Still Aug 20th, 3 a.m.
"Well, guys," Kris said as she stood up. "I will leave you two to talk about stuff. I'll stay around the house. I want to build a snow castle."
"You can stay if you'd like, Kris," Pam said. Thinking about it, she decided to stay, going back to her blanket and lying down. "But no smart comments."
Kris locked her lips with her fingers and settled down.
"Eric, what I need to know is if you came here to meet the true death," Pam started.
He was shocked. "Is that what you think? No, I did not."
"What else was I supposed to think? You flew off without an explanation, not even a word."
"You understand why I released you, and I meant every word I said. Your child has stood by you and fought with us. That is what I wanted, for you to carry on my legacy. Now, with Kris, that has only been solidified."
"I have been cruel to you the past year, and I can't apologize enough. But Bill and I were deep in the Authority, and I would not allow you to get involved. Lillith was the toughest foe I have ever encountered. My reasoning behind keeping you at a distance wasn't because I didn't want you in my life any longer. The less you knew, the less danger you would be in. I had to protect you, regardless of how many times you've insisted you can take care of yourself. I wanted you to live, and you survived, your child Tara survived. My Maker, Godric, did not. My sister Nora did not. I can count on one hand the number of beings I have loved, and you are one of them. But I was not going to lose you, too."
Kris was so enthralled in the story she only broke away from looking at Eric when she heard Pam sniffle. A tear had fallen down her cheek. Pam went to the couch and sat beside him.
"But why keep me away now, after all that shit was over? Yes, I made it out of that hell plant but I lost something that day. I lost you."
He smiled. "You never lost me. I had every intention of coming back, but I needed time alone to get my thoughts together. It was just a fluke I was where I was when Warlow was killed. Speaking of, how did you know where to find me?"
"You spoke of this place often, Eric, even after you brought me here in the 70s. I searched for you for hours before I had to hire the helicopter."
"How did you come about the money?"
"I sold Fangtasia."
Eric's eyebrow rose. "You did?"
"Yes. I was tired of that place, same old shit every night. Besides, there were … too many memories there."
"I see. Why is your niece here? You never once mentioned her."
"You kept secrets from me too, Eric. But it wasn't on purpose. She is my niece from my sister Lillian. I have been following her descendants ever since she died. I never made any contact with any of them until Kris was 16. Her father had just died, and since she was young when her mother died and vampires were out, I went to visit her."
"Yeah, I remember that," Kris joined in. "I thought you were a nut job dressed the way you were."
"Why, thank you," she teased playfully.
"You can't blame me." Looking at Eric, she said, "We get together once a year on our birthdays ever since, which are only eleven days apart. She's kinda grown on me."
"Again, thank you. Eric, I brought her here in case ... I didn't know if I'd have time to find a human in case you were …"
He put his hand on her knee and kissed her forehead. "I understand. Thank you."
Pam broke into tears. "The … the last time you kissed me was …"
"When I released you." Brushing her hair aside, he said, "As cruel as I had been to you, everything that I have done and said to you is because I love you, Pamela. We are a family now. I will do whatever I can to make it right."
She threw her arms around his neck and they hugged. Kris felt something thick run out from the corner of her eye and she wiped it away. "Oh, god. I cry blood, too." She looked up to see Eric looking at her, so she stood up and sat down on the other side of him. "Um, can we make this a group hug?"
"No!" both Eric and Pam replied.
"Tough!" she squealed and hugged them both, breaking the emotional seriousness of the moment.
A minute later Pam and Kris pulled back. "Eric, you're growing on me, too," Kris said and kissed his cheek.
"Alright! That's enough," Eric exclaimed. "I will help you but you will never do that again." There was the slightest tilt of a grin on his lips. Of course Kris took the challenge, kissed his cheek and ran to the front door, taunting him.
"Isn't it past your bed time?" he asked.
"Nope."
"Why don't you go ahead and get into bed," Pam suggested. "Read a book or something."
"Can't I go outside while you guys make up? I don't wanna hear you moaning and your heavy panting from the couch."
"KrisLyn!" Pam shouted.
"What? Now that you guys have kissed you need to make up. I don't want to hear that crap!"
Eric grinned. "She is just as stubborn as you are, Pam, but not as smart."
"Go to bed, Kris. Now."
"Okay, okay. Oh!" she said as she walked by the couch. "Can we have a snowball fight tomorrow?"
"No!" both Pam and Eric answered, though they did chuckle.
"You two are no fun! I am going to bring some life into you two if it kills me," Kris said as she changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and got on the bed, hugging a pillow.
"Right, good luck with that, baby vamp. You're already dead," Eric retorted sarcastically.
"Ha. Ha. Pam, can we go clothes shopping tomorrow night? Wait, are stores even open at night for us? I don't want anything fancy, it's not like I'm going to the Oscars or anything. Just jeans and shirts, maybe something a little sexier for bed." She was rambling, and she knew it, not that she cared.
Eric shot her an interested glare while Pam scoffed. "You won't need anything sexy for bed."
"Why not? I haven't had sex in … almost eight months. I'm dying to know what sex is like now that I'm a Sabertire … Vampbertig."
"I can take care of that," Eric said matter of factly as he wiggled his eyebrows.
"Eric, you most certainly will not!" Pam objected. "You touch her and I promise you I will rip it off so you'll never have sex again."
"It grows back."
Kris raised her head. "Does it really?!"
Both Pam and Eric chuckled. "Certainly not." He turned to Pam. "I love messing with newbies."
"Like I said, Eric you will not."
"Lighten up, Pam," he smirked.
"Do you think it'll be safe for her so soon?" Pam asked Eric.
"I don't see why not. Just make sure she's fed."
Pam whispered, "I didn't say this earlier, but Kris and I will have to leave eventually. We can't nest."
"I've been thinking about that. You and I are both strong, as is Tara. Willa and Kris have a way to go, but—"
"It'd be nice to have a family again," Kris muttered sadly.
"So much for a private conversation," Eric huffed.
"It's not like you tried to keep quiet," Kris said. "It's just … It'd be nice, is all."
"No, honey. What he means is when vampires nest, they tend to become … savage, territorial. That is one thing Eric always insisted against, and the reason he has few children." She looked at him and winked.
"It was because I do not have the patience for baby vamps. Pam was an exception."
"Aw, that is so sweet of you to say," Pam told him playfully flirtatious. "Kris, when you wake up I'll have a human you can feed before you face other humans. I'm curious what your control is."
"Can I buy you a whole new outfit?"
"Hell, no," Pam replied.
"Can we put makeup on Eric?"
"Hell, no!" he bellowed.
"God! I'm so wired!" she cried out. "It feels like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket."
Pam and Eric rushed to her side, apprehension etched on their faces. Pam noticed the hairs on Kris's arms were sticking up. "What else do you feel, honey?"
"Like my heart is racing," she said as she sat up. "It's not supposed to, is it?"
Eric flung his hand to her neck so quickly she jumped back. "I'm just checking … holy fuck."
"What, Eric?" Pam asked.
"She's got a heartbeat. It's faint and very shallow, but it's there." He looked at Pam, his eyebrows furrowed deeply. "I think she's changing."
"Shit. The sun's coming up. Shit," Pam huffed.
Suddenly Kris calmed down and put her hand on her chest. "I … It's stopped."
"Yes," Eric agreed and stood back up. "It has."
Kris curled up in a ball. "I'm scared," she whined. "Help me." She then crumbled on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
"What are we going to do, Eric?"
"I have no idea."
She jumped off the bed and looked around the room inspecting everything, trying to figure out where she was. The smell was unbearable, her sensitive nose sniffing the ripe air. It was familiar yet strange; comforting yet unnerving. Hungry. She was starving. The only escape was a door, so she walked to it. She put her paw on the doorknob and tried to turn it, but a click was the only sound. Clawing at the door several times, her claws scratched into the wood. But again it didn't open. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open the door, not in her condition.
Turning around, contemplating her next move, she saw a shadow on the couch and went to investigate. It was a female lying asleep, her head on a pillow. She pressed her nose against her neck, smelling her scent. The danger was non-existent. Licking her neck and collarbone, from the corner of her eye she saw someone else lying on the other bed.
Cautiously she crept up to it, warning bells ringing loudly in her head at first. Resting on her hind legs she looked over the creature, trying to get a sense of what it was. It was the same as the woman but something about it was different. It was alluring, sensual, oddly reassuring.
But she was unsettled. She had so much energy with no means of releasing it. Suddenly a different smell filled her nostrils. Food. It was food. Sniffing the floor, her nose led her to the fireplace, where something was in a bag. And it smelled so good. Attacking it, she soon downed the remaining chicken, bones and all. It wasn't enough to fill her stomach, but it was enough for the moment. She sat in front of the cold fireplace and wiped her chin and mouth, licking and cleaning herself.
Remembering the thing on the bed, she walked over to it, hesitated before she jumped on the end at the stranger's feet, circled a few times pawing at the mattress before curling into a ball, licking her leg a few times. Laying her head down and eyeing the creature, her eyes slowly closed while still listening for any threatening noise. The quietness of the room lulled her into a peaceful sleep.
Same day, 6:30 p.m.
"Kris?" the bed shook as Eric sat up in his bed. "Wake up, woman!"
Kris bolted awake and looked up at him. "What?!"
"Would you mind explaining why you are naked and sleeping on my bed?"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I stated earlier Pam and Kris had known each other for 8 years. Since I've made Kris almost 21 she would have been too young for Pam to just show up, as I stated. So I had to come up with a good explanation. This chapter indicated Kris was 16 when Pam introduced herself to her five years earlier. Oooops.
Also, in case you are wondering, Shifter doesn't quite fit specifically a saber tooth. There's a reason which will be explained in next chapter.