"Do you think Liz had a different name when she was a kid?" Paul queried easily as he looked down at the bagged tablets scattered on the sand before him, "think her folks had to legally change her name to Emerson or what?"
Marko paused, frowning softly. An interesting if not random little question.
He looked sideways over at David to find that he had a similar look of mild interest on his face. He guessed that David had never thought about that either and Marko knew he'd spent a lot of time thinking and considering the girl in question.
Funny, sometimes, the way Paul's mind worked. Only he would think about the legalities of her surname.
"What made you think of that?"
"...dunno?" Paul picked up one bag, filled with small blue tablets and put them in his pocket. He didn't look up at Marko as he answered, "how convenient would it have been if her name was Emerson though?"
Convenient but extremely unlikely, Marko silently conceded, now wondering what her surname used to be.
Paul moved a bag of fat white tablets to rest beside a bag of narrow white ones, "imagine if you were choosing between kids and then you find one with your last name and you just kinda go, 'ok, that's the one'.." a very small bag of bright pink tablets was tucked away in his pocket, "like in movies when the gutsy puppy comes crawlin' up to the looky loos at the farm and they choose him an' call it Lucky or Spot or some shit like that"
David blinked at Marko, an open smile starting to spread across his face but Paul was unaware, now drumming his fingers lightly on the cheap, thin plastic bags. He had dispatched a dealer earlier in the night and while he was considering the haul before him, he hadn't actually taken anything.
This conversation was just him being him.
"But, I mean, with kids instead of animals and an orphanage instead of a farm and a matchin' name instead of a waggin' tail. Lotsa differences but the whole thing holds up, I think"
Jesus, where to even start with that?
Marko blinked, "I'm pretty sure they're not called orphanages anymore?"
Paul shrugged, still peering down at the spread on the sand, "if someone bakes a shit and call it a brownie, you gonna eat it?"
Marko and David grinned at each other.
Certainly not eloquent but a fair point and wonderfully delivered.
Paul was in a league of his own.
"I can't imagine Lizzie as a kid. Like, not at all. I can't imagine her not bein' an Emerson, either. It seems to suit her, it ain't like she's adopted. She's one of them. It's cute but I think she fits in with us even better.." he sighed a little wistfully, "...you know, sometimes I think she's changed so much, I don't even recognize or remember what she was like when we first met her. All nervous an' shy and in her head and innocent. Always scared of embarrassing herself. She was a kid then. Just a kid..." he laughed, "remember when we first smoked with her? She was so worried about fucking up in front of us and then in the end she was totally fuckin' baked, and she was so horny, but she was tryin' to deny it, push her confused feelings...and now, she's a full-blown sex cat with a bite mark on her neck...wonder if she ever reflects on it? Girl's gotten so much more confident. Who'd have thought it? Little Lizzie boning the night away, embracing the night like a vampire already!"
There were no secrets in the pack and Marko knew that Elizabeth would be slightly mortified if she knew that that particular night-time activity of hers was common knowledge but it was funny how Paul could go from one thing to another so easily.
He was a fountain without a filter, just pouring whatever thoughts came into his head straight out of his mouth without pause or consideration.
"...perhaps you want to muse on what future Elizabeth will be like?"
Paul didn't notice the bemused tone of David's voice and continued, still considering the bags and their contents, "it's good, isn't it? Not in a creepy, voyeuristic way but I dunno, I just...I feel proud of her. Plus, I mean, it feels good to see everythin' clickin' together. And OK, like, it grosses me out how people talk about girls bloomin' an' blossomin' and shit like that but in a non-gross way, Lizzie really has come into herself"
He sighed dramatically and wistfully yet again before scooping up all the remaining bags - sand and all - and dropping them them inside his overloaded pocket to join the rest.
Marko shook his head, watching in amused bewilderment.
Why had he been thinking so seriously about the bags only to dump them in the same bulging pocket in the end?
Hell, why even keep them?
"You going to try those?"
"Eh, I wanna see what the hype was about"
"...didn't one girl's brain swell?"
"Yeah!"
"...great" Marko shrugged. He was sure the tablets would be full of shit - much like Paul was - because the dealer was new to town and his offerings had already sent a bunch of partying tourists to the emergency room. He didn't understand the appeal in trying out the bad stuff but hey. Who was he to question Paul's choices?
It wasn't like they were going to kill him.
"You disposed of the body correctly?"
"Yes, sir"
"Don't call me sir"
Paul grinned to himself, "yes, Daddy"
David pursed his lips as his eyes narrowed and Marko laughed to himself.
Normally the pack wouldn't pay much attention to things like bad drugs or spiked alcohol but David had wanted the dealer and his bad products gone and he'd wanted it done smoothly. Times were changing and Elizabeth came from a very loving family. David was aware that her 'death', when it came, was going to have to be planned meticulously and Marko understood it. He couldn't imagine Elizabeth's grandfather or mother just shrugging their shoulders and saying, "well, that's Santa Carla for you" if there was an accident that caused them to lose her or if she suddenly disappeared like so many others.
No, they'd raise utter hell.
Santa Carla had a reputation for being rough, it had worked well enough for the pack; the balance had always been just right. It was a town of runaways and lost wanderers, people passing through, people who wanted to disappear. After the quake all those years ago, the status quo had been cemented and Santa Carla lost the air of prestige it had tried to forge.
It was a bad place but only for those who wanted it to be.
Tourists could come and go, families could enjoy the beach and warm sea, the boardwalk, the attractions, the restaurants, the natural beauty. Residents could get on with their work, their mundane mortal lives.
Santa Carla had two sides and the police hardly cared about the darker one. Hell, they hardly knew of the extent of what went on and that was how everyone wanted it to stay.
The people who lived there were doing just fine and that's all the mattered. The boardwalk made money, summer was a rich time for the town and so long as it stayed that way, things were fine.
Sometimes there was a spunky new cop, bright eyed and ready to serve, ready to forge and charge ahead and really scrub the place up but the pack quickly wore them down. It was fun, sometimes, to extinguish that little light. Still, enough petty crime was solved, enough warm bodies were carted off to state penitentiaries, just enough justice prevailed for the men in blue to pat themselves on the back, to celebrate a job well done. It was enough for governors and councilors and chairmen and ladies to smile and sleep soundly and that's how it had to keep on going on.
That's how the pack needed it to keep on going.
Having Elizabeth on the periphery, half in and half out had put David on edge because she had the power, her family had the power to damage it all. She wasn't a runaway or a wanderer, she was a well-loved young woman with a mortal family who would fight for her and her memory.
It was a delicate situation. Well, it had the potential to be a delicate situation and David was well aware of it.
They all were.
The new drug dealer with his cheap and apparently deadly product would usually be low on their radar but he ran the risk of drawing attention from local and outside law enforcement agencies. He was an easy target for a good bust but now wasn't the time for such a spotlight and so David had made sure that he was taken off the scene before anything had the chance to really go wrong...and hey, to the victor go the spoils.
Though in this case, the spoils weren't worth shit.
"Paul?"
"Yeah, he's gone. Toast. Finished. Big time sayonara. No findin' him. His body is gone, gone, gone, gone, gone. Don't worry yourself, babe"
'...babe...' Marko mouthed cheekily, grinning at David.
The shit Paul could get away with.
He shared a look with David again, the two men almost watching and listening in awe as Paul just continued to rattle on, David's concerns dismissed, his question sufficiently answered and so similarly dismissed.
If they departed the scene, Marko was sure Paul would still have been talking, drugs unused in his pocket, happy as a clam.
"We gotta get Liz back on the drugs soon. Last time was so funny. I'm a fucking vamp but I thought I was gonna piss myself I was laughing so hard. Funny how mates work, huh?" he was now looking for tobacco and paper, patting his tux in his mission to locate them, "I really don't think I want one but Lizzie and Dwayne kinda make me think that it's maybe not so bad. She's good people. He's passable, whatever, but they're a good team...makes me question if havin' a mate is so terrible...but then I'm like, rememberin' how shit it was for Dwayne and how he was strugglin' with it and...man, I don't even know...to mate or not to mate, that is the question"
David was frowning in confusion: from the idea of Elizabeth in an 'orphanage' and the legalities of her name, commenting on the murder of a drug dealer, memories of their mortal's first foray into the world of narcotics to a philosophical consideration about whether or not a mate was a good thing to have?
Marko understood the look on his leader's face and he shook his head, miming his head exploding.
He was getting mental whiplash.
Paul dumped a bunch of neatly folded papers on the sand but then leaned back, stretching his legs out and entwining his fingers together, using them as a pillow for his head as he gazed up at the stars. Apparently, he had given up on rolling anything. Maybe his pockets were too full? The fire was close to him, enough to hurt a mortal but he was content...and still talking.
"I had to read so much Shakespeare when I was a kid. Chaucer, too. You ever read any of their stuff? I kinda liked Chaucer more than my old friend The Bard. You know, I tried to tell my governess that Romeo and Juliet was like, an allegory to show how fucked up and destructive love can be but she told me it was a romance, plain and simple, and I was like, mind blown because for a romance there was a decent amount of death via swordfight..." he nodded his head a little, "but I mean, if we're talkin' about books, I got a real good vibe about that King, dude. I swear I got goosebumps all over my arms when they went to the Overlook Hotel. That was a fuckin' good read. So well written. And the one with the cat and the burial ground?" he laughed, "who kills a fuckin' kid, man?! So messed up. Ace books, man-"
'Is he high?' Marko mouthed, looking at David and amazement.
Where did that plural, 'we' come from? That conversation was a one-man affair.
In return, the cold blonde raised his eyebrows, shook his head and pretended to shoot himself in the head.
"- fuck, I wonder if Lizzie ever read Last of the Mohicans?! She's definitely a reader. Fuckin' Dwayne hates that book, man...do we have one? He threw mine in the fire, fuckin' Nazi"
David was grinning widely and Marko knew why - it was true that Dwayne had thrown the book into a fire but Paul like to omit the fact that he'd only done it because it was the easiest way to dispose of it at the time. Paul had been using it to annoy the ever-loving hell out of him.
"I don't think he objected to the book"
"Yeah, my recollection is that you were using it to piss him off"
Paul froze for a second and moved his head deeper into the sand as he turned his chin upwards, moving to look at his friends without moving his body or position.
His grin was wide and sly, "not how I remember it"
"He's not here"
"Yeah, I was fucking with him"
David laughed.
"Speaking of. They're going to be here soon" Marko pointed out with a grin of his own. He could sense Dwayne coming closer and he knew Elizabeth would be in tow. Paul was in incredibly high spirits but it was time to get a little less comfortable and a little more serious. He straightened in the low, old camping chair he was sitting in before advising both men, "don't fuck it up"
"Psht, I won't"
Paul had been the one to suggest to Dwayne that it would be nice to hang out as a pack again. They all thought of Elizabeth as part of their group and they knew she was going to be part of their pack but she was a mortal, she wasn't one of them yet. While they liked her and were excited to have her, she was still sort of an addition. It wasn't a bad thing but it had always been, "us plus Liz".
Paul, however, had so casually referenced "the pack" to include Elizabeth that Dwayne had been thrilled. He had been so happy by Paul's casual words, the ease in which he'd lumped Elizabeth in with them, he hadn't twigged that it was a deliberate action. He didn't realize that Paul was acting, that it had been planned.
David raised his eyebrows, "you think I would?"
"He can shut himself up most of the time. He convinced Dwayne easily enough, didn't he?" Marko mused pointing to Paul, "you have to balance the fact that you've always been an asshole to her and are now offering to help her-"
"-do something meaningful for my good friend" David interrupted smoothly, touching his gloved hand to his heart, "I'm sure Elizabeth can appreciate that"
Marko nodded.
David was right. Elizabeth would listen to them and trust them because she knew David cared about Dwayne, not her.
She would trust that David was helping her, aiding her because it would benefit Dwayne.
She was kind of selfless like that.
It could actually work in their favor.
"OK, that's fair"
Paul snorted before freezing a little, gazing up at the sky again, "fuck. I am gonna have to just shut up, I don't know if I'll be able to keep it together..."
"Just be yourself"
"I'm a loudmouth who can't take anything seriously, that is me being myself"
"Be a selective loudmouth" David advised.
He and Marko shared a look before Paul sat up in the sand, "OK! Shut the fuck up all of you, they're coming"
Marko grinned, settling back into the chair he was sitting on, watching as David pursed his lips at being told to, 'shut up' by the blonde but still, all three of them took a moment to calm their excitement, to empty their minds.
Dwayne was careful with Elizabeth and her feelings; he was a little less serious about it now that she was settled in with them, but he was definitely protective of her. He always would be, Marko guessed. Elizabeth was still a happy, clueless mortal but Dwayne could hear the unspoken, he could read the air and worst of all: he knew them.
They had to tread very carefully.
"Lizzie!" Paul boomed, jumping to his feet, kicking sand all over David as he did.
It was an impressive feat considering Paul had been lying low on the beach itself with David sat above him on a sturdy piece of driftwood.
Marko laughed as David tilted his head, body frozen as the third insult of the night was thrown at him.
A query about his ability to act convincingly around Elizabeth from Marko, then being told to shut up and finally being showered with sand by Paul.
His pack definitely knew how to test his patience.
Oblivious - or very much knowing but not caring - Paul jogged towards the two newcomers, arms outstretched and wide. They had stopped walking as he approached them and Elizabeth was smiling happily, readying herself for the incoming hug.
"Girl, you chose just the right time to come, these fuckers are so fucking boring!"
Elizabeth was obviously pleased by his stupidly happy, energetic words. She was laughing shyly, blushing pleasantly at the attention he was throwing at her. She ducked her head when he loudly mentioned the clearly visible mark on her neck and Marko peered over at the scene. From the distance he couldn't see it himself but her hair was down and behind her ears, the top she was wearing wasn't offering much in the way of shoulder or chest cover and her jacket was open.
Her mark wasn't being hidden, that was for sure.
Paul was still talking nonsense, cooing and fussing over her but that was what he did most of the time and, as always, she seemed quite taken by him.
She laughed, yelped a little as he lunged forward, closing the distance between them and suddenly scooped her up in a big hug.
Well, that would do it.
Paul with his explosive energy, his humor, his smile - Paul being Paul was certain to keep everyone nicely distracted.
Elizabeth's laughter filled the air as she was spun her around and her weak protestations of, "stop it!" were broken by little squeals and giggles.
Dwayne stood to the side, watching the scene and grimacing as if he was in pain. Marko glanced at their leader to see that David had closed his eyes as if he had a headache.
To be fair to them both, Marko had to concede that their friend was loud.
Paul was spinning faster in the sand, twirling the laughing girl and Dwayne had to dodge as her legs came close to thwacking him on the side. She didn't notice but Paul of course did; it was a deliberate act on his part. Dwayne's eyes were narrowed as Paul easily stuck out his tongue and slipped him the two middle fingers, his arms wrapped around Elizabeth as he did.
Marko had to salute the blonde.
His ability to annoy was unmatched. Hugging Dwayne's mate, showering her with love, cuddling her and spinning her around in the air while flipping Dwayne off?
He laughed at the scene.
David closed his eyes for a second before standing up and Marko smothered his smile, mirroring his movements. Some sand fell from their leader's jacket and Marko offered his seat automatically, heading to where David had been sat moments before.
"He wasn't like this as a mortal" Dwayne grumbled as he sat on the log, having left Paul and Elizabeth a little distance away.
"You introduced him into the pack" David reminded Dwayne, settling into the camp chair Marko had just vacated, "I put the blame fully on you"
Marko shrugged a little as he moved up on the driftwood, making space for the brunette, "nah, the energy was definitely there"
"Are you hungry? C'mon, you gotta eat, we can get-"
"-eat? I'm gonna puke"
"Too fast? S'OK, I'll hold your hair"
There was laughter from both Paul and Elizabeth and Marko grabbed a beer from the cool box half buried in the sand, passing it to Dwayne who rejected it with a polite raise of his hand. He was listening to the breathless, giggling conversation between the two behind him and Marko caught David's smirk.
Yes, Paul being Paul had distracted Dwayne and Elizabeth quite nicely.
"What have you two been doing?"
"Nothing much" Dwayne replied, turning to face the fire in the middle of their circle, "we came straight here. She was eager to hang with you guys, said it had been a while. She was happy that Paul suggested it"
"It has been a while" Marko agreed with a nod, cracking open the beer. He wasn't in the mood for it but it was something to do, "and it's flattering to be included"
"By 'guys' he means you and Paul"
"Naturally" Marko agreed, taking a swig.
"Maybe if you threw her a smile now and then, she'd be a little more eager to see you too"
David twitched his lips a few times, as if he was practicing a foreign and unfamiliar gesture and Dwayne grinned, "nice"
"I'll keep trying"
"Did you come by bike?"
Paul and Elizabeth were talking about food, he was offering her everything under the sun and she was laughingly rejecting it all.
Dwayne nodded and Marko asked, "she's really not hungry? It's a long time to be awake after dinner. She ate at what? Six?"
It was important to separate the two newcomers and food seemed the best way to achieve that goal.
"I guess, yeah. She will be hungry but she said she wasn't when I picked her up"
David leaned back in the chair, "she has to be careful. Balancing two worlds, it's easy to slip up, to let her health slide"
"Grab her a sandwich or something, she'll be fine" Marko advised easily, "I think..." he trailed off.
"If there was a fire and you had to save us, who would you choose first? What order would you save us in?"
"Christ" Dwayne muttered as Paul's question floated in the air.
"He's been like this all night" Marko told his friend.
"Did you feed?" David asked, speaking over Elizabeth's laughing dismissal, "are you hungry?"
"Nah" the brunette shook his head, earrings clinking a little as he did, "I didn't need to. You?"
Marko shook his head, noting David did the same.
None of them had been particularly hungry, especially not after Dwayne's revenge feast the other night.
Marko supposed that now Dwayne had mated with Elizabeth, now that he had finally tasted her blood his own overarching need to feed would have diminished.
He'd been hungry, antsy before but was much less so now.
He wanted to ask about it but it wasn't the time.
"Wanna play a game? Volleyball?"
David frowned at their semi-circle and Marko grinned as they all listened to Paul. They had no volleyballs or balls of any sort, no games around them. All they had were the beers. Hell, the bonfire wasn't even theirs.
"Oh, we can play dodgeball!"
"Yeah, right, I get smacked in the face with a-"
"-wouldn't be the first time you take a ball to the face, am I right?"
There was laughter from the two of them, an aghast "Paul!" from the girl.
"Hey! Dwayne, I have a question-ow, hey!"
Elizabeth had apparently pinched the blonde's nipple, hissing a "shhhhh"
Marko opened his mouth but then closed it, sharing a smile with Dwayne. He didn't have any words, anyway. Elizabeth was forgetting that they could hear everything, even though Paul wasn't being overly quiet with his words they were still a distance away from the trio but it didn't matter. Their conversation was clear as day. Hell, Paul could have been whispering and they'd still know.
Elizabeth seemed to forget that sometimes.
"It's an adjustment" David drawled.
"...can you imagine when she does turn?" Marko asked with a little laugh, shaking his head, "how much of a trip it is. She's going to realize so much, she'll be so embarrassed when she understands just how many things we're aware of..."
Dwayne was smiling softly, nodding.
"Has she said anything about it?" David asked, directing his question to Dwayne, and Marko looked into the fire.
He had been thinking about Elizabeth sharing their skills, experiencing them for the first time, feeling her power, getting to grips with it, understanding it. It was a feeling like none other, an experience that was only had once. It was frightening, exciting, awe-inspiring and she was going to have her pack and her mate there to guide her through it.
She was lucky, a whole new world was waiting for her...but he shouldn't have brought it up.
Second time he'd made that mistake and he wanted to kick himself.
He was turning into Paul.
David was rightfully curious, but it was Elizabeth's decision to discuss.
He waited for Dwayne to answer the question, since it had been directed at him.
"No, not yet"
"Are you going to ask her?"
"...no" Dwayne shook his head, "I want to, of course I do...but I want it to be her own decision, I want her to make it on her own time. I don't want to push. Why, did-"
David nodded his understanding and Marko was thankful he wasn't pushing the question, nor suggesting that perhaps Marko knew something about it...he was also thankful that Paul, at that exact moment, was making a very dirty comment about Dwayne's balls.
He glanced at David, but he was cool as always, unflappable, and obviously wouldn't be mentioning his suspicion that Marko knew something about the situation.
"Just go and get her, man" Marko said, taking another swig of the beer, "Paul knows how much he's annoying you; he'll keep her over there all night just to get a rise out of you"
"You'd have Dwayne go and get his woman like some controlling boyfriend?" David queried and Marko laughed, "rock and a hard place"
"Don't talk about his, his-parts, Paul"
"Too small or underwhelming to discuss?"
There was a whack of skin against clothes as the girl gave him a little hit.
"He's right there!"
"He can't hear us"
David and Marko both grinned at the boldfaced lie.
"I love everything about him, so this conversation isn't going to go where you want it to go"
"You love his balls?"
There was an exasperated laugh and David raised his eyebrow, "there you go. She'll come over here of her own accord soon enough. She'll get bored of him"
They all knew that was a lie.
The day Elizabeth became bored of Paul was the day hell froze over.
"I'm going to kill him"
"One day" Marko said with a wistful smile.
He managed to crack a grin from Dwayne, the threesome falling silent as they sat in front of the fire, listening to Paul and Elizabeth.
"You know, since you're talking about balls so much you naughty little minx, I saw this awesome stall over the far end of the boardwalk and they had these fucking super good pizza balls"
"A pizza ball?"
"Mhmm they looked so good. I keep wanting to try them, like a dough ball filled with cheese and pepperoni and sauce. Who the fuck wouldn't wanna try that? Hey, shit how bright is the moon tonight?"
"I think it's always like this? Tell me about the pizza..."
Marko looked down at his drink, catching David's eyes as he did.
Plant the seed of hunger, the idea of some delicious snack and then plant another seed.
God, Paul was good.
There was an undeniable little pang in her voice: she was hungry.
"She's hungry" Dwayne murmured and David nodded, "like Marko said, it's a long time to be awake after dinner"
"I'll grab her something"
Marko looked down at the cool box, fighting the urge to laugh at how quickly Dwayne had volunteered to leave the scene. His mate was hungry, he would make sure she was fed.
It was so perfect.
It was funny how easily Dwayne could play into their plans sometimes, "sorry, man, I didn't think. All that's here is beer"
"Nah, it's OK. I'll be happy to get away from the noise" he stood up easily, "I have no idea how she can stand it. He's so damn loud. How the hell do we live with it?"
Paul's middle finger was extended casually behind him but Dwayne didn't deign to react. He left their comfortable circle easily and quietly, without a goodbye.
"Hey!" Elizabeth's happiness as Dwayne joined her was clear and Marko was positive that Paul was wearing a big, shit eating grin.
David and Marko didn't try to be polite and make conversation, Dwayne knew they were listening to the goings on.
Why pretend otherwise?
"I'm gonna go and grab some food, what can I get you?"
"Oh, no I'm fine-"
"-pizza balls!"
"Do want some? I'll get them for you"
He didn't repeat Paul's shouted interruption, Marko figured that the words 'pizza balls' were beneath Dwayne but he also knew that Elizabeth would say no. Of course she would insist that she didn't need it. Elizabeth was polite and she wouldn't want to put him out.
"No, don't go to the trouble. I'm fine, really"
"Get her the pizza balls, man. And a corndog for me. And, fuck it, wanna grab a pizza, too? Extra pepperoni"
"Paul" Elizabeth sounded mildly disgusted and Paul was defensive as he replied, "it's not gluttony! The balls are small! They're not a meal, they're a snack...hah, just like yours-"
"-I'll be back in a few, OK?"
"What? No, I'll come with you"
Marko tilted his head to the side, looking from the corner of his eye as Elizabeth reached out for Dwayne.
No surprise there. It was a given that she would want to go with him.
"Uh, you didn't even say hi to Marko and now you're leaving? God that's so rude!"
Elizabeth laughed; Dwayne's hand entwined with hers. She was leaning against his arm, shaking her head, "I'll come back, Paul"
"Attached at the hip, huh?"
Paul was joking but Marko was curious as to how he was going to keep Elizabeth with them.
If she left, it was over.
"Stay and have fun. I'll be back soon; it won't take me long"
Well. Perhaps Paul didn't have to do anything?
Elizabeth was frowning a little and Marko turned back to look at the fire.
"Why? Are you sure?"
"Of course," the brunette's voice was smooth and comforting but Paul's was playful and loud, "Dwayne is politely trying to say my gorgeous, sweet little potato-cake, that you and your mortal limitations will only hinder him in his quest for sustenance - grab some chips while you're at it, Big Guy - and going solo is the fastest, easiest way to achieve his goal"
"...so, I'll slow you down?"
Dwayne and Paul both laughed at the hurt comprehension lacing her voice and Marko heard Dwayne place a kiss on her head, "stay and have fun, OK? I really won't be long"
"A non-answer means yes" Paul confided loudly.
Marko smiled over at David, noticing he was smirking happily, too.
Paul was right: going solo meant Dwayne could fly easily and discreetly, buy the food and carry it back. With Elizabeth in tow, the journey would be a little more cumbersome, a little less smooth and if they took the bike, time would be wasted and time was a precious thing indeed. For a moment, Marko wondered if Elizabeth was going to insist on going or insist that she didn't need the food but there was another little kiss and a murmur of, "don't be long?"
"I got you, Liz. I always say that I ain't as broad in the shoulders or as broodin' in the eyes but I really do think I'm good enough company...and I guess Marko and David can hold their own, too...I mean, compared to Dwayne they're good but none of these fuckers compare to me..."
A giggle, another little "bye..." and then footsteps in the sand.
Dwayne was gone.
How perfect.
"Hey lemon suckers!"
David bristled in his chair and Marko laughed, shaking his head and peering at Paul as he walked into their little broken circle, arm over Elizabeth's shoulder, "lemon suckers?"
"Didn't land, did it?"
"No" both Elizabeth and Marko said together.
"I can't make that one work. Driving me mad, I really want to use it"
Elizabeth laughed once, "that's a weird one..." she told him, smiling as she sat down on the piece of driftwood beside Marko, taking the spot Dwayne had only just vacated, scooting close to him and leaving enough room for Paul.
"I'm good, I'm at one with nature" he professed with a flail of his arms before collapsing onto the sand, curling his feet up beneath him in a tangled sort of cross-legged position.
"You're insane" David corrected.
"At one with nature" came the insistent reply.
"Had a good night so far?" Marko asked as she moved to the left a bit, giving the two of them a bit more space.
"Yeah? Yeah but I mean, we didn't do anything yet"
"Got anythin' planned for later?"
She looked at Paul and shook her head in the negative and Marko held the beer in his hand, "Liz will probably just be stuck with us, since you stressed Dwayne out enough to leave"
"He's too easy!"
"He's going to kill you one day"
"I welcome the challenge"
Elizabeth shifted her legs, crossing them a little as she braced both hands on the makeshift seat. She was comfortable with them but Marko could tell she was a bit unsure about how to act with David around.
"Hey, Liz, does he ever talk about me?"
She snorted a soft little laugh and looked over at Paul with furrowed eyebrows, "God, you're vain"
"I'm a work of art, it's justifiable. But seriously, does he ever talk about me?"
"...honestly...no?"
Paul sighed, slouching, "gotta work harder then"
Marko glanced at David as the three of them laughed at Paul's act before the icy blonde sat up straighter in the chair, "seriously though, cool it until next week, OK?"
"Like fuck I will-" Paul froze for a second, frowning before looking at David and nodding, the joke gone from his lips, "-right. Fuck...yeah. Sorry, yeah"
There was silence for a few seconds before he recovered and told Elizabeth, "I hope he buys enough of those balls 'cause you're sharin' 'em with me and I'm pretty damn hungry"
"No way, man. Mortal gets the food" Marko protested with a grin at Elizabeth but she was looking between Paul and David, Paul's comment going straight over her head, "Liz?"
"Uh-what's..." she looked at David, obviously too shy to ask him directly what he was talking about, and instead turned to Paul. Knowing what was coming, however, he averted his eyes and coughed, his hand retreating into his pocket.
Marko once again had to salute him.
For once, he was unwilling to answer a question.
That had to catch her interest even more.
Sensing that she wouldn't get answers from Paul, Elizabeth turned to Marko and he instantly looked down at the beer before pretending to catch himself, offering her a smile instead, a comforting murmur of, "it's nothing"
He knew that would make her want to know even more.
If he invaded her mind, he knew he would hear the question over and over: why did Paul have to cool it?
"What?"
Yeah, she wanted to know all right.
He shifted on the seat and threw a look at David, "it's-look, I mean, it's not my place to say but it's cruel to dangle something like that in front of you"
"I didn't dangle anything" David's voice was firm.
"I mean, you kinda did..." Paul said, David pursing his lips in return.
"It's a sensitive time for Dwayne right now, that's all. It's nothing big or bad, you're OK" Marko comforted.
"I told you the moon was bright tonight" Paul said to the group.
"Jesus" Marko said with a frown, gesturing to the girl, "would you stop it?"
Paul looked between him and Elizabeth, "right. Sorry, it's nothin', really"
"...what is it?"
Marko frowned at David and Paul, knowing that Elizabeth was watching him.
He tried to look annoyed with his friends.
David stretched his legs out, lacing his fingers together, "it's coming up to a full moon. In Dwayne's culture, this is a sacred time and it's always been a sensitive topic for him. That's all"
"Yeah, full moons are so rare, the whole thing almost never happens I just.." Paul waved his hands around his head, "forgot. I'll be cool, I'll ease up on him" he flashed a cheeky little grin at Elizabeth, "and then pile it back when the moon's all normal"
David nodded and Marko asked Elizabeth, his voice easy and casual, "so do you have any plans with your family? Summer's ending. It won't be long until school starts, right?"
"Uh not long until it starts...I don't think I'm going to be held back a year, I think they accepted my transcripts as they are..." she pushed her hair back, "...so that's good. I'm happy" she sounded a bit distracted.
"Ohhh sexy senior, huh?"
She laughed at Paul's lecherous comment but it wasn't a real one and Marko took a sip of his beer to hide his smirk.
She wanted to know so badly.
"Why, um? Why is a full moon special?" she asked the question with a little nervous lilt to her voice.
She obviously didn't want to be rejected but the curiosity was winning out.
"I can't explain this, I'm sorry girl but I don't do serious"
"Not only that...it's really not our story to share" Marko said uncomfortably, looking at David.
"Marko's right..."
She nodded, looking down, her head snapping up as David slowly continued, "...but you are his mate..."
"Dude.."
"I think Elizabeth should know"
"I mean...it's been a thousand years already..." Paul said reasonably with a nod, "Lizzie is his mate. Why shouldn't she know?"
"Sorry" Marko said, smiling at Elizabeth, "I don't mean to be rude; I know this is rude but-" he turned to David, "-are you sure?"
David looked at Elizabeth with narrowed, thoughtful eyes before nodding cautiously, "Elizabeth?"
"Yeah"
She was leaning forward and Marko looked away as he caught Paul's eyes.
None of them were using their lures, none of them were influencing her.
She was invested. Naturally, organically invested.
"This is serious. What I'm going to tell you...it's shaped Dwayne, do you understand? This part of his culture has shaped him, influenced him and...it's hurt him. It's something we don't discuss, it's something we're aware of but..."
"...but we pretend it isn't happening" Marko finished.
"What isn't happening?"
"Where the fuck to begin?" Paul queried.
"Do you want to explain it?"
Paul sat back in the sand, shaking his head, "no way, I ain't touching that shit. I'll tell it wrong or make a mistake and all fuck'll break loose. He takes that part of his culture seriously; I'd rather not get into it"
"Good, so shut the fuck up. I take it seriously, too"
"David and Dwayne are best friends" Paul sing-songed carelessly as he busied himself with the papers and tobacco he had finally procured from his pocket.
"Have you ever seen it?" Marko asked, frowning a little as if he was trying to remember. He could feel Elizabeth's gaze on him for a second and kept his expression thoughtful, "I don't think he's really spoken about it with me but you two were..." he twisted his index and middle finger, showing how close to two had been.
"It wouldn't have come up, would it?" David replied with a shrug, sinking back into his seat before nodding, "but yeah, I saw it once. I think it hurt Dwayne to see, so we left, we didn't discuss it"
David glanced at Elizabeth and she blinked.
"You know about her?" David asked, "his first love?"
"Yeah, I know. The girl..."
"The girl" David repeated with a nod, "yes"
"I know about it..." she offered weakly with a raise of her shoulder.
It was obvious she was questioning whether she knew the full story.
"Such a bitch"
Marko kicked some sand at Paul but Elizabeth's eyes were firmly rooted on David.
"Did he tell you about the bonding?"
"This-?"
"-nah, girl" Paul shook his head as her hand touched the mark on her neck, "that's mating. That's vampire shit. We're talkin' about mortal Dwayne and mortal Dwayne's customs"
"Customs?"
"His tribal customs"
"...oh..."
Marko looked away, noticing that Paul did so, too.
Elizabeth's voice was soft, faint.
"In Dwayne's tribe, when two people are in love, when they choose to be together...they bond. There's a ceremony; it's incredibly intimate. Sacred. Dwayne...well...it's a point of shame, of pain...when the full moon comes, he's reminded of his history, he's reminded of the ceremony.."
"Sucks, man..."
"I didn't know.." Elizabeth was frowning lightly, "..it's a big deal?"
Paul scoffed and David tilted his head, "Dwayne's history is complex, Elizabeth. It's a very big deal, yes. Taken from his people as a child, abused, hurt, reviled...his culture gave him comfort, before the pack it gave him something to believe in. To trust in. He opened his heart to her, he invited her into his world. You can't imagine the vulnerability. He wanted to perform the ceremony with her, he initiated it...and she crushed him...scorned him, mocked him"
"...such a bitch..." Paul muttered to himself, shaking his head.
Nobody reacted.
Everybody agreed.
Marko clenched his jaw as he felt Elizabeth's arm against his.
She had moved closer to him.
They knew, of course, that Dwayne had told her about his first love but what Elizabeth didn't know was that everything they were saying was bullshit. There was no ceremony, no rich culture or ritual and no pain beyond what the brunette had spoken about.
They were talking out of their asses.
He thought it was a little bit shitty of them to use Dwayne's painful and complicated history for their own little game but it was funny, too. His feeling of guilt was fleeting.
"Imagine sharing your most personal, sacred, spiritual wishes and having them crushed" David shook his head.
"He seems so...he-he seems fine?" Elizabeth looked down at her knees, "I wouldn't...I would never have guessed"
Paul bit his lip.
Damn right she would never have guessed.
Marko looked at his drink.
Elizabeth trusted them.
Dwayne was going to die if they could pull this off.
He bit his lip, mirroring his brother.
"Like I said. It's sacred. He keeps it close to his heart"
"If you know to look for it, you might...I dunno" Paul shrugged and Marko added, "he sometimes gets a little more thoughtful, introverted around the full moon. I think if you didn't know, you wouldn't notice because he's quite quiet anyway"
"Poor Dwayne..." she muttered.
"I've always wondered if having a mate would help lighten the burden, the memories"
"To be honest, I think that's why I forgot" Paul told the group easily, "he's got you and he's so in love with you. I figured this'd be nothin' to him by now"
"He didn't get any closure" Marko told his friend.
David nodded, "I agree. I think until there's closure, it will always haunt him. Mate or not"
"Closure?"
Marko was sure that was a word she'd read about in magazines but never really thought about beyond platitudes and nonsensical relationship advice listed in their glossy pages. It had certainly piqued her interest now though, that was for sure.
He smiled gently at her, "you know, if he can come to terms with the fact that he'll never have a ceremony or, I don't know...if he can understand he could never have it with her..."
"Or if he could do it-"
Paul stopped speaking, shutting his mouth as Elizabeth's eyes landed on him in an instantaneous flash.
"Do it?..." she repeated.
"Be serious" Marko told his friend and Paul gave a defensive sort of shrug, "well, she is his mate"
"I love him, if something is bothering him...I mean, if...if I could help, I would..." she looked at her knees, "I had no idea. I really didn't..."
"Probably doesn't want to burden you" Marko said, looking at David.
David was going to drop the bomb.
David was going to utter the words that would propel her action.
"He puts you above everything, Elizabeth. Even himself. You know that. He would suffer forever, silently, simply to keep his burden away from your shoulders"
God, what a crock of cliché bullshit! Marko looked away, unable to look at his leader. His lips were already twitching a little; hearing those sappy words come from him was too much but Elizabeth...poor, sweet Elizabeth...
She was staring at David, "do you think..."
She trailed off.
"I think it would be incredibly meaningful if you performed the ceremony, yes"
Marko, at the same time as Paul, snapped his eyes to David. Paul even turned his body.
It was very obvious, Elizabeth must have noticed that David now held the attention of everyone but their leader held his composure well, "what?"
"You do?"
He nodded, "yes"
"Really?" Marko asked, keeping his voice surprised.
"Yes" David sounded annoyed by the questions, "of course. It's important to Dwayne and Elizabeth is important to Dwayne. Put two and two together..."
Paul nodded, "I respect that, I don't think you're wrong" he shrugged his shoulders, "and it's good you're warming to my girl an' all but it's a bit late now..."
"What do you mean?" David asked, Elizabeth looking to Paul for the answer.
"Moon's almost full"
"Almost"
"Well yeah but the ceremony has to be done before the full moon actually comes"
"It does?" Marko asked.
David paused with a frown and Elizabeth looked between him and Paul, "does it? Really?"
Marko took another drink of beer.
There was a quiet sort of desperation in her voice.
She wanted to perform the ceremony with Dwayne, she wanted to do that for him.
Romantic, sweet, caring.
She was so kind, so lovely...and so predictable.
It was hard to smother his smile.
David had pointed out that Dwayne would suffer silently to keep Elizabeth happy and she wasn't having it.
"...I think you're right"
"I am right. I can't take shit seriously but I pay attention"
Elizabeth looked at Paul, "wh-ok, so how often does a full moon come? If I can't do it now, I can do it next time..."
Paul looked down at his hand, tugging out a lone cigarette from the clutter in his tux.
"...every year or so...sometimes two, sometimes three...depends on the cycle"
His head snapped down and his hand rummaged in his pocket, obviously searching for a lighter, and Marko knew it was an attempt to stop himself from laughing.
Her eyes widened and a bit of a desperate gleam shone in her eyes.
"You can do it next year or, no, I think it'll be two and a half years from now..." Paul offered, quickly stuffing his smoke in his mouth, covering it - and most of his face - with his hands as he tried to get a spark going from his lighter.
She had no clue about lunar cycles.
Poor Liz.
"I guess..." she shifted her feet in the sand, frowning a little as she thought, "that-damn, that sucks..."
"He'll get over it in a week" Marko comforted, "you probably wouldn't have noticed if we hadn't told you"
"He gets sullen but that's just Dwayne. He's always sullen" Paul offered.
"There's a few days of bonding after the ceremony, that's why I asked Paul to cool it but they're right. I doubt you would have noticed otherwise" David told her, "Anyway, perhaps having you will lessen the pain? The impact of it. He has you now, you're his mate. That could trump everything else...I'm sure he will be fine"
"But you noticed he was feeling bad?"
Marko held his beer with both hands.
They had said no such thing but Elizabeth was invested now: as far as she was concerned, her mate was silently suffering and she wanted to help him.
"I didn't notice. I didn't see it and he always-he always thinks about me. He notices my feelings..." guilt laced her words.
"Elizabeth, don't worry about it"
"...but if it hurts him..." she said with a thoughtful frown.
Marko knew their words were falling on deaf ears.
She knew about the ceremony; she knew how important it was to her mate and she wanted to do it.
She wanted to help him.
Paul was looking down, looking somewhat somber but Marko knew the truth.
He was composing himself.
Elizabeth's mate had left the scene shortly after his arrival and only after the seed of her hunger had been spiked by Paul. They had made idle and very short conversation together and then suddenly she was immersed in a deeply personal conversation involving the cultural traditions of her mate...and she didn't think to question any of it?
She loved Dwayne so much, Marko thought she'd probably believe them if they told her he had an extra toe he was nervous about and was hiding from her.
His body jerked for a second as he bit down a bark of a laugh but he masked it well, shifting on the log and turning to her, "we could, uh, we could take you to the cave?"
David murmured, "we can tell him to meet you there"
"...really?"
"Tonight is your only chance and you seem quite invested in it. Unless you wanted to wait a few years for the next fully moon?"
"You'd-you'd help me?"
David nodded, "I'm helping him"
There was a hopeful sincerity in her voice, innocent and sweet and Paul jumped to his feet, "'kay you're my cute little Lizzie and I don't wanna think about your topless adventure, so I'm out"
She didn't even bother to look at him, she was looking at David and so she didn't see the huge beaming and bright smile that had broken out on Paul's face.
It was lucky for him because Paul was breaking and there was no bringing him back.
"Topless?" she blinked at David; her eyebrows contacted a little.
"There's a ritual to the ceremony" he replied, his voice tight. It made him sound even more sincere but the other two knew the truth; he was close to laughing too, "part of it involves braiding and skin contact. Skin ship is an integral element"
"It is?"
"Yes"
"It's an intricate ceremony but-" Marko noticed the slight pause in David's words, "-simple at the same time. I can explain it to you"
Yes, he was certainly close to laughing.
How was he going to manage to explain it all to her without cracking up?
"Thank you"
Now she was nodding to herself, clearly thinking and psyching herself up to perform the sacred ritual of Dwayne's tribe, readying herself to be taught the intricacies of it by David...
...Marko clenched his jaw.
Holy shit, he could never have imagined how well it was going.
"I can direct Dwayne to the..." he waved his hand in the general direction of the cave far off in the distance and stood up, "but I'm gonna go with Paul. This should...it's private, we shouldn't be in on it"
She nodded and he nodded in return, not knowing what else he could say and honestly, he was quite desperate to laugh.
He made to follow in the footsteps of his brother, David's words floating behind him, "I suppose that leaves me to get you to the cave?"
"If it's OK?"
Marko grinned widely as he heard Elizabeth stand, wiping the sand of her legs briefly.
Girl was in for one hell of a night.
He walked faster.
"I think we should have thrown her off the bridge" he whispered to Paul, catching up and almost choking on his words, "I thought a prank was kinder than an initiation"
"She seems to like flying but this? She's gonna fucking kill us!" Paul snorted, thudding his hands on Markos's shoulder, burying his head against them as the two walked. Marko slapped his hand over his face, laughing a muffled, "fuck!" as he took to the sky, Paul following his actions.
"Elizabeth?"
Riding behind David on his bike wasn't the terribly unpleasant experience she had been thinking it would be. David had been polite enough, offering her his hand as she slid herself on, looking over his shoulder to make sure she was safe. She'd slid her arms around his waist and they had gone off into the night. There were no comments, no digs, no tricks. Just the two of them with a place to be. He hadn't terrified her with fast driving or death-defying stunts.
He'd done as he'd told her he would: he'd gotten her to the cave.
He had also confided in her the secrets of Dwayne's life, the intimate details of the sacred bonding ritual. He had told her everything with eye-contact so intense she thought she would wilt under his stare; he had made it clear how much pain and suffering Dwayne had endured because of it, he had told her in no uncertain terms that in doing this ceremony she had the power to hurt him even more.
She had to do it right, she had to respect and honor the ritual and if she hurt Dwayne, she would have to answer to David.
It had been a somber, cold discussion interspersed with moments of genuine warmth and kindness.
David was confiding in her because he trusted that she would do right by Dwayne.
Taking a breath, Elizabeth stopped on the top step, straining to hear David over the crashing waves.
"Don't hurt Dwayne. This is serious to him, perhaps even more so than his marking you. Take it seriously in turn, alright?"
She blinked, his words penetrating her. Though he spoke softly, the words were like a punch to the gut.
Even more important than him claiming her?
And Dwayne had been living with this for so long?
She nodded and David gave her his usual brief and short nod, that cold and barely perceptible movement of his head in return before all but gliding back to his bike. She knew that Dwayne was inside waiting for her and so she ploughed on ahead, down the stairs and into the cave.
She found her footing easily and confidently, noticing that the flickering lights were a bit dim. None of the barrels had been lit before Dwayne had returned, she could tell because the whole space was freezing. She guessed they only really lit them if they knew she was coming or if they intended to spend the night in the cave. A few of the barrels were dancing with fire but it wasn't a roaring fire, rather it was a fresh, newly lit one and she was grateful for her mate's consideration.
She looked down at herself, smoothing her jeans and cami once before running her hands through her hair.
She was glad she'd not put her hair up that evening. She was going to scoop it in a high bun but couldn't be bothered in the end. She was thankful now, though.
For the ceremony, her hair had to be down.
She slid her jacket off, folding it carefully and draping it over the arm of the sofa.
"Liz?"
"Coming" she called breathlessly, jumping for a second, "wait there! Just wait there!"
She didn't want him leaving her little room; it was the prefect space to be with him but she knew he was a gentleman, that he would come to collect her, so she walked fast, breezing by the sofa and fountain, the nooks and crannies of the cave.
Edging her way past the deceptive poster, she smoothed her hair once more before inching her way fully into the hidden, narrow corridor. It was a little bit damp but she found the smell didn't bother her in the slightest. It must have been because of the rain the previous nights. The space was dark and it dank but it was clear which room was hers simply because of the warm, orange glow illuminating the doorway.
She strode towards it.
"Don't shut the door the whole way" Dwayne advised when she stepped through the threshold, "I want to keep the air fresh"
Fresh? It was a dank cave. She wasn't sure fresh was the right word.
"...why?"
"Elizabeth?" he gave her a funny little look before laughing, looking between her and the fire, "carbon monoxide is bad for mortals"
"Oh...oh, right. Yeah! Yeah, OK" she looked at the contained and bright fire before turning to the door, closing it gently and leaving it open a crack. David had promised her the cave was hers until sunrise so she wasn't worried about anybody hearing.
The room was lovely and warm, almost toasty, and the fire cast the most spellbinding colors over the space. The little bathtub he had teased her with before was there, still waiting to be used, but otherwise the space was as she remembered.
Her room.
She was feeling a little shy, a little nervous to think about what she was going to do but it was an exciting sort of nervous.
Anyway, even if she was unsure, she was feeling that way because she was putting herself out there for her mate and that was no bad thing.
"I don't know what Paul was talking about, I looked and I asked but nobody had a clue about pizza balls...not sure if he was trying to make me look stupid or what" he shook his head, sitting on the ground, "he's out of this mind but I did get you a pizza. Eat as much as you want, don't go to an effort to save some for him, OK? He doesn't need it"
Elizabeth laughed and nodded, looking at the large pizza box on her sofa bed. There was a paper bag beside it, a little grease spattered and she smiled. Was it a corndog for Paul or more food for her? Whatever the answer was, it was a kind gesture from him.
She looked down at him and he smiled before asking, with a somewhat bemused expression, if she'd had a good evening.
"Yeah, it was edifying"
He tilted his head in question and she took a breath.
"Your brothers care about you a lot, Dwayne"
She smiled, missing the brief flicker of confusion dance over his face.
They only had a few hours together and she had been in the room with him for a few minutes already. She didn't know how they counted it back then but David had been very explicit: when Dwayne first saw her, she had only seven minutes to initiate the ceremony and when it began, she had to keep silent.
Feeling nervous and a little uncomfortable, wishing that Dwayne would make the first move rather than her, Elizabeth smiled at her mate. She felt like a fish out of water, she felt uncomfortable but she loved him and wanted to do something special and meaningful and well, what was more special, more meaningful than this?
It was his life, his culture, his history.
She could end his suffering, heal his hurt.
He was still sitting on the floor with his back against the plush sofa, a new throw blanket pushed up onto the body of it, away from the ground.
He looked so handsome, so casual. She couldn't imagine what he looked like as a mortal. What clothes did he wear back then?
He frowned a little up at her as he tilted his head, "...what?"
She blinked at him and smiled, taking a breath. She would happily and gladly put aside her discomfort for him.
He looked confused by her actions and she was excited, nervously excited.
She was ready.
She had been marked by him and she had initiated that.
She could do this.
It wasn't something that she had prepared for but she could do it.
Keeping quiet, as she knew she should, Elizabeth stood before him and slowly, thoughtfully began to undo the buttons of her cami. Fingers trembling a little due to her nerves, she kept her head bowed respectfully. The warm air of the comfortable room met her skin as she straps fell down to her elbows and, as she quietly worked at removing her bra, she could see Dwayne shift in front of her.
Did he know what she was doing?
God, she wanted to look at him so badly, she wanted the reassurance that she was doing it right but she knew that in looking at him for validation she would be doing it wrong.
Say nothing, keep your eyes down, David's words were ringing in her ears.
Realizing that she couldn't take off the bra without slipping her arms out of the cami, too, she moved her body, trying to remain graceful but honestly having a hard time with it. She guessed it must have been easier with a corset. As both the top and bra fell down to her hips, the bra finally slinking to the floor, Dwayne moved again. She saw his legs shift, saw him hitch one knee up and rest his elbow on it and she took the chance.
He must have known what she was doing, he had cleared space for her.
Taking the opportunity, she sat down on her knees before him, his thigh pressing against the side of her leg.
She was facing him but keeping her eyes downcast, mentally following the points David had divulged to her.
She was naked from the waist up; her own hair was down.
Taking a soothing breath, she reached up softly, running her fingers through his hair before grimacing a little. She was nervous and her fingers were trembling a bit, his hair was smooth tonight, falling through her fingers easily.
She took another breath, soft and soothing, before starting again.
As her left hand cupped his cheek, she maneuvered the fingers of her right hand to split his thick hair into three wide strands. David had said that it was the most challenging part but Elizabeth had been braiding her own hair for as long as she could remember. She was confident in that but she realized it wasn't the braid itself, it was doing it with just one hand.
That was difficult.
Still, she thought she could manage it. Perhaps at the slow pace she was going it would be OK.
Moving her left hand down, she placed it over his still heart.
"Kalimar-kalimar-" trying to get the tone right, she lowered her voice a little, "kali-"
Dwayne tilted his head, his shoulders shook and Elizabeth paused.
Wasn't he supposed to be perfectly still at this point?
Had she said it wrong?
Maybe.
Because of his movement, his hair fell through her fingers again and, swallowing, gripping his hair a little tighter, she tried once more. Her voice deeper, her fingers clutching his hair perhaps a little too tightly, she tried to focus on the sacred ritual rather than his reaction.
Chant it over and over again, touching the heart and then begin the braid.
She could do it.
Perhaps her pronunciation threw him off?
"Ca-calimaaa-"
She felt his body jerk and then, before she could try to start the braid in earnest, his hand reached up and gently pulled hers away from his hair.
He was laughing, his voice shaking.
"Uh, baby? What are you doing?"
She blinked, frowning as she met his wide eyes and raised eyebrows and incredibly big smile.
"I-the-the ceremony"
She was confused and a little hurt that he had broken the sacred air by speaking but she was downright stung by his laughter.
Had she messed up that badly?
Was her pronunciation terrible? Did she have to be fully naked, not just the chest?
Had David misremembered?
Whatever, it was over now.
She had spoken and made eye-contact - the two big no no's.
"...what?"
"The-Dwayne, I.." she didn't know what to say. She was disappointed in herself. She wanted to help him, "the ceremony, the...I wanted..."
He leaned his head forward a little, his eyebrows raising even higher as he bit his lip.
She knew that he could tell she was feeling sensitive about it but it was apparently impossible for him to stem his laughter.
"...Dwayne, I..." she felt really vulnerable, naked before him. She felt small, too, "the-I want to bond with you I know-it's...it's the..it's the Sankara ceremony from your tribe, I..I wanted to bond with you in the..the Thuggee tradition and-"
He snorted.
Loudly.
It was so unlike him, such a burst of raw laughter.
In trying to justify her actions, to explain them, she had pushed him over the edge and his laughter was loud and rumbling.
He flung his head back, clutching her hand tightly, "oh baby..." his words, the tone sympathetic and kind, were lost in a boom of laughter, "baby.."
"What? I..." she didn't know what to say and she tugged her hand free before crossing her arms protectively over her breasts.
Still laughing, he pulled her in for a kiss.
"Baby.." his lips were comforting and warm and the feel of his hand against the back of her head was nice but his laughter was only getting louder, stronger and as his forehead fell against hers, she pulled back from him, stung and annoyed, "so what? Did I do it wrong?"
He was trying hard to fight down his laughter.
"I love you so much" he kissed her again before breaking away.
"What...where did I mess up?" she couldn't hide her hurt, "I did everything..."
Eyes bright, he tried to steady himself, "your arm"
"Huh?"
Body still shaking as he tried to stem his laughs, he stretched his out to the side in demonstration, cupping his fingers rigidly into the thin air, "like this but-" she had never seen him laugh so hard he struggled to find words, "but over the heart"
"Oh..." she looked at the floor.
Her fingers hadn't been cupped at all; she'd laid her palm flat over his chest.
So, she had done it wrong.
Dwayne shook his head, bringing his arm back, "but you got to do it tight, you-you gotta dig, baby. Dig like you want to pull my heart out"
He was choking on his words a little and she nodded, accepting them.
"...I didn't know that..."
David definitely didn't specify that. Had he set her up to fail deliberately?
Was it an accident, him forgetting?
Dwayne looked at her, studying her face and clearly seeing her hurt.
His eyes were bright and he murmured a fond and loving, "baby" before scooping her into his arms.
She had never been showered with pet names like this before.
She must have looked really pathetic.
He rolled their bodies and pinned her beneath him before kissing her. He was still laughing and she frowned up at him, not in the mood to be cuddled.
The floor wasn't cold but it wasn't warm, either, and the sofa had a gap underneath it that seemed to pass a cool breeze over her arm. He was still dressed and she shifted against him, frowning when he asked, "you're not a big movie person?"
Wow.
She had messed up so badly, he was now changing the subject.
What could she say?
"...I like movies..."
She looked to the side; his body was still shaking against hers.
Still laughing.
"You never got around to Indiana Jones?"
"...of course I did, everyone's seen it..."
He smothered his face in the crook of her neck, his hair covering her breasts.
His whole body was rocking through his silent chuckles, "baby!"
How could this be so funny to him?
"Dwayne this is important to me, they told me how much-that this is a painful time for you and this was-I wanted to..." she didn't know what else to say.
He didn't seem hurt or upset but now she was.
Dwayne's fingers met her chin and she allowed her head to be turned to face him.
He was grinning so widely, his eyes so bright and his laughter was still there, bubbling beneath the surface, waiting to explode.
"Thuggee? That was the name of cult from the movie, Liz" his voice was so warm, the laughter and amusement bright and clear, "the guys just rehashed the plot points of the movie-"
"-but, they-they..."
"Baby" there was such disbelief in his voice, "baby you don't remember the heart removal scene? Are you sure you saw the movie?"
As Dwayne raised his body, looking down at her, she gaped back up stupidly.
"Oh my God!"
Suddenly, clearly, everything clicked into place.
He buried his face in her neck again, laughing without even trying to hold back, Elizabeth lied stunned beneath him.
She could feel her face flame, she knew she was beet pink, she could hear him murmur her name, another sort of fond and disbelieving exclamation of, "baby" but all she could think about was how embarrassed she was.
Mortified.
All three of them had been in on it and they had worked so well, so smoothly.
David had been aloof, arrogant as always, cold but clear in his respect for his friend. He was divulging something so sacred and personal to her because he loved Dwayne and she had been sucked right in. Marko had been interested and respectful, adamant that it wasn't his place to discuss it. He had been supportive and encouraging of Elizabeth's involvement, protecting her and telling David to be kind...and then Paul.
Paul...
He was laughing at her expense from the get go! That's why he'd been so dismissive and involved in his smokes; he couldn't keep a straight face if he was involved any more than he had been. He'd left the scene early along with Marko.
She sort of whimpered indignantly.
They worked so damn well as a team.
"You saw the movie and you didn't twig?"
"Dwayne...I-" she laughed once, helplessly as he propped his body up and she met his eyes, "-I saw it twice..."
That propelled another burst of laughter from her mate and there was now raucous laughter coming faintly from the main room of the cave and Elizabeth let her hands drop to the side.
So much for them staying away for the night.
How long had they been there, in the cave, listening to her embarrass herself?
As she lay spread eagle, topless and mortified under her laughing mate, the sound of his idiot brothers echoing through the caves, Elizabeth didn't know what to do.
"We're gonna eat you alive" Dwayne laughed, his face still buried in her neck.
She had a feeling that he was right.
Her face was hotter than she had ever felt it.
Living with Michael and Sam had been nothing compared to being involved with these four men.
They were big brothers of another sort, that was for sure.
A/N: thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to review this story. I appreciate it more than I can say, it motivates me so much. I don't want to let you down, despite time slipping away from me! There is a very clear ending in sight. It feels quite exciting to see an end on the horizon! Stay safe all.