Thorn opened his mouth, a large and deep yawn silently escaping from his body. He was stretched out languidly in front of the fire, his body limp and relaxed. He had been relieved from his guard duty that evening - though, Max supposed, he was never really off duty - and had enjoyed a long and relaxing evening being pampered, petted and cooed over by Lucy. She was kind to her son's dog, Nanook, but seemed very eager to spoil Thorn. His tail had thudded gently against the carpet, the chair, her leg - he had been very happy indeed. The blonde dog had taken quite a liking to the older woman and Max had been pleased to watch the two of them, smiling as Lucy offered him nibbles of her dinner. He'd even relented and given Thorn a bit of his own, a habit he'd never approved of before.
Dogs weren't to eat from plates, they weren't to disturb the dinner table...but Lucy had been so bright, so sweet in her attentions that he'd relented. It wasn't that he didn't care for Thorn, because he did. He cared for the dog quite a lot but there were rules to be followed.
Still, he didn't mind breaking them for Lucy.
There was nothing he wouldn't do for Lucy.
Lucy or her family.
...and what an interesting family it was!
Very, very interesting.
And surprising.
Yes, a surprising and funny little turn of events involving the surprising and interesting Emerson clan. He'd not paid much mind to the Emerson family before, his attentions being focused solely on Lucy but that had been a mistake.
His attention had wavered and look what had happened.
Such a mess!
What exactly had young Elizabeth gotten herself involved in?
Such a surprise and a most unpleasant one at that.
Here he was, preparing to make Lucy his bride and her daughter was already engaged in the world of vampires.
What a naughty little girl she was.
He would never have expected it. Lucy spoke so very highly of her children and Elizabeth was no exception. He'd been led to believe that she was smart, well grounded. Responsible and sweet, quiet but not shy. Confident in herself. Yes, Lucy had spoken very well of her daughter and he'd been quite taken aback upon meeting her but wasn't that how the saying went? It was the person one least suspected that surprised the most-
-his head snapped to the floor as Thorn whined weakly. The dog yawned again, this time his front legs stretched out and his back arched in a stretch so deep it almost looked as if he was possessed. As his claws settled into the rich carpet, he gave a third yawn, this one with a bit of a whine behind it before smacking his lips, body going limp as he relaxed once more.
Sheepishly, almost as if he felt guilty for disturbing the silence of the room, he glanced over at Max.
Max smiled indulgently at him; a warm, 'no harm, no foul' sort of smile and Thorn's tail wagged softly against the floor in response. He exhaled a long sigh, before turning away, ready to return to sleep in front of the cozy fire.
Max pursed his lips for a second, raising his eyebrows briefly as he returned to his thoughts.
Once again, back to his thoughts.
He had been enjoying dinner with Lucy, they had shared a most wonderful date yet it was because of his thoughts, he'd not been able to relax fully.
He hadn't been able to enjoy it as he should.
There was simply too much going on.
He was happy, of course he was happy. He had spent a joyously wonderful evening hosting Lucy and her own happiness had been palpable. Lucy had had absolutely no idea that his thoughts were plaguing him throughout the whole night. She had relaxed, her nervous jitters subsiding easily. She had eaten well, drank a comfortable amount. They had spoken, talked for hours and hours. Yes, she had enjoyed their date fully and he was pleased.
Her happiness was important to him.
It always would be.
He looked into his fireplace; eyes narrowing as he watched the flames dance quietly. That's why he had the fireplace installed, that's why he had the house decorated so well: all for Lucy's pleasure.
His house was comfortable, homely on the outside but quite modern and stylish inside. He had started to make changes the very first night Lucy had come into his store. Before then, his home was fairly bare. Simple. No mortal creature comforts; there was a deep and interesting bath left over from the forties in the heavily tiled bathroom but he hadn't bothered to replace the shower faucet or the broken toilet. There hadn't been a need...yet the very moment she had helped that lost child, the second she had stepped into his store, he'd known that she was going to be by his side forever. Before that, he had lived a quiet and humble life, set his roots in Santa Carla discreetly and now, here he was, spending hours making sure he had the newest, nicest toilet and the shower with the best water pressure.
Yes, things were changing.
Lots of things, really. Not only his house, his home. Things around him were changing, too.
He could feel it in the air.
He was ready to move on.
He had lived simply, humbly before Lucy but now his home was a veritable palace of subtle luxuries...he had adapted to suit her needs and anticipate her wants for the time she was still mortal...and now, he felt ready to change his lifestyle, too.
He had been quite accustomed to simple living but such secretive living had been terribly frustrating.
He could live a quiet life, that was no problem but the secrecy?
Having to hide?
Hiding in plain sight was still hiding, after all.
No, no he didn't like that at all...but he could feel it was time to change.
It would soon be time to leave the shadows.
The shadows that David and his rabid pack of sorry vampires had condemned him to. Yes, they had made it quite clear that they would not accept him on 'their' territory.
Their territory.
What a laugh. A bad joke.
Who did they think he was? Some weak interloper? Did they truly think he would be so willing to bow to them?
...yet he had. He had slunk away...but he could feel it in the air.
His time was coming.
Santa Carla would be his, just as Lucy and her family would.
He had Lucy. That much was a done deal, she was just as in love with him as he was with her.
Everything was falling into place, it would soon be time to solidify it all.
Their territory. It was enough to make even the most patient of men scoff.
Yes, when Lucy entered his store he began to make changes to his home and he knew now it was time to make changes to the hierarchy in Santa Carla.
He took off his glasses and rubbed them on the hem of his sweater vest, smiling a little at the habit he had picked up.
He certainly played the part of a mortal well. Perhaps when the pack saw him, that's what they saw? An older man, humble in his slacks and vests...
He bit down the urge to sneer.
Those stupid boys, claiming Santa Carla as their own territory. They could have joined his family; he had thought it perfect. Four young men and already vampires! The five of them could be a family, he would be their father and mentor, their leader...
...but no.
Rude, unpleasant boys.
Not men.
Boys.
Childish, immature.
He was thankful for it, now. He was glad he saw them for what they were. He had been angry at the time, of course. Such disrespect. But it was for the best.
They were wild boys.
Not the sort of children he wanted for his own.
Not the sort of pack he wanted for his own.
Yes, he was much better off as it was.
Santa Carla was the most perfect home, enough crime and runaways to keep him and his family fed and sustained, thriving and discreet. He understood why David liked Santa Carla but it was his silly mistake that was going to cause him to lose it. David had rejected him. That loud mouth blonde with the ringed fingers had been most vocal. Crude, too. Paul. The fool, the clown; every group seemed to have one. Smirking little Marko, Dwayne with his threatening stare...yes, they had made a mistake in rejecting him.
Arrogant boys.
They should have accepted him but it was in the past, now. And still, it was for the best.
He had a better pack.
He would feel no regret about killing those nasty little boys, none at all.
Frankly, it was due.
Deserved.
Such disrespect!
Yes, he would kill them and keep Santa Carla as his own.
Rule over it with his family, with his Lucy by his side.
His eternal bride.
The eternal mother.
His three children; two boys and a girl.
Perhaps the grandfather, too, though he was not quite decided about that. The image of a quirky, pleasant father-in-law, kooky and loving grandfather to the children was a wholesome one but the man himself seemed too rough around the edges. He didn't seem like the sort of man to take orders from anybody, either.
Max needed respect, as the father he was the head of the family and he would be treated as such.
His word would be final...
...all things considered, the old man really didn't seem suitable for the life of a vampire but still, he had some time to decide about that.
It needed to be thought about, considered properly and thoroughly.
He didn't want to hurt his love, of course.
She was close to her father.
He had been thinking about it all night.
His Lucy, her family, the stupid pack who claimed Santa Carla.
Elizabeth.
So much to think about and so much happening so fast!
He glanced over at Lucy.
The orange glow from the fire was illuminating her skin quite beautifully and he wanted to enjoy the sight, to watch her as she slept.
She was so pretty, the way she was curled up on his armchair.
He had imagined it for the longest time, pictured her in his home.
He had waited for it.
He had thought about how wonderful it would be for him to be sat on his armchair with her stretched out on the sofa, the children reading on the rug on the floor in front of the fire, the elder son reading a newspaper, looking up at him with admiration and respect as he did...
But this?
This wonderful reality was quite perfect and Lucy looked a picture where she was. The sofa would dwarf her, she looked so comfortable nestled as she was.
What a treat and a rare one at that.
It wasn't often reality exceeded imagination.
He just wanted to sit there and watch the beat of her thudding pulse in her pale neck, to just bask in her presence but now he was frustratingly preoccupied.
All evening, he had been mulling it over carefully in his head and that was the keyword, the buzzword, the important thing.
He had to be careful.
He had to think carefully.
Act carefully.
There was a lot going on and how sudden it all was!
He certainly wished he had met Lucy's family earlier. It would have been beneficial to know back then what he knew now but she was a good mother, it had been too soon. She would never have introduced him without knowing he was the right man for her, that his intentions were good. It was outside of his control; he knew that but still...it would have been helpful.
Had he met them earlier, things could have been quite different.
A bit more cut and dry...
...that damn pack, that stupid girl, those foolish brothers.
They had all complicated things.
David, Star, the Frog boys.
Idiots, all of them.
And Elizabeth!
What a shock. To think she would add to his problems after all the things her mother had said.
Getting involved with such a sordid group.
She reeked, utterly stank of him...that...Dwayne. The scent of the boys were there, too but it was the brunette. His smell was all over her. There were dark circles under her eyes, too, not wildly pronounced but evidence of late nights and early mornings. He was disappointed to concede that her involvement with him must be sexual in nature.
Why else would she smell as she did?
Such a shame.
He was a scowling, frowning thug; an oafish brute of a vampire.
He could find her a much better match, someone far more suitable for the polite, sweet girl he knew that she was.
Yes, Elizabeth needed a father to help her and guide her.
If only Lucy had allowed him to meet her family earlier. He would have known, he could have stepped in.
What a shock!
Approaching the Emerson house and realizing he was far from the first vampire to visit.
What an insult.
He bristled a little at the memory.
The Emersons were his and yet David and his pack seemed to call that home their own. If it was just one visit, a brief pass through of the area the smell wouldn't linger as it did.
Those boys were regular guests.
How disappointing.
How very unacceptable.
Elizabeth had entwined herself with such rabble.
It was dangerous.
On many levels, it was dangerous.
He wanted Lucy and her family; he wanted Sam and he wanted Elizabeth. Lucy was a mother; she would never be happy without her children and he was a father at heart. He would not be satisfied without them and so he would have them. It was quite simple but Elizabeth...
He pursed his lips.
Naughty little Elizabeth.
Entangled with David's pack meant she was at risk. They were wild boys, who was to say what their intentions were. Was Dwayne just toying with her; enjoying her body, enjoying having an innocent, doting little mortal girl at his side? Were the pack laughing at her expense, maliciously enjoying corrupting her? Were they going to just leave her when they grew bored?
Kill her?
Turn her?
He didn't know, wild boys were unpredictable.
It was dangerous for her, the silly little girl.
Couldn't she see that?
Besides the safety of his soon to be daughter, there was Lucy to think about.
If the pack did hurt Elizabeth, that would hurt her in turn.
If the pack killed Elizabeth - not that he would allow it - it would devastate her.
Had Elizabeth not thought of that? Hadn't she thought of her mother?
It was selfish. Little Elizabeth was being so selfish!
Of course, he had to think of himself, too. The pack had made it quite clear that they wanted him gone. He'd been warned to leave but he knew the reality of the situation: they wanted to kill him. To them, he was nothing more than a rouge threat that had to be exterminated.
It was insulting, really...but he supposed they had been right.
He was a threat to them...even more so, now.
Thankfully, he was certain that his own involvement with Lucy, his plan for the Emerson family was unknown to them.
If they knew, they would have come after him already. Elizabeth's stink told him that much. Even if they were going to kill her or turn her, even if their intentions were nefarious - which he was sure they were - in this moment, they were clearly invested in her.
That Dwayne was invested in her.
For now, anyway. The boy was a mutt, he knew no loyalty. He would break Elizabeth's heart in a second and smile while he did it.
Silly, silly girl.
But still. He was sure that Dwayne, David, that the equally silly pack did not know about his intentions and he needed to keep it that way.
As it was, he had the upper hand.
Naturally, he was glad for it but he was hesitant, too.
Suspicious.
The situation was messy and David didn't strike him as a person who tolerated mess.
Still, it was undeniable.
Perhaps he had overestimated David?
He and his pack were young, after all.
Boys.
Not men.
He had to keep reminding himself of that. They looked like young adults and they looked strong, they presented themselves as such...but perhaps that's all it was.
Just an appearance.
An act.
Why else would David had allowed such a complicated mess to unfold around him?
The Emerson family were under a lure; subconsciously seeming to forget Elizabeth when night fell. Leaving her to her own devices, leaving her to be influenced. Not caring about the dark circles under her eyes or the sort of pallid dullness her skin seemed to exude. Ignoring how tired she looked. Then on top of that there was Samuel and his grandfather; completely uncaring of Michael's disappearance. Unbothered by him acting so terribly out of character. Lucy, too...upset and aware but not even close to as upset or worried as she should be. If she was in her right mind, she would have followed her eldest and forced him home, forced him to see sense yet she had all but conceded to let him go.
Elizabeth's freedom to roam at night...he knew that was because of David's pack. Yes, the Emerson's were most certainly under a lure from the them. Was it a group effort? Or was one of them strong enough to cast a lure that strong and effective by himself? He doubted one alone could influence all three Emersons in such a way as to make them ignore Elizabeth's night time wanderings. Even he couldn't cast a lure that would make them all but forget her come nightfall.
Yes, it must have been a group effort.
That was good.
It meant that they were weak, individually.
But Star's lure...the messy, confused and weak little spell making the three of them not care about Michael...
Did the pack know about that?
Did Elizabeth?
Did Star even know?
It was doubtful.
Star didn't know the power she had; she refused to believe she was capable of it. Such a disappointment she was; all the potential in the world...what a waste.
He sighed and shook his head.
Yes, he was sure that Star didn't know about the lure she had cast. She probably thought it was true love; that Michael was choosing to be with her fully of his own choice. Did she not even wonder why his family would allow him to just run off like that? Act so out of character? To drop out of school?
Of course not. She was a fool.
And so was David.
So were his pack.
If they knew of Star's lure, surely they would have broken it. It was a strong lure but shoddy at the same time, that much was obvious to him. Was it obvious to them? Had they consciously allowed their own lure to mingle with Star's, had they knowingly allowed overlapping lures to unfold around them. No, surely not.
...and that was good.
It meant that the pack really weren't as clued up, as smart or as strong as he thought they were.
As they thought they were.
He really had overestimated them.
The fire popped loudly in the room but neither Lucy or Thorn stirred.
He thought back to Elizabeth.
Did she know her family were under such insidious influences?
...did she encourage it?
Did she approve of it?
Unfortunately, and with a sweeping sense of disappointment, Max nodded his head.
He was sure of that.
Her family were unharmed and she could roam around at night, she must have felt it to be a wonderful help.
Teenage girl, spending time with the wrong crowd...yes, she needed a father figure to guide her.
He didn't like it.
She was a well-mannered, good little girl, not some roaming, unwanted mongrel.
She wasn't like the sad souls that wandered around Santa Carla.
She was better than that.
Lucy had raised her better than that.
She needed a firm hand, that was all.
She wasn't a bad child but she had allowed herself to be influenced.
She stank of Dwayne and that was unacceptable.
He couldn't have that.
Not his daughter.
No, no.
Sweet little girls always needed their fathers and he would be there for her.
He just didn't understand, though, what could they want with Elizabeth?
In turn, what would Elizabeth want with them?
Was it purely sexual?
Silly Elizabeth.
That rude, arrogant brunette...why did she smell like him?
Her own scent was barely there.
Yes, it must be sexual.
Silly, silly, silly!
Silly girl, raging hormones, fawning over the first man to show her interest...he understood, but still...it was so terribly frustrating.
And of course, there was Samuel to think about, too...innocent, ignorant to the whole situation. There was no scent about him, no sleepless nights visible on his face. No, there were no dark circles beneath his eyes. He knew nothing about the sordid affair his sister was involved with, the world of vampires had not directly touched him.
It had to be kept that way.
His son needed to be protected...yet his continued friendship with the Frog Brothers were unacceptable...
Again, there was a little boy who needed his father.
Yes, Lucy's children needed him.
Lucy needed him. She needed his help.
Of course, he had to think about Samuel's sorry excuse for friends.
What did they know?
Very little. Thankfully.
What had Star told them?
Again, very little and again he was thankful for that.
In their dreams he had probed their thoughts, though not without difficulty. He couldn't enter their uncared for home, he couldn't get into their room. It had been so very frustrating, hovering outside their window like a weakling. Humiliating, almost but he'd had little other choice. Their parents were absolutely riddled with drugs, using narcotics far weaker than they made and sold but even in their compromised state they were too weary to invite anyone into their home and he doubted the boys - who seemed to be aware of vampires - would willingly invite a stranger in, either.
All he had gleaned was that Star had desperately told them Elizabeth was in danger. She hadn't named him but she had told them of a singular Big Bad.
That had intrigued him.
She had fled the pack but she hadn't directed the boys to them directly? She had run from them but perhaps they were not on bad terms?
He didn't know.
About that, he just didn't know.
Did she not want to see them hurt? Or did she simply want him dead most of all?
If she did want him dead - and of course she did, she wanted her mortality back - why hadn't she named him specifically? Why give the Frog Brothers a vague target, weak information. Elizabeth is in danger, there is a vampire in Santa Carla who wants her. Enough information for the Frog Brothers to bounce off from, sure...but if they had his name, it would be much easier for them.
She hadn't been upfront and he knew why.
It was because she was frightened of him.
That was good.
It meant he still held power over her.
He was grateful that she hadn't had the courage to be frank, pleased that she was so very foolish. Hot headed in her own way, he supposed. It was a mistake on her part to involve the Frog Brothers but he imagined she felt backed into a corner. He felt little sympathy for her. If she hadn't found happiness with David and his pack, it was her own doing. Star had caused her own problems. All of them. It was a waste and a shame; she had all the potential in the world but she had wasted it, desperately clinging to humanity.
He had learned though. Thanks to Star, he had learned. He owed her thanks for that, he supposed. With the Emerson family he would be less forgiving. He had given Star time to acclimate, time to feed, time to make her kill and turn but she had fled instead. Had he not been kind? He had offered her safety, warmth, structure. He had promised her a bright future and she had nodded, wanting that more than anything. She had accepted his kindness, accepted his drink...and then thrown it all back into his face when she understood the nuance, the reality of his promise.
He was a fast learner, though.
The Emersons would accept it.
Yes, thanks to Star, he knew better.
He wouldn't give them a choice. He was sure Lucy would embrace eternal life with him but her children...if they were to resist, she would, too. She would do anything for them and so he would not extend them the same courtesy he had done with Star.
They would turn and they would feed.
No chances, no gracious time period to acclimate.
They would be in.
There would be no repeat of Star.
No repeat of this foolishness.
No Frog Brothers, either.
Star had been stupid to involve them and he would make sure she would pay for it.
Garlic? A weak attempt at Holy Water? Could they not be bothered to go to a Church? Godless town though Santa Carla was, Churches weren't hard to find...or had Star given them such useless information that they had thrown together a lazy, haphazard plan? Try to find out if Elizabeth was a vampire, a half vampire and go from there?
What would they do next, now that they were sure she was a mortal?
They thought of themselves as heroes.
They thought they had one target, though they did not have a name.
They only thought an older vampire was trying to claim Elizabeth for his own...
Star had been so desperate to run to them for help yet frightened enough that her information had been vague, almost useless.
Useless yet interesting; where had she come up with a story like that?
It didn't matter, it was just curiosity on is part. What mattered was that the brothers had bought into it without question. They had truly believed Elizabeth was a vampire, they had been surprised that she passed their tests.
If only they knew!
Elizabeth was involved with vampires...just not him.
Not yet.
Those poor boys; so close to the truth and yet so far...so close to death, too.
But why had Star told them such a tall tale? Why not be upfront and explain that upon his death she would be free...
...why go to the lengths to include Elizabeth in it all?
Strange.
Odd.
Why not mention David, either? He was curious as to what had happened between her and David's pack.
Why had she fled from them, too?
Clearly, she wasn't just moving on of her own accord. Was the pressure to turn too great? Were the unkind? Cruel?
In fleeing him, had she leapt into the proverbial fire?
He hoped so.
Star had acted rashly, stupidly but perhaps he could use her actions to his advantage?
He could use them. He could use the Frog Brothers.
Elizabeth was involved with the pack and the two brothers wanted to be involved in her affairs...perhaps they could take care of each other?
He was a smart man.
He had to act carefully, he couldn't forget that but he had to act fast.
This was still David's town.
For now.
Four versus one would always be a difficult fight. He had been reluctant to engage them up to now but this could be the perfect opportunity. Star could have helped him with her rash move. Those two mortal boys were stupid and hot headed; they had proven that in their hasty and pathetic attempt to show Elizabeth's supposed vampirism.
Yes, he really could use them.
The pack seemed to want Elizabeth. Those mortal fools seemed to want something to do with her, too.
Perhaps he could use them against each other? Turn the pack onto the boys, the boys onto the pack.
Perhaps that was the key. That was the answer.
The solution.
They could kill each other and he would be left the silent victor.
He would have his family and, when everything had settled, he would have Star, too.
It would give him no end of joy to kill her, to punish her for all her transgressions...
...and wouldn't that be such a beautiful punishment?
The man Star thought she loved turning into a vampire, the one thing she was repulsed by-
"-hmmm..."
Lucy shifted a little as she sighed, her head lolling onto her shoulder. Her eyebrows twitched once, twice and then she was still, breathing steadily.
Relaxed.
Comfortable.
Torn from his thoughts, Max smiled softly, looking at her once again.
He was a lucky man.
He had his bride, his family and, by the looks of things, the annoyances that had plagued him and were involving themselves with his soon-to-be daughter would solve themselves.
The Frog Brothers and the pack kill each other, leaving him to make Santa Carla his own.
He almost chuckled.
What a dream indeed!
A/N: In my imagination, Max is an isolated, unstable psychopath dreaming of the perfect 1950s picture perfect family. I hope this wasn't confusing and that I managed to articulate my image well enough. Max doesn't know what's gone on with Star/The Pack, he's also not as strong as he thinks he is, especially compared to the pack's abilities. OK! Well, be safe everyone!