Page 3 of Brewster

“I’m several thousand years old.” She nodded. “In all thattime, I never once had anything to do with humans, as I thought them to be greedy and selfish. Then, just as I was thinking of joining the others of my kind who have become bored with life, someone comes along and rattles my bones.”

“You’re not making any sense.” He stood up, and she nearly backed away from him when he came toward her. But holding herself still, he licked along her cheekbone to get a drop of her blood, he told her. “What’s going on? Why are you being particularly odd right now?”

“You did this to me. You’ve settled in my heart so that I cannot now nor ever turn to ash. I’m not mad, but I am feeling a little off.” She nodded, still not sure as to what he was talking about. “You’re my mate, Calla Lily. One that I never thought I would find in all my days as I grew older. You have given me something that I’ve never had before. A look on life—”

“Hold on there a second. Just give me a minute.” He nodded, his smile not very comforting to her at the moment. “I can’t be your mate. I’m just a human. And you’ve made it clear to me that you don’t care for us. Humans, I mean.”

“I’ve changed.” She said she wasn’t sure that had anything to do with her. “It has everything to do with you. And you are no longer just a human. You’ve become so much more in the moments that I drank from you.”

“Take it back.” Brew said that he could not. “You did something to me. Whatever it is, I…You did this, and you can take it back.”

“I cannot. I don’t even know now that I want to. You are my mate for all times. And by the way, you weren’t wholly human before I claimed you. You have a bit of vampire in you from somewhere back in your lineage. A little wolf as well.” Shaking her head, he only nodded. “You’ve healed as well. And you’ll stay healthy for the rest of our days together. Did you know that you had spots of cancer throughout your body? You would not havelasted more than a year had I not claimed you.”

“You said that twice now. What do you mean you’ve claimed me?” He explained it to her. “No, I didn’t…well, I did, but I think that I was just horny and needed some relief. Why are you laughing? This isn’t funny.”

“No, ‘tis not. But I find myself wondering if you will be like this our entire life.” She told him that there wasn’t going to be an entire life with him. “So you say. But I have a feeling that once you are in my home—our home you will feel differently. I know that I’m looking at it as a home now and not a place to rest. A house with no warmth but for you.”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself there, bucko. I didn’t say I was going anywhere with you.” He laughed again, a short, sharp laughter that made her think that he was just as surprised by it as she was. When he stood up, putting his hands out, she didn’t know whether to take it or not. “You’re not going to let me be alone, are you?” He shook his head, his face still covered in humor. “I don’t want to be your mate, Brew. It’s not going to be good for either of us. It’s going to be bad.”

“Not so long as I have breath in my body. And before you ask, yes, I have breath in me. But you and I, we’ll do well together. Have a good life. I’ll take care that your uncle no longer bothers you again.” She asked him if he was going to kill him. “If it comes to that, I will, but for now, I’m going to try and talk to him about his hurting you. May I hurt him? As he has you? That would satisfy both myself and my monster. For now.”

She didn’t want to ask him what that meant. Being all right with him hurting him seemed to make her think that since he wasn’t anything but human, he might not survive a beating. Instead, she nodded and took his hand.

When she opened her eyes, not sure when she’d closed them, she was no longer in the hospital but now in a home. Even from the front entrance, she knew it to be a large mansion. One thatshe’d never be able to walk around in a single day.

“This is our home. Our staff is just beyond in the kitchen. I believe they will enjoy having you around.” She asked him if they would bite her as well. “No. They’re ancients, as I am, but they no longer have the need to eat. I think that will change with you among them. I believe, at least, I hope you will keep them on their toes much like you will me.”

“I’m still not sure about this. You’ll keep your teeth behind your lips, or I’ll stake you in the middle…when you go to bed. I’m assuming you have to sleep?” She thought of something then, something that she’d read. “Can you only drink from me? I’ve read that someplace.”

“Nay, I can feed from anyone should I wish. I don’t want to because you come so prettily when I feed from you. I’d like to do that again, though I have no need to. To hear you screaming out your climax, calling my name when you do. It makes me hard just to think about it.”

“No more of that.” He looked like a small child that had missed his nap. Brew’s lower lip hung out there, and she felt the need to bite him, take that wet lip, and nibble on it until she needed to come again. Turning her back to him, she headed to what she had hoped was the kitchen. The man was in for a rude awakening if he tried that shit on her again. But her body tingled when she thought of how delicious she had felt coming the way that she had.

Chapter 2

Daniel didn’t care for having to look for his niece. She should just stay where she lived, and that would be the end of it. Why she worked was beyond him, but he was also glad for it because it gave him extra cash when he was low on it. Also, he loved knocking her around. She was strong and seemed to bounce back quickly, and it gave him a thrill to watch the blood seep out of her body, and the marks showing up made him feel like a big man, beating the underlings of the world.

He was sitting outside her apartment complex when one of the cops sounded their sirens at him to get him to come to their car. Daniel hated all kinds of authority, but the police were his least favorite. If they got a burr up their asses about something, they could make your life a living hell. That’s one of the reasons that he was polite to them as well as avoided them every time he went out.

It surprised him to no end that he wasn’t taken in for questioning about Calla all the time. She must not be talking to the cops when he knocked the fuck out of her. Either that, or they didn’t care for her either, and that was what he was counting on. It was simply too much fun for him to have at her expense to get a little cash than to let her go on living. The fucking cunt.

Daniel didn’t work unless it was wholly required of him. Which meant that he didn’t have anyone to be beholding to and did as little as possible when he was flush. He supposed that working his fists on Calla was working, but it was fun, so he didn’t bitch about it too often. And never to her.

Not understanding why his mom had left everything to Calla, he did get bits and pieces of her money when he could. The stupid bank people didn’t say anything when he brought her intothe bank with him to get some of her cash. The thing was, they had a limit on how much she could take out a day, and he’d always forget to take her back daily so he could have the two grand each time. Of course, when he knocked her around, he knew that she had to be laid up someplace to get healed, but that was something he was going to make sure that he did daily when he found her again. Waiting around on the money in only pocket change was making things difficult for him. And it was always about him, damn it. Now this.

“Yes, sir, what can I do for you?” The office told him to hang on a moment, he had something for him. “Hopefully, it’s from my niece, Calla Marshall. She’s been neglecting paying back the loan that I lent her last year.”

“I don’t believe that she owes you anything, Mr. Marshall. This is from the man that she’s going to marry. And he asked me to be sure that I explained to you fully that she’s under his protection and that if he sees a single mark on her, he’ll not ask questions but hunt you down. I’d take heed to that, sir. Mr. Smith is a man that no one messes with a second time.” He asked if the man had just threatened him. “I’d not say that was a threat but more like a promise for you. He will hurt you if you don’t leave her alone. Also, I’m to tell you too that her money is no longer your concern. He’s made arrangements at the bank that no one but himself and her can get to it.”

“So he’s taking her to the cleaners? I pay my taxes and—” The officer said that he wasn’t paying taxes actually and that he had a court hearing date for him to have that taken care of as well. “I don’t own anything around here, so why would I have to pay taxes on it.”

“The same reason that you don’t own the cops. There will be no more blind eyes to her walking about beat to shit, either. When she tells us about you, we’ll be running you in.” He said what changed. “Mr. Smith is what’s changed. He donates a greatdeal of money to our city, and he said that the donations would stop immediately if she’s hurt again, and we allowed you to go around like you didn’t do it. He’s made it very clear that he’s disappointed in us for allowing it to go on this long.”

“Well, she’s related to me through marriage. If he has a problem with me and her getting together, I’m going to have to have a talk with him.” The officer—he couldn’t see his name tag right then—told him he’d be smart and just do as he was told. “So you’re afraid of one man, and that’s going to curtail my fun. I don’t think you’re seeing the larger picture here. She owes me money, and I plan to get it.”

“It’s your funeral.” He didn’t like that and told the man that. “Whatever, Mr. Marshall. He’s a very wealthy man who isn’t going to be taking shit from you. As I said, if I were you, I’d just forget about it and get myself a job. Everybody is hiring, and that might save you from being dead.”

“Is there anything else? If not, I’m going to be on my way.” He was handed the envelope with his name on it, and he had to sign that he’d taken it. Whatever. He knew that shit like this would never stand up in court, so he wasn’t worried about it. Sitting back on the bench, he wished daily that he still had his car where he could at least enjoy some air conditioning. This heat was for the birds.

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