Crimson Dreams

"As you all can see," Alex made a motion to Hayden and I. "Alex has chosen a partner. She has chosen a man not of our line so as a gift of my approval I will be challenging his master for him to join our line."

Hayden squeezed my hand quickly before letting go and walking to Alex. It was a formal gathering in the sense that he would have to be introduced to everyone in the room one by one and then we could leave. Sherri came running to me from the back of the room. Her hair was now bright red and she was actually wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. She wrapped her arms around me tightly before turning and giving Hayden a quick hug.

"Welcome to the family." She said as she let him go.

She moved back to my side as everyone came up shake Hayden's hand. Some didn't say anything but there name but others congratulated him. Marco and Polo were last in line. I tried to ignore him staring at me but I could feel his gaze like a weight against my chest. Sherri took my hand and shook her head before pulling me against her side.

This whole thing had just started and already I wanted it to end. Marco took Hayden's hand with a smile as his other hand came to rest on Hayden's shoulder.

"Good luck brother." He looked at me. "My brother and I have spent more time with her than anyone else here, aside form Alex and Sherri there," He nodded his head to Sherri and she laughed. "and I can guarantee you that you will need all the luck in the world to tolerate her." He pulled away from Hayden and hugged me tightly. "Try to be nice." He walked away from us and I turned to see Polo walking up.

Polo took Hayden's hand lightly for only a second before pulling away and coming to me. He pulled me into his arms and away from Sherri before kissing my cheek softly. "I need to talk to you." He said against my cheek. It was whispered but every vampire in the room heard him.

"Later." I pulled back and his options were to make a scene and hold on to me or let me go. He chose to let me go and I stepped back into Sherri's arms. This wasn't going to well.

Hayden came to my side and Sherri moved back enough for him to wrap his arms around me. "Mingle with your people, Angel. I must be present when Alex makes his call to my sire and I don't want to keep you from your friends." He pulled away with a quick kiss to my forehead and then went to Alex's side.

I took Sherri's hand and let her lead me out the back door. As soon as the door opened Vlad and Satan came running towards us. I kneeled down on the porch and kissed them both before walking to the very back of my property. Sherri and I could talk here without worrying about the others overhearing us by accident. They could still hear us if they tried but that would be rude and they would be listening at their own risk.

"He's cute." She had sat down and was now pulling Satan into her lap.

"It was hard to keep in mind he was there to kill me before I found out who he was and why he was really here."

"Is that why you called Polo?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Because Marco called us and said you had called Polo and now he couldn't find either of you and Hayden was sitting in your house. Alex and I were standing outside when Polo came back and there was no mistaking the smell."

"I didn't sleep with him."

"I know. We've had this talk before remember?"

"Thanks for teaching me that."

"Glad I could help."

Sherri had been the one to teach me how to reach release without the removal of clothes. I had come to her after a night with yet another human and told her about my issues and why I could never sleep with the vampires. She shared her knowledge of Tantric Sex with me and showed me how to do it. I wasn't a lover of women but for Sherri to teach me to get my release I had set my feelings of women aside.

"Is it still needed?"

"Only to show him it is possible."

We both started laughing as she released Satan and started to stand.

"Is he as good as he looks?"

"Better."

I had sensed Polo leaving the house when she did so I was standing now as well. Satan and Vlad hadn't bothered to get up but only stretched lazily about. I was happy to see them safe and alive. I hadn't known what had happened to them when we left them.

"I am going to get a bite and something tells me Polo wants to talk to you by himself."

She took off and left me standing there while Polo made his way to me. His walk was controlled and lethal at the same time. There was a reason he and Marco spent a lot of time with me since I joined Alex. Alex knew they could protect me better than anyone but himself and I was as safe with them as an infant in their mothers loving arms. His white shirt stood out amongst the sea of black that made his pants and jacket.

"Why?" He asked before he even stopped walking.

"Because I love him."

"You didn't give anyone else a chance."

"I did and it nearly ruined my life."

"That man did not love you the way I do."

"So are you mad I chose someone outside the line or that I didn't chose you?"

The question was very blunt and with his anger came the first wave of his power. It washed over me in ripples and brought my own aura to answer. The sight of Hayden's claim pissed him off more and gave his power an amp up.

"You dare flaunt his mark on you when you know it angers me?" The brown fire in his eyes couldn’t be mistaken for anything but rage and it was directed at me.

"You know I can't control my own when someone pushes theirs onto me."

I have seen Alex drop an argument with Polo when that fire of rage took him but I wasn't worried about loosing Polo as an ally and killing him. He would never attack me for more than fear of Alex. Despite how pissed his was at me he still loved me and he wouldn't hurt me for that reason. He just wanted to scare me but I wasn't going to back down. I loved Hayden and I was not going to let him go.

"Both." He finally answered my question and started calming down.

"I love him."

"But he doesn't know you the way we do. The way I do."

"But you really don't know me. I haven't ever been myself with you guys. I have always been controlled and kept in check by myself around you and everyone else but Sherri."

"Then why couldn't it have been her? I know that the one who hurt you was a guy and I suspected you would be a lover of woman when you made it clear only Sherri could spend the night with you. I could have handled her."

"She was the only one allowed to stay with me because she was teaching me things and I didn't want anyone else to know what she was teaching me."

"It's only been five days since I met you at your apartment. He can't mean that much to you so soon."

I sighed. I hadn't wanted to go here with Polo but in a way I deserved it for running from my feelings and trying to hide them with Polo’s body. "I was already falling for him when I went to you."

"So you came to me to get me out of your system?"

"No." I looked around as I tried to find the best way to put it. "I came to you because I was trying to run from how I was starting to feel about him. I almost fucked him on a dance floor before I called you."

"That's nice. Did you return home to finish what I started with him?"

My anger flared out as I lost the last bit of control I still had on my aura. I didn't want this to turn into a fight but he was picking really hard for it to be one. My skin tingled as I rode my power and turned to face him fully. He blinked at me and I seen the first glint from unshed tears.

"You're like a brother to me. We may have done things that were not very suitable for brother and sister and I do love you. But the love I have for you is no stronger than that of a brother. I am happy with Hayden and I had hoped for you to love me enough to be happy for me but I see that you are only interested in your hurt feelings and not my happiness. For years I have denied my happiness so that everyone else could be happy and this time I won't back down."

"I have never asked you to give anything up for me."

"You didn't have too. None of you did. If I felt it would make you unhappy I wouldn't do it."

"The only thing you have ever done that made me unhappy, aside from this, was change our relationship after you got back."

"Remember the night you came and got me from that demons house?"

"Of course I do. It was only six months ago."

"I had gone to him so he could turn me and I would be part of them. The only reason I left that house was because it as you who came to get me and I seen the pain in your eyes as you figured out what I intended to do."

"Had you done it then you wouldn't have been able to be with Hayden."

"But they would have taken me from this line. Hayden is willing to join this line to be with me and not take me away from you all."

"But we all knew you were more interested in demons."

"But none of you wondered why?"

"Because it's in your blood."

"No. That's not why."

"Then why? Tell me so I know where I fucked up and I can fix it."

"It's too late. It has already been fixed and there is nothing more anyone can do about it."

"I don't like it but I at least give you my blessings and hope everything works out for you." He smiled and wrapped his arms around me. "I will always be here for you if and when things don't work out with him."

"But everything will work out just fine." Hayden's voice actually made me jump.

"God I forget you can do that and it is damn creepy when you remind me."

Hayden laughed and held his arms out to me. I kissed Polo on the forehead lightly before pulling away from him and going to Hayden. He hadn't tried to stop me which said he was serious about giving me his blessings even though he wasn't happy about my choice.

"I know you heard me anyways but I will repeat it for the sake of being a good sport. I give my blessings to the two of you with a warning that if you hurt her I will kill you."

"As will everyone in that house and some I have yet to meet." Hayden and had made it clear that he didn't see Polo as a personal threat but rather just another of Alex's line who would kill or die to protect me.

I turned in Hayden’s arms and pressed my body against his. When he looked down at me I pushed myself up and pressed my lips to his softly. My body leaned against his more to keep my balance as I nibbled along his bottom lip. With his hands kneading my back he chuckled against my lips before rubbing the tip of his nose against mine.

"Oh Angel, you're not going to be able to get away from me."

"Good." I pulled back from him and took his hand before turning to Polo. The shock in his face said clearly that he understood I really did care for Hayden. "How did Rachel take the news?"

"She is furious but she has agreed to come here and complete the ritual. Alex has decided to release me from his line the same night and then join our lines. She will challenge me when he releases me but she will have to wait until after all manners have been addressed before she will get her fight. Alex and I agree she will back out of the fight the moment our lines are joined."

"If she doesn't back out of the challenge you will have to fight her." He didn’t need me reminding him of the vampire laws but I did.

"Then I will fight her and win."

"But you won't kill her."

"Not unless she makes do so."

"But I thought..."

"My secret will be revealed when all my people are there. She will already know and if it isn't enough to stop her than it won't be enough to stop me."

"So you told Alex about that but there is something you have yet to tell me."

"I told Alex because this was his test to me. He wanted to know if I would kill Rachel to be with you. I haven't told you because I want to see your honest uncontrolled reaction."

"And I am supposed to accept that?"

"You could go to Alex and see if he will tell you but he will want to know who the man is."

Well haven't they covered their asses well? Hayden wouldn't tell me on his own and I had nothing to bargain with him. Alex would tell me only if I was willing to tell him about Nathan. Thus I would not know Hayden's secret until he revealed it to be.

"Wait," Polo said before I had finished my thoughts. "you know who the man is?"

"Yes I do."

"Tell me his name and I will help you find him."

"I will find him on my own. I won't betray her trust that way."

"You do know when I told you that I thought I was going to be killing you." I asked Hayden.

"I know but it doesn't change the fact you told me and I seem to be the only one aside from you and he to know. Polo and Alex are not the only ones who have asked me if I knew."

"You'll never find him."

"I have a very long life ahead of me and I can watch where he goes."

I didn't have to ask who 'he' was. I had told Hayden than Nathan was a friend of Alex's and Alex went to his house frequently. I hadn't considered that as a problem when I thought of the many ways Hayden would find Nathan. Now he knew where Nathan lived and it was only a matter of time before he put two and two together and came up with Nathan's death.

"We won't be here much longer." I reminded him.

"But you will always want to visit home between cases."

"You're doing what?" Polo seemed to be really good at asking the questions out loud that I wasn't ready to answer.

"I am going with Hayden."

"To do what?" He asked.

"To be Justice Huntress to my Justice Hunter." Hayden said with a smile.

"Are you fucking crazy? You said you weren't leaving us."

"She will be back, Polo, and she would be doing the same thing she does around here only with the man she loves." Alex was coming towards us. I hadn't even noticed he was coming. Either my guard was way down or maybe he too had the ability to cloak himself. "Invites have been sent to allies and the rest of my own people. We will be pulling out soon so the two of you can get some sleep. I will keep three guards on the house so rest in peace."

I kissed Alex on the corner of his mouth before he turned with a motion for Polo to follow him. Polo kissed my hand before shaking Hayden's and following Alex. I watched the two of them cross the yard and then go inside the house. Hayden stepped up to me and kissed my forehead as the familiar aura of Sherri drew closer. One look at Hayden's face told me he had heard everything that had been said as soon as I left the house. Heat spread across my neck and face just as she stepped into view.

"She will surely be showing me the tricks you taught her later tonight." He said as he looked at Sherri.

"I will try to keep my ears closed. I just wanted to let you guys know that myself along with Tack, and Marco will be guarding the house. Marco told Alex to send Polo home or else it would have four of us." She wrapped her arms around Hayden and kissed his cheek. "Have fun."

She picked me up and held me against her tightly while laughing. I kissed her cheek as she kissed mine before setting me down. "We will."

"I am sure."

"Why the guard?" I asked.

"One of Raphael's men got away. Marco did a good number on him but he was attacked by three others. Dude got away while Marco was fighting the other men off." She gave me an apologetic smile before she started walking back towards the woods. "One more thing." She stopped and turned around to face us. "Can I bring James?"

"Of course." I said with a wink.

James was her long time boyfriend. She was going to be changing him a few months so they could stay together forever. She had asked me to go with her as support when she asked Alex. Alex had agreed under the condition that he wasn't to be told what I really was. Sherri had been excited and had almost got into an accident three times as she drove me home.

"Come on, Angel." Hayden picked me up in his arms. "You have something to show me."

A shiver went up my spine at the promise those words held. I wonder how long the two of us could stay within the clothes boundaries. It had never been a problem for me to stay within in the lines but I have a feeling Hayden was about to change that.