Time, Death & Scar Tissue...

31. Tests of Faith

LaCroix had finished feeding and left one of the many who was trying to ingratiate himself to an ancient to deal with the mess. He could have done it himself, but why should he when there were so many others who were so willing? He sensed her as he was emerging from the shadows. At first he dismissed the sense of her presence. Kathryn rarely came into the club to find him but she did frequently reach across their link without realizing it. Tonight was a rare exception.

It struck him that she still looked as out of place as she had that first night. She was scanning the room, and he sensed her inner struggle to regain quiet inside her head. She hadn't seen him yet, but he began to make his way through the crowd to her. It shocked him to see one he wasn't familiar with approach her. The regulars at the club knew who Kathryn was, and more importantly WHOSE she was. This one had seen several centuries pass, but his exaggerated gestures made him seem like little more than a child. Still the new one had a younger face than he did and he was suddenly curious if her head would be turned. LaCroix stopped and settled into a deep shadow for a moment, curious how this would play out.

Whoever he was he approached Kathryn confidently, but that was not surprising. His kind were not accustomed to being refused. Kathryn backed away from him, maintaining an arm's length between them. He felt her growing more panicked as her pursuer became more persistent. He followed her across their link until he found her conversation.

“No thank you.” She said firmly, scanning the room, almost frantically now.

“It's only a drink my dear, until your woefully inattentive companion decides to appear.” He advanced and she backed away.

“My answer still stands. Please excuse me.” She tried to move past him, but he stepped in front of her again.

“Perhaps he has some visual impairment. Leaving a delicious morsel like yourself alone in here. I only want to protect you from the unscrupulous characters that frequent places like this.” The pursuer was becoming frustrated even though his demeanor hadn’t changed. Kathryn's anxiety was rising and LaCroix was becoming angry.

“Why would you want to spend time in a den of unscrupulous characters unless you're at home among them?” He smiled at her quick wit. The stranger might be an exaggerated fop in modern dress, but he wasn't a fool. The little dance he had been performing with her was carefully leading Kathryn away from the crowd. He had his answer and it was time to intervene.

“I'm wounded my dear. I made a perfectly innocent offer.” LaCroix approached circuitously, moving through shadows as a shark moves through black water. Finally he emerged slightly behind and to the right of Kathryn.

“I don't believe we've met.” He said to the stranger. He saw the man's eyes widen just a bit, and even though he startled Kathryn slightly he was certain that she saw it too. She moved a little closer to him. “I am Lucien LaCroix.”

“William Russell.” He said. The slight pause that accompanied the answer told LaCroix two things, the name was relatively new to him, and that his own entrance and name had the desired effect. “An honor to meet you, and your young lady. Since she now has your protection I will take my leave.” LaCroix caught the look of frustrated longing he gave Kathryn as he backed away. It proved that this William Russell had not gained a great deal of wisdom in those centuries.

“Thank you.” Kathryn said. “Do you have a minute?”

“Of course.” He brought her out of the crowd and into his study. He pulled her close when the door was close and felt the tension draining out of her body. Seeing her fearful of him was difficult enough, even when it was necessary. Seeing her afraid of another angered him. He asked softly. “You're alright?”

“Yes. I guess that's why I don't go into the club much. I always feel like an antelope at the lion's banquet.” She laughed softly. She made light of it, but that sharp intuition had picked up on the truth of the matter. The way she couldn't quite meet his eyes let him know that she was more unsettled by her experience than she wanted to let on. He kissed her softly and was surprised when she pulled away.

“Did you bite your tongue or something?” LaCroix looked at her curiously for a moment before realizing what she meant.

“Yes. I'm sorry I didn't think the flavor would linger so.” He sat down on the sofa with her and she kissed him tentatively again. He let her choose to deepen the kiss if she felt comfortable. He was pleasantly surprised when she did.

“How was your shopping? Did you find something you like?” He spoke softly.

“That's why I came down. You didn't have to-I mean, I shouldn't have said anything about Uncle David today-” She wasn't quite meeting his eyes as she spoke. He touched her lips softly with his finger and she fell silent.

“Do you really think I would have waited until the moment after you left to make those arrangements?” He smiled slightly, a soft blush colored her cheeks and she looked away, a little smile tugging at her lips.

“No, I suppose you wouldn't have. How did you know where I like to shop though?” She was curious now, her eyes were back on his.

“I called your grandmother the evening we returned.” He smiled slightly. “When I told her why I wanted the information she was most accommodating.”

“She didn't tell me she had talked to you again.” Kathryn blushed.

“Of course not. I told her I wanted to surprise you.” Minerva had been more a bit surprised herself to hear from him again so soon. This time he could tell that he hadn't been imagining her nervousness, but she had relaxed when she realized his intentions.

“Thank you, really. I don't know the last time I was so surprised.” She rested against him.

“You're welcome.” LaCroix kissed her softly, his tongue invading her mouth with a gentleness that always made Kathryn tremble. Their brief encounter that afternoon had dulled the sharpest edge of his lust; usually that was enough for him. She was a most unusual woman though. He felt her kisses becoming as passionate and hungry as his own and was surprised when she backed away.

“Don't you have to get back? What if someone is looking for you?”

“They'll be quite disappointed.” He said simply. His mouth coming down on hers, stopping anything else she might say. He moved both of her hands behind her back, holding both slim wrists in one hand while the other opened her blouse. She struggled against the restraint briefly, and then surrendered.

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Kathryn sat in front of the laptop and scanned the last sentence she had written. She jabbed at the backspace key and erased it for the third time. She tried for the fourth time. She had thought that since sleep seemed like a useless exercise she might as well write a bit, she should have know that it would work out as poorly. In less than nine hours they would be on a plane, two hours after that they would be standing in her grandmother's living room. The thought alone was enough to make her hyperventilate. She read he sentence again, and deleted it. Then the short paragraph she had managed to force out.

“Kathryn? What are you doing?” He asked crossing the room slowly.

“I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?” She saved the document and turned off the computer.

“I always know when you're not there.” He held out his hand and led her back into the bedroom. He undressed and she did the same, curling up against his chest. She trembled in spite of telling herself not to.

“It's a few days, my Kathryn. Nothing in the scope of your lifetime.” He spoke softly.

“I know.” She whispered, shifting against him again.

“Your head knows, your heart hasn't accepted the fact yet.” He said softly.

“My heart is too afraid of losing what completes it.” She said, without thinking. She turned away, the feeling of familiarity that had haunted her for months now washed over her like a wave.

“I'm a possessive man, Kathryn. You are mine, and I doubt the power exists on this Earth to make me give you up now.” He said softly against her ear. Kathryn shivered and moved her hair aside, turning slightly so that her neck was stretched and exposed.

“Please.” She said softly.

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LaCroix was stunned. Kathryn exposed her neck to him during their lovemaking, she never resisted when he needed to taste her. He knew she found the sensation comforting, but she had never verbally asked.

“Kathryn-” He started. Needing a moment to bring the intense desire to sink his teeth in and drink deeply under control.

“Please.” She said again. “I can't describe it, but the sensation of your mouth on my skin-” He could hear the uncertainty in her voice and he knew that she wasn't uncertain about what she wanted, just why.

“Hush.” His voice held all of his desire and emotion. His lips teased her earlobe lightly and then moved down over the pulsing artery, his tongue tracing it for a moment, making her shiver against him. He felt her absolute trust in the way body molded to his and that gave him the strength to move away from pulsing temptation. One hand moved into her hair, tugging softly and holding her more exposed. She tensed and then relaxed again. In the muscle where her neck joined her shoulder he used the tip of one fang to make a small, precise wound. She whimpered at the stinging pain and gripped him tightly. The flow of her blood started as a slow ooze and turned into a trickle, his lips and tongue moving over it softly. He felt her body relax again and she moaned against his shoulder.

That soft moan almost took the last of his control, but feeling her complete trust and deepening relaxation allowed him to maintain the soft movements of his lips and tongue. Her eyes closed and his hand relaxed in her hair. Even from those few drops, her flavor suffused him, warmed him, and after the tiny trickle had stopped he nuzzled the side of her neck. The scent of her was enriched by the scent of the fresh wound. He wondered how she managed to slice through his control as easily as he had just opened her flesh.

LaCroix knew now that when the time was right he wouldn't just take her. She would have to agree and in order to agree she would have to know and accept the truth. None of that had ever given him the slightest hesitation. He no desire to be anything other than what he was, he felt no need to apologize for the things that he had done in the name of survival or pleasure. He also knew that the flavor of her absolute trust wasn't something he would be able get back if he lost it.

She squirmed slightly and he realized he had been holding her in an awkward position. He allowed her to make herself comfortable against him before wrapping himself around her again. She sighed deeply in her sleep and he found himself drifting closer to sleep as well. He wouldn't allow himself to think about the possibility that she wouldn't be able to accept what he offered. Besides, there was the trip to consider. If he allowed himself to become ensnared in dark musings he wouldn't be able to fully concentrate on maintaining a mortal facade.