Chapter 17 Rising to the Occasion

Thank you Lynn for the wonderful picture! Beautiful as always and such a treat to see our delicious Mick and Beth looking so happy!

I'd also like to welcome Lady LaLa! She is going to be my beta for the stories. LaLa has read my stories for many years, starting with the non-vamp stuff and I feel privileged to have her talent and help with this process. She is an amazing writer on her own and if you haven't read her blog story, As We Lay, you can find it on this page.  Check it out because it is outstanding! Lady LaLa, thank you dahling...

Chapter 17 Rising to the Occasion

Beth awoke slowly, comfortable with her soft blanket wrapped around her. She looked at Mick, frost lightly covering his mile long eyelashes that no man should ever have. She smiled and resisted the urge to move, afraid to wake her slumbering mate.

The past few days had been kind of crazy; she had been gathering information for Buzzwire and was going to meet with Max about Buzzwire later today and Mick had a client coming in too. Life was starting to fall back into place and she couldn’t be happier about it. All in all, this had been a pretty good week; Robbi and she were working on things and tomorrow she, Robbi and Lani were getting together to plan a baby shower for her Mom!

Wow, that sounds weird, she thought with a laugh.

Mick’s eyes snapped open as he felt her body move. Her head was on his shoulder and a sleek leg was thrown over his own and he suddenly felt hot as hell and it had nothing to do with the blanket that was draped over a bit of his leg.

Could he ever wake up to her and not want to take her immediately and pour himself into her willing heat? God, he hoped that he never would!

“Good morning,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. His fingers stroked the spun gold of her hair idly as he felt her wrap herself around him so she could lean up to kiss him.

“Good morning to you my sexy vampire!” She kissed his lips and then her mouth slid down along his jaw and dip to his collar bone where she let her fangs graze for a moment making him squirm in anticipation.

She felt a chuckle rumble through his chest and he said, “I’m not the only vampire here right now and I’m also not the sexy one!”

“Depends on your outlook Mick.” Her mouth kissed its way down to his chest, fingers and tongue playing along the way, teasing every inch of skin they could. She kicked the blanket to the end of the freezer and rolled over onto him, straddling his hip and was rewarded with a fangy smile as his eyes silvered and a low growl rumbled through his chest. She own eyes turned the amazing sparking blue and their gazes met and locked. He pulled her up to him and captured her mouth, his tongue rimming her lips, bidding entrance to the sweet warmth of her mouth.

Mick flipped her over and she found herself on her back, her body being stroked and caressed until she was trembling wildly. Mick’s cool hands tenderly cupped her face, embracing it gently. His long fingers lovingly caressed her cheeks before he bent his ardent lips to capture hers again. The kiss consumed them, their lips clinging enticingly to one another’s.

The kiss went on and on until Beth was practically senseless and knew only intense desire. But there was nothing hurried about his touch, his lips; they moved slowly, tantalizingly, making her yearn for all he could give her.

His mouth stole wetly down to draw lazy circles around her nipples, making them long for his attention all the more. As his tongue flicked over those hardened bits of aching flesh she let out a low moan of desire, urging him on.

Mick looked deeply into her eyes and Beth’s breath caught in her throat as she saw his desire for her in his silvered eyes. Shivers of anticipation were racing up and down her spine and she wanted to hurry to feel him inside of her.

Mick trailed his kisses down her body, stopping to trace his tongue along the soft skin of her breasts and dipping down her stomach. He felt her muscles contract and she arched her back, making soft mewing sounds of desire as his lips dipped further and finally he moved slowly to part her thighs with his hands and she felt his fingers reach out and gently explore her aching flesh to ensure that she was ready for him. She bucked against his hand as he gently slid his finger inside of her and her legs involuntarily closed around it. The caress was slow and sweet and his eyes never left hers as he stroked and caressed her; the intimacy made her softly cry out his name.

He settled down into the welcoming embrace of her body to push inside of Beth’s quivering body and entered the aching folds slowly, pushing himself in as deeply as he could and stayed that way for a long moment.

Mick reached both hands up to capture hers and their fingers entwined intimately. Again his eyes traveled to hers and their gazes locked as he started moving inside of her. Each stroke was slow and intense; lingering tantalizingly at the entrance of passion, before thrusting deeply into her, again and again. He made love to her as if she were reverent; evoking passion so deeply within her that she felt light-headed. She only knew the feel of him, her senses fervently burning with desire as they neared the edge, locked together in the dance of passion, slowly climbing the peak and tumbling irresistibly over the edge, each one sharing their love through the lover’s bite, the blood a soothing bond between them

Finally he rolled over and pulled her with him and they stayed that way, for the longest time, not speaking and only the sounds of the quieting breathing could be heard.

“It only gets better,” she murmured, her cheek resting on his chest as she played her fingers through the soft hairs on his chest.

“Um, I know. I don’t know how much better I can take it though,” he teased her with a chuckle. “Baby, you make me feel 50 again!”

Beth lightly nipped at a nipple and then hit the ‘open’ button to climb out of their freezer. “Smart ass!,” she said with a saucy wink and an extra wiggle as she stepped away from the freezer. As she headed to the shower she could hear him laughing and it was the best thing she’d heard in a while; she could only hope that it continued.





OOOOOOOOOOOO



Beth met Max for lunch so that they could go over what each had accomplished. Max was already seated when Beth got there. As she took her seat Max looked at her and grinned before saying, “God, I remember that happy newlywed glow, all satisfied and energized! You look fantastic Beth!”

Beth laughed and only dipped her head in agreement because Max was so right, she felt wonderful and the reason for that was Mick. “Yeah, I am happy girl to be sure. I’m also so excited about our project! Have you had any luck this week?”

“Yes, more than I expected. We’ll have enough office staff, technicians, story editors and researchers to get us going and I worked out agreements with Steve, Sam and the others you sent to me. I even managed to hire one reporter back. He freelanced at Buzzwire a few times while you were there, I think. You remember Kasey Carson?”

“Yeah, I do. He had a great on air rapport, but he’s a bit of a prima donna; let’s hope he changed a bit.”

“I think he might have; getting canned from a few places helped the attitude a bit. He’s ready to concede that he might just need some mentoring so guess what? You have an extra job.” Max watched Beth roll her eyes and then grin.

“He’ll play nice or he’s going to be walking the streets again; I hope you made that really crystal clear to him?”

“Yes, I did. How did the discussion with Professor Katz go? He have any suggestions?”

“Yes, actually he did. You and I have two interviews next week and Professor Katz assured me both of them are ready and able to do this.”

“That gives us four on air, Christine, Kasey, and possibly the two new ones. Still need another though.”

“Um, well, we’ve got a month to go yet but maybe our ads will help. You know, I was thinking about Mark and the doctor thing you mentioned the other day; Max, I think it could really work. Lots of stations are having segments like that. He could tape once as week and answer questions from viewers and then it could stream and people could watch when they wanted. We could do the same thing with other professions too; it would be a good way to bring in a broader viewer base and help to establish that we aren’t just streaming trash. What do you think?”

“I think it sounds great. Do you have any other professions you’re thinking about?”

“Um, a lawyer maybe? I know one that might work, maybe a psychologist too although I don’t have anyone in mind for that. There could be lots of things we could do, maybe even a yoga segment or a cooking segment as well. I dunno, just tossing ideas out there.”

“You’ve really put a lot of thought into this. I think we go with whatever we can find, Beth. Maybe an online ‘Dear Abby’ kind of thing?”

Beth laughed, “Yeah, advice to the lovelorn! I love it.”

“Okay, I talked to Sam about the computer stuff. She’s going to have a message board up early next week, as soon as the ads go up. Steve said he was in to do a couple of promos so are you free Monday to get them done?”

“Sure; do we have anything prepared or do I need to come up with something?”

“Why don’t we both come up with a few ideas and we’ll see what works best.”

“It’s a deal,” Beth said, a beautiful and excited smile on her face. They spent the rest of their lunch actually eating and talking about anything other than Buzzwire and it felt so good, to be out and hanging out with friends again Beth thought. Life was finally settling back into place; she could only hope it stayed that way.



OOOOOOOOOOOO



Luka’s phone rang and he saw that it was an unavailable number again. “Hey Carl, unavailable call. Can you call your friend to see what he can find out?”

Carl nodded and stepped away to call Logan while Luka answered the call. Logan reminded him that he wouldn’t be able to determine what the number of the phone was most likely but could track where the call was coming from. “Good enough!” Carl said and went to stand by Luka so he could hear what was going on.

“Are you ready to investigate detective?”

“Are you ready to meet face to face? Otherwise this conversation is over with. You have 5 seconds to decide.”

Malcolm felt a momentary pang of frustration and anger. Who the hell did this guy think he was dealing with?

Carl was listening to Logan as she tracked the incoming call. “It’s a burner Carl, but then we knew it would be. Got the number though, might give you the upper hand in dealing with him. It’s pinging off a tower near the Santa Monica Pier. That’s the best I can give you dude.” Logan read him the number and Carl smiled, satisfied.

“Okay, thanks,” Carl said in a whisper, knowing that Logan could hear it. He pushed the end button and mouthed, “It’s a burner, but we got the number,” to Luka.

“Okay mystery man, I’m tired of your games.”

The detective was calling his bluff and he didn’t like it at all. “Okay, we’ll meet. But we do it my way.”

“We’ll see about that. Name it.”

“I’ll let you know in a couple days detective.”

Luka heard the line go dead and pushed the end button. Carl handed him the number and Luka grinned and dialed it.

Malcolm jumped when the phone rang immediately and growled when he saw that it was the detective. Well, what the hell did he expect? The guy was a cop.

“What?” he asked.

“Just checking on the number. Don’t fuck with me because I guarantee you’re gonna get screwed.” Luka hung up the phone and laid it on the desk, feeling pleased with himself and Carl. “Your buddy is pretty good Carl. Yep, pretty good.”

Carl couldn’t agree more. Now they waited again, but for how long?



OOOOOOOOOOOO



Heroku knew that he needed to tell the old ones about Beth St. John and her special abilities; he had no doubt that she was a descendent but they would have to test her to make sure.

They could be difficult at times, the old ones. Perhaps that came from thousands of years of living; their expectations of the world around them were understandably skewed. They had survived plagues, wars, decimation of races and countries and during all that they had remained secluded and withdrawn from it all.

Heroku was a mere baby compared to their age, their knowledge and strength. They could bend the very fabric of life to suit themselves if the notion took them or they could disappear without a backwards glance, only to emerge every solstice and equinox to meet at the sacred temple.

Secrecy? These people wrote the book on it and their secrets were closely guarded. Heroku didn’t know who they really were, or rather how they came to be. He was only a guardian, made by Shinji, the leader who was his sire. Sometimes he almost believed they weren’t of this earth, but who besides them actually knew?

Beth would, if she were really a descendent. It didn’t really bother him that they held their secrets; he had lived a long and happy life because of Shinji’s gift of the sacred blood. He knew that they each had descendents, although most of the descendents were never known because unless they were turned their gifts were never known. Fewer than 100 descendents were known and they each enjoyed a life of rank and privilege, even among vampires. Untouchable, unique and beyond the ordinary parameters of vampirism they transcended immortality. There wasn’t anything that could kill or end them.

Heroku placed the call that would connect him to Shinji and waited for it to be answered. This was Shinji’s direct line and would be answered by no one else. The question was, would it be answered at all or would he be forced to leave a message?

Finally after a dozen rings Shinji spoke into the phone. “Hai, Heroku.”

“Ohayou gozaimasu Shinji-san. Ogenki desuka?” Heroku waited for Shinji to reply. Often times he had little patience to answer pleasantries such as good morning or how are you. Whether or not he indulged Heroku would tell him whether he would be amenable to the conversation.

“Good morning to you Heroku. I am well; you?”

“Fine, thank you very much. I have news that might be of interest to you.” Heroku heard a small, impatient grunt on the other end of the phone line and continued. “I have met a young woman here in Los Angeles; her name is Elizabeth St. John and I believe her to be a descendent.”

“Why do you believe this Heroku?”

“She has gifts that are not usual for a vampire. She eats regular food, has intense powers of allure and control as well. She was turned 7 weeks ago and on her first full moon she hungered badly but still did not attack a loved one. I instructed her to feed fresh and had to control her but she did so and immediately felt better. Of course, this could all be a coincidence.”

“Hai, it could be. Do you believe she is worthy of testing?”

“Yes, she is. She is of great strength and integrity and will make a fine kun-atfal with guidance and training.”

“You think she is a princess Heroku?”

“I do. I think she should be tested soon because she grows ever more curious about her special abilities. As does her husband.”

“She is married? Gah, that complicates the situation. No, she is better off living out her existence as she is.”

“Shinji, he too is a noble and worthy warrior, a man of great heart and loyalty. He would make an excellent candidate to be a guardian. I feel that it is important that she be tested.” He stated his case firmly and Shinji caught the determined tone of his fledgling.

“We will discuss this at the next solstice. In the meantime I will see if someone would come there to observe.”

“Domo arigato Shinji-san. I believe it is the correct thing to do. As always, your decisions are thoughtful and just.”

“Sayonara Heroku.”

The line went dead and Heroku sat back in his chair, more than a little relieved that the call had went well. Heroku always felt as if he were an unschooled lad when he spoke to his sire. His mind then wandered to Camille and her young man Carl.

All investigations had shown that he too was a good and worthy man and would make a loyal mate for his adopted daughter. He would fight for her with integrity and valuable skills.

Yes, a good match. But Cami will not be his sire Heroku decided; he would be. Yes, she could be with him to provide the succor and encouragement that only a mate could but Heroku would be his sire. Cami was a gentle soul and would likely not be up to a task such as a turning would be.

He had made mistakes with her, not insisting that she learned to feed fresh being one but he had succeeded in many other ways. He felt great pride at her accomplishments because she had come very far from the sad child on the beach all those years ago, half feral and scared out of her mind. Yes, she was an amazing young woman.

As was Lani. He saw great potential in her relationship with Josef. They too were a good match. The young vampire had accomplished much in his life; a position of respect among his peers and a suitable fortune through hard work and intelligence. Yes, he was a good match as well.

He needed to have a talk with Beth about the Qamar-al-atfal soon. There was more that she needed to understand. He picked up his phone again and called her but only got her voice mail. He asked her to call him back and so that they could meet to talk.

With that done, he called to his kitchen and asked for a cheeseburger and a glass of O+ to be sent to him.

It was his guilty pleasure, indulging occasionally in the delectable treat and also a hidden part of his life. A secret of his own.



To be continued…