Paul landed at the back of the library and walked around front. He climbed
the wide steps up to the door and went inside.
"Can I help you?" The man behind the circulation desk eyed him warily.
Paul looked around for Madigan but didn't see her. "I'm looking for Madigan."
"She's home. It's her day off."
"You'll give me her address."
The man shook his head. "I can't."
Paul waved his hand to quiet him. "Yes, you can." The man nodded slowly and flipped through a Rolodex. He pulled out a card and handed it to Paul.
"Thanks man." He said and left.
***
David set Lily on her bed as Marko got her nightgown. "You sure attract the wackos Princess." David muttered as he pulled off her clothes.
"Here." Dwayne handed him a warm washcloth. David nodded his thanks and gently cleaned the blood from her neck. When he was finished, Marko pulled her softest cotton nightgown over Lily's
head before tucking her into bed. He kissed her on the forehead and left.
"Sleep well princess." Dwayne murmured before joining the others in the hallway.
"He said something to her." David said, heading down the stairs. "I want to know what."
Dwayne looked back at the bedroom they'd just left. "I can try and coerce her when she wakes up."
David smiled wistfully. "You're the only one who can, you know."
Dwayne nodded. "I know. I'll try when she wakes up."
***
Madigan's house was on the opposite side of town from Lily's. It was a little cottage, not far from the beach. Paul knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Madigan called from inside a few moments later.
"Paul."
The door swung open. Madigan stood on the other side, wearing a crimson silk robe. Her hair was damp, as if she just gotten out of the shower.
"Paul, hi. What are you doing here?" She held her robe closed with one hand.
"David wants you to come home with us." Paul reached out to touch Madigan but she was inside the house. His hand hit the invisible barrier that prevented him from going in.
"Let me get dressed. Will you come in?" Madigan said the magic words and the barrier fell away.
Paul followed her into the little cottage. It was really just one large room, with a kitchen and bathroom off to the side. Madigan dropped her robe and felt for her jeans. Paul grabbed them off the bed and handed them to her, trying to ignore the fact that she was naked save for her underwear.
"So what does David want with me?" She asked, pulling on her jeans.
"We met the new pack tonight. He wants you to stay with us, so you don't get hurt." Paul took another step toward her. "I can protect you at the house or the cave."
Madigan turned. Paul was right behind her and she stumbled. He put out his arm to keep her from falling. She put a hand on his chest, her head tipped to the side. "Paul, I-"
"Shh." He whispered and leaned down to kiss her.
***
A scream from upstairs had all three vampires on their feet. They raced up the stairs to Lily's bedroom. The girl was thrashing around on her bed, the sheets tangled around her legs.
Dwayne pulled her up and back against his chest as she began to scream again.
"Lily, wake up! You're safe, girl. Nothing's going to hurt you here." He called over her screams. She quieted in his arms, stirring. "Lil?"
"Dwayne? David?" Her voice was shaky. "Marko?"
"You were having a nightmare." David told her. She let him pull her into his embrace. "You okay?"
She nodded, ducking her head into the crook of his shoulder. "Stay with me?"
"I will." He looked over at Dwayne and Marko. "Keep an eye out for Paul. He should be home anytime."
They nodded and headed downstairs, leaving their leader to comfort their princess.
***
Paul collapsed heavily on top of Madigan, his head buried in her shoulder. He laughed as she tickled his ribs. "Stop it, Mad."
"Get off me. You're heavy." She giggled, trying to push him off. He rolled to the side and pulled her with him so her head was resting on his shoulder.
"You weren't complaining a minute ago. Is that better?" She nodded. He watched as the moon came from behind a cloud, lighting up the room. "David's waiting for us. We should go."
Madigan smiled. "You're the one who started this."
"Hey, you're a pretty nice distraction." He ran his hand down her side.
She pushed his hand away. "Stop that. We'll never get out before sunrise if you don't."
Paul pouted but let her go. "You're right. We've got to go. I don't want David pissed at me tonight."
Madigan felt along the floor for her discarded clothing. "I don't think I'd want David pissed at me ever."
***
"Where've you been?" David demanded, glaring at the blonde vampire. Paul and Madigan had just landed in the driveway.
Paul shrugged. "Sorry David. Madigan wasn't dressed."
He raised one golden eyebrow. "Really."
Madigan felt his gaze on her and blushed. "I'm sorry. I kinda distracted Paul."
David nodded. "Right, distracted." He shook his head. "Get inside. Lily's awake but she's still a little shaken. I'm going to stand watch for a while."
Paul nodded, clapping David on the shoulder. "Don't stay out too late."
David smiled. "I won't."
Inside, Dwayne was holding Lily. Marko sat next to them on the couch. They looked up when Paul and Madigan came in.
"Where you been Paul?" Lily asked in a whisper. She was huddled in on herself, the normal golden sparkle gone from her eyes.
Paul knelt on the floor in front of Lily. "I'm sorry princess. You forgive me?" He took her free hand in his, surprised to find it cold as ice. She nodded and smiled, but the smile never reached her eyes.
"Take me up to bed?" She asked Marko, wanting to be able to talk, without prying vampire ears around.
He nodded and got to his feet, pulling her to hers as well. Lily kissed Dwayne and Paul goodnight. She stopped at the front door to whisper a good night to David who came over for a kiss as well. Lily leaned into him for a moment before straightening up and turning back to Marko.
"You okay princess?" Marko asked as soon as they got into her room.
"No." She pulled the curtains shut tightly across the windows and climbed into bed next to the blond vampire.
"You will be. We'll help you get through this."
Lily nodded. "When I was with Nino, I almost forgot David and you Boys existed. All I could think of was him."
Marko nodded, wrapping his arms around Lily. "Some of us are more magnetic than others. Everyone's powers differ."
"He's doing this on purpose. Trying to get me out of the pack." Lily said.
"I know."
She hugged him tightly. "I'm scared."
"Yeah. Me too Lil."
"Can I help you?" The man behind the circulation desk eyed him warily.
Paul looked around for Madigan but didn't see her. "I'm looking for Madigan."
"She's home. It's her day off."
"You'll give me her address."
The man shook his head. "I can't."
Paul waved his hand to quiet him. "Yes, you can." The man nodded slowly and flipped through a Rolodex. He pulled out a card and handed it to Paul.
"Thanks man." He said and left.
***
David set Lily on her bed as Marko got her nightgown. "You sure attract the wackos Princess." David muttered as he pulled off her clothes.
"Here." Dwayne handed him a warm washcloth. David nodded his thanks and gently cleaned the blood from her neck. When he was finished, Marko pulled her softest cotton nightgown over Lily's
head before tucking her into bed. He kissed her on the forehead and left.
"Sleep well princess." Dwayne murmured before joining the others in the hallway.
"He said something to her." David said, heading down the stairs. "I want to know what."
Dwayne looked back at the bedroom they'd just left. "I can try and coerce her when she wakes up."
David smiled wistfully. "You're the only one who can, you know."
Dwayne nodded. "I know. I'll try when she wakes up."
***
Madigan's house was on the opposite side of town from Lily's. It was a little cottage, not far from the beach. Paul knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Madigan called from inside a few moments later.
"Paul."
The door swung open. Madigan stood on the other side, wearing a crimson silk robe. Her hair was damp, as if she just gotten out of the shower.
"Paul, hi. What are you doing here?" She held her robe closed with one hand.
"David wants you to come home with us." Paul reached out to touch Madigan but she was inside the house. His hand hit the invisible barrier that prevented him from going in.
"Let me get dressed. Will you come in?" Madigan said the magic words and the barrier fell away.
Paul followed her into the little cottage. It was really just one large room, with a kitchen and bathroom off to the side. Madigan dropped her robe and felt for her jeans. Paul grabbed them off the bed and handed them to her, trying to ignore the fact that she was naked save for her underwear.
"So what does David want with me?" She asked, pulling on her jeans.
"We met the new pack tonight. He wants you to stay with us, so you don't get hurt." Paul took another step toward her. "I can protect you at the house or the cave."
Madigan turned. Paul was right behind her and she stumbled. He put out his arm to keep her from falling. She put a hand on his chest, her head tipped to the side. "Paul, I-"
"Shh." He whispered and leaned down to kiss her.
***
A scream from upstairs had all three vampires on their feet. They raced up the stairs to Lily's bedroom. The girl was thrashing around on her bed, the sheets tangled around her legs.
Dwayne pulled her up and back against his chest as she began to scream again.
"Lily, wake up! You're safe, girl. Nothing's going to hurt you here." He called over her screams. She quieted in his arms, stirring. "Lil?"
"Dwayne? David?" Her voice was shaky. "Marko?"
"You were having a nightmare." David told her. She let him pull her into his embrace. "You okay?"
She nodded, ducking her head into the crook of his shoulder. "Stay with me?"
"I will." He looked over at Dwayne and Marko. "Keep an eye out for Paul. He should be home anytime."
They nodded and headed downstairs, leaving their leader to comfort their princess.
***
Paul collapsed heavily on top of Madigan, his head buried in her shoulder. He laughed as she tickled his ribs. "Stop it, Mad."
"Get off me. You're heavy." She giggled, trying to push him off. He rolled to the side and pulled her with him so her head was resting on his shoulder.
"You weren't complaining a minute ago. Is that better?" She nodded. He watched as the moon came from behind a cloud, lighting up the room. "David's waiting for us. We should go."
Madigan smiled. "You're the one who started this."
"Hey, you're a pretty nice distraction." He ran his hand down her side.
She pushed his hand away. "Stop that. We'll never get out before sunrise if you don't."
Paul pouted but let her go. "You're right. We've got to go. I don't want David pissed at me tonight."
Madigan felt along the floor for her discarded clothing. "I don't think I'd want David pissed at me ever."
***
"Where've you been?" David demanded, glaring at the blonde vampire. Paul and Madigan had just landed in the driveway.
Paul shrugged. "Sorry David. Madigan wasn't dressed."
He raised one golden eyebrow. "Really."
Madigan felt his gaze on her and blushed. "I'm sorry. I kinda distracted Paul."
David nodded. "Right, distracted." He shook his head. "Get inside. Lily's awake but she's still a little shaken. I'm going to stand watch for a while."
Paul nodded, clapping David on the shoulder. "Don't stay out too late."
David smiled. "I won't."
Inside, Dwayne was holding Lily. Marko sat next to them on the couch. They looked up when Paul and Madigan came in.
"Where you been Paul?" Lily asked in a whisper. She was huddled in on herself, the normal golden sparkle gone from her eyes.
Paul knelt on the floor in front of Lily. "I'm sorry princess. You forgive me?" He took her free hand in his, surprised to find it cold as ice. She nodded and smiled, but the smile never reached her eyes.
"Take me up to bed?" She asked Marko, wanting to be able to talk, without prying vampire ears around.
He nodded and got to his feet, pulling her to hers as well. Lily kissed Dwayne and Paul goodnight. She stopped at the front door to whisper a good night to David who came over for a kiss as well. Lily leaned into him for a moment before straightening up and turning back to Marko.
"You okay princess?" Marko asked as soon as they got into her room.
"No." She pulled the curtains shut tightly across the windows and climbed into bed next to the blond vampire.
"You will be. We'll help you get through this."
Lily nodded. "When I was with Nino, I almost forgot David and you Boys existed. All I could think of was him."
Marko nodded, wrapping his arms around Lily. "Some of us are more magnetic than others. Everyone's powers differ."
"He's doing this on purpose. Trying to get me out of the pack." Lily said.
"I know."
She hugged him tightly. "I'm scared."
"Yeah. Me too Lil."