Shadows of the Night

okay... here we are. back again once more to see what kind of twisted shit i can pull from my mind. it might not be all that twisted, but it certainly looks as if it could lead in that direction. hopefully, every one knows by now that this is, for the most part, pulled from the dark creases of my dark and evil little brain. if there is anything that resembles any other work of fiction, it is entirely unintentional.

please be aware that, while not all chapters will be icky, there will almost always be something to be warned of. death and pain is a good, safe bet. and sex will pop up eventually. i\'ll be sure to let you know so you can arm yourselves appropriately. if you read and find you do not like anything i\'ve written, i won\'t be held responsible. this is a dark fic and will undoubtably contain references to things that some people will find offencive. don\'t like it, don\'t read it. its that simple. i have warned you time and again that it will not always be nice.

if you do enjoy the little trip into dark and nasty land, feel free to drop me a review. thanks so much for looking.

Chapter Seven: Unexpected Developments
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\"Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod,\" Kat moaned, her eyes locked on the television and the images flickering there. She was pale and sweating, her entire body shaking. She wrapped her arms around herself, curling over with the mental pain in a mirror image of the way she held herself when she was in physical pain left after the shapeling\'s attack \"Why is this happening to me? Why? Why would anyone want to hurt Doreen? What did I do to deserve this?\"

She was hyperventilating, not quite able to make herself breathe normally. The sorrow and fear poured off her in thick waves, choking Mac with their intensity. The door opened and Drum came in, his eyes locked on her contorted frame. There was a look in Drum\'s eyes that told the other man in the room that the shifter didn\'t like seeing her in pain any more than MacKenzie did.

\"Calm down and tell me all about it,\" MacKenzie said in a gentle tone, immediately pulling Kat into his arms. She snuggled in close to him and buried her face in his chest. Her sobs were loud and, to MacKenzie, they sounded like they hurt.

\"I work with her at the ad agency. She\'s in the accounting department. She\'s married, with two young children. I\'ve been invited over to her house to have dinner with her and her family more than once. Her kids are so much fun to be around. I was supposed to go visit them soon, after I started to feel better. We were going to go to the movies and spend the day playing. They\'re only five and seven. Now they don\'t have a mother.\"

MacKenzie and Drum stared at one another, unable to find the words that would help make Katya feel better. They could only stand there and watch as she cried into Mac\'s shoulder. It was as upsetting for them to watch her as it was for her to hear about her friend. \"She\'s my age and her life is over,\" Kat finally managed to tell him, hiccuping on every other word. \"Oh god! What about her girls? What\'s going to happen to Tina and Shelley? Why would someone do this?\"

\"I do not know, Katya. It is likely that your friend was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time,\" Mac said, hoping the words would soothe her. She said nothing, but she clung to him tighter. Her arms still shook, her tears beading up on his shoulder where they fell. \"Do not worry about the children, little one. Their father will care for them and help them through this ordeal.\"

\"Who would do this? Who would hurt an innocent woman?\" she asked in a rush, her voice weak with grief.

\"I don\'t know, Kat. But the police will catch her killer,\" Drum told her. His eyes met with MacKenzie\'s and both men knew he was only saying it to try and make her feel good. They both knew that it wouldn\'t happen.

Katya was now panting. Her distress was tangible as it filled the air. Both men knew she was going to be ill if she didn\'t calm herself down. Between the pain she\'d been in earlier to the anguish she felt at the death of her friend, she was pushing herself toward a trip to the bathroom where she would spend time working at bringing up every major organ. MacKenzie took it upon himself to put an end to her emotional distraught.

Prying her arms from around him, he settled her back against the soft mattress. She looked up at him, lost and frightened. He offered her a smile and put a hand on her cheek. \"Sleep, little one. Sleep and be at peace for a short time. Sleep and rest, sweeting. Sleep and find the land of pleasant dreams.\"

His voice was soft and soothing and it did what it was supposed to. Katya slowly drifted off, her eyes fluttering open and closed until she finally gave up the fight. In only a moment or two, she was lost in the comforting embrace of a deep sleep. When MacKenzie was certain she wouldn\'t wake, he turned to Drum. The shifter nodded his head and turned, stepping back out into the hallway. MacKenzie followed after him, pulling the door shut softly.

Both of them went downstairs, heading into the large, spacious living area. While MacKenzie took a seat on the couch, Drum stormed over to the bar and poured himself a whisky. The glass was a thick, heavy crystal tumbler and the amber liquid rose almost to the very top. Drummond swallowed the contents down with one gulp. He turned back to the bar and poured another. This time, he sipped at it. When he turned, his green ice eyes were as cold as the arctic. The anger in them would be enough to slay a legion of shapelings, if looks were able to kill. \"That bitch is hunting her,\" he snarled.

\"This could be nothing more than a coincidence,\" MacKenzie said softly, though it was plain to hear by the lack of conviction in his voice that he didn\'t believe it.

\"Bullshit, Mac! That psychotic bitch is trying to break her. You know it as well as I,\" Drum glared at him. MacKenzie sighed and wished that he could have a drink with his friend. \"You know what Niki is capable of. You know what she did to Tolly.\"

\"Tolly made her own choices,\" Mac pointed out gently. He was the one who\'d had to clean up Niki\'s mess with Tolly. It had been hell trying to end the poor girl\'s life. Niki had been so cruel that Tolly had lost all sense of self. She\'d been little more than a hollow shell by the time Mac had been ordered to finish her off.

\"You forget, old friend, that I was there to help bring you back to yourself after you ended Tolly\'s existence. It took a while for you to see that you hadn\'t killed an innocent soul. If you could have gotten drunk then, you\'d have been drunk for a month solid,\" Drum told him gently. \"You care about her, Mac. If Niki did anything to hurt her, it would be the death of you. I honestly believe it would be the end of you and I don\'t want to see anything happen to you, Mac. You\'re the best friend I\'ve ever had and the only one who hasn\'t turned from me for a moment of weakness on my part.\"

Mac said nothing for a long while, merely nodded and knew that his friend spoke the truth. He did care for Katya. Far more than he should. But that couldn\'t be helped and he couldn\'t allow it to interfere with what needed to be done. \"Katya and Tolly were two different people, Drum. I do not think that Katya would fall prey to Niki the way Tolly did. Tolly was weak.\"

\"Weak? Niki fucking turned her into a living zombie. She broke every last bit of will Tolly had. She\'ll do the same to Kat before she gets what she wants. She\'ll shred the person that Katya is just to have her as her toy,\" Drum strode across the room, his empty hand gesturing up at the ceiling in the general direction of the room Kat slept in. \"You know exactly what will happen. Niki will do everything she can to break Kat\'s body, mind and spirit. She\'ll hunt her down, drive her slowly insane and then kill her. Is that what you want? Do you want her to lose her life to that bitch?\"

\"Niki knows she cannot have Katya,\" MacKenzie sighed heavily. \"Templer has forbidden her from making any new toys.\"

\"Templer doesn\'t give a shit what she does. That sick fucker sits on his throne and worries more about getting a blow job than he worries about what\'s happening with the family. Don\'t deny it and don\'t defend him. You know I\'m right, Mac.\"

\"There is little I can do to stop this, Drum. In order to put a halt to it, Niki must die. Unless I have been sanctioned by Templer to do so, I cannot kill her. To kill one of the family without Templer\'s approval is an automatic death sentence.\"

\"Then go talk to the bastard and tell him what she\'s doing. Get his approval to stop her,\" Drum demanded harshly. Mac glanced at him, then smiled and shook his head. \"What\'s so funny?\"

\"You are taken with her. You have only known her a day and already, she has control of you,\" Mac grinned at his friend.

\"She does not. Stop changing the subject. Are you going to stop Niki or not? If you don\'t, trust me when I say I will,\" Drum retorted, a faint blush staining his cheeks.

\"You know that you cannot do such a thing. I am counting on you to keep her safe when I cannot. You are the only one I trust to such a task. There is none in this city who can keep her safe as well as you can,\" Mac told him, a pleading look in his eyes. Drum held his gaze for a moment longer, than sighed and slammed his glass down on the bar.

\"Damn it, Mac! You can\'t just sit there and let Niki stalk her until she wins,\" he retorted. Drum glared at Mac, his eyes piercing in their intensity. MacKenzie stared back, waiting for the other man to back down. He never did and Mac was forced to drop his gaze first with a heavy sigh.

\"Very well. I will go speak with Templer. But I cannot promise it will be of any use to us,\" MacKenzie nodded and stood. Drum gave him a small, tight smile in thanks. Both men knew he\'d been lying when he\'d said that Katya hadn\'t found a way past his defences. \"You will stay here and guard her for me?\"

It was both a question and a command. Drum ignored the command part of it, simply staring at his friend for a while. There was nothing he could do or say other than to sigh and nod his head. \"You know I will. Just don\'t take all god damned night. I\'m not a vamp. I need to sleep occasionally. And if you expect me to protect her from shapelings during daylight hours, I need to get some sleep at night.\"

\"As you will,\" MacKenzie inclined his head, a faint smile on his face. He was gone before Drum could say another word to him.

\"Fucking vampires. They\'re nothing but show offs,\" the shifter grumped and poured himself another shot of whisky.

~*~*~*~*~

The throne room of the Lair was dimly lit. Most of the family was gone, most likely out feeding or playing with their blood mates. Templer was sitting upon his tattered throne, still clothed and looking rather put out about something. MacKenzie sketched a low bow before approaching the man. Templer glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, then heaved a big sigh. \"Obviously, you came here because you want something. Out with it,\" he snarled.

\"There is a problem, Templer,\" Mac began slowly, trying to figure out what had brought on such a foul attitude from the man who spent his life moving from one sexual favor to the next.

\"There\'s always a problem. Deal with it,\" Templer snapped at him.

MacKenzie didn\'t like this part. He didn\'t like having to answer to Templer.The man had no idea how to actually run the family. As long as he wasn\'t questioned, he didn\'t really care what the others did.
He only made a token effort to keep his people under control, laying down generalized laws that might or might not actually apply to any given situation. Templer controlled people through other, more devious tactics. He didn\'t rely on rules so much as he relied on subtle intimidation and outright bullying.

There were two reasons why Templer had remained head of the family for so long. One was because there really wasn\'t anyone strong enough to challenge him. The other was because too many people were afraid to challenge him. Anyone who had made noises about Templer\'s policies and the manner in which he handled problems soon disappeared. Even MacKenzie didn\'t know what had become of them. Someone else was Templer\'s Enforcer. It was a job usually given to the Second, but he\'d never been offered such a position.

\"It is your problem to deal with. It is one of your children who is creating the problem,\" MacKenzie told him softly. The statement earned him an annoyed look as Templer shifted in his seat so that he could better stare at MacKenzie\'s face.

\"Get on with it! I have business to attend to tonight and I can\'t do it with you harping on me about things you should be dealing with,\" Templer spat, his voice harsh and cold. MacKenzie knew it meant that nothing he said or did would convince Templer to see his point of view. But he\'d started this and he had to finish it. If he wasted Templer\'s time, that would prove hazardous to his continued health.

\"The woman you have me keeping. She is being hunted,\" Mac began, only to be interrupted.

\"I know this, you fool! I sent you to look after her so that the shapelings couldn\'t finish what they\'d started,\" Templer spat at him. They both knew it for the bald-faced lie it was. Mac was watching Katya so that Templer could use her gifts to his advantage. He was always looking out for what would be best for him.

\"The shapelings aren\'t the only ones hunting her, Templer,\" Mac told him plainly, a thread of anger creeping into his voice. \"Niki is hunting her, too. She wants Katya as a toy. You know what she will do if she succeeds. Tolly was completely broken because Niki wanted her. She will do the same to Katya.\"

\"Then I will trust that you do not allow that to happen, MacKenzie. \"Its your duty to protect the woman. For my better interests,\" Templer told him, a thread of steel lacing his voice to tell the other man that he was serious.

\"Then allow me to challenge Niki. Allow me to stop this now. Let me kill her before she harms your better interests,\" Mac asked, deadly intent echoing in his voice.

Templer stared at him for a few moments, watching the lack of expression on his face. If he suspected that Mac had any feelings for the girl, then it would make his job that much harder. Templer would take it as a personal affront that Mac had allowed himself to be taken in by a bit of humanity and would punish him accordingly. MacKenzie didn\'t need that kind of hell in his life. It was already hellish enough as it was.

\"No.\"

\"She will destroy all that Katya is if she succeeds in her quest. Niki is the one responsible for the death of that man in the park. And we believe she has killed another person of Katya\'s acquaintance. She cannot be allowed to continue this,\" Mac retorted hotly.

\"Then let the mortal authorities deal with her. If they can,\" Templer smiled so viciously that MacKenzie felt a moment of pity for any mortal that stumbled across Niki during one of her rages.\"This is my final word on the matter. Don\'t ask me again. Do what you were told to do and nothing more.\"

MacKenzie opened his mouth to snap out a reply, but heard the scraping of the door that announced the arrival of someone. He closed his mouth and glanced to the hallway, where there soon appeared a tall woman dressed in high fashion clothing with an expertly made up face. She was the Second to another coven in town. Mac had never liked her, because she was as cruel as Templer and rejoiced in abusing the vamps serving her Master. Beside her was a short, squat man with dark hair and small, beady eyes. He was the coven\'s Enforcer. Deeanna McBride and Orwen Rogers were as opposite as any two people Mac had ever seen in his life.

And yet, they fit together better than any two he knew. It helped that they were actually a married couple and had become vamps together when Orwen had been diagnosed with some rare disease a century or two ago. Deeanna had chosen to live as an immortal to be with her husband when he\'d been offered the opportunity to be free of the pain that ate at him and the slow, agonizing death that was sure to follow in the months to come. They\'d moved up the ranks of their coven rapidly, using pain and death to advance and crush anyone they thought was inferior beneath their boot heels.

Their appearance explained Templer\'s mood perfectly.

Without thought or being ordered to do so, MacKenzie moved and took his place next to Templer\'s throne. He heard Templer make some noise of agreement and knew that it would be a long while before he could get back to Katya and Drummond.

\"Greetings, Templer. My Master wishes good health to you,\" Deeanna intoned and Mac forced himself to hold back his sigh. If they were reverting to Old Customs, it would be a long night indeed.

~*~*~*~*~

The children were screaming and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Her hands were covered in blood, a thick pool of the viscous fluid on the floor near her feet. She could see them, huddled together on the other side of the puddle, their eyes wide with their fear. They were screaming, their mouths open so wide that she thought she could count all of their teeth. She wanted to go to them, to offer them comfort, but she couldn\'t. She could smell their fear and it made her hungry. She wanted to taste their fear, taste their innocence and youth mingled with the ripe sense of fear that flooded through their bloodstreams.

She wanted to taste them, to sink her fangs into their tender throats and drink their fear from them. She imagined it would be like sipping a fine wine, full of body and flavor as it passed over her tongue and taste buds to slide down her throat like the smoothest of all chocolates. Her mouth hurt from trying to hold back, the sharp points of her fangs sinking into her own gums. The coppery taste of blood flooded over her tongue and she moaned, the sound loud over the children\'s whimpering and crying.

The blood was thick and warm against her feet, though it was already cooling. So much had been split. It was a sight that made her hunger for so many things. A good man, stiff and ready to fuck her senseless. The thickness of blood as it rolled down her throat and into her belly. The spike of fear that came when her victim knew he or she were going to die. It was enough to urge her feet forward. She skated through the thick blood toward the two young girls, her bloodied hands reaching out for them. They only cowered in on one another further and started screaming in earnest once again.

\"Hush, little ones. This won\'t hurt a bit,\" her voice came out smooth as candy and just as sweet. With gentle hands, she pulled the two small children to her and cradled them against her chest. They were small and warm and alive against her cold body. \"Soon, darlings, you\'ll be with your mother again....\"

Kat\'s scream filled the room and bounced back at her. She stared around her, frightened and confused. There was no blood on the floor. No screaming children huddled in the corner. She held her hands out before her and looked at them, searching for the blood that had been in her dream. They were clean and white and shook badly. Her tongue traced over her teeth, searching for the fangs that had been there. The ones she\'d felt sink into the delicate flesh of two little girls. There was no sign they\'d ever been in her mouth.

Still, she could taste them at the back of her throat. She could taste the blood that had coated her tongue in her sleep. The feeling of unparalleled joy that had filled her as their innocence had flowed into her stomach. She could still feel the fire burning there, where their blood and youth had spilled into and filled. She wanted more, craved it so strongly that it felt as if she were going to die without it. The scent of death tickled her nose even now.

\"Oh god,\" she whispered into the silence of the room. The door burst open and Drum stepped in, his eyes searching for any signs of danger. He saw nothing. He\'d known he wouldn\'t find anything. The only things he\'d smelled coming through the door were Kat\'s fear and confusion. They rolled off her in thick waves, telling him that something had deeply disturbed her. He turned his attention to her almost immediately and saw that she was frightened and pale, her body shaking in remembrance. He moved to the bed and sat. She didn\'t wait, but threw herself into his arms and cried on his shoulder.

\"What is it, Kat?\" he asked her gently, his large hands stroking her back with soothing motions.

\"A horrible dream,\" she told him, her eyes closed and pressed tightly into his shoulder. He could feel the tears she shed soaking into his shirt, her fingernails digging into his skin through the thin material stretched across his shoulders.

\"Tell me,\" he urged softly, his big hands gently pushing her away from him so he could look her in the face. Her eyes were wide and empty, as if she wasn\'t able to cope with whatever horror she\'d seen in her mind. \"Katya? What was it?\"

\"Children... they were screaming,\" she managed finally, her eyes lifting to meet his. He saw the pain and anger in them and knew it had to be something horrific. \"There was blood everywhere. On the floor... on my hands....\"

Kat pulled back to look at her hands once more, as if just speaking of the things she\'d seen would make them real. A sob tore from her throat and she buried her face in her hands. It pained him to hear the heart wrenching sounds that were her muffled cries. \"I could taste it. I could taste their blood. I could taste the fear and the innocence. I could taste it all and I want more.\"

\"Katya,\" Drum began, intent on explaining it to her. But she didn\'t give him the opportunity. She looked up at him then and he could see the hunger in her eyes that was her own and yet wasn\'t. Her nostrils flared as she scented him, then a sultry look came into her eyes that was as enticing as it was frightening. He\'d seen that kind of look before. It was the look that came over a vamp when they\'d found blood sport.

\"You smell of fear, Drum. Fear and lust,\" she whispered, inching closer to him. He could hear the other-worldliness in her voice that was like second nature to a vamp when they were playing. There was no power behind it, but it was the same voice and he didn\'t know if this was because of the dream or other things.

\"You aren\'t in your right mind, Katya,\" he said softly, hoping she would really hear him. She only inched closer, her fingers reaching out to trail gently down one of his arms.

\"Of course I am Drum. I can smell the need on you. I want to taste it. I want to taste it like I could taste their fear,\" she nearly purred the words out. Part of him rebelled at the idea that she had so accurately judged his need of her. Part of him wanted her to feed that need. It had been too long since he\'d been with a woman. Any woman. And the lust so plainly heard in her voice was enough to stir feelings he\'d long thought dead. It was a double-edged sword. He wouldn\'t deny that he was intrigued and infatuated with her.

Katya was the most insightful and innocent women he\'d ever met while still knowing much of the world around her. She was also claimed. Whether she realized it or not. And he knew that Mac wouldn\'t have any problems ripping his throat out if Drum touched her when he shouldn\'t. But he didn\'t know how to stop her when she clearly wasn\'t in control. There was no telling what she would do or was even capable of in the jacked up state she was in. Drum really didn\'t want to foul up any kind of friendship he could have with the woman and he wasn\'t about to end the only real friendship he\'d had in his entire life because of her.

\"I know you want me, Drum. I can smell it on you,\" she said, looking him square in the eye as she moved even closer to him. She was so near now, he could feel her body heat as it poured from her and slammed up against his. Her hands reached for him, her fingers gliding down over his shoulders and across the bulging muscles of his pectorals. He couldn\'t stop the shudder that took him when her nails scraped lightly over his abs.

\"Katya, I can\'t. Mac...\" he began, but she lifted a hand and laid a finger to his lips.

\"Isn\'t here, Drum. Please. I know you want to. I want to taste you, too,\" she told him, her eyes locked with his. The need was there, deep in her glittering orbs. Her hands were on his shoulders, urging him gently toward her. His fight was leaving him under the gentle persuasion of her hands and in her eyes. He knew it was wrong, that she didn\'t really know what she was doing. But the reasoning wasn\'t enough to stop him. His subconscious was egging him on, telling him that he could take a quick taste and Mac wouldn\'t be the wiser.

Her eyes were closed before their lips even met and her arms twined around his neck the moment they made contact. She was soft and pliant against him, her body molding to his own almost instantly. His arms slid around her back, his broad hands opened wide to hold her against him tightly. She sighed into his mouth, the slight movement of her body encouraging him to go on.

Her lips were rose petal soft against his own, the heat of her desire and need flowing into him through the skin of her mouth. It was the strongest ahprodisiac for him and drove him to press his lips and body all the tighter against her. She threaded her fingers into his hair, shaping them to the curve of his skull while her mouth meshed with his. He could taste passion on them, a deep and burning passion he thought she was capable of but hid from the rest of the world. There was a kind of sweet innocence to the kiss that he thought would drive any man wild and only served to make his body tighten for want of her.

She moaned into his mouth and he took advantage, driving his tongue in past her lips and teeth to duel with her own tongue. The touch of her\'s against his own sent ripples of pleasure out into his body. It was as if liquid fire ran in his veins, scorching every inch of him with the results of her lust. He knew, on some level that was still capable of rational thought, that this was wrong and she really wasn\'t in control of her body or her actions. But the need was becoming too strong and it really had been so damned long since he\'d been with a woman.

Drum stopped thinking. He allowed himself to simply feel and was lost to the sensations. She was so soft against all the hardness that was him. He pushed her back with his own body, forcing her\'s down against the bed so that he could settle himself on top of her. Her legs shifted open for him, allowing him to settle his hips in the cradle of her thighs. His cock, thick and hard and pulsing from her kisses, pressed into her abdomen. He felt the shudder that rippled up and down her spine and it merely encouraged him

Kat made noises in the back of her throat while her hands clawed at his shoulders. Her body was strung tight beneath his, begging for his caress. He moved a hand down to cup the side of her breast, his thumb stroking it gently while his mouth plundered hers. Her hips raised a little and rubbed along the length of his erection, bringing a moan to his lips. Her hands scrabbled for the waist of his jeans, her fingers searching for the button that held his fly closed.

It was the feel of her cool fingers touching his heated skin that brought him back to his senses. He pulled back and stared down at her, ashamed of what he\'d been ready to do. His friendship with Mac meant more to him than time with a woman. Any woman. And it didn\'t matter that the woman in question was one of the most enchanting women he\'d ever met. It didn\'t matter that she was the first one he\'d met in a long time who didn\'t cower in fear from him because of what he was. It didn\'t matter that she was the loveliest thing he\'d ever seen. It only mattered that she was already claimed.

\"Drum?\" Katya\'s voice came out sounding confused and far less husky than it had been. She looked up at him and some of the hunger that had been in those clear gray eyes was gone. Left in it\'s place was fear and hurt. He could see the self-recrimination in her eyes and frowned. She was going to blame this on her. He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. \"Oh god, I\'m sorry.\"

\"No, honey. Don\'t,\" he said gently, moving to sit on the mattress near her. \"It wasn\'t your fault.\"

\"I didn\'t mean... I shouldn\'t have. I don\'t know what came over me,\" she whispered weakly. He knew she was tired, both emotionally and physically. In her present state, she wouldn\'t be able to understand anything he explained to her. In all honesty, he didn\'t want to tell her what was happening because he knew it would only confuse her further. And then there\'d be the guilt to contend with. He knew she\'d wonder if she would have done the same if she\'d been in better control and that thought would haunt her. He\'d seen it happen before.

\"I told you, honey. It wasn\'t your fault. Please don\'t blame yourself,\" he said gently. She only stared up at him a moment before rolling over onto her side. She was crying, the smell of fresh tears tickling his nose as she hid herself from him. He sighed and slid from the bed. The one thing she needed now was to rest and sleep. He would allow her to do that without his being there. It was obvious she was trying to hide her sorrow from him and he would be considerate enough to allow her dignity. He slid from the bed and made sure to turn off the lights before he moved for the door.

Drummond stopped at the door and stared back at Katya a moment, his heart heavy with so many feelings. Perhaps, if it had been another time and another place. Somethings just weren\'t meant to be. Feeling a peculiar pang of regret, he pulled the door shut behind him and allowed the woman on the bed her privacy.

~*~*~*~*~

Both Templer and MacKenzie watched as Deeanna McBride and Orwen Rogers strolled almost leisurely from the room. Neither one spoke until they were sure that their guests had climbed into their car and driven away. \"Mother fucking son of a bitch!\" Templer finally exploded, filling the silence of his meeting room with the sound of his angry words. Mac silently echoed his sentiments. The meeting had not gone well. \"I can\'t believe that Judas would send those two here like that! What a fucking insult. Doesn\'t the cock sucker know who I am?\"

\"Of course he does, Templer. That is exactly why he sent his Second and his Enforcer to you instead of coming himself. He is insulting you.\"

\"He\'s asking for a permanent case of death,\" Templer growled and slumped back into his chair like a pouting three year old.

\"It is what he wants. For you to make a rash move and declare war. There would be nothing that the mortals could do to prevent their deaths if our coven went to war with his. He is attempting to make you act without thinking,\" Mac explained, then thought that Judas knew Templer too well for everyone else\'s well being. \"He wants to control the family. By destroying you, he will have what he desires most.\"

\"Do you think I\'m fucking stupid, Mac?\" Templer turned a hard glare on his Second.

\"Of course not, Templer. I am merely reminding you that there is much to lose if you allow your emotions to rule your actions. I do not wish to see any harm befall the family. This means I do not wish to see a war break out between our coven and their coven.\"

\"We need to have a meeting of the Officers,\" Templer said in a soft voice, as if he were talking to himself. Then he looked to Mac. \"Tomorrow, an hour after sundown. It will be your job to get word out to all of them.\"

\"As you will, Templer,\" MacKenzie inclined his head. That meant another night away from Katya. He hoped that it wouldn\'t be an all night affair, like tonight was. \"Is there anything else?\"

Templer stared at him a moment or two, a calculating gleam in his eyes. Mac didn\'t like the look one bit and schooled his features into a blank mask to hide anything that he might think that would mean more trouble for him. Finally, he gave a shake of his head and waved his hand limply to the door. \"No. Go and find some rest. Or some blood sport. Whatever.\"

\"Thank you, Templer,\" Mac bowed slightly and moved from the room slowly. Things had just suddenly gone from bad to worse. It wasn\'t bad enough that shapelings and Niki were hunting Katya. It wasn\'t bad enough that he had to watch over her and slowly lose his heart to a woman he couldn\'t have, because Templer would use her against his Second whenever he needed something. Templer was never above a little bit of blackmail if it would suit his purposes.

Now there was the threat of war looming over their heads. Somedays, it didn\'t pay to throw back the lid on the coffin.

end chapter seven.
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i must, as always, thank those who are always there for me and always encourage me to keep going. even when i feel like i\'m doing nothing but crap and it would be better to all if i simply got rid of my attempts at literary spewage and went back to being virtually anonymous. they all know who they are and i love them all very much. much huggles to them, too.

and, as always, a few other thanks:

to Anon: yes, i will answer all your questions as i develop the story and, hopefully, weave it into a tale of intrigue and romance as well as one of death and violence and pain. i think its where i\'m at in my life. i don\'t know. but i\'m glad you enjoyed the last chapter and i apologize for the length of time between updates. i got very very sidetracked last month and am only now just getting back into my groove. i hope that this chapter is acceptable and doesn\'t bring up too many more questions.

to lil: fabulous and beautiful? .:blushes:. thank you so much for the nice words. i hope you continue to enjoy.

to halloweenflower: .:blushes again:. magic with words? thank you so much for the lovely compliment. and yes, Niki is the same as the child in the prologue. i wrote that to show that she\'s always had a vicious mindset and that death doesn\'t seem to impact her in the same manner as everyone else. if she knows she\'s a villian, she doesn\'t care. she only cares about her toys and playing, as she sees it. i do hope you continue to enjoy this.