The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death

[ladydeathfaerie]

Title: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Chapter Twenty Five: The Price of Information 
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar. all beta work, plot bunny shooting and ass spanking is being done by Gin. 

The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link 

"I don't know about this, Aedan," Minette said as she watched the other woman pull her car into a parking space. There weren't many cars in the lot at this time of the morning and she quickly found the one that contained Janika, Isis and Rhiannon. The three of them still sat in Janika's vehicle and it appeared that they were talking. Almost before the other woman put the car in park, she heard the slamming of a door down on the other end of the lot and, moments later, she spied Edward's blonde head pacing slowly toward them. "Holy crap! What the hell is he doing here?"

"He's going to help teach you guys how to defend yourselves," Aedan's voice was soft and even. Minette frowned at her.

"I can defend myself already. In case you've forgotten, I can go all furry whenever I want to," she reminded the woman to her left. For a moment, Aedan was still. Then she turned, ever so slowly, to look at Minette and it was plain to see that someone else was looking out of her eyes.

"Minette can go furry, Gin. You're just along for the ride. And that doesn't mean that either one of you can't get hurt. Aedan loves Minette in ways that I can't describe. She's afraid of losing her. And I'm afraid of losing you or any of my other friends here. So I asked him to help teach you guys how to shoot a gun. I want to know that you can protect yourself to the best of your abilities." Minette, Gin... whoever she was... Both of them could hear the fear in the other woman's voice. This was the first time she'd seen evidence of Ldf within Aedan since that first night. "Please? Do this for me. Its that important."

"You're really that scared?" she asked, watching as her friend only gave a brief nod. Before she could reply, Edward's knuckles rapped at the window. Gin slipped back into the shadows and Minette took her place. Ldf was still watching her out of Aedan's eyes. "Alright."

"Thank you." A sigh left her, as did the tension, and Ldf was gone. Aedan flashed her a smile. "Don't worry. He knows he can't hurt you." Then she turned to the door and opened it. Minette followed her lead and slipped from the car. As if that had been the cue, the other three women climbed from Janika's car and moved over to where Aedan had parked.

"Ready?" Edward asked, his gaze drifting lazily over the assembled group.

"As we can be," Aedan assured him. Then she turned and looked at the rest of them. "You've already met Minette. The other redhead is Janika Odon. The blonde is Isis Moonrip and the brunette is Rhiannon Fitzpatrick. Ladies, this is Edward."

"Ladies," Edward tipped his head at them, then turned his attention back to Aedan. "Shall we?"

"Let's get on with it," she nodded.

"Has anyone besides you had any experience with a fire arm?" Edward asked Aedan.

"Janika has some training with a weapon though I'm not sure how much," she told the man. He nodded and turned to the shorter redhead.

"How good are you?" The question came without preamble. Janika blinked at him a moment before extracting the small .22 from her purse.

"I've done some training with the FBI experts," she told him, offering him the weapon to inspect. They watched as Edward took the gun and checked the clip before testing the grip of it in his hand. It looked ridiculously small in his hold, but he offered her a brief flash of a smile.

"Excellent weight. Holds well. Good for a smaller hand. But the FBI's experts aren't good enough," he told her and handed the weapon back. "I want to see what you're capable of. Then I'll craft training exercises for you based off your performance. Does anyone else know how to shoot a gun?"

Isis and Rhiannon both shook their heads. Edward turned his gaze to Minette and stared at her until she wanted to squirm. There was nothing warm in his eyes and, despite her new status, it was hard to overcome years of constant verbal and physical abuse. Not to mention, this was Death. This was the man who'd taken up hunting things like lycanthropes and vampires because humans held no challenge for him. This was the man who'd fried a house full of vamps with a flame thrower. She was more than certain he could do bad, bad things to her. "What about you, Minette? Any hidden talents I should know about?"

"No," she shook her head. It took every last ounce of her will to keep herself from shivering under his arctic stare. And she couldn't help but think that there was an underlying meaning to his words. It was almost as if he didn't approve of her friendship with Aedan. Why would that matter to him?

"The three of you will learn the basics first. Safety is important. When you aren't shooting a gun, the safety should be on. Never aim your weapon at someone unless you intend to pull the trigger. Aim at the floor or the ceiling. This way, if there's an accidental discharge, no one gets hurt. Most importantly," Edward stopped and made sure to pin each of them with a look that held the power to freeze a person in place. "You will do exactly as I say. When I say. Ignore my orders and that's the end. Do you understand me?"

Minette, Isis and Rhiannon answered with a chorus of agreement. Janika nodded her head. Aedan was oddly silent. When Edward turned to look at her, she finally gave a curt nod of agreement. Minette watched as he cast her a hard stare, then gave his attention back to the group. "Let's go, then."

The six of them moved toward the door of the St. Louis Gun Club, Edward at the lead. Aedan walked beside Minette, her shoulders set and her face empty. She was oddly silent, prompting Minette to wonder what was going on. Behind her, Rhiannon and Janika were discussing the upcoming shoot and what it would likely entail. She could hear Isis pacing along beside them. The lioness was only occasionally answering something one of the other women said.

The front lobby was bright, a wall of tinted glass allowing muted sunlight in to paint the deep blue carpeting with shafts of gold. Dust motes swirled and danced lazily through the beams. There was a seating area with comfortable looking couches and chairs, a low table piled with magazines and a high counter along one wall. The clerk behind it was tall and thin, with a buzz cut and a look in his eyes that said he'd seen bad things happen to good people. Edward walked over to the counter, his identification already in his hand. "Ted Forrester. I called yesterday."

"Of course, Mr. Forrester. I've got everything ready. How many handguns will you need?" the man asked, fingers tapping at a keyboard.

He glanced at Aedan, who returned his look with a lift of one eyebrow. "Three," he told the clerk. "Browning Hi Power. The .9 millimeter. Extra clips."

"Very good, sir." The clerk nodded his head, hit a button, then handed Edward a slip of paper. "Down the hall to the equipment room. Mike will give you everything you've requested. After that, go on to the private firing range. Dabney will be waiting for you there."

"Thank you." Edward took the computer print out and moved toward the only other door in the lobby area. There was a buzzing sound that reminded Minette of the noise one heard in a cop show when they opened a door to allow someone back into the cell area. Edward pushed the door aside and held it until each of them passed through it. The door shut with a soft click before he moved to the front of the group and started for the door to the equipment room.

Mike turned out to be an old man with graying hair and a sharp stare. He took the paper from Edward without a comment, read it over and turned to the row of locked cabinets behind him. The doors were opened with a code that he punched in. Three guns were brought out of one cabinet, while several clips came out of another. The last cabinet, which didn't require a numerical code to open, provided six pairs of protective glasses and head gear.

The clips and weapons were put into what looked like the split halves of a metal case, one for the guns and one for the clips, slipped into slots cut into the foam that filled them. He laid the protective gear on top of them and carried them one at a time to the window. After passing the case with the clips to Aedan, Edward took a moment to inspect each of the handguns. Then he nodded to Mike and the group of them headed down the hall once again. They met up with Dabney before a closed door. "Good day, Mr. Forrester. Will there be anything else?"

"No. I think we have everything."

"Very good, sir. I'll be monitoring from the next room. If you run into any problems, please signal me or use the black phone on the wall." Dabney opened the door and let the six of them into the room behind it.

It was a moderately long room and it looked like all of those shooting ranges shown in movies and on television. There were divided booths where a person could stand when shooting on this side of the room with a wall made of cinder blocks at the other end. Behind them was mirrored glass and a black phone sat on the wall next to it. Edward set his case down on the counter top that ran between the walls of the booths. Aedan set the clips down beside him, then shifted off to one side so that the rest of them had an unobscured view of him. Minette watched as he turned to pin the woman with a look. Her friend didn't give any outward sign as to what that look did, but she ended up stepping back over beside him.

"Aedan is going to show you the steps as I describe them." He handed her one of the Brownings, then one of the clips. The lesson suddenly felt like some morbid game show with Edward as the host and Aedan as his co-host/model. Minette had to stifle the urge to giggle. She wasn't sure anyone would get the reason for her laughter.

Even before Edward could say anything, Minette watched her friend grasp the top of the barrel and slide it back, eyeing the chamber that showed when she did so. With a satisfied nod, she let the piece slide back into place, then looked up. Everyone was watching her, including the man beside her. They exchanged a look before his lips quirked up in a faint smile, then he turned back to face the rest of them. "Aedan is correct. Never assume that a weapon is not loaded. Since these are automatics, you can simply slide the top of the barrel back to see if there's a round chambered. This may not seem like an important step, but it can help save lives."

He held up a clip next, showing both the side and the top. Minette could see the dull gleam of light off the casing of the top bullet. "Knowing how to load a clip is something I'll teach you later. The action is simple. The bullets press into the clip with just a small amount of pressure. Since we're using a Browning, these magazines hold thirteen rounds. Before you shoot it, you're going to learn how to load and eject the clip, how to put the safety on and off. You're going to get comfortable with the feel of the grip in your hands. Once you're done with that, then you'll learn to shoot. Since Aedan, Janika and myself are familiar with shooting, we'll team up into pairs."

Edward handed the clip wordlessly to Aedan. She was all business, demonstrating more than once how to properly load the clip into the grip of the gun and then eject it again. Once she'd done that, she demonstrated the use of the safety, which was little more than a tiny switch on one side of the gun that moved into an on or off position. Edward gave a short, concise narrative so that they understood what they were seeing. When she was done, she handed the weapon, safety on, back to Edward, then drew her own weapon.

The blonde stared at her in a small amount of surprise. "A Glock? When did you get a Glock? I thought you liked the way the Browning fit your hand?" Edward asked her. There was some undertone in his words that Minette couldn't help but pick up on. Aedan looked up at him and shrugged one shoulder.

"I got it recently. The clip holds more and it isn't like I can't handle it," she told him. There was a note of defiance in her words. Minette thought she was asking for trouble. It wasn't wise to talk to Edward in such a manner. Aedan shot him a look that oozed with challenge. "Since I'm in the middle of everyone's shit, I wanted a little extra protection."

"Show me," he replied, then handed out the glasses and head gear. For a moment, it looked like Aedan might refuse the ones he offered her, but she finally laid the gun aside and took them from him. While everyone else put their protective gear on, Aedan was loading a paper target into the overhead clip. She flipped a switch, starting a motor that pulled the target all the way back to the wall. The woman put on the head set and glasses, then picked up the gun she'd laid on the counter. A flick of one finger took the safety off, then Aedan raised the weapon and took aim.

Minette had never seen Aedan shoot before. Even back at the house, when her old pard had attacked, she'd been too busy to take note of her friend's actions. Now, though, she saw everything. She heard the deep breath that the other woman exhaled, the one that brought her shoulders down and made everything loose. The woman took a two handed stance, the butt of the gun cradled in the one that wasn't curled around the grip. There was a moment of silence, then Aedan's finger caressed the trigger and the room exploded into sound.

Even through the ear covering was meant to muffle the noise of the gun firing, she could hear every single one of the small explosions. She could hear, only a second or so later, each bullet tearing through the paper to slam into the wall on the other side of the room. If there was a kick to the gun, Aedan didn't show it. She simply fired until the clip was empty. Then she laid the gun down, took off the glasses and headphones and turned to face Edward. There was more defiance in the way she stood. Just as there was something calculating and almost proud in the look he gave her in return.

Minette felt some tension in the air, something that she couldn't quite put a name to yet. She was almost positive that there was something going on between Edward and Aedan, but she wasn't sure what it was. Then the tension was gone as he turned his attention back to the rest of the group. After another short speech, he broke them up into pairs to begin work.

Edward assigned Janika to work with Isis and told Aedan to work with Rhiannon. Minette was nervous to be paired with him and she was pretty certain that he'd done it on purpose. But he was almost annoyingly professional and offered advice and encouragement. They spent the better part of half an hour working on sliding the clips home before releasing them in order to do it again. Before they moved on to the next bit, Edward inspected their progress individually. When it was time to actually fire the weapon, he drew his own and demonstrated the proper stance, the proper hold. Minette recognized his stance as being almost the exact same one Aedan had used.

Curious.

Janika was first up when it came time to actually fire her weapon. So far, she'd looked more than capable of handling the small gun, but shooting it was the true test. As per Edward's instructions, the rest of them stood some distance away from the short woman. He took up a position just behind and slightly to the left of her. His placement made sense a moment later when Janika fired her first round and the spent casing was ejected to the right. After she'd emptied her magazine, he made suggestions as to how to improve a couple of things and complimented her on the rest. Just as he was motioning for Isis to take her turn, the sound of a cell phone disturbed the quiet.

Aedan made a face as she retrieved the phone from her pocket and looked at the screen where the caller information was displayed. The woman flipped the phone open and nearly hissed into the mouth piece. "What?"

There was a moment of muttering from the other end, none of which Minette could make out, and then Aedan's face lost its blankness and a hint of anger sparkled in her eyes. "Why can't you get Larry to..." She broke off, one foot lashing out to kick at the wall. "Yeah, right. I forgot. He's on leave. Am I the only fucking animator you employ?"

She fell silent again for several long moments. "So this guy is demanding his money back because he paid specifically for Anita's services and she's no longer here to do whatever it is he needs done. I'm not Anita, Bert."

Minette heard some more indistinguishable chatter that saw Aedan actually pulling the phone back to stare at it in shock. "Aedan? Aedan, are you there? I only told him the truth. He's expecting..." Minette caught that much of Bert's speech before Aedan put the phone back to her ear. Her hands were shaking.

"Listen to me and listen to me good, Bert. I. Am. Not. Anita. Blake! Stop trying to sell me to people as if I were. I'm just the next big name in the paper. Someone else will come along, someone bigger and better, and people will forget about me, except to say that I was the woman who couldn't save Anita Blake's life," Aedan snarled into the phone, her voice as harsh as Minette had ever heard it. Ignoring the stares from everyone else, Minette moved to Aedan's side, sliding one of her hands up the other woman's arm.

This close, she could hear what the man on the other end was saying. Aedan's body had lost some of its tension when she'd touched her, but the anger was still present in her voice and it radiated off of her like an aura. She only half paid attention as Bert went on about how the other man was willing to reconsider asking for the return of his down payment if he could meet with Aedan and get a sense of her abilities. There were quite a few mentions of her friend's name in connection with the other woman's, as well as the fact that Bert was calling her 'the great Anita Blake's protegé.' No wonder she was ready to explode.

"Fine. I'll be there. Give me about fifteen or twenty minutes. I have something I need to finish up." Before Bert could reply, she closed the phone and shoved it back in her pocket. Then she turned to look at Minette. "Can you get a ride back to the Circus with Janika? I don't know how long I'll be."

"Of course, Aedan," she nodded. "I'm sorry. I know it must bother you..."

"I don't want to talk about it," the woman said quietly. She stepped away from Minette and drew the Glock from its holster. Almost without thought, she pulled a fresh clip from a coat pocket, ejected the empty one and slapped the new one home. No one moved or said anything when she came to a halt in one of the booths and loaded a fresh target. Quick, efficient movements saw her slipping the glasses and ear guards into place. Everyone else rushed to do the same. There was none of the smooth motion that there'd been earlier when she fired this time. Just a quick, methodical touch of the trigger.

Aedan was gone before the last echoes had died away.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in quiet instruction. They each shot off three full clips and Minette was surprised at how easy being able to hit the target was under Edward's expert tutelage. He had so much practical knowledge to share with them that, while they didn't hit the heart with every shot, they did hit the target more often than they missed. Once the lesson was over, they all helped him clean up. When everything was gathered back up, they left the private room and returned the weapons.

"Is Aedan going to be alright?" Janika asked, her gaze focused on Minette.

"I'm sure she will be. She's going to need time." Minette replied quietly.

"Can you tell us what was going on?"

"I don't think so. I think its something she should explain, if she wants to," Minette shrugged. She wasn't sure the other woman would be happy if she started telling them everything that was going on in her life.

Rhiannon nodded. "So how's Aedan settling in with Jean Claude now that you've all moved into the Circus?"

"She's still trying to act like she doesn't have the hots for him. Its pretty silly. Its not like he's going to go away," Minette shook her head, a faint smile on her face. "Last time I checked, this was a 'till death do you part' kind of thing."

"I can't believe she actually took the final mark," the brunette sighed. "Especially since she's fighting the attraction so hard. I don't know why she doesn't just give in and jump him."

"I'm sure she has her reasons," Minette told them. "And he is supposed to be in mourning. He needs time just as much as she does to adjust. Give it time and she won't be able to keep her hands off of him. I can guarantee you that."

"I hope it happens soon," Isis looked at each of them in turn. "She needs the attitude adjustment big time."

"She's had sex," Minette insisted.

"Not with Jean Claude," Rhiannon pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. Point. Hmmm. Maybe we can..." Minette began, but was interrupted by Edward's voice from behind her.

"We're done here. I'll contact Aedan for the next practice session. You all did very well today," he told them. A comment like that coming from someone like him was the best kind of compliment a person could get. Minette was sure that Edward wasn't the kind of guy who complimented without a damn good reason.

"Thank you," Isis said. "We appreciate it."

"Can I hitch a ride?" Minette asked, turning to Janika.

"I'll get you back to the Circus," Edward interjected before the redhead could answer. The statement sent skitters of warning up and down her spine. Minette didn't want to be alone with him. She didn't trust him. But he hadn't made any threatening overtures and there'd been nothing in his voice that suggested anything was amiss. She glanced at him and saw nothing on his face. When she looked to the other women, they all wore similar expressions of disbelief and confusion.

"Okay," she finally told him. No matter that this was Edward, Minette wasn't going to be rude to him. He offered her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Then he motioned for the door. He'd apparently already taken care of the rental fees. The group exited the building and Minette took the time to say goodbye to her friends. Then she followed after Edward, a tiny tremor of something fluttering in her belly. She thought it was nerves, but it could have just as easily been fear.

He said nothing as they both climbed into his car. He waited until she was buckled in before he pulled from the parking space and the lot. A deep breath brought a faint hint of his scent to her nose. The almost nothingness of it triggered some faint memory and she struggled to figure out where she'd smelled that before. The only other time she'd been in his presence, she'd been more occupied with the flashes of memory she'd been subjected to, the cool touch of Jean Claude's hand on hers. Aedan's almost tangible panic.

She searched her memories, looking for something that could tell her where she'd smelled such a nothing scent before, but it remained stubbornly hidden. And then he was speaking, dragging her mind from the task so that she could pay attention to him. "How are you settling into your life here in St. Louis?"

It seemed like an innocuous question, but she was sure there was more to it than just idle chatter. Minette considered her answer carefully before giving it. "Things are still really confusing at times. But everyone has made an effort to make me feel welcome. Its getting easier, but slowly."

"And Aedan? Is she settling in?" The question was as ordinary as his last, but she could sense that he was waiting for something, that he was looking for a specific answer.

"Its hard for her, too. She's living in someone else's shadow constantly. I think the strain is getting to her. To be honest, I'm a little worried," she told him. She thought it was a good reply, that there was nothing in it that he could glean anything from.

"Are you afraid she's going to do something rash?"

She gave the question the serious thought it deserved. "No. No, I don't think so. But this is all so much different from college. I don't think either of us were really prepared for this. It doesn't help that she's horribly private." That was one of the things that the two of them had in common. Minette was as private as her friend and, as she'd discovered in their fourth year at school, there was good reason. Not that Aedan had told her much. But the few things she had mentioned were bad enough. She knew that Aedan had lost control of her power before they'd met and the results could have been much worse than they had been.

"How long has she been Jean Claude's human servant?" The question was blunt. There was no underlying tone like there had been in his other questions. In fact, his tone was oddly devoid of anything. Minette took that to mean that he was trying to hide anything he might have been feeling from her. She took a cautious sniff and couldn't discern any difference in his scent. But she got the impression that he didn't like the idea.

"It isn't my place to talk about her personal business," Minette told him quietly.

The car changed lanes, then slid neatly into a parking lot in front of a grocery store. When the vehicle was in park, he turned to face her and she saw the emptiness in his eyes. It scared the living hell out of her as she realized just what chance she stood against him if he wanted to hurt her. As if to prove to her he knew what she was thinking, he reached out with one hand and wrapped it around her wrist. He applied just enough pressure to let her know that he'd have no problems with snapping the bones there if she chose not to answer his questions.

"When did she take the marks, Minette?" he asked softly. When she only stared back at him, his lips lifted in a smile that filled her belly with ice. "I think it would be prudent if you were to cooperate with me, Minette. Bruce is eager to have you back. All it would take is one phone call."

"You wouldn't." The look in his eyes told her he would. Fear spiked through her until her breath caught in her throat. She could hear her heart slamming hard against her rib cage. There was no way she'd be able to shift fast enough to avoid getting shot. She didn't want to go back to Bruce and she wasn't stupid enough to think that he wouldn't carry out the threat.

"You don't believe that," he replied. "When did she take the marks? Tell me, because I don't think you want me to ask her. She won't heal from some of the things I can do to her. Not like you would."

The leopard surged within her. He was threatening a member of her pard. A member of her family. Now she didn't care if he shot her or not. She would rip his head off if he touched Aedan. "It isn't my business to discuss and if Aedan hasn't told you, that means she doesn't want you to know."

"When, Minette? Tell me now and I won't break your arm." Edward looked supremely bored. His fingers tightened around her wrist until she felt bones creak and grind against one another. "When and why? Does she have any kind of feelings for the vampire at all? Has she given him any indication that she does?"

"What is with the third degree? You... Wait a minute!" Minette blinked at him a moment, unable to stop herself when a slight laugh of disbelief slipped out. "You aren't seeing her, are you? Because this sounds like jealousy to me. I thought you were involved. There was that woman and those kids..."

"I am not seeing her. My interest is purely professional," he told her, nothing in his tone to belie his words. She didn't quite believe him, though. There was something going on there. "I want to know if she's taken his marks. I want to know if he's taken her to his bed."

"Uh huh. If that's the case, why are you so concerned with whether or not he's gotten into her pants?" Minette eyeballed him a moment, as if she were sizing him up. "What's the matter? Did she turn you down and you can't stand to see her go to someone else? What's so wrong with him, Edward? Is it because he's a vampire? A monster? Or is it just a bruised ego?"

To his credit, he said nothing. That fierce, protective thing that had risen up inside her egged her on. She was sure she was being reckless and stupid, that he'd take joy in killing her if she pushed him too far. But she didn't care. He'd threatened her family. He had no idea how many nights Aedan had held her and said nothing when she'd cried after a nightmare. He had no idea how sincere the woman had been when she'd offered to kill Bruce for her. "How come she's so important to you? How come you're so interested in what she does? Either you have a thing for her or there's something going on between the two of you that no one else knows about."

"Tell me about the marks, Minette. Don't try my patience," he told her softly. She merely stared at him. "Answer my questions about Aedan so she doesn't have to. My method of extracting information could kill her."

"Why are you so gung ho about who she does and doesn't have sex with? Why aren't you as concerned about me? I'm her best friend, you know. Don't I count?" Her voice had dropped and there was a hint of a growl there that she couldn't quite keep out of it. "Or is it that it doesn't matter if I'm screwing around with the monsters since I'm already one of them? From what I've heard, calling Anita human was really stretching the truth. Afraid Aedan is going to go down the same path? What does it matter to you?"

He stared at her for a long, long time, utterly silent. She'd hit the nail on the head. Somehow, she'd figured it out. He was afraid of Aedan becoming like Anita. Then the coldness crept back into his eyes until she saw the man who wouldn't hesitate hurting anyone to get what he wanted staring at her. "My reasons are my business. Answer the question."

She'd had enough of the intimidation. She drew her wrist back, slowly, with a casual flick that tossed his hand into his lap. And she shot him a cold, deadly stare. She knew that he was looking into the eyes of her leopard. "Aedan is my business. Aedan was my family when I had none. She was my home, my pard for four years. We are one blood, one soul, one body. We didn't take the marks. Anita gave them to us. She gave us to Jean Claude and there's no taking us back to the store. Not now. Not ever."

"Anita never took the fourth mark," he pointed out patiently.

"She told us not to deny him. If you want to know anything else, I suggest you ask Aedan," Minette told him. She unhooked the seatbelt and opened the car door. "Just remember this, Edward. If you hurt her in any way at all, you'll have me to deal with. And chances are good I won't be alone."

"I don't take threats well," he reminded her. She smiled at him, a chilling thing, and slid from the car.

"I'm not threatening, Edward. I'm promising." She stared at him through the open car door. "I'll call for a ride. Thanks anyway."

~*~*~*~*~

Minette was mostly under control when she finally made it back to the Circus. She'd reached Micah on her cell phone and asked him to pick her up. He'd told her he was busy and would send Nathaniel. That had been a relief because she hadn't been up to explaining to him why she was so upset. She'd stood before the entrance to the store, careful to avoid looking at the spot where Edward's vehicle had remained parked. It hadn't pulled out of the lot until Nathaniel had shown up. The young man had taken a look at her and said, with a soft smile, that she could talk to him about it later, when she was ready. He'd remained blissfully quiet as he'd driven her home.

They'd just passed through the doorway that opened up into the small room at the top of the stairs down to the lair when Nathaniel stopped her. There was a slightly uncomfortable feel to the air surrounding him, the expression on his face filled with apology. "Nathaniel?" she reached out and laid a hand on his arm.

"Richard is downstairs. He showed up a little bit before you called. He... Um, he brought snacks," he told her quietly. There was a hint of something in his voice she thought might be anxiety.

"What?" she blinked at him. He only nodded and motioned for the stairs. He was right. This would be over faster if she simply confronted it. But, in all honesty, she wasn't really in any mood to deal with the touchy Ulfric after her encounter with Death. She wasn't even really certain if she'd be able to see Aedan without confronting her about her little chat with Edward. Heaving a sigh, she moved for the steps. "Fine. Let's get this over with. I want a hot bath and something strong to drink."

To his credit, Nathaniel simply gave her a pained smile and bumped up against her side. She took the gesture for what it was, a bit of understanding and comfort, and tried to wrap that sense of peace that seemed to always cloak the young man around herself for the coming encounter. She was more than certain she'd need it.

They both purposefully took the steps as slowly as they could without actually dawdling. She took the opportunity to really study the stone walls around her and the stone steps beneath her feet. She felt oddly out of place, as if this was the lair of giants, and she had no right to trespass. For a brief moment, she almost wished she had more of Aedan's sense of self or whatever it was she possessed that made her almost recklessly fearless. The other woman had been like that ever since they'd met. Minette almost envied her for it. Almost.

The large door at the bottom of the stairs opened silently, as though the hinges were only for looks. As if magic made it swing back and forth. From the cavernous room beyond, Minette could hear soft conversation. She recognized the low pitch that belonged to the wolf king. Just as she recognized the tendrils of raw power that seemed to leak from him. Either he was agitated or he didn't bother to hide that other part of him down here where everyone knew who and what he was. For a moment, Minette gave consideration to turning around and heading back upstairs. But she shoved the urge to flee aside and made her way across the floor. Toward the waiting wolves.

Though she barely heard the door closing behind her, it felt like the tolling of a death bell.

The group that met her when she stepped through the white cloth walls stopped her in her tracks. Richard reclined on one of the couches, looking very at ease, as if this were his home. Micah and Jason occupied another couch. But the men standing behind Richard were the ones who drew her attention.

Jamil was clad in black jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket, the only color on him the beads that hung off the ends of his braids. His eyes were cast in her direction, watching her with what she could only describe as blatant curiosity and no small amount of mirth. He looked relaxed enough, but she knew better than to think that the man wasn't fully aware of his surroundings and where everyone was in relation to his Ulfric. Jamil gave her a slight tilt of the head in greeting.

Shang-Da was the exact opposite of Jamil. He stood almost rigidly at attention, his gaze locked on the back of his Ulfric's head. There was anger on his face, his jaw held tense. It looked as if he were grinding his teeth. He wore a white button down shirt under a dark blue suit coat. His pants were black. He didn't so much as acknowledge her presence, but she knew he was well aware she was there, knew exactly where she stood. And he was very unhappy.

"Minette," Micah turned to her, offering a smile meant to reassure. She moved toward him and allowed him to pull her down next to him on the couch, where she quickly found herself nestled between her Nimir-Raj and Jason. Nathaniel followed, lazily settling himself on the floor against her legs. "We were waiting for you."

"For me? Why?" she asked, then swung her gaze around so she could look at Richard. He smiled, motioning with both hands toward the men behind him.

"To give you first pick," he replied.

"First pick of what?" She couldn't keep the suspicion from her tone. There was something in the smirk that the man wore that set her teeth on edge. It had taken everything in her not to simply turn a hand and leave Edward with a lasting remembrance of their time together in his car today. The self-satisfied look the wolf king was giving her brought the desire back to life with a vengeance.

"I pledged the strength of the pack to you and Aedan. To feed the arduer. I came over to personally offer you use of my officers."

Minette blinked at him and only vaguely felt Nathaniel press harder against her legs. Even Micah and Jason seemed to have inched closer to her. It took her a moment to realize that they were blocking her in. Trying to prevent her ability to get up off the couch in a hurry. Because the stupid son of a bitch had just...

Oh no, he didn't.

"You expect me to fuck a man I haven't even met. Are you crazy?" she asked, voice a hoarse whisper. For a moment, Richard looked surprised at her question. But then the expression on his face changed to one of utter calculation.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with Gideon or Rafael," he pointed out. Dear gods, he was serious. He wanted her to take either Jamil or Shang-Da to her bed. Was he that stupid? Or did he get off on the power trip his position offered him. The anger she'd done her best to put aside after her disconcerting talk with Edward began to trickle back in

"At least I made the choice. It wasn't made for me," she told him quietly.

Richard stared at her as if he didn't understand what she was saying. Chances were good that he didn't. He shook his head. "Its just feeding. What does matter who you feed on? I've brought the best that I have and it isn't good enough for you?" For a moment, he fell silent. Then his gaze shifted from her to where Micah sat and a sneer crept over his lips. "Of course not. I'm not good enough for Micah's new kitten."

Micah tensed beside her. She didn't so much as put her hand on him as she simply leaned toward him so that they were pressed harder together. It was more than enough. He relaxed slightly. It was a way of letting it pass while still letting her know he was going to allow her to handle this for the time being. She wasn't sure how she'd managed to capture the man's attention and respect like she had, but she was thankful for it. The fact that he trusted her to deal with her own problems meant so much more to her than she could ever tell him.

Richard was watching them closely and the smug look on his face had only gotten smugger. She could see from the look in his eyes that he thought she had Micah pussy whipped. For some reason, that was the last straw. Her temper snapped and she was suddenly glad that the three men had boxed her in. "You son of a bitch! You arrogant, self-centered, egotistical... Damn it! I refuse to sleep with a man and he decides I'm a whore. What the fuck?"

Richard didn't seem to be upset by her pronouncement. He leveled a look at her. "Can you tell me that, if the arduer rose right now, you wouldn't fuck the first man who touched you? Anita was the strongest willed person I've ever met and even she couldn't stop herself from fucking half the men she knew." He fell silent a moment and studied her, then a smile passed over his face. It wasn't a very nice smile at all. "Maybe I should just wait around and see."

For a moment, just a moment, Minette understood how Aedan had felt during her phone call earlier in the day. It took everything she had to prevent herself from exploding. "I'm not Anita. If you caught me with the arduer rising, I might not be able to fight it. But you know, Richard," she pinned him with a stare that challenged him in ways words never could. He sat up a little straighter, his gaze narrowing. It made her feel just a touch better. "You know. It'd be rape. And when the arduer was gone... I'd kill you. Do you hear me, Ulfric?"

He said nothing, simply continued to watch her. Minette leaned forward, pressing herself against Nathaniel in the process. The scent of vanilla filled her nose and she was able to push some of the rage back. Her voice, when it came this time, was much calmer. That made her words all the deadlier. "And that goes for your wolves. For any man. If Its not someone I'd want in my bed without the arduer, why the hell would I want them there at all?"

"You talk big now, kitten. I've seen what the arduer can do to someone's morals. And I've done a little checking up on you. You weren't so picky with your old pard," he told her. The words fell like lead weights into the painfully silent room. A blink of her eyes saw the leopard peering out of them, the green sharper and deeper. They were free of that way of life and no man, not the vampire and not this dog, would change it. Ever. The cat wouldn't allow it.

"You..." Minette struggled to find the words, to push the cat down so that the human side of her could remain in control. If she shifted now, she couldn't be certain she'd stop before she hurt someone seriously. And if she went after Richard, the chances were just as likely that Shang-Da and Jamil would draw and shoot her. If they managed to kill her and her death didn't take anyone with her, there'd be hell to pay. Even if Jean Claude didn't take the slight, which she didn't think would be the case, Aedan wouldn't rest until she wiped the lot of them out. The desire to protect her friend rose up in her again and she forcibly calmed herself.

"Nothing to say, kitten?" Richard's voice oozed with smugness.

"Anita died so I could be picky. I wasn't a god damned alpha. Anita did this..." she stopped and calmed herself again. Why was it so easy to lose her temper now? Why did it take everything inside of her to hold it back? "Anita and Micah didn't allow that sort of thing... I thought you didn't either. Its why I petitioned them in the first place."

"I don't." There was a faint hint of disapproval in his tone.

"Then explain how Stephen wound up in Aedan's bed."

"He didn't object." Richard shrugged a shoulder.

"You didn't fucking ask him. You ordered him. His Ulfric ordered him," Minette pointed out sharply.

"That's generally what the Ulfric does," Richard replied. She could hear that he didn't understand what she was talking about. Minette sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. How could Richard be so smart about some things and so stupid about others?

"Playing snack to Aedan should have been Stephen's choice. Not yours. You might be the wolf king, but that doesn't give you the right to play with people's lives. When it comes to something like this, everyone should be given a choice," she informed him. She really didn't want to mention to him that Aedan had damn near hurt Stephen. There was no telling how he'd take such news. Either he'd claim that there was no way for that to happen, that Stephen should have been able to hold her at bay. Then questions of his worth would be brought up and he'd be looked upon with a measure of scorn that might scar him. Or, Richard would go after Aedan. And she'd sworn to Anita that she'd protect the man. She couldn't let that happen, either. So she found another way to bring the point home. "Shang-Da. How do you feel about being given to either Aedan or myself for a quick fuck?"

The man looked startled to be spoken to. And it looked, for a few seconds, as if he wasn't going to answer the question. But Richard looked up at him then, obviously expecting some kind of response. Finally after a minute or two ticked by, Shang-Da frowned. "It isn't something I would be entirely comfortable with."

"If you were asked if you wanted to or not?" Minette pressed her point.

"I could make a decision for myself."

"One that you'd be comfortable with?" she asked. He stared at her for a while before nodding his head once, sharply. She looked back to Richard. "Not everyone is willing to have sex with complete strangers, Richard. Some of us actually prefer to sleep with people who mean something to us. And not asking someone if they want to climb into bed with a virtual stranger is almost too much like rape for me. I refuse to have anyone in my bed who doesn't want to be there. I won't play part to something like that."

"They're my people, kitten. They'll do as I tell them," Richard replied. He still didn't get it. Fine. She could see she was going to have to be blunt about it.

"Do you like being passed from one person to the next with no say in the matter?"

"That won't ever happen. I'm Ulfric," he told her, some of the amusement fading from his face. Good. It was about to get even less funny than it had been. "Or have you forgotten that bit of information, kitten?"

"How can I when you seem to want to rub it in my face every five seconds?" she returned. "But if you weren't Ulfric. If you were some submissive wolf on the chain and your Ulfric was going around, handing you off to people for whatever purpose they needed you for. How would that feel? Do you honestly think you'd like being passed around like a party favor?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, he stared at her and shut his mouth. She could see that he was starting to actually think about what she was saying. She nodded at him. "I know what its like to be anyone's meat, Richard," Minette told him quietly.

"Anyone's?" The question held a hint of anger to it. She wondered at that. The man was such a conflicting bundle of emotions and actions. One minute he was pissed at the world, the next, he was pissed at the world for a damned good reason.

"Anyone's," she nodded again. "My old pard was built on fear and domination. I was weak there. I was bottom of the food chain. I was tossed from one person to another without regard for my feelings. And it didn't matter if they hurt me or not. I had absolutely no say in the matter at all."

"They told me that you..." he trailed off and stared. She could see his mind working through everything, could see the disgust and anger boiling beneath the surface. Minette could well imagine what Bruce had told him, what the man had had the rest of the pard tell him. Chances were good they'd painted her out to be a world class whore. She didn't know if she should laugh or cry over the fact that Richard had believed them. "They treated you like that? Like..."

"They treated me like a piece of meat," Minette confirmed for him. His anger swelled and, with it, his power. She felt it wash over her in a wave. The three men around her pressed closer and she thought she heard Jason whimper. "Thanks to Anita, I'll never be that again. And I won't do it to anyone else. If you ever send another man to share mine or Aedan's bed without first asking his consent, we'll see if I'm more cat than you are wolf."

Richard said nothing for a very long time. Finally, he gave a single curt nod of his head. Minette sighed and felt some tension slip away from her. The men around her relaxed at the same time, slowly inching away from her so that she wasn't quite so crowded. It looked as if she'd managed to avoid one of his epic fits of temper, for which she was eternally thankful. After the day she'd had, she was in no shape to deal with another arrogant bastard.

"Why haven't you killed him yet?" Richard's voice was as normal as Minette had ever heard it. The question came out of the blue and startled her so that she had to struggle to find an answer. She was acutely aware of the fact that every man in the room was staring at her, awaiting her answer.

"It may yet come to that. But up until the night Anita died, I was powerless to do anything but run away. I think I could take him now. Or I could once I get used to my new abilities. His pard outnumbers mine at least two to one. Maybe more. I wouldn't be much of a Nimir-Ra if I got my people slaughtered over a personal vendetta," she told Richard patiently. She was more than certain that the two of them would meet again. Bruce didn't like to give up his toys and she'd been his favorite. Now that he thought Anita's pard was helpless, he wouldn't stop coming until she did kill him. It was only a matter of time.

Jason shifted against her, bringing her attention to him. A thought struck her and she glanced up at Richard. "Can you promise me one other thing?" she asked him. This time, her tone was filled with respect.

"I suppose that depends on what it is," he replied. That was fair enough. But she thought he'd be able to swing it.

"Promise me you won't send me any wolves who will try and dominate Jason in the bedroom." The blonde beside her made a noise that she chose to ignore. Let him be embarrassed. She didn't want to deal with egos and break up fights. The best way to keep it from happening was to avoid it completely.

Richard's lips twitched a moment or two. Then he schooled his face and nodded. "Of course. No one has to come if they don't want to. I'll make sure the pack knows its a voluntary deal. And none of the dominant wolves for you." There was no mockery in his voice, no mirth, only a sense of understanding that she felt was honest and genuine. Then, as if it was an after thought, he asked another question. "What about Aedan? Does this rule extend to her?"

"I don't know. It might be wise to ask her," Minette shrugged a shoulder. Richard nodded his head at that. She didn't think it would be a problem, since Aedan had told the man she'd feed from him.

"You let me know when its a good time to do that. I don't think I want to catch her on a bad day."

"I think hell will freeze over before that happens." Jason's voice held a hint of dry humor in it. There was a moment of silence, then a round of chuckles broke out over the gathered group. Yeah. That would definitely be a cold day in hell.

~*~*~*~*~

She was agitated. Angry and upset. He woke to those feelings flooding over him. When he tried to contact her, tried to speak to her through their link, she was closed off to him. But he could still feel her emotions boiling beneath the surface. Something had upset her badly. He sighed as he climbed from bed. He wished he could find a way through her defenses, find out what it was that bothered her so intensely. He wished he could do something, anything, to help her.

He wished he could break down the walls that held her from him so that he could slip inside and get to know her. The real her.

Heaving a sigh, Jean Claude made his way to the bathroom for a bath. This frustration couldn't keep up much longer. It was almost as if he'd been thrown back to those first weeks with Anita. She'd fought him, too. Fought against their attraction and her own feelings. It had taken him a while to figure out that she'd done so because she'd been afraid. Afraid of caring about one of the monsters. Afraid of being one of the monsters. He didn't think that was the case with Aedan. To be honest, he didn't know what to make of Aedan's desire to stay as far from him as she could. She was trying so hard to keep things platonic. Was she protecting him? Or herself?

He was certain she had feelings for him. The short time they'd spent together after Asher's attack had proved that. But things had gone back to normal as soon as she'd woken up the next day and she'd acted as if her behavior had never existed. And he'd been so close to being able to hold her close, to touch her and feel the warmth of her body against his. To feel her life beating against his skin. To feel it filling him when he drank from her.

He had no doubts that such a thing would happen. But it would take time. Appearances said that he should mourn the loss of Anita. And he was. However, he'd been alive for a very long time. Practicality said that he should go on with his life as if nothing had happened. Aedan was that direction. He was certain of it. Anita would never have picked her if she hadn't believed the girl could be more than simply his human servant. She had understood him better than she thought and she'd known, even if she'd never said anything, that he needed that connection. He needed to feel and know that someone cared for him.

Anita would never have chosen someone to take her place who would be unable to fill every aspect of his life the way he needed them to. So why had she picked Aedan? What had been the driving force? It was more than likely that Anita had known more about her replacement, had learned more about her in the short amount of time that she'd known her, than Jean Claude could ever hope to know. Perhaps Aedan had been more forthcoming with Anita. He needed her to be so with him. If they were going to be effective together as master and human servant, he needed to know her and understand her.

She would never tell him what he wanted to know. He could ask her until the world stopped turning and she'd never give him the information he sought. It was enough to make him want to pound his head against the stone walls of the Circus. Because he knew that she would never tell him unless she wanted him to know. Whether she wanted to believe it or not, he needed to know. It was that need that forced him to consider taking extreme action.

There was one way to find out the things he needed to know.

As he lounged in the bath, an idea struck Jean Claude that made him smile. If anyone had been in the room, they might have been frightened by the predatory look that crept over his face. Until they'd heard him laugh. Then they'd have been caught in his web.

There was another way. And it had practically been staring him in the eye since the very first moment he'd seen Aedan Kinkade. Anita had often accused him of being ruthless and opportunistic. He'd never denied the charges. Why do so when they were the truth? He hadn't lived as long as he had without being both those things and so much more. It was a trait of his kind that was instilled in them from their rebirth. In order to survive, one had to do whatever was necessary to make it happen. He'd done that and so much more all of his long life.

Jean Claude hurried his bath along, eager to put his plans into motion. As soon as he was out of the tub, he dressed himself in satin and velvet and leather. His shirt was as pristine as freshly driven snow, a fall of lace cascading from his throat and wrists. The breeches were of blue velvet, dyed to match his eyes. A coat in the same velvet accompanied the breeches, the material hugging every inch of his frame. He finished the ensemble off with thigh high leather boots. He hadn't bothered with his hair, so he left it long so that the dark curls fell in a riot about his face. He didn't need to look in the mirror to know he was sin made flesh, temptation given a name and a voice.

Striding from his rooms, he made his way to the living area. It was where everyone happened to be. Light conversation flowed between the trio there, though a lingering hint of scent on the air told him that Richard had been there recently. He found Minette chatting idly with Micah and Jason. The conversation died almost as soon as he joined them. "Good evening, mes amis," he greeted them with a faint smile.

"Good evening, Jean Claude," the three of them intoned almost in unison.

"You look good. Plans?" Jason asked after taking in the outfit Jean Claude wore.

"Oui. That is, of course, if the lady agrees," he replied, letting his gaze come to rest on Minette. She blinked a few times, as if she had a hard time believing she was the lady he'd referred to. Then she glanced from one man to the other, trying to read faces. Jason simply smiled. Micah's smile looked slightly strained, but there was nothing in his face to give his feelings away.

"Me?" she finally said, one hand coming to rest on her chest. Jean Claude gave her a nod, letting his smile expand until it was almost impossible to keep his fangs hidden.

"Of course. Who else would I be speaking of?" His voice held a note of teasing to it. Then he turned his attention to Micah. "That is, of course, if your men have no objections?"

"No," the Nimir-Raj said, shaking his head. "Why would I have any objections?"

Jean Claude thought that perhaps Micah wanted to argue that, but he said nothing. The vampire tilted his head at the cat, letting him know silently that he'd understood. Then he turned to Jason and lifted a brow at the wolf. "And you, Jason? Do you have any objections?"

"Don't keep her out too late, Jean Claude. She and I are supposed to watch a monster movie marathon tonight," Jason grinned.

"Of course. I will bring her back before the first credits start to roll," he promised. Then he turned his attention back to Minette. She looked a little shocked. "I think, perhaps, a change of clothing. Then we shall be on our way."

"If you say so," she got out. He couldn't help but notice she sounded shocked. Good. That would make his task that much easier. Minette rose to her feet and slowly walked away from him. "I'll be a few minutes." Then she disappeared through the curtains.

~*~

The restaurant was busy when they arrived, but the staff quickly found a secluded table for Jean Claude as soon as they saw him. It was toward the back, behind a curtain of sheer material in a shimmering silver. Minette, he thought, was grateful for the seclusion after the way people had stared at them on the way in. No doubt, all the papers and news stations tomorrow would report this little dinner out as a sign that he was moving on and had picked a new human servant. He would, of course, have to make sure everyone got the real story as soon as was possible. He didn't like to think of how Aedan might react if she were to catch someone's romanticized events of the evening.

Without looking at the wine menu, Jean Claude ordered a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne from 1988. The wine steward hurried off to bring the selected beverage. His dinner partner stared at him, eyes wide in shock. "What is the matter, Minette?" he asked her.

"This whole evening is spur of the moment. So what's going on?" she asked. He could hear in her voice that she was certain there was some event happening that did not bode well for her. Offering her a smile, he glanced casually at the menu he held before bothering to answer her.

"I will admit to an ulterior motive in bringing you here. But allow me to say that I enjoy a night out with a beautiful woman as much as the next man." He gave her an especially spectacular smile. Minette shook her head.

"I might be naÏve, but I'm not so stupid that I'll buy into that," she replied dryly.

"But I do think you a beautiful woman, Minette," he promised her. She shot him a look but said nothing further on the matter. In her eyes, he could see the disbelief and the fragile hope. Someone had crushed the girl's spirit, trampled her dreams underfoot as if they were nothing. Such arrogant men should die for such injustice. He spread his hands apologetically. "I did bring you here with an explicit purpose in mind. I would like to know more about Aedan. She has told me so little about herself."

"I'm sure she'll tell you what you want to know when she's ready to," Minette frowned at that. He wondered what had brought the look to her face.

"If I were to wait for her to tell me such things, she would be a very old woman and none of it would matter. I ask you because it is information I feel would be vital to ensuring that our... whatever it is you wish to call this will flourish and grow," he told her, waving one hand to indicate she was free to pick any word she wished. "Whether she likes it or not, whether you like it or not, we are bound together. And I would like our partnership to be as smooth and as painless as possible. This can only happen if we know as much about one another as there is to tell."

"What is it about Aedan? You're the second person who's asked me about her today," she said, her voice holding a note of disdain he couldn't quite find a reason for.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Edward asked me about Aedan today, too. I swear, the way he went on and on was enough to make me think he wants to date her or something," she explained patiently. That didn't sound good. There was no telling what reasons Death would have for asking about the woman. "He didn't react too well when..."

A phone chirped, cutting off the rest of Minette's words. She was surprised to find it was her cell phone that had sounded and she hurried to fish it out of her bag. "Hello?" she asked, her tone suggesting she didn't recognize the number. "Yes. Hold on just one moment." She held the phone out to him. "Its for you."

His fingers brushed against hers when he took the phone from her and he felt the way she started at the contact. He offered her a mild smile, pressing the device to his ear. "Hello?"

"Jean Claude." It was the bouncer at Guilty Pleasures. He could hear a faint note of strain in the man's voice. "We have a problem that requires your attention immediately."

"I will be there soon," he replied and hung up the phone. With a sigh of regret, he handed it back to Minette. "I am sorry, mon minet. I am needed elsewhere. I will have the car take you back to the Circus when you are ready. Stay and enjoy a meal. The service is quite good and the food is excellent."

He was gone before she could even form a reply.

Comments

[ladydeathfaerie]

you'll find out next chapter what's up at Guilty Pleasures. promise. and, hopefully, you'll learn why everyone is asking questions. if i can work it right.

i don't think Richard will ever learn....

glad you enjoyed it, Daz!