Fourteen
“Jack, we won. We can’t be responsible for everything that happens in our world. That asshole would have killed them whether we were there or not! Jack, are you listening to me?”
“I’m listening, ma’am.”
“You’re still packing.”
“Because I’m leaving, San. You know why.”
“You’re disheartened by our failure to protect those hunters in Kansas City.”
“It’s one reason I’m leaving, sure, this life is tearing me up. It would tear anyone up. But it’s not the major reason.”
“You’re really in love with her, aren’t you? Are you gonna marry her?”
“I don’t know if vampires marry, but whatever they do, I need to see her, I need to be with her. I know you care about me, I care about you too. San, you’re family. But you’ve been right all along. I’m in love with that beautiful vampire.”
Sanquinetta looked out at Jack’s ocean view from the house he’d bought because he loved it so much. With a setting moon, the night view was spectacular. He couldn’t live in it anymore, at least, not unless he did some major renovations. Right now, it was nothing but exposed glass.
She was on his bed, and looked down at her body lying across his sheets. Right where she’d always dreamed she would be. Only not the way she wanted.
He was going to another woman she could never compete with. Not because Ife was vampire, but because he was in love with her.
Love was the one thing she couldn’t overcome.
“I’m happy for you.” She meant it. Her love for Jack would be shit if she couldn’t be happy that he’d found the woman he was meant to be with.
Surprising her, he dropped beside her and took her face in his hands, kissed her eyelids and cheeks.
“You are a glorious warrior. I was never the right man for you. Someday he’ll come and he’ll blow you away, exactly as you deserve. I do love you, Sanquinetta Marianas. Never doubt that.”
“How could you not?” Tears overflowed now, washing away the touch of his lips on her cheeks. “I’m glorious.”
“You are. I’ll be back, San. I think. But I have to see where Ife and I go from here.”
“Then get on that plane, vampire. You don’t want to see that sun rise, do you?”
“No. Xavier’s provided me with his UV protected jet. These first bloods are not living paycheck to paycheck like we always have.”
“I guess not. I better ask for a raise.”
“Take care of the crew while I’m gone.”
“Yeah. Just. You take care of you.”
Two nights later at Ife’s Compound in Brazil
It had been raining for two days and, although it had stopped, the ground was sodden. Another squall earlier in the day had left inches of additional rainfall loosening the grip of new roots in the soil.
Surveying the damage, Ife lowered herself down to the ground, tender fingers tucking exposed roots back into the soaked soil.
“Bad timing,” she whispered out loud. This area would need a lot of TLC to survive. She’d get everyone out when they finished first meal to begin to repair the damage.
“You’ll be all right, my little ones,” she told the tiny trees. “I won’t let you fall.”
Standing, she looked out over the project that had begun so perfectly. All it had needed was proper care to thrive. She had planned to leave her team to take care of it while she took a little trip back to the states. Now, that trip would have to wait.
Ife looked up the steep slope. Perhaps it had been a mistake to plant this valley, but it was so fertile here. No, it was a good choice. Vampire skills combined with the incredible magic of Scottie and Crezia would fix this. It was just heartbreaking to see her healthy little trees falling over in the unfortunate deluge.
Time to go in and see if anyone was ready to join her out here. Reaching for her crystal lantern, she started back up the slope when she saw a tall figure at the crest. He cut a striking silhouette against a moonlit sky. Vampire, although she couldn’t see who.
Lifting her light higher, she tried to make out a face but he was too distant.
“Hi,” she called out.
The man started down the slope, sliding some, recovering, sliding again, until he was near enough, she started toward him, using the lantern to see his face.
Shocked, Ife couldn’t move. “Jack?”
She lowered the light to cast him back into darkness.
It couldn’t be. First, he wouldn’t be here in Brazil. And second, the man on the hill was vampire.
Seconds passed and she lifted the light again to see him smiling, that charming smile that had won her right away back on the Oregon coast.
“Hello, beautiful naked lady.”
Surprised that Jack really was here, Ife lost her footing. Even vampire speed didn’t help, she was so distracted, she tumbled down the soaked incline, rolling, rolling, until she was stopped by a row of older saplings. Her lantern cast a hard light uphill as it lay on its side nearby.
Controlling the rest of his descent, Jack was there just as Ife struck the small trees. He scooped her up into his arms.
“Didn’t mean to knock you off your feet.”
She stared at his face, aware more now at this moment than she’d realized how deeply she’d missed him.
“Jack,” his name came again on a soft breath. “You knocked me off my feet that first night you came down the beach to me. It seems nothing has changed.”
“So you’re happy to see me?”
She shook her head, her arms around him, her face buried next to his. In the understatement of the century, she calmly said, “I’m happy to see you.”
Moments passed as she let herself inhale him, his scent, his strengthened scent.
“Jack, you’re vampire.”
“Yes. Stories to tell.”
He looked her over, nearly every inch of Ife’s face and body covered with mud.
“You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
Ife laughed. “Neither have you. How did you find me?”
“Ben told me how find your compound. It’s an amazing place. One of your friends told me how to find you.”
He tried to brush some of the mud from her hair and gave up. “Why don’t I get you back at your place and both of us into a shower?”
“No.”
The word startled Jack. No? She didn’t want to go with him? Had he been wrong? She’d seemed happy to see him.
“No,” Ife repeated, and wiggled free to drop effortlessly to the wet earth. Grabbing his shirt, she pulled him down into the mud with her.
“No, I can’t wait until we go in.”
He watched, stunned, as Ife pulled her shirt over her head, then reached for his. Her fingers curled over the tail and yanked it up and off.”
“Here. Now.”
Yes…!
Eyes locked on each other’s, they pulled off their pants at the same moment, shoes gone before, and stood, naked, even in the low light, they could see each other clearly.
“How is it possible you are even more beautiful than I remembered?”
Ife didn’t answer, moving close, her hands on his chest, starting at his pecs, against the mud-slickened skin, she slid them down his body, over the flat belly, lingered there to caress the hard muscle, before she lowered a hand to what she’d missed most. The physical link, the deepest connection possible, when he was buried in her, moving inside her, touching where nothing else could touch.
He was vampire now, and bigger, her hand curving and twisting over the thicker organ, the head bigger, and oh Gods, she couldn’t wait to plunge down over him.
Vampire, he was more durable, good, because she needed, needed, him after so long apart, so she shoved Jack with vampire force, and he went down hard, buried in thick mud.
She stood over him, staring down, appreciating this man, this vampire, who had come for her, who she now knew loved her as she loved him.
“Jack,” Ife whispered, feeling like that was the only word that meant anything to her right now, as she lowered herself to slide, controlled, slow, onto Jack’s engorged cock. She settled, unmoving, for moments, before she lifted to his strangled groan.
“Oh, fuck, Ife, you feel…”
Jack couldn’t think of a word that fit, or was it that he couldn’t think of anything at all with Ife clenching him so tight. The groan came again as his hands went to her thighs.
Moving up and down now, after a deep graveled sigh, Ife spoke. “Who made you?”
It took a moment for him to realize what she asked, his mind so fractured by what she was doing to his cock. “Uh, it was Saul.”
Up, down, savoring, Ife leaned down, her nipples grazing his, her fingernails digging holes in his chest, Ife clenched harder.
“Were you…ahhhh!”
Her speed increased, mud splattering, especially when he confirmed what she’d feared. He’d been dying.
“Yes…”
Faster, all the way out, to feel the head when he entered again, she’d nearly lost him!, faster, harder, riding Jack as he grabbed her thighs, thrusting, ready to come, ready to drink from her for the first time.
Mud covered both as they got slicker, both tightened their grips, Ife now lying on Jack, the orgasms finally hit, Jack exploding into Ife, her cries uncontrolled, as she felt Jack, her mate, come inside her. Oh, Gods, yes, he was love to her, home for her.
Collapsed on top of him, his arms around her, Ife felt light-headed. He’d come to her, any worry about whether he was ready to become vampire gone.
Dropping off him, Ife rolled to lie beside him.
“That was…” What was the word?
“Electric. Unacceptably overdue?”
“Magic. Gods, I missed you.”
“I thought about you every night as I woke and every morning before I slept. Before and after I became vampire.”
“I was finishing up this project we’re nearly lying on, then I was going to fly to Oregon.”
Sitting up, she fed her fingers between his. Her eyes searched his and saw exactly what she needed. He was in love with her.
“You are my mate, Jack Remington, if you want to be.”
“I want to be. I am.”
“It’s a long time, Jack, as vampire.”
“Good. Let’s go to your rooms, clean up, and get dirty all over again. I’ve got mud in places I didn’t even know I had cavities.”
So here, in the rainforest she was rebuilding, against the warm earth that meant so much to her, covered with the earth’s skin, Ife pledged herself to the man who would travel this path with her through life, good or bad, great or small, heaven or hell, whatever may come. They were one.
Laughing, she pulled him up, used air displacement to race up the slope and led him to her chambers, to her massive shower that pummeled them with warm clean water, to aggressive playful towel-drying, glasses of MoonShine, and yes, they got very dirty again.
Passing Ife’s chambers on their way outside, Scottie and Crezia giggled, thrilled that finally the woman they loved like a sister had discovered that she had room in her life for more than one love.
At Hunter HQ in Oregon
Xavier had returned to Oregon and called Saul to a meeting. When he arrived, Xavier leaned against the counter where the hunters made their food. Cairine stood nearby, grazing on a bag of crisps.
Surprised to see both first bloods back, Saul lowered his head in acknowledgment. “I’m glad to see you two. Hello, Cari.”
Cairine smiled. “Hi, Saul.”
Snagging the bag of crisps from Cairine, Xavier munched down a handful.
“Aye, glad to be back. I’ve a fondness for the Americas. So, things are goin’ okay, I hear.”
Not sure what this questioning was leading to, and concerned, Saul nodded. “Quite. We’ve all bonded into a cohesive team, and we work well together.”
“Good. Great to hear. Now, we need to address the elephant in the room.”
Saul didn’t understand. Elephant?
“I’m confused. What elephant is that?”
“Essentially, young vampire, it is you. It’s very rare for a made vampire to have light hair and light eyes.”
Saul shrugged. “Obviously it happens, since I do. Why? Is that a problem for you?”
“Kind of. Ya see, we’ve had some experience with this. Lad, there’s a very good chance that ye’re first blood.”
“What? Like you? Born a vampire? I don’t think so.”
“We do. But ya see, the only way to know for certain is to find yer bloodline. I don’t suppose ya know who yer father was?”
“My mother died alone in childbirth. I was raised by a couple of farmers outside London. They didn’t really want me, I was an orphan baby thrust upon them so I left when I was fifteen. I’ve been in North America for almost 200 years.”
“Lad, if ya want to understand yer heritage, who ya really are, ya need to come with me to France. Me daughter and a dear friend named Tamesine can find out who yer father is, and if we can find yer father, we can introduce ya to yer first blood nature.”
“You’re serious?”
“As ever I was. Now that the world’s so small, we’ve discovered first bloods who have been raised by their human parents, unaware of their legacy. Son, we want to bring ya home.”
He might be first blood? Born of this ancient race of powerful vampires? Unlikely.
Although…the thought trickled through his body. He’d always wanted to find family. The thought touched something deep inside him, something buried that lay dormant like a box unopened. Was it possible?
Cairine moved closer, her fingers sliding against his chest. “Saul, Ife told me that she sensed in you talents, undiscovered skills not possible without first blood. You owe it to yourself to go with Xavier and find out who you are. Although, it’s entirely up to you.”
Saul looked at Xavier. The man was ancient, magical, something like a god, and he believed that Saul was of his kind.
He lifted his eyes to search Xavier’s. If it was true…
“Yes, I’ll come with you.”
“Aye, lad, ya didn’t really have a choice. Yer blood is callin’ ya. We’ll leave after sunset.”
Two weeks later at Hunter HQ
The place was dismal. Stark. Devoid of any charm.
“Not even curtains,” Dani commented aloud as she wandered through what must be the main office.
Which was unfair; there were no windows since vampires worked here with the human hunters. Still, an uninspiring place. She wrinkled her nose. And there was an odd smell. Six months, she hoped, and then she would be back with her friends in their nice clean offices in Denver.
She was here to help, and help she would. They needed a supernatural with her skills, a human who could detect a vampire presence, so yes was the only answer when asked if she would do it. Plus, she’d never say no to Cari.
A screech like she’d heard when she entered let her know the door behind her was opening again, and along with a crisp breeze, two women entered, their conversation as brisk as the breeze. When their eyes moved into the room and saw the unfamiliar woman standing in the center, they stopped in place.
Dani’s eyes moved over them, assessing the hunters she’d come to aid. A darker-skinned woman, caramel, with smooth black hair bound by bright braids, Dani read her instantly; a warrior, passionate, and with magical skills of her own that she only barely acknowledged.
Beside her, a woman as pale as the other was dark, yin to her yang. Intelligent, a woman of science, methodical, stoic, easily excited.
A fascinating pair, Dani admitted. They would be challenging to work with, difficult, argumentative, exacting.
Good.
“Who are you?” the darker woman barked, her hand near her side.
Warrior. Dani held both her hands out to show she held no weapon, an ancient method of friendship.
“Your relief. Cari sent me.”
Her hand relaxed, the woman moved slightly closer.
“Oh. Our borrowed supernatural. She said Danny, we expected a man.”
“Dani with an I. And yes, female. Disappointed?”
A bright smile surprised Dani. “Hardly. Women have a special knack for knowing what fits. What suits. You’re trained in combat?”
“I fought a volcano to save the world.”
The pale woman with long blonde braids stepped toward Dani with a smile. “Sounds like a great résumé to me. I’m Evaleigh. Eva to those who know me, so you might as well start with that. We get to know each other pretty quick with what we do.”
Dani looked at her warrior, whose right hand dropped from her weapon.
“Sanquinetta. San.”
“Looks like we’re going to have some interesting adventures ahead.”
“Three hot women, knives, and guns. The ultimate male fantasy.”
“It gets us in the door.”
“Ooh. I like you, Dani. Shall we toast our new union with a nice wine?”
“I’m in.”
An hour later Dani stepped outside her new workplace to clear her mind. The crisp breeze had stiffened into a punishing wind, but felt good on her warm skin.
She was certain that she and the women she just met would work well together, but there was something. Something…not right.
Foreboding crawled up her arms and into her belly. Something unnaturally bad permeated the air, a presence of malice that nearly overcame her increasingly sensitive empathic talent.
Dangerous days were coming.
The Four Horsemen stood watching Hunter HQ from safe ground. They had a good handle on the team that would face them when the time came.
The lovely Nubian, Sanquinetta, a soldier, warrior born, with magic in her she didn’t fully understand.
Evaleigh, who could see far too much of the world through the third eye of her lens, and had yet to discover the true fighter within her.
A displaced vampire, an odd fit, lone through his entire three hundred year history, now lock-stepping with those who were, at one time, dedicated to end his race. Saul, by name.
Now this one, another night-skinned woman, beautiful, who carried within her earth magic that didn’t belong to humans, and yet there it was, powerful, and perhaps the greatest threat to him and his. He looked forward to sparring with her.
Jack, the human hunter now vampire, would be there too, as well as the first blood who had not stayed. Quattro had no doubt…they would be a part of the war when the time came.
“On with the show,” he whispered.