some looking he found it half hidden under his bed. Not caring much about the crumpled papers he just kicked them all towards a corner, intent on picking them up later. He kicked off his boots and loosened his shirt before sitting down against the headboard. Adam didn't care that his bed wasn't made up, another sign he wasn't up to par today, because normally he would always sort this out before leaving. Closing his eyes he let his past come to the fore front, letting back in all those conflicting emotions. He was sure that would be the key to make a fitting reply to Bronwille's story. Right now he didn't care if the words made sense; he just wanted to write down his feelings. Adam was sure he could make it better once he had all the fragments in front of him, to help him solve this puzzle of his own soul. Faces and events washed over him, he could feel himself being dragged back through centuries. The silence of the forest, the erupting of gunshots, the whimpering of the wounded, the sudden silence of fallen soldiers. Then there were the open, lifeless staring eyes of Simmons. They still haunted him. 'Cause I knew I was the cause of him being dead. I left cover and gave away our position. Grabbing for the pencil Adam wrote down a few words: Shadows of the past and what could have been Dance in the obscurity of twilight's sin The dam to his past was now open and everything came pouring down on him. Sealed from the ethereal rays of hopes bright light The very essence of life itself, smothered without a fight The darkest night of the darkest day Sun rise breaks but cannot chase the pain away Agonizing cries split the darkened skies As my tears fall like rain from reddened eyes Looking at what he wrote, he couldn't believe those written words in front of him were his. Rereading them he knew they were still rough, but every word touched his soul. The rest of the day he spend cooped up in his bedroom only coming out later that night to make himself dinner, after he got tired of listening to his grumbling stomach demanding food. Shoveling down his food he kept one eye the multiple pieces of paper that lay scattered across the table. Each line he read resembled part of his past. Oddly enough he found many of them to resemble what he wanted to tell Bronwille. Maybe he could turn these words into something that could portray how he felt about what she's been through and at the same time confront his own demons. He liked the sound of that. After clearing the dishes, he locked himself up in his bedroom again, intent on getting these words to work for him. It was long past midnight when he came back to boot up his computer. Adam stretched his arms wide, his muscles bulging and tensing under his skin. Seeing the damn thing finally having started up, he sat down and opened her bio-page. Debating for a few minutes, he chose to send it to her privately. The poem was a bit close to home and he didn't feel too comfortable to have his comment/poem out there in the open for all to read. ### To RedB From Atlas : Hi RedB, I have finished reading "Broken Bones". I have only commented on the first chapter and finished reading the rest just last night. You have no idea how emotional it was for me to read this. I could say I feel sorry for the girl. I am partly. However, I admire the strength and will power you gave her to get through this on her own. Nobody should go through something like that, I felt like punching those guys into a pulp! SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 03 This story stirred so many emotions inside of me, some I feel that go for the girl in this story as well. I'm apologizing up front if it isn't a skilled poem, but it was what came to me and what I wanted to write. I wanted you to read this, hence my private message. This is for your eyes only. The darkest night of the darkest day Sun rise breaks but cannot chase the pain away Shadows of the past and what could have been Dance in the obscurity of twilight's sin One hundred thousand cuts to the soul Each stinging as the tears fall, the pain ten-fold ..... Sincerely "Atlas" ### Adam looked it over once more, and then pressed the send button before he would start second guessing himself. He did feel nervous about sending this to her. Looking at the time he grunted, he really should go to bed if he wanted to catch a few hours of well needed sleep. He'd been so driven to finish this he had lost track of time. Now he could move to the next step in his plan, but he'd need more time for that and he also had to arrange for a replacement in the tavern. Discarding his clothes he let himself drop on his bed like a dead weight and it didn't take minutes before some heavy but steady breathing could be heard in Adam's bedroom. + + + + Bronwille tossed and turned, once again a night of restless sleep. Punching her pillow she almost wished that bulky man was back here, holding her safe in his muscled arms against his sculpted chest. Oh she was pissed at him for having given her a sleeping pill. But she was also smart enough to know that those few days he had spent with her, she had not slept that well in ages, not even before her first attack. She cringed when she remembered. Bronwille really didn't want to go back down that road. She gave up getting into a comfortable position, kicked of the sheets and got up. It's five in the morning?! She groaned loudly as she checked the time again. Well, now is just as good a time to get up. I won't get back to sleep anyways. Once she got to her kitchen she started up her fancy coffee maker machine, one of the few perks she allowed herself. She waited 'till the first warm, rich smells wafted towards her before going to her living room. Mindlessly she zapped through a few channels on TV, nothing interested had happened, the weather still looked crap and they were still selling the same junk on TV as always. Somehow she couldn't understand how she put up with her boring routine day after day. "Yay" she cheered mockingly as she heard the beep of the coffee machine. She dragged herself to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of the dark liquid hoping it would chase away the last few cobwebs of her sleep. If the coffee doesn't help then I can still jump into an ice cold shower! she chided herself. Luckily for her, once she took a sip of the rich, dark, near black, strong drink, she exhaled slowly. Letting the caffeine course through her veins as if she was a junkie craving her next shot, she let out a small laugh at the thoughts running through her mind. I have to start getting out more. Staying cooped up like this is driving me insane! she thought again. Thinking she might as well get some of her work done, she started up her laptop. She'd be checking her mails first and then see which pieces she could work on today. Glancing quickly at her emails she saw she had nothing new to read today. Checking her second account she saw a new message from "Atlas", a private one this time, which sparked her curiosity. Not able to wait any longer she clicked and anxiously waited for the email to open. Her breath got caught in her throat after reading the first few lines, but what he added after that really chook her up. Those words cut right into her soul. ### To RedB From Atlas : ... The darkest night of the darkest day Sun rise breaks but cannot chase the pain away Shadows of the past and what could have been Dance in the obscurity of twilight's sin One hundred thousand cuts to the soul Each stinging as the tears fall, the pain ten-fold Such pain and suffering I cannot bare Intolerable throbbing I chance with each breath I tear As hopeless darkness consumes the light Tattered pieces of soul entombed, extinguished from sight Sealed from the ethereal rays of hopes bright light The very essence of life itself, smothered without a fight Life's last hope comes the feeble grieving of the mind Echoing the piercing howls of the lonely soul in kind Agonizing cries split the darkened skies As my tears fall like rain from reddened eyes Upon sodden ground my tears do fall They wash the stains of pain's thralls Cast away the chains that bind A path to you my heart will find Sincerely "Atlas" ### Bronwille just sat there, staring at the screen, unaware of the tears sliding down her cheeks. She had suspected her friends finding out what had happened to her, but none of them really expressed any understanding in what exactly was going on with her. She smiled, they were the best supportive friends she could imagine and she wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. But what she just read awed her beyond anything she had read before. When she looked down she wondered why her hands were wet. Touching her face, she felt the shed tears clinging to her cheeks still. Blindly she felt for one of the tissues from the box that normally sat on a tiny table next to her couch. Drying her tears and cheeks she kept looking at her screen. Something inside of her told her this wasn't just a reply. This was something that came straight from the soul, a soul that was wounded just like her own. It was as if this Atlas person knew what had been going on inside of her head. She could understand why he would call this unskilled, but nonetheless it was raw, pure, emotional and touching her on so many levels. She propped the laptop on her lap and she read the poem again and again. Not understanding why, and not caring about that right now. She kept shedding tears until her robe was soaking wet. It was as if this soul touching piece of poetry opened up the floods to her inner soul and wanted to eradicate everything, wanting to cleanse her of all the pain she had still kept inside and never got rid of. Closing the computer she slid it on the side table before curling into a tight ball on her couch. She wished she had a pair of strong arms holding her right now. The image of Adam appeared in her mind, the look on his face as he tried to sooth her back to sleep, holding her close to his broad chest. If she focused she could still remember how he smelled. Holding back another sob, she hurriedly sat up and sprinted to her bedroom, dropping herself on "his" pillow, taking in his soothing aroma. Calm came over her immediately, as she inhaled the faint traces of it. Why do I act this stubborn while I wish he was right here, just holding me? Why is it so hard to just let him in? To answer his calls? She sniffed once more, cursing lightly for wetting "his" pillow with her tears. She felt messed up and lost. Not sure how to get through this. She was sure she was coping just fine, she had written the damn thing off after her self-inflicted solitude. Maybe she should call one of her friends and confide in them. Bronwille could at least admit that once she got in contact with her friends and started going out more, things were easier to cope with, easier to forget. Maybe she could do the same now. Thinking about "Atlas'" poem she knew she wasn't alone with these feelings and it was clear that it cost him a lot of effort to piece this together and share this with her. It's like he had so many demons of his own that in some way they had affected him in a similar way as her attack had an impact on her. Her tears dried up as she kept mulling over her past. The scent of him was lulling her to sleep. She dreamt of "him". Dreamt of the evening they met. Her eyes had found him instantly and he was a sight to behold. He was large in every sense of the world. His hair was cut short, military style. You could see the muscles bulging under his tight, dark green T-shirt. She also saw traces of some tribal tattoos on one of his arms and the bottom of the other. Her first impression of him was that he was a hard man and totally not her type. When their eyes met it felt like fireworks had gone off around them. It had taken her a lot of effort to break their eye contact. Not having exchanged words since her friend had introduced everybody to each other, she felt there was something about him. His eyes had locked onto her, his pupils dilated, his nostrils flaring, and the corner of his mouth twitching lightly as if he wanted to smile but was fighting it. He gave her a courteous nod, acknowledging her presence then he broke away his heated gaze. She saw the keen interest disappear, being replaced by genuine politeness towards her friends as they were introduced. Giving him sideway glances she could tell he was a large man, probably tall as well. That she couldn't really tell since he sat, or rather lounged, in one of the love seats, filling it completely on his own. Just keeping to herself she did what she always did, sat on the side and observed. When her eyes happened to cross Adam's, he always managed to trap hers for a few seconds. She liked the sound of his name and felt shivers traveling her spine when she first heard his low rumbling voice. Each and every time she could clearly notice the keen interest he had in her, yet he never acted openly on it. When she heard the others plan to go downstairs to party and dance, she did what she always did, came up with an excuse for not having to join them. She was fine tagging along, but actually mixing in the crowd still wasn't for her, all the others bumping into her, the more than occasional gropes from fellow dancers. No, that wasn't for her, she preferred to stay on the side and just watch the others have fun. Much to her surprise Adam volunteered to stay with her. He had said that in a light hearted manner but she knew it meant more. She started doubting herself. She shouldn't be alone with another man. Especially not one that towered over her like Adam did. Once he had stood up Bronwille almost had to bit her tongue to prevent her jaw from dropping. That man was huge. As she made her excuse to stay behind, she had stood up. Adam stood beside her now and she had to look up, almost twisting her neck in two, to look him in the face. Bronwille was pretty sure that if he stretched his arms she could walk right under them without touching him. Startled, she had tried to make sure that staying behind was what he really wanted. The quick wink he gave told her he was more than happy to keep her company. One by one her friends and the brothers left the VIP room, leaving her with Adam. Feeling a bit uncomfortable she fidgeted with the bottom of her thin blouse. "Do you want another drink?" Adam asked in a smooth tone. Her throat was dry but she couldn't find it in herself to answer so she just nodded. He asked what she wanted, but still her vocal cords refused to work so she pointed towards a glass of water she had been sipping from before. With a smile he turned towards the intercom system and in a hushed toned asked for water and another Corona for himself. Not sure what to do with herself she stood and went to look down at the dancing crowd. She liked that the VIP rooms were sound proofed, yet you could adjust the volume so you still felt part of the vibe going on down there. Scanning the people on the dance-floor it didn't take her long to find her friends. Nick and Fran just looked like a perfect match. As she looked on she couldn't help but smile, she had picked up some tension between Mia and Chris. Liz and Ed just seemed to have a good time dancing, no sparks there. That didn't surprise her, Liz had high standards when it came to a man and didn't settle for just anyone. Bronwille gripped the bar in front of her as felt or rather saw things getting slightly darker around her. That was her only indication that Adam stepped close behind her. He didn't touch her, but the longer he stood behind her the more she became aware of his presence. Yet she didn't feel overwhelmed or threatened by it. Oddly enough she felt accepted. "You know I wouldn't do anything you don't want me to," his deep voice rumbled behind her. Talk about being direct! she mused to herself. This time she felt him step closer to her, still not touching her. She heard him inhale for a long time then holding his breath as if he was savoring how she smelled before she heard him slowly exhale. "Exquisite," she heard him say before he stepped back, out of her personal space. She felt confused by this behavior, as if she passed a test of some sort of test. "So tell me," Adam asked her, "How come a pretty little thing like you isn't swept off her feet but hides up here on her own?" She had to admire his directness. Turning around slowly, she thought about how to approach him. He sure wasn't the type of man she thought could be interested in her, still all the small signs he gave off were just telling her otherwise. Can I take this step? Am I ready? What if he turns out to be some creep and this is all just an act? Dammit, I have to get over this sometimes she chastised herself. "I'm not on my own right now, you're here, aren't you?" she tried to match his directness. "I sure am," he replied with a lazy drawl in his tone as he sat down in one of the love seats. He gestured to one of the others, inviting Bronwille to sit with him. His eyes lit up with interest as he followed her every move. "Care to tell why you prefer to stay up here instead of joining your friends downstairs?" he quizzed her. "Now that is an interesting question," Bronwille said as she mulled over a fitting answer. "Think you could say I'm not in for all the groping. I don't mind looking and observing them as they're having fun." "What about your own fun then? Don't you want to dance and let yourself go?" Adam asked. "As I said I don't mind just watching. I like seeing other people have fun." Just as Adam wanted to say something a feint jingle announced their drinks had arrived. A young man entered and politely nodded to both of them as he hurried over to the table, put their new drinks down and quickly cleared up the empty glasses. "Thanks Joe, put this round on my tab, will ya?" "Sure thing, Adam, I'll take care of it." With another polite nod Joe closed the door behind and left them both alone. "You seem to be quite familiar here?" Bronwille asked, taking this opportunity to change the subject. "Hmm, I come here on occasion to wind down. The Whelans and I go back some years. They're the brothers I never had," he explained. Adam stood up and went to the control panel. After pressing a few buttons Bronwille could hear some lazy jazz song come through the speakers. She eyed Adam curiously as he strolled towards her. "Who says we can't have some fun of our own?" he asked stretching out his hand. Bronwille didn't know what to do for some seconds as she looked at his hand than looked up to his face. He tilted his head, silently repeating his invitation. Taking a big breath, Bronwille slowly laid her tiny hand in his huge hand and stood up. A smile appeared on his face and lit up his face. It gave him a boyish appearance. He didn't say much, just enveloped her in his trunk like arms and held her tenderly as he started swaying to the smooth tones of the jazzy tune he'd put on. She had to crane her neck to look up at him, but he simply smiled down at her, moved up a hand gently cupping her head. With just the slightest bit of pressure he let her know it was fine not to stare up at him. Bronwille understood what he tried to convey and she put her head on his broad chest. They danced like this for some time. Bronwille felt relaxed and safe. She couldn't pin point why, but this man made it appear that she was his most prized possession and treated her accordingly. Inhaling his heavy scent she still picked up traces of something she could only describe as the smell of the forest, just as it wakes up at dawn in the morning. It made her feel at ease and for the first time in years she didn't feel bad about letting a man get close to her. Bronwille certainly didn't think a fine specimen like him could evoke the feelings she was experiencing now. She wasn't there yet, but the things she felt now were feelings she had forbade herself to have for years now. Maybe this man could restore some of her faith in mankind. Without realizing it, she cuddled closer, her arms barely reaching around him. She was not sure if she was deluding herself, but she thought she felt him brush his lips over the top of her head before tightening his hold on her. Smiling faintly she did just the same, not wanting to let go just yet. Sadly an annoying ringing startled her. Confused she looked around. Then it dawned on her. She'd been dreaming again and somewhere in her apartment her annoying cell phone was going off. Bronwille cursed at this sudden wake up call. She just wanted to curl up and go back to dreaming of being in his strong big arms. She'd felt safe there. Being the emotional wreck she was right now she clung to everything that helped her staying sane. This dream was just one of those things. With a loud groan she got up and searched for the damn thing that interrupted her favorite dream. Looking at the clock as she passed it she was surprised to see it was already noon, she had slept away her complete morning. The shrill ringing of her phone reminded her of what she was doing and she continued into the direction the noise came from. Just as she grabbed the damn thing it went all quiet on her. Rolling her eye annoyingly she planted herself onto her couch and tapped a few buttons checking whose call she had missed. She was astonished to see it had been Mia calling her. Not giving it a second thought she hit the dial back option and waited for her friend to pick up, which she did after the second time the phone went over. "Hi Mia, you called?" Bronwille said. "Hi Bron. Actually surprised you called back. I hadn't heard from you in a while and I wanted to check up on you. Is everything ok?" Mia immediately cut to the chase. Bronwille knew her friends must have realized something had happened since she was back to declining all their invitations. Before, her friends had waited until she took the first step and let them know she wanted to tag along. This time everything went differently. Faintly thinking back at the poem she knew she couldn't keep going the way she had. The poem had opened up Pandora's Box of emotions and she found it was time to take the bull by the horns and start facing things. She faintly thought of "Atlas", if he could get through it, then she should be able to as well. "I'm doing pretty ok," she hesitantly answered, not sure if she sounded convinced of it herself. "What would you say about coming out for a bit of lunch? My treat and just the two of us," Mia asked. Bronwille mused over the invitation. I should be able to handle a lunch. After all I have to eat, just like anybody else. "Sure I'll come. Where did you want to go?" "That's a surprise, just be ready in thirty. I'll come and pick you up and drop you back off. Sounds like a plan?" Mia replied cheerfully. It was quite clear Mia was happy with Bronwille's decision to come with her. "That's a deal then. I'll have to go now then, so I can grab a quick shower and get ready. See you in a little bit?" Bronwille said, ending her side of the conversation. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 03 "See you in thirty," her friend responded in kind. Little did Bronwille know her friend had a huge smile on her face, because Mia knew exactly where she was taking Bronwille for lunch. Don't forget to vote and comment. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 04 SIW : Adam O'Neill Here we are again with the next update. Many thank for Mikothebaby for her excellent edit skills. Evilsnoman, Nulli, J and all others in the guild and tweetland : thanks for the continuous support. Won't stall much longer and say enjoy the chapter! Mokkelke Chapter Four : Confrontation. It had been a quiet morning. All the regulars stopping by for breakfast, than the usual break as he got thing prepared for the lunch hour rush. Over time he had thought himself to single out all the smells around him. And then it hit him, that sweet smell he so longed to drown himself in. Adam twisted around. Smelling the air again, he wasn't sure he could believe this. She's here! Forgetting all about the food, he raced up front, stopping just in time to see her entering his tavern behind Mia. What in heaven's name made her decide to come here for lunch he thought angrily. Looking around he motioned for Katie to come to him. Restless as his wolf was, Katie was the safest choice as not to rile up the other staff, she was the only human working here. "When they're seated can you ask Mia to come talk to me, Katie? You can tell her she's got a call waiting for her. She'll understand," Adam told her then he turned and went back to his kitchen. He cursed loud when he saw several pans had burned food in them. As he kept on mumbling to himself he restarted the dishes that had gotten burned. So occupied with correcting things he didn't notice Mia stepping into his kitchen. As she said hello to his, he startled and turned around abruptly, almost dumping the contents of one of his pots over her. "Mia, are you out of your freaking mind? Why did you bring her here?" he spoke in an accusing tone. His wolf was close, pacing back and forth. "Get a grip, Adam," she shot back at him, "And think for a change. Sure I admit, I haven't told her this is your place and whether she finds out or not is up to you. I hoped you would realize what it means for her to go outside already." Mia tapped her foot impatiently, giving Adam the time to process everything. "Mia, I've read her story, the first one. You have no idea how hard it is to contain myself. I just want to swoop her up and lock her away, making sure she's ok," Adam said with a pained voice. He paced angrily in front of Mia trying to gather his thoughts as if making up his mind on what to do, how to handle this, how to cope. "You know you can't do that." "Of course I know, I'm not that stupid!" Adam practically growled at her, his wolf's behavior taking over more of him than he was happy with. He let out a grunt and turned back to his stove, trying to rescue some more food. His wolf was getting agitated, knowing their mate was up front and they couldn't really go near her. She would only back away from him and he didn't want that, couldn't endure that right now. He felt a small hand on his back. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. My wolf is losing it and it's hard sometimes to push him back," Adam apologized. "Relax Adam, take a breather. Think again what this means for her. Think how this can help both of you, even if you don't come out and say hello to her today," Mia soothed him. "It's not that I don't want to say hello to her. You have no idea how badly I want to be around her. I'm afraid my wolf won't cope with it as well as I can. I've been having a hard time reading her story. That night in the 'The Viper' was perfect for us and that memory got tainted with her assault. I know, I got my revenge for that one. Sadly it's nothing compared to what I want to do to that piece of shit that abused her all those years ago. I want to rip him apart!" "I understand." "Do you?" he asked as he turned around, startling Mia with his sudden movement. "You only met me recently, you know me as the joker and the fun guy, but trust me, I have my own demons as well. To some level I was as bad as the ones that did this to her, but for totally different reasons. I did some bad things, things I'm not proud of, but I did them anyways. Reading her story has woken those up. I thought I had put it all behind me, guess I was wrong." "What do you mean?" Mia asked in a concerned tone. "Just leave it be for now, maybe one day, but not today. I've got to work through this. I think I get why you brought her here of all places, but I wish you hadn't. You only made me more determined to settle things once and for all for all those involved." "Adam, what are you talking about? Don't start talking shit to me, you know I won't have any of that!" "Just some things I have to go and take care of. I wasn't sure of it first, but seeing Bronwille..." he sighed. He pulled Mia in for a hug. "I don't know how things will go, but I promise I'll let you know when something is up. But for now trust me, I've got to do this on my own, for me, for us. She may thank me for it later or maybe she won't. Just be there for her, ok?" "Adam, you're talking in riddles here. I don't know what's up with any of it, but I don't like the sound of this one bit!" she said, getting out of his hug. "You don't have to like it, just respect it and know it's something I just have to do on my own. It's like you at first, you didn't want us all to know what really was going on, but you see now it all worked out in the end. Mine is similar. Just promise you'll be there for her? Despite my anger I am happy to see her outside of her flat. It means there is hope. I won't be gone just yet, as I said, I promise to let you know. I owe you too much already." He exhaled slowly. His wolf was a bit calmer now. "I'm an emotional mess right now. Think Bronwille and I can compete about that. When the time is right I'll talk to you. Just let me deal with this?" he pleaded again. At some level Mia understood there had to be a lot more to this outburst then he let on, she didn't like it, but if he had to fight his demons, then so be it. She remembered how adamant she was about keeping the rest of the Whelan-pack out of everything. She could only try to be the best friend possible, for either of them. "Fine! Just read her other story before you do anything else? I'd hate to see you jump into things that would only drive you two further apart than is needed." "That is on my to-do-list for when I go upstairs after work today. And Mia?" "Yeah?" "Thank you and sorry. I shouldn't snap at you, none of this is your fault and in your condition. I should know better than to piss of a pregnant wolf," he chuckled with the last few words. "Just cut it out already. We're wolves, we don't break easy, pregnant or not. Just sort your stuff then sweep this girl of her feet and show her how charming you can be if you set your mind to it." Adam had to laugh. "I'm glad you're a friend, Mia. It's best you go back now before she gets agitated about being left alone. I'll bring you your usual, anything in particular Bronwille likes or dislikes?" "She's got the same appetite as me, she's small, but she enjoys her food as much as I do," Mia answered with a wink. "Just tell her the boss will make something special then, ok? On the house." "Will you bring it?" "Think it's best I don't, at least not at this moment. I can sense her anxiety, I don't want to make it worse. Remember she doesn't want to see me or talk to me. One step at a time." "You may have a point there. I'll be off then. Whatever it is you need to do, try to sort it out fast and keep me in the loop." "I'll do my best. You keep an eye out for her too, ok?" Mia nodded and with that disappeared from his kitchen. "Oh and Adam, remember one day you will tell me," she said winking at him as she turned. A small smile graced her face as she had gotten the last words. Mia you little... Adam shook his head. Closing his eyes he had to take a few deep breaths. He had his wolf under control, albeit barely. If he would go up to her right now, he couldn't be held accountable for the reaction of his wolf. Not having read her ordeal. Not after having his own demons being brought back. He understood he probably sounded like a complete idiot, but he felt he was put in a position he didn't want to be in. At least not forced. If he wanted to make things better with Bronwille, it had to be on her terms. Absentmindedly he put together the plates that had been ordered, adding an apology for any delays and then started working on a dish for Mia and Bronwille. He smiled to himself as he remembered Mia's word, telling him his cute little redhead had the appetite that could easily compete with that of a wolf. When he was done dressing the plates he wanted to add another personal touch. Looking around his eyes fell on the huge bouquet of flowers that stood on the bar. Luckily for him Katie was just behind it, pouring out some drinks. "Katie?" he whispered, trying to get her attention. "What's up Adam?" asked the young girl. "Think you could hand me two of them roses from that vase?" Katie gave him an odd look. "Anything wrong with you?" she questioned him. "Just give them roses already," he grunted a bit more impatiently now. Katie smiled, something must have happened to him in such a twist. He'd been grouchy for weeks on end now. She knew it was something important because every time she saw Mia come back from her visits to Adam he always seemed to be in a better mood. "You making a pass at another man's woman? He's not going to like that?" Katie couldn't help but tease him. Adam just gave her the evil eye. "You know our kind doesn't do that!" Adam said in a strained voice. "Just do as you're told already." Clearly annoyed that her attempt to tease him failed she turned around with a huff and selected two nice looking roses and handed them over. She knew all too well how "his" kind was. She walked amongst them every single day. There had been a time she had hoped she would catch his eye, but she had long given up on that and welcomed his everlasting friendship. Her family had figured out there had to be something about him since he started working here when her mom was just ten years old. Her grandmother never questioned him always staying the same, barely aging. Once word got around they had a new cook things started going better for them. Mom had gone to college and there found her love for the law. It left her grandmother with little choices. When her mom Katie, yeah she was named after her mother, graduated they held a party at the tavern and it was at that party that Katie told them she'd be moving out of town to start her career as a lawyer. It was at that firm she'd gotten to know her future husband, her father. It had been a whirlwind romance, both her parents traveling the corporate ladder. Both focused on reaching the top as fast as they could. Their career was all that mattered to them. Mom barely came home to visit, let alone call home. And then her mom got pregnant, it wasn't planned. After a long debate they had decided to keep her. Her mom worked as long as she could, she practically had to be dragged away from the firm only days before she was born. As her mom got into labor things took a turn for the worse. Though her mom had always meticulously about her appointments and never missed one they still overlooked the fact she was battling with a high blood pressure in the last days of her pregnancy. Still unaware of her problem, mom went to the hospital, called in dad, called her own mother. By the time Katie's dad arrived her mom was already battling hard for her life and that of her unborn child. Her dad got hysterical. After a while the doctors decided it was best they switch to a C-section, this normal birth was costing her mom too much energy. They didn't even took the time to give her an epidural, they knocked her out completely. Swiftly the doctors prepared her, told dad to wait outside and then focused on trying to save the baby. By now they had noticed her elevated blood pressure but contributed it to her stressful situation. Little did they know they were only putting her life at more risk. The doctor proceeded with the C-section. Right away the doctor knew something was wrong as he made the cut. A lot of blood poured onto the hospital floor. Then everything went downhill. They delivered the tiny baby as fast as they could. One of the nurses took care of the little baby girl while everybody else started working in overdrive. The last effort was just too much for Katie's body as it became clear one of the larger arteries near her womb had ruptured just before they started the C-section. The doctor tried his best to stop the bleeding, giving her several bags of O-neg. It was all in vein, no matter what they did, no matter how much extra blood and fluids they gave her, they were fighting a lost battle. Thirty minutes after the little girl was born her mother was pronounced dead. The little girl was washed, put into some crisp white baby clothes and put into a baby trolley. As the doctor emerged from the delivery room the nurse followed quickly with the trolley with the now sleeping baby. Katie's mom had arrived in the meantime and both her and her dad had a worried look on their face. Without stalling the doctor gave them the bad news. They were able to get the baby out in time, but an unsuspected rupture proofed to be lethal. Her dad's face had gone from worried to disdain as he looked at the tiny bundle that lay in the trolley, completely unaware of the tragedies happening around her. "You take her." Was all her dad had said to Katie's mother, turned and walked away. Nobody heard of him until two days later. He hadn't showed up at the firm and one of the partners was worried and went to check up on him. Clutching a picture of Katie in one hand, he lay down in a puddle of blood. A gun laying discarded next to his other hand. He couldn't cope with the loss of his wife, his dear Katie and did the only thing right in his mind. He'd taken his own life, finding life not worth living without Katie. Her grandmother was at a loss, not only did she loose her daughter, she also lost her son and gained the care of a newborn baby girl. Not wanting to forget her daughter she named the little girl Katie. Her grandmother was always secretive about her parents but once she was old enough had told her what had happened to her parents. In a way she hated her dad for not loving her enough to take care of her, on the other hand she did her best to understand the love he must have had for his wife that he thought it was needed to end his life. So little Katie grew up around the tavern. Never questioned Adam. He was always there. While growing up he kissed away her boo boo's, as a teenager he scowled at the young males trying to get her to go on a date with them. Later she was told what Adam really was. That revelation had spurred on her search for knowledge about them. She knew he belonged to a pack yet he spend most time with them at the tavern. As time went by word had gotten around about Adam being the cook and more and more were's started to frequent the place. Katie had no real interest in college and once she was done with high school started working at the tavern. She got over her crush on Adam and now enjoyed their easy bantering and jokes. Katie looked at his retreating back, she wanted the old Adam back, not Mister El Grouchy that had been rattling his pots and pans for the last two months now. She had been surprised by his request and wondered if it had anything to do with the woman that came in together with Mia. It didn't surprise her no longer that were's aged slower and by now she knew most by name. Mia must have been up to something because the minute she entered with her companion Adam called her over, almost demanding her to drag Mia out back. And now this odd request? She stalled a bit behind the bars, giving Mia's friend a good once over. She was tiny, but her deep red locks made it seem like she had an aura around her. She looked tired and wary, as if she wasn't feeling too comfortable. Does she even know almost everybody in the place is a werewolf? Katie wondered. Someone clearing their throat behind her interrupted her gazing. Turning around she saw Adam standing behind her with two plates in his hands. Each had a rose decoratively placed on the side. "Mind bringing these over to Mia and B.. her friend," he told Katie. "Now what did I just say about making a pass at another wolf's woman?" Katie tried to tease him again. "Don't even think about! Just take the plates to them and make sure they have everything they asked for. This is on the house also, so kindly tell that to the ladies." Adam sounded angry when he cut her teasing short, but mellowed as he said the rest of his orders. She raised an eye brow questionably as she took over the plates. With a grunt Adam turned and disappeared into his kitchen, leaving her standing with the plates. Katie looked at the rose on each plate. She knew he'd never done anything like that for Mia so she was convinced now it had to do with her companion. It dawned on her why he was acting the way he was. Mister Grouchy had found his mate and is now walking on pins and needles not to scare her off. Making her way over to the table, she carefully placed a plate in front of them. "With the compliments of the cook, he said it's on the house. If you need anything else, just let me know," Katie told them before giving a curt nod to Mia and then raced back to hide behind her bar. She saw the smile on Mia's face and the light movement of her shoulders as if she was trying to hold back some laughter. Mia looked up, winked at her then tapped her nose, as if she silently wanted to tell her she understood. Time will tell how this will turn out for Adam, she mused to herself and then went on with the rest of her shores and other customers. + + + + Bronwille felt a bit overwhelmed, thought she didn't have a clue why. This place was small. Knowing Mia hadn't wanted to tell her where they were going she just assumed it would be one of those hippie places she tended to frequent a lot. When they stopped here she was actually surprised Mia wanted to enter here. Obviously they must know her because they weren't even seated for a second when one of the waitresses came over and told Mia there was a phone call for her. Mia had given her a wink and a silly excuse of somebody not being able to cope without her. Two months. She still couldn't believe the changes that occurred in Fran's and Mia's lives. Both had found the man of their dreams, those men being brothers completing their happiness. Mia had told her little bits of what happened since that evening, adding that she had one more surprise to share. Toying with her glass she wondered when such kind of happiness would befall her. Locking herself away all this time again, made her aware of how many things that just went by her. One event, once again, fucking up her live. Staring mindlessly at her glass of water she started going over everything again. Meeting this huge, rugged man. Having a wonderful evening with him. She smiled at the thought she had hoped once they arrived at her place she could tempt him to have a night cap. Little good that did to her. She didn't even make it to her car, let alone make it home. She shut out the images that came next, everything happened so fast, it was all a blur and secretly she preferred it that way. The days after were hazy too until she woke that one morning, finding herself cozily cuddled up to a big warm body, strong arms holding her gently. The feeling that washed over her was one of safety and contentment. Daring to turn around and look at who was holding her, she was hindered by those same arms holding her close in a vice like grip. She pushed against them, smiling as they parted little, giving her room to turn. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 04 Adam. That's who was holding her. She wanted to shake her head, but his arms pulled her in close and all she could do was rest her head on his bare chest. Bare? Once she had felt his arms relax a bit more she tried to back away a little. Yup, bare chest indeed. And what a chest. You could almost see the muscles stretching over his stomach and chest. Only a few hairs covered his pecks. She itched to run her hands over them. A feeling she hadn't had in years. Carefully she had tried to look up, finding him asleep, or so she thought. Little did she know that the man holding her was having a hard battle with his wolf to stay like this. Just having her in his arms, her carefully exploring eyes on him. He couldn't take much more so absentmindedly, or so he let it appear, he pressed her head against his chest as he murmured for her to go back to sleep, that everything was going to be fine. Bronwille remembered his low baritone voice, just thinking about it still made her shiver. Making her want to be in his arms again. At that moment she had given in to her desire and had cuddles closer, drifting off to sleep once more. The next time she woke Adam lay on his back and she lay sprawled all over him. Bracing herself on his broad chest, she lifted herself a little so she'd be able to look him in the eyes. Eyes that weren't leaving hers, eyes that trapped hers, eyes that looked straight into her soul. It was this last bit that started to frighten her. She didn't want anyone close to her again. "Hey beautiful," he had said. Only now did she notice the feint scratches and bruises, tentatively reaching out to touch one. He'd grabbed her hand. "Don't worry about them, they'll heal. What matters is I got you out and unharmed. Just rest," Adam said in the low seductive voice of his. Only this time the nearness of him made all her alarm bells go off. With lightning speed she had scrambled off of him and stood next to her bed. "I guess I should be thankful for everything, but saving me doesn't give you any rights. I'm wide awake now, so you can leave." Those words left a bitter after taste in her mouth, but she couldn't take them back anymore. She walked straight to her front door, followed closely by a confused Adam. Only then did she notice he still had his boots on. One arm trapped in the sleeve of his T-shirt he was trying to put on as he followed her. "Bronwille, what's up? You know you can talk to me," he had pleaded. "Let it be, Adam. Just go!" and with those words she had opened her front door and had silently waited for him to leave. He tried to talk to her, but she wasn't having any of it. An old too familiar fear was battling it's way to the fore front and she desperately wanted to be alone when she lost that battle. "Just go," she had pleaded a last time. The second he stepped outside she had shut the door behind and made a bee line for her bedroom, ducking into the bed and letting the tears she held back flow freely. She felt like a mess thinking back at the emotional roller coaster she had already been in today. Early this morning she read that poem left by "Atlas". That one really shook her to her core, acted like an honest, soul touching wake up call. Only because she felt lost afterwards, felt so confused did she accept Mia's invitation for lunch. She had thought once or twice about calling her up in those thirty minutes, wanting to cancel everything, but something deep inside of her kept nagging her that it was time to move on, to go outside. Aimlessly she showered, got dressed, noticed how much weight she had lost, and she didn't have much to begin with and then sat there waiting for the telltale ringing that someone was downstairs. She chewed her nails hoping this would steady her hands. And now she was sitting here, waiting for Mia to return to their table. On their way over Mia had told about Fran getting together with Nick and that things for them was serious. She went on with telling the same had happened for her when she met Chris, Nick's youngest brother. Both of them had already moved in with said brothers and both were over the moon with their new relationship. She put on a fake smile as she saw Mia returning. In a way it pained her but on the other side she felt jealous of their happiness, she wanted it too, and just when she was getting back on her feet, meeting an awesome man she felt she could trust, everything shattered. "And we're back. Someone needed some advice, but that's all cleared up now," Mia said. "I also ran into the cook of this place and he's starting on ours in a bit. I'm sure you're just going to love it. He's awesome in the kitchen." Bronwille just let her chattering wash over her. At least this freed her of a tedious task of gazing upon a menu while she knew it wouldn't matter much what they brought out. All she wanted to do was scream and tell her friend to drop her back off at her flat. Just breath, I can do this. I have to get through this. It's just lunch she scolded herself mentally. "I'm sure whatever is on our plates will be delish if you're freaking out over him like this," Bronwille tried to sound cheerful. She didn't want dampen her dear friends mood with her own dark thoughts. "You're going to love it, trust me. I've never let you down before when it comes to food," Mia went on in a cheerful tune. She was trying hard to uplift her friends mood. Her wolf wanted to slap her, make her wake up to all the wonderful things around her, a very willing adorable man at her doorstep to complete it all. Yet she struggled. Mia took this opportunity with both hands when Bronwille had called back and accepted her lunch invitation. She didn't know why but something inside of her had compelled her to call Bronwille and ask her. She was glad her friend had accepted, even if it was clear she wasn't comfortable. Even if Adam didn't show himself she hoped at some level to show him Bronwille had taken another step, albeit it felt a bit like trickery on her part. "Besides I've some wonderful news to share," Mia went on, keeping up her cheerful bantering. She hoped this news could evoke an honest reaction out of her friend, instead of that fake smile she had plastered on her face since they entered. Just as she wanted to tell her, the waitress from before walked up to their table, two plates balancing dangerously on one arm. She set a plate in front both of them and then said, "With the compliments of the cook, he said it's on the house. If you need anything else, just let me know." Mia immediately saw the red rose on her plate and on Bron's and she had to fight not to smile at this romantic gesture. Adam, you're just a big love sick puppy she thought to herself. As she looked up at the waitress she winked at her and tapped her nose. She understood what that little devil back there in the kitchen tried to do. "Seems you have an admirer," Mia told Bronwille. Hearing those words had Bronwille's eyes turn as big as saucers, a dangerous chill running over her spine. No no no, this can't be happening. Not now, not here. Bron cursed silently as she felt the sings of panic attack starting to appear. "Bron, are you all right?" Mia asked. "I ... bathroom ... panic," she blurted before making a sprint to the back. Hoping being alone would get her over this faster than trying to regain control over her breathing as she sat there between all those strangers. Closing herself in into one of the bathroom stall she bend over, her head ducked between her legs as she forced herself to even out her breathing. She was so focused she didn't hear the knock on the door, she only registered the loud crash when the stall door in front of her was ripped away, only making her breathing get worse. "Adam?" she managed to say in between labored breaths. Before she knew it she was pulled against his taut chest and his arms held her gently. He picked her up and carried her out. "Katie," she heard him said rather loudly, "Call in someone to take care of that door." Her breathing was still erratic at best but him holding her had such a calming effect on her she didn't even think about fighting his hold on her. She felt him sit down and then cradle her gently like she was the most precious thing in the entire world. Bronwille gave up her inner battle and cuddled closer, this was what she wanted for weeks. Just being in his arm, being held, feeling safe. "It's ok now beautiful, I got you. Can you tell me what happened that caused you to react like this?" he asked in a soothing tone as he absentmindedly started rubbing her arm. "I don't know," Bronwille replied in a shaky voice. "When we got our meals Mia made a comment about me having an admirer as we noticed the roses on our plate. I kinda freaked and felt a panic attack about to happen. I had to get out of there." Bronwille felt him stop caressing her arm and he went rigid. He engulfed her in a tight hug, oddly enough she didn't feel like anything bad was about to happen. Adam buried his head in her red locks and inhaled deeply. "I'm so sorry, if I only knew you'd react like this. I'm sorry." Bronwille did struggle a bit now, only to get a good look at him. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong? Though come to think of it, how come you are here," taking quick stock of their surroundings she added, "and where exactly are we?" "Oh I need to apologize. I put those roses there. If only I had known you're react like that, I wouldn't have done so. I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention at all." Adam studied the surprise on her face, together with the curiosity that lurked below it. "As to explain why I'm here and we're now in here is simple. I'm the cook here and I own this tavern. This is my office. Nobody will disturb us here," Adam further explained. "Oh," was the one syllable reply Bronwille managed to get out. She felt the light laughter go through his body and all she wanted to do was crawl even closer, she didn't want to give up this feeling of feeling safe and cherished. "I knew you were here the second you stepped through that door. I quickly made up an excuse to drag Mia back here. I wanted to know why of all places she brought you here." He gave his words some serious thought, he didn't want to tell accidently Mia knew everything that had happened and had been keeping a close eye on her. "She comes here a lot to eat and over the weeks we've really become good friends. So eventually she poked me about why I was in such a sour mood. I didn't went into detail," he knew he wasn't lying about that, it was Mia that had told him everything and had kept him up-to-date, "but just told you weren't answering my calls and not letting me in. I was kinda surprised when I saw the two of you walk in here. If I were to guess I think she's trying to play matchmaker," he ended with a chuckle. Bronwille just stared at him. At least part of his reasoning explained why it seemed Mia felt so at ease at this place. Thinking back at the few inviting sniffs she had of the food on her plate she could understand Mia spending a lot of time here. "And then I heard someone bolting right past my kitchen and the slamming of some doors. When I checked and didn't see you I assumed it was you and I wanted to know if you were all right. You didn't answer when I knocked the first time. So I entered, knocked again and still you didn't answer. It's then I kinda ripped the door of and here we are," he concluded his summary of the past few minutes. "Oh," was once again her single reply. "You feeling better now?" he inquired. Closing her eyes she focused on checking her breathing and to her surprise it was back to normal, all the anxiety gone from her body. "Yeah, the worst is over now. Thanks again, I guess," she mumbled. "It's fine. Do you want to go back up front with Mia or do you prefer going home?" "Honestly? I'd prefer to go home, but I guess I should go back to Mia. I'm a mess myself and I don't know how I let myself get tricked like this, but I wouldn't be a good friend if I'd ditched her. No, I'll go back. I seem to recall her saying she had some other news to tell me still. Confused as I feel I am curious enough to want to know what she still has to tell me." "Ok, if that's what you want." "Want and need are two different things. I need to do this, I don't want to." "You should do what you want," he quickly shot back. A sad look appeared on her face. "I can't have what I want." "What do you want then?" "Something that's not meant for me, just leave it at that. I'm going back to Mia now," she cut of his questioning. Struggling a bit to get of his lap, Adam relented and helped her up. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself?" "Yes dad," she replied rolling her eyes at him. "I'm not joking here, if there is anything, night or day, call me or come over. Promise?" he urged again. Staring at him she noticed the seriousness of his words and she gulped. Maybe? No he's not for me, he's just being kind. Just as the previous time. her doubt was once again creeping forward. Bronwille simply nodded. "Remember. Anything!" he stressed once more before he dipped his head and very lightly brushed her lips and straightened again. She was lost for words, her hand sneaking up touching her lips. They tingled from the brief touch of his sweet soft lips. "Come, let's get you back to Mia and I'll get you a new plate. Anything in particular you like?" he replied with a chuckle as he saw her astonishment. Puzzled she looked up at him again, "What?" "Food? What do you fancy? Then I'll whip up something fresh and warm," he explained. "Oh, anything really. I like all food, you should know that," she replied, then silently cursed herself for referring back to that evening. "Hmm I know, I'll surprise you then." He kept his arm loosely around her as he escorted her out of his office and stopped at his kitchen. "Seems it's my day for burning food," he sighed. "Ah well another round on the house it is. Now off you go, go back to Mia, I bet she's about to burst with curiosity at where you were all this time." "I think she is; surprised she didn't barge in." "She's a smart woman, she may not always now when not to stick her nose in things, but she has her moments," Adam said loud enough so he know Mia would pick up his words. It was his little pay back. "I'll be right over with your meal ok?" "Sure. Thanks again," she said making wavy gesture with her hand, "for everything." "That's no biggie. You just remember too, anything, understood?" She nodded, turned quickly to hide her smile and made her way back to Mia's table. Sitting down she couldn't help but notice the smug look on her friends face. "Everything ok now?" Mia asked. "Yeah I'm fine now. Panic attack," Bronwille tried to sound blasé about it, "But Adam burst in and we talked a bit. I'm fine now, really." "Hmmm," was her dubious reply as if she wanted it to be more than it was. "You could have told me this was Adam's," Bronwille scolded her friend next, feeling just a bit angry. "I could have, but I knew you would be missing out on something delicious. That this is Adam's place is just a bonus, don't you agree?" "You tricked me and you know it!" "Uhu, I didn't, I just called you and asked you out for lunch. I'm just happy you accepted, you've been camping inside that flat of your too much. I hoped some fresh air would do you good." And even though you had a panic attack I am glad you talked with Adam, you just need to trust him and learn he'd never do anything to hurt you. He's your mate, my friend, he'll make you happy if you let him. "Well yeah, fine... just don't mention any admirers anymore, kay? That kinda freaked me out and I really don't want a repeat of that." Mia quickly pieced things together and felt hurt that in her honest attempt to make her friend feel better she actually caused her to panic. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. No more talk of admirers, promise," she told Bronwille. "But Mia, how come you didn't come out back?" Bronwille asked. "You know that waitress from before?" Bronwille nodded. "I wanted to give you a moment and then come after you. Just as I got up Katie, the waitress, came over telling me you were with Adam. I know he would never do anything to hurt you so I waited." "I see." "Sweetie, if I had any kind of doubts, no matter how huge and strong he would be, I'd be kicking his ass to the hereafter if he would only think of hurting you. I just," Mia sighed, she didn't want to tell she knew everything, "I saw the glances you two were giving each other that night. I don't know how things went between you two, but he's been grouchy ever since that night. I'm not saying you have to jump his bones, I just hoped you'd give him an honest chance." "Don't make more of it than it was. He was just being friendly." Sure that kiss he gave you was just friendly her consciousness chimed in. "If you say so. I'm not butting in," Mia declared, theatrically throwing her hands up in the air. "Curious as to how long you'll manage not too. It's your second nature, you can't help it, my dear friend." Bronwille had to smile now. Mia was unbelievable sometimes, though she always did everything with the best of intentions and most times things worked out fine. Just as she wanted to Mia what her news was she saw Adam coming to their table, plates in hand. Bronwille didn't really know where to look first, so decided to focus on her glass of water. "I think a warm meal would do you both some good," Adam said. Bronwille didn't look up at him, afraid that if she did her cheeks would grow a bright red shine. Instead she focused on the plate in front of her. Looking closely she couldn't help herself. She let out an honest laughter. Adam had dressed her plate in such a way she had one of those funny faces smiling back up at her. Mia didn't quite get what had Bronwille laughing like this than looked at her own plate. She recognized the smiley faces, only hers was one with little horns. "You didn't?!" Mia squealed before she burst out and joined Bronwille. "I sure did. Anyways enjoy the mail. You're welcome here at any time, both of you," Adam said lightheartedly before he turned and went back to his kitchen. Bronwille just stared at his retreating form. Huge and muscled, yet moving with such graze. It was almost stealth like. Mia snapped her fingers in front of Bronwille's face. "Not interested, right?" she deliberately teased her friend. Bronwille shook her head and focused on her meal. Even with the smiley face it looked and smelled delicious and she couldn't wait to savor whatever was on her plate. Grabbing her fork and knife she attacked her plate, suddenly very hungry. Not bothering to swallow first she looked up at Mia and said, "This is good, real good!" before she continued eating. Mia just grinned as she saw her friend devour bite after bite. Adam will be all too pleased to know Bronwille was almost having a foodgasm. A bit more dignified she started eating as well, just letting time go by as both of them cleared their plates. One would never have known there had been food on it. "Now as for the other news. With everything I didn't get round to telling you yet. You're the only one who doesn't know yet and I thought it's about time we filled you in," Mia started. Bronwille's curiosity perked up. "What did you need to tell me?" "You know you're like a sister to me, just like Fran and Liz. And well... you're going to be an auntie!" Mia told excitedly." "I'm what? How? When? You're kidding? You must be kidding me?" "No I'm not Bron. Six more months and I'll be a mommy and you'll be an auntie." SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 04 "Well I'll be damned. Isn't this a bit fast? Or was it a little accident?" Bronwille asked. She couldn't believe her friend would be so stupid as to get pregnant by mistake. Obviously it was clear Mia was thrilled about this, Bronwille just didn't understand how it all moved this fast. "No this is not accidental. Planned? Maybe not, but it feels right. You know I always have been the broody type and Chris is going to make a wonderful father. If he can keep his hands to himself that is," Mia added trying to hide her smile. Bronwille stared at her friend, somehow this news shouldn't come as such a surprise. Mia always had been the motherly type, she already had the butting in -- skill down to a T already. She also felt guilt and a bit of jealousy battling within herself. She wanted to be happy for her friend, yet deep down she wished she could have the same things. Her inner self kept convincing her this was never anything that would happen to her. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of all these dark thoughts. She was meant to be happy for her friend! Not starting to wallow in her own misery. She felt like a goddam yo-yo being tugged from one extreme emotion to another. Frankly she was getting tired of it. "If this is the case then we should meet up with the other girls and get some shopping done, don't we?" she finally said, a genuine smile on her face and grasping for Mia's hand. "Ooh can we?" Mia squealed. Suddenly their mood was only getting better as both women started talking in more detail. Neither noticed Adam lurking from the door way, a wide smile on his face. For the first time since that evening in "The Viper" was he able to pick up her scent without a trace of fear in it. All the while he had picked up her anger, frustration, sometimes a faint hint of happiness and longing. Finally seeing her relax made both him and his wolf happy. He also reminded himself to thank Mia once more. Still this good outcome, so far, didn't deter him from the plans brewing in his mind. don't forget to vote and comment SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 05 SIW : Adam O'Neill still on track with our weekly updates! Many thanks to the usual bunch: the guild for their continuous support, Evilsnowman and Nulli for their proofreading and Mikothebaby for her editing skills. Again a huge thank for CedarNeedle for providing another little something for RedB "Cursed Again". Enjoy the read. Mokkelke Chapter Five : How Much Can He Take? Adam sat on his couch, beer in hand. He felt content for the first time in ages. A whole scale of emotions had gone through him today, frustration, anger, despair, but he was thankful that it ended with joy and happiness. Who could have thought that Mia would be so devious as to bring Bronwille to his place for lunch? Then Bronwille having that panic attack, he hadn't known what to do first. His wolf took over, their mate was in trouble. At least he fought the shift. It would only have made things worse. His heart was caught in his throat when he knocked on the door and didn't get a reply. As he entered and knocked again on the door of the stall she had locked herself, in he was losing it. Without giving it much thought he had ripped the door from its hinges and had pulled Bronwille into his arms before she could even register what was going on. He knew he'd said something to Katie as she stood there with eyes as wide as saucers. He would have to explain his behavior to her. Then he thought about how unsure Bronwille was, so insecure, but there were moments she had that old sparkle in her eyes. Adam shook his head. At first he was just holding her. Even as they entered the restaurant before, he had noticed she looked like a shadow of her old self. Thinking back, as he had held her in his arms, he knew she had lost a lot of weight as well. The state his mate was what had his wolf howling in despair. Yet she still had to let them in and trust them, accept them for what and who he is. Somehow she already did, because she calmed down pretty fast when she was near him, feeling and accepting the soothing presence of her mate, even if she didn't know it yet. When she went on her apology spree he couldn't take much more of it. He made sure she understood what he asked of her, what his promise entailed and still it felt like she was thinking she wasn't worth giving a promise too. He'd wished the situation was entirely different for a first kiss, but in that moment he just needed her to know where his interest lay. So he dipped and lightly brushed her lips with his own. His wolf was doing summersaults and wanted to howl out how pleased he was. Adam had to fight hard not to deepen that kiss and just keep it to a light touch. The last thing he wanted was her to panic again. He was vain enough to admit he felt proud that she wasn't focused at all the few seconds after. Doing his best to act normal, as if nothing too special had happened he just went on with their conversation. The smell of fear around her had evaporated for the most part. Bronwille had gone back to Mia. The first few moments were tinted with a bit of anger and annoyance, but then their mood made a 180 degree turn. He'd stood in the door just behind the bar, just observing the two. Her sweet scent wrapped itself around him and he just stood there grinning like a sixteen year old school boy in love. Adam had to restrain himself from joining them and joining in on their funny chit chat. Right now it mattered more to him that she was doing fine and was making progress getting out of her shell again. He rolled the bottle of beer in his hand before latching on and swallowing the last little bit of the cool beverage. Looking at his computer, he knew he still had to read her newer story, curious as what she made of it, how she experienced that evening. He carefully placed his bottle on his brand new coffee table and went to start up his computer. His next action was to take a shower to wash away today's food smells. As he stripped, his nose caught the clean sweet smell of Bronwille trapped in his T-shirt. If his wolf had any cat like abilities, it would be purring right now. Normally he put his dirty clothes straight into the dirty laundry basket but he now tossed his T on his bed. He had something with her scent now and it really calmed him down, made him feel there was hope. With the shower out of the way, he put on some easy shorts, commando of course, before sitting behind his computer, navigating to her profile page. He was surprised it was just a single story. Checking her list again to make sure he didn't miss anything, he assured himself it was just a single story and started reading. * * * * * * * * Cursed once again By RedB It happened again. Hell, nowhere is safe anymore and even running to the security of friends was not enough to stop the curse of my fate following me, miles away. But could there be hope? I really am not sure. Maybe it's that I'm too scared to find out. So why am I cursed? I wish I knew for sure, but clearly I am, since I was attacked again. I'm convinced it is a black mark on my soul, giving permission for men to attack me, think they can steal privileges that I have not granted. I want it to stop, but don't know how to bring an end to this curse or how to ever feel safe again. I don't want men touching me, pinning me to the sides of cars. I don't want men thinking that I am their property or an object to fondle. I am not theirs. I am not anyone's property but mine. But what was different this time was that I wasn't alone. While three men tried to take privileges with me outside a local club, I experienced something I've no words on how to describe. My mind had shut down at this point on what was actually happening to my body, and just before I completely blacked out, I felt it. A tug and then I felt like my soul was cradled in the most wonderful embrace as my mind careened out of control and I knew when I fell he'd catch me. I think I passed out. I must have for I woke up in my apartment, barely surfacing from my delusional trance that follows any panic episode I experience, but I felt him. Him. It should have scared me, but it didn't, for he was the cradle that convinced my soul to be at peace. I am not sure how much time passed from the moment of the attack to when I finally surfaced, but obviously it had been a few days by the condition of my apartment. One moment I was cocooned in the warmth of arms and a firm body next to mine and in the next caught up in a fully-fledged panic attack. I admit it, I freaked out. Another man taking something I hadn't freely offered and he was in my apartment, holding me in my own bed. But that tug remained; a small reminder in the back of my mind that this man was safe. Unfortunately, the more dominant part of my mind was in control and it was panicking. Yeah, I overreacted and kicked him out and can't bring myself to face him. I walked away from that warmth and pushed it away. I shut that door and can't open it. Won't open it. Don't know how to reopen it. So, to the man who saved me - thank you. That is all I can offer right now and all I am capable of giving. I know you've been calling me, coming by and waiting outside trying to have me let you in. I can't. Even if you make me feel protected. Don't you see I am cursed? I am not worth your time and I am better off alone. Please just leave me be. I know you will never read this, but it eases my heart to put my pen to paper and write these words. * * * * * * * * Once more, Adam found himself sitting there staring at his screen. This was short, but it carried the same amount of hurt and emotions as her other story. His heart wept. His wolf howled in agony. How could their mate think so low of herself? Thinking back at all those little things, he knew that she had felt their connection. Her soul had recognized its other half in him. How would he be able to get that stupid idea out of her pretty little head that she wouldn't be worthy of him? He thought it was rather the other way around. He knew his size scared a lot of woman away. Sure, he wasn't a ladies man. He didn't have a fling every other week. But at the end of the day, he too had needs. He mostly hooked up with some of the single females in his pack. At least they knew they would get satisfied and that he was up for trying anything at least once. Never had he left a woman unsatisfied. And then he met this cute petite redhead, huge as he was, she made him feel smaller than she was. He'd acted carefully around her, not wanting to scare her, always trying to show her he'd never hurt her. That evening in "The Viper" would have been perfect if not for the attack that followed. Today he was the one that caused her to have another panic attack; though he was sure he got to her in time to prevent it from fully engulfing her. He could have cried from joy just having her in his arms. He knew he'd been soothing her, but at the same time his wolf was doing just the opposite, luxuriating in the presence of his mate. Adam huffed. At least he wasn't riled up with anger now, rather he felt sad. She really has no idea how strong she really is. There were people who broke down for a lot lesser things than she was put through. Still she was getting back to her old self, he was sure of that. Really sure, as he thought back to that evening in the club, she had opened up herself for him and he did the same. Maybe it was just his luck that they only touched on the more general topics to talk about. Said topics were still things that could make or break even the most normal of relationships. He liked a person who could show interest in several areas. That they shared a love food for was a huge plus in his book. He practically came in his pants as he caught the moans she was producing while she scooped up bite after bite when she and Mia were in the restaurant. It was the biggest compliment she could give him. This thought reminded him he had to stock up on more pots and pans, since he managed to destroy some as he tried to keep himself from going right back in there, drag her from her chair, lock them up in his room and have his wicked way with her. Adam smiled at this as the emotions flooded through his body once again. Beautiful, I hope you come to your senses soon because you're driving me nuts here. Just having gone through those memories had caused his shorts to tent up, his massive erection just peeking out of his waist band. With a groan he put his hard flesh in a more comfortable position without flashing himself. This was not a time to be thinking about that just yet. He had more important things to deal with. First on the list, make a comment on her last story. Somehow he felt the need to tell her she was worthy to be wanted, that she deserved to be taken care of, that there was someone out there for her who would cherish and love her. He would send it to her privately just as his previous one, knowing he couldn't just admit he knew everything he had read had actually happened. He did feel the way she wrote her new story was more open and at some level the reader could understand this was a description of something the writer had gone through. That would be his angle, hoping he was doing this the right way. Concentrating on his screen he started writing. ### To RedB from Atlas : Hi RedB, Yes, it's me again. Somehow I can't find myself leaving a public comment so once more I'm doing this privately, for your eyes only. Again, I am touched to my very core by your well written and emotional words. Something tells me, after reading this, there is more to it then you have told us. This feels real, genuine, and heartfelt. I hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries now with telling you that I find you a very strong person. You have found a way to cope with all of this and it only makes me respect you even more. The only thing that strikes me as odd is why you would think you don't deserve his attention? It seems the person that helped you, did this with the best of intentions. Thinking back at what you wrote there was something between you two, some kind of attraction that doesn't occur that often. A lot of people would give an arm and a leg to get that feeling. I would do anything to keep that person in my life and I'm sure this person feels the same about you. We're not made to be alone our whole lives. So I wonder why you let him in first, let him help you and then pushed him away. Doesn't that person deserve some kind of explanation? I know I'm probably ripping open some old wounds with my words, but if they help you just one tiny bit rethinking your actions and behavior, you may realize just how strong you are. How flexible your feelings are, that not everybody is out to hurt another person. You deserve happiness even if you think you don't. I'm quite sure the person who's able to break through your walls will shower you with love and affection. I know I would if I were to meet the person I'd like to spend the rest of my life with. Sincerely "Atlas" ### He read his reply several times. The last thing he wanted was to come across like some kind of creep. He didn't want to scare her. Some of his words were a bit harsher than he intended but he really believed that Bronwille could take them how he meant them. If they helped her stand up against her feelings, cope with them, than they were words well spoken. Giving it one last once over, he was happy with it and clicked on send. Deep down, he was curious whether she would reply to this or not. Closing down his computer, he started his usual routine before going to bed. He tossed and turned for a while until he dragged his shirt closer, taking a deep breath so her scent washed over him. His mind and wolf relaxed and it didn't take long before sleep took over. + + + + Bronwille cursed as she looked at the clock next to her. Frustrated that she couldn't sleep, she tossed the sheets against the back of her bed. Today had been a real roller coaster for her emotions and all she wanted to do was sleep. She got up and went to her kitchen. Rattling some pots, she hoped a cup of nice hot milk could lull her back to sleep. She opened her laptop out of habit as she waited for the milk to heat up. A new private message? she mused and quickly clicked on it. Another one from Atlas. So he has read the rest too it seems. As she started reading, her inner turmoil only got worse. She wanted to slap that person in the face for pushing just those buttons that set her off. Here was a person she didn't know at all telling her without reservation what her problems were. Not so much problems, but he touched each of her secret desires and he questioned her behavior. What gave this person the right to write such things to her? Quickly she turned to her stove as she saw the milk was almost boiling over. With speed she never thought she had she moved the pan to the sink and waited a few seconds and released a sigh. The milk was saved just in time. Putting the milk back on the stove, she added a little bit of sugar and after a few stirs she poured it into a big mug. Things could only get worse now. With a heavy sigh she pushed pack her laptop and sat at the table. Once in a while she glanced at the flickering screen. When it went into screen saver mode, she gave a single tap on a random key and continued staring at the words still on there. She was quite sure it was a man behind this Atlas persona and sure he said he respected her, but that doesn't give him the right to rip open her wounds and put her in her place. Looking at the milk twirling in the cup, she took a sip. Cringing, she cursed under her breath at the now cold beverage. Warm milk with a bit of sugar tasted divine but it didn't have the same flavor when it was cold. Parted from her inner battles, she poured the liquid in the sink and cleaned up after herself. "Someone just tell me? Why me?" she said out loud to no one in particular. Bronwille let herself slide down, her knees held tight to her chest. She wanted to laugh at the situation yet tears took over and not much later sobs joined the shaking of her body. Why am I such a mess? Atlas is wrong, I'm not strong at all. Why else would I keep myself locked up in my flat? The one person that had come remotely close to me I push away. I don't want to, but how will I know if I can trust him? She felt as if everything had happened again. Bronwille cursed at the words Atlas had written. She scolded herself for being such a wimp about what she wanted. As more and more emotions came crashing down on her, a light within her began to shine, sparking a little bit of hope. It wasn't a light you could see or describe, but it was more a feeling. The conflicting emotions dulled and she started to see that, even though she was troubled and hurting, Atlas' words must have come from somewhere. With the back of her hand she wiped away her shed tears and stood up. Reading his reply once more convinced her there had to be more to his words than he let on. Clicking a few times she opened his previous reply, the one with the poem and she read it again and again. The more she read it, the more she got convinced he was as troubled as she was, the only difference being he seemed to have given whatever occurred in his life a place, a certain degree of understanding. Rattled by his words she got curious and before she acknowledged what she did she had pressed the "send"-button. Bronwille stood staring at her screen which read: MESSAGE SEND. What have I done? Maybe he doesn't want to tell? Maybe I'm the one now overstepping the boundaries. Suddenly she felt the urge to send another message stating for him to ignore what she had sent but she resisted. Even having done this without much realization, she knew the ball was now in his court. It was up to him to reply, or not to. Yup, I'm declaring myself a nutcase now. I need sleep and loads of it, maybe than I'll feel more normal. She closed her laptop and went back to back to bed. After some tossing and turning fatigue got the upper hand and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep. + + + + Mia let out a heavy sigh as she followed her friend. Bronwille would freak if she would show herself now. Mia only wanted to check up on her, knowing it had been quite a stressful day for her dear friend. Staying safely in a corner, cloaked and muted, she watched as her friend got up, checked her messages and broke down again. She had to stifle the joy she wanted to let known when she saw how Bron got herself together and replied to whomever had her so upset in the first place. Seeing how her friend was acting, convinced Mia that things were getting better with and for her. Admitting to herself that she had gambled a little bit with coaxing her out to lunch, especially when she took her to Adam's tavern with neither of them knowing. It seemed to be the right thing to do. A mere minute she had second guessed herself, when Bron had her panic attack but it all turned out just fine. As she saw Bron going back to her room, Mia felt at ease and was convinced things would only get better from now on. She followed her and saw her crawl back into her bed. As Mia witnessed the restless movements of her friend she stepped up and did what she had done so many times in the past. Touching her temple briefly, she sent a lot of soothing emotions to the sleeping form of Bron. A few seconds later and her friend was happily asleep, a hint of a smile on her face as she drifted further in her dream world. Blinking her eyes once, Mia found herself in her own bedroom. She had warned Chris up front that she'd be checking up on Bron tonight. Though he didn't like her using her powers when she was pregnant, he understood her concern for her friend. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 05 Looking down at his sleeping form she silently undressed, lifted the covers and scooted next to him. As if he sensed her presence his arm reached out and pulled her close, her bare back against his solid warm chest. "That took you long enough. Is she all right?" he mumbled with a sleep drunk voice. Reveling in his presence, she tried to get closer before she answered, "Yeah, she's sound asleep now. I was worried at a certain point but she got through it." Feeling a bit more awake Chris asked, "What happened then?" "I'm not really sure what has, but I can only guess she got a mail that kinda upset her and caused her to break down again. She got herself together, replied and went to bed. I gave her peace of mind because, as usual, she was tossing and turning." "Hmmm I wouldn't mind some tossing and turning myself now that I'm awake," he spoke slowly as his hand sneaked up cupping her bare breast and flicking his thumb over her little nub. "Jeesh, Chris, is that all you can think about?" she said in mock anger. "When you are near me and naked? Damn straight that is all I think about," he replied with a hint of laughter in his tone. Mia bit back a moan and forgot about her friend completely as Chris turned her on her back and claimed her lips with his. One leg parted Mia's legs and as he pulled it up he found just the right spot to rub against. Concentrating on the kiss, one of his hands traveled to her sizable breasts. He knew this wasn't permanent, he knew they were only bigger because she was carrying their child, but he loved how they filled his hands so perfectly. Pinching her puckered nipple he heard her moan against his lips. He replied with a light appreciative growl of his own as he left her lips and started a wet trail of kisses down her cheek and neck. He licked her collarbone as he kept listening to her reactions. Stopping the movement of his leg against her wet core, he sat up and looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, her eyes almost closed. Loving the touch of her skin he equally followed the outline of her shoulder down to her hands and back up again. Then his hands went to her chest and cupped both of her breasts and a wicked smile appeared on his face. Now that she was pregnant, he had to be smart about how to please his mate, he didn't want to do anything that could harm their unborn child. Much to his surprise, he had found out her breasts were overly sensitive now and it appeared they were now in direct contact with her pussy. He kept on smiling as his thumbs ran over her nipples. He could feel at the rising of her chest that she was aware of what he was planning to do. Chris could also see this by the way she already grasped the sheets next to her. "You prepare yourself, my little druid, I got a surprise for you tonight," he murmured, the smirk never leaving his face. "Close your eyes for a minute here and I'll be right back," he instructed her. Swiftly he got off the bed and grabbed his jeans. Quickly he took the tiny object he had hidden there before he went to bed. Taking another glance at the second device attached to it he made sure which different settings there were before getting back up the bed. This time he knelt between her legs. He saw Mia get a bit restless and he filed away in his mind that once their child was born, he'd have to teach her to be less restless. She should know by now he'd never hurt her and that all he ever did and wanted was to please her. Even if this meant tormenting her for a long time first before her let her have her release. But not tonight. Tonight he wanted things to be intense for both of them. He wanted her to forget about their friends for a while and just focus on the two of them. He gently placed a hand on the tiny growing bump before bending over and placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Just a minute longer, my sweet, just relax," he said in a velvety smooth voice. Sitting up again, he took his cock in hand and slid the tiny device over it. He groaned at the tight fit of it and he worried for a second if he'd even be able to cum himself. Bending down he backtracked the trail of kisses he made before and captured her lips again. He kept the kiss light, his hands supporting him above her. Mia's legs had already wrapped themselves around him, trapping his cock snugly between them. He felt the heat of her core seep into him, her scent driving him mad with lust. He chuckled softly as he looked down at the tiny woman who had won him over with a single kiss. And the rest, as they say, is history. He couldn't imagine himself being without her. His roaming eyes stopped at her breasts once more. His hands glided over her legs, over her tummy, upwards until he cupped both of them. Chris gave them a gentle squeeze and bent down and kissed each tip tenderly several times. He knew this drove her crazy and he could already feel the signs of that as she started writhing under him. It was tempting to turn this into a long tormenting session but he also wanted her well rested so without much stalling he grabbed her breasts firmer and brought them together. Because they were bigger during her pregnancy, this was easily done. Her nipples so close together presented themselves to him like a pair of overripe cherries. He licked his lips once before he took them both in his mouth and started sucking on them. He felt the immediate reaction from Mia as she tightened her legs around him and almost tore away the sheet under them. Oh how he loved the tremors invading her lush body. He even hummed as he sucked just that little bit herder, trapping her nipples between his teeth. A firm hold on him now, he lifted himself up just a little, knowing very well that the tension he created would drive her mad. All this time his eyes hadn't left her face and he was tempted to smile as he saw she still had her eyes closed. Keeping her breasts lifted slightly, he massaged the soft flesh, creating a different kind of tension that he knew would go down straight to her pussy. He didn't even have to look for her scent of arousal now for he felt her wetness coating his cock that still lay snuggly between them. He didn't understand men who just mounted their women and fucked them like a rag doll just to get off. The joy one got for taking time to please your woman only made it better for both parties involved. Sure he felt the urge of constantly wanting to ravish her when she was near, but that was his personal challenge. A challenge he'd enjoy perfecting over the many years to come. Only tonight he didn't feel much for aiming for that personal goal. His sucking became more insistent as he knew that if he latched on and sucked for all his worth he could get her to cum like this. He sucked and waited, waited for those tell-tale signs of her impending release. Just as he felt her starting to tense up he released her nipples with a loud pop. Chris enjoyed the view as they bounced back and forth a few times. He didn't wait much longer than and grabbed his cock and lined it up and gently drove himself home in one go. "Damn Chris, why this torment?" Mia squealed and a second later her eyes shot open. Not only did she feel him sheathed completely inside of her but there was also a light strumming against her clit. She quickly connected the dots at what he had planned and silently applauded his never ending need to surprise her. One day, my love, I will get my payback! Chris locked their eyes together. "One day, maybe, but not today, my little druid," and with that said he started moving slowly, in rhythm with the tiny little butterfly cock-ring. He saw her eyelids falling shut again and told her to keep her eyes open. "I want to see your eyes this time. I want to see them as I make love to you. I want to see my love reflected in them and mostly I want to see them as I make you cum," he whispered, as he hovered above her. One arm snaked around her and held her close, while his other free hand searched and found the little control box. As he clicked for the next setting, he adjusted his speed, repeating this process until the butterfly was vibrating at full force. The tremors going through Mia were enough signs to him she also was feeling the effect of the vibrating. He had to clench his teeth to keep up the pace and not lose himself, for he constantly felt the urge to just slam into her and cum as he never had before. Chris felt Mia's arms go around him, gripping him tightly as their emotions started to overflow each other's senses. Still their eyes were locked together, in both, the golden shimmer of their wolves getting visible. "Fuck Mia!" Chris grounded between clenched teeth. She knew what he meant. Her own muscles were sending the same signals throughout her own body. Struggling to maintain eye contact, she breathed rapidly, biting her lower lip. She desperately wanted to cum, but wanted to hold out as long as possible, waiting for Chris to join her. Chris caved and buried his head against her neck as he grabbed her tight. How he did it he didn't know, but he turned off the butterfly and all he concentrated on now was his impending release. He cursed to himself for getting the little plaything for it was preventing him cuming when he wanted too and it was clear to him Mia was doing her best to wait for him. The loss of the vibrations made it a little easier on him and he could feel his balls crunching up tightly, getting ready to spill their seed. Mia held him tightly, her soft lips caressing her mating mark, sparked that inner fire he always felt and not much later he slammed in deep. Holding her close, his thrusting got even more frantic and before he knew it, he started shaking as he pumped his seed into her. Breathing heavily, he was surprised by how long it took before he was spent. The last tingles traveled through his spine as he cradled a just as satisfied Mia closer and rolled them on their sides. Mia nuzzled the lower part of his neck and reveled in the scent that was a combination of them both. "You keep on amazing me. I'd almost think I don't deserve you," she mused. "Don't deserve me? Let me tell you..." he started to say but Mia cut him off. "I said 'think'. The moment you walked into the shop's office I knew you were mine and I wasn't going to let you go," she said. "That's more like it," he murmured. He leaned back a little and removed the butterfly cock ring from his cock and without much concern tossed it behind him on the ground. Once the cock ring came off, he felt relief course through him and it almost felt as if he got a little after climax as he shuddered when normal blood flow was possible. A sated and content Mia next to him was stifling a laugh as he saw mischief written all over her face. "Not a word," he warned her. "But I haven't even-" "Not one word. Just get comfy and go to sleep." Mia turned around and scooted back until her back was snuggled up to Chris' front, his arms gently circling her and pulling her just that little bit closer. She snickered as she felt his cock against her bum. If she really wanted too she could have another round with him, but it seemed he wanted her to rest. Making a mental note that she must know where he would put the cock ring/butterfly, she was dead set on using this little toy more often. With these thoughts in mind she drifted off to sleep, soon followed by Chris. + + + + Adam looked around his apartment. He was sure that everything was in order. He had no plants that needed taking care off and no pets either that needed to be fed or walked. Everything was tidied up. He even made sure as to get rid of most of the food in his fridge so it wouldn't go bad. He's been working hard these last few days, doing a lot of searching, making phone calls. He even had gotten round to buying a new laptop. Once he saw how fast the damn thing worked he cursed and wondered why he never got one sooner. It was his last night before he had arranged for at least two, maybe three weeks off-time. He gathered that it should be enough time to deal with things and move on once and for all. His duffel bag stood already packed next to the door. A pile of clean clothes lay in the bathroom. Sitting behind his desk, which looked a lot more spacious now, he started up the laptop and checked his account. He noticed the new ping he had. A message from Bronwille, curious about what she had to tell "Atlas" he quickly opened the mail and started reading intently. As he read on he started smiling for he knew the words he had said in his own mail were hard, but she seemed to take them at heart and rebel against them. His intent wasn't to really provoke her but it seemed his words had that effect anyway. ### To Atlas from RedB : Hi Atlas, Let me first thank you for your honest reply. Those words were touching and unsettling at the same time. They awoke feelings inside of me I hoped I had buried deep down. Your words proved me wrong. I'll be honest here, I was angry at first at the assumptions you made about me, and then I had to admit you were right. I'm a mess. I can admit that now, to myself at least, but for my friends, well I try to hide it. I had a little breakdown before I really started thinking about your words, then I added in your poem and correct me if I'm wrong, I think at some level you are just as hurt and tormented as I am. Can't put my finger on it, it's a feeling I get each time I read your poem. It may be bold of me but if you want to share your own past, maybe we both can work on moving past our problems and come out of this as better people? Writing things down helps me to deal with things, maybe this can have the same effect for you? Maybe I shouldn't just suggest this, but challenge you to do just this very thing. The poem you sent as a reply felt raw but true and honest and I liked that very much. I'm not going to waste more words on this but know my virtual door is open should you wish to share anything. You don't have to share these writings with the world if you don't want too, but I can help fine tune them for you and then you can decide what you want to do with it. It is late now and time for me to crawl back to bed. I hope with being so bold myself I haven't stepped on anyone's toes. Best wishes, RedB ### Adam couldn't help but fill his living room with the deep rumble of his laugh. Bronwille really had no idea how proud she made him feel right now. He wished he could just pop over there and tell her just that. Writing a story of my own? Can I do that? I already cursed a million times when I wrote that poem. He shook his head as he reread her mail. She should give herself more credit. She had read between the lines of his poem and had figured out it wasn't just her torment he tried to convey in it, but unbeknownst to himself he had brought in his own past feelings. Living as long as his kind did, he knew you couldn't let certain things influence you. There was a short period in his long life he always preferred not to think about and he had managed to give it a place and move on. Some things just are and you just had to deal with them and accept them and after that preferably move on. It hadn't been easy, but he ended up where he was now and had found a new purpose to his life. He was glad his Alpha never had made a big deal of him not living with the rest of his pack and his rather rare visits. It just had the opposite effect. Once word had gotten out he was a cook here, they started coming over, making the tavern a blooming place to live and work. Well maybe this is just the thing I need to do. I can tell her part of my own history and see how she reacts to that. He didn't want to leave her in the dark and quickly typed up a reply stating that he might take her up on her challenge, but that he was going out of town for a while and that he would get back to her once he had something to share. This way, he let her know that he didn't mind her turning the tables, but that he needed time and that his coming silence wasn't because he felt offended or anything like that. Closing his laptop, he went back to his bedroom. Flopping down on his bed, he started going over the things he had learned and found out. The days or weeks to come weren't going to be easy. He had pulled some strings and had gotten free reign as to how to deal with things as long as he didn't draw attention to himself. Don't forget to vote and comment. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 06 SIW : Adam O'Neill Here we are with our weekly update. As usually many thanks go out to Nulli and EvilJ for their proofreading skills and Mikothebaby for her edit skills. As for next week I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it, chapter 7 is with Miko right now but she has a bit more on her plate than usual with the Halloween contest going on, so in light of that I will submit chapter 7 in two weeks' time instead of next week. That will give you all some more time to catch up with all the Halloween entries. Without any further hold up, enjoy the read! Mokkelke Chapter Six : The Road to Revenge. Adam strolled through the streets late at night. He had visited the local Alpha earlier today and explained his presence. Alpha Ramirez understood his position and need for revenge and had offered him any assistance he would need. He hoped it wouldn't have to come to that but it was nice to know he was covered if the need arose. Looking around, he tried to search for any indication something wasn't as it was supposed to be. So far, this evening proved to be very lame without much happening besides the local drunks setting up camp in the deserted alleys, making their "comfortable" beds from cardboard boxes. The corners of the streets were graced with what appeared to be young girls, but on closer inspection, were older women heavily clad in make-up, selling their bodies to whomever could afford them. He felt sad seeing how these females had to lower themselves to this standard to make ends meet. He was convinced the majority of them had one or more kids tucked away at home and others were trying to earn extra cash towards their college funds. One or two approached him as they saw him sauntering their way, but a simple shake of his head stopped them in their tracks. However, he didn't mind the appreciative glances they threw his way, as they pumped up his ego. As he walked past them, he tried to sniff the air and when he passed dark alleys, he tried to scan them without being obvious about it. Checking his watch, he saw it was nearing eleven pm and decided to make his way over to a club downtown. When he had called his contacts some days ago to ask about details, he was told that the main place where this particular gang operated from was a dance club called "The Dark Pit". It usually just got called "The Pit" by the locals. From what his source had told him, the police had tried to raid the place time and again. Not once could they find anything that they could use in court that would shut them down and put away some of the high rollers of that particular gang. His source at the police department had given him some sealed files and he had gone over them this afternoon trying to get a glimpse of how they operated. The file had contained a list of all the dead girls. You couldn't really name them women yet. Looking at their dates of birth, most were barely of legal age. His wolf shuddered in response to Adam reading all these facts. The poor girls were all found in the same state of undress, clothes ripped apart, covering nothing of their frail bodies. As he arrived at the last name on the list he had a lot of trouble reigning in his wolf. Only after reasoning with him that they would get their revenge, did he back down and let Adam have full control again. It hadn't taken him long to find out who the cop was that had talked to Bronwille at the hospital. With a bit of searching on the net he had found a tiny article stating a woman, who desired to stay anonymous, had been found on the steps of the local hospital. She had been badly beaten up and it was visibly obvious she had endured some severe abuse. It was at the end of that article that they named the officer in charge of this investigation. A bit of more searching told him Bronwille never pressed charges and had simply disappeared. Remembering her story and how detailed it was, he could only take an educated guess at what happened once she was discharged from the hospital. Another search showed him at which station this officer worked. Luckily for him a distant relative had worked in the same station and a quick call made it possible for him to get his hands on the file that now lay scattered over his hotel bed. He knew he could have asked for a room at the local pack's grounds, but he preferred the solitude of staying at the hotel. He wasn't really alone and yet he was. A bit of walking and more inspections later he arrived at the club. The entrance was buzzing, loads of young people waiting in line to get inside. It was clear on some faces you had to be real pretty or very handsome to get an invitation. The envy on some faces was just creepy. Not wanting any special treatment he just went and stood in line. Some of the girls started checking him out, but he ignored them. A tap on his shoulder made him turn around. He had to look down to make eye contact with the little weasel like person he had spotted guarding the entrance. His tiny fingers were almost constantly tapping away on an I-Pad2 while his eyes were scanning the waiting crowed. "You seem to be up for a good night, my lad," the little weasel said in an even more ear shattering voice. Adam raised a brow questionably. "Well, do you want to get inside or do you prefer waiting here outside until it's your turn," the weasel checked his watch, "in about two hours?" "If you say it like that, by all means, lead the way," Adam replied. He had to push down the urge to just give that little man a push. "Then follow me, my lad," the little man continued as he kept tapping away on his tablet. The two guards, who more resembled tree trunks than humans, stepped aside and opened the double doors, letting the little weasel and himself inside. Once inside he got bombarded with loud music and a wide variety of scents. Some were familiar, others he didn't recognize, but luckily most of them were just human. The little weasel who had led him inside had disappeared without a trace and left him to his devices. A thing he didn't mind at all, it allowed him to make a sweep of the club, making it seem he was checking out the female population. Often he felt hands gliding over his arms, trying to stop him or turn him, but he evaded all of them. He wasn't interested in them, he only wanted one and she wasn't here right now. Adam started to get the feeling he was being watched. Turning around 360° he didn't notice anything or anyone that was focusing on him. He just couldn't drop that feeling and he moved to the sides, wanting to inspect the darker corners. He wasn't able to sense vampires but seeing as he had picked up the scent of a few other shifters like him, he was sure there must be a few here hiding in the dark. The first few spots he passed all appeared normal. The next however had a vampire who was in a tight embrace with a young woman. The feint metallic smell alerted him the vampire in question was feeding. He couldn't help but stop and watch; he was curious at what the vamp would do once he was fed. The vamp looked up and saw Adam watching him feed, his pupils dilated slightly as he registered that Adam was a wolf. His surprise was quickly gone and as the vamp locked eyes with Adam, he had the nerve to wink knowingly and continued with his meal. At this, Adam tilted his head and waited, he really wanted to know how this would end for the human. Not much later, the vamp straightened himself after licking the tiny wounds and making them disappear. He looked at the female for a few stern seconds and then she turned with a glazed but satisfied look in her eyes and mingled with the rest of the crowed again. It seemed to Adam that the vamp had fed but stopped well in advance so as not to hurt or alarm the human that something had happened to her. He turned back to the vampire, who was staring back at him with a curious look on his face. "You know wolf, if you want food you'll have to go catch a pig in the basement. This floor is only for those needing blood and bit of a good time," the vampire informed him with a voice so sweet it was actually not befitting a creature like him. "Then it's a good thing I'm not here to feed, but to mingle," Adam replied, "maybe I just want a bit of a good time." "Just watch out for a tall blond she-wolf, she'll eat you alive. It's not often a were comes here. She might set her claws in you and not want to let you go for a while," the vamp teased. His insides were preparing for a roller coaster. He just couldn't stomach the idea of touching another female, not even a female wolf. However this little bit of information did spike his interest. "Does the she-wolf have a name? So I know who to avoid. If I wanted a she-wolf I could have stayed home with the pack and picked out any bitch there. I need a bit more than that." He had a hard time keeping his emotions at bay. He hadn't thought his journey would start out like this, but every little opportunity to find something he had to take and use to his advantage. "Let me think, ooh right, think her name was Dolores. Can't say I didn't warn you. Think twice before crossing her. She's the boss' newest pet and so far she has gotten everything her little greedy heart desired." "Thanks for the heads up. I'm Adam by the way," he introduced himself, extending his hand towards the vampire. The other waited a few seconds and just when it would turn embarrassing, he took the extended hand in his own and shook it firmly. "I'm Chasey. I'm the resident vamp." Hearing that name, alarm bells started going off in Adam's mind, in a way it sounded familiar and the casual attitude he was portraying seemed deceiving. Keeping his face in check, he let go of the other ones hand and let it appear he wanted to move on and check out the rest of the club. "I'll see you around then," Adam said as he turned and started walking away. A hand grabbing his shoulder stopped him short and he looked over his shoulder. The vamp, Chasey, was looking at him with amusement in his eyes, "If you can't find what you're looking for then just ask one of the bouncers to find me and I'll see what I can do for you." With a sharp nod, Adam let Chasey know he understood and as he turned, he moved forward, free of the tight grip that vamp had on him. A quick look around and he made a bee line for the bathrooms, he needed a bit of breathing room to calm himself down. He also had to put some things in perspective and double check some facts he had mentally stored away. Entering the men's room, he went straight for one of the open stalls and locked himself inside. Sitting on the lid of the toilet he went over the facts one by one. Suddenly his eyes shot wide open. "This can't be!" he whispered to himself. In his mind he went over the list he had gotten from his source and one of the names on the list was Chasey DiSarbonne. He was the so-called number two in the gang they were after. Adam bit back a curse. Finding out that at least a vampire was involved made this a whole other ball game. He wanted to smash the door down, but knew he had to keep it together. Then another thought sprang forward and suddenly his wolf was demanding to be let loose. Could Chasey be the Casey in Bronwille's story? Adam's eyes turned a deep amber as he fought his wolf for control. That vile creature had molested and abused their mate. He had to pay and the only payment they would allow was with his life! Adam knew he had to keep his cool now. If this Chasey really was the Casey from her story, he had the best possible way in he could imagine. He had to get out of here and talk to his source. Things were falling into place now. This gang was more dangerous than the public or even the police department knew. It was time to put an end to this. As he left the men's room a plan was forming in his mind and for that to play out well he had to stay friends with the bloodsucker. Taking a quick scan of his surroundings, it didn't take him long to find the vampire latched onto the neck of another young female. Approaching him, he put on what he hoped looked like an amused grin as he patiently waited for Chasey to finish his feeding. "Back already?" he asked, licking his lips removing the last few traces of blood. The young woman was already walking away with a happy grin on her face. "Yes, while I was in the men's room I got a call from my pack. There are some things that need my immediate attention," Adam fluently lied. "However, I wouldn't mind if maybe on another occasion you would show me around. This place is very, umm, captivating and if what you hinted is possible, I wouldn't mind letting my wolf run free and grab some juicy meat to munch." Adam knew he was taking a huge gamble here, but the smile that appeared on Chasey's face was enough proof that his hunch had been right. If the ground level was used for feeding, then the other levels would provide something as well for other species than those needing blood to survive. He bet on the right horse. "But of course. Next time you grace us with a visit, just skip the line and tell one of the bouncers you have a free entry courtesy of Mister DiSarbonne. They'll let you in right away and inform me of your attendance. I'll make my way over as quickly as possible. How does that sound?" "That sounds like a deal. This thing with the pack shouldn't take long, I might even come by tomorrow evening or the one after at the latest," Adam replied, silently pleading to his wolf to back down. "I'll make sure we have something fitting for the likes of you," Chasey said. Only for the briefest moment did a dark expression cross his handsome pale face and with that Adam knew he had to prevent that from happening. "You don't have to. When I leave the pack again I'm quite sure my wolf will be more then sated." "Are you sure? It really won't be much of an effort?" "I am yes, I have a specific taste I like and the pack very willingly provides for me." Quickly thinking he thought of a way to keep his interest and himself out of harm's way. "Thing is I'm quite impressed with the club and how it seems to be organized. So much so, that I might suggest to my Alpha to create something similar. But before I can present him with such an opportunity I'd like to know more about this place." Adam let those words sink in and it only took a second for Chasey to understand he might have something good going on. Inwardly he let out a sigh of relief as he heard the words the vamp spoke next. "By all means, attend to your pack's needs and when you return I'll have a tour of this place ready for you. We aim to please and if we come across an opportunity to expand, who are we to complain about that and pass up such interest?" Adam couldn't really believe that he would get in this fast and he didn't fully trust this. When he got back to the hotel he had to call in for help. This quest for revenge was quickly taking on bigger proportions then he could have imagined. + + + + Bronwille felt like a wreck. For two nights in a row she had barely slept and always the same thing on her mind. Adam. She longed for his company and despite her personal battle and reservations, she felt good around him. He made her feel cherished and wanted. Two times he acted like her prince in shining armor, three if she would count their evening in "The Viper" as well. On first appearances one wouldn't think a huge bulky guy like that would be so nice, let alone make her feel the way she did. Because of him, she wished she wasn't dragging her past with her. Maybe she should take a chance and let him get closer. Only she wasn't sure how to go about it. It's not like she could go up his door, knock on it and say "Hey wanna gives this thing a try?" She dropped back on her pillows, closed her eyes and thought back to the moment he dragged her out of the women's room and to his office. His arms were around her and she felt like she could take on the world. What kind of heaven would it be if she could have that feeling every day? Bronwille mulled over his words again and knew he was interested but wouldn't push for things. He knew something was bothering her and had done his best to convince her of his sincere intentions. Maybe it was time she took a leap of faith and deep down she knew Adam wouldn't let her down. With this newfound courage she got out of bed, showered, got dressed and checked her mail. It was then she saw the small note from Atlas. Smiling vaguely, she read the words and felt encouraged in her belief that things might be turning around for her finally. Atlas had answered that he might take her up on her un-worded challenge and write down his own demons. He added that it wouldn't be right away, that he had things to take care of, but once he got back in town, he would sit down and give this some serious thought. A quick reply was sent telling him she understood and that she would wait patiently until he had something to share with her. She checked the time and decided it was early enough to wake up Mia for breakfast, and she already knew where she would be going. + + + + "Hello?" a still half asleep Mia murmured into the phone. "It's Bron, wanna come out for breakfast?" Mia held the phone in front of her for a second, not sure if she heard it correct. Was her friend calling her at this ungodly hour? "Do you know what time it is?" she replied in a sleep drunk voice. "Oh come on, it's not that early. I'm guessing you're still in bed curled up next to that hunk of a boyfriend of yours. He can come too if he really wants too," Mia said. "Actually yeah I was sleeping nicely until someone decided it was time to wake up and that someone wasn't my boyfriend. Fine, fine, I'll get up and meet with you for breakfast. Where do you want me to go?" "Adam's" was the sole reply Mia got, but that one word was enough to brighten up her early morning. "Give me thirty and I'll meet you there!" came her quick reply, she didn't even wait for an answer, just hung up, tossed the phone aside and easily tried to get out of the bed. "What are you doing sneaking out of our bed?" the rough voice of Chris halted her. "Mia called." "And?" "Well, she wants to have breakfast. It's what friends do." Chris lifted up his head and checked the time. "At this ungodly hour?" and flopped back down. Mia smiled at his exact same use of words she had. "Yeah, I admit she's a bit on the early side, but I couldn't find it in my heart to say no. She wants to go to Adam's." This explained enough for Chris and he pulled her close capturing her lips with his own. Only a few moments later both were breathless and Chris had pulled Mia on top of him and had her riding him in a leisurely fashion. Neither had to say a thing and knew instinctively which pace to take, what to touch to make this a short and rewarding moment for both of them. After both had screamed their joy about their union, Mia got out of bed and sauntered over to the bathroom. Once there, she went into overdrive, taking a quick shower. Their little intermezzo had lasted longer than they intended and if she didn't hurry up she would be late meeting up with Bronwille. + + + + Anxiously Bronwille paced back and forth in front of the tavern. Checking her watch once more she could officially say that Mia was late. She could only imagine what had caused her tardiness and she wished she could be in the same position. She was just about to start another stretch of pacing as she saw Mia rounding the corner and hastily walking up to her. "Sorry I'm late," Mia excused herself. "No you're not sorry, but I can take an educated guess why you are late," Bronwille replied in good nature as she hugged her friend, looped her arm in hers and started dragging her towards the tavern. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 06 They took a seat in the back and both grabbed a menu. Mia scrounged up her nose at most things that were listed. It seems that after a few weeks of having an easy pregnancy the little quirky phase was starting. Half of the items on there made her stomach turn and only one or two things looked appealing to her taste buds. As she looked up at Bronwille she told her she could pick anything she wanted for breakfast "But please don't take anything with eggs!" The same waitress from before came up to their table and jotted down their order and returned immediately with two cups of coffee before disappearing behind the counter and taking care of the rest of their order. Bronwille fidgeted with the menu and Mia couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer. "So tell me, why here of all places? When I brought you here you freaked at first. So spill" "I had a little eye opener and well what time is good to do anything than doing it right away? Think I needed a bit of support so I would actually come and not chicken out," Bronwille explained. "So you want to give Adam a chance to win your heart?" Bronwille blushed at those words. Deep down she knew Adam already had won a major part of it. He had succeeded in breaking down a lot of the walls she had built around her and not just around her heart. "Think it might be more me letting him in. I'm still in doubt but some harsh words woke me up and made me realize that despite everything, I deserve a shot at happiness too, don't I?" "Sweetie, I'm glad you're finally seeing that. If anyone deserves anything, it is you. You went through hell and back. Just one step at a time, Adam won't disappoint you. Besides if he does act like a jerk, I know a few guys who would gladly make him sing in a lower tone, but I don't think that will be needed. Between you and me, he's been a wreck and an absolute pain in the butt until that day I brought you here. I thought at one point he was redecorating his kitchen, he was making so much noise and scaring off the customers." "Oh" "Yup, trust your heart is all I'll say and trust Adam, he won't disappoint or hurt you, ever. I know he's a big man, but he's got a huge heart." Bronwille blushed at the words of her friend, but they were words that cut deep and also hit the inner wall she had built around herself. Maybe things could work out for her. Slowly she let the air slip away, not having noticed she had been holding her breath for a short time. "Maybe I can do this Mia, but it will go slow." Mia got up, walked around the table and pulled her friend in a tight hug, not caring what the other few people present thought of it. "That you are willing to try means more than anything else. As I said, one step at a time and you'll get there and I'm always here if you need me." "Jeesh, I kinda feel silly now that I have been sequestering myself all this time and now in such a short time span I'm getting on top of things and actually moving on." "It just takes the right man to come along," Mia said as she sat down again. "But right now, what I want even more is some food, I'm starving!" Bronwille laughed at the dramatics of her friend and gazed at the menu just to look at something. Secretly Bronwille hoped Adam would bring it to them again and maybe then she could ask him to join them for a coffee or so. As they waited for breakfast, the two chit chatted about everything and nothing, mostly ending up talking about baby stuff. When the waitress returned, Bronwille was disappointed a little. She really had hoped Adam would come out to greet them, especially now it seemed they had made a nice second start. The disappointment must have been clear on her face because the waitress picked up on it. "I don't want to meddle in things, but if you're hoping to see Adam, he ain't here. He's gone for a few weeks, he didn't say how long exactly. I'm Katie by the way; I've known him since I was a little girl. I normally wouldn't take this liberty but I happen to notice how concerned he was for you the last time you were here. It's a side we rarely, if ever see of him," Katie explained. Part of this was a relief for Bronwille but on the other hand it put a dumper on her new found self-esteem. He wasn't here, he was gone and he didn't tell her. Gone was her mood as she looked down at her plate, her appetite was gone too. "Thank you for telling us, Katie," Mia sad picking up the mood change in Bronwille. "When you hear from him, will you let us know? It's rather unlike him just to up and leave and not leave a message behind." "I'll keep my eyes and ears open. I have no clue where he went or why. I'm just as curious as you. He left early yesterday morning and just left a note on his desk telling us he'd be gone a few weeks, just as I told you before." "It would be much appreciated. Here's my card, my number is on the back. Don't hesitate to call, even if it's just to inform me about him. Maybe he'll let us know something too in a few days," Mia said, handing over the card. Katie tucked the tiny piece of paper in her pocket and looked at both of them, noting the pale complexion on the tiny redhead. The news that Adam wasn't here hit her head on and she hoped he wasn't fucking up things with just disappearing on them. "I promise," Katie said, "from the second I hear anything from or about him, you will know it. He did leave one specific order. If either of you were to come in and have something to eat or drink it was on the house. So enjoy the food." With those words Katie turned and went back to the bar. Mia checked Bronwille and she didn't like what she was seeing. She was so pale, she seemed whiter than a clean sheet. "Sweetie, try to eat something, you need it. Then we'll go to your house and talk about it and I'll call Chris to see if he knows anything. Deal?" Bronwille looked up at Mia, tears threatening to stain her cheeks. "Pull it together Bron, get a bite to eat and then we go back to your place." Taking a few shallow breaths, Bronwille fought back the tears. Mia was right. This wasn't the place to fall apart. She had heard every word Katie had said and in a way Adam wasn't obligated to let her know, but it would have been a nice gesture if he had done that. Doing as Mia said, she grabbed her fork and started picking in the bowl of fruit. As on autopilot she ate everything, she even ate the croissants. Not a word was said and when both were done eating Mia motioned for Bronwille to get up and follow her. As they were headed outside, Mia turned and waved at Katie, silently thanking her for keeping them in the loop about Adam. + + + + "Hello?" "Ed? It's Adam here. I need to talk to you." Ed gave a puzzled look at the phone in his hands. Adam wasn't one to call so easily. "What's up friend?" "I have this thing going on and as it turns out it's a lot bigger then I can handle on my own. I could actually use an extra pair of eyes and hands to be honest," Adam told him. "Spill the beans, what have you got yourself into?" Ed asked. "You know about Bronwille's attack at 'The Viper'? That wasn't all that was ever done to her, there is more, a lot more. I won't go into detail. It would make you sick to the stomach. Anyways, I'm dealing with her past so she can move on. I expected to just run into some local gang, but I stumbled on something far worse." "Do I dare ask more?" "There is this club they use as a cover. I checked it out earlier tonight. I scented several beings in there and even got talking with a vampire. One that, if I think I'm correct, was directly involved with Bronwille's prior attack. I set a few things in motion but I'm gonna need some back up here." Ed listened and his eye grew wide as he heard about the involvement of vampires. With the little things Adam told him, Ed figured out he was on another round of getting revenge. Deep inside of him the thrill of a good fight awoke and he already knew that whatever Adam would ask he'd agree. The last bout of fighting hadn't satisfied his need of a good brawl. "What do you need Adam? You should know I'd back you up anytime," Ed replied. "I could do with some muscle. I'll also call my Alpha and inform him on parts of my plan so I can keep to true facts as much as possible so as not to raise suspicion. This club is apparently used as a feeding ground for several different species. Even weres can get a bite to eat that normally wouldn't be on our menu." Adam waited a little to let the meaning of his last words register with Ed. "No way!" "I'm afraid so. We have to be careful how we handle this. I don't want them to be second guessing my motives. I've led him to believe that I think they got something ace going on and that I would be telling my Alpha about this and would be interested in a tour of the place to see how they run things, and possibly open up something similar in our region." "Damn Adam, what have you gotten yourself into?" Ed's voice sounded livid. "I know, I know, but it was the best I could come up with at the moment without tearing off his head and having to 'hunt' for my food in their basement." "Please don't let it be what you're implying there..." Ed said his voice lightly wavering. "It is exactly that. They have a basement for just that. When that fuck told me, I had to give an Oscar performance not to tear his head off where he stood. But it's those things that made it clear something bad is going on and it must be stopped at all costs. Reading these files, Bronwille can count herself lucky she still lives. Their other female victims are all dead. She's the only survivor in all the years this gang has been active. Looking at the files, they've been active for at least a decade and not once has the court able to stop them. Seeing it involves vamps and others like us..."Adam trailed off. Ed was speechless, something that didn't happen often. He cleared his through before he answered. "Maybe me alone isn't enough. Don't you think we could use a bit of real 'extra' help?" "Who did you have in mind? I'm not asking Nick, he's still too wrapped up in Fran and Chris is a no-no too. He's got Mia and a little one on the way. I don't want to tear them apart." "I was more thinking along the lines of Merlin. If I give him a call and he's free, he can have us there in just a few minutes. That gives us more time to plan and work out some details. In the meantime, you can inform Dave about everything and get his cooperation." "That actually is something I didn't think of. Yeah sure go ahead, you call Merlin and I'll call Alpha Dave." "Ok, if Merlin can't come, I'll ring right back but I'm pretty sure he'll join us." "Roger that. I owe you a big one Ed. I'll see you in a bit!" Adam said just before hanging up. He was just in time to hear the click from the other end. Ed hung up at the same time. Once he put his phone away, he let himself breathe out deep. He wanted, no needed a run but he knew that wasn't a real option on another pack's grounds. He was on good terms with the Whelans and that did have some advantages, they trusted him like he was one of their own. Their willingness to help him was proof of that. Still observant of his surroundings, he walked back to his hotel. As he entered his dark room he had a feeling something was off. It felt like there was someone watching him. Sniffing the air carefully, he couldn't make out any definite smell he recognized. Not sure what to expect he automatically went into a battle stance expecting to be jumped upon any second. "This isn't the way to greet your old LT, now is it?" a low voice said from somewhere in the dark. Adam recognized the voice, but it couldn't be. It wasn't possible. It had been decades since he heard that voice booming orders at him left and right. "You can't be my LT, he's dead," or so Adam assumed. A second and a loud swoosh of air later he was sure his hearing was still intact. Right there in front of him stood his LT John Bradley. Only his black hair was now pulled back in a ponytail. He still had that vaguely amused glint in his eyes together with a tiny scar that ran through his left eye brow. The familiar grin was on his face as he flashed his white teeth. The LT was easily half a head taller than Adam and his physique was still the same as all those years ago. He was dressed in a clearly expensive black suit that was tailor made. The shirt was open revealing the top part of his wide chest. The white of the dress shirt was a stark contrast with the dark mocha tan of his skin. Adam was startled at the speed he had moved. That was just inhuman. "I guess I can say I'm surprised to see you; how is this possible?" Adam inquired. A small hiss was heard and the next second the LT flashed his fangs to Adam, this simple gesture explaining instantly what he was, how he still looked the same as all those years ago and why he didn't scent him. "A vampire?" Adam shook his head in disbelief. The man in front of him nodded in agreement. "Well I'll be damned," was all Adam was able to say as he stood there. "To be correct I'm the damned one here, my friend. I was alerted of your presence in the area and vaguely why you are here. It seems we have a mutual problem that needs taken care of. So I thought why don't I stop by for a little visit and exchange pleasantries," the LT said. "You might want to wait a bit. I'm waiting on a call and if that has a positive answer, its best you wait unless you want to repeat yourself. I've called for help and with some luck they might show in a few. But as I said that depends on the call." "This sounds interesting. Ok, if that is what you want. Let's grab a drink while we wait. It's actually nice to see you. You haven't changed. Much." "I could say the same for you, LT." "Think you can drop the title now. John will do just fine," he corrected Adam. "I'll try. Old habits die hard, John." They went to the bar and Adam put two glasses on the top and poured some whiskey in both. He knew from back in them days it was a favorite of the LT. As he handed John his glass his phone rang. He quickly excused himself and answered. He swiftly added that he had an extra person in his room that might be a huge help and if that would pose a problem. He listened intently and hung up. "Well it seems my friends are on their way. Whatever you do, don't freak out and stay put, preferably here next to me," Adam explained. He took a generous sip of his own glass and waited. To be continued... Don't forget to vote and comment. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 07 Here we are with the next chapter, sadly it is a bit later then I wanted to and from now on I'll just have to result to submitting the chapters is I go along. 08 is currently with the editor and I'm working on chapter 09. Things are a bit crazy in that thing called a real life. But don't panic, I got plenty busting my ass to keep on working, which I am, just a bit slower then I want to. Muchos kudos for Mikothebaby for a job well done editing Nulli, EvilJ and many others for their continuous support and encouragement. Enjoy the read! Mokkelke Chapter Seven : Offspring. Both men stood there waiting. The smaller one knew what was going to happen so he had a relaxed stand. The other one didn't know what was going on so he appeared relaxed while his senses went to their full potential, trying to be prepared for anything. "Relax John, nothing bad is gonna happen. Just don't move, I got your six covered," Adam said, shoving his old LT. John gave him a credulous look as he relaxed his stand. A few seconds later, the air in front of them started to cloud up. Another few seconds later, two men appeared in front of them. Both were about the same height, but where one was tall and blond, the other was tall with raven black hair. The one with black hair stumbled a little bit and cursed. "I'll never get used to this no matter how many times I do this. It's not natural!" "Don't get your pants in a twist. It's as natural as anything else, Ed, so stop moaning. I spared us from a long flight in way too small seats and food that isn't to our standard," the blond replied in a teasing voice. Adam looked amused as the two quibbled for a few moments longer. "It's good to see the both of you. You're doing me a huge favor here. I don't know if I can ever repay it!" Adam said his welcome, stepping forward and giving Ed a manly hug. Once he stepped back he grabbed the hand of the other one and slapped him on the shoulder. Adam stepped back and held out a hand and motioned John to get closer. "Let me introduce to you my old LT from my days in 'Nam, John Bradley. He kinda surprised me with being here but it seems we have a common interest. I've asked him to wait till you both got here so he didn't have to explain twice what his interest is." Adam turned to John and started to introduce the two men to him in turn. "This is Ed Whelan, a Beta of the SIW pack," Adam paused then and looked at Merlin, silently asking if he could tell who he really was or that it should be the cover he used. A small nod told Adam what he needed to know and he went on, "And this is Merlin, an old friend of the family." "Nice to finally meet you, Ed," John directed at both men, extending his hand in greeting. He recognized Ed; he was one of the Whelan brothers that basically took in Adam as their brother. "It's nice to put a face to the name I've been hearing about," he added. As he looked at Merlin he couldn't really tell what it was, but all his alarm bells were going off. He smelled old and that was all he could distinguish. He gave the tall blond a curious look and waited for a plausible explanation. "Any friend of Adam is considered a friend of me," Merlin said before continuing with caution, "I see you're puzzled at what I am. The name doesn't ring a bell?" Merlin couldn't help but feel a bit amused. "The only Merlin worth mentioning is just a legend," John replied. "Is that so? Don't they say that each legend has truth to them? I'm not gonna start a little show, but I am who I say I am. However I do trust you, being a friend of Adam, to keep that little fact to yourself. If word got out..." Merlin explained. For the first time in ages John was speechless. Somehow it didn't add up. The Merlin of those old days was always portrayed as an old man with a white beard and long hair and here he was looking at a tall handsome man with blond hair. As the words Merlin had said sunk in, he had to correct a little something. "I can promise to keep this from my children and fledglings, but I can't hide this from my wife. For starters she would get very mad at me if I tried to hide anything from her. She can be trusted not to tell, I have my ways with her." The look that appeared on John's face was proof that he adored his wife. "I sense the bond between the two of you is pure, she can know, but no one else. Now that we have this out of the way, why don't you enlighten us with your interest in this little endeavor?" Merlin asked. "I'm assuming you both know why Adam is here, so let me pick up with that. He can fill me in later. I know generally why he is here, I've kept tabs on him." Ed and Merlin nodded in agreement, Adam just stared at John for a second. He couldn't believe his old LT had actually cared enough to do such a thing. "Don't worry Adam, I never interfered in your life, but after 'Nam you were a wreck, especially when I found you at one of those VC-camps." John didn't go into detail. Adam knew what he was talking about. Now it became clear to him why the LT was able to sneak up on him like that. Vampires could move very silently and a were couldn't sense them at all. "Let me first tell you all a bit about myself, my mate and how we ended up in this situation. As you probably have picked up, I refer to some of those I sire as children and others I call fledglings. The fledglings are those that either me or my wife have sired. We don't do it often and we do our best to keep track of all of them. From the moment they stray from the path we follow, we bring them back to the mansion and have a serious talk. They all know the consequences. "I don't mind providing them with cash, a living space and whatever else they want. We only ask that they behave themselves and keep their feeding of humans to a bare minimum. We don't need much to survive and the older you get the less you need. After a few decades, our fledglings can live with a single feed each month and only need a few mouthfuls, not even so much that it would make the human dizzy. The strict rule is the human can never know unless they happen to find their mate. In those cases, we help them in every way we can to make that transition as easy as possible." John looked around the room and saw everyone was listening to him with great interest so he continued. "Then there are those that my wife and me deem our children. Those are the very few that over the course of years meant a lot to both of us, people who would go to hell and back to help protect us and keep our secret safe. The reason why those select few are special is we sired them both; we both drained the human and gave him or her both of our blood and powers. "The difference is, that once our children awake in their new form, they have a huge advantage over our fledglings. They feel the need to feed like any of us, but since they have both our blood they can instantly control that need and they can tap into their powers right away. This isn't something we share with the other vampire covens because they would frown upon it, to them they're all mine, not Gabriella's. "We only have three children, Jassy, Davinia and Derrick. The girls are doing fine. It's Derrick that is going wrong. I don't know how or why, but we failed him. We saved him as a little boy and raised him as our own for two decades. As you know," he said while looking at Adam, "we have no issues walking in the sun, so raising him was a nice thing to keep us busy. Gabriella doted on the boy. The arguments we had about that, but she got her way every single time. That woman is cunning; there are no words for it. "But, back to Derrick. When he hit puberty, he went through a rough period, got in touch with the wrong crowd, we nearly lost him. Neither of us understood what was going through his mind, but then one evening he barely made it home alive. He had pissed of the wrong people again, only this time he wasn't fast enough and they got their hands on him. "When he called us that fateful evening he could just tell us where he was. I've seen a lot in my years but to see someone you care so much about being beaten to a pulp." It still riled him to even think about this, telling this wasn't easy either. Gabriella and he hardly spoke of these events. "It was that night we gave him the choice. He wouldn't survive his injuries for much longer. So, he died or we made him one of us. We both stayed with him during his change as it took longer than normal due to his injuries. But he pulled through. We went easy on him those first few weeks, but once we got wind of it that he was once again picking fights with the same people who beat him up that first time, we knew we had to do something." The men had moved to the sitting area and were still listing with great interest, especially Adam. There was a bitter undertone to what John was telling them. In 'Nam John had never shown emotions and had kept them in check, always, well almost always, as he thought back. It seems we all have a burden that marks us in some way Adam thought, before he focused back on John. "We didn't know but bit by bit Derrick worked his way up, being a vampire made it easy for him to win the fights, but he'd been tricky. He made sure to lose some so they wouldn't pick up that he'd changed. Before we knew it he'd taken over and the little control we did have over him lessened over time. At first he still dropped by, he still considered us his parents and respected us thus. "Then we started hearing many rumors of others he attracted and he set up his 'Genus Gang'. He keeps a low profile and lets others do his dirty jobs. But again, as time went by, even that changed. He changed. There isn't much left of the Derrick we brought up. We tried to stop him but because we both sired him as our own he seems to know every step as we make it and keeps avoiding us. And like this it has been for nearly two decades now. John shook his head in defeat. He hated to admit this failure, but for the first time in a long time, he had a little bit of hope he could put a stop to him once and for all. "The one you're after is part of his gang now, how you come to know of them I don't know, I just got told you asked for a certain file and that file triggered one of my fledglings to warn me. I was glad to be told it was you Adam. I dug a bit deeper and can only assume it has got to do with the woman that has survived all those years ago," John concluded. "Yes, this is about her. She's my mate. The night I found her, I lost her out of my sight and she got attacked. I intervened in time before she really got hurt, but the damage had been done by a previous attack. Through a mutual friend I learned about her past and well I'm guessing you know how protective we wolves can get. I won't rest until I've put a stop to this. I am sorry to hear this involves one of your own," Adam said sympathetically. "I'm sorry too, but I'm hopeful now we can put an end to this once and for all. I know it's going to hurt us as parents, but we have responsibilities towards our kind as well. The gang he created is getting too dangerous and too careless. He turned into an emotionless bully. He doesn't show his powers often but he trained them and despite his young age he's strong and smart. You're going to have to be smart and witty to get close to him. He doesn't trust strangers easily." John paced the room, rubbing his temples in annoyance. He wished his wife would be here with him right now, she'd know how to get rid of the beginning headache. He turned back to the other men; "So how did your evening go in 'The Pit'?" "I bumped into Chasey DiSarbonne. He offered to give me tour of the place after I showed some interest in how they do things. It wasn't planned, I improvised on the spot. Once I got outside, I called in some help. Once I found out this gang includes vampires and whatever else, I knew I was way in over my head," Adam told. "So here we are. How do we go on from here?" "You at least have to tell Dave, so when they do contact him he can back you up," Ed said. "That's a given. I'll do that in a few. It's more about how we go about getting close to Derrick and see how he operates. I don't want to draw attention to us and I also don't want to participate in anything they provide. I can play along, but only for so long," Adam added. He had to think back at his time in 'Nam, he'd lost it there at one point. If it wasn't for the LT showing up, he didn't know how things would have turned out for him. His mind wandered a bit and he thought of the challenge Bronwille presented him with. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to let her in on that part of his live. He'd moved on, but seeing John and finding out what he really is, made him realize he had moved on but hadn't really worked through it. "I think your best shot is going up there tomorrow or the day after. Maybe the day after is best. It seems he might be expecting you back tomorrow and might have something planned. Going a day later may help you avoid doing anything you don't want to do. You can also tell them you took a lot of time explaining to your Alpha. I will go along with you. They won't know I'm even there. I'd suggest for Ed to stay behind, same for John. They might get recognized," Merlin said as he started planning. "I have to agree with you, mate. I just hope I don't run into that Ruben character right away. I'm close too snapping as it is. Let that be clear, once we go in for the finale, that one is mine and mine alone." Adam paced the room once more. "Adam, my friend, sit down before you walk holes in the carpet. I'm sure the hotel wouldn't appreciate that," John said. "I know, but I need to move, I need to run. Back home, I'd go to the lake and get rid of this tension, but I can't here!" "I might have a solution, if you don't mind some company to keep you safe," John countered. "How's that?" "Gabriella likes a good run herself and we have a large property ourselves. You keep your room here, I'll make sure any calls get forwarded and we all move to my place. God knows I got the room to put you all up and then some. We even have a large forest to train our fledglings," John explained. "That sounds like a good thing to do. At the same time it would keep Merlin and Ed out of view in case they follow me. I just hope Merlin doesn't mind playing taxi driver for a while. I have to arrive and leave from this place and have to get to yours without them knowing." "I don't mind, Adam, you know it's only a little trick for me," Merlin mused. "Ok, that's settled then I guess. Let me go make that call to my Alpha first, and then we can get moving. My wolf is anxious for that run. Not to mention I wouldn't mind meeting the woman who can put up with you," Adam added in a joking voice which rewarded him with a familiar slap against his head. "Better watch it, I'm not your LT anymore but I can still kick your ass." Adam let out a loud laugh and felt some of the tension leave his body. As he slapped John on the shoulder he said, "I am glad you're here, I never would have imagined this, but I am glad." He gave John a hard stare silently thanking him for all the sound advice he had given him all those decades ago. It had been John who had hinted that his time serving might be up and that he'd best indulge in other interest, John being one of the few who had known back then that he liked to cook. A simple nod of acknowledgement showed him John understood. Adam stepped up and dialed his Alpha's number. Some tense minutes were spent explaining the whole situation, bringing in Ed, Merlin and explaining John. Once that was done his Alpha didn't need much time to agree and go along with the plan. Ed had been silent mostly and when he saw Adam hang up the phone he stood up. "Let's get this show on the road and please let me hit something soon." His voice was dark and void of any emotions. Adam knew of Ed's darker side. He also knew he battled it on a daily basis, though most didn't pick up on it. When they had their revenge on the MacLachlan wolves he was stopped before he could really sink deep down into that dark state. He had seen this in Ed's eyes when the wolf had died at his hands. Somehow he was sure that this time around Ed would get what he'd craved. Adam just hoped he'd come out of it still sane. "Don't worry. You'll get your share of ass whooping. Let us get moved to John's now and work on our plan in more detail," Adam replied. + + + + As Bronwille and Mia left after breakfast, it was clear to Mia that Bronwille was fretting over something. She could make a very well educated guess what it was about. Mia couldn't blame her friend, and the first moment she got a hold of him she would make sure Adam knew all about this. How could he leave town and not let Bronwille know, not even a little note! Mia sent a mental warning to Chris and asked if he could get a hold of Adam in any way. She then settled down next to Bronwille on the couch. Bronwille sniffed a few times, not wanting to give in to the tears and the feeling of abandonment. Just as she felt she was getting better this happened, or rather something didn't happen. To her it was just proof that she obviously didn't mean that much to him as she thought. Here she was getting her hopes up just to get that gusto handed back to her on a platter. "Come here Bron and let it all out. I know you're upset about something and you're gonna tell me why," Mia motioned her friend to scoot closer, as she held open her arms. Not a second later Bronwille was in them and tears were staining her cheeks. Mia just stayed quiet and let her friend cry as she gently stroked her hair. After a while Bronwille started sniffing again and the sobs started to lessen. "Now, can you tell me what this little outburst is all about?" Mia asked. "I'm probably overreacting again," she replied in between sniffs. "Tut tut, there is no such thing. Just tell me and let me be the judge of that." "Fine, you asked for it. It's Adam. I don't know why but there is something about him that makes me feel safe. That evening, he listened to me, he talked to me, and he cared." Bronwille sobbed again. "That evening in 'The Viper', after Fran and Nick went home and then you guys, he wanted to follow me home to make sure I was safe. It...it never got that far. I was attacked again." Saying these last few words opened up all those pent up emotions and her tears came freely again. "Oh Bron, why do you always think you have to cope on your own! I knew something happened, but I didn't want to push for it," Mia consoled her friend. Deep down she was glad Bronwille had finally opened up and told her what had happened to her. And now she didn't have to pretend she didn't know anymore and really be here for her as a friend and confidant. "Whatever you need to get of your chest, just tell me, ok?" "There were these men coming up to me. I told them no, but they wouldn't have any of it. As I tried to bypass them, one started groping me, one other grabbed me from behind. I don't know but it felt like he actually didn't want this all, he tried to pull me away from the other one, but he wouldn't budge. Then it all became a blur. One slapped me in the face, the other kept trying to pull me away. I think at some point I got thrown into a wall. Suddenly I heard a loud growling like a huge dog and, and ... I don't know, things turned black. Next thing I know, I was feeling very drowsy but comfortable. I remember Adam being there before I drifted off to sleep again." Mia processed what her friend was telling. She could conclude she didn't see Adam in his wolf form, so for now that secret was still safe. She hugged Bronwille closer wanting to comfort her. "I do wonder Bron, why you always think you have to deal with anything on your own? You know we're all here for you whenever you need or want. Now about that attack, do you remember anything else about it?" SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 07 Mia hated asking this, but every detail she could remember or not was important. It might be helpful later on, especially when Adam had to tell her how things will develop between them. "No, that's it. Just those two men, the angry dog and blacking out. Then I woke up in Adam's arms. The first time, I was probably still too tired but the next time I freaked and kicked him out. He tried calling and checking up on me, but I either slammed the door in his face or hung up after a few words." Bronwille straightened up and wiped her cheeks and shook her head. "I don't know Mia, something tells me to let him in, take a leap of faith, but I don't know how. When I think about it, all I wanna do is run, far, far away and hide. You saw what happened the first time you took me to his tavern. Panic attack!" she stressed with huge gestures. "Hmmm true. But tell me, who calmed you down? Didn't you enjoy the rest of the visit? As far as I could tell nothing inappropriate happened, right?" "No," but Bronwille did blush none the less. "Oh, now you blush. Spill!" Mia demanded. "Nothing happened really. He probably saw me run to the toilets and he got worried. He pulled the door of its hinges, can you believe that? Scooped me up and went to his office and he calmed me down. If I'm honest, I wish that moment lasted longer but I also know if that had been the case, I would have backed away again. Once I got better and the panic attack was over I felt so at ease and comfortable, I didn't want to get up. I wanted to stay in his arms." Bronwille couldn't help the dreamy sigh that escaped her lips. "The things he said were so touching and... I don't know; part of me started hoping?" Bronwille had a longing look on her face as she said this. She also remembered those few words he had said: I'm not joking here, if there is anything, night or day, call me or come over. Promise? Mia just kept listening now that her friend was pouring out her heart. "I just got the courage to try and give him a shot, try to let him close. God knows I've been more than rude to him with slamming the door in his face every time he stopped by. I craved his deep baritone voice, yet every time he called I listened and then hung up without even saying as much as a hello or goodbye or even leave me alone. I've been awful to him and I don't know why he puts up with it all. "And then when I do go over, I hear he isn't even in town anymore. I know I'm in no position to demand anything of him but I would have thought he would let me know he was going away for a while. Or is that too much too expect?" Bronwille looked very pleading to Mia with these last few words. "He should have told you something, I agree with you on that. But I think I understand why he maybe hasn't. Maybe he just wanted to give you a bit of space?" "Space, my ass! He's been diligently calling twice every week and still stopping by once a week. It just doesn't make sense." Bronwille sighed. She was starting to get tired of her own emotional up and downs and she was getting angry because of it. "You're right, it doesn't," Mia comforted her friend, "I'll see what I can do, see if we can get in touch with him and see what is going on. Think that would be ok for you?" Mia thought it would be a long shot but if it eased Bronwille's mind for the time being, she'd work with what she had. Regardless of it all, Adam would get a serious talking to once he did get back, this was no way to leave a mate behind, whether the person in question was aware of that bond or not. "Also remember Bron, Katie has my number, if she hears anything, she is gonna call me too. We'll get to the bottom of this. You just make sure you are doing fine." Mia tried her best to coach Bronwille, without having to explain what else was going on over the last few weeks. "I know, I know, but I can't help how these feelings go. I don't know what it is but with Adam I feel as if I'm capable of moving on without all the baggage from the past. His looks are deceiving, one would think someone of his size is an aggressive bully, but he's just the opposite. He's gentle, polite, caring," Bronwille blushed now, "and he looks divine with no shirt on." Mia burst out in laughter. "I wouldn't think you would become a nun. I'm glad you can still appreciate a nice looking male body." Bronwille covered her cheeks as they turned an ever deeper shade of red. "Oh come on now, don't go all red on me. It's been ages since I saw you this smitten with anyone. You've been through enough to deserve a break. Once we talked some sense into him I'm quite sure Adam would be perfect for you," Mia teased. It could never hurt to guide her a little bit. "Yeah well, first I want to be a bit more stable myself. I'm getting tired of these up and downs. Then we'll see about Adam." "You got some time for that now. We could start tomorrow. Just a day for us girls alone, we could even invite Fran and Lis, if they're available. It's been ages since we did something together. It would keep your mind of things," Mia suggested. "It's an option. I just don't want one of those busy ones." "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything. You make sure to be ready by noon so I just have to pick you up and enjoy the rest of the day." "Ok, ok. I relent, you win. I'll be ready." "That's what I want to hear. Now I'm gonna leave you to it. If there is anything, just ring me up and I'll be here in a heartbeat, ok?" Mia said with glee. She was glad Bronwille's mood took another turn, this time a turn in the good direction. + + + + Chasey smiled as he made his way up to the boss' office. He had found himself a little gem tonight and he was convinced Derrick would like to hear about this. They've been talking for a while now about branching out. Though he hadn't asked which pack this Adam belonged to, he was convinced this man's role in his pack was important enough since he basically made a deal already. Adam was probably a high ranking Beta, if not the second in command to his Alpha. His sheer size was quite intimidating and the bland expression on his face told him he was either good actor or that he was really ruthless. He bet his money it was the latter. A simple knock announced his arrival and he smiled. His boss had another beauty between his legs. He grinned as he saw the sardonic look on his face and a blond head bobbing up and down real fast, accompanied with slurping sounds. "How's the new pet treating ya, boss?" he asked. "She's being very good. If she keeps this up she might get another treat this week," Derrick said in an emotionless voice. He tangled one hand in the long blonde hair and started moving her head up and down on his cock faster, sometimes pushing down so hard and keeping her there that she struggled for air. "Though she could do with a few more lessons, she struggles too much still. When she's done here, I might have to loan her to you, maybe than she'll learn properly?" As if those words triggered something in the blonde, she started bobbing faster on her own accord and even gagged herself on the massive cock lodged deeply in her throat. Everyone knew if Chasey got his hands and fangs on you, you barely made it out alive and she still treasured the bit of freedom she still had. Doubling her efforts she forced herself to take him as deep as she could. Derrick chuckled as he saw and felt her doubling her efforts in pleasing him. "Aah what the right words can accomplish?" he sneered, as he shoved her head deep into his crotch. He kept her there as he pumped his cock in and out of her throat, ignoring the few spasms she had as he cut off her air supply. "It's always nice to see your latest pets perform so well. She was a nice find, I'll give you credit for that. If you ever tire of her you know where to find me. But that wasn't why I came up here. I can wait a bit longer." Derrick grunted as his face contorted and his fangs grew long. He roughly grabbed the blonde and without a care in the world he shoved her down once more, locking himself in her throat as he deposited his seed. As if the act meant nothing to him, he did pat her cheek, "Make sure not to lose a drop, you know what happens then!" A small nod indicated the woman had understood. As his cock left her mouth, she quickly started sucking and licking it clean, heading the warning she was given. ""Now what was it you wanted to discuss with me?" "I ran into an interesting individual tonight. It seems our plans to branch out might finally get started. He got called away on pack business but he should be back tomorrow or day after. He quickly figured out this place is a huge cover up and he didn't flinch a single time. He is gonna talk to his Alpha and strongly advise that this might be a nice set up for their own area," Chasey explained. "You didn't tell him anything right?" "Of course not, he just took his own conclusions and I just fueled them a little. I did however warn him for your little pet here. She's very submissive to you, but she's also gotten quite possessive. Maybe you should loan her to me for a few days, to teach her some manners, or rather un-teach some," Chasey spoke hopefully. "Maybe, but not right away, as long as she's got some spunk left in her, I don't mind putting her in her place. Ain't that so, Dolores?" Derrick directed at the blond now kneeled next to him, head bowed, hands folded behind her back. "Yes, boss, anything you say boss," she whispered defiantly. "See what I mean? I haven't found much this little pet isn't willing to do. She still amuses me a great deal." Derrick then focused on Chasey, "So how do you think we should go about setting this little venture up?" "I hinted that when he comes back there might be a special treat for him. But he declined, claiming he had a special need his pack provided for him. It must be something special if he's not willing to share. He understood perfectly what I hinted at and didn't want that. It sparked my curiosity." "Have something ready, just in case. This might be the chance we've been waiting for. We could do with a fresh area to expand into. Things here are getting old and boring." Dolores stiffened at those words, thinking that those included her. No matter how deprived the things were she that did for him or he demanded or forced her to do, she wasn't willing to give up her precious spot for the next skank in line. She knew a vampire and a wolf never got into contact much and it was rather by accident she'd gotten to know Derrick. He'd seemed nice although a little dominant at first. Her wolf had howled happily that for the first time in ages there was another being that would and could subdue them. He wasn't their mate, but he provided a lot for what both craved. In return, her possessiveness about him became common knowledge. She couldn't prevent him from bedding or raping others, however, she did make sure that other woman wouldn't approach him out of their own accord. It looked like he agreed with that silent agreement. In the short few weeks she had been here she wiggled her way into his inner circle of confidants and right now he never hid anything from her. With a bit of fear in her eye, she dared looking up at him and gauge his intent. Derrick only smiled down at her then raised an eyebrow at her defiance. Dolores lowered her head quickly and murmured, "Sorry." "I'm not replacing you, my pet, for now. So don't worry your little pretty head over that." Turning back to Chasey Derrick went on, "Just have everything ready for multiple scenarios, even the bad ones. It does sound like an opportune thing but we don't want to get in this blind. When he does come back, have him followed. And do find out which pack he's from. There are a few that won't sway either way and I don't want to get involved with them!" "No worries, I already have a few things in place and he's already got a tail on him. He's staying at a local four star hotel. He hasn't left yet but he probably has to if he needs to get in touch with his pack. He doesn't sound to be from around here." "Ok, I'll leave this up to you. Just make sure to keep me up-to-date with any change. I have an initiation to go to now," Derrick said, with much joy in his voice. Dolores cringed. This was the only thing she disliked the most and cursed silently that she got herself in this position. But she also craved the attention and prestige she got. Once a week, he had one of the initiates rape and kill a woman. Only when they did everything he told them too, no matter how vile it was, did he let them join his operations. If they proved to be loyal, he turned them after a few months, not many got to that stage but plenty of his former "girlfriends" had wished they'd never met him. None of them made it out alive. There was a rumor of one girl, but she disappeared and when she tried to ask Rupert about it he growled and snapped at her, quickly stopping her attempts. It only told her something more sinister had happened and the outcome certainly wasn't what they wanted it to be. Derrick had forced her to watch these events and they made her stomach turn each and every time. But still, her drive to feel important still outweighed her need to want to stay alive. She was meant to be top bitch and even with everything she had to endure, she had that spot now. She wasn't planning on giving that up so soon. Dolores kept quiet and hoped that Derrick wasn't in a frisky mood and would let her go for the remainder of the night and sate his urges on other woman during the initiation. Her hopes were crushed as she heard his next words. "Go get yourself freshened up pet, put on something skimpy and oh so revealing. Maybe we can make it a double showing then. I'm sure you'd love that, don't you?" Derrick challenged her. "Anything you say," she answered, but inwardly she already detested every second that was to come. Giving away her best performance so far, she demurely stood up, bowed to both men and tried not to hurry but saunter her way out. Once the door was closed behind her she let out her breath and cursed. She was sinking deeper each week and finally she was dreading what Derrick had in store for her. She didn't mind his dominant and aggressive nature, deep down she craved that part. Just as she craved the position she was in. But the conversation this evening and the implications that weren't said out loud, told her things were starting to move to another level. A level she wasn't sure she could cope with. She had tried to give a "reasonable" explanation to the killings, that those girls weren't worth anything, that if they were stronger bitches they would survive. Little did she know, these girls were always drugged before they had to "perform", they simply didn't have a chance to gain any kind of advantage. She stood there for a few seconds more, before she got herself together and squared her shoulders and went to the hidden penthouse to do what Derrick had told her. Being a were herself, had helped getting over the fact that it didn't matter for Derrick where he was and with whom he was, If he wanted his dick sucked or stuffed in one of her other body cavities, she complied. She had learned to shut the rest out and to do as told. Despite all the bad things that surrounded him, he did have a dick that made her see stars if he took his time. After her quick shower, she didn't bother covering up in a towel. Going through her dresses and underwear she settled for a tiny black leather corset. It would leave her breasts out in the open, but that was what he wanted. She put on a tiny silk thong, knowing very well it would be shredded off her body before anything even happened. To finish the outfit she put a see through black baby doll on the bed. And now she had to wait until he came to collect her. He loved to inspect her outfit before going to the barn. This was the same reason why she hadn't put on the baby doll. He wasn't a patient man and he'd only rip it from her thin frame in a heartbeat. Dolores paced the bedroom. Maybe she should think about getting out of here. After tonight, it was starting to look like things were moving in a direction that went way above her pretty little head. She wanted to stay alive at all costs. The door shutting behind her broke her gazing stare out the window. The heavy footsteps announced Derrick's arrival and automatically she made a 360 degree turn so he could inspect her. "That's nice," he spoke softly as he stopped behind her. "If you're good tonight, I might let you move in with me." His arm had snaked around her as his other hand cupped a bare breast and toyed with her nipple. "But before we go, my pet, I haven't had dinner yet. I'm hungry for something special which only you provide." With that said he pierced her nipple with an extended nail. Turning her around Dolores saw his fangs had dropped and he latched on to her bleeding nipple. She felt them penetrate her soft skin and, wanting this or not, the alluring toxic mingled in her blood and she could feel shivers traveling all through her body centering at the apex of her thighs. Derrick didn't do this often, but when he did she was putty in his hands. His bite was addicting and could make you cum in a heartbeat. Derrick stood up and licked his blood covered lips. "I knew there was a reason I keep you around. Your blood is like the ambrosia to Gods. Get that cleaned up and meet me in my car. It's a longer drive than usual so put on a warm coat this once." Not giving her a second glance, he turned his back to her and left his bedroom. His words barely registered, as Dolores composed herself after this intense orgasm. Baby doll: check. Coat: check. Get to the car: getting there. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 08 Here the long awaited eighth chapter of SIW. I had this edited version in my hands for a few days but I wanted to be sure I was ok with submitting it. Wanting the little details in place, it can drive a person nuts... Many thanks to Nulli Para Ora and EvilJ for their proofreading time and an even bigger thank you goes to Mikothebaby for editing. High five to those in the Guild, never could have gotten this far without you!! Another big thank you for Nulli for providing "Haunted Legacy" and to Evilsnoman for providing another awesome emotional poem. You'll only see parts of them poem but you will get to read it completely eventually! If you drop by the blog you can subscribe to my newsletter, I'm trying to do my best to send it out once a new chapter goes live. Enjoy the read! Chapter Eight : Insecurities and Initiations! Calls were made, things were settled and put in place, people moved around. At long last, Adam had to make his appearance. They had agreed that he would appear to take a daily flight home. The flight would return the next day just after noon. They agreed that small window should be enough time to be convincing enough for Adam to help out on the pack issue he was called back for. In reality, Adam would board the flight, go to the restroom and then Merlin would teleport him out and to John's house. The next day they would do the same so he could come off the flight. All this done just to thwart any possible spies Adam might have picked up. Once they were all together again and all of the preparations were made, it was time to move to John's house. Through their mental connection, he let Gabriella know he was coming over with a few guests and if she could clear the living room. There was a light shimmer and a second later the party stood in the middle of the room. John turned around, searching for his Gabriella, wanting to make sure they hadn't surprised her too much. He smiled as his eyes landed on the tall woman. After all these centuries, it still amazed him how beautiful she was. Without hesitating he walked over and enveloped the dark beauty in his arms, his nose buried in the tiny ringlets of her black hair. He loved the smell of oranges. She was addicted to them and the scent of them was always around her, just as much as if it was part of her persona. He didn't care for a moment what the others would think but his own lips sought out her lush pink lips and devoured her. Each kiss felt like it was their first and he never got enough of sweeping her off her feet like this. The moan he heard just proved he still had it and he smiled against her lips as he reluctantly let her go. Holding her close he turned towards the others and simply smiled. "Guys, this is my wonderful mate and wife Gabriella," he introduced her. John turned towards her and started to explain who was who, starting with Adam. "You might remember someone called Adam from my time in 'Nam. I can finally introduce him to you. This is Adam O'Neill and these two gentlemen are Ed Whelan and Merlin, friends of Adam and here to assist him." Gabriella extended her hand to all of them and returned the greeting. "It's a pleasure to get to know you all, though I do wish it were under different circumstances. John told me he has told you partly why he reached out and is offering help. Let us sit and grab a drink. Maybe then I can fill you in as to why we want this solved and why there isn't much that we can do," Gabriella said to them politely. Her voice seemed to always have a seductive lilt to it and it didn't take much convincing for the men to do as asked. Gabriella sauntered over to a cabinet to the side and put some glasses on a tray. "A bit of whiskey for all of you or do some of you prefer something else?" she asked, looking over her shoulder. "I think after all of this a nice glass of whiskey is just the break for us," Merlin replied, nodding politely. Gabriella laughed, "Oh I'm sure you will appreciate this one. It's from our private stash; I thought tonight needed just the little bit extra." She came over with the tray and handed each them a small Schott Zwiesel glass with the bottom filled with what smelled like very old whiskey. Merlin smelled his drink and a huge grin appeared on his face; "You sure know how to welcome people. This is luxurious and rare!" Gabriella just smiled as she handed out the rest of the glasses. More appreciative words were spoken as the men took their sips of the sixty plus year old Glenfiddich presented to them. They enjoyed this rare piece of whiskey for a few moments longer before Gabriella got their attention again. "It's time I told the rest of how Derrick turned against us and build his private little empire." **** Let me first start with Jassy and Davinia, our first two children. We met Jassy when she was four years old, which was around the thirteen hundreds. All of her family had died due to the Black Plague. She was huddled between their corpses and the humans didn't want to take her because they were afraid she had the ugly disease too and had left her there to die. We had taken it upon ourselves to scout for any survivors and help them out. But Jassy touched us. We tried to leave her with the nuns but she wouldn't have any of it. She wouldn't release us and every attempt resulted in a huge tantrum. We talked about that long and hard. We hadn't really wanted to bring a child into our life style. In a span of three days the little munchkin had wormed her way into our hearts and in the end we decided to raise her ourselves. We tried to hide as much as we could from our true nature, that actually went pretty well since we can actually walk in the sun. She grew up to be a smart young lady and when she turned twenty-five she confronted us. No matter how well we tried, she had figured out something was a bit off. We had been honest with her about everything else and only a single look told us enough that she would keep our secret. Once she knew she wanted to tag along a few times, but we discouraged her as much as we could. You see we don't just feed, at least not back in those days. We never killed our dinner, so to speak, but we did like to have some fun. We did everything together, that included feeding. Whoever was lucky enough to be with us was cared for and everything was done with mutual consent. It's most of those people who ended up being our loyal fledglings. This wasn't a part of our lives we wanted to share with her in much detail; it was John and mine alone. Because we're so old, we only had to feed every few months. Smarty-pants as Jassy was, she figured out about our little get togethers and finally understood our bond and never asked about it anymore. She never followed us, but more and more started to express her need to be truly ours in every way. Not in the way of lovers, but after being raised by us she really wanted to be connected to us. We did have the odd fledgling, people who had always been loyal to us, who served us well. It's then we told her our own heritage. Again we never lied about it, we just never told her. John is 2130 years old. I'm just over 2500. Gabriella is the name I've used for the last few centuries. My real name and title would shock you a little. So would John's. But that is a story for another time. Back to our children. We wanted to grace Jassy the best way we saw fit and after presenting the option to her, together with the vow of secrecy around it, she agreed to be sired by both of us. This meant she would get both our memories and both our powers. Since she got both, she never had to go through the phase our other fledglings have too. Learn to control their hunger, adapt to a nocturnal life at first. Walking in daylight is not something that just is; you have to be old to do that. At least a thousand years old. Jassy could walk in daylight from the day we sired her, she never had to fight the hunger and just like us she only needed to feed every few months. Over time we took on many identities and traveled the world. Some centuries later we came across Davinia, or rather Jassy did. During the Revolution we lived in Paris, France. We kept a low profile and just enjoyed the entertainment of those times. That didn't last long as you can gather. We were packed and ready to go, the carriage was waiting up front when Jassy stumbled inside with a tiny bundle held close to her chest. As it turned out her parents were killed. The babe was clutching to her mother when Jassy heard her cries. The mother was breathing slowly and as she felt the babe being taken away she just whispered her name with her last breath. We all fell in love with her instantly and we never doubted we were going to raise her. We left and moved to a remote area. Only this time we never hid our true nature, thinking it would be futile, we just taught her never to tell a soul about it. She grew up to be a beautiful and smart woman, just like our Jassy. We loved her just as much. When she turned thirty things took a turn for the worst. She got sick. In this day and age we would have found out it was a rare case of ovary cancer. It had spread throughout her body and she weakened every day. It tore us all apart. We didn't want to lose her. We talked to her, explained everything and gave her the choice. We could ease her suffering or sire her as her own, just like Jassy. She didn't want to leave us behind and the rest, as they say, is history. We gained a second true child. We were happy with our little family and quickly got back to our "normal" routine. Again, we kept moving around from place to place. We ended up in Europe around the 1920's. The First World War had ended and we hoped it would help us stay hidden amongst all the rebuilding going on. John and I did our thing and Jassy and Davinia did theirs. They ran into a young boy, Derrick. Barely dry behind his ears but he worshipped the ground they walked on. He followed them around like a puppy. At first it was quite sweet and he had us all fooled. He weaseled his way into all of our hearts. After a while it became clear he suspected we were more than we let on and Davinia slipped. We cursed at her for that but as I said, Derrick had us all fooled. He promised not to tell and so far he still hasn't, not even up to today. He first lived on his own, but after a few months we were all so smitten with him that we offered him to live with us. We were sure, since he knew, that he wouldn't have issues with the way we lived. Time went by and he seemed the perfect son. We got him the best education money could buy. John taught him how to fight and defend himself. When he turned twenty-eight things started to change. One night he came home beaten and bloody. He didn't want to go to the hospital so I healed him with my blood. The month after the same thing happened, than John healed him. It was our turn to follow him and that is when we found out he was gambling and losing a lot. Money never was and will be an issue for us. He had a large monthly allowance provided by us, but as it turned out, the second it was deposited, he would spend it in two to three days and the rest of the month he gathered debt upon debt. Little did we know, but he was doing this on purpose. We thought the gambling was his problem. We were totally wrong. Once he knew we found out about the gambling, he started playing us like a true addict. Promising he'd quit and whatever excuse he could come up with. I still don't know how he managed to do it, but he managed to sneak away from us on numerous occasions. Than he was dropped on our doorstep, more dead than alive and we were lost as to what to do. We cared for him despite everything that had happened. What an actor he is! That night we made our biggest mistake ever. If I could turn back time I would, and let the little creep rot in hell. The life was literally pouring out of him and after some discussion, the girls convinced us to make him their true brother. So, in turn, we presented him with the same choice. We cleaned him up best we could and then we sired him. The next few months after that, he appeared to be the same sweet little boy he was when we first met him. He was let in on more of our secret lives. That's when things really started going from bad to worse. He started gambling again, only now he rarely lost anymore and his personal fortune grew weekly, if not daily. Then he started bringing home a different girl every time. We called him on that and said that even we didn't bring our guests here, so neither would he. Reading the papers I noticed the death of some Jane Doe's. I recognized a few of them as some of the girls he had brought home. Doom scenario's erupted in my mind and I confronted him. That's when he turned on us. Claimed we held him back, didn't show him our true potential and that he could feed and have a good time however he saw fit. His last words to us were that we were all so gullible and too good of nature to understand that this is what he wanted all these years. He played us and when he gained more respect, he took over the gambling gang and created his own "Genus Gang". Over time he gained more followers of our kind, even managed to get a few other beings amongst his gang. I know right now there are a few werewolves, numerous vamps and a few other werepeople, though I am not sure which kind. His gang grew and so did his operations. We tried to stop him on several occasions, but he outmaneuvers us each and every time. It's like he knows what we're up too and we're always too late. **** Gabriella stood up and poured another drink. She turned back and looked at the three men, then locked eyes with John. She couldn't help the tear that cascaded down her cheek. She had ruled millions and then got fooled by a young boy. John was at her side in an instant, enveloping her in his strong arms, soothing her. "That is quite some tale. John, I would assume with you keeping tabs on Adam it means you also found out more of what Derrick is up to these days?" Merlin asked. "Yeah and I'm not liking it one bit," came the bitter reply. "All I know is he has got to be stopped and the one that has laid his hands on Bronwille will pay for it dearly!" Adam chipped in. "The plan has been set in motion. Let's just see now if he takes the bait. If he does, maybe I can get a bit of fun out of this," Ed gave his two cents. "Ed, this isn't a party," Merlin scolded him. "Oh I know it isn't, but that doesn't mean I can't have my fun. I was cut short when we dealt with those fake rogues. I'm just dying to scratch that itch." Gabriella watched the men converse as she gathered herself. She felt so at home in John's arms and as always she found it hard to pry herself away from them. She was sure they all would be going to bed soon and then John was hers alone again. Merlin observed her, his head tilted slightly. "One day you're going to have to tell me your tale, sweet Nubian princess." She smiled, she didn't question his words and silently thanked John for informing her that Merlin was exactly who he said he was. Gabriella was also convinced he was a lot older than most would think he was, maybe even rival her own age. "That is a promise, once this is settled it would be my honor to tell my own tale just this once," she answered his unspoken question. John tightened his arms around her. He had picked up on her feeling the need to be alone with him. "I'm sure it's been a stressful evening for us all. What do you say we retrieve for the night and reconvene early in the morning to work on more details?" His offer was welcomed and one by one he showed their guests their rooms for the time being. Once in their own room he didn't hesitate to capture her lips and kiss away her sorrow. Only seconds later their clothes lay scattered on the ground. Not much later content sighs and grunts were heard as the two lovers discovered each other once more. Not a part of her was left untouched. He either stroked, kissed or licked his way around her body and she was more than willing to return the loving touches. A few orgasms later, John finally let her have the upper hand and let her be on top riding him for all she was worth. "That's it my queen, ride your prince," he grunted, their flesh slapping together each time they met. His hands traveled her lush forms, cupping her breasts and toying with her nipples. He waited and waited until he felt the tiny tremors telling him his queen was close to falling apart on top of him. Swiftly he pulled her down and instinctively she knew what he was going to do as she bared her neck to him. Without stopping her movements, he licked her neck a few times, waiting those few precious seconds. He felt his fangs drop and he bit her. John felt the shock going through her as her sweet blood pooled in his mouth. Slowly he drank from her, intensifying her pleasure, prolonging her orgasm, teasing and tormenting her, knowing she would return the same. Just the idea alone had him loose his composure. In a blink of an eye, he had her buried under him, her wounds sealed and his pumping doubled. He had moved his focus to her full pink lips as he devoured them. His hands were buried in a waterfall of tiny black ringlets. John loved the feel of her hair as it slipped between his fingers. Faster and faster he moved until he felt her hands tilting his head and he followed willingly, baring his neck in turn. "Come for me, my prince," she whispered a moment before he felt her long fangs penetrating him and he could feel her pull on his blood. With each sip she took of him, he got closer to his rapidly closing in eruption. He swore and grunted as he finally tensed up and could feel his seed coating her warm insides. Breathing heavily, it kept amazing him they never grew tired of each other, even after all these centuries. Both sated, their need and hunger for each other and once they were satisfied, they snuggled up close to get a bit of sleep. The recent events told them both they wouldn't get a time for this for a while. + + + + Adam cursed as he heard the ring tone. Who in his right mind would call me at this hour! He checked the time. Two hours of sleep, not close enough to provide for enough rest time. Without really checking who was calling, he picked up. "I hope whoever this is, you have a death wish. It's the middle of the night!" he grumbled. "I'm not sure who the one with a death wish is, but I'm pretty sure it's not me mate," came the swift reply. With a grunt, Adam dropped back in his bed. "What do you want, Chris?" "It's not about what I want but about what you forgot to do before skipping town. Do enlighten me why you checked on Bronwille so often and now that you leave she's in a state of distress because she didn't know?" There was an awkward silence before Adam erupted in more cursing, this time aimed at himself. He told her as Atlas he'd be gone a while and in all the midst of arranging his departure, he forgot to warn the one person that needed to be warned. He cursed some more at his foolish thoughtless behavior. How did he solve this one? "Adam?" "Yeah, I'm still here. Dammit, you have no idea how much of a fool I think I am now. How could I have forgotten about that?" "You could start by leaving a message. Bron invited Mia for breakfast. I give you one guess where she went in the hopes of finding a certain cook? Then imagine her reaction and her hopes crushed." More curses followed. "Adam, get a grip, there are more words in the dictionary then those two syllable ones and they are getting old to listen too, my friend. I'm just calling you so you can do some damage control. I'd hate to see the little progress she's made being crushed by some bonehead." SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 08 "I get the message loud and clear. It's the middle of the night here, but I'll see what I can come up with in the morning and give her some sign that I haven't forgotten her." "Good. Now I'll let you go back to your beauty sleep." "Shut up already." "For you? Never. Anyways just think about your lady and make her feel at ease, then mine will do the same." "I bet! Well good night, I'm gonna try and salvage a few hours more of sleep and I'll think of something for Bronwille." "Good night mate, hope you won't be gone too long." "I'll try not to." With those words both men hung up. Adam tossed and turned but couldn't find more sleep. He got up, grabbed his laptop and sat back against the headboard. His fingers flew over the keyboard, line after line appeared on his screen. A lot were deleted, others stayed. Come morning he'd constructed another poem, one he hoped would let her understand just how he felt about her. Now his issue was how would he get the first part to her? + + + + She stretched her limbs as she yawned. She would prefer to crawl back under her warm and cozy duvet but her alarm had decided otherwise. Barely awake she stumbled out of bed and took a shower, hoping that would help wake her up. Two cups of coffee later, she still felt like crawling back to bed. Placing her dirty dishes in the dishwasher, she finished tidying up her little kitchen before installing herself on her couch. She barely sat down when there was a knock on her door. Rolling her eyes she got up and went to see who it was. Looking down the corridor she didn't see a single soul. Frowning she checked again. Just as she started to close the door again, she noticed the little note with a rose on top. Curiously she picked it up, looking around once more, making sure she hadn't missed anybody. The sweet fragrance of the rose invaded her senses and fed her curiosity even more. It was just a single page, folded in two. A surprised gasp left her mouth as she read the first lines. I need you to be happy, safe, and loved Before I met you, my life was an empty shell Tinted so those who tried to see what it contained could not I'm sorry I didn't let you know I was going away for a little while. I'm hoping to be back in a week, two at the most. It would please me a great deal if we could meet up for dinner when I'm back so I can properly apologize for my mistake. It seems we both are blessed with caring friends, at least now I was able to get this message to your doorstep. Yours Adam Bronwille stared at the page in front of her then looked at the rose. She held it closer and inhaled the sweet aroma of the delicate flower. It was the same as the one he gave in his tavern. The note did make her feel better, she did matter to him. She got up and checked her hallway, puzzled at how fast the note was left there and the knock on her door, yet nobody had been there. Slightly confused, she closed the door, sat back down on the couch, and reread the note. The first three lines were special, the words touching her emotions on so many levels and she was convinced it also showed a lot of him. Maybe a large part of his bubbly persona was all an act. Thinking back she had to admit he'd seemed more in a joking mood when everyone else was around, but when it was just the two of them he put her needs first. He listened to her, let her talk. Even when she woke again, he didn't put up a fight, he listened to her pleading and left. He left but he kept checking in on her. Bronwille sighed. All the signs were there yet she wouldn't allow herself to recognize them. Then when she did, she found him gone and there were all her doubts again. The note this mystery person, who could only be Mia or Chris, left on her doorstep changed it all again and her new found strength returned. She just needed to be a little patient. Her moral boosted, it helped her start the day in a better mood then the previous one ended. She checked for messages on her laptop, to find her inbox in a rare state of emptiness. Smiling to herself she took it as a sign to spend a day just focusing on herself. Maybe she could even venture out and have a mani and maybe even a pedi done. Or she could stop by her favorite hairdresser and see if they had a spot to battle with her wavy red locks. All of a sudden she felt freed and unrestricted. She shook her head thinking how an impact just a few words can have, words coming forth from the right person. + + + + It was nearing noon and after having made more arrangements for their back story, the sat together for an early lunch. "I don't know who cooked this, but I am very tempted to lure this person away from you and change my VIP rooms into a tiny restaurant," Ed said licking his lips, "This is just divine!" Gabriella laughed, "You can try, but I can assure you, she doesn't want to leave us. She just loves to cook and now that she actually has guests to cook for she's going full out." "Do pass on my compliments and tell her if she ever gets tired here, I'm more than willing to provide her a job," Ed said. Gabriella just kept smiling; a little wink towards John had him smiling in turn. The rest of the lunchtime was spent with general chit chat until it was time to play out the rest of their little charade. Merlin and Adam ported to the airport where Merlin checked for the right arrival time. Once Adam was on board of the right plane and could get off, Merlin ported to Adam's hotel room, waiting there for Adam to get back. Then it was more waiting for them for when Adam would go to that club that evening. Ed was staying behind and Merlin would follow Adam as back up. The plus in his case was that he could give himself any scent he wanted or he could cloak himself completely. With not much else to do, they gathered in one of the many living rooms and shared many anecdotes about their past. It helped them getting to know each other a bit better and that afternoon nice friendships were formed. Midafternoon, Adam did separate from them and locked himself away in his bed room. He was ticking away on his laptop, immersing himself in his own past. Meeting John again brought back more memories than he cared to have at this moment. Bronwille's alter ego challenge popped back up and he thought that now was just as good as a time to start with her challenge. He had stared at his screen for minutes, not sure where to start, what to write about and how to tell it. He wanted to stay truthful to his past, yet not give away, at least not right away, who the story was really about. More minutes past and finally he found the words he wanted to type. Completely focused he wrote about his past, the times he'd rather forget, the things he did, the pain and anguish he saw. He wrote it all down, not leaving out the gritty details. Adam went over what he wrote once more, pruning out some typo's, changing a few words here and there, adding a bit more detail. After a final once over he found he had a solid piece he could present to Bronwille. A quick check of her profile gave him her e-mail address. The feedback he had sent previously was sent as an auto reply and never required an input of her e-mail addy. He typed up a quick polite addendum and hit send. Feeling anxious, he hoped she would understand what he had sent her. Checking the time he realized he had spent almost the rest of the afternoon on his own, but he didn't mind that. Adam hoped it was time well spent. He grabbed a quick shower and put on a fresh set of clothes. When he joined the others, he noticed they were all in a relaxed mood. For how much longer he didn't know. "Ah, there you are," John addressed Adam. "Almost wanted to send out a search and rescue party, mate. You all set for tonight?" "As ready as I can be. I would prefer another method but I'm realistic enough to know this is our best shot at getting close to the core as fast as possible. But what if I get close to Derrick? What do you want done regarding him? Knowing you sired him both I'm sure he's stronger than a mere vampire?" Adam asked. "He is. From the moment we realized he almost could predict our every move towards him, we started looking for an alternative to bind his powers so we could get close enough to him to take him out." You could see the regret cross on both John and Gabriella's faces. "It's not what we like, but it is what is needed. He's a danger to other vampires and he's a danger to society. We've been spending a lot of time in laboratories to come with something that would at least prevent him from using his full potential. It took a while, but we found something. Jassy and Davinia willingly were our guinea-pigs and so we found out that once the serum was injected their powers were dormant for at least two hours. It's not a huge window, but it's better than nothing," John told them. "It's a short period indeed. We need to make sure he trusts me well enough to be alone with him and we need that trust ASAP. The less time spent around them the better. On top of that, I have to find the one that kidnapped Bronwille that time. He's mine and he's gonna pay dearly for what he's done!" "John, do you have a place here where we could take them too? Once Derrick is out of the picture I'm quite sure you can dissolve the rest of his gang. But we have to get them out of there pretty fast and it would be handy to know a location. That way once Adam tells me he's done what needed to be done, I can port them all to the location you provided. You can deal with Derrick and we'll take care of the rest," Merlin added. "We got a few caves, but they're hard to reach. Guessing for someone of your stature, that won't be much of an issue. I'll show you where they are tomorrow. Adam will need a few days to get closer to Derrick and not rouse his suspicion." "That's another thing settled then," John said. "We only got a little bit of time left before Adam has to leave, so let's have a drink and concentrate on other things. The next few days will be hard enough on all of us," Gabriella suggested sweetly. She wasn't influencing them in any way, but just the sweet low timbre of her low seductive voice had a hypnotic effect on them. All just smiled and followed her willingly, agreeing with her words or relaxing a last few minutes before everything was set in motion. + + + + With a smile on her face, she left the small spa. She felt like a new woman. Her nails were done, her feet pampered, her face peeled. What more could a girl want? Feeling this great, she went over to Adam's tavern, just having a small hope he might have let them know something too, maybe telling her where he disappeared of too. She sat down in one of the booths in the back and pulled out her laptop, thankful that in the center of town there were many free Wi-Fi spots available. After starting it up, she checked her mail after having ordered dinner. Her personal mailbox was empty but she found a few new ones on her writers account. One of them surprised her seeing Atlas had said in his last message he'd be going away for a while and now he left a new message and it had an attachment to it. # # # From Atlas to RedB Hi RedB, You're probably wondering why you already find something in your inbox. So was I when I wrote this. I think your little challenge is just what I needed to confront my own past. Things here are hectic and slow at the same time and I needed to shift my focus for a while. That's when I started thinking about this in detail. Before I knew it I had typed up a few pages. I'm apologizing up front should there be any typo's left; I did go over it a few times. I'm not going to tell what it's about, just read. Hope to hear from you soon, and don't be shy with your feedback. I can handle criticism. Greetings Atlas # # # Fighting back the urge to open the extra file, she decided to wait with reading whatever Atlas has sent until she was back home. That way, any reactions to what he had send would be her own and nobody else would or could accidently snoop around her back and catch a glimpse of it. Katie, the waitress, came over and quickly noted down her order. As she waited she surfed a bit on the net reading a few online newspapers, not finding anything out of the ordinary. When Katie returned with her plate, she must have had a pleading look in her eyes because the young woman quickly took a seat on the opposite side of the booth. "I just wanted to let you know none of us have heard from Adam yet. You're becoming a bit of a regular so I just wanted to give a little heads up. Most people that come here are regulars and they have all known Adam for ages. They also know how much of a pain in the ass he has been the last few weeks and they all saw how he treated you," Katie smiled and winked at her as she said this, "Don't panic if some of them try to check you out or give you the once over. They want to see Adam happy just us much as I do." Bronwille just started at Katie. She wasn't sure if she'd heard this correctly. If she was, then it would mean that Adam was indeed interested in her. She fought the smile that wanted to grace her lips. She didn't want to get ahead of herself. As long as the man in question wasn't around, there wasn't much that could be done. "Thanks for the fair warning. You're sure it's just checking me out then, right?" Bronwille tried to counter with a small joke. "Don't worry. The first one that would lay a finger on you would regret the day he was born. We never saw Adam like this, that is enough warning for us at the same time. They'll just be curious. Have to admit a little bit though that you two look a bit like day and night. Adam is, well he is huge and you are so tiny." Bronwille lost her fight and laughed. Katie was right, they did seem an odd pair but she never questioned his looks. "It's the inside that counts and from what I've seen so far he's a nice person. But huge as he may be, he still got that little something." "Hmmm, there once was a time..." Katie said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "I think you're going in a direction I'm not really interested in." Katie smiled, "No worries. I just had a teenager's crush on him ages ago. Right now he's the big brother I never had. He's a chatterbox at times and does come across nosy for most people but deep down he's a good guy. You could do a lot worse." Bronwille had to gulp down a few good intakes of air. She knew Katie didn't say those last few words on purpose, but they did remind her of her past. However the words spoken were true. Adam had been a gentleman on all of the moments they'd spent together, even when he stole that kiss from her. "Anyways," Katie interrupted her thoughts, "I'm gonna let you eat. Don't worry about the bill, Adam left instructions that whenever you came in it was on the house, always. Enjoy your meal." With that said Katie got up and left a surprised Bronwille behind. The food was good, but it lacked a bit of the flair she had found in the meal Adam had cooked for her the previous time. In silence she finished her meal, once in a while tapping on a key to surf to the next page on her laptop. She read a little bit of everything. She couldn't help rubbing her tummy, she felt stuffed. Bronwille felt a bit uneasy knowing she wouldn't have to pay for the meal; nonetheless she left a generous tip before packing up her things and getting ready to leave. She waved at Katie behind the bar and went home. She was feeling anxious and eager to find out what Atlas had come up with. Fighting back the urge to open the extra file right away, she picked up her laptop and went to her bedroom. Groomed from head to toe she slid off her clothes and got into her easy fitting PJs. She smiled at the tiny cartoon printed all over it, but it made her smile even more. Something she had found herself doing a lot today, unless she was covered in some kind of mud they claimed would cleanse her skin. Bronwille wanted to settle down in her bed before she started reading whatever Atlas had sent her. She wanted to give it her undivided attention. She read the few lines of his message again before she clicked on the attached file and opened the story that he sent her. A few seconds later she started reading. * * * * * * * * Haunted Legacy. "Get your ass down Private!" I can still hear the Lieutenant's booming voice in my head. First Lieutenant John Bradley was a hard man to please and quite possibly the loudest human being on the face of the planet. His voice could be heard above everything, explosions included, and he expected his orders to be followed. His warning was given just in time for us to duck down behind our bunker, avoiding fire from the enemy hidden in the trees. It was Vietnam, the war that created thousands of heroes in a foreign land, the war that killed too many men to count, the war that showed you what you were really made of. If you managed to survive all that, you came back home, not to be embraced by your fellow citizens, but to be hated and despised. "Cooper, cover Jackson while he radios our position. O'Neill, Simmons, you're with me. We're gonna flank 'em from the side." The Lieutenant was already moving through the muddy path that we'd created when we dug in. "Hawkes, Literelli, Stevens, Burke, lay down some cover. Shift positions, keep 'em off our asses!" Nods were given in response to his orders and the sounds of our M16s filled the air in response to Charlie's Russian RPDs. Lt. Bradley glanced over his shoulder to make sure we were keeping up and he must have noticed the look of uncertainty on Simmons' face. "Double time it, Boots! You wanna live forever!?" His eyes were already facing forward before he said the last words. "Charlie's not gonna wait for your to make up your fucking mind, Son! He's over there and he needs killing!" Boots. The word brought a smile to my face before a frown soon followed. Boots were new Marines in the United States Marine Corps, who just came out of boot camp. The Lieutenant's use of the word was his not so gentle reminder to act like a Marine. It reminded me of the words of Lieutenant General Krulak on the day we left. "Being ready is not what matters. What matters is winning after you get there." Most of us weren't ready, but we all wanted to win. Too many Boots were dead and gone. But there was a code of conduct and these were words we lived by. Among them, "I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender my men if they have the means to resist." Every Marine knew these words and we were all willing to make that sacrifice if the time came. We walked into every mission knowing that it might be our last, and if we were going to die, there'd be a hell of a fight before we gave up the ghost. In position, we hunkered down just inside the tree line and Lt. Bradley used hand signals to direct us into position. When he closed his fist, we stopped moving and picked out our targets. I could see my mark, firing at the men of my platoon. Young men, not one more than 21 years old, fighting for their lives, protecting a country. Sons, brothers, nephews, cousins, men too young to have to witness their best friend being blown to pieces when he stepped on a land mine. Too young to watch the man next to you get his head blown off while his hot blood sprays onto your face. Too young to have to shrug off that feeling and keep firing. Too young to know the weight of a dead body as they dragged the fallen from the battlefield. Too young to have enough blood on you that you couldn't identify who's it was and then seeing that blood run together, never drying in the humidity of hell. I hated Charlie for that. I hated what he made us do, what we had to go through. I hated him for the dirty tricks and the way he played on our honor. I hated him enough that I didn't wait for the order. I shouldered my weapon and stood, giving away my position. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 08 I didn't care, I hated them, I wanted them to see me, to know how much I wanted to kill them. Before I knew it I was firing and moving forward, ignoring everything else. "I'm gonna kill all you sons of bitches!" Sweat stung my eyes and added to my anger as my own voice sounded foreign to my ears. I needed more than this. Bullets are too good for them after all they've done. I slung my M16 over my shoulder and ran for the last guy I'd shot, darting through trees and underbrush. You'll pay! You'll all pay! My fists were in his face more times than I could count before I could hear the Lieutenant's voice. "Simmons! God damn it!" So few words and yet powerful enough to get my attention. I could hear Lt. Bradley's weapon firing and that's when I turned away from the bloody pulp that used to be a face. There were three more hidden in the trees that I couldn't see from where I was, but he could. God damn it, the ammo carriers! Unlike the enemies who carried an AK47, I'd completely forgotten that Charlie used people to carry ammo for the RPD gunners and they were usually armed themselves. I was too angry to focus and I was about to get us all killed. I ran to the nearest tree and shouldered my weapon. A quick glance showed me Simmons, lying still on the ground, eyes open, staring at nothing. I didn't know where he was shot, but what I did know was that it was my fault. I gave away my position, letting them know we were there. I fucked up, Simmons. You didn't deserve that. I was angry again. Angry that they'd cut down an eighteen year old before he'd had a chance to really live; angry that I didn't kill them all and I intended to make up for that mistake immediately. I fired. I Reloaded and fired even after they were down. I wasn't satisfied with their deaths. I wanted their ghosts to catch my bullets before they made their way to the afterlife. "Stop wasting the fucking ammo O'Neill! Jesus fucking Christ! Do you think bullets grow on trees out here? I'm of half a mind to send you over there to take them back out of the damned bodies!" "Sir! Yes Sir!" Hearing his voice, I knew they were all dead. It won't bring you back Simmons, but I'm glad I could give you this much. The Lieutenant moved quickly to my position and looked me in the eye. "You ever pull that bullshit again and you won't have to worry about Charlie, Son!" I read him loud and clear. He knew I'd fucked up and he looked about three seconds away from putting a bullet in me himself. "Yes Sir!" I looked back over to Simmons feeling bile racing to the back of my throat. The pain that I felt for being responsible for his life was beyond the anger that I'd just lost myself in. Seeing Simmons like that ate me up inside. He was still breathing ten minutes ago. His eyes seemed to call out, "why?" It was a look that I had no answer for. I couldn't explain why I was so completely consumed with such strong hatred, lost to the point that I didn't think and I completely ignored all of my training. I fell into a dark place in a dark time and I was comfortable there. I would have stayed in that place if it wasn't for the Lieutenant's loud voice jerking me back to reality. Reality? What did that actually mean for those whose lives were the stuff of nightmares? For those who killed or sought to kill every waking moment? What's our reality? What's real when you see a man beat a woman into unconsciousness and then rape her? What's real when children are sent to you as living weapons? What reality finds you shooting women and children on sight as potential threats? Fucking Charlie! "We're moving back to the bunker. Help me with Simmons." Lt. Bradley was already trudging through the thick underbrush toward his body. He kept his eyes moving, actively searching for any additional threat. "Sir, let me take him. I owe him." There was a lump forming in my throat when I pictured Simmons' folks when they came to claim his body. It was too much to think about at the time and I tried to push it down. The Lieutenant could see my emotions even with my focus on hiding them and moving on. He watched me pick up Simmons with as much honor and dignity as I could. "Son, Marines don't die, they just regroup in hell." I nodded and a smile crossed my face. "Then we'll make sure to send him plenty of company for target practice, Sir." It was a rare sound but when it was heard, everyone took notice. Lt. Bradley let out a hearty laugh as we walked back to the bunker. He was covering my rear, making sure no one got the jump on us while I was carrying Simmons. With so many losses, the Lieutenant had to take on the role of every officer to make sure we survived and got the job done, and he did that and more. "Damn right, Son! To err is human, to forgive divine. However, neither one of those is Marine Corps. policy." Only Lt. Bradley could make a joke while dressing you down at the same time. God damn you Bradley! They don't make 'em like you anymore. He was right. Marines didn't forgive and I wouldn't. I'd kill every last one of 'em if I had to for what they'd done. But damn it if he didn't hit the nail on the head with the first part. I'm a Marine. I'm not supposed to fuck up. Fucking up is for politicians and civilians. The guilt of not being there when Simmons needed me was going to haunt me forever. If I'd stayed where I was, I would have been able to cover him. I wouldn't have been carrying him; he'd be walking beside me. I can't fail anyone else. I have to be there to protect my brothers or anyone else who needs me. I made two promises to myself on that day, promises that I thought I'd never break. I promised to never let my anger overrun my judgment again; one I knew would be hard to keep. Any injustice, any suffering, any senseless violence would have the power to bring me back to that dark place. I knew that I would fight that demon until the day I died because it had worked its way into my heart like a tumor, embedding itself until it was as much a part of me as anything else. I could fight against it, but I couldn't get rid of it without leaving a hole that couldn't be filled. Would I even be whole if I let it go? Could anything fill that void without making me lose my mind? I also promised to never leave anyone I was responsible for unprotected. I wouldn't repeat that mistake ever again. If my anger got the best of me, then I'd just have to drag someone else along through the fight, but I wouldn't turn my back on them and I wouldn't leave them behind. So I did my best to live the words of those promises. Promises I made because of a life I wasted. Promises that helped keep me sane. Promises that were supposed to be indelible. I'd given my word to Simmons' body on that day to keep those words in his honor. I always thought I'd be able to keep those promises. Sadly, I was wrong. * * * * * * * * Bronwille had a hard time breathing. Her hands went to her cheeks, finding them covered in tears. No wonder he had sounded so tormented in the poem he had shared with her. Their stories were as different as day and night could be different, but their inner turmoil could compete on so many levels. She felt too drained to respond to this and closed everything and shut down her laptop. Coming up with a fitting reply would have to wait till morning. To be continued... SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 09 Chapter Nine : Preparations Does a happy dance for being back to writing. So much has happened that I simply could not give the story the attention it needed. I'm sure you all agree this one is with emotions going high and low and all over the place. So this chapter had been sitting here for months and months and now I'm happy that I was able to finish this so fast and neatly. Special thanks to Mazuri and Nulli for giving it a quick once over and more thanks to Mikothebaby for another editing job well done and fast! There is already more being written as we speak, I'll submit in a timely fashion and I will TRY to keep up a regular posting spree until their story reached its ending. Now go enjoy the new chapter, be warned some parts may be hard to read, Derrick simply is a bad guy and bad guys do bad things and I will not sugarcoat things for the faint of heart, so be warned. Bronwille stared at her ceiling. Biting her lip, she still was pondering about what to reply to Atlas. She had been awake for a few hours now but couldn't drag herself out of bed and had just drug her laptop closer to reread the short story he had sent her. Each time she read it she could feel the pain, she could even imagine the sound of the bullets flying around her head. If Atlas had been in the Vietnam war he must have some years on him. This tiny detail convinced her more of the sincerity that was behind this person. You couldn't write something that true unless you were there yourself. Propping herself up in bed, she opened up the feedback page and thought about her words a few moments more. # # # From RedB to Atlas Dear Atlas, There aren't any words that could describe how I felt your pain and anguish in the situation. The title is very fitting and it is very well written. I like how you portrayed all of the people. I felt LT Bradley shouting at me, the bullets whizzing past me. It's extraordinary how you managed to keep that feel of reality to it. It's like you created a little window to the past and the we, or I, could read how things were in those days. I'm aware I proposed this hidden challenge, but I never expected you to take it up. However, I am glad you did. Whatever you plan to do with it, it's of excellent quality to already compete with many authors out there. Yes, this is meant as a little confidence booster, we all need one of those once in a while. There is so much more I'd want to write, but I just lack the words for it. All I can add to this is that I hope this isn't the last of you I'll be privileged to read. It did make me curious how all of this played out. It also makes me question how you were able to live with this for all these years. On the other hand, I understand your poem even more now. There are so many little things in there that cry out to me and make me realize I'm not the only one that has a haunted legacy. I'll repeat myself a little here and say I felt privileged you let me read this and I really do hope there is more. Hope to hear from you soon, RedB # # # Bronwille went over her message one more time and felt she couldn't add more to it and hit send. She had the urge to just crawl back under her warm blankets and forget about the rest of the day. After yesterday, she thought she would feel more inclined to start her days, but when she saw Atlas' message and story last night, it drained the last of her new found stamina. After a full night's sleep and replying to him, she felt drained. Checking the time and knowing she didn't have any pressing matters on hand she gave in. Closing down the laptop, she put it back on the floor and snuggled back under her sheets. Emotionally drained, it didn't take long before she drifted off again. Her elusive man occupying her reoccurring dream once more. + + + + Dolores cringed and that was a first for her. She had seen many things and knew Derrick wasn't the most kind of men, nor gentle. But what she had seen tonight made her rethink why she was here. All this time she had convinced herself that she was a little bit special to him. At least that was what she thought up until tonight. He had forced her to do things she didn't want too. When she refused he had slapped her, the second time his fist connected with her temple. The third time he broke her nose, knowing it would heal up, but it inflicted a lot of pain nonetheless. Up to tonight, he had never shared her with the others in his gang but tonight... Dolores never shied away from a bit of fun with more than one other, as long as it was her choice. The night had started somewhat "normal". There was a new initiate who wanted to join the gang. Only the little shit thought he could fool the big boss and his "victim" couldn't hide the pleasure she was receiving. Mere minutes later the initiate had traded places with his victim and the victim got tied up to a chair. She was placed in such a way that she wouldn't miss a single thing. That's when Derrick started ordering her about. He forced her to suck the man, made sure he came all over her face, after which the pretend victim was forced to lick every drop. She didn't despise what she did, the thing she hated was being forced to do them on and with someone she didn't even like or know. She was more than reluctant and even after all the hits she had received, she still wasn't doing fully as ordered. It annoyed the hell out of Derrick and that's when things took a turn for the worse. With a single flick of his wrist, he signaled to kill the initiate. Like a pack of hungry wolves a dozen vampires rushed to the poor man and within seconds he was drained of all blood. Only a thin carcass was left. With joy, he had warned the fake victim to do as ordered, if not she would end up as the other one. Another flick of his wrist had Dolores on her back, two men on each side holding her down. Derrick had the other woman lick her from head to toe. She fought against the men holding her down. She didn't want this, though licking was second nature to a wolf, this time it just made her cringe. After that, Derrick told the other girl to straddle her face, she tried to turn her head but got yanked back into place. He appeared next to her and had whispered that she better start obeying properly if she also wanted to come out of this alive. That said, he pulled at her hair himself and brutally shoved her face into the other woman's crotch. "You better make her cum fast if you want to take another breath soon," his next words registered. It wasn't often Derrick got up and when he did you'd better listen. Not wanting to push the rest of his boundaries, she started licking the other woman. She sucked her clit, stabbed her tongue inside of her, licked her outer labia, anything she could think of that could get the other one off and herself closer to fresh air. Because fresh air is something she craved right now. Whatever that piece of shit saw in this little skank she didn't know, but she smelled awful. Dolores felt her own stomach turn and she started to get really afraid now. The little bitch was holding back, she could tell. The skank was getting wetter by the second and she was frantically searching for a way to break her. Guessing the little tramp knew about the other kinds around, Dolores resorted to something she had never done with someone else. She elongated her tongue and started fucking her in earnest. Inwardly she smiled at her small victory as the skank started moaning now and involuntary started rocking her hips. Dolores repeated the same words in her mind over and over : cum already, little bitch. At long last she felt the woman contract around her long tongue. Not really wanting to taste much more of the tramp she waited and waited until she felt her tense up more and starting to shiver. Retracting her tongue, she now latched onto her clit and kept up a continuous sucking motion till the tremors faded away. The woman was lifted off of her and she had the strong urge to vomit but she spotted Derrick still next to her, one eyebrow raised. She took a deep breath and swallowed deeply, fighting said urge. Seeing her attempt at composing herself one corner of Derrick's mouth perked up. "You learn well, my pet. Next time, fight a bit less, I hate reprimanding my pets," he said softly as if he was praising her. Dolores didn't know what else was in store now, she hoped this would be the end of it. How wrong she was. At the end of the evening she had been used and abused by every male in the room, apart from Derrick. He had just watched as all of the other women one by one were ordered to suck him. No matter how hard they tried, he never came once with any of them, but he had an amused grin on his face, eyes dark with malice and lust. The dried up corpse of the initiate was disposed of and the shell of a woman that was left of his pretend victim got her life ended in the same fashion. Her pleading cries and whimpers still rang in her ears as four vampires had latch on to her neck and breasts. Derrick just watched and didn't say a single thing. A simple nod made sure the woman was disposed of in the same manner as the other one. When all the others had left the barn, Dolores still lay on the table. She didn't dare move at this point, afraid of what Derrick would do or say if she did. Silently he stalked towards her, a finger trailing over her body. "You really look like a well-used whore right now, the look suits you, don't you agree?" He continued walking around her. "There are times I like that look, like tonight. You'll have to learn to play my games, pet. You can be all high and mighty down in the club and think you're all that and be top bitch, but NEVER forget who is in charge!" he chided her. Dolores felt shivers of fear going through her body. His cold tone wasn't sounding promising and she was convinced that her reluctance was going to get her killed tonight. Derrick buried his hand at the nape of her neck and twisted her hair in it. Yanking her upwards, he gave a good tug. "You know where to go to clean yourself up. Be back here in 15 so I can have my bit of fun. 15, not a second more or you have breathed your last breath. Understood?" Dolores had lost her voice. All she could muster was a small nod. As he let her go she fell to the ground. She wanted a few minutes just to get herself together. Her legs felt weak and she wasn't sure if they would carry her. "Tic toc, tic toc," he mocked her. She did her best to stand up and as fast as her legs would carry her she made her way over to the hidden room. The only plus tonight had was that there wasn't a need to undress. Turning on the showers, she didn't even wait for the water to get warm. Getting under the cold water she started to scrub all the dirty cum from her skin. Dolores was scratching so fierce that at places she made tiny bloody scratches. She wanted to get rid of all the dirt, she got lost in her frenzy of getting clean she almost lost track of time. Dolores opened the door at the same time Derrick was reaching for the doorknob. "Just in time, two seconds more and you wouldn't have been standing here," he said in a cold voice. He motioned for her to step past him, his other hand finding a spot near the top of her bottom, guiding her into the room. She looked around, surprised it was cleaned up and the bench in the middle of it was gone, replaced by several chains hanging from the ceiling and some laying down on the floor. Next to them stood a table, ornamented with a wide variety of whips and paddles and much more things she didn't even recognize. Derrick chuckled as he gauged her for a reaction to the scene in front of her. "Be a good little pup and go stand between the chains so we can get started. Don't let me remind you of what happens when you disobey." Dolores shivered even more. She hadn't signed up for this, she didn't want this. As slow as she dared to go, she scanned the room, unable to find an easy way out. She closed her eyes as she stood in place waiting for what was to come next. Derrick lifted one arm and bolted the chain in the ceiling. He repeated the same with her other arm, leaving her standing on her tip toes. He then put a bar between her legs which prevented her from closing them. With a smirk on his face he then tied down her legs and connected them to the chains and shortened them so she was stretched out to the maximum. "What a lovely view you give my, pet," Derrick said, walking around her, petting various parts of her body as he passed or stood still for a second. "Oh I'm going to enjoy making you scream and knowing you have a higher pain level will only make it that more pleasurable for me, pet. Let's get started, shall we?" Suddenly she felt a hard slap on her butt cheek. A second later a similar one landed on her other cheek. Both slaps had stung, but her stubbornness had prevented her from even letting out a squeak. "What character," Derrick mused. Her sensitive hearing told her he was moving around now. She felt a stinging pain on the sides of her breast. She let out a breathless gasp. Her other breast got treated to the same. Dolores thought she was ready for this one but it caught her off guard. "That was just a warm up, now the real fun starts my pet," Derrick said after several minutes of slapping her all over. She dared opening her eyes and watched his back as he stood in front of the table, trying to decide which instrument to use first. When he turned around she saw he was holding something similar to a riding crop, only the end of it was more like a small square, a bit of a mini paddle at the end of it. His eyes were dark, but not pitch black, she could see the amusement in them, though she was fully devoid of any feelings towards the person that stood in front of her now. Dolores was finally starting to realize in what kind of trouble she was in. She tried to get ready for what was to come next, but nothing could have prepared her for the sting she felt as the little square landed solidly on her exposed womanhood. She whimpered softly. "That's not what I want to hear, pet. Maybe I'm being too soft, what do you think?" With that he hit her again and this time she yelped more loudly. "Now we're getting somewhere," he taunted her. He circled around her, acting like a true predator sizing up its prey. Suddenly he started whipping her, never in the same spot but after number five she held on to the chains as best she could. After ten, she had bitten her lip, not wanting to give him the pleasure of screams of pain. Little did she know, that by trying to be strong, she only made it better for him, making him more determined to break her. Derrick stood in front of her now, a grin plastered on his normally handsome face. His fingers trailed over a few very red markings on her breasts and inner thighs. Closing his eye, he inhaled deeply. "I don't care how dry you stay down there," he said as he scraped a long talon over her clit, "just know by the time I'm done with you, I will have fucked every opening you have. I will have drank so much from you, that you will wish that you were dead. But I won't let it come that far, close though. And then I will fuck you again, just like the bitch you are." Derrick glared at her as he scooped some blood from her split lip with his finger and slowly licked it. "This, my pet, is the one and only reason you are worth keeping." His talon scraped her neck and she knew he had made a large gash as he bent down and took his fill from her blood. She fought the urge to give in to his intoxicating venom, but failed as felt her pussy contract involuntary with each pull of her blood that he took. Tears that she didn't know she had cascaded down her cheeks, she didn't dare think of what else he had in store for her. All she knew right now was that she wanted to get away from this place. Lost in the lusty feeling his venom left behind she screamed when suddenly she felt a nauseating sting on her back, together with the coppery scent of her blood. Please , Luna, let this be over quick, she silently prayed to her goddess. She screamed again as another hit branded her backside. "That's what I want to hear, now we can have fun!" Derrick's voice sounded dark and evil. He changed the thin short whip for a longer one and took a few steps back to let the length of the whip do its work. He smiled at his own handiwork as he saw more and more blood covering the pale back. Going back to the table he picked up the next little tool he was going to use on her. "Let's see how far up the table we get." On and on her torture went, her screams got louder and louder. Sometime during their "session" Derrick had undressed and was sporting an enormous erection. "Now we're getting to the fuck part," he said as he lowered the top chains just a little. "Bend over," he ordered. Unable to really comprehend what he was saying, Derrick forced Dolores into the position he wanted her in and slammed home in one thrust. Dolores didn't put up a fight. She had lost the will to scream and she had so much venom in her body that Derrick had no problem sliding into her whether she wanted this or not. All she wanted was this to be over. Her last will broke, she retreated into herself and let her wolf take over, letting her wolf be the strong one. + + + + Adam stood across the street, watching the entrance to the club. The little man from his previous visit wasn't to be seen yet and he wanted to get in smoothly, so he needed a familiar face, not someone who would question his words. John and Gabriella were at home together with Ed. The only one with him right now was Merlin. "Don't get yourself worked up now, my friend. Don't worry about me. I already scanned the inside of that place. The one room you have been in was only an outer layer. There are several floors under the main floor and even though you can't see them, there are many floors going upwards, but they are hidden by magic," a soft whisper came to him from an invisible Merlin. "Easy for you to say, you can play hide and seek." "I'll never be far away." "You better be. Aah, it seems it's time to roll, the little man is there," Adam said as he straightened up after seeing the man in question exit the club and position himself next to the guard at the door. Slowly he crossed the street and he did his best to appear casual. He would prefer to just sneak his way inside and just find this Derrick person and tear apart his little organization from the inside out. But they had a plan and he had to stick to it. He looked up the few stairs and plastered a fake grin on his face. "Well hello there, we meet again. Think I can get in right away or do I have to wait in line?" Adam said with much authority in his voice. "I only make exceptions once, so if you're not on this list, you'll have to wait." "I better be on there, else Chasey would be disappointed you kept me waiting. He gave me an open invitation to come whenever I felt like it. He's actually expecting me tonight." The use of first name alerted the man to the importance of the one in front of him. He didn't even want to know his name to double-check his list. He knew well enough if someone was on first name bases with Mister DiSarbonne he wasn't to piss off that person. "This way, Sir," the little weasel said, opening the velvet rope to let Adam pass. With a simple nod towards the guard, the door was held open and Adam stepped inside. He stalled a little bit, making sure Merlin had opportunity to get inside as well. It was still early so it wasn't as crowded as it was the first time. Adam went for the bar and ordered a closed beer, wanting to make sure his drink wasn't spiked with anything. He was sure the bartender on duty knew of the variety of people attending the club and wouldn't be surprised if some would try some enhancements to get more compliance from their dates. He flicked the top off easily and drank once before turning around and doing a quick scan of the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary yet. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 09 Taking another swig from the bottle, a dark figure caught his eye. The man wasn't bothered with who could see what he was doing as one hand held a petite redhead close to his chest and the other hand was exploring her in more intimate places. A quick inhale proved to Adam what was going on. The moans that escaped her mouth were hard to ignore. What got his attention was the name the woman was moaning. It riled up his wolf, angered him to no end. His heartbeat went up and he had a hard time fighting back the urge to simply rip the pitiful excuse of a vamp away from the woman and tear off his limbs one by one. Again he heard the woman whisper "Rupert" and it acted like a red cloth to a bull. His eyes changed and a low rumbling was starting in his chest. His muscles were straining against the crisp white dress shirt he was wearing. He wanted to go over there and rip those two from each other and then he wanted to have a serious heart to heart with this Rupert person. He took a first step but something held him back. Adam looked around and only when he felt an invisible hand fall on his shoulder, did he realize it was Merlin having a hold on him. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths and relaxed his posture, signaling to Merlin he was back in control. The pressure on his shoulder went away. With great effort he managed to focus on a different part of the club and move away from the pair that were still locked to each other's face. Scanning the floor, he tried shifting his interest to finding Chasey DiSarbonne. Adam toured the room completely without finding the man in question. He bit back a curse, he wanted this show started, preferably yesterday instead of tonight. Making his way to the bar, he ordered another bottle of beer. Leaning against the bar, he appeared relaxed to the starting crowd, his eyes constantly scanning the room. Not much later he felt someone next to him. A quick sideways glance showed it was Chasey. "Well, hello there. Aren't you back fast?" the vampire said with a Texan drawl. Adam turned towards him. "Really, a Texan accent? Doesn't that clash with the name a little?" "Not really, it amuses me, that is all. But tell me, since you're back already, I can assume you had a nice chat with your Alpha?" Adam looked around. "Could be, but that isn't something I want to discuss in the wide open for anybody to hear. So if you have somewhere more private we can go, be my guest." Adam didn't leave Chasey with much choice but to leave this crowed area. "Follow me, my office is in the back. We can talk shop there," Chasey said while extending his arm, pointing towards a dark hallway next to the bar. As he followed Adam, his eye caught a little red head. His blood lust bubbling inside of him, he grabbed her arm and he drug her with him, knowing Sue knew what was expected of her. Adam had a puzzled look as he saw the tiny redhead entering behind Chasey. "It's OK, she knows when to hold her mouth," Chasey said with a smile. Inwardly, Adam cringed at all of this. There was so much secrecy around this gang but on the other hand, they must have one hell of a reputation to be able to talk so freely around others about sensitive details and deals. Another plan was forming in his mind, maybe they could whisk away this girl and see if she would talk or maybe if Merlin could do some mumbo jumbo on her to spill some details. Focusing back on the woman and Chasey, he saw she was already on her knees, her head bobbing up and down in an all too familiar fashion. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at this. "Maybe once you get your 'fix' we can talk seriously?" Adam said in a bored tone. "Oh but we can talk. Our little Sue here knows what is wanted and expected. Don't you, little one?" Chasey asked her. With eyes filled with fear, she slowly nodded before turning back to the vampire and his exposed cock. Adam was more than convinced that a lot more was going on with her and made a mental note to have her followed and see if they could sway her to talk freely to them instead of Merlin having his magical way with her. For now, he just had to temper his rising anger and focus on what he really was here for. "If you say so," Adam started. "My Alpha has a perfect building that could be set up almost exactly like this. He's being positive so far and has given me the freedom to act on his behalf to make a deal. I'd like to know how things are run, who knows what and how you get a hold on the less voluntary food supplies without raising suspicion to yourself. And how you handle people like her," he ended nodding towards the still kneeling Sue. "How we keep her in line is easy. She's addicted to our blood, she gets a weekly dose. In turn, she can visit here any time and any vamp can feed off her. As to keeping her mouth shut about anything else. Our little darling here has a sweet little one herself and she prefers her to be alive. Don't you?" Adam shivered. They got her hooked on vampire blood, a fact that on its own was already strange, it was the first time he heard of the addictive quality of it. In return they got a free and fresh blood supply and if she dared talk they would kill her kid. Just another detail we have to take into account before trying to talk to her. The young woman wasn't able to even nod since Chasey had his cock buried deep in her throat and was pressing her face even closer. For only a brief moment did he close his eyes as he came in her mouth. Without much ceremony, he dislodged his semi-hard dick and ordered her to clean him up. Once she was done, he lifted her halfway up, holding her by her shoulders and tilted her head. He didn't need much blood to sate his blood lust, just a few sips. Latching onto her exposed vain, he took a few deep swallows before closing up the tiny marks. As a reward he slit his wrist and let her have a bit of his own blood. The feeling that washed over him as she pulled on his wrist was just as addictive as the blood was to her. Adam had enough of this little display of power and cleared his throat while raising one eye brow at the same time. "As much as this may amuse you, I on the other hand, still have other obligations to tend to. So if you don't mind getting your head in the right game, we can continue our little chat and get things moving. Shall we?" Adam sounded really annoyed now, not even trying to hide his displeasure. Chasey patted Sue on the head, motioning for her to stay on her knees next to him. "Don't get your panties in a twist, we got all night." "You, maybe, but I certainly haven't. I have full clearance to set up this deal but my Alpha expects a fully detailed update when I leave here tonight. So excuse me if I feel we do not have all night and that I prefer to keep business and pleasure separated. What you do after this meeting is beyond me and I don't give a crap about that, so let's get this started, please." His annoyed tone was still there and his posture went a bit more rigid. He really didn't want to stay here much longer then was needed. Chasey's little intermezzo might have provided him a backdoor to more information about the gang, but that didn't mean the main goal was to be forgotten. "Fine, fine. Here let me give you some documents first. These will show that all ventures are handled legally, so it's hard for the court to pin anything on us. I'm assuming you can figure out a perfect lay-out for your own building when you start things up. You'll have access to our connections until you can expand them to your own territory. "It might take some traveling at the start to get certain individuals over to your area, but in due time word will spread you're an asking party and doors will open slowly. Seeing we cater to many species, there really is never an issue of 'left overs'. Everything, literally everything, is consumed by one being or the other. There is hardly any clean up required apart from destroying any personal belongings those individuals had on them. Basically letting them evaporate without a trace." Adam listened to every word Chasey was saying and with every word he got more angry inside, his control wavering. Suddenly, he felt the same soothing presence as he had earlier, indicating that Merlin was in the room as well and hearing every word for himself. He was glad to feel Merlin's presence because if that wasn't the case he didn't think he could keep his cool, not even with all his past training. The reason he was here was too personal for him to shut down his emotions. Pretending to be interested, he kept on listening, shocked at how deep this gang seemed to be operating. This was quickly turning into something more than just a vengeance trip. This gang had to be stopped at all costs and any side branches they might have helped set up. Still listening to Chasey, Adam went through the papers that were now in his lap. He was amazed that they would put anything on paper at all. There had to be more to it, they couldn't be this trusting about strangers wanting in. Adam felt a strange sensation in his mind before he heard a familiar voice. Read the complete file. Don't worry about remembering it, I can pull it out of your mind later. You can't feel or sense it but that paper is magically enhanced. Should you take it outside a certain area the ink on it will disappear and it's just some worthless piece of paper. Also don't worry about Sue. I already let John know about her and he's taking steps to have her followed once she leaves here. Just focus on this deal. A soft brush along his back confirmed it had been Merlin inside his head. He bit back a smile, the tricks that man had up his sleeve seemed endless and he was sure there wouldn't be a day he would bore you to death. His mind eased that Sue wouldn't be left to her own devices, he concentrated on the document, sure not to miss a word. "It all seems very legit indeed. Did it take long to set it up like this?" Adam asked. "Nope. We started the club 100% legit, contracts and good people. We wanted to build up a good reputation first before we started bringing in the real crowd we were aiming for. It was a hit." A dark smile crossed over Chasey's face before he went on. "People loved the acts we put on the stage. At first, it was all pretend, but bit by bit, we let them see it was the real deal, real fangs, real claws, no fake blood and certainly no fake screams. That's when the crowd changed and we started getting our usual visitors. "They suggested other venues, species, acts. Derrick was all for it. We tried them out and it worked. And that's how we came to how we are today. These are, of course, only the big lines, I'm sure you understand we don't share everything. Just as not everybody gets to meet the number one right away, he likes his privacy and anonymity." Adam managed to nod courteously, while inside he simply wanted to rip out the vampires throat. "Well I may not have much time to settle it all," Adam said, "I'm gonna go over all the details here and I'll get back to you by tomorrow evening. If we decide to go ahead with this I'll make sure my Alpha will be with me. He'll want to talk to your boss to finalize everything. I'm assuming that won't be a problem?" Adam was winging it a little here. He wasn't sure he could get him to come over, if his Alpha was free, the odds were good, otherwise, he'd have to come up with something else. He didn't want to stall things, the little things he heard and saw were enough to make him cringe and he wanted this over. All he had to do was convince him to let Merlin fetch him and it would all be fine, he hoped. Chasey's eyes widened for a mere second. "Normally I'd say we don't move this fast, but I'll assume your pack is in good working order? I mean else you wouldn't be given this much liberty to broker a deal for them." "The pack is just fine, you don't need to know more. If we wouldn't be able to handle this kind of venture," Adam circled his hand around him, indicating everything around them, "I wouldn't have asked for details. We just want more leverage on things in our area and I think something like this could give it to us." Not much longer, Adam thought to himself, he just felt disgusted just having to be here, but he knew why and for who he was here and he tried to go back to the cold soldier he used to be. He had to sit out this meeting, call his Alpha, get him in on this, see how they could work something out with Sue and then end this sick charade. "Yes, yes, all will be taken care of should your Alpha be with you the next time you grace us with your presence. You can even use the side entrance and bypass all the others," Chasey said as he practically started to glow. Inwardly Adam let out a loud sigh, almost jumping with joy that he could end this charade of a meeting. He gave an impatient look towards Chasey who seemed to pick up on his mood. "Don't let me keep you any longer, I'm sure you have a lot to discuss with your Alpha. However I must insist you leave those papers here. Is that a problem?" "No, it isn't." Adam tapped his temple, "Photogenic memory, we'll get things sorted." "That is indeed one handy treat to have, lucky you." "Yes, lucky me," Adam replied with a dark smile creeping over his face. His emotions were all over the place, he wanted to get away from this place. He was fighting his anger because he wanted to rip the vampire to shreds. He was disgusted at how they treated the human females, not to mention what happened in the lower levels. He simply wanted this place torn apart, this gang disintegrated with nothing left. Not wanting to stay here for a minute longer, he stood up and extended his hand to Chasey, wanting to close the meeting and simply get away from it all. "I do hope we'll see you soon again, " Chasey said eerily. "We tend to act fast if we're convinced it is how we want it. Don't be surprised to see us tomorrow or the day after at the latest," Adam said with a sure voice. Their goodbyes said and done, Chasey escorted Adam to the side entrance. Handy to know where he had to enter the next time. Outside, Adam waited a few agonizing minutes, walked away and then relaxed and let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness this part is over," he said to no one in particular. "I noticed you had to tone it down a few times," Merlin's deep voice spoke behind him. "You have no idea. I would have ripped his throat out if you hadn't intervened. You're handy to have around, I'll tell you that." "Don't mention it. It was well worth being there. I know I could easily deal with this all in my own way, but I understand and respect your need for vengeance and John and Gabriella's need for closure. For them I feel sad, being tricked like this, squandering away such a gift." Merlin walked to stand in front of Adam, the sorrow evident on his face. "Do you think you could follow Sue and somehow get her to our little hideout without them here noticing?" Adam asked. "I should be able to yeah. Just have to follow her and whisk her away. I'll even clear her head and make sure I have her little one with us too. That way she'll see we mean her no harm, the opposite even. She'll see her little one safe and with her, she may trust us faster that way," Merlin suggested. "Sounds like a plan; think you could transport me too? I don't want to stay here longer than needed and want to get things moving ASAP. I'm sure Dave will want to know I kinda roped him in to helping us. Sadly, I saw no other way to move things along faster. I don't want to dwell here any longer than is needed," Adam explained. "No problem, let's go somewhere a bit more dark so they won't see us disappear. I'll come back to wait for Sue, follow her home and get that show on the road. I'll mentally ring a bell warning you I'll be over in a few." "Ok, let's go," was Adam's short reply before both of them walked further up the dark passage way. Both stood next to a large dumpster when Merlin placed a hand on Adam's shoulder and transported them to John's estate. + + + + Adam paced up and down the room, impatiently waiting for Merlin to arrive with his precious cargo. The call with his Alpha was successful. He knew Merlin wouldn't mind him telling his Alpha about it all so it was possible for him to transport him over so they could finalize their planning. For that to happen, Merlin first had to get back to them with both Sue and her little one. Two hours had passed and still no word from Merlin, his pacing grew more agitated. What the hell was going on? The thought barely entered his mind when it got pushed aside by Merlin mentally knocking on his door, warning him he was about to appear in front of them. He quickly gestured to the others to make room so there was enough room for all those arriving. Eagerly waiting to the side, they all saw Merlin appear. Sue glued to his left side and in his right arm he had a tiny bundle tightly curled up against his chest. The pink blanket she was wrapped in made it clear her little one was a girl. With a look close to fear, Sue looked around the room. Her gaze was met with compassion and kindness, which soothed her a little bit. Merlin led her to the couch and gently put the little girl in her lap. She hugged the girl close, not wanting to let go of her. "Hello Sue. So we meet again," Adam started the conversation. "To make it clear, we don't mean you any harm, however, we could do with your help and hopefully some of your knowledge." Not able to fully get the fear of the unknown out of her system, she just nodded. "I am sorry about the way we met. Chasey sure is a piece of work," Adam said while almost grinding his teeth. Again, Sue could only nod in agreement. "You see, we want to shut down that place and everybody related to it. For that to happen, we need to get to the number one man, understand?" Another nod from Sue. "Do you think you know anything, no matter how insignificant you may think it is, that may be of any help?" Adam asked. Sue hugged her little girl and rocked back and forth, going over what the tall man just told her. It was the first time in ages she had such a clear mind. It felt daunting, realizing in which position she had been for months, the danger she had exposed her little girl too. When Merlin knocked on her door not long ago, she almost crapped her pants. The babysitter had just left a minute before and good-naturedly she had opened the door thinking it was the babysitter coming back because she had forgot something. The tall stranger surprised her, even more so with his kind and gentle gestures. With little words he explained who he was, what he wanted of her and to assure her that her little one would not be harmed, and even better, she could bring her with her and they would make sure she would get a new start for them both. He told her they had to be swift to make it all work. Still shocked, she let him in where he explained in more detail what was to happen and what he was offering, including helping her get rid of the vampire blood addiction. That little fact was what pushed her over. That and the reassurance that her daughter would be safe and they would be out of reach from the bad guys. From the moment she agreed to help, things turned into a blur. He helped her get her daughter after he did something weird to her. She didn't question it at that time because frankly she didn't know how to ask. Being at the club had proven that there were many creatures walking the earth alongside the humans and she wasn't sure where to place Merlin yet. She knew soon enough, for the second her daughter was ready, he told her to hold on tight and that he would carry the little one. A second later they appeared in a lush room with three men and one woman looking friendly at her. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 09 She recognized Adam as the man that had gone with Chasey, seeing him here put the fear back into her. Somehow, she knew that fear was not needed, his words proof of that. None of them tried anything, didn't move in nor did they try to grab her daughter, who slept blissfully through it all. "I'm not sure if I can be of much help," she spoke softly. "You might be a bigger help than you give yourself credit for," Adam reassured her. "Think of times or days you always see the same people, do they act differently at certain times? Is there someone who stands out? Or people you saw that stopped showing up?" Sue closed her eyes and thought about it for a while. "Chasey is there almost every evening, he just grabs whoever is in his path to do whatever he pleases. You've seen that. Everybody is scared of him. We don't often see the big boss, mostly just once a week. It feels more like he just needs to show his face and doesn't care much for the rest." "Does he visit on regular days? Or is it more random?" Merlin asked. "Think it's mostly Friday evenings when there are a lot of people, like he wants the attention." "So that would be tomorrow," surmised Adam. "Merlin, would you be able to get my Alpha over? I rang him earlier and filled him in, he agrees to come over and finalize this so called deal. This way they won't suspect anything else is going on. We should get those two out and Rupert. That would be the top of the gang. If they're gone the rest of it won't last long." Adam turned his attention to John and Gabriella, "I assume you can take care of the rest once this part is taken care of?" Both of them nodded their agreement and Adam turned back to Merlin. "I'm guessing he is expecting me?" "Yes." "Ok, you know what to do, picture him and hope he has enough space around him cleared." "He's been made aware of the precaution, you shouldn't have any issues zapping in and out, he's expecting you." Merlin concentrated briefly on Adam's mind and off he went to fetch the Alpha. During the short wait Adam turned to Sue and her little one. "What's her name?" "Rose, but I call her Rosie," she answered. "She's pretty, but I'm sure also very tired." He turned around and asked Gabriella, "Do you think you have a room where we can put her to bed?" "I've got just the room for that," she answered with a smile. "Sue, you mind going with me so I can show you the room and you tuck her in?" "I'm not sure..." "You can stay with her for a while 'till she settles in," Gabriella assured her. "Ok, that would be fine. A bed is always better than being dragged all over the place," Sue said, following with her precious cargo still sound asleep in her arms. With the girls gone, the men waited for Merlin's return, not much was being said, all silently agreeing things were fast coming to conclusion. A few seconds later the familiar shimmer from Merlin appeared and together with him Dave appeared in the room. Dave looked around, tilted his head, inhaled deeply. "Where is she?" he asked with a strained voice. "Where is who, my Alpha?" "My mate, she's here, I demand to know where she is right this instant!" All men looks gob smacked, it wasn't enough wanting to tear down this gang, now they had an Alpha finding his mate. Adam couldn't help but start to laugh at the whole situation. Dave growled with warning. "I'm sorry Alpha but honestly I can't help it. Of all times now you find your mate. I know it can't be Gabriella, she's with John here. The only other woman around is Sue, she's human. You may want to hold it together if I'm correct." Another growl erupted from Dave. "We won't keep you from getting close to her, but she comes with baggage, so give her space and time. She's gonna need it. We need you too." At that moment Gabriella and Sue entered the room. Dave turned towards them and let out a very low rumble, accompanied with just a single word, "Mine!" as he stalked towards Sue, who very fast was getting afraid again. As he stopped in front of her, she was shivering, didn't know what to do. It was at that same moment the earlier spoken words from Adam registered. He can't have a mate that is scared of him. He toned down his rumble, took a few deep breaths, all this as he gazed down. Gently, he cupped her cheek, like she was the most frail thing he ever saw and was afraid he'd break it. "Time is what you need and is what you'll get but I do beg of you to not shut me out, I would not survive that," he pleaded softly. Someone behind him chuckled loudly. With a low growl he turned to see Adam and Ed grinning widely. "Don't you think some introduction would be handy before you start wooing her?" Ed said with much amusement. Alpha or not, Dave managed to blush a deep red, realizing also that his hand still was touching the young woman's cheek. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, that is not my intent, please forgive me?" he stuttered before slowly backing off, giving her enough room to breathe and move again. Sue didn't know what the hell was going on but seeing another godlike man now having only attention for her made her a bit weary, though oddly enough when he was touching her she felt safe and comforted. Adam cleared his throat. "Sue, I'd like you to meet my Alpha, Dave O'Neill. Alpha meet Sue..." Adam sent a pleading look towards Sue who picked up his unasked question. "Harrison, my last name is Harrison." "Sue Harrison," Adam continued. For a brief moment they all relaxed and all settled down in different seats. Gabriella made sure all of them got something to drink or eat. The rest of the night was spent going over the plan, with many interruptions where they had to remind Dave to get with the program because he constantly drifted away, looking at Sue. They managed to finalize their plan. Most would depend on Dave and Adam's acting skills for the first part, then it was Merlin's turn to do his zapping. What came after was talked about, how it would go was a whole different matter. Late that night, they all went to bed, knowing they all would need the sleep and the last few moments before the confrontation would take place. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 10 SIW : Adam and Bronwille. Another chapter ready and we're getting to the big finale, for this part of the story at least. After that it's full focus on Adam and Bron and really get them together as they're meant to be. Special thanks go out to Nulli Para Ora for providing another excellent Adam written period piece "Revenge". Double thanks for Nulli and Mazuri for giving it the quick once over and not in the least a huge thanks for Mikothebaby for another job well done: THANKS LADIES! I'll let you get on with the story. Mokkelke. Chapter Ten : The End is Near. Unable to get rid of the adrenaline coursing through his body, Adam turned to the one thing that at this moment could ease it a little bit. He actually had to smile as he realized that the cute little redhead had provided him with a means to get on top of his feelings and at the same time give his past a final resting place. One day he will thank her for it profusely and thoroughly. Sitting down, he stared at the blank screen for a few minutes, thinking back at that one moment where he lost part of his control, went beyond enemy lines, to get his personal revenge. The things he'd been witness to for so many times finally had caught up and he needed to put a stop to it, he just had to. He lingered in his past for a few minutes longer and then started typing. A few hours later, he went over it again and he felt relieved, like a burden fell off his shoulders and he knew he could get into the right mindset to deal with the current affairs. His eyes roamed over the last few lines, they told clearly what was needed. Anger can be useful, it insulates, empowers and focuses. I accepted anger as my companion and I embraced the power that it gave me. Nothing will replace the satisfaction that anger gave me on that day and nothing will ever come close to the euphoria of revenge. Revenge is what I need and what I'll get. Then I'll come back to you and come clean he thought. He felt the sting in his eyes, telling him that now would be an ideal time to go to bed and get a few precious hours of sleep. Before he did just that, he typed down a quick message, attached his story and sent it to Bron. As ever, he was curious at how she'd react. Despite her past, she managed to amaze him every step of the way. He just hoped she would forgive him this little charade of hiding behind this persona. He was sure she would. Now all he had to do was focus and concentrate on getting the revenge he swore he would get for her. When he tucked himself in for the short remainder of the night, he focused hard on her smell and how her body felt against his. His pent up frustration written out of his system, he now wanted a few moments of happiness. With a smile on his face he drifted off to sleep. + + + + # # # From Atlas to RedB Dear RedB, There is a lot going on in my life right now. It, however, gave me an opportunity to dig into my past and put a few things into perspective. For so long, I had trouble placing them, dealing with them. I was touched by your kind words on my previous story, and they only helped me convince myself that I had finally found a way to get some closure for things long past. You have my gratitude for that, always and forever. For so long, I always hid that part, pretended it was never there. Now I can admit that, yes, I am a soldier at heart and I want to protect the innocent and I want to punish the guilty! The part you have read, or are about to read, is what happened a few days later. In a way, I admit to you only that I am not proud for losing my common sense and I know it was the discretion of my then Lt that kept it from getting out. I never understood why, only recent events have made a few things more clear to me and now I understand. I'm on my own way to redemption. Just taking a detour for some revenge first. I will not say enjoy the read this time, it's not a happy thing to read, but it is what happened, in all its brutality. Forever grateful, Atlas # # # Bron played with her lower lip, pulling and tugging at it as she read each word of the brief message Atlas had attached his new story to. She wasn't sure what to make of it. She did know he was as tormented as she was, having the same conflicting emotions and now it seems she gave him a means to cope with it. Pride filled her with that thought. Yet, she was apprehensive about his next piece. His warning that it wasn't going to be pretty kinda made her doubt whether to even start reading it. She thought about his first story, the message that came with it, combined with the current one. His path was in a way similar to hers with the difference being he seemed to actually move forward while she was only taking very small baby steps. Letting out a weary sigh she told herself to put on her big girl panties and just read it. Clicking a few buttons, she downloaded and then opened the attached file. * * * * * * * * Revenge. Nights in the jungle weren't peaceful. There was never a time when a soldier was not on guard. We didn't sleep in the normal sense of the word. We simply lost consciousness during our designated times, still listening out for orders. That's exactly what I was doing when the sound of an explosion started my ears to ringing while spurring me into action. My hand was immediately on my weapon and I was on my feet. Another explosion had me turning my head toward the infirmary and my Lieutenant barking orders. "Fucking eighty one millimeter mortars! Davis, O'Neill, Johnson, move your asses! We need to get all we can out of there!" He was already ahead of us, running like a mad man to secure our injured brothers. I didn't even blink, I just ran and took up a defensive position along with several others. We created a perimeter and searched the dark forest for any movement or sound. If we were lucky we'd see the light when the next mortar launched, giving us an area to target. We weren't that lucky. The next explosion hit the infirmary again, sending all of us flying in different directions from the force of the blast. They're targeting our injured? What kind of fucking animal targets men who can't fight back? There it was again, my closest friend, fresh and ready for retribution. As dazed as I was from the blast, I was still building that same hatred for the enemy. I didn't get up right away, I lay there on the ground, listening, scanning for any indication of their position. Give me one damned sign and your ass is mine! More explosions told me that there was more than one eighty one millimeter hidden in the blackness of the forest. I was starting to pinpoint their location from the sound of the mortar firing. Gotcha assholes! I crawled on my belly to my weapon and took aim. I couldn't see Charlie, but I could damn sure send some bullets into his general vicinity. "O'Neill! Get your ass over here! We need to provide some God damned cover fire so that everyone gets outta here" Son of a bitch! We're gonna let them get away with this? I didn't want to listen to the Lieutenant. I wanted to kill every single one of them out there; but going against protocol had already cost someone their life. "Sir!" I crawled toward the Lieutenant and jumped to my feet just beyond the burning rubble that used to be the infirmary. I followed Lt. Bradley through scenes of organized chaos. There were people running in every direction, screaming orders and acknowledgments and doing anything they could to salvage what was necessary. We had a contingency plan in case something like this happened. There was another location that we could fall back to if the need arose. We needed to make sure we didn't leave anything behind that would give Charlie any intel before we left. Everyone was scrambling, doing what they were trained to do. There was no time to think about the people being blown up as more mortars fell. Our job was to react, to protect as much as we could and ensure the survival of as many as we could save. Explosions continued on as three Marines stayed behind, Browning 50cals at the ready, distracting Charlie and giving us time to escape. I will never forget, brothers. Semper Fi. By daybreak, we were heading back, looking for survivors. We'd radioed our sit. rep. and two platoons met up with us at around 0400. The sight of our fallen was gruesome. I entered the perimeter and stopped at Hawkes' body. His leg was clearly broken, but that wasn't what killed him. I could taste the bitterness of bile rising up in my mouth as I saw that his throat had been slashed. Fucking Charlie! I will kill every last one of you! It was no different for the next several bodies that we found. Many had been killed by explosions or gunfire, but there were too many whose injuries weren't fatal. Their deaths were brought after they suffered and that was something I wouldn't forgive. I was approaching the area where the infirmary used to be when I heard the faintest groan. It was a woman's voice, more than likely one of the nurses. I double timed it to the source and that's when I saw her. She was on the ground, nose bleeding, eyes black and swollen, lip split. There were purple bruises in the shape of fingers around her neck and when she did manage to part her lids, the whites of her eyes were completely red. My eyes traveled down to find her uniform ripped and torn. She had bite marks on most of her body, including her breasts. With a rage that was quickly turning me into a seething, snarling beast, I allowed my eyes to travel lower, finding blood on her inner thighs. They fucking raped her! I took off my MARPAT blouse and draped it over her. "I need a medic!" I wouldn't leave her side, and the looks on the faces of the medics when they arrived assured me that she'd never be left alone again. You're all gonna pay, Charlie! I followed the protocol. I did my duties and people were still dead and even worse. I needed my revenge and I was going to take it. I waited and patrolled for a couple hours until things were settling down. We'd carried our dead to a special area and covered them with sheets. We made sure that we secured anything useful and waited for the inbound convoy to move us to a new location. I wasn't needed on the patrol when the sounds of the transports registered. Now or never. I made a wide arc around the perimeter as if patrolling before I slipped into the forest. I moved quickly, searching the ground for any signs of disturbance, any clues at all. That's when I noticed indentations in the soil in the shape of a triangle. Jackpot! This is where one of the eighty ones rested. I scanned the ground and I could see a clear path ahead of me, marking their escape with the heavy weapon. I followed it, running as fast as I could through the forest. I wasn't stealthy, I didn't give a fuck. I was going to kill those bastards and they might as well know that death was coming for 'em. It was more warning than we got. I must have traveled two or three miles before I could hear the sounds of voices. I moved into a position where I could scan the trees and my eyes quickly fell on a clearing not too far ahead of me. I was off in a flash. I unsheathed my combat knife and moved into action. There were five Charlies patrolling and I had plans for each one of them. I hunkered down under the tall vegetation and waited. They spoke to each other every now and then and I waited for the silence before I crawled forward, timing my movements so that the sways of the plants seemed to be in response to the wind. I was close to him and I could feel my adrenaline pumping as I watched him through the long, wide leaves. The moment he moved toward me, I was up and on him. I grabbed his throat and squeezed tight. I wasn't going to kill him just yet, but I didn't want him alerting the others. In one smooth motion, I cut off his pants. He was too busy struggling to breathe to fight me and I needed to be sure of something. Was it you? Were you one of them? I looked down at his exposed skin and saw no blood. Your lucky day, Charlie! I wouldn't have to gut him slowly as I'd planned to if he was one of the men who raped that nurse. Instead, I brought my knife up high enough for him to see it. His eyes were glued to the shiny metal as I waved it back and forth in front of his face. "Time to die, Charlie." I let him watch the knife for a few more seconds before I lowered it and stabbed him in the stomach. Pulling the blade from him, I held it sideways and stabbed between his ribs. If you had a fucking heart, It would be bleeding it out right now. As it stands, I'm simply cutting off your supply of life. I let his limp body drop to the forest floor and I spat on him. "Son of a bitch!" I hunkered down again, watching for the next target. I was moving to him in no time, reveling in my revenge and needing more of it, like a drug. I waited for him in much the same way and I searched him for signs that he'd been involved in the rape after I had him secured. The traces of blood that I found on him sealed his fate. I didn't hesitate, I used my knife tip to cut his vocal chords without slitting his throat. When he fell to the ground in pain, I joined him, kneeling next to his body and watching the fear creep into his eyes. "Wasn't she afraid of you, Charlie?" I didn't care that he didn't understand me. I was going to get revenge and he was going to feel it. My hands trembled in anger and anticipation. I was excited to teach this Charlie a damned lesson and I couldn't decide where to start. His hands were holding his throat as he tried to cough and scream. "Did you use those filthy hands to choke her? To hold her down?" I grabbed a wrist and yanked his hand from his throat. I forced it down into the soil and put my knee, with my weight behind it, on his palm to hold it. His feeble attempts to swat at me did nothing to deter me and I took my time. I broke every finger on that hand and I did it slowly. His squirming and hoarse cries only served to make me threaten him with my blade. He couldn't be heard and I couldn't be seen, so I worked him over. Cutting here, stabbing there, breaking this arm, placing my fingers inside his wounds. Whatever the hell I wanted, and there was a lot that I wanted. The feel of his blood was like the caress of a beautiful woman on my skin and I craved more of her attention. When he released his last breath, I was already on to his comrade, delivering a similar punishment after finding him wearing her blood below his waist. You won't need that eye where you're going asshole. I'd killed the patrol one by one and I was heading for the clearing when I heard a muffled sound before a thud not two yards away from me. "You got a fucking death wish, Son? What part of my fucking orders included going AWOL to play footsie with Charlie?" Shit! I knew his voice anywhere and I turned and saluted. I looked down at the body of a Charlie that I didn't even know was there. The Lieutenant had broken his neck, quick and clean. "You and me are gonna have words, Son. What the hell are you doing all the way out here in bum fucking Egypt?" His eyes were darting around me into the clearing. I knew he'd pick up on the fact that there were more Charlies out there. I wasn't going to lie to him. I didn't have a reason to. I felt no guilt for what I did but I had the sense to speak appropriately. "Sir, I couldn't let Charlie get away after what they did to us, Sir. I found a path and tracked them here. I found two of them so far who were part of the attack on the nurse, Sir." I listened to his irritated sigh and waited for his reprimand. I was in the wrong, I knew it, but I was too angry to care. Even if I had to go against a direct order, I planned to kill every one of those cocksuckers. "God Damn it, O'Neill! If you're gonna fucking stab someone, use the right fucking angle of entry! Fucking Boots!" His eyes traveled over the bodies I'd left before settling back on the clearing. "Let's get this done so I can get back and kick your ass." He was moving toward the enemy before he finished speaking. One by one, the Lieutenant and I took out the remaining targets. He allowed me to use my anger, watching me tear several of them apart. He seemed bored by the whole thing as he smoked a cigar with his arms crossed over his chest. He let me punch and rend until I had no more energy left. I could feel the desire to inflict more pain, to rip more of them in half, but I was out of enemies and out of time. "Gotcha fucking head out of your ass now?" He was looking at me as though he was seeing a child. "Back to the convoy, O'Neill or so help me God!" We walked back in silence. There was nothing that I needed to say. This would be the fate of any who hurt the ones I protected. They would die by my hands and I'd show no mercy. Anger can be useful, it insulates, empowers and focuses. I accepted anger as my companion and I embraced the power that it gave me. Nothing will replace the satisfaction that anger gave me on that day and nothing will ever come close to the euphoria of revenge. * * * * * * * * Bron sat there, lost for words at what she just read. The torment he must have gone through with what he did, no matter how justified the cause may have been. No wonder he was as messed up as she was. The difference between them now was that he confronted the issue and she ran and hid and tried to survive. Her near attack almost making her do the same if it wasn't for one person. Her heart ached when she thought of him. He was so caring and tender, not once did he push her for anything. She got a bit angry at herself for the roller coaster ride her emotions were taking her on. Grabbing her hair she pulled on it hard until it hurt. She wanted to scream out her frustration at just about anything. Giving in, she did just that and afterward turned bright red, hoping her neighbors didn't think anything was wrong. Some minutes later she felt safe to move again, nobody had rang or knocked on her door. Then she laughed. Not sure if he had done this on purpose or it was just coincidence but in a way Atlas was letting her see she wasn't alone, that she could share her burden, her fear, maybe turn said fear into something else. Maybe what she had to do was something she should have done instead of running, maybe she should have talked to that cop. She should talk about this to someone, maybe Mia would be up for a little heart to heart. Something inside of her felt wrong thinking that, not Mia, she had to talk to someone else. Adam. She wanted to talk to Adam, he already proved to be a great listener. The only problem now was when was he getting back into town? Feeling a bit too raw to reply to Atlas, she shut down everything and hoped that going out for a meal would ease her tension. It didn't take long for her to end up at Adam's tavern and order her usual. She hid a smile as they now treated her as a well-seasoned regular. She managed to always have the same spot available to her, one where she could watch the side entrance into the tavern from the private area in the back, you never know when he could show up. Not long after she sat down a tall glass of ice water was put in front of her, decorated with a bright colored paper umbrella. Katie simply asked if she wanted the usual and with an affirmative nod from her, twirled around to place the order in the kitchen. She put down the little notebook and began scribbling down little nothings, ideas floating around in her mind. It could be as simple as a name she liked or a scene that she felt drawn too. She used to be able to just remember it all, but after her ordeal she found that jolting them down was needed. It had frustrated her to no end to be unable to bring forth the details she recalled so easily before. Frowning a little, she tried to smooth down the folded edges of the worn out notebook. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 10 When the alluring smell hit her nose she knew her meal had arrived and with an appreciative smile she thanked Katie who smiled back in turn. Digging in, she lost herself again to the emotions that Atlas brought forth with his story and tried to put things in perspective. Occasionally she wrote down things she wanted to tell Atlas. With things falling into place now she focused on finishing her meal. + + + + Dolores sobbed, cringing silently as she tried to roll over. Every little move hurt as if little pins were permanently stuck into every part of her body. For the first time ever, she realized in what kind of trouble she was and she had to admit she was in over her head. Derrick was a sick pervert. There wasn't a part on her skin he hadn't touched, pinched, beaten or cut. She lost consciousness more times than she could count. At first, she had fought hard to not give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream in pain, but then he upped his efforts and before long she was a quivering mess that hung limp on the silver chains. When he couldn't get any more reactions out of her he had thrown her onto a pile of pillows, falsely letting her believe things were over. She believed that for at least five minutes, then he had put her on all fours and slammed himself hard into her ass, the pain he caused her made her cry out and collapse on the pillows. The laughter that erupted from him only put her even more to shame. That's when she must have passed out for the last time because now she woke up in her own bed, shivering, shaking and hurting all over. The soreness between her legs told her it wasn't just her ass he raped. More tears fell down her marred cheeks. Almost, she almost wished she was dead, she didn't want to go through this again. Slowly as not to cause herself more pain then she could endure, she walked to her bathroom and started to run a bath. Going over to the cabinet she searched to see if there were things she could use to help ease her pain. Even with her werewolf ability to heal faster than a human, she knew she was badly hurt and it would take a few hours more before she'd be able to walk around with relatively no pain. The scars were still very visible, but smelling her own skin, she knew they were already healed a lot for she smelled like she bathed in her own blood. She wanted this smell gone. Doing a quick once over, she turned to look at her back through the mirror above the sink. Welts in all the colors of the rainbow marred her back. A few scabs hung loose. She grunted and turned off the water for the bath, she needed a shower first for she didn't want to soak in her own skin that she knew would come lose any second now. Getting under the shower, she didn't care if the water was warm or cold, it hurt either way. Putting the spray on maximum, she bit her lip as the water hit her back, she almost collapsed by the pain it caused. She tasted blood, fresh blood. It was all too much and she started to really cry now, her sobs covered by the water cascading down on her. First she leaned her head against the wall, then her knees buckled and slowly she fell to the ground, the water still running over her now shivering body. It seemed like ages before she got a grip on herself, turned off the water, managed to get up again and move to the bath. The water there was still warm indicating she hadn't lost as much time as she thought she had. Stepping in, she welcomed the heat surrounding her and closed her eyes. Her inner walls crumbled even further, her wolf coming out of hiding. She whimpered, feeling how her human was hurt and scarred. Her wolf felt embarrassed for abandoning her but she couldn't stand it any longer. She was always as lustful as her human, but she drew the line at humiliation and forcing others. Shame enveloped her as she crouched down and whimpered, wanting her human's attention and forgiveness for leaving her alone. Dolores gave her a sad smile. I don't blame you for hiding, I passed out too. I couldn't take no more. I don't want this, she admitted to her wolf. I have to find a way out of here, alive or dead. The last few words made her wolf whimper even harder. She didn't like giving up, but just as her human, the wolf knew they would have to be extremely lucky to get away alive. Those chances were slim to none. Everybody disappeared at one time or another. Both went over the good times they had at the pack which turned to sadness when she wasn't able to bow to her new Madam. She had set her eyes on her Alpha, wanting him for herself, yet he chose a human and changed her. She couldn't cope with that. Fran was too nice, too kind, too friendly and liked too much by the pack. It was Fran who had put the ultimatum to her. Leave freely or be cast out. She left willingly. She didn't even take up Fran's offer for finding her a new pack, she would manage. Or so she believed. Looking back now, it all seemed too good to be true. Derrick had doted on her from the second she had set foot in his club. Quickly, she had made her way up, feeling at home with his wealth and his kinky side. Later, she found out what more he was involved in, by then it was too late to back away. Begrudgingly, she went along with things, simply ignoring them at first but once he started to take her to more darker "meetings" and "initiations" did she knew how deep she was in. Last night proved how wrong she had been. She had thought she could wrap him around her little finger, trying to keep away from most of his dealings. Finally, she felt ashamed of herself at why she let herself get so carried away, once more thinking she was all that. She sobbed quietly now, her wolf curling around her mentally. They stayed like that until she started trembling from the water turning cold. Looking down her shaking body, she noticed that most of the scars had turned to bright red welts, another hour or two and those would be gone too. Carefully she got out and slowly dried herself. Sitting on her bed in her just her bathrobe she contemplated what to do and how to go forward. Dolores knew she wouldn't be happy if she wasn't the top dog. She couldn't join another pack. Most Alpha's were already mated and the few she knew that were still single were weaklings and it limited her options greatly. After considering the rest of her options she could only see one way out, her wolf whimpered at that line of thought. I know we're not quitters but we can't go anywhere, we're at our lowest ever. It's my only choice. I'll stand up to him, tell him I will not take any more of this kind of abuse, what happens than is up to him but I will not let him touch me like that ever again. I'll fight him every step of the way! Her wolf cringed, whimpered, whined, howled... but she didn't try to persuade her otherwise. She knew they were lost and she gave in. All she could do now was stand next to her human and give her the strength she needed to stand up to him. + + + + They all got together in the living room. Once more, they went over how they hoped they would sort everything. Dave would be going with Adam, with Merlin as their shadow once again. Ed would enter the club on his own and try to hunt down this Rupert guy and get him alone. John and Gabriella would wait for them in the cave. John had made sure there were some guards to make sure Sue and Rosie would stay safe at the estate. They all had smiled once Dave found out Sue already had a daughter. His confusion had only lasted for a few seconds before the little darling stole his heart all on her own as she scrambled upon his lap and nestled herself under his chin. Sue had watched this with wide eyes. She had a little heart to heart with Gabriella earlier in the morning and she had explained to her where Dave's interest originated from. Having been around non humans for a while now, the fact he was a werewolf didn't really scare her. What upset her the most was that Dave was an Alpha, someone used to getting his own way. Gabriella told her they had informed Dave to take things easy and so far he seemed to be doing just that. When they met last night there hadn't been time to bring up her little one. That was why she was more surprised this morning when she came down with Rosie in her arms and she struggled to be on the ground, only to see her go straight for Dave who had a similar stricken look on his face. His face softened instantly once Rosie had settled down and the others had told him she was her daughter. All the time she just stood there, speechless. She wanted to go over and get her back into the safety of her own arms but the look Dave gave her showed how smitten he was with the little bundle on his lap. Her heart leaped with joy but she was still unsure. This all seemed so untrue. She was safe, Rosie was safe. She didn't feel the need for the vampire blood, then out of the blue came this hunk of a man who claimed she was his mate. Her lip trembled and before another thought could make it any worse, Dave was in front of her, Rosie securely tucked to his side, his free hand cupping her cheek. "What is wrong that has you this upset? If I can do anything to help you only have to tell me and I'll do my best to make it happen," he spoke softly. "It's all so fast, so sudden. It feels like a dream," she admitted, leaning into his hand. "Let me assure you, it is not. I do agree it's sudden and I know you will need time to adjust. You set the pace and I'll follow. Your happiness is my number one priority now and I'll do what I can to make everything you want or desire happen. And not just for you, also for Rosie," he added, hugging her a bit closer. Sue wasn't able to reply. She only noticed how wet her cheeks were when Dave brushed his fingers over them. "Don't cry," he pleaded. Sue had to laugh now at the absurdity of it all. "These are happy tears. You're right, I'll need time to get used to this all and you, but I promise I'll try my best. Just don't force a change on me." Dave's face changed to one with utter shock on it. "I would never dream of doing that, not to anyone, let alone my mate. Only when you tell me to I will change you. Until than I'll just have to be patient." His wolf disagreed with the waiting but after some pleading words, his wolf retreated and let Dave have the upper hand in wooing their mate. "Thank you," Sue said, than stood on tip toes and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. She stepped back looking all innocent, her cheeks sporting a nice pink shine. The rest of the morning was spent in little groups. Dave had a hard time concentrating as he preferred to stay with Sue all day but knew he was needed to make things run smooth. Ed played the silent one for most of his time here. He was just hoping for a good fight and to help one of his best friends get the revenge he wanted. He mostly filled in Dave as Adam went over things with Merlin and how to be sure the top dogs wouldn't be missed in the club. Somewhere along the line, Adam mentioned that there was a female were around named Dolores. Ed wanted to know more but there wasn't really much Adam could tell apart that it seemed she had wriggled her way into Derrick's bed and was acting very possessive of him. Ed simply raised an eye brow. "Why am I not surprised to find her showing up at a place like this. Fran gave her the opportunity to stay but she left. I can't say I care much for what happens to her, she had her chance, she went and gave that up," Ed said in a flat, uncaring tone. "But what do we do when she sees us? She could blow it all, she knows we're not really bad guys," Dave pondered. "If she's around, I'll cloud her mind. She won't recognize any of you even if you were standing right in front of her," Merlin jumped in. "You can do that?" Dave asked, surprise evident on his face. Merlin just smiled that secretive smile, "That is something I can actually do to be helpful beside being your private cab driver." "Damn," was all Dave said. Their plan complete as it could be, they all tried to relax a bit. Spending time until it seemed like they could make a nice entrance for Chasey and the elusive Derrick. Rosie was put to bed by both Sue and Dave. It took a while before they both returned to the group, Sue's cheeks sporting even darker shade of pink and Dave looking very proud of himself. + + + + Derrick tapped with his fingers on the papers in front of him. He was having doubts about this Adam figure appearing out of the blue. Scanning some of the more metaphysical paths he knew his "parents" had nothing to do with anything, he couldn't feel their presence. He had done some research and as far as he could tell this pack was squeaky clean, he couldn't even find a speeding ticket on one of its pack members. It made him doubt whether he should have moved as fast as he did. He had been careless and a bit too trusting of Chasey. Maybe it was time to change the number two; he wondered for a second. As if on cue, Chasey entered the office, Dolores following him in after. He gave her a thorough look. Odd, he had hoped to have broken her will but he saw the defiant look on her face. She didn't even smell of fear. It looked more like she was resigning to whatever role he gave her. He smiled and wavered her over. Chasey leaned against the wall next to the door, watching as Dolores gradually made her way over to Derrick. "Well you look damn fine, my pet. It seems our little fun has left you unscathed." He softly trailed his finger down her bare arm. He frowned, he wasn't getting any reaction from her, not even a shiver. "I wonder what happened. Am I not pleasing enough anymore? Or was I too rough? Didn't you say you liked it rough?" He was deliberately taunting her now. "You will never touch me like that again," she finally spoke up, her voice very determined. "Is that so, little pet?" Derrick's gaze was now angry, with eyes fully gone black, his fangs dropped and showing. Dolores gave him a steady look, "Yes. I may not be allowed to leave but I will not have a repeat from last night." The last word was already said in a pained voice as Derrick's hand caught her throat and was pressing it slowly. "I will do what I damn well please, you little slut of mine. Get that into your pretty little head. You're right, you will not be leaving this place, alive that is. Maybe not even dead," he said when he squeezed a bit harder, cutting of her airways. She was struggling to get a bit of precious air into her fighting lungs. Her wolf was getting antsy, she didn't want to go down like this, she didn't want to have the life taken away from her. The wolf knew the only way she could get free of his hold was to shift. Telling her human to let her take over she ran forward, breaking out of her human shell. Bones crushed momentarily, fur grew all over her body. With a loud growl she jumped forward hoping to get a grip on Derrick's throat. She was stopped when another body slammed into her knocking her sideways to the floor. "Bad little doggie, you don't bite your master!" Derrick roared from the other side of the room. + + + + John and Gabriella packed a few things they knew they needed to stay in control of Derrick, with their bags packed they were the first to leave. Merlin had offered to transport them but both declined his offer. They preferred to spend these last few moments enjoying the nature that was around them. John did make arrangement for Ed to have an unknown car he could use to get to the club, getting it back was not important. Merlin zipped Adam and Dave to his hotel room, upholding the charade that they just stayed indoors all the time. + + + + Dolores panted heavy, her eyes darting around, finding Chasey holding her down with all his might. When Derrick got closer, Chasey stepped back. "That was your last revolt. Standing up to me and talking back is one thing, trying to hurt me is simply signing your own death warrant, you insolent excuse of a she-wolf." The words had barely left his mouth as he struck down burying his fangs straight into her jugular. He pulled and tore out part of her neck only to dive in deeper and literally started drinking down all her blood. With all her strength she twisted to her back and kicked him with all four paws, making him land on the other side of the room. The blood dripping freely from her throat she growled a warning. Chasey still stood next to her and he was the first thing she focused on and went for his throat. She got a good grip and started shaking her head from left to right. Excruciating pain caught her midsection. Not really wanting to let go of Chasey she tried to take a sideways glance, but all she could see were her sides covered in even more blood. Strong hands got hold of her jaws and made her let Chasey drop to the floor. A low growl emanated from her badly wounded neck but she wasn't giving up, not yet. She failed her human once, not this time. There was no more hiding, she would fight for her this time. With a loud roar, she dislodged her head and leaped away. Panting heavily, she was caught with the metallic smell of her own blood, it was too familiar. She wanted to assess herself but the few seconds she wasted were enough for Derrick to move in once more. He tackled her and shoved one of his taloned hands in her gut, making the pain that was already there a million times worse. She howled, not wanting to give into the pain. Now it was Dolores who felt like hiding, knowing their battle was lost. She knew that if she did this, her wolf would go rogue, giving her a last huge spark of energy, maybe just enough to harm that perverted son of a bitch. I'm sorry for so much but give them hell!. With that last thought to her wolf she surrendered completely, retreating into the black cavern of her own mind, knowing she would never emerge from it again. The wolf grew a few sizes, the eyes glowing a bright red. Derrick realized that if he didn't step up his efforts soon he might not live the night. He had underestimated the little bitch. She got a good grip on his lower arm and almost managed to tear it off completely. With a good aimed kick to her gutted stomach, he freed himself from her jaws. Calling up his powers, he picked her up and tossed her violently to the other side, breaking a few chairs she landed on. A second later, he was on top of her, tearing at her throat, wanting, demanding payback from the little bitch that had wounded him. He loved how she struggled against him, it only made him dig deeper into her succulent flesh and suck at her ambrosia tasting blood. He felt wondrous at how he felt her slip away. Making sure she couldn't move he now made sure she knew he had her right where he wanted her. There wasn't anything she could do, she felt clearheaded one moment the next she felt like she was caught in a mist. Derrick had clouded her mind and now his other powers kept her completely immobile. Even as a rogue, she knew when she was beaten. Feeling the force leave her muscles, she knew that she was beaten and she could feel the weakness in her struggles. With one last kick, the fight drained out of her. Each gulp of air took more of her energy, and as she grew even weaker, each breath was harder to take. With her rogue nature disappearing, she felt regret about the choices she'd helped her human make in their lives. We are free now. As Derrick sucked the last spark of life out of her, both her human and wolf sat together in peace as the darkness came and swallowed them both. She closed her eyes for the last time. A wolfish grin appeared on the she-wolfs snout. A rattling sound and her body going limp, proof that her life force was gone. She was free now. + + + + As Ed entered the club he felt a strangely familiar feeling whoosh by him. It made him shiver to feel it this far from the pack. With no regret but with a hint of sadness he stood still for a few seconds and mourned the death of a pack member, even if she wasn't really pack anymore. That he felt her passing meant only that she never joined a new pack and her spirit went for the closest thing it knew as pack. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 10 If she hadn't been so intent on becoming the next Madam of the Whelan pack, she could have become so much more than the wanton little tramp she turned out to be. He had no idea what happened, but knowing little from the gang so far he was sure it must have been something really wrong that had gotten her killed. A part deep inside of him reared its ugly head. It wanted revenge for the pack, it wanted out, it wanted blood, it wanted to bath in the blood of all those that would die, it wanted full control. Ed shook his head, telling his wolf that he had to bide his time and that when the moment was there, he could have a little fun and play. They would avenge the killing of a pack member. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 11 Chapter Eleven : Hidden Showdown. Here we are with a new chapter. I'm working hard on the next one and doing my very best to have it ready in time but don't be alarmed if it may take a week longer. It got come crucial parts the round up a lot of things and I want them perfect, or at least as close to perfect as I can get it. As usual many thanks go to Mikothebaby for her awesome editing skill. Mazuri, you're my lifeline these days, thank from the bottom of my heart. Same goes for Nulli and Snoman for their to the point feedback. I'll let you get on with reading now as I got back to chapter twelve. Mokkelke. "Get a cleaning crew in here and get rid of these remains. I don't want any traces of her left. Is that clear?" Derrick directed Chasey. "Crystal." Derrick licked his lips. It may not have been a worthy fight but she had tasted so damn good. He felt a minute of regret but that lasted about two heartbeats. Now he wondered where he would have to look to get a similar tasting replacement. Only this time, he wouldn't make the mistake of letting the little bitch get the upper hand, ever. He opened a hidden door and walked straight into his private rooms at the club. In need of a shower, he also needed a change of clothes since the little slut had torn his old ones. As he stood under the searing hot water, he glanced down at his arm. She nearly had ripped it off. That was the main reason he had drained her dry, he needed to be in tip top shape for the possible meeting that could happen tonight. Thinking about it, his doubts resurfaced and he reminded himself that he hadn't had a chance to question Chasey about it all. He'd give the man one last shot at proving himself, if he still felt that Chasey was about to double cross, him he'd take care of him personally. + + + + Adam arrived with Dave and Merlin as their trusted shadow. He knocked on the side entrance just like Chasey told him to do. A bulky guard opened the door and gave him a dirty look which was meant to intimidate him. Adam smirked as he said, "Chasey told me to come this way if I needed to talk to him tonight. Mind telling him we, my Alpha and myself, have arrived?" It was like the name alone put the fear in everyone. The guard stepped aside and gestured for them to come inside. Dave went first, slipping into the role of arrogant Alpha without a care in the world. Adam followed, scouting the hallway slowly. He was Beta to Dave but tonight he took on the role as bodyguard too. He stalled a bit, giving Merlin time to slip past them. The guard mumbled a few hushed words into a tiny microphone attached to his black t-shirt. "I'm to take you to one of our VIP rooms. It seems the boss and Mister DiSarbonne are unexpectedly preoccupied. They will join you in a few moments," he said in a strong voice. "I hope the wait won't be too long," Dave said sarcastically, slipping into the role of a dictator Alpha, "I've got more on my plate than to wait on a few bloodsuckers." Dave sensed Adam's surprise and wanted him to relax. Relax, we got a role to play, can't let them see or notice anything. You know I'm only going along with the situation. You called me to help you out, I came. Remember, I'm your friend but I'm also your Alpha. Have some faith, I know what I'm doing, I just want this little dip shit knowing we don't beat around the bush. Adam relaxed again, Dave was right. Yet for both, it was an unnatural treat so it caught Adam a bit off guard hearing him talk like this. Mostly it was Adam being the big tough guy and Dave the reasonable one. It seems the roles really were reversed for tonight. They both scanned the club as the guard cleared a path towards the VIP area and escorted them further to one of the more private boots. "Someone will be right here to take your order." "Don't bother," Dave cut it, "I'm not planning on socializing tonight, just talking shop. Just get it through to your boss that I'm an impatient man, this isn't scoring points in my book." The guard look startled at the insolent tone the Alpha used. Without so much as another word he turned and left them alone. Both men put a bored look on their face as they went back to scouting the room in front of them. Adam saw Ed at the other side of the room but didn't let his look linger as not to give away any clues. From his peripheral view he saw the small nod Ed made before he blended in with the crowd again. Adam fought a smile as he realized that Ed had simply showed himself because he wanted Adam to see him. Well played, my friend. "Wonder what's taking so long for that douche to show himself? I'm getting bored looking this bored..." Dave droned on next to him. "You'll just have to suck it up, Alpha," Adam replied with a hint of amusement unbefitting the moment, "I wish this was over already too." Their relationship had always been special. Dave being Alpha never did much to it but strengthen their bond as friends and blood brothers. It hadn't surprised Adam one bit that Dave was giving him full reign in getting his revenge. What did surprise him was how fast Dave had agreed to leave the pack and come help him out. He knew the pack would be in good hands but he also knew how much of a planner Dave normally is. He never went anywhere unless he knew everything there was to know; now Dave sat here next to him, as blind as he ever was, in a situation he didn't know against people he knew would make the Devil seem like your BFF. As time passed, more women started to notice their presence, a few hoping they would notice them. Deliberately, Dave inspected his nails, making it very clear he wasn't interested. Adam snickered which earned him an angry glare. We're here for other things and you and me both know we don't want some random pussy anymore, Dave shared in a mocking tone, So cut the crap and focus. With effort Adam controlled his mirth, actually chastising himself that at this time he could tease Dave, too much was at stake to lose focus now. Nonetheless this little intermezzo broke the tension that was building in both of them. Focusing back on the crowed he looked for the hidden doors he knew were there. It was a little something Sue had told them. It's mainly Derrick using them when he's here and Chasey only used them when he wanted a quick exit, though that didn't happen often with the exhibitionistic affinities he seemed to display often enough. + + + + Ed faded back into the darkness after showing himself for a short second, immediately seeing Adam quickly zoning into him. Contact made, he went back in search for his particular target. The beast inside of him was pacing patiently as if he knew he would have his share of fun tonight. For once he made little effort reining in his beast. The taste he had a short while ago had tipped him over and he knew it would only be days before his beast would grow too antsy and he wouldn't be able to control him. With a few mind tricks Merlin had shown him what Rupert looked like, so he wouldn't have much trouble finding the little douche bag. Here and there he thought he saw someone that looked like him. Slowly he stalked his way closer and grinned when the person he was trailing was the right one. Making sure to keep his distance, he never lost sight of him. He saw Rupert making moves on a tiny redhead. He growled inwardly, he didn't know many details of what was done to Bron, but seeing that this creep had a thing for redheads just irked him the wrong way. Ed didn't want this girl to be made into another victim and he decided to move in, fast. Swiftly he made his way over and made it look like he accidentally bumped into them. "Watch where you going, stupid dog," Rupert hissed at Ed. "Hey, it's crowed here, I didn't mean too," Ed said but was cut off by the vampire. "I don't fucking care if you meant to or not. I decide who I touch and it certainly won't be such a dirty dog like you!" Rupert insulted Ed even more. Those words did just want Ed feared a little, they pushed his beast to the forefront. "Is that a fact, you dirty, lousy excuse of a bloodsucker?" he taunted him. "Let's take this somewhere else. I don't take to insults from a puny werewolf!" "Oh by all means, lead the way. Then I'll tone you down a few notches," Ed agrees with a dark smile, his eyes already turning slightly red as his beast wanted out. Ed, you have to control yourself my friend. You know he's Adam's to take care off. Just get him outside into the alley or somewhere lower. There are empty floors. Adam and Dave are still waiting, so if you're fast, I can already take care of the two of you. Remember: control! Ed heard Merlin say into his mind. It did bring him around a little. Sensing their connection was still open he replied I'll just play a little bit, I promise. His wolf was wandering restlessly as Ed followed Rupert through a few dark corridors than down a flight of stairs. He almost cheered when Rupert thought to have him cornered in a dark empty room. With a thud the door closed behind them and the two paced around each other. Rupert's eyes had gained a red glow, his fangs extending past his lower lip. Ed's eyes matched him as his wolf was gaining the upper hand, the wild beast hiding behind them both eager for a rumble and tumble with this pitiful excuse of a vampire. With a soft roar Ed changed, his wolf's black coat helping him blend in even better in this dark room. He knew only the vampire was there because he hadn't sensed any heartbeat. Silently, he padded next to the walls, tracking the red vampire eyes. He almost smiled as he saw them going into another direction. Did someone teach this vampire to even hunt? He quickly lashed out, ripping the left leg from top to bottom. He howled in victory as he heard the snarls of the vampire fading as he moved to another corner in the room. He sat there for a while, smelling the blood Rupert was losing, before trailing back up and ripping open his right leg. Another victorious howl followed as he retreated. "Is that all you can do, little doggie," Rupert spoke softly, unease clear in his voice. Ed scoffed, the words were like oil on fire. His wolf got more agitated and wanted to show this piece of shit that they meant business. Retreating a bit more, the inner, darker beast came forth. Ed willingly gave up control and let out the rogue in him. A loud roar erupted from the beast as he grew a few more sizes. He didn't even try to hide from the vampire; he simply walked up to him and slashed his face, catching the vampire by surprise. Only now did Rupert realize he wasn't just fighting a simple doggie, he was against a powerful werewolf with enough control to let out not just his wolf but also his rogue wolf. He never heard of it being possible but seeing he already had two legs ripped to shreds he had to concede more was a possibility. He managed to call in his vampiric speed and avoided the next attack but only just. He'd felt him passing by several times, not once touching him. The rogue wolf was enjoying this game of tag. Apart from disfiguring his face he hadn't drawn anymore blood from the bloodsucker. He wanted to chase him, rip him apart but the vampire wasn't doing much. Then he heard a whoosh and he grinned. The vampire had finally woken up and realized playtime was over. Patiently he bided his time until the vampire would move again. He could sense the slightest of air movement and pick up the most silenced noise. He would pin him down and shred him to bits. The thought of having some free flowing blood running down his mouth made him salivate. There it was, a soft scrape on the ground. Not waiting a second longer, he started off in the same direction, colliding with the vampire. He slashed out at his face again and tried to pin him down with his weight. He growled with frustration at the feeble attempt the vampire made. He tried to hit him but didn't even come close, within seconds he had both arms trapped under his huge paws. Tauntingly he licked some of the blood of the vamps face, making a whole show of it. He felt a nagging in the back of his mind but ignored it, he wanted a snack now that the vampire was trembling with fear under him. He showed his teeth before snapping him in the face. Much to Rupert's surprise the wolf let him go. With as much speed as his torn body could muster, he crawled to the other side of the room. His legs hurt, not to mention his face. He felt the blood trailing down, soaking his clothes. He cursed inwardly, weren't vampires supposed to be the strongest! He felt humiliated at how this wolf was toying with him. Huddled in a corner he tried to assess his wounds as best as he could, knowing that only a good feed would help him heal instantly. He focused on his surroundings and could barely detect any sound. He concentrated harder. There it was, a heartbeat! He could hear the wolf now. The revelation that the heartbeat was slow and steady was proof that he hadn't made much of an effort yet. Rupert thought hard about this and something told him that he wouldn't leave this room alive. So be it, but if I go out, I won't go willingly! He tried pin pointing the wolf's whereabouts again and launched himself into his direction. Right away he realized the error of his move. The wolf had been waiting for him, or rather baiting him even. With a loud growl the roguish wolf butted the vampire in the stomach, making him fly back the way he came. Swiftly the wolf pursued and jumped the vampire. He could feel the talons the vampire had grown trying to tear up his belly. It annoyed the wolf immensely that his opponent was so weak and outright dumb. He knew his belly was a soft spot, but the effort the vampire was making almost had him sit down on his haunches and laugh at him. With a snap of his powerful mouth he stopped the feeble attempt. The anguished scream that came forth was music to his ears. He heard the pain laced through that scream. He reveled in it. After he heard the bone snap, he dropped the motionless limb and stared straight into the eyes of the vampire. The wolf chuffed in a derisive manner. This was far from what he considered a good fight. This was a weakling. You only did one thing with weaklings and that was getting rid of them! A second later he dug into the vampire's throat, howling with joy as the blood poured into his awaiting mouth. The vampire started struggling again and he wanted to rip out his throat to stop the distracting movements. Before he could even complete that thought, it all turned black for him and he landed on top of the squirming vampire. A shimmer appeared next to them. The vampire was still scared shitless but seeing someone who had put the raging wolf on top of him out, he considered them a friend for life. With a pleading look he stared up at the tall blond man. "Don't even start hoping. We need you alive, for now," Merlin said in a dark, emotionless tone. "I just didn't want this one to have all the fun." With a snap of his fingers the three of them were gone. + + + + John and Gabriella had been pacing back and forth, knowing the plan but deep down having a small hint of fear that things would go wrong. Suddenly, Merlin appeared in front of him with a huge wolf trapping a struggling vampire. "This is one part done. Can you make sure this little shit gets put away? I'll clean up his skin but that's all I'll do, how much he heals until Adam gets a hold of him is up to him. I'll secure Ed, I'm not sure in which state he'll wake up but he gave himself up to his rogue wolf," Merlin explained. "John, will you take that heap of flesh out of here? I'll help Merlin settle in Ed. Merlin, are you sure he'll revert back? I never heard of a rogue wolf backing down, they keep going until they get killed in some way," Gabriella asked. "I was surprised to when I was told, but he's done it before. It's not known outside of his pack and they know not to mess with him. I think all in all it works for them. He just had a taste for the hunt when they went after the rogues and Adam knew he would want more. Guess he got a bit more now, but he wasn't sated, I hate to admit it but I think once he wakes up he'll want more blood, a kill even. Not sure how we'll do that. We might be running out of people to punish to let him have one of them," he said in a stern voice. "It puts us in an awkward position, but we'll work something out. We'll patch up the vamp you brought with you, no need for you to stress over him. Now it's another waiting game. I really do hope that Derrick doesn't suspect anything. I don't know how he does it but every attempt we made to come close to just even talk he diverted. He knew somehow!" "He won't this time around. Whatever power it is he uses I'll block it, he'll just have the normal vampire speed and strength that would be normal if just one of you two sired him. Think you'll be able to handle him in that case," Merlin told. Gabriella walked up to him and hugged him tight, as tight as she dared at least. "For only just knowing you, Merlin, you are going way beyond friendship with what you are doing for us." He hugged her back gently. "Think nothing of it, I'm glad to put a few wrongs right. I just want to make sure Adam gets his own revenge and closure so he can move on too and make a pass at his mate. He ain't seen nothing yet with her, she's a little firecracker if you ask me," he said, trying to lighten the mood a little. "I'd love to meet them one day. Seeing who is all here and how John always spoke with much respect about the people Adam was friendly with, I just want to get to know them. Beside it never hurts being in your good book," she added with a smile. "I'm sure that will happen. Besides we still owe each other some history," Merlin smiled, "So don't worry, you're already in my good book." Stepping back, Gabriella brushed some invisible dust bunnies from his clothes. "Thanks, Merlin, really, for everything," she said one final time. "I better get back now and see how Adam and Dave are doing. The last I saw of them was them being surrounded by a lot of the female party goers and Dave didn't like it." "I bet he didn't. You'll knock on my door when you come over with Derrick?" Gabriella asked as she tapped her temple. "I will. I'll keep him completely bounded no worries and I'll redo his powers a bit so he can't pull a white rabbit out of his hat." "Wait with his powers, control them or bind them, but I want to try one of my own on him, to see which one he really has. Maybe that way I can put some things in order for myself as to how he managed to elude us this long. After that, be my guest." "Consider it done." With a small nod he vanished in front of her. She turned around and went looking for her Prince. There was a very emotional and hard moment in the works for both her and John, not one she was looking forward to but one that was needed to prevent more bad things from happening. Like a little hummingbird she followed the invisible path that led her straight to her mate, she gave him a sad smile as he knew what was ahead of them. John just closed and locked the door and simply held open his arms. Gabriella hugged him tight, luxuriating in their bond, amazed that after all this time it still had the same effect on her as it did when they met a millennia ago. "I cleaned up this pitiful creature. I can't call him a vampire knowing what he has done to become one. I've shackled him up with silver covered titanium, I'm sure this dip shit doesn't know what the titanium will do, or rather prevent. Are the Masters these days so stupid they can't teach their fledglings what they're supposed to know?" he pondered, gently stroking her soft curls. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 11 "I hope they are. Sadly, we can't speak for this one. So far, all the vamps he's made knew nothing about our ways, they were totally in the dark and they were all the baddest of the baddest. Not a huge waste to mankind when we terminated them." Gabriella cringed at the use of her own words. Much against popular belief, they weren't the hunting kind, at least not her coven. She had done her best to keep her numbers of fledglings low, but she taught them well. They trained them how to hunt, first animals then to pick out the criminals, a kind known to rear their ugly head in each era they lived in. There would always be thieves, rapists, killers, always easy victims for them to feed on. For the rest, they always upheld a normal household with very loyal staff, most positions going down the family line. Both of them have always upheld the honesty that came with being a vampire. It didn't happen often, rather very rarely, that one of their fledglings went astray. In those moments it became clear to them all why Gabriella always had said to use titanium AND silver. The silver was enough to bind any vampire, locking him up tight. The titanium on the other hand made sure they couldn't use their other powers. This little bit of knowledge was as good as lost to the modern day vampire because most of them had lost or ignored their true powers and just depended on speed and force to get their meals. This was an oversight Gabriella and John made sure never to forget. It would probably give them the upper hand on most vampires. Sadly Derrick was not most. John hugged her even closer and brushed his lips over hers. "I'm not sure how tonight will go but know that it ends. He's our child, he fooled us, the people that gave him everything and now we'll take it all back. Like you, I'm not looking forward to it and would really love to take up Merlin on his offer to simply deal with him. Something tells me it wouldn't even cost him much more than a snap with his fingers." "I agree, my Prince. We've done wrong with embracing him as our child and it's up to use to undo our wrongdoings. As uneasy as it makes me feel, I couldn't live with myself if I'm this weak. He's done enough vile things for me to be able to push my feelings aside when the time is there. For now, I just need some reassurance that we're doing the right thing," she said, sounding a bit unsure. "Oh my beautiful Queen, don't ever doubt yourself. We're in this boat together. He betrayed us after fooling us. He's killed, lied, raped, and whatever more you could possibly come up with. He's our responsibility and we'll take care of it, tonight. Tomorrow we'll mourn the loss of our child but tonight we take care of a villain." He held her away from him just a little bit and saw the pinkish dew threatening to escape her eyes. Softly he brushed away her near tears before he gently kissed her eyelids. Gabriella felt that shudder that he always managed to create and it made her feel stronger, a lot stronger. "We'll get through tonight and we'll deal with tomorrow tomorrow," she said decidedly. "There is my beautiful Queen again," he said proudly. "Just let us get away from this cell. We can wait up front until Merlin 'calls in' and comes over with the rest. I can't stand being around this one for much longer or I might steal Adam's revenge." "I can't blame you, sweetheart. Come," he said, holding out his hand. Together they walked away after making sure the door was well and truly locked with titanium locks. + + + + Dave grew antsy. For almost half an hour they'd been waiting now. The only tidbit of good news they had was Merlin "telling" them that Rupert was safely tucked away; the downside of it was that Ed was out cold. That news didn't really surprise Adam, however, he was glad Merlin stepped in in time. He would have hated going at it with Ed for stealing his revenge. But he understood, so he was OK with how things went, so far. With a single word here and there, Adam tried to keep his Alpha in check. He was glad that they hadn't told him details of what Sue went through. Dave only knew they had found her here and that she was addicted to the vampire blood, that addiction now taken care of by Merlin. As time went by, Adam could see that Dave was putting things together and what the possibilities of things being done to and by Sue and that wasn't helping their case. He needed Dave sane. "Dave, you know I'd never overstep my boundaries but you have to get it together, for Sue's sake. I know how your mind works and right now I don't think I want to know even what you're imagining. Just get a grip on it so we can get these two out of here. After that by all means, rip Chasey apart. He's the one you want," Adam tried talking a bit of reasoning into his friend and Alpha. A low growl was the reply Adam got and he sighed heavily. "Once we're out of here you can read my mind, well part of it. You'll understand than why we didn't tell you from the start. Trust me that we'll get this all taken care of, the lot of them. We just can't show anything now or they'll know something is up and this charade has been for nothing. Then it's back to square one, I don't want that!" Adam wasn't 100% happy with how he tried to get Dave in check but he also didn't feel comfortable not telling him everything about Sue. Dave must have an idea that things for her haven't been easy. Adam and the rest warning him was enough of a giveaway for that. Now he had a hard job making sure Dave wasn't going overboard. Deep down he regretted a little bit that he asked him to come and help but now Dave had found his mate. "I know Adam, I know! I should be better at this, I'm an Alpha for crying out loud but seeing what is happening just here on the dance floor. Well, it's not helping much to keep me calm knowing my Sue has been part of that. How can these youngsters be so gullible?" Dave replied with a growl in his voice. "If you'd check them out you'll probably find out that most if not all are addicted to something and here they provided it. Some come back willingly others they force to stay addicted. Sadly, Sue fell into this last category. You've met Rosie. Despite this all, she still wanted her baby safe." "Well, I'm glad she, no they, are no longer part of this! They're mine to care for now!" "I know Dave, just a bit longer. Focus. You're normally so good at putting everything in mental boxes, lock these feelings away until we get these two out of here than its party time." "I'll try, no promises," came Dave's strained answer. Both went back to looking at the crowd when suddenly all alarm bells went off for Adam. The too familiar feeling when Chasey approaches. Dave noticed the change in him and tried following his gaze, landing on a tall handsome vampire. When looking more closely he saw the look was just that, a look. He saw the darkness beneath all the layers and the vicious intent was too visible in the eyes. "Sorry for the wait, my friends. We had some unexpected business to take care of. It's good to see you again, Adam," Chasey said, stepping up and patting him on the shoulder. He turned to Dave next, "This must be your Alpha? Nice to make your acquaintance. I'm Chasey DiSarbonne, manager of this joint and soon your next best friend." Dave looked at Adam, who shrugged bored, than back as Chasey. "Yes I'm the Alpha but I think I can make up my own mind on who my friends are. I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to talk business. So, shall we? Or did I come in vain?" Dave wasn't even trying to hide his loathing at this weasely attempt to get in his good graces. "Right down to business, I like that. If you would follow me, the boss is waiting in his office," he said, sounding so full of himself. "Please," Dave gestured, "lead the way." As they followed him, Dave couldn't help but have disgust on his face when he looked at Adam and silently pointed at the vamp in front of them. Adam knew what Dave meant by the gesture and he full heartedly agreed. "It's almost settled," he whispered, the double meaning clear for him and Dave, Chasey oblivious to them at all. Once they had left the, by now, crowed dance floor, they walked through an almost black passageway. If it wasn't for their above average eyesight, they wouldn't have seen the door at the end, which Chasey unlocked and kept open for them. Inside was a pristine desk with nothing but a pile of papers on top of it. Behind it sat an average looking man, dull brown hair, a face that didn't stand out. He looked like one of those thirteen in a dozen kind of people, you see them but don't really remember them. That lasted until you looked into his eyes, but really looked. Knowing what this talk was about he didn't try to hide what he was and his eyes were pure black orbs with a red rim. The eyes made him dangerous, very dangerous. It dawned on Adam and Dave how desperate John and Gabriella were to eliminate him. He just oozed evil incarnate to them both, a feeling that made both their wolves growl inside, their anger rising to a dangerous level. Suddenly, both of them felt calm, their wolves still growling and pacing but not so urgent. Both Adam and Dave felt a mental connection click into place. Thanks, my friend both of them thought. With their wolves a bit more at ease, they came in further, looking at the vamp that could only be Derrick straight in the eyes. Not in a provocative way but more showing him they wouldn't back away from him. Telling him silently he could stop his little vampire show. "Please, take a seat," Derrick said, his eyes now a dull brown. The message had gotten across. "Nice to meet you. If Chasey here is right, it seems we're in good company and a promising future." With Dave present, Adam took the backseat and let him do the talking. "A promising future, that's for sure," Dave said, his words having a totally different meaning. Nonetheless, he smiled and played a long. "How much time do you have to sort all of this? When my Beta called and informed me of this little place I was intrigued at how you could appear so legal, yet the little things I saw thus far are far from legal. Care to explain?" "You know what they say, if I tell you, I'd have to shoot you," Derrick said, trying to make a joke. "It's easy for me, I'm in or out. I know it all or I walk. I'd love to have another income for my pack, but if you prefer a pissing contest first... piss away. I'm not competing, I'm walking," Dave said as bored as he could muster. "Oh I like you already. You don't take shit from anyone." "You got that right. So how do we start up this venture?" Dave said, not wanting to waste much precious time. Derrick just watched them both, fingers slowly tapping the pile of papers in front of him. He waited and waited, as if he wanted them to get impatient. "Adam, let's go, this one has wasted enough of our time. If he wants to play with the kiddies, that is up to him. We're big boys already. We're past the playing stage already, let alone the grandstanding this one is trying to pull off," Dave said bored beyond belief. Adam stood and waited for his Alpha to rise as well. "Stop!" Derrick said with false friendliness. "And why should we? You kept us waiting, you think you can play us, you think you have the last say. It's all you, you, you. You sound like a broken record already and we're not even in business yet. I am surprised you even managed to set up this at all," Dave said derisively, waving his hand around. "So tell me, pretty please, why we should stay? I'm not seeing much reason to." "I get your point and I kindly ask forgiveness for my bold and childish actions but I simply wanted to test how you would react. I'm not disappointed. You look like you're no longer interested, bored even-" "Oh I am exactly that. It's easy. You start talking right this instant or I'm walking. I don't play games, never. I plan, I go in, sort things and move on. The only reason I was here was because Adam convinced me this was something for us. I'm clearly mistaken here," Dave interrupted Derrick. "No no, you're not. Please, Adam, sit down again," Derrick addressed the still waiting man. Turning back to Dave he went on, "No more staling or games." Derrick grabbed the pile of papers in front of him and walked around the desk to hand them over to Dave. "Here you can read how everything is set up legally. Go through them first and see if you can do something like that or close to it." There was this gleam in Derrick's eyes that couldn't hide that they acted and reacted the way he wanted. He didn't mind putting on a bit of a show to see what kind of people he was dealing with. Patiently, he waited for Dave to go over the papers. Dave accepted the papers and made grand gestures pretending to go over them. Due to Merlin's little mind trick, they already knew what was in them and he knew that on the surface it all looked legit. He wanted to find out how the lesser legit things were sorted. Seeing that they made sure they weren't people to mess with, he just stalled a bit. Adam, who hadn't listened to Derrick, was still standing next to him. With elaborate gestures he motioned his friend to sit down again before looking up at Derrick. "This is the legit side of things, that's piss easy. How you go about the rest? That's the core of everything here, isn't it? That's what we want in our area. I thought playtime was over; all or nothing, remember?" Dave taunted him. Derrick walked around his desk again and fumbled a bit with a few hidden buttons. Suddenly, behind him part of the wall glided open and a safe became visible. He turned around again and looked surprised. He scanned the room visibly than closed his eyes, tilted his head and probably tried scanning for something on another level. He could swear he felt something but couldn't pin point what it was. Dave cleared his throat, "Is anything wrong?" "Wrong? I don't know. I hope not. I suddenly had a feeling there is something more in this room then just us. There can't be more, there is only one way in and out and I saw each of you entering," Derrick replied. "Maybe I'm just imagining things, but I would have sworn I felt someone step beside me." "It's just us. So, what you were going to show us?" Dave diverted Derrick's attention back to the safe. Dave had to applaud the way it was worked in. Upon closer inspection he saw the walls consisted of similar black panels from floor to ceiling and behind such a panel was the hidden safe. He waited as Derrick punched in a code and a crème de la crème eye scanner appeared. Paranoid much? he couldn't help but share with Adam, giving him a blank look at the same time. He can be as paranoid as he wants to be, it's almost over anyways. Just keep winging it, you're doing ace. I'm sure Merlin is on top of things and is already nosing around in that little vault Adam replied. I sure am. Just surprised a bit he felt me at all. He actually made me work a bit harder at staying hidden and undetectable, Merlin cut in. Not much to see in here but a huge pile of papers, two handguns -- loaded and with the safety off, made them useless already -- and a few sacks filled with gems. Don't think he trusts technology that much. Anyways, let them do most of the talking, get them together and I'll step in. He's actually starting to get on my nerves. Can't blame John and Gabriella for being furious about this one's betrayal, he should get an Oscar for his performance Merlin chipped in. Get the gems, we'll find some good use of them Dave insisted. Consider it done once he closes it again. And you're doing a damn fine job. If I wasn't in the loop, I'd be scared of you too. Knowing there is more to Derrick than he shows, do be careful, stop pushing things but just go along for now. Will do, Merlin. Let's wrap this up shall we? were Dave's last mental words for the moment. They watched as Derrick turned around with another pile of papers, neatly organized and with some sticky notes visible here and there. He walked back around his desk as he waded through the papers. "Here is the first part. These are the positions that need taking care of to make sure that once you start up legally, you stay off the grid. Get a few officials on your payroll, a cop or two won't be so bad either, the higher their rank the better. There is also a list of people we control in some way or another," Derrick explained. Carefully, Dave started reading. He was surprised at the level of some people, how high up this all went. The shit is literally gonna hit the fan with this one, Adam. John and Gabriella will have a lot to clean up. "You certainly made sure you are near impossible to touch legally, nice job." Dave cringed inwardly having to applaud Derrick for all that he did. "It took time and a lot of persuading, a little accident here or there, nothing we couldn't handle or get rid of," Derrick agreed. "We can take care of this stage too. What more is there to it? We can supply a wide variety of wildlife; we got a lot of forest on our grounds. I also have a building in mind that would suit a similar lay-out as you have here," Dave explained. Derrick went through his papers again and gave another bundle to Dave. "Here you find the basic lay-out we use here. You see what is available on each floor and who's in charge." He pulled out another parcel and handed that out to Chasey, who had to come from across the room to accept it. "In there is our list of contacts to get hold of the more 'exotic' variety. I hope you understand we won't be sharing that now but we'll make it available to you. Just call Chasey with what you require and he'll make sure it gets delivered in a timely fashion. As the trust grows over time you'll get access to that list and maybe build some contacts in your area." Inwardly, Dave knew the moment was getting closer the second Chasey had come nearer to them. "So, what we basically do now is get a building where we think it would fit in best, open it legally as a new club down town and get some people hooked to broaden our menu for the more important visitors?" Dave inquired. "Something like that. We'll loan you a few of our people to help you set things up, though I'm sure you got a lot of capable people , but mine are just that little bit better. Yours listen to you because you're their Alpha. They may not like the things you order them to do. Mine, on the other hand, tend to enjoy what I tell them to do. All my vampires have a criminal record in some way. Once they cross over, that past disappears without a trace." Derrick was talking rather vividly now as if he wanted to boast about what he had achieved. Now that he was on a roll, he grabbed more papers from the bundle he was holding. "They disappear but I still have one last copy. You never know when you have to put them straight and this is handy to keep them in line," Derrick smugly said. "Here have a look through them, Chasey, and see which ones you think would be suited enough not to bring too much attention to them when they go away for a while." As Derrick handed over the papers a light flickering appeared around him and Chasey. The next second they were gone. Dave relaxed instantly, so did Adam. Both were relieved this part went smoothly. Merlin was quick and smart as both saw the papers were all left behind. They gathered them together. Once they looked at some of them, it became clear how much Derrick hated new technology. They didn't know why and they also didn't care much about the reason why. They were happy enough it gave them the best means possible to break up the gang and organization. They would have to talk to John and Gabriella first to see how they would be able to help. Right now they had to do some damage control to cover for the fact Derrick and Chasey were gone, at least until closing time. After that they planned for the club never to open its doors again for the public. From John they had gotten architectural plans of the building with marks all over them telling them where additions were build and fortifications made. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 11 It was agreed that Merlin would stay in the cave long enough to do his trickery and magic on Derrick and help them keep Chasey subdued. He would then zap them back to the cave, then come back to the club to make sure it got closed and was left empty. Adam paced restlessly now. He knew his time was coming and he let his mind wander toward the cute little redhead he had left behind. He smiled as he envisioned her small lithe body tucked in close, her one leg snugly over one of his own. Her sweet scent wafting around him. His wolf whined, he missed their mate as much as the human part of them. "What is taking so long? Usually, he's just all over the place in a heartbeat," Adam said in a strained voice. "I'm sure he'll be here soon. It seems all he does goes with ease but maybe Derrick is proving to be a small challenge? Maybe you can now fill me in on what was done to Sue? What did they make her do? How did they threaten her?" Dave tried to divert his attention. Adam was thankful for what Dave tried to do but he felt a bit hesitant sharing the little bits he did know about Sue. It were mainly the things he saw Chasey force her to do while they were having a meeting, he somehow didn't feel so sure Dave could cope with that little fact. Not to mention he knew that Dave would want direct contact to his mind. Dave respected him and his past enough that he didn't allow just anyone to cross that bridge with him. Even with him now being able to have some closure, it didn't mean he would throw it all out into the open. "I'm not sure you should even see this. It's not pretty," Adam said defeatedly. "The things I know I saw myself, if I'm honest I'm not sure how you'll react to that." "Just spit it out already, it can't be worse to what they did to your mate, is it?" Dave countered him. That made Adam angry, just thinking about it. "Be careful Dave, you best not mention that too many times. That piece of shit is still alive and my wolf wants his ass on a golden platter. I'm having a hard time keeping him in check," Adam warned. "Oh really now? How do you think mine is feeling? Ever thought about that?" "I did! That is just why I'm so reluctant to let you see. Sure, it isn't as bad as what they did to my precious, but they still forced the choice on Sue with Rosie being the price to pay if she didn't obey to their wishes," Adam explained. "I understand. Still I want to see, I want to know and understand what they've put her through, if only to make my wolf understand that the patience I want us to have with her is needed. Yours is as restless as mine, both having found their mate but not allowed to make that final bond. You managed to get some reason into yours with dangling revenge in front of him. Well, mine wants the same. But you and I know, you are the better fighter of the two of us, you can get into that zone, maybe not as easy as when you were in the Forces, but you know how. I need that edge to get me there. This goes beyond protecting the pack, this is about my own future AND that of the pack and their future Madam." When Dave was done talking, he could see the internal struggle it caused for Adam. "Fine," he relented, "but you know where to draw a line." "Thank you." Dave sounded relieved now that Adam agreed to letting him read his mind. This was something of a rare thing, not many packs were able to do this. Mental connections were easy, within every pack that was normal, everybody was connected to their Alpha and their Alpha to them, thus making a connection between each pack member. The mind reading went a step further. As rare as it was, not everybody in the pack was able to and those who were, needed training to control this rare gift. "Sit down and relax, you know it will go easier that way," Dave suggested. Both men sat across one another, waiting patiently for both of them to calm down enough to make this connection as easy as possible. Adam closed his eyes and thought back at the evening he met up with Chasey. "Ready." He felt Dave put a single hand on the side of his head, the close contact making the initial bridge. He felt a tug on his mind, signaling Dave's entry. All he could do now was sit this one out and trust Dave not to go beyond what he wanted to know about Sue. Many minutes later Dave let go and harshly breathed in and out, his eyes changing, growls erupting loudly. Adam sighed as he expected this outcome. There wasn't much he could do as to let have Dave a few moments to get the anger out of his system before he even would attempt to reason with him. "Dave, look at me," Adam clearly spoke, "Dave, I need you to focus on my voice. You need to calm down, my friend. I know you want revenge and you will get it. Chasey will be locked up and you can deal with him as I will deal with Rupert. We both will get our revenge, I promise!" For many minutes more, Adam kept repeating the same things, hoping at one point he would get through to his Alpha. It was then that Merlin appeared behind the desk. Adam was startled for just a second, then turned towards Merlin, "I know you probably have some trick up your sleeve but can you bring him back to a more reasonable state? I've been trying to talk to him but I'm not really getting through to him." "How did that happen?" Merlin asked. "He insisted on knowing what I knew about Sue. I tried talking him out of it but he's in the same boat I'm in, I couldn't refuse. He connected to my memory and saw what happened that evening with Chasey and Sue." "Oh crap." "That was my thought too, but he's having a hard time getting control over his wolf. Can you help him?" Adam pleaded. Merlin stepped up to Dave and gently touched his shoulder. The reaction was instantaneous and Adam let out a relieved sigh seeing his friend and Alpha in a more reasonable state. "I owe you one Merlin," Dave gasped. "I heard Adam talking and talking, I knew he made sense but I wasn't getting through to my wolf. He wants blood, I want blood." "Don't mention it. Derrick is secure. It took a bit longer because Gabriella first wanted to check how special his powers really were. It almost drained her but what she found has made her more determined that terminating him is the only thing they can do. Chasey is locked up tight." He handed a set of keys to both Adam and Dave. "These will open their cells and shackles. I'm quite sure you can take it from there?" The men just nodded. "There is just a small problem with Ed. He gave himself to his rogue, I put him under and calmed the beast. From what I gather, he's done this before and probably has more time to get his rage under control. He'll want blood when he wakes up. I did leave him a little package for when that happens but I'm afraid it won't be enough to sate his bloodlust." "Here are the documents Derrick had in his safe. This is the list of his employees and their records. Maybe if you go through them you might find one or two. It's not the most fair thing to do, but I don't want these vampires left alive to wreak more havoc!" Dave offered. "They've done enough, this all ends tonight." Merlin took the papers and looked at the first few. "Dear me, where did he find these guys? They should all have been in prison with no chance on parole!" "I'd say give it your best shot and give Ed some competition. Once he's lost to his rogue he'll rip the other one apart before he's able to reclaim his senses," Adam spoke softly. "I'll do my best. But let's get you both to the cave then I can wrap things up here, go over this list and make sure the club won't reopen." "OK, let's get on with it." Dave and Adam held out a hand to Merlin, seconds later they appeared in the cave. "Be strong my friends, I hope you can ease your wolves and then get back to the more pleasant things in life," Merlin spoke swiftly before porting out, not giving both men a shot at replying. With a determined look on their face both went to the cell in front of them. Revenge was all they could think about now. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 12 SIW : Adam and Bronwille. Hi all, I know it's been a while. Sadly real life has its ups and downs that are out of our control. Writing and the focus were clearly not there and is still not as I want it to be. I can't give an ETA for the next chapter, I have started it but it needs some detailing and some more though put into it. For the genuine anons, for you few I am sorry that I have turned off anon comments, but if people can't be constructive with their comments and prefer to jump to conclusions, without even looking further than the story page and prefer to treat us a bit like slaves, demanding stories and chapters... well over time I brushed things off like that and mostly ignored those people. But enough is enough. Those who care can hop onto my blog or twitter and know I am around and responding whenever I can, pretty fast in most cases. However I no longer will put up with the few anons thinking they can dictate what "I" should be doing according to them. I write cause I like to write, I write when I can, I try my best to stay consistent, though I am aware those attempts have failed, but I tried. If postings take longer you can be sure it is real life/family related and not because "I gave up the story", "forgot about it". Not once did I put a definite time measure on SIW and I never will. I know I'm having a bit of a rant here but please dear anons, realize most of us here on Lit write because we like to write, not because it's a 9 to 5 job that we get paid for. In that case complain away, though I don't see you lot sending the same comments to the big writers out there "where is my sequel!!!". Waiting for something is always hard, especially when you love the story, but being rude about it never serves you well. Plain and simple : treat another like you want to be treaded! Now I'll apologize for my little rant, but I had to get it of my chest one last time. Anons you can still leave private feedback, I'll read it right away and if you attach an e-mail I will reply. Now sit on the edge of your seat with the next chapters. Many thinks to Mazuri, Nulli and Evilsnoman for their support. Mikothebaby: an excellent piece of editing again! Chapter Twelve : Endings that lead to new beginnings. John and Gabriella were pacing anxiously, waiting for Merlin to arrive again. He had dropped off Rupert not long ago, together with an unconscious Ed. They had made sure Rupert was shackled up and had no way of escaping. Merlin eased their mind that Ed wouldn't cause a problem since he was holding him in a deep sleep until they were able to deal with his rogue wolf. It left them waiting now. They had comforted each other, knowing that tonight they would have to make a decision neither of them liked, yet knew it had to be made and carried out. Finally, they got the signal they were waiting for. Impatiently, they waited outside for a few seconds until they saw Merlin come out of the cell. "Chasey is locked up next door and Derrick is shackled up. He's furious that his mumbo jumbo ain't working on me," Merlin shared with an evil glint in his eyes. "I gave him a feeling of what I can do, so he isn't so cocky anymore." He waited a bit before going on, "When you're ready, I'll unblock his powers so you can do your thing Gabriella. I had a poke around myself, he's quite unique with his skills, but still no match for me." Gabriella looked up at John, "Best get this going. You know I'll be trying to see what his powers exactly are. I'm not gonna pretend it's going to be easy, so promise me already that even when it looks bad, you won't interfere?" "Define 'not interfere'? If he hurts you, I'll have him hanging upside down by his nuts!" "I'm sure he will not enjoy that," Merlin jumped in, "I'll make sure it will not come that far during her search. As said, I already had a peek at him but I fully understand Gabriella wanting to understand what made it all possible for him always being a step ahead and always avoiding you at all costs." John shot him an angry look, "It's my job to protect her, I'm her mate not you!" "And I respect that, John, I truly do, but I'm afraid that if he has full control over his powers he'll destroy the both of you. I'm not sure how it was even possible but since you both sired him, you really gave him unique powers that combined can be, and have been, very dangerous. Because I know you need revenge and closure, I haven't ended this. I could do that, you know. It would take me less time to do it than to explain how but I don't want to take away what you need to move on," Merlin said pleadingly, before he went on. "Please, let me make sure you both have the outcome you want. That just means that I control his powers while Gabriella reaches into his mind and does whatever she needs to and we both heed her words of warning and don't interrupt her. It's hard to feel helpless, I know the feeling, but she has to do her thing knowing we won't interfere and make things worse. Ok?" "I will not risk her life!" John kept raging on. "I don't need you or anyone else protecting her." "My friend, do calm down. I understand the feeling, you have no idea how much. Sometimes it is out of your control of what you're able to do or not do. I will keep her safe. The moment he even makes a wrong move, I'll bound his powers so tightly he'll wish he was dead instead. Things are a bit different with vampires I assume, but basically Gabriella sees herself as his mother," Merlin gave the woman in question a sympathetic look, "She just needs to know, to understand that she tried her best. She'll need you more than she ever needed you before. This will hurt, even with all the bad thing he did, for you two it will hurt and she needs you to keep a grip on things. That's not likely to happen if you go in there and try to keep her safe. No matter what you'll promise, you will step in to keep her safe. Please John, listen to me, let me handle this and you'll have her in your arms before you know it." "Why, Merlin, why are you so adamant about this?" John queried. "As fast as I may be, Derrick is capable of doing a lot of damage in a short amount of time if he sets his mind to it. If you're in there playing guardian you won't be as focused as you should be, you'll be watching Gabriella like a hawk making sure she's ok, giving Derrick ample of time to do whatever he might have up his sleeve. Me, on the other hand, I have easy control over him. I trust Gabriella if she says it will hurt to search his mind but that it is a necessary evil to get to the bottom of it. All I have to do is watch Derrick and his reactions. Should I step in and control Derrick, we still have you to then take care of her and get her out of the room. I already said he ain't no match for me, but if he tries anything at all, I have to be sure I can trust in you too do what is needed." "That is your reasoning now and I think I get it, but you still haven't answered why. Why don't you want me to protect my mate in there? What makes you so sure this is the right way to go?" John pushed for an answer now. Merlin took a few deep breaths. This wasn't easy for him, not now, not after all the centuries he spent alone. "I do not wish for you to have a remote chance of losing your life mate as I have lost mine. The situation is different, the outcome may be the same. I feel the same level of connection between you two that I had with mine. I do not wish it upon anyone to feel the loss it brings should you lose her. Will you heed my words now?" Merlin kept a steady gaze on John now, making sure the tall vampire understood the true and raw meaning of his words and revelation. John was silent and Gabriella had snuggled up tightly. "Ok, I'll stand back. It'll be hard for me to stand there idle but I'll be back up. She must have meant the world to you." John sounded a lot more calmer now with Gabriella hugging him tight, her silent plea for him to listen to reason. "She always will be my world." Merlin was silent after those words, letting the meaning sink in for all of them. "Let me do a last check up on Ed and Rupert and then we'll go deal with Derrick. Don't want to interrupt anything should anything occur with either of them, not that I expect anything to happen. Rather be safe than sorry," Merlin suggested. "That's OK, don't think we're going anywhere," John said, eying the door to Derrick's cell. Gabriella had stayed rather silent, gathering her courage to be able to do one of the hardest things she ever had to do. + + + + Derrick tested the chains but was unable to move or break them. His inner beast was close, his eyes glowing angrily. He didn't like being tied down like a helpless pup. He mentally tried to reach out to his own fledglings but his clouded mind simply wasn't working. He got even more angry at the man he briefly saw when he got here. Derrick had tried to overpower him, blasting him with all his power but the man simply laughed. "Tssk tssk, you should know when to play and when to be a good little boy. Luckily for you I'm not here to play, I'm just the back-up. I am not sure what you were trying to do but let me show you only a fraction of what I can do to you, if I wished," Merlin taunted him. That's when his mind went completely blank and all he could see was blackness, endless blackness. Then he felt like he was choking. He knew that couldn't be possible. Vampires only pretended to breath, they didn't need the precious air like the humans did. Yet here he hung, fighting and struggling to stay alive like a human. It was humiliating! "Didn't like that, did you? I just used your own power against you, made you feel like a human, so reacted like a human and there was nothing you could do about it. So what say you? Going to behave a little? Not that you'll be able to do much. They provided a nice pair of shackles," he said pointing up, "If you dig deep you may remember what is so special about them. Just to be safe, I'll leave something of myself behind too. Don't want you to get all cocky and thinking you can escape from here." Derrick hadn't spoken a single word, he couldn't, even if he wanted to. That bastard in front of him had muted him. All he knew now, was that the man before him scared the shit out of him, HIM, the big boss of it all. He was angry all right but smart enough to know he was outmatched, he just had to bid his time. He didn't have to pretend too much to look scared shitless but it seemed to do the trick as the other one just smiled and vanished in a blink of an eye. What the hell is this man? Who is he? How did they get to me? Who is behind all this? He tried to curse when it became clear that it had to be those two that Chasey brought. It just had to be them, he just didn't know how. He yanked the chains but they didn't budge. Aware that his mental powers had been shut down, the same as for his speech, he didn't expect him to have him completely powerless. The fear that absorbed him first was slowly being overtaken by a rage he never felt before. He wanted to escape and rip apart whoever it was that put him here. A scraping sound made him focus on the door. His eyes grew wide when he saw who entered. "Hello, my child. Time you came home again, don't you agree?" said Gabriella as she slowly walked to him. Derrick fought against the restraints. "Tssk tssk, you should know better, my child. You can't break those chains. Remember your lessons, or have you really become that careless and dumb? Seeing how you always stayed one step ahead of us I doubt that. Silver covered titanium, try and remember." Her tone stayed flat as she paced in front of him. Only now he saw that the one dude had entered too and was eying him like a watchdog. John was there too. His inner beast roared with anger. "Cool down, my child. Nothing you will do can change the outcome of tonight. You fooled and tricked us, misled us for so long just so we both would make you our child. We broke the most sacred of rules in the vampire world for you and this is how you repay us? I'm not even going to start to make a list of what you did, just let me tell you it ends now, permanently." Gabriella was visibly shaking, just being reminded of all the bad things. "Did we really mean so little to you? Did we do something that caused you to be like this?" she looked him dead in the eyes, sadly all she saw was anger. Turning around she gave Merlin a quick nod. "You can talk if you want to, even try to use your powers but head the lessons we taught you. All I'm going to do now is look into your mind and figure out exactly what kind of powers you have gained. How much it will hurt depends on yourself, fight me and you'll hurt, wishing you were already dead." She paused a few seconds but the angry glare didn't leave his eyes. "Who's that dude?" were the first words Derrick growled. "That is our new friend, Merlin. Let's just say he's complicated." Gabriella moved closer so she could whisper into his ear. "He's older than me and his powers are godlike, think twice before pushing his buttons. Now, let us begin, shall we?" Derrick fought against the shackles, his fangs dropping. He wasn't even aware they pierced his lower lip. "It's your choice, I will find out one way or another," she said before she grabbed his head in a tight hold and put their heads together. The initial contact was fine but as she tried to look deeper into his mind it became harder for her. Derrick was throwing up wall after wall and it was draining her, much faster than she anticipated he could. Her own beast jumped in, making her stronger and more resilient as she tore down all the mental walls. Close, so close she thought as she noticed a black abyss getting closer. Gabriella cried out at the sudden stabs of pain she felt in her own brain. You're not the only one who can mind walk, bitch. You may have me shackled up but that is all you'll ever be able to do, but not for much longer. I'm gonna enjoy when you'll slaughter your mate in a few. Gabriella gasped. She never would have thought another could be such a strong mind walker, a rare a gift it already was, it was so open for abuse. Her control slipped just a little bit as she realized this must have been the main reason why he was able to get to the top spot so fast. Suddenly, her mind felt clouded, her own power and will slipping away. John watched with mixed feelings, his fangs already low from the moment he had heard her scream. He looked on as Gabriella stood and turned, her eyes as black as the night. He looked behind her and saw Derrick still in the same position as when they started. John wasn't sure what was going on but something inside of him warned him that something was amiss. "Merlin?" He hoped he at least could make sure if anything was wrong. Before he could even answer Gabriella flew towards John, fangs low, nails at full length. Only her age made her faster than John. She got in a few punches and slashed before she went for his throat. John struggled against her, he didn't want to hurt his mate, but he had to get the upper hand on the situation. The only option he saw was holding on to her and restrain her as much as he could and keep her head where it was now. She could drain him but it would take a lot of effort and he hoped by then that Merlin would have done something. Those thoughts had barely passed or Gabriella went limp in his arms. He felt his blood flow down, soaking his shirt. "Gabriella, my Queen, say something! Do something!" John was frantic now, not sure what had happened to her. Merlin spoke up than. "She's out for a short while. He," Merlin pointed behind, "is a lot stronger with his mental powers than I gave him credit for, I have a huge apology to make to you both." "Apologies ain't gonna help you now! What did you do to Gabriella? Tell me now or so help me, I will gut you this instant!!" John was seeing red, holding a still Gabriella in his arms, holding her close to his heart. "She's asleep. It was the only way I could break the link Derrick had made with her mind. Gabriella will wake up in a few minutes and she'll remember it all. Their powers are quite similar. What I gather from the connection is, that Derrick is able to tap into her mind and take it over, but the person needs to be awake. Gabriella can only do the mind walking, not take over their minds. She can do it when they're awake or asleep." Merlin waited a bit after his explanation. "She's going to be fine?" John sounded a bit calmer but his eyes were still a crimson red. "Yes, she'll be weak but she'll be fine after she feeds. What do you want to do about him?" Merlin was pointing to the slumped body of Derrick behind him. "I want to shred him to pieces, slowly. I wish he'd feel every cut I make, hear every bone shatter as I break them." John held Gabriella tighter. "But it's not going to change what he did to my Queen; I've done many things that shouldn't see the light of day and I had made peace with the fact we would end his sorry life. I can't, I simply can't. I'd lose myself to much and I have to be strong for her." He gazed down to Gabriella, tenderly stroking her cheek, his thumb trailing her soft lips. Merlin understood his predicament. "Don't worry, you take care of her and I'll make sure Derrick is put to rest." There wasn't a reply from John, he simply picked up Gabriella, turned towards Derrick and shook his head in defeat, "I'm sorry for what has become of you, my son. Goodbye." With a soft click the door closed behind them as Merlin turned towards Derrick. "Now what to do with you? End this quietly and without much fuss or give you to the big bad wolf next door?" Merlin stalked in front of Derrick for a while, contemplating his decision. "Think it's going to be the big bad wolf; he needs a toy to play with when he wakes up." Merlin stepped closer, touching Derrick's temple with a single finger. He squinted his eyes at what he found in his most recent memories. "Definitely big bad wolf material. You been rather the coward using your power, it won't help you now. You see, I'll be blocking them all so all you have left is your strength and speed. Level the odds, just a little." Derrick fought against his restraint, furious at the taunting tone that was used by the man in front of him. He had no clue where he kept all this rage. He knew damn well he should be scared big time, that the blond man was someone he wished he never had met. Merlin saw the ray of emotions ran over Derrick's face and smiled. "You're curious as to what I am, aren't you? I'm an Ancient. One of the very few left. We are those who stood at the cradle of humankind and all others. You know there is more to this world then vampires and werewolves. The rest don't really need us anymore. They have found a balance with the humans they live with. It's just a few like yourself that give all the non-humans a bad reputation. It's in situations like this that I really don't mind giving a helping hand getting rid of the bad apples." Merlin crouched in front of him. "You get the enormity of what I just told you? A nod will suffice, I don't have the need to listen to your whiny voice any longer." Derrick looked him straight in the eyes, pulling and tugging at the shackles. "Tssk tssk. That's not the answer I wanted. Gabriella told you. You should have taken her stories more seriously. Even with your powers in full force you couldn't use them at their full capabilities, the titanium would take care of that. If her concentration wouldn't have dropped, you wouldn't have had a way inside her mind. I'll give you that, it was a sneaky move. One I'm glad you'll never be able to use ever again." He stood again and this time he grabbed hold of Derricks head and blocked him as tight as he could, only leaving behind the basic strength and speed of a vampire. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 12 "Now stand and I'll take you to your new guardian. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you when he wakes up" Merlin grabbed the short chain between the shackles and forced Derrick to stand up faster and tugged him all the way to the door. With a flick of his other hand the door unlocked and he pulled Derrick behind to the cell that held Ed. "Don't go getting ideas in that head of yours. You're vampire powers will only come to life when he wakes up. Think twice before trying anything with him. He's only a little bit pissed off because I kept him from killing your partner in crime. He's actually next door and so is Rupert. You see, there will be nothing left of your little gang of misfits. It all ends tonight." Merlin couldn't help the evil laughter that followed his words as he saw the surprised look on Derrick's face. "You better rest a bit before he wakes up, you'll need it." With those words Merlin shut the door and locked it tight. He checked that the charms he put on Ed were still in effect, he added a single one that would wake him instantly if someone was trying to hurt him while still asleep. Now it was time to get Adam and Dave. He was sure they were wondering where he'd be all this time. + + + + Adam and Dave looked at each other than to the keys they both were holding. "Have fun I'd say, but that doesn't really go down well. Just get out in one piece, OK?" Dave sounded a bit hyped at the prospect of dealing with Chasey. "Don't you worry about me, I'll be fine. I'll just grab my knives and have a bit of one on one time with the scumbag in there." Adam nodded at the cell that held Rupert as he went to the bag that sat next to it. He rummaged a bit through it until he grabbed for the set of KA-BAR's. One looked very old, the blade appeared to have no shine on it as Adam had covered the blade with a few coats of spray paint. His buddies had looked at him oddly back in the day but he explained that it would help hide the presence of the knife longer if the other one didn't see the shiny blade or saw no reflection of it. It didn't take him long to convince them of doing the same. The second KA-BAR was a newer model, the blade shiny as the day it was bought. The shape was similar, only this one had a handle that wasn't so heavy and the blade was sharpened on both sides. Adam put the blades on the ground and fished up a rig he could put on to hold both knives. He knew this one wouldn't survive once he shifted but that was fine; Bronwille was worth it. "I got more in here, you want something?" Adam addressed Dave. Dave cracked his neck before replying, "No I'm fine with my own set." He wiggled his fingers making clear which ones he was referring to. "OK, well, stay safe. I'll wait on you if you wait on me, once we're done." "Deal." Both men took a deep breath before they used their key to unlock the cell that held their dirt bag. + + + + Dave closed the door behind him and put away the key in one of his side pockets. "So we meet again," he said calmly. "Who would have thought that?" Chasey looked up and his eyes grew wide as he recognized Dave. "What the hell is going?" he growled. "Nothing much, just wrapping things up. I'm lucky, I get to play with you!" Chasey still didn't understand what was going on and tried to get up but the shackles held him down. "You see, I was happy to help out my Beta get his revenge but things got a bit more serious when I met a young woman. One who captivated me from the second I saw her. You do know what mates are, right?" Not waiting for an answer, he went on. "They told me to be careful, that she's been through a lot. When Adam showed me a little of what she was forced to do, I knew I wanted payback. Guess it's you're lucky day. Never again will you touch Sue, not once will you use her little one as a bargaining chip to keep her in line and no longer is she addicted to your poisonous blood!" "You-set-us-up!" Chasey growled, his eyes turning a bright crimson red. "I didn't plan a single thing but I am glad I had to come over. I've found my mate and now I get some playtime with you." Dave squatted in front of him, tilted his head and laughed shortly. "How long this will take is up to you." Dave sniffed him out. "You're a youngling, I have those for breakfast. I'll make you a deal. If you're able to get this key you can walk out of here, if not, well..." Dave shrugged. With a swift movement, Dave unlocked the shackles and freed Chasey. Dave braced for the initial impact he knew was coming. Chasey went straight for his neck but Dave was prepared and rolled with him, planting his feet in Chasey's groin. As he rolled on his back, he pushed Chasey off him, throwing him to the other side of the room and then finished the roll. Dave didn't get up but stayed on all fours as he quickly shifted into a wolf. Barely shifted, Dave was almost knocked over as Chasey came running at him. With a catlike jump, he avoided their collision. He growled as he turned towards the vampire. He hurt our mate, he'll pay for it! They locked eyes and Dave waited patiently for Chasey's next move. Not a second later, he was running towards him again. This time, Dave didn't jump up but stepped sideways as one paw lashed out and caught Chasey on the shoulder. He tore through the layers of clothes with ease, digging deeper into the vampire's flesh. The metallic smell of fresh blood reached his flaring nostrils, spurring him on for more. He huffed at the vampire as if saying "is that all you got". Dave wasn't done taunting the other one and simply sat down on his haunches. Chasey turned, checking the damage the wolf had done to his shoulder. "You are dead!" He fully unleashed his vampiric beast, the crimson in his eyes going obsidian black, his talons sprouting from his fingers. Chasey even grew in height and width. Dave watched the change take place and snorted again. Playtime, finally. he got back on all fours, pacing the room slowly, never leaving Chasey out of his line of sight. He waited. With an unworldly growl, Chasey attacked Dave again, no intention to knock him over but only to get closer. Dave anticipated his move and snapped at the outstretched hands as they came closer. Chasey ducked under him, twisted on his back and tore at Dave's belly. Dave winced as he felt the talons going through his flesh, a quick inner check told him nothing was harmed, it was just a nasty flesh wound. He turned around and raced towards Chasey, who quickly got onto his feet and stood in a battle stance. Dave recognized it from his training sessions with Adam and decided not to go for the torso as he initially wanted to but went for the knees instead. He knew he'd given Chasey an opening to hurt him badly. Yet he felt confident enough that he could surprise Chasey enough to be sloppy in his counter attack. As he hoped, Chasey wasn't expecting him to dig his canines into his knee joint. He shook his head from left to right a few times, making sure he did enough damage to render the knee useless. At that point, Chasey wasn't really attacking anymore but was rather trying to get Dave off him. Dave felt him tugging at the hairs in his neck but that didn't do anything for him. Dave shook one last time and an audible crunch was enough of a sign for him that one knee was out of the running. He let go of Chasey and stepped back. The vampire fell on his ass, pressing down on his knee, or what was left of it. Again, Dave sat on his haunches and simply stared at the vampire. Dave watched how Chasey tried to get up several times but each time would buckle with one leg totally useless. Dave shifted back to human form, not a care in the world that he stood naked in front of the other one. "For being the number two, you sure don't know how to put up a fight. Don't know how to heal yourself? Your vampire daddy didn't teach you that? I do know he taught you how to use and abuse others, especially young females. Well, let me fill you in on a news flash: you won't ever do that again. I know what you made Sue do and knowing she's been put through that deliberately and her daughter used as ransom. Well, that makes me one very angry wolf and an even bigger pissed off mate. Now stand and fight like a man instead of sitting on your sorry excuse of an ass." Dave was getting annoyed with the vampire and was done toying with him. If he didn't get up any second now he would simply rip out his throat and end his life. "You'll regret those words!" Chasey was struggling to stand but managed to limp towards one of the cave walls. "Oh really? And what are you gonna do about it? I'm the one still standing on my own two feet. Sure you almost gutted me but see," Dave pointed towards his stomach, "I'm as good as healed. What about you?" There wasn't much of a reply but a lame attempt of Chasey tackling Dave but failing miserably. It only resulted in Dave grabbing Chasey by the throat and lifting him up. "You're pitiful, maybe I shouldn't waste any more time with you." With a growl Dave twisted Chasey's neck. He let him drop to the ground and with a grunt buried his partly shifted hand in Chasey's chest, ripping out his heart. A calm feeling washed over him, his mate was revenged. Now all he had to do was woo her so she'd accept him fully. Looking around, he searched for his ripped up clothes. When he found what was left of his pants, he dug up the key to the cell and let himself out. Next to the door lay a sports bag with a change of clothes. He cleaned his hands as best he could with the towel that was on top and put on the clean clothes. He wanted to race back to the mansion but he had to wait on Adam. He'd promised. He let himself drop to the floor, dug around in the bag once more and found the bottle of water. He made himself a bit more comfortable and started the waiting game. + + + + Rupert paced the cell he was in. He had no clue where he was, how he got here and least of all he didn't know how to get out. The door was locked tight and even with his vampiric strength he couldn't open it. The one that put him in here must have known how to deal with his kind. He was still shaky about the first attack by the werewolf. Ever since he was turned he'd never lost a fight. He didn't even mind fighting dirty, but this werewolf had gotten the best of him. It had taken most of his energy to heal himself and he would need a feeding to feel like himself again. Searching for a way out, he went over things, maybe clues he missed that could help him figure out what was going on and why it seemed the one man wanted him specifically. He'd pissed off too many people to keep track of the ones who hated his guts. An overdose of confidence made him believe those same people would think twice before coming after him. Rupert knew he made a fast climb in the gang hierarchy. He had a free choice of who he wanted to fuck or rape or abuse. Despite his dire situation, he couldn't help but think back to his initiation. He had a lot of fun. For weeks on end he had pursued the little redhead at work. She'd go for a drink but never anything more. He'd grown angry with her as she always turned him down. When he finally got his introduction and was told to bring a plaything, willingly or not, he'd knew right away who he'd bring. It was the night of his life. He had used her good and so did the others. Once she lost consciousness, he had convinced the boss to let her go. That he knew where she lived and that they could have a repeat sometime soon before they would make her disappear. He had shuddered at the prospect of having her again, of pounding his cock in her tight pussy and even tighter ass. The sounds of her gagging on his cock were music to his ears. Yet she eluded them all. They had dropped her in front of a hospital, wanting to make sure she'd be taken care off so she'd be healed when they would come after her again. He had told them to let her heal, let her feel safe once more before taking her again. That false security would be chattered and they'd be drunk on her fear. Not that many weeks later he made the mistake of dropping her a note. He had wanted to scare her a little but just like that she vanished without a trace. He looked for her for months but he couldn't find anything, not a phone number not even a forwarding address. Rupert had paid dearly for his misjudgment but ever since he made sure he was the top dog and listened to every command issued. Luckily for him, it hardly were any he hated doing rather the opposite. Joining the gang and being turned into a vampire was the best thing that could ever happen to him, at least that was what he believed. He turned his head around when he heard the lock switch and the door slowly opening. The man that entered look vaguely familiar, not like an old friend but he knew he'd seen him before in the last few hours or days even. Something about the guy set him on edge as if the previous assault on him meant nothing compared what this dude could do. Putting on a brave face he addressed the man haughtily. "Finally someone shows up. Maybe you can fill me in and let me out of this dump?" "You belief you're getting out of here? Let me crush that little dream, you ain't leaving here. You're mine and trust me, you would wish my friend would have finished you. I'm not here to show you any sympathy, I'm here to get my revenge. You should know what I am and I'll simply give you a name and then you can kiss your sorry life goodbye." Adam's tone was flat and lacked any emotion. He just stood in front of the door. One hand was cradling the old KA-BAR as if it were an old lover. "What makes you think you can take me on?" The arrogance was covering the fear that was crawling up inside Rupert. "Bronwille Reid." Adam stood still, giving Rupert a few seconds to let it sink it. "What of her? Did you find that slut?" Inwardly, Rupert's mind was working overtime. He knew the man in front of him was a were, by the looks of it also a pretty powerful one. They were about the same height but that's were any similarities ended. "You're going to regret calling her that. Better yet, you'll regret ever meeting her. It's enough to say I know; I know all what you lot did to her. All that ends tonight. Derrick and Chasey's life is forfeit as we speak." "Lies. Derrick still lives!" "Hmm maybe for the moment. But he's locked up with one angry wolf, one who right now only wants blood to sate his inner rage. I'm sure they'll get up close and personal. Just like we are. So cut the bull shit and see how long you can stay alive." Rupert almost crapped his pants because those words were barely spoken as Adam rushed in and slashed his upper arms. Stunned by the sudden attack he needed a few seconds to get his bearings. In those few precious seconds, it dawned on him how it all connected. This bulky wolf was the slut's mate and she must have told him what had happened to her. Just knowing she was walking around, being happy just made him angry and jealous. Jealous because this piece of shit in front of him was tapping her. He still felt weak from his forced healing earlier but he willed his beast to the front. Having been taught a lesson by the first wolf, he knew now not to underestimate them. The cuts stung only a little bit but it made him aware he needed to pay attention. His eyes never left the other one. Anticipating another fast attack, he stalked the cell from one side to the other. Annoyance grew as he saw the other one just playing with the big knife; tossing it in the air time after time, each time catching it by the handle without even looking at it. Rupert had enough of the waiting game and with inhumane speed, attacked only to find himself flying through the air and landing with a loud thud on the cell door behind his target. With a loud grunt he tried to stand, doubling over from the pain in his gut. Looking down, all he saw was blood seeping through his already torn clothes. His crimson eyes searched for the other one. The anger rose as he found him leaning against the wall where he stood before he attacked. "Don't be a cry baby now. Be a man. Don't be a pussy that has to drug women to get laid, or rather rape them. A real man woos his woman, he doesn't kidnap her." Rupert felt his anger boil over at the taunting words of the other man. Biting back his discomfort, he went after him again. His talons at full length, he aimed for the broad chest, not caring where he'd cut him. He just craved his blood, he wanted to bath in it! He knew he went through something but his moment didn't last long as he felt a blade piercing his side. Grunting hard, he tried to disentangle them but he was trapped by the twisting blade and a large hand grabbing a handful of his hair and yanking his head backwards. "You really are a pitiful excuse of a vampire you know. Maybe I should just cut you up bit by bit. See how long that will take me. See if I can make it last as long as you abused Bronwille. What do you have to say about that? I kinda like that idea." Adam bristled with anger at the underperformance of Rupert. He wanted a fight. Now it felt like he was gutting him just for the sake of gutting him. He wanted Rupert to hurt, he wanted to bleed him out slowly, he wanted to hear him beg for his sorry life. So many things he wanted but wasn't getting. He yanked Rupert's head backwards and growled. He felt his wolf rushing to the fore front and wanting his own piece of the little shit but he held his wolf in check. He wasn't done yet. Slowly he removed the KA-BAR and stabbed him in the groin. Pulling back he lunged again, going for the artery in Rupert's thigh. It looked like Adam was losing his senses but he knew very well what he was doing. One by one he stabbed and twisted his knife in each of his body's major blood vessels, making sure that Rupert would bleed out. He was aware this wouldn't kill Rupert, it would just make him very very weak. Simply killing him wouldn't ease his need for revenge, he wanted him to realize that his time was up. Rupert struggled to keep standing but Adam shoved him away and he fell to the ground. "I could shift and rip your limbs off one by one. Don't think I'll bother. I'm puzzled though. How did you lot get into such a position while you can't even fight to save your own sorry ass? Derrick wasn't a good vampire daddy? Here I am wanting revenge, get my own pay back for what you did to Bronwille. I'm rather disillusioned by you, mister hot shot." Adam stood up and took the second knife. "This is going to hurt." Adam gave up part of his sanity and let the wolf take over for the majority without shifting. A shift would simply end the vampires life and he wanted him to suffer. Both KA-BAR's in hand he started making cuts next to the places he stabbed. Rupert started screaming but he ignored the pleas, he even stabbed Rupert through the hand with which he tried to avoid more cuts. The cuts started to be deeper and the slashed became more viscous. Suddenly Adam stepped back and shook his head. This isn't right! I want revenge but I'm not a torturer! His wolf disagreed, he made it clear he wanted to do more, he wanted to rip and tear the flesh of the vampires bones. He wanted to rip out his heart and devour it. No! if we do all that we won't be any better than they were, then he was. He can't heal himself anymore, all that is left is death. You can have the kill but that's it. I've got my revenge. Adam had great difficulty convincing his wolf to see things his way. He understood his need but he knew he couldn't let his wolf do that. It would eat him up alive knowing what he did. His time in Vietnam bubbled up too. He had lost control there, his need for blood overpowering his senses. Not one of the Vietnam soldiers survived his rage. He reasoned with the wolf again. It was enough. They had changed too. Adam tried to explain that if they went ahead they wouldn't be any better than the one killed and they had to try and be above that. They had to so their mate would be proud of them. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 12 Hearing their mate mentioned, it finally got through to the wolf and at long last he backed down. Adam looked down. Rupert lay in a big puddle of his own blood, the crimson in his eyes long gone, his skin as pale as it could get. Adam kneeled beside him and bent down. Softly he whispered into his ear, "Know that I'll make her the happiest woman alive and she'll be all mine. Everything you did to her will be just a disappearing shadow, I'll make sure she knows she doesn't have to worry anymore. You'll be taken care of." In a fast move he pierced the vampires heart with both knives, twisting and turning them, wanting that last moment to be as painful as he could make it. He made sure the heart was completely severed before standing up and closing his eyes. It was over. He had gotten his revenge. He managed to keep a hold on his sanity. He didn't even shift. His wolf felt left out and nudged his human and whimpered. He understood now but also wanted to execute part of the vengeance for their mate. Adam had a mental argument with his wolf but in the end gave in. He wanted to undress but the mental agreement had his wolf too eager to wait and he pushed himself to the front and made his human rip his clothes. He stood over the dead body of Rupert, snarling and yapping, getting rid of any anger he had left in his muscled body. He sniffed the corpse and almost bolted when the rich odor of the vamps urine assaulted his nostrils. Coward! Moving back up he did the one thing he longed to do. With a growl he went for the vampires throat and shook his head from left to right until he heard an audible crunching and a loud snap. With a twist of his head he severed the head from the body. He knew his human had made sure the vampire was dead but he just needed to know it would stay that way. He stepped, licked his chops and almost gagged at the taste of the lifeless blood. The wolf knew his human would take care of the foul taste and quickly he retreated, giving his human full control. All he wanted now was to get back to his mate and make her his. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 13 Dear readers, I know, it's been a while but times are hectic here and seem to stay that way for a while longer. This chapter isn't as long as normal but it felt right to "break it off" at this point. We're getting back on track with getting these two really together now. Muchos gracias for Mikothebaby for her ace edit skills, Evilsnoman for providing nice poetry (won't be long until you all can read the full poem as it was meant to be). Another huge thank you for Mazuri, my partner in crime, surprised we're walking free to this day!! and not to forget Nulli. All of the afore mentioned people contribute to the progress of this story, proofreading, kicking my butt. If it weren't for them ... *smiles* I'll stop my babbling now and let you get on with reading the chapter, stay tuned for the next, I AM working on it just NO ETA for it as of yet, check the bio page for progress! Chapter Thirteen : Homebound. They all sat in the living room, cradling a drink of some sort. Gabriella sat curled up on John's lap. It's was clear she was still shaken up by Derrick's attempt to control her. Dave sat on the ground in front of the fire. He was playing with little Rosie, closely guarded by her mom. Sue was watching them like a momma bear from the love seat behind them. She still appeared puzzled and surprised by all that had happened in the last forty eight hours. It was difficult to comprehend. What she did understand, was that the gang was no longer. Dave told her she didn't need to worry any longer about Chasey and any of the others. He hadn't really shared much details, not that she really wanted to know. As she looked at the other two, it was clear that Adam was feeling restless and Ed appeared to be very calm and relaxed. The first time she met him, he was silent but he had a dark mood around him. The only one missing was Merlin. When she asked Dave about him, he had replied that Merlin was taking care of things at the club to make sure it stayed closed. Their conversation drifted from one general topic to another but at some point, Dave didn't want to stall anymore. Looking at Rosie, it became evident she was battling Mister Sandman and was losing the fight. Looking up at Dave, he surprised her with asking her if it was all right for him to put the little girl to bed. She watched how he very carefully scooped up her sweet little girl and waited for her to accompany him, knowing already how much her bedtime routine meant to her. Dave watched her put Rosie to bed and plant a tender kiss on her temple. Sue turned on the baby monitor Merlin had conjured up for her. "Care to take a stroll around the pond?" He smiled as he held out his arm for Sue. "Can't call it a lake really but it does give a lovely view." Dave returned the smile Sue was giving him as she accepted his arm. They toured the tiny pond before settling at the nearby bench, Sue seated on it, Dave sitting on the ground in front of her. They just looked at each other for a while before Dave started talking. "What are Rosie and you going to do?" He didn't sound like the confident man Sue knew him to be. "I'm not sure. I'll probably try and get my life back in order. Take care of Rosie mainly, find a job..." "And where do you want to do that?" Dave sounded even more unsure of himself. "Don't know. I know things here but in a way it would remind me too much of what happened here too. I really don't know." Dave had scooted up to her, his shoulder touching her legs, as if he craved touching her in some way or another. He looked up to her and in a hopeful tone asked, "You think you could restart where I live? I would really hate to leave you here, it would tear me up inside, not to mention the dent in my bank account from all the flights back and forth." Sue just observed him, her silence making him uneasy now, but Dave just didn't want to give her up, not now that he found her. "I'm not asking you to move in with me, just that you move with me. The pack has a few apartments for rent. Babysitting wouldn't be much of an issue if Rosie doesn't mind being with the pack children. I'm also sure that we have an opening here or there to get you a job." Sue just watched him, dumbfounded that he just comes up with something that sounds like a perfect solution. She was aware of the mating call but Dave surprised her. The stories she heard weren't all that flattering. Most turned out to be forced turnings if the female was human. Dave took her silence as a cue to convince her even more. "I don't want to rush you or anything, I promise that. I can only imagine what you've been privy to over here, but with us a mating is sacred. We cherish our mates and the ground they walk on. I don't think you want me to take over your life so I suggested what I hope sounds the best solution for both. I'll woo and court you, so you get to know me in my natural surroundings. You get settled in, get to know the rest and you decide if and when things move forward." By now, Dave had turned around and was sitting on his knees before her, his fingers woven together with Sue's. "Please, will you give us a chance? Please, will you consider moving with me? Give me the chance of achieving perfect happiness, giving me the opportunity to make you the happiest woman in my life." He looked next to Sue; where the baby monitor stood silently; for a second, smiling as the silence greeted them, telling them Rosie was sound asleep. "Well maybe I'd have to rephrase that and let me make you both the happiest persons in my life." By now, Sue's face was covered in tears, biting her lip anxiously. She knew she wanted to take things slow. She didn't want to upset Rosie too much, but she also knew she couldn't deny herself from being happy again. "Ok." "What, ok?" "Ok, I'll make the move. I'll take up the offer for the apartment and the job. Just give me a few days to settle in with Rosie before I start working." Dave had to try his hardest not to drag her close and kiss her senseless. Slowly and tenderly, he cupped her face and brushed his lips over hers. He felt the passion ignite within his heart and fuel his whole being with love for the beautiful young woman in front of him. One kiss led to another, only coming apart for a fresh gulp of air before their attraction led to more kisses and more gentle caresses. + + + + Adam stood in front of the window and smiled seeing his Alpha on his knees for his future mate. This was one little detail he'd keep private but was sure to tease him with later on. Seeing the loving scene, he yearned for home. He wanted to touch Bronwille and have her close. He wanted all their secrets out in the open so she could accept him for who and what he was. He put his hands in his pockets and let his mind drift, thinking about how he was going to tell her she was truly safe now, that her attacker couldn't do those things ever again, that the whole gang was cleaned up. There was one thing he knew he had to do and that was call the police contact of the local wolf pack and let them know one of their "problems" had been "taken care off". Turning his head from left to right, he stretched the muscles in his neck. Even though a huge load was lifted of his shoulders, he still felt he carried half the world with him. It was time to head home and come clean with the one person who now meant the world to him. Just as he went to turn around, a large hand landed on his shoulder. "I hope this closes a few things for Bronwille. I'm glad I could be part of this, we did good. I still can't remember it all, but my wolf is at peace for a change, so thank you for letting him have free reign." "You don't have to thank me for that, Ed, it was all Merlin. Wolfboy didn't like being put to sleep, so you had some build up when your wolf woke up and saw the vampire. Seeing in which state you were in, there wasn't much left of the bad guy to clean up." "All the same, I guess I needed it. Lately I'm becoming more and more restless and I can't pin point why. At least now I'm levelheaded for a while." The gratitude was clear in Ed's voice as he once more gave Adam a firm pat on the shoulder. "Merlin is offering to port us back home, you game?" "Yeah, just gimme a few minutes to get my things together and I'll meet you back here." "Deal." Adam saw Ed going back to Merlin to inform he'd be joining them on the quick trip back home. Alpha, friend, sorry to disturb you but I wanted to let you know Ed and I will be going back home, Merlin offered us a fast trip. I can assume you'll be going by plane so you're with Sue and Rosie? He only had to wait a few second before he heard his Alpha's response. It's ok and yes, you thought right. I'll be traveling with them. I'm not leaving them out of my sight until I'm sure they're settled in and safe. I count on you to inform the pack I'll be a few days behind. Don't tell them why. Just tell Tony to make sure the apartment next to mine is cleared, cleaned and in top condition and filled with food and things for Rosie. Consider it done. We'll talk again once you get back. Thanks again my friend for coming over and helping. It's what friends do, we help each other. With those words, Dave broke their mental connection and Adam went up to his room to hastily pack his pack his bag. He wanted to get home now. + + + + Merlin slowly swirled the dark amber drink in his glass as he gazed into the crackling fire. It still amazed him that both Gabriella and John preferred to have a real fire in their house, especially since it was one of the things that had the potential to shorten their lifespan considerably. He didn't mind, he actually favored it too. The warmth and glow from a real, sizzling fire still had a hundred times more charm then all those new electrical heating devices they invented, or claimed to be so green. Nipping from his drink, he savored the rich, warm taste and enjoyed the slight burn it left behind as the liquor made its way through his system. He heard the door open and close and soft footsteps making their way towards him. Just as he wanted to stand up to greet the other person, he was halted by the tiny hand on his shoulder. "Please, stay seated, old friend. Mind if I join you?" Gabriella held up her own glass that held the same liquor as Merlin's. "I don't mind at all. Great minds think alike." He held up his own glass and Gabriella touched it lightly with her own before taking a seat on the chaise lounge that stood across from the large men's chair Merlin was sitting in. They sat together in silence for a bit, both savoring their drink occasionally. "Tell me, how are John and you coping?" "Just as you put it, we're coping. We told our two other children what has happened and they are deeply saddened too, but they understood it was needed. I can't really explain our connection to our children, it's different with those we sire alone. The five of us always felt the others, now there is a void we'll have to learn to live with. Maybe over time, that gaping hole will get smaller but at the moment it's huge and affecting us all. That is why I called the girls. I couldn't bear opening our mental connection, not right away. It's like some part of his essence is still with us though we know he is gone." Merlin leaned forward and gently covered her hand and squeezed. "Every bond that gets broken leaves a void. It's cliché but yeah, give it time and it will get better. May I suggest getting your daughters to visit and explore your bonds. This way you all do it in a safe environment and you don't have to be prepared for what could happen." "John suggested the same but I need a few days to get myself together. I want to figure out how he was able to take over my mind. I almost hurt you." She sounded a bit pained now and she raised her brow questionably as Merlin held back a laugh. "That is what he tried and yes, he took over your mind. Tell me from what little you know of me, in hindsight, do you really think I would have let him get away with hurting anyone, really bodily harming anyone? I admit, he outwitted me there but still I was on top of things." Merlin's demeanor changed to a more serious one. "That is the only part I hated, him getting inside of your mind. Is it all better now, or still a bit clouded?" "It's better now, a few more days of rest and feeding and I'll be a hundred percent again." "Good to hear. What do you say to us exchanging our own stories now? Dwelling in the past may ease the pain of the last few days or at least let us mind-travel a bit?" "Your devious, Merlin, but I admit, I like the idea. Question now is who starts?" "As the saying goes: ladies first." With a slight bow of his head, he held up his glass, as a silent salute and starting sign for Gabriella to start her story. + + + + It was close to dawn when John entered the room and saw his Queen listening intently to Merlin. Through their connection, he felt her curiosity, her sympathy as more of Merlin's past was revealed to her. There were moments she felt surprised. He could only conclude that Merlin, just like them, was really old and had his share of events to deal with. "I hate to interrupt this little tête à tête but I do believe Gabriella needs some rest now. I know how she gets when she gets sucked into story telling time." John couldn't and didn't even try to hide the amusement in his voice. It had only been the calmness in their bond that had prevented him from intruding at an earlier time but he knew his Queen needed her rest. "John dear, you're a real killjoy, you know?" Gabriella pouted but couldn't hide the twinkle in her eyes. Merlin watched their loving interactions and had to admit that he too, had lost track of time. Gabriella's story had been so interesting to hear that in turn he had told everything as well. He hadn't elaborated so much on the gruesome things he did but he told of them nonetheless. He knew that he had found new friends in Gabriella and John and thus he held nothing back. "I have to agree with John though. It's nearly dawn and even us oldies need some rest. I promise to continue my tale later on when we all have rested." "I'll hold you to that!" Merlin smiled as he was privy to John picking up Gabriella, who protested loudly yet snuggled up comfortably, and walking out of the room. "Goodnight Merlin, we'll talk more later," John said as he closed the door. Merlin checked the fire and made sure it was out before he zip zapped himself to his own room upstairs. He felt somewhat relieved now he had told his own story to someone who understood the hard choices he once had to make. + + + + Gabriella lovingly caressed the locket normally hidden under her clothing. She knew all the intricate carvings on it by heart. The perfectly cut gem in the middle was warm to the touch ever since it started whizzing about. In all these centuries, it never hummed but she could no longer ignore the persistence it was now displaying. Nut, the Queen Mother of their race, had bestowed this rare gift to her. It contained the spirit of one of her offspring. Back when she was still mortal and reigned over her kingdom, Gabriella, then known as Queen Kasaqa, stepped up to protect her priestesses from grave bodily harm when neighboring kingdoms tried to overtake them. In those battles, she had lost her husband, King Alara. He was killed right in front of her. As quickly as she could, she gathered her ladies and other servants and hid in the secret passageways. It was then she discovered the secret of her priestesses, why they stayed so young. Realistic by nature, she wanted to survive and accepted their deal. That deal ensured all their survival and when the siege was over, the Queen Mother Nut had appeared before her. Knowing the secret, she was given the choice to live her life or get eternity. The Queen Mother explained as much as she could and what she couldn't tell she showed. Kasaqa/Gabriella didn't need much convincing and chose immortality. During the battle, one of the priestesses had met her match but the Queen Mother had captured her spirit in a locket which she then presented to Kasaqa/Gabriella and told her that when the time was right for the locket to change ownership, she would know. That day had finally come. The moment she met Merlin the locket had begun humming constantly. So much so, that she had taken it of during all the prior events and had remembered it the evening before when Merlin and she traded life stories. Merlin and John were trading a few stories of their own and the laughter coming from both of them lifted her spirit more than she cared to admit. She'd miss the tall wizard but also knew she'd see more of him in the future. With regret, she interrupted the men and pulled Merlin to the side. "I need to give you something. I can't tell much about it but this was given to me for safekeeping by the Queen Mother. She said that when the time is right I'd know I'd have to pass it on and to who." She sported a small smile. "It seems the locket wants to go with you. I don't know what it will do but I know it contains the spirit of one of her daughters. She seems to think it's better to continue her journey with you." With that said she gently dropped the locket in Merlin's hand and closed his fingers over it. She could see by his reaction that he was surprised but also that he picked up the humming. As if the spirit knew it had a new owner, it calmed down and went back to rest. "How is this possible?" Merlin asked. "Who knows? It's from the Queen Mother. I don't question her actions, she's the mother to our kind. Know that when you feel the humming again it's time to give it some attention and try to listen to what she wants. That's all the advice I can give you." "It's mysterious, I'll grant you that. I'll take care of her." A few more pleasantries were exchanged and finally the goodbyes were said and Merlin went back to his own little part of the world. + + + + In just a pair of white boxers and a white damp towel around his neck, Adam let out a loud sigh when he was done showering. How he had longed for his own familiar cubicle, built to suit his height and size. He couldn't really believe with all the wealth John and Gabriella must have that they didn't spend some of it on larger showers. Though he would much rather go over to Bronwille's, he knew it was too late to knock on her door. Instead, he strolled over to his laptop and booted it up before making a detour to the kitchen for a beer. His mind more at peace now, he felt he had one story left to tell Bronwille and now was as good a time to start it. Placing his bottle of beer next to the laptop, he sat down and took a few minutes thinking of ways to tell as much as he could without really freaking her out. Once his fingers started to travel over his keyboard he lost track of time. Only when he hit save one last time, did he notice he typed away half the night. Content that the story was as complete as he could get it without really revealing his big secret, he closed the file and went to bed. He tossed and turned for a short while before sleep overtook him and his dreams got better when a certain redhead made an appearance. + + + + Bronwille stretched her sore muscles, she probably slept in a wrong position and now her back was killing her. With loads of effort she got up and drug herself to the shower. Turning on the hot water, she hoped the heat on her back could ease some of the pain. And if that wouldn't help, she could still turn to painkillers though she preferred not to use any at any given time. Slowly she dried herself and got on some easy and comfy clothes before she made her now daily trip to Adam's tavern for breakfast. She smiled a little thinking of the big bear man. She missed him and the longer he was gone the harder she wished he was back. Katie hadn't said anything as to when he may be back. She wasn't worried but just wanted to be near him, have his calming influence around her and the secure feelings he let her have. SIW: Adam & Bronwille Ch. 13 Opening the front door, she almost stepped on the red roses on her doormat. As she picked them up, she saw the large note attached. You are the missing puzzle piece to my soul. The very piece I've been desperately searching for. The filler for the hole in my life I've been trying to find. The cure to the pain in my aching heart. I hope my absence didn't weigh too hard on you. I missed you a lot and can't wait to see you again. Yours Adam Bronwille didn't realize her cheeks got wet with tears as she read those words over and over. How could these words touch her so much? How could these words tell just exactly what she was feeling as well? Not sure what to do, she tossed the lovely roses on the small side table next to the door, pushed the note in her handbag and almost sprinted to the tavern. Out of breath, she entered and she didn't see him right away but Katie saw her. A wide smile was on her face as she saw Bronwille and pointed to the office in the back. Bronwille didn't know how fast she made her way over and she didn't even bother to knock but when she opened the office door a huge load fell off her shoulders. He was back! She wanted to jump up and down out of sheer joy but was halted when suddenly two strong arms lifted her up and spun her around. "God, how I've missed you." Adam held her close and buried his nose in her deep red locks, breathing in her very essence. His wolf wanted to howl and practically made somersaults containing his joy. After many minutes of simply holding each other, Adam let her down, keeping her hand in a death grip. He sat down on the sofa and pulled her onto his lap. Its then when he noticed her red eyes. "Sweetie, what's wrong? You've been crying!" Bronwille managed to snicker as she rubbed her eyes again. "Don't worry, these are the good kind. I got the roses and the note. The one you left at my door this morning just touched me deeply. Guess I got a bit emotional." Adam placed his hands around her face and made sure she was watching him. "I meant every word of it. These last few days have been hectic to say the least. I've been able to close the book on a lot of things of my past, right some wrongs that have happened in the past and it put so many things in a different light. I want you, Bronwille, have no doubts about that. I'll do things at your pace, just know I won't give up on you, ever. Understand?" Bronwille heard the urgency and sincerity in his words. They also told her so many others things that made her curious about his past. "I do. I know I'm skittish and my moods can be different from one moment to the next but I'll try. You've made me better already just being with me. I don't know how or why, it just is. In the past, I would have shied away, even turned my back on it all. Not with you. Give it time, that's all I ask." "That is what I'm giving. I'm not going to bore you with what I've been doing these past days but one day I'll tell you. I don't want secrets but I admit I have had a rough past, some things aren't so nice, some are. I needed these few days to end it all. I'm ready for a whole new start now. Are you?" "I'm willing to try." Adam's response was to gently nibble on her lips until he felt her response before he delved deeper and started kissing her in earnest. Minutes later both sat back gasping for air. Adam sported a huge smile, whereas Bronwille's face showed many shades of red. He surrounded her with his arms and gently pulled her close and just held her for a while longer. "What do you say about me making you some breakfast? A little bird told me you made a habit of coming here every morning." "Well, yeah..." She stuttered. Adam didn't hold back his laugh. "Come on, let's get some food into you. If you're nice, you can even stay in the kitchen." Bronwille's eyes lit up. She wouldn't pass up the chance to see him in action on his terrain. "Lead the way, I promise to be a good girl." + + + + Adam couldn't hide the smile as he saw how Bronwille was cleaning up her plate, not a crumb was left behind. The contented sigh that followed just made him puff up like a cock strutting his stuff in the barn yard. He was always happy when he saw people enjoying his food but with Bronwille it was just that little bit more. It made him feel proud of what he did. "So what is on the schedule for today?" he inquired. "Not much. I just come for breakfast then go back home to write and edit. Sometimes I came for dinner but that mostly depended on how much more editorial work I had left to do. Almost done with the current draft, so I'm having a night off." "Good to hear, then I'll confiscate those hours. I missed you and have some catching up to do." Bronwille's face turned a slight bit redder. "I wouldn't mind doing that kind of catching up, my dear, but I was more thinking along the lines of having dinner somewhere else and really make work of the 'get to know you' part of what is growing between us. Things have been rather fast paced and unusual. The thing I want least to happen is to make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy around me. This way, I take some of that pressure away from you." Bronwille gave his words a few seconds to sink in, her new found courage liked those words, liked that he was being so considerate, so caring. "I think I agree there. Dinner and a nice chat might be just the thing." Adam's face beamed at her positive answer. "I'll pick you up at your place at around eight. That a good time?" "I'll be ready." As he looked around he saw more and more people were arriving for the early morning rush and with a sigh he turned back to a smiling Bronwille. "I'm afraid I'll be needed in the kitchen," he said while nodding his head towards another group of hungry people entering and finding a spot to sit. Bronwille chuckled at his obvious lack of desire about having to start work again and leaving her. "I've managed before, I'll manage the rest too. Don't make me into a frail woman now, not you too! Just be you and that's all I ask. You're doing wonders being just who you are." Adam got up, walked around the table and pulled her up. "You want me to be me?" He didn't gave her a second reprieve before he captured her mouth and kissed her so thoroughly she even forget where they were. A moan escaped her lips as Adam dived in for the kill and battled her tongue with his own. His arms snuck around her and pulled her tight. The kiss lasted for several moments longer before Adam slowly retreated but kept her in his arms. "This is me, all of me," he pulled her closer again, his desire for her more than evident against her stomach, "and it's only for you. Keep that in mind, beautiful one." Bronwille was glad he was still holding her, she wasn't sure if her legs would keep her standing up. Slowly it dawned on her where they were and the clapping and whistling registered in her mind. She turned dark red with embarrassment and wished she could crawl inside of Adam to hide. The ostrich method wasn't really working as she felt his solid chest shaking lightly and his hands cupped her face. "You wanted me. I don't care who sees. Now they know you're mine and will think twice before making a pass at you." It was the kind tone he used that kept her calm as he laid his claim on and she started to relax. "Ok, ok. I'll have to get used to all of this, but if it's alright with you, I would like a moment to myself now, to get my act together so to speak." Adam understood her predicament. It was his doings that created the situation. If he was honest, she had reacted a lot better than he would have envisioned. If she needed a second alone, he'd give her just that if it meant he was making progress with her! "Come to my office, stay there as long as you want. You can even take the back entrance if you want to leave." With that said, he turned with Bronwille safely glued to his side. He couldn't help but puff up his chest as if he was parading her around as they would to the private area of the tavern. He got a lot of approving glances and nods from fellow wolves, pack and others.