Chapter 6: Bitten

Clay had told Dawn he accepted what she had told him and thought he might have a way for them to stay together without the risk of anyone finding out who she was. So two days later they had set out for northern New York, for his home at a place he called Stonehaven.

"This way," Clay took Dawn's hand and led her off the driveway onto the lawn.

It was past ten at night and the yard was dark, with a half-moon lighting the way. Clay's eyes glowed, like a boy returning home after his first summer camp. Still holding Dawn's hand, he ducked through the evergreens, following a faint path. They turned a corner and he swung behind her, grabbed her around the waist, and held her still.

Dawn could feel his breath against her hair, the pound of his heart. Then he eased them to the left, past the trees … and there it was, the house. A stone house over two stories tall.

"You like it?"

Dawn looked at him. "I love it," she said.

Moments later they stood on the front step, doorbell rung, awaiting a response. Clay's reason for ringing the bell was the same he'd given for taking a cab on the long and expensive ride from the airport.

"I want to surprise him," he'd said.

"He doesn't know we're coming?" Dawn asked.

"He knew I was coming home, just not this soon. Remember the plan was for me to stay till New Year's."

Clay was lifting his hand to knock again when the door swung open. Dawn braced herself, and then relaxed. This wasn't Jeremy. She hadn't seen pictures of Clay's guardian—Clay kept only sketches Jeremy had done of their friends, and there were no self-portraits. Yet she knew this wasn't him, unless he was a vampire or a demon.

As Clay's surrogate father, Jeremy had to be at least in his late forties and this man, without a wrinkle on his lean, angular face, or a strand of gray in his black hair, couldn't have been more than thirty.

"Hey, Jer," Clay said, his voice tight with strain. "Aren't you going to let us in?"

Dawn blinked and looked at the man again. It couldn't be … But as she saw the look on his face, his shock double her own, she knew the truth. This was Jeremy. She reached out instantly with her magical senses and tried to ascertain if the man in front of her was a demon. Her senses told her he was human. So how was Jeremy looking ten years younger than he should have?

The next few minutes were a blur. Jeremy backed up to let them in and Clay performed introductions, Dawn struggling to overcome her shock and give some appropriately polite response. Then Clay grabbed their bags, mumbled something about seeing Jeremy in the morning, and rushed them up the stairs.

He ushered Dawn into the first bedroom on the left. She'd often wondered what his room here would look like—he kept his apartment and office so utilitarian—but now that she was there, the room could have been empty for all she noticed. The moment the door closed, she turned on him.

"How could you?" Dawn whispered.

He reached for Dawn, but she backed away.

"How could you?" Dawn said again, rage turning the whisper to a hiss. "To bring me here—show up on his doorstep—without a word of warning to him—to me …"

Clay said nothing.

"So …" Dawn said. "We're here. You said you have a way for us to stay together. What is it?"

"Hmm?"

"You said you had a way for us to stay together, without fear of anyone finding out."

"Right. Just as soon as—" Doubt flickered over his face. Then he shook his head. "No, I'll do it now. We'll—"

A rap at the door. Clay tensed. His gaze cut to hers. A pause, then another knock, louder. Dawn motioned for him to answer it. He paused, and then called, "Come in."

Jeremy eased the door partly open, but stayed in the hall. He nodded Dawn's way, before turning to Clay.

"I'd like to speak to you."

"We were just—" Clay said.

"It's getting late and I'm sure Dawn is tired from the trip. I'll keep it short."

Clay hesitated for at least thirty seconds. Then he swallowed, murmured something to me, and left, closing the door behind him.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Jeremy led Clay into the study. Then he sat in his recliner and stared at the fire.

"I'm sorry," Clay said after a few minutes.

"Sorry?" The word came slow, hesitant. "I don't even know what to say, Clay. I should have seen this coming," he said. "I knew what you were looking for and when you came home, excited and happy, the obvious reason should have been that you'd found it. But the thought never crossed my mind because I thought you could never find what you wanted, because there were no female werewolves. A human mate? That never occurred to me. The way you feel about humans—"

"Dawn's different."

"Different?" Again, that careful, confused enunciation. "How long have you—? No, I guess I already know that. Since fall. But all those months…And you never…Not a word. I can't—" He let the sentence fall away.

"I knew I had to be sure—to be able to prove to you that I was sure."

"Sure of what?"

"Of us. Dawn and me. That we could make it work. Then she told me her secrets. Hers and her sister's."

"Secrets?"

"She's immortal, Jer. She's over two hundred years old. She's a witch and her sister is the Slayer."

"The Slayer?" Jeremy said. "You brought the Slayer's sister into our home?"

"You know what this Slayer is?" Clay asked,

"Yes," Jeremy said. "I've heard passing mention from the supernatural community that passed through Bear Valley. She is the human world's protection from the supernatural. Do you know what will happen if she finds out what we are?"

"She won't though," Clay said. "Because she won't attack her sister. I intend to tell Dawn tonight."

"No, you will not." His gaze locked on Clay's. "You will not tell her, Clayton. That is an order."

"You don't understand. She—"

"No, you don't understand. Maybe that's my fault. All your life I've made allowances for you. Yes, maybe you need a mate, but do you think none of us ever feels that urge? If I've led you to believe that this is another concession to your nature that I'll make, then that is my fault. But the misunderstanding is about to be corrected." He met Clay's gaze, held it, and said, "The girl must go."

"Never."

The word came out as a snarl. Jeremy blinked, genuine fear flashing behind his eyes. Then he pulled himself up straight, face going as hard as his eyes.

"Don't you ever challenge my word, Clayton." His voice was low and sharp. "You have a choice to make and, as Alpha, it is my duty to insist that you make it. Either you end it with this girl or you take her and walk out that door—for good."

Clay jerked back as if punched. He stared at Jeremy, unable to think, let alone speak.

Jeremy blinked, and in that tiny reaction, Clay knew that he hadn't understood at all. Jeremy had only heard what he had wanted to hear. That Buffy was the Slayer and Dawn was her sister. He hadn't heard that they were both immortal.

"Don't make me. It would—" Clay swallowed hard. "Please don't make me."

An awkward moment of silence. Clay could feel Jeremy's gaze on him, confused. Finally, he sighed, head falling forward, exhaustion etched on his face.

"Let me …" he began. "Give me some time to think about it. I'll look after this for you."

With that, he pushed to his feet and left the study.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Clay walked into the bedroom and saw Dawn in bed, her eyes closed. But he could tell she was not asleep. He knew the magical senses she explained to him told her that he was there.

"Whatever it is you think that will keep me from leaving. I'm pretty sure he won't let you do it. Will he?"

"No," Clay said. "He won't."

Dawn opened her eyes to look at him and nodded. "I'll go in the morning. Once my energies are replenished for the teleport."

The next morning Dawn walked out of the bathroom to see Clay awake.

"Wait," he said, scrambling up. "I'll be ready in a second, and I'll make you breakfast."

Dawn sighed and nodded. She sat down to wait.

Jeremy had already eaten. When they finished, he took Clay aside as Dawn cleared the table.

"Last night you said you wanted me to understand," he murmured, too low for Dawn to hear from the kitchen. "You're right. I need to understand, and the only way I can do that is to spend some time with this girl, talk to her, and get to know her. Maybe you're right if her sister found that she is here of her own free will. The Slayer won't bother us."

A day ago, Clay would have jumped at those words. But now he knew the truth. Jeremy would never understand.

"I can't talk to her with you hovering. I want to speak to her alone."

"I'll keep quiet—" Clay said.

"No, you won't. You can't. I'm going to speak to her, and you will stay away while I do. Then I'll figure out a solution for your problem."

Clay opened his mouth to argue, but knew it would do no good. He knew Jeremy would do whatever it took to send Dawn away. Maybe there was another way that he could keep Dawn with him.

Clay took Dawn to the study.

Jeremy talked about Dawn's schooling, and how she expected to continue after she and Clay were married, and did she understand what she'd be giving up.

Dawn smirked. "I have a Ph.D. from Harvard. I don't need the schooling. It is a way to pass the time. When you are immortal all you have is time."

"So you believe you are immortal?" Jeremy asked.

Dawn smirked. "Yes. Both me and my sister are immortal." She went on to tell him about hers and Buffy's lives. Not noticing the wolf that came in behind her.

Jeremy spotted the wolf first. "Clay?"

Dawn looked from Jeremy to the wolf and then her eyes went wide as she realized how Clay intended for them to stay together. Before Dawn could step away from Clay, he let instinct take control and he grabbed her hand, his teeth sinking in, breaking the skin. As she let out a yelp, Clay ran his tongue over the wound, working in the saliva.

Dawn passed out after Clay had bit her. Hours later, she was still unconscious, fevered and delirious. It was two days before Dawn would finally began to rouse. Jeremy made sure to sedate her when he was sure Dawn was going to be fine. He then took Dawn back to her apartment in New York. He was concerned that her sister, the Slayer, would come after him, Clay and the rest of the Pack, if she ever found out who had bitten Dawn. He planned to bring the sisters into the Pack by pretending to try and find out who had bitten Dawn. And hoping he would never have to reveal that information to either of them.