Disclaimer: I do not own the Fever Series, they belong to Karen Marie Moning.
Chapter Seven:
Ryodan stood in the Temple Bar district, directly outside one of the many pubs that lined its streets. His narrowed as he looked inside of the pub through the windows. Ryodan stood, awaiting for the person whom he had much to discuss with. He looked around the entire street as people began filling the already crowded street. No doubt more adults looking for a good time were going to come. He didn't like waiting but if everything turned in his favor, then it would be a very good win. A very good one indeed. A lazy smile tugged the corners of his lips. In that moment the pub door opened and a beautiful auburn haired woman walked outside. A wolfish grin broke on Ryodan's face. "Hey Dani." He murmured.
Dani stiffened and pinpointed the source of her discomfort. She turned and faced a very satisfied looking Ryodan. She rolled her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. "What do you want Ryodan?" She crossed her arms over her chest and stood.
Ryodan's appreciative gaze wandered down her body making Dani stiffer than she had been before. His eyes wandered to hers and he continued, "Aren't you a little young to be drinking and hanging out in pubs?" He murmured and drew closer to her.
Dani's eyes narrowed and she replied, "I may be legally young but I've fought in a war. I've killed things. I've practically grown up and am more mature than other adults in this day and age." Why am I even bothering to reply? Dani was annoyed and she didn't bother to hide her feelings. In fact she hoped that he'd get the message and back off. He was practically stalking her now. She watched Ryodan through narrowed eyes as he walked slowly around her.
"Well, well for there you may be correct. But Dani I must you have...matured a lot since I saw last time." Ryodan whispered in her ear as he came to stop right behind her. He looked at he through hooded eyes and smiled in triumph as he saw a blush creep up on her face. "In fact I would say that our last encounter was-"
Dani ripped her body away from his and glared at him. Animosity rolled off her in waves but she didn't care. "Don't you dare. It's the past. I intend to leave it in the past. I was a little girl who didn't know any better. I was naive, so let's just leave it at that. I don't care weather you continue to remember that day or not but for me it's gone. So Ryodan I don't need you bringing it back up for me. I intend to move on. And that memory will disappear eventually." Dani furiously raged out and had no care to who was listening or not.
Ryodan narrowed his eyes. Anger filled him. She intended to forget, forget everything they had. "You're going to leave it all in the past? Can you even do that?" His voice loud and threatening.
Dani stood straight and with a confident look and tone she spoke true and clear, "Just watch me." She stalked into the throngs of people and never bothered to look back.
Ryodan watched her stalk off and felt his own anger bubble up. Two can play at that game...
Mac lay nestled in a nest of blankets and pillows. A dreamy sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes in pure joy. The long, laboring day had finally ended much to her joy. As soon as she had flipped the open sign, Jericho had whisked her off to the back lobby and made her comfortable. "Mmmnnnn, that feels so good Jericho." Mac sighed in pure pleasure and felt herself warm to her core. She took a sip of her green tea and sighed again, fully contended.
Jericho smiled wolfishly as he cradled her foot between his hands and massaged them with care and just enough pressure. "I live to please." He replied sweetly. Her moans and sighs of pleasure were taking a toll on his body. But even though, he just helped her.
She snorted at his phrase. Jericho would never. These days he was looking after her as if she were a porcelain doll but even though the extra attention was welcomed by Mac. Mac was beginning to say something when the front door crashed open and Dani came storming in. Jericho looked at Mac and got up, making her whimper in the loss. He loomed over her and took her face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be going then," He whispered before continuing on his way to the door, stopping just for a second to exchange a greeting with Dani and closed the door on his way out.
"What's up?" Mac asked the furious Dani stormed over and fell ungracefully on the chair near Mac. "I'm going to kill him. I don't care how long it takes, or how many times I fail. But I swear I'm going to kill him! I'll find a way!" She fumed. "Who does he think he is?"
"Wait, who are you talking about?" Mac asked cautiously as she looked curiously at the girl sitting across from her.
"Ryodan, who else?"
"Wait, how do you know that they can't die normally?" Mac questioned vehemently.
Dani's eyes glazed over as she remembered that one day:
A sword protruded from Ryodan's chest as he lay upon the cold cement unmoving. The night was dangerous, how many times had he warned her to stay home where it was safe? Dani wondered as she rushed to her. "Ryodan! Ryodan! Wake up!" She cried in desperation. She pulled out the sword but he lay unmoving. She shook him, "What the feck, wake up! Wake up." She screamed hoping that by some miracle he would sit up and assure her that he was completely fine. She pounded her small fists on his chest, crying. She fell on top of him, out of energy and exhausted. "Ryodan," She whispered, "Please wake up." She caressed his face lovingly, wishing that the reality was different that wt she was seeing. She kissed his cheek and closed eyes. Her weeps continued till she lost consciousness. Somewhere between a dream and reality she felt someone pick her up and set her aside as feet shuffled to pick up the other fallen body...
Dani shrugged, "Saw him die one day and a few days later he was walking around normally."
Mac felt as though Dani was hiding something, but Mac didn't push. Dani wanted to keep it a secret and that was fine. "Uh-huh. SO what's he done?"
"What's he done? He's been following me and then has the gall to say that I can't get over-never mind." Dani seemed to re-think her sentence and thought better of what she was going to say.
"What?" Mac asked intrigued.
"Nothing, never mind. I have to go. Just remembered something." Dani stood up and flashed Mac a smile.
"Wait Dani-" Mac called out as Dani freeze framed out of the room and shop as though she'd never been there. "Yeah, great discussion." Mac mumbled.
Barrons walked through the club greeted by the lazy seductive smiles of all the women in his path. He walked to the offices and was greeted by Lor and Fade who were hanging out sitting at the empty chairs by the desk, apparently also waiting for Ryodan. Barrons strode into the room, paying no attention to the two fooling idiots. As much as they were strong, they enjoyed their foolishness. Lor looked up and raised an eyebrow. Fade turned around and, likewise, stared at Barrons.
"So, Z," Lor started as he lazily stretched and got up from the chair, "I hear our favorite sidhe- seer is pregnant." He commented as nonchalantly as he could but at the same time scrutinizing Barrons movements with the eyes of a hawk. Fade shifted slightly in his chair, noticing how the sudden air seemed to feel suffocating all of a sudden.
"What of it?" Barrons asked as he fell into the nearest chair and checked his watch.
"So, what are we going to do about it?" Fade asked in a edged voice.
Barrons peered from one friend to the other and laughed to himself, they were restless. It was to be expected because of the nature in which he and the pack had adopted in the past. "We," Barrons gestured all around, "We do absolutely do nothing. That child is mine as well of the pack."
"Are fucking kidding me? What if the child is like HER? Then what? Or worse it manages to have both of your guys' powers? You do realize then that the child would be powerful and very wanted?" Lor yelled at his friend, who remained sitting in his chair apparently not caring on his opinions on weather the child was a threat or not.
"That Child is mine. I've already lost one son and I'm not prepared to lose another." Barrons spoke in deadly voice and continued mercilessly, "I vow on my life that I will protect that child from any harm. I don't care if it's the unseelie king, prince or even you." He got up with quick grace as Lor came to stand nose- to nose.
"So you're willing to die for that child?" Fade asked from his seat.
"Don't doubt it." Barrons stepped back and sat back down just as Ryodan came into the room bearing a angry look plastered on his face.
"What the hell do you want?" Ryodan flung to his guests not caring of his tone or attitude.
"Him!" Lor pointed to Barrons, "He's fathered a child."
"So?" Ryodan asked sighing and resting his head in his hands.
"So? A child, a violation of our pack!" Fade bellowed.
"So he's going to have a child. We can't really stop what's happened. Besides Ms. Lane isn't even human. She's one of the undead in case you hadn't noticed. And she also posses much power. The child can be controlled, unlike its mother. On the other hand, she's also the only one who knows how to truly kill people of our 'kind' in case you forgot." Ryodan finished and managed to leave Lor speechless. A second later both Fade and Lor stalked out of the room, clearly accepting the decision that had already been passed.
"My aren't you in a bad mood." Barrons commented as he went to stand by his friend.
Ryodan laughed quietly, "Yes, a certain red- head seems to be doing quite the number on me."
"Been there, done that. Except mine's was a blonde." Barrons added casually as he sat across from his age-old friend.
"So what are you here for?" Ryodan asked straightening and looking squarely at the man in front of him.
"Actually, it's about Mac, she's been having nightmares and keeps mentioning Tellie, Mackelter, Me and you."
Ryodan straightened and heaved a sigh. "This is becoming quite the long day."
Mac was sleeping soundly wrapped in a cocoon of blankets when she felt herself stir as the bed dipped beside her. She stirred and felt Jericho kiss her forehead softly before tucking her into his side. Mac immediately nestled to him like coming home. He soothed her hair as she fell back to sleep.
Mac was standing in the halls of the White palace with sun streaming like rays from every window. Mac was dressed in a long white soft silk dress with wide straps and and empire waist. Her hair flowed down free like a waterfall. She walked barefoot along the marble. An impulse lead her along various corridors, as if tugging her to a certain place in the palace. Her surroundings remained unknown to her as she walked along majestically as if in a trance- like state.
A single door came to view and almost hesitantly she pushed it open and walked into a bare room painted all white with the sun streaming in. A single floor length ivory mirror hung on the far end of the room. She walked along to it. She drew closer and closer but it wasn't her appearance that showed up on the other side. She looked closer and almost reached out to touch the unknown person when a cry broke out from somewhere else in the palace. Pulled to the voice by a maternal instinct, Mac raced to find the location of the cries. She looked back to the figure similarly dressed in white to see a sad, lonely face reflected back. Mac turned away and raced out the door and into the light.
Mac awoke with a startled gasp. Jericho's arms were curled possessively around her waist. Her back was pressed against his chest. She turned and saw him looking at her with a smile upon his face and love filling his eyes. She knew that was how he saw her right now too. She traced her fingers along his face with a feather- like touch. He closed his eyes and breathed silently. Her fingers reached his full lips and he opened them to suckle a finger. Mac gasped and Jericho smiled wolfishly. Without any warning he drew closer to her and kissed her deeply moving her so that she lay beneath him as he towered over her and began to show her a new world.
A/N: I decided to include Ryodan and Dani's pairing in this chapter, probably more scenes form them as well as more Barrons and Mac as the story progresses. It's my aim to finish this story before the end of October. so here I go! ;)