Serene

Reese closed her eyes as Rafe backed her slowly through the doorway and into the room. They parted reluctantly for a moment so he could close the door. Smiling at the hurt look on her face, he drew her back to him, pressing his body against hers, and meeting her lips again with his own. His hands roamed, hesitant but sure. They moved under her long black leather jacket to settle lightly on her hips. His fingers toyed at the edges of her black tank top before slipping under it in one fluent motion.

At the touch of his hands on her skin, Reese broke the kiss and pulled away from him. She turned her back on him, crossing her arms and hugging herself. Her eyes were downcast. A confused expression crossed Rafe’s face. Reese, scared? He'd never known her to act this vulnerable. She wasn’t the type. He closed the space between them once again and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She immediately tensed up, which puzzled him even more.

“What is it?” Rafe asked, moving her dark hair away from the right side of her face and tucking it behind her ear. He nuzzled her neck and waited for her to answer.

Reese shook her head. Visibly relaxing against him, she ran her tongue across the front of her top teeth, careful of her fangs. She felt the brush of Rafe’s own incisors against the skin of her neck. He wanted to drink from her, to share in her memories, her thoughts. “No, Rafe,” she said quietly. “Not yet.”

Rafe sighed, but submitted to her request. Instead, he placed a kiss to the exact spot where she’d initially been bitten so many nights ago and reborn a vampire. It had to be at least what…two, three centuries since then? Only two white puncture scars remained of it.

He was older than her. Rafe remembered the first time he set eyes on Reese when she first walked through the doors of the coven. She’d been so sure of herself, strong, not at all shaky like the others who were newly turned. The next day she’d headed straight into training instead of taking time to recuperate. She was a stubborn one. Now, she was one of their top warriors, the only female in the group. And she hadn’t changed. She was still strong, still resilient, still very untrusting.

Reese closed her eyes again. She felt Rafe reach up and turn her head to the side toward him. Waiting a moment, she opened them and found herself peering into his gaze. She loved the green-brown color of his eyes. They were gentle now and held warmth, probably because they’d been out feeding tonight. Blood could do that to you; you could get drunk off of it much like humans could with alcohol. Rafe wasn't drunk though. She could see that. They’d only taken their fill tonight, not wanting to be sluggish and sleepy on their way back to the coven in case they got attacked.

Rafe touched his hand to her face. He caressed her cheek tenderly with his thumb. “I promise,” he said, “we’ll take it slow.” Softly, he met her lips with his own again. His hand, tangled in her hair, moved it all over her left shoulder. He left her mouth, trailing kisses down her neck, and slipped her jacket off. He let it fall to the floor. Pressing a kiss to her right shoulder, he paused suddenly. Something had caught his eye.

Reese tensed as his mouth left her skin. She had a feeling she knew why he’d stopped; she just didn’t know how he’d react to it. It was likely he’d kill her.

“You’ve been marked,” Rafe said. His voice was border lining on disbelief. His finger traced the white scar of the bite that was on the back of her right shoulder. “But not by a vampire. This is the mark of a lycan.” He said it in a cool, calm, and collected tone of voice, not at all outraged like she’d thought he’d be. Lycans were their sworn enemy, always had been. They both knew that. “You know lycans mate for life.”

Reese nodded. “He’s dead,” she whispered so softly, he almost didn’t hear.

“You took a lycan as your lover.” It wasn’t a question. It was more like he needed to hear himself say it to confirm it in his head. Both vampires and lycans felt the need to mark their mates. It was something they had in common. Rafe watched her nod slightly. “When was this?” he asked. He didn’t remember hearing anything about something of this sort. Usually, rumors flew around the coven like wildfire, and if it had been about Reese, he was sure he would’ve remembered.

“It started about ten years ago,” Reese started. She took a breath and continued. “We first met in battle. I got shot and was left behind at the scene after the lycans killed the rest of my group. They didn’t realize I was still alive.” Her voice was quiet but strong. She was ready to talk about it, to tell him. “He noticed. After he was sure the rest of the lycan pack had gone ahead, he came back for me. I was wary of him at first, just like I am with every other person I meet. Plus, he was the enemy, so that made me even more cautious.

“I soon learned to trust him though. He was very trustworthy; and gentle, loving even; not at all like the others, vampire and lycan alike. He still possessed some human qualities: his warmth for instance. I became addicted to it, to him. It was…” she trailed off, remembering. “Different. He wasn’t newly turned, but he wasn’t old either. He was younger than me." She paused, ordering her thoughts into words.

“We started meeting at odd times and places every now and then. Once, it was at noon in the alley behind the town square, another was during sundown about a mile from his pack’s den. We had to meet in secret for fear of what would happen to us if anyone found out. This went on for a while; close to three years. Then, one night, I awoke from where we’d fallen asleep together to find he had gone. It was odd; he’d always been the one to wake me, if we fell asleep at all. I came back here to the coven, not thinking anything of it. Two weeks later, I still hadn’t heard from him.” She sighed, the memories obviously painful. Taking a deep breath and blinking back threatening tears, she continued, “It was only a couple days after that that I found out he’d been killed. He’d gone out hunting, and a couple foreign vampires had gotten hold of him and shot him.” Reese went quiet then, debating silently with herself.

Rafe took advantage of her sudden stop. “No one ever questioned you? They never asked you why you smelled so much like the enemy. Or where you went?”

“You have to remember, Rafe. I’m a warrior. I know how to keep myself hidden when I want to. I smell like the enemy all the time. No one here ever gave me a second thought let alone confronted me about it,” Reese said.

“They didn’t smell the sex on you?” he asked.

Reese shrugged. “If they did, they never said anything. Like I told you, we were careful. And we didn’t have sex every time, so we didn’t always smell like it.”

A silence fell between them. It was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable; it was just there. Rafe was the one to break it. “What was his name?” he asked.

A small smile graced Reese’s features. “He went by Jones. I called him Jonas, because he asked me to. It was his name before he was changed.”

Rafe smirked. “Mine was Raphael.” He opened his mouth to say more and paused, frowning. “Yours…” He stopped again. He was suddenly struck with the thought that he didn’t know her real name. In fact, he didn’t think anybody in the coven knew it, and if they did, they hadn’t shared it with anyone. Surely, it couldn’t be Reese, could it?

Reese smiled slightly. She knew exactly what he was thinking. It was one thing she prided herself on: no one knew who she really was, her true identity. “Teresa,” she said. “Mine’s Teresa, but I go by Reese.” She looked up at him, her smile fading. “Don’t tell.”

Rafe touched his forehead to hers in an all-too-human gesture. “I won’t,” he said quietly, and covered her mouth with his in another kiss. The human qualities of his actions didn't diminish, and Reese silently thanked him, turning to move the front of her body against his. His hand pressed into the small of her back, trapping her against him as the backs of her legs hit the end of the bed. He picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Her arms encircled his neck as he climbed up on the bed and carefully laid her down on the blood-red comforter. His hands slid under her top again, this time a little hesitant. But, she didn't tense or pull away from him, and he continued, his hands trailing lightly up her sides.

The way Rafe was handling her reminded Reese greatly of Jonas. It was that thought alone that made her push him away yet again after he pulled her shirt off. Her upper body was clad now in only a black bra. Rafe traced the outline of it, his fingers moving along her skin and making her shiver in delight. She had to still his hand to get him to meet her eyes and for her to be able to concentrate. There was no denying her attraction to him.

"What?" Rafe asked, bending down and kissing her neck. Reese put a hand on his chest and lightly pushed him away. His brows furrowed in question.

"There's something else." Reese looked away, avoiding his eyes and trying to figure out a way to put what she had to say next into words. Rafe turned her gaze back to him. His hand lingered on her face. "I...I..." Reese closed her eyes and sighed before looking back up at him. "I had Jonas's baby." Rafe didn't look away and didn't speak, so she continued. "I found out I was pregnant after he died, and I didn't have the heart to do anything about it except let it happen. Rafe?"

Rafe didn't answer. He was looking past her at the comforter, staring, trying to remember where he'd been and what he'd been doing seven years ago. This was all a blur to him; he didn't know about any of it. He'd been out on a mission, he knew. He realized then that it'd been that three-year-long mission to London he'd taken with Falon. Vaguely, he recalled returning and seeing a new little girl among the children. When he'd asked Fadra, the nanny, about her, she'd told him one of the lesser vampires had borne the girl a couple years earlier while he'd been away.

Reese was definitely not one of the lesser vampires. And that had to be four or five years ago. The girl couldn’t have been more than one or two. It all fit.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked suddenly, looking down at her. Their eyes searched one another's, looking for any hint of what the other was thinking.

"I didn't think it was that important," Reese replied. “I mean, we were friends, but we weren’t close. Not like now.” Her gaze begged for forgiveness, and she wanted nothing more than for him to hold her right then. She quickly chastised herself at the thought. Why was she telling him this, showing him how vulnerable she could be, how pathetically human? What was wrong with her?

"What's her name?"

Reese smiled, her features softening and the questions flying from her mind. Rafe almost laughed at her sudden change, but he caught himself. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips before moving to her neck. He wanted the story, wanted to know what had happened, how it had happened. His mouth moved down her neck and closer to her left shoulder, settling in the place where the two met.

Reese realized his intent; she knew exactly what he was doing. Reaching up, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him closer to her. He turned his head to the side to look at her and found her gazing up at the black-painted ceiling.

"Serene," she said suddenly. "Her name is Serene."

Rafe placed a kiss to the soft spot behind her ear, the equivalent of a nod. He felt her sigh as he turned back to her neck, and she shifted in such a way to give him better access. She was ready. Her body language told him that, and he hesitated no more. After moving his left hand up to support the other side of her head, he gripped her upper right arm gently but firmly and pressed another kiss to the right side of her neck. His mouth opened automatically through the kiss, his incisors scraping skin, before biting down as tenderly as he could. His fangs slid into her shoulder like a knife slicing through butter.

Reese closed her eyes through the pain, willing herself not to cry out. She'd been marked and bitten before, so she was used to what it did to her. Her senses heightened, and she could feel everything, every single movement, that was going on around her.

Blood bloomed from her neck. It was forming faster than Rafe could drink it, and Reese could feel the stickiness of the liquid dripping down the back of her shoulder and pooling on the comforter beneath her. It wasn’t long before her body began to ache from the blood loss. Her vision was losing its sharpness, and she knew that if Rafe didn't pull away soon, she would have to make him.

A couple seconds later, Reese felt him shift above her. He pulled away slightly before moving back in. His warm tongue trailed over the wound, cleaning and soothing it. When he backed away to inspect the bite, he found it was already healing. A white scar formed before his very eyes, marking where he'd staked his claim on Reese. Lycanthropes weren't the only race that marked their mates through bites, nor were they the only race that mated for life.

Rafe licked his lips. He nuzzled her neck gently before kissing his way back up and covering her mouth with his. Reese could still taste her blood on his lips, in his mouth. She could smell it on him and inside him. It was driving her crazy. She'd always been so good at controlling her bloodlust, but that was before she'd met Rafe. Now, she wasn't sure how much control she had over herself. It was frightening, that he could make her feel that way.

“What did you see?” she asked after he’d broken contact with her. Her eyes found his, and they found that neither of them could look away. His kissed her again, both of their eyes still unwavering on each other.

“I saw you,” Rafe said, “You and Jonas. Together.” He paused, waiting for a reaction. Reese gave none. She wasn’t surprised in the least at his first vision. He went on. “I saw him getting shot. A silver bullet to the heart; he was killed instantly.” He watched as pain rapidly leaked into her eyes, but she still didn’t break the connection between them. She held his gaze steadily with her own. “And then I saw you in the bathroom with a pregnancy test. It read positive. You were crying.”

Rafe watched as tears filled Reese’s eyes. It was like she was reliving those moments with him. All the pain and sorrow and joy ran through her body all at once, filling her up with emotions. A tear fell from the corner of her left eye, but still she didn’t break eye contact. Rafe lifted a hand to wipe it away. “I saw you at full term and then in the coven infirmary. One of the nurses was handing you a bundle of pink blankets.”

Reese’s expression changed like the drop of a hat. Her emotions went from those of sorrow to joy in less than a second. A small smile graced her face, and Rafe smiled in response to it. “She’s beautiful,” he said. He leaned down and kissed her ear. “I want to meet her,” he whispered.

“Now?” Reese asked.

“No, tonight. Right now, this morning, I want to sleep with you.” Rafe shifted again so he was looking down at her. Reese offered no verbal response. She reached up, her fingers tangling in the hair at the base of his neck, and brought his head down. His lips met hers in a long kiss, his fingers tracing her fair skin.

No words were exchanged as Rafe pulled his shirt off. The rest of his clothing soon made its way onto the floor as well. Reese’s was quick to follow. Their bodies pressed together, and Reese changed her position ever so slightly to fit his form. She guided his mouth back to hers. She smelled him, every part of him. He’d let her taste herself; now, she wanted to taste him. She wanted the metal in his blood on her tongue. She bit his lip, drawing it forth and quickly lapping it up. His blood was sweet.

Rafe’s hands stroked her skin. He felt Reese’s bite on his lower lip and the warmth of the blood that formed. He retaliated with a bite of his own. His fangs pierced her tongue, and she moaned as her senses were instantly heightened. She could smell him again fully now and feel his body moving against hers with every fiber of her being.

“I want you,” she wanted to tell him. She yearned to yell it, to scream it. And in that instant, it was like he could read her mind. He filled her to the brim, and for the first time in her existence, she felt completely whole. She felt right.

---

“That’s her,” Reese said, pointing at the window. She was back in her all black attire, as was Rafe. She watched him peer through the glass and into the room.

They were looking at the dojo, where the younger vampire children were having their fighting lesson. Rafe followed Reese’s finger to where she was pointing at a girl of about six. She was up in the very front, an example for the kids that were younger than her. Rafe was impressed as he watched her movements, her technique. She was good; just like her mother.

“I see she takes after you,” Rafe said into Reese’s ear. His hand rested on the small of her back. He watched her smile at his comment. “Does she know who you are?”

Reese shook her head. “She doesn’t know for sure, but I think she suspects. She is old enough to start wondering. And I’m the only one who comes to visit her, so she has to be thinking something along those lines.”

“Couldn’t you just tell her?”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Reese said sadly. She’d decided to keep her identity from her daughter for certain reasons. “She’s better off not knowing. I don’t want her to know the truth.”

“Are you ashamed?” Rafe asked, turning to her.

“No,” Reese said. She decided not to take the question offensively. He didn’t know what she’d felt for Jonas. Though what she’d felt for him then was nothing compared to what she felt for Rafe now. She turned to look at him. “I just don’t want her to suffer because of it. I don’t want her to be hated. She’s a hybrid.” Her eyes watered as she spoke her next words. “She doesn’t really belong here. And when it’s time for her to leave, I don’t want to be the one holding her back.”

Rafe nodded in understanding. He pulled Reese to him and into a hug. She didn’t put her arms around him; she just let him hold her in this pathetic human gesture. It was comforting, no matter how degrading it was. Maybe she wasn’t as strong as she thought.

“Reese!” a little girl voice exclaimed. She ran up to them.

Reese broke away from Rafe, turning toward the sound. Serene ran into her arms, and she picked her up, balancing her on her hip. She was small for her age. “I’d like you to meet someone,” Reese told her. She turned so that they were both facing Rafe. “This is Rafe.”

“Hi,” Serene said, her voice shy.

“It’s so great to meet you.” Rafe smiled down at her.

“Serene!” a cry came, calling to the young girl. “Hey, Reese,” the same voice said. It was Daya, Fadra’s daughter. She walked up to them. Her hair was long and black; her eyes dark violet. She gave Reese a welcoming smile before turning to Rafe. “Rafe,” she said, nodding toward him.

Rafe nodded back at her, his eyes following her movements.

“Come on, Serene. It’s time for your snack.” Daya took Reese’s daughter from her. She settled her on her own hip.

“Bye, Reese! Bye, Rafe!” Serene exclaimed in her high-pitched girly voice. She waved to them, her little vampire fangs showing as she grinned. Daya carried her off toward the kitchen to rejoin all of the other children.

“So, that’s her,” Rafe said matter-of-factly.

“Yes, that’s my Serene,” Reese replied, confirming his statement.

“She’s gorgeous.” Rafe looked over at her upon hearing her sigh. “She might not have even inherited any of her father’s blood, Reese,” he said, trying to comfort her. “She’s small for her age.”

“That doesn’t mean anything, and you know it,” Reese replied. She met his gaze and smiled weakly. “I’m just worried about her.”

“Understandable.” He pulled her to him, holding her body against his. “You just want to protect her. I’m surprised you’re not even more protective than you are.”

Reese shrugged. “It’s just something you have to learn to get over.”

Rafe pressed his lips to her forehead. His right hand brushed across the bite mark on her neck. “Let’s go hunting; I’m hungry.” Reese rolled her eyes. “What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Reese said, shaking her head. She flashed her fangs at him. He bent his head down and covered her mouth with his. She could still smell her blood inside him and taste it in his kiss. The mixture of their scents reached her as well; and the smell of stale sex. “After we eat,” Reese whispered, breaking away as she felt the scrape of Rafe’s incisors on her tongue.

Rafe nodded and touched their foreheads together for a brief moment. Then, he pulled away, removing his hands from her body, and headed for the door.

Reese smiled, sighing in contentment. She gazed around the coven at the people milled about and talking. She saw everything differently now. A female vampire across the room met her eyes and gave her an encouraging smile. She nodded her head toward Reese, as if telling her to go on. Nodding in acknowledgement, Reese turned away from her and started toward the exit.

Stepping outside, Reese closed the door behind her before looking up and meeting the eyes of her mate. Rafe reached for her hand, and together, they made their way into the city.