Not I, that's for certain.
So, this chapter. I'll admit up front that some of you may find it a little on the strange side. There's something distinctly "ewww" about something Ash has to do near the end. I wasn't terribly fond of writing that part, but there wasn't a way I could avoid it, either. We'll be back to general Ash/Mary-Lynnette/Pup cuteness for the next chapter, though. For this one, there were just a number of things we had to get out on the table for Le Plot (which has not been left behind!).
Enjoy!
For a Knight's Lady
By: EarthDragonette
Disclaimer: Ash is not my original character. Mary-Lynnette isn't my original character either. Neither are Thierry, or Hannah, or, well, anybody really. Except Reina, the blonde kid from the club, and the pup. Those I'm rather fond of – even if Reina DOES vex me so. Anyway, I'm not making any money off of this story.
Rating: PG-13
Hunter Redfern leaned back in his chair, the phone cradled between his shoulder and ear. "I have a job for you."
"Another one? Going to the club wasn't enough?"
Smiling wryly, the vampire made a small note in the file opened in front of him. "You're extremely efficient at collecting information. I need you to do it again."
The voice oozed out of the phone, obviously eager. "With the same person?"
"At this point, yes. I've no doubt that Ash will lead us to the heart of Thierry's betrayal, but I'm still uncertain as to where his own heart lies. Watch him closely; his physical manner will tell us much about what we need to know."
"And what if the human girl shows up again?"
Hunter sighed. "It's true, she may be key to getting the information we want. Observe her as well."
"Of course."
Mary-Lynnette and Ash were both awoken by a brisk knock on the door. Immediately alert, Ash got up and went to answer it while Mary-Lynnette rolled over, trying to clear her head. Glancing at Ash's alarm clock, she saw that it was a little after four.
Ugh, she thought, sitting up slowly. I guess the recon took longer than they thought it would. After a moment she heard the door close, and Ash came in looking slightly harrowed.
"What is it?" she asked.
Leaning against the doorframe, Ash crossed his arms in front of his chest. "The team just got back. Things must've been pretty bad – Thierry wants us to meet him in his office."
Nodding in understanding, Mary-Lynnette went to her suitcase and pulled out a pair of flip-flops, slipping into them while dragging a comb through her hair. When she turned back around to face Ash, he was staring intently ahead.
Wanting him to feel her support, she thought to him: What is it?
Ash furrowed his brow. I don't know, he answered. I just have ... a really strange feeling about this whole situation.
Maybe you're tired? she suggested.
Sighing, he brought his head up and gave her a half-smile. "Maybe," he replied, holding out his hand to her. "A lot's been happening lately. I'm probably just on edge."
Giving him a wary look as they exited the bedroom, Mary-Lynnette tried to take comfort in his words, but couldn't help sharing his unease.
"We sent our agents to the old mining territory," Thierry explained, his eyes locked on the reconnaissance report. "They were to patrol the area around your campsite, and then move on to the werewolf den. After their find, however, going to the den wasn't immediately necessary."
"There's a cave about four miles from where you were camped last night," Hannah informed them, pointing to a map that was opened on top of Thierry's desk. "When the agents investigated it, they found the body of Arianna Rodriguez, the alpha female to the pack on Thierry's land. It looked like she'd been there for about a day or so. Along with her body, the team recovered some of our cub's articles as well as Arianna's suitcase." Looking up at them, she hastened to add: "Arianna was the cub's mother."
"That was inside of the cave," Thierry pressed on, his mouth in a tight line. "Outside, they found the bodies of the rest of the pack. Arianna's mate was among them."
Almost afraid to ask, Ash clarified, "All of them were dead?"
Nodding her head sadly, Hannah answered, "All ten members of the pack. We're not sure why they were killed, but it looks like it was some kind of magical attack."
Thierry looked slightly distraught. "It's a tragedy, but the number could've been higher. Luckily enough, the pack split in half about a year ago, so this was a relatively small slaughter."
Not sure if she could ever get used to the idea of a "small slaughter," Mary-Lynnette changed the subject. "We heard what sounded like a dog fight last night. Was that the pack fighting off the attack?"
Hannah looked uncomfortable. "Well, not exactly," she answered.
Having a feeling that he knew where this was going, Ash concluded: "The pack challenged Arianna."
Thierry looked over to Ash and inclined his head in assent. "Most likely. From her wounds, and traces of her blood on other pack members, it's clear that Arianna's death came from the other werewolves. Their deaths, however, are still unexplained."
Mary-Lynnette was confused. "Wait, what's a pack challenge?"
Hannah winced. "It's way of dispensing justice within werewolf families. Generally, it's not used these days unless the pack is extremely traditional, or the crime is exceptionally heinous. In Arianna's case, since all evidence suggests she was trying to flee the area, it was probably the latter."
"What could she do to bring down such a punishment on herself, though?" Mary-Lynnette asked, trying to deal with a growing sense of shock.
"A number of things," Ash answered. "Mostly stuff like infidelity or treason. Werewolves are really loyal and all about hierarchy. If she stepped outside of her position – especially as the leader's mate, then the punishment would have been ... severe."
Moving the topic forward, Thierry said, "Whatever her crime was, it seems that the pup was spared – both from the challenge, and the second attack. Again, we're still trying to piece together what happened, but at the very least we can say that after the slaughter, the pup found his way to you." Glancing at Ash, he added, "When you went out to scout last night, you probably left a trace that he followed to your camp site."
I thought you said that the wind scattered the scents, Mary-Lynnette projected to Ash.
Ash grimaced, looking annoyed. Werewolves have a better sense of smell than vampires do.
Ah, well, okay then.
Oblivious to the mental interaction between the young couple, Thierry sat up in his seat and reached for another folder. In a moment of random speculation, Mary-Lynnette wondered if Thierry's desk was magically maintained with a never-ending supply of blank folders.
"Given the rather unusual circumstances," Thierry charged, "You can understand why it's necessary to move the cub as quickly as we can. Since we don't know exactly what we're dealing with, I think that it would be best to get him out of the area. If there is a powerful werewolf hunter around, he or she will most certainly know about this house. We don't need the extra threat at a time like this, and we have another caretaker that can protect him better than we can."
Although she felt a little foolish for asking, Mary-Lynnette turned to Thierry and said, "I don't mean to question your plan ..."
Thierry arched his eyebrow. "But?"
Mary-Lynnette coughed. "But, if a magically apt werewolf hunter was able to take down ten full grown wolves, how are Ash and I supposed to protect the pup? He's no witch, and I don't have any psychic tendencies."
Giving her a level look, Thierry sat back in his chair. "Mary-Lynnette," he addressed, "I trust that Ash has told you a great deal about the Nightworld."
She answered, "Well, yes. At least, he's told me the rules governing it, why we're in danger from it, and how it operates."
Thierry nodded. "Good. Then you'll understand that as beings that aren't human, that are relatively small in number, and that must stay hidden for the sake of survival, it isn't often that we become involved in extremely aggressive or outward battles. Our races have long been the spies, the assassins, and the thieves in the shadows. We live by grace, by speed, and by always staying a step ahead of our prey ... or our predators."
Somewhat amused by her soulmate's dramatic interpretation of Nightworld strategies, Hannah clarified, "What he means, Mary-Lynnette, is that Nightworld and Circle Daybreak tactics have always been covert. With careful planning and Ash's training, we should be able to get you to Maine and back without a lot of trouble."
Still feeling slightly uncomfortable with the plan, Mary-Lynnette was about to protest again when she heard the sound of Ash's cell phone. Looking slightly embarrassed, the young vampire pulled out the phone, checking to see who was calling him. Furrowing his brow at the unfamiliar number, he shot a glance at Thierry, who nodded his permission to answer it.
"Yeah?" He asked, his voice dropping into the lazy drawl that Mary-Lynnette recognized from the club.
I guess he goes undercover if he doesn't recognize the caller, she thought, watching him intently as his eyes darkened to coal black, and a self-satisfied smirk grew on his face. "Well, I don't know if I remember you," he sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I see a lot of women, sweetheart."
Her emotions ranging from interested to territorial, Mary-Lynnette leaned back in her chair and drew her legs up to rest her chin on her knees. Hannah tossed her a sympathetic look, to which Mary-Lynnette could do little more than shrug in reply.
"Oh, that's right, Reina," Ash recalled, closing his eyes. He knew that his behavior looked sort of strange to the others in the room, but given that he was unprepared for the conversation, he needed to focus. "I could never forget you – I slept all day yesterday after the night you gave me." Wincing as he remembered that Mary-Lynnette was sitting no more than five feet away from him, he kept going. "What can I do for you, your Highness?"
Watching Ash with interest, Thierry leaned back and pushed his chair away from the desk. Hannah moved a little closer to him, taking a hold of his hand in the process. Unaccustomed to seeing the affection between Thierry and Hannah, Mary-Lynnette was momentarily distracted from her discomfort.
"Well I don't know about that," Ash said, opening his eyes. "My schedule's been busy lately. I usually don't like to hit the Iris twice in one week – too much of a good thing, you know." His eyes darted to Thierry. After the briefest of moments, the Circle Daybreak Lord nodded.
"But," Ash continued, "For you, I think I can make an exception. I'll be there tonight." Meeting with an unexpected demand, his voice displayed his surprise. "You want me to meet you at six? Sweetheart, I don't know about you Spanish vampires, but us Americans don't exactly keep daytime hours." Hearing her insistence, and seeing Thierry indicate that Ash should acquiesce to her request, he switched gears. "But ... since it's you, maybe I can make an exception." Deciding to maintain his distance so as to keep her interested, Ash chose to end the call there, clicking his phone off. After a beat, he looked up at Mary-Lynnette, his eyes a light green. She glanced at him, but didn't know how else to respond.
"So she wants to meet with you again," Thierry observed. "That's highly unusual. Do you think she suspects that you're a spy?"
Ash sighed, drawing his hand through his hair. "I don't know. I guess it's possible that somebody traced me back to this place – even with all of the precautions we've taken. I don't know what else we can do besides have me go and see what she wants."
Nodding, Thierry replied, "Very well. Still, I want you to take a team of agents with you – just in case. You have other responsibilities besides this assignment, and I need you to be alive to do them. We'll put off your trip until tomorrow."
Feeling that the meeting was over, Ash and Mary-Lynnette stood up. "Find me after you meet with her," Thierry instructed. "In the meantime, I'll send down information about your vehicle and accommodations."
Resisting the urge to make a face, Ash simply waved at Thierry, letting the older vampire interpret the gesture in whatever manner he desired.
After Ash and Mary-Lynnette left, Hannah let out a sigh. "Well," she said, turning to face her soulmate. "That was ... tense."
Echoing her sigh, Thierry agreed. "I know. I'll be happy once they get the pup to Jason."
Giving him an uncomfortable look, Hannah admitted, "I don't like leaving them in the dark, Thierry."
Closing a couple of the files on his desk with an air of finality, he sighed. "I don't either, but you know it's safer this way."
Still not convinced, Hannah prompted, "For whom?"
Walking back to his room, Ash kept tossing nervous glances at Mary-Lynnette. Her stoic silence unnerved him, and he wasn't sure what she was specifically upset about.
Passing one of the werewolf guards on duty, Ash decided to try to lighten the mood.
Hey, if we make it to Maine without losing the pup, we could run seminars werewolf babysitting. Or even write a book. Maybe Oprah would have us on her author's panel.
Rolling her eyes, Mary-Lynnette turned down a hallway, stopping in front of Ash's door. Ash moved to unlock it, and became confused when he saw Mary-Lynnette staring at his keys. It was to his relief that by the time they got inside, his soulmate was starting to resemble a human being rather than a statue.
"So ..." he said, not sure how to begin the conversation.
Mary-Lynnette sat down on the couch, and Ash hesitantly took a seat next to her. "Don't worry, I'm not mad at you," she said, drawing her legs up lotus-style.
Feeling a little snarky, Ash muttered: "Well, that's a change. It's nice to see our relationship is maturing."
Poking him in the side, Mary-Lynnette reminded him, "But it is. That's what I'm beginning to realize. I don't really like the idea of other women actually calling you up or falling in love with you because of your job, but at the end of the day ... I'm the one you want to come home to. In that way ... they're not really a threat, are they?"
Ash blinked, unable to get past a certain part of Mary-Lynnette's revelation. "What do you mean, 'falling in love' with me?"
Mary-Lynnette raised her eyebrows. "Of all people I would think you could recognize something as obvious as that."
Holding up his hands, Ash shook his head emphatically. "Whoa, wait a second here. Who said that Reina was falling for me?"
"She did – by tracking down and calling your private line. You've told me what kind of cover you have in your work. She must have paid a lot of money for your number."
"Mary-Lynnette, that's just not how things are done in the Nightworld. I imagine she wants something from me," here he had the grace to blush faintly, "but at the most, it's a good time and some information. She's one of Hunter's girls. There's no way she'd form an attachment to me."
Looking thoughtful, Mary-Lynnette disagreed. "I don't know, Ash. I've got a feeling about her. I really think there's more going on than you're seeing."
Feeling decidedly unsettled with the conversation, Ash got up and started walking towards the bedroom. "Whatever," he replied, glancing over his shoulder at her. "I think you're paranoid. You should be more worried that my cover's been blown than if some chick is going after me."
Standing up, Mary-Lynnette followed Ash, catching up to him in the closet. "I am worried that your cover's been blown," she said. "But call it woman's intuition – there's something strange about Reina."
Pulling off his t-shirt and exchanging it for a dark blue, silk button down, Ash tossed out: "Of course there is. She's an egocentric vampire witch that's probably going to try to expose me to Hunter."
"Oh I've no doubt she wants to expose you, but I'm not sure if it's to your grandfather."
"Great-grandfather. Very great – around ten or eleven, I think." Tugging off his sweatpants, he asked her: "Have you seen my black jeans?"
Resisting the urge to hit him, she turned around and tore the pants off the hanger, throwing them at her soulmate. "You're being impossible," she pointed out.
Opting to use charm to get back into her good graces, Ash fluidly pulled the jeans up his legs and zipped them. Walking toward her, he slipped his arms around her waist and rested his forehead on hers. "It's a gift," he said.
Still slightly irate, she asked him: "Do you try to annoy me?"
He kissed her temple, his eyes turning dark green as he felt her emotions settle. "Not usually," he answered. "I think it's just our natural chemistry."
Torn between settling into Ash's sentimental mood and convincing him to heed her warning, Mary-Lynnette couldn't help but ask: "Will you at least admit the possibility that she likes you?"
Sighing, he backed away from her and started to nudge aside some clothing near the rear of the closet. "If it helps you sleep at night, sure, fine. She's completely infatuated with me." Pulling out a black belt, he turned back to her, his eyes glowing like emeralds in the faint light. "Are you happy now?"
Mary-Lynnette shook her head. "I'm not asking you to admit it because I need you to cater to my ego. I'm asking you so that you'll be careful. Women do desperate things when love ... or lust ... is involved."
Fitting the belt through the last of the loops on his jeans and fastening it, Ash flashed her a confident grin. "Relax," he told her. "I'm used to this, remember? It's my job. She can't do anything to me – even if she is being urged by the fires of passion."
Mary-Lynnette grumbled. "Just don't get overconfident."
Tiring of all the talk of warnings and hidden motives, Ash returned to Mary-Lynnette and draped his arms around her shoulders. "I'll be careful," he assured her, taking the opportunity to run his lips gently down her neck. Besides, he thought to her, I'm much more interested in what 'desperate things' my soulmate does when love ... or lust ... is involved.
Coughing demurely, Mary-Lynnette couldn't hide the blush that rose in her cheeks. "So ..." she prodded. "What time do you think you'll be back?"
Sitting inside the borrowed convertible, Ash glanced at the dashboard, impatiently waiting for Reina to arrive.
Why is it that all females – even deadly, psychotic, vampire spies – feel the need to make men wait?
Sighing, he leaned back and rested his head against the seat. Although he knew that it was perfectly safe to go inside of the Iris – there were already numerous Daybreaker agents inside – he wanted Reina inside and waiting for a few minutes before he made his own appearance. Mary-Lynnette's words from earlier that afternoon may not have convinced him of Reina's undying devotion, but they did serve to remind him that he wasn't exactly sure of what he was up against.
I don't know what game you're playing, he thought, his eyes catching a bright flash of red as an expensive sports car pulled into a space on the other side of the parking lot. But don't expect me to give in without a fight. Seeing that the driver of the car was in fact Reina, he pulled on his sunglasses and prepared to exit the car.
Just a few minutes, he told himself. Then you'll find out what this is all about.
Sliding on to one of the stools next to the bar, Ash took off his sunglasses, giving the room a casual once-over. Seeing that it was relatively early in the day, the club was filled with a younger, more middle to high school oriented crowd, many of whom were sprawled around the room doing homework or simply gossiping. Although he easily identified the Daybreakers among the patrons, Ash didn't let his eyes linger on any one person. He was still taking a stock of the environment when he felt Reina approach.
"So you were able to come," she stated, her voice thick with pleasure. "I was not certain that you would."
Resting his elbows on the bar, Ash appraised her, slowly running his eyes up and down her body. Seeing her flush from his gaze, he was satisfied that he held the upper hand for at least the next few moments. "Well, your phone call was too interesting to pass up," he explained. "I couldn't help but be ..." here he let his gaze fall somewhere along her midsection, "curious."
Tossing her dark hair over her shoulder, Reina signaled the bartender. "Can I buy you a drink? I remember that you purchased one for me the last time that we were here."
Offering her a nonchalant shrug, Ash said: "Why not? But you still haven't told me why you called me." Reaching up, he brushed his knuckles over the left side of her face. "I don't like to be kept in the dark about these kinds of things."
Oddly enough, Reina again blushed faintly; he also noted that her hands shook slightly as the bartender brought her their drinks. Making a note of her reactions, Ash accepted the beverage gracefully.
Reina leaned back on the stool and set her drink on the bar. She tossed him a sultry look, her dark eyebrows arching knowingly. "Señor Redfern," she began.
Running the pads of his fingers over her wrist, he let out a smooth chuckle. "Please, your Highness. I think you can call me 'Ash.' After all," he reminded her, "we know each other well."
Reina's face flush bright red at his comment, and Ash was interested to sense her heartbeat pick up. She's gotta be covering up something, Ash observed, making the decision to keep playing on her attraction to him. Taking her hand in his own, his voice was liquid velvet when he reminded her: "You were telling me why you called?"
Reina glanced at him, very obviously trying to settle herself. "Yes," she finally answered. "There is ... what do you call it? A dance club. Brand new – just opened. My father, he owns it."
Ash gave a cat-like stretch, dropping her hand in the process. "So? A lot of new clubs are opening up. This is Vegas."
Reina leaned forward, her dark hair sliding off of her shoulders to drape on to Ash's leg. "But you must understand ... Ash," she replied, her voice becoming low and throaty. "My father has rooms for private entertainment – full of human slaves. It is a vampire's paradise."
Although he didn't show it, Ash's heart constricted faintly at what Reina was promising. At one time in his life, he would've had no qualms about spending the evening in the kind of place she was describing, nibbling on whatever exotic humans the manager provided. The thought of such an environment now, however, was enough to turn his stomach sour. So much so in fact, that it was difficult to keep the disgust off of his face while he tried to think of his next move.
"Of course, I could not invite you to something so exclusive unless I knew you were the kind of man that would appreciate such rich blood," she explained, feeling bold enough to run her hand down his side and on to his thigh. "So, that is why I called you. Now I am certain that you would do well with the selection that my father can provide. If we go there, you will be well treated."
If we go there, he mentally corrected, you could totally try to kill me. And ... it would be next to impossible to control you. Hell, I don't know if I can handle a place like that – there's only so much playacting one can do before it's obvious one isn't participating. Still, he thought, seeing the determined set to her jaw, if I want to knock you out cold, this is a good way to do it. And if I don't go, you might get suspicious.
Ash hated to admit it to himself, but it really was the kind of place he'd frequented in the past.
So I have to go, he realized. It's either go, or ruin this whole operation.
His thought process only taking a handful of seconds, he slowly unleashed a dangerous grin in Reina's direction. Seeing that her idea was agreeable, she flashed him a wicked smile in reply, standing up triumphantly.
"Excellent," she remarked, picking up her purse. "I knew from the first moment I saw you that you were my kind of man."
Drawing himself up next to her, Ash tossed his arm over her shoulders, giving her an intimate squeeze. "I am a many women's kind of man," he informed her, heading towards the door.
Grabbing a hold of his hand possessively, Reina corrected him: "Ah, but tonight, Ash, will only be my kind."
Smoke ... dim lights ... dizzying laughter and the smell of expensively perfumed flesh all around him. Ash lay draped on top of an overstuffed couch, with Reina nestled in the crook of his arm. Stealing a glance at her, Ash was relieved to see that she was well and thoroughly blitzed.
At present he was calm, but he'd been on the verge of full-blown panic a little less than an hour beforehand. As soon as he and Reina had gone through the wooden doors leading back to the VIP section of Reyaldo Gómez's nightclub, memories from only a few years ago had poured into his brain. It had taken all of his control not to react to the dimly lit chamber, to the over-charged psychic energy in the air, to the dozens of tanned, long-legged beauties walking around in little or no clothing.
This is like handing a recovering alcoholic a martini, he had realized, remembering with frightening ease the appropriate behavior upon entering such a den of iniquity.
The weight of being a spy had never fallen on Ash's shoulders the way it did during those first crucial moments. It was beyond the acting, beyond the pretending – this was the first time he had truly faced the kind of lifestyle he used to live, and he paid for every moment of it with the heavy knowledge of how his soulmate would react when she found out about his activities.
After they'd arrived, Reina had quickly directed him to the couch and called for the best slaves to be presented. In accordance with the elite nature of the club, Ash had selected only two of the foreign beauties, trying to figure out how he was going to go along with the farce without losing a grip on the situation in the process. It wasn't enough for Reina to think he was drinking from the girls – they had to believe it as well. His behavior also had to be convincing enough so that, in the event he was being watched from another room or videotaped, there would be no question that he, Ash Redfern, had participated in the night's events. Eventually, through some rather intense telepathy and slight of hand, he'd managed to get Reina to drink both of the girls without noticing that his own drinking had been mimed. Ash was relieved when the two women were sent away, and Reina began to demonstrate the effects from drinking their blood. He was starting to get tired, and he longed for nothing more than to scan Reina's mind and leave.
"You're so quiet," Reina purred from next to him, trying (without success) to run her fingers through his hair. Her hand fell limply on to her chest, and Ash picked it up gently.
"It's been awhile since I've had Brazilian blood," he lied, eyeing the door out of the corner of his eye. "Say, babe?" he asked, pulling her closer to him. "Is there someplace more ... private ... that we can go?"
Although she was by no means in any sort of condition to participate in whatever it was that Ash was suggesting, Reina was also blissfully unaware of such a fact, and jumped at the chance to be alone with him. "Of course," she replied. "I have a set of private rooms upstairs. Shall we go to them?"
Tempering down the nausea that threatened to overcome him as he stood up, Ash gave her another one of his devastating smiles. "Just lead the way."
"Oh no! Mary-Lynnette, watch out!"
Mary-Lynnette had only just looked up from putting a stack of magazines back on top of a bookshelf when she felt a small, furry body run into her side. Giving a little "oof!" as she felt back against a chair, she twisted around and put her arms out for the werewolf cub. Absolutely enthralled with the attention he was getting, he quickly squirmed into her hold, looking up with her with adoring eyes.
"You're cute," she told him, running her fingers over the top of his head, "but you're wearing me out."
Thea crawled over from the other side of the room, flopping down onto her stomach beside Mary-Lynnette. "He's a handful," she agreed, scratching the cub along his spine. "You and Ash are going to have an amazingly difficult time keeping him out of trouble while on the road."
Mary-Lynnette smiled, wincing slightly as the pup nipped her with his baby teeth. "I know it," she said. "But I don't know what other choice we have. Thierry wants Ash to take him, and it's up to me to be supportive."
Thea smiled, drawing herself up into sitting Indian-style and pulling her long hair up and out of her face. "I think that's very admirable of you," she revealed. "There aren't a lot of humans who would be willing to care for an orphaned werewolf. Especially if they were supposed to be on a romantic vacation with their soulmate."
Mary-Lynnette rolled her eyes, reaching down to tickle the pup. "Are you kidding me? This trip has been a lot of things, but I wouldn't exactly call it 'romantic.' Between Ash working the club, us finding this werewolf amidst a veritable slaughter, and some Hispanic vampire princess chasing after my soulmate ... it's been more adventurous than passionate."
Thea tossed her a knowing look. "Right ... your life with Ash has been completely devoid of passion."
Mary-Lynnette blushed. "Well, I didn't say devoid, exactly." Seeing that Thea was still amused, she opted to change the subject. "Do you know if we'll ever find out this little guy's name?"
Reaching out to move a small statue away from the pup's inquisitive reach, Thea shrugged. "We might find some kind of record back at the den," she answered. "That's about all we can hope for. Asking him directly won't help us at this point – all he's ever been called is 'pup,' and that was in the werewolf language of growls and yips."
Mary-Lynnette frowned, feeling somewhat disconcerted that her charge was nameless. "Is there anything that I can call him now that he'll respond to?"
"'Pup,' I guess," the witch replied. "Or anything else that he gets used to hearing, really. You and Ash will have to decide that together before you set out. I wouldn't worry about it too much though," she suggested. "The trip is only for a few days, and after that, his caretakers will figure out what they want to call him." She was about to give Mary-Lynnette a new set of instructions about caring for the pup when she saw a strange expression cross the human girl's face. "What's wrong?"
Mary-Lynnette rose to her knees, looking around the living room. "I'm not sure," she said. "I just have a really ... strange ... feeling ..." Looking more alarmed, she handed the pup to Thea. "Can you hold him for a second?"
Thea nodded, looking around and casting her psychic powers out to see if she could sense any danger. Feeling nothing out of the ordinary, she arched her eyebrow at Mary-Lynnette. "Are you sure you feel something? You're not some kind of super-powerful lost witch, are you?"
Pulling herself to her feet, Mary-Lynnette shook her head. "No, I'm not. I just ..." walking to the window, Mary-Lynnette peered outside and saw Ash climbing out of a car. Behind him, she saw half a dozen Circle Daybreak agents were walking up from the garage. Now that she had a more direct connection with Ash, she had more of a sense of something being off. "Something's wrong with Ash," she murmured.
"Ash?" Thea echoed, standing up and resting the cub on her hip. He squirmed slightly, protesting at the change in height, but Thea mentally hushed him, instructing him to be still. "What—"
"I'll be right back," Mary-Lynnette said, dashing out of the room and down the hallway. When she reached the staircase, she took the steps two at a time, feeling with each passing minute that there was something just not right with her soulmate. When she finally made it to the entryway, he was just walking inside. She got only a couple of feet away from him before she skidded to a stop. Wrinkling her nose, she couldn't help but observe: "Ash ... you ... stink."
One of the agents that had been following Ash walked in at that moment and tossed the young vampire a frustrated glare. "He should, considering where he's been the last three hours." Shaking her head at Ash she stalked off to some other part of the house.
Meeting Mary-Lynnette's inquisitive gaze, Ash gave her a half-hearted smile. "It's been a long night," he informed her. Before she could ask for a further explanation, she heard a high-pitched whine from behind her. Turning around, she saw the pup perched at the top of the steps, peering down at her between his paws. Thea was only a few seconds behind him, muttering with exasperation. Finally catching up to the cub, she lifted him into her arms. "What am I going to do with you?" she lamented. Catching sight of Ash, she stopped coddling the pup for the moment. "Ash?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "You look awful," she told him.
Ash shrugged. "What can I say? I love my work." He walked over to Mary-Lynnette and kissed her gently on the cheek. "I need to talk to Thierry," he said, "but then I should be up." His soulmate nodded, but before he went to climb the stairs, she stopped him with a hand upon his arm. Is everything okay? I'm getting a really weird feeling from you.
Ash gave her a look filled with a mixture of emotions. It's ... been a really long night, he repeated. I need to talk to you ... but I have to report some stuff first.
Not comforted in the least, but not wanting to belabor the point, Mary-Lynnette could only nod and let him go. After he'd left the room, Thea looked at Mary-Lynnette with curiosity.
"Were you two talking telepathically?"
And thus we have an end to the most frustrating chapter ever. And what have we to look forward to in the next bit? More emotional angst! More fluff! Ash driving a mini-van! And other plot devices as well!
And as always, a thousand thanks go to my reviewers: Pyrope, Dogs die in hot cars, incarnated-soul, Angel from Fairyland, Chrios, laura, Lunatic, fate22, filanvampire, the muffin girl, Shadow Play 23, Dark Angel's Blue Fire, Aglaia Di Willow, Jalena, jellysnakes, and Drowning Rooster (all from the last chapter). You guys rock, and are the most important force that keeps me writing. I really do apologize for the infrequent updating, and I keep striving to shorten the time between installments. Take heart, this story will not be left behind!
I have too many evil things left to do to our couple! XDD
As to the next chapter, you can probably look for it within two weeks or so. I have my Spring Break coming up, and I'm hoping that I'll have the opportunity to make some progress. But as I've learned in the past year, I can't make any promises. ;;;