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Consequences	By : Sabriel0405 Category: Anita Blake > Het Views: 4737 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Anita Blake series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter 14

The rest of night passed in a pleasurable daze. I slept in Asher’s arms for a few hours, tucked against the remaining warmth of his naked body. A few hours before dawn he turned me into Jean-Claude’s waiting arms, dropped a soft kiss against my lips and wished me a Merry Christmas. Jean-Claude and I cuddled close, whispering softly to one another when I wasn’t drifting into sleep. About an hour before dawn Jean-Claude’s touches were designed to arouse. I wasn’t certain that my body was up to more and said so.

“Have no fear, ma petite, you need not do anything except feel.” I shivered at his words, which in themselves were a caress. He moved slowly down my body with sensual, drugging kisses that had me arching toward his mouth. His hands were exceptionally gentle as they pulled at my nipples and kneaded my breasts. My breathing quickened, almost against my will. Moans, mine, filled the room. He spread my legs and licked his way between them. He was careful to bring me only so close, prolonging the pleasure. The keening cries were also mine but it wasn’t until he saw my hands fisted into the sheets, that he took pity on me. His talented mouth shattered all my senses. I barely heard his whispered, “Rest well.”

I was alone when Jason bounced in. “Come on, Anita, time to wake up!”

I groaned and opened one eye. Every part of me was stiff. The smell of sex was in the air and I knew Jason knew what I had been doing. I blushed. “Go away, Jason,” I said. I didn’t recognize my own voice. I tried to roll over. I was not successful. Every muscle complained. Jason had the gall to laugh.

“Anita, it’s after nine. By the time you shower and dress and we get to the house, it will be close to eleven. I don’t want to wait that long!”

I stared at the ceiling. “Help me up,” I said, hating myself for the weakness. He was gentle as he supported my back. I wrapphe she sheet around me, swung my legs out of bed and stood, holding up a hand to prevent him from helping. I was just stiff. I could stand under my own two feet. “Can I use the shower in your room?” I asked.

“It’s all yours.”

Once I was out of bed, it didn’t take me long to get ready. Moving dispelled the lingering stiffness. I still ached in odd places, but I could live with that. I fell asleep on the ride to the house so I was glad Jason was driving. Not that I had any intention of telling him that.

Jason carried most of my gifts from yesterday. I wore the diamond necklace hidden under my sweater. I was afraid to put it back in the box before getting it inside. The mood in the house was raucous. Everyone was dressed in something, and I could tell for whom Christmas came early. Cherry was wearing a Santa-colored camisole and tap pants, while Zane had on Santa bottoms. There was already wrapping paper on the ground and I couldn’t help but smile. Shouts of glee heralded my arrival. Micah was the first to reach me. He laid a quick kiss on my lips and whispered, “I take it you survived the night?” I blushed which only made me want to hit him.

“Presents, let open presents!”, “When are we going to eat? I’m starved!”, “Ma, she’s pushing me!” Everyone cracked up at the last. Micah pulled me onto his lap and we all gathered around the tree. Cherry and Nathaniel were closest to the gifts and they began calling out names.

Cherry got a lot of clothes, which surprised me considering how little she wore them. Jason loved the restaurant certificates. There were gag gifts and lots of toys. Videogames and DVDs and CDs. I watched Nathaniel’s face as he opened the arm band. He glowed with pleasure. He met my eyes and shyly dropped his. He crawled over to me and nuzzled my hand.

“Thank you, Anita, I love this,” he said.

I stroked his hair and hugged him to me. He smelled of vanilla and fur and the scent had come to mean home to me. He rested his head in my lap but he was also fondling a Super Mario cartridge and I could tell his mind was already focused on the game. Micah was opening the box with the bracelet. My breath caught as he picked it up and placed it on his wrist. He reached for my free hand and squeezed.

A tower of boxes was passed to me, gaily wrapped, with ribbons and little toys. After last night, I knew what to expect. Baby clothes and baby toys. Beautiful leopard and wolf stuffed animals. I kept the tears at bay this time, largely because I was so overwhelmed. What was I going to do with all this stuff? The clothing was so tiny! How was I going to handle an infant?

Thankfully, a pile of presents was handed to Jason and he got to laugh over the book selections, the hair extensions and fishnet underwear. I didn’t even want to know who provided the latter.

Someone passed a small box to me, clearly a ring box. I held it without making any move to open it. I knew it was from Micah.

“Hey,” I called, “Didn’t someone promise food?” I wanted a distraction. Cherry, Zane and Caleb all got up and moved to the kitchen.

“Relax, Anita, it won’t bite,” he said. I knew I was being silly. We hadn’t talked about forever. In fact, I had gone out my way to tell him I wasn’t picking out china any time soon. So why did this little box scare me so? Because tast ast time I opened a box like this there wasn’t a ring, only a promise, one that I thought nould uld forever go unfulfilled. I wasn’t ready to face that again.

I opened the paper with a delicacy I hadn’t used on any of the other gifts I had received. I flipped open the top. Nestled inside was a gold ring with three little charms attached. A cross, a leopard and a gun. I had to smile. I slipped it on my finger. It fit. I’d have to remove it before I went to the Circus because of the cross, but it felt good on my finger. Which surprised me. I didn’t understand what was happening to me except that I was discovering a need for home. The technical term may have been nesting instinct, but anyone saying that in front of me would have gotten themselves shot.

Though there were still more presents, it seemed a good time for food. I didn’t know where it all came from, but appetizers were being passed around and Caleb placed a ham in the center of the table. The doorbell rang and for once I didn’t jump to open it with gun in hand. I let Merle do it.

Bobby Lee and Claudia came bearing food and gifts; Louis Fane was right behind, as was Doctor Lillian. Ronnie wasn’t with them and a pang of sorrow hit me. But there wasn’t time to dwell on it. Jamil and Sylvie and Gwen had come in and the laughter washed away the sadness.

The whole afternoon was like that. People coming in and out. No humans. I wasn’t surprised. I was too close to the monsters for most of my human friends to be comfortable. Larry was with Tammy and Catherine was with her husband’s family. Ronnie, well apparently Ronnie was waiting for Louis at home. I missed Ronnie, a lot. But even though she was dating a wererat, she wasn’t ready to accept my life. I suppose, only a few years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to accept it either.

Richard hadn’t come, of course, but he would be at home with his family and Shang Da. It was possible that he went alone, though Shang Da would have fought him on that, as a good Hati should. I had mailed his gifts. I didn’t want him to feel obligated to come here. I was heading for some of the food when the phone rang. Since I was closest, I picked it up.

“Hello?” I said.

“Anita?”

“It’s me, Richard, Merry Christmas.” An overture, at last. I knew we weren’t good for each other in a romantic sense and maybe it was naïve of me to believe that we could be friends, but I missed him.

“Anita, I need you to come to the Lupanar tonight.” That was it. No greeting, not even in polite response to my own.

“It’s Christmas!” I said.

“And I have a problem. I need my Bolverk. Besides, Anita, you might get to kill someone tonight or at least cause pain. Moreover I’m calling this meeting for midnight, technically the day after Christmas.” He sounded so cold, so unlike the Richard I had fallen in love with. I didn’t like this new, unfeeling Richard. I had wanted him to develop practicality not intractability. But Richard hadn’t learned that fine line yet. I wasn’t sure he planned to. I tried not to rise to the bait that I would kill on command. I wasn’t a blind assassin, I wasn’t even Death. I was the Executioner.

“Fine. I’ll be there at midnight. Is there anything else? My friends and I are celebrating the day.” I could be hard and intractable too.

“I’ll see you then.” He hung up the phone without waiting for me to say good-bye. I was definitely a bad influence on other people’s telephone manners. No one ever wanted to say good-bye to me.

Micah cocked his head at me. “Is everything all right?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Richard asked me to be at the Lupanar at midnight. Not me, Anita, but me Bolverk.” I felt like Tarzan introducing himself to Jane.

“Do you want to go?” he asked.

“I don’t really have a choice. I’m Bolverk. I have to go.” I sighed. What kind of problem could Richard be having on Christmas? Jamil was still here and I went over to him and said in a low voice, “Any idea why Richard wants me at the Lupanar tonight?”

Jamil gave me a wide-eyed look. “He called it for tonight? Crap.”

“That’s it? Just crap?”

“Sorry, Anita, I can’t talk about it,” he said with a shrug that bounced his cornrows.

“I have to be there!” I said, disgusted with shapeshifter politics. Meanwhile Jamil pulled out his cellphone, listened and called Sylvie over who,turnturn, called over Jason. Great. Just great.

By the time the last guest left, it was naptime. I left Nathaniel, Zane, Caleb and Gregory playing one of the many video games they received. I doubted they would notice if the house fell down around them. Typically, and much to my disgust, the women were handling the clean-up, though I noticed they had drafted Merle and Noah so it wasn’t all bad. Micah followed me into the bedroom.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I have to be,” I said, stripping off my jeans and sweater and replacing them with one of the new nightshirts I had received. This one had a group of penguins playing the child’s game of duck, duck, goose. It was cute and soft. I unhooked the necklace and laid it almost reverently back in the velvet lined box.

“Nice necklace,” Micah commented in a tone I didn’t really recognize.

I felt kind of funny about it. I mean, it should really have been in a safe. What did I need with a diamond necklace? But I had to admit that Jean-Claude was right. Wearing that necklace made me feel beautiful. But I was barely the diamonds type when I was in Jean-Claude’s arms, much less when I wasn’t.

“Thanks,” I said finally, not really looking at him.

Micah laughed, a gentle sound that had me turning to face him. He was lounging on the bed, wearing only silk boxers. “You don’t have to be embarrassed, Anita. I’m not in the same league as a centuries-old master vampire. I can’t compete with him, so I don’t.”

Micah was probably the most self-possessed man I had ever met. He meant it when he said he wasn’t competing with Jean-Claude. I didn’t understand how he could be so accepting of me especially since the reverse would hardly be true. But at this moment, I was grateful he was the man that he was.

I crawled onto the bed. Micah didn’t reach out to me, just waited for me to come to him. He knew me well. I rested my head on his chest and hooked my leg over his. “I think I need a vacation,” I said.

Wisely, Micah didn’t comment. My last vacation, such as it was, almost got me killed, thougat wat was before Micah’s arrival. He just held me until I drifted off to sleep. I slept for nearly three hours and woke, on my own, refreshed. Micah was also awake and I got the impression that he hadn’t slept.

I changed back into jeans and a polo shirt, added a sweater on top and almost every weapon I owned. I wasn’t expecting to need my weapons. Richard tended to use me as a threat, though I wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever was necessary to keep the pack safe. I was surprised that I hadn’t gotten wind of an issue. Jason and Richard were friends. If something major were brewing, Jason would have mentioned it. Paris was still a pest but I couldn’t kill someone for that.

The kitchen overflowed with leftovers. I didn’t remember seeing the turkey, but it took up most of one shelf in the fridge. I nibbled on that while I heated up mashed potatoes and a broccoli casserole. There was a note on the table from Jason. He had gone home to change but if I wanted him to pick me up, I should call. It was a nice gesture but I wanted my own car. I also thought that Richard might think it was strange if Jason and I were suddenly all cozy. He made pissy accusations about that once already.

By the time I got on the road it was after eleven. There were almost no other cars on the road. Most good little grown-ups were tucked into their beds dreaming of post-Christmas Visa bills. Foolishly I had imagined getting into bed with Micah and Nathaniel and reading aloud another few chapters of our book Clouds had moved in, obscuring the half moon. It felt like snow. The air had the prickly feeling that cried storm. Hopefully, Richard would keep one eye on the weather.

I made my way to the Lupanar. The ground crunched under my feet. The smell of blood was in the air. I didn’t have the nose to know whether it was human or animal. The pack was in human form and most of them were huddled inside the coats, trying to keep out of the wind that had kicked up. My own coat provided some protection but I wanted to get this over with and go home. Even I had the sense to know that being out in this cold wasn’t healthy.

Richard watched me approach. “Good, we can get started.” He motioned me to the end of the semi-circle that included himself and Sylvie surrounded by Jamil and Shang Da. I could see Jason in the front, watching the proceedings. “We are here tonight to judge the extent of the betrayal of one of our members and to exact punishment accordingly.”

Jamil and Shang Da stepped out of line and dragged a tall, burly man into the center of the semi-circle, directly facing Richard. The guy was struggling but stopped as soon as he became the center of attention. He shook off his guards. He wasn’t wearing a coat and had the build of a linebacker. I would have guessed were-bear, not werewolf.

“Your betrayal is, unfortunately, not in question, Jack.” His voice carried in the clearing, despite the wind. “You outed several alphas deliberately, lukoi who were doing their best to maintain their lives, to pass as human You had no motive for this except for revenge against those who made you lukoi. But these men and women weren’t those that attacked you. It is difficult enough to make our way in the world, keeping our difference private. You made it impossible. Like you, the ones you outed were the victims of attacks. But this was worse. This was an attack from within. A betrayal from one who should do anything to protect them. We are here to pass and witness judgment.”

Richard sounded like Ulfric. It made me proud. This was the man I had fallen in love with, the man strong enough to punish those who hurt others. He motioned to me to step forward, which I did. I took three steps into the circle. Richard turned back to his prisoner. “We will pass judgment. She will carry out that judgment.”

Jack raised himself up to his full height. He looked at me with disdain that I could see even by the flickering gas lanterns strategically placed around the throne rock. “I do not acknowledge her right to be here, much less mete out punishment. She is not lukoi. She is not even a shapeshifter!”

This was an old argument, one that only served to annoy Richard. “I am Ulfric. I say that she is Bolverk and my word is law!” The trees shook with the force of his voice. As if the heavens heard him, it began to snow or maybe it was hail. Either way, it made a definite statement.

All eyes were on Richard, even mine. Jack charged me and I never even saw him move. He slammed into my stomach with the force of a battering ram. I smacked hard against the frozen ground. My head hit with a cracking sound that reverberated through my body. He knocked the wind from my body so I couldn’t breathe. From deep inside there was a little snapping noise. A sharp pain wracked my mid-section but I couldn’t focus on it. The need to breathe was paramount.

It was over in fewer seconds than it took to recount. I saw Jason’s face, a mask of anguish and also guilt, which I didn’t understand. He made a move to come to me but stopped and clenched his fists tight. Jamil and Shang Da had Jack on the ground. Richard and Sylvie were at my side. “Anita, can you hear me?” Richard said. When I didn’t answer, he opened the marks between us and felt my fear. “It’s okay, Anita, you can breathe,” he said, and turned his head and yelled for a doctor.

The adrenaline rush faded almost immediately and I ached everywhere. My head had a huge goose egg. I probably had a concussion but I wasn’t seeing double. No ribs were broken. In fact, no bones were broken. The day was ending on a positive note. Richard made to help me to stand but I waved him off. I had to do it myself or I’d appear weak. It took a few minutes, but I did it. Relief flickered over Jason’s face.

Richard was furious. The guy had just earned himself a death sentence, one of Richard’s least favorite judgments to hand down. Most of the time I was present purely as a threat. This time I was there to kill. I think Sylvie would have been glad to do the job but the insult was made to me. Since I wanted to go home, I simply pulled out my gun and shot him. I didn’t watch to see what they did with the body. I made it look easy but it wasn’t. I had just murdered someone. He may have deserved it, but if Dolph found out what I was doing, there isn’t a jury in the world that wouldn’t issue an execution order with my name on it.

I wasn’t feeling so great now that the adrenaline rush had faded. My jeans were torn and my head was throbbing and I just wanted to leave. Of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy. Most of the pack had dispersed. They also wanted to get home and forget that they were part animal. Or perhaps they wanted to remember how good the fresh blood tasted. Either way, it was a small group of us who remained behind.

“Are you okay, Anita, do you want me to give you a ride home?” Jason asked.

“I’m fine. It was my own fault. I should have been paying attention. I have my own car here anyway,” I said.

He nodded but I could tell he wasn’t happy about leaving me. The snow was coming down harder now and it felt as though the temperature had dropped. I was having trouble taking a deep breath but I felt that was still reaction. Richard walked over as Jason turned to go. “I’m sorry about tonight. If I had thought he was really dangerous, I would have had him restrained.”

I sighed. “You’re always sorry, Richard,” I thought but didn’t say. What good would it have done? “You’d better get home. I know you’re on vacation this week so you probably have family things lined up,” I said.

“Thanks for the presents. I really liked them,” he said.

“I’m glad,” I said and I was. I had had happy thoughts when I bought them.

“Are you sure you’re okay to get home?”

I shrugged. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.” I turned around and started to make my way back to my car. The ground had already iced up and I slipped once, but caught myself before I ended in a total sprawl. Muscled in my midsection protested the sudden move.

Ice and snow had already covered the roadways. I put the Jeep into four-wheel drive and took it easy. There was no rush. I was the only car on the road; at least there were no other headlights. The first cramp rolled through me and I gasped at the unexpected pain. I shifted my position and kept my eyes on the road. The second cramp was harsher, more prolonged, scarier. I started panting, trying to dissipate the pain. The third cramp took away my breath entirely and I nearly took my eyes off the road as everything grew tighter and tighter before releasing. I wanted to pull over but I couldn’t see the road that well. And I wasn’t sure it would matter.

The next cramp was like a lightning strike. It burned through my body, bolts of piercing agony that wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t breath, couldn’t think, couldn’t see. Pain ripped through me again. I don’t remember turning the wheel. I don’t remember flipping over the guardrail. As I crashed down the ravine all I really knew is I had failed. I had failed my unborn daughter and was going to pay with my life. Tears streamed involuntarily from my eyes. I welcomed the darkness.
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Consequences