Crimson Dreams

I reached the first step and looked back to Hayden with a smile. He was about to see a side of me that he had yet to know. No time like the present to show him what he had signed on too. I wanted Nathan to know he was nothing more than my past and I was all grown up now with no more games left in me to play. I turned back to the front door before springing up and jumping all seven stairs in one stride. I landed within arms reach of the door and started pounding on it hard enough to prove I was not human. The door was reinforced with steel so it would take everything I got to knock it down but that didn't stop it from creaking in protest with every bang.

"Open this goddamn door or I swear to god I will kick it in and everyone in my way will die."

I heard Hayden chuckle before I started pounding on the door again with more force. With each hit the door gave in just a little.

"It's Alexandria and I know Alex is in there. You have three more seconds." Bang "One." Bang. "Two." Bang. "Thr-"

I was just about to kick the door in when it opened. Emerald green eyes reflected the light from the porch. His platinum blonde hair almost looked white in the dim lighting but I knew better. I knew those high cheek bones and soft jaw lines like I knew the back of my hand. I knew what it felt like to have that hair cascade around me and caress me while I laid naked under him. I knew what those full lips tasted like and how soft they were against my skin. I could still feel the way that muscled chest felt under my hands as if I was touching him now. I knew that lean waist looked bare but when you touched it there was the feel of hair so blonde it was practically invisible that made his little happy trail that lead to nothing happy. I looked into his yes and gave a very rude smile.

"Alexandria? They told him you were de-"

"Save it. I want Alex and I want him now."

He quirked an eye brow at me and I remembered how that small action used to make me melt in spot. The effect wasn't the same this time around. My aura flared to life and I smiled at the look of shock on Nathan's face as he seen Hayden's aura laced through mine.

"Alex!" I flexed my power out again. "Come out now if you want this man to live to spend another day with you!"

A dog started barking and the porch lights of the surrounding houses turned on. Nathan looked around before stepping aside to let me by.

"Time starts now." I called to Hayden as I stepped into the house. "Don't shut the door. We aren't staying." I told Nathan. To my surprise, he obeyed.

"He's in my study."

I took the stairs three at a time and didn't bother to check my power and bring it down a notch or two. I knew this house like I knew my own shadow so I didn't need directions to the study or follow the voice of the man I sought. I also knew why Alex hadn't heard me or felt my power. This room was reinforced to be sound-proof and practically magic proofed. But it wasn’t human proof as I was about to prove. I didn't bother to knock when I reached the study. I kicked the door in as hard as I could and then slid to the left side of the door as Alex came flying out the room to attack.

"Attacking me already Russell?" I asked in a mocking voice with a smile.

Alex turned and looked at me in shock.

"He said you were dead and gave me your bloody clothes. He even told me where he found you. In your apartment."

"Guess he didn't bother telling you that he ran from my apartment like a dog with his tail between his legs?"

He let out a full throated laughter before picking me up and spinning with me. "No he didn't." He set me back down but the smile never left his face.

"We have three more minutes before back up storms in to kill anyone who moves that isn't me or you. Let’s roll."

He finally looked at me. Really looked at me and I seen the shock on his face. He reached out as if to touch me but I knew he was touching my aura without having to watch him do so. Nathan crested the stairs behind Alex and I watched his eyes roam over my body in appreciation. I still had my very revealing dress on and was soaking wet. He had told me once I always looked best when I was soaking wet from head to toe. Alex pulled his hand from me and turned to face Nathan. Nathan was quick to advert his gaze.

"Seems I am leaving if I want to keep you as my friend. She doesn't make empty threats."

I walked around Alex before pushing my way past Nathan. He flexed his arm just a tiny bit to touch me as I walked by him but I was faster and moved that tiny bit to compensate for his action. I heard the ruffling of clothes as Nathan covered the movement by hugging Alex.

"I am happy for you old friend." He said in that silky smooth voice that meant nothing to me anymore.

I smiled as I practically skipped down the stairs. I reached the door just as Hayden did.

"Ten minutes was up."

I didn't say anything but instead threw my arms around him and jumped on him. He stumbled back a little as his arms locked under my thighs to hold me up. I pressed my lips to his firmly just as Nathan and Alex reach the door. I hadn't jumped him like I did in hopes of getting back at Nathan but it seemed to have worked that way. I had actually jumped him like this because I was happy that I had faced Nathan and passed my own personal test. I could now give Hayden every part of me and hold nothing back. Though I would never tell Hayden that and he would never know that this was Nathan.

"'Till next time, old friend." Alex said as he stepped out onto the porch with Hayden and me.

"'Till then, brother." Nathan shut the door without saying a word to me.

I pulled back from Hayden and he eased me to the ground so that I was standing. "We made it in time. Thank you so much Hayden."

"Anytime, angel." He turned to Alex and held his hand out to him. "Nice to finally meet you."

"You as well." Alex took Hayden's hand with a small smile before looking at me. "I guess I have you to thank for her being alive?"

"She handled her own. Wait until you find out how she killed Pyro."

Alex's eye brow went up as he looked from me to Hayden and then back to me. "You killed him?"

"By herself." Hayden said as I just nodded.

"I would love to know the details."

"On the ride back to my house. We got people waiting for us, boys." I spoke over my shoulder as I made my way back to the SUV.

I was already in the front passengers’ seat as Hayden climbed into the drivers’ seat and Alex glided into the back seat. He didn't climb in or crawl in or anything like that. He glided into the seat with a grace that would make any woman jealous. It was all I could do not to bounce in my seat like a giddy school girl who just won prom queen. I took Hayden's hand as he turned onto the road that led back to the interstate before turning to look at Alex with a smile that showed just how happy I was with Hayden. I needed him to see my happiness to smooth this next topic over.

"I need something." I told him.

"And what would that be?" Alex asked as he leaned up to show I had his full attention.

"Hayden's sire has decided that if she can't have him than no one can. I am not happy about that. As you can see, I am happy with Hayden and I want him."

"And you have always gotten whatever you wanted."

"Not everything but pretty much."

"What are you asking me for Alex?"

I looked to Hayden and wondered if I could tell Alex everything. Of course I couldn't ask out loud with Alex sitting right here because that would be rude.

"Yes you can tell him everything except where my children went." Hayden's voice echoed through my head and I jumped. I had forgotten about that quirk to our claiming each other. I was going to have figure out how to do this.

I proceeded to tell Alex of Hayden's life and just as Hayden had requested I left out any knowledge of where Hayden's children were. Alex listened intently and occasionally his gaze would shift to Hayden. He had looked surprised when I informed him that Hayden couldn't bring himself to kill Rachel because she had carried his kids. After everything was out on the table he just sat there and looked at me. When he finally did speak he asked a question that was so out of place and out of character for him that I had asked him to repeat it.

"You kissed him?"

"Yes."

"And you're sure she won't accept challenge from me?" The question was for Hayden.

"Yes."

"Did you know she doesn't kiss?"

"She mentioned something about that the no kissing law with her."

"Yet she kissed you?"

"Yes."

"That alone sways my answer." He looked at me. "Happy early Christmas, Alex."

I squealed in happiness before jumping between the seats to tackle hug Alex. He chuckled and hugged me back tightly. When he went to kiss me on the forehead I tilted my head up and met the corner of his lips. His body tensed instantly but when I pulled back and was still smiling he relaxed. I moved back to my seat but not without pressing my lips firmly to Hayden's cheek. A kiss on the lips would mean and accident for us on the interstate.

"Tell me Justice Hunter, would you be willing to end you current life if she asked you." Alex asked the question slowly.

"Yes." There was no hesitation to his answer.

"Do you know who hurt her when she was sixteen?" Alex asked the question and I felt that cold dread run down my spine and leave me numb as my body stiffened.

"I do."

"But you will not tell me?" I could feel Alex's gaze boring into the back Hayden's head.

"It's not my place."

"I agree." He turned that gaze to me.

"It's over and done with and I am finally free of it." I answered his unasked question. I might be over Nathan but I wasn't going to ruin Alex's friendship.

"I trust you to do the right thing should your paths ever cross?" The question was to Hayden but Alex watched my reactions carefully.

"You can rest assured I will handle it properly." He held a hand out to me as I opened my mouth to speak. "Nothing you can say or do will stop me from doing such. Leave me or refuse my bed all you want. I love you and I know what he did to you."

I sighed in defeat. Good thing their paths would never cross again. I would make sure of it. It was probably a better thing for Nathan to not have been outed with Alex there because I had learned my torturing skills from him and he no doubt kept some secrets.

"Thank you." Alex lounged back with a smile on his face that said he had clearly won. "So tonight I announce to my people that you have claimed someone and now I am to challenge his sire for rights to him. Challenging his master will be my gift of approval of you two having claimed each other and after your sire has backed down and I release you, what are your plans Justice Hunter?"

"To join my line with yours. I have a good line myself and I believe it would benefit us both if we did so."

"I agree. I have researched your line and found a few that make my twins look like babies."

"I have more than a few who make babies of Marco and Polo. Nothing against them for they are very powerful. Just I chose my line carefully."

"I was under the impression that hundreds were yours but I only confirmed around forty."

"I have close to six hundred in my line."

"Then I would happily join our lines."

We had finally arrived at the house. I had been quiet with thoughts on how to make sure Nathan and Hayden never crossed paths. Mostly I was just tired and ready to sleep but I had to be there when it was announced to our people that Hayden and I were a couple. I wasn't worried about how it would go because it was my choice not theirs. Not that any of them really had a reason not to like the situation.

"So are you leaning away from demon now?"

"Strongly." I laughed as we made our way to the front door.

I could feel our people who were still local crowded into my house. I had never asked Alex how many were in his line but I knew that at least eighty lived close by. Luckily Alex had a bigger place to hold meetings as important as joining lines with Hayden's. Hayden would start gathering his people tomorrow night and in three days everything should be done.

We walked into the house with every pair of eyes on us. There was a gasp from a bunch of them as soon as Hayden and I cleared the door. We hadn't bothered to hide our auras from them as we walked in. I met Marco's eyes and he looked happy for me. Polo was beside him holding Satan and he didn't look to happy at all. There was hurt and anger in his eyes as he looked from me to Hayden and back to Alex.

Maybe there was something to what Hayden had told me earlier about Polo not seeing me as a sister. I knew the things we had done were not really brother and sisterly but I hadn't expected to see the raw jealousy from him. That I had expected from Alex. Hayden took my hand in his as he looked at Polo as well. Alex was standing to the side watching all three of us. He had known this would happen. Alex had known ahead of time that our biggest obstacle would be from people who wanted Hayden and me.

I squeezed Hayden's hand and smiled happily when I felt his returned squeeze. Did it hurt me to know I wasn't going to get Polo’s blessing? Yes. Did it change my mind? No. I leaned closer to Hayden and scanned the room. Sherri was sitting near the back to the left and she gave me a thumbs up. It was so out of place from the tension in the room that I almost laughed. Leave it to Sherri to lighten me up a few notches.

Alex motioned for us to step back as he took center stage. Guess I passed this test and he seen I was serious about Hayden. Many times I had walked away from something because it made others happy for me to do so. This time I was taking my happiness and anyone who didn't like it could shove it or get over it.