Chapter 39: Protecting What's Ours

The moon is high in the sky, as Derek and Meredith move swiftly through the darkened fields. They can easily see the bobbing lights of the men they are following and pick up the sounds of the voices. The group is careless, obviously unconcerned about covering their tracks, as they make their way towards the manor.

Blending into the shadows surrounding the old manor, they can hear the sounds of the mortals moving inside. Derek can sense the pounding of their pulses, as they search for something to vandalize or steal. They are certain of their isolation, swinging their flashlights, talking loudly, stomping their feet. His lip curls, fangs flashing in the moonlight as he contemplates the next move.

This should be easy...

Meredith nods, picking up the same scent of blood, mixed with adrenaline and sweat. How many?

Derek shrugs. Five, or six, perhaps...nothing to worry about.

He withdraws a slim dagger from his boot and tosses it to her. But just for show...

She flashes him a grin, her own fangs ready to find a willing host. Let's go...

With a small nod, Derek takes her hand, and within moments they are standing in the center of the great hall. Two of the men are there, pushing aside dusty coverings from various old chests. Too intent on their task of searching to realize the presence behind them at first. Their flashlights lay discarded, casting warm circles on the dusty floor. Derek moves silently in behind them, kicking one of the flashlights, sending it skittering into the corner. The darkness intensifies, as the beam of light is hidden in the shadows.

"What the fuck?" One of them spins around, coming face to face with the angry vampire. Derek locks eyes with the man, his own glinting wickedly, nearly hypnotizing at this close contact.

"Can I help you find something?"

"Where the fuck did you come from?" The first man sputters, his eyes darting from Derek to Meredith and back. His heart rate spikes. "Look, this is our find, we ain't sharin', mate. Go find someone else to rob."

"Yeah, get lost." The second man agrees, grabbing a gun from his jacket pocket. But his eyes slide to Meredith for a fraction of a second. "You can stay, luv. Always happy to have a pretty girl around..."

"Oh, but I'm not just a pretty girl," Meredith smiles, hiding her fangs for the moment. She moves closer, touching his arm. Her eyes open wider, drawing him in, the azure green like a beacon to his free will. He leans forward, drawn into her hypnotic gaze. Her tongue flicks over her bottom lip. "I'm part of your nightmares," she murmurs, baring her fangs. Just as Derek lunges at his quarry, grabbing the back of the head with a snarl.

The gun falls to the floor, unheeded, as Meredith sinks her fangs into her prey. Tasting blood along her tongue, drawing in the warmth she craves. Derek bites down without pausing, tasting the fear and alcohol laced blood under his tongue. Taking enough to satisfy, leaving the man unconscious on the floor. Meredith backs away as well, touching her fingers to the forehead, and he slides to the floor also.

"Leave them - we'll move them later," Derek says, picking up the gun. "The others are upstairs."

Meredith joins him, putting her hand to his cheek. "Good…" She kisses him, meeting his tongue briefly. Flushed with the blood, deepening the kiss until they hear the sound of movements again.

"Now, love…"

Derek leads the way along the stairs, past the points of decay, until they reach the top. The wide corridor is deserted, but they move quietly towards what Meredith can only assume is the main bedroom. There are heavy oak doors loose on the hinges, and cool air rushes by them from the wide-open casement windows. Laughter and sounds of breaking glass are loud in the still air.

"Damn…breaking the stained glass I was hoping to retain…"

Then the smell of cigarette smoke assaults them, and Meredith freezes. They can't set fire to anything, can they?

It's all stone and mortar, not much wood or flammable items left…

They pause at the doorway, watching the three men inside. Derek hefts the pistol in his hand, debating how to handle this. This was indeed the master bedchamber, where Kiera had died, where Thatcher found him. To see these vandals here makes him go colder than usual. He growls under his breath and raises the gun.

Derek…

He fires one shot into the air and moves forward. "Party's over, you need to leave." This time, one of them returns the gunshot, not waiting to discuss anything. It hits Derek in the shoulder, and he grimaces as the slug goes through him, momentarily making him pause. There is a small sting of heat, and a warm trickle of blood that he feels beneath the leather jacket. But it's not enough to harm him, and the wound already begins to heal. Derek grins at them. "Care to try that again?"

Meredith touches his arm, reassured by his steady voice, and his silent assurance that he is just fine.

"How the bloody hell…?" one of them mutters, looking at the barrel of his gun in confusion. "I shot you…"

Derek bares his fangs then. "You did…but it's not good enough." He advances, as Meredith circles around the other side. She holds the dagger, keeping them back easily.

"Having fun, boys?" she asks. "You like to trash other people's belongings?"

"What do you care? This is abandoned…" the other one sneers. "Old and empty…"

"But it belongs to me, and I don't like strangers in my home," Derek says quietly. "Nobody takes what is mine."

"Belongs to you?" The leader of the group asks, incredulous. "No way, mate. The owner is dead…some bloody time ago."

"Really? Are you sure?" Derek asks, letting his fangs show even more, letting his presence wash them in chilly air. Even though his voice is deadly calm, there is enough menace in it to make them pause.

"But…you can't be…"

"What if he is?" Meredith asks softly. "What if he's a ghost?"

"Ghost?" The first man gulps, and one of the others edges towards the door. "No fuckin' way…ghosts don't fire guns…"

"Okay, not a ghost then…"

Meredith moves between him and the window, pushing them towards Derek. The three of them scramble faster, out the door, and Derek lets them rush by, knowing they can't get far. Footsteps scrabble up the stairs to the turret, and with a little laugh, Derek moves past them in a blur, meeting them at the top of the stairs.

"You're trapped now," Derek observes coolly, crossing his arms over his chest. "No way out except down…" His wicked grin sends a sharp trickle of fear through all of them.

"We wasn't going to take nothing…"

"Oh, really…and what about the sheep from the pen at William's home? I suppose that wasn't you either?"

Head shaking and denials greet this question as well, as Meredith closes in behind them. "I don't think he believes you. He's very protective of what belongs to him. If I were you, I'd think about begging for mercy."

Then she jumps lightly to the turret ledge, balancing behind them. Wind lifts her hair, ebbing strands around her. The sight entrances them all. "Damn…you can't be real…"

Careful, Meredith…

Always, just having a little fun…

"Shoot her, Mick! Just see if she bleeds...!"

Before Mick has a chance to react, Derek lunges swiftly, knocking the man down, falling against his companion beside him. The three of them land in a scuffle, as Meredith leaps down from the ledge. Instantly, she has the third one gripped tightly, calming his chaotic thoughts, as she pierces his skin. Taking enough to ease her craving again, she leaves him with a mental command to relax, not to move, and he nods slowly. He oozes down to the floor, eyes closed, peaceful.

By this time, Derek has subdued the other two, taking a long last pull from the throat of one of them. Again, tasting the whiskey in the blood, leaving him with a faint buzz, as he gets to his feet. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, feeling the blood singing through every sinew and bone in his body.

"Good job, sweetheart," he observes, as she takes his hand.

"Are you okay?" She brushes the hair away from his cheek, noting a small bruise from colliding with the thief.

He kisses her quickly. "Never better. Now let's find something to bind these fools with, before they wake up."

Meredith spots some dusty coils of rope tucked away in the corner, finding they are a little frayed, but usable. They quickly tie the three of them together, before bringing the other two up from the main level. Once they are all secured, Derek takes his cell phone from his pocket. He drops down to eye level with the leader of the group, slapping his cheek lightly.

"Wha…?"

"Don't talk, just listen," Derek says softly, staring directly into the other man's eyes. "I'm going to call the local constable, leave him an anonymous tip to find you here, trussed up like a present under the Christmas tree. With no memory of what exactly happened to you, but you will confess to stealing the sheep from William and offer to pay for the replacement. And that you intended to rob this place and vandalize what you couldn't rip off. Is that clear?"

Lulled by the suggestive tones in Derek's voice, and the steady gaze that hold him captive, the thief nods slowly. "Yes, clear."

"Good…because I'd hate to have to find you again…next time I won't be so lenient. Keep that thought in your mind as well. Dangerous things hide in the dark."

Another nod, as Derek traces his fingertips along the man's forehead, effectively leaving no memory of this except what Derek wants him to remember. They do the same to the remaining men, before they ease away into the darkness again.

"We will return tomorrow night again, to assess the damage and see what we can find of Kiera's. No point in being here when the police arrive – they can deal with my barrister in the morning, as far as pressing charges. James will know what to do."

Meredith tucks her hand in the crook of his elbow as the make their way outside again. "I'm sorry they damaged the windows. I'm sure they were beautiful."

"They were. I'm thinking we should have some put in at the penthouse – even in the moonlight they are beautiful." He turns to her in the darkness, catching her mouth with his for a slow kiss. "And I can just imagine how delectable you would look, with the colors playing along your perfect skin…"

Meredith looks up at him, into the liquid blue of his eyes, suddenly imagining making love to him beneath the cool light of the moon filtered through the glass, chasing the patches of color on his sculpted body as they slide together on the white sheets. Feeling his mouth on her as their passion rises, and she shudders at the clarity of the image.

"I see it too…" Derek pulls her closer again, moving them backwards into the lush rosebushes surrounding them in the overgrown garden. Sweet, intoxicating scent envelops them, as he sweeps his tongue along her lip, and invades her mouth the way he wants to invade her body. He can still feel the lingering effects of the alcohol laced blood humming in his veins - combined with the heady aroma of Meredith's arousal, it leaves him a little light-headed. Raining kisses along her jaw then, and down the column of her throat, his hands pushing aside the jacket urgently. Her leg hooks around him, drawing him even closer, her hips rising to meet the insistent movement of his.

Meredith can feel the cool air on her skin, as he moves the material away, his mouth tracing the warm globes of her breasts that he frees from the black lace bra. The warm, wet velvet of his tongue rasps over her nipples, alternating with his fingers. Ripples of want radiate through her - the need to have him like a sudden sharp ache that needs to be satisfied. I want you...

Here? Now?

Please...

Anything for you, love...

The barrier of clothing between them is gone in an instant, and Derek lifts her up against him. Cradling her in his strong arms, his tongue delves into her mouth, just as his cock moves up into her, hard and demanding. Meredith cries out, stifling her scream against his shoulder, biting down involuntarily, unable to resist.

She rises upwards, pulling away from him, before plunging back down again, enveloping him completely. Derek pulls her shirt out of the way, pulling her breasts up and out of her bra, rolling her nipples with his thumbs and then his tongue. She abandons any pretense of keeping quiet, and moans and cries out for him to go harder and faster. He can feel her tightening around him, and he lets his own climax take over. Her head goes back as the orgasm shudders through her, leaving her shaking from the aftershocks.

Falling forward against Derek, Meredith soothes the bite marks she'd left on his shoulder, stroking the little nips closed with her tongue. He strokes her back gently as they recover, breathing heavily. Faintly in the distance, the sound of a police siren can be heard, and Derek laughs softly. "Best we get out of here, love."

"This was all your fault, you know."

"No, I believe you were begging," he teases, as they pull their clothing back together.

"And you weren't resisting, baby," Meredith giggles, taking his hand, before they melt away into the black night once more.