Chapter Nine

Lindy frowned as she woke up, trying to figure out why she had slept so uncomfortably in her bed. It took her a few minutes to realize she wasn't in her bed, but her couch. And she wasn't alone.

She opened one eye, and froze. She was nestled on her side between the back of the couch and Nathaniel. Her head was on his shoulder, and his arm was around her, lightly resting on her stomach. Her first thought wasn't panic that she woke up like this, but how at ease she felt.

She felt him stir behind her, shifting his shoulders against the couch, sniffling, his arm tightening slightly around her, before settling into slumber once again. God, he was warm, too. Although a blanket lay tangled around them, she suspected it had done nothing to raise her temperature through the night. Nate, however, had done so considerably. She bit back a smile at that thought. She had the urge to stretch and scoot back against him, but didn't. And although it sounded tempting to stay like that for hours, she knew she had to get up before her neck became permanently kinked.

Reaching down, she tugged lightly on his hand and said his name. He continued to sleep for a few minutes, until she did it again. His body jerked against hers, his head lifting up incoherently.

"Wha--" He rubbed his eyes, before looking down at her. A teasing grin crossed his face. "Comfy, gorgeous?"

She answered with one of her own. "No. I think I've done permanent damage to my spine."

"You're just looking for an excuse for me to give you another back rub." He sat up, allowing her to sit up as well. "What time is it?"

She squinted at the clock on the VCR. "Four o'clock, give or take a few minutes. Bit early for you to be up."

"Yeah, well," he said, pausing to yawn. "I went to sleep a bit early, too. I was just going to sit here and watch you sleep...but apparently that didn't last very long."

She laughed slightly, massaging her sore neck, sighing with appreciation as he took over the task for her. She leaned back into his hands, nearly falling over backwards when he abruptly stopped and announced, "My turn!"

She turned her head to see him sitting with his back to her, waiting expectantly. Unable to hide her smile, she turned herself around on the couch and climbed up to her knees behind him. Grasping his firm, wide shoulders through his tee shirt, she started kneading his muscles.

"Ow! What are you using, your fingers or your claws?" She lightened her touch a bit, only to hear, "I'm not made of glass, you can press harder than that."

Sighing heavily, she dropped her hands to her lap and glared at him. Glancing over his shoulder, Nate smirked.

"I'm just kidding, gorgeous. You can take a joke, can't you?" When she continued glaring at him, he reached behind his back and grabbed her hands, pulling them around him to press them to his mouth. He kissed each finger gently, before saying, "I'll stop being a smart ass, all right? Will you continue?"

"Why should I?"

"Because your touch drives me crazy. And it may just be my shoulders for now, but I'll take what I can get." He met her gaze over his shoulder, trying his hardest to sound charming. "Please?"

Her hands returned to his shoulders, rubbing as forcefully as before. Nathaniel sighed, shoulders and neck drooping under her touch. "Talk to me about something, Lindy, or I'm gonna fall back asleep."

"Okay, how about family?"

"Sounds good," he said, leaning back into her touch. "You start."

"I've got a sister who's 13. Amanda and I get along very well for sisters, maybe because of the age difference."

"She also a werewolf?"

"Yeah, my whole family is. Makes an interesting pack dynamic."

"Why? Everyone fighting to be the alpha wolf?"

"No, more like everyone fighting not to be the alpha," she giggled. "Which is difficult, considering there's two almost evenly matched males."

"Your mother's brother and mate?"

"No, both are her mates. There was an early incident in Amanda's life that led to Jess, Alex, and Walter having a threesome. It was supposed to be a one time thing, but somehow they kept the relationship going, and working." She shook her head, not wanting to discuss threesomes any more. "So how about you? Tell me more about your family."

He was silent for a moment. "Well, I can't say I have anything that interesting to tell you. My father died when I was seven, but he was an old man when I was born so it wasn't as much of a shock as it could've been. I already told you I was the youngest, by quite a bit, so my brothers and sisters were already married when I was born. I was never really close to any of them, especially not after my mother remarried and we moved."

"But at least you were close to your mother, right?"

"Hmm, for all the good it did me." He sounded somewhat bitter. "Once she married, I was expected to embrace my new family as my own. But I wasn't ready for that."

"Who was your new family?"

"My step-father was an old vampire. I never really knew if Mother knew that before she married him, or found out afterwards, but apparently it never bothered her enough to leave. She was in love with him, very much so, and I had to accept him. And his son. You have no idea how intimidating it was to be a mortal boy surrounded by vampires in the middle of nowhere. I used to have nightmares every night about them coming to attack me."

She made a soft sound of amusement. "A medieval version of the boogeyman in the closet?"

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, as time went on, I outgrew the fear and started to envy them instead. My step-father was a very wise and powerful man. He had my mother's love, and he adored his son. Never really having much of a father myself, I was terribly jealous. I wanted him to revere me like that. I did everything I could to be liked by him and his son. But it wasn't meant to be. And so I grew rebellious and angry instead."

He drew a deep breath, meeting her gaze over his shoulder. "I wanted to hate them for what they were. I wanted to punish them for not accepting me. And yet, in the end, I had him to thank for what I became. Not the spoiled, vengeful brat...the immortal whose endless life was just as empty and lonely as when it began."

She rested her head on his shoulder, one arm coming across his upper chest. "Maybe not so empty and lonely now?"

"Maybe." He leaned against her, reaching up to squeeze her hand.

Lindy sighed. "So you never married? I won't be so naive to think you didn't have other lovers, but surely there was someone special."

"I know it sounds impossible, but no. I never married because I never had any reason to. I'm the self-destructive type. I always seem to fall for women who are out of my reach...or miss the ones right in front of me." He reached up to touch her face. "Luckily, this time, you practically fell right into my lap."

"I find it a little hard to believe you didn't have women crawling all over you, Nate."

He laughed softly. "All right, there were one or two that I was addicted to. Mostly good friends who became lovers. Others were lost to me, in one way or another. But I had a penchant for women who were already taken. From the first woman I ever fell for, actually. She was my step-brother's lover first. She became mine out of necessity...hers, not mine. But she did teach me quite a few valuable lessons along the way."

"What kind of lessons?" Lindy asked, pushing her hair back out of her face.

"How to manipulate people. How to live by treachery. How to act like you don't give a damn when you're dying inside."

"Sounds like you have things you need to unlearn." She tightened her grip around his shoulders. "I'd love to help you with that.

"Hmm..." Leaning back slightly, he reached around his body and tugged on her, pivoting until he'd pulled her onto his lap. Giggling, she pushed herself upright, maneuvering herself onto his thigh instead of his groin. "I'd love to let you help me with that," he murmured, nuzzling her ear.

Just as she started to soften to his touch, lying limply against him, he stopped abruptly.

"There's more I need to tell you, Lindy...before our relationship gets any more comfortable."

She glanced at him, suddenly serious. "And what's that?"

"My step-brother was, and still is, Anton Rudenko." Ignoring her slight gasp, he added, "And the woman who left his bed for mine, Natasha, was still my roommate when I met you in Baltimore."

She sat back, processing what he just told her. "You're Anton's step-brother?" Anton hadn't spoke of his family often, but when he did mention a brother, it was to tell Lindy not to ask. And she had never heard him mention Natasha's name before.

He nodded, and she narrowed her eyes. "So was it coincidence that you happened to be in Baltimore the same time he and I were? And where is this Natasha staying now?"

"No, it wasn't a coincidence at all. She has a vendetta against Anton, and she'll do anything to make his life miserable...including using me as her spy and errand boy." He felt her tense against him, and lightened his grip on her. "I told her I wasn't going to play her game anymore and I left. I have no idea where she is now, but you can bet it's nowhere near me."

She leaned a bit closer to him, mouth open, tip of her tongue slightly poking out between her teeth. Inhaling deeply, she carefully analyzed what she was smelling. There was no female scent on him other than her own. [He didn't have to tell you about Anton,] she thought. [That can't have been easy for him.] "I'm sorry, Nate, but I have to know. Did you ask me out to get to Anton, or because you wanted to?"

"I wish I had a picture of you making that face...I'd keep it with me all the time." He chuckled a bit as she made a different face at him. "And I asked you because I wanted to. I could have gotten any information I wanted to out of Bryn, remember? I wasn't interested in that after I met you. I guess you can just say I was otherwise occupied."

She looked him over carefully, coming to a decision. Holding his eyes with hers, she leaned forward. "Thank you for telling me," she whispered, and then kissed him.

"Thank you for understanding. Honestly I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd shown loyalty to Anton. He seems to inspire that in people." He stroked his hand over her back. "I can't even seem to hate the guy anymore. Whatever evil she filled my head with is gone. But if I were you, I'd warn him to stay away from Natasha. She's bad news. I doubt she'll stop until one of them is dead."

She placed her head on his chest. "Why don't you tell him? Tell him what you told me."

"Not a good idea, gorgeous. He'd as soon kill me as look at me."

"Hmmph. I'll figure out a way to warn him then. But I'm not going to be able to hide you from him forever. He's already asked when he gets to meet you."

"Heh...guess I'd better buy a tux then. You'll need something nice to bury me in."

She gave him a benevolent smile. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"You don't understand, Lindy. He hates me. He thinks I'm single-handedly to blame for the death of his father, the ruin of his family estate, and Natasha's betrayal. As if I seduced her into the dark side."

"Did you?"

"She didn't need any seducing at all, believe me. She was looking for anyone who would transform her into a vampire, and I just happened to be the lucky sucker...no pun intended."

"And what happened to his father?"

"I can only guess." His expression became suddenly morose. "I told you I became rebellious. A little too much, if I'm completely honest. In my jealousy, I revealed Ivan and Anton for what they were. And if that means I'm guilty of his death, then so be it. But I don't believe it was my words that caused the villagers to revolt the way they did. I think they had a lot more encouragement from Natasha, the very same woman I believe put the stake in Ivan's heart. And caused my mother's rape and murder, as well."

"Then why did you stay with her?" Lindy shook her head. "I don't understand. I would be stalking her with a crucifix and holy water if she tried anything like that with my family. And why is she so intent on tormenting Anton?"

"She has a presence about her, a magnetism in her personality that draws you in. Like a spider's web. You find yourself trapped, unable to escape. I'd leave for a decade or two, but always find myself returning to her, hating myself, but unable to stop." He shrugged lightly. "As to your other question, Anton was the first man to deny her something she wanted badly - immortality. He's also resisted her attempts to win him back. She'd rather destroy something she can't have than let someone else have it, be it a person or a thing."

"And why should I believe that you won't return to Natasha again, if you always did before?"

"Because before I didn't have a reason to stay away. Like I said, I can be very self-destructive. Unless I have something that's good for me," he said, squeezing her hip, "I'm endlessly bashing myself into the wall. I don't really know why. Learned behavior, I guess. You'll have to teach that one out of me as well. Think you can handle that?"

"I think I can handle it," she smirked. "I'll just keep a rolled up newspaper handy."

Nathaniel choked with laughter. "I believe you would, too." He threaded his fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her eyes. "You've got a wonderful sense of humor, Lindy. One of the many reasons I love you." He smiled gently at her stunned blink. "Yeah, I just said what you think I said. I love you, Lindy. And I know you can't say that back to me yet, but I can wait."

"It's not because I don't care--"

"I know," he said, pressing his finger to her lips. "You don't have to explain. I've got plenty of experience with women who love other men, remember? I'm just hoping this instance will turn out differently."

"And if it doesn't?" she asked, with just a hint of worry.

"If it doesn't, I'll go back to my beat-up house and wait for you to change your mind." He smiled, leaning back against the couch. "I've got plenty of patience. Nine hundred or so years of it. I can wait you out."

"Yeah, well, I believe *you* would, too."

"You can't resist me, Lindy. It's a fact. One of these days you'll be begging to spend the rest of eternity with me."

Her eyes widened. She knew what he was referring to. "You'd do that? Transform me?"

He nodded. "If you asked, in a heartbeat."

She frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know if that's even possible. I mean some of the legends say werewolves become vampires when they die, but I always thought that was a load of bullshit. I don't even know if you'd be able to Transform me."

"I'm not asking you now, gorgeous. I'm more concerned with getting you to marry me before I convince you to let me Transform you."

"How about getting something to eat? I think that's what I'm most concerned with at the moment."

He raised an eyebrow. Before she knew it, he was lifting her into his arms and striding towards the tiny kitchen. "In that case, you're in luck. I can cook, too."

He was running down the corridor of the keep, trying to outrun the vision of what he had just seen. The man he called father, staked in the middle of his chamber.

There were few servants in the keep. He hoped it was due to them fleeing before the villein's uprising, not due to joining it. Most of the traitorous scum had fled at sundown, fearing his return from the borders of Ivan's [No, my] lands.

He found one of Natasha's ladies-in-waiting huddled in one of the alcoves. "Where is Lady Natasha?"

"With Lord Nathaniel. Lord Anton! Wait!" she called after him. But Anton's only thought was to find the newly Transformed vampire and make the villein's pay for what they had done.

There was no sign of anyone as he neared Nathaniel's quarters. But he heard a quiet moan. Had Natasha been hurt? He opened the door and froze, stunned by the sight. Nathaniel, naked and cradling his likewise nude lover. Grinning ferally at Anton, he brushed her hair away from her neck, revealing twin puncture marks in her neck before lifted his wrist to his teeth and bit down. Offering his dripping wrist to her, he hissed in satisfaction as she began to drink.

The whole time she suckled on Nathaniel's wrist, her eyes held Anton's, widening at the taste of her first draught of blood. [I told you I always get what I want,] was the message they sent to him. He could smell sweat and sex, which was rapidly overwhelmed by the copper scent of blood. Letting go of Nathaniel's wrist, she smiled seductively as her eyes began to flame and her teeth sharpened. Turning back to Nathaniel, Sabryn caressed his cheek before kissing him...

Anton sat upright in the middle of the bed, shocked into wakefulness by his nightmare.

He felt movement next to him and looked over to see Bryn looking at him with sleepy, half-closed eyes. Her hair was messy and she looked tired, but otherwise exactly the same as she had in his dream. All the way down to the nudity his sheets barely concealed. Stretching languidly, she reached out a hand towards him and he couldn't help flinching--no matter how foolish he felt.

"Bad dream?"

He nodded, still not trusting himself enough to speak. He carefully lowered himself back to the pillow, not touching her. But it didn't matter. The minute he'd settled, she scooted closer and laid her head on his chest. Wrapping her arm around his waist, and throwing one of her legs over his thigh. He could hear a voice in the back of his head, screaming at him that the dream wasn't real, it was OK to touch her...but he didn't.

"Want to tell me about it, or go back to sleep?"

He sighed, digging his head further into the pillow. "You won't be happy when you find out who it was about."

She stroked a hand up and down his chest soothingly. "I promise I won't get too mad, Anton. C'mon, tell me what's wrong."

One of his arms went around her back, a bit hesitantly. "It was a dream and a memory about the night Father was killed."

Sabryn twisted around to look at him, her chin digging into his pectoral. "What happened?"

"There had been rumors of the villeins rebelling along the southern border of our domain. Father sent me to check on the situation, so I was away from the keep when it was attacked." He paused. It was still something difficult for him to speak of. "By the time I returned it was too late. He was dead by the time I found him and she..."

"Oh God." She scooted up to a sitting position beside him, her legs curled under her, her hand resting on his chest. "That must of been horrible. And forgive me for saying so, but I'm glad you weren't there at the time. Who knows what could've happened to you."

"Still, I should have been there." He grabbed her hand, pressing it harder against his heart. "I searched the keep for two people. My step-brother, also a vampire, and Natasha. I had been afraid that she had been attacked and killed like Father's consort had been.

"I found them together. In his bed."

Her fingers curled against his chest, and she closed her eyes. He saw a scowl come to her face until she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "I'm sorry." She placed her other hand over his. "Is that what the dream was about?"

"Yeah, you could say that." He gently stroked her hand. "Not only did he sleep with her, he Transformed her as well." Anton closed his eyes. "Nathaniel and I didn't get along well, but I was starting to think of him as my brother, only to find out he was plotting behind my back the whole time."

She sat forward a bit. "Nathaniel?"

"Yes," he said, opening his eyes.

["Nate's also a vampire." Oh God, Lindy...what have we done?] She was starting to feel a little ill. Pushing down the queasy feeling in her throat, she watched his gaze intently. "How did--why was he plotting against you? I don't understand."

"He was stirring up the villeins with stories of what Father and I did to our 'victims.'" He closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes, Bryn, we fed off of them, but only the dying. They didn't know that Nathaniel was a vampire, because he was still human when he'd started sowing the seeds of his rebellion. He had always been jealous of me, but I thought we were moving past that..."

"He was jealous of you because of her, wasn't he?" She was somewhat glad his eyes were closed, so he couldn't see the look of utter disgust on her face. "Because of Natasha?"

"Among other things."

"And so to keep the peace, she decided to fuck him?"

"No. It's funny, but if she had, I might have forgiven her." He opened his eyes to look at Sabryn. "She had been begging me to Transform her from the moment she discovered what I was. I had thought about it, but wanted to wait. She didn't. Even now I'm not sure who seduced whom, but it doesn't really matter because the end result was the same."

"Might have forgiven her?" Her scowl obviously surprised him, much to her dismay. "How could you even think of that? She's a whore either way, and she deserved to lose you. She deserved to lose both of you. And it really baffles me that you could think otherwise."

"I know that now, Bryn." He sat up and ran the back of his fingers over her cheek. "Back then, it was hard to see it though. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

She backed away from his touch, pulling her hands away and turning her head. Sullenly staring at the wall, she finally shrugged. "And so what if I am?" She met his gaze once more. "If I am, it's only because of the hold she has over you. It certainly isn't for who she is, because I'd rather be a horse's ass."

"Hold over me? What hold over me?"

"You were just dreaming about her and Nathaniel."

"It wasn't her in my dream, Bryn. It was you." He held up a hand to silence her protest. "I know it's preposterous, my dear. But it rattled me when I first woke up."

"I can only imagine." She touched his face, her thumb lingering on his bottom lip. "I'm sorry you had to wake up like that. I've had enough nightmares to know they can be very real for minutes, even hours afterwards. But you know I'd never hurt you like that, don't you?"

"Yes I do." He caught her and pressed it to his lips. "It was a bad dream, but that's all it was. A dream."

"Good." She kissed him briefly, already edging towards the side of the bed. "I have to go...use the bathroom."

She didn't even wait for a response before hurrying into the bathroom and locking the door behind her. Once there, she practically ran to the closet-like room that hid the toilet, closing that door behind her as well. She hoped the double sound barrier would be enough to conceal the sounds of her retching yet again, vomiting for the second time in only a few days.

Whimpering, she slid back against the wall, breathing heavily, praying her stomach wouldn't clench again.

She sat shivering on the table, her sterile hospital gown folded over and held closed under her butt. It seemed like it had been hours since the doctor came in to see her, taking her vitals and a vial of her blood. Her temperature had been slightly elevated, but she wasn't feverish. And although she'd been sick that morning, she felt fine now. Still, she couldn't be sure she didn't have the flu or something worse.

She knew George was in the waiting room, ready to drive her home, and she felt the urge to tell him to leave without her. There was no telling how long she'd be here. She would have asked Anton to come with her instead, but she'd only been able to make a daytime appointment. One of the drawbacks of being engaged to a vampire.

Nervously fidgeting, she grabbed the newspaper stuffed in the nearby magazine rack and opened it. The all-too-familiar headline startled her. More vampire-like killings had the San Francisco PD investigating cult ties. Just as she was starting to read the article, the door opened behind her and the mustached doctor who'd examined her entered the room.

"Well, I have good news for you," he said. "It's not the flu."

Setting down the paper, she watched him sit down before her. "Then, what?"

"Well, Ms. Jaegar," Dr. Gaines said, "you're pregnant."

She shook her head. She might have laughed, except it wasn't at all amusing. "That's not possible."

"Have you had sexual intercourse lately?"

"Yes, but...he can't get me pregnant. He's sterile."

"Apparently he's not."

"No, there has to be something wrong with the test. It was my blood test, right? You have to retest."

He grabbed his clipboard, looking over the results. "I can do a pelvic exam, if you'd like, but I can assure you our lab is very accurate. You tested positive for pregnancy."

She made a sound of disgust. "Well they obviously aren't accurate this time."

Clearing his throat, he set down the clipboard and headed towards her. Pulling up the stirrups on the side of the table, he said, "Let's just see. Go ahead and lie back. Scoot towards the end of the table."

She felt slightly ill this time. She hated pelvic exams. The only man she wanted touching her there was Anton.

God, this had to be a horrible joke. It wasn't fair. Anton couldn't get her pregnant, and the false hope that she could be brought tears to her eyes. Scooting down towards the doctor, she stared at the ceiling and wiped the moisture from her face. She wanted to kick Dr. Gaines. The jerk. She most likely had a cyst or something, and this would all turn out to be a mistake.

She flinched as the cold tip of the speculum slid inside of her, and the doctor screwed the mechanism open.

He examined her for a few moments, pressing on her abdomen, before saying, "You have an enlarged uterus, softening of the cervix and slight discoloration...all signs I look for. I can do an ultrasound, if you'd like, but I think it will only confirm what I've told you."

She sat up carefully as he moved his instruments away from the table to wash. Her mind seemed to be moving a mile a minute. "Is...isn't there some way this could be symptoms of something else?"

Drying his hands with a brown napkin, he said, "You know, some men have been told that they're sterile only to find out just like this that it's not the case." Sitting down on his stool once more, he said, "I don't like to be indelicate, but you've only had intercourse with the one man?"

"Yes. He's my fiance."

"Well, then I guess you have some good news to tell him."

She sucked in a shuddering breath. "I don't understand how this could happen. There's just no way..." She paused, thinking of something she hadn't mentioned before. "Um--I was abducted once. Could this have anything to do with that?"

"Abducted. As in, kidnapped? Were you raped?"

"No, I...I was abducted by aliens when I was seven."

He looked like he was about to laugh, until he noticed that she was serious. Composing himself, he crossed his arms. "I'm not certain how to answer that, Ms. Jaegar."

"I've always suspected that they did something to me. Is there any way that I could have caused this...that my body is just reacting to something done to me a long time ago?"

"If you're asking me if I think you got pregnant from your abduction, no. It's impossible for a fertilized egg to lie dormant--"

"No, that's not what I mean." Sabryn sighed heavily. "I mean, is there some way that my body could have made his...sperm viable?"

He opened his mouth, looking baffled. "I..." He thought for a moment, before grabbing the clipboard once more. "Other than slightly elevated iron levels, and obviously the pregnancy, your blood work is normal."

He glanced back to see her obvious confusion.

"Look...I know some doctors don't like to talk about miracles. We don't like anyone else taking the credit for our successes. But sometimes things just happen that we have no explanation for. People recover from devastating illnesses for no foreseen reason. In this case, you were given a pregnancy against all odds. Sometimes we just have to accept what we've been given and thank God."

She nodded, caught between utter shock and complete denial. He patted her knee as he stood up.

"I'll be right back with some prenatal vitamins and we'll discuss your diet and doctor visits. Try to relax. This is a good thing, right?"

She nodded again, absently, wondering how Anton was ever going to believe this.

He woke up just as the sun was setting. He reached out, trying to find Sabryn, only to discover he was alone. Sitting up and looking around, he saw a note on the bedside table. "Gone to the doctor's. Sorry, I couldn't get an evening appointment. Not sure how long this will take. All my love, Bryn." He smiled and got out of bed. Quickly he dressed and went downstairs, in search of Lindy.

He found her downstairs. Lindy was on the phone as he opened the door to her office. "Yeah, I'll see you later tonight, Nate." She hung up the phone looking slightly guilty.

He leaned against the doorjamb. "Hot date?" he said teasingly.

Lindy yawned. "Maybe, if I didn't work for such a slavedriver."

"I happen to think your boss is a very understanding man." He raised his eyebrow at Lindy's snorted laugh. "Any messages? And any word from Bryn."

"Bryn, nothing since George called about half an hour ago to say they have to stop by a pharmacy." She didn't like how Anton's eyes slightly narrowed at the mention of George. "And there was one hit in the Bay Area on the request for a red diamond ring you put out. The rest are all out of state." She grabbed a piece of paper and handed it to him "A Ms. N. Halcon says she has a ring you might be interested in. She will be available for you to view it after 8:00 PM."

He glanced at the address to one of the more expensive hotels of San Francisco. If he left now, he would be there around 8:15. "I'll check this out. Go have fun on your date. Just do try to get some sleep sometime. You look like hell." He ignored the growl that floated towards him as he shut the door. Pulling his keys out, he walked out of the warehouse and got into his Jaguar.

He thought about his request. Red diamond jewelry was a rare find, and expensive. But that stone is what felt right for him to give to Sabryn. He was lucky to find someone interested in selling a ring so quickly. He had expected to make due with a regular white diamond, and then give her the red ring when he could find one. He pulled into the hotel's underground parking and went inside.

After speaking with the concierge, he was escorted to the top floor, to one of the most expensive suites. The bellhop let him in, and knocked on the closed double doors that lead to the bedroom. "Your guest has arrived, Ms. Halcon"

"Good. You may go," responded a female voice. As the bellboy left, the voice continued. "I will be with you in a moment, Mr. Rudenko."

He spent the time studying the artwork on the walls while waiting for her to appear. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it at this moment. He heard the doors open and turned around. He had no problems recognizing the red haired woman in the floor length black lace dress. "You!" he spat.

Natasha Falconieri smiled at her one time lover. "What Anton, no kiss hello for an old friend?" she asked, walking towards him.

He backed away to steps before standing his ground. "No friend of mine!"

She shook her head sadly. "Anton, must we always fight when we see each other? I blame you. You blame me." She stepped forward to run a finger up his chest. "It is so very boring... and nothing ever gets resolved this way."

He pushed her away. "There is nothing between us to resolve. What the hell do you want from me, anyway?"

Natasha pouted. "It was something you wanted, Anton." She gestured over to the marble topped table, where a black velvet ring box sat.

Anton walked over to the table and opened it. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, screening all the emotion out of his voice.

"It is," Natasha confirmed. "You want it for your mortal lover, do you not?"

He glared balefully at her. "That is none of your business."

"Sabryn Jaegar, an artist, I believe she is." Natasha made a good show of having to think hard to come up with the details. "From Baltimore, no? The Charm CityÉ how quaint. But you donÕt like quaint girls, Anton, even if they are from quaint towns. You like the ones with a spark of fire. You play with fire long enough, and eventually you get burned.Ó

ÒGet to the point, Natasha.Ó

The vampiress seemed to switch gears abruptly. ÒTell me one thing, Anton. Is she in good health?"

"What do you care," he growled.

"Anton, you fool," Natasha said pityingly. "She has been sick, has she not? Problems keeping food down? Dizzy spells? Have you woken up in the middle of the day and she is not there? It is a good thing you have a loyal employee like George to watch her in the sunlight where you canÕt."

Anton blinked. [How the hell does she know about George?] "And what are you implying, Natasha?"

"Nothing, Anton. Far be it from me to shatter your illusions about fidelity."

"Oh, you shattered those the night I found you in bed with Nathaniel. Where is the son-of-a-bitch anyway?"

For the first time that evening, Natasha looked uncomfortable. "That is none of your concern. Take the ring and go, Anton. Consider it a gift."

He pocketed the box, glaring at her. "I consider it reclaiming something that is rightfully mine." Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the suite.

Natasha smiled to herself as the door slammed shut. Baiting Anton was always a fun pastime for her, and one that was so easy to do. Now it would be even more fun to watch as his doubts took hold and his relationship with the mortal whore fell apart.

And when he was appropriately miserable, like a true vampire, she'd swoop in for the kill.

He pulled into the warehouse parking lot and leaned his head back against the headrest. This had been the first time he had seen Natasha in almost 70 years when she had unexpectedly shown up at his home, just after Alexandra had walked out on him.

[Lies. Everything she said about Bryn are lies.] He pulled the black velvet box out of his pocket and flipped the lid open. He turned it, watching the street lights sparkle off the red diamond. This was the ring Ivan had given to Katerina; he had no doubts about it. It sickened him to know that Natasha had it in her possession for almost a millennium. [At least now you'll be giving it to someone who will truly appreciate it.]

[Hopefully Sabryn's back from her appointment by now.] Putting the box back into his pocket he got out of the car and walked into the warehouse. "Good evening, Marcy. Is Bryn back?"

The older woman looked up from the baby crib she was examining. "Good evening, boss. I saw her come through here about an hour ago." She gestured at the crib. "Check this out. I think it's oak, but stained to look like walnut."

"Really?" He paused to take a close look. "I think you're right. Hold off on restoring this until we see if that stain is a second coat, or the original. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

He left Marcy still looking over the crib and headed to the elevator. He leaned against the back wall. Natasha had drained him emotionally more than he cared to admit. All he wanted to do was find Sabryn and hold her.

He found her in their room, staring out at the bay. Walking up behind her, he put his arms around her waist, burying his nose in her clean smelling hair. "How was the doctor's appointment, my dear?"

"I don't have the flu," she said softly, leaning back against him.

"That's good." Tightening his grip a bit, he said, "If it's not the flu, what is it?"

She pulled away slightly, turning to lean against the window. "I need to talk to you. And I want you to listen to me, because I'm not sure you're going to believe me."

That sinking feeling started to return to his chest. "All right," he said, a bit hesitantly.

"The doctor did a bunch of tests, and I didn't believe him myself, but he said it's true. I don't know how, but..." She licked her lips, taking a deep breath. "I'm pregnant, Anton."

"You're positive? There's absolutely no other explanation?" He swallowed when she nodded. "Whose is it?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Who is the father?" He stepped away from her. "How could you?" he whispered.

"Anton, that's not funny."

"Do you think I'm joking?" he yelled.

She flinched. It was the first time he'd ever raised his voice to her. "You're serious? Anton...this morning you said--"

"Forget what I said and answer me. Who?"

"You're the only man I've ever been with. You know that." She watched his face but his expression didn't change. She gave a bitter laugh. "I should've known you wouldn't believe me."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I've been called a liar all my life. I expected you to be different, but why? You've never believed me about my abduction, why would you believe me now?"

"This isn't about your abduction. This is about you whoring around while sleeping in my bed."

"Whoring? Anton, this is *your* child!"

"You know that I can't get you pregnant!" A darker look crossed his face. He could feel his fangs begin to sharpen. "It's George's, isn't it?"

"No." Despite the anger on his face, she took a step forward. "I know she hurt you, Anton, but this isn't about her. I'm not Natasha. Please don't do this to us. Please?"

"I don't have to do anything to us. You already have." He shook his head between fisted hands. "And I just spent an hour defending you to her..."

She stared at him, her mouth open, before dropping to her knees to reach for the suitcase under the bed. Yanking it out and unzipping it, she threw it on the bed and met his gaze.

"You bastard. How can you--" She shook her head, walking over to the dresser and opening drawers. "How can you make love to me one day and go to her the next?"

When he didn't bother to answer, she bundled up her clothes and threw them into the suitcase, hastily zipping it.

"My God, Anton...you even admitted you were thinking about her when we made love in my bed!" She pushed away angry tears, looking back at the painting on his wall. She stalked over to where it hung, pulling it down, throwing it carelessly on the bed. "Why the hell did you ever come back? If you want her so much, go to her. And stay the hell out of my life."

She didn't bother to listen to his answering comments as she grabbed her suitcase and headed towards the door.

He caught her by the arm, spinning her around to face her. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to see my lover, Anton. He'll *believe* me when I tell him this child is yours."

He stood there in stunned silence as she jerked out of his grip and stormed out of the room. Only when he heard a car pull up outside did he move to the window and look out. His fingers gouged the plaster wall when he saw Sabryn being helped into George's jeep. He let out a roar of anger that quickly devolved into sobs of pain as he sank to his knees.

End Chapter Nine