Explosive Encounter
The acrid smoke wafted overhead, choking Sam as she slithered across the damp ground. She reached up and wiped a muddy hand across her brow, what the heck, mud was better than sweat stinging her eyes. She reached the small trench and rolled into it, coming up with her shoulder resting on the edge, and swung her rifle up into position. She glanced over her shoulder, and gave a nod to the other men waiting there. Two of them then crawled up and out of the trench and began to make their way to the east, behind her. They went about 15 yards, then she heard a faint whistle, so she tucked her rifle down along her side and followed the path they took, with the last two men in the trench. They got about half way to the others and she reached down to her belt, and pulled a small device off. It was nothing more than a little black box, with two buttons on it, one red, one blue. She pushed the little blue button, and the sky lit up with a horrendous ball of fire, the ground shook as if an earthquake had just struck, and chunks of mud, grass, trees, and other stuff that Sam didn’t want to contemplate too much began to rain down on their heads. She gave a nod of satisfaction and then scrambled after the rest of her unit. When they all reached the camp, the men all slapped her on the back and congratulated her. She slid down into the trench that surrounded the camp, pulled off her helmet and wiped the mud, blood and grime off on the bottom of her t-shirt. She took a couple deep breaths while she still had the t-shirt over her nose, it smelled better than the stench of the air around her, and it felt good to pull something other than the stagnant air into her lungs for a change. She couldn’t wait to go home. Only a couple more weeks and her tour would be over. She only hoped she lived that long.
As the small unit made its way through the trench toward the camp, and the ATV that waited for them, Sam heard a faint buzz, that slowly became louder, and then changed to a low whistle. She let out a yell “INCOMING!!” and grabbed the arm of the soldier closest to her, dragging him toward the ground, shoving him hard up against the side of the trench and covering him the best she could with her small frame. A heartbeat later, there was a deafening blast, an earth shattering impact and the ATV that they had been nearing erupted in a fireball that nearly singed the fine hairs from the back of Sam’s neck. Immediately following the impact, bits and pieces of molten metal began raining down on them, sending small jets of steam and hissing from the little puddles around them. Several of the men nearby screamed in pain as the pieces of the ATV hit them. Some had been killed instantly when the bomb hit, they were the lucky ones, Sam thought.
Once it was safe, she scrambled out of the trench and began the grisly task of helping her comrades who had survived. As she moved around the camp, gathering the first aid supplies, her heart felt as if it were being crushed. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. She began to wonder why she had signed up for the Marines in the first place. Then she remembered her father’s dedication and his adoration when she told him her plans. He had been a Marine all his life, and with no sons to follow his footsteps, he had been ecstatic when Sam told him she had decided to enlist. He wanted to help her out, use his influence to get her into officer’s training but Sam refused. She wanted to do it all on her own. And now here she was, in a camp in Iraq, pulling pieces of her friends out of a trench. Sometimes she wondered how she could be so stupid.
As she went about her work, she felt that tingling at the back of her mind again. Ever since she had come to Iraq, and the fighting had begun, she had felt it. It felt almost like butterfly wings brushing against her mind. It was comforting, gentle, and it helped her get through the worst times. That was why she never ignored it when she felt it, instead she welcomed it, and at times, embraced it. And late at night, laying in her tent, or wrapped in her bedroll out on the desert, she’d open her mind, and fall sleep with that small but comforting feeling there in the back of her mind.
As Sam was tending one of the soldiers, she heard a shout, then heard gunfire off toward the edge of the camp. She grabbed the arm of the nearest soldier she saw and told him what her patient needed, then snatched her rifle from the ground and took off toward the sound of trouble. She heard some of the soldiers shouting, and more gunshots, then she heard another explosion. She swore softly to herself, and rounded the side of one of the tents. He pulled up short, and ducked back behind the tent as bullets went whizzing by her head. She heard the familiar sound of fabric tearing, the short popping sound of impact with the material, as she pulled her rifle up into firing position. She dropped low, and stuck her head out a little, peeking around the corner of the tent. She could see two Iraqi soldiers in the trees, both aiming at the tent she hid behind, and one of her own men off to the other side of another tent not far away. So far, the Iraqi’s hadn’t seen where she went. She took aim and fired, taking one of the soldiers down, then she scrambled back and moved her position as the other one began firing. The bullets tore through the canvas of the tent just as she scooted out of the way. She felt something warm running down her arm, and glanced at it, only then realizing the first shots fired had hit her. She cursed softly, and made her way to the other side of the tent.
As she peeked around the side of the tent, she felt that familiar touch in her mind again, but this time it was different. This time she sensed a direction in her mind. Almost as if someone were trying to tell her something. She leaned back, and rested her head on the tent pole for a moment, closed her eyes and concentrated on the light brushing against her mind. Slowly, she felt a thought forming, to the right, 20 feet back, behind the biggest tree. Sam opened her eyes, and slowly peered around the edge of the tent. She picked out the largest tree in the small bunch of them across from the tent, then carefully estimated 20 feet, and sure enough, there was the second gunman. She raised her rifle and carefully took aim, and squeezed the trigger, the bullet finding its mark. The gunman went down in an unceremonious heap. Sam said a silent thank you to whatever spirit had aided her, and then she slid down the side of the tent and closed her eyes, feeling tired and weak. Before she lost consciousness, she could have sworn she heard a soft “you’re welcome” in her mind.
Sam came awake slowly, her first thought focused on her arm and shoulder, and how bad they hurt. Her second thought was on the bright lights shining in her face, and then she realized she was in a hospital, and not in a field tent infirmary. She cursed softly, as she tried to move her arm and found she couldn’t do any more than flex her fingers. Her arm was bound firmly to her side. She realized then that she must have been wounded worse than she first guessed. With her good arm, she found the controls to the bed and raised it up so she could see the rest of the room. Sure enough, she was laying in a hospital, still in the recovery ward, judging by the looks of her surroundings. There were several beds around the room, curtains separating them. The lights were brighter in here, and several nurses and interns wandered about. As soon as one of the nurses noticed Sam’s bed moving, she made her way over to her.
“Good morning sunshine.” She greeted cheerfully. “It’s good to see you awake” Sam smiled weakly and glanced at her shoulder and arm to see just how bad the situation was. The nurse picked up her chart and made a couple notes on it. Then she put it back on the end of the bed and came up to check Sam’s bandages. Her shoulder was wrapped with a thick bandage, as was her upper arm, and her arm was strapped to her chect at the elbow and the upper arm to keep it from moving. The nurse smiles as she went about her work, chattering softly to Sam. “You were shot twice, the bullets went through your shoulder and upper arm, they had to operate on your shoulder to repair damage to the joint, but everything went well, and you will recover fully, and not lose use of the arm. You had very good doctors, and they got you here real fast too.”
Sam smiled a bit, and thanked the nurse for her information, then leaned her head back on the pillows and began to think about what had happened. She could still feel that gentle touch at the back of her mind, and she fully remembered the incident in the camp.
Sam decided that it was not her mind playing tricks on her, since she could still feel the presence in her mind, so she decided to explore it a bit more. She closed her eyes and concentrated, reaching out to that small center in the back of her mind. She sent a small inquiry, tentative, almost shy, and then waited for something to happen. After a moment, she felt the butterfly wings brush against her mind, light at first, and then slowly they became more insistent. Sam opened her mind fully, and invited the presence in. Her mind filled with an image, one that made her gasp. He was gorgeous! His long, dark hair lay in soft waves around his ruggedly handsome face, strong features. He had a slight smile on his face, his jaw set with determination. His eyes were dark, intense, almost burning with desire. Sam felt as if she would melt under his gaze, but she couldn’t look away from him. He held her fully within his spell, and she could do nothing to escape him.
Duncan sat in his chair, his hands resting lightly on the arms. He had been keeping watch on her for days now, ever since she had been called on this foolhardy mission. Up until now, he thought her adventures as a soldier were just something to pass her time. To pacify a father who she thought wanted this from her. He couldn’t remember the first time he became aware of her. He knew it hadn’t been that long ago, but he knew that since he felt her the first time, he could think of little else. And for a Carpathian male, that could mean life or death. If he didn’t find her soon, he didn’t know what his fate would be.
And now, she had been thrust into the heart of a dangerous situation, guns and bombs going off in all different directions, and Duncan could do nothing to protect her, other than try his best to guide her and lead her in the right direction. He almost didn’t make it in time. She was unfamiliar with telepathy, she didn’t even know she possessed the skill, and didn’t recognize the signs of his guidance. When she almost walked right into the snipers trap, Duncan panicked. He threw all he had at her to keep her from getting herself killed. She finally opened her mind enough to feel his touch, to pick up his signal and to kill the remaining sniper. Unfortunately, she took a serious hit in the process. Duncan didn’t know whether to be happy or scared to death for her. The bullet could have rendered her arm useless for the rest of her life; luckily the doctors were able to repair it. Fortunately, now the path of communication was open to him. Once she had allowed him in, it would be easier to reach her again.
And she had done just that. Duncan sat there staring at her, the colors swirling around him like a firestorm about to swallow him alive. Emotions ripped through him, one after another, joy, fear, love, happiness, he didn’t know where to start. He wanted to reach out and touch her skin, feel the soft creamy texture of it under his fingers, he wanted to run his fingers through her hair, the color of which he couldn’t even name. It seemed that she bore every color there was, it was caramel, with traces of red, blonde, gold, he could see almost every color there was all in one. And her eyes, the color of emeralds, such vibrant green, with a sparkle to rival the sun. Duncan was speechless for several moments, just content to stare at her, until at last she broke the spell with a single thought; he snapped out of his stupor and spoke to her.
“Good lord, I died and went to heaven” Sam thought quietly. Duncan laughed at that, a rich, hearty sound, and then he spoke to her, his voice musical, light, yet masculine, melodic, and mesmerizing. “No, little one, I would not let you die, though Heaven sounds like a good idea, it is a place I would love to take you, after your wounds have healed.”
Sam blushed, deep red staining her cheeks, she lowered her lashes, glancing down at her hand. “Who are you? Not that I mind a Tall, dark stranger invading my insane mind, I knew it would happen eventually, with all the time I spend in the field and all, but I should know your name, after all.”
Duncan wished he was in the same room with her, so he could reach out and caress those cheeks, now tinged red with blush, her pouty lips so tempting, begging for his kiss, his entire body ached for hers, he cursed softly to himself and answered her question, “I am Duncan, and you are not insane little one, simply fortunate enough to be able to reach out to me in your time of need. We shall meet soon, and then I shall be happy to tell you all about me.” His smile was captivating, and Sam found herself lost in his deep, dark eyes. If this was a dream, she hoped never to wake up from it.
A few days later, the doctor had come in to see Sam, and had informed her that she would be allowed to go home, providing she didn’t do anything more strenuous than lift a remote control for the television. Sam agreed, anxious to sleep in her own bed again. She had expected to be gone longer, her tour of duty wasn’t supposed to be over until the end of the month, and she still had 2 weeks to go, but her injuries had earned her an early release. As she packed her things, she let her mind wander to those comrades of hers that would be taking a different trip home, the long cold trip in a casket, and it brought tears to her eyes. As soon as the sadness hit her, she felt Duncan’s presence in her mind. It was no more than a soft touch at first, he was always courteous, never more than a gentle reminder that he was with her, until she opened her mind to him and allowed him to enter her mind fully. Most of the time she did so unconsciously, forgetting he was an actual person, still not used to that fact.
“What troubles you little one?” he asked gently, his calming voice blanketing her mind lightly. Sam sighed softly, before answering him. “I was just thinking of some of the guys that died that day out in the field. I’ll have to attend the funerals when I get home.” She finished packing her things and made her way out to the waiting jeep.
“If you wish, I will come to Seattle and attend them with you.” Duncan offered. Sam was startled by his offer. She still didn’t fully believe he was real. It was one thing to have a handsome hunk rambling around in your head; it was another matter completely to have him roaming around town with you. She hesitated before answering him, unsure if she fully trusted him or not. He sensed her uncertainty, and sought to reassure her. He knew once he met her he could put her mind at ease, and he was confident that their bond would reinforce his assurances once they were face to face. Curious, Sam agreed to meet Duncan, then climbed into the jeep and headed to the airport, leaning back against the seat and trying to shut out the pain in her shoulder as she rode.
Once she arrived at her place, she tossed her duffle bag on the couch and headed for the shower. Her doctor had told her that she could unwrap her bandages and shower, as long as she made sure not to raise her arm any higher than necessary to wash her hair. She wasn’t to do any unnecessary reaching with her arm for three weeks to allow it to fully heal. Sam had agreed to his demands, knowing that if she gave him any argument he wouldn’t allow her to go home, and the last thing she wanted was to be stuck in the infirmary any longer. She might even have agreed to barking like a dog if it had gotten her a free trip home.
She finished her shower, and wrapped in her robe, then wandered into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge for something to drink. She had forgotten that everything was empty still, and made a mental note to go to the store the next day to stock up on a few things. She heard Duncan’s soft laughter in the back of her mind, and caught his lighthearted teasing as he told her he would be sure to bring lots of junk food for her when he arrived. Still half convinced he was a figment of her imagination, she agreed, then she went into her bedroom and fell asleep across her bed, still wrapped in her robe, without ever disturbing the covers.
Once Sam fell asleep, Duncan was again able to travel without being distracted. Not that he minded the distraction she provided, but it was difficult to concentrate on where he was going when his mind was on thoughts of her and the things he wished to do with her. Her tempting mouth, and soft creamy skin was a constant image in his mind, and when her voice filled his mind, he could think of little else than her beneath him, and tasting that creamy silk flesh. A distraction like that could be deadly to a Carpathian male. Once Sam was asleep, he focused his attention to his surroundings, as he traveled through the night toward Seattle. He knew there were vampires around, though none of them had dared challenge him as of yet. It frustrated him not knowing what their intentions were, and more than that, it aggravated him not knowing if they were aware of Sam being telepathic, or if they were even aware of her at all. Something dark and foreboding at the back of his mind warned him that they were aware of more than he knew. He remained wary of them and kept his presence masked from them at all times.
As he neared the city, he became aware of a lone vampire, he was stalking a victim on the outskirts of the city. The man had no idea what was about to befall him, and truth be told, if the vampire killed this man, the city would sleep a little sounder at night. The vampire’s chosen “victim” was about to break into a house that set back out of the way, owned by one of the more wealthy residents of Seattle. The owner of the property was a politician, whose influence in the city was well respected, and who had helped to draft several of the cities policies on crime prevention and judicial issues. The intruder was hell bent on revenge, it was due to the new policies that had put the man in jail for several months recently, and now that he had gained his freedom, he felt a little pay back was in order. It was just blind luck the vampire happened to be near, and in need of a feeding. Duncan was half tempted to ignore the situation and go about his way, but his code of honor wouldn’t allow it, no matter how much the creep deserved to die.
Duncan shifted from his current form of mist into that of an owl, and settled silently into a nearby tree, tucking his wings to his sides silently, his large golden eyes fixed on the vampire as he stalked the man on the street. The vampire walked along the sidewalk, letting his hand trail along the wrought iron fence that bordered the property, his nails making a light clinking on the iron bars. The sound was almost melodic, like the soft chime of a bell, and the man sneaking along the tree line lifted his head, cocking it to one side, listening intently. The vampire began to whisper softly, his voice holding a hidden compulsion, it’s sweet sound tugging at the man’s will, urging him to follow the sound of the chimes, beckoning him to come nearer. The man abandoned his plot to kill the residents of the house and went off in search of the sounds he heard.
Duncan leapt off the branch of the tree silently, his huge wings spread in the dark night, and glided toward the ground, shifting before he even touched the earth. His feet hit the ground, and he strode silently across the grass. His dark eyes turned a molten red, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His hair fanned out behind him, wafting in the wake of his strides. If not for the fact that he hid his presence, anyone that saw him would run screaming into the night from the fearsome image he made. As he made his way toward the unsuspecting vampire, he also kept an eye on the man whose path his paralleled. He was walking toward the vampire like a puppet on a string, his strides wooden, jerky, as if he were being led by invisible strings. The vampire was rubbing his hands together in anticipation of his meal, Duncan’s stomach turned in revulsion at the sight.
When Duncan was within a few feet of the vampire, he dropped his shield and growled low in his throat. He recognized his adversary as one of the males from his youth. He and Stefan and fought with this man back when they all had been fledgelings. It sickened him to have to be the one to end his life now. Duncan gave a silent prayer of thanks that he had found Sam when he did, regret being something new to him, yet he felt it now, that this vampire he had once knew as a potentially great warrior faced him, and he had to kill him. Duncan buried his new found emotions deep within himself and grimly faced the task he knew he had to perform.
Recognition lit the vampire’s face as Duncan materialized in front of him, and he sneered at him. “So, the mighty hero has come to do away with me, has he? What brings the great Duncan McAllister to Seattle?” As he spoke, he continued to draw the would-be assassin closer to him, his focus now intent on using the human against Duncan. “I suppose you brought your little friends along to play?” Duncan shook his head, his hands open, his arms at his sides, giving the vampire the misguided illusion that he was unarmed. “Just passing through Beheret, how is it I find you here?” Duncan felt if he could distract the vampire he might have the opening he needed to strike fast and hard. He was so focused on Beheret and the assassin that he never felt Sam awaken, until it was too late to stop the madness he sensed in her mind.
Sam had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the bed. But then she began having the strangest dream. She felt like she was floating through the night, everything was so beautiful, and quiet, it felt wonderful. Then she saw someone in the dark, something wicked, evil, she had no idea what it was, and then there was another man, sneaking around a huge house, like he was trying to break in. The scene unfolded like something from a movie, so Sam was sure she was dreaming. Then Duncan was there, stalking the evil thing. Except Duncan wasn’t really there, at least not his body. He was just a mist, like the clouds, floating through the night sky. Until he got close enough to the wicked thing, she couldn’t even call it a man, it was hideous looking. It had wiry hair that hung in scraps on it’s head, the eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot, and it had fangs that were stained with blood. Duncan transformed into an owl and landed in a tree, still watching the creature, which was still unaware of him. It was then that Sam awoke, but the dream didn’t go away. She could still sense Duncan in her mind, and if she closed her eyes, she could still see that hideous creature, and Duncan meant to battle it!
Sam felt panic rise inside of her. All this time she had just imagined that Duncan was something her mind had created to get her through her ordeal. She had read that people would sometimes fabricate imaginary beings in order to cope with tough situations. She always thought of herself as stronger than that, after all, she was a marine, but, given the fact that she had been shot in a war, and had seen 4 of her friends killed by enemy troops, she was willing to concede that it was possible she had given in to the pressure and had created an imaginary friend to get her through the bad times. Now she wasn’t sure just what she thought. There was something about this little dream that told her it wasn’t a fabrication. She got up off her bed, and grabbed her clothes, wincing a bit as she moved her injured arm. Her doctor was going to have a fit over this one.
After she had gotten dressed, she went down into her basement and pulled a large trunk out of the corner. She opened the lid and rummaged through the contents. She laughed softly to herself, wouldn’t the Marines get a good laugh out of this one. The trunk was full of guns, ammunition, explosives, grenades, land mines, and odds and ends that she had pilfered over the course of her service. She grabbed a backpack and began stuffing things in it. If the situation was as bad as her “dream” had led her to believe, Duncan was going to need all the help she could muster. Closed the trunk and ran back up the stairs. She bit back a little yelp of pain as she pulled on a sweater and raced out the door. She jumped in her car and sped across town. As she drove, she tried to calm her mind and focus on Duncan, hoping to locate him without alerting him to her presence. She had never been that good at telepathy, let alone being able to shield her presence from him, but she had to try.
Duncan leapt back a few feet as the human grabbed for him, he didn’t want to have to hurt him, technically he was trying to save the man, even if he was technically a criminal. Beheret laughed, then shimmered and transformed into a large black raven, flying up toward Duncan’s face. The human pulled a large knife from his belt, and lunged toward Duncan, just as the raven reached out his talons and caught a bunch of his hair. Duncan let out a curse, and reached for the raven, just as the knife swung toward his arm, catching him across the forearm. Duncan spun around, bringing his foot out in a sweeping motion, knocking the human’s feet out from under him and sending him sprawling on the ground. Duncan then managed to pull his hair free from the raven’s grasp and shift into vapor and drift away from them both. He felt a slight brush in his mind as he shifted, and tried to catch it, but it disappeared before he got a chance to focus on it, and he had to focus on the fight or chance giving Beheret an advantage over him.
Sam gasped as she felt the knife tear the flesh along Duncan’s arm. It felt as if it had tore at her own skin, and she half expected to see blood staining her sweater when she looked down at her forearm. She pulled her car over, and rested both hands on the steering wheel, she closed her eyes and waited for hands to stop shaking before she opened her eyes again. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Okay, get a grip woman, nice and calm. This aint a dream.” She had come to the realization that Duncan was real, but she still didn’t know how it was all possible. What she did know is that he was real, and in real trouble. He needed her help. She once again focused her mind on Duncan, careful not to let him into her mind, only sensing him and where he was. Once she had that she put her car back into gear and sped along the road toward the outskirts of town. As she drove, she pulled the backpack across the seat, and began pulling things out of it, and strapping them on various parts of her outfit.
Duncan swore loudly as the human lunged at him again, this time the knife sinking deep in his leg. He had had about enough of this human and Beheret using him as a weapon. There was only one way to even the odds, without killing this human, and Duncan was going to take it. The next time the human came at him, Duncan leapt at him, grabbed him by the throat, and squeezed until the human began to relax, then passed out. Once the human was unconscious, Duncan released him and let him fall to the ground. He wasn’t dead, but he wouldn’t be waking up any time soon. Duncan dragged him back under some bushes and shoved him back so no one would see him, then focused his attention on Beheret. The vampire wasn’t too happy that Duncan had taken away his plaything. He leapt at Duncan, his fangs bared, and hissed loudly at him. Duncan shifted his shape into that of a large wolf, and leapt at Beheret, his fangs sinking into the vampire’s forearm and yanking him to the ground.
Sam pulled her car around to the alley behind the huge house, and shut off the engine. She jumped out, and grabbed her backpack, slipping the straps onto her shoulders as she ran down the street. She let out a small yelp of pain as she had forgotten about her injured shoulder, and quickly shoved the pain out of her mind. She raced down the road, searching the night for Duncan. She had caught glimpses of the fight in her mind while she was searching for him and she figured it would be easy to find him once she got to the house. She wasn’t familiar with the Carpathian’s ability to shield their fight from human eyes, and when she arrived at the house, she couldn’t figure out why she couldn’t find either Duncan or the creature he was fighting. The vampire, however, was fully aware the moment Sam arrived. He had shifted his form when Duncan had bitten him, sliding neatly out of the wolf’s grasp, and floated back up into the trees. Duncan cursed and shifted back to his human form. It was then that he saw Sam’s small form coming down the road. She was dressed in dark, tight fitting pants, a black sweater that hugged her curves like a second skin, and her hair framed her face like she had stolen the sun and wore it on her head. Even in the dark night sky, her hair shone like a beacon. He wished she had thought to put a hat on, because her hair was far too easy to spot even on a moonless night.
In spite of the million thoughts that were racing through his head, Duncan couldn’t move at first. All he could do was watch as Sam ducked behind a tree, then peeked out again, crouching low, and surveying the area. He looked back over his shoulder, saw the large branch of the tree just slightly above and behind him, and in one fluid motion, he leapt up into the tree, then crouched down and watched her. From that vantage point he could see her perfectly. He took a minute to reach out to her, and send her a single thought. “You need a hat” was all he said, then he peeked down at her, and let a smile curve his lips upward slowly as he watched her pull a dark knit cap out of her pack and pull it on over her shimmering golden hair. He leaned back against the trunk of the tree then, and spoke to her again. “What in all hells do you think you are dong here?” Sam shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly as she crouched behind her tree, taking stock in her supplies. “Well, I woke up from what I thought was a dream, but it turned out not to be a dream, seems you are in a bit of a fix, and I came to bail your backside out.”
Duncan laughed outright at that, scarcely able to believe what he was hearing. “You, bail me out? You’ve got to be kidding. I haven’t needed bailing out since I was a fledgling.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure I have no idea what you’re talking about there, but I’d say you’re in need of some help, you’re up a tree, and there’s some really nasty looking guy about to eat you alive.” As she spoke, Beheret had moved along the treeline, toward the tree Duncan was in, and there were hundreds of termites crawling up the trunk of the tree. Once Duncan saw this, he quickly shifted to the form of an owl and launched himself into the air. Sam, seeing this, let out a small yelp, her eyes as big as saucers. “Okay, I don’t even want to know how you did that, just please tell me that once this is all over, I’m going to wake up in my bed, and this is just a bad dream.” Duncan laughed softly. “If that is what you want me to tell you then I will, little one. Perhaps it’s best if you go back to that bed right now.”
“Not a chance, big guy.” She quipped at him. She leaned around the trunk of the tree she was hiding behind, rested a rifle on her shoulder, and squeezed a couple rounds off, both hitting Beheret in the stomach. “Damnit, I’m getting green … those were supposed to hit his heart!” She ducked back behind the tree, and rested the stock of the rifle on the ground. Duncan could only stare at her as he flew in corcles above the ground. He felt a shift in the air, and about a half a second later, another vampire appeared, not even a foot away from Sam. Duncan shouted a warning in her mind, nearly deafening her, and scaring her half to death.
“Sam! Move NOW!” that was all she needed, she dropped to the side, rolled a few feet, then sat back up, glancing to her right, just as a bolt of lightening hit the trunk of the tree, right where she had been sitting. She didn’t waste any more time, she scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as she could toward the other side of the clearing. The other vampire was right on her heels, and she could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She had no idea what this thing was but she was damn sure she didn’t want it catching up to her. She sent a quick thought to Duncan as she ran, “Um, Duncan, I don’t mean to be a pain but what the HELL is this thing?” , she scrambled into the trees on the other side of the clearing, dodging around them, trying to use them as obstacles to evade the creature chasing her. She caught the thought Duncan sent back to her, and stuck her tongue out at him in response. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, just get the hell out of there.”
“What do you think I’m trying to do Genius, dance with him?” As she rounded another tree, something big and ugly rose up in front of the vampire, it screeched at him, fangs and claws digging into the rotting flesh. The vampire let out a scream, and battered at the thing in front of him, ripping pieces of it away. Sam stopped for a second, grabbed one of the hand grenades from her belt, pulled the pin, and tossed it back at the vampire that had been chasing her. The thing that had risen up in front of it faded just as the grenade landed in front of the vampire, and Sam smiles, waved and shouted “buh-bye” .. then she turned and took off again hell bent for the other side of the woods. She got about 20 feet and the grenade went off, sending tiny bits of the vampire splattering all over the trees. She caught a faint touch of amusement from Duncan as she continued to make her way through the trees.
Beheret had made his way across the sky to the other side of the woods as well, and was waiting there for Sam when she stumbled out of the trees. She didn’t see him when she came out into the clearing, but Duncan had sensed him, too late to warn her. He raced as fast as he could toward her but before he got there, Beheret had reached the edge of the trees. Once Sam cleared the tree line, she ran smack into a tightly woven net of silver wire. It wrapped itself around her legs, squeezing tighter the more she moved. She fell to the ground, unable to move, with Beheret standing over her, sneering at Duncan. Beheret grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her up, wrapping his arm around her waist and holding her tight against him.
“Now, mighty warrior, it seems I have an advantage. Your fair maiden is in my clutches.” He sneered. Duncan stood across from him, hatred burning in his eyes, fear burning in his heart. After 500 years without fear, it slammed into him like a red hot poker, and threatened to tear him apart. Before he could move, snakes of vines wrapped around his ankles and arms, dragging him down to the ground. Sam let out a small yelp of fear, watching as the vines engulfed him. She knew she had only one chance to help him. Duncan reached deep within himself, and sent Sam a reassuring thought, telling her not to worry about him, then he began to concentrate on freeing himself. He closed his eyes and felt for that inner calm, then he shifted slowly into the form of mist.
Sam felt the brief but calm thought that Duncan sent her, then he was gone. She didn’t understand it, did it mean he was okay, or did it mean that the creature had won? Either way she had to get free. The creature began to drag her across the clearing, he paused for a moment, and then he looked at her with those bloodshot, red rimmed eyes, and he seemed to almost be giddy with glee. “Seems to me I got an even better meal than I thought I would” he slobbered at her. Sam felt her stomach turn at his words. What in Heaven’s name was this thing! She struggled to break free, and felt the netting tighten around her legs, she let out a scream as it tightened. It felt like thousands of time needles tearing into her legs. Not even the bullet wound she got in the war had hurt that bad. Now she knew how her comrades had felt when shrapnel took their legs. She twisted around and began to batter at the creature with her fists. He snarled at her, , then he wrenched her head to the side, and sank his teeth into her neck. She let out a blood curdling scream, as white hot pain lanced through her. She fought to stay conscious. He let her drop to the ground as Duncan burst from the ground, a howl of rage loud enough to shake the ground. Sam hung on to consciousness by a thread. The net of daggers dissolved from her legs, and she dragged herself across the ground toward Duncan and the creature. She was weak but she could stand. Duncan was consumed with rage, and he threw everything he had at the vampire. The night sky was lit with lightening, and whirlwinds threw leaves, twigs and other debris through the air at Beheret so hard it tore the rotting skin from his bones.
Sam glanced at her belt. She had one grenade left. She reached out to Duncan with her mind, a simple plea, trying not to distract him too much from his task, she asked simply “how do you kill it?” Duncan, so consumed with his rage and fear for her life, answered her without thinking. “Destroy his heart.” Sam knew what she had to do. She gathered all the strength she could muster. She was bleeding from her neck, which had a nasty gash in it, and her legs had several small cuts in them as well. She didn’t think this was a battle she would live through, but she was going to make sure that Duncan did. She used a nearby tree for leverage, and pulled herself up. As hse stood, she became aware of another presence, this one was different from the other creature they had felt earlier. He felt more like Duncan, and he came to Duncan’s aid. If she concentrated, she could sense them communicating, though she couldn’t actually “hear” them. Then she saw him, he was bigger than Duncan, stockier, but he fought just as fierce.
Duncan was so focused on destroying the creature that he didn’t see Sam leaning against the tree. She yanked the grenade from her belt and held it tight in her fist. She would get only one shot at this, and she prayed she got it right. As soon as she had an opening, she rushed the creature. She hit him in the stomach with her good shoulder, bringing the grenade to her mouth, and pulling the pin with her teeth. She took a step back, and with all her strength she hit him in the chest, punching a hole in his chest. She shoved her arm as far into him a she could get it, them let go of the grenade and pulled her hand back out. She grabbed Duncan’s arm and yanked, falling backward hoping her momentum would pull him back with her. She shouted at the newcomer to fall back, hoping he would do as he was told. Duncan looked down at her, and immediately clamped his hand over her neck, trying to stem the flow of blood. The look of pure panic on his face scared Sam. She had only seen that look a couple times before, when her comrades had died in the field, and it wasn’t a look she liked. Duncan yelled out a name, as he lifted Sam into his arms and ran back away from the clearing. He got about 8 feet and the grenade went off, scattering the creature all over the clearing. Small pieces of him began raining down around them, and Duncan stopped for a moment, his eyes wide in shock, as he glanced down at her. She gave him a weak smile, then mumbled softly” he’s toast” then she drifted into unconsciousness.
Duncan shouted for Stefan to come help him, as Sam fell unconscious. He could barely feel her pulse, and her skin was ashen. He wasn’t sure when Stefan ahd arrived, or where he had come from for that matter, but right now he didn’t much care. He was furious with Sam for showing up, but worse, he was terrified that he wold lose her. She was bleeding from so many different places he didn’t know if he could heal them all before she lost so much blood that she would die. He had only one choice, and he hated the fact that he would have to convert her without even telling her what he was before he initiated her into his world. Stefan began to gather handfuls of the soil and mix it with his saliva, hoping that it would work on her, she was fully human and had not even had a single blood exchange. Duncan had already checked the pack that Sam had carried and found nothing of use in there. All she had carried were weapons in there, no first aid supplies of any kind. He had no choice but to heal her in the Carpathian way. He cradled her head in his arms, then bent down and gently took as little of her blood as possible to ensure a true exchange, then he brought her pale lips to his chest, and dragged his fingernail across his skin and held her to his chest to allow her to drink. Stefan tended to her legs, and Duncan mended her neck as best as he could. Once they had her stable, they took her to a small cave that Stefan had found. There was a small spring there, and Duncan washed her, then they repacked her wounds. Duncan made a second blood exchange with her, and they all slept throughout the day. The second night Stefan went out and fed, and returned to supply Duncan with the nourishment he would need to care for Sam. He had also gathered some herbs and candles necessary for the healing ritual so that Duncan could make sure Sam was fully healed once she was converted.
Duncan made the third blood exchange, and he and Stefan stayed close to Sam, Duncan was in agony not being able to do anything to ease her pain. Thankfully he was able to keep her in a deep enough sleep that she was mostly unaware of what was happening to her. She drifted in and out of consciousness and most of the time thought she was in a dream. Duncan wiped the sweat from her brow, bathed her lips with cool water, and changed the dressings on her wounds often, all the while talking softly to her, assuring her she would be fine. When she was delirious, thinking she was in an enemy camp or a prisoner of war, he would quietly convince her she was still with him and that she was fine. Her conversion was the worst; Stefan had cleaned the cave, after she was sick, while Duncan had bathed her. Duncan had sent her into a deep sleep after the initial stages were over, and then both he and Stefan had gone to sleep as well. On the third night, Stefan had once again gone out to feed, then returned to give Duncan nourishment. After 5 days of healing, Duncan had allowed Sam to wake fully, and he prepared himself to answer her questions the best he could. He was thankful of Stefan’s presence, for some reason he felt he needed some sort of back up with him when he faced Sam.
Sam woke slowly, the first thing she noticed was how aware she was of every little muscle in her body, mainly because each and every one of them ached. She had never before felt to totally and completely sore. She could have sworn she had been hit by a bus, except for the fact that as she opened her eyes, she was in a cave. She didn’t lift her head right away, it hurt too much, so instead she turned it from side to side. The cave was lit with candles, dozens of them. The light flickered off the walls of the cave and cast shadows around her like little dancing fireflies. She noticed that there were two more people in the cave, she recognized one of them, Duncan. Odd how she recognized him and had not actually met him yet. The other person she had no idea who he was, but he was in deep conversation with Duncan, and neither of them had noticed she was awake yet. Or, well, as soon as she had formed that thought, Duncan stopped in mid sentence and his gaze moved to her. A smile lit his face and he got up and crossed the cave in two strides, and crouched next to her.
“How do you feel, little one?” he asked softly. His hand moved to her check, caressing it lightly, his dark eyes looking like the golden embers of a fire in the night. Sam tried to talk, but when she opened her mouth to speak, barely a whisper came out. She wondered how long it had been that she had been down here, judging by the way her body felt, it had been a while. Duncan reached for a small canteen and gave her a small sip. The water was cool and felt good on her throat, which was dry, and then she smiled and tried talking again. It was a little easier the second time, but she still didn’t have much of a voice. She supposed it would get better the more she used it. “I feel like shit, where am I?” she asked quietly. Duncan laughed at her comment, then settled back on the ground and crossed his legs. “Well, if I told you that you’re in a cave, would that bother you much?” Sam rose up on her elbows a bit, feeling every muscle in her body protest, and she let out a groan. Duncan moved quickly, scooting behind her, and propping her against him. “Thanks, and how did I get into a cave?”
“Well, Stefan and I brought you here. That’s Stefan over there.” He said, pointing to the man on the other side of the cave, who politely smiled and nodded toward her. Duncan then brushed the little bit of hair off her forehead, as he looked down at her. “There are a few things I think I should tell you, and I’m not so sure you’re going to like them.” Sam turned slightly to look up at him, arching her brow a bit. “I already don’t like the sound of this.” Stefan, who hadn’t said anything until now, took that as his cue, and he rose slowly. “I’ll take that as my hint to go. Duncan, if you need me, you have only to call.” And with that, he left the cave. Duncan bid him farewell, then turned his attention back to Sam. He explained everything that had happened after the fight with the vampire, being very careful not to alarm her, but no matter how careful he was, Sam went off like a lit fuse.
“You WHAT???” You mean to tell me that... That THING was an undead creature, a vampire?? And it BIT ME?? “She scrambled around onto her knees, ignoring the pain that lanced through her as she moved, she examined her legs, her arms, and brought her hands up to her neck, feeling around, running her fingers across the raised welts on her neck, without a mirror she couldn’t see the marks, but she could imagine them there. “I don’t know what you are, or who you are ... until the other day I thought you were all just something in my imagination and now you tell me I’m one of you, and I’m just supposed to sit back and be like .. Yeah okay, whatever! … How do you undo this! .. How do I go back to being normal??
Duncan stared at the ground, his head hanging down. He had no words to offer her; he had no way to explain to her that she nearly died. When he had converted her, he had purposely withheld the ritual words; he didn’t want a lifemate like that. This was the exact reaction he had hoped to avoid. His lifemate was revolted by what he was and he had no way of initiating her into his world the proper way. He finally looked up at Sam, sadness in his eyes, his voice soft. “I am truly sorry; I could not sit back and watch you die. I did what I thought was best, and I made the wrong choice. I wish I could have shown you our world before you were brought into it, I wish you could have been given a choice, you were dying and there was nothing we could do. If it is your wish to go back to your life, or as much of a normal life as you can have, I will return you to your home and I will leave, and you will never see me again.”
Sam felt something strange in the back of her mind as Duncan was speaking. Something he wasn’t telling her. All the things he had told her were swimming around in her head, vampires, undead things, no sunlight, no food, but there was more, something he was leaving out, something important, and she could feel it. She tilted her head and looked down at him, and then she lifted her hand and made him look up at her. “There’s more to this than you told me, out with it buster, now. What’s the catch? It’s more than you just couldn’t let me die, there’s a reason, what is it?”
Duncan turned his head away from her; he had already ruined her world he couldn’t make it worse. ‘I’ve done enough damage to you; you don’t need to hear any more.”
“I want the whole story bud, and I want it now. And if you don’t tell me, I’m going to... do something real bad.” Sam couldn’t think off hand of what would be bad enough to force him to talk but she’d think of something if he didn’t start spilling the beans. Duncan glanced at her, and saw the resolve in her eyes. He had seen enough of this little firebrand to know that she would find a way to make him talk, so he shrugged his shoulders and gave in.
“I could not let you die, simply enough because we are lifemates.” He said it matter of factly, as if he were giving her a weather report. He had a lot of practice at not showing emotion, he had been doing it for over 500 years. Sam’s jaw went slack, and she sat there staring at him. “Lifemates? And just what is a lifemate?” she asked. She was almost sure she didn’t want to know the answer. Rather than answer her with words, Duncan leaned forward and placed his hand on her cheek, then drew her closer, brushing her lips with his, a feather soft kiss, his thumb caressing the edge of her jaw lightly, as he slowly kissed her. After the kiss, he lifted his head, and looked at her. As soon as his lips touched hers, she felt a fire start in her stomach and travel throughout her whole body. It threatened to consumer her, bit by tiny bit, if he didn’t do something to put it out. The only problem was, the longer he kissed her, the hotter the fire became. When he pulled back, she felt as if she were falling from a cliff. She looked up at him, and blinked slowly. “Lifemates, simply put, are two halves of the same whole. They are meant to be together. In my race, the males spend their lives searching for their other half. They are the light to our dark, without them, we become the creature that you saw the other night.”
Sam could only stare at him. When she finally found her voice, it was all she could do to get the words out. “You mean that thing used to be like you?’ she shivered when she said it. “Yes” Duncan replied. “If a Carpathian male doesn’t find his lifemate, he sometimes gives in to the darkness, the rush that taking a life gives him. Carpathian males lose their emotions, their colors when they are about 200 years old. They do not gain them back until they find their lifemates. And you, little one, are mine.”
“But, how do you know for sure?” she asked. Duncan ran a finger down her cheek, sending a shiver through her. “Aside from the fact that just being near each other is pure electric, the moment I laid eyes on you, I have been able to see the world full of color and feel emotions again. That is how I know. Sam struggled with this information. The world had always been cut and dry to her. But this was a little too neatly wrapped up even for her. People didn’t just fall in love at the drop of a hat. Yet here she sat with a guy she didn’t even know, and there was no denying that she felt something for him. She had been trying to convince herself she didn’t ever since she felt him in her mind the first time, but she had known all along she had wished he were real. Now that she sat face to face with him, she was trying to tell herself she didn’t want him? Something was seriously wrong with that picture. She looked up at him again, and asked the question she knew needed an answer. “What happens now? I mean, you said that I’m like you now, just exactly does that mean?”
Duncan sat there with his hands on his knees, and looked straight into her eyes, as he tried to explain things to her. “Well, two things, either we can be lifemates, I can say the ritual words, binding you to me, and we live happily ever after, more or less, or, you can go back to as normal of a life as you can living as you are. I will teach you what I can, in order for you to survive, and then I will leave.” Sam had a feeling there was more to it than that. She had gotten a pretty good idea of when Duncan wasn’t telling her everything by now. “Spill the rest of it” she said. Duncan glanced down to his hands. “Well, I could appeal to the prince of our people to put you under his protection if you wish, until you feel you can manage your lifestyle without aid.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Sam said, glaring at him. Duncan cleared his throat and went on. A Carpathian male cannot live without his lifemate, They either turn vampire or they meet the dawn.” Sam hated that monotone he used when he said something he would rather not tell her. Especially when it required clarification.
“What do you mean ‘meet the dawn’? “ Duncan shrugged. “Face sunrise. It is as deadly to us as it is to vampires. Which you would have learned in time, of course.” Sam felt like slapping him at that moment, but restrained herself. Instead, she looked him square in the eye, and was helplessly lost in his fiery gaze. She knew at that moment that there ws no way she could ever walk away from him, or let him face such a fate. She didn’t know where it had come from, or when it had happened, but she knew that she did love him. She guessed that the world had weird ways of turning, and that fate did what fate would, but she also knew that her fate was sealed the day she felt Duncan in her mind telling her where to fire her rifle. Sitting here now, in this little cave, someplace in Seattle, where she had no idea, she knew that the rest of her life would be spent slinking through the night, killing whatever evil creatures happened to slither past her, and that Duncan would be by her side while she was doing it. She looked him straight in the eye, and knew it felt right.
“What are these ritual words, and when are you gonna say them?” she asked him, her eyes dancing with mischief. Duncan didn’t know if he should be happy, or terrified. He felt he should probably warn her of the rest of the ritual that went along with it, he did his best to explain it to her, and to his surprise and delight, Sam didn’t even bat an eye when he was done with his explanation. He gathered her close, and leaned down to kiss her, his lips brushing softly against hers, as her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, her lips parting as her tongue danced against his lightly. He pulled back form the kiss and began to softly utter the words that would bind them together for all times, “You are my lifemate. I claim you as my lifemate. I belong to you. I offer my life for you. I give you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul, and my body.” He gently kissed her neck, and swirled his tongue across her skin, then nipped lightly, piercing the skin gently. Sam tilted her head to the side, letting out a soft hiss as she flt his teeth sink in, her fingers curling in his hair. She tasted so sweet, the warm coppery taste filling him with desire that threatened to tear him apart. He carefully drew back and swiped his tongue over the pinpricks to close them then murmured the rest of the words against the soft flesh of her neck. “I take into my keeping the same that is yours. Your life, your happiness, and welfare will be cherished and placed above my own for all time. You are my lifemate, bound to me for all eternity and always in my care.” Once he finished the words, Sam lifted her head, bringing her lips to his chest, where he dragged a fingernail across his skin. He gently cradled her head to his heart while she fed, waves of desire swamping them both. With a thought, he stripped away their clothing, her bare flesh hot against his, and he reached down to slide inside of her. Sam let out a soft moan, clinging tighter to him as she felt him slide into her. She ran her tongue across his chest to close the cut, and then looked up at him. He framed her face, and lightly kissed her as he moved slowly within her. “I love you” she murmured softly to him. “I don’t know when it happened, but I’m glad it did.”
“As am I little one and I love you too.” He leaned down and claimed her lips, as he laid her back, and took her into oblivion, both of them soaring into the stars together.
