Deliberate Encounters - 8. Ch. 7 ~ Unforeseen Consequences

Simon closed the lid of the laptop, satisfaction coursing through his veins as he realized he was done. Once he’d quit trying to change his characters the story had just flowed, though he was never quite able to shake the guilt at the way he portrayed the vampires in his books. Now that the last of the series was written and sent to his editor he no longer had to struggle through them.

A glance at the clock showed him that it was nearly bedtime and he forced himself to head to the bedroom. The lonely bedroom. Richard had only been gone for a couple of days on his latest rescue mission, that’s how Simon had begun to think of Richard’s anonymous helping of the authorities, but it felt like much longer. He wanted to tell his lover that the book was finished but it would just have to wait until whenever he came home. His cell phone rang from its place on the bedside table and he glanced at the display before answering.

“I was just thinking about you,” Simon told Richard. He flopped down onto the bed and cradled the phone against his ear.

“Really, and what about me were you thinking?” Richard asked.

“Just wishing you were here. You won’t believe it, I finally finished the book!” Simon couldn’t stop the excitement from slipping into his voice.

“That’s awesome babe! Wish I was there to celebrate with you.”

“Me too,” Simon told him. Celebrating his book wasn’t the only reason he wished Richard was by his side, but he decided not to go into that over the phone. They’d done the phone sex thing before and it just hadn’t proved as satisfying, to either one of them. “So when are you coming home?”

“Actually, that’s why I’m calling,” Richard answered. “I finished this one up a lot quicker than I thought, so I should be home in a few hours. I’d expected it to be a lot more complicated and not sure why the authorities weren’t able to figure it out themselves.”

“All that matters is that the kid is safe,” Simon told him. He knew that what Richard did was important but was relieved that this wouldn’t be one of those jobs that left Richard morose for days afterwards.

“Yeah, that’s true,” Richard answered, but something in his voice warned Simon that something was up.

“I hear a but at the end of that,” Simon told him. “What’s on your mind?”

“Just something about this one feels way off, but I’m not sure what it is.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Simon assured him, hoping he was right. Richard’s instincts were rarely off and so chances were there really was something that was just not right.

“You’re probably right. Anyways, just wanted to call and let you know I was on my way, but don’t wait up for me,” Richard answered, though he sounded preoccupied.

“Well, wake me up when you get home,” Simon told him.

“I’ll think about it,” Richard answered. “I’ll see you soon babe, love you.”

“Love you too,” Simon answered before disconnecting the call and heading into the bathroom for a shower.

***

Richard shut the front door as quietly as he could before kicking his shoes off and making his way up the stairs. He strode into their bedroom and felt the soft smile that curved his lips at the sight of Simon curled up in the middle of their bed. He stripped out of his clothes before lying on top of the comforter and pressing a gentle kiss to his lovers lips. Even that slight touch was enough to wake Simon and he watched while his eyes fluttered slowly open.

“You’re home,” Simon whispered, his voice husky with sleep.

“I’m home,” Richard answered and kissed him again before pulling away.

“Why aren’t you under the covers with me?” Simon asked as he woke a little more.

“I am in desperate need of a shower, but don’t worry. As soon as I’ve got that out of the way I’ll be snuggled up next to you.”

“I can join you,” Simon told him. He attempted to stifle a yawn and failed miserably.

“That’s alright, besides, if you join me it won’t be a quick shower. I’ll hurry, I promise,” Richard told him and rolled off the bed after a final kiss. If past experience was anything to go by, Simon would be fast asleep before he made it back. True to his word he was finished with his shower in under five minutes and walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He was shocked to see the bedroom not only empty, but the covers from the bed were in a heap on the floor. A twinge of unease settled in his gut as he made his way out of the bedroom. “Simon?” he called as he started down the stairs.

He didn’t get the expected answer and began to really worry. He stopped and listened carefully only to hear a muffled sound coming from the direction of the kitchen. Taking a deep breath he felt his entire body freeze and found himself unable to move. Something smelled off and he wracked his brain for where he’d smelled it before. It came to him with sudden clarity, he’d smelled the same thing in the warehouse where he’d found the kid on the last job. Knowing that Simon’s life depended on him not making any mistakes he made his way slowly down the stairs, cringing when he stepped on the second to bottom and heard the creak that seemed to echo. Damn it, he should have fixed that stair a long time ago. A quick glance around the living room and down the hall showed the space to be empty and he moved until he could see into the kitchen. What he saw made him freeze in his tracks.

“So good of you to join us,” the man standing across the kitchen told him with a sneer.

Richard forced himself to drag his gaze away from where Simon had ceased struggling against the arm wrapped around his throat. He was so focused on the man in front of him that he didn’t hear the two guys come up from behind him. They grabbed his arms and twisted them behind him painfully, pulling him back until they felt they had secured him.

“Are you okay?” Richard asked Simon, trying to stay calm so that he could get both of them out of this alive. Staying calm was easier said than done as he could feel the anger coursing through his veins and his wolf begging to get out. Its mate was in trouble and it was damned if it was going to sit back and wait.

“I’m okay,” Simon managed to whisper, apologizing to Richard with his eyes even as he once again began to struggle to get free.

Richard could have told him it was pointless, the man holding him was a vampire and as strong as Simon was, he was no match for the man. He could almost guarantee that the two goons holding him were also vamps and realized that the situation was stickier than he’d thought. If they had been normal humans he could have easily dispatched them.

“What do you want?” Richard ground out between clenched teeth.

“You destroyed my operation,” the man answered, sliding his arm up around Simon’s neck and squeezing, successfully blocking the flow of air.

Richard struggled against the arms holding him, more to test their strength than anything else. Of course he wanted to get to his lover, but he realized he had to be smart about it. It could just be the three guys or there could be more in the wings, he had to be sure before he acted.

“What do you mean your operation?” Richard snarled.

“That little operation you broke up last month,” the vampire answered him.

The sarcasm dripping from the vampire’s voice told Richard that the man believed it anything but little. Richard breathed a sigh of relief when the vampire loosened his hold on Simon’s neck once he passed out from the lack of oxygen. He’d been afraid that the man wouldn’t loosen his hold until Simon was dead, leaving Richard no way to save him.

“Everything was going great until you decided to come in and bring the cops with you,” the vampire spat.

“You’re the one that was selling humans to other vampires,” Richard accused, remembering the job. Many young men and women had gone missing within days of each other. By the time he’d found them some of them had already been sold to other vampires to be used as slave donors. Some vamps had two or three humans that they used to continuously feed off of. Some had willing donor slaves, others like the one in front of him, kept unwilling humans to feed off of.

“You do remember,” the vamp answered. “Hell, if you wanted one of them all you’d have had to do was buy one. It’s a bit too late for that now.”

It was then that Richard realized that they didn’t know about the werewolf part of him. The thought he was wholly vampire, which could end up working in his favor. They didn’t know just how deadly he could be, nor did they know all of his tricks.

“That wasn’t your only operation, was it?” Richard asked, determined to keep the man talking as a plan began to formulate in his head. “That kid I just rescued, you’re the one who took him.”

“Yes,” the vampire answered with a grin, “but not for the reason you’re thinking. I did a little research after my operation was broken up. When I found out that someone was rescuing people anonymously I wondered if it would be the same person. So I grabbed that kid to draw you out and it worked like a charm.”

“Why didn’t you just attack me there?” Richard was curious about it. They could have easily tried to kill him when he was rescuing that kid but they hadn’t. Instead they’d followed him home and now not only were they going to kill him, but Simon too. At least he hoped if things went wrong that they’d kill both of them. He didn’t want to even think of what else they might do to the man he loved. Death would be welcome over the other options.

“You were ready for us then,” the vampire answered. “It was a much better plan to wait until your guard was down. You didn’t even realize we were following you. What a delight when we arrived and found out that you had a lover, a human lover at that. Does he let you feed off of him? I’m going to love watching your face as I drink him dry.”

Richard wanted to scream when he saw the vampire lower his lips to Simon’s neck, his fangs glinting in the moonlight that shone through the window. He resumed his struggles to get free but once those fangs sunk into Simon’s neck he allowed his wolf control. He felt his body contort as he threw himself forward. His towel dropped to the ground and the two goons behind him lost their grip as his wolf leaped forward, determined to end the threat to his mate.

Rage moved through every vein in his canine body as he rushed the vampire. His wolven body hit the vampire with enough force to throw him away from Simon and send him crashing into the cupboards behind him. Richard risked a quick glance at Simon and growled when he saw the torn flesh where the vampire’s fangs had ripped him apart. He knew he had to hurry or Simon would lose too much blood. He felt the other two vampires bodies land on him and using more strength than he even knew he had he threw them both off and let his gaze focus once more on the leader.

The vampire had rallied quickly and was ready as Richard leapt towards him. The vamp’s arms came out with enough force to throw Richard into the fridge and he couldn’t help the yelp of pain and surprise as his canine body hit the fridge door, leaving a large dent. He quickly shook the shock off and noticed the two vampires that had held him were headed towards Simon and rushed them, knocking them into each other and sending them crashing to the floor. He stalked slowly towards the leader, waiting for his chance, and then he saw it. The leader of the three had realized that he’d need more than his vampire strength and was looking for a weapon.

He growled low in his throat and waited until the vampire’s eyes darted away from him. It was only for a second but it was enough for Richard to launch himself through the air and close his jaws around the neck of the leader. He dug his teeth in as far as he could and wrenched his head around, tearing the vampire’s neck open. Dark crimson blood flowed as the vampire fell to his knees, his head falling backwards with a satisfying thunk as it hit the edge of the counter. His hands clutched at his neck in a futile attempt to stop the blood pouring from beneath his fingers. Richard only paused briefly to ensure it wasn’t a wound that the vampire could heal before he turned his attention to the other two. He moved until he was between them and Simon and growled, his ears lying flat against his head, his hackles raised, and pink saliva dripping from his jowls.

He had to hurry, there was no time to waste. Simon’s blood was still flowing from the wound in his neck, Richard could smell it and knew that if he didn’t stop the bleeding soon it would be too late. A glance at the two vamps coming towards him made him pause for a moment as he realized they both wielded sharp knives. They apparently had decided they had underestimated him and realized they’d need more than their strength to beat him. Richard forced himself to wait while they advanced, one behind the other. It was only when the front one took a swipe at him that he had his opportunity and he threw his body at the vampire. Even as he propelled the vampire back he felt the knife slide into his body as the vampire made a second try.

He ignored the pain as they all hit the ground and the sound of a scream echoed through the house. It wasn’t until he regained his feet that he realized he’d pushed the front vamp onto the knife the second one held. He knew he was lucky to have him out of the way but his wolf had wanted to rip his throat out the same way it had the leader’s. He turned his attention to the now unarmed vampire that was struggling to get out from under his buddy. The vamp’s gaze skittered between both of his fallen comrades as he scrambled to his feet and when his eyes met the wolf’s, Richard relished the look of fear that couldn’t be hidden. The vampire inched his way backwards towards the door, his gaze never leaving that of the wolf who stalked him.

“Don’t kill me,” the vamp begged.

Richard’s only answer was a deep snarl as he stalked him. The vampire never turned around, obviously not wanting to give Richard his back. If he had turned around he wouldn’t have found himself backed up against a door that opened inwards, leaving him no escape. Richard advanced, his wolf relishing the look of fear in the vampire’s eyes. This vampire had helped to hurt his mate, there was no way Richard was going to let him live. As the vampire struggled with the door knob, apparently thinking the door opened out, Richard leapt one final time. He locked his jaws around the man’s neck and with a single wrench of his head he opened the vampire’s neck.

Knowing the vampire was no longer a threat he turned and bounded towards where his mate lay on the floor. He shifted in mid-air and when he came back down he was back in his human form and on his knees next to his mate. He clamped his hand over the wound in Simon’s neck and knew that they couldn’t wait for their anniversary. If he wanted Simon to live he’d have to start the change. He could feel the slight pulse and could only hope that starting the exchange would save him. He could already be too far gone.

“I’m sorry babe,” Richard whispered as he ripped open his wrist with his fangs. Using his other hand he forced Simon’s mouth open and held his wrist over it, allowing the blood to flow freely. His advanced healing capabilities quickly started to heal the tear and Richard had to reopen it twice before he was satisfied he’d given Simon enough. He’d have to do another exchange the following night, but as soon as the Werevamp blood absorbed into his veins, Simon’s neck should start healing.

“I love you Simon, please come back to me.” Richard pulled Simon in his embrace, willing him to survive. He forgot his wound and wasn't even aware of the tears flowing down his face as he waited. He knelt there completely focused on the still form in front of him, waiting to see if his mate would live or die.

He alternated between looking at Simon’s face and the gash on his neck, trying to will the gash to close. It seemed an eternity later before the vein sealed and the blood quit flowing from the wound. Finally feeling some hope he pressed his fingers against the uninjured side of Simon’s neck and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the pulse growing stronger. It was working, he’d managed to give him enough. He closed his eyes as he thanked a god he hadn’t believed in for saving his love and when he opened them again it was to find Simon’s eyes open and looking deep into his own.

“Richard?” Simon asked quietly. As he remembered the events of the night up until he passed out his eyes grew wide and moved rapidly around the room.

“It’s okay babe, they’re dead,” Richard whispered as he tightened his hold on his lover.

“You’re always having to save me,” Simon whispered apologetically.

“I’ll always save you,” Richard answered and leaned down to press a light kiss to Simon’s trembling lips. He felt he needed to confess, “This time was my fault. The job was a trap so that they could follow me home. I’m sorry Simon.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Simon answered and surprised at how strong he felt he slid off of Richard’s lap and stood up.

“Not for that. Well, I’m sorry for that too, but I had to start your change,” Richard whispered as though he was afraid of what Simon’s reaction was going to be. He slowly staggered to his feet, surprised at how weak he felt.

“You’re the one that wanted to wait, but what changed your mind?” Simon asked quietly, reaching out to twine his fingers in Richard’s hair. Before Richard could answer him, Simon pulled his arm back and clutched at his head as scenes ran rapidly through his mind. He could see the vampire with his fangs sunk into the neck of his limp body. He could even see Richard shift and lunge at the leader. He watched every moment from the time he passed out until he woke up in Richard’s arms. He didn’t understand, he was unconscious, he shouldn’t know what happened.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Richard asked, stepping forward to wrap Simon in his arms. The pain flicking over the face of the man he loved was worrying him.

“How is this possible?” Simon managed to croak out between gasps of shock.

“How is what possible?” Richard asked, even more worried when Simon held out one arm to hold him back.

“I can see everything. I can see how you killed them. You shifted when that vamp bit into my neck. You ripped their throats open,” Simon whispered.

“You can see all that?” Richard asked, surprise coating his voice.

“It’s not possible, is it?” Simon asked, looking up and into Richard’s eyes. “I was unconscious so how could I know what happened?”

“I don’t know babe,” Richard told him quietly as he reached out and pulled Simon against his chest despite the other man’s resistance. He thought back over all of the research he’d done. His mind touched on something he had read and everything clicked into place. That was the answer, it had to be, nothing else made sense. He didn’t even realize he’d tensed up until Simon’s questioning voice broke into his reverie.

“Richard?” Simon asked puzzled.

“I think the fact that you have my blood flowing through your veins opened up my mind to you. I read about it but it seemed so farfetched at the time I never gave it any thought. It’s the only thing that made sense,” Richard told him. He ran his hands soothingly over Simon’s back as the thought settled more firmly in his mind. He was surprised when he heard a chuckle escape Simon’s lips.

“At least I know you can never hide anything from me,” Simon told him.

“Not that I would anyways, but babe, we have to go,” Richard whispered.

“Why?” Simon asked.

“We’ve talked about this, I don’t know how the change is going to affect you. I don’t know if you’ll be able to be in the sunlight like I can. We only have a couple more hours before the sun will break the horizon. We have to get to the cave.” The urgency in Richard’s voice managed to break through the rest of Simon’s thoughts and he moved out of his lover’s embrace.

“I guess we’d better get things cleaned up then,” Simon answered matter-of-factly. He wanted to just stay in Richard’s arms, but he knew that the man he loved was worried about what was going to happen to him. Everything seemed so surreal. He felt different and it seemed like his hearing and sense of smell were more pronounced. He decided to ask Richard about it later, forgetting for a moment that Richard could probably see his thoughts.

“No we don’t,” Richard answered, reaching out and grabbing Simon’s hand to pull him out of the room and up the stairs. He still felt slightly weak and knew that it was because he’d given blood without taking any. He wasn’t about to drink from either of the vampires lying on the floor in his kitchen though. He didn’t want their vile blood running through his veins when he and Simon did the final exchange. He only wanted his blood to be running through his lover’s veins.

“Why not?” Simon asked puzzled.

“When the sun comes up their skin will just kind of flake away and so will their organs. When we come back we’ll have to bury their bones and clothes. We need to take a quick shower and then get out of here. Once I have you safely in the cave I’ll come back and get us some clothes and food and stuff,” Richard told him as he pulled him into the bathroom and started stripping him of his clothes. Once Simon was as naked as he was he turned on the shower and they both stepped under the spray. Richard grabbed the soap and ran it over Simon, cleaning his skin of the dried blood and watching as the river of pink disappeared down the drain. It was only once he was washing his own body that he remembered the knife that had stabbed him.

“Where? Let me see it?” Simon demanded, reminding Richard that he couldn’t keep anything secret.

“It’s fine, it’s nothing major,” Richard protested.

“I’ll decide that for myself,” Simon told him, his voice brooking no argument.

Richard turned his body, allowing Simon’s gaze to run over the spot that the knife had slipped with such ease inside of his body. He felt gentle fingers probing at what felt like nothing more than a cut and waited impatiently for Simon to realize it wasn’t life threatening. They had more important things to worry about.

“It’s not bleeding,” Simon voiced out loud. “It looks like it’s already begun to heal too.”

“I heal fast,” Richard told him. “So will you once we get you where it’s safe and complete your change.”

“Alright, I get it!” Simon’s voice was a combination of laugher and exasperation. “You’ll live and we have to go.” Simon decided it wouldn't do him any good to point out that he was already healing faster than any normal human. He allowed Richard to rush them through the rest of their shower and less than twenty minutes later they were on the road, headed for the safety of the cave and for the final exchange that would change Simon’s life forever.