Chapter 10 – My home, my coven
"Fire, are you okay?" Grayson asked as he helped me to stand up.
"Yes," I said and then hissed again, feeling the burn coming on. "But I must go."
"You won't stay for the run?"
"This is your pack, their time to be with you, not have a vampire stench to tarnish it." I grimaced as I tried to rub my skin where the necklace was sitting.
"You reached your time."
"Yes, and it's not like I can hold on to it."
"Please go take care of yourself. Not like you could keep up with us anyway," he teased as he walked me out to my car. He opened the door and rested his hand on mine as it rested on the door frame.
"I can't run, but I can mist to keep up with you." I winked at him and got into the car, knowing he would be confused by that. "Goodnight Grayson, enjoy the run."
"Goodnight Fire."
-----
Grayson changed and meet his pack at the line and turned to his father before they shifted. "Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"You know Fire pretty well." Tyler nodded and looked at his son. "She said something when I asked her to join for the run."
"Let me guess, she said no, but did she say why?"
"No, she just told me to enjoy my first run with the pack."
"Smart woman. What is it that you're questioning?"
"She said something about turning into a mist. But, I have never heard of a vampire doing that."
"Fire is unlike anyone you know, trust me. She holds a lot of secrets. But, you must ask her, not me. That is, if you want to get close to her. I will say that from what I know, she can turn into a misty form, at a price." Grayson looked at his dad, having so many more questions, but he knew his dad was right; he was going to have to go to the source. Not just cause it was right but because his dad wasn't going to spill.
He smiled as the pack started showing up and he was the first one to shit, letting out a howl and tore off down their land, the other members returning his howl and following him.
-----
I pulled up to my house, trying my best not to shake as the skin kept burning. I had already removed the necklace, but I must have burned my neck pretty bad as it kept stinging. And that was something I never did. But, watching that, being there, was an honor I couldn't walk away from, so I went past the first start of the pain to stay. And that was my mistake, a foolish one at that.
I sighed and glanced out the window as Elric stepped up, opening the door for me. I smiled as I climbed out and leaned on him.
"Did you have to stay so long?"
"Yes. To get to see official pack business when no one else does, you know you would have stayed too." He scrunched up his nose as he helped me through the door and up to my room.
"Maybe. You stink horribly Fire, do you want me to start a bath?" I glanced at him and laughed.
"I gather it's a pretty strong smell of mutt."
"I'm sure everyone smells you and I'm sure everyone will be in here questioning why soon enough."
"They have the right, but not now, not when I'm hurting. Can you get me a bag?" Elric sat me on the bed and smiled.
"No, you need the real deal." He cut his wrist and held it up to my lips. I took it and watched him as I sank my teeth in, shivering as I took a big drink of his blood and then licked the wound to help it heal.
"Thank you Elric. Now, I will bathe and talk to anyone who has questions."
-----
I walked into the living area and looked around at the vampires who were there and offered a small smile to them.
"My lady," a young vampire stood up, "what happened?" I glanced around at their faces, those I vowed to protect while on my land, while in my home, this little coven of sorts.
"I was holding on true to our truce with Blue Moon Pack. I knew I reeked when I walked through the door and I am sorry. But I can't get on their bad side and was invited to something important on their land.
"Many of you know I have allies in many of the super natural world. And many of you know that a war is coming, so now is not the time to make enemies of those allies."
"Is that why Stefano was here the other day, my lady?" I turned to the male and nodded.
"Yes John. He came because he thought he could push me around, force me to pick a side; which most of you know will never happen." Everyone snorted at that and I smiled. "You all know that I will protect you at all costs, that you are safe with me, that has been my promise to you, always. Whether you are mine or one I have housed." At their nod I smiled again. "You know I am open with you, I have nothing to hide, I have never lied to you nor will I ever. Now, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask." As they shook their head, I gave them one final smile and left the room.
-----
I looked up from my computer as my office door opened and I smiled at Charles.
"I'm sorry to bother you ma'am, but Grayson Black is here to see you. Do you want me to let him in?"
"Please do Charles." I pulled my glasses off and leaned back in my chair as Grayson walked in. I glanced from his tennis shoes over the jean glad legs, up over the black tight tee shirt and over his exposed his arms, seeing a full sleeve tattoo on his right arm, quickly avoiding the intake of breath. I tilted my head, never seeing him in anything so casual.
"Are you done gawking," he asked with a teasing note as he took the seat in front of my desk.
"Not gawking merely shocked. I didn't think you did anything so casual."
"Funny you say that, dressing up is the worst for me. I feel more at home in shorts and tees."
"Seeing you like this, yeah, I can see that. What brings you by Grayson?"
"Are you super busy?"
"I'm CEO of my company. I will let you take that how you will." I crossed my legs and smiled as he laughed.
"I wanted to talk to you, if you had the time." His face and eyes held their playful look but the stiffness in his shoulders told a whole different story.
"I can make time. Charles," I called out and he came in with a smile. "Block all messages, let them know I'm in an important meeting and will get back to them when I can."
"Yes ma'am," he nodded and left and I turned my attention back to Grayson.
"Now, Mr. Black, what would you like to talk about?"
"A couple things, actually. Saturday night when you left, you were talking about being a mist. How?"
"I'm assuming much like how you shift. I lose the mass in my bones and become nothing more than air. Beyond that, it's not something I can do for very long or very often."
"Why is that?"
"It's extremely painful for me; unlike when you shift, I can't get used to it over time. And I can only last a few minutes that way.
"In fact, the last time I had done that was quite a few hundred years ago, when I was forced to protect myself. But it hurt me and drained me so much that I created 30 vampires from that one time."