Mikaine

Chapter Four

Mikaine cursed as he saw that dawn was fast approaching. His car was protected but he didn’t fancy spending the day there. There was a safe house up the road. He could get a goodnight’s sleep and torment his ex. Life was good.

It was only when he pulled up to the house that he smelled the smoke. His first thought was; Vaultine. All originals could sense each other and he knew she had been there recently and that she might still be in there. He reached out with his mind and felt a vague response. /Vaultine?/ He asked. Even if it wasn’t her he couldn’t leave this person to burn to death. /Where are you? I’m here to help you, but I need to know where to find you. Are you hurt or trapped?/

/Basement, I think. I can’t wake up./

Bemused by that, he went to the basement door and kicked it open. No flames met his approach so he counted himself lucky. The smoke was thick and the fire had engulfed the only door out. His eyes stinging, he went further into the room. She was laying on the floor tossing and turning but not waking up.

He lifted her into his arms easily and carried her out of the house. He deposited her in the backseat of his car, climbing into the large backseat with her to check her over. She didn’t have any major burns but she wasn’t breathing very well. Cursing the fact that he didn't have any healing abilities, he simply made sure that she was comfortable before climbing into the front seat. He called a head to a hotel and told them to have a door on the ground level open. Having money was always a perk.

The sun was up fully by the time that he got to the hotel, but it was really cloudy. The door was hanging open as he had requested. Praying that he would be lucky, and that the cloud cover would continue he got out. The sunlight stung but it wasn’t anything that he couldn’t handle. He grabbed the girl, she moaned when the sunlight hit her.

He carried her into the room and kicked the door shut. He felt as though he were about to collapse. Fire was deadly to vampires, even smoke was dangerous. Once he had laid her down in the bed, he allowed himself just that, collapse next to her.

The next evening

Jessica awoke, her eyes were stinging and her lungs burned with every breath. She was also starving, even hungrier than she had been last night. She stretched her aching muscles and tried to remember what had happened. /Gabriel,/ she instinctively called out for her sire, not receiving any response. Was he okay? How was she still alive?

She looked around and quickly realized that she was no longer in Gabriel’s house. She sensed movement and finally noticed the man laying beside her. Her breath caught in her throat, he was beautiful. Black hair was fanned out over the pillow. A strong, sensuous mouth pouted slightly in sleep. He was fully clothed, to her relief, and tall.

Of course, all that really stood out to her was his neck, or rather, the pulse beating in his neck. She was just so hungry. She slowly moved over him, not realizing how predatory her movements were. She straddled his legs, part of her was terrified of what she was doing. She leaned over his neck slowly.

She’d stop herself; she just needed to take a little, to take the edge off of her hunger. Her lips had just touched his pulse when his body tensed. A moment later she found herself on her back with her hands pinned above her head. A pair of brilliant blue eyes glared down at her.

“While I don’t mind waking up with a beautiful woman on top of me I should warn you that if you bite me, I will bite back,” he said his voice was calm and sensual. She could see his fangs as he spoke.

“I- I’m sorry. I’m just so hungry. I didn’t realize that you were… a vampire.” The last word was whispered.

Amusement touched Mikaine’s eyes. “You’re joking, right?” He didn’t release her, choosing instead to make himself more comfortable over her. She shook her head. “Exactly how old are you, sweetheart?”

“Twenty-One.”

“Not how old were you when you were… Wait. When did you become a vampire?”

“I woke up like this last night.”

“Oh… shit…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sweetheart. Why don’t you tell me what happened last night?” /Even when you aren’t around you still find a way to screw me over./

“Who wants to screw you over?”

He smiled faintly. “It’s not nice to pry when you weren’t invited, baby.”

“Sorry… I guess I don’t have very good control over my abilities right now. I don’t know what I’m doing. Gabriel- Gabriel! Is he okay?”

“Gabriel is your sire?” Jessica nodded. Vaultine’s grand-childe… why was she left behind? “I should get a hold of him and Vaultine.”

“No!”

“No? Did you do something wrong? Was Gabriel not supposed to sire you or something?”

“It’s not that. I think Vaultine tried to kill me. I think she started the fire and knocked me out to get rid of me.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know. It really doesn’t make any sense.”

Mikaine figured that he knew why. “Go take a shower, I’ll get something for you to wear.”

“You won’t call her?”

“No, believe me when I say that there’s no love lost between Vaultine and myself.”

“Okay… will you let me up?”

He seemed to have to consider that. “I guess.” He got to his feet lazily. “How do you feel?”

“Um, my body aches, and it hurts to breathe, but I’m alive so I’m feeling pretty optimistic at the moment.”

“By the way, my name is Mikaine.”

“I’m Jessica.” That was a reaction he wasn't used to. Most people at least balked at the name of one of the originals.

“I’ll be back within an hour. Don’t leave, okay?” Jessica nodded. Mikaine walked out and got into his car. Once he was on the road he called Endaires.

“What in the bloody hell do you want that would have you calling me at this ungodly hour?”

“It’s past sundown, Daire.”

“Mikaine? Here it isn’t… or is it?”

“You didn’t know it was me? What if it were Alaza?”

“Impossible.”

“How?”

“I’m with her, why would she call me?” Mikaine made a face at that piece of information. “Now what do you want?”

“Gabriel sired a new childe.”

“Yes, Vaultine called me.” Endaires was their unofficial record keeper. Finding a small boutique that was still open, he pulled over.

“So, this was sanctioned?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I have the girl back in my motel room.”

“Kaine! What the hell-?”

“Mind out of gutter, mate. I found her in Gabriel’s New England residence as it burned to the ground. Jessica seems to think that Vaultine knocked her out and left her to die.”

“Why would Vaultine do that?”

“Gee, I wonder. Every time Gabriel has turned someone they’ve ended up dead of an ‘accident.’ It can’t be a coincidence.”

“I always assumed that Gabriel got tired of them and killed them.”

Mikaine smiled entering the shop. “You’ve never met Gabriel, have you?”

“I can’t say that I have.”

“He’s soft. Like a big fluffy teddy bear. Trust me, it isn’t him.”

“Has her jealousy gone so far?”

“I don’t know. I’ll find out though.”

“Kaine, you aren’t going to do anything to her, are you?”

“The girl? Of course not.”

“No. Vaultine.”

“Ah. I haven’t made up my mind yet. But if what the girl claims is true then Gabriel deserves to know.”

“Just… be careful. You know better than anyone how sharp her claws are.”

“I will. I’ll call you later.”

“Be safe,” Mikaine smiled to hear his sister’s voice.

“You too. Watch your back, Laz.”

He could hear the smile in her voice as she responded. “I’ve got Daire to do that.”

“And what a lovely back it is,” Mikaine could hear the older man purr.

“Ugh. I’m going to go before I get sick. Bye.”

Alaza giggled. “Bye, Kaine.” He hung up and finished his shopping taking his purchases up to the front.

“Wow, someone’s going to like you,” the pretty clerk said as he paid.

“My sister’s birthday,” Mikaine smiled. “You look like you’re about her size. Could you come around here?” Looking confused, she went to his side. Light concentration and the sign on the door read closed.

Confident that they wouldn’t be bothered, he concentrated on making sure that she was calm. He had fed well the night before but breathing in the smoke had diminished a lot of his strength. Plus, he knew that Jessica needed blood badly. He brushed the woman’s hair aside and bent over her neck, biting down. He drank deeply leaving her feeling a little weak but conscious.

He altered her memory so she didn’t even remember him coming in. He left a hundred dollars in the bottom of her purse before leaving. His body felt so a live now, he felt like he might be vibrating. He sped back to the motel. Jessica was sitting on the bed in just a towel when he walked in.

Mikaine fought his normal reaction to the sight if a woman, barely dressed, and slightly wet, especially after a good feeding. “Here,” he said practically thrusting the clothes at her. It only caused her to drop the towel. She caught it against herself but not before Mikaine got a good look at what had been hiding under it. He almost cursed, so much for self-control.

She juggled the clothes and the towel on the way to the bathroom. This allowed him good look at her ass. Mikaine sat down closing her eyes. Why couldn’t Gabriel have turned a man? She came back out seconds later, dressed a looking confused.

“How did you know what size I am?”

“Experience,” he said. She still looked puzzled. “I’m an original. I’ve been alive for over two thousand years.”