10 comments/ 5960 views/ 25 favorites Scarred Ch. 01 By: loumey1 A/N Please note that this is an original work, and is copyrighted all rights reserved. Writers pour their time, hard work, hearts and souls into their creation, just as much as any other artist. Please respect us and the copyright we place on our labor of love. Thank you. Hi guys, I'm back! Note, like my last story, that this will be a slow burner with no adult scenes till later. They will come eventually, just not right away. :) Without further ado, enjoy! ================================= "The investigation is complete, sir," Elijah told the man in the shadows, keeping his tone cold and professional while waiting for acknowledgment. Normally he wouldn't be quite this formal, but tempers were very high at the moment, and he deemed it wiser to use caution. Receiving a nod, Elijah continued, "Sam confirmed that Hayes stole the plans, and she says she uncovered proof of several incidents of subtle theft and sabotage as you suspected. She copied all the data to this thumb drive, along with a cross referenced summary." Elijah handed over the pink bit of plastic, careful not to let the slightest hint of amusement at the girly color slip out Yeah, I like my ass nice and unchewed, thank you very much. Just because Sam is a fucking amazing forensic accountant and can get away with telling guys to suck it up if they don't like her taste, doesn't mean the rest of us can get away with laughing at the joke. At least not when he's in a mood like this. "Sir," Elijah continued, keeping his tone professional. "She also said to tell you that with Axe's help, she can recoup your losses with interest. She has tracked all of his assets, including a couple hidden accounts, and she says she included a file of physical assets and their locations if you wish to send teams to seize those." The man in the shadows shifted slightly, his mouth and chin entering the light, creating a stark relief to the golden eyes almost glowing in the dark above. "Good. Tell her to investigate any known acquaintances and be prepared to freeze their assets should they attempt to aid him," the soft voice flowed like liquid silver, and was as cold as it was beautiful. Elijah caught the white tips of his fangs flashing as he spoke, telling him just how enraged his employer and Maker truly was. He mentally shook his head. For Michael to show his fangs in simple conversation was rare. The man's control was legendary, and Elijah had only ever seen him this close to the edge once in his long life. The final result of that incident had been... memorable. Damn Hayes is stupid. He should know better than to screw with Michael Reece of all people. Besides, it's not as if my sire isn't generous to his own, not to mention protective. Most vampires would give up their fangs to work under him. Instead Hayes has made the worst enemy of his soon to be short life. "Get Axe to drop all other projects for the moment. I want his hacker mind's full attention until this situation is handled. Let him know I was recently gifted a small bottle of draconic blood, and that it's his if I am pleased with his work." Elijah nodded. Axe had very exotic tastes and with the promise of such a reward, the young hacker would not only devote his full attention, he would become downright obsessive over the project. "You, Elijah, will be in charge of monitoring our dear Hayes. We wouldn't want anything untoward to happen to him until the time of my choosing." "Yes sir, it shall be done," Elijah replied with a nod to his sire before leaving the dark office to make preparations. ********************* Michael leaned back in his chair, letting the shadows fully envelop his face once again. Elijah was the most devoted and loyal of his Made. Not that I've turned that many, he thought, running a hand across the scarred ridges of his face. Of course I prefer quality to quantity, meaning each of my turned are exceptional. Even SHE was exceptional, though I had to kill her in the end. He frowned, remembering his very first Made, an opera singer by the name of Diana. He'd loved her which is why he'd turned her in the first place. She was beautiful, intelligent, with the voice of an angel. When she sang, the music came alive like never before. Too bad she chose to betray me, and with Louis of all people. A snarl escaped his lips as he remembered how she'd led Louis straight into the heart of his home and sanctuary. The place he'd brought none but her. I was a love struck fool to allow my passion to override my reason. Still, my revenge on them ended up cementing my power. When others found out not only what I did to Louis, but what I did to HER, my own Made... well Machiavelli would have been proud. Still, it came at a cost, he sighed. She not only scarred me, where once it brought pleasure, music now brings only pain. I am just grateful that popular music has changed so greatly in this century. It makes it easier to walk down the street when I am not assaulted with familiar songs. After her betrayal, Michael devoted himself to protecting his people and to his architecture, channeling his creativity into functional and beautiful designs. His extreme focus very quickly built his reputation and business, positioning him into the prominent position he held today. His thoughts drifted back to Hayes. The young vampire was a talented architect and Michael had intended to ensure the youngling would be well rewarded for that talent. That was until he'd realized the level of Hayes' greed and began his investigation. The plans that Hayes had stolen were planted fakes, though they looked real enough, and had been the final nail in the idiot's coffin. He growled in anger feeling his teeth grow longer. Enough wool gathering, and make use of your famous control, you are not some new made youngling, Michael berated himself, retracting his fangs. When he was fit to go into public, he put on his wide brimmed fedora and sunglasses, heading out to his car. He always tilted the hat at a slight angle to shadow the scarred side of his face. I'm more aware of the light than most fashion models. Rather ironic considering I am hiding ugliness while they are displaying beauty. At least modern times have brought effective makeup. It allows me to walk about without people noticing unless I get close, which I never do, he sighed. To this day I don't know what Diana used on her knives, and not for lack of trying to find out, either. There seems to be no information anywhere, not even amongst the oldest of our kind. In fact, they damn near had a conniption when they saw me. After all, he thought with bitterness as he drove home, whoever heard of a scarred vampire? Scarred Ch. 02 This work is copyrighted - please do not plagiarize. Thanks! As always - constructive feedback is welcome. ***** "Luce, let's go, we're going to be late!" Maria's frantic voice pushed itself past the wood of her door. "Since when are you all punctual?" Lucienne replied, putting the last pin in her honey colored hair. A moment later she came out of her bedroom to see her friend standing by the door, impatience writ in every line of her short frame. "You know damn well since when, now let's go!" Maria's dark eyes were narrowed in frustration and it was obvious she was barely holding herself back from shoving her friend through the door. Lucienne laughed, grabbing her purse on the way out. Maria was picking her up so they could head to Aion. Her friend had a serious crush on one of the regulars who always left just after happy hour. The fact they were cutting it a bit close meant that Maria was flat out desperate to leave. "So are you actually going to talk to the man this time, maybe even learn his name, or will you just stare and drool like usual?" she teased her friend, her grey eyes twinkling in amusement. Maria gave her a dirty look. "Just you wait. One of these days I'll get my revenge on you, and payback's a bitch," she muttered, running a hand through her mane of dark locks. "Okay, okay," Lucienne laughed as they got into the car. "I'm sorry, and I'll lay off. It's just that we've been doing this for every night for a week. Maybe you need a plan to get him to notice you?" Maria sighed, "Yeah I know, and I get it. If we were reversed, I'd be telling you to shit or get off the pot by now." Lucienne burst out laughing, and a few moments later Maria joined in, losing some of the tension from her shoulders. "Oh my..." she finally gasped out. "Shit or get off the pot? That's awesome!" Maria grinned, "My mother actually says it, but I had to train myself away from it the day it slipped out in a meeting with a VP. Needless to say it dropped like a lead balloon, and I had to do some serious repair work." "Oh my, I can only imagine, especially considering how uber conservative your top brass are." "Yeah, no kidding. I swear they require all upper management to shove a stick up their ass as a demonstration of loyalty or something," Maria replied with a grimace before both girls devolved into fits of laughter again. A few minutes later they were both seated at a small wooden table, and Lucienne was ordering for both of them while Maria once again stared at her crush. The man was at his usual table, his green eyes staring out the window while he leaned back and rubbed a hand across his short blonde hair. She had to admit the man was attractive, but something about him made her hesitant. She didn't get any bad feelings about him, just that something was... different, and she didn't know what. Screw it. I'm about as likely to figure it out tonight as I have been any other night. It's a good thing I know what Maria likes. Of course it helps when we've been coming every single night, Lucienne sighed to herself. A moment later the waitress approached and she gave their drink orders after exchanging a few pleasantries. They were now officially regulars at Aion, meaning most of the wait staff recognized them on sight, and this waitress was particularly good at giving them suggestions for interesting off-the-menu drinks. I really do need to try and remember this girl's name, Lucienne thought to herself. That way I can make sure to ask for her in future. "His name's Jason," the waitress suddenly told them. Maria's startled gaze fixed on the waitress, who just gave her an amused glance. "I don't... I mean," Maria took a deep breath. "Thank you." "No problem, I just figured you'd like to get a name to go with the man you've been watching," she replied with a wink. "He's polite but quiet and always eats alone." Maria smiled sheepishly at the waitress, "Thank you. Honestly I don't usually stalk like this, but I just... I don't know." "Don't worry about it, and let me know if I can do anything to help. My name's Grace if you need to track me down," Grace smiled and winked again before bouncing off to help another table. "Okay, after that, I think you need to do something already," Lucienne quietly told her friend. "What if you invite him to our table so he doesn't have to eat alone?" Maria stared at her friend a moment before a steely resolve came into her eye. Taking a deep breath she got up and approached Jason engaging him quickly in conversation. Lucienne watched the two carefully, trying to gauge his reaction. After a few exchanged words Maria smiled brightly and he slipped her a piece of paper. Lucienne gave a teasing smile when her friend came back to their table, noting that Jason seemed to watch her from the corner of his eye, though his attention was still focused out the window. "Someone just got a phone number, didn't she?" Maria's olive toned skin flushed giving Lucienne all the answer she needed. She smiled big at her friend asking, "So when are you two going out?" ******** Lucienne grinned and applauded as Maria finished up her song and stepped down from the stage. After successfully getting Jason's phone number, Maria had been so excited that she decided tonight was officially karaoke night. Lucienne was so thrilled her friend actually wanted to sing that she'd agreed immediately. Maria had an amazing voice, but she didn't share it very often since singing reminded her of her ex-boyfriend, Kyle. She smiled and high fived Maria as soon as she got back to their table, "You were awesome!" she exclaimed just before she heard the KJ calling her name up to sing. Maria laughingly shoved her toward the stage, "Your turn, Luce! Knock 'em dead!" Lucienne took several deep breaths while she made her way up. Though she loved music, her ability to sing was limited. Fortunately she also knew how to pick songs that her husky, somewhat rough voice could pull off. She'd picked Janis Joplin's version of Summertime, one she'd never thought would work for her, till one night many years ago when she'd actually taken Maria's dare to let her pick the song. Of course it might have helped that I was just tipsy enough not care if I failed, but not so much that I sounded like a drunk idiot, she thought to herself with a smile. She got up to the mic and started to move with the sultry guitar opening, not minding the long intro on this particular song. When the moment came, she lost herself in the music and let the notes flow out, not smoothly, but with her characteristic coarse voice, using it to give a bit of extra grittiness. ******** Michael stood in the shadows on the street, watching Hayes enter the small building housing the apartment of one of his five mistresses. He sneered in contempt, The man has absolutely no self-control. He wouldn't have lasted long in our world, even without pissing me off. His Maker was a nitwit. The soft growl echoing off the pavement broke Michael out of his thoughts, shocking him when the glances of his men told him the sound originated from his own throat. Speaking of self-control... he berated himself before moving down the street, knowing his people would maintain their watch until he was ready to act. I'd better feed or I will end up giving him a swifter end than he deserves, Michael thought to himself. Though it is the loss of control that is of larger import here. I have allowed too much room for unthinking anger, and it is time to take the reins back in hand. He quickened his steps down the dark streets, heading to a vampire owned club willing humans frequented. While he typically preferred a greater challenge than offered by the humans that frequented such clubs, his temper was much too uncertain and boring was a safer option at this moment. He was passing by a small dive bar, when he suddenly paused, hearing a voice through the walls that captured his attention in ways no one had in centuries. He didn't know the song, but as rough as the voice was, it matched the feel of the music. Whoever the singer is, they chose well. His eyebrows rose in surprise suddenly realizing he wasn't certain if the singer was male or female, and that was a rare occurrence indeed. Intrigued, he let his feet carry him inside, keeping to a shadowed corner while he observed the singer. The woman was interesting, moving her tall, curvy body sinuously and with a natural grace when the strains of the guitar took over the song. Really it was a rather long musical break, but he wasn't bored as he would have expected. Instead his curiosity only grew, his attention caught by wisps of her honey hair falling from their pins as she danced on the stage. I wonder what her eyes look like, he thought to himself, she seems totally lost in the music. Suddenly he desperately desired for her to come out of music's spell long enough for her to meet his gaze. As if reading his mind, her eyes snapped open and he found himself captured by her steel grey stare. She's exquisite, he thought, and his fangs descended. His reason abruptly returned and seconds later he left the place as if the devil himself were after him. ******** Lucienne was completely caught up in the guitar strains, letting her body move however it wanted on the stage. She'd long ago discovered that she did much better if she didn't think about what she was doing and just let herself feel the music. Normally nothing touched her when she was in that state, but tonight, something was different. There was something or someone else that had entered music's kingdom with her, and she opened her eyes, finding herself immediately trapped by a pair of golden orbs. Wow... She thought she'd seen gold eyes before, but she realized they were pale shadows of the real thing. The warm metal captured her like a moth to a flame. Or maybe more like a dragon to its hoard, she thought, feeling herself melting into a puddle under his scrutiny. Yeah, that's a 'he' even if I can't see anything but a hat and those glorious eyes. There's so much masculinity radiating off him, I'm almost surprised there aren't puddles of it on the floor. Her body responded, heating under his gaze and wanting to get closer to him. She was so lost she almost stepped off the stage before he suddenly disappeared, the corner now filled only with shadows as if he'd never been. Her confused mind suddenly snapped back to the music as the guitar shifted, letting her know the final verse was about to hit. She threw herself back into the song, finishing to applause and the knowledge that her dreams were going to be haunted by gold tonight. Scarred Ch. 03-04 This work is copyrighted - please do not plagiarize. Thanks! As always - constructive feedback is welcome. Also, I've been trying to catch up the posts here, but it's slow. Formatting on here is time consuming as I have to add in all the html formatting tags, but I'm getting there. Once postings here are caught up, they won't happen quite so frequently. Thanks! ============================ Jason glanced down at his phone as he left the men's room, a smile breaking over his face when he saw Maria had called and left a message. He'd ever really thought he would find a mate, but now that he had he felt content. This last week and a half had been more incredible than he'd ever imagined possible. He'd always been a bit of a restless loner, probably a reflection of his beast, but being around his mate settled him. I finally feel like I'm home, he realized, blinking in surprise, Ma will be thrilled, he thought wryly. His mother seemed to want nothing more in life than for him to settle down like his sister and give her grandkids. I know since Da passed, it's become even more important to her, but I have always refused to settle for anything less than a true mate. "Hasn't stopped her from trying to match-make us," his beast spoke up in distaste and he lifted his lip in revulsion. "Tell me about it. Moving out of state was one of the best decisions we made, especially after that last one,"he replied with a shudder while his beast growled in agreement. The last time he'd visited home, his Ma had arranged to surprise him with a guest at dinner. He'd treated her politely, but he'd made his disinterest clear. The girl wouldn't take no for an answer, though, and it had been the longest dinner of his life. The evening culminated with finding her nude in his bed. "She's very fortunate I'm a patient creature," his beast growled, having followed his thoughts. "I know you wanted to do more than just throw her out. Your control was hanging by a thread after suffering through that dinner and if I were a wolf like the rest of the pack, that might have been enough to send us both over the edge." He grunted in agreement. "I love Ma, but we both know she had to have been the one to let the girl back into the house, so it wasn't entirely the girl's fault." "Maybe not, but she should have known better, especially since we do not, and never did, answer to her Alpha," his beast growled in contempt. "Being his cousin makes her trust in her supposed status too much. I would never choose such a spoiled child as a mate." "And for that I am grateful," Jason replied with a shudder. "How much do you bet the Alpha had a hand in that whole fiasco. He probably pressured both the girl and Ma, not that Ma would have taken much convincing." "She needs to butt out, and she really needs to cut the dramatics with the tears and grandchildren speech. If none of the shifter Alphas, male or female, could rule me, what makes her think her petty games would work?" his beast growled. Jason snorted, his mother didn't realize just how thin a line she was treading with him. At the rate she was going, if he ever did have kids, he'd never bring them to see her so she wouldn't try to manipulate and impose on them too. "You do realize we don't know if our mate wants kids," his beast commented offhandedly. "Yep, and I honestly don't care one way or the other. I will be happy whatever she wants, and I won't pressure her just to make Ma happy," he replied firmly, happy to feel his beast settling down in content at his answer, glad that his beast didn't have a one track mind about procreating the way some shifter animals did. He smiled and thoughts of his tiny, dark eyed beauty filled his mind. He'd been so frustrated being unable to approach her in Aion since he'd been working and couldn't abandon his post. Happiness and relief had flooded him when she'd finally worked up the courage to approach him. He was very grateful to the waitress, who'd caught his interest in Maria, subtle as it was, and done her best to help. He'd left her a very large tip as a thank you. Had I been working for anyone but Michael Reece I would have just taken the risk that I wouldn't miss Hayes leaving the building. I owe that man more than just my loyalty, though, and even for my mate, I could not abandon the task he'd trusted to me. Even his contrary beast had grumpily agreed, and surprisingly didn't give him too much trouble about it. Of course that could be due to the fact that he knew Reece would help him track her down if necessary. Hell, he'd probably have been able to do it in five minutes flat just looking up credit card transactions, especially since I knew everything she and her friend ordered every single night, he thought to himself with a grim smile. That was one of the reasons he was so good at tailing and tracking. He paid attention to, and memorized the tiniest details, retaining them with an ease that made his memory almost photographic. Holding his phone up to his ear he listened to Maria's voicemail his smile growing wide. She'd suggested a night in with take out and movies and excitement coursed through him over the fact she was willing to do that after so few dates. It meant she was starting to trust him, and made him hopeful he'd be able to tell her about his other half soon. He sent a quick text back accepting the idea, since he didn't have time to call her. "Things are likely to heat up, but you should avoid mating with her tonight, even though it's frustrating as hell," his beast spoke up to his surprise. "Let me get this straight, you're in favor of abstinence? Really?" "To get our mate's acceptance, yes. I've paid attention to humans and how they do things. You want her to trust us, then prove you want her, not just a bit of fun. Besides, the more want builds up, the more she will accept me as well as you when the time comes." He shook his head at the cunning displayed by his other half, but then both of them had always been unusual, up to and including the fact that Michael Reece, a vampire, was chosen by his beast to be his Alpha. His beast, who had always felt mild contempt or flat out dislike for every Alpha he'd ever met, had taken once look at Reece and formed the Alpha bond. He wasn't certain which of them had been more surprised. "How about this," he replied. "I will try to keep things from going too far, but if she makes the first moves, I don't want to reject her either. That would create even bigger problems." He could feel his beast's acceptance and then the abrupt shift in attention signaling he was finished with the current topic. Jason took his security post back up from Hal who had covered for his lunch break, and settled into his usual stoic expression while thoughts of Maria filled his head. The end of his shift couldn't come fast enough. ********************* Maria flew around her apartment, doing some last minute cleaning and making her bed before getting herself into the shower and dressed for Jason. His knock sounded just as she'd pulled some beer out of the fridge for both of them. She opened the door and he swept her into a one armed kiss, balancing the pizza box on his other hand. She giggled, pulling him inside and shutting the door. An hour later they were seated on the floor, the empty pizza box and plates surrounding them while they made fun of a truly bad horror move. "Oh my God, the monster looks like a chicken! Forget the guns, get the fryer out!" Jason laughed, "Or wait, maybe the barbeque!" "As long as you're doing the cooking!" she replied with a teasing smile. "On the other hand, maybe we should stick with the fryer." "Sure, but you're officially on plucking duty," she shot back making him groan. "Hey look, the jerk ex-boyfriend is back! Looks like prime monster fodder to me!" he commented with a laugh, going silent when he saw a brief flash of pain across her face. "Maria?" he asked, reaching over to touch her shoulder, "are you okay?" She looked up at him, and she couldn't hide the grief in her eyes. He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Oh Angel, I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair, trying to give her as much comfort as he could while having no clue what the problem was, aside from it being something to do with an ex. She buried her face in his neck and he felt the wetness of her tears, making him angry she'd been hurt her like this. He turned off the movie, rubbing slow circles on her back and gently rocked her while she cried, letting his tight embrace send the message that she was safe with him. Eventually she stopped crying and tried to pull away. He loosened his hold, but didn't release her, both him and his beast needing the contact. "I'm sorry," she mumbled out, not meeting his eyes. "Why?" he asked. "I'm happy you felt safe enough to cry in front of me. You have nothing to be sorry for." She met his gaze in shock, seeing care and understanding in his green eyes. "Can you trust me enough to tell me about it?" he asked, knowing he might be pushing too far, but feeling the risk was worth trying. "I... I" she stammered, her dark eyes showing a range of emotions. Finally she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Yes. Let me just get some water first." He nodded, letting her stand up while he turned to pick up the empty pizza box and napkins. "Be right back, I'm just going to get rid of these," he told her, figuring he'd get rid of the trash for her while she got herself settled enough to talk. Moments later he was back, and was surprised to find her standing in her kitchen staring off into space. "Hey, you okay?" he asked wrapping his arms around her again to break her out of her trance. She jumped slightly before leaning back against him. "Yeah, sorry. Let's sit down," she replied in a soft, pain laden voice. He walked with her back to the couch, pulling her down to sit on his lap, her back resting against his chest while his arms slid over hers. "Two years ago the last relationship I was in, ended," she started off softly. "His name was Kyle and we'd met in college and been dating for a few years. He was kind, funny and really sweet, and we were talking about getting married. He wanted to wait till he had saved enough money for a nice ring, though I didn't care," she trailed off a moment. "He was in a band. Started off more as a side thing, but they were starting to make it big. I was so happy for him," she paused taking another deep breath, her voice shaky. "The more attention they got the more he was on the road and when he was home, he kept going to all these parties. He started changing. He'd get all worked up over every gig, and fly off the handle at the most random things. One day I caught him doing lines of coke, and then I knew why he was so different." "I probably should have left then, but he kept promising me he'd get off the stuff. It only got worse, though. We argued more and more and then I found needle marks on him. I got paranoid not only about the drug use, but that he might catch something or maybe already had," she said in a distant voice, rubbing her face for a moment. Jason held her, rubbing her arms and nuzzling into her hair to comfort her. She grabbed one of his hands and laced her fingers through his before speaking again. "I stopped sleeping with him, afraid he might pass something on to me, but I still couldn't walk away from him. The verbal and mental abuse got worse, and even then I stayed. One night after a gig we got into another fight and he hit me backstage. All I could see in him was rage. No remorse, no shock, no horror that he'd raised his hand to me. That was when I realized the sweet, kind man I'd loved was gone," she nearly whispered the last part, and Jason was glad he had enhanced hearing. "I finally left him. I went back to our place and packed a bag. Luce let me stay with her, and when she found out he'd hit me, was ready to go after him for revenge. Incidentally," she said, turning towards him with a sad half smile, "don't get in a fight with her, she's vicious." "I'll remember that," he told her softly, tucking away the information for later. Right now he was keeping such a tight rein on his anger, that he couldn't process anything but her story. She smiled before a haunted look filled her chocolate eyes. "The next morning I was woken up by a pair of officers knocking on Luce's door. After our fight Kyle shot up and got on his bike. He hit a tree going seventy and died on impact," she said, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion. "Oh Angel," he softly rumbled while turning her to face him, part of him enjoying the feel of her lying over him. He gave her a soft kiss before staring intently into her eyes. "There's absolutely nothing you could have done to stop him. He was the only one that could make that choice. He never even tried getting himself into rehab, did he?" Maria just shook her head, still struggling to keep her tears from falling. "That means he was choosing to stay on the drugs no matter what. You staying with him as long as you did probably slowed things down, so you did help him, but he had to be the one to choose to get off the drugs. Without that, nothing else can be done," he told her, and though she'd heard the words before in different forms from different people, somehow when he spoke them, she actually started to believe them. For the first time in years, she felt the crushing guilt ease up. "You are so amazingly strong, Angel, I just don't even have the words," he told her, caressing her cheeks and hair. "Thank you for telling me," he whispered before gently kissing her, laying her down and wrapping himself around her. He was using his body to shield and protect her from the outside world, doing his best make her feel safe. She cuddled up against him, taking comfort in his warmth and the odd rumbling sound that seemed to be coming from his chest. He feels like home, was her last thought before she drifted into an exhausted sleep, too emotionally spent to stay awake. "Goodnight Angel," he whispered before following her into dreams. ********************* Lucienne sat up in bed, rubbing a hand over her face in frustration. A week, a solid frigging week and I'm still dreaming of those damn eyes. "I get it already," she groaned out loud to anything that might be listening. "There's something important about the man. Please stop harassing my dreams." A wry smile drifted across her lips, Good thing I can afford to live alone. It's things like that which make roommates so leery of me,she sighed. In college Maria had been the only roommate that didn't get freaked out by her. She pretty much just shrugged her shoulders and took the attitude of 'whatever works for you.' And thus was born our friendship, she thought with a brief smile. Lucienne sighed, her thoughts drifting back to her dreams. They're frustrating as hell since the entire dream is just staring into those golden eyes. I mean they're beautiful, but I have no interest in staring at them endlessly. She did think she was starting to see past the surface a little, so that was something. He was adept at hiding behind the cold metal of his irises, but she just knew there was so much more to be found in their depths. "There's hidden pain there, I think," she whispered aloud while staring into space. "Not just pain, but passion too," she continued talking to herself, a small shiver of desire running through her with that realization. I wonder what it would be like to awaken the passion in such a man... the thought came unbidden, and she was swept away in the tide of desire that rose within her. "Enough," she told herself reining in her hormones. "If and when I see him again, he probably wouldn't be interested in me anyway." Her spoken words pulling up memories of rejection that were like a bucket of ice water thrown over her, washing away the heat of her desire as quickly as it had come. Most people hearing her say such a thing would assume she thought she was unattractive or some such nonsense. Lucienne knew she was pretty enough. No, the problem was that she was blunt and direct, coupled with the fact that she just knew things about people they thought were secret. Honestly, if I could get rid of that ability, I would, just so I could stop scaring people. And if wishes were fishes, the world would eat, Lucienne replied to herself. Come on, let's get up. The bed needs to be stripped and damn I need a shower. No time for pity parties, and especially not for a pizza and ice cream binge followed by all that quality time in the bathrooom, she shuddered. Remember you're trying to give up the masochistic streak. She finished her self lecture with a laugh and headed into the bathroom, already feeling more cheerful. ********************* Michael lifted his lip in satisfaction. All of Hayes' assets were frozen or seized as of now, and any acquaintances had been warned away. Not one of them was interested in crossing Michael. All five mistresses had been taken care of as well. Simply allowing them to learn of each other removed three of them, and financial offers took care of the final two. Hayes was twisting in the wind alone and with nothing. "Let the team know I will take him tonight. I want him to have the opportunity to try every avenue and feel just how friendless he really is," Michael ordered Elijah, making a mental note to reward his Made. Elijah had put in more time on Hayes than usual, feeling a certain slippery quality to the man. "Yes sir," Elijah replied before Michael cut him off with a sigh. "You can stop calling me 'sir,'" Michael growled out. "I'm you're Maker not your Master. I know why you've been doing it, and you needn't bother. As angry as I am at Hayes, I am not so far gone as to attack my own people, and it's become quite irritating." Elijah cracked a smile. "Hey, I'm just taking my Maker's advice. You're the one who told me 'Caution is the parent of safety.' What kind of Made would I be if I did not learn from my Maker?" Michael's lips twitched in slight amusement. "If I were not afraid of further inflating your overlarge ego, I might compliment your attentiveness. As it is, I find myself surprised you retained anything." Elijah chuckled at his Maker's wry sense of humor. Michael was naturally detached, using reason with a cold precision that had gained him more allies than enemies. Still, while he demanded formalities of others, among his Made, Michael abhorred titles. The simple fact it had taken this long to receive that correction was ample proof of his rage and how close to the edge he'd really been. "I'll head over to my team now, to ensure everything is ready to go whenever you give the word." "Very good. Thank you Elijah. Your work has not gone unnoticed," Michael replied, in a combination of praise and dismissal. Elijah simply nodded his head in acknowledgement and left the dark office. Michael leaned back in his chair lost in thought. He knew Elijah's use of 'sir' was to politely alert him that he was close to the edge rather than for his Made's safety since a vampire attacking their own Made required extreme circumstances. His real goal was to make certain that Michael used caution around others since they would not have the same protection. Michael sighed. He knew Elijah's concern had been somewhat valid. He had been on the edge, and had anyone angered him further he might have slipped. The thing was, it wasn't the end game being in sight that had broken him out of his hair trigger state as Elijah had assumed. Scarred Ch. 03-04 No, what broke me out of my obsession was a new, more dangerous distraction... Honey hair and a pair of grey eyes that I cannot forget. That have even caused me, who knows only black oblivion in sleep, to dream... ********************* "...and after dinner we walked around the lake, then found a bench and talked and cuddled till the sun set," Maria rambled on excitedly about her latest date with Jason. They both seemed smitten with each other, and Lucienne was very happy at the way Jason was treating Maria, but she had the sense he was hiding something. Not that that's necessarily a problem, it just depends on what his secret is. Still, I think I like him, and I feel like these two might be very, very good together. Lucienne smiled, "Sounds like he's treating you right. And no pressure?" "No pressure at all, he's been incredibly sweet. Do you know, Luce, I actually told him about... you know, Kyle, and there was no awkwardness and for once it didn't hurt quite so bad. He just held me until we both fell asleep on the couch." If someone had smacked her Lucienne would not have been more stunned. Maria had been unable to even say Kyle's name, much less talk to anyone about what had happened. The only reason she knew the full story was because she was there. "Wow," Lucienne replied, still stunned, though she managed to reach around the table and give her friend a hug. "That's just... I'm so happy for you, she managed to croak out through her tight throat and watering eyes." "Me too," Maria half whispered, returning her hug before pulling a couple tissues out of her purse for both of them. "I've never felt this way before, Luce. Not even about Kyle. I mean I loved him, but with Jason it's just... I don't know, natural and easy. I know it's only been a short time, and God I hope I'm not being an idiotic, love struck fool, but I think I'm in love with him." Lucienne blinked in surprise at Maria's confession. "If anyone else were telling me this, I'd think their hormones got the better of them. You're not like that, though, and besides, I've seen the way he looks at you. I think you need to follow your heart. It may or may not turn out, but even if it doesn't do you want to lose the chance for happiness, even if it's only for a little while?" Maria smiled big, "I am so lucky to have a non-judgy friend!" "Yes you are, and don't you forget it!" she teased back. Maria rolled her eyes, "I don't think I'm likely to with you reminding me, Luce. Now we just need to find you someone, and everything will be perfect!" She snorted in reply, but her thoughts were drifting back to the unknown owner of a pair of gold eyes. ********************* Lucienne walked back to her apartment, taking in the night air after Jason picked up Maria. He'd offered her a ride too, but she lived only a few blocks away. Besides, though evening was approaching it was still light out, and she enjoyed walking while there was nice weather. The sweet breeze blowing in her face complimented her good mood. Mysteries seemed to fill the growing dusk, and she giggled softly a slight euphoria washing over her as she walked among them. She was so lost in the welcoming shadows, she didn't notice anyone or anything till she literally ran into a warm body. "Oomph!" she grunted, gasping to catch her breath, while a pair of arms held her waist to keep her from falling. "Are you alright miss?" a tenor voice asked in what she was certain sounded like a warm tone to most people. She, however, caught something in his question that put her on edge. Looking into his face, he was quite handsome, the typical blonde haired, boy-next-door type, but his blue eyes held a predatory look that raised her guard even more. Finally getting her breath back in her lungs, she was able to reply. "Oh yes, I'm fine," she said with a smile while stepping back from the man. She almost shuddered in revulsion when the man, while releasing her, also slid hid hands against her in a caress that was unexpected and unwelcome. "I'm so sorry for bumping into you!" she exclaimed in a high pitched voice, to cover her distaste. "I totally wasn't looking where I was going, but thank God you seem to be okay!" she continued, doing her best impression of a vapid idiot in hopes of making him lose interest. "Of course I am," he replied with a smile that never reached his eyes. "You are such a tiny thing, it would take a lot more than a little bird like you to knock me down." Lucienne controlled her snort of disbelief just in time. She was taller than most men, including this one, nor was her build even remotely slender. She had muscle under her curves, and the fact he was so unaffected by her running into him meant he was likely more than capable of overpowering her. Shit, I'm going to need to tread very carefully, I think he'd win if it came to a physical confrontation. She giggled vacuously deciding her best bet was to keep playing along. "That's so sweet of you to say!" she pitched her voice even higher, hoping he'd leave her alone if she irritated him enough. She was happy to see a very slight twitch of his eye, as if he was trying to control a wince. She made a show of glancing down at her phone, "Oh my God! It's so late! My boyfriend will go nuts if I don't get home soon!" she exclaimed letting her voice rise even higher in feigned worry. If I keep this up, I'll probably start breaking glass soon. "I was helping poor Franny who just broke up with her boyfriend for the third time. You know they just can't seem to stay together or stay apart, though I wish they could make up their minds. All this back and forth just puts sooo much stress and pressure on the rest of us. Oh dear, there I go again talking my head off. Anyway, last time I lost track like this, my pookie-bear got his police friends to start searching. He's such a sweet man, he worries so much about me! I love him so much!" she gushed. Dear Lord, I sound like a babbling idiot. Let's just hope he buys the act and is irritated enough to leave me alone, she thought to herself, happy to see a glazed, confused look in the man's eyes. "I'm so sorry again, but I have to get home to my pookie bear! I'm glad you're okay!" she called out to him, starting a light jog down the street while pretending to make a call to her non-existent boyfriend. She kept her ears open for his footsteps, just in case he tried to follow her. She even pulled out her phone and used the selfie camera to 'fix her hair' when she was really checking the street behind her. Moments later she was nearing her building, and breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw Aaron's patrol car parked out front and his window wide open to the night air, meaning he'd hear her if she called for help. The fact that not just one, but two cops lived in her building had been a driving force on her decision to rent a unit here. Never had she been so relieved to get home before. ********************* Michael watched the exchange between Hayes and the grey eyed girl from the other night, signaling his men to hold position while staying primed to step in if necessary. He'd nearly laughed when she played the fool, the lie in her voice clear enough to his ear though she fooled his men, and more importantly, she fooled Hayes. He'd tensed when she'd mentioned her fake boyfriend. He was much too far away to detect any scents on her, but Hayes was not. That was the surest moment of being caught in the lie. To his relief Hayes seemed to accept her words, clearly deciding she was too annoying to be worth the trouble. Of course if the man had the sense God gave a flea, he would know his so called safe house is easily discovered and breached. Even if it weren't, loitering in the street attempting to get a girl rather than staying inside of his so called protections renders them completely useless. This is almost insulting. I do wonder what male's scent is on the girl's clothes, though. His thoughts focused on her and he was surprised by the flash of jealousy. And that is something I will need to consider once this evening's work is complete. I am far too interested in her. He sent a command to one of his men to tail her both for her protection, and to discover where the girl lived. He needed to know more about her before deciding what to do about the distraction she posed to him. I will say this, she has impressive instincts. Whatever else Hayes is, he puts on a convincing show of harmless good intentions and she managed to see through his act right away. Quite remarkable, really. After all, I am skilled at detecting deception and he even fooled me for a short period of time, he gritted his teeth. His gaze narrowed as the girl jogged off, noting Hayes was momentarily distracted by the sway of her bottom. Not that it isn't a nice view, but again, lingering on the street when you know you are being hunted is idiotic. Michael waited till the girl had rounded the corner before suddenly appearing in Hayes face. "Good evening, he growled, pleased to see fear wash over his prey. "I believe you and I have some matters to discuss." ********************* I am becoming an obsessed stalker, Michael growled to himself, watching the girl from roof of the neighboring building. She is a stranger, I do not even know her name, and yet I have an unnatural fascination with her. I have certainly never felt an inclination to watch someone sleep on their couch, yet I find myself doing just that. She'd left her window open, affording him an unobstructed view. Clearly she is trusting the height of her apartment to protect her, and as sheer as that wall is, she would be safe from most threats. Unfortunately there is much in this world to which that would be no barrier, including myself, he sighed in irritation at the protective instincts that arose with that thought. He did not want that vulnerability again. As if I have the slightest chance, he thought, a small growl of frustration escaping his lips. She's an attractive girl, undoubtedly with many men from which to choose. Why would she have the slightest interest in a scarred being such as myself. That thought spiked his jealousy again, and he frowned. This is becoming more than unacceptable. My mood has been unstable since I laid eyes on this girl. I can't stop thinking of her, I'm protective over her, and she is a stranger to me. Had Hayes attempted to lay a single finger on her... visions of even harsher punishments than he'd already planned filled his head. Enough! He mentally shouted to himself, running a hand across his face. Hayes fate is set, and is even now underway according to my instructions. Further punishment is not necessary and will simply draw the process out, and for what purpose? He did not touch her, nor should it matter to me if he had. The girl shifted in her sleep, curling herself into a ball and once again his attention was riveted to her form. She must be cold, he thought with a frown. Her blanket is folded up on the chair instead of on her. I hope she has the foresight to use the blanket in future if she makes a regular habit of this, he huffed to himself, his irritation spiking higher. Enough. I cannot spend all night watching some fool girl sleep. He rose to leave, but the slight motion of her shivering made him pause. Damn it, he thought in frustration and before he even knew what he was doing, he found himself leaping across to her building. He landed lightly, quickly scaling the bricks down from her roof to her window, silently slipping inside. He paused, inhaling her pure scent, untainted by Hayes foul odor. Vanilla and sandalwood, he thought while his eyes half lidded in pleasure, inhaling even deeper. She stirred again and he snapped out of his mini trance, keeping perfectly still to avoid waking her. When she seemed settled, he silently picked up the blanket and covered her, a slight smile touching his lips when she snuggled into the fabric and relaxed. Her honey hair spread across the white couch in gentle waves, reminding him of the fields of grain he used to watch in his youth. His slender fingers hovered briefly over her face before moving to gently touch a lock of her silky hair. He inhaled her scent again, losing himself in the sweetness of vanilla given depth and earthiness from the sandalwood. I could smell this forever and never tire of it. His eyes half closed, and his fingers continued to gently caress her hair. He didn't know how long he drifted in that state when he was jarred out by a startled gasp, and a twisting feeling in his stomach. Scarred Ch. 05-06 This work is copyrighted - please do not plagiarize. Thanks! As always - constructive feedback is welcome. I will be out of town next week and September in general will be difficult, so the next posting will likely be delayed. Thanks! ============================ Lucienne sighed as she looked into those golden eyes. Here I am again. Every damn night the same friggin' dream! About the only plus is that I'm learning to read the hidden emotions in them. It's something interesting to do, at least, since nothing else ever happens. She knew his eyes appeared cold and remote as a statue, but get past the façade and there was passion and pain as hot as the heart of a volcano. She didn't know who had caused the pain, but she wanted to hurt them. Badly. As badly as a mother bear protecting her cubs. And when the hell did I get so protective of a stranger? Hell, I don't even know his name! She thought to herself while never breaking his gaze. "Will I ever see more of you than your eyes?" she asked him, as she asked almost every night. She was shocked when a soft chuckle echoed in the darkness instead of the silence she was usually met with, and her anger rose up. "So all this time you've been able to hear me and it's taken till now to reply? Seriously?!" A soft sigh echoed in the dark before she received an answer. "It was not possible till now," a voice like sun warmed silk replied, wrapping her in a comforting embrace. "You should wake," that musical voice added, and before she could even register the words, her eyes snapped open. Moments later she registered the shadowed figure above her, playing with a lock of her hair, and though she probably should have been, she wasn't the least bit frightened. His face was turned away from her and his head capped with a wide brimmed hat, so she could only see his profile. Still, she could see he had a refined ruggedness, with a strong Roman nose that added to his features rather than dominating them, and lips that she desperately wanted to kiss. Oh my God, it's him. Golden Eyes is standing here touching my hair, and that sounded like a James Bond movie. Actually there was one named Golden Eye. Damn, I really need to find out his name. I can't go around calling him a Bond movie title. Wait, did I want to kiss him? Is that why I've been dreaming about him? Oh crap, that will complicate things. Hey, why is he here? Great, now I'm rambling to myself. Get a grip! Lucienne opened her mouth intending to speak, and gasped when she realized she'd been holding her breath. His eyes snapped to hers, and trapped her gaze within their molten depths. Just as in her dreams she could read the passion and pain he kept buried deep, not to mention the surprise, guilt and shame that flitted across his face. She could see he was about to pull away, and she lifted a hand to caress his cheek, desperately needing to touch him. "You're real," was all she could say. He unconsciously tilted his head into her hand and a tremor of desire flashed through her, feeling the masculine stubble pressing into her fingers. She was completely frozen, caught in the moment and the molten depths of his gold eyes. And I think I'd be happy to stay here forever, the thought flashed across her mind, breaking her out of her reverie. She cleared her throat softly and quietly asked, "What's your name?" The question broke the spell they were under, and she felt the loss as he pulled away. His gaze intensified, the gold of his eyes flashing as if the sun were reflecting brightly off the metal. "You will forget about me. I was never here," he replied, his words dripping from his lips like liquid silver. His voice even more beautiful in person than it had been in her dream. The sheer beauty of the sound did little to negate his ridiculous words, though, and she snorted at him. "Fat chance. You ARE here, and you're rather memorable." His eyes widened and he stepped back in shock and surprise. A moment later his lips clamped into a thin line, and he stared at her in frustration and irritation. Well screw this, Lucienne thought, rolling her eyes while she stood up from the couch in irritation. "Clearly you have so much to sort out in your head that you are unable to converse intelligently," she stated in a hard tone. "Perhaps some coffee would settle you enough to tell me your name. Mine is Lucienne though most people call me Luce. In case you didn't check before breaking into my apartment," she said, moving into the kitchen. Her jab seemed to have the intended effect, breaking him out of his silence while amusement flitted across his face. "My apologies, Lucienne" he replied. Her name falling off his lips in that liquid voice made her want to run back in there and jump him. She busied herself making a pot of coffee instead, clutching the bag of coffee grounds like a lifeline. "My name is Michael. I have been unforgivably rude, yet I would beg your forgiveness anyway. I pledge you it is not my habit to enter homes uninvited, and you have my sincerest apologies for any fear or discomfort I have caused." Lucienne stared back at Michael, the coffee forgotten in her hands while he spoke. He was standing where she'd left him by the couch, and she noticed the nicely tailored suit showing off his lean frame in a way that made her mouth water. He sounds like it's the eighteen hundreds or something, and damn but his voice does things to me. Every time he speaks I just want to run over there and rub my body against his like a damn cat. And that suit... "Please, take a seat," she told him gesturing to the couch and chair in front of her tv while keeping tight control of her voice. "I will give you my forgiveness if you explain yourself," she replied with a slight smile, quickly setting up the coffee maker before his amazing voice distracted her again. "If only I could," she heard him mutter softly, as he took a seat still keeping the left side of his face hidden from her gaze. Her attention drifted down to where his long fingers were idly playing with the fabric of the chair's armrest. The circular movements seemed to half hypnotize her, leaving them both in silence while the coffee brewed. And what elegant fingers they are, too, the thought popped into her head while she watched him gracefully trace random patterns. Her imagination substituted her body for the arm of the chair, playing images of him tracing those patters on her skin. Heat flooded through her, and she had to clamp down on an involuntary moan. Crap, don't think of that. Abort, abort! Remember that time you were really sick from bad mayo! Her gorge rose slightly at that memory, and while it was a drastic move, it worked better than a bucket of ice to wash away her arousal. "I am not certain why I entered your apartment," his soft words captured her attention again, "beyond the fact that you were cold and I could not bring myself to leave you that way. It is certainly not my custom to go around tucking girls in, however beautiful they may be," he finished, watching her reaction from the corner of his eye. She raised her eyebrows in shock at his candid honesty while she flushed at his compliment. She pulled herself together again and poured two mugs. "Do you take cream or sugar?" "Cream, please, no sugar," he replied falling comfortably into the social ritual, knowing she would speak more once drinks had been served. She almost laughed at the very domestic scene they were presenting. Anyone watching them would assume they were two friends chatting and visiting, not two complete strangers, one of which had broken in. Handing him a Mickey Mouse mug with a smile of amusement, she sat on the couch cradling her own Mary Poppins mug. Why yes, I am a Disney fan, and I don't care if I'm sitting here with some weird dude with golden eyes that broke in but doesn't scare me. I love these mugs, and I will use them no matter what anyone else thinks. Michael's lip twitched slightly when he saw the mug, but he simply thanked her and sipped the coffee, waiting for her to respond. She continued to surprise him, from her lack of fear to her cutting words about his manners. What I find more interesting is she does not realize she is using courtesy as a weapon. Seems like few know how to do that anymore, he mused. Lucienne tilted her head while she studied Michael. His face revealed little, especially since he hid half from her. He must have scars or something to be so practiced at hiding one side of his face. His eyes give him away though. He's conflicted and fighting with himself. She sighed, "I take it you were watching me through my window?" she asked, waiting for his nod before continuing. "And is this something you've done before?" "No. I did not even know where you lived before this evening, and to answer what I know will be your next question. No, I have not been following you. However I have been following the man you bumped into this evening, and I sent one of my men to follow you from there." "I see, and why would you have me followed if your interest was this other man?" He looked chagrined, and Lucienne figured that he'd been hoping she'd overlook that detail. Yeah right. Ain't gonna happen. "First that you arrived home safely, though I have no reason for my concern as I do not know you. Second was to learn more about you since I have been unable to get you out of my thoughts. I have even been dreaming about you, and I never dream. It is most frustrating." Lucienne almost laughed at that last comment since he reminded her of a disgruntled cat. "You have invaded my dreams as well," she told him, stuffing her laughter down so as not to offend him. "Only your eyes, though. It's annoying spending the night just staring at a pair of eyes, even if they are extraordinary." She felt a sense of accomplishment when a smile actually cracked the remote look he seemed to keep plastered on his face at all times. "Yes I can imagine it would become tiresome after a while," he replied, raising an eyebrow at her. "If I may turn the tables for a moment and ask you something, you do not seem to fear me despite all of this?" "Nope," she replied, deliberately leaving him hanging for a moment before she grinned at him to let him know she was teasing, and elaborated. "I don't really know why I don't fear you. Certainly most rational people would be freaking out after waking to a strange man touching their hair in their apartment. All I can say is that whatever else you may be, I know I can trust you, and I think that is why I do not fear you." He trapped her in his gaze again, not certain what to make of her words. She sighed and decided to tell him her secret. Clearly the man was something less than normal, so maybe he would understand, and a small part of her was clinging to the desperate hope that maybe he wouldn't fear her. Besides, he'd been extremely honest and open with her so far, though she got the sense he was as surprised by just how much he'd revealed. Still, she wanted to give him the same in return. "I seem to be able to just know things about people," she continued, her voice a little more hesitant. "I don't know why, and I can't stop the information from coming in. When that knowledge tells me I can trust a person I know it's true, just as I knew the man you were following was not to be trusted." His eyes widened slightly and he gave her a speculative look before nodding in acknowledgement. "I believe your instincts may be correct in this case. If I could not bring myself to leave you simply because you were cold, it would be unlikely for me to deliberately cause harm to you." She tilted her head slightly, reading the subtle message beneath his words. "I do not believe you would cause harm to any without good reason. You are not bad." His face hardened, "You know nothing of me." "I know more than you think. I told you I get information, I can't stop it, and it's always correct. The information I get from you tells me you are not a bad person regardless of the decisions you must make." She saw suspicion flash across his face before his expression grew remote and sadness welled up within her. I guess acceptance was too much to hope for, she thought, a surprising amount of pain filling her chest while she looked off to the side to calm her emotions. She saw a flicker of movement from the corner of her eye, and when she turned to look back at the chair he was gone. Only the mug sitting on the side table was any real proof he'd been there at all. She stood and picked up the mug, staring at the smiling face of Mickey while a sob tore out of her chest. She set the mug back down before she dropped it, and curled herself up into her blanket to let out her pain. ********************* Michael paced in his bedroom like a caged tiger, anger raging through him. That girl, what hold does she have over me? He'd been around too long not to consider she might be some sort of pretty trap for him. While he had relatively few enemies, occasionally they did try to get someone in close to him, usually a female. I guess they assume that since few women can bring themselves to lay with me, I would be more careless around one who would. In the past he'd spotted them easily, but nothing was putting his guard up around Lucienne. Of course there was no initial aversion to Hayes either, and look where that got me. He'd seen her pain just before she looked away from him, but couldn't allow himself to get any further ensnared without knowing more about the girl. The muffled sob he'd caught from the roof nearly had him returning to apologize and comfort her before he'd mentally slapped himself and raced home. I will not go down the same road as I did with Diana. I am not certain I would survive it again. He let out a sigh, sinking to his bed and running his hand through his hair. Besides, she poses a danger. Compulsion failed to work on her and though I have read of this ability she's describing, there were never any records of it to this degree. Alternatively, she's faking and is being fed information from someone. Both possibilities require caution. A knock at his door had him looking up, "Yes?" Elijah opened the door, raising his eyebrows in shock at his Maker's disheveled appearance. Michael never had a hair out of place. Ever. To see his jacket thrown on the floor, his tie half loosened and askew, and his hair an obvious mess was worrying. Quietly he stepped inside and shut the door behind him, "Michael, what's happening? What's wrong?" he asked quietly, concern lacing his voice. Michael looked up at his oldest and most trusted Made, who had also become his closest friend over the years. Finally he sighed and gave in, deciding it might help to get an outside opinion. "It's that girl." "The one you had followed?" Elijah asked immediately, having known something was up for Michael to extend his protection over her. By sending someone not only to track, but to keep her safe, meant that his people would not touch her, and would, in fact, protect her if they were around until or unless Michael told them otherwise. "Yes. Her name is Lucienne. I want as much information as you can find and I want her watched. I am finding myself unhealthily interested in her, to the point where it's bordering on obsession. I need to determine if my enemies are involved." To say that Elijah was startled by all of this was like saying Niagara Falls was a lovely little stream. He'd never seen Michael so discomfited by anyone, male or female, and a sudden idea came into his head. "Have you considered that she might be your Ruach?" Michael's gold eyes locked onto Elijah in pure shock and denial. Huh, don't think I've ever seen that expression on his face before. Cool! "Think about it, Michael," he pressed on. "When have you ever extended your protection over anyone that was not one of yours before? You did it tonight, though, for a stranger. The only time I've ever seen you fixate on a person was when they'd betrayed you, which doesn't apply with this girl. Hell, you don't even obsess over your known enemies, you are content to keep tabs on them and otherwise leave them be unless they move against you. "Yet this girl, a stranger, has you in a total mess. I have honestly never seen you like this before, not even with her," he said, refusing to speak Diana's name. He'd never liked the woman, and his suspicion was the only reason he'd been able to save Michael's life. Unfortunately she still did damage before I could rescue him. Michael stared at his friend and Made, barely able to process his words. Elijah simply stared back, before finally sighing. "Look, just consider the possibility, would you? I know you're a bit jaded on the subject, but don't throw away what most of us would give our fangs to have," he paused to let his words sink in before shifting gears, knowing that pushing any harder would do more harm than good at this point. "The reason I came was to let you know that Hayes is sufficiently softened up for round one," Elijah continued in a business-like tone, though a hint of his disgust for the man showed through. "Already?" Michael asked in surprise. "I knew the man was weak, but to break so quickly? I will never understand why Kensington turned him. Just as well he's dead as it saves us the trouble of investigating his sanity." Elijah gave a small snort of agreement and nodded. He'd never particularly liked Hayes, though he knew the man was extremely talented with his designs. Some things simply cannot be overlooked, though. "Fortunately this allows me to accelerate the schedule. I find myself already weary of that pathetic excuse of a vampire. If not for the fact that I must make an example of him, I would kill him now so I could wash my hands of the entire matter," Michael commented, lifting his lip slightly as he rose. At least Hayes will serve as a temporary distraction, and SHE thought I was not a bad man. If only she knew. Her instincts are clearly not as accurate as she believes. Quickly he stripped to change into a white butcher's coat and apron for his next task, unconcerned about Elijah seeing the scars that covered most of the left side of his body. He was the one who rescued me, so there is little to hide. He has seen them all from the beginning. "Twenty says Hayes will shit his pants the moment you walk in," Elijah commented with a smirk. "I do not take bets I am not certain of winning," Michael replied with a grim smile as they left. ********************* Lucienne rose the next morning, taking a shower to clear her head after her night of crying. I don't know why him leaving hurt so much. It's not like I knew him or had any kind of relationship with the man, she thought with a sigh, while stepping under the shower spray. It's completely ridiculous. The hot water served to relax her shoulders and neck, and last night's pain seemed to just flow down the drain. It's probably just because I'm lonely and I was hoping to find someone other than Maria that knows and isn't afraid of me. Maybe I should just be content with what I have. I mean if a man that is clearly outside the ordinary can't accept me, what hope do I really have? She almost started crying again with that thought, and mentally smacked herself out of that line of reasoning. Get a freaking grip! You are not some poor pathetic waif, and you know damn well you're luckier than most. So let's put an end to the pity party, shall we? she berated herself. So what if the hottest man you've ever seen is afraid of you? That reaction is certainly nothing new. Besides, if he's having dreams the way he said, then he might come back. Do you want to look like some sniveling, whiny brat if he does? Scarred Ch. 05-06 Her resolve and pride kicked back in with that thought, and when she stepped out of the shower she was walking tall again. Eh, I've been through much worse than this, and who has time to wallow in misery anyway? Not me! ********************* "Care to explain why the Coconut Grove proposal is still incomplete?" Michael's hard edged voice cut Allen's presentation dead. Elijah tensed, knowing his sire was still on edge. "S-S-Sorry sir," the young architect pushed out. "We encountered unexpected delays with..." "Why wasn't I informed of any delays?" "Sir, that is my fault," Cathy, the midnight haired woman said from across the table. A moment later she rose and stood next to Allen while her dark eyes met his gaze unflinchingly. "I thought we'd be able to keep the delay minimal and make up the time to stay on schedule. Unfortunately there was an unexpected reallocation of resources which I did not account for in my original estimates," she told him. Forwarding the presentation to the slides reflecting the relevant data, she continued speaking which allowed Allen to move off to the side and out of the line of fire. "If you'll take a look at page seven of the report, you'll see the numbers there along with the adjustments I've made to the schedule that will enable us to deliver on time..." ********************* Michael paced his office, angry with himself. I am behaving like an unstable youngling. I should never have been so harsh on Allen, and it was only Cathy's intervention that prevented me from doing something I would have regretted. I will need to apologize to both as I was the one who shifted resource priority to Hayes. That means I am the reason for the Coconut Grove project delay. His thoughts were interrupted by Elijah entering his office. "I sure hope you plan to give Cathy a raise," he stated without preamble. "She put herself on the line in there, did a damn good job too." Michael clenched his jaw. "Yes, I am aware. Both Cathy and Allen Smith will receive bonuses for their work. Cathy has been an excellent project manager and Allen has put in a great deal of quality work as the lead architect for the project." "And he's the one you targeted first," Elijah stated, knowing he was walking a dangerous line in provoking Michael. Still, it's the best way to make him face the fact that his irrational behavior is due to him denying Luccienne is his Ruach. "You are talking around something, Elijah. Make your point." "You've been behaving irrationally, and you know it. Have you thought about the possibility that Lucienne..." "Enough. You have yet to miss an opportunity to put forth the idea of her as my Ruach. I am well acquainted with your thoughts on the matter, and grow weary of hearing them," Michael cut him off, ceasing his pacing to stare directly at his Made. Elijah was somewhat relieved to see that Michael's gaze held frustration and dismissal rather than anger. Deciding to gamble a little more, he shrugged his shoulders at his Maker. "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt. Maybe if I weren't worried about my sire doing something he'll regret, I wouldn't feel the need to keep repeating myself," he said in a bored tone before turning and walking out. Moments later he was heading straight to the men's room. I'm surprised I didn't shit myself in there. I wasn't in any real danger, but that damn presence he throws off makes me hope he accepts her soon. If not, he's going to have to replace a lot of his staff as they run for shelter. ********************* "Again with the staring into your eyes and not talking, Michael?" Lucienne asked, knowing she was dreaming again. "I mean I love your eyes, but even you agreed how frustrating it would be night after night." As usual, nothing about the scene changed aside from the fact that she could see more of him than just his eyes. Well, all but left side of his face, at any rate. That's still in shadows. She sighed in frustration. "It's been almost a week since your little visit, Michael, and this can't continue every bloody night. You're going to make me bat shit crazy at this rate." Her anger surged and she just felt sick of the whole thing. "You know what, screw this!" she yelled, shoving him with all her pent up rage and hurt. At least she tried, anyway. She froze in shock when he didn't move a single inch, her hands still resting against his very solid chest. Damn he feels nice, I wonder if he feels like this in person, she thought to herself before realizing that his arms had wrapped around her and were pulling her closer. "I was unable to respond until you came forward," he murmured by her ear, his breath making her shiver. She frowned. His voice, while still beautiful sounded slightly different, a little bit darker somehow. "You're not Michael," she said trying to pull back. His arms tightened not letting her go. "I am Michael. I am a piece of him. I am the part that is able to reach out to you, but there are limits and I cannot always respond no matter how greatly I may wish otherwise," he told her, a hint of desperation marring his beautiful voice. She looked deep into his bright golden eyes, seeking the truth. He surprised her when he let his guard down, meeting her gaze with so much trust she almost cried. Suddenly she understood. "You're the part of him that isn't human," she half whispered, steeling herself to name him as the creature she suspected him to be. "You're his vampire side," she finally stated. "Yes," he confirmed, and something snapped into place between them with an almost audible click. Before she could even think to examine it, his entire life story flooded into her. The knowledge was coming in so fast and furious that she couldn't focus on anything but hanging on. She couldn't even distinguish one memory from another any more than she'd be able to distinguish a single drop of water in a tidal wave. His arms held her tight against him, and he became her sole anchor, the one solid presence in the chaotic maelstrom she endured. Her attention so focused on riding out the forces raging through her, she barely even registered his lips against her ear. "Mine and yours," he growled, sending shocks of pleasure through her. Though still unable to comprehend what was happening, his words filled her with such intense joy, she almost cried. Her heart overruled the last shreds of her mind's control and forced a reply out of her mouth. Somehow the words pushed though the overwhelming torrent and she spoke. "Mine and yours," she replied. His surprised but elated expression was the last thing she saw before she was finally overwhelmed and fainted in his arms. ********************* Michael's eyes snapped open, his body tense and his senses on full alert. Gradually he realized that he was quite alone in his dark bedroom, and that it had been his dreams, not an intruder, that woke him. Frowning, he sat up. As usual he didn't remember anything that happened in the dream, only that Lucienne was there. Something had been different this time, though. He stood, and wrapped his robe around himself, before hitting the button that turned on his fireplace. The fire sprung to life, bathing the room in soft, flickering light. Staring into the flames, he let their mesmerizing dance sooth him while his mind worried at the problem. Something has been altered, he thought, I just do not know what. He sighed, running a hand through his hair while his lips lifted in a bitter smile. If matters continue in this vein I will end up pulling out all my hair. Then I will not only have the distinction of being the only scarred vampire, but the only bald one as well, he growled to himself in frustration. Perhaps Elijah is correct and she is my Ruach, he thought, deciding to analyze the possibility. If she is, I must be certain to inform her how to break the bond should she desire it. I would not have her feel trapped. He snorted, Of course she would desire to sever the bond. What possible inducement could there be for her to remain by my side... his thoughts trailed off while his mind provided him with a picture of them together. Her intelligence matched his, and her willingness to challenge him would inspire him as well. In their short meeting, he could see she had the potential to be his equal, his partner, and that thought brought out a deep longing he'd thought long dead. This is foolish, wishful thinking. The moment she sees my mangled flesh, she will wish herself to the other side of the country. A harsh laugh escaped his lips and he spoke aloud. "Besides, she believes me to be a good man. Hayes is not the only one who would attest to how very mistaken she is. If by some miracle the sight of me did not scare her away, the truth of who I am, what I have done and what I will continue to do, would likely have her fleeing not just across the country, but to the other side of the globe." He collapsed into a chair defeated, his gaze still on the flames. "I should just face the truth. Diana won. She may be dead, but her pain is over. Mine has no end." ********************* "Sam and Axe have dug up everything they could on the girl and to sum it up, they've found nothing to connect her knowingly or unknowingly with you or any of your enemies. In fact, they said she has an almost uncanny ability to avoid nonhumans altogether," Elijah reported, handing over another Barbie pink flash drive. "You might be interested to hear they both seem to have taken a liking to her. Sam also said to tell you that she has the details of the girl's past, but wants to talk to you before handing them over." Now that is interesting, Michael thought to himself while toying with the small drive. Whatever Sam uncovered must be significant for her to withhold the information, even if temporarily. Michael nodded in acknowledgement. "Very well, I will contact her later. For now maintain surveillance on the girl and send me regular reports. Also, Elijah, I would like it if you would take over tonight's watch." "Not a problem. I'll see you there later?" Elijah asked, guessing the reason for the request was that Michael wished to check on the girl unobserved by his people. While popping in on a surveillance team was within his normal behavior, doing so too frequently would raise questions he knew his Maker didn't want to answer yet. After all, that river in Egypt gets lonely without Michael's company, Elijah thought to himself, holding back a snort at his own odd sense of humor. Michael nodded in both confirmation and dismissal, wanting his Made to leave before he made any irritating comments. Elijah took himself out of the office without question, and once again Michael was pleased Elijah was intelligent and clever enough to anticipate and did not require explicit instruction. Unlike the late and unlamented Hayes. He'd finally ended Hayes last night, finding himself relieved rather than satisfied that, after a week, the task was complete. The man was the most contemptable creature I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with, he thought with a faint sneer of disgust. I loathed every second of his company, even if the only conversation was his cries of pain. At one point he'd found the screams so irritating, that he'd removed Hayes' vocal chords. Without anesthetic, of course. Needless to say, Hayes quickly learned the down side of vampiric healing abilities. Michael sighed, his thoughts drifting to Lucienne. Elijah's suggestion that she was his Ruach was still disturbing to him. He'd once thought his Ruach was Diana, which was why he'd turned her in the first place. He'd finally realized he was mistaken after he'd sired her, but he still loved her and chose to stay together. After all, not every vampire found their Ruach. His error had been made abundantly clear to him, when she'd decided to practice her carving skills on his flesh. Just because I found myself capable of ending her does not mean I did not pay a heavy price. Still, the fact that I cannot stop thinking about Lucienne, wanting to see her... If I am honest with myself, I know I never felt this for Diana. Of course Lucienne also thought I wasn't a bad man, his thoughts kept circling incessantly back to her words like a broken record. If only she knew. ********************* "Hey," Sam answered, knowing who was calling from the ID on her phone. "Good to hear from you, Mike. You want to know about Lucienne Hines, yeah?" she asked, and then continued before he could do more than grunt in agreement. "Her background is unpleasant," Sam told him without preamble. "Since she's not like the ones you usually ask me to check out, I'm guessing your interest might be personal? If so, I thought I would check if you wanted to find out from us, or wanted to allow her to tell you about it." Michael's eyebrows rose in surprise. Granted Sam was both intelligent and skilled at extrapolation, which was part of what made her so good at what she did, but he wasn't certain how comfortable he was with her accuracy in this case. "Don't worry Michael, neither Axe nor myself have anything to say to anyone on the matter," she told him, correctly reading his silence. "Our normal confidentiality still holds, and you know how tight lipped we both are about our work. Well Axe a little less so, but he knows what I'll do to him if he slips on this one," Sam rambled, putting Michael's mind more at ease. He could hear the protective tone in her voice, and knew that Sam had decided to defend Lucienne to the best of her ability. How interesting. It is quite rare for her to take that stance, and it makes me wonder just what she found out about Lucienne. "Sam," Michael said, cutting her off, "I believe you. I think it safe to assume your recommendation is to leave it be, but I must know whether she poses a danger to me or my people." "Nothing I found would make me think she does. Like I told Eli," Michael's lips twitched at her nickname for his Made. Sam was the only one that could get away with using the shortened version of Elijah's name. She is the only one that gets away with shortening mine as well, for that matter. "I've never seen anyone with such a talent for avoiding nonhumans. Whether she's doing it consciously or not, she definitely has some sort of sixth sense about them. The only exception we could find was her old boss who was half Fae, and actually helped her get her current marketing position at a popular yoga ezine. Her current workplace is small and the staff almost entirely human except for one guy on the sales team that's full Fae. There's no discernable connection to you or any of those you have me routinely monitor. If you're still worried and feel you can't wait for her to tell you, then there's a file on the drive labelled 'Call Sam First' and the password is 'Sam is amazing' no spaces." "Thank you Sam," Michael managed to insert into her brief pause, amused that she got all that out without taking a breath. "Your work is appreciated, and I will take your advice under consideration." "No probs Mike," she replied, making Michael shake his head. He knew she gave him more respect than most, but even he didn't escape her irreverence. "And hey, thanks for letting me offer the advice. It's one of the reasons I like working for you. You know, I take almost no outside work these days. Mostly what I do take is to let me keep tabs on what's happening in the rest of your world." "I was not aware of that," he replied, deciding the moment was right to make her the offer he'd had in mind for several months now. "Sam, you have worked with me for quite some time, and you have impressed me with not only your work, but your intelligence and adaptability. I wish to offer to sire you should you ever decide you desire to be turned and join our world." "Offer accepted," she replied without any hesitation, making him blink in surprise before he realized something. "You have been working toward this, haven't you?" he said, respect and amusement in his tone. "You got it bud. I've been interested in going vamp for years, even before I ever met you, and I wanted to make sure if I did it, the one who sired me wasn't a jackass. I liked your rep, and the research I did on you confirmed most of the good rumors I'd heard, and a few of the bad too, but nothing that rang alarm bells. Working for you has only continued to back that up, and let me know you're about the only one I'd want to sire me. You're powerful enough to offer real protection, and you don't abuse your power. You're intelligent, honorable, and ruthless, yes, but not a sadist. Why the hell do you think I've branched out so much from strict forensic accounting? I've done my homework. You only turn the exceptional, and just being highly skilled in one field wasn't going to cut it." Michael was shocked by her casual assessment. Fortunately this was a time when her propensity for rambling worked in his favor. "Anyway," Sam continued as if there'd never been a break in the conversation, "there's no rush on turning me. I'm not on any kind of time clock, especially if you have someone else you want to turn first," she teased. "I suspect you will be the biggest handful out of any of my Made, Sam. Speaking of which, I will make certain to introduce you to any you have not already met." "No problem, Mike. You only have four Made currently living, right? I've already met two of them, so getting the last two in shouldn't be too hard." "You have certainly done your research, Sam," he replied, not bothering to confirm or deny the number. The fact was, she was off by one, but Victor was currently keeping a low profile, allowing everyone to think he was dead. His other Made knew Victor was alive since all Made from the same sire shared a bond. Once turned, Sam would discover Victor's existence, and seeing how long it took her to sense him would be a good test. "Always do! Anyway, I know you probably have stuff to do other than listen to me talk your ear off, yeah? So I'll catch you later. Call if you need anything," she told him before abruptly cutting the connection. Michael leaned back while his thoughts turned to Lucienne, wondering just what was in that file. He felt divided, torn between wanting to hear about her past from her own lips, and a desire for information to keep himself and his people protected. He sighed, I can think on this overnight. The file will still be there tomorrow. ********************* Lucienne practiced her tai chi form, using the movement and meditation to calm and center. Relax. 'The soft and pliable will defeat the hard and strong,' she told herself, settling deeper into her stance. The fact was, her tai chi practice was the only thing that had been keeping her sane this past week. Thoughts and dreams of Michael had become even more dominant now that she'd spoken with the man. Or whatever he is, since that man ain't human, she thought to herself. Huh, that's a surprise. Guess I believe nonhuman creatures are for real and that Michael's one of them. Come to think of it, seems like that settled after last night's dream. Not that I can remember much of it. I know I got overloaded, the headache I woke up with, made that pretty clear. Maybe that's why I blocked out whatever else happened, she sighed. About the only thing she did remember was him holding her, and the words 'mine and yours.' Too bad the fuzziness hasn't stopped his gold eyes and shadowed face from cropping up in my head at all times of day, not to mention looking at every man wearing a fedora to see if it's him. In fact, I think it got worse today. Something definitely changed last night. I think I feel more connected... closer to him than I did before, and God only knows what can of worms that's going to open. She sighed again. Scarred Ch. 05-06 Focus on tai chi or you may as well just stand here waving your arms about for all the use you'll get out of it, she reprimanded herself. Gradually a measure of calm came over her, allowing her to fall more deeply into the movements. Strong like mountain, flow like river, she repeated to herself, her mental state relaxing with the words. She repeated her form two more times in hopes of locking the centered and rooted state into her body for the rest of the night. And if I'm lucky, maybe it'll stave off those damn dreams. ********************* Michael perched on the neighboring building once again, watching Lucienne move through her tai chi as she had every night. He'd been surprised the first time he'd watched her settle into the movements, since she hadn't struck him as the type. Not that I know what her 'type' really is if I'm to be honest with myself, he sighed in frustration. She seems to have an amazing capacity to surprise me. "She's an interesting person," Elijah commented, suddenly appearing next to him though Michael knew he'd been on the roof the entire time. "Not very social, though. Seems like her only real friends are Aaron Cummings and that Maria woman that Jason says is his mate. She keeps everyone else at arm's length." "You've been holding out information," Michael growled out a flash of anger overtaking him. He already knew about Aaron living just a few doors down from Lucienne and was pleased about that, but the bit about Maria being Jason's mate was news. His gaze remained locked on Lucienne, but he was focusing intently on Elijah's words. "No I haven't Michael. I mean I know you're wound up since you're in denial that she's your Ruach, even though it's pretty fucking obvious, but I have never held out information from you," Elijah replied angrily. "I apologize Elijah," Michael replied, chagrined. He knew he'd been unfair and that this was sore point since Michael had not believed him when Elijah warned him about Diana. His Made had been brave enough not to withhold anything in the face of his anger, and then came back to save him after Michael had stupidly thrown him out. "I should not have focused my irritation on you, it was unfair and unjust." "Apology accepted," Elijah replied. His tone told Michael all was forgotten and he continued as if nothing had happened. "I found all this out today when I went to drop off his payment for the Hayes job, and I caught a faint whiff of her scent on his jacket. I'd shifted Jason off watching Hayes when you decided to pick him up since we're trying to keep the fact that Jason's a rare shifter type and you're his alpha as quiet as possible. When I asked, he told me he was picking up Maria from having dinner with Lucienne and gave her a hug before leaving." "That would explain why Hayes believed the boyfriend lie," Michael commented offhandedly. "You do realize she also convinced the entire team of that, and had them thinking she was some sort of annoying, vapid fool. They were not happy about having to watch her at first. Shocked the hell out of them when they realized the whole thing'd been an act," Elijah replied with a chuckle. Michael smiled in amusement and satisfaction that he hadn't been fooled. "And you?" he asked. "Oh you know, my Maker once quoted Aurelius at me" Elijah replied offhandedly. "I believe he said, 'Look beneath the surface; let not the several quality of a thing nor its worth escape thee.' I tried to take his advice." Michael snorted. "I quoted him more than once to you. Still, I suppose I should be pleased you have put two wise quotes to such good use recently. I do hope you have retained a few more considering the lengths I went to in educating you," Michael replied with a small smile. "Maybe I'm just trotting them out to prove your efforts didn't go to waste," Elijah replied, his smile falling as he noticed Michael's frown. "What's the problem?" he asked. "She's repeating her tai chi form multiple times," he replied almost absently. "She must be agitated this evening." Perhaps I am not the only one affected? he thought to himself before holding back a snort. You are an idiot. Of course she is affected. She told you she had been having dreams just as you have. It does not matter if you cannot remember them, if you are still having them, she likely is as well. He watched her close her form and move off into the kitchen, his agitation growing. The hell with sitting here watching her like some gargoyle, he thought in frustration before leaping across barely noting Elijah's amused chuckle. Moments later he was climbing through her window again. "Welcome back, Michael," her voice stated from the kitchen just before she lifted her head from the refrigerator. "Do you eat? If you do, would you like to join me for dinner? I don't think our last conversation was quite finished before you ran off." He stood stock still, shock hitting him so hard he couldn't move or speak. All he could do was stare, his jaw hanging open. Scarred Ch. 07-09 Sorry for the earlier mistake on the posting - should be fixed now. A reminder that this story has a slow build up. No problem (and I get it) if you're looking for something faster, but if that's the case, this isn't going to be the story for you. As usual this work is copyrighted, please don't plagiarize. Thank you! ========================================== Lucienne was digging some veggies and a container of marinated chicken out of her fridge when she felt something change. Michael's here, her breath hitched. About frickin' time too. "Welcome back, Michael," she stated calmly before lifting her head from the refrigerator and looking into those glorious eyes of his. "Do you eat? If you do, would you like to join me for dinner?" she asked. She had a guess of what he was, but she had no clue what his dietary needs might be. "I don't think our last conversation was quite finished before you ran off," she added, not being able to resist the urge to poke at him a little. Okay, maybe I'm enjoying having a little touch of revenge, she thought, trying hard not to laugh at his poleaxed expression. I don't think he could be more surprised if someone had whacked him on the head with a board, she thought to herself, carefully controlling her facial expression. She continued with her food prep, watching him stand there with his jaw hanging open for several moments. Damn, even standing there catching flies he does things to me, and those suits he wears... I have never wanted anyone so damn much before, she thought to herself while he finally gathered his wits together and shut his mouth. Seems like he still can't speak though. Guess I must have flustered him a lot more than I realized, she smiled to herself, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "How about you take a seat for now, while you gather your thoughts," she told him, nodding her head to the same chair he'd used on his last visit. She decided she'd make enough food for both of them, and if he didn't eat, then she'd have the leftovers tomorrow. He was so silent she half forgot he was there and unconsciously started humming while she cooked. She found the tables turned on her when Michael spoke and she jumped, almost dropping the chicken. "You have a lovely voice," his golden tones swept through her like a caress, and she barely bit back a moan. "The roughness gives it an edge I find I quite like. It was what drew me into the bar that night," he said, shocking her and quickly moving on before she could reply. "I am afraid I must decline your offer of food, as much as I would wish it to be otherwise. You have divined somewhat correctly that I cannot eat the same items as you. I would, however, be honored to join you at your table as you eat." "Of course," she replied softly, so caught up in his liquid words she had a hard time speaking. Damn what that man can do with his voice alone. And if his voice does that, what can the rest of him do? She wondered before blushing at the direction of her thoughts. Now it's my turn to hide my face, she thought to herself with a wry smile. She spent the next several moments turned away from him till the burn in her cheeks went down. "I assume drink is okay since you had coffee last time," she called over her shoulder, frowning at a sudden thought. "Assuming, you weren't just keeping up appearances? Would you like some wine? It's okay if you don't want any." "Drink is fine," he answered her, "and wine would be most appreciated, thank you. Would you permit me to pour?" he asked, approaching the bar side of her kitchen peninsula while still keeping his face turned away and shadowed. "Yes, thank you," she answered, washing her hands and grabbing a pair of glasses. Damn we're both polite, she thought, almost laughing at the way they were speaking to each other. Still, I think it makes us both more relaxed, since it gives us a structure to follow. She eyed him again, not liking that he was still wearing his hat and felt the need to constantly hide his face. It has to feel awkward for him, and it's getting irritating as hell to me. Coming to a sudden decision she approached him and boldly asked, "Might it be easier if you just show me the other side of your face already? It can't be comfortable for you to feel you must forever be in shadows." He visibly stiffened and his gold eyes became hard, his jaw clenching in preparation to lash out at her. "Before you speak the assumptions and accusations I can see in your eyes," she cut in with a sharp tone. "Please consider that you are not the only person in the world with scars. Though yours might be more visible than most, it does not mean the more hidden ones are any less painful." With that she turned on her heel, to finish preparing her dinner, leaving him standing in shock again, the wine bottle dangling loosely in his hand. "Please don't drop the wine," she commented over her shoulder. "Red isn't easy to get out of the carpet." She smiled slightly to herself when a moment later she heard the creak of the cork being pulled from the bottle. Just as she finished pulling her food off the stove, she was met with a glass of cabernet. She accepted the wine, her fingers brushing over his while she looked into his eyes. She was startled to see he'd removed his hat and was looking at her straight on for once, challenge and uncertainty in his gaze. Damn he's tall. He's actually got a couple inches on me. I kind of like it, she thought to herself as another wave of desire washed through her. At six foot, Lucienne was so accustomed to men being shorter than her that she simply didn't notice anymore, except the rare occasion when someone wasn't. She looked at his face framed by dark curly hair she was itching to run her fingers through. Quickly she scanned his face, registering the odd textures that trailed from his left cheek down his neck and disappeared under his shirt collar. The scars didn't really stand out, though they looked a little like acid burns, and she wondered if he was using makeup to make them less noticeable. She met his gaze, and found herself trapped in the intensity of his eyes, raw passion rising up in response. She was hyper aware of her fingers touching his around the stem of the glass neither wanted to release. Her body drew closer into him, almost pulled in like iron to a magnet and an overwhelming desire to kiss him raged through her. In spite of her body's demands, she couldn't quite make herself close the last few inches. Her other hand rose to caress his scarred cheek, aborting her initial intention to pull him to her lips. His eyes widened slightly in shock at her soft touch, and he seemed caught in indecision before resolve flashed across his face. He closed the space between them, claiming her lips while snaking his free hand into her honey hair. His kiss was soft and tender, and Lucienne melted into him. Together they set the wine glass down on the counter, simultaneously sliding their hands up each other's arms to wrap around their bodies, their lips never losing contact. Lucienne slid her fingers into his silky hair and nibbled at his lower lip. Michael gave a low growl and she suddenly found herself pinned against the refrigerator. She gasped at the cool metal surface against her back, her sweats and tank doing little to insulate her. His tongue slid against hers, wrestling and teasing before retreating, drawing hers out to explore him in turn. His lips suddenly closed to suckle her tongue before opening to duel with her again. She moaned, lost in his delicious heat, and lifted a leg to hook around his hip, drawing him against her molten center. Her hips moved with a mind of their own, grinding against his growing hardness and making her gasp in pleasure. Slowly he trailed kisses down her neck before finding a spot that made her moan again and she gently bit down on his neck in pure bliss. He lavished attention on that sensitive area, brushing his lips up her soft skin to nibble on her ear lobe and lightly nipping down her shoulder as far as her tank top allowed. She slipped her hands under his jacket and managed to untuck his dress shirt. A new wave of desire flooded through her when her hands made contact with the skin of his back, hardly registering the texture of the scars that apparently continued down his body. Moments later she felt him stiffen, and pressed herself even harder against him. "Don't stop," she managed to force out in a husky voice, though gathering her wits enough to speak was challenging. He pressed his face into her neck before attempting to pull back, but she didn't allow him. She still had a leg hooked over his hip and her hands around his back, so when he stepped back, she went with him smiling into his face the entire time. He looked at her in disbelief before a matching smile appeared and a soft musical chuckle escaped his lips. "Elijah is too damned perceptive and I cannot deny the truth any longer," he muttered before suddenly picking her up and carrying her to the couch. He set her down giving her a soft peck on the lips, and this time she allowed both feet to slide to the floor. "We really must talk, it is important," he said softly before frowning, "and you need to eat. I fear I have interrupted your meal." Lucienne knew he was right, whatever else her hormones wanted her to do. Besides, sitting down for a meal will help me keep my hands off him. "You did, but the interruption was hardly unwelcome," she replied, kissing him again before stepping away and heading back into her kitchen. Michael followed behind with a soft smile on his face and soon they were seated next to each other with glasses of wine, though only Lucienne had a plate of food. They'd both gone silent again, though Michael seemed quite focused on watching her eat. His golden stare was beginning to get a little disconcerting, though. Let's see how he handles this, she thought to herself with an inner smirk. She took her next bite slowly, letting the fork slide seductively between her lips. She deliberately half closed her eyes in pleasure while chewing, and finally sensuously licked her lips. She almost giggled when she heard his soft moan and felt a wave of satisfaction at his reaction. She turned to him, and asked innocently, "You okay?" "You are trouble," his liquid voice caressed her while the corner of his lip twitched in amusement. "But then, so am I," he finished, meeting her tease with one of his own. Lucienne felt a fresh flood of heat pool in her nether regions even as she rose to his challenge. "Perhaps," she replied noncommittally, "but is it truly trouble if you enjoy it?" she asked archly, raising an eyebrow at him. He sipped his wine, deliberately drawing out the silence but just before he was about to reply in kind, Lucienne cut him off. "I believe there were things you wished to discuss?" He chuckled, knowing she was trying to unbalance him. "Yes there are things I wish to discuss that do take precedence, stimulating as this has been," he lingered over his word choice, letting her feel the hidden meaning. Damn but what the man's voice does to me. I'm going to need fresh undies before the night's through. Perhaps it's time to speed things along, she thought to herself. "So let's cut to the chase," she said, leaning back slightly in her chair. "Vampire?" "Yes," he replied, blinking in surprise before continuing, "and since you have so elegantly 'cut to the chase' as you put it, I will do the same. Garlic and sunlight are myths, aside from newborns finding the light a bit too intense. Yes we require blood, no it is not necessary to kill in order to satisfy our needs, and killing for the purpose of feeding is not permitted." He paused and she simply nodded, easily absorbing the information and waited for him to continue. He studied her for a moment before asking, "I am still curious to the reason you are so accepting. I know you have had little to no interaction with any of my kind before," he stated, deliberately giving her the hint that he'd been looking into her background. She shrugged. "Part of it is that I've had some time to get used to the idea, since it was clear on your first visit that you weren't exactly human. Still, I think it didn't fully sink in till last night's dream, not that I can remember it," she muttered, continuing before he could question her. "The other part is that whole knowing things about other people that I have going on. Can't stop it, can't direct it, just know it's accurate. "Like I told you last time, in your case I know I can trust you and that I am safe around you. I know you are an honorable man, and I know that you are a good man, and before you interrupt me," she said, leaning over to place a finger over his lips, "I did not say that you never did anything bad. I also did not say that you haven't had to make difficult choices. I said that you are a good man, regardless of what has been required of you." "And what do you know of what I have done?" he asked, harshness creeping into his tone as his body stiffened. "What do I know? Technically nothing you have not told me, which is to say, zilch. What I have sensed and the guesses I can make from there are probably the more relevant question." He gave her a frustrated look, though one that held curiosity as well. "Fine then, what can you guess, since you believe me to be such a good man?" Her gaze hardened slightly, his challenge provoking her to respond with the type of blunt, direct answers that made most people avoid her. "I can guess you have killed enough that it ceased to bother you a long time ago. I can guess that you have tortured a fair number of those you've killed, and I can guess that you may have enjoyed at least some of it as well," she said calmly, keeping her gaze locked with his, watching his golden eyes widening in surprise. "I can guess," she continued, "that you have fought to protect others, using yourself as a shield that they might have their happiness. I can guess that because of your existence, countless others have lived and thrived without ever knowing who they were indebted to. I can guess that you have gone to extreme lengths to keep your promises and hold to your code of honor," she paused, steadily meeting his gaze. "So now you tell me," she finally continued when he'd had a moment to absorb everything she'd said, "how accurate are my guesses?" Conflicting emotions chased themselves across his face before he seemed to settle on a rueful expression. "You are accurate enough that I am surprised I am not threatened by you." Sadness came across her face. "Most are. I wouldn't be surprised or offended if you joined their ranks," she replied. He could hear the pain in her voice, though she tried to hide it. That is what upset her during my last visit, she believed me to be afraid of her. In a way I was, though not the way she believes. He thought to himself while leaning in and gently caressing her cheek. Slowly he closed the distance, tenderly kissing her delectable lips. Lucienne melted into his gentle touch, letting her fingers thread into his silky hair before they slowly drifted down to his neck. She mirrored his softness, lazily wrapping her arms around him, her lips locked in a slow waltz with his. The ease and natural flow to the moment bathed them in contented warmth and they basked in the feeling. A sigh escaped them both as they drew back. Lucienne was the first to break the silence, though she spoke softly so she wouldn't shatter the moment. "I think there is probably more to talk about?" A small smile drifted across his face as he sat back in his chair, still relaxing in the pleasure of the moment. "Yes," he answered, "though it is possible you may have guessed this as well." A note of uncertainty had entered his liquid voice, and she threaded her fingers through his, in response. "Vampires have what we call a Ruach," he told her. "It roughly translates as soul or breath with the implication being the literal breath of life or the force that gives life. In modern terms it would be another word for soulmate." She nodded her understanding, "I like it," she commented. "It seems to hold more depth of meaning." He smiled his agreement, "I always thought so as well. Now as to the reason I am speaking of this... You are my Ruach." She gazed into his eyes, seeing the fear and uncertainty and quickly put his mind at rest when she leaned in and kissed him deeply. She explored his mouth, trying to convey both her physical attraction to him, as well as her heart's clear desire for him. "I'll admit the idea had occurred to me," she said when they eventually broke apart. "I have never had anyone completely dominate my thoughts as you have from my very first glimpse of you, and I'll admit to reading at least some fiction before. Given that you were something other than human, and my strong and unusual attraction to you, well the idea seemed to fit." "Unusual?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow and keeping a neutral expression. Lucienne sensed the hurt underlying his question, though, and suspected his uncertainty over his scars was at the root. Well let's just take care of that little question mark, shall we? "Yes, unusual," she replied, moving her lips to whisper against his ear. "I have never before wanted to lick every inch of flesh with someone I had just met, no matter how handsome and incredibly masculine they were," she told him seductively, nibbling his neck to illustrate her point. Michael groaned and pulled her into his lap, his hardness pressing against her thigh. She half closed her eyes while shivers raced through her body and delicately licked his bottom lip, teasing him until he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss. When he felt his fangs start to descend he pulled back, restraining himself by mere threads. "Even my control has limits," he growled softly, "and there is still more you need to know about what you are agreeing to if you accept our bonding." Lucienne met his gaze with a smile, "I promise to behave," she replied, "for now." He laughed, pleasantly surprised she was no shrinking violet. He liked that once she decided what she wanted she made no bones about taking it. His expression turned serious again. "First you must know that you are not forced to accept me. There is a way to sever the bond, and if you choose to do so, I will respect your choice and you will never hear from me again," he told her while looking off to the side, his voice tight with emotion. Lucienne caressed his face and turned him to look at her. "I have no interest in that option at present," she told him before gently pressing her lips to his. The simple fact he was so honest about her choices only increased her desire for him. No, that's not just desire, she realized, a bit startled. I'm falling in love with him. The thought scared her since she knew so little about him, though at the same time, she felt she like she knew everything about him. Still she couldn't deny the truth. Come to think of it, maybe my ability to know things is kicking in here. He's the first man I've ever been able to envision being with in forty or fifty years. Which is good since it will probably end up being centuries rather than decades. Huh, and what do you know, I can picture that too, she thought to herself, startled by her realization. Screw it, I've never regretted trusting my instincts before, why start now? "If you accept the bonding," Michael's voice broke her out of her musings, "and we become Ruach, there is no going back. The only way to break a full Ruach bonding is death," he told her, his tone very serious. "My world is not exactly pretty or safe, though I suspect you have some idea of that already given your 'guesses' from earlier." Scarred Ch. 07-09 She nodded and shrugged. "You watched the news lately? The human world isn't exactly pretty or safe either, we just pretend it is." He nodded conceding her point and pushing down his anger at the knowledge she likely had already experienced the darker side of the world. Keeping his voice controlled, he continued. "There is also risk in attempting the bonding. If we both do not have complete faith and absolute trust in the other, the results can be... unpleasant." She raised her eyebrow at him in question, and he sighed, looking off into space for a moment. "Why don't we move to the couch? This promises to be a lengthy conversation, and I think we would both be more comfortable." Lucienne smiled. "Moving to the couch actually sounds pretty good," she replied, standing up from his lap and caressing his cheek. She made a quick side trip to put her dishes in the sink and rejoined Michael. He was still standing, apparently waiting for her to join him before taking a seat. Giving him an impish look she shoved him down onto the white cushions with a laugh. And I have no doubt he let me do that. After all, the man's a vampire. I doubt very much I could move him if he didn't want to move. Huh... now why does that feel familiar? she wondered before dismissing the thought to focus on Michael. She knelt and placed her hands on his leg, massaging his trouser clad calf and slipping off his shoe. She rubbed his foot before slowly repeating the process on his other leg, never breaking eye contact. His gold eyes burned brighter while he watched her with the same intensity as a hawk watching a rabbit. Not that I mind being the rabbit in this case, she thought smiling at him before sliding her hands back up his legs as she rose. She almost hesitated once she passed his knee, but threw caution to the wind and continued up his thighs. His eyes flashed and he grabbed her, pulling her down on the couch against him. He lightly nibbled on her neck. "You are trouble," he whispered softly against her ear, his breath making her shiver with desire. He gave her a teasing smile and wrapped his arms around her to keep her close. She cuddled against him, resting her head on his shoulder and draped an arm around his waist. A feeling of peace filled her and she unconsciously rubbed small circles on his stomach. He gave a soft hiss and moved his hand down, entwining his fingers with hers. She flushed slightly when she saw the reason. "Sorry," she said, though she couldn't help giggling a little. He shook his head, though his lips twitched in a smile. "Like I said, trouble" he replied, while his thumb softly caressed her hand. She couldn't believe the shocks of pleasure that simple motion sent through her. Her eyelids fluttered while she tried to keep from moaning in pure bliss. "Look who's talking," she replied, huskily. He chuckled before turning to suckle her earlobe. "You have no idea," he whispered, the promise in his voice making her pant in desire. He pulled back, a teasing look in his eye before his face became serious once again. She knew what he had to say was important, so she composed herself and waited for him to begin. "The bonding of Ruach joins together the mind and heart of the pair. The process builds new pathways in the mind and resistance to their formation will create errors in the structure. The effect is rather like the body receiving incorrect blueprints," he told her, waiting for her to nod her understanding before continuing. "I once visited a pair where the bonding did not go as planned," he said, his body stiffening and his tone going flat. "One partner's mind was burned out till he was the mental equivalent of a ten year old. This means his Ruach is bonded for all eternity to someone intended to be his equal, but who has become like his child instead. Unless one of them is killed, they will live forever that way." Lucienne gasped, comprehending the enormity of the situation between that particular pair, and Michael nodded at her in understanding before continuing. "Most failed attempts end with the death of one or both partners, though occasionally a failed attempt has pushed one or both towards insanity. Fortunately the number of failures and partial failures is low, but the risk is significant enough to exercise caution." "You know," Lucienne said in a thoughtful tone, "maybe the risk is a good thing since wouldn't it prevent most attempts at forcing a bond on someone?" Michael quirked a lip at her in amusement. "I don't believe I have ever heard anyone speak of the risks as a positive thing, but your assessment is surprisingly astute. Thinking in those terms, I believe it likely that the risk involved has also kept our view of the bond more sacred. After all, we don't tend to value that which is easily attained." She nodded in acknowledgement and asked, "So would I need to become a vampire in order to complete the bond?" "Technically it is not necessary, but the bonding becomes less risky for two reasons. One is that the process of turning requires and strengthens trust since I must take you to the moment just before death. It also establishes a lesser bonding, building an initial foundation for the considerably stronger Ruach bond. The second reason is the greater healing abilities you would receive as a vampire." "Makes sense," she replied thoughtfully. "So then how do things work for vampires? Do you guys have some sort of government or hierarchy? Are there rules and if so, who enforces them? Hey, does the government know about you?" "One at a time, Lucienne," he chuckled and heat ran through her once again hearing her name on his tongue. His fingers were tracing random patterns on her arms, making it even more difficult for her to focus, but she forced herself to listen carefully. After all, if I bond to Michael, this will be my new world, and I need to know it. "Technically human governments do not know about nonhumans," he said, though she could hear the underlying caveat in his tone. "However there are... agencies that do, and we monitor them closely. None of us have a desire to become experiments, and it has occurred from time to time," he told her in a serious tone. "It is one of the few issues upon which all nonhumans are able to come together and we make an example out of them when we find them." "I hope so," she replied, her lips tight in anger much to his surprise and satisfaction. "Vampires do have governance," he continued, "though it is somewhat feudal in nature. We have Vampire Lords who gain the title by claiming territory and by other vampires pledging themselves and their loyalty. It is less restrictive than old Europe in that vampires are free to leave a Lord's service as long as they publicly retract their pledge, effectively severing all ties. Should a pledged vampire break laws or their oath to their Lord while still pledged, they may be punished by their Lord at his or her discretion, up to and including death." She gasped in surprise, and he nodded at her, his expression serious. "This is the reason that some vampires choose not to pledge to any Lord, despite the increased difficulties not having a Lord's protection. Lords may also refuse a pledge, should they be deemed unworthy for some reason. Unpledged vampires are called wanderers, and their treatment varies depending on the Lord. Most wanderers are harmless and law abiding. Vampires that are not or who have become feral are called rogues and are actively hunted by most Lords, as well as by the Hunters. "This brings me to policing," he smiled, placing a finger on her lips as she had done to him earlier. He knew what she wanted to ask and was about to explain anyway. She smiled and kissed his finger. His gold eyes flashed while his lips lifted in a seductive smile. He lightly trailed his finger down her cheek and continued with his explanation. "The Hunters can be considered our police force, though jurisdiction is considerably more complex. Hunters are a mix of both humans and nonhumans, and most of their time is spent hunting rogues, as vampires are not the only species to produce them," his expression turned dark. "Wow... so are you a wanderer or pledged?" He gave her a savage grin, "Neither, I am a Lord." She shook her head, a rueful expression on her face. "You know, somehow that doesn't surprise me." Suddenly she frowned, "Michael, what's your last name?" "Reece," he answered without preamble, wondering what was causing her frown. "The architect?!" He raised an eyebrow, "Yes, you have heard of me? I didn't think architects were well known outside of our own circles." She shook her head, "You probably aren't but our parent company also owns two home décor and an architectural publication, and all three of them are in my building so we chat sometimes. Apparently you are very elusive," she told him with a smile of amusement. "Can I assume you've done some sort of background check on me?" she asked, noting his guarded expression. "Yes I have," he answered, his tone unwavering. She liked that he owned up to the truth, regardless of what he thought her reaction would be. "Most of what I know so far are simple things like work history. However, today brought more in depth information on your past, though I have yet to read it. My researcher advised me to allow you to tell me, but I am concerned should there be something there that could pose a danger. I am responsible for many people's safety, Lucienne, not to mention yours, and to deny myself access to the information is... foreign to me." She easily read the conflict in his eyes, which softened any concern or anger she may have felt. She brushed her thumbs lightly against his cheeks and tenderly kissed him, coming to a quick decision. "How about this," she said when she broke away. "Tomorrow is Saturday. Why don't we meet, and we can both tell each other about our pasts since, before tonight, I didn't even know your last name. Besides, I suspect we both have draining stories to tell, and will probably need time to get through it all. Afterwards, I won't have any problem with you reading whatever information you have on me. Will this work?" Michael's eyes brightened, and he nodded. "I think that is an excellent idea. Thank you for offering the compromise," he told her relief clear on his face. She could feel some of the burden he'd been carrying ease up, and she felt happy to resolve some of his stress. "Would you permit me to take you to lunch?" he asked, and she smiled, enjoying his formal phrasing. "I would enjoy that very much, though will that be awkward for you since you don't eat?" He gave her a sweet smile that nearly took her breath away. "I appreciate you thinking of me," he said, brushing away a lock of her hair, "but it will be no problem. The place I have in mind caters to nonhumans including vampires. They have an extensive selection of items that are appealing to us." "What, do they have a lot of blood bags delivered? Michael threw his head back and laughed, the musical sound ringing through her apartment, and she smiled to see him so relaxed. She suspected it didn't happen often. "Forgive me for laughing," he told her when he'd calmed again. "I pledge it was not at you, but rather the image of a Red Cross truck making deliveries, and the food inspector's expression upon discovering such a delivery." Lucienne laughed too, "No worries, I took no offence. I enjoyed seeing you laugh like that." He pressed a kiss to her temple and answered her question. "The place I have in mind has a specialized menu of non-blood drinks specifically for vampire tastes and nutritional requirements. Their creator is one of the owners and he is quite original with a deft hand for blending flavors." She grinned at him, "You sound like a vampire foodie," she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips to take any sting out of her words. "Yes, well after many centuries of limited fare, most of us are quite happy that modern times offer us so many possibilities." "I can imagine what it must have been like. With no refrigeration and transportation being what it was..." she trailed off figuring she didn't need to elaborate when he'd lived it. "Precisely," he replied with a nod while slowly sitting up. "It is getting late," he told her, softly touching her face, "and since tomorrow promises to be taxing, I will I leave you now so you may rest." She nodded, moving so he could put his shoes back on. A moment later they both rose and she kissed him before walking him out. "How about from now on you make an effort to use the door?" she asked, making him laugh again. "I suppose it would be a bit more proper," he teased, making her giggle in return. "Well that, and it might be easier than climbing buildings. Besides, there's two cops that live in this building, and one is just down the hall. It might get awkward if one of them notices your unusual method of entry," she laughed. He chuckled, "I am fully aware of their presence, and you needn't worry. The one that lives on this floor, Aaron Cummings, is actually a Hunter with an excellent reputation. As long as you are not in danger, he will not interfere. The other is currently in a relationship with a wolf shifter, you may know the term as werewolf, who is giving all indications that they are mates though nothing has been publicly announced yet. You have a remarkable talent for keeping yourself safe," he commented with a pleased smile that dropped when he saw a haunted expression flit across her face. "I think it's more that I've tried to learn from past mistakes," she commented offhandedly, her gaze dropping down to his chest. He tilted her face back up to look at him, concern filling his eyes. She gave him a shaky smile. "I'll explain tomorrow, Michael," she said, hugging him and burying her face in his neck. His clean spicy scent enveloped her senses, washing away the bad memories for the time being. He returned her embrace, rather liking that her matching height did not require him to bend over. Giving her one final kiss, he smiled a Shakespeare sonnet coming to mind. Staring into her grey eyes he softly spoke the last two lines, "'All days are nights to see till I see thee, and nights bright days when dreams do show thee me.' Sleep well, Lucienne. I will see you tomorrow," and he was gone, leaving her open door and lingering feel of his lips on hers as the only evidence of his presence. It was Lucienne's turn to stand there poleaxed, her jaw hanging open. She'd never been much for poetry, but she liked Shakespeare. Hearing those words flow in Michael's liquid voice with sincerity shining through his golden eyes had her melting on the spot. "Hey Luce, you okay?" A gruff masculine voice broke her out of her reverie. She looked up to see Aaron's worried brown eyes staring at her, the light from the hallway reflecting off the top of his shaved head. She mentally shook herself realizing how strange she must look standing frozen in her open doorway. "Hey Aaron, I'm fine. Just wandered off for a moment there," she told him, smiling softly while she remembered the reason. Aaron gave her a sharp look, "You sure? Nobody's been bothering you or anything right?" Lucienne caught the look, and remembering what Michael said about him being a Hunter. She figured she may as well strike while the iron was hot. "No there's no problem, but do you want to come in for a moment? There's something I think we might want to talk about." Both his pale eyebrows went up at that, and he simply walked in as an answer. She shut the door behind her, noting he was taking in the presence of two wine glasses before he looked back at her and sat down. His muscular frame was so bulky he overpowered the plush chair, almost making it look like children's furniture. Funny, he's actually shorter than me, but he looks bigger than Michael when he sits there, she thought with interest before taking a seat on the couch. She was about to speak but before she could say anything Aaron began questioning her. "Who's the guy you've started seeing, and how well do you know him?" She smiled at him, not minding the slightly rude tone or direct questions. He knew her well enough not to beat around the bush. "He's the reason why I wanted to talk to you Aaron. I'm seeing Michael Reece," she said, noting his eyes widen at the name. "As to how well I know him, that's a difficult question to answer. In some ways I feel like I've known him his entire life, in others we are strangers, but I think your real question is whether he told me he's a vampire?" she asked, suppressing her nerves to keep her voice steady. This was still very new, and she couldn't help her instinctual fear that he would think she was crazy. "He's not just a vampire," Aaron almost growled out, "He's the freaking Vampire Lord for the entire flipping Northeast Quarter. Do you know how much territory that covers? Northern borders are Maine through Minnesota, Southern borders are Virginia through Missouri. Given the rest of the country's divided into five other territories, he's got the biggest in the US!" Her eyebrows went up, "He left out the part about how big his territory was. Damn. That's going to be another set of conversations, especially around how it's all managed..." she trailed off lost in her thoughts. Aaron gave her a strange look before sudden realization crossed his face. "Fuck, you're his Ruach, aren't you?" "Apparently," she replied with a smile. "Don't worry he hasn't hurt or threatened me in any way. He's been very polite and respectful aside from the fact he's been coming through my window instead of my door," she told him with a laugh and then quickly reassured him when Aaron looked worried. "I know how that sounds, but he poses no threat to me. The first time he did it he was checking if I was okay and would have left if I hadn't caught him. Now it's something of a joke," she said, deliberately leaving out the fact that tonight was only Michael's second visit. "Honestly, I've deliberately left my window open for him. If I had shut it, I have no doubt he would have taken the hint. I'm not afraid of him." Aaron took several deep breaths, obviously processing the information. "I did ask him to use the door when he comes to pick me up tomorrow for lunch," she continued, almost laughing at the strained expression on his face. "It's safe to assume he also told you about me?" he asked, his tone very serious. "That you're a Hunter, yes. He also told me that Hunters are basically a police force for nonhumans, and he explained about rogues as well." "You're taking this very calmly," he commented, a suspicious tone in his voice. "Did he also tell you that most vampires have some sort of mental abilities, and that one of the things he's well known for his ability to hypnotize and alter the mind?" "No, we haven't gotten into vampire abilities yet," suddenly realizing that's probably what he'd been trying to do on that first night when he told her to forget him. Aaron probably also thinks Michael's manipulating me to make me accept him. Apparently it wouldn't work on me on my anyway, not that I believe he would do that. I wonder if I'm immune to any vampire or just Michael because of what we are, she thought to herself. She decided not to mention any of this to Aaron just yet. She hadn't even told him about her way of knowing things, afraid to put a cop on the defensive if he reacted badly. "Given that he was just as surprised at my acceptance as you are," she continued, wanting to reassure him, "I think it's safe to say he hasn't messed with me. I honestly don't think he'd ever try to manipulate me the way you're suggesting. He's an honorable man and I don't believe he'd ever take away my freedom to choose." Scarred Ch. 07-09 Hell, he already told me I could sever the bond if I wanted. He's going out of his way to give me my choice, she thought while her heart beat a little faster and emotion welled up. Yep, it's official, I'm in love. I'm in lust too, but I do know the difference and there's definitely love there. I never would have thought I'd be able to fall this fast. I wonder how he feels... Aaron nodded slightly, his gruff voice breaking her out of her reverie. "That's his rep, though I've never met the man. I'd like to be sure, though. I have a friend that can detect any interference if you give her permission." Lucienne was surprised and immediately on guard. "Aaron, I don't want anybody, especially strangers, messing around in my head. I'm not certain I understand why you're so suspicious of Michael, especially given that, by your own admission, he's known to be honorable. He told me you had a good reputation and was happy about the fact you live just a few doors down from me since it meant I had extra protection. Do you have some sort of issue with him?" Aaron sighed, "No Luce, I don't have any personal history with the man. I'm just wary of anyone with as much power as he holds, and being bonded is not always sunshine and roses. Did he tell you about Davis?" he asked, referring to the other officer living in the building. "He told me he was dating a wolf shifter and that it was likely they were mates though nothing had been publicly acknowledged." "Well at least the man knows not to spread rumors" Aaron muttered. "What I'm about to tell you goes no further, not even to Reece" he stated firmly, waiting expectantly for her promise. "I can't agree to that, Aaron," she replied harshly, her patience at an end. "First, it's not fair for you to be telling me someone else's secrets. Second, I'm not promising to hide something from Michael, especially since I don't know what it is I'd be promising not to tell him. If this is about you illustrating how bonds are not always sunshine and roses, which, by the way, is true of any relationship, then use someone else whose story is already public. Also, just so you know, Michael has informed me of the risks and outcomes if the bonding fails," she replied with irritation. Aaron stared at her in surprise for several moments before a smile broke across his face. "Damn," he said in a tone of awe, "Now I can see you as his partner. Never knew you had that in you, and I'm not usually wrong about people." "I'm just direct, Aaron," she said with a frown. "You knew that already, it's nothing special." "No, Luce, what you just did, that was more than just you being direct. You were radiating power and authority," he told her, smiling at her surprise before leaning back and lacing his hands behind his head. "I'm much happier seeing you have that in you, though I'd like to meet the man?" he asked in a tone that told her he'd make it happen if she didn't. She rolled her eyes at him, "I was planning to introduce you anyway, Aaron, if only to keep you from pestering me or turning up on my doorstep unexpectedly." "Of course. Obviously you wouldn't want me arriving at an awkward moment now would you?" he laughed and gave her a saucy wink, his usual banter reappearing. "Don't forget the walls around here aren't soundproof. I find music to be helpful, and just let me know if you need song suggestions." She buried her head in her hands, "Too much information! I won't be able to hear music in the hallway ever again. Thanks a lot jackass!" Aaron just roared with laughter, "Hey, if picturing me and my not so little buddy slamming home does it for you, baby, feel free!" "Aww gross, you jerk! That is NOT an image I wanted. It'll take me forever to get that out of my head now," she shuddered. "Leave before you do any more damage!" Aaron laughed again and she walked him to the door, seriously considering punching him. Too bad the man is a wall of muscle. If I tried, I'd probably only hurt myself. She gave him the stink eye and said, "You know I'm going to figure out a way to get you back for that." "Oh I'm sure, honey, but it was worth it," he told her giving her a last wink before heading back to his own unit. She'd just closed the door when her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. :Hello Lucienne, it's Michael. I had intended to give you my number earlier but I was distracted before I left. :You weren't the only one :) btw, just chatted with Aaron and he wants to meet u. Can u come little early tmrw? :Yes, of course. Were there any problems? :Not after lecturing him. Now he's cool w it all, just wants to meet u to make sure u r not messing w me. :I believe I see. He wishes to ensure I will not manipulate or harm you. I am pleased to know he is watching over you as the possibility does exist for you to become a target once your association with me is known. He writes the same way he speaks, she thought, giggling at Michael's lengthy texts and finding them endearing. No abbreviations for him, no sir-ree! And I wouldn't have him any other way. :Yeah, sorta figured. Talk more tmrw. :) :Of course. Sleep well. :You too (kisses) :Anytime, anywhere you wish. "Oh dear Lord," she muttered as a wave of heat flooded through her. Her lips lifted in a seductive smile before she replied. :Promise? ;) :You have my word, though you hardly need it for something so pleasurable. I look forward to granting your requests. Until tomorrow, good night. :I look forward to making my requests. Good night, sleep well. She laughed, figuring his imagination was probably working as hard as hers now. Tonight's dreams ought to be very interesting. ********************* Michael smiled. He never thought he would be captivated by another female after Diana, but Lucienne had proven to be the most fascinating creature he'd ever encountered. She hasn't seen the truth of your scars yet though, he thought to himself with a frown. The scarring on his face was a very small part of what Diana had done to him. Almost the entire left side of his torso had been decorated with her work. He looked like some sort of demented yin/yang symbol, and he used no makeup on his body as he did on his face. Still, she accepted my face with no hesitation, no pause. She freely kissed me and she did not shudder nor pull away when she felt the scars on my body, he felt a stirring in his groin at the memory of her hands on his skin. He could still feel her fingers slipping under his shirt and burning a trail up his back. Yes, but feeling them as opposed to seeing the reality is not the same, he thought, rising and pacing in front of the fire. The scarring is considerably more difficult to ignore without the makeup to hide it. The only women that express interest in lying with me only do so because they desire something. It is why I utilize courtesans, their wants are clear. Even so, the few courtesans I have utilized were unable to ignore the scarring though they hid their true thoughts well. He stopped and stared into the flames. For Lucienne's comfort, I would be willing to wear makeup on my entire body if she wished. He sighed, Perhaps I am over thinking. After all, her questions and actions most certainly indicated serious consideration to the bonding. He pulled out his phone again, re-reading her texts. His lips twitched in amusement and her use of the little faces made him smile, though he usually abhorred them. They contrasted against his more formal language, but he liked that as well. Notwithstanding her texts, I noticed her language becomes more formal around me, he thought, feeling pleasure that she unconsciously matched herself to him, though she most definitely still remained herself. No, I cannot see her becoming subsumed by me, but neither does she fight against me. She matches herself like a partner, and I find myself making small adjustments for her too. A soft smile crept over his face. "Not that she would settle for anything less," he spoke to himself with a chuckle. "I have no doubt she is capable of being quite the hellcat should she wish." I think I may finally understand the truth of a Ruach, he thought to himself. It is not someone we're destined to be tied to by God, Fate, The Stars or whatever other powers may exist. No, I believe it is a person that, simply due to who they are and what they have become, fits who we are like two matching pieces of a puzzle. If we are lucky enough to encounter that person, then our vampire side recognizes and fixates on them, craving the balance each brings to the other. A small flicker of hope rose within him for the first time in two centuries. Perhaps she will be able to overlook the scars... ********************* Lucienne was finishing up the last touches on her hair before Michael arrived, focusing on keeping her thoughts out of the gutter. Her subconscious provided her such intense dreams last night that she'd needed to change her sheets and hop in the shower when she woke this morning. Don't think of that, she told herself, heat running through her at the memory. Focus on what you need to tell him about your past before things go any further. That thought killed the rising lust in seconds. She sighed just as a business like knock sounded on her door. "Hey Aaron, come on in," she said, opening the door since she recognized his police knock. "Michael's not here yet, but do you want anything to drink?" "Hey Luce, water'd be great, thanks," he answered with a smile before looking her up and down as he stepped in. "By the way, you look fantastic," he told her with approval. "If it were me, I'd be thrilled to take you out looking like that." "Thanks Aaron," she replied with a smile, relieved by his reaction to her simple black windowpane skirt and white top. She didn't have much dating experience, and hadn't wanted to interrupt Maria's plans with Jason today just for clothing advice. "Fortunately for me, it is not you who is escorting her to lunch," Michael's voice poured into the room a moment ahead of him stepping through the still open door. Lucienne's gaze heated slightly, taking in his well fitted dark gray jacket, crisp black shirt and complimenting tie accented with a small silver clip. The whole ensemble just made her want to slip her hands under his jacket and rub his body through the smooth material of his shirt. He smiled at her, and she blushed a little, his expression telling her that he knew what was on her mind. His smile widened and he removed his hat, taking her hand in his. Gracefully he bent down, gently pressing his lips against the sensitive skin while keeping his golden eyes locked on hers. Somehow he made a kiss on her hand the most sensual experience she'd ever had, and she clenched her teeth against a moan of desire. "You are stunning," he told her softly as he rose up again, tucking her hand into his arm while shutting the door and leading her to the couch. "Sit, I can get the water for everyone," he told her, gently pushing her down. "But both of you are guests, Michael," she protested, even as he made her sit down. "Please allow me to do this," he replied, his gaze conveying his strong need to take care of her. She couldn't find it in herself to refuse him when he looked at her like that. "Okay, this time, anyway," she gave in, sitting back on the couch while he entered her kitchen. A moment later Aaron settled in the same chair he'd used the previous night, amusement on his face. "Have to admit, there's somethin' to be said for old world manners," he commented, grinning at her. "May try them out on the next woman I take out. Might speed things up." "The problem with that idea is that Michael actually means it when he uses his manners and you don't," Lucienne told him, rolling her eyes at him. He laughed, "You might be right about that. And hey, that'd probably make more trouble than just being my usual charming self." "Somehow Mr. Cummings, I suspect that you are no stranger to trouble of all kinds," Michael commented with a wry tone, returning with a tray holding a pitcher and glasses of water for everyone. Lucienne was surprised to realize that Michael had such a presence, the fact he was serving everyone didn't lessen his authority in the slightest. I don't think I've ever met anyone that could pull that off before. "Bit of the pot calling the kettle, isn't it?" Aaron shot back. Michael settled next to Lucienne, smiling slightly when she leaned into him, and studied the Hunter before him. "Perhaps. Though I have never threatened to remove the Elder Council." Lucienne snapped out of her perusal of Michael to focus on Aaron. She didn't know what this council was, but it was obvious from Michael's words and tone, they were both powerful and important. "It was necessary," Aaron replied offhandedly. "You know what they were trying to do. Someone had to stop them." "True," Michael nodded, impressed by Lucienne's willingness to remain silent and listen to their odd conversation rather than try to question them. "I will also admit to being impressed by the way you managed the situation, Mr. Cummings. You successfully protected yourself from retaliation while eliminating the problem. After your little show, any attempt at retribution from them would have been dealt with quite harshly by the rest of us." Aaron smiled drily, fully aware of Michael's subtext. The Vampire Lord was subtly offering him assistance and support. His respect for the man rose knowing there were not many that would risk themselves that way. "Eh, may as well call me Aaron, casual's easier and doesn't sound like you're about to reprimand me or something," he said with a chuckle, knowing his own subtext would be understood. Michael studied him a moment longer, impressed that the human was able to meet his golden gaze and scarred face unflinchingly. "I assume you wish to ensure I have not manipulated Lucienne in any way, and that she is free to make her choices?" "Yes, though after what she did last night, I actually wasn't too worried anymore. She wouldn't 've been able to pull the power she did if you'd been messing with her mind." Michael's eyebrows rose, "She pulled power?" "Yep, had full on command voice better'n most shifter alphas. Damn near had me bowing to her, and only time I came that close to obeying command voice was with Alpha Halston," Aaron replied, casually throwing Halston's name out as if it were no big thing that he'd withstood a Command from one of the more powerful Alphas in the shifter world. "How very intriguing," Michael commented offhandedly before explaining to Lucienne, noting her confused look. "Command voice, as you may have gathered, essentially makes others obey your orders. Some vampires and other nonhumans have this ability, but shifter leaders, collectively called Alphas, are typically the strongest. They must be able to control many individuals at once, or they will not maintain their position. When shifters get very emotional, they have a difficult time controlling their animal side. Should they be attacked, or some other emotional event occur, the Alpha must retain control of the pack or the results may be disastrous." She stared for several moments before finally being able to speak. "I had no idea I did that to you Aaron, I'm sorry. I also have no idea why I can do it." "No worries, love," Aaron replied, waiving is hand in dismissal. "It was pretty clear you had no clue. It's just odd that someone that's human can do that to such a degree. Before you ask, Hunters have ways of detecting nonhumans around them, and Lord Reece there, would be able to detect it by scent, so we know you definitely are human, for now at least," he chuckled, referencing that she was likely to be turned in the not too distant future. "Yes," Michael replied absently, clearly lost in thought. "I'm guessing your thoughts are running the same way as mine?" Aaron asked, seeing the expression on the vampire's face. "Let me say now, however I can help, I will. Hell, you already know I have the balls to take on the Elder Council," he ended jokingly. A smile flashed briefly across the vampires face while he once again studied the Hunter seated in front of him. "I think, Aaron," he finally replied, having come to a decision, "that I would prefer you call me Michael." Shocked didn't even begin to describe the way Aaron felt in that moment. Lord Reece's reputation was well known, and in their world, only a bare handful of people ever called him by his first name. For him to extend the trust such informality implied meant he'd been on the vampire's radar long before the Elder Council debacle and likely had been watched closely by him. That meant this meeting had been more of a formality for Michael than anything else. Damn, he's deserving of the reputation he has, he thought with respect. "Thank you, Michael," Aaron replied, giving him a nod to acknowledge the implications of the informality now between them. "By the way before I forget, Cooper asked me to pass along a message," he grimaced in distaste, letting Michael know he didn't like or agree with what he was about to pass along. "Cooper," he spat out the name, "wanted me to forward his request that you send Hayes to trial, and before you say anything, I think Cooper's a fucking idiot," Aaron spat out, his expression conveying that he knew Hayes was dead, but didn't want to say as much in front of Lucienne. "Hayes' actions are clearly not under Hunter jurisdiction, and I told him that but something seems a bit off there. You might want to keep an eye on him and anyone he's friendly with. I know am," he muttered the last bit. Michael nodded. "Thank you for the warning and you needn't worry. I try not to make a habit of shooting the messenger," he replied in a wry tone. Aaron nodded sharply, knowing Michael would now be looking for whoever was pulling Cooper's strings. "Well, I think that's probably all for now," the burly man commented, smiling briefly as he rose. "I'm sure you both want to get on with your date, and I've got rounds to run." Lucienne and Michael rose with him, walking him to the door. Just before he left he turned and offered his hand to Michael. Michael chuckled, admiring the bravery of the man, and accepted his handshake. Aaron smiled, giving them both some final parting words. "I like you for her Michael, and Luce, I like you for him too. I think you two will work very well together. Should be an interesting ride," he laughed, winked at them both and headed out to do his patrol. Scarred Ch. 10-11 So I slightly changed the ending of the last chapter based off a suggestion I liked from an anonymous commenter. Rather than try to do the whole resubmit process again for a few paragraphs, I've just inserted the addition in the beginning of this chapter to prevent any confusion. Also I want to send out a great big thank you to all my readers that supported the last installment in spite of the first half being missing and taking several days to get fixed. I was incredibly and very pleasantly surprised and touched that you all continued to give me strong votes even though you only had half to judge. Thank you all so much! As always this work is copyrighted, please do not plagiarize. Enjoy! ==================================== Michael chuckled, admiring the bravery of the man, and accepted his handshake. Aaron smiled, giving them both some final parting words. "I like you for her Michael, and Luce, I like you for him too. I think you two will work very well together. Should be an interesting ride," he laughed, winked at them both, heading out to do his patrol. "Oh, and Luce, don't forget about the music," Aaron called over his shoulder as he walked down the hall. "Jerk," Lucienne muttered, blushing when she saw Michael's questioning look. "Trust me, you don't want to know." He raised an eyebrow and gave her a teasing smile, "Somehow I suspect it is less a matter of me not wishing to know, and more a matter of you not wishing to explain." "Doesn't matter cuz I'm not telling you, either way," she stated firmly, shutting the door. "No? I might be willing to live with that..." The next she knew, Lucienne was pinned against the door, Michael claiming her lips in a drugging kiss. She moaned and tangled her tongue with his while threading her fingers through his soft curly hair. Overwhelming need crashed through her and her knees went weak. If not for Michael's body pressing against her, she'd have fallen to the floor. Several minutes later they broke apart, both panting slightly. Michael trapped her gaze his eyes like pools of molten gold. "I have been craving the touch of your lips since entering the building, but did not wish to behave in a way that might tarnish you before Aaron," he told her softly, his silvery voice slightly rough with desire. She smiled at him, Sweet, sweet man, she thought, understanding that in his terms he was protecting her image. No, not my image, he's protecting my honor and trying to show his respect for me. She nearly melted into a puddle all over again at that realization and settled for kissing him deeply and tenderly, doing her best to show him how much his actions touched her. "I have been wanting to do that almost since you left last night," she replied. His eyes flared brighter at her admission that she'd missed and wanted him, and flooded her with another wave of heat. "This could get out of hand very quickly," he chuckled, touching his forehead to hers. A moment later he sighed and pulled away, clearly working to get himself back under control. "Do you have questions for me?" he asked drawing her back down to the couch with him. "We have some time before lunch, and some things may be difficult to answer around prying ears." She leaned against him, loving how much he was trying to help her understand his world. She knew he was doing his best to ensure she didn't make any decisions or that things didn't get too far out of hand without her knowing what she was getting herself into. And I love him all the more for that, she mentally sighed to herself, startled to realize she'd accepted her feelings for him. "Actually yes," she replied, leaving her thoughts about her feelings for another time. "Why were things so delicate between you two? It was much more than just about me, especially after Aaron said he wasn't all that worried after we spoke last night." Michael chuckled, "I admire your patience and your perceptiveness. Yes, things were delicate as we were each evaluating the other for reasons beyond the relationship between you and I. "I have monitored Aaron for many years. He first came to my attention when, at a bare step above rookie, he produced incontrovertible proof of a superior working with a mixed group of rogues. Additionally, he was instrumental in resolving that particular rogue problem faster than I, or anyone else had expected, reducing the bloodshed significantly. "He impressed me which prompted my interest in him over the course of his career. He has long since earned my respect. Unfortunately his dedication has gained him some powerful enemies over the years. He is quite intelligent and skilled, but my intervention has already been required to protect him more than once, though he is unaware of my involvement. Allowing him to address me so familiarly will send a warning and halt the weaker attempts, thereby reducing the number of distractions." Lucienne shook her head in amazement. "Glad I waited to ask. I'm also happy you're watching his back. He's one of two people I count as an actual friend," she told him, turning her head and placing a few light kisses along his jaw. Somehow I suspect this kind of long view is a very small example of what Michael's mind is really capable of. I'm amazed that someone like him would find me interesting. Something of her thoughts must have shown on her face since he raised an eyebrow at her in query. "Remind me never to play chess with you," she replied with a quirk of her lips, making Michael laugh. "So this business with Cooper? Do you think someone's using him to target Aaron, you or both?" she asked, and then continued at his look of surprise. "I thought it was pretty clear that this guy would only ever be the stooge or henchman, and never the mastermind." "You are very astute, Lucienne," he complimented her, making her blush slightly. "You are quite right in that Cooper is merely a puppet. I am uncertain who may be pulling his strings, though I have several possibilities in mind. However, I am more concerned regarding the choice of Aaron as the messenger than I am about Cooper." "You mean because they might have figured out you've been protecting him?" "Yes. Additionally, it may indicate they have learned of my interest in you. If that is the case, then there is a watcher who has gone unnoticed. Such a possibility does not sit well with me." Lucienne read between the lines and understood that this was almost unheard of for Michael. "I hate to say it and don't want to be paranoid, but is it possible one of your people has been giving information?" He nodded, "Yes, the prospect of a traitor has occurred to me, and I do not consider you paranoid, but rather both intelligent and clever to consider all possibilities. After all, believing there to be an enemy hiding under every bush, does not mean they do not exist." She laughed, "True. Also Michael, I won't fight you or be angry if you need to increase security on me, as long as they don't create a problem for me at work. I have some vacation and sick leave accumulated, too, so if things get hairy I can use it. Also, I can work from home a bit more than I have been if that's easier. Honestly the main reason I go in so much is so that I don't turn into a total recluse," she laughed. He smiled at her and shook his head in amazement, leaning in to kiss her softly. "Thank you, Lucienne. Your flexibility on this matter means a great deal to me. While I do not wish you to make any changes to your schedule as of yet, so as not to provide proof of the degree of my interest, those options may become necessary in the future." She smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair away from his eyes. "Just let me know what you need me to do. I have no real experience on something like this, and I trust you," she said, giving into her desire to claim his lips again. I don't think I'll ever get enough of this, she thought, briefly wondering if she should change her underwear before they left. Several minutes later they broke apart, both needing a moment to calm down. Figuring the topic of Cooper and her security was finished for the time being, she switched gears. "So what's the Elder Council?" she asked. He chuckled, amused by how quickly her mind went back to getting answers. He was finding himself inordinately pleased by her reactions as they would prove valuable when encountering some of the delicate politics she would see at his side. Given her direct nature, he had worried he would need to shield her a great deal, and instead found that she was capable of adapting, though he suspected her patience would be limited. Of course this is only relevant if she doesn't reject me, the doubt resurfaced, almost making him frown before he caught himself. He covered his lapse by launching into an explanation instead. "The Elder Council is formed of the chosen representatives of each type of nonhuman. Their purpose is primarily diplomacy or foreign relations between the different nonhuman groups. Needless to say it is a political hotbed." "I can imagine," she replied. "Just the idea gives me a headache." He nodded his agreement. "I feel much the same, though it has done some good. Vampires and shifters were at war with each other not that long ago. When peace was finally brokered, it was done through our representatives at the Elder Council, and they did a respectable job. Of course it helped when Elder Bowen, who was then Lord Bowen, of the vampires and Alpha Smythson for the shifters, were able to produce evidence that the war had been falsely manufactured." "Crap. How long were you at war?" "I was never at war," he replied with pride. "I abstained from the conflict, as did the shifter packs in this area. We were suspicious of the stated reasons and I maintain good relationships with the Alphas so this region became something of a Switzerland. The local Alphas and I instituted harsh penalties for conflicts within our territories. After I dealt with the first handful of infractions, most decided such action was no longer so appealing," Michael finished in a somewhat cold tone, the implications very clear. He carefully watched Lucienne's face, needing to see her reaction to this aspect of his life. She looked at him with clear understanding in her beautiful gray eyes and simply nodded her head in acceptance. He stared at her, not quite able to believe the absence of horror or revulsion. "If you're waiting for me to freak out, then you've got a very long wait," she commented with a quirk of her lips when the silence went on a bit too long. He shook his head and decided he'd do better to simply continue. "The war went on for over a century causing high losses to both sides. Smythson and Bowen emerged the least damaged, though they were unable to avoid entering the war due to political pressures. They kept fighting to a minimum and I am certain they had a private agreement to that effect. Even so, they are still repairing the damage, though I recently heard there was an incident that forged strong ties between her vampires and Smythson's pack." Lucienne listened with fascination. "Are there any books or anything on all of this? It seems there's a lot for me to learn, and I know you have enough to do without spending hours tutoring me." Michael chuckled and feathered light kisses along her neck, once again impressed. "There are resources, yes," he spoke softly against her ear, making her shiver, "and I will be happy to lend you them. My plan was to assign a tutor, but I wished to wait till you were certain whether you intended to accept the bond." "Michael," she said, turning to meet his golden gaze and cupping his cheek in her hand. "Everything I have learned about you only increases my admiration and my desire for you," she told him, blushing slightly at the admission. "I still feel that we need to learn more about each other, but I think the only thing that would make me reject you was if I felt I couldn't trust you. From what you told me last night, we wouldn't be able to bond under those conditions anyway, since it would guarantee failure." He nodded to confirm her assessment, his expression filled with uncertainty. She grabbed his face and stared deeply into his golden eyes. "You have been nothing but honest with me from the very first moment. I find you intelligent, fascinating and sexiest man I've ever seen," she said and attacked his lips with her own, doing her best to show him how much she wanted him. Several minutes later she drew back to catch her breath, and widened her eyes in surprise when she realized she was straddling his hips while a noticeable bulge pressed into her. Thank goodness this is a flared skirt, or I wouldn't be leaving anything to the imagination right now, she thought to herself, feeling her cheeks heating up, and knowing her face was turning red. Michael smiled at her in amusement, "I fear we will be a few minutes late to lunch. I am not very presentable for stepping into public at the moment." She giggled and then clenched her jaw when he hissed in reaction to her movement. "Sorry," she said moving off of him. "I guess I got a little over enthusiastic there," she commented with a rueful smile, focusing to keep her attention on his face and not let her gaze drift down. He sat up and softly captured her lips between his teeth making her moan. Drawing back before things became too heated he smiled, reaching up to play with a strand of her hair. "You need never apologize for making me desire you. The cost of a few minutes time is more than worth it." ********************* "So you know I'm not that much of a hiker, right?" Maria gasped out as she followed Jason up a steep section of trail. "I know, but I promise it's worth it," he replied, reaching a hand out to help her which she ignored in favor of sitting on a nearby rock to rest for a moment. "If you want I'd be more than happy to carry you," he offered smiling appreciatively at her. She snorted, "Who are you, Thor? You want to carry me on top of whatever you've got in that back pack that I know weighs a freaking ton?! Yeah, I don't think so. Just tell me it isn't that much further." "Thor huh? You'd be surprised," he muttered under his breath before speaking loud enough for her to hear. "I hate to tell you, Angel, but you don't exactly have a large frame. Trust me, I can carry you the rest of the way easily." "Are you calling me short?!" she replied, pretending to be angry. She was nothing if not realistic about her height, but he didn't know that, and she couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him. "You said it not me," he told her with a chuckle, dodging her attempt to smack his arm. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him speculatively. Suddenly she smiled big, "Okay then, Thor, go ahead and carry me the rest of the way." He gave her a predatory smile and scooped her up in his arms, making her laugh. "So if I carry you the rest of the way, and don't drop you," he said, deliberately letting her drop an inch to illustrate, "what will be my reward?" "Gee, I don't know," she said tapping her chin. "How does a not pissed off girlfriend sound?" He laughed and kissed her nose. "That sounds awesome!" he replied, spinning her around and making her wrap her arms around his neck. "How about a not sick girlfriend, too?" she gasped out when he paused. He looked down at her, all his mirth changing immediately to concern, "I'm sorry Angel, I didn't know you got motion sick." "I don't usually," she said, "but we've hiked miles mostly uphill. Lots of exertion means I get nauseous kind of easy." "Sorry, Angel. I promise I won't spin you again." "Don't worry about it Jase, but really, how much further is it?" He chuckled, "It's just over the top of the ridge, so only few hundred more feet." She smacked his shoulder, "No wonder you offered to carry me, you knew we were almost there." He grinned, "Now what was that you said about a not pissed off girlfriend?" "Well you haven't gotten me there yet, buddy boy, so I'm still free to be as pissed as I want." "I guess I'll just have to fix that, then," he said before he started jogging up the hill. Maria's eyes widened. Jason wasn't even breathing hard. Damn he's fit. "We're almost at the top. Close your eyes till I tell you to open them. I want to surprise you with the view," he said softly. She smiled and did as he asked. She even buried her face in his shoulder so he'd know she wasn't peaking, besides, she liked his scent of earth and pine. A moment later he stopped and set her down, turning her around and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Okay, open your eyes," he said from behind. She gasped, her mouth hanging down in awe. Spread before her was a green valley full of the most dazzling wildflowers. A gorgeous little stream snaked through, with a small waterfall capping the top and trees framing the whole thing like some sort of painting. "Jason it's so beautiful. You're right, it was totally worth the hike," she said softly. He smiled and rested his chin on her head. "It's my favorite place to come when I need to get away," he rumbled softly, before they both lapsed into silence, letting the beauty of the land do all the talking. Several minutes later Maria's stomach rumbled, making them both laugh. "Let's feed the monster, shall we?" Jason teased, taking her hand and leading her down to the stream bank. ********************* "Jase, that was amazing," Maria sighed in contentment after finishing the picnic lunch he'd packed. She lay back on the blanket and pillowed her head on her interlaced hands. "Seriously, you should thank whoever taught you to cook like that, because it's certainly the way to MY heart!" He laughed and toyed with her hair, leaning over to look into her eyes. "My mom taught me. I wouldn't stop bugging her when she was in the kitchen so she put me to work." "Smart woman," Maria giggled. "Yeah, though fair warning, she can be annoying and controlling, too. Every time I visit, she tries to fix me up with girls that she knows I don't want," Jason almost growled out, his irritation with his mother very apparent. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you didn't want them, but how does she know? Have you really met every girl your mom knows?" Maria asked, trying to understand the anger in his tone. "Well the community is small, but... Maria," Jason began, uncertainty in his tone. He'd been looking for an opportunity to tell her, and had taken her here with that in mind. Now that the moment had arrived he found himself twisted in knots, but knew he needed to get it over with. He sighed and pushed forward. "Maria, to answer that, there's something about me I need to tell you." She frowned, knowing whatever was going on was big since he hadn't called her 'Angel.' She reached up and cupped his cheek, "It's not that you're married or have another girlfriend is it?" He barked out a laugh, "No, nothing like that!" She smiled, "Well then, spill!" He took a deep breath, "You know, the world is full of a lot of strange things," he started, almost taking a teaching tone, much to Maria's confusion, but she figured he had a reason so waited for him to get to the point. "Some things that seem harmless are incredibly dangerous, and some things that seem scary and dangerous are the most loyal protection you could ever have..." he trailed off for a moment before looking her in the eye again. "This is going to sound crazy, but I can and will prove it if you want me to. Maria, I'm not human, I'm a shifter, sometimes called a were." "What, you mean like werewolf?" she said in disbelief. Scarred Ch. 10-11 "Yeah, but I don't shift into a wolf. My beast is quite... unusual. Extinct, in fact." "So what, you're some kind of were-dino?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. He chuckled, "No, my beast is a mammal. He's something called an American Lion, and I should probably warn you, my animal form is huge. The original animal was roughly the size of a modern bear, and shifter animals are usually bigger than the original. My beast is actually taller than you. I'll show you if you want, but please don't run. My beast won't hurt you, but he would chase." Jason got all of this out rather fast, but not so quick that she didn't follow his words. Maria stared at him in silence, carefully studying his green eyes for any hint of deception. Finally she nodded, realizing that he was either crazy and absolutely believed what he was saying, or... he was telling the truth. After witnessing Lucienne's odd way of knowing things for so many years, she was inclined to at least entertain the idea he might not be human. "Okay, I do want you to prove it, but could you maybe give me some space before changing into the beast? If he's as big as you say, a bit of distance would be helpful." Surprise and hope filled his eyes at her calm reaction, and he nodded, immediately scrambling up and moving away. He started stripping down, and grinned when he heard Maria mutter "Of course he needs to strip. At least it's a nice view." He turned and met her dark eyes, hoping that if he could hold her gaze, she wouldn't be afraid. "Maria, I love you," he said before letting his beast come forward. Maria gasped and froze, unable to process both that he'd said he loved her and the massive animal now in front of her. Don't run, don't run, don't run, was all she could focus on when her instincts all screamed to get away from the giant predator that could probably kill her in about three seconds. "Let me have control," his beast growled at him in agitation. Jason had shifted, but was using every last bit of his will power to keep control of his body, afraid of what his beast might do. "She's our mate, I won't harm or scare her. Let me have control before you fuck this up for both of us!" "Fine, but if you do anything..." "She's our fucking MATE!" his beast mentally roared at him. "I would impale myself on the horns of my prey before harming a single hair on her head, now move aside!" Jason finally gave in, letting his beast have control, but staying primed to take over if he thought anything was going wrong. His beast's mind rushed forward with satisfaction, and much to Jason's surprise, calmed immediately. Maria watched as something shifted in the green eyes of the enormous feline, and the next thing she knew he sat down and yawned before throwing himself down in the grass to lay on his side. He yawned again, still staring at her, and she'd swear he was smiling now, while his tail thumped a regular rhythm against the ground. He made a sort of growly huffy sound and then the next thing she knew, he was rolling over in the grass, all four paws up in the air, almost like he was swatting at an invisible butterfly. She couldn't help but laugh at his antics, and took a cautious step forward. He made another sort of yowly sound this time, and wriggled around like he was trying to scratch his back. It made her laugh again, and that seemed to free her from the last of her fear. She took a deep breath and slowly approached him. She stopped when she was touching distance, unsure what to do next. He solved her problem for her by reaching out one of his enormous paws and very gently swatting her arm in a playful gesture. She laughed again, and caught hold of his leg, touching his paws and feeling the tips of the hidden retractable claws. Suddenly he swiped his leg sideways, knocking her off her feet while bringing her into his body against his belly. She was shocked when she realized she was now being hugged by a cat that was bigger than a grizzly bear. She scratched his belly, deciding to treat him a like she would her sister's dog, and at that moment the entire situation caught up with her and she started to laugh. "Well, there's no doubt about me believing you Jason," she finally said, "and you can rest easy, I'm not afraid. At least not anymore. Thanks for being silly for me." He gave an odd sort of growly contented sound and rolled to his side, keeping her trapped under his paw while he gently nuzzled her hair. "Do you want a back scratch?" she asked. "You looked kind of itchy before." He growled again, and nodded his massive head, letting her up from under his paw before rolling to his stomach. She climbed up on top of him, straddling him like a horse since his back was so high, and buried her fingers into his thick fur, rubbing and scratching him to his obvious pleasure. "Told you to let me handle this," his beast growled at him in smug satisfaction while their mate groomed him. "Yeah, yeah, I know, you're amazing, yaddah yaddah," Jason replied with a mental roll of his eyes. "How was I to know you could actually behave yourself. Usually you enjoy the fact that people are afraid of you, and sometimes go out of your way to scare them." "I only go out of my way with the irritating ones like most of the Alphas, and a healthy dose of fear is good for most people. She, however, is our mate. If you think I would be that stupid with her, then you have even less brains than I thought." "I suppose she does provide good motivation to behave," Jason laughed. "And good motivation not to behave," his beast chuckled. "As much as I'm loving this, she's gonna have lots of questions, and if you want to answer them and still hike back in daylight, you'll need to take over again," he said before ceding control back to Jason. Maria yelped when she was suddenly straddling a very naked Jason instead of the massive lion. At least he's laying tummy down, she thought jumping off of him. "You don't have to stop, you know. I enjoy massage as much as my beast does," he told her, turning his head and giving her a pitiful expression. She laughed and shook her head at him, "Tell you what, put your pants back on and promise to answer my questions, and I'll keep rubbing your back." "Deal!" he shouted, eagerly scrambling up to find his clothes. ********************* Lucienne sat back in contentment, having just finished an extremely delicious meal. Michael had booked a table in a private room that came complete with its own entrance. He'd told her that the restaurant had a couple private rooms like this, since they served both nonhuman and a celebrity clientele who occasionally wished to dine out in peace. She was just happy Michael was more relaxed, especially when he'd given her an intense look and produced a single red rose from somewhere. She was no expert, but she was fully aware of the meaning behind that, especially since she had no doubt the man came from a time when the language of flowers was in full use. A single red rose was an expression of deep love, and her eyes had watered even as her heart soared. She found she no longer cared how quickly things had escalated between them, every fiber of her being, physically, mentally and emotionally wanted him. The words 'Mine and yours,' drifted through her thoughts, and she made a note to ask him about that later. She'd taken the rose and kissed him, loving how he'd pulled her against his body with one hand, while caressing her neck and scalp with the other. I bet he could give an awesome head massage, she thought to herself, her body trembling slightly with anticipation. She noticed he seemed to go back and forth between feeling confident with her and withdrawing like he expected rejection. She assumed it had to do with the scarring that she knew continued down his body, and hoped he would tell her how he got them later when they talked. I'm sure he's had a history of women rejecting him because of them. Add that to the problem anyone with power and money has finding someone that's genuinely interested in them... well, I think we'll have lots to talk about. Not that we don't already, she thought, her lips lifting in a contented smile. She'd enjoyed their conversation through lunch immensely. By unspoken agreement they'd avoided any topics too personal, saving those for later. Instead they'd wandered through projects he was working on, to things like taste in books and movies. She'd been surprised when he said he listened to very little music, but saw the pain in his eyes so decided to leave the question alone for the time being. She'd also tasted a couple of the drinks he'd ordered, curious to learn what flavors he enjoyed. He did caution her that they'd taste different to a human palette than a vampire one, but that didn't matter to her. The first two weren't bad, one tasting a bit like parmesan cheese, and the other a bit like balsamic vinegar. She'd stopped tasting them when the third one was like dirt, though Michael told her for him the flavor was similar to stew and the first two olives and lemon. "Here you go. Coffee for two," the waiter said with a smile as he entered the room and approached the table carrying a white porcelain tray with a French press and two mugs. Her eyes widened when she got a closer look at the mugs and her questioning gaze shot to Michael. "They're for you. I saw them shortly after we spoke for the first time," he told her, an almost sheepish tone present in his fluid voice. "They reminded me of you." She smiled sweetly at him, touched by the pair of mugs, one with Mickey and the other with Minnie Mouse, each leaning to kiss the other. They were the perfect reference to the first night they'd spoken when she'd served coffee in Disney mugs. The added piece of Minnie and Mickey about to kiss was just the cherry on top, as far as she was concerned. Lucienne threaded her fingers through his and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Michael," she said in a shaky voice. "They're absolutely perfect and I love them." Happiness lit up his eyes at her reply, and a small smile played about his lips. The waiter quickly finished pouring, beaming at them before bustling off again. Lucienne poured cream into the Mickey mug and handed it to him with a smile before turning to pour cream and a half teaspoon of sugar into hers. Michael found himself inordinately pleased by both her reaction to the mugs and the fact that she'd remembered how he took his coffee. He'd berated himself for purchasing the mugs at the time. After all, he had never had a particular attachment to Disney, though he respected the company and its accomplishments. Now he was beyond happy that he had followed the impulse. They finished their coffee, neither of them feeling a need to speak. Michael reached out to play with a stray lock of her honey hair, and she smiled at him, leaning closer. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her into an embrace, enjoying the feel of her against him. "Would you accompany me to my home?" he asked, quietly breaking the silence. "It would offer us more privacy, and... I would like to show it to you as well," he finished, the slight hesitation in his voice letting her know he felt vulnerable admitting that. "I would love to see your home, Michael," she replied, smiling and giving him a quick kiss. "I'm no expert on your work, but the pictures I've seen were impressive. Besides, I couldn't pass up the chance to be one of the few people that gets to see what Michael Reece designed for himself. I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone complain about your standard reply of 'If you wish to know my work then tour my public buildings or examine my public proposals,'" she teased him gently. He chuckled softly, "I value my privacy and prefer to limit access to my private quarters to those I trust." Lucienne's eyes widened slightly, realizing the greater meaning of him inviting her over. "I don't blame you in the slightest," she replied, kissing him again. Lord, I can't get enough of the man, she thought to herself, half lidding her eyes in pleasure. She trailed her lips down his jaw, nuzzling her face into the join between his neck and shoulder and inhaling his clean, spicy scent. He pressed his face into her hair while wrapping his arms around her. "You smell absolutely wonderful," he said, inhaling deeply and making her shiver slightly. She smiled at him, "What do I smell like?" she asked, curious. She was allergic to most fragrance, so didn't use scented anything. Whatever he was smelling was the way she herself smelled, and she was surprised how much she really wanted to know. "Sandalwood and vanilla," he told her. "It's heavenly and it is the reason you caught me the first night I entered your apartment. I was too lost taking it in to pay attention to you waking up," he said with a soft chuckle before trailing light kisses down her neck in return. "Michael," she half moaned when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, making him growl and trail his hands up from her waist, stopping just below her breasts. "Michael," she moaned again, before suddenly realizing where they were. She placed her hands over his, struggling to speak through the pleasure. "We really need to stop," she managed to get out in a strangled voice. "We're in a restaurant." "True," he sighed, moving away from her just as their waiter came back in to pick up the mugs and clear the table. The young man smiled again, "Sir, Callie says the mugs will be cleaned and she'll deliver them herself this evening." "Very good. Please let her know the front gate box will be unlocked, and she may leave them there." "Yes sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked politely. "No, that will be all, thank you." "Yes sir, ma'am. Have a great day!" he said cheerily before leaving them again. Lucienne gave him a questioning look when he rose. "They have my card on file along with my instructions regarding a generous gratuity for the wait staff," he told her with a smile while extending a hand to help her up. "I conduct business meetings here on a regular basis, and it is more efficient than waiting for the check." "Makes sense," she replied, realizing how much the arrangement would smooth the proceedings. She gave him a speculative look, her mind wandering again to more questions. "So what is it like when you bite someone?" she asked as they began to walk out. Michael looked at her with a startled but heated smile, and escorted her to the car before he finally spoke. "I apologize for not replying immediately," he told her as he opened the door and once again extended his hand to help her in. "The staff was ready to enter and clean the room, and I did not wish to be overheard," he finished before getting behind the wheel. "Sorry, I didn't realize. I probably should have waited to ask." "Lucienne, there is no need to apologize," he waved her off while he pulled out of the garage. "As to your question, it is typically quite pleasurable unless a vampire works to make it otherwise. When we bite, we release a venom that creates a sense of euphoria. Over time we develop finer control on the quantity we release, so as not to send people into a catatonic state every time we feed. Most other vampires combine feeding with more intimate activities." She did not miss the implication that he did not use sex to feed, and wondered if it was due to his scars. "Do the people you feed from know what you're doing?" she asked, her face full of curiosity. "Occasionally," he replied in a slightly hesitant tone. "It largely depends on the vampire. I prefer a challenge so I frequently choose those who would prey on others. I suppose you could say I hunt predators. Keeping them unaware of my feeding while I... deal with them, increases the difficulty level exponentially. Of course, should I fail I am capable of making them forget." "Yeah, Aaron mentioned you were known for your ability to alter the mind, but it doesn't seem to work on me?" she asked, making him chuckle. "Yes that is one of my abilities, and yes you are immune. You are the first I have encountered where that was the case, though there are accounts of other individuals with immunity to mental intrusion. We would need to test you to find the full range." She nodded, processing the information for a few minutes before moving on to another question. "So what are your other abilities, and do all vampires have abilities?" He smiled briefly, "I was rather wondering when you would choose to ask me that. All vampires do have some level of mental power, but the degree and expression varies considerably. I am unusual in that I have all the powers to some degree. My stronger abilities are the detection and altering of memories, command voice in which I wish to train you if you are willing?" he paused and smiled when she nodded her acceptance. "I am also able to speak mind to mind, and the final one that I have worked to keep very quiet is the ability to kill with a thought." She gasped in surprise, "Oh Michael, how did you find out about that one?" "Do not worry," he told her with a small smile. "My Maker was a cautious man, and prevented tragedy from occurring." She breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness for that. I can't imagine what it would be like for you to discover an ability like that by accident." "Once again you have a surprisingly quick and accurate grasp of the situation," he told her with a pleased nod. "This also brings up an issue I wish to discuss. You have mentioned several times that you have no control over this ability of yours to know things about people. I believe I may know someone capable of training you so it no longer runs wild." "You know someone that could help me?! Oh, I'd love that, thank you!" she almost shouted as hope and relief came crashing over her. "It is no trouble, and brings me some sense of relief. Training and control will prevent problems should you choose to turn as such abilities are typically enhanced when one becomes a vampire. Should you choose to remain human, you will be capable of directing your ability more clearly, making you better able to protect yourself. Both outcomes are positive." "You have no idea how much I've tried to figure this out. I've spent more money on useless new age books and classes with people that turned out to know almost nothing, than I really want to think about. I am very excited knowing that someone could help me with this!" she said, bouncing slightly in her seat, the biggest grin Michael had ever seen lighting up her entire face. He smiled, beyond happy that she not only would not fight him on getting training, but was looking forward to receiving that training. She went silent for several moments, her mind clearly at work, and he simply concentrated on the road, leaving her to settle her thoughts. "So what is actually required to become Ruach? What is the process?" Her sudden question startled him slightly, and he flicked his eyes to her before focusing on the road again, a slight smile playing about his lips. "Typically, bonding is done while... enjoying each other in a very physical manner," he said, his beautiful voice gaining a darker tone and making her flush. "The intimacy and pleasure experienced during such activities relaxes emotional and mental boundaries and establishes greater trust between both partners." She felt a rush of heat pool in her belly and core with his phrasing and tone. Once again, she found herself clenching her jaw against an involuntary moan. If this keeps up, I'm going to need to visit the dentist to repair cracked teeth, she thought to herself with a mental chuckle. Scarred Ch. 10-11 "Sounds like more fun that way, too," Lucienne replied with a teasing smile. "Yes, that is most definitely an added benefit," Michael growled, giving her a heated look before turning his attention back to the road. Her body heated up making her redirect one of the car's A/C vents to hit her more directly. His lips twitched in amusement at her action, but he continued with his explanation. "Fiction has the next part somewhat correct," he continued, his voice showing the slightest bit of strain. "An exchange of blood is required, but there is also an opening and meeting of mind and heart that must occur at the same time. For the blood I would simply bite you. If you were turned before this, you would bite me as well. However, if you chose to remain human, I would recommend you either use a knife or that you allow me to cut myself." "I wouldn't do that," she told him, "remain human, I mean. If we're going to bond, then I will do it right and I won't condemn you to a human lifespan," she laughed when she saw his surprised expression. "I didn't forget the part about the only way to break a Ruach bond being death, nor did I miss the subtext that, at the very least, it would be extremely damaging to one partner should the other die. Besides, it feels like if I didn't have you turn me, I would be rejecting your vampire side which wouldn't be right either." "Lucienne," he said, his voice tight with emotion, "I do not wish you to change just for me. Becoming a vampire is not something that suits every person, and for you to carry the burden when you would not otherwise choose to be so, is not appropriate either." She smiled, "You are amazingly sweet and considerate, Michael, and that is why I would choose to become a vampire. It would be no burden with you around." "You astound me," he said after a moment of shock, still trying to fully process her words. "There is much more to discuss about turning but I suggest we wait for another time as we have arrived at my home." Lucienne had been so intent on their conversation, she'd missed them driving up to a gate which was currently opening for them. When they passed through she got a good look at the house and grounds and gasped in amazement. It was magnificent. As old fashioned as Michael sometimes appeared, his home was anything but. Concrete and steel with patterned glass showed the marriage of modern clean lines and elegance that she knew made his work so sought after. Sitting on the edge of a small lake, the water reflected off one side of the structure, giving it a harder edged feel, while the greenery of the open lawn and trees softened the other. Interestingly, the house didn't tower or dominate over its surroundings, rather it integrated with the landscape, becoming part of it while still maintaining its own presence. "Wow, Michael, it's gorgeous!" She shook her head slightly in amazement. "I don't even have the words, just wow!" He smiled taking pride in both his home and her reaction to his creation. Admittedly he'd heard countless compliments before, but coming from her, it brought him a deeper sense of satisfaction and pleasure than he'd ever expected. Moments later they'd parked and he'd brought her inside. Once again he thrilled in the fact she'd been rendered speechless, her face openly showing her admiration. "And I thought it was amazing from the outside, this is just stunning!" she finally exclaimed as he led her through the open floor plan set off by subtle but striking architectural accents. The entire place showed an incredibly deft hand for balancing practicality and artistry, and she was simply blown away by the whole thing. "This is one of my favorite spaces," he told her, leading her to a set of opaque glass doors and opening them with a bit of a flourish to reveal the room inside. Once again she'd been rendered speechless. Clear glass panels framed by elaborate patterned glass revealed a room overhanging the lake, almost making it feel like you were floating over the water. On one side slatted greenery walls grew outside a couple feet away from the glass, bringing the marriage of hard and soft again. The light filtering through the greenery and patterned glass created an incredible mosaic of light rays and marbled shadows that almost looked sculptural in the white room. Normally she would find a room like this sterile and uninviting, but she loved the way the absence of color allowed the light patterns to decorate without interference. He kicked off his shoes by the door and stepped in while she wandered around and looked out the windows. Finally she seemed to find her voice again. "Michael, this is so incredible. It's like an artist's painting. I've never seen anything like it and I can't even imagine how you planned this. You're brilliant," Lucienne almost half whispered, her awe overwhelming her. For the first time since being turned, Michael wondered if he was actually blushing. The incredible joy he felt at her awe and admiration of his work brought him more happiness than he'd experienced in his entire existence. This was his art, his passion and the truest expression of his inner self that he could show her. "I'm glad you like it, Lucienne," he told her quietly, the sheer amount of emotion he was experiencing making it difficult to speak at all. She turned from her perusal of the room and walked up to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. She stared into his golden eyes, letting him read the truth for himself. "I absolutely love it," she told him, leaning in to capture his lips in a hard kiss, full of her awe and wonder for his incredible talent. He responded with equal passion and emotion, exploring her mouth while she pressed herself against him. He pulled back when he felt his fangs start to descend, and breathed deep to regain control. He gave her a teasing grin and scooped her up in his arms, making her giggle and wrap her arms around his neck. He walked to the sectional, placing her down on it before sliding his hands down her calves to remove her shoes, just as she'd done for him last night. He kept his gaze locked with her gray eyes, slowly removing the straps of her low heels with one hand, while the other held and softly massaged her calf. Placing her foot down with care, he moved to her other leg and repeated the motion, reveling in the feel of her skin under his hands. Once again she surprised him. She suddenly leaned forward and grabbed his tie, using it to pull him into a kiss before she removed it and tossed it aside with a wide grin. "Much better," she said, "but still not quite right." She unbuttoned his jacket, her gaze locked with his. She slid her hands up his chest to slip the dark silver material off his shoulders, the gold of his eyes growing brighter with her actions. She looked away long enough to neatly drape the jacket across the back of the couch, since she didn't want to wrinkle what she knew was an expensive suit. She playfully gave him an evaluating look while rubbing her chin with her finger. "Hmm... Pretty good, but something's still not right," she told him, making him raise an eyebrow at her. She returned her hands to his shoulders, sliding them across the smooth material of his black dress shirt to the skin of his neck. Her fingers drifted to his collar and she slowly undid the top two buttons, deliberately allowing her fingers to brush across his skin, causing him to shudder in response. "Perfect," she stated while he chuckled at her, moving to push her back against the wide couch, and hover over her before softly teasing her with a kiss. He shifted to the side, trailing his lips down her jaw till he reached her ear. "Just so you know, the room is soundproof, and the glass is opaque from the outside, even at night," he whispered to her, his breath causing shivers of desire to shoot straight to her core. She turned and kissed him, nibbling on his lip before pulling back to say, "Now who's trouble?" "Trouble?" he asked in an innocent voice. "I merely thought you would enjoy knowing more about my design." "Right," she replied in a sarcastic tone, while laughing at his act. A moment later she laid her head down on his shoulder while he entwined his fingers with hers, much as they had last night. She sighed in contentment, enjoying just being with him for several minutes before she finally began her story. "I grew up in a somewhat large family with my parents, an uncle, two older brothers and two younger sisters. My oldest brother, Ian, joined the Marines as soon as he graduated high school. He and I were really close and I can't tell you how many times he'd talk about history and current events, how valuable and rare freedom is, and how unusual we are to have a volunteer military. It didn't hurt that he was a great shot and loved all things physical either, so it wasn't a surprise to anybody when he joined up. "I was just starting high school, and with him gone, Keith, my second oldest brother, started avoiding home and got kind of wild and rebellious. He'd go to all these parties, and was always getting drunk. "One night it finally caught up with him and he hit another car head on. He was damn lucky they both survived, though there were injuries. The thing was, I knew he'd been hurt. I woke up screaming, and then wouldn't stop yelling at my mom till she took me and my sisters to where I'd dreamt him crashing. That was the first time I did something strange like that, and we all just put it down to a strong sibling connection and thanked God everybody was okay. "After that it started coming out randomly more and more. Pretty soon I was public enemy number one in school since I would accidentally reveal things I didn't know were secret. I thought they were things I'd heard, and since I was always last to know the gossip, I just assumed everybody knew. Didn't take long till they were all whispering witch and worse at me. After barely escaping a group of guys who tried to corner me, I made a deal with the popular kids, I kept my mouth shut and they get everyone to leave me alone. I became virtually mute to make sure I didn't slip." Michael felt the faint tremors run through her, and clenched his jaw in anger. Clearly the incident had been more serious than she was letting on, and those boys were lucky they were not in front of him now. "One day at school," her shaky voice refocused him, "I had a screaming fit and collapsed. My brother, Ian, was killed in Afghanistan and I knew it. I felt it," she said, tears filling her eyes, though she was struggling to stay calm. "It freaked everyone out even more, and then after the funeral I was really upset and accidentally blurted out my uncle was gay. My father threw him out of the house and banned him from contacting any of us. After that, my parents started fighting all the time and blamed me. My dad called me things like 'demon child' or 'hell spawn' when he thought I couldn't hear him, and my mother just stopped speaking to me and kept my sisters away. As soon as I graduated high school they threw me out and legally disowned me. My second brother, Keith was the only one to keep contact," her voice finally broke and she shook as tears fell down her face. Michael hugged her close, rubbing circles on her back. Eventually she calmed, but he knew she wasn't finished yet. "I went to college," she continued softly. "I'd earned an academic scholarship and got a job to pay the rest of my bills. Having learned from high school, I made sure to keep my mouth shut and focus on school. I did meet Maria there, though, and she made sure I had at least a few fun experiences," she said as a small smile ghosted across her lips before anger crossed her features. "I got my first boyfriend too, at least until he got over possessive and controlling. When he started following me to class, the library and study groups I broke up with him. He didn't want to accept that, though, and one night broke in and tried to attack me," she paused and took a deep breath, though Michael could tell she was calming anger not fear. She has a definite warrior's spirit, he thought, steeling himself to hear the rest. "He was drunk and wasn't feeling pain," she said. "I'd heard him breaking in so I'd already called 911, but I didn't know when the police would arrive. I'd been keeping my gun locked in my car because of a very stupid and very nosy roommate who wasn't home just then, so I didn't have that to defend myself. "He cornered me and I had to fight him, and I was so damn lucky he didn't have a knife. He cracked my rib and bruised me up a bit. I broke his nose, jaw, two ribs and finally his knee which is how I got away. Almost got away when I broke his nose since his eyes watered up, but I tripped over the coffee table when I tried to get around him." Michael stiffened multiple emotions running through him. Fear that she could have been raped or killed, surprise at the casual way she'd spoken about the incident, and pride that she'd successfully defended herself against her attacker. "How much training do you have?" he asked, though his voice was slightly strained. He knew there was no way she would have been able to get away from that situation relatively unscathed without having some kind of training. She turned and looked him in the eye, unsuccessfully trying to get a read on his thoughts. "When I was young I traded office admin work for lessons from Ken, a retired Navy Seal. He taught me unarmed combat, knife fighting and shooting. I trained with him almost every day for about five years, but I'm honestly a bit rusty these days and need to find someone to spar with." "I can arrange that if you wish," Michael offered quietly. "I would be happy to set you up with my security teams. It would be good for them to know your strengths as they are already guarding you, and they would be able to train you how to interact with them to better protect you." Lucienne's eyes widened in surprise before an excited smile appeared. "Yes, I'd love to do that! Thank you, Michael," she said, giving him a soft kiss. "Of course," he replied. "While I hope you never need to defend yourself again, I am both realistic and cautious. I would be happy for you to train to as high a level as you wish to attain." Lucienne nodded, kissing him again before pulling back with a serious expression. "I'm afraid there's more, Michael," she said in a flat tone, and he stiffened, realizing the next part was likely to be bad. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the most difficult part of her story. "During my final year, my brother Keith told me he'd moved out of our parent's house and was working as a carpenter in the next town over. He decided to track down our uncle and found out... A-After my father threw him out, m-my uncle... he k-killed himself and my father knew and never told us. Keith found out from Hal, Uncle Scott's boyfriend, that my father never even attended the funeral," she paused again, the guilt in her voice clear. "Lucienne," Michael softly spoke her name to get her attention while rubbing her arms. "It wasn't your fault. He would have been outed eventually, anyway. Such things rarely remain secret indefinitely. Honestly it is surprising he kept the secret as long as he did, and I cannot believe your father did not suspect something." "Maybe," she said, though he could tell she didn't believe his words and was only trying to placate him. Perhaps with time, he thought with a mental sigh, letting it be for now, especially since she was clearly preparing to speak again. "I left for my parent's house as soon as Keith hung up. I could tell from his voice he was too angry. He went on a rampage, got drunk and went after our dad. My father pulled a knife on Keith. He pulled a fucking knife on his own son!" she shouted, anger and pain thick in her voice. "He stabbed Keith in the gut then went crazy and was stabbing my mother when I got there. I'll never forget the sight of him covered blood and stabbing her over and over again... My gun was in the car and I pulled it out, yelling at him to stop," her voice deadpanned again, and Michael clenched his jaw. "The minute he saw me he came at me. I yelled at him to stop twice more before finally shooting. This was the scene the cops drove up to. I got arrested, my brother was taken to the hospital, and both my parents ended up dead, one of them by my hand. I only thank God my sisters were sleeping over with their friends that night." Michael held her close, giving her as much comfort as he could with his presence. She was trembling, and there was dampness on his shirt from her tears. Finally she spoke again. "Here's the thing I've never told anyone. I don't regret killing my father. I went through shock over the fact that I'd killed someone, but I would have had the same reaction to killing anyone. I only wish I hadn't had to deal with all of that while sitting in jail, but maybe that was my punishment for not caring about my father." "Lucienne, you did not make the choice to sever ties. Instead, you tried to help when you knew your brother would behave recklessly. You behaved with more compassion than most would in that situation," he told her softly. "You are not responsible for the choices others make, nor should you blame yourself for the feelings you do or do not have," he finished in a half whisper, and handed her a cloth handkerchief. She gave him a watery chuckle, somehow both amused and unsurprised by the soft square of cloth. She hesitated briefly, never having used one and worried a little about messing it up. Still, he wasn't handing it to her to admire. She blew her nose and as soon as she was done felt Michael's arms around her again and his lips placing a kiss on her temple. She snuggled into him, and took a deep breath to finish the last bit of her story. "They let me out of jail the next day. My mother having twenty-two stab wounds kind of supported my story of self-defense," she said, her voice full of sarcasm. Clearly the police had not been kind to her, and Michael decided he might just take an interest them. They are sub-par if they cannot tell from the scene that Lucienne was defending herself. If not incompetent, then they are permitting other agendas to color their handling of the situation. Either way, the situation should be rectified. "The parents of my sisters' friends offered to let them stay with them for the week while we dealt with everything. I agreed, not knowing how my sisters felt about me anymore, and wanting to stay in the hospital with Keith who'd barely come through surgery, and was in a coma. Fortunately he woke up after only a day. "One of the first things he said when I told him our parents were dead was that he wanted custody of our sisters. I'd never seen him so set on anything before, and I figured he felt guilty so I didn't fight him, especially since I'd been legally disowned and he hadn't. My parent's estate wasn't much, but they owned their house free and clear, and it was enough to get the girls set up with Keith and give him a few months to recover. "I was going to be graduating in six months, and had some really good prospects, so I told him I'd start sending money for our sisters as soon as I had a job. Keith's neighbors offered to help look after him and the girls till he was better, so we had a good plan. I visited regularly, but not too often since our sisters avoided me and I didn't want to push them too hard with everything else they had to deal with. "Finally graduation came, along with a really good job offer. K-Keith called, and before I could tell him the good news, he t-told me he was m-moving away and t-taking our sisters with him and never to try contacting him again. He yelled at me and b-blamed me for Uncle S-Scott and for what happened to our p-parents. I haven't heard from him or my sisters since." Scarred Ch. 10-11 She broke down in tears again, weeping softly into Michael's shoulder while he held her, doing his best to comfort her. "Just let it out," he whispered in her ear, pressing his body against hers to give her as much physical contact as possible. Internally he was frowning and making a note to investigate and locate her brother and sisters. Something felt odd about the situation, and he wanted to know more, starting with the file on the flash drive that Sam had given him. "There's still a little more," she told him when she finally regained control of herself, almost laughing hysterically at Michael's shocked expression. Fortunately she was able to grab hold of her emotions and calm down enough to finish. "Nobody knows about this, but after making myself sit through the graduation ceremony, I drove out to a small cliff overlook to get myself together. An old friend of my father's saw me there and stopped. He was drunk of his ass, and there wasn't anyone around so he came after me for killing my dad. I defended myself and he ended up staggering against the railing and fell over the ledge. It's a three hundred foot open air drop onto solid rock. I knew there was no way he'd survived so I ran. I had no desire to get mixed up with the police again so quickly, especially since I doubted they'd believe me. I did keep tabs on the local papers and when he was found, they ruled his death an accident. "Ken, my Seal friend, ended up telling me the locals all figured he'd pulled over to... relieve himself," she said, obviously editing more crass language, "and tripped over the guard rail. He died instantly." Michael brushed his fingers over her cheek and held her red rimmed eyes with his own. "I likely would never have discovered the second death had you not told me, and I feel privileged you have entrusted me with your secret," he replied, his tone conveying that he fully understood the enormity of what she'd confessed. Lucienne was surprised to detect a slight tremor in Michael's silvery voice, betraying just how much her trust had truly meant to him. She caressed his face and gave him a light kiss before burying her head in his neck again, his scent wrapping around her and soothing her strung out mind and emotions. As soon as she relaxed, the toll finally caught up with her and she unintentionally fell asleep. Michael gave her a soft smile, knowing the rest would be helpful after all she'd told him. He was still adjusting to everything she had revealed, and marveled at her strength to move forward and not let any of that stop her from rebuilding her life. "I pledge you I will protect you with everything I have," he softly promised her, kissing the top of her head. ********************* Michael was staring out the windows, watching the shadows lengthening across the lake when he heard Lucienne stir on the couch. She'd slept a good hour, and he suspected she would have a headache when she woke. Earlier he'd left the room briefly to bring back water and a selection of painkillers, not knowing if she had any allergies. As she stirred, he moved back to her side and sat, rubbing her back till she opened her bloodshot eyes. She winced and groaned, moving a hand up to rub her forehead while he helped her sit up. "Here," he told her gently, handing her the glass, "this will help. Do you have allergies to any painkillers?" "Huh?" she asked somewhat dazed, and then seeing the pill bottles on the coffee table answered. "Oh, no. Just hand me some aspirin, please." He nodded and moments later gave her two aspirin tablets, watching her while she swallowed them down. "How are you feeling?" "A bit like I was run over by a truck, but getting better, thanks," she told him, giving him a weak smile. "I am pleased to hear that," he told her before gently wrapping his arms around her to hold her against him. She returned his embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck, and once again inhaling his soothing scent. "I have no idea how to describe what you smell like, Michael, but I want a bottle of it," she muttered. He laughed, "I will give you some of my cologne if you like," he told her with a smile. "Yeah, but it won't smell the same if it's not on you," she half whined. "I suppose I could rub myself against you like an animal and scent mark you," he teased, knowing most shifters did exactly that with their mates. She laughed, and he was pleased to hear her spirits lifting, "I think we both know what that would lead to, and I haven't heard your story yet. I would like to find a bathroom first though?" "You are quite right," he replied, giving her a soft kiss, gently nibbling her lip till she groaned. He rose slowly from the couch, sliding his fingers down her arm to grab her hand and help her up. "Come, I need to take care of something briefly and will show you to the washroom along the way." ********************* They were back in the light and shadow room, as Lucienne had taken to calling it, and had settled back down on the couch cuddled against each other just as they'd been earlier. Michael was absently rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand while he decided where to begin. "I am bit over four hundred years old," he began. "My mother proved unable to conceive after me, so I was an only child. I believe my father was somewhat relieved, as theirs was a rare marriage of love and childbirth was very risky. Both she and my father were caring parents, another very rare occurrence in that time. My father was a scrivener by trade, and trained me. That is how we came into contact with Vampire Lord Gilbert Rendon, though neither my father nor myself new the true nature of our employer. He offered us a permanent position with him, and we accepted. It proved to be a good decision as he treated our family well and took it upon himself to further my education upon discovering me stealing into his library at night to read his books. Gilbert was a scholar at heart, and had taken the position of Vampire Lord more out of necessity than true desire. "Some years after my parent's passing, Gilbert offered to sire me as I had demonstrated intelligence and a certain clarity of mind that he prized in his Made. I accepted his offer and he turned me a month later. "One of many things incorrect in fiction is the idea that age brings greater powers, but the two are not correlated. By the end of our first year, we have developed all the abilities we ever will. What age does mean is greater experience, knowledge and frequently more powerful friends. Additionally, over time nature weeds out those less able to survive, meaning weaker or stupid vampires are simply fewer in numbers as we age. "When I awoke as a vampire, Gilbert and I were both surprised to discover I had significantly greater power and abilities than is typical for a newborn, nor did I have control over any of it. The ability I have to kill with a thought, was one of the first to appear, and I was able to do it to anyone within the radius of a mile immediately upon waking. My range did increase. If not for the Maker bond that enabled Gilbert to control me, I would have accidentally killed many good people, including my sire. "Gilbert never once feared me, and instead forced me to learn how to rule my abilities rather than them ruling me. Today, one of the things I am known for is my formidable control," he told her with a slight touch of pride, telling her just how hard he had worked to gain that control. "Gilbert was a Vampire Lord in Europe but over time it was becoming apparent one was needed in the New World. Previous to Europeans, no vampires existed in the Americas, though they had all manner of other nonhumans, including a few rather unpleasant ones we had never seen before. Things were a bit out of control here, and the possibility of war was becoming more and more likely. Gilbert decided he would take over to bring order before irreparable damage occurred, and turned his old territory over to a neighboring Lord who had been a good friend of his. "My sire was grooming me to take over his title as he wished to retire in favor of academic studies. I suspect he believed the succession would be smoother and faster without having neighbors watching us like starving wolves. Unfortunately a great deal of traveling was required for the shift of territory and this gave an opening for a vampire named Louis to assassinate Gilbert. His expectation was he would be able to take control once he chopped off the head of the leadership. I did not permit that to occur. As soon as I discovered proof of Louis' treachery I attempted to capture him, but he had been forewarned and slipped out of my grasp. "While this was occurring, I fell in love with a human opera singer by the name of Diana," his tone turned harsher, and it was obvious to Lucienne that this woman had hurt him. Anger and a touch of jealousy rose in her, but she pushed it aside to focus on his words. "I was so in love, that I thought she might be my Ruach and offered to sire her. She accepted and was my first Made. After I turned her it became clear she was not my Ruach, but that did not matter to me. After all, not everyone finds their Ruach, and I did not wish to turn my back on the love in front of me. That was the biggest mistake of my life," he said and paused, and this time it was her turn to comfort him while he gathered himself. He nuzzled into her neck, her scent calming and steadying him, enabling him to tell her the rest. "Elijah, my second Made, actually tried to warn me that Diana was not what she appeared to be and that I should not trust her. He even brought me what evidence he'd been able to gather, but he hadn't yet produced anything definitive. I dismissed his warnings and threw him out, sending him hundreds of miles away and losing the benefit of his eyes watching my back. This was the opportunity Diana needed. "By this time I had discovered my love for architecture. I had designed and built myself a protected sanctuary as I knew we had not located all traitors. Diana was the only person I had ever shown how to get safely inside and she led Louis right to me once she no longer had to worry about avoiding Elijah. I woke up chained in a place I did not know to the sight of her and Louis in intimate congress," he paused again to control the anger and betrayal, the memory of their bodies entwined overtaking him for several moments. Lucienne's soft kisses on his neck broke him out of the memory, and he smiled her, kissing her forehead before continuing. "Not only did they not have the grace to stop once I was awake, they both smiled and continued with greater vigor for the sake of their audience. I later found they had been lovers long before she met me, and everything she had done was for Louis." "Oh Michael," Lucienne whispered hugging him tightly while a few tears escaped her eyes. She is crying... for me? he thought, surprised while he brushed away her tears with the pad of his thumb. "Do not cry, it is long over and done with, and she lived long enough to regret her actions," his tone went cold, and Lucienne could guess the end of the story. "I was their 'guest' for seven days before Elijah rescued me," he continued. "In that time Diana showed she had another skill besides singing and seduction. Her father had been a wood carver, and unusual though it was for a woman to learn crafts of that nature, she possessed a talent for it that she demonstrated on me. Worse, though, was that whatever was on the tools she used burned like acid and created permanent scars. You should know, vampires do not scar." Lucienne gasped slightly her fingers lightly tracing over the marks on his face. Now that she knew how they'd been caused, she could see the faint traces of a pattern. He placed his hand over hers, and gazed into her eyes before saying, "The scars cover more of my body than my face." "I know," she told him, "I felt them already and I don't care. You are beautiful, Michael, and the most desirable man I have ever met," she finished before leaning in to capture his lips in a searing kiss. For several moments they remained lost in each other till they both came up for air. "So what happened to the bitch?" she asked him, making his eyebrows rise in surprise at her language before he chuckled, sliding his hands around her waist. For several moments he was content to simply hold her, gearing up to finish the story. "After Elijah got me out I had to spend time recovering, and not just from what they had done. I cut and removed flesh from myself down to the bone in an attempt to make my body to regenerate cleanly and without the scarring. It was painful, greatly lengthened my recovery, and was completely unsuccessful. "Additionally, not even the oldest of my kind have any answers as to why the scarring would regenerate rather than the unmarred flesh that should be there. The best theory to date is that whatever was on the knife has made my body believe that the scarring is correct and what should be present, the idea being similar to a substitution of new blueprints. Being hesitant to subject myself or my species to researchers, I have not had this idea tested." She gasped, shocked he could do something like that to himself. She even imagined she could feel a ghost of the pain in her shoulder. "God, please don't try to do that to yourself again, Michael" she said, running her fingers across his shoulders, back and chest, almost as if she were checking him for injury. "The idea of you with that kind of injury, in that kind of pain..." she shook her head and trailed off, losing her ability to voice anything coherent. Michael was surprised by her reaction, and trapped her hands against him to catch her attention. "Lucienne, this was all a long time ago, and such action does no permanent damage to a vampire. To kill us requires severe injury to, or removal of the brain or heart. Even the legend of a stake is not entirely accurate. Most times it simply paralyzes unless most of the heart is damaged." She took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. "Just please don't do it again unless there's a life or death situation?" He nodded his agreement to put her at ease, deciding it was not worth fighting about since the method had proved ineffective anyway. He continued with the end of the story, finding himself saying a prayer for the first time in centuries that she would be able to accept what he had done. "When I was able, I hunted them both down with single minded intensity. Once I had them in my power... I shall spare you the details but what I did to them made what she did to me look like child's play. I should also inform you it is quite rare for a Maker to be able to kill their Made, and even more so their first. The bond formed makes it comparable to a parent killing their child. I not only killed her, I drew it out," he admitted to her, not able to meet her gaze in case he saw disgust in her eyes. "The cost to you must have been massive," she said softly, placing a hand over his heart while brushing his cheek with her other hand. "I am not sorry that was done to her, I am only sorry you were the one that Made her and had to bear that pain as well." He met her eyes in shock, placing his hand over the one on his heart. "I do not disgust you? You were very accurate when you guessed at me killing and torturing. Diana was not the first, and hardly the last." "The man you were following, Hayes?" she asked him, quickly putting things together. "Yes," he replied shortly, impressed again with her quick mind. "He was stealing plans and selling secrets." "So he was betraying not just you, but everyone that depends on you and your ability to take care of them. You said vampires are immortal unless someone kills them, which means they have long memories and have seen more hardships and harshness than most modern people. If you don't make the punishment harsh enough, won't you simply have others feeling the risk is worth doing the same thing? That would mean you would have to spend more resources finding traitors when those resources could be better used elsewhere and for greater benefit of the people that look to you. Besides, even in the five minutes I met the man, I'm certain he was guilty of more than treason and I am somewhat relieved to learn he is dead." "You are quite unusual, Lucienne. I am surprised you are not repulsed by me after learning of this." "I am not saying I have an easy time with the idea, and I can't promise I will always agree, but I do understand and accept the necessity. Like I said before, you have had to make difficult choices and I know there will continue to be difficult choices. The difference is that I want to be there with you, and hopefully help you with those choices in the future." She smiled at his surprised expression, "I'm not ready to bond this second, I don't think either of us is, but I feel the connection. I like you and I like how you feel and I have no intention of giving that up." "Oh you like how I feel do you?" he asked archly, leaning into her. "You haven't even felt all of me yet." She blushed a little, but laughed. "No I haven't, 'yet' being the operative word," she commented, sliding her hand down his chest and across his stomach. Michael smiled, then frowned in realization before sitting up and running a hand through his dark curly hair. "You may not feel that way when you have seen all of me..." Scarred Ch. 12-14 Hey guys - recently had a couple of email issues so wanted to let you know that if you message me with your email, I do respond. If you have not seen a response from me then either I didn't get it or it got caught in your spam filter. Anywho - here's the next three chapters. Enjoy! ============================= Michael smiled, then frowned in realization before sitting up and running a hand through his dark curly hair. "You may not feel that way when you have seen all of me. Yes you have accepted what you have seen of my face..." he trailed off lost in thought. She kept silent, giving him the space for whatever he needed to say. Michael stood, his gaze locked on the lake outside the window, steeling himself to speak. "Makeup makes my face appear more normal, more even in color and creates an illusion the scars are more shallow than they truly are. In essence, you have not truly seen my appearance," he continued, his voice flat and distant while his fingers rose to unbutton his shirt, tension radiating off him in waves. Lucienne watched as slowly his pale flesh was revealed, button by button, finding herself unbelievably turned on. Guilt rose in her, overtaking her lust since he was clearly extremely vulnerable at this moment. She took a firm rein to her hormones and focused on getting her mind out of the gutter. Still keeping his gaze locked on the lake, he finally slid the fabric from his shoulders, revealing patterned scars and discolored skin covering the entire left side of his torso. Not one inch was free of the cuts and burns that circled from back to chest, almost like the psycho bitch had been cutting some sort of deranged tattoo on him. Lucienne couldn't even imagine the pain he'd gone through and her lips tightened slightly in anger. She stood up and approached him, admiration and appreciation for a half-naked Michael overtaking her. She was so lost in her study of him, not to mention the lust flooding through her, she spoke without thinking. "Looks like the bitch thought she was some kind of artist," she blurted. "You are very perceptive," he replied, his voice cold and distant. Moving to put his shirt back on, clearly not comfortable with her reaction he said, "I will take you home now." "No. You sure as hell won't if I have anything to say about it," she spoke shortly, unconsciously using command voice and making Michael's eyes widen slightly in surprise before tilting his head at her in confusion. She moved to face him, licking her lips while her eyes roamed his bare torso. "Leave the shirt off, I like the view," she finished in a seductive tone, giving him heated look. She stepped into him quickly and slid her hands over his shoulders and under the material he'd only gotten half on, pushing the shirt off his body to fall to the floor. His gold eyes focused on her in utter disbelief, and once again found himself at a complete loss for words. She quickly solved his dilemma by sliding her hands up his chest and giving him a lusty kiss that couldn't help but provoke a reaction. He pulled back staring deeply into her eyes. "I cannot believe you are not bothered by this," he stated. "Believe it buddy," she told him firmly, her gaze never wavering. "I'm angry you had to go through something as painful at this must have been, but your scars only add to your beauty. They are proof of your incredible strength of mind and will, and I find that very attractive," her voice getting husky toward the end. She ran her hands down both sides of his body and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. She frowned when he just stood there, and looking his eyes she saw the faint hope present moments ago had dimmed into denial. "You don't think I'm telling the truth," she stated. "Michael, have you had any relationships since Diana?" "Not as such. I have, on rare occasions, utilized paid courtesans," he told her, his gaze shifting briefly to the side, not wanting to see her reaction to that bit of news. "Even they could not hide their disgust," he finished in a bitter tone. "Well I'm sure as hell no courtesan, and if you ever rank me with them again, I'll slap you," she told him, the seriousness in her tone making his eyes snap back to hers in surprise. "I did not rank you with them," he replied, shaking his head in denial. "I would never do that." "By expecting me to react as they did, you ranked me with them. I am not them, and I sure as hell am not that bitch. All I can say is that she's lucky she's already dead, or I would find a way to deal with her myself," she replied harshly. Michael just stood there, trying to process her words, and suddenly realized, "You are jealous?" "Yeah, I am a bit," she nodded sharply, not even sure where all this possessiveness was coming from, and not caring at the moment. "I'm also pissed she caused you pain and hurt you the way she did, and not just physically. Michael, you are the most alluring and desirable man I have ever met," she told him holding his face so he couldn't look away from her. "Every time I'm anywhere near you I have to fight with myself not to throw you down and have my wicked way with you," she half groaned. Seeing the disbelief still present she leaned in to growl against his ear, "Michael, saying you make me wet is like saying the ocean is lovely little pond. You make me cream my panties with nothing but your voice, do you know what your kisses and your touch do to me? Can I say this anymore plainly?" She saw rising lust in his eyes, but still a hesitancy that was frankly starting to piss her off. "Fuck it," she muttered to herself, "I don't think you'll believe me any other way." Then, before he could do or say anything, she grabbed his hand and guided him under skirt, pressing him against her wet panties and heated core. "Does this feel like I'm lying to you?" she asked, angrily. "I'm soaked through. I've never been so wet in my entire life and that's all you. I want you, I desire you, and everything about you is fucking amazing." His eyes turned a bright gold and he wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him while the fingers of his other hand slowly rubbed her through her panties. She gasped, clutching at his shoulders and a low moan made its way out of her throat, the fire in her now raging out of control. She wrapped a leg around his hip and ground against his fingers, pulling him in for a searing kiss. He slowly slid his hand up from her waist and under her top to caress her back in long, languorous strokes. She broke the kiss and leaned back enough to pull her top off before latching her lips to his throat, nibbling and sucking her way down across his shoulder, only to take the same path back up. Michael groaned and she felt her bra release. She slipped it off and threw it aside, exposing her soft mounds to his heated gaze. "Magnificent," he half whispered and half growled before lifting her up and placing her back down on the couch. He knelt between her legs and slipped her skirt up to expose her heated core peaking through her soaked lavender panties. He growled again slipping the sheer fabric off her and discarding them to the floor. He slid his hands slowly back up her legs, alternating light touches with firm squeezes as he went, each gasp and moan that escaped her lips their own reward. Finally his fingers brushed her heated core, and he smiled when he realized she was even wetter than before. "Dear God, Michael, please!" she gasped arching her hips against his hand, feeling need like she'd never felt in her life. A growl escaped him and he held her hips down with one hand while dipping his fingers into her heat just enough to tease, making her gasp and jerk, bouncing the rosy peaks of her breasts. He barely maintained control over his fangs at the sight, and finally slipped his fingers into her folds to play with her heated flesh. She moaned and gasped out, "Kiss me, please!" Her words released on an overwhelming tide of fire in him and only centuries of control prevented him from claiming her on the spot. Instead he granted her request, moving quickly to capture her lips with his own. He shifted his hand, thrusting his fingers into her molten core, mimicking the action with his tongue. She arched up against him, and he kissed and nipped his way down her neck and chest. Teasingly he trailed his lips over her perfect round globes but deliberately avoided the pebbled flesh screaming for attention. She moaned and arched her chest up, and he gave her a devilish smile. She grabbed his head and pulled him exactly where she wanted, saying "Kiss me there," remembering their text exchange last night. "As my lady requests," he replied with a soft chuckle, finally taking a rosy peak into his mouth. She cried out and clutched at his head to hold him in place. Every suck, lick and nibble, shooting straight down to her core and making her incoherent with pleasure. With a last nip, he trailed his lips across her chest to her other nipple, giving it the same treatment. She arched and clutched tighter at him, and if he'd been human, she'd probably have left bruises. His mouth sent shock after shock into the growing maelstrom of heat in her, even as his fingers kept their steady rhythm within her slick folds. Nipping her again he ground his thumb against her hard nub and she suddenly and very unexpectedly came hard, the maelstrom finally releasing and taking her to heights she'd never experienced before. She screamed his name while her walls clutched at his fingers. He never stopped, though he gentled his touch as she came down, knowing she would be more sensitive. When she finally regained her senses, Michael shifted to her side, his fingers still inside her, though he had stilled their motion. Eventually her eyes focused on him and he slowly slipped out of her and brought his fingers to his lips to lick them clean. She groaned again and kissed him slowly and deeply, tasting herself on his lips. "My God, I have never cum just from being fingered," she gasped out, surprising him with her admission, "and I sure as hell have never cum that hard or fast ever. That was incredible." He could hear she was speaking the truth, as unbelievable as he found it given her incredible responsiveness. In fact, he'd been able to hear she'd been speaking the truth with every word she'd said to him, including her expressions of desire, not to mention scenting her arousal. He just could not believe that anyone would actually feel that way, and his doubts had overridden the evidence of his senses. "You're the amazing one," he whispered, holding her like he couldn't believe she was really there. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, making the moment as real as she could. She kissed him tenderly at first but it wasn't long before her desire for him broke loose and her kisses became more heated. She pulled away and smiled at him, pushing him down to lie on his back while she sat up, trailing her fingers down his chest. She let her eyes follow her hands, her gaze devouring the sight of him like a starving lion devours a piece of meat. A slow smile spread across her face, and her fingers drifted over his belt buckle while she admired the growing bulge in his pants. "Seems like you have me at an unfair advantage, monsieur," she teased him, raking her eyes back up his body again to meet his heated gaze. Honestly she didn't even knowing why she suddenly used the French term. She sure as hell couldn't speak the language, but somehow it just seemed to fit the moment. "How so, mademoiselle?" he replied with a perfect accent, matching her teasing tone. "It appears we have both lost our tops though we remain in possession of our bottoms. I would call that being evenly matched," he said, his tone playful, but with a hint of nervousness well hidden in his voice. Ah, he's probably uncertain because the scarring continues down past his waistband. Whelp, only one way to take care of that issue, she thought to herself, mentally licking her lips. "Ah, but monsieur, you have seen much more of me than I have of you. That is hardly fair and a situation I feel must be remedied," she teased. "Would you deny your lady her request?" Michael's eyes blazed when she called herself his lady, and his heart thudded hard in his chest. "I could never deny my lady anything," he half whispered. Lucienne's face softened, recognizing the emotion in his voice, and cupped his cheek before leaning down and softly, languidly kissing him. While he was distracted she let her hand drift down, slowly undoing his buckle. Moments later he broke the kiss, chuckling and looking down to see his belt hanging loose. "I see you are very determined, mademoiselle." "Fair's fair, I showed you mine, now you show me yours!" she playfully admonished him. He laughed at the ridiculousness of her words, and she joined in, not able to keep a straight face anymore, either. She did still have her wits about her, though, so she moved down while he was distracted, and rested her cheek on his stomach just over his waistband in a very suggestive position. Michael's laughter cut off abruptly with a sharp inhale. "Do I have your permission to remedy the situation?" she asked with a half-smile which widened when he nodded, his jaw clenched and his eyes the brightest gold she'd seen. Sitting up she ran her hands down his chest, gently pressing her thumbs as if giving him a massage, slowly following the contours of his body down to his waist. Pausing briefly at the waistband of his slacks, she gave him a moment to wonder what she was going to do before sliding her hands towards the outside of his hips and down his thighs. Her teasing became more intense when she shifted to his inner leg, slowly bringing them closer to his impressive hardness. A soft hiss escaped his lips as her hands slid up and around, never touching, but circling instead till her fingers rested on the button of his pants. Locking her eyes on his, she slowly unbuttoned him and lowered his zipper, brushing her hands over his hardened member. Michael growled, and the tips of his fangs appeared over his bottom lips. Remembering his words about his famous control, Lucienne decided to speed things along. Michael lifted his hips and she pulled his pants and underwear down simultaneously, letting them join her panties on the floor. Seeing him for the first time, she understood more about his hesitation. Not only did the scarring continue down his hip and pelvis, it also covered half of the proud flesh standing tall before her. He's the strongest person I've ever met, she thought to herself, quickly suppressing the hurt she felt for what he'd undergone, and letting her admiration and overwhelming lust shine through her eyes instead. She met his gaze again, and smiled, trying to convey her pleasure at the sight before her. She straddled his legs and wrapped her fingers around his hard length before bringing her mouth down to the base of his shaft, pressing small licks and kisses as she worked her way up. Hmmm... I not only don't mind the texture of the scars, I like how it feels against my tongue. I wonder if he's more or less sensitive... The sound of his growl and couch fabric tearing broke her out of her thoughts and made her speed up again. Without further delay, she wrapped her lips around him, taking as much of him as she could. She looked up at him, the sight of his clenched jaw and closed eyes flushing her with desire. His eyelids snapped open almost as if he'd felt her gaze on his face, and the gold was so vibrant, so heated, that it was like being under a warm sun lamp. Her entire body warmed, and she met his eyes with nothing but pure pleasure in her expression. Michael was completely lost. All that existed was her warm mouth enveloping him, and the incredible things she was doing with her tongue. The sight of her lips stretched around him, her gray eyes smoky with desire and her obvious enjoyment of him was severely threatening his control in ways he'd never felt before. He had no words for how much he treasured the gift she was freely giving him and when she gently cupped and massaged him with her other hand that thought was all held him back. "Lucienne," he managed to gasp, desperately trying to warn her. "I cannot... stop..." "Then don't," she lifted her head long enough to tell him before engulfing him again, keeping her eyes on his, trying to show him that she was enjoying every delicious moment. Her words skyrocketed him over the edge, and he came with a roar, exploding into her wet mouth. Holy shit he tastes like some sort of citrus, she thought in amazement, suckling him for every last drop. Eventually she gentled her ministrations, before finally letting his softened member slide out of her warm mouth. "You taste amazing," she told him, moving up his body, and placing a gentle kiss on his lips while he recovered. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, returning her kiss with a tender one of his own and burying his face in her neck. The next thing she knew her world had flipped over and Michael was lying over her, simultaneously growling and hissing, his fangs fully extended, and his eyes solid gold with no white or iris. He was using his own body to cover hers, but he was fully primed to move, and exuding a presence so powerful, she was surprised the air wasn't shimmering with his authority. She found that not only did his display not frighten her, it actually fueled her desire. "Hey Michael, I've... Oh sorry! I had no idea!" she heard a masculine voice saying before the door clicked shut again. Michael nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck, taking deep breaths, allowing her scent to calm him. Lucienne wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back and threading her hands into his hair. "Thank you for protecting me," she told him softly, making him lift his head to look at her in shock. "You are not scared of this? Of me?" "No," she replied with a soft smile. "Quite the opposite, in fact." He shook his head in amazement. "You are the most incredible woman I have ever met. I never thought anyone would be able to accept this," he told her shifting to the side and gesturing to the scarred side of his body. "Yet you act as if it is nothing. You accept I am a vampire, you accept the unsavory aspects of my position within my world, and even offer to share the burden. To say I am astonished is a severe understatement." She cupped his cheek, "Michael, a vampire is what you are, not who you are, why should that bother me? As for the, as you put it, 'less savory' things you have to do, again I don't enjoy it, but I'm not an idiot. I have a sense for the consequences if you didn't make those decisions, and I suspect the outcomes would be a lot worse, with bystanders being the ones to pay the price." Michael once again found himself impressed by her astute assessment and acceptance of the reality of things. I think I would likely offer to turn her even if she wasn't my Ruach. She's really quite incredible. "As for this," Lucienne continued, sliding her hand down the scarred side of his body, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Why should this bother me? As I said before, it just proves your incredible strength and courage, so it actually kind of turns me on," she admitted, blushing slightly. Michael just stared at her for several moments, trying to process what she'd just said. "Do you know why Diana only scarred half my body?" he asked, his tone wavering slightly with emotion. "Though she was planning to kill me after she grew tired of her carvings, she knew I held hope of escaping. She used that hope against me, saying she was leaving half my body untouched so every woman who looked upon me would know what they were missing. She left half my manhood untouched so that any woman who could suppress their revulsion long enough to bed me, would feel the monster all the more for having the man to compare it to," he told her, turning his face away. Scarred Ch. 12-14 "Oh Michael," she said, grabbing his face and pulling it back towards her, revealing the moisture in his eyes. "She was wrong, Michael. When I look at you, when I touch you, and when I feel your body against mine, I feel pleasure, I feel happiness and I feel complete. She failed, Michael," Lucienne told him, letting him see her emotions before steeling herself to get the next words out. "As for your glorious cock," she said firmly, happy she managed to say it with confidence since she'd never actually spoken the word before. "Well, have you ever heard the phrase 'ribbed for her pleasure?'" she asked, waiting for the flash of recognition before leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I, for one, happen to like texture," she told him, blushing at her admission. Michael pulled back and met her eyes in surprise before a slow, seductive smile spread across his face. "That's very good to know," he said, his beautiful voice sounding deeper than normal. "We should probably get dressed before Elijah attempts to come in here again," he told her with a rueful smile that quickly turned heated. "You should know that I have noted the inequality has gone the other way. Not only are you are still wearing your bottoms while I have been divested of everything, but while you have drunk of my body, I have yet to drink directly of yours. Based on my small taste of you, I intend to rectify that situation when I have ample time to enjoy you at my leisure," he finished, his liquid voice dark with promise. He leaned in and placed a light kiss on her lips, sealing his pledge before moving away again. Lucienne gasped in pleasure, her core clenching at the multiple meanings of his words. She shook her head at him when she saw his pleased smile. "And you call me trouble," she replied with a soft laugh. "I believe we may both be deserving of that title," he chuckled, pulling on his boxer briefs and trousers, while Lucienne located her bra. She'd just finished dressing when she saw Michael start to button his shirt. She walked up to him and slid a hand across his stomach. "Leave the shirt open?" she asked, letting him see her desire for him in her eyes. He gently trailed his fingers down the side of her face before kissing her softly. "As you wish," he replied, his voice soft. Slowly he slid his hands down her neck and across her shoulders before snaking an arm around her waist and escorting her out to meet Elijah. ********************* "Hey Michael," Elijah greeted his Maker as he walked in holding Lucienne against his side. "And this must be Lucienne," he continued, pretending that he hadn't been part of the surveillance team. "I'm Elijah, one of Michael's Made. Sorry for walking in earlier," he told her. "I didn't expect things to go so far since he's been fighting the bond." Lucienne smiled at the rogueish looking vampire, with spiked blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes that were swimming with approval of her. She immediately felt she could trust Elijah, and just knew his loyalty to Michael was unshakeable. Michael growled softly at his Made and Elijah flashed him a quick smile. "You know it's true, Michael, and you're the one that 'abhors deception.'" Lucienne giggled and Michael sighed, "Yes, Elijah, you were right. Those are the words you've been waiting to hear, are they not?" Elijah laughed, "It's not like I get to hear them from you very often, Michael. You're usually so far ahead of the rest of us, all we can do is play catch up." "So Elijah," Lucienne interrupted before the conversation got out of hand, "How did you meet Michael?" Elijah grinned at her, knowing full well what she was doing. "Now that's actually a quick story," he started before Michael interrupted. "Yes, and you may tell it after we sit down so Lucienne may eat before her food becomes cold." "Oh yeah, sorry about that. I brought you some eggplant parm from Lucca's, along with their garlic bread and some panna cotta for dessert." "I take it you've been one of my watchers," she replied with a half-smile, since he'd brought her usual order from her favorite Italian restaurant. Elijah flashed her a sheepish smile, knowing he was caught. "Yeah, well, you can blame Michael for the surveillance team, but honestly, we're mostly there to protect you." "I know, Elijah, and it's quite alright. I'm not an idiot and I have no illusions that someone in Michael's position wouldn't have enemies," she replied, putting him at ease. "Well that makes things a lot easier," Elijah replied with a relieved sigh, while Michael turned to get some dishes out of the cabinets. Though he didn't eat food, he occasionally had guests that did, so his kitchen was equipped. A few minutes later they were all seated around the table, the two vampires with some sort of drink that looked like chocolate but wasn't, and Lucienne with her Italian food. "Thanks for getting the food," she said to Elijah as she took her first bite. "You got the order perfect." "No problem," he replied, his tone bouncy, and Lucienne figured the man was perpetually cheerful. Probably not a bad thing given how serious Michael tends to be. Elijah's probably been the only thing keeping Michael's sense of humor intact. "So spill, how'd you two meet and how'd you end up becoming his Made?" Lucienne asked. Elijah laughed, "Direct. I like it. Sort of like you, Michael, but without the dark edge." Michael just lifted an eyebrow and stared coolly at his Made. "Point in case," Elijah replied, waving an arm at his sire and making Lucienne laugh. "My story isn't too complicated. I was being blackmailed for buggery by an... acquaintance of Michael's," Elijah said, suddenly picking up an English accent. Michael snorted at the same time Lucienne asked, "Buggery?" "Sodomy, dear," Elijah replied in a feminine tone, smiling at her before switching back to his English accent, making her head whirl a little. "I foolishly wrote some things to a young man I believed I could trust. He blackmailed me with the letters." "He was not exactly a man," Michael broke in, his tone dark. "He was a petty vampire who deliberately chose to seduce wealthy men for the sole purpose of blackmail in spite of other opportunities offered to him. Gilbert had assigned me to investigate him as he nearly exposed our kind more than once, but due to his sire being powerful and well respected, the situation was delicate." "Yeah, well," Elijah took the thread back up again, "the fact remains that I was being blackmailed, but it turned out he received a better offer from an enemy that wished to discredit myself and my family for political gain. Michael discovered this and destroyed the letters before they were turned over. Had they become public, the least of what I would have faced would have been complete loss of social standing and excommunication from Society. Additionally our position was such that my family would have fallen into disfavor by association, causing material harm to both the women, such as my sisters, who were looking for husbands, as well as the ability of my older brother, father and uncles to broker business and financial arrangements. "Michael not only prevented the letters from falling into the wrong hands, but completely destroyed them rather than using them himself, warned me of my enemy and dealt with my blackmailer all in one fell swoop, and with no particular gain to himself." Elijah paused shaking his head in wonder. Lucienne made eye contact with Michael and smiled at him, letting him see the pride in her eyes. The expression on his face was subtle, but he looked a bit embarrassed by the whole story. She reached over and threaded her fingers through his, giving his hand a squeeze and making Elijah smile. "Do not give me too much credit," Michael broke in. "At least part of my motivation was to block Thomas from receiving one of the man's many daughters in marriage. Thomas was originally low born and wished to gain a title. Had he been successful he likely would have put our kind further at risk, and would have been more difficult to remove. Additionally, I doubt the girl would have survived for long after the wedding." Elijah snorted, "You keep saying that, Michael, but we both know it would have been simpler for you to get what you needed to eliminate him if you had allowed the transaction to happen," he said, before turning back to Lucienne. "What he did for me and my family, well I owed him more than I could even begin to repay." Michael sighed, "As I have repeatedly told you, nothing is owed then or now, and even had there been, you have repaid it many times over by now." Elijah smiled, "Yeah, I know," he replied, his accent suddenly reverting back to a basic American turn of phrase. "Anyway, in my attempts to pay Michael back, I managed to impress him. Eventually he offered to turn me and I accepted. The rest his history," he finished with a shrug. "How do you do that?" Lucienne asked in awe. "I mean, how do you switch accents so easily?" "Whaddya mean darlin'," he replied with a grin, suddenly acquiring a Texas drawl. Michael's lips twitched in amusement as Lucienne rubbed her temples. "Elijah has a talent for blending in wherever he goes. He is excellent at picking up languages and accents, among other things," he explained. "Wow, so you're a good travel buddy, then," she said, turning back to Elijah. He chuckled in response, "Only the best!" "Of course you are," Michael broke in again, amusement in his gold eyes. "I am your Maker, I would accept nothing less." Lucienne snorted and shook her head at the two men before going back to eating her food. Soon the conversation turned more serious as Elijah informed Michael about various happenings and status updates throughout his territory. Lucienne was content to listen, finding the conversation to be quite educational and not just about this new world she was entering. Listening to Michael's questions, assessments and orders as Elijah gave him information was a fascinating insight into both how he ran things, and the way his mind worked. It was clear to her that his brilliance was not restricted to his architecture. He was able to glean information from the most insignificant details, and she watched in awe as he used those details to lay plans that would allow a rival to destabilize himself, making the man look incompetent. At the same time Michael's position would be completely untouched and appear as if he'd never even been aware of the situation. And damn that turns me on. Well that along with the unbuttoned shirt... she thought to herself, eying bit of his chest and stomach that she could see, desire pooling in her core. An idea struck her, and she smiled internally, carefully keeping her expression bland. She got up to wash her dishes and when she sat back down, she left her hands in her lap. When a few minutes had passed she brushed Michael's thigh under the table. He flicked his eyes to her but continued with what he was telling Elijah. This should be fun, she thought to herself and this time placed her hand on his leg and squeezed just above his knee, but to her disappointment, he didn't react. Guess I have to up the ante a bit, and she slowly inched her hand halfway up his thigh, tracing random patterns and occasionally applying a little pressure. This time she was rewarded with a tightening of his jaw, and she decided to leave her hand where it was and kept to light caresses for the moment. He wasn't kidding about his control, she thought to herself, realizing he was able to continue the discussion with Elijah as if nothing was happening. I'm impressed. She continued listening to the conversation, and when the topics turned less serious, she let her fingers creep up a little higher, knowing she'd caught him off guard when his leg twitched, though his face still remained impressively neutral. She was about to up the ante again when she heard a distinct buzzing sound, and Michael pulled a sleek black phone from his pants with a frown. Her hand stilled as he answered, though she left it in place, his frown telling her the call was likely to be serious. "Elder Bowen, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, making Lucienne sit up a little as she and Elijah waited for him to speak again, hoping to gain something from his side of the conversation. Lucienne was about to pull her hand away from Michael's leg to allow him to concentrate, when his fingers covered hers, holding her in place. Pure joy flooded through her at his small action, though she kept her face still since Elijah was still there. The fact that Michael wanted her touch at a moment it would be perfectly reasonable to remove all distractions meant more to her than a mountain of pretty words. "Of course your people are always welcome, as are you. My guest house is available for their use," Michael spoke into the phone, piquing her curiosity. "Keisha, you of all people should be aware that I can accommodate shifters perfectly well. Just ensure their Alpha clears it with the local Alphas, particularly Alpha Sanders. He tends to be somewhat attached to ceremony and procedure and I would prefer not to be involved in a political faux pas between packs." A slight crease formed in the center of Michael's brow, and a hint of anger entered his gold eyes. "It would have been more acceptable if you had requested that of me from the beginning," he replied, his tone going cold. Lucienne gave him a soft squeeze of comfort and rubbed small circles on his leg in an attempt to soothe him. His thumb caressed the back of her hand in response, and she figured he probably was more irritated than angry at this point. "I understand the need for the sudden change of time and venue, and yes I will host them, but do not attempt to corner me again or you may not find me as amenable," he said, his tone cold and remote. Whatever Elder Bowen said in reply seemed to calm him as his expression softened slightly, and the crease between his brows disappeared. "Very well. My people will be waiting at the airport tomorrow. Good day, Keisha" he finished before hanging up. "Elijah, send a security team and two cars to the airstrip tomorrow. Ready the grounds for a Regional Alpha visit next weekend as well." His eyebrows rose and he sucked in a breath in surprise, but nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Is this the meeting Elder Bowen originally requested for next month?" Michael nodded. "Yes, according to Keisha the timeline has shifted and she and Alpha Smythson are sending a team of their people with their proposal. I suspect we are about to receive a great deal more information about whatever happened last Fall to bond the groups together. I also suspect the nature of her proposal is to create something similar here." "Makes sense, might not be a bad thing either." "No, but it will make those who join a target in certain circles. It will also shift alliances quite dramatically among both the attendees as well as outer circles once word gets out. You will triple security especially as we are playing host. I also intend to call in Kate and Silas," he said, naming two more of his Made who were also each other's Ruach. Silas was a skilled assassin, and since being turned, had served largely as executioner for those that did not require Michael's personal attention. Silas had met Kate while removing one of the traitors that had warned Louis. At the time, had Michael attempted to deal with the man directly, it would have destabilized his position, so he'd dispatched Silas to deal with the matter and make it look like a rival had been responsible. Silas and Kate's relationship developed quickly and Silas had asked him to turn Kate since having Michael as a sire would provide her with protection from a group of vampires that had taken an unhealthy interest. Since then, Silas had trained his partner into a formidable opponent in her own right. I will ask him to train Lucienne as well. She is likely unused to an assassin's tactics and that is the most likely form of attack she will face, he thought to himself, making a mental note to arrange it with Silas when he arrived. "Is hosting this meeting what she tried cornering you into?" Lucienne piped up to ask, shaking him out of his thoughts. Michael's lips lifted in a small smile, "Yes, my astute one. She required a secure location last minute and attempted to pressure me into hosting rather than simply ask. She of all people should know better." "Is she of higher rank with the Elder title?" Michael shook his head, "No, it simply means she serves on the Elder Council which is more like the human world's U.N. She is a fellow Lord, and as my territory still outranks hers, the behavior was not appreciated. Had she not been someone I considered a friend, my reaction would have been considerably more... harsh." "Michael," Elijah broke in, "Do you think we should bring in Jason?" "Yes," Michael replied, "I believe it would be prudent to assign him as part of the security team." "Jason?" Lucienne asked, then stated, "He's not human." "Nope, shifter," Elijah replied, continuing upon receiving a nod from Michael. "And Michael just happens to be his Alpha," he finished with a mischievous smile. "How did that happen? I can't imagine there's too many vampire Alphas," she asked in a dry tone. "None of us are certain," Michael replied. "With shifters, it is the animal side that chooses their Alpha. A shifter aspiring to be an Alpha must gain and be capable of retaining the loyalty of the animal halves of their followers. That is what fights between shifters are truly about. Should someone best an Alpha, they do not automatically lose their pack, though they may lose members should loyalties shift. Lose enough members and an Alpha will lose their pack. Should pack loyalty actually shift as the result of a single fight, the current Alpha has been a poor leader and the animal halves were simply waiting for a better option to appear. "Jason possesses the strength of an Alpha, but not the ability or desire to lead. This means that while he is highly desired as a pack member, his beast's loyalty is difficult to attain. Jason had remained a lone were since entering adulthood as his beast had yet to meet an Alpha he respected, though many approached him. "I hired Jason several years ago. He is a highly talented tracker, and I required someone to be discretely located. Within seconds of entering the room, his beast rose up, declared me his Alpha, and formed a pack bond," Michael said shaking his head with a rueful expression. "As far as we have been able to determine while keeping this knowledge quiet, I am the only vampire Alpha, and it has been rather interesting." "It's probably a good thing you're used to shifters... Or do you think maybe that's at least partly why his beast decided to accept you?" Lucienne asked. "It is as good a theory as any, and his beast has been rather silent on the matter, only saying that he respects me," Michael told her with a small tilt of his head. "Also, before you ask, yes, he has recognized Maria as his mate." Lucienne smiled, hoping Maria would accept Jason whenever he finally told her. Given how things had been going between those two, she didn't think it would be a problem. "If you don't need me for anything else," Elijah broke in, "I'm going to head out and get started on the prep. If we're having the Regional Alphas in for a visit, I'm going to have a hell of a lot to do." Michael nodded his head in acknowledgement, and Elijah turned, smiling at Lucienne. "Good to finally meet you face to face, honey, and I'll be seeing you around," he said flicking two fingers from his forehead in a mini salute. Scarred Ch. 12-14 Lucienne laughed, "Absolutely, and feel free to stop by for coffee or tea the next time you're playing watchdog," she winked at him. "Will do!" he called over his shoulder as he walked out. Michael's shift of position and renewed caressing of the hand he had trapped on his thigh brought her full attention back to him. "Now, what exactly were you planning to do with this lovely little hand of yours?" he asked, the heat in his golden gaze rendering her momentarily speechless. He leaned in, lightly brushing his lips against her neck before whispering in her ear, "Perhaps you forgot?" he asked, lightly nibbling on her earlobe. The fingers of his free hand brushed down her body and settled on her hip with a squeeze. She gasped softly and grabbed the edge of the chair while the hand trapped on his leg tightened in reflex, her head tilting to give him better access to her neck. He trailed his lips down to the hollow of her throat, lightly grazing her with his teeth. His mouth dipped lower, tracing the skin along the neckline of her top making her moan softly. When she arched her back, thrusting her breasts out in a blatant request, he smiled, feathering light kisses up the other side of her neck. He traced his tongue along her ear and whispered, "Or perhaps I may assist you with ideas." Lucienne moaned, her mind working just long enough to register that it had taken him about thirty seconds to turn her into an incoherent mass of pure need. "Ideas sound good," she gasped out, briefly wondering if she made any sense. He chuckled against her neck, and lightly kissed down her shoulder, sending shock after shock straight to her core. Squeezing her waist once more, he brushed his hand back up her body and then down her arm to the fingers clutching the edge of the chair. His lips worked their way back up to her jawline while he traced random patterns on the back of her hand. She leaned back and her grip softened, letting him slip his fingers beneath hers, bringing her hand to his stomach just as he reached her mouth. "Touch me," he half growled, his breath whispering across her lips. Her body lit on fire and she wasted no time caressing his stomach and chest, tracing every line, muscle and scar of his torso. The hand he still held trapped on his thigh reflexively squeezed with every spike of her desire. He slipped his fingers into her honey hair, playing with the silky strands. Her eyes half lidded in pleasure and he finally closed the slight gap, kissing her softly, gauging her by the pressure on his leg. She tried to deepen the kiss but he pulled back slightly with a smile, deliberately keeping the kiss light and teasing, driving her need even higher. He finally released the hand on his thigh and brushed his fingers lightly up her leg till he reached the waistband of her skirt. He played with the material, dipping underneath her white top to touch her skin at random intervals, her noises of pleasure making electricity course through him and forcing him to exert his iron control over himself. His breath caught for a moment when her hand mirrored his actions and crept up to his waistband. She followed the edge around to his back and slipped her fingers beneath the material of his slacks to caress down his spine. His control slipped a for a moment and a soft growl escaped him, his body's reaction becoming more prominent by the second. He gently tugged on her hair, pulling her head back and fully exposing the white column of her throat. Softly he nibbled his way down, leaving no bit of her skin untouched. Lucienne was completely lost in the haze of pleasure Michael had created. Holding her head back and concentrating on her neck had her so over the edge her hands tensed, and she unconsciously scratched him, making him shudder. He released her hair and caressed lightly down her body till both hands were at her waist. "Lift up your arms," he told her softly, his liquid voice wrapping around her, making her moan. She retained just enough awareness to realize he hadn't ordered her, which would have made her resist him. Instead he'd simply provided direction and she happily complied, slowly stretching her torso while raising her hands over her head. He slipped his fingers under her top, lifting the edge of the fabric just enough to caress the skin above her skirt waistband. Slowly he brushed higher, lightly touching along her ribs. Her desire spiked again and he continued his path up, sliding his hands along her arms, bringing her top up and over her head before discarding the silky white cloth. He recaptured her hands and brought them down around his neck, sliding his fingers down her arms, around her shoulder blades, and coming to rest just below her breasts. She threaded her fingers into his soft hair and he leaned in, once again capturing her lips in a delicate kiss, before working his way down her neck and shoulder. When he reached the strap of her bra, his lips followed it down to the gentle swell of her flesh where he traced the top edge of the lacy material with his mouth, while his fingers brushed along the bottom edge till they reached her back. She clutched at his head, trying to push him down to the two peaks straining against her bra, bringing another smile to his lips. Michael's light and delicate touches were driving her insane with need. If she thought she'd been wet earlier, it was nothing compared to the way she felt now. Half of her was aching for him to just take her already, while the other half of her wanted to see just how high he could send her. Suddenly she felt the constraining fabric release, and he leaned back his hands sliding along her arms, pulling her bra off to be discarded to the floor. Molten gold eyes captured hers, drawing her into their depths so strongly she almost jumped when his light touch returned to her flesh. Again he kept his touch feather light, deliberately avoiding hard peaks desperate for attention. She slid her hands to his shoulders and tried to pull him closer, desperate for more contact. He was as immovable as granite, and when she tried to shift towards him, his fingers stilled, his message clear. She almost continued to fight him, but saw the quick flash of vulnerability in his eyes and something clicked in her head. He needs to do this, she realized. At some level he's showing me how much he values me. Not just that... I think he might be trying to prove himself, too, though he might not realize it. She stopped pulling on Michael, and instead slid her hands down his shoulders to slip under the fabric of his shirt, happy to once again be touching his body. He growled softly and his eyes flashed in pleasure and approval, resuming his light touches. Lucienne had never felt such desperation and need for anyone before. Part of her was dying to direct his kisses her like she'd done earlier, to tell him exactly where to put his mouth. He needs this, though, and just maybe, so do I, she thought to herself. Michael shifted and his lips hovered over hers for half a breath before he captured her mouth, his fingers finally touching her stiff peaks. She almost cried out again when he suddenly abandoned his feather light caresses in favor of firm rolls and pinches of her sensitive flesh. Extreme shocks of pleasure shot straight to her core, one after the other. She clenched in reaction and moaned into his mouth. Her mind hazed out, and there was only pleasure left. Her thoughts were offline and her body took over, acting completely on its own. Her legs opened, straddling the chair while her hips ground her core against the seat in an attempt for friction. A dark, musical chuckle escaped him, and he suddenly pulled her to sit across his lap, taking away her means of relief. A disgruntled sound escaped her lips but was transformed into a moan when his mouth dipped back down to recapture her pebbled flesh, his lips and teeth shooting her even higher. She arched, her vision locked on his burning gold eyes and her mouth open in a silent scream of pleasure so intense she couldn't make a sound. He was her only anchor in a hurricane at sea and she clutched and clawed at him like an animal desperate for release. Michael hissed softly, and she felt a brief sensation of being lifted and then was laid down on soft sheets with no memory of the transition between. He moved over her, his body pressing against hers while he captured her lips in a searing kiss. A strangled moan escaped her and he moved down her body, his lips once again latching onto her stiff peaks while his fingers skimmed down her body and found the zipper to her skirt. Her waistband loosened and he shifted further down, his hands caressing down her legs while he removed her skirt and lacy underwear. She lay before him completely revealed, the soft growl of approval rumbling in his chest turning up the voltage on the electricity running rampant through her body. Michael discarded his loose shirt, wanting to feel her skin against his, the pure need and desire in her gaze giving him the confidence to expose his scars once again. Smoothly, like the predator he was, he moved over her, pressing small kisses along her legs as he went, stopping just short of her heated core. His hand rested on her hips while his breath teased her swollen lips and she let out a moan of pure need and frustration. He inhaled her scent, his eyes half lidded in pure pleasure. "You smell simply delectable," he half growled, his liquid voice tight with his own arousal. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he dipped his head down, finally getting his first taste of her. Lucienne's mouth fell open in another soundless scream of pleasure, her hips bucking against his hands while he kept her still against the bed, slowly exploring her with his tongue. She tasted even better than she smelled, and he savored her, slowly mapping every last inch of her velvety heat. Knowing she wouldn't be able to take much more, he slid his hand down and plunged his fingers into her while his lips latched onto her hard nub. She crashed hard over the edge, euphoria so intense it was almost painful enveloping her. Her vision whited out and a soft, high pitched whine escaped her lips. All sense of reality fled, and she could do nothing but surrender and float in a world with no time or space. Michael gentled his ministrations, but didn't stop, keeping her on the cliff, but allowing her to step away from the edge. Her pleasure filled gray eyes regained some sense, and locked onto him. She forced her mind to start working again, grasping for words and finally gasped out, "I want to feel you in me. I need you, Michael." His gold eyes blazed like twin suns. He divested himself of the rest of his clothing, and was back over her in mere moments, making her blink in surprise. Right, vampire. He's fast, she thought to herself while her arms snaked around his back to pull him closer to her. "You're certain?" Michael asked, the strain in his silver voice clear. "Never more in all my life. I want you, all of you, so damn much," she told him reaching her hand down to grasp his steel length, guiding him to her entrance. He hissed when she touched him and slowly he sank into her, filling her inch by torturous inch until finally he was fully seated within her. He paused, desperately needing to savor their first joining, memorizing every last detail from the strand of honey hair plastered across her forehead, to the exquisite pleasure of her soft heat enveloping him. She clutched at him and rocked her hips, desperate for movement. He kissed her deeply and slowly started stroking into her. Once again she quickly found herself succumbing to a tidal wave of pleasure with Michael as her only anchor. She arched against him, moving her lips down and sucking at his neck before biting down on his shoulder in ecstasy. His growl of pleasure vibrated through her, the ridges of his scars moving inside of her sending her into pure bliss. Her mind shut down again, retreating into a white haze while her body took over. Her legs shifted higher along his body, tilting her hips up and drawing him deeper inside her. His fangs descended, and he focused the last shreds of his control on locking his jaw, refusing to bite when he hadn't asked her first. Lucienne felt her body arch against Michael, the extreme pleasure coursing through her reaching critical mass. As if she were a passenger in her own body, she heard herself scream out "Mine and yours!" before she crashed over the edge, clutching him like a lifeline while her walls clamped down. Michael had a split second to spend on shock before her vice grip had him shouting his own release and fighting to hold onto consciousness through the intense sensations coursing through him. Only the many hours of mental discipline required to control his gifts allowed him to fight off the encroaching darkness. Finally he collapsed, retaining just enough energy to roll to the side and wrap Lucienne in his arms, noting she'd passed out, but otherwise seemed fine. His fingers softly traced her face in wonder, the shock at her speaking those particular words finally settling in. He lightly kissed her lips and studied her beautiful face, softly lit by the moonlight coming through his windows. "Yours and mine," he whispered to her before following her into sleep. Scarred Ch. 15-17 Just repeating since I still had a couple folks not receive replies. Just letting you know that if you message me with your email to reply, I do respond. If you have not seen a response from me then either I didn't get it or it got caught in your spam filter. Anywho - here's the next three chapters. Enjoy! As always, this work is copyrighted, so no plagiarizing please. :) ============================= Slowly rising from the depths of sleep, Lucienne's mind gradually registered the sunlight that shouldn't be streaming in her bedroom and the presence of a hand across her stomach. Suddenly the memories of last night came crashing back, sending shocks of pleasure racing through her body. She opened her eyes and turned to see a gloriously nude, sleeping Michael on the bed next to her. Damn I want him. If only I didn't have to pee so bad... Speaking of which, I'd better find a bathroom, she thought to herself while looking around the bedroom. Just as gorgeous as the rest of his house, she sighed, taking in the huge windows overlooking the lake. The gray on gray tones of the walls and floors made the clean, masculine lines of his dark furniture pop even more strongly, and emphasized the floor to ceiling windows. She also noticed this room had a warmer feel, less formal than the rest of the house, and if her need wasn't so urgent, she'd probably spend some time looking over the artwork on his walls. A moment later she located the bathroom door cleverly hidden by the architecture of the wall. And just in time too, she thought with relief. I was about ten seconds from the cross-legged-gonna-wet-myself dance, and how stupid would that look when I'm buck ass naked. She giggled at the mental picture that called up while looking over the massive en suite with awe. The gray theme from the bedroom continued in here, but contrasted in white instead of dark colors. The whole thing showed Michael's refined hand, and she eyed the huge walk-in shower and massive jetted tub with appreciation. She moved to one of the sinks, liking the rectangular undermount since it looked cool, gave more counter-space than other sinks, and put the emphasis on the beautiful granite which had swirls and subtle sparkle making it look like a slice of space was captured within. She shook her head and laughed. "I'm such a sucker for bathrooms and kitchens," she said softly to herself and then shifted gears. I wonder if he's got spare toothbrushes, she thought, torn between wanting to get rid of morning breath and respecting his privacy. Screw it, she thought, we're supposed to be bonded and all, I think I can do a quick search for toothbrushes. It's not like I intend to examine what he's got in here. Putting thought to action she started opening drawers, letting out a sigh of relief when she found a new toothbrush and toothpaste in the second one she checked. A few minutes later she emerged, and almost smacked into Michael who was standing right outside the door. He caught her and smiled, his hands sliding down her back to cup her bare rear end and press her against his growing hardness. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting herself fall into his golden eyes, noticing his face looked a bit different. Ah, no makeup, his scars are more prominent, she realized smiling with happiness at his willingness to fully expose himself. "Good morning," she said. "Good morning," he replied his liquid silver voice sending shivers through her body. "Care to join me for a shower?" he asked, heat entering his gaze. Desire pooled in her core, and she kissed him. "Yes," she said, softly, smiling at him and then tilting her head in when a sudden thought occurred to her. "Don't you need to use the bathroom first, though?" He chuckled, lightly pecking her lips. "I woke earlier and then rejoined you," he replied. "Oh," she said, blushing slightly, though she didn't really know why. He growled and picked her up with no effort. Lucienne was surprised by another wave of desire crashing through her and kissed him again. Being so tall she'd never really felt dainty. In fact, growing up, she'd always felt a little clumsy in spite of all her martial training, and had put a lot of effort to figuring out how to move without bumping into people or knocking them over. With Michael I feel... delicate, and not in a weak way, just... I think I feel like I can relax, that I won't accidentally emasculate him with my size, and I think he would make me feel the same way if he were shorter than me too, she thought to herself, smiling as he walked them into the large open shower before gently setting her down. He trapped her body between himself and the wall, the cold tile making her gasp and arch towards him while her rosy peaks quickly hardened. He smiled with appreciation and Lucienne realized he'd done that deliberately. He leaned in and captured her lips in a searing kiss while working the shower controls, and moments later warm water was cascading from multiple shower heads. She realized that even though the water heated faster than normal, there had been an initial blast of cold, but he'd used his body to shield her till it warmed. Her insides melted all over again, and more wetness gathered between her thighs. Her need skyrocketed and desperation to feel him inside her flooded her, overwhelming everything else. "I want you now," she told him, her voice rough with desire for him while she wrapped a leg around his waist, rubbing her dripping core against his steel length. His eyes burned and his fangs descended before he quickly plunged into her wet heat, making her moan in pleasure and arch back against the wall. He stroked into her fast and hard, and she clutched at him, feeling herself getting close. "Bite me," she moaned against his ear, and feeling his hesitation, "Michael, bite me. I want to feel you. Don't hold back." He growled and his eyes turned solid gold with no white or pupil. His lips brushed her neck, choosing his spot and teasing her with soft scrapes of his teeth before he simultaneously thrust hard and sank his fangs into her. His teeth were sharp. So sharp she wouldn't have realized he'd drawn blood had she not already known what he was doing. That was about all her mind had a chance to register before the pleasure crashed over her in waves, and she came with a scream. Her walls clamped down on him while he pulsed inside her, her nails scratching at his back, while he softly suckled her neck. Her blood not only tasted incredible, it invigorated and filled him with power in a way he'd never felt before. He thrust hard against her, biting his tongue and using his blood to heal the small wound in her neck. Kissing her now unmarred skin, he worked his way up and captured her lips, claiming her mouth and swallowing her cries of pleasure until both of them sank down to the floor, momentarily spent. Recovering quickly, he withdrew from her and rose to his feet, lifting her up and setting her down to sit against him on a built-in bench, warm water cascading over them both. Neither of them spoke, both still wrapped in the bliss of their joining. He turned and grabbed a bottle of shampoo from a nearby ledge, and began washing her hair. His fingers massaged her scalp, making her body relax and her eyes roll back in pleasure. Damn that feels good, she thought while slowly melting into a puddle. Eventually he finished and rose briefly to get a washcloth. Soaping it thoroughly, he began to wash her body softly and sweetly. Lucienne relaxed against him, amazed how every touch, even against her more intimate bits, let her know this wasn't about desire, passion or sex. As incredible as all that was, this was about something deeper, and she rather suspected that though neither of them were ready to say the words yet, they both felt the same. When he finished she kissed him softly as a 'thank you,' not wanting to shatter the moment with words and took the washcloth from his hand. Slowly and tenderly she returned the favor. Willing her feelings for him into every touch and doing her best to show the same care he'd lavished on her. Happiness welled up in her when she saw his eyes close and his face relax, inordinately pleased that she'd been able to give him a moment of peace. After all, there's a lot on his shoulders. Somehow I doubt he gets a peaceful moment very often, she thought to herself. Finishing his body she slipped behind him to wash his hair and did her best to mimic how he'd massaged her scalp. She knew she'd succeeded when his face filled with pleasure, and a hand drifted down to touch her thigh in a possessive gesture. She smiled and when the shampoo was rinsed out, she let her hands dip down to his neck and shoulders, following the contours of the underlying muscle, and slowly working out any tightness or knots that she found. He groaned softly and turned towards her, capturing her lips again before turning the water off and lifting her in his arms. Stepping out of the shower he set her feet down on a cushioned bathroom rug and wrapped her in a warm, fluffy towel before grabbing one for himself. She smiled and grabbed another, smaller towel from the heated rack to use on her hair, grateful that she didn't need much styling. He escorted her back into the bedroom, treating her as if they were dressed in their finest and entering a grand ballroom rather than naked and wrapped in towels. He guided her to a modern looking fireplace and bent down to press a button, turning the flames on. He lifted her again and sat on a large chair in front of the fire, settling her back against his chest and wrapping his arms around her. Both of them stared into the flames for several minutes, their flickering dance stilling the mind. He shifted slightly and sighed against her before finally speaking, his liquid voice wrapping around her to hold her as sweetly as his arms. "Lucienne, words do not adequately describe how I feel about last night and this morning. To merely call it the best moment of my life seems as inadequate as calling the Pantheon a simple temple." Her heart raced at his words, and she placed her hands over his arms to keep him against her while she turned slightly to better see his face. His gold eyes were trained on her, emotion bright within, and his face more open than she'd ever seen. Her own feelings rose within her. "I feel the same way," she told him softly, not having any more words than he did to express the depth of what she felt. "Do you recall your words just before... sleep claimed you?" he asked, clearly searching for an elegant way to speak of last night's events. She looked off into space, searching her memory. Suddenly that moment crystalized and she snapped her eyes back to his. "I said 'mine and yours,'" she replied, feeling an unknown weight of meaning behind the words. "Yes," he replied, softly nuzzling her neck before continuing. "Do you recall where you first heard those words?" he asked. "Yeah, they were all I could remember from a dream I had, I guess it's two nights ago now, since it was the night before you came back to my apartment. I knew something was different in that dream, and I was also overloaded somehow," she said, noting the intensity of his gaze. "I woke up that morning with the worst headache and those words echoing in my head. I also know you were in that dream, but that wasn't all that unusual since I'd been dreaming of you every night since you stepped into that bar when I was doing karaoke." Michael's eyebrow rose in surprise, his mind quickly assessing the information. "That dream was considerably more significant than you realize," he said quietly, gathering his thoughts so he could explain. "When a vampire identifies their Ruach, the primal vampire side of our nature will continually reach for that person in order to bond. Ordinarily the only outcome of this reaching would be for the person to experience unusual dreams and feel a draw towards the vampire in question. In your case, it would seem that you have accepted an early stage of the full Ruach bond. 'Mine and yours'" he explained, his eyes flashing with the phrase, "is a promise that Ruach make to each other. It is a spoken acknowledgement of the bond." Lucienne's eyes widened in surprise, and she felt like there was something teasing at the edge of her memory, but she couldn't quite grasp it. "So there's already something in place..." she trailed off for a moment putting several things together. "Well that actually explains more than it doesn't. I don't normally rush into things on a first date," she smiled, taking any sting out of her words, "and it would also explain why it seems like I understand you so well, even beyond my normal instincts." Michael returned her smile and nodded, "It is also a positive sign should you choose to complete the bond. It is rare for initial bondings to occur at all. When they do it typically indicates the full Ruach bond will be exceedingly strong." She lifted an eyebrow at him and mulled over the information. A small part of her felt a little bit of fear to be so very tightly bonded to another person, even moreso than usual. Most of her, though, felt excitement over the idea, and happiness over the thought that she and Michael would have that kind of depth. She figured the more time she spent with Michael, the more that tiny bit of fear would evaporate, and so shoved it aside for the time being. "There is more," he continued, breaking her out of her thoughts and bringing her startled eyes back to his again. "Your blood is... unusual," he said, trailing off. "When I drank from you I felt a rush of power far beyond normal feeding. I do not believe this to be due to our bond, either, but rather to something within your heritage. Perhaps the same something that provides you with so much information. I will need to research the matter further, but I wished keep you informed." She smiled at him and nodded before kissing him again. "Thank you, Michael. It means so much to me that you try to share as much information as you can. Just hearing you and Elijah talk yesterday was incredibly informative, and I would bet money that's not a discussion you usually allow others to hear. It makes me feel respected, like an equal, and that... I just don't even have the words for how important that is to me." He smiled, pleasure coursing through him that she'd recognized his efforts to include her and was intelligent enough to realize the true level of yesterday's conversation. Learning of the early bond also relaxed him more. He'd been slightly concerned over his willingness to let her know the most sensitive information, even if she was his Ruach. Now he knew he was responding to her accepting a level of the bond, and it warmed him in ways he hadn't felt in centuries. Michael leaned in and nibbled at her lips, making her moan softly before replying. "You staked a claim as my equal from the first. I simply wish to give you what you rightfully demanded, and have found myself more than pleased that you wish to be my partner and not my underling," he told her with a soft chuckle. Joy and desire lit her face at his words, and she turned to straddle him, kissing him deeply while her fingers buried themselves in hair. He slipped his hand into her towel, slowly rubbing along her spine while she ground her hips against him, feeling his growing hardness under his towel. Suddenly he pulled back and his eyes became distant. She knew something was happening, but wasn't sure what, so she simply waited. Eventually his eyes refocused on her and a slight frown crossed his lips. "My apologies for pulling away," he said. "There is always a guard on duty with mental speaking ability so they may contact me quickly for emergencies. I was just informed that there is an unexpected and important visitor who not only wishes to speak with me, but has asked for you by name. We need to dress." ********************* Michael escorted Lucienne to a second garage housing the most amazing selection of small vehicles. Most of them seemed to be ATV's of some sort though there were a few golf carts too. She rather liked the one he brought her to which looked like a small black Jeep. Thank God it has doors. I could have managed, but it's so much easier for to have doors when wearing a dress, she thought to herself, looking the ATV over. Huh, even in his suit the Jeep styling actually matches Michael. Interesting, she thought to herself with an inward smile. I wouldn't have ever thought to pair him with an off road vehicle of any kind, but it totally works. I wonder if he owns anything casual for a day out in the woods... her mind suddenly veered into less pure territory, and she flushed at the images her thoughts conjured. "We would arrive sooner if I carried you, but I would not have you arrive in such a manner before our visitor," Michael commented mildly, bringing her focus back to the present. He'd chosen not to wear makeup for his scars today, and while she suspected that was partially a tactic for their visitor, she loved that he wasn't trying to hide them from her. His gold eyes captured hers, and she realized he hadn't missed her arousal. She flushed a little deeper with embarrassment, but then her mind caught up to his words and images of him carrying her filled her thoughts, making her want him even more. Rather than fight it, she decided to just embrace her desire. "Hmm... Maybe some time when it's just us and it won't matter if my hair gets messy?" she said with a heated look. He chuckled and leaned in, bringing his lips to hover next to her ear while his fingers caressed her neck, making her shiver. "It would appear my lady possesses a desire for being swept off her feet," he whispered, his breath sending her hormones into overdrive. "And after this morning I believe it's safe to assume my lord enjoys sweeping his lady off her feet," she replied, sliding her hands under his jacket, across his chest and down his sides, coming to rest at his waist. "Is it not fortunate our desires compliment so well?" she teased, kissing his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. "Indeed it is," he replied, pulling back slightly to cup her face and gaze into her eyes with an intensity she hadn't seen before, though she also detected a hint of uncertainty. "It is almost as if we are a perfect match," he commented, his tone light enough to allow her to dismiss his words with teasing if she wished. She was no idiot and she felt the deeper meaning. Joy and fear both flooded her, but she knew her answer. "I couldn't agree more," she replied without hesitation. "I couldn't imagine anyone more perfect than you even in a million years." She kissed him lovingly, pouring her heart into it, trying to show him the emotions behind her words. Michael responded, and for every ounce of feeling she gave to him, she would swear his lips returned it tenfold. Her heart raced and she wrapped her arms around him, overcome with the need to hold him close to her. They finally broke apart, their faces a mere fraction of an inch away, trapped in each other's gaze. Finally Michael closed his beautiful golden eyes, and gathered himself together. "As much as I desire to continue this, we must go. While keeping an unexpected guest waiting for some time is reasonable, we are quickly approaching the boundaries of acceptability and will soon risk giving offense." She softly touched his cheek, not even registering that she'd chosen the scarred side of his face, until the flash of surprise and warmth in his eyes tipped her off. Maybe one day he won't be surprised anymore, and I hope it will be because he will forget to think about which side I'm touching, she half thought and half prayed to herself. Scarred Ch. 15-17 "I sure hope whoever it is has a good reason for popping in," she replied with a sigh of resignation. Somehow she doubted anyone would randomly visit Michael without a good reason. He simply gave her a rueful smile before moving around to the driver's side. Moments later they were travelling across his property, one hand on the wheel, and one holding hers. Thank goodness he asked Elijah to bring me clothes, she thought to herself, smoothing down the skirt of her dress with her free hand. It would have sucked royally to meet some stranger having to wear yesterday's clothes which probably need a good washing by now. Lucienne had been more than a little surprised when Michael had brought her into the most amazingly huge closet she'd ever seen. She'd then been rendered speechless when she saw that half the closet was empty except for several items taken directly from her home. He'd explained that when he woke earlier this morning, he'd asked Elijah to pack her a selection of clothes so she would have something to change into. Of course she also suspected he was using it as an excuse to start moving her into his space. And if anyone else had tried that with me, I think I probably would have blown up at them. With Michael, though, it felt fine. No, more than fine, it felt right. Probably because of the whole early bond thing. Of course it's not like he's not trying to force me to move in, though that thought isn't as scary as it probably should be. He was simply doing his best to see to my comfort, and let's be honest, I sure as hell want repeats of last night and this morning, so having some clothes around would be helpful. She was very grateful and surprised about how thorough Elijah had been in his packing, too. She'd found the appropriate underthings and accessories for the outfits he'd brought over, and had been very pleasantly surprised to discover a bag with her makeup, deodorant, hair brush and flat iron. She just about could have kissed him when she saw all that, and she did kiss Michael to thank him for his thoughtfulness. She smiled remembering how that had almost led to another round, and only the fact they had someone waiting on them put on the brakes. "Michael?" she asked, knowing she had his attention when he tilted his head toward her. "This person we're meeting, I'm assuming they're not human, but what are they?" "No, they are not human, however we did not have time for me to teach you about them. With this race, even a partial explanation would place an expectation on you to follow certain rules with them. With full ignorance you gain... leeway for the time being, and are granted a grace period." "And they would know if you gave me a partial explanation or do you think I'd give it away?" she asked, not able to keep a slight edge of anger from her tone. He glanced at her, his face blank. "They can detect any kind of deception, no matter how skilled one may be at concealing information," he replied, an underlying coldness marring his tone, though he did not release her hand. Lucienne thought back to her words and realized she'd implied he didn't trust her when everything he'd done to this point had proven the opposite. Not only that, but I just demonstrated that I didn't trust him, she realized and mentally slapped herself for her stupidity. "I'm sorry, Michael" she apologized. "I spoke without thinking about what I was saying. I'm used to having to protect myself, and I'm not used to being able to count on men. I know it's unfair... but well..." she broke off and took a deep breath. "Anyway, I'm sorry and I'll try to be more careful about that in the future." He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Thank you," was all he said, but those two simple words conveyed worlds of meaning, and she knew he'd already let it go. That was all it took and the quiet that settled over them once again became relaxed. ********************* Lucienne looked over the area Michael had stopped. The pine trees were a gorgeous lush green accented by rays of sunlight randomly streaming down to the fern covered forest floor. All in all it was simply beautiful, and ordinarily she'd be thrilled to go exploring. Unfortunately her footwear wasn't the most appropriate since she hadn't known they'd be walking through forest. At least I wore flats and not the strappy heels, she thought to herself. "Do not be concerned," Michael said softly as he guided her to a small worn pathway through the trees. "It is not far, and the way is easy," he said, memorizing the way she looked with the filtered sunlight gently touching her honey hair. He'd been noticing how much stronger the bond had grown between them, far beyond what could be explained by the presence of the early bond, and he was puzzled, though not displeased. "I have you to keep me from falling on my face, why should I be worried?" she half joked with a grin, though the truth was she meant it, both physically and metaphorically. "Yes, you do," he replied with a soft smile. For a moment she thought he was about to say something else when he seemed to think better of it, and turned his attention back to the path. She squeezed his hand and let it go, turning her focus to the meeting ahead. A moment later they turned a bend and came across a circular clearing backed up against a sharp rise in the terrain. Standing dead center in the circle was a figure that looked liked they'd stepped off the pages of a fantasy novel. From their clothes to their features the person seemed to epitomize the beauty in androgyny. Gray eyes, not unlike her own, were set into a fine featured face, framed by a waterfall of silver hair that cascaded all the way down to their feet. Their clothing was elaborate but refined, and she honestly didn't know whether to call it robes, a dress, or if it had some other name altogether. All she knew was that the entire image combined into a breathtaking otherworldly presence. The gray eyes studied her while they approached, and a smile drifted across delicate lips. "Lucienne," the person said in a tinkling voice that still was somehow neither masculine nor feminine. "It has been a long time. You have grown well." "Thank you?" Lucienne replied, deliberately making it a question in an effort to get an explanation. "I was present for your birth, though I am aware your father told you nothing of me. I am Eogan, your great, great grandfather." Lucienne stared in shock, rendered speechless, and Michael's jaw hardened. "You claim familial ties?" he asked, his liquid voice cold and hard. "I do and did so before her birth. Though her blood is mostly human, she still carries more than enough of my son's, her great grandfather's, blood, that I acknowledged her from the moment of her conception. " "And where is he? The Unsleir live almost as long as vampires." "Dead," Eogan replied curtly, and Lucienne somehow knew the strange man still grieved. "Then perhaps you might explain your absence from her life," Michael replied, his tone sharp enough to cut glass. "Things are not always as they appear, vampire," Eogan replied, his chiming voice mild in tone, but with an edge of warning. "Would someone please explain what is going on?" Lucienne cut in, her emotions running all over the map at this point. "It would be my fondest wish, child, but there are more ears present than I would like for that conversation," Eogan replied. Michael's eyes narrowed, knowing he was referring to his guards who were maintaining a nearby perimeter. "You desire an invitation," he stated flatly. "Yes, and I will accept whatever agreements you require." "You would accept without hearing terms first?" he asked, his tone skeptical, though he knew whatever had brought Eogan here was important, and he also knew the man would not speak without a guarantee of privacy. "Consider it an act of good faith. I know you, vampire, and I see and accept you, claimed Anagealta to one of my blood. I know you will not abuse the privilege." Lucienne felt a sense of relief wash over her with Eogan's acceptance, but had no clue why and was feeling more confused by the second. She focused on Michael who was studying Eogan carefully, and she suspected his perusal was a deliberate tactic on his part. She kept silent, figuring the best thing she could do was not add further complications when she didn't have nearly enough information about what was happening here. The last thing she wanted was to let her ignorance make a mess of things. "Here are my terms," Michael finally spoke after a lengthy silence. "In return for an invitation, you will Pledge to me and shall be bound by the rules and consequences of any vampire Pledged to their Lord as I accept the responsibilities of a Lord to their Pledged. Should you or I revoke your Pledge, your invitation is revoked. Should you knowingly betray Lucienne or myself, you will accept immediate death. Are these terms acceptable?" "I find your terms more reasonable than I had expected to receive," Eogan replied, a hind of surprise entering his chiming voice. "It is purely a result of your familial claim," Michael replied, his tone neutral and his face impassive. "Unsleir value their claimed blood kin above all else, and I am not unfamiliar with your reputation. In the blood claim's absence, I would have been a great deal more... restrictive with my requirements, assuming I agreed at all." Eogan smiled slightly and gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "I accept your invitation and agree to your conditions. I hereby Pledge myself to you Vampire Lord Michael Reece, claimed Anagealta to my bloodline. I give you my loyalty and accept your leadership, your rules and your judgments. I accept immediate death should I knowingly betray you or Lucienne, I accept the revocation of my invitation should you or I revoke my Pledge. Do you accept me as your Pledge and invite me to your territory?" Eogan replied, the formality and binding quality of the words clear to Lucienne. "As your Lord I give you my protection, my support and my justice. I accept your Pledge, Eogan of the Unsleir, and I invite you into my territory until such time as your Pledge is revoked." Lucienne watched the entire proceeding with fascination. She realized she was currently watching both the formal acceptance of a Pledged to their Lord and a formal agreement with whatever race her great great grandfather was. The sense of unbreakable bindings settling over him nearly made her gasp, especially when she realized that the immediate death thing was no idle threat. The agreement Eogan had entered into would actually kill him if he betrayed them. Looks like I'll be having a very interesting conversation with him in the near future, she thought to herself. The last bindings settled into place over Eogan, and though there was no visible flash of light or sound signaling the completion of the ceremony, it almost felt as if there had been. A moment later Eogan stepped across the invisible line of the clearing and swept her up into a tight hug. She returned the embrace after a startled moment, noticing Michael's eyes a brighter gold than usual, and the tips of his fangs just slightly poking out from under his lip. He's prepared to fight, she realized. "Yes he is, my child. Vampires tend to be when someone they do not fully trust is close to their Ruach," Eogan's wry tone sounded in her head making her gasp and jump back. "Sorry granddaughter, I didn't intend to startle you. I assumed you would be used to mental speaking with Lord Reece as your Anagealta. His skill with it is something he is well known for, and you have clearly claimed him," Eogan apologized, though there was some confusion on his face. "Things have moved rather quickly, and I had not wished to intrude on her thoughts," Michael replied, feeling he owed Lucienne's great great grandfather an explanation though he was careful to keep his tone detached. "How? How did I claim him?" Lucienne asked in confusion, realizing something in her was ecstatic over the idea. "By offering your blood. When you freely give your blood to your Anagealta during the height of passion, you mark them as yours. He does the same to mark you as his among our people. You know none of this?" Eogan asked with a frown. "How would I know any of this?" she said in exasperation. "This is the first time I've had a hint of possibly being anything other than human, and I still don't even know what you are." Eogan's frown deepened. "I know you do not know what I am, what your bloodline is, but you should have at least been told something of your abilities. I had arranged it to be so when you were still a baby. Without that knowledge your Anagealta could have been killed." "Perhaps we should postpone this conversation to a different location," Michael interrupted with a slight frown, while offering Lucienne his arm to escort her out again. His instincts told him there was a great deal more going on here than anyone suspected, and he wanted this away from prying ears, especially as it concerned Lucienne. "Of course, My Lord," Eogan replied, walking slightly in front to allow his new Lord to keep him in his sights. He knew Michael wouldn't feel comfortable with him at his back, and the path was nowhere near wide enough to allow three to walk abreast. He carefully watched the way the Vampire Lord interacted with Lucienne and found himself well pleased. Lord Reece was protective of his kin, but he never stepped over the line into controlling her. She accepted his care, not because she needed it, but because she saw it as a gift from her Anagealta. They were matched well, and even had he not felt the strength of the bond when she claimed him earlier, he'd have known just from watching them. Had I not already decided in his favor, this would have been all I would have needed to see. He is more than acceptable to enter our family, and I am well pleased. Blood of my blood, you have chosen well. ********************* Maria paced, worried about Lucienne. She'd called several times today, left voicemails and texts, and had heard nothing back. Finding out Jason turned into a bear sized cat had been more than a little overwhelming, and though she couldn't tell Jason's secret, she still wanted to talk to her friend. The fact that Jason had been totally open and told her everything she wanted to know had helped a lot. He'd even told her there was a way to sever the bond if she didn't want to be his mate, though she'd seen the pain in his eyes at the thought. That had been the clincher and made her realize just how much she'd fallen in love with the man. She paused, a smile breaking over her face, I'll never forget how happy he was when I told him I'd be his mate and that I'd let him turn me into a shifter, though I need a bit of time to get used to the idea of that one. Her heart fluttered and filled with warmth remembering how he'd hollered with joy and then picked her up and spun her around before remembering her earlier bout of nausea. She giggled at how he'd set her down carefully and started checking her over to make sure she was okay. I can't tell Luce the whole truth, but I really want to tell her we're getting married and I want her to be my maid of honor. At least I'd like to tell her if I could reach her, she thought, her features tightening with worry again. It's not like her not to answer. Maria paused in her pacing, suddenly imagining all sorts of terrible scenarios. Wait, Jase said he was good at tracking people... she thought grabbing her phone and calling him. "Hi Angel, can't wait to see you later," he answered. She smiled but worry for her friend quickly overtook her. "Jase, I'm worried about Luce. I've been calling her for the last three hours and she hasn't responded. That's totally not like her, and I remembered you saying something about being a tracker..." "Easy Angel," Jason soothed her to cut off the rambling and shifting gears into a more business like mode. "Have you been by her place?" "No, not yet. I called you first." "Good, I'm glad you didn't try to go by yourself. I'll pick you up in ten and you can take me there so we can check." "Thank you, Jase," Maria said softly, relief that he would help washing through her, though she was still worried. "Of course, my Angel. I'd do anything for you, and besides, I like her. She seems like a good friend." "She is," Maria replied. "I'll meet you out front, see you soon, kitty cat." Jason laughed, "You do realize you'll soon be a kitty cat along with me," he said in a husky tone, making her shiver. She could almost see his satisfied smile through the phone when he finished the call, saying "See you soon, Angel," in a knowing tone of voice. Maria just shook her head and ran to get some shoes, her purse and then raced downstairs to meet Jason outside. ********************* Jason walked around Lucienne's apartment, but didn't really need to go more than two steps in the door to receive the shock of his life. Michael Reece's scent was all over the furniture, and he also caught Elijah's scent in the bathroom and bedroom closet. This was confusing because his Alpha showed no particular interest in women since he'd know him. Holy shit. Has he taken a mate? Or wait, what to vampires call it? Oh yeah, Ruach. Holy shit is Lucienne my Alpha's Ruach?! The thought both freaked him out and made him happy at the same time. If she is, then Maria can tell her everything, and she won't have to move away when her friend ages and she doesn't because if she's turned, she won't age. Shit, she'll also be my Alpha now, and... "And you need to calm down and confirm the information before you jump to conclusions. Especially since you sound like one of those annoying yappy dogs," his beast growled at him, clearly affronted. Jason took a deep breath to calm down, realizing his beast was right. They needed more answers, and clearly there was only one place to get them. "Hey, who are you and what are you doing here?" A gruff voice asked from the doorway. Jason looked over the stocky man with the shaved head, and moved closer to the kitchen to protect Maria. "Hey Aaron, it's okay," Maria replied, stepping out from checking Lucienne's notepad. "Jason is my fiancé, and I was just trying to check up on Luce since I haven't heard from her. You see her lately?" "You mean your mate, don't you?" he asked, grinning at the shock on her face, "and yeah, I saw her yesterday. She went out with Michael Reece," he finished, looking the shifter in the eye as mentioned the last part. He wasn't surprised to see the man nod, and was pleased to see relief flash across his face. "How... how... are you one too?" Maria asked. Aaron barked a laugh, stepping in and closing the door to keep wayward ears from hearing their conversation. "Nah, I'm a Hunter." Jason tensed slightly at that, putting things together. "You're Aaron Cummings aren't you? "Guess so," Aaron replied with a shrug. "Least that's what my momma called me," he finished with a grin. "Don't look all scared, I'm not Hunting at the moment. I live a few doors down from Lucienne so I keep an eye on things. You're the rare cat shifter that's tied himself to Michael, right?" Jason looked at Aaron in a combination of shock and protectiveness, not quite certain what to make of the situation. He didn't sense any ill intent from the man, but he seemed to know too much, even for someone with his rep, not to mention the use of his Alpha's first name. Part of him wanted to attack the man, to make him show more respect, but the smarter part of him said that would be a very stupid thing to do. Scarred Ch. 15-17 "Relax," Arron said, leaning his bulky frame against the door. "Michael and I had a nice chat yesterday, we have no problems with each other. If you want to check up on Luce, I'd go visit him," he told them with a wink before moving to leave. "By the way, if you see her," he said pausing with the door open. "Tell her from me that I've got music suggestions for soundproofed rooms as well," he finished with a chuckle, exiting before they had a chance to reply. Maria shook her head at the closed door, having a fair idea of what Aaron was talking about just from being around the man's sense of humor. "So," she started, snapping Jason's gaze back to her, "Who's Michael Reece?" Jason's green eyes focused on her, filled with amazement and a gleam of humor. "Well, let's just say it looks like you won't need to hide anything from your friend..." ********************* Lucienne leaned against Michael, his touch soothing her after reliving her story for the second time in two days. At least I didn't break down this time, she thought, entwining her fingers with Michael's. When the three of them had arrived back at the house, Michael brought them to a level below ground with some of the tightest security measures she'd ever seen. Currently they were in a small, but comfortable room she suspected was one of Michael's private areas. The space was very masculine, all dark woods and rich leather, and reminded her of an old smoking room. To be honest, this is more what I thought the inside of his house would look like. My vampire has many hidden depths, she thought with a smile. She watched Eogan, who was settled on a brown leather chair, his androgynous features and waterfall of silver hair almost looking out of place in this masculine room. Except he's just who he is wherever he is, so it's almost as if the setting bends itself to match him rather than the other way around. She sighed and snuggled deeper against Michael's chest. It seems as if Eogan is both surprised and very unhappy with what he heard, which I guess makes me feel slightly better about him not being around. In fact, the longer she'd spoken, the more Eogan's frown had deepened, and when she'd described her father disinheriting her and the night she'd killed him, his eyes had glowed slightly. "I wish for you to know that protection, teaching and support had been arranged for you, granddaughter. I do not know what happened to the people I left in place, but do intend to find out. With My Lord's permission, I would like to investigate the matter more thoroughly," Eogan said, inclining his head to Michael, acknowledging his status as a Pledged, though she sensed it rankled him. "Do so, but keep me well informed and do nothing against our laws. I have no wish to waste time in a dispute with the Hunters," Michael answered. Eogan nodded and turned back to Lucienne. "Granddaughter, as you may have realized I do not reside in this plane and require a formal invitation to visit. Time moves differently at home, it has less meaning and I have responsibilities to many. I was unaware of your situation as well as the amount of time that had passed. Had I known, I would have found a way to you much sooner," he paused, looking as if he was considering his words. "Our people are not well trusted in this plane," Michael snorted and Eogan raised an eyebrow. "Yes there is good reason for distrust, though I would remind you that every story has at least two sides," he acknowledged before focusing on Lucienne again. "Our people, the Unsleir, are in human terms a breed of Fae or Fairy. In human history the Unsleir are frequently called Unseleigh or dark fairies, which is not entirely inaccurate, though a rather large blanket term." Eogan paused, and Lucienne tried to take in the information he'd given her so far. She felt conflicted about him, with part of her recognizing him as family, but part of her angry and betrayed by his absence. Then this whole thing with finding out she wasn't totally human was really throwing her for a loop. "Wait, why does everyone think I'm human if I'm not entirely?" "Your human side masks the part of you that is Unsleir. It is one of the advantages human ancestry imparts. Only another fae would be able to detect your Unsleir heritage, and even then, only if they looked very closely." Michael stiffened slightly, "She has been around other fae. Her old manager was one, and there's a man in her current office on the sales team that is as well." Eogan's eyes flashed briefly. "I would like to look into that as well," he said in a controlled voice. Michael nodded his acceptance, knowing Eogan was the best equipped to assess other fae. Besides, the man was motivated to protect Lucienne, though he did not believe Eogan had told them all his reasons. Eogan sighed, "I will clearly not lack for things to do while I am here," he commented offhandedly before settling his gaze back on Lucienne. "To continue my explanation, like vampires, we have our own version of a soul bonded or Anagealta. We are unable to breed with any but a true Anagealta so when one of our people forms such a bond, it is cause for celebration. Still there are sometimes difficulties when the Anagealta is of a different race, so when my son found his in a human, he chose to live here with her in this world both for her comfort, but also so his children may have less difficulty." "That's why my family usually has trouble having kids, isn't it?" Lucienne asked. "Yes. The human side's propensity for reproduction does make it possible, though difficult, to breed with someone other than your Anagealta. You are the first, since my son, to find theirs." Lucienne felt Michael's arms tighten around her, and she turned to look at him, seeing uncertainty in his eyes. She cupped his cheek and tilted her head at him in silent question. "The Unsleir value family, their bloodline, above all else," Michael told her quietly, leaning into her hand. "All vampires are sterile, we cannot breed. I cannot give you children to continue your bloodline, and should you turn, you would become sterile as well." Something inside her reached out for him and she felt his distress like it was her own. He was afraid she would reject him over this. She grabbed his face and kissed him hard, sending her feelings down this new link between them. "I don't care, Michael. I like kids, don't get me wrong, but I never felt like I had to have them. I honestly don't feel like anything would be missing if I didn't, and if I ever decided that I did want them, we can adopt. Sterility changes nothing between us. I want you. I will always want you and only you." His gold eyes blazed and he claimed her lips in a hard kiss, reaching out for her mind for the first time, making gentle contact and waiting for her acceptance. She let him in and he gave her the promise Ruach had been making to each other for centuries. "Mine and yours," he whispered into her mind. "Always, Michael. Mine and yours," she replied, thinking the words at him, and knowing he would be able to read them. "I apologize for interrupting what is turning into a truly touching moment," Eogan cut in, approval in his eyes, "but you both are laboring under some misapprehensions." "Elaborate," Michael ordered, his voice tense. Eogan kept his face serene, but amusement entered his gaze. "First, she will not lose her ability to reproduce if turned. Her Unsleir blood will make certain of that. Second, you, My Lord, will not be sterile. The moment you took her blood, her Unsleir heritage went to work on you. You will find over the course of the next month or so, that subtle changes will be happening within you, one of which will be your ability to procreate, though only with your Anagealta. With Lucienne." Michael stared in shock, and Lucienne felt the roller coaster of emotions within him. Once he had accepted becoming a vampire, he had accepted everything, including sterility, that came with it. Eogan's words had literally turned his entire world on its head. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his shoulder, doing her best to provide him with something solid while he sorted out this new information and the emotions it called up in him. "How do you know this?" Michael asked in a somewhat strangled voice. "You are not the first vampire Anagealta, though there have only been two before you, and you are by far the strongest. Might I suggest you consider that the next time you think about the history of the people on this plane with the Unsleir," Eogan replied with a mild tone before giving a slight shake of his head. "I'm sorry to have sprung such a shock on you," he continued. "The people I left in place should have instructed and guided Lucienne through all of this. I should also inform you that you are very lucky you are such a man of honor. Had you bitten her without her express permission, you likely would have been killed. At the very least you would have been completely incapacitated for a week or more." "My understanding was that Unsleir blood was merely foul tasting to vampires," Michael stated with a frown. "Lucienne's was... more than appealing," he commented, while looking directly into her eyes. She flushed and a thrill of intense pleasure ran through her, heating her core. Who ever knew I'd be turned on by someone liking how my blood tasted, she thought to herself, giggling slightly. "That is good information to have," Michael's voice spoke softly in her mind, making her flush harder. "Have you been listening to my thoughts the whole time?" she asked, not really certain how she would feel about it if he had. "No, this is the first. When you allowed me in earlier, your natural boundaries accepted me so now I must work to keep from hearing your thoughts," he replied, his mental voice soothing her. "I will teach you how to block me later, if you like." "Yes please," she replied. "It's a little weird to me to have someone in my head all the time." He responded with a mental caress, and she felt a wave of understanding and comfort come through their link before Eogan broke them out of their moment again. "I request that you not share what I am about to tell you, for Lucienne's sake, if not for mine," Eogan replied, waiting for Michael's nod before continuing. "It is true, our blood does taste foul but only if it's taken, not if it's given willingly. However, certain families carry a little extra oomph to their line. Stealing blood from one of us is usually a death sentence. We do not like this to be common knowledge. There are too many who won't believe our acceptance can't be coerced, so it is much simpler if everyone believes there to be no value in our blood." "The blood would be valuable for assassination as well," Michael commented, his mind immediately analyzing the new information. "Not to mention it would be indicative of power level. Some would want one of your line for what you can do, rather than for your blood." Eogan nodded, pleased Michael had grasped the situation so quickly. "It is why we keep this information as quiet as possible. This is not all, right now you, granddaughter, badly need training. Your abilities have never fully developed as you have lived entirely as a human, however, they are awakening with the bonding, and will continue to grow. Should you choose to turn, the vampire blood will strengthen them further. You must be in control before that happens." "You wish to train her?" Michael asked, though it was more of statement. "Do you have anyone better suited?" Eogan asked, a touch of arrogance in his chiming voice. Michael's eyes flashed, "Careful Unsleir. I know who you are among your people and have allowed less formality out of respect, but you are in my land and I am your Lord." "And you are now blood tied to me, vampire, and I am the head of your Anagealta's clan," Eogan replied standing with a slight glow to his eyes. The next thing Lucienne knew, she was alone on the couch and Michael was in front of her, fangs extended. Pure fury rose in her at the pissing contest, and she had enough. "STOP!" she screamed, unwittingly unleashing full on command voice while stepping between the two men, both obeying out of surprise rather than a need to submit. "You are deliberately baiting and challenging Michael and you'll stop it, or family or not, answers or not, I'll ask him to revoke your pledge," she threatened Eogan. Then, turning to Michael, "I get that you don't trust him, but you're better, more clever, than this." She spun around again, hearing Eogan chuckle and glared at the amusement on his face. "You are truly one of my line, granddaughter. You have very neatly put us both in our place," he commented, before turning to Michael. "I apologize, Lord Reece." "Accepted," Michael replied before they sat down again. He gave Eogan a piercing look and asked, "What have you not yet told us?" "As astute as your reputation claims," he replied with a quick smile. "My position as eldest of our line means that I know of every claiming. With Lucienne's claiming of you came the knowledge of danger and that my presence was needed here, though I don't know why, and am hesitant to theorize since I don't have enough clarity on the matter." Michael sat in silence for several moments, absently caressing Lucienne while considering Eogan's words. "You are surprisingly straightforward," he finally stated. Eogan shrugged, "In this situation that is the best approach to protect my blood, something I have not done very well so far. I have a great deal to make up for, starting with educating Lucienne. Since she will tell you everything anyway, there is no point in beating about the bush. Besides, you are not a man with whom manipulations work well, anyway," Eogan finished with an amused smile. "So I have a question," Lucienne interrupted. "If I'm the first to find their Anagealta since great grandad, how do I have so many siblings?" she asked, knowing it would seem like that came out of nowhere, but she'd actually been wondering about it for years since her dad was the first one to have so many kids. "Ah, that would be because some of them are your half siblings," Eogan replied, nodding slightly at her gasp. "Your father was aware, it was his idea in fact. He knew of his Unsleir heritage, though clearly he did not share that information with you. Your mother wanted children, as did he, and he never was comfortable with his blood line anyway. The man you knew as your uncle was not actually related to your father, though they were close friends as children. He was the father of your eldest brother and your two sisters. Honestly the fact that your father produced two children is quite extraordinary. I often wondered if your mother wasn't actually his Anagealta and he simply never officially claimed her." Lucienne's jaw dropped, not knowing what to make of all of this. She felt like her whole world had just been picked up, shaken and then put back upside down. Michael nuzzled into her neck, offering comfort. "I think perhaps that is sufficient for today," he said to Eogan. "Unless there is any other pressing information, I believe it would be best to have a little time to adjust to these revelations." Eogan nodded his acceptance, "Anything else I have to say will keep for a day or two, except one thing. If you decide to claim her according to Unsleir tradition, you may as well just complete a Ruach bond while you're at it. The danger of that type of bond has passed." Michael gave him a hard look, "Explain please," he said in a deceptively mild voice. Eogan frowned. "Clearly a great deal has been happening on pure instinct. The mental part of a Ruach bonding has already occurred. She's already received your memories, though judging from her face, I'm guessing she's blocked it out?" "The dream," Lucienne gasped with sudden realization. "I couldn't remember anything but I know I got overloaded. It had to be then." Eogan nodded, "Sounds right. Your Anagealta can help you safely recover the memory if you wish, and in the process, he will likely be able to access his own." Michael's face was as still as a statue. "So you're saying the only part missing from a Ruach bond is the blood exchange and soul bonding." "Yes, though I would recommend recovering the memory of the mental bonding first. It will make the rest easier," Eogan replied waiting a moment in case there were any questions. "Well if there is nothing else right now, I think I'd like to go lay down? Crossing the veil is tiring." "Of course, Elijah will show you to your quarters," Michael said, just as his Made entered the room. "If you need anything please let him know." "Thank you, My Lord," Eogan replied and followed Elijah out. Lucienne looked into Michael's eyes losing herself in their golden depths for a bit before coming back to herself. "So about those memories..."