Kissing with Fangs

Chapter 16

Anthony had hoped she’d let him in the front door. He never imagined she’d forgive him so soon and let him into her bedroom. There was more to talk about, but he was grateful for the chance to cement their emotional bond. Words could wait until later.

He gently laid her in the middle of the bed and removed her shoes. She had changed into jeans and sneakers, but he pulled them off like loafers and tossed them aside.

“Hurry,” she whispered.

Oh, what the hell. She knows what I can do. He moved so fast that they were naked and lying beside each other in less than three seconds.

She giggled. “I didn’t mean that fast, but it’s good to know I don’t have to wait when I’m horny.”

He grinned. “I’ll never make you wait for anything if I can help it. I want to give you the world, Claudia.”

“I don’t want the world.” She draped her arms around his neck. “Just you.”

He dove for her lips and kissed her for all he was worth. Their tongues met and tangled. Before long, she was breathing heavily and stroking his backside. He had never felt so hard, but he needed to ready her first.

He broke the kiss and crawled down until he was eye level with her breasts. “You’re beautiful, Claudia.”

He suckled one breast and massaged the other. Increasing the pressure with his mouth, he pinched her other nipple and rubbed it with his thumb.

She moaned and murmured, “…so good.”

When he switched to the other breast, giving it the same attention, she arched and moaned louder. His hand traveled downward and rubbed her mons. As soon as he’d finished with the other breast, he scooted down farther.

“So pretty,” he said, stroking the trimmed hair as if she were a kitten. Then he parted her folds and let his tongue explore. She writhed and moaned, especially when he came close to her sweet spot and dodged it at the last minute.

“Don’t tease, Anthony. I need you.”

He wouldn’t make her wait, just as he’d promised. He laved her clit and then licked it with the speed of a hummingbird’s wings.

Claudia arched and stiffened, then emitted moans and cries that rose to a crescendo. She grasped the sheets in two white-knuckled hands, as if trying not to fly off the bed. When she shook and screamed out his name, he was elated.

“You’re so responsive,” he said.

She simply dragged in huge lungs full of air and panted. When at last she could speak, she said. “I’m boneless.”

“I have enough bone for both of us.” Anthony glanced down at his steely rod and hoped she had the energy to finish.

She grinned. “Let’s do something about that.” Rolling up onto her elbow, she grasped his cock, and the warm squeeze of her hand hardened him even more. She began to bend as if to take him in her mouth, but he stopped her.

“I won’t be able to hold back if you do that.”

“But I want to give you the joy you just gave me.”

“You do, my love. Believe me, you do.” He gently pushed her onto her back and said, “I want to make love to you.” He almost said “forever” but caught himself just in time. She’d seemed upset when immortality was mentioned before. If anyone should be upset, it should be the one who had to carry on long after losing his true love.

He couldn’t think about that. Claudia was here with him now. He’d make love to her as if tomorrow would never be.

She spread her legs wide and welcomed him into her embrace. He positioned himself at her opening and entered slowly.

“Are you all right?” he asked, concerned for her because of his size.

“I’m fantastic,” she said.

He chuckled and pushed on until he was fully seated. “Yes, you are.”

He began his rhythm, and the glorious push and pull created strong physical sensations. Perhaps because his emotions were involved, he experienced a greater depth of feeling with Claudia than he had with any woman. You’d think in almost four hundred years he’d have found something close, but no. Nothing came close to his love for Claudia. His elation while joining with her was beyond compare.

He sped up and she matched him thrust for thrust. Tingles at the base of his spine signaled he was close. In only a few more seconds his climax seized him. He knew what it was like to fly, and this release was like flying without leaving the room. He rode it to the very last aftershock. Finally, completely sated, he rolled onto his side and stared into her eyes. There was no danger of mesmerizing her. She had already mesmerized him.

Making sure no one saw him, Kurt waited for Ruxandra a few doors down from her lair. Now that things were going so well between them, he didn’t want to jeopardize what they had. A little niggling doubt needed to be taken care of, but he knew how to do it—if she’d cooperate. If not, that would tell him what he wanted to know too.

She emerged looking fabulous as always. She relinquished her trademark red clothing in favor of night-blending black. Smart girl. Er…woman. What do you call someone who turned vampire over two hundred years ago at age nineteen?

She smiled when she saw him and they ran to each other, embracing when they met. All they needed was a meadow of wildflowers and a slow-motion camera.

His lips captured hers in a long, romantic kiss. She used tongue, but that was no surprise. She’s French, after all.

“Are you ready for the raid?” he asked.

“You bet. I haven’t participated in a good raid since the Civil War.”

Kurt couldn’t help the little shock wave of surprise that rippled through him. “I keep forgetting you were around during that time. Which side did you fight for?”

“No side. I just had fun running into a good skirmish, knowing I was immortal.”

“But you’re a female. Didn’t the soldiers stop you?”

“Not when I was beating the crap out of the enemy.” She chuckled.

Kurt suddenly realized she was teasing. “You’re funny. Who knew?”

“I did. I guess I haven’t had a chance to express it for a while. Anthony certainly didn’t appreciate my jokes.”

“Well, I do.” He kissed her again, and then tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and began walking toward the subway.

She was smiling.

This is as good a time as any to ask her if she’ll let me do a truth spell. He was nervous about her reaction, but if she flipped out and refused to help him in the raid, he still had Sly and Morgaine to mesmerize the lab geeks.

“Honey, can I ask you something personal?”

“Of course. You may not get a pretty answer, but my history is my history and I can’t change it.”

He admired her attitude, even though he’d already decided not to judge her for things she’d done in the past. What mattered was what she was doing now and what she hoped to do in the future.

“I wasn’t going to ask about your history. I’m more interested in the here and now.”

“Oh. Well, that’s okay too. What do you want to know?”

“Are your feelings for me real? I don’t mean to insult you, but it seems that you’ve been stuck on Anthony for so long, and this sudden willingness to be with me might be a ploy to make him jealous.”

She stopped walking and her eyes shadowed for a second. Then she sighed. “I can see why you might think that. I’ve done it before, but not this time. I really like you, Kurt. And you seem to like me.”

“I do like you. More and more as I get to know you better.”

She smiled.

“You’re so pretty when you smile.”

She grinned and said, “Oh, pish posh.”

He chuckled. “No, really. When it comes from the inside, you can tell. You seem happy.”

“I am. No one has said anything nice to me in a long time.”

“Seriously?”

“Well, no one I didn’t compel to do it. Sometimes I was so desperate for a compliment that I’d make a thrall say something like that. But as you said, when it comes from the heart, you can tell.”

He took a deep breath. Okay, this is it. “You might be better at recognizing the truth when you hear it than I am. Here’s the thing. I really, really want to believe we’re both in this equally. Could you…I mean… Would you be willing to let me put a truth spell on you? On us?

She stiffened and her mouth opened as if to fire off an angry retort, but the words never came. After a few quiet moments, her posture and expression relaxed. “I guess I can understand where you’re coming from. I haven’t been exactly trustworthy in the past.”

“I won’t ask you to do anything I’m not willing to do myself.”

She smiled and cupped his cheek. “That’s why you’re still standing here. If you’d insinuated I was the only one capable of deceit, you’d be fifty feet down the sidewalk, spread eagle, wherever you landed.”

“You say the sweetest things.”

She chuckled. “I’m sorry. Threats are sort of a reflex, but I’ll work on it.”

“Good. And you’ll let me try the truth spell?”

“I’ll consider it.”

“If that’s the case, I think we might work as a couple.”

Anthony woke up with a start. Where am I? This isn’t my lair. He glanced over at the empty spot beside him.

It all came flooding back. He had been in Claudia’s bed. Actually, he had been in her several times. Had she worn him out? Or had the Vampire Vintage wine’s effects worn off and he went into his death sleep?

That thought upset him. Had Claudia witnessed it? Had she tried to rouse him, only to realize he was as close to dead as a person can get without decomposing?

He jumped out of bed and dressed quickly. Maybe she’s in the kitchen or living room. When he rounded the corner, he spotted the note on her door. Without even rushing over to it, he was able to read the comforting and alarming news. She’d gone to a meeting and would be back.

He mulled it over and realized the meeting would be good for her. She probably needed a sobriety pep talk, even if she couldn’t tell anyone what she’d been through. At least he hoped she wasn’t telling anyone. The more he thought about it, the more worried he became.

Mother Nature wouldn’t bring him back from that mountaintop again.

It was night time. That much he was sure of, even without looking outside. He didn’t need the Vampire Vintage unless he wanted to stay up during the day, so he didn’t need to get a bottle out of the desk drawer in his and Claudia’s office.

Suddenly another worry entered his mind. Had he explained to Claudia what was in those bottles? What if she’d found them? Was she out on a bender somewhere?

Oh, gods.

If only he knew where the meetings were. He could check and see if she was there. Wait. There must be a way to look them up. Otherwise, how would anyone find them?

He jogged down the stairs to the tea room. The place was closed. He used his key and went straight to his office. First he checked the bottom desk drawer. All bottles were there, and with the exception of the one he had opened himself, they were still full. Whew!

He fired up the computer and searched for local AA meetings. The site he tried first seemed like the right one. He called the service office, and to his surprise, someone answered. Apparently they had staff at night as well as during the day. Probably a good idea.

He was told there was a meeting going on nearby and jogged to the church where, in all likelihood, he’d find Claudia. A couple of guys were smoking cigarettes outside the ground-floor entrance.

“Is this where the AA meeting is?” he asked.

“It sure is. Welcome, brother.”

“Oh. I’m not here for myself. I was hoping to find my girlfriend inside. Do either of you know Claudia?”

The guys looked at each other, then back to him. “I guess you don’t realize what the second A in AA stands for.”

The other one said, “It’s an anonymous program. Who we see and what we hear stay in these halls.”

Anthony slapped his forehead. “Of course. Well, I’ll just go inside and check for myself.”

The guys frowned but didn’t attempt to stop him. One called after him, “If you want help with your drinking, stay after the meeting wraps up and we can talk.”

Did he look that disheveled? He finger-combed his hair as he entered. People were just milling around, drinking coffee. He spotted Claudia among the crowd and strode to her.

“I was hoping I’d find you.”

“Anthony! What are you doing here?”

A short woman with red hair put her hand on Claudia’s arm. “If you need me, I’ll be right over there.” She pointed to another crowd of people and joined their circle.”

“Is this what you do here? Stand around and talk?”

She chuckled. “No. This is the break. The meeting will restart in a few minutes.”

“Are you okay? I mean…did you need to talk to me about anything?”

Her forehead creased. “I’m fine. Why did you think I’d need to—Oh…” She leaned in and whispered, “That death-sleep thing?”

“So you did witness it.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I woke up after a very restful nap,” she said and winked. “You were lying there with your hands crossed over your chest, looking paler than usual. I didn’t bother trying to wake you.”

She woke up next to a dead body and was okay with it?

“You prepared me for it.” It was as if she’d read his mind. Maybe she had. “I wasn’t scared as soon as I remembered what you’d said. I just got dressed in the bathroom and read my big book until it was time to leave for the meeting.”

“I—I’m amazed. I thought you’d be upset.”

“The old Claudia would have. The new Claudia is working on her serenity, despite life’s challenges.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. The program seems to be working.”

The short woman returned. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. Gaye, this is my boyfriend, Anthony.”

Ah…I’m meeting the renowned sponsor.

“Yes, you are. So be nice.”

Anthony took Gaye’s outstretched hand and kissed her knuckles. “Any friend of Claudia’s…”

The woman’s eyebrows rose. “You didn’t tell me he had such old-fashioned, charming manners, Claudia.”

At least the woman was smiling and didn’t seem to be using sarcasm.

“Yes. Anthony is a real gentleman.”

“A rare find these days,” Gaye said. “So, what do you do, Anthony?”

“I own the tea shop Claudia manages.”

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot. You changed it from a bar to a tea room just for her?”

Anthony wrapped his arm around Claudia and gave her a side squeeze. “She’s worth making changes for.”

“Funny. She says the same thing about you.”

A shock wave ripped through Anthony. Had Claudia told her sponsor how many “little changes” she’d had to make to accommodate his “condition”?

“Don’t worry. She’s just talking… She doesn’t know anything.”

Whew. Thank goodness for the ability to communicate telepathically.

“So, is there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

“No. I just thought I’d check in.” Anthony felt like he was being dismissed. Maybe he was.

Claudia pointed to a guy stepping up to the podium. “The meeting is about to start again.”

“Okay. I might be going to Cambridge. If it’s too late by the time I get back, I’ll just see you tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said and tipped up her face to give him a peck.

He didn’t mean to act like a demonstrative jealous lover who laid claim to his woman in public, but he couldn’t help it. The majority of people here were men. Some appeared to be young professionals. He swept her into his arms and kissed her deeply as he dipped her toward the floor.

“Wow!” Gaye said.

When he righted Claudia, she giggled. “‘Wow’ is right.”

He grinned and tossed a casual, “See you later,” over his shoulder and sauntered outside.

Now that his mind was at ease, he could concentrate on the second most important thing in his long life. Getting rid of that damn lab. He took his cell phone out of his pocket and called Kurt.

There was no answer for a few rings, then a panting voice answered. “Where’ve you been? We had to start the fun without you.”

Anthony got directions to the lab and took off as fast as he could fly. He arrived minutes later and found Kurt questioning a researcher while Ruxandra restrained him. Nick and Sly were working on opening the huge glass cage using brute strength.

“Where are the keys,” Kurt demanded.

“I seriously don’t know, man. It’s not up to me to feed ’em or let ’em out. I’m just the night staff.”

“They’re not dogs,” Ruxandra growled. “They’re people. How dare you—”

Anthony held up one hand to silence her tirade. He leaned in close to the guy and caught his glance. A second later, the guy blinked.

“It’s no good, Anthony,” Kurt said. “He can’t be mesmerized. Ruxandra tried.”

Surprised, Anthony straightened. “Why? Is he her beloved too?”

“Huh?”

Kurt must not know.

“I think they discovered some kind of immunity to compulsion.”

“Crap.” Anthony scratched his head. “Either that, or he’s some kind of paranormal too.”

“But why would he condone researching his own kind?” Kurt asked.

Anthony got in the researcher’s face and raised his voice, hoping to intimidate him the old-fashioned way. “What else have you learned about us?”

“I don’t know anything,” he said. “I’m just like a…like a night watchman. I’m here in case something goes wrong.”

Anthony remembered Sadie mentioning an old-fashioned night watchman’s spirit. This guy didn’t match the description. He wore a white lab coat.

“You’re lying,” Anthony said. “Your coat has your name on it. They don’t issue lab coats to night watchmen.”

“It—it was a joke,” the man said. He shook in fear, and a trickle of sweat rendered a path from his temple to his cheek.

Anthony looked closer at the coat’s signature. “Dr. Odd. Okay, let’s say it’s a joke. It still sounds more like you’re a researcher than a night watchman.”

“I’m not responsible for any of this. I swear.”

“I had heard there was some kind of spirit watching over the building. What do you know about that?”

The guy’s eyes widened and he glanced up at the ceiling. “I never heard about a spirit. You mean this place is haunted?”

Kurt shook his head. “We can’t get anything out of him. We might have better luck with the paras. Can you help Nick and Sly?”

Anthony surveyed the room. The large glass cage appeared to be sound- and shatterproof. Both Nick and Sly were charging it with various heavy objects like chairs, fish tanks, and empty cages. The people inside seemed to be shouting and pounding on the glass, with no luck. One of those people was his friend Tory.

Several cages held the conventional lab animals anyone would expect. Mice, dogs, and rabbits mostly. Then he spotted a large fish tank. Some kind of Lucite cover kept a merman from escaping. It looked as if only a small padlock held the cover in place.

“Maybe I can talk to him,” Anthony said.

As he stalked over to the tank, the researcher yelled out, “Not him. He bites.”

Anthony took great pleasure in letting his fangs descend. “So do I,” he said.

The researcher trembled and scooted farther back in his chair, until Ruxandra showed her fangs too. He turned enough to get a look at her and screamed. He yanked harder, trying to get away, but Ruxandra just laughed.

“We agreed not to terrorize anyone, Ruxandra. We’re better than that.”

She put away her fangs and looked as if she were about to argue, but to Anthony’s surprise, she sighed and said, “You’re right. Sorry.”

Anthony returned his attention to the giant tank. The guy inside was madly pointing to something. A nearby desk. The vampire didn’t know what was important about the desk, but if the guy could talk, perhaps he’d find out.

Anthony ripped off the padlock and opened the top about an inch. The merman swam over to him. When his nose and mouth breached the surface, he inhaled deeply. After a few more deep breaths, he said, “Are you here to rescue us or take credit for the others’ findings?”

“Huh? As you can see, we’re trying to free the paranormal captives. What’s your name?”

“I’m Jules. Jules Vernon. Thank the gods you’re here. I tried to escape, and they locked me up so tight I could barely get any air.”

“Can you help us? Have you seen where they keep the keys?”

“I’ll tell you everything,” Jules said.

“I’d like to let you out of here, but I have to admit I don’t know anything about your kind. Dr. Odd over there said you bite.”

Jules laughed. “Only when stupid researchers try to pull off pieces of me and study them under a microscope.”

Anthony took a closer look and Jules pointed to his side. It looked like a few scales were missing where they met his skin, and a chink in his flipper said he’d been cut there as well. Anthony’s heart went out to the poor merman. He threw off the lid and watched the merman pull himself up to sit on the edge of the tank. As the water sluiced off his tail, the tail formed into legs. Now completely naked, the man pointed to a shelf a few feet away and said, “Towel, please?”

Anthony spotted the shelf of towels. The man’s waist was slender, so one towel would probably do the trick, but he grabbed two just in case. Jules transferred his legs to the outside of the tank and jumped down.

Anthony handed him a towel which the guy wrapped around his private parts. Then he reached for the other towel and dried off his hair and torso, legs and feet. Anthony grabbed a couple more towels so the guy wouldn’t have to stand around in damp ones.

“Thanks,” he said when he was dry, covered, and comfortable.

“Where are the keys to the big cage?” Anthony asked.

“There aren’t any. It’s a code. The keypad is on the side next to the door.”

“Do you know the code?”

“No, and I’m not sure the guy you’re holding knows it, either. He has keys to the padlocks in the desk drawer. That’s what I was trying to point to. But I’ve never seen him open the big glass cage.”

“Listen to him,” the researcher said. “He’s right. I don’t know the code.”

“He’s also the only one who has never hurt me—or anyone else that I know of. He mostly sits and reads all night.”

Kurt took a nearby chair and faced the researcher. “So, it seems as if you might have a conscience.”

The guy nodded eagerly. “Oh, yes. I wouldn’t hurt any test subject. I needed the job to pay my rent, but if they’d asked me to experiment on anyone, I would have refused.”

“You’re not completely blameless, lab-rat boy.” Kurt said. “You could have reported the abuse.”

“To whom? They always documented their work carefully, saying they needed to justify their funding, so I assumed it must have come from a grant or something. But I never heard the name of the source.”

Nick, who had joined them, growled. “Who would fund research like this?”

Anthony shook his head. “What have we all been afraid of? That the government would discover our powers and want to dissect us. Or maybe they’ll try to brainwash us and then use us as ultimate soldiers or secret weapons, right?”

“Shit. You think the government is behind this?”

“I don’t know, but it’s clear we need to find out. Even if we can get our hands on each staff member and erase the memory of what they’ve been doing here, somebody somewhere knows about it. We’re still at risk until we find out who.”

Nick grabbed the guy by the hair and tipped his head back until he could see his face. “Why can’t you be mesmerized?”

“I—I don’t know.”

“He’s lying,” Nick said.

“And he knows a lot more than he’s telling us,” Kurt agreed.

Anthony remembered a secret weapon they had on their side. “Is there something you can do with magic, Kurt?”

He chewed his bottom lip. At last he said, “There’s a truth spell…”

“Do it!”

“I need certain things.”

“I’ll keep an eye on the place while you go get whatever you need,” Anthony said.

Kurt chewed his lip again. “Okay. But it’ll take me an hour to get to my apartment and back.”

Anthony cursed under his breath. “One of us will have to go. You know you can trust me, don’t you?”

He hesitated slightly. “Yes. I mean, of course, but…”

“What aren’t you saying, Kurt?”

“Can we step outside for a moment?”

Anthony glanced around. Nick, Sly, and Ruxandra could handle one little researcher, but what about the merman? He didn’t know him at all.

“I’ll help keep an eye on him too,” Jules said. Then he grinned at the man, showing two rows of jagged teeth.

“No. Don’t leave me with him,” the researcher said and squirmed.

Anthony was conflicted. He knew he could trust Nick, but he still wasn’t convinced Ruxandra had found an altruistic side. Nick wasn’t as fast as she was, but Sly was. He didn’t know Sly well, but Nick had vouched for him.

At some point, he’d have to trust that all the paras were on the side of their fellow paras. His plan to have them get to know, trust, and work together seemed to have worked well enough. The only loose cannon was Jules. He scrutinized the merman, who was eyeing the researcher like he’d make a good snack.

“Jules. You have to leave this guy alone. We need him to tell us what he knows. Can you do that?”

The merman crossed his arms and didn’t take his gaze off Dr. Odd. “Why should I? I know where they keep their keys.”

“But do you know their computer passwords? You’ve already told us you don’t know what the combination to the glass cell is.”

Jules sighed. “No. And I see your point. There’s a chance that he might. He does write up a short shift report on that one.” He pointed to a laptop on a desk in the corner.

“So, you won’t hurt him?”

“Fine. Better yet, I’d like to get back to my pod.”

“I thought you said you were kicked out of your pod,” the researcher said.

“Nah. I left. Personality clash with the leader. I thought I could make it on my own, but clearly there’s strength in numbers.”

“So there are more of you?” the researcher asked.

Jules gave a sharp, toothy grin again. “Still trying to get information out of me, eh? Well, you can suck it.”

Anthony glanced at the others in his vicinity. “Any objections to letting this man get back to his kind?”

The others either shrugged or said they had no objections.

“You’re free to go,” Anthony said. “But you’ll need clothing. Otherwise you’ll just trade one jail for another.”

“Yeah. I don’t have any. When they fished me out of the river, I was in fin-form.”

Anthony took the coat off his back and handed it to the man. “Here.” He walked him to the door. “You might want to avoid the river. Too many people could spot you there. And stay away from the Navy Yard in Charlestown.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take the subway to the aquarium. I can slip into the sea nearby. No fishing boats there.”

“Good luck, my new friend,” Anthony shook his hand. “And if you decide to visit land again, you can find me at Boston Uncommon.”

“The tea room?”

Anthony’s jaw dropped. “How did you know?”

“It’s all the day guys could talk about. They said they’d found a hotbed of paranormal activity there. If you don’t kill them, they’ll know where to find you too.”

Anthony’s lips thinned. “Yes. They found a couple of us there. I hope to avoid killing them as long as we can mesmerize them. Do you know why Dr. Odd can’t be mesmerized?”

“I have a theory, but I’m not sure if I’m right.”

“I’d be glad to hear it.”

“I’ve seen them giving him injections. I think he might be the one they’re trying to transfer the supes’ powers to.”

Anthony swore. “That makes sense. Has anyone else on the staff been injected?”

“No. He seems to be their guinea pig. Well, him and the actual guinea pigs.”

“Thanks for offering your opinion. That gives us something to go on.”

“Sure.” The men shook hands, and Jules sprinted down the stairs and off into the night. Before he disappeared, he called out, “Thanks for the coat.”

Anthony smiled and silently wished him luck. His smooth legs were bare from the calves down. He looked a little goofy, but as long as he was covered, he’d be okay.