Chapter Forty: Raid Vaziri
Present day
Border of NC and VA
"Is this some kind of a game to you, Zakariah?" Gideon scolded, ignoring Cristian as he walked past him, heading towards the new arrivals, quietly greeting some of them with a nod and a handshake.
"Not a game," Zakariah replied. "I'm just proving a point."
Raid maintained his position in front of Stef. He wasn't as powerful as she was with magic, but the protection spell now meant he was the least vulnerable one. His only worry was whether or not she would remember that fact if the witches launched an attack on them. He could already hear the soft hum of her magic preparing itself at her fingertips. Half a dozen rows of tables and chairs formed a physical barrier between them that the witches didn't cross. They didn't need to cross it. From the flooring to the furniture, there was enough damn wood in the tavern for their magic to break anything off into a potential stake. For supernatural beings that were vulnerable to this type of material, vampires sure didn't pass up any opportunity to use it as décor.
Gabe's hand tightened in Winifred's, pulling her back as she was the first to snap at Dimitri. "If you refused the truce, return the talisman now!"
Dimitri was too distracted by Gabe's hand placements to respond to her demands. His hand in hers. The other now around her waist, keeping her close. Dimitri's eyes went sharply and widely to Winifred's and he observed scornfully, "You left me... to fuck a vampire?"
At those words, Ava pushed herself to the front of the other coven members, standing beside her step-father, her eyes filled with hurt as she glared at her mother. No attempt was made by Winifred to shield her daughter from the truth as she remained in Gabe's arms, but neither did she have the heart to confirm it. Dimitri attempted to put an arm around his step-daughter – a gesture he hoped Ava would accept in allegiance to him – but as tears filled her eyes, she stormed back into the meeting room, slamming the door behind her.
Winifred pressed her forehead into Gabe's shoulder. She wouldn't cry – she had done the right thing in leaving Dimitri – but there was still an ache in her chest at the way Ava had found out.
Dimitri slapped his palms together, hands cupping each other. "Well, that went as well as expected, but don't worry, Gabriel, I won't deny Winifred her fun while she decides whether her daughter is more important to her than you are – spoiler alert: she is – and I'm guessing at the speed vampires move, your fucks barely register anyway."
"You want to find out if my fist barely registers at high speed?" Gabe growled as Winifred now became the one tightening her hold to prevent him carrying out the threat.
"Tell us why you refused the truce!" Stef snapped at the Coven, side stepping to get their attention, only for Raid to hold out his arm to stop her before resuming his place in front of her.
Cristian chuckled, wagging his finger at them. "Now this is another interesting couple." He moved closer, weaving between the tables and chairs. His eyes glanced at Raid's hands, watching them ball into fists, ready to fight, but not a flicker of magic coming from them. Cristian held up both palms in peace but continued his pace until he finally stopped in front of Raid, lowering his hands to his sides. "There's just something about vampires, isn't there, Raid? Or maybe there's just something about Stef? Tell me, how's that prophecy working out for you? Because if she's falling for you, it's not real. You know that, right?"
Raid felt Stef tense behind him, the hum of her magic growing. He reached back, taking one of her hands in his. "Don't let him get to you," he told her, not taking his eyes off Cristian. "If you strike first, a truce between vampires and witches is over before it's even begun. That's what he wants."
"Aren't you clever," Cristian observed with a grin.
"Luckily I'm not a vampire," Raid grinned back, his own magic humming to life.
Zakariah intervened immediately. "I don't care if you're not a fucking vampire! The rule is, no fighting using any supernatural powers in this place!"
Raid wasn't backing down. "What's the rule on fist fights?"
"What supernatural being wants to fight like a human?" Zakariah commented, aghast.
"So there's no rule on it?"
"Well, no, but –"
"Great," Raid confirmed, slamming his fist into Cristian's face.
A chorus of encouraging yells came from the male witches on the opposite side of the room as Cristian stumbled backwards, only managing to stay on his feet when his back hit the edge of a table. He slammed his palm down onto the table top, stabilizing himself as the force skidded the base along the floor, and only missed the second swing to his face by pure luck as he bent forward to redistribute his weight and regain his footing. Cristian used the opportunity to land a blow to Raid's side and pivoted in his direction, now ready to take him down. Raid dodged a fist to the face, lowering himself to punch Cristian in the stomach hard enough to send him to the floor. But not without Cristian grabbing onto Raid's suit jacket and pulling him down with him.
Zara came up beside Stef. "You not tempted to intervene?"
As Cristian desperately tried to regain his breath, Raid knelt over him, removing his jacket and tossing it aside. He threw another punch that Cristian blocked with crossed wrists just in time.
"As a vampire, I couldn't if I wanted to," Stef shrugged. "Besides, it's boys acting like... human boys. It feels strangely normal."
Zara crossed her arms. "Strangely hot, you mean."
Overhearing, Adam got closer to her, his eyebrows raised in interest. "You want me to get involved? Because I will."
Raid attempted to block a punch from Cristian but only succeeded in slowing it as his fist slammed against his jaw. Raid fell sideways, planting his hands quickly on the ground to push him back into standing.
Zara smirked up at Adam sassily. "No, I wouldn't want anyone to mess up that pretty face."
It wasn't much of a compliment to suggest he couldn't defend himself, but Adam ate up the 'pretty face' remark anyway, grinning back at her.
As Cristian stood, he felt like his legs were about to give way. Nausea rose within him as the hit to the stomach still lingered. He arched forward, placing one hand on his knee, the other held out towards Raid, stopping the fight. "The Coven agreed... to the... truce," he panted.
"Funny way of showing it," Raid snapped, gesturing to the crowd of witches, whose roar of voices were dying down now that the fight had ended.
It took Cristian three deep breaths before he could straighten. "None of us wanted to leave the room with Stef out here." It took him a further three breaths before he could continue talking. "Zakariah allowed us to have backup in case she tried to remove our magic."
"I told you she wouldn't," Zakariah gloated.
"You're that scared of her?" Raid said to Cristian; both a question and a realization.
"Of course I fucking am!" Cristian snapped. "Wouldn't you be if you were her ex-boyfriend? She could have my balls and my magic in a vice and, quite frankly, I don't know which I'd rather lose!"
All that mattered to Stef was that the Coven had agreed to Gabe's offering. This would soon be over. She walked up to Cristian. "You want the truce?"
Cristian nodded hesitantly. "I want the truce."
Stef slapped him. She might have even added a little of her vampire strength to that slap, but not enough for anyone to know. Cristian's features tightened as he brought his face back to hers, but he didn't retaliate. She jabbed a finger into his chest. "That was for turning Flick into a vampire. The truce starts now." She forced her hand into his, begrudgingly shook it, then grabbed Raid by the hand and led him back to the bar. "We both need a drink."
"F.Y.I. I actually like being a vampire," Flick informed Cristian.
"Probably best not to tell him that, Flick," Phoenix advised her. "He might make a habit of it."
Zakariah was already filling two glasses with bourbon, chuckling to himself as he slid the drinks along the counter towards Stef and Raid. "You really thought I'd betrayed you, didn't you? If I hadn't started drinking so early, I might actually be sober enough to be offended."
"You did invite in a bunch of witches, Zakariah, what were we meant to think?" Stef said, taking a mouthful of drink before turning to inspect Raid's face where he'd been hit.
"I could never let anything happen to Damon's only daughter," Zakariah maintained. "I wouldn't be able to look that man in the cock ever again."
Stef glared at him from over her shoulder before returning her attention back to Raid. "Is that all you ever think about?"
Zakariah rolled his eyes. "Honey, everyone thinks about cock. Men think about cock. Women think about cock. I dare say you're thinking about cock right now."
It was an involuntary reaction. Her eyes flicked to the fly area of Raid's pants. It was the briefest of glances. He couldn't have noticed.
Raid noticed. His eyebrows shot up. "Are you thinking about cock?" he asked her, smirking. The smirk made his jaw ache in the area he'd been hit, but it was worth it.
"I was thinking..." she started, stumbling for an excuse, "that you need to lift your shirt so I can check the damage to your ribs." She tugged on the area of his shirt that was tucked into his waistband. "You might need my blood to heal you."
Whether he had a bruised rib or a paper cut, he'd accept that offer either way. He might be too scared of the feeding bond to let her drink directly from him, but there was no way he was missing an opportunity to have his lips against her skin. "I might need it," he agreed, wondering if she meant it.
Stef did mean it, but she didn't expect him to accept it so eagerly. He wasn't a vampire. There was nothing appealing about blood to humans. Still, he held firm as he looked at her, waiting for her reaction – hoping for the reaction he wanted. So she extended her fangs and bit into her hand, holding it out to him. He maintained eye contact with her as he placed her hand to his lips and kissed at the small droplets of blood tenderly.
Stef's legs clamped together. Her fingernails dug into the counter. A small whimper escaped her, despite her lips pressing shut.
The moment the warmth hit every area of his body, the build up of pleasure quickly surging through him, Raid dropped her hand instantly.
Stef's head was lowered, chuckling quietly as she shook her head gently at the embarrassment. It was the same sensation, except in a far more public place. Raid was right to stop it when he did, otherwise she didn't know if she would have had the strength. No amount of pressure from pushing her thighs together was stopping the tingles remaining there. It wasn't the first time she had fed him her blood, but it was the first time it had felt this way. She wondered if it was due to the feeding bond. A physical connection was forming between them that was becoming too difficult to ignore. She smiled up at Raid, expecting him to be laughing at the situation too.
Except he wasn't. He looked terrified.
Stef turned away, feeling frustrated and humiliated. It wasn't the same for him anymore. The damn feeding bond had ruined everything. The chances of it happening again were slim, but they were slim the first time, and now it was all he was going to think about each and every fucking time. Not that there was going to be another time, not from the look on his face. There was too much fear there. Stef took hold of her glass and tipped the entire contents down her throat, determined to ease the throbbing that remained between her legs with as much alcohol as it was going to take.
Raid felt the ache in his jaw and ribs fade just as a new ache of regret formed in his stomach. "Are you okay?" he asked Stef gently.
Her reply wasn't so gentle. "Fine," she replied thinly.
She wasn't fine. He wasn't fine either. There was more between them than just the sensation the blood was causing them to have. It was clear she wanted more, and so did he. He thought back to what Cristian had said about the prophecy coming true. Would she develop feelings for him? Was she starting to feel them already? Was she as worried as he was that these new feelings of hers might not be real? Fuck, he started to feel like an even bigger dick... because now he wasn't just wondering if her growing affection for him was real... he was wondering whether he even cared if it was real so long as she felt the same way he did.
Biggest. POS. Ever.
In the same frustrated manner as Stef, Raid took his own glass of bourbon and downed it.
