Claws and code

Going out in style

I sat down, facing away from him, boxed in by Cameron and Louis. Sasha had stalked over to Jack and Mark was on her heels, presumably to protect her. They spoke for a bit, Louis giving me a funny play-by-play of what he thought they might be saying, even going so far that he did a girly voice for his sister. Peter called my name to get my attention. "The beast is in full control of the man. Perhaps their Goddess heard your plea?"

Sasha returned shortly after and told me the same thing. I nodded to Mark and he led Jack over.

"Listen here, you big furry bastard, if he gets control, I let them remove you from the premises."

"He won't get control while we are together. I miss you." He spoke slowly, like he was making sure to get the words right.

I stood up and walked over to him, staying just far enough from him not to touch. The look in his eyes was pure love. I looked away, only to catch Peter's eyes. The old vampire nodded. Maybe their moon goddess really did give me a chance here. At least a chance to say goodbye.

My big furry bastard immediately, but ever so gently, wrapped his arms around me when I stepped into him and hugged him. He purred and I laughed softly, remembering he had said he would be my kitten any day.

"Frail, stupid." I didn't get a chance to reply. He moved so quick after he said it that I didn't even see it coming. His mouth claimed mine. He turned, sat down and held me on top of him without breaking the kiss. His hands in my hair and I responded like a bitch on heat. My hands gripped his hair and his neck. I pushed into him and I moaned when his lips trailed to my neck. He nipped and sucked and groaned, while I forgot that we weren't alone. Then he pulled back. The animal still in his eyes and a pleased, dopy smile on his face. "Mate, mine."

I couldn't reply. He continued carefully. "Frail wants to talk to mate."

Pushing away from him, I tried to stand up in a dignified manner and straighten my dress. His eyes flashed to the human shade. "You need to go." I told Jack immediately.

"I will find you every time you are here, until you talk to me." The man said before the animal showed back into his eyes. "I will keep frail away, as long as I must. Mate, mine." The animal told me slowly. He stood and grabbed me for one more kiss. Slow, deep and so full of sorrow that I could taste it. Then he backed away and walked off. On the other side of the rope, he went to stand against the wall, his human eyes boring into me, begging for my attention. But I turned away, just like he had, without looking back.

"Well! That went well!" Louis joked with full arm movement and a chirpy high voice. Then he chuckled. "You might want to touch up your makeup though, that animal did a bit of a number on you."

I wanted to hide my face in my hands but instead I proudly looked at Mark. "Think the frail got the message?"

"If the message was that you would gladly dry-hump his animal in public but not be with his human side, then yeah, I think he got it."

Sasha handed me a compact, concealer and some lip gloss and, when I finished, I raised an eyebrow at Louis. A challenge. "I think we should dance."

Louis was a tease, had been for years. We trained together and, due to his sister, we hung out together a lot over the years. He smiled, stood up and one of the vamps stood up too. "If I may join you? Our master has informed me what that mutt did to you."

"That sounds good."

Between the two of them I got a lot of attention on the dance floor for the next few songs. It helped that they were better dancers than me and the way they made me move was incredibly sexy. Whenever I glanced at Jack, it was the man looking back. Clearly angry but stoically remaining at his post. When we walked back to the VIP section, the animal was back in control and told me. "My mate. I miss you." He pulled me close and crashed his lips to mine, claiming me in front of the two men I had danced with. The animal kissed me like I was his air and I let him.

I was sure the beast would never have rejected me the way that the man had. But I suspected that the beast was the only reason Jack hadn't completed the rejection, the reason that the bond wasn't broken. I suspected that this was the reason he wanted to speak with me. And for that reason I had no intention to give him the light of day. There was too much love for, and from, the beast to let his human side break the bond between us. Childishly, I had decided that I didn't want to give him the chance to move one with someone else. I was keeping my connection to the beast and the beast seemed to be all for it.

We stayed at the vampire headquarters and Peter laughed loudly at my description of his Coven's residence. They had several apparently and they were moving between them to keep the hunters from finding them. As we settled in for the night, they told me that the man had followed us and changed, the wolf had curled up outside the boundary fence.

I checked the systems and went to sleep with a smile, knowing that the beast felt the same way I did and was happy to keep his human side from rejecting me completely.